Stuff I Got This Week

AmazonVine:

Find Me - Romily Bernard

“Find Me.” 

These are the words written on Tessa Waye’s diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa’s just been found...dead. 

Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target. 

Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick’s deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step? 

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare. 

But she’s going to find this killer no matter what. 

Because it just got personal.

Through the Zombie Glass - Gena Showalter

(my review of Alice in Zombieland)

That's what I got this week, what did you all get?

Nail Art Friday

This week I was inspired by the cover for September Girls. It's so beautiful and I love the color gradient. These came out a bit brighter than the books cover, because those are the colors I had. I still like how they came out though. I think I can call them June Girls nails. The start of summer is a lot lighter and more fun. I think it captures how the beginning of the summer feels. (I'm just making up a justification for the fact that my nails aren't the same color as the book.) I might try doing them again later with grungier colors. 

For this manicure I started with the Revlon Colorstay base coat. Then, on an old tupperware lid I put a bit of the Sinful Colors "Rise and Shine" and some Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Lightening" and used a foundation sponge to dab it on to my my nails. Then for the air bubbles  I used the Sally Hansen nail art pen. Then I finished it off with Seche Vite. 

Review: September Girls - Bennett Madison

Where I got it: My collection
Rating: 3.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (So pretty.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: May 21, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 352 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Sam's mother has left and so his dad decides to take them away for the summer to some remote beach. Sam doesn't mind being able to step away for awhile, but something is strange about this beach. There are girls everywhere and they are all looking at him. They also all look eerily similar. That's when Sam meets Deedee. He is fascinated by her and wants to really get to know her. Deedee doesn't seem to want to let him get that close though and Sam isn't sure what he's done to push her away. If Sam doesn't figure out what's so special about the Girls and this beach he might lose her forever.

First, let me address the big controversy surrounding this book. Sexism. I can see how some people might think this book is sexist, there is talk about women's bodies in a sexual way. Is that sexist? I don't think it is. If you changed the gender of everyone in here the story would still make sense, the characters would still be highly sexualized, but I doubt that people would get up in arms about it being sexist. Sam and his brother and silly Sebastian think about sex, a lot. They are sort of pigs the way they talk (mostly Jeff). I don't think that their, at least Jeff and Sam's, actions follow through with this. Really it's a case of Jeff trying to hard to be a Dude's Dude. He's just trying to act out what his idea of macho is and it sucks. There is lot's of talk about dicks in this book too. That's because guys have them and when they are aroused, their dicks make a big deal about it. That's how you can tell this novel was written by a guy is the fact that the boys in this novel have dicks (not that women authors don't write about men bits, but...). They're important. The other part of the sexism is that Sam's always remarking about the Girl's features. OF COURSE HE IS, THEY'RE MAGIC! Would you consider a sailor being lured by a Siren a novel about sexism? No (well, maybe, who knows what you're thinking). They are magic and otherworldly. Of course he's going to talk about how they look, because it changes and he's drawn to them and they are drawn to him. I also would like to mention without spoiling anything that there is only one reason that the Girls have any interest in Sam to begin with so... If anything I felt like this novel was supporting women and all their glorious beauty. A lot of girls try really hard to make themselves look like something they aren't and this touches on that. Sam didn't care about how hot all of them were, he wanted to get to know one of them.

Now on to the rest of the book. I enjoyed it. One of my favorite things were all the Little Mermaid references. It was positively delightful to come across one. I really enjoy mermaid tales which I didn't really know this was one until I started reading. Really, the only thing I knew about this book is that I thoroughly love that cover. Oh, and Ransom Riggs talked about it in a Tea Time with EpicReads. It was an interesting story and I enjoyed how it unfolded.

Some of the characters could have used some more development. I feel like this book was all about Sam and everyone else was hazy in the periphery. I have a hard time enjoying characters that are only in the book very briefly. I felt like Sebastian was kind of a non-character and was only an anchor for Sam to tie himself back to his old life. Sam's mom and also could have been developed more. It's always hard in a young adult novel to get a better grasp of the people around the main character. You're seeing things from Sam's skewed perspective and a kid doesn't usually know much about the inner-workings of his parent's minds. I understand this, but I still wished we could've known more about them. I feel like at the very least we could have had a better view of who Jeff really was. He wasn't a mystery to Sam and we could have seen him developed more so that the change in his personality would have mattered significantly more.

I liked the Girls chapters a lot and would have been happy with a book told completely from their perspective like that. It gives the story a haunting, surreal feeling. I liked the legend part most of all so more of it would not have been a bad thing.

If you enjoy watching a character find themselves and grow throughout a novel and having a bit of mermaid lore woven into the story, check this book out.

First Line:
"The summer following the winter that my mother took off into something called Women's Land for what I could only guess would be all eternity, my father decided that there was no choice but for him to quit his despised job and take me and my brother to the beach for at least the entire summer and possibly longer."

Favorite Line:
"Their hair was twirling around their bodies in twisty, jumping crowns of brilliant neon."

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten favorite sequels... 
So I have a bit of problem of being stuck on the first book and never getting around to reading the sequels. Also, I often find book number two a bit disappointing. So I have five off the top of my head that are better than the first one. 

The Lost Saint - Bree Despain

Unravel Me - Tahereh Mafi

A Million Suns - Beth Revis

Supernaturally - Kiersten White

Iron Daughter - Julie Kagawa

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people  who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Stuff I Got This Week

Bought/Netgalley:

Ashes - Ilsa J. Bick & Shadows - Ilsa J. Bick. 

These are currently only $1.39 on Amazon I found out from Nite Lite Book Reviews.

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy - Katie Hattemer

Witty, sarcastic Ethan and his three friends decide to take down the reality TV show, For Art's Sake, that is being filmed at their high school, the esteemed Selwyn Arts Academy, where each student is more talented than the next. While studying Ezra Pound in English class, the friends are inspired to write a vigilante long poem and distribute it to the student body, detailing the evils of For Art's Sake. But then Luke—the creative force behind the poem and leader of the anti-show movement—becomes a contestant on the nefarious show. It's up to Ethan, his two remaining best friends, and a heroic gerbil named Baconnaise to save their school. Along the way, they'll discover a web of secrets and corruption involving the principal, vice principal, and even their favorite teacher.

Ten Tiny Breaths - K.A. Tucker

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Sorrow's Knot - Erin Bow

In the world of Sorrow’s Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry and nearly invisible, something deadly. The dead can only be repelled or destroyed with magically knotted cords and yarns. The women who tie these knots are called binders. 

Otter is the daughter of Willow, a binder of great power. She’s a proud and privileged girl who takes it for granted that she will be a binder some day herself. But when Willow’s power begins to turn inward and tear her apart, Otter finds herself trapped with a responsibility she’s not ready for, and a power she no longer wants.

That's what I got this week, what did you all get?

Fangirl Fanfic

Exactly what it sounds like. For the next few weeks I will be bringing you Fanfic based on the characters in Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This had to be done, so I shall do it. Carry On, Cather ;)

     Cath nudged open the door with her foot and was greeted by a topless girl.
     "What the hell!?" the girl yelled at Cath.
     Cath quickly turned around and squeezed her eyes shut, she could feel her cheeks color. It had been awhile since she saw breasts that weren't hers or her twin sister's. Cath did not think this was the way to start out a good roommate relationship.
     "Okay. I'm all set now." Cath slowly turned around. "Why wouldn't you knock?"
     "The door was already a bit open, I didn't think—I didn't..."
     "It's not really a big deal. I'm Reagan and you must be Cather."
     "Cath."
     "What kind of a name is Cather?"
     "Long story."
     "Okay, whatever. I already took this side so that side is all yours," Regan gestured to her unpacked boxes and then to the other twin bed. The room wasn't big in any way. There was enough room for the two beds, two desks and two dressers, but that was about it.
     "Perfect. Thanks."
     "Well, I'm heading out, I'll see you later Cath."
     "Okay, bye."

     Cath threw down her bags on the bed that was now hers for the next eight or so months. She heard a slight rap on the door and her dad popped his head in.
     "Cath, do you want to come with us to your sister's room?"
     "No thanks, I want to unpack and go to sleep." Cath wasn't really all that tired, but she didn't want to face her sister quite yet. They were in a decidedly non-argument. Her sister wanted space and so Cath planned to give her just that. It was hard not talking to Wren, especially with the whole college thing.
     "Alright ladies, next stop Schramm Hall," Her dad and sister closed the door and Cath was equal parts relieved and disappointed. She was hoping Wren would have said something to her. Anything.

     Cath continued to unpack her things—they were mostly Simon Snow things—and put together some semblance of a home-y room. Once she had her posters hung and her laptop set up on the desk, Cath laid in bed and thought about the past week. She couldn't believe that her and Wren weren't talking. Cath couldn't remember a time when they weren't best friends you told each other everything. They always shared a room and went everywhere together. Cath felt abandoned. Then Cath thought about Regan. Regan was not a small girl, but she seemed to exude power and her curves were in all the right places. Cath sighed and wondered if college would be much different than high school. She and her girlfriend Margot had broken up months ago. It had been a super secret relationship because Margot didn't want anyone to find out about her. Cath was okay with it because she adored Margot, at least she thought she did. After they broke up and Cath could think about Margot a bit more objectively, there was a lot she didn't like. Maybe college would be a fresh start, maybe Cath could make friends on her own with Wren having to constantly handhold her. Maybe...and then Cath fell asleep.

Nail Art Friday

This week I was inspired to do my nails again after practically a million years. I just loved the color of the cover of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I loved the little hearts by Simon and Baz's heads too, so I wanted to incorporate that in.

I started with a base coat of Revlon ColorStay 005 . Then I did two coats of Mint Apple by Sinful Colors.
Lastly I did the lettering and hearts with Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Coral. 

More nails to check out:

The Bookish Manicurist did some Fangirl nails too (with Levi and Cath!!)

Nite Lite Book Reviews has some Eleanor & Park nails up for Manicure Monday

Review: Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

Where I got it: ARC from AmazonVine
Rating: 5 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Love.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Page Count: 405 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Cath writes fanfic. Her and her twin sister Wren head off to college and Wren decides she wants more space. She doesn't want to be just a twin. Cath wants to keep writing Carry On, Simon and she really wants her sister to be her friend again. What she doesn't expect is a roommate that she doesn't mind, or a boy that she starts to like. What she doesn't expect is that maybe there is more in life than Simon and Baz.

My first question is: Why are there 30 more pages in the hardcover? I guess this is just a ploy to get me to re-read it. This ploy is inevitably going to work so...yeah.

I loved this book though. LOVED it. I read it so slowly, as slowly as I could stand. I just wanted to savor it for as long as I could. The last few chapters I rushed through though, because I wanted to see what happened to the characters.

I loved Cath. She was such a real character. She and I could be friends if either of us were any good at making friends. Then there was Wren. I didn't much care for her. Why was she so daft? There was Nick and Levi too, except let's not talk about Nick. Levi seemed like a lot of fun. I appreciate that he wasn't overly romanticized. Sometimes it's really nice to have a real person to fall in love with instead of a super human. Reagan was surly but a good person. I appreciate her character and how she interacts with everyone else. Rainbow Rowell just has a way of writing very realistic characters that I can relate to and love or hate.

This was a great story about finding who you are when you don't have anyone holding your hand every step of the way. It's also about letting things go and being happy. Cath isn't perfect and she will never be, but slowly she can let herself be happy.

I loved the Fanfic part of this. I have never read any fan fiction, but I can definitely see the appeal. I think I'm going to need some fan fiction for Fangirl. I'm not ready to be done with these characters. I want to see them re-imagined to death. I want different scenarios for them and I want the outcome that I wanted. I can see why Cath was so obsessed with Carry On, Simon. I am in love with this book. I only had these characters for 400 pages or less, but already I want more of them forever.

If you haven't read anything by Rainbow Rowell, I'm not sure what you are waiting for. She is completely brilliant and I can't wait to get my hands on more novels by her. Do yourself a favor and go out and by this one. I really loved Eleanor & Park, but it wasn't even half as amazing as this one.

First Lines:
"This article is about the children's book series. For other uses, see Simon Snow (disambiguation)."

"There was a boy in her room."

Favorite Lines:
"'The whole situation is too rapey.'"

"She tried to tell herself that is was kind of cool to have a twelve-story building to herself. Like being trapped in the library overnight. "

"'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,' he said."

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books on my fall TBR list... 
(in a perfect world where I actually finish things on my TBR list)

Etiquette & Espionage - Gail Carriger
I have the second book staring at me so I need to start this series. 

The Chaos of Stars - Kiersten White
I just love Kiersten's writing and really need to read something else by her and this one sounds fantastic!

The Boy on the Bridge - Natalie Standiford
Love, love, love Natalie Standiford!

The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two - Catherynne M. Valente
(my review of book 1)(my review of book 2)

The Truth About You & Me - Amanda Grace
Amanda Grace does not write feel good books and sometimes you want something gritty. 

The Clockwork Scarab - Colleen Gleason
Bram Stoker's sister and Sherlock's niece!? Yes, yes, YES!

The Melancholy of Mechagirl - Cathrynne M. Valente
I have loved what I've read of her and I adore short stories, so this seems like a perfect match!

Winger - Andrew Smith
Boarding school, Rugby and that cover, how could I refuse?

Divergent - Veronica Roth
Now that the last book will soon be out, I can binge-read this series. 

Taken  - Erin Bowman
If I put this on enough lists, I may actually read it sometime. 

Have you guys read any of these? Where's the best place to start? 

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people  who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Middle Grade Monday

Middle Grade Monday is a feature started right here at Reading Nook. It's a way to share news or reviews of middle grade novels on a blog that doesn't exclusively post middle grade content. Feel free to join any time and link up. 

I just recently started A Series of Unfortunate Events. I'm not sure how I missed these books while I was growing up, I would have been the perfect age for them. So far I'm loving The Bad Beginning though. If any of you haven't read and/or heard of these books yet. He's a brief peek at what it sounds like. 

Dear Reader, 
 I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune. 

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast. 

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing. 

With all due respect, Lemony Snicket

I love aware narrators, I love the story being told to me instead of just told. The illustrations are also quite charming. If you haven't read this series yet, might I suggest a read along. I think you can easily add these books a few minutes of the day and we can go on this unfortunate journey together. If you have read them please feel free to share your thoughts below and on the other posts throughout the series. 

This is a Middle Grade Monday Post feel free to link your middle grade reviews/news below :) 

(doesn't have to be posted on a Monday)

Gay in YA

Epic Reads recently had a Tea Time in which we discussed GLBTQ reads. I really enjoy reading novels and discovering that they have a character that falls into that category. As a librarian I am always scouting out the kids that need this titles and pairing them up. For my version of Epic Reads infographic, I stuck only with titles that I have read. There are more out there, but I wanted to focus on ones that I have read and enjoyed and think you should try out. 

Gay novels plays a very important role in YA. Young adults are just discovering themselves and trying to figure out what kind of a person they are. These novels let them know that they aren't alone. I particularly enjoy the novels that have gay characters and it isn't a big deal at all. Unfortunately, that's often not the reality so it's good that there are plenty of books that show being different as hard. It can be and that's the truth. I do wish there were more transgender and questioning books. I know there are more than what is on my list, but not too many more. Malinda Lo also wrote a great post about bisexual characters in YA. We could use a few more of those novels as well. 

I realize that publisher my hesitate to pick up a LGBTQ title because of the controversy or popularity, but I'm hoping that sometime soon there is a shift and it won't be so taboo anymore. 

I made my own infographic based on the one for Epic Reads, because I needed to fit in a few more in the lesbian spot. 

Lesbian:
Silhouette of a Sparrow - Molly Beth Griffin (my review)
Sparks - S.J. Adams (my review)
Dare, Truth or Promise - Paula Boock (my review)
Pretty Little Liars - Sara Shepard (my review)
Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins (my review)
Skim - Mariko Tamaki (my review)
Ash - Malinda Lo (my review)
Huntress - Malinda Lo (my review)
Scars - Cheryl Rainfield (my review)
grl2grl - Julie Anne Peters (my review) (This one may actually fit into the Other category)
She Loves You, She Loves You Not - Julie Anne Peters (my review)
Rage: a love story - Julie Anne Peters (my review) I like this book because it throws in an abusive relationship too. I just appreciate that it's more than just discovering your sexuality. 

Gay:
Two Boys Kissing - David Levithan (my review)
Boy Meets Boy - David Levithan
Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chobsky
Freak Show - James St.James
Where You Are - J.H. Trumble (my review) So this one and Freak Show may not be specifically YA, but I feel like they were still excellent books with high teen appeal. 

Bisexual:
Adaptation - Malinda Lo (my review)
Empress of the World - Sara Ryan This was my favorite novel in school for quite awhile. 
Water Baby - Ross Campbell (my review)

Questioning:
a+e 4ever - i. merey (my review)
Her and Me and You - Lauren Strasnick (my review)
My Invented Life - Lauren Bjorkman (my review)

Transgender:
Almost Perfect - Brian Katcher (my review)
Debbie Harry Sings in French - Megan Brothers (my review)

Other: This is an added category for books that fit into multiple parts of GLBTQ.
When the Sea is Rising Red - Cat Hellisen (my review)
Dangerous Angels - Francesca Lia Block (my review)
Geography Club - Bret Hartinger
Every Day - David Levithan (my review)
Beauty Queens - Libba Bray (my review)

Have you guys read any great LGBTQ that isn't featured on my list? 

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten books you'd like to see turned into movies or television shows...

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people  who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Middle Grade Monday | Review: The Year of Shadows - Claire Legrand

Middle Grade Monday is a feature started right here at Reading Nook. It's a way to share news or reviews of middle grade novels on a blog that doesn't exclusively post middle grade content. Feel free to join any time and link up.

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's perfect for the book. I love the little embellishments.)
Genre: Middle Grade
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 406 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Olivia is not having the best year. Her mother left her with no explanation with her father and her father is too busy conducting his orchestra to care about her. He has in fact put so much into the orchestra that they have to move, into the music hall. Not only is it her and her father, but his mother too. Olivia's grandmother is old and fragile and now living in a drafty music hall. That's when Olivia meets the ghosts. While with one of the music halls ushers she sees them and they want help. Olivia is already having a tough year and she's not sure she can add their problems to hers. If she helps the ghosts though, she might really end up helping herself.

Another really fantastic read by Claire Legrand. I really just adore her characters. They are very honest kids and I just love them. The illustrations are also great. This is a middle grade novel though so the ghosts aren't as spooky as I may have liked.

The adults aren't fleshed out well in this novel, but that's probably because it's told from Olivia's perspective and she doesn't seem to really pay too much attention to them. Her and Henry are great characters though and it was great getting not know them.

Things got weird pretty fast in this story. One minute no ghosts, the next minute lots of ghosts and other spooky things. Some things didn't play out like I had expected them to, it was nice being surprised. One thing left me a bit disappointed that it never happened though. I really enjoyed this take on ghosts and the afterlife and how time in death is different.

I really felt as though I should have been listening to classical music while reading this. It may have added to the ambience of the whole story. Unfortunately I'd pay too much attention to the music and eventually stop reading and that doesn't help the story much. If you can listen to music and read at the same time, please listen to some of the music listed in the back of this book while reading and let us all know how it is.

I would definitely check this one out if you're looking for a strange middle grade read. Claire Legrand always likes to tip the ordinary and let loose a bit of mystery from it. 

First Line:
"The year the ghosts came started like this: The Maestro kicked open the door, dropped his suitcase to the floor, and said, 'Voilà!'"

Favorite Line:
"I screamed into the inky storm."

This is a Middle Grade Monday Post feel free to link your middle grade reviews/news below :) 

(doesn't have to be posted on a Monday)

Stuff I Got This Week | Library Edition

From the library:

Taken - Erin Bowman

The Year of Shadows - Claire Legrand

Undercurrent - Paul Blackwell

Doll Bones - Holly Black

The Truth About You & Me - Amanda Grace

Such Great Heights - Chris Cole

That's what I got this week, what did you all get?

Review: The End Games - T. Michael Martin

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 3.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (Interestingly creepy and relevant.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Page Count: 369 p.
Add it: Goodreads

With the world ending around them, Michael tries to keep his brother safe. He probably could have picked a better time to run away, but now that doesn't matter. All that matters is keeping them alive. Michael convinces his brother that it's all a game, he doesn't want his five-year-old brother to freak out. Michael is trying his best not to freak out too, but terrible and terrifying things are happening and Michael just wants to get to the end of this game, to the Safe Zone. The Safe Zone might not be all he hoped for though.

What an intense read. I really enjoyed this mash up of two fantastic things: video games and zombies. This was a fun read. It was really confusing at times though which kind of slowed me down a bit. Halfway through the book most things began to make sense, but Michael was a pretty unreliable narrator. Most of the book I was pretty positive he had some sort of mental disorder. I thought he was a little bit crazy. I'm still not totally convinced that he's not.

There were some unrealistic situations in this book, but then again it's a book about a zombie apocalypse, soooo how realistic can it really be? I just found that Michael was way to good at surviving for a kid who played video games, solely. I appreciate that this book makes it seem like playing video games is good for you (no really it is) but I don't know if it will really help you stay alive for a month during the apocalypse. *shrugs* I have no way of disproving this however.

I thought Patrick was a pretty great kid. I often forgot he was only five. It's been quite a while since I've hung out with a five-year-old. Is this how they are now? He seemed pretty composed, his brother had convinced him that this was all made up though. He seemed like a cool little dude, except for when he wasn't.

This was certainly a different take on the zombie apocalypse novel and I enjoyed it. I wished it was a little less all over the place but for the most part it was a lot of intense fun. Things start to get crazy fast, so if that's the kind of book you're looking for grab this one.

First Line:
"Michael awoke in the dark to the screams again."

Favorite Line:
"You must be this tall to ride the apocalypse."

Review: Two Boys Kissing - David Levithan

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (I love it. It's bold. I just feel like it will be a hard sell though. It will be hard for some people to read this book because there is no denying what it's about.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 196 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Two boys take the plunge to break the world record for longest kiss. They will have to stand and touch lips for more than a day. People think they are crazy but this kiss is more than just a stunt. Thiskiss means something. Slowly the people involved will realize this, people around the globe will realize this. This kiss is only one part of a much larger story unfolding.

David Levithan does whatever the hell he wants with narration. He doesn't care if it's not the norm he says, this is how this story has to be told. I applaud him for this, but I didn't love the narration in this story. It was just a little bit tricky. It wasn't necessarily hard to understand what was happening, but it was a bit heartbreaking and eerie watching the dead watch everyone else. Another reason I didn't love this narration is honestly it's going to make it a harder sell for me to give teens. The cover is plenty provocative (I love it!) and with the added strange narration I feel like a lot of my teens just won't get into it.

As for the story itself, it was so beautiful. My eyes were wet pretty much the entire time I was reading this. There was no crying but my chest ached for everyone involved. There was one moment where they nearly spilled over, but I was a quick enough reader to settle things down.

David Levithan does give the best relationship advice. "For the past year Neil has assumed that love was like a liquid pouring into a vessel, and that the longer you loved, the more full the vessel became, until it was entirely full. The truth is that over time, the vessel expands as well. ...Even though liquid is easier to see, you have to learn to appreciate the air."

This was a beautiful book and if you are looking for great GLBTQ lit David Levithan is the way to go. He definitely switches things up with his books. I completely fell in love with Harry and Craig, Avery and Ryan, Peter and Neil and everyone else in this book. I loved them all and was sad to see them go. I recommend you pick this up if you want something that will change your life, even if it's just a little bit.

First Line:
"You can't know what it is like for us now—you will always be one step behind."

Favorite Lines:
"You have become our dreaming."

"And then everything falls apart anyway."

"'I don't usually like people. So when I do, part of me is really amused and the other part refuses to believe it's happening."

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten books you'd pair with required reading...

This is not a perfect list, but off the top of my head I think it matches pretty well. Mostly I think we need to be teaching newer stuff anyways. I haven't read all of these, but I bought them in hope that teachers would expand their teachings. There's also the larger issue of not having read (or at least not recently) these originals, so some of these are based on my impressions of the books and my not quite hit the mark. 

If you're teaching... Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Try teaching... Nothing by Janne Teller

Try teaching... The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

If you’re teaching... Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Try teaching... Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Try teaching... Caleb + Kate by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma

Try teaching... Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

If you’re teaching... Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Try teaching... Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Try teaching... Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

If you’re teaching... Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Try teaching... Jane by April Linder

If you're teaching... The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Try teaching... Looking for Alaska by John Green

Try teaching... The Beast by Walter Dean Myers

If you’re teaching...To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Try teaching... The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Try teaching... Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood

If you’re teaching...1984 by George Orwell

Try teaching... Matched by Ally Condie

Try teaching... XVI by Julia Karr

If you're teaching...The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Try teaching... Monster by Walter Dean Meyers

Try teaching... Prep by Jake Coburn

Other books you should try fitting in:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people  who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.