Bossypants, by Tina Fey

And yet another post that is not about a novel... Though I'm right now in the middle of two novels, so fear not! This streak of not-novels shall be ending!

Book: Bossypants, written by Tina Fey (the awesome actress of 30 Rock, SNL, and numerous movies)

It's Like: Err, it's a memoir, so I can't exactly compare it to any novel... If you like Tina Fey's work, though, you will definitely like this book!

Summary: I can kind of do a summary for this book because it follows a linear timeline. It starts with the beginning of the author's life, as memoirs are wont to do, and follows Fey's experiences from childhood to where she is today (at publication of Bossypants, Fey was still staring in 30 Rock). She focuses mostly on stories to do with her love of theater and comedy, but includes some interesting side stories, like a hike up a mountain in college with a potential love interest and a funny-in-a-kind-of-terrible-way Honeymoon.

Notes:

• I haven't watched 30 Rock (yet...) nor did I watch SNL while Fey was a writer/actor, so I'm not very familiar with her major work. I love Mean Girls, though, which I know she wrote, so I was pretty sure I would like this book, and I was not disappointed. Fey is a very straight-forward writer. She is open about her life and accepts herself for who she is. The field of comedy can be pretty unforgiving to women, and she understands that and works through it to make sure she puts her best work out there. She's a good role model for girls that want to work in fields where women are underrepresented. 
• I love how much Fey respects and loves Amy Poehler. They always seemed to be great friends in real life, seeing them at award shows and such, and I'm glad that it wasn't just an act. They appreciate each other's talents and skills, and Fey really cannot say enough about how great of an actress and writer Poehler is. It's just really nice to see a great friendship like that. :)
• I definitely would like to read more memoirs after reading Bossypants. The only ones I had read up until this point were either for school or in graphic novel form: the former doesn't count because I had no choice in the matter, and the latter does not have enough narration for me to fully understand the author and their stories. I've heard a lot of good things about Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? so that will probably be the next memoir I read, but that might be a ways from now because I have a pile of novels stacked on my desk I want to read...

Recommendation: If you have never read a memoir before, this is the perfect chance to try it out. It's funny and uplifting, with the kind of stories that will make you laugh out loud. And it's a no-brainer to those that are Tina Fey fans that you have to read this book!

Books in Review, 2013

Alright, so I lied. I said I was going to post every day for the next few days and I didn't. I ended up working on Saturday a lot longer than planned, and on Sunday I played Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for practically the entire day... So to make up for it, I decided not to write a review, but rather take a survey that one of my favorite YouTubers, The Readables, posted a few days ago. To the questions! (And subsequent answers!)

1. What was the best book of 2013?
The best book I read would have to be Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. I still don't think I have put my finger on why this book resonated with me so much, but it was completely different from anything I have ever read! It was very thought provoking and interesting, and after I finished it I had this very strong urge to recommend it to everyone I knew.

2. What was the most surprising read of 2013? (in a good way!)
Probably I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov. I have already written a review of this book, but to restate some of the points I made, it was my first serious foray into sci-fi literature and, not surprisingly, I loved it. The surprising part of this read was how it was set up. I didn't know it was more of a collection of short stories rather than a novel, but this actually worked well to get the point across.

3. What book did you read in 2013 that you recommended most?
This might be cheating a little, but I read Insurgent (Veronica Roth) in 2013 and Divergent, the first book in the series, I have definitely recommended most to people. I always tell people its like Hunger Games, but better, so everyone should read it! :)

4. What is the best series discovered in 2013?
This definitely has to go to The Maze Runner, by James Dashner. I've only read the first book in the trilogy, but it was an exciting page-turner: the kind of book you can't put down until you've finished (though my sister stole it for a few days when I was in the middle of it so she could read it...) I cannot wait to read the following books to see which direction the story goes!

5. Who is your new favorite author you discovered in 2013?
I think that will have to go to Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. While the titles of her books are terrible, I loved Perkins's writing style, characters, and plots, so what more could you want?

6. What is the best book that you've read that was out of your comfort zone?
Wow I read a lot of YA novels last year... I guess I'll going with Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi. Last year was the year of my first graphic novel, and I certainly want to pursue that style of novel. Persepolis was also a memoir and overall very serious, so it was very out of my comfort zone. But it was enlightening and interesting and kind of the only book that was out of my comfort zone... I'll try harder to expand my book choices this year!

7. What is the most thrilling and un-put-down-able book of 2013?
According to my book log, there were two books that I started and finished in the same day: Across the Universe, by Beth Revis and Lola and the Boy Next Door, by Stephanie Perkins. Out of these two, Across the Universe was more thrilling. It's about space travel and a girl that's hundreds of years out of her comfort zone! Very enjoyable, highly suggest it :)

8. What book did you read in 2013 that you are most likely to read in the following year?
This is definitely going to have to go to Anna and the French Kiss because... I already re-read it. I have this short and sweet YA romantic novel that I read when I'm feeling upset called Secrets, by Rebecca Jones Gunn. Anna and the French Kiss might soon become my go-to novel instead...

9. What book were you excited about and thought you would love, but didn't?
This 100 percent goes to Allegiant, by Veronica Roth. After two fantastic, almost unparalleled books, I was so excited to see how she would end the trilogy! And I was so disappointed... Not for the reason most people site (the end) but for many reasons, including but not limited to: writing style, Four and Tris's voices sounded identical, weird and complicated explanations, etc.

10. What was your favorite book cover in 2013?
Gosh this is something I don't really think about... Ummm... This one:

because it makes me happy :)

11. Who was the most memorable character of 2013?

Probably Frankie Landau-Banks from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart. While I didn't particularly like the novel and I definitely didn't like Frankie, she is a very memorable character because of her actions during the novel (I don't want to give anything away, you should probably just read it).

12. What is the most beautifully written book you read in 2013?

If you have been reading my posts, it's kind of obvious which book I'm going to choose: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation (both volumes), by M. T. Anderson. His writing is so beautiful and poetic, it's quite easy to fall in love :)

13. What book made the greatest impact on you in 2013?

That would have to go to Thirteen Reasons Why. It made me think about the topic of suicide more than I ever had, as well as the implications one person, or even one encounter, can have on a person's life. It made me want to be a better person, which might sound a tad cliche, but it's most certainly true.

14. What book can't you believe you waited until 2013 to read?

This resoundingly goes to A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin. This is exactly the kind of book that I'm always looking for: super long, intricate fantasy novels. It has been recommended to me for years now, but I definitely should have picked it up sooner.

15. What is your favorite passage or quote from a book you read in 2013?

I said this in my review of Octavian Nothing, but I'll certainly say it again because it is so beautiful: "How doth all that seeks to rise burn itself to nothing."

16. What is the shortest and longest book you read in 2013?

Shortest: Persepolis with 153 pages

Longest: The Host, by Stephanie Meyer with 829 pages

17. What book had a scene in it that you have been dying to talk to someone about?

The end of The Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan. Riordan is a terrible person ending it like that and I desperately need to read The House of Hades.

18. What was your favorite relationship that you read in 2013?

This is really difficult, since I read a lot of books with super adorable couples in it, but I'd have to say Linh Cinder and Prince Kai from Cinder, by Marissa Meyer. I don't know what it is, but there's something about forbidden love that makes everything so much sweeter... :)

19. What was your favorite book in 2013 by an author you have previously read?

An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green, no contest. It might be because I'm very fond of an underdog and Katherines is Green's least-read novel, but I adore how witty and clever it is :)

20. What was the best book you read in 2013 based on a recommendation from someone?

This is going to have to go to A Game of Thrones. This book was absolutely fantastic and again, I cannot believe I waited so long to read it!

21. What genre did you read the most in 2013?

If YA fiction counts as a genre, then that is basically all I read. More specifically, though, fantasy is my favorite genre and therefore most read. This might seem a little odd, but my next favorite genre would be realistic fiction, which is kind of the complete opposite of fantasy... but it was my next most read.

22. Who is your fictional crush from a book that you read in 2013?

Hands down, this goes to Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss. He is an incredibly sweet, intelligent guy with a British accent, can speak French, and has a passion for history. There are no words for the intense crush I have on this man.

23. What book had the most vivid world or imagery in 2013?

There are multiple books I could choose for this question, but I think I'll go with Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo. I think Bardugo goes into more description than Martin does in A Game of Thrones, though Martin has a more developed world.

24. What book made you cry in 2013?

See I don't usually cry while reading books... but I definitely got close in Looking for Alaska, by John Green.

And that's it! Sorry it's such a long post, but I'm hoping this will be a source of book recommendations for people in 2014 :) It was also very interesting to see what I read in the past year and what I want to change this year, besides reading more books!

The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

By the end of last semester I was in the middle of around five books, which is a bad habit of mine I've been trying to kick. I decided to finish those up before I start on anything new, which is why there will be new posts a few days in a row! Also, I apparently do not own Volume 2, which is a slight problem, but I'm sure I'll get my hands on it :) To the review!

Book: The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volume I, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I should probably just officially change that category from "novel" to "book" because I keep reviewing not-novels. It's odd, I didn't think I read much else besides novels...

It's Like: Well, I mean Sherlock Holmes is kind of the classic detective; any detective story that's similar is probably based on Holmes to begin with. Technically Doyle got a number of ideas from Edgar Allen Poe's stories about detective Dupin... but Holmes is the one that became the household name.

Summary: At this point, I probably should just forgo this section; it hasn't helped much in the last few posts, and it certainly won't help in a collection of Holmes stories... Though it is important for novels, so I guess I'll keep it around for the next time I review a novel, which *SPOILERS* won't be for a few posts.

Notes:

• There are many collections of Doyle's famous stories. The one that I possess is the Barnes & Noble Classics edition that has Holmes stories chronologically by publication: from A Study in Scarlet to The Hound of the Baskervilles. There are way too many stories to review (and I, umm, started reading it a long time ago and forgot a lot of the earlier stories...) so I'll just pick a few of my favorites and talk about those. Sound good? 
• Well, I mean you can't really respond to my question, so it doesn't matter if it sounds good to you or not...
• Though I appreciate feedback!
• Too bad you can't give feedback in real time... Like live blogging? But then you'd see how atrocious these posts are before I edit them and how many mistakes I make spelling-wise... Probably a bad idea. :/
• Anyways...
• A Study in Scarlet: It's a very odd and convoluted case, and it is easy to tell that it is Doyle's first attempt at a detective story. There is very long section of narration of the murderer's back story, which has been considered tedious by some. Doyle is a great writer, but he figured out pretty quickly that people liked his stories for Holmes's personality, actions, and deductions, which is why his other stories don't really have sections of narration like this. I thought the somewhat tangential back story was interesting, even though Doyle ended up having to apologize profusely for the way he portrayed Mormons in it. It's a well-developed story and gives just enough information about the main characters, Watson and Holmes, for later stories (giving a lot of information is unnecessary in detective stories since they are plot, rather than character, driven).
• The Adventure of the Red-Headed League: I'm not quite sure why I like this story so much. It might be because the plot is rather silly... I really enjoy the idea of getting paid for sitting in a room for hours copying the entirety of the Encyclopedia Britannica for some reason! I think it's because it sounds like something I would do, honestly. I would definitely get carpel tunnel from it, though... It is also focused on gingers, whom I, like John Green, am very partial towards :)
• A Scandal in Bohemia: This will forever be my favorite Sherlock Holmes story for one reason: Irene Adler, a.k.a. "the woman." It's also why Season 2, Episode 1 of Sherlock is my favorite! Holmes is an almost invincible character, a man that can always find the answers and is very rarely beaten to them. Now I wouldn't consider myself a super feminist, but I adore strong female characters (Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Eyre, Hermione Granger, and Tris Prior to name a few) and I applaud Doyle making a woman one of the only characters that has outsmarted Holmes and that Holmes sees almost on par with him intellectually. My only wish is that Doyle wrote another story with her...

Recommendation: For any Sherlock fans out there, you should really read the original stories, if only to satisfy your cravings between episodes of the third season. For the rest of you, Sherlock Holmes is a classic so you should probably read it anyways. :)

Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh

I debated whether or not to write a post about this book, since it's more of a compilation of illustrated stories written by Allie about her life, about half of which can be seen on her website, http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com (it's where the below meme is from, though the original text is changed to my personal mantra). I really shouldn't review it the same way I do other novels, but then again, I'm always up for a challenge. :)

Book: Hyperbole and a Half, written and illustrated by Allie Brosh

It's Like: There isn't much  you can compare it to, really. It is so very strange and weird and wonderful, you know only Brosh could have written it.

Summary: Uh oh, my usual outline for posts is failing me... I can't summarize a book that has no overall plot! I think I'll just copy what it says on the back of the book because it is a great introduction to Brosh's writing style:

"This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative--like maybe someone who isn't me wrote it--but I soon discovered that I'm not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly.

"So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:

• Pictures.
• Words.
• Stories about things that happened to me.
• Stories about things that happened to other people because of me.
• Eight billion dollars.*
• Stories about dogs.
• The secret to eternal happiness*

*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!"

Notes:

• I think Allie is really amusing and very creative in the way she tells stories. The new stories in the book are interesting and on par, quality-wise, with those that can be found on her blog. There are some stories from her blog that I would have preferred being in the book, however. I think it's because she was focused on making more of a memoir than a collection of blog posts, but here are some of my favorite posts that didn't make the cut: Spiders are Scary, The Alot is Better than You at Everything, and How a Fish Almost Destroyed my Childhood.
• I read a fair number of blogs and a trait I have noticed with a log of bloggers is that they suffer from anxiety and a fear that their readers will not appreciate what they create. Of course, the large majority of readers love everything that the bloggers make and the bloggers know that their fear is irrational, but it does not prevent them from sometimes going months without posting anything new. Allie is one of these bloggers. She's spent a lot of time working though depression and anxiety while working on this book and I know all of her longtime readers, like myself, are very proud of her.
• Along those lines, I noticed a number of her stories were focused on how Allie interacts with the world and how she has dealt with depression and insecurity. I would consider it darker humor than what I'm used to from her and it therefore made me slightly... uncomfortable I guess? I thought these stories were really interesting and amusing at times, but I don't think I enjoyed them as much as someone who could relate to Allie's situation.

Recommendation: I believe I might have scared off some potential readers with the notes that I wrote; I wasn't exactly uplifting... My suggestion is to read her blog, especially the "Best Of" stories that can be seen on the right side of the page and get to know Allie Brosh a little before reading her book. Its easier to understand Allie's stories and how she portrays herself once you have taken the time to learn how awesome she is. :)

A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin

Sorry about the obscenely long time between posts. Last semester was very difficult, and while I did read a few books I didn't really have time to write blog posts, and I doubt I'll be able to next semester either :/ I will certainly try to though! One of my New Years resolutions is to be more productive and procrastinate less, so we'll see... On to the review!

Novel: A Game of Thrones, written by George R. R. Martin

It's Like: Lord of the Rings mixed with Eragon might be the best parallel.

Summary: Wow, this is going to be difficult without spoilers... Alright, here it goes. Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, is asked by the king and very close friend, Robert Baratheon, to become "the hand of the King," which basically means that he will run the kingdom while Robert plays the figurehead. Though Eddard has qualms, he accepts the position and leaves his home for the south with some of his children--his wife (Catelyn) and the rest of his children stay. And from there, everything goes down hill, in the style that Martin has perfected.

Notes:

• Whenever I hear the name "George R. R. Martin," I immediately think of "J.R.R. Tolkien," probably because they both have the "R.R."s. I know that Martin holds Tolkien in high regards and that can be sensed throughout A Game of Thrones. The main difference between the two is that while Martin is a great writer, he doesn't focus on description of characters and scenery, at least to the extent that Tolkien does, probably because each individual book from A Song of Ice and Fire is approximately the same length as the entirety of Lord of the Rings... I personally love Tolkien's pages upon pages of description, but I wouldn't say that the lack of such writing in A Game of Thrones detracts from the novel's overall quality.
• A Game of Thrones is quite long, and while I can usually sit for hours reading, I sometimes felt like I had to stop reading after a few hours because there was so much going on with so many characters and subplots. Now I'm not saying that it isn't an interesting and intriguing story line, because it is! It was just a lot to handle for an extended period of time. 
• Along those same lines, the number of characters is INSANE. It takes a while to learn all of them, but its not too difficult to remember the ones that are important (though "Tyrion" and "Tywin" got me for a while). If you get desperate, there is an Appendix in the back with all of the houses and main families. Or make your own list! Lots of effort but honestly it would probably be worth it.
• I love how Martin splits up the story between people, though sometimes I would flip forward, desperate to find the next time that character spoke. I really like the third-person-somewhat-omniscient because you get the thoughts of the character currently speaking and a lot of their personality, but you don't have the limited perspective of first-person or first-person bias.

Recommendation: I would say that this book is certainly not for everyone. There are "adult themes," if you catch my drift, as well as "fantasy themes," which are some people find more difficult to handle... :) But if you are responsible adult that enjoys interesting and intense fantasy novels and spending hours on end wrapped in a book, then you seriously need to read Game of Thrones, like right now.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Volume II, by M. T. Anderson

I started reading this a while ago, but then I got a bunch of books from the library so I set it down for a few weeks. It took me multiple hours, but I finished it today because it's overdue, I'll be gone for most of next week, and I didn't want to return it and have to wait to finish it later. Oh, and because it was good, and stuff.

Novel: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: Volume II, The Kingdom on the Waves, written by M. T. Anderson

Because it isn't a good book title unless you are out of breath after saying it. :)

It's Like: I don't read historical fiction often (though I enjoy it!), so I cannot think of another novel or novels to compare it to. It's a lot like the first volume, obviously, but I suppose that doesn't help if you haven't read the first one.

Summary: Volume II starts off exactly where the previous one left off, Octavian escaping with Dr. Trefusis to Boston. Together they fend for themselves: Octavian finding a job as a violinist while Dr. Trefusis slowly recovers from various ailments. After a rebel attack on Boston, the two set out for Lord Dunmore and his promise to free any slaves that will fight for the British side. The rest of the novel is Octavian documenting his life as a soldier for the British army.

Notes: To be honest, I really only have one note. I talked a lot about M. T. Anderson's writing style in my post about Volume I and everything I said there applies to Volume II as well. What I'd like to focus on in this post is the base idea of the story. As an American, I learned about the Revolutionary War from the point of the colonists and how their bravery, determination, and love of liberty led to their victory over the British. Of course, we know a lot of "rebels," as they are referred to in this novel, were hypocrites, crying for freedom and liberty while disregarding the humanity of slaves. It is still very eye-opening, though, to hear what African Americans thought of the rebels and White people in general during this time and some horrible things the Americans did during the Revolutionary War. It's a lot to think about while reading. The contradictory nature of both the Americans and the British is discussed well in the Author's Note (which is why I read everything in the book, including acknowledgments, and this practice is something I'm going to devote a whole post to). I found one of the last paragraphs helpful in figuring out what I wanted to say:

"Yes, our Revolutionary forefathers espoused a vexed and even contradictory view of liberty. But it is easy to condemn the dead for their mistakes. Hindsight is cheap, and the dead can't argue. It is harder to examine our own actions and to ask what abuses we commit, what conspicuous cruelties we allow to afford our luxuries, which of our deeds will be condemned by our children's children when they look back upon us. We, too, are making decisions. We, too, have our hypocrisies, our systems of shame."

It's easy to find fault with people on both sides of the fight, the Americans and the British, the African Americans and the White people, but we cannot do anything about the past. As John Green loves to point out, novels are written to imagine other people more complexly, and in the process, ourselves. I found by analyzing the past and its players, I was able to understand myself better.

Recommendation: As you may have realized by reading my above note, you are going to have to do a lot of thinking while reading this novel, and not just because its written in ye olde English. If you have made it to the end of this post and are not dozing off from boredom, then you will probably enjoy this novel. But make sure you read Volume I first! :)

Geektastic, edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci

Warning: The following post contains high levels of nerdiness. If you are not a self-proclaimed geek/nerd (yes I know there is a difference, but I don't feel like going into it in this blog post), or you have no interest in becoming one, then this book is not for you and you might as well just stop reading now.

Novel: Geektastic, edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castelluci

This is actually an anthology of short stories and comics. I picked this up because one of the short stories was written by John Green, and then I noticed that other authors I really like--M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Garth Nix, and Scott Westerfeld--also contributed. The rest of the stories are written by the editors of Geektastic as well as: Cassandra Clare, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Tracy Lynn, Wendy Mass, Cythia & Greg Leitich Smith, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr. The comics are drawn by Bryan Lee O'Malley and Hope Larson.

It's Like: This doesn't really work for an anthology... But like everything you could possibly consider geeky under one roof.

Summary: This also doesn't work for an anthology... My blog post structure is falling apart :(

Notes:

• I thought it might be a good idea to write a few sentences on each short story because it would be hard to review Geektastic as a whole.
• "Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way" (Holly Black & Cecil Castelluci): I found this short story really amusing and a good way to start off the anthology; plus, it was the story that started the creation of Geektastic, so.... I liked the changing perspectives because both main characters were so different. I suppose third person could have worked as well, but I don't think it would have conveyed the emotion and thoughts behind their actions as well as changing perspectives did. Also, I now have a burning desire to go to Comic-Con.
• "One of Us" (Tracy Lynn): This one was one of my favorites, and a good story to start with if you are interested in becoming a nerd/geek. The plot might have been a little predictable, but it was still cute and fun.
• "Definitional Chaos" (Scott Westerfeld): I usually like Scott Westerfeld's writing, but I found this story confusing and without direction. I could see what Westerfeld was trying to do, set up a story that explained all sections of the alignment matrix, but he didn't execute it very well. It ended up being a lot of discussion without much explanation.
• "I Never" (Cassandra Clare): I've been told I NEED to read Cassandra Clare's books, and I guess it's a good start that I liked this story. I'm not sure that an online multiplayer game like the Game exists, but it sounds fascinating! I found it hard to like Jane until the end of the story, but I like how Clare chose to write in the perspective of a non-geek discovering geek culture. Also, it mirrored Cyrano de Bergerac quite well.
• "The King of Pelinesse" (M.T. Anderson): I wasn't really sure how to feel about this story. I found that I liked the writing, though sometimes it seemed inconsistent. It was interesting but really odd.
• "The Wrath of Dawn" (Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith): This story was cute and had a predictable ending, but I enjoyed it, probably for those reasons. I also need to watch Buffy apparently.
• "Quiz Bowl Antichrist" (David Levithan): I have read Will Grayson, Will Grayson, so I know Levithan's writing. It was smart and witty and another story written from an outsider's perspective. My favorite character was probably Wes because he's quiet but observant and therefore insightful. I was also impressed by the vast knowledge Quiz Bowlers must have in order to succeed.
• "The Quiet Knight" (Garth Nix): I've only read Nix's Abhorsen Trilogy (which I love), so it was somewhat odd to read a story of his that did not take place in a fantasy world. It was still brilliant, of course, and I would love to read a full-length novel with Tony as the main character. You've got to love a gentle giant :)
• "Everyone but You" (Lisa Yee): This story reminded me that there are more definitions of being a geek than just the classic ones (Trekkers, Comic books lovers, etc.) It was odd to read a YA story with such a peppy main character, because the majority of YA novel main characters that are nerdy are also cynical and quiet. I found the time jump near the end somewhat off putting, but otherwise I liked the story.
• "Secret Identity" (Kelly Link): My opinion towards this story is similar to my opinion of M.T. Anderson's: it was odd but interesting. The idea of superheros being real in the story's universe was cool, but ultimately you figure out the symbolism behind it. Ultimately, I think I would have appreciated a story just about superheros more than a lost 15-year-old, though.
• "Freak the Geek" (John Green!!): John Green has a different writing style that you have to get used to, but I enjoy it and I loved this story. It was short but it did a very good job encompassing what it means to be a geek/nerd.
• "The Truth About Dyno Girl" (Barry Lyga): I really like characters that have something they are insanely passionate about and know from a young age they want to pursue. I didn't really like the end though; I'd like to think that nerds/geeks are above revenge, even revenge for the greater good.
• "This is My Audition Monologue" (Sara Zarr): Theater geek alert! I found this story interesting, possibly because it sounded like what a teenage girl in Rachel's position would say. There are tangents and some exaggeration, really capturing the teenage voice. It also made me really appreciate my high school drama director. :)
• "The Stars at the Finish Line" (Wendy Mass): This one was my favorite because it was so dang cute and it involved astronomy. That is all.
• "It's Just a Jump to the Left" (Libba Bray): A story that goes into the apparent awesomeness that is Rocky Horror Picture Show, making me once again have the need to see it. I didn't particularly like the main character, Leta, and the plot was somewhat confusing because it consisted of so many separate, spaced out events, but I think that was the point.

On a scale...: from 1 to 10, even though I wouldn't give top marks to every individual story, Geektastic is a 10 overall.

Recommendation: If you are a geek/nerd, read it. Otherwise, it probably won't interest you.

I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov

If you are wondering why there are so many new posts in a row (you probably aren't, but I'll explain myself anyway) it's not because I just read a bunch of books in one day. My grandmother was visiting and I was determined to finish watching the entirety of HankGames by the end of July (I missed it by an hour) so I kind of stopped writing posts. Sorry!

Novel: I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov

Side note: This is really embarrassing, and I'm ashamed to admit it, but I accidentally thought Isaac Asimov  was Kurt Vonnegut. I was trying to tell my sister that I was reading a book by a guy that wrote a few of the short stories we had to read junior year and then I realized that they weren't the same person...

It's Like: I'm going to go with "nothing I've ever read before." As much as I say I love sci-fi, I have not actually read very much of it. Asimov is the king of sci-fi, or so I've been told, so I figured I should probably start with him. Also, I randomly saw I, Robot in the classics section of the library and decided to get it.

Summary: I, Robot is actually a collection of short stories as told by Dr. Susan Calvin to a reporter who wishes to know Calvin's background in robotics and robots in general. The overall story line is how robots start to integrate into society (this is supposedly in the 90s, making our lack of robots in the real world upsetting) and the transition from nannies and slaves to The Machines that basically run Earth.

Notes:

• I wish to read all of Asimov's writing after this. So intelligent and thoughtful and fascinating!
• My favorite story is probably the first one, "Robbie," because it's so adorable. It becomes the most important story after reading the entire book, though. In "Robbie," Gloria is very dependent on Robbie for her happiness because he is her only friend. This is a cute children's story, but it parallels the final story where humanity has become equally dependent on The Machines.
• Another way to view the story is that robots and humans will always rely on each other. Robbie does seem equally dependent on Gloria because his entire reason for existing is to be with her. The rest of the stories (minus the last one) are humans suppressing robots and robots fighting back. But in the end, when The Machines are so complex that no one knows how they work, there are still things that cannot be quantified by robots and only humans can accomplish. They still need each other.
• The Three Laws are brilliant. They are specific enough to keep the robots in line, but general enough that they can be twisted to suit the needs of each short story.
• I kind of feel like it's unnecessary to discuss the characters, because the stories aren't focused on the characters. They are focused on ideas and plot. I didn't really feel connected to any character but it worked well for this novel, which was a new experience for me.

On a scale...: from :) to :) :) :) :) :) , it was a resounding :) :) :) :) :) + 

Recommendation: It might be a little to sci-fi-y for some people; it's not exactly complicated, but it does take a little effort to get through the book and understand everything completely, especially in the last story. I think the majority of people will enjoy it though!

This is What Happy Looks Like, by Jennifer E. Smith

You are allowed to judge a book by its cover this one time.

Isn't it adorable? I only read it because of the cover. Just kidding! I've heard a lot of good things about it, as well as Jennifer E. Smith's book The Statistical Probability of Love, so I decided to read it.

Novel: This is What Happy Looks Like, by Jennifer E. Smith

It's Like: A modern, YA version of Once Upon A Marigold

Summary: This is going to sound like a lame summary, but This is What Happy Looks Like is about two teenagers, Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill, who accidentally start e-mailing each other, their meeting and the problems that come with attempting to start a relationship. Sounds cliche and straightforward, but it's not!

Notes:

• One thing that startled me was that the majority of the book does not take place with Graham and Ellie e-mailing. The entire book, minus a few pages, is about Graham and Ellie meeting and figuring out what to do once they meet. Most books with similar summaries are about the e-mail messages and how the messages shape each character individually. I really appreciated how This is What Happy Looks Like kept the idea but changed the execution.
• I found Jennifer E. Smith's writing similar to Sarah Dessen's. This might be because both This is What Happy Looks Like and The Moon and More are summer romance novels. I definitely liked Smith's writing more because she captured the teenage voice better than Dessen did.
• While we are on the topic of Dessen, I like Ellie so much more than Emaline (if you don't know what I'm talking about, check out my review for The Moon And More in June). They seem to have similar personalities, but I find the traits much more endearing in Ellie. Ellie is also level headed when it comes to romance and relationships, and that was something that Emmaline lacked.
• I appreciated how both Graham's and Ellie's perspectives were shown; it's not always something I like in a book, but it worked well in this one.

On a Scale...*: from 1 to 10, I'd give it a 9. Points deducted for plot tangents.

Recommendation: Yes, read it! It's more of a "chick book" I guess, or a longer-than-usual beach read, but definitely worthwhile. 

*Oh hey, yeah, this is new. I decided just now to do it. You're welcome. :)

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman

I have heard so many good things about Neil Gaiman, making me determined to read a few of his books. I picked this first because I found it at the library while looking for another book (not a great reason, but you know). It was in the YA section, though it seems more like a children's story. I think it is considered YA because it's creepy, though less creepy than I expected because people emphasized how creepy it was. Anyway...

Novel: Coraline, by Neil Gaiman

It's Like: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, if Narnia was an alternate world that was horrible.

Summary: Coraline's family has recently moved into an old house split into four flats; Miss Spink and Miss Forcible live on the first floor, Mr. Bobo lives in the attic with his mouse circus, and the fourth flat is empty. On a rainy day when Coraline cannot explore outside like she usually does, she finds a door in the parlor that opens to a brick wall. Later, though, when her parents aren't home, she opens the door and finds a hallway instead...

Notes:

• It has the feel of a children's chapter book, especially because it includes a picture at the beginning of each chapter, which reminds me of Roald Dahl books. This makes me question why it is considered a YA novel (or novella, but I'm going to stick with novel for this review). My initial thought was that it's because of the creepy aspect, but in reality it's not that scary. So this leads to questions like: "Is Coraline trying to say something about children's books?" , "Should children's novels be taken as seriously as YA and adult novels?", and "Am I thinking it too much about this?"
• The answer to the third question is probably "yes."
• The writing is very interesting because even though Coraline is in the voice of an eight-year-old, there is intelligence behind the voice. The author doesn't talk down to the reader, making me again question who the audience for this novel is supposed to be.
• Coraline is the only likable character in the book, but I think that is the point. It's the view of a child, so when the adults don't want to play with her or they act different from what is considered "normal," Coraline is not going to think too highly of them.
• The plot was odd but unique, which is something I think most authors strive for (being unique, not being odd, but I guess it's okay to be both). 

Recommendation: I'm going to say that it's a good book for anyone to read. I'm not sure if I should have read Coraline as my first Neil Gaiman novel because I don't know what his writing style for longer, more developed novels is like. His writing in Coraline worked well with the story, but I don't think it would suit many other stories. Which is why I need to read more of his work! So overall, read it, as long as you don't have an extremely low horror tolerance. It's quick and while not exactly fun, it's still enjoyable. :)

The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan

I decided to read Sea of Monsters in honor of the movie coming out on August 7, even though I know the movie will be just as bad as the movie for Lightning Thief. In order to read Sea of Monsters, of course I had to read Lightning Thief, because you obviously cannot read the second book by itself. I'll be reading the rest of the series soon! Just have a few more books to get out of the way first :)

Novel: The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan

It's Like: Basically what I said about Lightning Thief: Greek Myths taking form in a Harry Potter-esque way.

Summary: This summary probably will not make much sense without reading  The Lightning Thief, or at least a summary for The Lightning Thief, so fair warning.

Percy Jackson made it through almost the entire year of school without getting expelled, but of course, something goes wrong and he has to return to Camp Half Blood a little earlier than expected. When he gets there, he finds out that the tree that protects the camp was poisoned, no longer making camp a safe place for demigods. Percy, with his friend Annabeth and his half-brother Tyson sets out to find the Golden Fleece and save the camp, and at the same time figuring out where Grover is and if they can save him.

Notes:

• For one thing, and this is something that my sister (who is also rereading the books) noticed as well, Tyson is a lot shorter than I remember. He's 6 foot 3 inches, which is abnormally tall for a seventh grader, but I always pictured him as being Andre the Giant sized.
• Of course the plot is incredible with a brilliant twist ending.
• I love how the ancient Greek myths are weaved through this story, as well as in The Lightning Thief. You see Percy's story mirroring the stories of old, changed to suit the needs of the overall plot, but keeping the arc recognizable. It's a not-so-subtle way of showing Percy as hero material even when he has no idea what is going on. 
• I hate to say anything bad about this book, but Clarisse's only role seemed to be as a deus ex machina. She is used multiple times as a way to help Percy and his gang when they are stuck, but I suppose it's as good of a way to fix the problem as any other way.

Recommendation: Read Lightning Thief. Then read Sea of Monsters. Then watch the movie on August 7!

The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

So the next two posts will be books I've already read, because they are both from the Percy Jackson series, one of my favorite children's series ever. Actually, one of my favorite series, period :) Actually, the majority of my favorite series are children's series... Hmmmm... Anyways!

Novel: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

It's Like: If awesome took the form of a novel! Seriously though, its kind of like Harry Potter but with demigod abilities and Greek Myths thrown in here and there.

Summary: You poor, poor soul if you have not read and/or seen the movie (though the movie is completely different from the book... But we kind of still love it). There are people out there that have not read/watched it though, so I suppose a summary is in order.

Percy Jackson is a relatively normal 12-year-old, though he tends to get expelled from every school he goes to because of weird circumstances that Percy can never explain. When he is attacked on a field trip by a fury, he is brought to Camp Half-Blood, a camp for demigods, those that have one mortal parent and one immortal one. Here, Percy not only has to come to terms with his new identity, but he has solve an argument between Zeus and Poseidon that could lead to World War III if he doesn't figure it out in time.

Notes:

• To be honest, I'm not really sure what to talk about because this is my second time reading it and I have watched the movie multiple times, and I love it. It's kind of hard to critique about something you already love. I'll try my best though!
• All of the main characters are lovable and easy to relate to, even if their situation is very different.
• Obviously the writing is not on par with some of the other authors I have reviewed, but to be fair it is a children's book. Riordan doesn't write down to the reader, though; he has a style that any age reader can appreciate.
• The plot is wonderful and amazing and perfect!
• I don't think I did a good job critiquing this book...

Recommendation: Everyone should read The Lightning Thief! It a quick and easy read, perfect for the summer. I would consider it realistic fantasy because it takes place here and now, instead of a made-up land, making it the kind of fantasy novel that anyone can enjoy.