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notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
About- A quiet teenage boy named Miles and the girl he loved.
Why I picked it– Both my sister and Hope told me I should read this book. Plus The Fault in Our Stars was so darn good- I wanted more John Green!
Thoughts- Ugh, John Green, why are you always pulling at my heartstrings? I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say I was tearing up a bit with this book too. I didn’t hit me as hard as The Fault in Our Stars did, but I was still surprised by the turn of events. There was one quirky thing about Miles that I really liked; he has a knack for remembering famous last words. It’s kind of morbid, but also interesting too- I felt like I learned something.
Why I picked it– Both my sister and Hope told me I should read this book. Plus The Fault in Our Stars was so darn good- I wanted more John Green!
Thoughts- Ugh, John Green, why are you always pulling at my heartstrings? I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say I was tearing up a bit with this book too. I didn’t hit me as hard as The Fault in Our Stars did, but I was still surprised by the turn of events. There was one quirky thing about Miles that I really liked; he has a knack for remembering famous last words. It’s kind of morbid, but also interesting too- I felt like I learned something.
About- A young woman gets a job at The Circle, a powerful internet company, and her ambition drives her to climb higher and higher up the ranks.
Why I picked it– Many of the early reviews said this was a good read and I thought it would make a good pick for my book club.
Thoughts- So this actually ended up being a very divisive book for my book club: two people didn’t like it at all, one was in the middle, and two of us liked it. The people in book club who’d read other books by Dave Eggers tell me that his other works are much better. For me, this book was all about the critique of social media and how it’s taking over our lives. As a blogger, this hit close to home and raised some interesting points. This book sparked a lot of discussion and even though it wasn’t everyone’s favorite, I stand by this as my book club pick!
Why I picked it– Many of the early reviews said this was a good read and I thought it would make a good pick for my book club.
Thoughts- So this actually ended up being a very divisive book for my book club: two people didn’t like it at all, one was in the middle, and two of us liked it. The people in book club who’d read other books by Dave Eggers tell me that his other works are much better. For me, this book was all about the critique of social media and how it’s taking over our lives. As a blogger, this hit close to home and raised some interesting points. This book sparked a lot of discussion and even though it wasn’t everyone’s favorite, I stand by this as my book club pick!
About- A stay-at-home mom has a secret that she has to hide from everyone in her life, including her husband.
Why I picked it– A friend was reading this for her book club and I was intrigued, so I borrowed it from the library.
Thoughts- This book had a really interesting premise, but it just jumped all over the place. I wanted to love this book, but the disorganization threw me for a loop. Don’t get me wrong, it was interesting, but it was often unclear what time it was or what the setting was in any given chapter. Also, once you figure out the main character’s secret, I wanted a lot more backstory. I always want to understand what drives a character and I didn’t get enough of that here.
Why I picked it– A friend was reading this for her book club and I was intrigued, so I borrowed it from the library.
Thoughts- This book had a really interesting premise, but it just jumped all over the place. I wanted to love this book, but the disorganization threw me for a loop. Don’t get me wrong, it was interesting, but it was often unclear what time it was or what the setting was in any given chapter. Also, once you figure out the main character’s secret, I wanted a lot more backstory. I always want to understand what drives a character and I didn’t get enough of that here.
About- One special book changes a boy’s life and causes him to investigate the mysterious life of the book’s author.
Why I picked it– Recommended to me by a friend at work.
Thoughts- Unsurprisingly, I love books about people who love books. This book would definitely have to be my favorite of the bunch. It’s wonderfully written, the story is intriguing throughout, and I love the gothic setting in post World War II Spain. When I went home last month, I discovered that I had another book by this author in the original Spanish. I hadn’t read that one, but now I’m thinking that I’ll read another one of his books, but maybe attempt to read it Spanish (that would certainly be a challenge)!
Why I picked it– Recommended to me by a friend at work.
Thoughts- Unsurprisingly, I love books about people who love books. This book would definitely have to be my favorite of the bunch. It’s wonderfully written, the story is intriguing throughout, and I love the gothic setting in post World War II Spain. When I went home last month, I discovered that I had another book by this author in the original Spanish. I hadn’t read that one, but now I’m thinking that I’ll read another one of his books, but maybe attempt to read it Spanish (that would certainly be a challenge)!
About- A young girl who lives in a dystopian world where being different is very dangerous.
Why I picked it– Another one that Hope recommended it to me. Thanks Hope, you’re really knocking it out of the park with your recommendations!
Thoughts- I’ll admit it- I really like YA fiction. This book hooked me and I read it in one day. I’m dying a tiny bit because I wanted to read the next book in the series right away, but I’m still waiting for it in the library queue. Since I was in the mood for fantasy/dystopian YA fiction, I picked up The Bone Season to tide me over (more on that in a future post!).
Why I picked it– Another one that Hope recommended it to me. Thanks Hope, you’re really knocking it out of the park with your recommendations!
Thoughts- I’ll admit it- I really like YA fiction. This book hooked me and I read it in one day. I’m dying a tiny bit because I wanted to read the next book in the series right away, but I’m still waiting for it in the library queue. Since I was in the mood for fantasy/dystopian YA fiction, I picked up The Bone Season to tide me over (more on that in a future post!).
About- The War of the Plantagenets and the story of Elizabeth Woodville, a woman who rose from commoner to queen.
Why I picked it– I spotted this in Alex‘s room and asked to borrow it for my trip home last month.
Thoughts- I really like historical fiction. I went through a phase in middle school/high school where I read several Philippa Gregory novels. I didn’t know a lot of the history behind this book because it precedes Henry VIII and The Tudors, so I enjoyed learning about that time period. Also, apparently they made a miniseries based on these books and it aired on Starz last summer, so I’d love to watch it if I can find it.
Why I picked it– I spotted this in Alex‘s room and asked to borrow it for my trip home last month.
Thoughts- I really like historical fiction. I went through a phase in middle school/high school where I read several Philippa Gregory novels. I didn’t know a lot of the history behind this book because it precedes Henry VIII and The Tudors, so I enjoyed learning about that time period. Also, apparently they made a miniseries based on these books and it aired on Starz last summer, so I’d love to watch it if I can find it.
About- Set in a futuristic London, it’s about a girl with clairvoyant abilities whose very existence is considered a crime.
Why I picked it– After Divergent, I was on a major YA dystopian novel kick.
Thoughts- I like this book, but I think it could have been better executed. The premise is interesting, but the author spends so much time explaining certain aspects of this world she’s created. Everything has its own term and it’s a lot to keep track of. Sometimes I was so bogged down by jargon and information- I just wanted to get back to the plot. That said, the author is pretty young and perhaps by the next book she will have refined her writing style a bit. This is supposed to be the first of a seven-book series, so I probably will pick up the next one if/when it comes out.
Why I picked it– After Divergent, I was on a major YA dystopian novel kick.
Thoughts- I like this book, but I think it could have been better executed. The premise is interesting, but the author spends so much time explaining certain aspects of this world she’s created. Everything has its own term and it’s a lot to keep track of. Sometimes I was so bogged down by jargon and information- I just wanted to get back to the plot. That said, the author is pretty young and perhaps by the next book she will have refined her writing style a bit. This is supposed to be the first of a seven-book series, so I probably will pick up the next one if/when it comes out.
About- Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and attempting to settle back into civilian life.
Why I picked it– We had a little poll of favorite books read in 2013 at my workplace and this book won, so I knew I had to check it out.
Thoughts- If you follow along with these book posts, you’ll know that I don’t often read nonfiction. However, I heard such good things about this book that I had to read it. It’s great, really and truly great. It’s also heartbreaking and eyeopening. The soldiers who are the subjects of this book suffer from severe psychological trauma and have a lot of difficulty adjusting to life after war. In many cases, the author talked to both the soldiers and their family/friends and described the experience of the returning soldiers from those different perspectives. It’s stories about people’s lives, which is why I didn’t mind so much that it was nonfiction. Ugh, this book is so good and also depressing, so if that’s your thing, this book is for you.
Why I picked it– We had a little poll of favorite books read in 2013 at my workplace and this book won, so I knew I had to check it out.
Thoughts- If you follow along with these book posts, you’ll know that I don’t often read nonfiction. However, I heard such good things about this book that I had to read it. It’s great, really and truly great. It’s also heartbreaking and eyeopening. The soldiers who are the subjects of this book suffer from severe psychological trauma and have a lot of difficulty adjusting to life after war. In many cases, the author talked to both the soldiers and their family/friends and described the experience of the returning soldiers from those different perspectives. It’s stories about people’s lives, which is why I didn’t mind so much that it was nonfiction. Ugh, this book is so good and also depressing, so if that’s your thing, this book is for you.
About- I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that the main character has to deal with death, as well as attempt to save her city from civil war.
Why I picked it– I read Divergent in December, so Insurgent was up next.
Thoughts- Hmmm, I didn’t like this one as much as Divergent. I found the main character, Tris, more annoying in this installment. Maybe the first book was more interesting because it introduced all of these new ideas, and the second book plateaus a bit. I’m still interested to see how the series ends and I’ve just started the final book, Allegiant.
Why I picked it– I read Divergent in December, so Insurgent was up next.
Thoughts- Hmmm, I didn’t like this one as much as Divergent. I found the main character, Tris, more annoying in this installment. Maybe the first book was more interesting because it introduced all of these new ideas, and the second book plateaus a bit. I’m still interested to see how the series ends and I’ve just started the final book, Allegiant.
About- An ex-military man leads a quiet life until one night when he bumps into a young girl who’s running away from something that terrifies her.
Why I picked it– The publisher sent me a free copy and it sounded interesting, so I downloaded it and started reading.
Thoughts- I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and thrilling read- the action starts almost immediately and doesn’t really stop until the end. As you find out more information about the girl he runs into, you may think you know where it’s headed, but there was a twist in the last third of the book that totally surprised me. This book made me think of the movie, Taken. I think Liam Neeson could totally play the main character of this novel.
Why I picked it– The publisher sent me a free copy and it sounded interesting, so I downloaded it and started reading.
Thoughts- I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and thrilling read- the action starts almost immediately and doesn’t really stop until the end. As you find out more information about the girl he runs into, you may think you know where it’s headed, but there was a twist in the last third of the book that totally surprised me. This book made me think of the movie, Taken. I think Liam Neeson could totally play the main character of this novel.