Series Review: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 1999-2006
Pages: 3,436
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 4 Stars

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

Never has such a miserable tale of the depressing disasters that follow the lives of three unfortunate orphans been so charmingly absurd and enjoyable to read. Though the books are intended for an MG audience, the satirical humour spouted by narrator Lemony Snicket and more mature themes of moral complexity in the later books can be appreciated by an older audience. The books are incredibly formulaic and repetitive (essentially the orphans are passed off to a new guardian each book, Count Olaf shows up in a new disguise and attempts to steal the Baudelaire fortune, and the orphans use their smarts and talents to get away from him), but the repetitiveness had a more familial and calming effect on me rather than boring me.

I read the series in its entirety via audiobook, narrated by inimitable Tim Curry (except for books 3-5 which are narrated by Lemony Snicket himself). And I can't think of two people more suited to the narration of the gothic tones combined with the general absurdity of the stories presented in A Series of Unfortunate Events. If you're looking to try out the series for yourself or want to do a reread but don't feel like you have the time to fit all 13 books into your reading lineup, I would highly recommend checking out the series on audio.

Finally, let's talk about the Netflix TV Show. I can't speak about the movie adaptation starring Jim Carrey that was released in 2004 as I never saw it, but I understand it was not at all well received. However, I have seen the first season of the Netflix adaptation, starring Neil Patrick Harris and covering the first four books, and I am happy to report that it is most excellently done. It took me a few episodes to get into the rhythm of the story and characters, but once it hits its stride the show captures the gothic tone and absurdist themes of the books perfectly and is pretty faithful. Once again, this is proof positive that having the original author of the books (Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler) handle the script of the movie/TV show is the best way of ensuring that the adaptation is a good one.

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Muggle Monday: Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) Review

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight something from the Harry Potter world. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.

This week, I'm reviewing Career of Evil, the third book in J.K. Rowling's adult mystery series, written under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith:

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: October 20, 2015
Pages: 497
Source: Gifted
Rating: 5 Stars

When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.
Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.
With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them…

In short: Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) is yet another expertly plotted and impressive mystery to add to the superb Cormoran Strike Series.

Even during the crazy busyness of teaching a university course and preparing for my thesis defense, I still made a point to pick up Career of Evil, the third in the Cormoran Strike mystery series by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) last October when it was released. And all these months later, I still remember the details of the story. This illustrates both the enthusiasm I have for this series as well as how talented J.K. Rowling is at crafting intricately plotted mysteries that stick with you long after the tale has ended.

In this third instalment, the mystery is brought closer to home and made personal, raising the stakes significantly. Whereas in the previous two instalments, the whodunit murderer could have been any number of people, in Career of Evil Cormoran Strike is able to narrow down the list of suspects to three people from his past. At which point you might be thinking (as I was) that you could certainly easily figure out the identity of the murderer with only three possibilities. Wrong! J.K. Rowling keeps you guessing the entirety of the novel, throwing out red herrings left and right to easily fool readers into accusing each suspect in turn, always second guessing yourself.

But as impressive as these mysteries are, my favourite part still remains the lead characters, Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott. These two play off each other so well and make the perfect investigative team. In a book that features some truly despicable and vile people, Cormoran and Robin's genuine compassion and earnestness shine through all the brighter. I really cannot wait to see where their story takes us next. And thankfully J.K. Rowling is showing no signs of slowing down with this series - so here's to many more superb Cormoran Strike mysteries to come!

Previously, my review of The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm.

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Review: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: March 31, 2015
Pages: 384
Source: Won from Goodreads
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.
It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

In short: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord is a lovely read with relatable characters and relationships.

Let's back up a second: I actually read Emery Lord's debut, Open Road Summer, before delving into The Start of Me and You. I never reviewed Open Road Summer, but here's the short version: I really could not get past the protagonist's predilection for calling all girls "sluts." I'm normally all for flawed characters in books, but this one - albeit small - negative characteristic of the main character just turned me off of her completely for some reason, and I found I couldn't get past that.

So now here's the major difference in my feelings for Emery Lord's sophomore novel: I really liked Paige Hancock, the protagonist of The Start of Me and You. She was super relatable and even though she was still flawed - Emery Lord's characters tend to be nicely layered - she was still likeable. And it wasn't just Paige: I really appreciated the characterization of all members of Paige's friend group. Something else that Emery Lord seems to be able to do very well is to showcase really great friendships in addition to romance.

Those who know me know that romance is not my specialty and I tend to shy away from very romance-heavy novels. But for what it's worth: I thought the romance in The Start of Me and You was very well done. It was exactly the kind of romance I go for when I'm in the mood for a romance at all: a slow building relationship that sneaks up on you unexpectedly, but just FITS so perfectly that you wonder why you never saw it before.

Overall, I'm pleased I gave Emery Lord another shot despite not digging the protagonist from her debut novel. And honestly, it really was that one little thing that got stuck in my craw and I couldn't seem to get over; otherwise I'm sure I would have loved Open Road Summer as much as The Start of Me and You. Emery Lord really does have a fantastic talent at creating genuine and relatable characters, relationships, and stories.

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Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

Publisher: Crown
Published: February 11, 2014
Pages: 369
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 4 Stars

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on Mars' surface, completely alone, with no way to signal Earth that he’s alive — and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone years before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark's not ready to quit. Armed with nothing but his ingenuity and his engineering skills — and a gallows sense of humor that proves to be his greatest source of strength – he embarks on a dogged quest to stay alive, using his botany expertise to grow food and even hatching a mad plan to contact NASA back on Earth.
As he overcomes one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next, Mark begins to let himself believe he might make it off the planet alive – but Mars has plenty of surprises in store for him yet.

In short: The Martian by Andy Weir is a creative and thrillingly plotted science-driven story with a super likeable protagonist.

Science! Science science science. I'm excited because it's pretty rare that having an intelligence in science plays such a key part in popular fiction. And though I am no physicist or botanist, I found I could definitely appreciate the explanations and scientific process that Andy Weir presents in The Martian. I don't know how accurate it is (though I have read a few articles that poke holes in the science behind The Martian), but it was very clear that Andy Weir wasn't just bs-ing his way through the plot. There is clearly some serious thought and research put into it by this relativistic physics and orbital mechanics hobbyist-turned-author.

I do hope I'm not scaring anyone away from reading The Martian by the mention that key plot points depend so heavily on science, however; you don't have to be a fan of heavy sci fi to enjoy this read. The science explanations are relatively easy to follow and I think the major draw of the novel to general audiences is actually the quick-witted protagonist and the thrillingly-plotted action. As a reader, you will want Mark Watney to be successful in his plight to get off Mars because he's damned likeable and has the perfect sense of humour to keep him sane during his lengthy bout of solitude. And as a reader, the numerous surprises and thrills will keep you engaged from beginning to end.

My one qualm in The Martian is the writing. It's of the cut-and-dry, no-frills-attached variety, and though many readers won't have a problem with this, I for one prefer a little flair and poetry in my reading. It's for this reason that I feel like The Martian makes an even better movie than it does a book, as the action lends itself well to a Hollywood thriller and the prose works fine as a screenplay. I hope I haven't angered any of my book-loving friends with that statement! I still give all the credit in the world to Andy Weir for coming up with such a creative and thrilling read in the first place.

This might beg the question: is there any point in reading the book first before seeing the movie if I thought the movie was better anyway? And the answer is that I do still recommend reading the book first just so you can appreciate the creativity and research that Andy Weir put into The Martian. And if you're unsure about whether you will like all the science talk? I'd recommend audiobooking The Martian instead - I think you could still appreciate Weir's thought processes even if you just take in a glancing overview of the science.

Other Reviews:
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Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: January 1, 2012
Pages: 336
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 Stars

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.
Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.
Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

In short: Eleanor & Park is unlike any YA Contemporary Romance out there and it is that, combined with Rainbow Rowell's talent at crafting genuine characters who experience earnest love, which makes it so special.

Eleanor & Park is not the kind of book I think of when I think of YA Contemporary Romance. And that's absolutely a good thing. Neither Eleanor nor Park are described as being model- or movie-star-good-looking as are most star-crossed lovers of YA fiction. There's nothing remotely exceptional about them, actually. And their relationship isn't punctured with the over-dramatic cliched conflicts or the nonsensical hurdles that pepper the contemporary romance genre. Eleanor & Park is an unabashedly real, uncliched tale of love between two average people and it is that which makes it so remarkable.

Admittedly, I wasn't immediately swept up in their relationship. There was a bit of a disconnect for me between the moment when Eleanor and Park were impassive towards each other on the bus and the moment when they were sweetly holding hands with each other on the bus. But thankfully Rainbow Rowell soon convinced me that theirs was a love so earnest that it was worth cherishing. Rainbow is also a master crafter of genuine characters and thus it was not long until both Eleanor and Park seemed as real to me as actual people, both endowed with plenty of teenage angst, but both sincere and very dear to me.

Eleanor & Park is unlike any YA Contemporary Romance out there and it is this uniqueness in the genre, combined with Rainbow Rowell's talent at crafting genuine characters who experience earnest love, that makes it such a stand-out and special read. Eleanor & Park is only the second book by Rainbow Rowell I have read and, though I didn't love it as much as Fangirl, my special experience with it has solidified my love for all things Rainbow. I can't wait to follow up this experience with her adult books!

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Review: Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan

Publisher: Penguin
Published: March 17, 2015
Pages: 208
Source: Gifted from Penguin Canada
Rating: 3.5 Stars

It’s Tiny Cooper’s turn in the spotlight in this companion novel to New York Times bestseller Will Grayson, Will Grayson.
Jazz hands at the ready! Tiny Cooper (“the world’s largest person who is also really, really gay”) stole readers’ hearts when he was introduced to the world in the New York Times bestselling book Will Grayson, Will Grayson, co-authored by John Green and David Levithan. Now Tiny finally gets to tell his story—from his fabulous birth and childhood to his quest for true love and his infamous parade of ex-boyfriends—the way he always intended: as a musical! Filled with honesty, humor, and “big, lively, belty” musical numbers, the novel is told through the full script of the musical first introduced in Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

In short: Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan is a brilliant musical script that would be highly entertaining as a musical theatre performance.

If you've read Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan then odds are, you fell in love with Tiny Cooper. The not-so-tiny Tiny Cooper is the link between the two Will Graysons of the novel and acts as a bit of a life coach for the two Wills as they struggle to find their truths and gain the confidence in their selves that Tiny already has in leaps and bounds. Unlike most LGBT teen characters, Tiny already knows who he is and is happy and proud to be big and gay. Hold Me Closer is Tiny's life story in musical form.

I'm kind of in awe that the musical that we only saw glimpses of in Will Grayson, Will Grayson has been completely fleshed out here in Hold Me Closer in multiple acts and scenes, and full musical numbers and soliloquies by David Levithan. I mean, of course I knew he was a very talented and prolific novelist who writes great characters and very quotable prose, but who knew that he had the ability to write a consummate musical production, complete with music index and stage directions in his wheelhouse? I should have known better because David Levithan has yet to disappoint me.

Impressive as this complete musical theatre script is, musicals are meant to be seen as a performance, not read without any melody. Perhaps someone with more musical talent than I could fill in the gaps and add tunes to the lyrics of the songs, but I was left simply to read it. I have no doubt however, that Hold Me Closer would make for a brilliant audiobook or a highly entertaining musical theatre performance! Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story is not only amusing, but I think also very inspiring. I recommend it, but I also highly recommend reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson first!

Other Reviews:
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Review: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Published: February 7, 2012
Pages: 470
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 4 Stars

When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they’ll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.
But that relief doesn’t last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both.
Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship — one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to ‘fix’ her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self — even if she’s not exactly sure who that is.

In short: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth wasn't an easy read, but it was a worthwhile one and I feel enriched for having read it.

I will admit that the proportion of books I read that have LGBT protagonists is not super high. Not equivalent to the proportion of LGBT people in the population anyway. But it occurred to me as I was looking through the LGBT books I had read that the vast majority of them were G with the occasional B thrown in; none of them were L or T. Not exactly representative. (This is actually a pattern I've noticed among the book blogging community at large, not just myself. Why this is the case is perhaps a topic for another time though). Anyways, this is an easy fix.

Enter The Miseducation of Cameron Post. Set in the early 90's in Montana, it's not exactly the most open-minded time and place in which to be a young girl questioning her sexuality. To be a fly on the wall in Cameron's life from age 12 to 17 while she deals with discrimination from those around her and self-hatred from herself is not an easy thing to experience, but it is worthwhile. I like that Emily M. Danforth refrains from getting preachy in her novel. The focus is on Cameron and her personal growth, not on pushing a particular agenda.

The strength of The Miseducation of Cameron Post lies in the nuanced characterization. There's a lot to show in a book detailing a character's life from 12 to 17 years of age and I was pleasantly surprised with how Emily M. Danforth handled it as it would have been easy to gloss over character-building scenes. People who prefer plot-driven novels may find certain scenes pointless, but to me every scene truly felt like it was contributing to the character development. These characters were probably the most authentic of any LGBT-oriented novel I've read.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a truly realistic portrayal of growing up gay in the early 90's that I would recommend to upper-YA age readers, especially those who enjoy character-driven novels. Cam's story isn't an easy one to process, but it is an important one and I feel enriched for having read it. If anyone has any recommendations for other great L- or T-specific books (or any other letter in the sex or gender spectrum), then I'd love to hear them! (No hate is meant towards all the great gay male fiction out there! I would just like to diversify my reading a bit more).

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Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Publisher: Random House
Published: January 1, 2012
Pages: 415
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 4 Stars

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

In short: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is the paragon of WTF-ery.

All I really knew going into Gone Girl was that it was a hit book turned into a hit movie and that there was a shocking twist. This was enough to pique my interest even though I don't normally do adult fiction. But even though I knew going into it to expect a surprising twist, I'm not sure I ever fully grasped how much of a WTF moment it was. Like, I thought I sort of knew where the story was going and I was totally hanging on to Gillian Flynn's every word for the first half and then - TWIST. What-The-Actual-F*ck.

I was super blown away the way everything unravels both pre- and post-twist. Gillian Flynn really seems like a master of deceit and manipulation and I will definitely be checking out other books from her sometime. Gone Girl was almost a 5 Star read from me based on the overall WTF-ery of the plot, but I did have two issues:

First, I did not like any of the characters. Now, that's not to say that the characterization was bad because Gillian Flynn actually did a phenomenal job with that, I think. But I didn't like any of them personally. I found that there was no one to "root for" and surprisingly it is important for me to have at least one person that I can connect with to completely love a book.

Second, THAT ENDING. Another WTF. Part of me respects the route that Gillian Flynn takes with this ending, but I am also someone that craves closure, and I REALLY needed to see justice doled out. But again, Gillian Flynn goes for the realistic angle here and you can't help but appreciate that.

So yes, I think people who don't NEED to have likeable characters and closure in books would/will love Gone Girl. People who do need these things will either be driven insane by the craziness that is this book or enjoy it for the wild ride - PROBABLY BOTH, like me. Highly recommended for all lovers of sh!t that is B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

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Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Dutton
Published: August 14, 2014
Pages: 339
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

In short: Every emotion and feeling that was incited in me while reading Isla and the Happily Ever After was felt strongly and sincerely, and I LOVED it for that reason.

Ohhh the complete and overjoyed happiness this book brought me!! I mean, all of Stephanie Perkins' books have brought me happiness and swoons and squees and feels, but I think it's possible that Isla and the Happily Ever After tops them all (though it has been quite a while since I read Anna and the French Kiss so I might not be remembering correctly). Isla left me in a puddle of feels and happy tears when I finished it in the middle of the night and I loved every moment of it.

One of the things I love most about Stephanie's characters is there is at least one aspect in each of her leading ladies that you can identify with. But I think Isla is the girl that I relate to most. She's shy and has low self-esteem and she doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. She prefers to read about adventures than go on them. Josh is her opposite in many ways and yet they connected and played off each other perfectly. I LOVED them together.

Of course it's no surprise that Stephanie Perkins got the romance right. She proved as much in Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. But I was reminded again - and more powerfully than ever - that Stephanie Perkins has a way of pinpointing and recreating the feelings and the ups and downs of first love like no other author that I can think of. The intense giddiness, the unwanted insecurities, the extreme elation, the bitter and unreasonable feelings of jealousy, etc. - every heightened emotion you go through when experiencing your first love is there (or at least the ones that I went through...). Stephanie Perkins handles first love beautifully and meticulously.

Every emotion and feeling that was incited in me while reading Isla and the Happily Ever After was felt strongly and sincerely, and I am totally CRAZY about this book for that reason. I am unbelievably bummed that this trilogy of Stephanie's has come to an end, but I am also unbelievably ecstatic that Isla and the Happily Ever After was everything I was hoping it would be and that we got to see Anna, St. Clair, Lola, and Cricket one last time (because I love them to death). I look forward to reading whatever Stephanie Perkins writes next!

Previously, my reviews of Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door.

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Review: Just One Day and Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Publisher: Penguin
Published: January 8/October 10, 2013
Pages: 369/336
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 5 Stars

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

In short: Just One Day resonated SO deeply with me that my love for Gayle Forman has reached a whole new level.

I loved If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman. I wasn't BLOWN AWAY by them like some people are, but I really did love Gayle Forman's beautiful prose and expert handling of the emotionally intense subject matter. Now, Just One Day on the other hand - WOAH. Just One Day resonated SO deeply with me that at times it was like Gayle was plucking thoughts and feelings that I've had in my life right from my head and putting them down in words, albeit much more eloquently and meaningfully than I could ever manage to in my head. I never quite felt that way with If I Stay, as much as I did love it.

It wasn't immediate love when I first began Just One Day. Of course I fell right into Gayle Forman's effortless writing and genuine characters right away, but it wasn't until I was most of the way through the book that I realized where the story and character arcs were going and how much it meant to me that Gayle was taking the route much less traveled. I had thought Just One Day was going to be another book about a girl "finding herself" in Europe with the help of a cute boy. But in reality, that cute boy is MIA for the rest of the book after the beginning. And then the girl does something remarkable: she "finds herself" on her own/with help from some good friends and WITHOUT the help of the cute boy, and she realizes she's made of tougher stuff.

I wasn't as in love with Just One Year as I was with Just One Day just simply because Willem's story wasn't as relatable to me as Allyson's. But the final moment of Just One Year got me GOOD because I can never resist a good coming-full-circle ending and this one was just perfection. I was already appreciative of Gayle Forman's writing from If I Stay, but Just One Day has taken me to a whole new level of LOVE for this woman and her profoundly meaningful stories. Just so much love.

Other Reviews:
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Review: If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Published: January 1, 2009/April 1, 2011
Pages: 201/264
Source: Gifted
Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis for If I Stay:

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

In short: If I Stay and Where She Went are beautifully poignant reads with many great character building moments thanks to Gayle Forman's expert handling of emotionally intense situations.

Due to the imminent movie adaptation release, If I Stay and its sequel Where She Went by Gayle Forman were bumped up my insanely long TBR list, though they have both been on my radar for many years now after receiving a ton of praise in the book blogging community. Now I'm sure you all know by now that contemporary isn't usually my thing, but I have been known to enjoy books in the genre from time to time and thankfully this was the case with this Gayle Forman duology.

Of course, "enjoy" may not be the right word choice for a book that ripped your guts out. Perhaps "appreciate" is more apt. If I Stay tells the story of Mia, whom, after a critical car accident with her family, ends up in a coma with a choice. Either she can stay in a world where she's lost nearly everything or she can go to the next great beyond. Where She Went then tells Mia's boyfriend Adam's side of the story in the aftermath of Mia's decision. Neither book deals with easy subject matters, but in both the emotional repercussions are dealt with remarkably well. The drama is genuine, not forced, and I absolutely appreciated Gayle Forman's expert handling of tough situations and questions.

There is not much in the way of plot in either If I Stay or Where She Went as the bulk of the story line in both novels takes place in the form of flashbacks. In this case, the plot is the sacrifice paid for the many excellent character building moments spread throughout. We barely see Mia's family before the accident and yet Gayle Forman is somehow able to forge not only a believable bond between family members, but also a connection between the family and the reader, making the read that much more poignant. I felt like I knew what made these characters tick and yet they weren't entirely predictable either. They were complex and real and absolutely my favourite thing about Gayle Forman's writing.

My second favourite thing about Gayle Forman's writing is her clear appreciation and understanding of music and the effect that it has on people. Music plays a huge part in the If I Stay duology as both the driving force behind Mia and Adam's connection and their division. It occurs to me that I don't get to read many books in which music is such a key component and I would like to do so more often because I really loved that. I think the music and poignancy and thoughtful questions behind If I Stay have the potential to make a truly beautiful movie, but the jury's still out on whether it will play out as I hope. I really hope the movie doesn't disappoint!

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Top Ten Contemporary Books That Sara Tells Me I MUST Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

For this week's Top Ten Tuesday, I'm teaming up with one of my blog besties, Sara of Just Another Story, whom I have known since almost the beginning of my blog. She's one of my faves even though we very rarely read the same kinds of books. She's more of a realistic contemporary girl, whereas I'm more of a speculative fiction girl. But because we're both into challenging ourselves to go outside our comfort zones - and because I trust Sara's recommendations completely as she is basically my Contemporary Guru - she is here to tell me what contemporary books I MUST read, while I will be telling Sara what fantasy books she needs to read over on her blog. The plan is that this challenge of ours will hopefully play out over the coming months while participating in Epic Reads.

So without further ado, here are the Top Ten Contemporary Books That Sara Tells Me I MUST Read! Take it away, Sara!

1. Crash Into You by Katie McGarry - It was either this one or Pushing the Limits. I am trying to get Aylee to read both. However, Crash Into You is my favourite of the bunch and it is a little bit lighter than its predecessor. Pushing the Limits deals with heavier themes.

2. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick - This will come as no surprise because this is one of my top five contemporaries. It is just SO good. The characters are brilliant, the banter is fantastic, and it has some really great family dynamics.

3. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales - This is a really great story about a girl who really discovers herself. It's completely unique (I think). And I think Aylee will appreciate this one.

4. Just One Day by Gayle Forman - Seeing as Aylee has recently finished If I Stay and seemed to enjoy it (Aylee's note: It's true! My review will go up soon), I was eager to add this one to the list. This one is also a story of self discovery, but in a good way. It's not an easy journey for readers, but Forman is an incredible story teller. And come on... Paris.

5. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp - This is an interesting story. The characters aren't very likeable. I am not sure I liked them at all. But, there is something about this one. This one has been compared to The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I sort of see it, but not really.

6. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han - I love this book. It's special to me. Another one that is easily in my top five contemporaries. It's not a complicated story, and maybe a little immature. But it's pleasant all the same. A super quick summer read.

7. My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi - This is a heavy one. But it's well worth the read. I was completely moved by this one. And I think it's WAY underrated.

8. Something Like Normal by Trish Dollar - Another one that is a bit on the heavy side. Not too bad though. It's one of the better contemporaries out there.

9) Dreamland by Sarah Dessen - This one is heavy. But it's SO good. It's so unlike anything by Sarah Dessen and it touches on some very sensitive topics. But I love how it was done, and how realistic it was. So worth the read. (Aylee's note: This will be my FIRST Sarah Dessen read!!).

10. Jelllicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - I have been TRYING to get Aylee to read this book for YEARS!! Haha. This is one of my most favourite novels, and I want her to read this one SO badly. I think it's the book I have been urging her to read the most. Someday. (Aylee's note: Eep! I know, I've been a bit nervous about reading this one because of all the hype and because I know it will be a challenging read. But I think my body is finally ready!!).


Honourable mention: The Silver Lining's Playbook by Matthew Quick - This book is brilliant! So much better than the movie (and I loved the movie).

Check out the fantasy books I'm telling Sara she MUST read!

Review: Veronica Mars - The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: March 25, 2014
Pages: 336
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 4 Stars

The first book in an original mystery series featuring twenty-eight-year-old Veronica Mars, back in action after the events of Veronica Mars: The Movie. With the help of old friends—Logan Echolls, Mac Mackenzie, Wallace Fennel, and even Dick Casablancas—Veronica is ready to take on Neptune’s darkest cases with her trademark sass and smarts.

In short: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line stays true to the spirit of the original TV series and is a must read for fans of Veronica Mars.

I, along with all the other Marshmallows, was devastated when the TV show Veronica Mars was cancelled years ago. Clearly TV execs don't know a good quality show when they have it if they would prefer to run mindless teen dramas with little to no value on their station. BUT I DIGRESS. The important thing is that we live in a time in which the cancellation of a TV show does not necessarily equal the end of a beloved character and thankfully Veronica Mars was brought back to life in movie form through crowdfunding supporters. Next in line is this book series written in part by show creater Rob Thomas and soon there will be a webseries as well.

And thankfully, both the movie and this first book in a planned series, The Thousand Dollar Tan Line, have stayed remarkably true to the spirit of the original TV series. The whole gang is back, the mysteries are well plotted and surprising, and the snarky dialogue and clever one liners have returned in full force. I'm not sure the book brings quite the same level of engagement that I felt for the TV series, but it's pretty damn good and if it means we get more Veronica then I will absolutely take it.

Of course it helps that I listened to the audiobook version of The Thousand Dollar Tan Line, as narrated by Veronica herself, Kristen Bell. I certainly can't imagine anyone else doing the audio for this one and doing it justice. It just wouldn't be the same! Listening to Kristen Bell narrating the story is just like listening to her narrating an extra episode. Furthermore, I thought she did a remarkable job with the other characters' voices. Clearly, audiobook is the way to go with this one!

As much as I love me some LoVe, I was actually glad that the romance took a back seat in The Thousand Dollar Tan Line as Logan is out of the picture for most of the novel. This allowed the story to go back to its origins about a snarky girl detective who is independent and clever, but also hugely compassionate. If you are a Veronica Mars fan, then The Thousand Dollar Tan Line is not to be missed! And if you are NOT a Veronica Mars fan... then what are you doing with your life?! Jokes, jokes. But seriously, I can't recommend the original series enough (or the first two seasons anyway...) so definitely get on it!

Other Reviews:
Ex Libris
Late Nights With Good Books
The Nocturnal Library

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Muggle Monday: The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2) Review

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


This week, I'm reviewing The Silkworm, the second book in J.K. Rowling's adult mystery series, written under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith:

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: June 19, 2014
Pages: 455
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days--as he has done before--and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.
But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives--meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.
When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...

In short: The Silkworm is yet another superbly plotted and unpredictable mystery to add to J.K. Rowling's résumé and I can't wait to read more of Cormoran Strike.

J.K. Rowling was born to write mysteries. She just has this talent for writing intricately plotted, impressive mysteries that always surprise me. She proved unequivocally that she had the talent to run with the best of the mystery writers in The Cuckoo's Calling, the first of the Cormoran Strike Series, written under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith, - in addition to the superb mysteries at the core of the Harry Potter Series - so it was no surprise that she has pulled out another truly fantastic murder mystery for The Silkworm.

In addition to knowing to expect an impressive and unpredictable mystery, with J.K. Rowling we can also count on intricate characterization and genuine characters. Cormoran Strike makes for the perfect lead to a mystery novel. He is gruff and to-the-point as an extremely skilled detective and yet receptive and compassionate to those he cares for and believes in. Robin makes a superb... well, Robin to Strike's Batman, her earnestness as genuine as it is likeable. It's great seeing these two play off each other; they make an excellent team.

You'll have to excuse me for the short review; there really isn't much more to say about this one that I haven't already voiced in my review of The Cuckoo's Calling and without spoiling anything. Just know that The Silkworm has it all: an ingenious and impressively plotted mystery, genuine characters, and of course great writing. J.K. Rowling has already announced that she plans to write more books for the Cormoran Strike Series than she has for the Harry Potter Series - understandable because Cormoran Strike has discrete mysteries rather than an overarching series story - and the prospect of getting to return to these characters time and again for another mystery is one that excites me indeed and is one that I will never get tired of.

Previously, my review of The Cuckoo's Calling.

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The Great John Green Read of 2014

Some background: I've been a fan of the vlogbrothers since 2007 (a nerdfighter, if you will), and yet somehow in all that time I have never read any of John Green's books. I don't think I even have a good reason why not. It's true that I am not a massive fan of contemporary, but I have been known to read it and enjoy it from time to time, so that's not it. I guess I just... never got around to it. But finally FINALLY I was able to make the time in my reading schedule. And I knew I wanted to read them back-to-back, in chronological order, to get the full John Green Experience. Thus became what I have dubbed, The Great John Green Read of 2014.

I read all five of John Green's novels (Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Will Grayson, Will Grayson [with David Levithan], and The Fault in Our Stars) in a two week period (I have not read the short story that he wrote for the anthology, Let It Snow; maybe another time). First thoughts? I loved them all!! Was there any doubt? Maybe a little bit because as I mentioned earlier, contemporary isn't my strong suit. But I really and truly did enjoy his books and the experience of reading them back-to-back on the whole. They were all very memorable and meaningful in their own way.

None of his novels stand out in my mind as head over heels better than the others. I had been sort of expecting John Green's writing to get better and better with each book, but I thought his writing was strong since the beginning and I thought all five novels were pretty on par with each other. If pressed, I would probably say The Fault in Our Stars was my favourite though. I adored many of John Green's characters and many will endure in my memory, but I would say Hazel and Augustus were my favourites of the lot (with maybe the exception of Tiny Cooper from Will Grayson, Will Grayson) and so that is why The Fault in Our Stars edges out the rest.

Besides his characters, the other main strength of John Green's novels has got to be their thoughtfulness, as illuminated by some truly brilliant quotes and passages. It's not very often that I read books that make me THINK like these novels did. Actually, I really cannot think of the last time I read a book that was so thought-provoking. A book that had me stuck in my head for hours, pondering profoundly these truths that were laid out so prudently. Normally, I read to escape. But in this experience I learned the value in reading for meditation. It was enlightening and I liked it.

I guess the only slight issue that I had with John Green's writing is that the characters weren't always believably adolescent. Real life teenagers do not talk like they do in John Green's books. The vast majority of adults don't talk like that either, for that matter. But I guess if you're going to be writing a novel in which the characters contemplate the meaning of life and have existential crises and whatnot, then you're going to need to have some pretty intellectual and enlightened characters. So I can let it slide mostly.

Overall, The Great John Green Read of 2014 was a complete success and my only regret is that it was over too quickly and who knows when we'll get the next novel from John Green. Though I have always claimed to be a fan of John Green, I feel like I can now say that I am a legit fan of his books, his writing, his characters, and his thoughtfulness. I'm also super stoked to see The Fault in Our Stars movie, which I am cautiously hopeful will be a good adaptation! So I'm curious: how many of John Green's books have you read and which is your favourite?