Apparently this is a book that some high school students were forced to read in their English classes. It was not on my syllabus for English, which is unfortunate because I would have liked to have found this book sooner. (There is always something special about finding a good book before it becomes popular). "The Giver", by Lois Lowry, is now very popular and is also a movie, which I have yet to watch. This as another book set in a controlled community that has become so popular these days. "The Giver" came out in 1993 though, so I guess it is one of the first of it's kind.
This book is very unique. It takes "controlled community" to a whole new level - one where you don't get to choose the clothes you wear, the job you have, what you do with your day, when you get to ride a bike, or even the words you say. Every choice is made for you. This was the life of young Jonas, until he received his job assignment to become the community's new 'Receiver' and was told that he is suddenly allowed to be different. He can ask questions, lie, and even be rude. His life is turned upside down and through his training he realizes that he's not satisfied with the way the community is run. What will he do about it though?
"The Giver" is a book that will make you ponder things that you have probably never thought of before, and it's thought provoking contents will stay with you long after you have finished reading. It's reasonably easy to get through and there is nothing questionable about the content. I recommend this book for all ages. If you enjoyed this book, be sure to check out it's companions - "Gathering Blue", "Messenger", and "Son".
Let me start by saying, if you haven't read (or watched) "Pride and Prejudice", you need to turn around right now and read it. Then you can come back to this book. "Mr. Darcy's Diary", by Amanda Grange, is the perfect addition to the beloved "Pride and Prejudice" story. It retells the love story between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, only this time it's from Darcy's point of view. The author takes Mr. Darcy and basically turns him inside out and shows his deepest feelings and secret thoughts. It's all of the things that the reader pictures Darcy thinking during "Pride and Prejudice", only his thoughts are right there on the page for you to read, reread, and savor.
It's obvious that the author pulls her story from both the book by Jane Austen as well as the movie (the version with Keira Knightley in it) because there are some lines that are almost direct quotes from the movie, but the general storyline follows that from the book. If you are familiar with these then you will know exactly what I mean when you read this one. The author also takes the story and adds on to it. Perfectly depicting what life would have been like for Elizabeth and Darcy after their marriage. This book is a very easy read, is good for all ages, and will only add to your love for this timeless story. Let me know what you think!
My Step-dad is a helicopter pilot, so naturally I think of him when I see anything related to helicopters. Which is half of what drew me to the book "Falling", by Clair M. Poulson. The other half is that Poulson is my FAVORITE author and I know that I will enjoy anything that he writes. "Falling" is a suspense novel that masterfully ties together a little bit of mystery, suspense, adventure and romance.
Major Corbin Daniels retires from the military after losing his fiancée and co-pilot on a mission in Afghanistan. He decides to slow life down by starting a duel business as a private investigator and transporting tourists and oil-rig workers in Moab, UT. On one of his flights carrying workers from the rig back into town a passenger sees what looks like a body on the desert floor beneath them. Deciding to land and check it out is what starts Major Daniels down a road of murder, kidnappings, bombs, break ins, and death threats. Drawing on his military experience, he helps the attractive and independent Sheriff Lisette Statton track down the killer and put all of the "bad guys" either in jail or in the ground.
This book starts with action on the very first page and doesn't slow down until the last. Poulson has a way of grabbing your attention and keeping it until long after you've finished the book. It is a quick and clean read and I would highly recommend it for readers of all ages.
Alright, so I already wrote about the book "If I Stay" and I am finally writing about it's sequel, "Where She Went". "Where She Went", by Gayle Forman, is a continuation of the story of Mia and Adam, only this book is written from Adam's perspective instead of Mia's. The story doesn't pick up where the first book left off. It actually starts three years later; Mia went to Julliard and becomes the next big thing in the classical world, and Adam takes his band to new heights using songs about Mia. They are no longer together, but through chance, coincidence, fate...whatever you want to call it...they are brought back together again for one night. Will Adam finally get the closure he needs, or will this night rekindle the fire they once had?
"Where She Went" is written similarly to "If I Stay", meaning there are a lot of flashbacks and the ending drops you off a cliff and leaves you there. These books are so anticlimactic. The author builds you up, but as soon as you get to the part you've been waiting for, the book ends. It doesn't end in a way that makes you want more, it ends and you go, "That's it? I wasted all that time to get to this and that's it?". This book is definitely better than it's prequel, but it's still not very good. It also has quite a bit of language and a little bit of sexuality mixed in (Adam is living the 'rock star life' after all). It is a fairly easy read, but I would not recommend reading this book unless you have free time and don't mind reading a book that's not very memorable. Let me know what you think (even if you disagree with me). I love to hear from you!
This book has been on my 'coming up next!' list for a while now. It hasn't taken me that long to read it, but it has taken me that long to get it on here. Which is a shame because "The Book Thief", by Markus Zusak, is one of those books that you want to tell the world about after you get done reading it. This book is set in Nazi Germany during WW2 and follows the life of a young girl named Liesel. "The Book Thief" is unique because it tells about the war from the perspective of a German citizen. Almost every other book about WW2 that I have read is written from the perspective of a Jew, which makes all the Germans look like really bad people. This book is amazing because it shows the other side of the war; the Germans that were forced to do go on rations and be hungry all the time, or were forced to give up their children to go to Nazi soldier training camps, or were publicly humiliated and disgraced for showing any kindness to a Jew.
The story, which is narrated by Death himself (an unexpected twist which only adds to the uniqueness of the book), focuses on Liesel and her family. Through unfortunate events Liesel is left in the care of a foster family who suffer from the side affects of the war. They suffer even more when they decide to hide a Jew in their basement and have to share what little food they have with him. Liesel goes about living her life with this huge secret locked inside. She delivers washing to customers, plays soccer in the street, learns to read, gets into mischief with her best friend, and occasionally steals books. She suffers unbearable heartbreak and yet somehow manages to rise through it all.
This book is brutally honest and will keep you turning pages even though your eyes are too blurry with tears to be able to read. "The Book Thief" may take a week or so to get through, but this is a book I would not suggest skipping over. You would definitely be missing out.
