The opposite of last week’s question: “What’s the best ‘worst’ book you’ve ever read — the one you like despite some negative reviews or features?”
Twilight, darnit! Particularly Breaking Dawn, since that's the one that seemed to have gotten the most backlash.
ETA: I feel like elaborating, mostly because I love procrastination and the like. I hate Bella as much as any of the haters. I think she's a whiny, annoying little girl and I have felt this way from the start. (But hey, I think the exact same of Harry, so...) I read the books though. I love them. It's possible for a book to be a really good book even though you hate the main character--sometimes the hatred makes it all easier to see how highly developed the B-plots are. I do love the writing, and I do think it's brilliant. I will never understand how someone can criticize Steph Meyer's writing style. But again, you guys think Steph Meyer can't write well, I think Shakespeare had no grasp of the English language, so hey, we're even. Hate the writing? Fine. Hate the plot? Clearly you have very little imagination, but fine. Hate the fangirls? Heh, I'm completely with you on that one. However, I have issues when you project your hatred of the tweeny "OMG!1!one!!, EDWARD IS SO HAWT!1!!!eleventy!!" onto the books themselves, or refuse to give them a try because of that alone. You're letting tweens dictate your thoughts--am I the only one seeing a problem with that?
And then there are those people who hate the books just because they hate the books, and I respect you for your opinion, but really, labeling Steph Meyer the horrible things she's been labeled (I've seen "sexually repressed" more than once), that's not your place. You cannot judge a complete stranger's character based on her books.
*steps off the rotten-tomato-covered soapbox*
Also, it's not a complete book, but I adored the Deathly Hallows epilogue, which most people seemed to have hated/ignored entirely.
Cheese, ftw!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Contest Reminder
Just wanted to quickly remind everyone that my contest to win a copy of Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why ends in -two- days!
Hope you enter!
Hope you enter!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Waiting For You
Waiting for You
written by Susane Colasanti
Ah, Susane Colasanti, why must you be such a genius? Words will, as is usual with her books, have difficulty describing how utterly perfect Waiting for You was. In yet another stunningly sweet book, Colasanti will have you laughing and crying and just wishing you lived your lives with her amazing characters. They come to life with quirky characteristics, up to date references (Speak! and Twisted!) and genuine, realistic speech, although there were certain times when Marisa acted a bit like a spoiled brat. Still, it was great to see another character diagnosed with an anxiety-disorder, showing teens everywhere that it's not a completely life-halting diagnosis, much like Jade told us in Deb Caletti's The Nature of Jade. Nash, Love Interest Extraordinaire, is the boy we've all wanted to meet. So many great things plot-wise, where to begin? The father-daughter bond between Marisa and her dad was heartwarming--it's really rare to see a good YA book with one of those, as they usual end up being mother-daughter girl bonding books. There's enough intrigue to leave you slightly on the edge of your seat, parts predictable, parts not so, but all entertaining to read nevertheless. Everything is so honest, current, and clear. It's what I love most--the clarity, the softness of the words, the characters, all that even reflected down to the gorgeous cover image. Colasanti truly has discovered, developed, and perfected the teenage life and voice.
Rating: 5/5
written by Susane Colasanti
Ah, Susane Colasanti, why must you be such a genius? Words will, as is usual with her books, have difficulty describing how utterly perfect Waiting for You was. In yet another stunningly sweet book, Colasanti will have you laughing and crying and just wishing you lived your lives with her amazing characters. They come to life with quirky characteristics, up to date references (Speak! and Twisted!) and genuine, realistic speech, although there were certain times when Marisa acted a bit like a spoiled brat. Still, it was great to see another character diagnosed with an anxiety-disorder, showing teens everywhere that it's not a completely life-halting diagnosis, much like Jade told us in Deb Caletti's The Nature of Jade. Nash, Love Interest Extraordinaire, is the boy we've all wanted to meet. So many great things plot-wise, where to begin? The father-daughter bond between Marisa and her dad was heartwarming--it's really rare to see a good YA book with one of those, as they usual end up being mother-daughter girl bonding books. There's enough intrigue to leave you slightly on the edge of your seat, parts predictable, parts not so, but all entertaining to read nevertheless. Everything is so honest, current, and clear. It's what I love most--the clarity, the softness of the words, the characters, all that even reflected down to the gorgeous cover image. Colasanti truly has discovered, developed, and perfected the teenage life and voice.
Rating: 5/5
Friday, March 20, 2009
Booking Through Thursday
Oh, you guys, I'm trying very hard to get back into the swing of things, but alas, guess who just got sick? >.< style="font-weight: bold;">“What’s the worst ‘best’ book you’ve ever read — the one everyone says is so great, but you can’t figure out why?”
This...is pretty much everything. Name a classic--If I have read it, I hated it (exception for Catcher in the Rye.) Shakespeare in particular, oh Lord. The Shakespeare snobs hate me for it, but I just despise the man's work. But topping the list by far is Jack London's The Call of the Wild. I...cannot even begin to describe how pointless and horrible I think it is.
ETA: OH MY GOD. I cannot believe I forgot! Thanks muchly to Lynda for reminding me of the horrible, horrible, ...THING that is The Lord of the Rings series. X_X
This...is pretty much everything. Name a classic--If I have read it, I hated it (exception for Catcher in the Rye.) Shakespeare in particular, oh Lord. The Shakespeare snobs hate me for it, but I just despise the man's work. But topping the list by far is Jack London's The Call of the Wild. I...cannot even begin to describe how pointless and horrible I think it is.
ETA: OH MY GOD. I cannot believe I forgot! Thanks muchly to Lynda for reminding me of the horrible, horrible, ...THING that is The Lord of the Rings series. X_X
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Surrender
Surrender
written by Sonya Hartnett
Surrender was a pretty great book for anyone who's looking for some great plot twists. While there were parts that were Deathly Hallows-esque, lots of sitting around waiting for stuff to happen, there were some parts that were absolutely shocking. The narration itself is gorgeously done, and I adore Hartnett's writing style. It's a little unclear at first what's going on, until you realize that it's in several different points of view. The emphasis on arson was a bit much, I thought. There was a time when I was just sitting there going "Okay, he's into fires, we get it." The end revalation is a complete shock. I knew something was up, but the eventual explanation--never could have seen it coming! It'll leave your heart pounding.
Rating: 4/5
written by Sonya Hartnett
Surrender was a pretty great book for anyone who's looking for some great plot twists. While there were parts that were Deathly Hallows-esque, lots of sitting around waiting for stuff to happen, there were some parts that were absolutely shocking. The narration itself is gorgeously done, and I adore Hartnett's writing style. It's a little unclear at first what's going on, until you realize that it's in several different points of view. The emphasis on arson was a bit much, I thought. There was a time when I was just sitting there going "Okay, he's into fires, we get it." The end revalation is a complete shock. I knew something was up, but the eventual explanation--never could have seen it coming! It'll leave your heart pounding.
Rating: 4/5
Lost Ate My Life: The Story of A Fandom Like No Other
Lost Ate My Life: The Story of a Fandom Like No Other
written by Jon Lachonis and Amy Johnston
I'm sorry to bring up all the comparisons to Harry, A History, but the two are just so similar, both being histories of fandoms, as opposed to your standard analysis books.
Let's begin at the beginning. The foreword of this book, written by the amazing Javier Grillo-Marxuach, was one of the best parts of the entire thing. I mean, if I were you, I'd buy the book just for that. But, no worries, the rest of the book continues to be absolutely amazing. As opposed to Harry, A History, Lost Ate My Life actually focuses on the fandom as a whole, all the different aspects. Sure, there is some extended focus on The Fuselage, but that makes sense, as that is the focal point of the fandom, while in HaH, MuggleNet, half of the whole fandom, was completely cut out. Lost takes the extra time to mention all the sites (although I'm a little miffed TLE wasn't mentioned, but, y'know, considering everything else, still pretty impressive). There are moments of braggery, though, that make parts of this book very unpleasant to read. hijinks' story about meeting Bryan Burk just seems so much more down to earth than Melissa's meeting JKR. She doesn't brag, she's very humble about it, and it makes it more relatable and friendly. There are times when the book has a little too much background info, and other times when it has too much insider info, but sometimes, it manages to strike just the perfect balance between the two. And really, leaving out Penny/Desmond? Tsk, tsk. ;)
Rating: 4.5/5
written by Jon Lachonis and Amy Johnston
I'm sorry to bring up all the comparisons to Harry, A History, but the two are just so similar, both being histories of fandoms, as opposed to your standard analysis books.
Let's begin at the beginning. The foreword of this book, written by the amazing Javier Grillo-Marxuach, was one of the best parts of the entire thing. I mean, if I were you, I'd buy the book just for that. But, no worries, the rest of the book continues to be absolutely amazing. As opposed to Harry, A History, Lost Ate My Life actually focuses on the fandom as a whole, all the different aspects. Sure, there is some extended focus on The Fuselage, but that makes sense, as that is the focal point of the fandom, while in HaH, MuggleNet, half of the whole fandom, was completely cut out. Lost takes the extra time to mention all the sites (although I'm a little miffed TLE wasn't mentioned, but, y'know, considering everything else, still pretty impressive). There are moments of braggery, though, that make parts of this book very unpleasant to read. hijinks' story about meeting Bryan Burk just seems so much more down to earth than Melissa's meeting JKR. She doesn't brag, she's very humble about it, and it makes it more relatable and friendly. There are times when the book has a little too much background info, and other times when it has too much insider info, but sometimes, it manages to strike just the perfect balance between the two. And really, leaving out Penny/Desmond? Tsk, tsk. ;)
Rating: 4.5/5
Hate That Cat
Hate That Cat
Written by Sharon Creech
Hate That Cat provided a great balance of new and old. There were many great call-backs to Love That Dog, but at the same time, it establishes its identity as a new book. I was glad to see that Creech (and Jack) decided to let the Sky stuff go, and was also glad to see a book with a main focus on cats (although the 'hate' part? Not so awesome.) After Love That Dog's crashing climactic ending, Hate that Cat's ending was a bit of a letdown, but it was still a fantastic sequel.
Rating: 3.5/5
Written by Sharon Creech
Hate That Cat provided a great balance of new and old. There were many great call-backs to Love That Dog, but at the same time, it establishes its identity as a new book. I was glad to see that Creech (and Jack) decided to let the Sky stuff go, and was also glad to see a book with a main focus on cats (although the 'hate' part? Not so awesome.) After Love That Dog's crashing climactic ending, Hate that Cat's ending was a bit of a letdown, but it was still a fantastic sequel.
Rating: 3.5/5
Friday, March 6, 2009
Wake
Wake
written by Lisa McMann
I think this book has restored my faith in YA. I've only started browsing the booksites, and already I'm noticing a large amount of people criticizing the narration style, to which I say, "HUH?!" While I found Wake just a tad bit too description-heavy for my tastes, the narration was still some of the best I've read in a really long time, and I only wish more authors wrote like this. The characters are heartbreakingly human, particularly Cabel, and I just want to learn more! More about them, more about who they are, who they will be, where it all began. I'd like to learn the origin of Janie's ability, and why she's chosen to have it. I really cannot wait to read Fade, and I hope Ms. McMann doesn't ever break up the amazing [crimefighting] duo!
Rating: 5/5
written by Lisa McMann
I think this book has restored my faith in YA. I've only started browsing the booksites, and already I'm noticing a large amount of people criticizing the narration style, to which I say, "HUH?!" While I found Wake just a tad bit too description-heavy for my tastes, the narration was still some of the best I've read in a really long time, and I only wish more authors wrote like this. The characters are heartbreakingly human, particularly Cabel, and I just want to learn more! More about them, more about who they are, who they will be, where it all began. I'd like to learn the origin of Janie's ability, and why she's chosen to have it. I really cannot wait to read Fade, and I hope Ms. McMann doesn't ever break up the amazing [crimefighting] duo!
Rating: 5/5
Feed
Feed
written by M.T. Anderson
many thanks to ~Kaitlin~ for letting me borrow her copy!
Feed is a creepy portrayal of a future where most people elect to have a "feed" implanted into their brains, something quite like the Facebook stalkerfeed, only add a lot more advertisements. Reminiscent of Scott Westerfeld's amazing Uglies series, Feed is a terrifying and raw read that you're not likely to forget anytime soon. It's natural narration in a fully unnatural world. The characters are all futuristic, but completely realistic, and the varied chapter lengths make for an enjoyable read. The problem seems evident early on--Titus, the main character, is content living his life the way he is, but Violet, the love interest, is a rebel at heart, and with really good reason. I would have liked to see, particularly under the given circumstances, more discussion about the way religion was interpreted, but other than that, the subject matter is just chilling. There are times when you will hate Titus, times you will hate Violet, and times you will just hate this entire world they're living in. While the end was a little open-ended for me (I would have liked to see the lasting impact on the world), it was still a thoroughly amazing read, just wish there was an epilogue of sorts.
Rating: 4/5
written by M.T. Anderson
many thanks to ~Kaitlin~ for letting me borrow her copy!
Feed is a creepy portrayal of a future where most people elect to have a "feed" implanted into their brains, something quite like the Facebook stalkerfeed, only add a lot more advertisements. Reminiscent of Scott Westerfeld's amazing Uglies series, Feed is a terrifying and raw read that you're not likely to forget anytime soon. It's natural narration in a fully unnatural world. The characters are all futuristic, but completely realistic, and the varied chapter lengths make for an enjoyable read. The problem seems evident early on--Titus, the main character, is content living his life the way he is, but Violet, the love interest, is a rebel at heart, and with really good reason. I would have liked to see, particularly under the given circumstances, more discussion about the way religion was interpreted, but other than that, the subject matter is just chilling. There are times when you will hate Titus, times you will hate Violet, and times you will just hate this entire world they're living in. While the end was a little open-ended for me (I would have liked to see the lasting impact on the world), it was still a thoroughly amazing read, just wish there was an epilogue of sorts.
Rating: 4/5
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Milkrun
I'm so sorry for the lack of reviews lately. It's exam week, and despite a lovely and random burst of snow, postponing a few exams, it's still been a lot of studying (and a lot of procrastination while telling my parents that yes, indeed, of course I'm still studying).
It should get better soon, although I'm off to Pittsburgh for a college visit next week, so we'll just have to see!
Anyways.
Milkrun
written by Sarah Mlynowski
I hate to post yet another negative review (It really may seem like I take pleasure in it--but I really don't) but there's, again, not much positive to say. I figured I should give Mlynowski a try--her collaboration with E. Lockhart and Lauren Myracle (How to Be Bad) was a pretty good book. I thought Milkrun had an interesting premise and would also be interesting, but...there really wasn't a hook. Standard 20-something, living with a roommate, working at a boring office, looking for love. Nothing new, nothing special. The only difference with this book and any other in the stereotypical chick-lit genre is that this one actually had no resolution, while other chick-lit books have the huge romantic ending. Not good. If anything, it just really makes the main character, Jackie, appear like a serial-dater, to put it kindly. It's really bad, melodramatic writing for really bad, melodramatic characters. (And I still haven't been able to figure out the title. Is it a British thing?) All in all, very pointless, I do not recommend it. Stick to YA, Ms. Mlynowski.
Rating: 2/5
It should get better soon, although I'm off to Pittsburgh for a college visit next week, so we'll just have to see!
Anyways.
Milkrun
written by Sarah Mlynowski
I hate to post yet another negative review (It really may seem like I take pleasure in it--but I really don't) but there's, again, not much positive to say. I figured I should give Mlynowski a try--her collaboration with E. Lockhart and Lauren Myracle (How to Be Bad) was a pretty good book. I thought Milkrun had an interesting premise and would also be interesting, but...there really wasn't a hook. Standard 20-something, living with a roommate, working at a boring office, looking for love. Nothing new, nothing special. The only difference with this book and any other in the stereotypical chick-lit genre is that this one actually had no resolution, while other chick-lit books have the huge romantic ending. Not good. If anything, it just really makes the main character, Jackie, appear like a serial-dater, to put it kindly. It's really bad, melodramatic writing for really bad, melodramatic characters. (And I still haven't been able to figure out the title. Is it a British thing?) All in all, very pointless, I do not recommend it. Stick to YA, Ms. Mlynowski.
Rating: 2/5
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