A Word on Censorship

I saw this video a year or two ago and just stumbled upon it a second time. It's definitely worth watching if you're much of a reader at all.

Penguin gathers some well-known Young Adult authors to weigh in on the topic of censorship and why banning books really isn't okay.

Authors showcased in this video:
Jacqueline Woodson,
Lev Grossman,
Carolyn Mackler,
M.T. Anderson,
Sarah Dessen,
Maureen Johnson,
Lauren Myracle,
Heather Brewer,
Ellen Hopkins,
Nina LaCour,
Meg Rosoff,
T.A. Barron,
Chris Crutcher,
Rita Williams-Garcia,
Dave Barry,
Kathy Reichs,
John Green,
Laurie Halse Anderson,
Jay Asher,
and Anthony Horowitz.

Top 12 Books of 2012

I know for most people that this would be considered a bit late to be putting up a "Best Books of 2012" post. But it's still January, and if it's still January, I think any reminisces on the last year are still fair game. So, whether you consider this late or not, here is my list of the top 12 books I read in the last year (listed in the order in which I read them):

1)Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: My absolute favorite book of the series. I love Umbridge as a villain and how, within the first five minutes, you want her to die way more than you want Voldemort to be defeated.

2)The Fault in Our Stars: Definitely a tearjerker if ever I've read one. John Green once again proves that he is a master of his trade, keeping you laughing and crying all the way through this New York Times bestseller.

3)The Perks of Being a Wallflower: This one's probably an all-time favorite. It's a top-notch book and has just recently been adapted to the big screen. It's movie is almost as fantastic as the book itself . . . and with Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller playing our three main characters, how can anyone be surprised?

4)Stardust: The movie version of this story was good. The book was exceptional. I've always heard that Neil Gaiman was a fantasy genius. Now I understand how he got that reputation.

5)Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury's most well-known novel is an outstanding work of literary fiction. There's no questioning why this book is as famous as it is. It absolutely deserves all the fame it has garnered.

6)Howl's Moving Castle: This was another good fantasy that I saw the movie for first. I fell in love with the movie and then fell in love with the book. I am a firm believer in the fact that the books are (with few exceptions) always better than the movies, but I was blown out of the water when I realized this book really could top its movie.

7)Crusade in Jeans: The only one of Thea Beckman's books to be translated into English, this story was simply captivating. After reading it, I'm honestly considering learning Dutch just so I can have the opportunity to read the rest of her works.

8)Speak: An honest portrait of the severe trauma of a young teenage girl, this book both heartbreaking and hopeful throughout its entirety. It has won a plethora of awards and, honestly, it needs to win a hell of a lot more.

9)Sisters Red: The first book in Jackson Pearce's Fairytale Retellings series, this book have me eagerly turning its pages from beginning to end. I especially loved the strong bonds and unfailing loyalty of its protagonists throughout every trial. Loyalty is a trait I admire above most others in real life and nearly as much in fiction.

10)Lovely, Dark, and Deep: A poetic look at one girl's deep heartbreak and her healing process is the best way to describe this beautiful novel. I can't sing its praises enough. And I can't even begin to explain how deeply beautiful it was. You need to read it for yourself if you want to understand at all.

11)The Disenchantments: This was a tale about growing up and what it's like to become disenchanted with life as you begin to fully understand the deep flaws in the world and the people around you. Yet, even through that, it reminds us that even in its heartache and pain, those beautiful pinpoints of light in the patchwork of darkness that makes life lovely and absolutely worth living.

12)Inkheart: The first in a wonderful trilogy (one I'm still halfway through the second book in), I absolutely adored this book. It's movie adaptation is fabulous, but this book series is something to be reckoned with. I still can't believe it took me this long to get to it.

What were your favorite books you read in 2012?

Paper Towns by John Green

Margo always loved mysteries. And in everything that came afterward, I could never stop thinking that maybe she loved mysteries so much that she became one.

I first read Paper Towns last year. I had decided to read John Green's books after already having been a fan of the vlogbrothers for a while. Looking for Alaska had been my first attempt, and while I wasn't much a fan of that particular book, I had recognized his style of writing to be particularly beautiful and something of which I wanted to read more. Paper Towns immediately became a favorite and retains that distinction even now. In fact, my second reading of this fabulous story only cemented that fact.

Quentin Jacobson is your average teenage boy. He's not popular or unpopular, but somewhere in the middle with his two best friends and the other kids he's friends with in the band. Plus he has a huge crush on the most popular girl in school and his next door neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman.

So when Margo sticks her head in his window and requests his help on a "mission" of hers, it doesn't take all that much coaxing before he's driving her all around Orlando, aiding her in all manner of odd pranks. She's known for this sort of thing, for being something akin to a force of nature.

Quentin can't help but hope that this late night gallivant means things will change between them, but she doesn't show up at school the next day, or the day after that. No one seems to know where she has gone. This in itself surprises no one, it isn't the first time Margo has run off for a couple of days. But when a couple of days turns into a couple of weeks, Quentin can't help getting worried.

Just like the previous times she's run off, Margo has left clues to her whereabouts. Now it's up to Quentin to decipher them and find her before it's too late . . . if it isn't already too late.

A brilliant work through and through, Paper Towns is the story of Quentin's journey to find Margo and discover himself along the way. It's about friendship and loyalty, but it's mostly about the way we perceive others and how dangerous it is to see others as what you think they ought to be instead of who they are.

Once again, John Green has undeniably proved that he can create memorable characters and a compelling story, all while continuing to wow his readers with his mastery of the English language and his ability to weave it into something beautiful.

Rating: ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~

There are so many people. It is easy to forget how full the world is of people, full to bursting, and each of them imaginable and consistently misimagined.

Reread November

*Edit (11/11/12): So I got four books into this challenged and realized I wasn't going to be able to do it. There are too many books I'm dying to read just sitting on my shelf and I'm not interested enough in these rereads to read them as quickly as I would have liked to. So instead, I'm going to start rereading one book every month from now on. You'll see more of this in the future, but that's my compromise. This way I don't feel like a complete idiot for proposing this idea. Well, I'd better go read The King of Attolia now . . . 

I literally have thirty-nine books overflowing a specifically designated shelf and continuing atop my barely used television set in my room right now that I either own or have checked out of the library. These are all books that I haven't yet read and am eagerly awaiting to read.

Regardless of that fact, and the fact that many of those library books will have to be returned within the month, I've decided to declare this month "Reread November."

In other words, I've been itching to reread some old (and not so old) favorites of mine, but I've been so busy reading all my new ones that they've been neglected and it's about time I cracked open their spines once again.

So I've decided to set aside ten books of my choice that I have already read and would like to read again during the month of November. Hopefully, these won't be the only books I read this month (because I still have quite a lot to read if I want to reach 100 books this year), but I'd like to finish these first. I figured that setting a time aside to reread them would encourage me to do just that.

These are my choices:
1. Or Give Me Death by Ann Rinaldi
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
4. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
5. Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
7. Emma by Jane Austen
8. Paper Towns by John Green
9. Girl in a Cage by Jane Yolen & Robert J. Harris
10. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I won't read them in any particular order, but I'm more than excited about getting started on these.

Are you rereading any books this month? If so, I'd love to hear which ones you chose and why.

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish People I Would Like to Meet

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is "Bookish People I Would Like to Meet."

1. J.K. Rowling
Author of the Harry Potter books, as well as an adult book coming out at the end of the month, The Casual Vacancy. It would be so interesting to have the chance to sit down with her and find out more about both her work and her life. She seems like an incredibly interesting person and one I would really enjoy getting to know.

2. John Green
Author of one of my favorite books, Paper Towns, along with a number of others, John Green also started vlogbrothers along with his brother, Hank Green, a vlogging channel on YouTube where the two of them discuss a plethora of different topics.
Technically, I have already met him, but it was at a book signing and therefore lasted all of six seconds. I would really love to sit down and get the chance to talk with him about the things that inspire him as well as his passion for being proud of his own nerdiness.

3. Ray Bradbury
Though I have, so far, only read one of his books (I do intend to read more of his work in the near future), I definitely look up to this man and wish I could have had the opportunity to meet him. As many of you are probably well aware, Ray Bradbury passed on a few months ago. 
I especially appreciate the fact that most of Bradbury's "training" in becoming an author was self-taught. He taught himself to be a great writer by reading and studying in his own right. I can definitely respect that in a person.

4. C.S. Lewis
This is another author I will never get the chance to meet (in this life) because he is deceased. However, that hasn't stopped him from making a huge impact on my life. I was raised on the Chronicles of Narnia and have since read many of his other works in apologetics. I can hardly begin to explain the genius of this one man, but he has profoundly impacted my life and my faith, for that I am eternally indebted. If I could have coffee with one person in history, nine out of ten times, I would choose Lewis.

5. J.R.R. Tolkien
Though I have to once again admit to not having read all of this author's works, that doesn't stop me from being a huge fan of Tolkien. I have seen the movies at least ten times and haven't yet grown tired of them, I adored The Hobbit, and he was also the man who brought C.S. Lewis to Christ. The two of them were close friends, which I think is amazing, though I do hold a grudge against Tolkien for nearly talking Lewis out of writing the Chronicles of Narnia (Tolkien hated them).  All in all, though, Tolkien managed to create a fantastical world and iconic characters that still profoundly impact the work of many authors today. (Also, I promise I will read the Lord of the Rings trilogy soon! Don't shun me. They're sitting in my TBR pile, I swear.)

6. Orson Scott Card
After reading both Ender's Game and How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy, I couldn't refrain from adding Card to the list. His brilliance in the field of science fiction is well-known and I'm simply dying to read more of his works. He is a fascinating person and I would love to have the opportunity to pick his brain on more than one matter. 

7. Maureen Johnson
I met Maureen Johnson seconds after John Green, but this was, once again, a six second meeting. It lasted long enough for her to sign my cell phone and that was all. Not only are her books both lovely and exceedingly witty (I've read most, though not all of them), but she is a hilarious person and has quite a personality. If you don't follow her on Twitter, I suggest you amend that immediately. You won't be sorry. She is hysterical and incredibly interesting. Getting to sit down and talk with her would be a dream come true, and would probably involve some sort of crazy adventure.

8. Robin Wasserman
A close friend of Maureen Johnson (and probably of John Green, seeing as Maureen Johnson is a close friend of his), Robin Wasserman is a fabulous author in her own right. Her Cold Awakening trilogy is stunning and really makes you sit back and take another look at all the things you think you know. I really appreciate that in a story. I would love to have a chat with her about what inspired her to write what she did and how she managed to create such a complex, yet entirely engaging plot line. There are still more of her books that I would love to read, but haven't managed to yet. \

9. Ted Dekker

This man is pure genius. Honestly, the man cranks out novels at a pace I could never imagine emulating, yet each has a richness and texture to it that blows me away every time. Each new story is original and filled with twists and turns I could never have imagined. I think I would be a little scared to take a peek into this man's brilliant mind, but I wouldn't pass up the opportunity if my life depended on it. His works are amazing and I look forward to reading more from him. 


10. Megan Whalen Turner
I am in the middle of her "Queen's Thief" series and already I'm dying to pick her brain. I am a huge fan of Greek mythology and the like (from which she draws a great deal, in this series). Her characters are both relatable and believable, her stories exciting and filled with adventure. Sitting down and talking to her about what went into creating such a rich world and story would be simply wonderful. I can think of few things I would enjoy more.

Top Ten Tuesday: Thought Provoking Books

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is thought provoking books! I only chose seven this time around, though I'm sure there are plenty more I could add. Here are the ones I decided to highlight:

1) Paper Towns by John Green
Paper Towns is a personal favorite of mine for many good reasons, but one of the most important of those reasons is the fact that this book really makes you look at the way you perceive others. Throughout this book, the main character (Quentin) realizes that we tend to romanticize our friends and most especially the people we admire and look at them through those rose colored glasses instead of seeing them for who they really are. This is a discredit both to them and to ourselves. I loved that this book challenged me in the way I view others and encouraged me to accept them for who they are instead of who I want them to be.

2)The Cold Awakening Trilogy by Robin Wasserman
I think the Cold Awakening Trilogy easily qualifies for this list. The trilogy's main question permeates each of the books and begs the question: "What constitutes humanity?" Each of the books explores this question and really makes you stop and consider what it means while bringing up multiple other deep questions of morality along the way. 

3) My Secret: A PostSecret Book by Frank Warren
The PostSecret books are essentially collections of secrets that were sent in to Frank Warren anonymously, first as an art project and now as a worldwide community. Each of the books hold a plethora of secrets that allow you to see into the lives and hearts of people all around the world. It reminds you that everyone has a secret and that everyone's hurting.

4) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
In hearing the story of a girl who underwent a major traumatic experience in the middle her most impressionable formative years, this book lets the reader see into her head and her heart. It allows them to see how earth-shattering that traumatization can be for its victims and causes the reader to reevaluate how they treat others, because it reminds us that you can't always see what's hurting someone but that doesn't mean they aren't in need of rescuing.

5) The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
One of the things that makes the Harry Potter series so memorable and life-changing to its readers is the plethora of questions it asks its readers. As we read these books, we walk alongside Harry and his friends as they discover that the world isn't as lovely or fair a place as we perceive it at first. We see what drives them as they choose how far they are willing to go to reach an end and what means justify those ends. We are given the chance to see them fight for what they believe and lobby for the rights of those who are beaten down by others who are stronger and more outspoken. Rowling invites the reader to make these decisions along with Harry and therefore analyze the way we think and the decisions we make.

6) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I think that nowadays it is easy to downplay the offensiveness and overall nastiness of racism, especially for those who haven't personally experienced racism or that type of stigmatism. It's also easy to believe that the issue of racism is outdated and no longer applicable to our time. Both of these assumptions are very, very wrong. This book reminds us that racism was beyond rampant less than fifty years ago. In fact, it was a household prejudice and widely considered acceptable. The Help reminds those of us who might have forgotten that this is still an evil to be fought against and one we ought to stomp out entirely.


5) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I am almost to the end of this book (the actual review ought to be up by the end of the week) and I am definitely loving it. One of the reasons I love it so much is the fact that it reevaluates the meaning of childhood and adulthood, as well as deciphering where the line is between being a good person and a monster. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books since I started Booklist That

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is the top ten books you've read since starting your blog. 

This one's going to be fun. Difficult, but fun.

1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book lived up to every raving review I heard about it. Zusak did a wonderful job writing a compelling story from an original perspective. That, and he has such a way with words that I could read a book covering just about anything if it was written by him and still be enthralled.

2) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
At first, I just wanted to put the whole series on here, but thought it would only be fair if I did my favorite of the series. This book was my all-time favorite of the Harry Potter books (its movie was my favorite as well). I love the story, the villain (Umbridge), and basically everything about it.

3) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I pre-ordered this one and my dad ended up reading it before I did. He adored it as much as I did. The book was a work of pure genius. It will make you laugh and cry, all while filling your desire for witty commentary and great characters. Definitely a must-read.

4) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Upon finishing this book, I immediately added it to the ranks of my absolute favorite books. It was well-written and interesting--an all-around joy to read. I cannot wait for the movie this fall and look forward to lending it out even more than I already have in anticipation of the feature film.

5) Hold Still by Nina LaCour
This book was an emotionally driven book that drew me in from the beginning and left me happily sated at the end. LaCour's understanding of brokenness and her ability to make you feel as if you're not only walking alongside the character, but feeling the same way she does, is beautiful and spellbinding.

6) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
It is considered a classic and for good reason. Bradbury paints a terrifying yet distinctly plausible world that makes you think and gives you the desire to do anything possible to prevent this fiction from becoming reality.

7) Crusade in Jeans by Thea Beckman
The only book by this Dutch author that I can find that's translated into English, I had to search to find this book, but it was entirely worth it. Beckman proves herself a fantastic storyteller and I would love to read more from her in the future. Hopefully, more of her works will be translated in the future.

8) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
In this story, Anderson created a truly believable character that has had tragedy impact her in the most damaging of ways who still manages to pick herself up and heal. An entirely inspiring character, a seamless plot, and narrative that is both beautiful and compelling work together to make this book also reach my favorites shelf.

9) The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams
If any word can describe this book in its entirely it's "unexpected". Its plot draws the readers in, but the way the author uses it to deal with the nuances of human nature and to explore the way tragedy affects people was truly wonderful. I eagerly look forward to rereading this one.

10) Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Fantasy is almost always going to be quite an intriguing read, but Jones definitely nails it in her creation of this book. everything about it was delightful and interesting. I really enjoyed exploring the worlds she created, as well as meeting the lovely characters and creatures that fill the pages.

LeakyCon Lit 2012

Maureen Johnson, Lev Grossman, Stephanie Perkins, Robin
Wasserman, Megan Whalen Turner, and John Green
discussing Boy Books & Girl Books and whether there is
such a distinction.

This past week I had the privilege of being able to attend LeakyCon, a Harry Potter convention that was held in Chicago, Illinois, this year. The convention was fantastic and gave my brother and I the opportunity to meet plenty of others for whom the Harry Potter series has been a treasure and somewhat of an obsession.

One part of the convention that I was very excited about was LeakyCon Lit. LeakyCon Lit is a particular set of panels and events that only those with Rockstar or Lit passes can attend. Headed up by Maureen Johnson, LeakyCon Lit gave those who signed up for it the opportunity to sit in on panels between a select number of Young Adult authors who were scheduled to appear, as well as receive the chance to talk with them or go to signings.

These panels proved to be both informative and highly entertaining. The authors assembled were an eclectic and intelligent bunch that, for the most part, know each other well and deeply enjoy discussing the finer points of books and their own work in the literary field.

Because I enjoyed this particular part of the convention, I thought I would give y'all a little rundown of the panels and what I learned from them. So here we go:

Come to this Panel if You Think You Hate Romance
I don't happen to be a hater of romance, but I thought this would be an interesting panel to attend and it was. The panel was made up of Stephanie Perkins, Laini Taylor, Daniel Ehrenhaft, and Margaret Stohl.  We learned that most romances that people hate are the campy ones with overused phrases and gag-worthy dialogue. When a romance is fresh and new, there is something that draws you to it. Everyone enjoys a good love story, it just has to be done right.

Notable quotes from this panel: 
"Romantic love is the closest thing to magic that we have in real life." -Stephanie Perkins
"Literature is escape, but it's also emotional truth." -Daniel Ehrenhaft

Bad Books and Why We Love Them
In this panel, we discussed what makes a book bad and whether or not we really have the authority to label a book "bad" or not. John Green, Holly Black, Margaret Stohl, Robin Wasserman, Megan Whalen Turner, and Maureen Johnson went back and forth on the difference between books with bad writing, books with bad morals, and books that were so off-the-wall terrible that they turned around and became favorites because of how hilarious it made them.
One very interesting point that was brought up was the fact that we should do our best not to be sticklers about what others are reading because they're doing just that: reading. We should be doing our best to encourage that, even if we aren't very fond of their book choices. Instead of bashing the ones they're already into, we can suggest our own favorites and let them make the choices from there. We don't want to discourage others from reading, and chances are they'll find the really good books on their own if you let them wade around in the water a bit.

Boy Books and Girl Books
This panel may have been the most interesting I attended all week. Hearing from Megan Whalen Turner, Robin Wasserman, Stephanie Perkins, Lev Grossman, John Green, and Maureen Johnson on whether or not there really is much of a distinction between girl books and boys books was simply intriguing.

John Green & Maureen Johnson at a signing. He looked up
just as I took the picture. He wasn't actually glaring at me.
Haha. :P

As an aspiring YA author, I was fascinated and horrified to learn more about the sexism involved in the  book industry: both buying and selling. For years we have been operating under a system where "boy books" are normal books and "girl books" are chick lit. Why is that? What really separates the two? Why are girls encouraged to read whatever we can get our hands on, while boys are told that only these books over here are acceptable?
It isn't fair. Not to authors, not to boys, not to girls. This stigmatizing of certain literature causes boys to think there's something wrong with them if they want to branch out from "boy books" and causes female authors to be set aside in favor of male authors because it's unthinkable that a woman could write something that would interest a man.
Stephanie Perkins referred to an incident when she worked at a bookstore in which a father actually put Harry Potter back on the shelf though his son wanted to read after she casually mentioned that J.K. Rowling was a woman. He actually said "She?" and placed it back on the shelf as if it were suddenly detestable because of the gender of its author.

Notable quotes from this panel:
"I'm not kidding. I would've punched you and then I would've called you a liar, and I would've set fire to your house." -Maureen Johnson [describing her reaction if someone would have told her that she would be writing "girl books" when she was in high school]

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Every Single Harry Potter Novel
This panel was open to everyone, not just those attending LeakyCon Lit. John Granger, known for his in-depth analysis of the Harry Potter book series gave a series of lectures on Christian symbolism, postmodern morality, ring composition, and many other literary devices implemented in J.K. Rowling's books. I only attended one, but it was simply mind-blowing.
Honestly, I walked out of the room both dying to write and never wanting to pick up a pen again, because how could I even come close to the masterful work Rowling did in her series?
Theres no way I can rehash what I learned in only an hour of his class, but I can suggest getting any of his books. If those lectures are any indication, the man is brilliant and should certainly be heard by as wide of an audience as can comprehend what he has to say.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for his books and now have even greater respect for one of my favorite authors, J.K. Rowling, for her masterful work.

I Was a Teenage Writer
Maureen Johnson is always telling those who want to be authors that one of the key factors is to "learn to let yourself suck". By that, she means that no one is great from the beginning and sometimes you have to put out a lot of bad writing in order to improve enough to make something great. In this panel, John Green, Margaret Stohl, Holly Black, and Kate Schafer Testerman supported her statement by producing some work they created in their teenage years. The result was hilarious. Needless to say, many were comforted by the end of the meeting. They saw how far these authors had come in only a decade or so and knew that if they worked at it, they would likely be able to do the same.

Ask Me Anything: Book Editors
My brother and I chose to attend this panel last minute, but it was definitely worth it. In fact, the panel convinced him to consider becoming a book agent because of how excellent the job sounded and how much the agents present were passionate about what they did.
Rebecca Sherman, Jennifer Laughran, Kate Schafer Testerman, and Daniel Ehrenhaft answered questions that ranged from "What does your job entail?" to "Should I follow book trends and try to produce something along those lines?" Hint (on the second question): a book is generally bought three or four years in advance of it being put on the shelf, so unless you can predict the future, you won't have much luck trying to ride on the coattails of current trends.

My LeakyCon swag. It includes 3 new books I can't wait to
read: Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman; Geektastic by
Holly Black and Cecil Castelliucci; and Wizards, Wardrobes
and Wookies by Connie Neal.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it. I look forward to attending more book events in the future and learning even more about the books and craft I adore so much.

I would go again in a heartbeat.

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer TBR List

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week the topic at hand is this summer's To Be Read list. This is meant to be each person's top ten books they are excited about this summer. They could be new releases or old favorites that you're planning on rereading: whatever you choose!

I thought this sounded like a lovely blog post idea and couldn't pass up the chance to do it. Seeing as I'm currently incapacitated right now due to some burn wounds I recently sustained, I thought this would be a fun activity to keep me occupied for a couple of minutes. 

Anyway, here's my list, in no particular order. I don't have all of the books I'm going to read planned out, so obviously these are the ones I know I'm pretty certain about reading and that I am intensely excited about. 

Enjoy!:

1) Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I saw the movie adaptation of this book a little over a year ago, I believe, and I loved it. I'm a pretty big fan of Greek mythology and any storyline that incorporates that into it is definitely something I want to check out. 

2) A Modern Look at Monsters by Daniel Cohen

Sounds creepy to some, I'm sure, but this book caught my eye at the library and I'm super excited to read it. I like finding out the origins of things and this book will likely prove a good arsenal for creating fictional dangers as an author.

3) American Nerd: The Story of My People by Benjamin Nugent

This is another book I just happened to stumble upon the other day at the library. Being a self-proclaimed nerd, this book immediately appealed to me. Besides the title and cover both put a huge smile on my face. I'm sure the interior will do the same.

4) Those Amazing Ringlings and Their Circus by Gene Plowden

After reading in Vintage Tattooing about how the origins of tattooing in America are closely tied with circus folk, my curiosity was piqued. I wanted to learn more about how circuses used to work in the early nineteenth century and such, so I picked up this book. I can't wait to see what it has in store. 

5) Paper Towns by John Green

To be fair, I've already read this. If you've read blog for a while you'll already know that this happens to be one of my all-time favorite books. Still, it merits rereading and this is the summer to do it.

6) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I adored this book. Like Paper Towns, I've already read it and it is also one of my all-time favorites. That is enough reason to reread it in itself, but the movie adaptation is also coming out later this year, thus it is near imperative. 

7) Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Like Percy Jackson, this is the beginning of a series, but one I've been dying to read for a while now. It looks wonderful and highly original and it's about time I went about reading it.

8, 9, & 10) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

I know, I'm a terrible nerd. . . but I've seen all the movies more times than I can count. That doesn't really help, but I'm going to amend that. I've had this trilogy on my to-read list for a long while now and I'm going to finally buckle down and do so.

What are your top ten or even top five books to read this summer? Are you planning on reading any of the same ones I am? Or have you already read some of them and want to give your input? Leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

"I liked you because you were mad. And you're pretty. And pretty sane for a mad person."


Maureen Johnson was another author I decided to check out because of John Green. (The other was Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss.) Funnily enough, it isn't the first book I've picked up by her, but it is the first I've finished. That's not to say that she isn't a great author, but the other book, The Name of the Star, was a little too spooky for my taste. I will probably get around to finishing it eventually for the sake of having a review of it up here.

Anyway, because of John Green's recommendation and because she will be at LeakyCon this year, I wanted to give another of her books a go and I'm incredibly glad I did.

13 Little Blue Envelopes is about a girl named Ginny. After her beloved aunt dies, Ginny gets a package from her deceased aunt containing thirteen letters with directions to complete the task on one before proceeding to the next. These directions spur Ginny into the adventure of a lifetime. Her travels take her all over Europe, introduce her to some wonderfully crazy characters, and teach her to experience life to it's fullest.

This book was quite good. The plot had me hooked from the start and nothing about this story is predictable. This fact in and of itself has you feeling like all of this is really happening, like you're really on this adventure with Ginny. It's a wonderful testament to her writing ability and how relatable she makes her characters. It was definitely one worth reading.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥


[Click here to see my review of the sequel: The Last Little Blue Envelope]


Sometimes, Gin, life leaves you without directions, without guideposts or signs. When this happens, you just have to pick a direction and run like hell.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Remember what Professeur Cole said when he was talking about the lack of translated novels in America? She said it's important to expose ourselves to other cultures, other situations.


What can I say? I adored this book!

I was first introduced to this title when I was still living in Paris. I heard about it via John Green (one half of the Vlogbrothers and the author of The Fault in Our Stars). He talked about it being very well-written and incredibly witty, so I decided it was necessary that I read it.

Yet every time I spotted it on the bookshelf, I couldn't bring myself to buy it. I just couldn't get past the cheesy title and the almost-as-cheesy cover. Yes, I know I shouldn't judge books by their covers, but I can't help it! It just looked so overwhelmingly girly and stereotypical and even the summary made me think that I had the entire story already figured out. So when I made it back to Texas, I decided I'd just get it from the library so I wouldn't have to spend money on it.

Let me tell you, when I finally cracked this book open, I tore through it. No seriously. I started reading it yesterday around nine and finished it at approximately noon today. Yeah, it was that good!

Anna and the French Kiss is about a girl who gets flung into Paris by her well-meaning, but very-much-a-tool father who thinks it will be good for her to go to a boarding school where she will become cultured and sophisticated. She enrolls in the American school there (a school my own dad considered putting my brother and I in while we were both in high school) and quickly joins a small group of friends that includes the most handsome, charming British-American boy she has ever set eyes upon.

But there's more to all of this than meets the eye. The moment she meet St. Clair, she knows he's off-limits. He's been dating Ellie, who graduated last year and now seems to be too good to associate with anyone in their circle of friends besides her significant other. As the school year continues, Anna starts having mixed feelings for St. Clair. Not only is he swiftly becoming her best friend, coming to her defense on all occasions and helping her adapt to the French culture around her, but the undercurrent of mutual attraction between them is steadily on the rise.

As they say: What's a girl to do?

I was honestly surprised with how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was all-around wonderful and every bit as clever and witty as John Green said it would be. Stephanie Perkins captures the "City of Love" quite well. (Though I'll admit that there ought to be a tad more of the strangers that accost you on the street and rude people if she wanted to make it entirely realistic.) I loved every second of the book and it made me miss Paris even more.

Anna and the French Kiss was an incredibly lovely book despite it's cringe-worthy title. I encourage anyone who wants a good read to snatch it up immediately. I'll be buying myself a copy of this book as soon as possible so I can have it on my bookshelves. It shall be money well-spent.

And when I go back to Paris this Christmas to see my family, I will most definitely find Point Zero (which I didn't know about until I opened this book) and make a wish.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


"You say that I'm afraid of being alone, and it's true. I am. And I'm not proud of it. But you need to take a good look at yourself, Anna, because I am not the only one in this room who suffers this problem."

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"It's like when you are excited about a girl and you see a couple holding hands, and you feel so happy for them. And other times you see the same couple, and they make you so mad. And all you want is to feel happy for them because you know that if you do, then it means that you're happy, too."


Guys, it looks like I have another new favorite book.

It's funny. My two favorite books, Paper Towns and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, are both constantly compared to Catcher in the Rye, which was a book I really did not enjoy. It's weird how that works.

Anyway, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky's first novel. No one would be able to tell that from reading his work. Written in the form of letters to an anonymous recipient, it tells the story of high school freshman Charlie. He's not exactly a social butterfly. As the title suggests, he is more of a wallflower, more content to observe the life around him than participate in it. But Charlie is an insightful and incredibly introspective person. He has a big heart and a pure soul that permeates the pages of the story.

When Charlie makes friends with step-siblings, Patrick and Sam, he falls in love with the "unconventionally beautiful" Sam right off the bat. But more than that, he quickly becomes close with the two and they help introduce him to exactly what it's like to be himself and live his life.

I personally found Chbosky's writing compelling and beautiful (even if I can't pronounce his last name). His narrative draws you in from the start and there was never a moment where I wanted to put it down or where it became boring. I eagerly devoured it and, in the spirit of Charlie, am seriously considering going back and immediately reading it again. I'll try to resist, though. I usually like to give myself time between re-readings.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower was an inspiring and intoxicatingly beautiful book. It was a joy to read and is a delight to have on my shelf.

Rating: ~♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥~


"I'm going to do what I want to do. I am going to be who I really am. And I'm going to figure out what that is."

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

"But I couldn't see it again, and it occurred to me that the voracious ambition of humans is never sated by dreams coming true, because there is always the thought that everything might be done better and again."

I've just finished reading The Fault in Our Stars by the amazingly talented John Green and, to be honest, I'm not sure what to say. I'm left in a sort of stunned speechlessness. There were so many beautiful, heart-wrenching moments and captivating scenes that I don't know how to put my awe into words.

I suppose I have to, though. Otherwise, we have no point in my writing this review.

The Fault in Our Stars is about Hazel and it's about Augustus: two teenagers who are grappling with mortality and meaning something in a world that is so quick to forget all but what is right in front of it.

You see, Hazel has cancer. She suffers from "lungs that suck at being lungs". It originally showed up in her thyroid and spread to her lungs. It's not a matter of saving her life, but lengthening it. The cancer will claim it one way or another.

Then she meets Augustus Waters, a handsome boy who is intelligent, wonderful, and a cancer survivor. He falls for everything about her and wants to sweep her off her feet, but Hazel is scared. She doesn't want to hurt anyone else. She knows she's going to leave this world and she doesn't want to scar anyone else with her absence.

That's what The Fault in Our Stars is about. It's about affecting the people we love, for better or worse. It's about coming of age in a world that seems to have turned against you. It's about learning to love, even when it's the scariest thing possible and doesn't seem at all practical.

This is a book that will tear you apart and make you hope again, all in one beautiful story. I suggest running to the bookstore and getting this prize immediately.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

"I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful."