Un-Review: Hachiko Waits – Lesléa Newman

Hachiko Waits – Lesléa Newman (Author), Machiyo Kodaira (Illustrator)

“What a good dog you are. What a fine dog you are. Hachi, you are the best dog in all of Japan.”  

Professor Ueno speaks these words to his faithful dog before boarding the train to work every morning. And every afternoon, just before three o’clock, Hachi is at the train station to greet his beloved master. One day, the train arrives at the station without the professor. Hachi waits. 

For ten years, Hachi waits for his master to return. Not even Yasuo, the young boy who takes care of Hachi, can persuade him to leave his post. 

Hachiko Waits, a novel inspired by a true story, brings to life the legendary Akita who became a national symbol for loyalty and devotion. This is a must-read for dog lovers of all ages. 

Hachiko Waits is a 2005 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Un-Review: This book was written by one of my professors, and I don’t review anything written by people who grade me, but I wanted to show you this book. I know that a lot of my blog readers are parents, teachers, or librarians who want recommendations for good children’s lit. I’d definitely call Hachiko Waits “Good children’s lit.”

The writing level is middle grade or slightly younger. The book is approximately 100 pages and has illustrations. It’s based on the true story of a dog in Japan who spent 10 years at a train station, waiting for his owner to come home. The story does deal with death and sadness, but it’s written in a way that most children could probably handle. There is a happy ending.

The book is set in the 1920s and shows elements of Japanese culture. It would be perfect for a kid who is interested in nonfiction stories, animals, history, or Japan. 

Confessions of a Bookworm: Irrational Fear of ARCs

I saw this awesome Confessions meme on Parajunkee, and I thought I’d play along. The goal is to answer a question and write a post about your most eccentric bookworm confessions. So, here is one of mine:

Confession of the week: I’ve been reviewing books for 2 years, and I’ve never requested an ARC. I’ve been given a few ARCs by authors, but I’ve never actually tried to get one. I'm scared of reviewing ARCs. I think it’s because I don’t like due dates or the pressure to review something. I know that I’m perfectly capable of reading a book, writing a review, and posting it on a certain date, but the thought of doing it is stressful for some reason. I should just join NetGalley and get it over with. It won’t be stressful once I’ve done it a few times.

~*~

Question of the week: In which book would you like to live? (I don't think this is the correct question of the week, but I'm going to answer it.)

Answer: Um, none of them. The worlds in the books I read are usually pretty unpleasant. It might be cool to live in the Harry Potter world (post-Voldemort). Then I’d have the ability to make my house magically clean itself.

I think the parallel Londons in A Darker Shade of Magic could also be interesting. I wouldn’t mind seeing those.

~*~

This week’s REAL question of the week: Do you prefer using bookmarks, or bending the book page?

Answer: Bookmarks, definitely. The only time that I bend the page is when I can’t find a bookmark and don’t have time to look for one. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Memorable Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is top ten books which feature characters who _______. I’m filling in the blank with “are memorable.” I chose this topic because I was staring at my bookshelves and trying to remember the names of the characters in each book. It was surprisingly difficult. Here’s my list of the characters I remember.

1. The Harry Potter series – J.K. Rowling

You knew that Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be on this list, right? I grew up with them, and they’re iconic in YA literature. Unless I get dementia, I won’t ever forget them.

2. The Twilight series – Stephenie Meyer

These characters aren’t memorable for a good reason. I was creeped out by Edward and his stalker tendencies. I spent the whole series screaming, “Bella, you stupid girl! Get away from him!”

3. The Hunger Games series – Suzanne Collins

I read this series while debating whether or not to go to grad school to study children’s lit. I remember Katniss because she was edgier than a lot of the YA heroines that I was seeing at the time. Katniss helped me decide that I was interested enough in YA literature that I could spend two years studying it at school. I still prefer my YA lit to be as edgy as possible.

4. The MaddAddam series – Margaret Atwood

It helps that the main characters’ names are the title of book #1 in the series. Crake is one of the most complex villains I’ve ever come across.

5. The Hobbit / The Lord of the Rings series – J.R.R. Tolkien

Hobbits are strange little creatures, aren’t they?    

6. The Stand – Stephen King

Remember Randall Flagg? He shows up in a lot of King's books. He’s a scary dude.

7. The Green Mile – Stephen King

Mostly I remember Mr. Jingles the mouse. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I read this book when I was a young teenager, and it traumatized me. Every little detail is still burned into my memory.

8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky

Charlie is one of my favorite fictional characters ever. He feels very realistic to me.

9. The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger

Everybody remembers Holden Caulfield. Probably because we all have bad memories of being forced to read this book in high school. I love The Catcher in the Rye, but forced reading usually ruins books for me.

10. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

I know that a lot of people hate this book because the characters are whiny, pretentious, and self-centered, but I think Ignatius J. Reilly is hilarious. I used to have a bunch of his quotes saved on my computer.

Review: Doubt: A Parable – John Patrick Shanley

Doubt: A Parable – John Patrick Shanley

Chosen as the best play of the year by over 10 newspapers and magazines, Doubt is set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, where a strong-minded woman wrestles with conscience and uncertainty as she is faced with concerns about one of her male colleagues. This new play by John Patrick Shanley—the Bronx-born-and-bred playwright and Academy Award-winning author of Moonstruck—dramatizes issues straight from today’s headlines within a world re-created with knowing detail and a judicious eye.

Review: This review is of the stage play script. In 2008, the stage play was adapted in to a movie that stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis.

Doubt is a deceptively simple story: a nun at a Catholic school believes that a priest is having inappropriate contact with a student. The nun has no evidence to back up her accusations against the priest, but her instincts are telling her that something is wrong. The play is set in 1960s New York and confronts the issues of race, homosexuality, and sexual abuse.

The brilliance of this play is in its layers. It examines doubt on multiple levels. There is no certainty. The characters doubt themselves, and the audience is always wondering who is telling the truth. The characters and their motivations are amazingly complex. There are no clear-cut heroes and villains in this story. Everything is murky and ambiguous.

The plot moves quickly, and the suspense of not knowing who to trust keeps the audience engaged. The action is subtle but never boring. I had to keep reading to find out if the nun could prove her accusations against the priest. It’s very easy to become invested in the plot and the characters.

Doubt is not the most exciting play I’ve ever read, but the story and the characters are definitely compelling. It’s worth reading.  

The Sunday Post #3

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, and share news.

On My Blog Last Week

• On Monday I reviewed Wizard and Glass by Stephen King.
• On Tuesday I listed my favorite living authors.
• On Wednesday I reviewed Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman.
• On Thursday I showed off some books I’ve randomly acquired.
• On Friday I explained my stupid blog title.

I also got curious and joined BookLikes this week. Other than posting reviews, I’m not sure what to do with it. I haven’t gotten a chance to play around with it yet. If you want to follow me on BookLikes, I’ll figure out how to follow you back. My site is http://ashleysterkel.booklikes.com/

On My Blog This Week

• On Monday I review Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley.
• On Tuesday I list books with memorable characters.
• On Wednesday I confess my irrational fear of ARCs.
• On Thursday I un-review Hachiko Waits by Lesléa Newman (Author) and Machiyo Kodaira (Illustrator).
• On Friday I give mediocre advice about reading slumps.

In My Reading Life

I spent the whole week writing essays, so I didn’t get a ton of reading done. I finished A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, and I DNFed Incarceration by M.G. Field. 

Next, I think I’m going to read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. One of the things on my 2015 reading challenge is “A book you were supposed to read for school but didn’t.” I was supposed to read The Diary of a Young Girl for a European history class that I took years ago, but the post office lost my book order. It didn’t show up until the day the essay was due. By that time, I’d already BSed my way through the essay, so I never bothered reading the book. I guess I can read it now.

Another cool thing that happened this week: V.E. Schwab Favorited my Tweet about how much I loved A Darker Shade of Magic. I don’t know why I’m so happy about a super-active Twitter user Favoriting a Tweet, but I am. It was the second-best thing that happened to me this week. The first-best was learning that Chipotle has started delivering. They don’t deliver in my town, but I have faith that they will someday (and that delivery won’t be as expensive as it is now). I think this week proves that I love burritos slightly more than I love books.

I’m starting to think that I lead a very sad life. 

FF Friday: In Which I Explain My Stupid Blog Title

Feature & Follow is a weekly blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

This week’s question: How did you come up with your blog title and address? Does it have a special meaning for you?

Answer: My blog became a book blog by accident. At the time I started it, I was reading a lot of diary-style personal blogs, and I thought I wanted one of those. That’s why my blog’s address is my name. It was originally intended to be read only by my friends and family. However, when I tried to write my “diary,” I discovered that I’m very, very boring. I had no idea what to blog about. So, I started blogging about the books I was reading and the writing projects I was doing. That’s how I became the proud owner of a book blog.

“Read All The Things!” comes from my TBR pile and a meme. My TBR pile is a literal pile of books. It used to be on a nightstand (and on the floor around the nightstand), but now it’s on a shelf. Years ago, I named this pile “All The Things,” as in “There are all the things I need to read.” Then I saw this picture on the Internet, and the blog title was born.

It’s not a good title, but it’ll do for now.

~*~

The follow part: If you are a book blogger and you leave a link to your blog in the comments below, I will follow you on Bloglovin’. I’d love it if you also followed me. If you want to be friends on Goodreads, Twitter, BookLikes, or G+, that would be awesome, too. Click the links to go to my pages on those sites. I’m looking forward to “meeting” you.

2015 Book Haul #4

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. I get to show off all the books I’ve gotten recently.

I promised myself that I wasn’t going to get any more books until I’ve read the ones I already own, but books have a nasty habit of randomly accumulating. Here are the ones that I’ve acquired in the past few weeks.

Doubt (Stage Play Script) – John Patrick Shanley

Chosen as the best play of the year by over 10 newspapers and magazines, Doubt is set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, where a strong-minded woman wrestles with conscience and uncertainty as she is faced with concerns about one of her male colleagues. This new play by John Patrick Shanley—the Bronx-born-and-bred playwright and Academy Award-winning author of Moonstruck—dramatizes issues straight from today’s headlines within a world re-created with knowing detail and a judicious eye. After a stunning, sold-out production at Manhattan Theatre Club, the play has transferred to Broadway.

Hachiko Waits – Lesléa Newman (Author), Machiyo Kodaira (Illustrator)

“What a good dog you are. What a fine dog you are. Hachi, you are the best dog in all of Japan.” 

Professor Ueno speaks these words to his faithful dog before boarding the train to work every morning. And every afternoon, just before three o’clock, Hachi is at the train station to greet his beloved master. One day, the train arrives at the station without the professor. Hachi waits. 

For ten years, Hachi waits for his master to return. Not even Yasuo, the young boy who takes care of Hachi, can persuade him to leave his post. 

Hachiko Waits, a novel inspired by a true story, brings to life the legendary Akita who became a national symbol for loyalty and devotion. This is a must-read for dog lovers of all ages.

A Darker Shade of Magic – V.E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now. 

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure.' 

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.

 

Vicious – V.E. Schwab

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the arch nemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

Review: Sky Jumpers – Peggy Eddleman

Sky Jumpers – Peggy Eddleman

Twelve-year-old Hope lives in White Rock, a town struggling to recover from the green bombs of World War III. The bombs destroyed almost everything that came before, so the skill that matters most in White Rock—sometimes it feels like the only thing that matters—is the ability to invent so that the world can regain some of what it’s lost.

But Hope is terrible at inventing and would much rather sneak off to cliff dive into the Bomb’s Breath—the deadly band of air that covers the crater the town lives in—than fail at yet another invention.

When bandits discover that White Rock has invented priceless antibiotics, they invade. The town must choose whether to hand over the medicine and die from disease in the coming months or to die fighting the bandits now. Hope and her friends, Aaren and Brock, might be the only ones who can escape through the Bomb’s Breath and make the dangerous trek over the snow-covered mountain to get help.

For once, inventing isn’t the answer, but the daring and risk-taking that usually gets Hope into trouble might just save them all. 

Review: Sky Jumpers is a post-apocalyptic middle grade novel about a group of cliff diving twelve-year-olds who need to save their town from invading bandits.

The narrator is a kickass heroine named Hope. She’s a natural leader with a passion for competitions and physical activity. There’s no challenge she won’t accept. She isn’t afraid to climb tall trees or jump from the cliffs that surround her home. Her classmates are drawn to her because of her athletic talents and leadership abilities. Unfortunately, her desire to push the limits often gets her in trouble.

With a narrator like Hope, this book does not lack action. The excitement starts on page 1 and rarely slows down. The quick pacing and spirited characters can easily hold the attention of young readers. Peggy Eddleman does an amazing job of capturing the voice of a twelve-year-old and making Hope relatable.

As an adult-aged reader, I have a few issues with the book. If you are a lover of science fiction, you may have to suspend your disbelief. A lot. The science and the actions of the adult characters aren’t always logical. These problems most likely won’t bother young readers, though.

This book is action-packed, but the main plot takes a long time to get started. The first half of the story is mostly just world building and character development. The world building is fascinating, but the story feels a bit directionless until the bandits finally show up. After the bandits overrun the town, the action really takes off. Unfortunately, some of the action scenes are difficult to picture. There is a map of the town in the front of the book, but it didn’t help me very much.

I also have a problem with the whole “inventing” aspect. The leaders of Hope’s town force all of its citizens to create inventions that will improve the lives of the townspeople. Hope seems to be the only person in town who has trouble inventing. Even the five-year-olds are genius inventers. Anyone who can’t invent is looked down upon. This does tie in to the story’s “Find your strengths” theme, but it comes across as unrealistic and heavy-handed.

The best part of this book is its theme. There is a lot for readers to take away from the story. Hope learns that everybody has different strengths and weaknesses. The challenge is figuring out how to use your strengths to accomplish your goals.

Sky Jumpers is book #1 of a trilogy (I think?). I really enjoyed seeing this post-apocalyptic world from Hope’s point-of-view, but I probably will not continue reading the series.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is top ten favorite authors. I needed a way to narrow down the list, so I only picked authors who are alive right now. Sorry, dead authors. Your list will have to wait.

Favorite Authors

10. Ellen Hopkins: Her books always amaze me. How can she tell such awesome stories in verse? It’s crazy.

9. Lois Lowry: The Giver gave child-me a love of dystopian fiction that has never gone away. Number the Stars was another childhood favorite.

8. Chuck Palahniuk: His books are just funny and weird. They make me happy.

7. Markus Zusak: I love his poetic writing style.

6. Gary Paulsen: Another childhood favorite. Hatchet is still one of my favorite books ever.

5. Rainbow Rowell: She creates some of the most relatable characters I’ve come across so far.

4. John Green: He writes about interesting subjects. His books always make me think.

3. J.K. Rowling: Do I really have to explain this one? I love Harry Potter.

2. Stephen King: He gave me my love of reading. This blog might not exist without him.

1. Margaret Atwood: She writes description and develops characters better than any other author I’ve read.

Review: Wizard and Glass – Stephen King

Wizard and Glass – Stephen King

Roland and his band of followers have narrowly escaped one world and slipped into the next. There Roland tells them a tale of long-ago love and adventure involving a beautiful and quixotic woman named Susan Delgado. And there they will be drawn into an ancient mystery of spellbinding magic and supreme menace.

Wizard and Glass is book #4 of The Dark Tower series. This review is free of major spoilers, but you might want to check out my thoughts on book #1 (The Gunslinger), book #2 (The Drawing of the Three), and book #3 (The Waste Lands).

Review: Every time I review another book in The Dark Tower series, I say, “This book is my favorite in the series.” This review is no exception. Book #4 is now my new favorite.

In Wizard and Glass, we finally get to see some of Roland’s backstory. I’ve been waiting so long for this, and I was not disappointed. I loved seeing Roland as an overconfident fourteen-year-old. Both his character and the world become more developed in this book. I didn’t think it was possible, but I like Roland even more after learning some of his history. He’s a complicated character. His relationships with Susan and his teenage companions—Cuthbert and Alain—are very believable. I hope the rest of the series includes more stories from Roland’s past.

The world is so well-developed and creepy that I felt a sense of dread the whole time I was reading. Based on the hints given in the previous books, I knew that not everybody in this book would survive. I cared about all of these characters, but I knew that some of them were going to die, so the suspense was incredible.

I also like how this book overlaps with some of King’s other works. I’ve read an embarrassing number of Stephen King books, and I enjoyed seeing the references to stories that I read years ago.

This book does have some of the same issues as the previous books in the series. For me, there is a fine line between scary and silly. This book crosses that line a few times, especially at the beginning and the end. Blaine the Mono and The Wizard of Oz castle made me roll my eyes. They’re just a little too ridiculous for my tastes.

I’m still having fun with this series. I can’t wait to start the next book.

The Sunday Post #2

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, and share news.

On My Blog Last Week

• On Monday I reviewed Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis.
• On Tuesday I listed some not-so-inspirational quotes from books I’ve read recently.
• On Wednesday I reviewed Landline by Rainbow Rowell.
• On Thursday I discussed auto-buy authors and never-buy authors.
• On Friday I pretended that I have money.

I’m pretty happy with how my Thursday discussion post turned out. Thank you to everyone who read it. I’m thinking about doing a spin-off discussion based on the comments I received. Look for that sometime in the next few weeks.

On My Blog This Week

• On Monday I review Wizard and Glass by Stephen King.
• On Tuesday I list my top ten favorite living authors.
• On Wednesday I review Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman.
• On Thursday I show you the latest books I’ve acquired.
• On Friday I tell the story behind my blog’s name.

My Reading Life

This week was another great reading week. I finished all 699 pages of Wizard and Glass. Then I read two middle grade novels (Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman and Hachiko Waits by Lesléa Newman). Then I read a stage play script (Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley). Next I’m reading A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. I’m way, way behind on reviews. I promise I’ll get them all done.

I’ve also decided to take a short break from The Dark Tower series now that I’m halfway through it. I love the series, but the books are so long that I feel like I’m spending a ton of time reading and thinking about them. I want to battle the rest of my TBR mountain for a few weeks. Look for more Dark Tower reviews in May.

 ~*~

As always, thank you for reading my blog. I really appreciate your support and comments.

FF Friday: In Which I Have Money

Feature & Follow is a weekly blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

This week’s question: Here is $100,000. Buy something. Anything at all! What would be the first thing you choose and why?

Answer: I choose grad school. I love my school, but everything about it is ridiculously expensive. Tuition is expensive, traveling is expensive, books are expensive. With $100,000, I wouldn’t have to worry about any of that.

After I paid for grad school, I’d give money to charity. Then I’d buy books. Of course.

~*~

The follow part: If you are a book blogger and you leave a link to your blog in the comments below, I will follow you on Bloglovin’. I’d love it if you also followed me. If you want to be friends on Goodreads, Twitter, or G+, that would be awesome, too. Click the links to go to my pages on those sites. I’m looking forward to “meeting” you.

Discussion: Auto-Buy Authors and Never-Buy Authors

This is how I feel when I write discussion posts.

I’ve seen a few posts in the blogosphere about auto-buy authors. These are authors who you love so much that you buy every book they write, no matter what the book is about. I decided to write a post about my auto-buy authors, but in the process of writing it, I realized . . . I don’t have any.

Most of my favorite authors have books out that I haven’t read because they just don’t sound interesting. For example, I love Margaret Atwood, but I haven’t read any of her nonfiction, and I have no desire to read it. I also love Stephen King, but some of his novels have horrible reviews and don’t sound very appealing to me. I’ll probably read them someday, but they’re low on my priority list. The author isn’t the main factor that I consider when I’m deciding whether or not to buy a book. The synopsis is far more important. I think that’s why I don’t have any auto-buy authors.

I am more likely to buy a book if it’s written by one of my favorite writers. I wasn’t planning on reading Rainbow Rowell’s Landline, but then I saw the hardcover at a scratch-and-dent sale for $1.99. I bought it because it was cheap and I love Rainbow Rowell. (And the book turned out to be pretty good. I’m glad I read it. Maybe Rainbow Rowell should be my first auto-buy author.)

Since I don’t have any auto-buy authors, I started wondering if I have any never-buy authors. I don’t think I do. There are a few authors whose writing styles get on my nerves. I usually avoid books by those writers, but if one of them wrote something that sounded really interesting, I’d probably read it.

What about you? Do you have auto-buy authors? Are there any authors who you refuse to read? How do you decide whether or not to buy a certain book?

 I’m linking back to Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts At Midnight. They host the 2015 Discussion Challenge.

Review: Landline – Rainbow Rowell

Landline – Rainbow Rowell

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply—but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her—Neal is always a little upset with Georgie—but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

Review: Georgie fell in love with Neal during college, but after two kids and a demanding career, their marriage is falling apart. When Georgie finds a magic phone that allows her to call college-aged Neal, she has to decide if she wants to save their marriage or end it before it begins.

Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite writers. Her characters have so much depth, and her dialogue is hilarious. There are literal laugh-out-loud moments in this book. I love the flashbacks to when Georgie and Neal are in college. The funny, awkward, sweetness of the characters in the past really contrasts with their anger and resentment toward each other in the present. The tension kept me reading. I wanted to know what happened between them.

Many reviewers have said that Landline is Rainbow Rowell’s weakest book, and I would agree with that. The characters aren’t as likeable or relatable as the characters in her other books. They argue a lot, and their arguments quickly become repetitive. The plot is also predictable. This is a time-travel book, and if you’ve read other time-travel books, it will be very easy to figure out the end.

That being said, I did really enjoy Landline. Even though it’s about serious marriage troubles, the secondary characters keep it upbeat. Georgie’s friends and family provide a lot of comic relief. Even the pizza girl made me smile.

Landline isn’t the best Rainbow Rowell book, but if you’re looking for something quick and fun to read, I’d recommend this one.

Top Ten Tuesday: Not-So-Inspiring Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is top ten inspiring quotes from books.

I’m not an inspirational quote type of person. I don’t keep a quote notebook like a lot of book bloggers do. So, I’m going to put my own spin on this list and pick quotes from a few of the books I’ve read so far this year. They may not be inspirational, but they’ll be quotes. Or, I hope they’ll be quotes. Goodreads, I’m really trusting you to help me with this.

Not-So-Inspirational Quotes

1. “I've learned quite a lot, over the years, by avoiding what I was supposed to be learning.” – Moral Disorder: And Other Stories, Margaret Atwood

2. “To hurt is as human as to breathe.” – The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J.K. Rowling.

3. “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” – Coraline, Neil Gaiman

4. “First thought: It was a dream.
Second thought: No it wasn't.
Third thought: Crap.” – Twisted, Laurie Halse Anderson

5. “I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't tell the truth, I tell what ought to be the truth. And if that's sinful, then let me be damned for it!” – A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams

6. “To really be a nerd, she'd decided, you had to prefer fictional worlds to the real one.” – Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell

7. “If he wants to be an asshole, it's a free country. Millions before him have made the same life choice.” – Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood

8. “Control the things you can control, maggot. Let everything else take a flying fuck at you and if you must go down, go down with your guns blazing.” – The Drawing of the Three, Stephen King

9. “We are going to fight. We are going to be hurt. And in the end, we will stand.” – The Drawing of the Three, Stephen King

10. “People need such stories, because however dark, a darkness with voices in it is better than a silent void.” – MaddAddam, Margaret Atwood

Review: Not A Drop To Drink – Mindy McGinnis

Not A Drop To Drink – Mindy McGinnis

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it . . . .

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

Review: First, I need to point out the cover of this book. I think it’s stunning. It definitely got my attention right away. Whoever designed it deserves a serious pay raise.

I’ve lost count of how many young adult dystopias I’ve read over the past few years. They’ve all started to blur together in my mind, but once in a while, one stands out. Not A Drop To Drink is a standout. It isn’t about a war, a plague, or a sadistic government that needs overthrowing. It’s just about people doing their best to survive. That’s a refreshing addition to the genre.

Lynn and her mother own a pond in a world where water is scarce. They spend every day defending their water from the people who need it. Lynn has no trouble shooting anyone who gets near her pond . . . until she climbs down from her rooftop sniper perch and starts talking to her thirsty neighbors.

The writing is sparse, gritty, and powerful. I love the subtle differences in the way that the country characters and the city characters speak. This is a beautiful debut novel, and Mindy McGinnis may become one of my new favorite authors.

The characters are the second-best part of the book (after the writing). Lynn is so tough. She reminds me a lot of Katniss from The Hunger Games, but Lynn is a more-willing participant in the deaths of her neighbors. She’s strong minded. She knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. I enjoyed seeing her change as she learns to trust the people around her.

I’m having a hard time coming up with something that I didn’t like about this book. The romance probably could have used more development. Lynn is very inexperienced with physical affection. At the beginning of the book, she doesn’t understand what “Flirt” means, and she doesn’t know anything about sex. She doesn’t even know how to kiss Eli, her love interest. Lynn and Eli’s relationship becomes physical very quickly. It’s not unrealistic, and they don’t have sex, but it still creeps me out because she’s so much less experienced than him.

Not A Drop To Drink is a quick read with a lot of action. I read it in a few hours and loved every second of it. I’m looking forward to the sequel.