Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (audio)

After her breakup with Ed, Min is going through the box of mementos from their short but emotional relationship. There she finds the reasons she loved him but also the reasons they broke up.

I really loved Min. Her voice is exactly right for a high school student though I was less keen on all of her movie references although it shows just which girl she is in high school. If I had to classify Min and her friends, the word "hipster" comes to mind though they don't seem obnoxious about it mostly. She is a smart and sassy girl but doesn't quite know how to handle falling in love so quickly with someone so different from her. As far Ed, I don't know about him. He seems like a typical high school jock, though he does try very hard for her. But, of course, something goes wrong and the reader learns just what as Min revisits the mementos of their relationship and the eventual reason why they broke up.

6 hours, 30 minutes

Khristine Hvam is the narrator and she did a great job of capturing the emotion of the book and the beauty of the written words. I really enjoyed her narration. It was crisp and clear.

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Wendy is determined to find her younger brothers, John and Michael, twins who are presumed dead when their surfboards wash up after a giant wave they tried to surf. But Wendy refuses to believe they are dead and her search brings to a private beach called Kensington and a group of surfers lead by the charismatic Pete. Here is where Wendy thinks she will find her brothers' trail but here is where she falls into between a rivalry between Pete and the fairy dust drug dealer Jas.

It might sound strange given that I requested to read this but I wasn't sure I was going to like it. Surfing is not a sport I've ever been interested in but I liked the idea of a retold Peter Pan with Wendy as the focus.  It turns out there's not a lot of that here. Yes, the names are the same and the locations have familiar names as well  but this story is not one that needed to be tied down to the Peter Pan legacy. It was good all on its own. It turns out that I did like it and a lot. Wendy is a confused and sad girl looking for her brothers and she doesn't know what to make of Pete and Jas and all the lost surfer kids who live with them. It was interesting to see the dynamic shift of Peter and Hook to Pete and Jas, two guys who use to be friends before a falling out and Wendy caught  between them. Yes, there's a love triangle but only sort of. Everything is only sort of in this book and it's the nature of the telling, the dream-like quality of Wendy's time on Kensington, that does it. I'm probably only 98% sold on the ending but only because I like a concrete ending. Still it was appropriate.


from NetGalley 
Publish date: May 13, 2014
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Cadence comes from a rich family who summer on their own island. She and her cousins and a friend are basically the same age and they always have the time of their lives. But something happens summer fifteen and Cadence is left with a faulty memory and severe migraines. So on her return trip to the island summer seventeen she is determined to find out what happen.

It's hard to say just how brilliant this book is. So amazing. I kind of guessed the ending, not to be smug or anything, it just reminded me of another book I love.*  But even though I did, it was still so good and so effecting. It's hard to even review without giving away too much. But as Cadence digs into the events of summer fifteen more and more of the makeup and attitude of her family becomes apparent. It is a very layered book and reminds me of when you are old enough to really understand your parents and aunts and uncles and their relationships with each other and to your grandparents. No relationship is without its complexities and We Were Liars explores that through Cadence and her memory loss and her relationship with her cousins and friend, collectively called the Liars. Their relationship is everything especially on their magical summers on her family's island. And then an accident happens and Cadence can't remember. It's through the remembering that she finally finds the truth and also understands more of her family. It's hard to say more because I wouldn't want to spoil anyone. Just read it. You won't regret it.




*The Basic Eight.

A Corner of White by Jacyln Moriarty (The Colours of Madeleine #1)

Madeleine and her mother have run away from their rich lifestyle and her father for mysterious reasons. Now living in a tiny apartment in Cambridge and eating beans for dinner every night, Madeleine's mother is determined to win a quiz show to make their lives better. Meanwhile, Madeleine is waiting for her father to show up and fix everything.
In the Kingdom of Cello, Elliot searches for his father who may or may not have been killed by a third-level Purple. In Cello, colours have power and one may have taken off his father and killed his uncle.
The two places are never suppose to meet but, thanks in a crack in the kingdom, there is a way to for Elliot to communicate with the World and with Madeleine in particular.

First, I love Jaclyn Moriarty. She is one of my favorites so I was pretty excited for her new fantasy/contemporary series. I found the concept of sentient and destructive colors really good and it's what attracted me to this book in the first place. The Kingdom of Cello is sort of Jasper Fforde without going full Jasper Fforde.

In a way, Elliot and Madeleine's loss of both their fathers, though it happens differently for each, parallels each other and I think a bond will be created in them looking for their fathers. One literally, the other metaphorically.  Elliot and Madeleine are both great characters and it's nice to see a good character arc for both in this book alone, so I wonder how the series is going to expand on their relationship. You have to love a series where the first book sets up the main mystery but doesn't do it with a last scene cliffhanger. It's going to be a steady mystery, I think.

Of Triton by Anna Banks (The Syrena Legacy #2) (audio)

In this sequel to Of Poseidon, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known

So here is the second half of  Of Poseidon and it clears up what will happen to Emma if she is ever found out and about her mother, the lost princess of Poseidon. Galen is such an alpha male and he borders much more on controlling in this book than he did in the first or maybe I don't remember. And Emma comes out much more child-like because of this. Her mother is still not a presence despite being in the book more. I wish there would have been more of that relationship or any other relationship. Galen and Emma spend most of the book apart though they do manage a few nice kissing scenes. Still I wanted them more together. I guess that's why there is going to be a third book. It's not entirely necessary. The plot points were pretty wrapped up at the end of this book so I guess the third one is just for kicks. Ah well, it is a cute series and the characters are genuinely enjoyable. Hopefully Galen and Emma can get time together now that the Syrena issues are settled.

Rebecca Gibel narrates this one as she did the first one. I enjoy her reading and I like the voices she does for each. She is best in Emma's chapters but I would listen to her again.

Bright Before Sunrise by Tiffany Schmidt

Brighton is desperate to achieve 100% participation for her school in volunteer activities in order to get her name on the wall next to her late father's. Jonah is unwilling to get involved in anything in his new town, instead driving to his old one every weekend where he tries to pretend everything is exactly the same. But 24 hours together can change many things and Brighton and Jonah are about to discover more about each other and themselves then they ever thought.

I read this before last year ended but saved the review for closer publication. It was absolutely one of the best books I've read in a long time and it didn't take me long at all to finish it. I stayed up til 1 a.m. one night because I simply could not put it down. It is pretty different than Tiffany's first book but that's not a bad thing. It just proves how talented a writer Tiffany is.

I loved Brighton and how her perfect facade slowly disintegrates as the night wears on and how Jacob's tough guy attitude changes too. It goes to show that you really never know what is going on in someone else's head and that Jacob completely misjudges Brighton because of her perky girl can do attitude. I am also a sucker for one night stories. There is something that happens to people in the wee hours that feels crazy and magical and I think this book captured that feeling in all the right ways. It was a great read.

Review based on ARC provided by NetGalley
Publication date: February 18th 2014 by Walker Childrens

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "
Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.
When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.
By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.
What would he say . . . ?
Apparently I have been in a Rainbow Rowell mood or maybe it's that when you read one or two great books by an author you just want to read everything that have. Or at least that is true for me. So Attachments is actually Rowell's first book and it's an adult book. At first I wasn't sure but then about half way through I knew I was going to love this book.

Lincoln is an odd character. He is sort of lost in life after spending 10 years getting various degrees and finally deciding to get out and get a job. He moves back home with his doting mother and gets a job in the IT department of a newspaper where part of his job is reading flagged emails during the night shift. Jennifer and Beth are best friends who work for the newspaper and they spend a lot of time emailing each other so there messages get flagged. Lincoln slowly becomes vicariously involved with them and, though he knows he should, he doesn't stop reading their e-mails. But when Beth notices him, Lincoln finds himself changing his life for the better bases on some of her observations. I love how he grows and becomes more aware of what he wants in his adult life based partly on what he is reading and how he becomes a stronger person for it. Beth and Jennifer are pretty funny and there are some poignant moments in their lives, all told through email. It's funny the things they say about Lincoln without knowing who he is and how much of their own lives they share.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (audio)

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life--and she's really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.
Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

I loved this book, just like I've loved every Rainbow Rowell book I've read (Eleanor and Park is the best). This was only one of her books that I've listened to on audio and the problem with that is that I only get to listen to the book on my commute and on the occasion I get to go somewhere by myself. And it's hard when you are listening to a book this good to get out of the car. I thought about switching to the book version but I was enjoying the narration too much. Rebecca Lowman and Maxwell Caulfied each do an excellent job though Caulfield only read the Simon Snow parts with Lowman picking up the remainder of the book told in Cath's voice. 

Cath is such a great character and I really felt for her. Thrown into an unfamiliar situation with some sort of undefined anxiety disorder (probably) it's hard for her. Not to mention her sister almost abandons her once they get to college and her father gives her plenty of reason to worry already. It's a lot for Cath and she retreats to her familiar Simon Snow fan fiction for comfort. I liked how Cath is a fairly straightforward person and how she manages to handle a lot of social situations better than others might. I love how loyal she is and how she wants to take care of her family even when they don't want to let her. And I love Levi. He is a great guy and I was rooting for the two of them even when he makes a big mess of it. 

It was pretty amazing how Rowell invented a whole series of books and then wrote fan fiction around it. I liked the excepts from both the Simon Snow books and from Cath's Simon Snow fan fiction. I loved that. I kind of made me wish I could read the Simon Snow books. But that is a fantastic imagination to come up with all of that to tell Cath's story.

read by Rebecca Lowman and Maxwell Caulfield. 12 hours, 82 minutes

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor is the new girl. Unfortunately she looks different with her big red hair and her eclectic clothes.  So naturally the bus is a minefield for her. Fortunately Park offers her a seat but in the most begrudgingly way possible. The two strike up a friendship through the comics that Park loves, a friendship that quickly becomes something more. But Eleanor's home life is far from ideal and she finds that falling for Park is both the best and worst thing she's ever done.

If Eleanor tried to kiss Park, it would be like a real-life version of some little girl making her Barbie kiss Ken. Just smashing their faces together.   p.164

A co-worker lent me this book and I am so happy she did. This is one of those books where you finish it and you are not sure how you lived without it. I'm not sure how to describe it really. It was just beautiful. John Green said in his review of the book that "'Eleanor & Park' reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book." I have to agree with that.

Eleanor and Park fall in love sure. And he can never really understand what she is going through with her abusive stepfather and poverty and her mother who has half-abandoned her. Eleanor lives in both a state of fear and acceptance, that if she wants to stay with her mother and her siblings then she has to deal with having almost nothing and with having a stepfather who could go off at any second.  But Park has the mother and father who love each other who would give him whatever he needed and support him. So there's not much in their family lives to bring them together. But they find love through comic books and music and just being together. It's pretty beautiful.  The whole book is just amazing.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Rachel Chu is absolutely in love with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young. So when he invites her along to his best friend's wedding and then to spend the summer in Singapore, she agrees. But he does not to prepare her for the society she is going to  meet. Because Nicholas' family is not only rich, they are crazy rich. And they are also just plain crazy.

I really only picked up this book because one of my favorite gossip sites,  Lainey Gossip, was so enthusiastic about it. It seemed like a fun read and she was pretty adamant that it was a great summer read. Obviously I didn't get to it in time for that, but it was fun autumn read as well. It's hard to imagine that people actually live like the characters in this book but according to her and other reviews, it's pretty accurate on that front. The sheer amount of money they have is overwhelming. But it's also proof that money cannot buy class, taste, or sympathy.

I felt bad for Rachel. I realize that Nicholas has been conditioned since birth not to talk about his family's money but he honestly could have prepared in some way. Just mentioned that they are very influential or something. Though the book did work hard to point out that Nicholas was pretty oblivious to that kind of thing. It's easy to ignore money if you have it. Poor Rachel was just so unprepared for these people. The way they even talk about money is astounding. Throwing millions around like chump change. Americans are generally not accustomed to such displays. But it was kind of fun to see how people live with that kind of money.

Overall this was a fun book. I enjoyed it. It is definitely a beach read kind of book. My only complaint was how rushed the ending felt. A whole lot was thrown at the main character very quickly and then it was basically resolved in a few chapters. Other than that, it was a super fun read.

How Nancy Drew Saved My Life by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Charlotte is getting over a disastrous affair with her former boss when she takes a job as a nanny to the Ambassador of Iceland's daughter. But mysteries are afoot. What Would Nancy Drew Do? is the question Charlotte asks herself. Because if anyone has the answer it's Nancy Drew.

This wasn't as funny as I thought it was going to be. In fact, it turned out to be a Jane Eyre retelling with a little bit of a Nancy Drew twist. Confession: I don't actually like Jane Eyre that much. What with Mr. Rochester and the wife and all that. I don't know. Just not my thing. But the fact that this book is based on Jane Eyre explains why the tone is overly formal and why these people talk the way they do. Charlotte is not the most sympathetic of narrators though I think we are meant to be sympathetic to her. Her Nancy Drew observations are pretty spot-on and I liked that part. But other than that, this was just not for me. Probably if you like Jane Eyre then you will enjoy this book.

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

Elise and her family have just moved to Los Angeles for her mother's new job as principal of Elise and her sisters' new school. There they meet sweet Chase who falls for Elise's older sister Julianna. But it's Chase's best friend Derek that causes Elise the most trouble. As the son of two very famous movie stars, Derek seems proud and aloof though drawn to Elise for some reason. And she is determined not to fall for him because of those very reasons.

So this is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. If you know that story you know what happens in this one. I like how the names were translated and the characters were remade. I feel like the dialogue was too stilted in places and some of the plot points could have been polished more. I get that the author wanted to do Pride and Prejudice in high school. It's just it could have been done a little smoother. Still it was a fun book and I always enjoy retellings of my favorite classics. Elise and Derek have the same old problems with one being rich and, in this case, famous or at least fame adjacent, and the other determined to be above that all. I like how the Wickham/Lydia thing was translated with Wesley and the younger sister Layla. And how the Bennet were portrayed though Anne is once again left out. Why is she the Bennet sister most likely to not make it into an adaption? Anyway, this was a fun read and I liked it as a P&P retelling.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

A year and a half after her father's death, Macy is trying to be perfect. Trying not to grieve too much or upset her mother in anyway, she has pretty much withdrawn into herself. Facing a summer at the information desk with two snotty girls who clearly think she is not good enough, Macy is just trying to hang on. That is until she meets the catering crew at one of her mother's parties. Drawn to their chaotic but loveable style, Macy begins to pull out of herself and look around at the world and maybe finally deal with the loss of her father.

First, a small rant. Student workers at the information desk answering actual reference questions? No. I don't think so. At least not at any library I have worked at and certainly not high schoolers. That is what librarians are for. Allow me to get on my librarian soapbox for a minute. Not everyone who works at a library is a librarian. Shocking I know. Librarians are usually the one working the reference desk and do a lot in administration. Childrens programs are often (but not always) run by librarians. Same for teen programs. Usually there is a librarian in charge in either case. Librarians go to school to obtain their MLIS (Masters of Library and Information Science or the ilk) and have been trained to do this work. It may seem strange to an outsider and no one is expecting the public at large to know the difference between a librarian and a library specialist (paraprofessional). But the distinction is there. *end soapbox* So 3 high schoolers working the information desk is probably not a thing that would happen. Maybe it does and I just have never encountered that kind of library. But at most they would be pointing out the bathroom and where to find a novel. Not answering in depth reference questions. This aggravated me as it seemed there was no librarian (or adult for that matter) in charge of these girls and there clearly would have been in a real world situation. /rant

Anyway, this was a much better Sarah Dessen for me. I read This Lullaby a few years back and walked away with a sort of meh impression of Dessen. I couldn't figure out the hype. But I've recently gotten into a contemporary kind of mood and thought I'd give Dessen another try. This was better. I didn't feel too old to be reading it unlike the last book. I still don't think I'll ever be a Dessen superfan but I don't think I'll go 3 years in between books either.

Macy's mother is a ridiculous kind of mother though. I know she is dealing with a lot but she makes absolutely no time to talk to her daughter or understand her daughter's new friends. So it's no wonder their relationship has deteriorated to its current state. And Macy doesn't really help either with all her pretending to be fine-just-fine. If you say that enough then the person asking will start to believe you. It was nice to see her journey to opening up and exploring a new world and finding happiness. I liked Macy and I felt sorry for her. I liked Wes and the other people who work at Wish, the catering company Macy goes to work for. They are a motley crew but good people and a great group of friends for Macy. I do wish the ending hadn't wrapped up as neatly as it did. More needed to be explored between Macy and her mother. I would have liked to have more of their relationship and less of Macy and Wes. But maybe that's just me.

Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend by Louise Rozett (Confessions #2)

Rose is trying to be the 2.0 version of herself, a less angry, going to forget Jamie Forta version of herself for her sophmore year. But that is easier said than done. Rose is stuck going to therapy with her mom, dealing her brother and once again trying to make it through high school.

I try to be all 2.0 and I wink back, which a) is not what you're supposed to do when someone winks at your and b) looks super lame if you can't actually wink. Which I can't, I just found out. p. 113 ARC

One of the worst things about reading an ARC is that it extends the amount of time between books in a series. I assume there will be another one (please let this be a thing that happens) because I need to know more about Rose and about Jamie and about them together pretty much right now. I finished Confessions of an Angry Girl and immediately picked up Almost-Girlfriend. And I finished it in one night. I haven't been this enamored of a book in a long time and certainly not this invested in a teenage girl since Ruby Oliver. Sometimes characters just strike the right chord. Rose did that for me. She just feels so real. I feel bad for her. She wants to be a good person but then she lashes out because she is hurt or angry or embarrassed and sometimes she is sorry and sometimes she is not. And there is nothing wrong with not feeling sorry but there is something wrong with expressing your emotions in the worst way. She is so hard on herself and thinks everything is her fault and doesn't appreciate anything good about herself which is sad. And so very 15. And Jamie doesn't help with his hot/cold business. But that boy is hot and I might have a book crush on him. He is the kind of guy I would have liked at this age but I never would have ended up making out with him on his car in the middle of the night (sadly). He is another one that tries to do the right thing and have it blow up in his face. I like them together but I think they both have a lot to deal with. But their chemistry is excellent.

I was also happy to see more of Rose's best friend Tracy and their friendship. It can be hard at the high school level to maintain long standing friendship but they are trying their best. And I love seeing that in a book. Often you get girls fighting and breaking up friendships but it is unfortunately rare to see two teenage girls trying to keep their friendships together in YA books. Tracy definitely gains more depth in this book but that might be because we see more of her. I love that she is willing to put up with Rose's hostility but still expects to be treated right. And that she stands up for herself and takes ownership of her reputation rather than let the school bullies do it for her.

I could go on but I have a book hangover from staying up to late. My husband told me I was going to be tired today. But I honestly could not stop reading. It was worth it.

Received from NetGalley for review
Publish date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett (Confessions #1)

Rose is angry. She is angry about her father's day and her mother's withdrawal from their daily lives, about her brother's disappearance to college and her best friend's social climbing during their freshmen year. She is also confused by all of these things and by her feelings for the badass boy who sits with her at study hall. Rose has a lot going on and she can't seem to figure out any of it.

The rules of high school are completely, entirely, distrubingly mysterious to me.
But everyone else seems to get them.  p.64

Unputdownable. Which isn't a real word but is really what describes this book for me. Cause I'll tell this book really struck a cord with me. I was pleasantly surprised by this. It really brought me back to being this age and having all these feelings and not knowing what to do with them. And, okay, I can't relate to losing a dad at this age but I can relate to all the friendship stuff and the boy stuff. Things are really confusing at that age. Rose felt so real to me and her emotions were so dead on accurate especially the part with the boy. I liked Jamie. I think he knows better than to get involved with someone so much younger but some people just connect and I think that Jamie and Rose have some sort of a connection. Sometimes you can't explain attraction. The 35 year old part of me was not happy about a 14 year old girl and a 17ish boy getting involved but the 14 year old part of me was all squee. Those two have some serious chemistry. Kissing scenes like that don't come around in just every book. I'm glad there is another book because there is so much more to Rose's story and not just the Jamie part but the part about finding herself and dealing with friendship at this age.

So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

Brooke follow Scott Abrams, the boy she has been crushing on for two year, to New York after he moves there. 

So we go to Crumbs.  Sometimes in the midst of all your boy drama, you just need a cupcake.  p.185

Plot: It was very Felicity except in high school.  I didn't really like that show, or well, I lost interest in it.  But this book was alright.  There were some loose ends that I wish had been cleared up mostly the subplot involving her dad.  It's like all this anger she had and dropped on him and they never discussed it?  I don't know.  I wish it had been mentioned again.

Characters:  Brooke made me want to shake her.  She was very frustrating with her faux rebellion against the system and her anger/trust issues which seemed really deep.  She kept saying how this and that was another example of how people let you down, but I didn't really get the impression that many people had let her down.  Just her dad.  Sadie, the girl she meets in New York, was a sweet character and I liked that Brooke helped her.  It was a good example of character growth, something Brooke desperately needed.  Scott was a little bland.  I think he was intended as the kind of character a reader could mold into the perfect guy.  He certainly wasn't worth moving to New York for, but he wasn't a bad guy.  And John was very sweet and a good foil for Brooke's cynicism.  I'm glad that the book didn't get too lovely-dovely and I liked that the relationships were a bit ambiguous at the end.  It's nice not to see a character jumped from romance to romance.

Overall:  I liked it overall.  It was a good fun story despite the fact that Brooke was not my favorite character.  I'd say it is a good quick beach read.

Hogwarts: Muggle Studies

The Last Little Blue Envelope (e-book) by Maureen Johnson

*Some SPOILERS for 13 Little Blue Envelopes*
Ginny never thought she'd see the last blue envelope from her summer trip to Europe at her late aunt's behest.   Then suddenly it pops up in her e-mail, well a scan of the first page anyway, with a note from the finder that the last lettter has instructions for her to find another piece of her aunt's artwork.  So Ginny packs her bag and heads back to England to complete the task from the last little blue envelope.

I was happy to learn that there was going to be a sequel for 13 Little Blue Envelopes.  I wanted to know what was in that letter even if Ginny was okay with not knowing.  Or rather she thought she knew and was okay with it.  But I somehow don't think she really knew.  But then I don't think a sequel was planned after the first book ended.  ANYWAY,  I'm happy to know what was in the envelope and I think Ginny was too.

Once again, I found Ginny to be incredibly passive though she managed to show a little more backbone at the end of the story.  So I applaud her for that.  I wanted to see more of Keith because he is so funny in the first one, but right at the start, it was easy to see that that relationship was not going to go like Ginny wanted it too.  I was irritated through most of the book by Oliver, the finder of the letters, but toward the end I felt sorry for him which is a bit amazing considering how he started out.  I liked Ellis and I was glad she wasn't made into a villain.  And the quest itself was fun.  I always enjoy a good road trip and with a sort of scavenger hunt thrown in, it was really entertaining.  I think the ending worked perfectly and I'm glad to have a definite end to Ginny's story.

Provided by NetGalley
Publish date: April 26, 2011
Publisher: Harper Collins

Hogwarts: Muggle Studies

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Ginny received 13 blue envelopes from her deceased aunt with specific instructions on what to and what not to pack in her backpack and how to follow the instructions in one letter before opening another.  These letters lead Ginny on a trip around Europe and to the greatest adventure in her life so far.

She was standing in the airport of Copenhagen, staring at a doorway, trying to figure out if it was (a) a bathroom and (b) what kind of bathroom it was. The door merely said H.
Was she an H? Was H "hers"? It could just as easily be "his". Or "Helicopter Room: Not a Bathroom at All.

This is my second read.  I read this about when it came out around 2006 and had positive memories about it. The sequel is coming out this month and I decided to re-read this one in order to have a fresh memory about the main character and her travels. And, while I like this book and I like Ginny, it struck me on this read-through how passive Ginny is about the whole thing.  She doesn't question anything and doesn't seem to have much emotion about it.  She just goes along with whatever happens.  She does what the letters tell her to and anytime anyone suggests something, she goes along with it too.  I don't want to spoil the book, but the boy in Italy, anything Keith says, the family in Amsterdam, Ginny just goes along.  I wanted her to take some active interest in what was going on.  Maybe show a little emotion or something. 

It is a charming book and I enjoy Ginny's trips around Europe following her aunt's letters and trying to figure out her aunt's life and why she ran away from New York before she died.  The settings are beautifully written and it (kind of) makes me want to go out and visit Europe with just a backpack and a vague idea of what I'm doing.  There are some really funny scenes and a few touching moments as well.

Maureen Johnson is offering a free download for 13 Little Blue Envelopes from April 12 - April 25th.  Check the links here for your favorite e-reader version.
Kindle Edition
NookBook
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Hogwarts: Muggle Studies

This Lullaby (e-book)

Remy doesn't believe in love after watching her mother marry five different times.  She has rules about how relationships should go and in what order.  Now she is getting ready to leave for college and she doesn't want to have any attachments before she goes.  That is until she meets clumsy, adorable Dexter and she wonders if she might have been wrong all along.

I had no illusions about love anymore.  It came, it went, it left causalities or it didn't.  People weren't meant to be together forever, regardless of what the songs say.  p.48 e-book

I feel really bad.  I liked This Lullaby, but I didn't love it.  It was okay.  It was good, not great; it was sweet, but not affecting.  I think I'm too old for this book.  I don't say that a lot about YA, but I think I would have loved this book when I was 16.  It was a sweet book, very predictable.  There was nothing surprising about it for me.   I wish that it had expounded more on some of Remy's real issues like what happened to her at that party and the fact that her mother never really explained her father to her.  I think it was missing a few key plotlines.  For me, it was like listening to a teen conversation and wanting to say "No. No.  This is how it works,"  but you can't because they have to find out for themselves.  There was a distinct lack of adults in Remy's world to help her which is the source of her problems.

But like I said, I liked it, but I didn't love it.  16 years ago though, I would have thought it was brilliant.

Hogwarts: Muggle Studies
What's in a Name
Library
YA

Scarlett Fever

 After a very odd and heartbreaking summer, it's time for Scarlett to go back to school.  But complications arise with Mrs. Amberson's new client and her older brother Scarlett is assigned to watch.  Adding to that is Spencer's new job and Lola's personal life, all of which is stressing Scarlett out.

New start or not, there was a line to be drawn, and that line was singing musicals to yourself as serious psychological motivation.  p. 13

While this was a thoroughly enjoyable and very Maureen Johnson book, let me say upfront that I don't care for either Max or Eric and I hope that Scarlett doesn't end up with either.  Much like the love triangle from The Hunger Games is unnecessary so is the one set up for Scarlett.  Maybe that is just me, but I don't like either one of the boys and Scarlett has no real reason to either.  But then she's a teenager.  Crazy things happen when you are a teenager.

Beyond that, I liked this sequel to Suite Scarlett.  It was sweet and funny and I always like the family dynamic among the Martins.  They are a great, very real family.  Spencer is, of course, my favorite sibling of Scarlett's.  He is just so awesome and he and Scarlett are a great team.  I was glad there was less Marlene and more Lola though.  And there was just the right amount of Mrs. Amberson.  She still reminds me of Auntie Mame though.

I'm not entirely sure of where the storyline of this series is going.  The first one dealt with Scarlett meeting Eric and Hamlet and all.  Scarlett Fever had more to do with Scarlett at school and working with Mrs. Amberson and moving the characters around.  But I have no idea where any of this is going.  Hopefully somewhere interesting.


Hogwarts: Muggle Studies
Library
YA