Juliet

Written by Anne Fortier

Goodreads Synopsis: When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy, she is told that it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a winding and perilous journey into the history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo rocked the foundation of medieval Siena. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families immortalized in Shakespeare's unforgettable blood feud, she begins to realize that the notorious curse--"A plague on both your houses!"--is still at work, and she is the next target. It seems that the only one who can save Julie from her fate is Romeo--but Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?


My Confession: I'll admit right off the bat that I'm not Shakespeare's biggest fan. Forced to take a course in his writings my senior year in college, a common refrain that often exited my mouth went a little something like this:

Shakespeare is so overrated.

I mean, who knows if he actually wrote all the plays he's famous for? And Romeo and Juliet ? Don't even get me started. Once I had the image of Leo DiCaprio in my head as the tragic hero, I was done. I hate unhappy endings. Really, really hate them. But I'm a big fan of books that are puzzles, not unlike The DaVinci Code (which one of the critics on the back of this book actually likens Juliet  to). This story screamed mystery and intrigue, and I like when modern-day authors revisit classic stories. I was willing to give this a shot.

Standing Corrected: And, I must admit, I'm so glad I did. This book was so good. I don't know how else to describe it. The twists and turns, the depth of the plot and the characters--this has to be one of the most well-thought-out books I've read in a long time. Not only does Fortier imagine a present-day reincarnation of Romeo and Juliet, but she totally restructures their original romance as well. While paying Shakespeare some heed, she goes her own way with the two lovers' history, telling it from a new perspective and setting everything in the very first place Romeo and Juliet was ever written to have occurred--Siena, not Verona. Her new adaptation is positively mesmerizing, and not just because she hints at it; half the story takes place in the year 1340, telling this new story of Romeo and Juliet (called Giulietta) as if we're right there, in the moment. Then--poof!--back to present-day and a struggling Julie who tries to uncover a dark family secret that seems to still be plaguing the houses of three (not two!) feuding families.

Recommendation: I'm not going to go as far as saying that this story completely changed my mind about Shakespeare. I still don't love the man, but I have a new found appreciation for the longevity of his stories. These characters are absolutely timeless--they've transcended generations and centuries of other romances, and yet, Romeo and Juliet are still iconic. Theirs is still the most famous love story of all time. And it doesn't even end well. I got wrapped up in the magic of this tale once again, thanks to Fortier and her impressive imagination. And, just in case you're wondering whether present-day Julie meets the same fate as her ancestor Giulietta--I'm not going to tell you. Read it and find out. I promise you'll find a perfectly dreamy, thirty-something Romeo who proves a bit wiser than his ancestor.

Oh, and the seven-hundred-plus years of violence, mystery, murder, and secrecy adds a little something extra, too.

Rating: 4.8/5

480 pages, published by Ballantine Books (Aug. 24, 2010)

Quote of the Day

"Your lot in life? A lot is something you draw, like straws. It's chance. You didn't get this life by chance. You chose it on purpose. If you're dissatisfied with it, you can change it."

Going Too Far

The Hunger Games

Written by Suzanne Collins

Goodreads Synopsis: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Confession: It took me a really long time to jump on the Hunger Games bandwagon. If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me, "Have you read The Hunger Games yet?" -- well, let's just say I'd be a very rich woman. Each time, my response was no. No, I hadn't read them. No, I didn't know what they were about. Some bookaholic. Slowly but surely, I started noticing that the series was becoming a phenomenon, with movie hype garnering extraordinary momentum every time I turned around. Everybody--and I mean everybody--has been talking about this series. I guess I was just flat-out curious. And mildly ashamed that, with my self-proclaimed bookworm status, I hadn't picked this book up before.

And....it blew me away. It absolutely blew. my. mind.

Character Power: I've never read anything quite like this. It twisted me inside out and wrung me out to dry. My immediate and intense attachment to the characters, especially Katniss, Gale, and Peeta, goes to show how powerful the story is. While the novel's overarching situation--life in a post-apocalyptic world controlled by a Big Brother-esque government that takes pleasure in killing twenty-three children a year in a nationally-televised bloodbath--it's how the main characters react  to these absurd circumstances that makes the novel so compelling. The scenes in the "arena" are so blood-curling, so unfathomable, and so incredibly written. I had a serious problem putting this book down for more than two seconds at a time. I felt like I was there, experiencing everything with Katniss--every fear-filled, survival-driven decision. She's an amazing narrator, full of strength and will. She's a rockstar in a world that's taken away every chance to feel joy.

Recommendation: READ IT. DO IT. NOW. And I mean, finish this blog and go to the bookstore. I had no idea what I was missing, but let me tell you--I was missing out. It's impressive how much this book makes you feel. There were so many times where I couldn't believe what I was reading; the story, at times, gets so painful, so absurd, so unbelievable, but it never stops feeling real. You will get sucked in. And if you're a reader, you know what a brilliant sensation that is.

Rating: 5/5

374 pages, published by Scholastic Inc (Dec. 14, 2009)

Quote of the Day

"Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it."

Tiger Eyes

Celeb Status.

I FEEL LIKE A TWITTER CELEB! A few minutes after posting my review on Forever, something popped up on my Twitter newsfeed:

[Ensue minor freak-out and admission that perhaps I was a little harsh with my disappointment. But maybe I'm not perceptive enough! Must redeem myself.]

...which I fully intend on doing. I really do love this series, and it has been a while since I read the other two books. I see a marathon Shiver-Linger-Forever weekend in my future. 

OMGOSH. SO EXCITED. I'm a big fan of Maggie's, so this was officially THECOOLESTTHINGEVER. And you know what? She's probably right. The clues are in the series. So, Book Nookers, go do some sleuthing! It's worth it.

Follow Maggie on Twitter here! (And me here!)

Quote of the Day

"You're beautiful and sad," I said finally, not looking at him when I did. "Just like your eyes. You're like a song that I heard when I was a little kid but forgot I knew until I heard it again." For a long moment, there was only the whirring sound of the tires on the road, and then Sam said softly, "Thank you."

Shiver

Forever

Written by Maggie Stiefvater

Synopsis:
then.
When Grace met Sam, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their love moved from a curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.
now.
That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.
forever.
Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment -- a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.


My Confession: The first book in this series, Shiver, is one of my favorite YA books. The characters are so engaging, the mystical aspect so refreshing. Linger  introduced a new character, Cole, and developed a tenuous relationship between him and the other characters, namely Sam, Grace, and Isabel. And at the end of the second book, the careful peace established among the characters shattered when Grace turned into a wolf. This sends Cole into a crazed frenzy as he tries to discover a cure that will last. With Linger  ending with such a bang, I knew a lot had to be resolved in Forever. Would Grace be cured for good? Was Sam really cured? What was going to happen to their relationship? Would Isabel's father succeed in his mission to annihilate the wolves?

Well, we can answer one of those: [SPOILER ALERT!] The plot really revolved around the massive wolf hunt instigated by Tom Culpepper, Isabel's dad. It's a problem from the moment the book opens, and remains the driving force and only real sense of urgency throughout the story. Everything revolves around when this wolf hunt is supposed to take place, and I found myself becoming bored. I wanted more information about a cure (which, in the end, still isn't resolved). I wanted to see Isabel and Cole's relationship evolve more--all I ended up feeling with them was that no matter how attracted to each other they were, their "love" still couldn't hold a flame to what Sam and Grace shared. But I kept getting the feeling that Cole and Isabel were being underestimated because they were merely second-string players to a bigger love story. I think they had something special as well, and perhaps it was so magical because it was so subtle.

I love the relationship between Sam and Grace. It's unconditional without becoming annoying or creepy. At one point, they're both wolves together -- something they've both dreamed of -- and Cole realizes that they have the same connection as animals that they have as humans; it translates. I was so invested in them and their story. Which is why I was so upset that their story was left as open-ended as it was, with Grace still a wolf, Sam still a boy, and the cure still unknown. Even though a massive crisis was averted with the wolves, we were still left in the same problem Linger  left behind. Meningitis may or may not be the cure. Grace and Sam are still beholden to the weather. What happens when Grace's summers are numbered? I didn't like how there was no resolve. It's the last book in the series; there isn't another opportunity to wrap these frayed ends up. And I needed more closure than what Forever  left me with.

Recommendation: Stiefvater is a fantastic writer, and I've loved this series. If you've read the first two books, you have to read this. It's a good book--written well, great dialogue, great romance. I really enjoy how the story is told from four different perspectives (five, if you count Shelby's voice in the prologue) and how those narrations give the story extreme depth. This story is so great, which is perhaps why it can illicit such a strong emotion of disappointment from me. I understand that not all stories get their "happy ever after," but I would have liked to know if it was even within reach. There's open-ended, and then there's just open. Too open.

Rating: 3/5

386 pages, published by Scholastic Inc (July 12, 2011)

Quote of the Day

"I hope that one day you will have the experience of doing something you do not understand for someone you love."

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Yours to Keep

Written by Shannon Stacey

Goodreads Synopsis: Sean Kowalski no sooner leaves the army than he's recruited by Emma Shaw to be her fake fiance. Emma needs to produce a husband-to-be for her grandmother's upcoming visit, and, though Sean doesn't like the deception, he could use the landscaping job Emma's offering while he decides what to do with his civilian life. And, despite his attraction to Emma, there's no chance he'll fall for a woman with deep roots in a town he's not planning to call home.
Emma's not interested in a real relationship either; not with a man whose idea of home is wherever he drops his duffel bag. No matter how amazing his "pretend" kisses are...

My Confession: Are you ready? This was my first ebook purchase. Yup, you read that correctly. I bought this book on my Nook. And as far as I can tell, this book only exists in an electronic format. Now, I've never been quiet about my disdain for the ebook technology; I'm hopelessly old-fashioned when it comes to books. I love holding them in my hands -- I love lining them up on my bookshelves. But, in the spirit of my then-upcoming publishing program, my parents bought me a Nook as a graduation present. And I couldn't just let it sit there collecting dust, right? It's not exactly a cheap piece of equipment. Yours to Keep was a perfect purchase; I'm going to be honest -- it's not a cover I'd want to be caught with on the subway. But the plot seemed cutesy and light enough for a rainy-day read.

Hardly Harlequin: And while this was, most definitely, a slightly watered-down romance novel, I have to admit that I really enjoyed it. While the plot really did revolve around sexual tension and will-they-or-won't-they questions, there were some genuinely funny and sweet moments. Like when Sean leaves Post-It notes for Emma on their bathroom mirror. Or when they're both up to their elbows in mulch while working at Emma's landscaping business. There was a lot of build up and character development throughout, and while I could tell where it was all going to end up, I was so satisfied when it finally got there. I was pretty invested in the characters and their relationship. And every time I started to get bored with the romantic song-and-dance, something new was introduced to keep the story from getting stagnant. Not bad for a fluffy read.

Recommendation: If you have an eReader, go for it. This book is relatively cheap (under $5), and it's worth the Abe Lincoln if you're looking for something mindless, sweet, and with a happy (and sappy) ending. If you don't have an eReader, you won't hear me advocating you to go out and buy one. While I've warmed up a little to my Nook, I can't imagine that technology ever becoming the primary way I read books. I'm too tactile a person, and swiping my finger across a screen doesn't come close to simulating turning a real page, not matter what the commercials promise. But this was a worthwhile ebook purchase. Have at it!

Rating: 3.5/5

published by Carina Press (June 6, 2011)

Quote of the Day

"When I was five, I learned to read. Books were a miracle to me - white pages, black ink, and new worlds and different friends in each one. To this day, I relish the feeling of cracking a binding for the first time, the anticipation of where I'll go and whom I'll meet inside."

Good in Bed

Meeting Jennifer Weiner

Bet you thought my authorial escapades ended with Meg Cabot, huh?

No no no no no.

While in New York, I fully intended to capitalize on every opportunity I had to meet famous people (did I mention I saw Captain America on the street? WOW). When I heard Jennifer Weiner was going to be at Barnes & Noble, I just had to go. She's one of my favorite authors. You probably know her best as the author of her breakout hit novel, Good in Bed, or as the writer behind the Cameron Diaz movie In Her Shoes. What I love best about Jennifer is that she pulls no punches -- her heroines are always smart, sassy, and sophisticated, and they're never ever  a size 2. I couldn't help but thank her for writing about women who look like myself, women I can relate to, who know how to laugh at themselves and still get the guy (sometimes--always by their own choice) in the end, regardless of whether society believes them conventionally "pretty" or not. She turns the romantic comedy on its head and isn't afraid to explore the true complexities that exist in real human relationships.

Jennifer herself is everything she writes about. She's extremely personable, funny, and laid-back. She has a big, contagious smile, and her dry wit (which is best showcased on her Twitter, especially when she live-tweets The Bachelor  and Bachelorette) makes her feel more like your best friend than a New York Times-Bestselling author. A Philly girl at heart (like me!), she told of her escapades in LA, where she co-produced the new ABC Family series State of Georgia. She's such an incredible success story, and one of my inspirations as a writer. Her voice is so identifiable -- and that's such an important thing for a writer. I can only hope that she too, one day, will read what I write.

Okay, so maybe I didn't embarass myself with extreme word-vomit the way I did with Meg Cabot. But I was every bit as starstruck. And as I gushed, Jennifer looked up at me with an expression that read, Oh you poor thing. Why are you making such a fuss?

Which is why she's awesome.

Her new book, Then Came You, is available now! Go get it, and then check back here soon for my review!

Quote of the Day

"Some things don't last forever, but some things do. Like a good song, or a good book, or a good memory you can take out and unfold in your darkest times, pressing down the corners and peering in close, hoping you still recognize the person you see there."

This Lullaby

Impossible

Written by Nancy Werlin

Goodreads Synopsis: Lucy has nine months to break an ancient curse in order to save both herself and her unborn daughter.
Lucy is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or fall into madness upon their child's birth. But Lucy is the first girl who won't be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents and her childhood friend Zach beside her. Do they have enough love and strength to overcome an age-old evil?

My Confession: This is another example of a book I picked up because the cover intrigued me. But the plot synopsis intrigued me even more--an entire novel based around a song? An old Simon and Garfunkel song, no less. Scarborough Fair's lyrics, when listened to closely, actually do tell the tale of three seemingly impossible tasks--tasks that don't seem feasible for a human to complete. Using this song as the cornerstone of this story was an extremely original and fascinating idea, one that ends up working really well. Listen to the song below and read over the lyrics--the "tasks" are italicized.

Lyrics:
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
(On the side of a hill in the deep forest green)
Parsely, sage, rosemary & thyme
(Tracing a sparrow on snow-crested ground)
Without no seams nor needlework
(Blankets and bedclothes a child of the mountains)
Then she'll be a true love of mine
(Sleeps unaware of the clarion call)
Tell her to find me an acre of land
(On the side of a hill, a sprinkling of leaves)
Parsely, sage, rosemary, & thyme
(Washed is the ground with so many tears)
Between the salt water and the sea strand
(A soldier cleans and polishes a gun)
Then she'll be a true love of mine
Tell her to reap it in a sickle of leather
(War bellows, blazing in scarlet battalions)
Parsely, sage, rosemary & thyme
(Generals order their soldiers to kill)
And to gather it all in a bunch of heather
(And to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten)
Then she'll be a true love of mine
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine


Recommendation: This, very quickly, became one of my favorite books. It's just so interesting. And suspenseful. There's the realm of reality, where Lucy and Zach are normal teenagers stumbling through their growing feelings for each other, and then there's the fantastical element, where Lucy is raped by a demon who is hell-bent on cursing every woman in her family. Once pregnant, Lucy has nine months to solve the "riddle" in the Scarborough Fair song, or else risk falling into madness like her mother and grandmother before her. There's a real quick pacing to the story, and the way these tasks unravel, and the way Lucy attempts to solve them, is truly imaginative and remarkable. Regardless of the mystical elements, everything feels very real. You can't help but root for Lucy while also worrying that perhaps those tasks really are impossible. But the lesson Werlin weaves throughout about love, and strength in numbers, makes this a must-read.


Rating: 4/5


384 pages, published by Penguin (Sept. 18, 2008)

Quote of the Day

"Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it."

My Sister's Keeper

Wither

Written by Lauren DeStefano

Goodreads Synopsis: What if you knew exactly when you would die? 
Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb--males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape--to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding and anecdote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

My Confession: I loved this story for perhaps one main reason: its humanity. Dystopian stories oftentimes focus so strongly on the elements of darkness mixed with fantasy that they forget to mold characters that are still human. Just because people live in a post-apocalyptic world doesn't mean they're robots; in fact, it should be strictly the opposite. What's so chilling and eerie about Wither is that because the characters are crafted so well (they could be my own friends, from their personalities to their actions), you feel that this predicted world could be our future. It was downright bizarre to read about the twenty-first century as the "past world," and even though we're never told exactly when this story takes place, the technological and chemical advances that our society makes today creates a scarily possible prediction. It's the scientific obsession with curing all human ailments and the obsessive quest for perfection that manifests a genetic disorder, cursing the "perfect" first generation with terminally damaged children. Hunger Games meets 1984. And it's a startlingly awesome combination.

Sister Wives: No, not the TLC show. The element of forced polygamous marriages proved an interesting and pivotal plot point. I just loved how well-formed these characters were. Rhine's sister wives are anything but predictable, and the bond the three form as the story goes on defies the easy plot twist of love triangles and unrelenting jealousy. The husband, Linden, is extremely multi-faceted, and I enjoyed reading how his character developed. The way this story pulled away his layers leaves the reader with a character we want to hate, but somehow can't. The supporting cast, from Rhine's "makeup team" to the charming servant Gabriel, mirror the human predicament of complacency. No matter where you go, no matter who you meet, there will always be people who will never see a situation for as bad as it truly is. On the flip side, there will also always be people who refuse to give up fighting for something better. And I just love how this book puts both ideals into action and allows the true humanity of life (no matter the century) to shine through.

Recommendation: Wither is the first in a trilogy, but if I didn't already know it was a part of a series, the ending wouldn't have clued me in. I'm glad that the author didn't end this book on a supermassive cliffhanger just for the sake of doing so. Most writers, when they're setting up for a series, purposely end a book prematurely or at a really pivotal moment to ensure that readers will come back for the second book. Wither doesn't feel the need to do that. Yes, there's more to the story. Yes, most of my questions were answered, and yes, I'd be pretty satisfied if it all ended on that last page. But DeStefano left plenty of wiggle room in this story. She mastered the art of solving some problems while creating others. And that leaves the door open just enough. Series or no series, this stands on its own merit while trusting that Rhine's narrative is more than enough to bring readers back. And it is.

Rating: 4.5/5

358 pages, published by Simon & Schuster (March 22, 2011)