Three on a Theme: Books I Recently Cried Over

Alright! Three books for when you feel the need to wipe tears off your face. I would say that these books, like all books, probably hit people in very different ways depending on their own lives. For each, I had overwhelming needs to stop reading and text my children.

I've also noticed that for myself, an adult who often reads YA, I tend to notice the adults (and their behavior) in a story much more so that I actively attended to as a younger reader. And I really think about how important it is to have good adult representation in books.

Speaking of, they each get a wee #WNDB sticker from me!

Three on a Theme: 3 Rereads of Old Classics

I don't need to tell you AGAIN how awesome audiobooks are, right? Well, I have been using audiobooks to reacquaint myself with some old favorites. I'd like to remind you that re-reading books you have loved from different times in your life can backfire. I'm looking at you, Hunger Games. It's not that I don't still love HG. But I was surprised at how much I didn't love it compared to the first time around.

These three are actually my top three favorites from childhood, so it was pretty risky to do a re-read. But, they were obvious places to start what I am sure to be an ongoing quest. 

Three on a Theme: 3 Books about Kickass Female Monster Slayers

I was there when Buffy came out... not just Sarah Michelle's version, but also the little underrated movie gem that sparked the whole thing off in 1992. Seriously, if you haven't seen it, PeeWee Herman's (AKA Paul Ruebens) death rattle completely makes it worth the time. And has inspired many a spontaneous, over-dramatized death scene in my house. By Me. For no reason.

And don't get me started on Charmed. (Yes. That is Pru in the picture. Paige was meh.)

I don't mean to ignore the older kick ass women from my life or to pander to the 90's babies here. If I think real hard and use Dr. Google, I can find earlier Grrls that I thought kicked ass for various reasons (from books to movies):

Three on a Theme: 3 YA series I'm in the middle of...

I'm almost livid with myself for how long it's taken me to get to these series and that I have not yet consumed them into my eyeballs in their entirety. I am trying to be responsible with my number - of- library- books-checked-out situation... I can't really talk about that without confirmation of your loyalty.

But anywhooo, this three on a theme is about three YA series that I have started, LOVED, and have yet to finish. It's possible that the last book or the resolutions will RUIN everything (::cough cough:: Hunger Games ::cough cough::) but the first books have been worth the trouble, so far.

Each of these series has rich, diverse characters, great stories, worthwhile plots. There's also some action or moral reckoning, which apparently are things I like to read about and keep me drawn to YA books like these.There are, obviously, moral reckoning situations in adult books as well, but isn't it less interesting when the character should just know better!? That's a whole different post, I guess.

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In all fairness to me, though, the end of this first series has not yet been published. I have already gushed my soul out about the first book in the Winner's Curse series.

Three on a Theme: 3 Series to Binge - Adult Edition

I haven't done a Three on a Theme in a while so I will just jump right in!

3 SERIES WORTH BINGE- READING 

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The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon - This series of books have been turned into a cable series with a hot guy who gets nekkid. Just to let you know, the book's sex scenes rely much more on the reader's imagination than the show seems to. I have watched several of the show's Youtube clips over and over and over and over for research purposes. It looks pretty good. I might break my "no watching" rule for this one, y'all.

 

I think that the first season of the show follows the first book of the series, which is pretty massive, let me tell you. The story is about Claire, a combat nurse in the 1940's who is transported back in time to 1743's, where guys are WAY hotter and she has to marry the first sexiest guy she sees. She also keeps running into men that look like and are related to the husband she left behind. Various awesome and terrible things happen to her as you can imagine as well as to the people who are quickly becoming her family. Because of her "I'm from the future" thing, she knows things and some of the story is focused on what she is going to do about that. Should she try to change the outcome of historical events? ::shrug:: I have completed the second book of this, to wit, 8 book series. There are also at least two books that are between the books, like Book 8.5, or whatever that madness is, as well as a confirmed 9th book in the works! The first two books were very interesting, especially given the setting (Scotland, France, Ireland, London) and there is a lot of action. There are, however, spots that drag a little and sometimes the level of historical detail requires me to go into brief dissociative episodes. This series is a COMMITMENT due to it's length as well as the books' lengths (around 800+ pages). I'm definitely interested in sticking with both Claires (from both time periods) but will probably do so gradually over time. I also might decide to abandon the books and watch the show (No, I CANNOT DO BOTH). Either way, I'll likely review a few more Youtube clips. For a friend. 

Book Crack: Books about Books

An aside: Should "About" be capitalized in this blog post's title. I forget the rule about About... forgive me, Friends.

Books about books are my thing. Nevermind whatever I said my thing was the last time I said something was my thing. Books about books are definitely my thing more than that other thing. Invariably, every book about a book has the back and forth in time thing. I mean, there's the "now" in whatever time period that is, where someone gets a hold of a book from somewhere. And there is also the "then:" the time of the book, which is either the time the book was written or the time period that is the setting of the story told in the book. I like the back and forth thing. I also like books that alternate perspectives. Maybe I just like "jumpy"books... anyway. The last three books about books I read:

  
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler 
I was waiting for this book to come out. I even had the date of release in my calendar, in case you were wondering exactly how big of a book nerd I can be. (HUGE, Rochester!). It's about a librarian (as many Books about books are) that receives an old book from a rare book dealer. Inside, the book has the name of the librarian's great grandmother, who drowned herself. Just like his own mother did. Duh duh duh! In the present, Simon is trying to figure out the pattern of his family and save his self- destructive sister. In the time of the book, we follow several people involved in a traveling side show carnival, though it wasn't really called that at the time. This book is beautifully written and leaves the reader thinking about the wonder of the universe and the ties that bind people together. 

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks 
I read this book via audio book after failing to get into it as a hardcover. In the now, we have a book conservationist who has been tasked with the mighty job of restoring a 500 year old Jewish Haggadah. For different elements of the book (a stain, a hair) she discovers, there is the story of how it happened in the time of the book. The descriptions are beautiful and it's interesting to hear about the creation of the book using the different methods over hundreds of years. Did you know that parchment is made out of animal flesh? You do now! I'm glad that I tried this book, again. I think it was smoother through the ears, probably because of the historical parts, which make my brain numb, sometimes due to my PHSSTD (Post High School Social Studies Traumatic Disorder).

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult 
She might get a bit of flack on my Twitter TL, but I love Jodi Picoult. I've read several of her novels and think they're each different and interesting. Granted, I have read them all with years in between them, which I think helps with any author. You don't get too keen to their patterns and idiosyncrasies. Anyway, in the now, Delilah is a weird nerd with few friends who is the first to be able to see that the characters in a middle grade adventure book might have minds of their own. It might be all a little predictable and a little convenient and "just how would that work exactly," but that is kind of part of the story. Ms. Picoult wrote this book with her daughter and it is, itself, for younger readers. It's enjoyable and super quick, despite it's 350 pages.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Inkheart, a favorite book within a book about books and book- lovers. The whole series is gold.