Review: A Boy Named Christmas by Matt Haig

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Jenn

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: A Boy Named Christmas by Matt HaigA Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig
Published by Random House Children's Books on November 1, 2016
Genres: Christmas & Advent, Fantasy & Magic, Holidays & Celebrations, Young Adult
Pages: 240
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher
Nikolas is an eleven-year-old boy who, despite not having much in life, believes in the impossible. Nicknamed "Christmas" after the day on which he was born, Nikolas has only received two gifts in his life: a wooden sleigh his father built him and a doll made from a turnip, made by his mother, now deceased.  They are his prized possessions, for they were made out of love by those who love him.

When his wood chopper father goes on an adventure to the great north to prove the existence of Elfhelm, Nikolas is left with his cruel aunt. Unable to bear it any longer, he runs away, desperate to find his now-missing father. On his journey, he discovers that the fate of the holiday spirit and all things joyful are in his hands. A witty and warm Christmas story, certain to bring happiness and joy to readers of all ages!

I’m a sucker for retellings of the story of Santa Claus.  Add the fact that this is written by Matt Haig, author of a few of my favorite adult novels like The Humans and The Radleys and I’m sold!

That said, it’s not all happiness and glee.  Haig does quite accurately pick up on the dark side of people, namely greed.  I think the two actually go hand-in hand, reminding readers that there is a message behind the holiday, a holiday that can easily force celebrants to succumb to greed.

Though labeled as a middle-grade (and the main character is eleven), I would actually raise the age limit to higher middle grade/pre-teen.  There are some rough subjects addressed; readers of a younger age may be uncomfortable or unable to handle the darker aspects of the story.

As an adult, however, I enjoyed the wit and charm of the story.  It’s a quick-read, given the writing style.  Additionally, illustrations by Chris Mould really add depth and humor to the story!

All in all, a fun holiday read.  Highly recommended.

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Audio book Review: Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Jenn
Audio book Review: Echo by Pam Muñoz RyanEcho by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Published by Scholastic Inc. on February 24th 2015
Genres: General, Historical, Music, Performing Arts, Social Themes, Young Adult
Pages: 592
Lost in the Black Forest, young Otto meets three sisters.  There, he hears of their unwritten story and the powerful magic behind a single harmonica.

Decades later, Fredrich lives in Germany with his father, uncle, and sister.  Hitler's reign is in full force, tearing this family apart. Fredrich fears for what Hitler's reign will do to those close to him, while his sister decides to do the unbelievable and vows her support to the Nazi movement. Fredrich's only solace his his music, for he has dreams of becoming a conductor.  Music moves something within his soul, something that must lay abandoned for fear of being transported off to a work camp.

Mike and his younger brother are orphans in Pennsylvania. With the orphanage filled to capacity, their fate is at risk.  They had hopes of being adopted together, into a family surrounded by music. They, too, cross paths with a harmonica, one that seemingly calls out to them, leading their fate.
Posted in Audiobook, Fantasty, Historical Fiction, Review, Scholastic, YA | 1 Comment

Review: Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Jenn

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Holding up the Universe by Jennifer NivenHolding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
Published by Random House Children's Books on October 4th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Depression, Romance, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, Social Themes, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 400
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Libby Strout, once dubbed as “America’s Fattest Teen," is ready to return to public school.  Several years ago, her health was in risk; her weight was so high that paramedics had to cut into her house and remove her from her second-story bedroom.  Although she is still overweight, Libby has worked on her weight over the past few years and now has a support system behind her to help her deal with the cause of her weight loss: her mother's death. She's ready to face her peers, but are they ready for her?

Jack Masselin seemingly has it all. He has a beautiful girlfriend, a stunning head of hair, and is friends with most everyone. He has an insane ability to fit in with any crowd.  What others don't know is Jack suffers from prosopagnosia, or face blindness.  He cannot recognize the faces of those around him, including his family.  His charm and his sense of humor help him get by.

Libby and Jack meet as a result of a horrible high school prank, both of them ending up in group counseling. At first, Libby despises Jack and everything he represents. After a while, however, the boundaries that divide them crumble away and Libby and Jack soon discover that they can be themselves when they are together. Free of judgement, they see one another for the unique individuals they are, regardless of the labels society has placed on them.

Since November, I have been in the biggest of book slumps.  I have no problem losing myself in an audio book on my commute to work but when it comes to sitting down and reading a book, I’m hopeless. I cannot concentrate. Until this book.

I instantly bonded with Libby: we shared the same favorite books, she loves Supernatural, and I love her self-esteem and humor. For a teen who has been dealt a tremendous amount of loss in life, she’s a survivor. As an adult, I have a strong sense of self-image when it comes to my weight, but I don’t know that I wouldn’t be able to deal with it in high school.  High school was difficult enough as it is, and I was a fairly typical teen.

I felt tremendous sympathy for Jack. I can’t even imagine suffering from face blindness, not recognizing the faces of the ones you love.  Add to the fact that he alone kept this secret; it’s quite a toll to place on a person.

The relationship that these two had together was wonderful; while they didn’t “need” one another to attain happiness, they each served as an impetus to strive for more, each relying upon one another for strength and support.

All in all, this was a tremendous read; I’m thrilled that I was able to fit this one in before the year ended. There’s nothing bad I can say about this book, other than it had to end. Highly, highly recommended.

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A Month in Review: November 2016

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Jenn

amonthinreview

Holy cow! It’s December already! Egads, this year has flown by!

I’m going to come right out and say I really struggled this month. The election results really put me into a funk I’m just getting over.  I only reviewed a few titles…I’m hoping to catch up in December!

Books Reviewed:

Pick of the Month:

Hands down, I’ll Take You There by Wally Lamb. I’m still thinking about this one!

Posts of Note:

Once again, I hosted Thankfully Reading Weekend!  The wrap-up post has a link to all the posts/challenges.   I also did a preview of the December titles I’m excited about.

How was your reading month? 

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2016 Thankfully Reading Weekend Wrap-Up Post

Posted on November 27, 2016 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

Another year of Thankfully Reading Weekend has come to an end. I didn’t get nearly as much reading done as I would have hoped (it’s far easier to take part in this when you aren’t traveling, I now see!). That’s not going to stop me from getting more reading in now that I’m home!

For those of you interested in doing a wrap-up post, I’ve included a link-up below.

Don’t forget, challenges are still up:

Small Business Saturday Challenge
What Book Are You Most Thankful For?
What’s the Menu for a Good Book?

Thank you again to all who participated. Get those last few hours of reading in!!


Posted in Thankfully Reading Weekend | 3 Comments

Thankfully Reading Weekend Day Four: Small Business Saturday

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Jenn

 

ThankfullyReading

It’s Day Four of Thankfully Reading Weekend! Can you believe how quickly the time has flown by?

Today, I encourage you to take a small break from reading to participate in Small Business Saturday.  Have a local independent bookstore? Pay them a visit and let them know how much you appreciate them!

Since we’re on the road today, we made sure to visit our favorite independent bookstore, One More Page Books in Arlington, VA last weekend!

Today’s challenge is easy! Did you visit your local indie today? Share a pic of your purchases!  Include the post with pic or list of books you picked up in the link up  below!


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2016 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Day Three

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

Happy Day After Thankgiving! How did everyone do yesterday? Full stomachs, plenty of reading time…sounds like bliss to me! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a day of reading at home, avoiding the retail madness! I admit do doing a little online pre-Black Friday shopping last night. It was too difficult to resist!

For today’s challenge, I invite you to write about the book you are most thankful for this year. Is it a book written by one of your favorite authors or one you just happened to come upon? Tell us about it!  Include a link to your post below (or if you don’t have a blog, tell us about the book in the comments.


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2016 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Day Two!

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We have a nice low-key Thanksgiving planned. We’re in OH visiting my parents and siblings.  We’ve had dinner catered in (we’re still providing our favorite sides) so I’m looking forward to some quality reading time!

For today’s challenge, let’s talk about a “reading menu.” What makes a good menu to you?  What are your favorite genres, favorite books? Any tactics authors use that drives you crazy (like cliffhangers!?).

Feel free to answer in the comments or below! I’ve also added a Mr. Linky for those updating on their blogs!

 


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2016 Thankfully Reading Weekend Kick-Off!

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

It’s time!!

This is the official kick off post for Thankfully Reading!  Instead of braving the crowds and shopping this weekend, we’re spending our time curled up with a book!

 

Feel free to link up your kick-off post below, as well as any update posts you have. Don’t have a blog? Don’t worry! You can keep us updated on your progress in the comments below, on Instagram  or Twitter (use #thankfullyreading or make sure you tag me so I can see it!) Haven’t signed up yet to participate? Not to worry! There is still plenty of time!

If you don’t know what to post, here are some ideas. But remember there are no rules; feel free to post as little/as much as you like!

  • How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
  • What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend?
  • How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?
  • What book are you starting out with?
  • Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?
  • What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Be sure to keep track of any recommendations you receive and share when you have the time.If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, don’t worry, this is a weekend for everyone throughout the world.
  • Pictures and/or vlogs are a great thing to add to your kick-off posts!

Throughout the weekend, feel free to post about your progress or even get some reviews up. Be sure to come back and link up your posts. Then take a break and check out everyone else’s posts. We’re looking forward to seeing how everyone else is celebrating Thankfully Reading Weekend.

Oh and don’t forget that some of your fellow readers will be on Twitter. You can search for Thankfully Reading Weekend tweets and hook up with others by using the hashtag #thankfullyreading.

On Sunday afternoon, we’ll post another link-up for your wrap-up post. Tell us how your Thankfully Reading Weekend went. You could give mini-reviews of your books, tell us how many books and which books you read, number of pages, number of hours, and so on. This is a rule-free, contest-free event, so you can wrap up the weekend however you’d like.


Posted in Thankfully Reading Weekend | 3 Comments

Review: I’ll Take You There by Wally Lamb

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Jenn

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: I’ll Take You There by Wally LambI'll Take You There by Wally Lamb
Published by HarperCollins on November 22nd 2016
Genres: Contemporary Women, Family Life, Fiction, Literary
Pages: 272
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Felix, a film scholar, runs a movie club in a former vaudeville theater. As he's setting up, he's visited by the ghost from Hollywood's past: Lois Weber, a director from Hollywood's silent film era.   Lois grants Felix a unique opportunity: to relive memories from his childhood, projected like film onto the theater's movie screen.

Felix is granted the opportunity to revisit the women who are most important in his life, those who have influenced his life the most.  From his sister, Frances, and their unique relationship built on a mix of cruelty and compassion, to his daughter, Aliza and her war between her feminist beliefs and lofty career ambitions, Frances gains a new understanding and appreciation for those women he holds close and dear, and the struggles that have faced throughout all eras.

Wow. What an experience.  What makes this even so exhilarating is how my experience and considerations for this book transformed as I read it.

I’m no fan of film history. I get that there are a great number of people who are, so when the author delved into that word of Hollywood magic I went along for the ride.  True, I found myself skimming through bits and pieces until “POW, ” the introduction of the ghosts of Hollywood’s past paid a visit.  That journey they presented Felix with not only affected is outlook, but my own as well.

Through Felix’s journeys through his past, we are introduced to a host of women fighting a battle we’ve been fighting all of our lives: for appreciation, understanding, respect, equal treatment, and much, much more. Lamb touches on a wealth of difficult issues, from eating disorders and abortion, to infidelity and the right to love whomever we want, no matter the gender. What makes this all so tremendous is that it isn’t a sudden release of all these weighty issues, but a slow and sudden stream of realization and understanding.  Upon assembling them all together and reviewing the full scope of the novel (especially the second to the last chapter), we then realize the true impact and resolve of these women in his life.  They were all trailblazers, fighting and desperate to rise above the restrictions society has placed upon them in an effort to attain the life and status they deserve.

This is the book to read now of all times, when once again we face a social climate in which our rights, our bodies, our lives are put into question.  It reminds us that we women have been facing this battle for years.  Feminism has changed over the decades.  It’s moved from burning bras to social media and hashtags declaring our voices. Yet, despite these differing methods of action, our message is still the same. We are all fighting this continuous battle…and we must come together to fight it as one.

Highly, highly, highly recommended.

 

Posted in General Fiction, Review | Tagged | 2 Comments