To Be Read Tuesday: 4/21/15

 

 

My to-be-read stack is getting intense, guys. I mean, it’s THREE FEET TALL. Granted, this was taken a several days ago before I finished Conversion, so I suppose it is only 34 inches tall… While I’ve see TBR stacks that are taller than the person, I’m quite impressed (and deeply saddened because it shows I’ve had no time to read this semester) at my stack.

So which lucky book is up next, you might wonder? That’d be The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Definitely not a genre I typically visit, but it is one I’m pretty jazzed to explore.

In the mean time, talk to me! Find me Tumblr and Twitter. I love hearing from everyone!

-eh

Book Review: Conversion by Katherine Howe

Publisher: Putnam (kind of ironic to those who’ve read it)
Copyright: 2014
Pages: 402
Rating: 6

Synopsis

At St. Joan’s Academy in Danvers, Massachusetts strange things begin to happen. The most popular girl in school, Clara, collapses, afflicted with uncontrollable verbal tics. Another girl’s hair falls out. Colleen Rowley, though, is more concerned about beating her nemesis for valedictorian and trying to cram friend time into the cracks in her schedule than this “mystery illness” going around the school. But when she starts getting peculiar texts from a stranger, urging her to start her extra-credit assignment to read The Crucible and even her friends are not immune to the sickness going around, her perfectly planned ending to high school is halted. Told alongside the story of a girl named Ann, confessing her part in the events that took place in Salem Village in 1962, Howe draws fascinating parallels between the past and future.

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Starting this novel knowing that Katherine Howe has a PhD in American and New England studies [X] initially excited me because I knew I wouldn’t be reading a pill of bullshit. However, I learned while reading her “Author’s Note” at the close of the novel that it is not just the Salem Witch Trials that inspired the book, but also the true events that took place in Le Roy, New York in 2012, with girls falling victim to the same bizarre illness conveyed in Howe’s novel. I was deeply impressed with her use of factual evidence to fabricate this fictional piece.

The premise of the book is what convinced me to buy it, intrigued by the spooky connection between the present and past and the novel definitely keeps piquing your interest! The problem I encountered was that I had too many questions and not enough answers, so I began to lose steam around the middle of the book. To me, YA fiction needs to have a balance of question and answers to propel a reader through the pages, but Howe, fairly new to the YA world—publishing her first novel in 2009—has yet to fine tune that strategy in her writing.

What she does strikingly well, though, is writing in the personality of a 17 year old girl during the present-day chapter. While characterization is something I found lacking in Conversion, I had no trouble believing that it was a teenager relaying these events to me. Ann’s chapters felt equally appropriate, conveying the stoic nature I typically associate with the Puritan lifestyle.

I do think that Katherine Howe has some room to improve in the way of writing fiction. While I applaud her desire to stay historically accurate, I certainly would not have minded occasional fabrications to spice things up a bit. Ultimately, the novel felt like a research paper turned into a young adult novel. In fact, she mentions in her “Author’s Note” that the parallel between the Salem witch trials and the mystery illness of Le Roy was originally a discussion she had with one of her college class while teaching The Crucible. Additionally, in attempting the fictionalize these historical events, I felt that needless characters and details were added for the sake of including common young adult tropes such as the annoying younger siblings and pining for a boy that is semi-unattainable. Many of the extra tid-bits she included could have been edited out in order to strengthen the central plot of the novel: discovering the cause of the mystery illness and the hysteria surrounding it while linking it the events chronicled in Ann’s chapters of the book. The fluff (as nearly ever English teacher likes to call it) blurred the plot, making it hard for me to grasp. Granted, I did finish reading it at 3am… so who is to say that I wasn’t in some sort of sleepless hysteria myself?

The larger commentary Howe is trying to make with this novel (I love that she includes an argument in this fiction!) is about the pressure put on young women. In Ann’s case in the 17th century, the Cult of Domesticity–piety, purity, submission, and domesticity– was forced on her although she did not feel that she could, or wanted, to adhere to it. Her aversion to this results in her extreme trespasses of morality. For Colleen in the 21st century, she experience pressure from her parents and friends to not only maintain top grades and get into an Ivy League school, but also balance in-depth friendship and intimacy with boys. This pressure and the subsequent reactions to it is what Howe is attempting to elucidate in Conversion. Having YA fiction that deals with this idea– that the pressure to be “perfect” is actually quite dangerous– is downright amazing. Reading fiction is far more influential than many believe and this author beautifully and subtly weaves in an extremely valuable lesson for young minds.

Overall, Conversion was a fascinating (and educational) read! The concepts were really strong, it was just the execution that led me to give it such a low rating. History majors—like my friend, Dakota, whom I recommended this book today— would adore this book! I wasn’t actually even aware that I was reading such a close account of history until I was nearly through (and after consulting Google). It bears great worth alone in its historical accuracy as well as the lessons gained from it.

 -eh

P.S. Thanks for reading! I know it’s been such a long time since I posted a book review… but college graduation is only 19 days away and I will hopefully be in touch with you all more often!

Snowmageddon 2k15

The White Death is upon us here in the state of Kentucky and a foot of snow outside is making it impossible to go anywhere. Aaaand the university cancelled all classes and so that means I get to READ AND DRINK COFFEE ALL DAY. YAAASSS. My to-be-read pile is intense right now so I’m probably just going to pick the first one my hand lands on. 

Also, Griffin Teen posted this on their tumblr and I quite liked it. 

-eh

Last Week’s Book Haul

Oh, hey guys. Just a casual selfie with my book haul from Half Price and CoffeeTree Books (a local bookstore here in Morehead, KY) last week. I’ve already read both Sarah Dessen books but I didn’t own them so of course I had to buy them! They’re my two favorite written by her. I got some of these books to help me accomplish my 2015 Reading Challenge, but also because I have been wanting to read some of those classics for years. With my reading load for my English classes, though, I don’t have a lot of time to sit down and read “heavier” books like Fahrenheit 451, etc. Here’s to hoping that graduation in May will allow me to read everything I want to! 

(My to-be-read stack is basically to the ceiling at this point.)

Book pictured:
–Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
–The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
–Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
–The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
–City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
–The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
–The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
–Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

-eh

Pictures from National Readathon Day

As promised, here are the lovely people who sent me book selfies for National Readathon Day! FYI, people that read are hot. 

INTELLIGENCE IS SEXY.

Also, I’m starting A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness tonight. I’m pretty excited because the main character is a witch with a PhD/all around badass. Also, I’ve read a couple Shakespeare plays that I could review for you all that I recently read for class. Give me a yay/nay on whether you want to see it on here! 

-eh

 

At last! A new review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks many languages–not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers–beautiful, haunted Akiva–fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

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Personal rating: 6/10

2015 Reading Challenge: A book set in a different country
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Many YA book blogs I follow rant and rave about Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor so, of course, I had to read it. I can’t say I was immediately hooked. The first twenty pages or so basically explain the central chracter’s, Karou, previous relationship with Kaz and why it ended, etc. So my gut reaction was disappointment because I am past the point where I want my fiction to revolve around romance from the get-go. Thankfully, Taylor largely uses it as a setup to introduce Karou and her quirkiness. Kaz becomes such a minor character in the plot of the book, though, that I wish (pun intended if you’ve read this book) that the author had just edited him out altogether. That plotline weakens the book, if you ask me. 

Taylor does an excellent job at introducing Karou and all of her complexities. She seems to be a fairly ordinary art student in Prague at first and then readers are slowly fed more and more compelling things about the protagonist. For instance, the characters in her sketchbook, which you later learn are called chimaera– creatures with human and animal body parts– are actually very real and that her foster-father, a chimaera called Brimstone, collects teeth, rewarding those who bring them with wishes. Wishes, which actually have distinct values from a scuppy to a bruxis (the largest wish you can make), are a really unique way of incorporating magic into the human world. It’s something that exists in so many fantasy novels, but Taylor limits the magic that exists in the human world to just wishes. No rampant vampires of werewolves. A few crazy angels, perhaps, but that’s it. In this very singular portrayal magic, the author links it to the other world that exists parallel to earth full of chimaera and angels.

That brings me to my favorite part of Daughter of Smoke and Bone: the mythology Taylor creates. Elsewhere, what Karou believes the world of the chimaera to be called, has its own history that echoes the myths the ancient Greeks created to explain their existence. It’s the sole reason I continued to read when the plot basically stopped in favor providing Madrigal’s (another chimaera) history with Akiva (an angel). It’s all very Romeo and Juliet (the two races are at war) and I got really bored by the end because the current invasion of angels in the present, human world is much more intriguing if you ask me but the last 100 pages or so don’t even touch on that; I mean the angels have finally gotten a severe upper hand  on the chimaera in the millenium long war and Karou is determined to stop it because her chimaera family is in danger. Way more interesting than a star-crossed love story, right? 

But speaking of the annoying Romeo and Juliet trope, it happens twice in the book and it’s annoying both times. Akiva sees Karou and is basically super smitten and then it goes to the flashback of Madrigal (like I said above) and does it all over again. Literally no character development between them. Just cliche and laughable declarations of love because they thought the other was pretty. Okay, it might be a tad more complex than that, but that’s what I got out of it. I find these simplistic love stories a bore. 

All in all, it was a pretty good book though. For YA fiction, it’s right on the money and I would definitely recommend it to a friend with similar tastes to my own. Was it the best book ever? No. I’m not exactly rushing out for the sequel, but I am glad I read it!

-eh

 

National Readathon Day

This Saturday, January 24, is National Readathon Day! The Penguin Random House website says that is will be from noon-4pm, but I say that if you can make time to sit down and read, it totally counts (I myself will be working through that entire time slot, unfortunately). As we all get older, making time to sit down and read for pleasure becomes nearly impossible and I personally find myself craving the adventures I used to go on within the pages of a book. So what I want you guys and gals to do is to actually forget about all responsibilities for at least an hour (if not more, if you can) and simply read. It can be anything– news papers, graphic novels, regular novels– whatever you like; just make time for something you love lest you go crazy in the hectic world we live in. 

I’ll be reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I’ve heard so many great things about it and I’m excited to delve in to a good story! I’m actually (and finally) going to post another book review for it. I know it’s been a long time… 

But other than just reading, I want you guys to send me selfies of you and the book you’re reading or even just comment on this post telling me what you’re reading that day. Most importantly, enjoy yourselves! 🙂 

-eh

Welcoming 2015

I am so sorry that it has been so long since I’ve updated my blog! I was hardly ever near my computer during the holidays (nor had I much time to read) and then when I finally was, my little HP decided to quit on me so I had to send it in for repairs. I’m using my old laptop (which is this old dinosaur of thing) because I wanted to get you guys and gals updated with the start of 2015! I’ve got a couple things on the agenda, but I’ll break it up so you can choose what fits your interests best!

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Graceling

So, in one of my previous posts I mentioned that I was reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore and was having a really difficult time getting through it. Many of you all told me that you adored it and I tried (I SWEAR) to trudge through the mess of grammar and ghastly syntax… but even the plot could not compel me to finish the thing, which I found to be horribly mundane and lacking creativity. It was around page 300 that I decided that no book is worth reading if you roll your eyes every other page. I’ve compiled a short list of my grievances (the I experienced in the first 300 pages):

• Katsa is a really flat, uninteresting protagonist. The first half of this book is a huge pity party. Aside from her Grace, the Council she heads is the only other thing that makes her interesting which, unfortunately, is too small of a subplot. It should be more centralized to the plot.
• Po is a real shmoozer– too good to be true, really. I bet he turns out to be evil.
• The writing is pretty terrible.
• The geography Cashore creates (AKA, the map in the beginning of the book) is horribly uncreative. Could she not have come up with better city names than naming them after the king of that region? Leck City? Randa City? I call it a cop out, really.
• The plot is TOO simple. It was starting to peak my interests with how Leck presumably came to power, but I didn’t care enough to continue.
• Etc. (Message me for the full rant. haha.)

I know so many people loved this book and it actually has more favorable reviews than bad ones, but I just… did not enjoy it. I’m sorry. Plz love me.

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2015 READING CHALLENGE 

So, I found this really cool reading challenge on my tumblr dashboard that I thought was really cool. I like it largely because it’s more elaborate than a “Read X books by the end of the year.” It was in a PDF, but the picture is too small keeps blurring on here when I try to expand it. So (because I love you all) I typed each of them out:

[ ] A book with more than 500 pages

[ ] A classic romance

[ ] A book that became a movie

[ ] A book published this year

[ ] A book with a number in the title

[ ] A book written by someone under 30

[ ] A book with nonhuman characters

[ ] A funny book

[ ] A book by a female author

[ ] A mystery or thriller

[ ] A book with a one-word title

[ ] A book of short stories

[ ] A book set in a different country

[ ] A nonfiction book

[ ] A popular author’s book

[ ] A book from an author you love that you haven’t read yet

[ ] A book a friend recommended

[ ] A Pulitzer Prize-winning book

[ ] A book based on a true story

[ ] A book at the bottom of your to-read list

[ ] A book your mom loves

[ ] A book that scares you

[ ] A book more than 100 years old

[ ] A book based entirely on its cover

[ ] A book you were supposed to read but didn’t

[ ] A memoir

[ ] A book you can finish in a day

[ ] A book with antonyms in the title

[ ] A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit

[ ] A book that came out the year you were born

[ ] A book with bad reviews

[ ] A trilogy

[ ] A book from your childhood

[ ] A book with a love triangle

[ ] A book set in the future

[ ] A book set in high school

[ ] A book with a color in the title

[ ] A book that made you cry

[ ] A book with magic

[ ] A graphic novel

[ ] A book by an author you’ve never read before

[ ] A book you own but have never read

[ ] A book that takes place in your hometown

[ ] A book that was originally written in a different language

[ ] A book set during Christmas

[ ] A book written by an author with your same initials

[ ] A play

[ ] A banned book

[ ] A book based on or turned into a TV show

[ ] A book you started but never finished

I’m rather excited for this and I wanted some of you all to do this with me! Whenever I meet one of these goals, I’ll post to update you guys on it! I’d also like to hear if you’ve finished the same one and what book you read for it. 🙂 

I promise to post again soon!!!

-eh

Expansion! Get pumped, bruh!

I’ve decided to expand my YA book blog to just a regular ol’ book blog. While I will still blog primarily about YA lit, it’s simply not all that I read! I’m starting the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon soon, and while that’s not young adult at all, I feel like it is a good series to move people into the realm of “adult” fiction. The little bit I’ve read is already wildly imaginative and captivating with a witty central character to boot. I’m also going to be starting another series that my friend Lauren* turned me on to, the All Souls Trilogy, which begins with A Discovery of Witches. I’m excited about these books and I want to share them with you all, too! 

There are just so many good books out there that I don’t want to limit myself by sticking purely with young adult books. I’ve yet to meet someone that stays purely with one genre, so there’s no sense in doing that here. Books don’t recognize age, either, you know? Published might slap on a target age group, but it doesn’t really mean anything. You can be 15 reading Stephen King or 55 reading Lemony Snicket. Books don’t care. Books just want to be looooooved (like me). I took a visit to The Excellent Library, one of my recent and lovely followers, and they talk about a whole realm of literature, so I’m taking a page from their book (pun definitely intended). I’ll not be a book snob here on Undustcovered, no siree-bob (how do you even spell that?!). That means you might even get to hear my (probably absurd) commentary about Shakespeare next semester! Aren’t you excited…? bahaha! I bet not for that one. 

So, what books do you want to see reviewed? I want lots of recommendations, yo! 

-eh

*Lauren is one of my best pals here at college and she recently started a blog about art, music, feminism, and a shist-ton (NYC joke) of interesting stuff. Follow her here: http://laurenisanerd.wordpress.com/

Christmas Break has begun!

My second to last semester is DONE and I finally can read for fun again. I never let myself read during the semester (it’s depressing, I know) because once I start a book, I can’t ever put it down. I’m one of those people that will sit in the same spot for 10 hours straight to finish a book… probably the reason my book hangovers are always so bad.

So, I started reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore. It was really popular a few years ago and several people recommended it to me so I though, hey, why not? Except I’m having a really hard time getting into the story in large part due to the writing. I know YA lit has a massive age group it targets and so the writing style varies, but the overly simplistic style Cashore uses does not seem to fit the subject matter. I mean, I think the writing level is around a 12 year old comprehension. I know it is her first novel, but c’mon!

Also, I’m 50 pages in and I have know idea where this plot is going. Clearly, Katsa leads a very conflicted life and wants independence and reprieve from her Killing Grace, but uh, there hasn’t really even been an inkling to the plot yet. Very frustrating for me. Then again, I’ve been forced to read boring British prose and poetry for the past several months, so maybe I just need to calm down. Probably.

Being an English major can make you such a book snob. PLZ FORGIVE ME. I’ll still read it and try not to be so critical… -eh