A Brief History of Seven Killings

A Brief History of Seven Killings Marlon James 4/5	Published 2014 First Sentence "Listen. Dead people never stop talking."
Publisher's Description: From the acclaimed author of The Book of Night Women comes a masterfully written novel that explores the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in the late 1970s. On December 3, 1976, just before the Jamaican general election and two days before Bob Marley was to play the Smile Jamaica Concert, gunmen stormed his house, machine guns blazing. The attack nearly killed the Reggae superstar, his wife, and his manager, and injured several others. Marley would go on to perform at the free concert on December 5, but he left the country the next day, not to return for two years. Deftly spanning decades and continents and peopled with a wide range of characters—assassins, journalists, drug dealers, and even ghosts—A Brief History of Seven Killings is the fictional exploration of that dangerous and unstable time and its bloody aftermath, from the streets and slums of Kingston in the 70s, to the crack wars in 80s New York, to a radically altered Jamaica in the 90s. Brilliantly inventive and stunningly ambitious, this novel is a revealing modern epic that will secure Marlon James’ place among the great literary talents of his generation.
Dear Reader, -What the bombocloth this is? -A review of this book called "A Brief History of Seven Killings" -What kinda batty boy business is dat? -I can assure you, I'm not a batty boy. Although, before reading this book I would have had no idea what that even meant. -Who the r'asscloth-you-talking-to? -The readers, they want to know how the book was and if they should read it. -Tell dem is no business of dem. This too big for you. -Excuse me? Too big? Now THAT is a challenge, haha. -Brethren, who the r'asscloth going care, eh? -Trust me, people will. Now leave and let me get down to it. Now where was I? Oh yes, the book. Wow, what a giant doorstop filled with an entire world I hardly knew existed. I was scooped right up into the tropical paradise of the ghetto, a great vacation spot. To be honest with you, no review I can do will ever do justice to this book. This must be experienced first hand, you'll have to struggle with the patios just like I did. Surprisingly enough, the first half was my favorite, the second part brought me out of the experience (when everything moved to NY). This would have been a five star read for me if it stayed native and felt closer to that feeling the first half of the book was chock full of. I'm not going to lie to you, this book is NOT easy... you will struggle BUT this struggle is completely worth the pay out. This book will probably be dropped by many who don't feel like wasting time with immersing themselves in the world/language... and as understandable as that is, it also saddens me. Those of you... will be missing out. So without spoiling things or attempting to review a book that is beyond words for me, I'll leave it up to you. Don't be a bombocloth, try it... you might like it. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - This book is also a contender for the Tournament of Books this year.

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The Furies - review by Arianna

The Furies Natalie Haynes 3 / 5	Published 2014 First Sentence "The first thing they'll ask me is how I met her."
Publisher's Description: When you open up, who will you let in? When Alex Morris loses her fiancé in dreadful circumstances, she moves from London to Edinburgh to make a break with the past. Alex takes a job at a Pupil Referral Unit, which accepts the students excluded from other schools in the city. These are troubled, difficult kids and Alex is terrified of what she's taken on. There is one class - a group of five teenagers - who intimidate Alex and every other teacher on The Unit. But with the help of the Greek tragedies she teaches, Alex gradually develops a rapport with them. Finding them enthralled by tales of cruel fate and bloody revenge, she even begins to worry that they are taking her lessons to heart, and that a whole new tragedy is being performed, right in front of her...
Dear Reader, First off: apologies for the long hiatus! We've had a lot going on in our own lives lately: I've had a beautiful baby girl, and AmberBug has started an awesome new job! Both of which are keeping us quite busy. Not, of course, too busy to read! But unfortunately it's meant giving a bit less attention to our blog. We hope to resume more regular postings soon! In the meantime, on to my review... Unlike AmberBug, I went into this book with absolutely no expectations. I think that actually helped quite a bit, because I would also have been disappointed if I were expecting a really suspenseful, can't-put-it-down novel. This was definitely NOT that. It was, I suppose, more of a character study, although I found it odd that I didn't connect at all on any level with any of the characters - even though I think the author intended for me to. While I felt detached sympathy for Alex, the main character, I didn't really care about her outcome. And that was true several times over for all of her (what felt like peripheral) students. It was so odd, because I felt like you'd just barely met everyone and, boom, there was the crux of the plot! I think the author spent more time with those characters in her head, and expected we'd done the same? In any case, I found I just didn't care about anyone in the story. And I didn't believe in the main characters' motivations, which meant the denoument felt incrdibly flimsy to me.  I also didn't like how the reader was made to feel as if the entire group of students were involved in the crime being outlined, from the title and from how much attention was equally paid to everyone in the class. I wasn't quite sure how the rest of the students played into the actions of the one. Why did the reader have to spend so much time with all of them? Just to learn about the tragic lives of troubled youths? And to me, the connections between the story and the discussed Greek plays were VERY tenuous. While I enjoyed learning a bit more about a few classic Greek tragedies, I felt as if I didn't get a very thorough understanding of them, and yet at the same time - like Amber - I felt as if I were stuck back in a high school English classroom. Boring! And, I'm sorry - naming the other boy in a fight Donny Brooks: REALLY? That got to me, even though I laughed out loud upon first encountering it.  Overall, I'm not sure I would recommend this book to anyone, although I certainly didn't hate reading it. Some of the writing was really great. I just felt like the novel dragged quite a bit, and my time could have been spent better elsewhere. But I do agree with Amber that the inclusion of the Greek plays helped make the book quite a bit more interesting, and I did come away with a bit more knowledge, which I always appreciate.  Yours, Arianna

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Left: Hardcover - Right: E-Book  

Wild Connection

Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships Jennifer L. Verdolin 4/5	Published June 3rd, 2014 First Sentence "It wasn't until I was about eleven years old that I became acutely aware that there was a difference between boys and girls."
Publisher's Description: Wild Kingdom meets Sex and the City in this scientific perspective on dating and relationships. A specialist in animal behavior compares the courtship rituals and mating behaviors of animals to their human equivalents, revealing the many and often surprising ways we are both similar to and different from other species. What makes an individual attractive to the opposite sex? Does size matter? Why do we tend to "keep score" in our relationships? From perfume and cosmetics to online dating and therapy, our ultimate goal is to successfully connect with someone. So why is romance such an effort for humans, while animals have little trouble getting it right? Wild Connection is full of fascinating and suggestive observations about animal behavior. For example, in most species smell is an important component of determining compatibility. So are we humans doing the right thing by masking our natural scents with soaps and colognes? Royal albatrosses have a lengthy courtship period lasting several years. These birds instinctively know that casual hook-ups are not the way to find a reliable mate. And older female chimpanzees often mate with younger males. Is this the evolutionary basis of the human "cougar" phenomenon? Fun to read as well as educational, this unique take on the perennial human quest to find the ideal mate shows that we have much to learn from our cousins in the wild.
Dear Reader, This book was so much fun to read. It was exactly what I was expecting and more. I think I annoyed everyone around me with my, "Did you know..." statements. This is that kind of book, the one you have to share every little awesome fact you come across with anyone around you. Don't you just love those kinds of books? Well, I do. While the animal courtship and mating facts had me a-flutter, the comparison with human relationships was a bit less intriguing to me. You see, I've found that someone and this book might have been more relatable in my mate seeking days. Although, everything she says... I agree with. This is one of those books that you'll either love, get offended or blush and run away from it. Each chapter gives us a glimpse into a mating trait or ritual that can always be related to animal behaviour in some way. She gives examples that span from cockroaches to elephants and everything in between. The animal facts are truly fascinating, and in my opinion, the best part about the book. We get taught how birds will actively seek out certain colored foods to brighten up the colors of their feathers. Why? To get those lady birds of course! I could go on and on with all the facts I've learned but honestly, I just think you should read the book. What are you waiting for? Go out and buy this book, then read it. Go on... GO! Happy Reading, AmberBug

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Unnatural Selection

Unnatural Selection: How We Are Changing Life, Gene by Gene Emily Monosson 4/5	Published 2014 First Sentence "'I see resistant staph all the time,' says nurse practitioner Maggie G."
Publisher's Description: Gonorrhea. Bed bugs. Weeds. Salamanders. People. All are evolving, some surprisingly rapidly, in response to our chemical age. In Unnatural Selection, Emily Monosson shows how our drugs, pesticides, and pollution are exerting intense selection pressure on all manner of species. And we humans might not like the result. Monosson reveals that the very code of life is more fluid than once imagined. When our powerful chemicals put the pressure on to evolve or die, beneficial traits can sweep rapidly through a population. Species with explosive population growth—the bugs, bacteria, and weeds—tend to thrive, while bigger, slower-to-reproduce creatures, like ourselves, are more likely to succumb. Monosson explores contemporary evolution in all its guises. She examines the species that we are actively trying to beat back, from agricultural pests to life-threatening bacteria, and those that are collateral damage—creatures struggling to adapt to a polluted world. Monosson also presents cutting-edge science on gene expression, showing how environmental stressors are leaving their mark on plants, animals, and possibly humans for generations to come. Unnatural Selection is eye-opening and more than a little disquieting. But it also suggests how we might lessen our impact: manage pests without creating super bugs; protect individuals from disease without inviting epidemics; and benefit from technology without threatening the health of our children.
Dear Reader, Have you ever thought about evolution and what the human race will evolve to next? I do all the time. I even have this theory that “the spectrum” is the next step in our evolution. What we might think is a hindrance for autistic and Asperger syndrome might actually be an advancement in thinking. Think about it, evolution goes slowly right? Plus it’ll learn from its mistakes. What if we are in the beginning stages and down the line our brain capacity will increase without the social disabilities attached to the syndromes? However, I am digressing and this book mentions nothing about that, it’s just a theory I’ve hashed around. Even though the book doesn’t discuss much of where humans are evolving to, you will learn the evolution of things around us (and scare you to death). The book does a good job setting us up with a little history of antibiotics, mainly because the points lead to the future of bacteria and the human resistance to potential super-bugs. If the mention of super-bugs doesn’t make you shake, this book will be a cake walk to read. However, if you are ready to hunker down in a fallout shelter, you might want to tread carefully with this information. A great quote from the book that sums up the fear I felt, “We beat life back with our drugs, pesticides, and pollutants, but life responds. It evolves.” Doesn’t that almost seem like a tag line for a horror movie? See, Scary! Why does the author focus on bacteria to discuss evolution? “The first step is understanding how our choices impact life’s evolutionary course. And so we begin close to home, with an impending public health disaster: antibiotic resistance.” It’s easier to see and understand, we can draw a timeline of how things are evolving because germs, bugs and bacteria evolve faster due to the size and population growth. Humans and animals reproduce more slowly, therefore they will evolve slow, for example, “we won’t see the evolution of tusk-free African elephants in heavily hunted populations or containment-resistant polar bears”. Let’s just say, the Author is really smart to use infections and antibiotics as the source of discussion, the statistics speak and they don’t paint a very pretty picture. Every antibiotic we swallow brings us closer to a resistant superbug that will be sure to attempt a wipe of humanity. What was once easily treatable is now potentially fatal. We are told that every year “nearly 37 million pounds of antibiotics are used in the United States”. Of that number, only a percentage is willingly swallowed, some of them are being introduced in our livestock. Think again about swallowing those eggs at breakfast, you could be slowly dosing yourself with antibiotics. Actually, not “could be”… I’m pretty sure you are. One of my favorite quotes from this book, “Antibiotics weren’t just for the sick and dying anymore – they had become an integral part of ‘what’s for dinner.’” *Shivers* I could probably go on and on about this because I have another two pages of notes and highlights but I need to save some of this for you. I’m pretty sure you should read this. The Author has a purpose for this book, “Rather than risk heading off into a near future filled with “superbugs”, we can change how we interact with pests and pathogens, reduce the pressure, and still maintain some degree of control.” I’m hoping the awareness spreads and the Author accomplishes this because this terrifies me. I’m not saying you “have” to read this but I “want” you to read this. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - I was graciously given this digital book from Netgalley and the Publishers to read and give my thoughts. Thank you!

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Console Wars

Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation Blake J. Harris 4 / 5	Published 2014 First Sentence "In 1987, Tom Kalinske was at a crossroads."
Publisher's Description: Following the success of The Accidental Billionaires and Moneyball comes Console Wars--a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video game industry. In 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the video game industry. Sega, on the other hand, was just a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But that would all change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a man who knew nothing about videogames and everything about fighting uphill battles. His unconventional tactics, combined with the blood, sweat and bold ideas of his renegade employees, transformed Sega and eventually led to a ruthless David-and-Goliath showdown with rival Nintendo. The battle was vicious, relentless, and highly profitable, eventually sparking a global corporate war that would be fought on several fronts: from living rooms and schoolyards to boardrooms and Congress. It was a once-in-a-lifetime, no-holds-barred conflict that pitted brother against brother, kid against adult, Sonic against Mario, and the US against Japan. Based on over two hundred interviews with former Sega and Nintendo employees, Console Wars is the underdog tale of how Kalinske miraculously turned an industry punchline into a market leader. It's the story of how a humble family man, with an extraordinary imagination and a gift for turning problems into competitive advantages, inspired a team of underdogs to slay a giant and, as a result, birth a $60 billion dollar industry.
Dear Reader, Okay, I know that a lot of people are talking this book down because it's written very casually, but I loved it. C'mon, it's a book about video games! It is supposed to be fun, not dry. I appreciate that the author took some liberties and tried to make the stories more entertaining by sometimes dreaming up conversations. Sure, sometimes the "witty banter" got a little old, but overall, Harris made the book a ton of fun to read. And considering it is a book about business at its heart, I'm impressed by what he was able to do! I received this book from the generous Dey Street Publishers, and alternated between reading that physical copy and listening to the audiobook I'd checked out from my local library - but the reader was so great, I ended up listening to most of it! (I can't pin who his voice reminds me of, but it was reminiscent of an '80s actor all grown up, which made it a really enjoyable listen.) When I was a little pre-teen, I used to go over one of my best friends ever's house after school (hi, Marsha!) and we'd play Sonic the Hedgehog. This book brought a bunch of nostalgia for the early '90s along with it, which I think was part of the point and certainly part of the draw. The reader got thrown full-force back into the feel of the time, and I was especially struck by memories of certain commercials and ad campaigns that I had forgotten all about, but recalled with fondness. There isn't much I can say about this book specifically, but I really did like its (largely) fun take on the gaming industry, the competition between Nintendo and Sega, and the story of a console company's rise and fall. I would recommend it to anyone who feels pangs of nostalgia for the 1980s and enjoys their historical fiction written in a novel-type format. Yours, Arianna

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The Walled City

The Walled City Ryan Graudin 4/5	Published 2014 First Sentence "The are three rules of survival in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. "
Publisher's Description: 730. That's how many days I've been trapped. 18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out. DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible.... JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance she gets, she searches for her lost sister.... MEI YEE has been trapped in a brothel for the past two years, dreaming of getting out while watching the girls who try fail one by one. She's about to give up, when one day she sees an unexpected face at her window..... In this innovative and adrenaline-fueled novel, they all come together in a desperate attempt to escape a lawless labyrinth before the clock runs out.
Dear Reader, Wow - this book was nothing like I was expecting! I think I was anticipating a dystopian future novel, which this often had the feel of - but it was steeped in so much reality (and modernization combined with lack of progress - it's so difficult to explain!) that it was even better because of its strange connections to real life. At first I couldn't place the story in any time period, which actually worked well - but despite much of a traditional Chinese feel, the reader could occasionally see glimpses of cars and electronics which indicated that the time period was more contemporary than the setting usually let on. The story is told from the point of view of three young adults trapped inside the Walled City - which Graudin fictionalized, but which was actually a very real part of Hong Kong for years. Dai, Jin Ling, and Mei Yee are all trapped in different places and in different ways, and the reader gets to watch as their lives all come together at towards suspenseful tipping point. The book is full of the seedy underside of a city - a side which the bigger city largely tries to ignore and keep repressed within its confining walls. The reader travels through brothels and opium dens, noodle houses and trash-filled alleys, following the adventures of the three protagonists - adventures which twist and turn as much as the narrow streets of Hak Nam. I picked this book up when I knew I'd be alone most of Halloween weekend, needing a good diversion, and I found I couldn't put it down! NB: I was lucky to receive this book both as an ebook ARC from Netgalley and win a physical copy (signed by the author, even!) from the Goodreads First Reads program. Thank you to the publisher and suppliers all! Yours, Arianna

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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot David Shafer 4 / 5	Published 2014 First Sentence "The little room was so hot that Leila tried not to move insider her clothing."
Publisher's Description: One of Time Magazine's Ten Best Books of 2014 Selected by NPR, Slate, and Kirkus as one of the Best Books of 2014 Shortlisted for the Pacific Northwest Book Award Three young adults grapple with the usual thirty-something problems--boredom, authenticity, an omnipotent online oligarchy--in David Shafer's darkly comic debut novel. The Committee, an international cabal of industrialists and media barons, is on the verge of privatizing all information. Dear Diary, an idealistic online Underground, stands in the way of that takeover, using radical politics, classic spycraft, and technology that makes Big Data look like dial-up. Into this secret battle stumbles an unlikely trio: Leila Majnoun, a disillusioned non-profit worker; Leo Crane, an unhinged trustafarian; and Mark Deveraux, a phony self-betterment guru who works for the Committee. Leo and Mark were best friends in college, but early adulthood has set them on diverging paths. Growing increasingly disdainful of Mark's platitudes, Leo publishes a withering takedown of his ideas online. But the Committee is reading--and erasing--Leo's words. On the other side of the world, Leila's discoveries about the Committee's far-reaching ambitions threaten to ruin those who are closest to her. In the spirit of William Gibson and Chuck Palahniuk,Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is both a suspenseful global thriller and an emotionally truthful novel about the struggle to change the world in- and outside your head.
Dear Reader, Well, I started and restarted this book a bunch of times, for various reasons. Not because it wasn't good or engaging, just because other things got in the way and I kept having to put it down. (I have a note that I started reading this 10/21/14 - just over a year ago!) But, I am glad I finally stuck through to the end - it was definitely a smart and entertaining romp. The characters were all quite memorable, and I do like how the author starts off with them in entirely disparate settings, only to pull them together through circumstances as the story unfolds. I also enjoyed seeing the characters ultimately redeem themselves, even though most of them started off seeming hopeless. The reader first meets Leila, an idealistic but frustrated NGO worker trying to deliver a Western public health program to Myanmar. Then we get Leo, inheritor of a board game fortune who seems to be squandering his life because his ideals are too big for the world he lives in. Lastly, there is Mark, a Harvard graduate who is certainly squandering his life by coasting on the success of a self help book he sort of wrote. The three seem rather at sea, each in their own ways. That is, until Leila stumbles across something suspicious in the middle of nowhere, and sets everything in motion. The book's global conspiracy was deliciously close-to-home, with the SineCo conglomerate being what I figure was a thinly-veiled version of Google. While they explicitly said they didn't identify as anarchists, the underground group fighting back against worldwide corporate takeover was right up my alley.  And while the specifics of everything were left a bit fuzzy, it did seem that the takeover was a real future possibility - terrifying to contemplate. This techno-thriller feel - along with the characters I actually wanted to see succeed - is what kept me picking up the book. (And on a side note, I did particularly enjoy that I had just been to Portland, OR, so I recognized some of the landmarks mentioned there. That was pretty neat - and wouldn't have happened if I hadn't stretched my reading out quite so long!) Initially, I did not like the open-ended ending (oxymoron?), but I do appreciate why Shafer left things the way he did - it would be almost impossible to write the subsequent story, and it felt kind of like Children of Men, where the reader/watcher is left open to whatever possibility. It could be good, it could be bad - but that's not really the heart of the story. The story is the story, and it's worth the read. Yours, Arianna P.S. I was lucky to receive this as an ARC way back when, from Netgalley. Glad I finally did get around to it!

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The Wicked + The Divine, Vol 1

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol 1: The Faust Act Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie Illustrations: Matt Wilson & Colorist: Clayton Cowles 3/5	Published 2014 First Sentence "And once again, we return to this."
Publisher's Description: Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to create a world where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever. Collects THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #1-5
Dear Reader, This one is going to be short folks, sorry! This comic/graphic novel came under my radar because of a few fellow Goodreads friends. I decided to purchase Volume #1 outright before testing the waters and I'm torn with this decision. On the one hand, this wasn't as fun as I thought it would be (more confusing than anything) but on the other hand, the ending was such a cliffhanger that I want to read more. I'm not sure if the answers I want will be solved in Volume 2 but if they don't start to clear some stuff up... I won't be reading any more volumes. I really don't even know how to describe this one to you. The blurb above does that just about as well as I could. The artwork is cool and grungy and the characters are completely wacky and interesting. The plot? (whatever that might be) is all over the place. Greek Gods coming back every so many years to perform?! Huh?! Are they evil, good, neutral? Who the heck knows. I think I'll check out what some of you think of Volume 2 before I commit. I am intrigued as to how things end up...  Happy Reading, AmberBug

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The Painter

The Painter Peter Heller 2 / 5	Published 2014 First Sentences "I never imagined I would shoot a man. Or be a father. Or live so far from the sea."
Publisher's Description: Peter Heller, the celebrated author of the breakout best seller The Dog Stars, returns with an achingly beautiful, wildly suspenseful second novel about an artist trying to outrun his past. Jim Stegner has seen his share of violence and loss. Years ago he shot a man in a bar. His marriage disintegrated. He grieved the one thing he loved. In the wake of tragedy, Jim, a well-known expressionist painter, abandoned the art scene of Santa Fe to start fresh in the valleys of rural Colorado. Now he spends his days painting and fly-fishing, trying to find a way to live with the dark impulses that sometimes overtake him. He works with a lovely model. His paintings fetch excellent prices. But one afternoon, on a dirt road, Jim comes across a man beating a small horse, and a brutal encounter rips his quiet life wide open. Fleeing Colorado, chased by men set on retribution, Jim returns to New Mexico, tormented by his own relentless conscience. A stunning, savage novel of art and violence, love and grief, The Painter is the story of a man who longs to transcend the shadows in his heart, a man intent on using the losses he has suffered to create a meaningful life.
Dear Reader, Ugh. This just felt like way too much of a “bro” novel to me. Perhaps it resonates with male readers, but I just could not connect in any way to the protagonist. He was this dude (it actually made me feel a bit as if his attitude was modeled after The Dude) who lives to paint and fish. Which is fine with me - I absolutely don’t have to identify with a character’s interests in order to like them! But Jim just was so … smug, and SO full of himself. He thought EVERY SINGLE WOMAN he encountered wanted to jump his bones. Every. One. It was annoying and offensive. I would have liked to have seen him brought down a peg by a woman even just once in this book, but they instead just compliment him and have sex with him, and generally support him in every way. The women in this book are flat characters, with absolutely no real value other than to play the role of backup singer to Jim. (There’s no way this would pass the Bechdel Test!)  I also realize I am not supposed to base my dislike of a book solely on my dislike of a character - but believe me, I am not. This novel felt as if it never moved. And the premise - Jim just murdering this guy because he saw him mistreat a horse this one time?! It felt like such a stretch. (Even for me, a true blue animal lover!) Granted, the author did a bit of explaining why he felt so protective of the filly later in the book, but I could have used that explanation earlier, because I spent most of the book disbelieving Jim’s motivation. Nothing seemed right about this book, or based in reality. And the ending was SO unbelievable and extremely frustrating. I want to discuss that more, but can’t give away the meat of the book, which I believe is the question of whether Jim gets caught for several illegal acts he committed. I don’t believe there was any other real point to this book then whether this smug asshole could somehow slime his way out of the debt he owes society - whether or not the man he murdered deserved it. (I am a fan of vigilantism, too - and I felt as if the Siminow brothers were certainly slimy - but perhaps I just didn't feel as if Jim, the new guy in town, was the person to make that judgment call.) I didn’t take any life lessons away from this book, that is for sure. And I didn’t even really enjoy myself during a lot of the reading! I kept finding myself drifting, having missed the last few minutes of what I’d read...and then realizing I didn’t care.  My favorite things about this book were the artist’s name - it just seems so fitting - and the scene where he did his study of the twin girls for his commissioned painting. That was the only time I saw Jim as being charming and self-effacing enough to redeem his otherwise awful character.  I added this book to my Audible queue a few years ago because it was getting a lot of hype. I am really uncertain about why it did. I was pretty disappointed.  Yours, Arianna

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Cress

Cress The Lunar Chronicles #3 Marissa Meyer 4.5/5	Published 2014 First Sentence "Her satellite made one full orbit around planet Earth every sixteen hours."
Publisher's Description: In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.
Dear Reader, Cress is now my favorite, I know I said that about Scarlet but I really mean it. Watch me get attached to Winter next... the characters AND the books get better and better. The writing is improving and I'm completely invested. I loved the complexity this book has surrounding Cress... having been left alone in a satellite for her whole life, with little contact with anyone. She is so isolated with only a younger version of herself keeping her company as a computer simulation. The journey she goes through in this book is pretty fascinating because we grow with Cress, we get to see what the world looks like from the eyes of someone who has only read about it. What does a forest look like? Water? Animals? How the world opens up... you can only imagine getting a little wigged out. Cress is so much more than that though, she is that computer nerd who thinks in codes, she is that techy girl I love. Now we have Cinder (the mechanic with courage), Scarlet (the brave warrior), and Cress (the geeky, odd computer genius)... fantastic cast of characters if you ask me. I love that any teenage girl reading this series will be able to connect with one of them and relate to their personality. I'm completely digging the girl power of this series, you can't deny that the heroes of this story are the females. This is not to say that I would consider this a book only for girls, absolutely not! The sci-fi aspect will really appeal to anyone and the otherworldly fantasy element is perfect for anyone willing to escape to a different world. I can't help feeling that not only is Meyer improving in her writing but the story is flying by smoother. These open endings are killing me, I've caught up (other than the next inbetween book 'Fairest') and now I don't want to wait until November! The torture... I hardly ever get addicted to series like this, but I'll admit, this one has me. I'm patiently (NOT) waiting for "Winter" to come out now. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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Goodbye Stranger

Goodbye Stranger Rebecca Stead 3.5 / 5	Published August 4, 2015 First Sentence "When she was eight years old, Bridget Barsamian woke up in a hospital, where a doctor told her she shouldn't be alive."
Publisher's Description: Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games--or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade?  This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl--as a friend?  On Valentine's Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight?
Dear Reader, This is another one of those books I wish had been around when I was young. I really enjoyed it, and it was pretty unique. The story was the linear tale of a trio of girls growing into adolescence, but interspersed occasionally with an odd storyline told from the second person perspective: there is a little bit of a mystery thrown in. The reader begins to understand how the two stories are related as the book continues on, but I have to admit I was surprised by the reveal at the end! The book is a great introduction for young girls into the scary world of the teenage years. The group of three girls couldn’t be more different, and these contrasts are emphasized as they grow up. One loves to wear cat ears 24/7 and is becoming interested in theater tech. Another has a Hindu background and is learning to embrace feminism. And the third is blossoming into a beautiful young woman and hanging out with older girls (and boys). The three have made a pact from the beginning that they would never fight, but those promises become strained as they try to find their way forwards, while everyone grows up. The book explores how people and friendships change, and how it is okay to realize that sometimes you grow apart from people, and it’s not the end of the world. The way the author handles it, making it sound like a normal part of life, might help young adults as they struggle through similar situations.  This is the first time I’d also encountered any book address sexting, and I thought it was so well done. Nothing scandalous, but enough of a scare that it might teach young readers about the potential dangers of the activity and the idea that nothing you send digitally is private. A great lesson to impress upon people at a young age! Overall, I thought the characters were all great & unique, and I even learned something about a Hindu holiday that I had never even heard of before (I love when I get to learn something completely new from a book, any book!). I will most likely be passing my copy on to my sisters for when my nieces are old enough to appreciate it; maybe I’m just an out of touch old person, but I think it has potentially strong staying power for a middle-grade audience.  Yours, Arianna P.S. I picked this up at BEA this year and was through it inside of a day - a very quick read!

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Guys Read: True Stories

Guys Read: True Stories Jon Scieszka (Editor) 3.5 / 5	Published 2014 First Sentence "Have you ever imagined what it would be like to grow up in Vietnam during a war, to hunt for tarantulas in the Amazon, to learn how to play the guitar using a wire from an old broom, to almost die canoeing down a wild Alaskan river?"
Publisher's Description: Jon Scieszka's Guys Read anthology series for tweens turns to nonfiction in its fifth volume, True Stories. The fifth installment in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading features ten stories that are 100% amazing, 100% adventurous, 100% unbelievable—and 100% true. A star-studded group of award-winning nonfiction authors and journalists provides something for every reader, all aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Compiled and edited by real-life literature legend Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: True Stories is a mind-blowing collection of essays, biographies, how-to guides, and more, all proving that the truth is most definitely out there. Supports the Common Core State Standards.
Dear Reader, You'll have to take my rating of this book with a grain of salt: I am clearly NOT the intended audience for this book. But, since I had plans to pass it on to my sole nephew for when he grows a little older, I wanted to see what I was handing over! I figured it would be a quick read, and it was. I read the entire book except for the section on tarantulas, which I requested Troy read for me (he kindly did, and agreed it was a good idea for arachnophobic me to have avoided it at all costs). Shelf Notes received copies of this book before last year's BEA, and unfortunately I did not have enough time to read it before our amazing interview with Jon. Our conversation with him quickly turned us into converts over an idea we had been somewhat uncertain about - we wondered why boys needed special books! But the website and book series' dynamic editor explained the founding principles so well that we were sold. (See the interview to understand his motivations!) However, I think it important to point out that I do hope the title also won't deter girls from reading what I think is a great collection of content. The book itself was not something I would have probably gravitated towards when I was younger, "Guys" in the title or not. It took me years to even understand how non-fiction was not always as dry as our school textbooks, and while I usually love a documentary, it often takes a lot to get me to watch one over a fictional movie. So right away I was wary of whatever might be inside. But I really enjoyed the first chapter, which told the story of a shipwreck which left its men stranded in the Sahara - with so little water that they ended up having to drink their own urine to survive! Their daring in betting their lives on rescue was fascinating. (And I loved that there were ties to my home state, as well.) The second piece I read was a "graphic novel" take on the story of a man left for dead in the Wild West, which I also enjoyed (particularly the way it was framed, and the humorous quips throughout).  I was thrilled reading the life story of Muddy Waters and his influence on modern rock n' roll. And the story of Jumbo the elephant was great - having a sister who attended Tufts I knew of his final days, but I had no idea of his storied history before then! The other stories won't stick with me as much: I found myself racing to get through the one about the men fishing and white-water canoeing, although I think it could really resonate with a young kid itching for adventure. Same with the piece on becoming a cartoonist, although I think it teaches a great lesson about how one can find a niche career in a field they love, even if it's not what they expected. I also enjoyed the story of the girl and her many brothers growing up in Vietnam, but I had forgotten it was included in the book until I re-read the table of contents. Same with the piece on the history of dental care, although I do think that would also really appeal to those who love gory medical procedures! The "uni-verses" piece just wasn't my jam, but it was a clever way to teach (and help a kid remember) certain physics concepts. All in all, I think the book will have something to offer everyone - even if they don't take to the entire book - which is the entire point, I believe. The editor wanted a kid to pick up the book, find a piece that interested them, and perhaps look for a book where they could read more - or, if they liked the writing style, they could use the recommended reads section in the back of the book. All in all, I think this was a great project and an excellent collection - and I'd eagerly check out more books in this series! Yours, Arianna

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The Strange Library

The Strange Library Haruki Murakami 3 / 5	Published 2014 First Sentence "The library was even more hushed than usual."
Publisher's Description: From internationally acclaimed author Haruki Murakami—a fantastical illustrated short novel about a boy imprisoned in a nightmarish library. A lonely boy, a mysterious girl, and a tormented sheep man plot their escape from the nightmarish library of internationally acclaimed, best-selling Haruki Murakami's wild imagination.
Dear Reader,  This is a charming little fairy tale of a book. I can't tell if it had a moral to the story (and I very much dislike that it made the protagonist never want to return to his library!), but it was cute and entertaining and very endearing. Pretty much what one might expect from Murakami. I was intrigued by the artwork on almost every facing page in the book - it appeared to illustrate the story, but in a sort of abstract way. A truly beautiful book, though (also entirely what I've come to expect from Chip Kidd). The setup itself is so interesting: the reader folds back vertical cover flaps to get to the story. I found it odd to hold and somewhat difficult to read that way, but the concept was great.  The book is so short that I don't want to speak too much about it for fear of giving away the entire thing! But I encourage anyone to go read it - it'll take you no time at all. I'd suggest it as a bedtime story, but...I worry it might deter children from going to the library ever again! And that is NOT something I want. (I wonder if Murakami had a bad experience in his own local library, and this is his retribution...?) Yours, Arianna

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