Recent Reads

I've managed to read five more books since my last reading update. So here is a quick description of the fiction that has been provided recent amusement.

Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga - This is a sequel to The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl, which I read like three years ago. The fact that it took me several years to get around to reading the sequel is perhaps an indication that while I like Lyga's writing, I'm not a huge fan-girl. I enjoyed this book about as much as I enjoyed the first one, so if you have read and enjoyed Fan Boy and Goth Girl, then this sequel is worth reading. My favorite part of this book: Instead of keeping a diary like most girls do, Kyra regularly pens her most intimate feeling in letters that she sends to Neil Gaiman. You've got to love a chapter that starts, Dear Neil.

Crossed by Ally Condie - This is the sequel to Matched. 3 of the 5 books in my last recent reads list were sequels and 4 of the 5 in todays list are, so I must be on some kind of a series kick. I enjoyed Crossed but didn't like it quite as much as Matched. I'm not sure if my problem was simply that this is the second book in a trilogy so it fell into the standard middle book slump, but it felt like nothing significant was accomplished in the story. I will likely still read the third book when it comes out, but I definitely wasn't as impressed with this installment as I was with Matched.

Bestest Ramadan Ever by Media Sharif - I've enjoyed Media's blog for years, so I was excited to read her debut novel. I like to think of myself as a relatively open minded person, but I still have a very limited knowledge/understanding of Islam. So I found this book about a Muslim American teenager trying to balance her families beliefs with all the drama that being an American teen entails both entertaining and enlightening. This is the only non-sequel in today's line up, but I will admit that if/when Media writes another book I'll be excited to read it.

Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore - This is the third book in the Seven Kingdoms series (Graceling is the first). Graceling is probably my favorite fantasy, ranking even higher than Lord of the Rings. And Bitterblue did not disappoint. After finishing this book the only thing I can think is "I hope Kristen Cashore writes a fourth book?" I cannot recommend this book enough, except that you really do need to read Graceling and Fire first. So I guess I just can't recommend the entire Seven Kingdoms series enough.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth - This is the sequel to Divergent. Unlike Crossed, this book did not let me down. Divergent is one of my favorite YA dystopias, probably second only to Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Insurgent was the prefect second book. It moved the story forward and ended with enough of a cliff hanger to make me eager to read book three, but it also had a firm beginning middle and end all its own. If you like dystopia, I would recommend Divergent/Insurgent above Matched/Crossed, and I would definitely recommend it above The Hunger Games.

 

What about you? What books have you been reading lately?