Book #28: Bless Me, Ultima

I just realized I hadn't blogged about this book yet, despite the fact that it should have been book #23 or so. I could rearrange the order, but I'm not going to, so here goes. This book was assigned in the online English course I took, which was lovely and fun not really at all, which I took about eight or so months procrastinating on. Talk about hardcore subconscious awesomeness.

So I finally read it, which was rather like pulling teeth, but I did it and I don't want to talk about it anymore because ahhhh help I don't know. I just don't want to. It existed. I wrote an essay on it. Great fun, I assure you.

Book #27: Best Foot Forward

Let me tell you a story. When I was about eleven or twelve years old I visited my grandparents in their summer home in Colorado, which was very boring la la la awesome, and one day my grandma gave me a book she'd gotten at a garage sale. This book was Rules of the Road, which I read and loved et cetera.

Fast forward five or so years and I find that there is a sequel to the book I find a bit iconic of my childhood (in that I liked it and... things). No pressure or anything.

So I finally got around to reading the sequel, Best Foot Forward, and I have to say that while I liked it, I was a bit disappointed. Maybe this is typical of something like this, something with Expectations, but I suppose it is still a valid feeling. Much like book #26, I enjoyed many parts of it. I loved Mrs. Gladstone and Murray, but everyone else just confused me, including the main character. I think this may have something to do with my not having reread it in a while, but Jenna's obsession with [insert name of person who she knew for a week in previous book and had a big impact on her life] confused me. Also, the whole Tanner dynamic, then OH I LIKE THIS DUDE SORT OF, confused me.

This is all probably to do with the fact that I haven't reread the previous book in a long time, as well as it being more of a book for middle grade readers, and that I loved Rules of the Road so much when I was younger. But anyway. This may have been confusing, but that's how I felt when reading it. I didn't quite know what was going on.

Book #26: Lock and Key

Lock and Key felt very different to me in comparison to Dessen's other works. Maybe that's because it is rather different, though. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it caught me off guard a little.

Still, and maybe because of this, I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. I enjoyed pieces of it, I know, and I think the minor characters made the book for me. It was also very weird to read this book, almost a bit surreal, because I wear a key on a chain as well. Talk about deja vu.

I didn't not like it, if that counts for anything.

"Do you even realize how happy the average teenage girl would be in your shoes? I have a credit card. We're at the mall. I want to buy you things. It's like adolescent nirvana." (342)

Book #25: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is completely amazing. It. Just. Is. So. Much.

I understood so many pieces of the characters. From o.w.g.'s hurt regarding his friendship with Tiny Cooper to w.g. feeling as if everyone else has it easier than him, like no one can truly understand. Also, Tiny Cooper was just pretty awesome, despite his flaws. His character was beautiful.

In the case of o.w.g. and Jane I particularly related to the discussion/metaphorical actuality/whatever it was regarding Schroedinger's Cat. The idea was, if they opened the box with the cat in it (their relationship), would they (the physicists) find it to be dead? Should they risk opening the box, if it might be dead?

So, um, to explain this better: there's this boy. Yeah. So I was wondering the same thing at the time, but all is wonderful now.

i feel like my life is so scattered right now. like it's all these small pieces of paper and someone's turned on the fan. but talking to you makes me feel like the fan's been turned off for a little bit. like things could actually make sense. you completely unscatter me, and i appreciate that so much. (37)

Book #24: Anything Considered

I loved Anything Considered. It isn't something I would typically consider reading, but the style is just lovely, very light and funny and interesting. The settings, too, are interesting.

This book is just so well written that even when the situations become increasingly ridiculous and nearly impossible, it is still believable. Very fun read.

Also, the order of monks were hilarious. Oh dear.

Unattached Englishman -- Mid thirties, personable, fluent French, seeks interesting and unusual work, preferably in the AIX/Avignon Area. Anything considered except marriage. (20)

Book #23: Little Bee

I was drawn to this book, Little Bee, after reading a few pages and the inside flap. There were some beautiful parts, and the style felt very different and stark, and I liked it... mostly.

My problem may be that I lack an understanding of the conflict, but in theory this shouldn't be a problem, because I believe the author wrote it to raise awareness. But maybe so.

The ending was very, very perplexing. So I don't know.

Book #22: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, though I had heard it was good. I put it on hold at my school library twice before I got around to it, but when I did I was glad. The next few posts may be a little lame, as I've been putting off posting for a while, but I read them! Sorry about that.

The storyline of this novel was intriguing. The main character goes to a boarding school, but to me it seemed much more like a college campus (I think I was channeling Gilmore Girls, because I have experience in neither). In any event, it makes for plenty of interesting happenings.

I enjoyed the book in general, but I couldn't understand Matthew's group of friends. Alpha had a lot of funny lines, but I didn't understand him either, and I felt that at the end there was a bit of "Oh, Frankie is insane." She didn't seem insane to me, but who knows. What she did served them all right, I think.

Also, this book gets definite props for mentioning P.G. Wodehouse. Definite win.

Alpha finished eating and pushed his plate to the center of the table. "I would like to assert," he said solemnly, "that if Matthew were an animal he would be a seahorse." (164)

"Let's see, the prize is some sort of certificate of muffin enlightenment, and once you have eight of them you get a medal that proves you are Master of the Muffin. I'm serious. All the Yoga teachers can do six muffins. They do six muffins every morning as a matter of course." (226)