May 2018 Wrap Up!

We started the month of May off with two weeks of stressing over finals, but ended the month excited for summer and time off to read! Here's what we read to start off our summers!

Annalise:

In May I read 8.5 books. I read: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, the novella We Can Be Mended by Veronica Roth, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff, Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi, The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness, and Obsidio by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff.

I Am Malala: I listened to this book over the span of about two months at school. Not only is Malala's story inspirational, it was also fascinating to hear about. She covers a lot of information (the audiobook is 10+ hours), but all of it relevant and able to broaden perspectives about different area's of Pakistan's culture. I have had this memoir on my shelves sophomore year, and to think it has taken me this long is a bit embarrassing. But audiobooking, for me, was all the difference with this one. It felt more personable and like I was having a one-on-one conversation with Malala as I learned about her, her life, her passions, and her goals. To say that this story is a must-read is an understatement. It had a similar impact on me as Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi did: one of intense empathy paired with the captivation of hearing the story of someone doing something so inspiring. I gave this book a 4/5 stars.

The Knife of Never Letting Go: This novel was funny, engrossing, fast-paced, and fascinating - and I loved it. I always adore Patrick Ness's novels, they have a way of grabbing you and pulling you in. This one delivers in a similar manner. Not only was Todd a great main character, all the other characters blend in a way that is tension-producing, something that made this novel move. I will be uploading a full review of the trilogy if you want to hear more of my thoughts soon, so check back! I gave this book a 4/5 stars.

A Court of Frost and Starlight: I am a sucker for the ACOTAR series, and this book was a perfect reprieve from life. This book did a lot of little things to bridge the gap between the original ACOTAR trilogy and the spin-offs to come. While there was no intense battles, lives to be saved, or otherwise - it updated us on what has been going on and how each of these characters have progressed (or digressed) since the Battle. It was, in a way, mostly fluff. But there was something really spectacular about that. It didn't ever feel like I was reading the novel for no reason, which is something that I tend to reject. I especially loved seeing what has transformed between Cassian and Nesta (both of which we get new perspectives from). If you loved the ACOTAR trilogy and are at all hesitant to pick this "novella" up, then I say do it. It doesn't hinder the original series, and it is a more lighthearted read that fits in with the mood of summer (despite its winter setting). I gave this book a 4.25/5 stars.

We Can Be Mended: Veronica Roth released this short story alongside her newly released series Carve the Mark. Because this was a short story, I am not including it on my book goal for the year, but writing about it here because I do have some thoughts on it that I want to share. Also, just be aware that there are some spoilers for the Divergent trilogy and for We Can Be Mended in this review. First of all, this short story takes place five years after the end of the last book: Allegiant. While I was curious to see what had transpired in Chicago in this universe, and see what has become of Four, I still felt like maybe Roth should have kept her ending where it was. It did raise some interesting questions for me, especially my fascination with the idea that book characters keep living their lives even after we put the book down - but I felt as though this story didn't fulfill anything for me. For me, this epilogue did make points that I found interesting - especially that of Four being allowed to move on and be with other people. Especially in books, there is very rarely a fast-forward that includes the protagonist with another significant other, if they're first one is dead. To see Four end up with Christina felt like an intentional jab at the reader's emotions, and didn't spark anything inside of me. It also didn't make any sense to me. Throughout the entirety of the trilogy, Four and Christina weren't friends. They didn't have any emotional connection, didn't care about each other, they're only common interest was Tris, and honestly, they kind of hated each other in a polite way. To then see this relationship take a complete 180, was truly upsetting to me. Not only that, but if Four was really trying to move on, I think that Christina - someone who reminds him of his past - was a bad choice. I would've liked to have seen him meet someone new, if I wanted to see any of this at all. This novella was completely unnecessary to the trilogy and a horrible final "conclusion" to it. I feel like it was written to trap readers into buying her newer books. Overall, I am just going to forget that this was even a thing. What a disappointment. I gave this novella a 1/5 stars.

Never Let Me Go: This book was weird. And not what I was expecting. And kind of confusing. But it was good. I was expecting something totally different from this story, and I think that was part of what made it a bit of a let down for me. The character of Ruth was really hard to read about because she was manipulative and generally just unlikable. Kathy was annoying at times, and just fine at others. Tommy was the only dynamic character to me. But even he was lacking. The writing was simply and easy to understand, and what I got from the concept - or perhaps what I could dredge out from all that was never flat out said and only ever alluded to - it was haunting and different. I can understand why the book is looked at as a marvel, the idea of donors and carers is something I've never really seen in a book. This book was a different experience, and I think my expectations for something more magical, at a British boarding school setting really made it difficult to get through this one. That being said, the pace of the last 100 pages or so was really well done. It was quick, and when I really felt the suspense of the story. I gave this book a 2.75-3/5 stars.

Gemina: I read Illuminae last April, and for some reason opted to never continue on. I had heard somewhere that Gemina was slower that it's predecessor and it wasn't as good, so I just never read it. This book was even better than the first. I like the characters so much more, the intensity seemed to be ramped up to ultra-stakes, and there was a mind-blowing twist at the end. I forgot that I have a tendency to like the second book in a trilogy better than the other two - Gemina was no exception. I felt that Kaufman and Kristoff really ramped up the tension and the suspense, and the pacing was snappy and genuinely heart racing. The relationship between Hanna and Nik was playful and funny, I liked it better than that between Kady and Ezra (even though I liked them too). [*Major spoilers for both Illuminae and Gemina until closed bracket* When Ezra "died" in Illuminae, I really didn't feel that much emotion for Kady or himself, it was like a passing moment in the story, nor was I that heart warmed when he was revealed to be alive. In Gemina, however, when Nik "died", I could feel the tears coming.] I just felt more emotionally connected to Hanna and Nik, and I agreed with their personalities better. Not to mention Ella, who really added a great flavor to the story. That being said, the formatting of messaging between the three was really special. So were the illustrations that we saw from Hanna's diary. This book also was very humorous. Despite all the death and destruction, the authors kept some humor which really made reading this a joy. I gave this book a 4.75/5.

Emergency Contact: I made the mistake of looking up reviews of this novel before picking it up. They were half and half - people seemed to either love it, or hated it. I was, luckily, on the former side, but it did take a little convincing. I think I read this book at the right time in my life. I just finished my first year of college, living away from home, and am the same major as Penny is. While there were some disconnects between me and this book, which I will go into, I really liked the characters, the idea, the texting, and the cuteness. My major problems with it were that I didn't understand Penny's struggle with her mom; I understood why Penny thought it was such a big deal, but I just couldn't agree with her. Also, the whole *spoiler* pregnancy thing with Sam and his ex was just confusing to me. I thought it was explained off too quickly, and really didn't make sense to me. Lastly, it seemed to end pretty abruptly. I blame this partly on the fact that I was reading it on Libby, but I was very surprised when I turned the last page to find "Acknowledgments". The end just didn't totally seem like an end to me. Otherwise, it was a genuinely cute story. I liked that it focused so much on family and friends, before romance. While it was a story about to people falling in love, it was about two people who both had lives that were rocky, and needed to support to help get their stability. Emergency Contact is a perfect summer read, taking place in the heat of Austin, with adorableness coming from every page. I gave this book a 4/5 stars.

The Ask and the Answer: My plan was to finish this trilogy in the month of May, and I came up a book short, but this was a great second book to the Chaos Walking trilogy. This book focused more on the beginnings of war, but really included some interesting ideas. I loved the gendered tensions, I thought that it was really fascinating to see in a fantasy world that so heavily plays with the concepts of men and women. I also loved Todd's character development. He was dynamic in the first book, but in this book his character is much more complex. That being said, I also liked to see from Viola's point of view. Ness takes risks, which is one of the reasons that I love his stories so much. After I read the final book, I will have a full review with all of my thoughts and feelings, so check back here if you are interested in more of my thoughts. I gave this book a 4.25/5 stars.

Obsidio: It was my goal to finish off this trilogy this month and I succeeded. After my success with Gemina, I wanted to move on to the concluding novel in this trilogy ASAP. Unfortunately, I did not like this novel as much as the others. For me, the pacing was slower, the stakes were high, but I just wasn't as interested. The two new characters that we followed weren't as interesting to me as Hanna and Nik, but they were still enjoyable to read from. One of the great things about this series is the way that it is told. The formatting is creative, but also helps keep the pacing fast. In this novel specifically, there were a lot of video footage type-ups, which meant that there was a lot of typical paragraph formatted sections. This really slowed the book down for me. While they're were some interesting twists and turns, the thing with the parachute was way to predictable for me (maybe intentionally predictable?), and I didn't feel like there was a big reveal like the one we saw in Gemina. In fact, while the ending was nice and hopeful, I would've actually liked to see one of the main characters die. I just feel like there is a tendency for everyone to stay alive and be happy, and it's all fine. While it wasn't all fine, I felt like there was a bit of an emotional disconnect at the end, but that might just be my need for something really impactful to happen. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book, I love to read about quirky AIDEN and to see some of my favorite characters again. I gave this book a 3.75-4/5.

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Ellie:

This month, I read 11 books, but I'm only counting 10 of them for my yearly count because one of them, Tiger's Curse, I only read snippets of, as it was a reread from my childhood!

Dear Ijeawele (or, a Feminist Manifesto in 15 Suggestions) by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: After reading We Should All Be Feminists and Purple Hibiscus, I knew I needed to read everything I could by Adichie, so when Annalise read this short letter last month, I borrowed it from Libby as soon as I could! This letter from Adichie, to a friend who had just had a daughter, explores how to raise children as feminists, in such a beautiful way. To hear a little more about this, check out our April wrap up! 4.5/5 stars.

Meet Cute by a variety of authors: This collection of short, romance stories is reminiscent of Summer Days and Summer Nights, and focuses on the moments when relationships start. These stories are adorable and full of wonderful blossoming relationships, and I think they were the perfect start-of-summer read! There were, however; two or three stories that did not seem romance based. There was one, in particular, where the "romance"didn't start until the last page-and the only 'romantic' interaction was an introduction. So that one was a little bit of a let-down, but the other stories made up for it. 3.75/5 stars.

History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera: This novel follows Griffin through Then (his blossoming relationship with Theo, his longtime friend, and their adventures) and Now (his struggles with Theo's death and his interactions with Theo's current boyfriend). In the Then chapters, we fall in love while watching Theo and Griffin fall in love, and we watch their relationship progress, progress, and fall apart. In the Now chapters, Griffin interacts with Jackson, Theo's boyfriend at the time of his death. They relate with each other in their grief, and find themselves latching onto each other's memories. The Then and Now finally meet up, and there's so many twists and turns that leave you wondering how everything will end. This is the first thing I've ever read by Adam Silvera, and his writing was so well done that I'm excited to read more! 3.75/5 stars.

For One More Day by Mitch Albom: We all know that I'm obsessed with Mitch Albom, so when I got this book for my birthday, I immediately picked it up! This short novel follows Charley, a retired baseball player who is having a rough couple of days-or years, to be honest. He takes the reader through his attempted suicide, and how, while unconscious, he gets to talk to his mother-who has been dead for years. Talking with his mom, and discussing his past, Charley realizes a lot about his life. We get to hear stories from his childhood, and there are snippets of notes his mom left him, times she stood up for him, and times Charley didn't stand up for his mom. Like all of Mitch Albom's novels, this novel made my heart swell and made me reflect on my own life. 4.5/5 stars.

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck: So, in seventh or eighth grade, I read Tiger's Curse for my middle school summer reading. This series has 5 novels, and when I read this series the first time, only 3 books had come out. I later read the fourth novel, but never knew the 5th one existed (So I was very happy and surprised when I found that out today!). This first novel is full of beautiful backstory and a gorgeous developing teenager relationship that deals with more than most teenager relationships deal with. Seriously, this might've been the first fantasy series besides Harry Potter that I ever read, and it was beautifully written then and I loved rereading it now! 3.5/5 stars.

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli: I, honestly, wanted to read this book because I want to see the movie (horrible, I know). BUT it did meet my expectations! It was cute and thought provoking, and I think it is exactly what the world needs right now. It is honest and real, and that is what makes it unique. Simon is a lovable teenager, who is struggling with the idea of coming out to his friends and family. After seeing a coming-out post on the school's tumblr, Simon sparks a conversation with someone who signs his emails 'Blue'. They communicate for months, but trouble strikes in paradise when Simon is outed online-without his permission. The novel only gets better from there, and my heart was invested with Simon and his life, 100 percent. I'm excited to see the movie, and I can't wait to read The Upside of Unrequited and Leah on the Off Beat! 4/5 stars.

Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi: I think this is the hyped up book of the summer! I've been hearing about it for weeks on end, so when the wait list on Libby was only two weeks, I put a hold on it and read it in two days! This novel alternates perspective every other chapter, between Penny and Sam. Penny is a freshman in college, and Sam is a 21-year old who works at a bakery and takes one class at community college: documentaries 101. The two are an interesting pair, as Sam is Penny's roommate's ex-uncle. (Confusing, I know). Jude (Penny's roommate) has one rule: do not date Sam. However; when Penny and Sam spend an event-filled afternoon together, they become each other's "emergency contacts". They start a texting friendship, and things go from there! I had heard some bad reviews for this, so I went into it a little wary. It started off slow, as the two didn't text until chapter 10. After that, though, the pace definitely picked up! I ended up liking this story, and I think that the hype is well-deserved. 3.75/5 stars.

The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One by Amanda Lovelace: This collection of poetry was the long-anticipated sequel to The Princess Saves Herself in This One, and it exceeded my expectations. Lovelace tackled eating disorders, rape culture, and mental illness in her first poetry collection, and this collection tackled abuse, violence, and the idea that women are not fires that need to be put out (preach). One thing I love about these two collections are the dedications: the first's is a dedication to Harry Potter, and this collection's is a dedication to Katniss Everdeen. This 'thank-you' to works that inspired Lovelace is so adorable and connects to each and every reader, I'm sure. I think my only issues with it stemmed from my lack of experience with a lot of the things discussed, but I could find the beauty and the pain through Lovelace's writing. This poetry will encourage you to be as strong as you can, and I recommend it to anyone who loves poetry! 3.5/5 stars.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and other concerns) and Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling: Fans of The Office, The Mindy Project, and memoirs by comedians, actresses, and Jenny Lawson: these books are for you! Kaling discusses her childhood, her surprisingly successful one-act play she wrote with her college roommate, her time writing The Office and The Mindy Project, the times she's met President Obama, and just many tales from her life. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to hear her read them so I listened to the audiobooks after reading the physical copies. She is hysterical and relatable, and shows off her humor and charm in these memoirs. Mindy Kaling's memoirs are definitely now up there in my list of favorites, right next to Jenny Lawson's! I highly HIGHLY recommend them! 4.75/5 stars

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan: I know it took me forever to read this book, but I'm so happy I finally did! This novel, written in alternating chapters, follows two boys named Will Grayson, as they learn to love and live as high school boys experiencing a lot of other dramas (and no, they do not fall in love with each other, though that would've been cool and probably very confusing). The supporting cast of characters are all so well-developed, and I wish we could learn more and more about them. I also would appreciate if John Green and David Levithan could write more books together, because it was so good! I did have some issues with not being able to tell that the chapters were alternating viewpoints, as the two boys were similar, and I was reading it on my phone, so I missed that point at first hahaha. BUT I figured it out and loved where the story went from there! 3.75/5 stars.

#MonthlyWrapUp