Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Published by Philomel Books; March 22, 2011

Hardcover, 344 pages

Borrowed from library

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

- Description from Goodreads.com

I'm a sucker for historical fictions and so I was ecstatic when my quasi-book club picked this for this summer's read. I have close to no knowledge about Stalin and the Soviet Union so I was really excited to learn something. This book was not only educational, it was enjoyable.

Ruta Sepetys' writing in Between Shades of Gray is incredibly detailed, almost as if she were retelling the story as it happened to her. This made it easy for me to understand, even just a little, what the deportees were going through. I give kudos to her for being able to include so many different scenarios that the deportees had to face during such a grim period. She really showed the reader a vast range of the outcomes the people under Stalin's rule faced without straying too far from the central storyline.

Lina's flashbacks were another thing I liked about this book. They provided great background to Lina's story that we wouldn't have otherwise been able to learn. The flashbacks also helped build up Lina's character. As you read on, your understanding of her grows. By the end, I was totally hooked by her and I didn't want her story to end.

There's no doubt that Ruta Sepetys is a master storyteller. Between Shades of Gray was wonderfully crafted and yet, for me, I just wasn't feeling it. Something about the book came a bit short for me. But even so, I don't have to hesitate to claim this is one of my favourite historical fictions ever.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Published by St. Martin's Press; February 26, 2013
Hardcover, 325
Borrowed from library

"Bono met his wife in high school," Park says.
"So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be," she says, "we’re sixteen."
"What about Romeo and Juliet?"
"Shallow, confused, then dead."
''I love you," Park says.
"Wherefore art thou," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be."

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

- Description from Goodreads.com

Describing this book is hard. Really hard. Because Eleanor & Park is way more than just your average story of friendship and love. It's way more than your average story about broken teens searching to be repaired. It's way more than the words I'm typing now. I don't think it's the best book ever, or that it lives up to all the five-star reviews and hype that it gets, but I certainly agree with anyone who says that Rainbow Rowell is a damn good writer. The words just flow so naturally in this book, and I feel like in order to do justice to how well-written this book was, I'd have to match Rainbow's fluidity. Which I obviously can't. But I'll try.

The thing I liked the most about this book was that it wasn't a love story. No, it's a story about  people finding love. And I love Rainbow for writing it in the most organic, natural way ever. I loved seeing how their relationship progressed. In no way did it feel fake or plastic. On the contrary, it felt so real that Eleanor and Park seemed to pop up from the book. They tugged at my heart and tugged and tugged until I had to cry. Because there is so much going against these two. It's as if the universe just totally does not want them together when for some odd reason, they are meant to be. At times, the problems Eleanor was facing seemed too overpowering and a bit flimsy. I'm not saying that it's impossible for someone to go through everything Eleanor was going through all at once. I just think that it was a bit overdone. 

I'll try to leave this short and sweet because I seriously think you should read this book to figure out for yourself how good this book is. But before I leave you I'd just like to say, if you are a crier, this book will make you BAWL. I'm no crier, but I was practically on the verge of tears the entire time. Eleanor and Park fit so perfectly together that whenever they're not together, it's the most aggravating thing ever. But at the end, you'll love Rainbow for making you feel so much. :)

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Published by Little, Brown and Company; August 14, 2012
Hardcover, 330 pages
Bought

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle—and people in general—has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence—creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.

- Description from Goodreads.com

There we go! The first adult novel reviewed on Random Reads and another book I read for my book club. I must say though, that this was a hilarious book. I found myself chuckling at many spots (once I understood it was supposed to be sarcastic and satirical) and highlighting quotes. If you're one of those people who don't like making notes or dog-earing pages in books, like me, get this book on an eReader because I guarantee there will be pages in here you'll want to remember.

Now, one thing that threw me off when I first started reading was the layout of the book. Bee, daughter of Bernadette is the narrator, but she doesn't narrate much until you reach the end. The majority of the book is made up of letters, and texts, articles, and documents which tell the story. If there are any holes to be filled, Bee fills them with her witty and funny story telling. However, I felt that because the majority of the story was told through documents, it was a tough transition for me when Bee started to take over completely. I mean, she's only popped up a handful of times! I technically don't even know who this girl is! 

This is more or less what my feelings were towards the other characters. They were basically no-face unknowns. I didn't have much information on them, and they all seemed very annoying. I did not relate or connect to any of them, especially Bernadette. Am I supposed to worry that she's gone? Am I supposed to feel for Elgie and Bee? Because seriously, I don't think I would be able to do that for my life. 

Next point, Bernadette's disappearance which was the worst thing in this book. It's what the whole book is based on, but to me, it wasn't emphasized much. Half the time, I totally forgot that Bernadette was even missing. There was just way too much information leading up to the climax and much of it was unnecessary. It did not add to the plot in any way, merely giving us more than enough information on Bernadette's wacky ways. Also, I didn't really feel that Bee found her mother. It was more of a like Aha! moment because it was pretty clear where she went. The whole idea was why she went, right? The documents did not help Bee to find her mom at all, they were just explanation. And explanation. And more explanation. 

Will you allow me to disagree with the Goodreads description of this book? It is not touching because I was so disconnected from the characters. I really couldn't have given less of a crap for whether or not Bee hated her dad or Audrey getting her house ruined. It is not compulsively readable, because the only really good thing about this book was the sheer hilariousness and ridiculousness of the book and even that, I find, got boring and overdone. 

I wouldn't say I loved this book, but I wouldn't say I hated it either. The quotes I highlighted were all really funny, and I had eighteen Kobo pages of them. The rest of the book, however, was a bit of a nightmare. It was lacking in cohesiveness and I'm very sad to say this. The story had great potential, but it was poorly executed. On the bright side, I love the cover!

Just Read It! Book Club

Hey guys! It's me, Annie the Book Club Adventurer! I have brought news with me of a fun new book club called Just Read It!

The Deets:

- Just Read It! is hosted by two wonderful bloggers, Lexi and Bailey.

- Just Read It! will be reading one YOUNG ADULT book a month.

- You can join any time! You can join this month, or next month, or even in the middle of a month! It's totally up to YOU! Though why wouldn't you join now, when you can?

- You can skip a month if you don't feel up to it. Isn't it so nice to have some freedom?

You can join if...

You are a blogger that reads young adult fiction.

All you need to do is...

1. Post your review/discussion according to the time frame given

2. Follow the guidelines for each month

3. Acquire and read the book

Here's how it works:

The book of the month will be revealed the first day of said month. Towards the middle of the month, a post will be made including discussion questions, suggestions, etc. These are the guidelines for the book! Then, when you have finished reading the book and everything else, you will post your review/discussion during the last week of the month.

This month's book:

So if you are interested and/or want more information, please head over to The Literature Lion or Novel Nerd. 

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers; May 23, 2006

Paperback, 183 pages

Bought

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be—and where the next great band is playing.

Told in alternating chapters, teeming with music references, humor, angst, and endearing side characters, this is a love story you’ll wish were your very own. Working together for the first time, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have combined forces to create a book that is sure to grab readers of all ages and never let them go.

- Description from Goodreads.com

I read Nick and Norah for my book club and it was amazing! I'd been planning on reading it beforehand and I'm so glad that I got to this Rachel and David book last! It was by far the best!

The characters and the settings were so superbly written - it was as if I was there with Nick and Norah! Reading it was so comfortable and because it was so enthralling, I experienced my own type of whirlwind romance...with this book!

Yes, there was a lot of swearing but I think that that made it more real. Teens swear! A LOT! It's completely irrational to think that we don't! And yeah, it was a bit much but this is the reality. And it sucks but that's life. Like I said, the swearing made it more real. The fact that love could thaw these two people so tough and sweary and with so much baggage is unbelievable.

Love. Love. Love. This is an amazing book if you're searching for true love. How love comes about. How love can be expressed. How love is scary. The feelings are so real, it's amazing.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet: Guys, seriously, you have to read this book. I don't care if you hate swearing or whatever, read this book. Now. You will not regret it.