Hardbacks vs. Paperbacks vs. Ebooks?

The book lovers of the world have many choices nowadays, but I will ALWAYS prefer paperback. Maybe I’m crazy but here are my reasons why. Please feel free to share in the comments which type wins for you and why.

Hardback Cons

1. Heavy

2. More expensive

3. Dustcover (Once you lose it, it’s just a boring, bland-looking book. I love the artwork on the covers, and I hate to lose it. Yet, because dustcovers are so awkward to have on while reading, I always take them off and seem to lose them or find them damaged.) :(

4. Easily breakable (Mine always seem to have shitty spines that break. Side note: my friends have recently told me there is a special, rich people way to opening books so this doesn’t happen. This seems counter-intuitive to me. So we are making books that need instructions? That the average reader does not know or have? Whyyyyyyyy?)

Ebook Cons

1. Must be charged

2. Cannot easily flip through to find favorites (Yes, I know you can save or mark your favorites, but it isn’t the same. Oftentimes scenes grow on me after I have read them and continue reading. Grow. As in, it’s not my favorite right then when I freaking need to mark it or else I will need find it ever, ever, again because all the pages look the same and I cannot see where it is in relation to the rest of the book.)

3. Much more of a valuable (People are more likely to steal kindles than books, it seems, and so you have to spend more time making sure it doesn’t get stolen.)

4. Can’t be left in hot or cold places

5. It’s not a real book

6. It’s not a real book

7. It’s not a real book

Paperback Pros

1. It’s a real book

2. It’s durable (If something gets bent, you can put stuff on top of it to fix it. If the whole cover and spine of hardback has been destroyed, that’s a lot harder to fix. As well, how annoying would it be to read an e-reader with a cracked screen or an ebook with a glitch?)

3. Light

4. Can be taken everywhere

5. Cheaper

6. Great cover art

7. Timing (By the time a paperback comes out, you probably know if the book is good or not.)

So what if ebooks are more portable or hardbacks come out first? I will always stay true to my paperbacks…until the next book in The Song of Ice and Fire series comes out…

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Review

Fiction

288 pages

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Grade: B- Must Read

The story of Hannah and Clay is a touching one. I first read it for pleasure and the second time for school. I cried both times, which I think shows some significant skill in a novel, if I might say so myself. I was first interested in the novel for its premise: a boy is sent a set of cassette tapes — recorded by a now dead girl from school — listing the thirteen reasons why she decided to kill herself. While the idea of suicide might drive some people away, I believe this is a sad, emotional story worth reading. This might not be something to own because, hey, I get it — who would want to consistently reread a sad book in order to make it worth the money? — but I do think people do sometimes need a book to remind them how and why to be compassionate and patient with others. The author Asher is smart to not make the other people, the people who made Hannah’s list of reasons, evil or overly dramatic. This book could have easily been unrealistic, preachy, bland, or generic. I believe within the genre he successfully portrayed an emotionally invoking story. I will say that I haven’t read much within this niche — whatever you would call this niche (the dead girl or suicide genre?) — but for one of the few that I have read, it kept my interest, made me emotionally invested, and made me believe in the story. Mind you, I don’t really do contemporary “realistic” books. Real life bores me, normally. So for me to recommend this is a big deal, people. I don’t have much more to say about it really, but if you have the time I would recommend you check it out.

Completion: A

Super easy to read. I finished it in one sitting. During Clay’s narrative, I was sometimes tempted to skim.

Writing/Style: B-

The writing style is very simple, which makes it easy to read but not very memorable on its own. The idea of using dual narratives with Hannah narrating her story on cassette tapes was effective and original.

Characters: B-

I've read this book twice, and although I have been a little dubious of the characters both times, they have inevitably won me over in the end. Clay does come off as a bit bland, and some may say a little too perfect. But, at the end of the day, Clay represents the reader. This is one of the few instances where this truly works. Clay is the average person, the bystander, that could have made a difference, but didn't. He is the narrator but the true focus needs to be on Hannah’s story and the message that everyone had a role to play in her story. Now, at first, Hannah’s vengeful nature didn't seem to ring quite true to someone who committed suicide, but as I read on it became more and more plausible. The author convinces you of it. Hannah is a teenager: angry, sad, confused, hurt, and as we all can be (and probably amplified as a teenager) self-centered. I began to believe that, yeah, there would be a person like Hannah that grows disillusioned with the world, can’t stand to live in it anymore, but still wants to make the people that hurt her pay.

While some may see this novel as suffering from the manic pixie dream girl (a term for a female character that exists only to enlighten the main male character), I believe it proved itself not to. Firstly, Hannah feels like a fully fleshed out character with her own flaws and strengths and invokes emotional empathy/sympathy. Secondly, Clay represents how the reader can make a difference, and as a YA novel, it needs to end on a hopeful note that he might make change in someone else’s life.

Plot/Pacing: B-

The mystery kept the pace moving forward and I was engrossed by Hannah’s story. I will note that the story always slowed slightly when it returned to Clay. As well, I felt Hannah’s reasons were very fitting because they operated on different levels to create a snowball effect (but when I read this for class, there were several people who didn't agree with me on this). It shows how the small things matter, especially when you are teenager absorbed in the present.

World-Building/Atmosphere: C

There are some conveniences to be sure, but overall the building of this town was satisfactory. I didn't really feel like I was there, but I understood what was going on and where things were at.

Sub-genres (Romance, Humor, Mystery, etc.): B

The mystery of Hannah’s suicide drives the reader just as much as the main character Clay. There is little in the realm of romance or humor, but instead the bittersweet of what could have been.

Question Time!

1. What sad or emotional book do you connect with?

2. If sad or emotional books are your thing, any that you would recommend?

The Kiss by Kathryn Harrison Review

Memoir

207 pages

New York Times Bestseller

We meet at airports. We meet in cities where we've never been before. We meet where no one will recognize us.

A "man of God" is how someone described my father to me. I don 't remember who. Not my mother. I'm young enough that I take the words to mean he has magical properties and that he is good, better than other people.

With his hand under my chin, my father draws my face toward his own. He touches his lips to mine. I stiffen.

I am frightened by the kiss. I know it wrong, and its wrongness is what lets me know, too, that it is a secret.

Grade: A-  Get thee to a bookstore!/Must Read

This is a dark, dark book. I will give a warning that it is probably not for the young or extremely sensitive, but I leave that at your discretion. This was a brilliant recommendation by my Creative Nonfiction teacher. This memoir is so dark, sensitive, beautiful, and insightful. In my eyes, the perfect combination. There is a glimmer of hope and beauty in a true story like this where someone rises from such darkness. Harrison’s writing is immediately engrossing, and my heart aches just as much at the context of each sentence as the sentence itself. Her words punch you in the gut and stay with you for days. I needed the ending and the relief of her closing lines and was amazed with myself on just how much I needed it. It was if I was holding my breath underwater the whole way through reading of it. I wiggled, I squirmed, I cried.

Due to the material, there will be some people who will never read this. And that’s okay. Also, while for me it was good enough to own, for some people it might be too dark to read more than once. Harrison opens up her life and soul in this piece which had me turning each page in a trance. I admire her bravery in telling her story and the skill of her telling demands this book to be read.

Completion: A+

I couldn't not finish this book. Just knowing what it was about made it impossible for me to not know how it ended. The memoir was so easy to read and accessible that I read it in one sitting.

Writing/Style: A+

For such difficult, unimaginable content, Harrison handles it with such grace and beauty in her language. She knows just how to angle the camera so to speak and she reveals just enough on that cautious line between tragically vivid and horrifically indigestible. She knows at what moments to give detail and at what points to look away.

Characters: A-

I hate her family. I HATE her dad. Although, that’s probably a given. I am amazed at her ability to distance herself in order to flesh out her family and the depth of their characters. I felt like I understood them (to an extent) because they were presented with all of the complexities and contradictions that real people have. 

Plot/Pacing: B+

For some, the content will be too much and I don’t blame them. For those who can get past it, the structure of the memoir goes back and forth in time to show the full picture of Harrison’s relationship with her family and her incestuous relationship with her father. However, I do feel personally that the back and forth did not do much for me other than slow down the natural chronological progression of the story.

World-Building/Atmosphere: A-

The atmosphere is intense. I would not recommend reading this in one sitting like I did. Harrison is a little too good in making everything feel real and vivid.

Sub-genres (Romance, Humor, Mystery, etc.): B+

This memoir does not have much in the way of sub-genres. That is partly why it is so hard to read because there is not much to take your mind off the horrible and disgusting reality of what this father did to his daughter. There is not really any humor or romance or mystery. Normally, I love how sub-genres can take a book to the next level; and yet, this book doesn't really need any of that.

Question Time!

1. Does this sound like a book for you?

2. What books, if any, have you read that could be labeled dark?

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson Review

Memoir

363 pages

New York Times Bestseller

Jenny Lawson realized that the most mortifying moments of our lives—the ones we’d like to pretend never happened—are in fact the ones that define us. In the #1 New York Times bestseller, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson takes readers on a hilarious journey recalling her bizarre upbringing in rural Texas, her devastatingly awkward high school years, and her relationship with her long-suffering husband, Victor. Chapters include: “Stanley the Magical, Talking Squirrel”; “A Series of Angry Post-It Notes to My Husband”; “My Vagina Is Fine. Thanks for Asking”; “And Then I Snuck a Dead Cuban Alligator on an Airplane.” Pictures with captions (no one would believe these things without proof) accompany the text.

Grade: A-  Get thee to a bookstore!

Stop. Like seriously stop reading. Get this book. Like NOW, people! Move it, move it!

Still here? I guess you want to know why I recommend it? Well, okay, I’ll try not to rave too much about it.

The equation goes like this humor + bizarre true stories = literary cocaine. No, seriously, it’s true. The problem with reviewing a book like this is humor is hard to explain and quantify, and I don’t want to take the surprise out of the weird stories. I guess the best indicator is the chapter titles with such classics as “Thanks for the Zombies, Jesus” and “It Wasn't Even My Crack”. Sounds like fun, right? Or maybe I should start with her thank-you bit which reads:

I want to thank everyone who helped me create this book, except for that guy who yelled at me in Kmart when I was eight because he thought I was being “too rowdy”.

You’re an asshole, sir.

If those tidbits don’t sound like your cup of tea, I would recommend you still read this book. For my Creative Nonfiction class I had to read the chapter called “Jenkins, You Motherfucker”, and I was hooked. (Now that I've written that down it does sound really weird, but just trust me — this random stranger on the internet telling you what to do — it’s really good.) Plus, my one friend who’s picky about everything liked it so that totally means you will too. (To my picky friend: you know it’s true. Besides, I’m trying to persuade people here so I had to mention that a picky person liked it. That’s as close as I can give to a guarantee to the five random people who are going to read this.)

So, all in all, why are you still here? Go read it!

Completion: A+

Read all the things. Even the introduction. Even the chapter titles. Even the bonus chapter. It is all amazing.

Writing/Style: B+

Her style matched her humor perfectly. Sometimes I cracked up so hard I had to stop for a moment.

Characters: A-

Now, in this case, her characters are real people. I feel like I know so much about her and her family. I’m worried about her father and his craziness. I admire how good-natured her husband is. I love how Lawson unabashedly shares her quirks, loves, problems, sadness, and happiness with the world.

Plot/Pacing: B+

When you buy this book, you are really buying Jenny Lawson. Her stories are wonderful, but she as a narrator seems to become the story all to herself. She consistently goes off on tangents and tends to ramble. Oddly, whenever I would start to wonder about it, she would make me laugh so hard I would forget. Though I will warn that if you go into this looking for a traditional story you won’t find it. You will find some touching moments, but it’s real strength is putting you on a roller coaster of weird stories and pitch perfect humor.

World-Building/Atmosphere: B

Her life in rural Texas almost seems made up. She has lived quite the life, and she has fully captured the craziness and utter absurdity of her family and the situations she has run into. I could picture everything.

Sub-genres (Romance, Humor, Mystery, etc.): A+

OMG THE HUMOR! YES, THAT DID REQUIRE ALL CAPS. The humor made this memoir. It is so unique and made each page more fun and laugh out loud than it really should have been. Her life is fascinating, and while it wasn't a mystery per se, I was always surprised at what ridiculous story she had next.

Question Time!

1. What did you guys think of this book?

2. What is the funniest book you have ever read?

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Review

Fiction

195 pages

National Book Award Finalist

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

Grade: C+  Library Rental/Must Read

For me, this book suffered from one of my biggest pet peeves: The Big Bad Secret. It is when the main character has a secret or a horrible thing has happened that he or she feels needs to be kept secret. And it’s obvious. And it’s the big mystery or plot twist reveal. And it’s like the only big thing going on in the story. I just feel it’s annoying and lazy for a novel to do this. I always feel like it is doing this:

Me: What is it?

Novel: Secret, secret, secret! But I can’t tell you what it is because it’s uber secret.

Novel: Secret, secret, secret. Troubled…

Me: I don’t care anymore.

Novel: But I’m so deep and troubled. Secret, secret, secret. You’ll never be able to guess what it is.

Me: Is it _____?

Novel: Secret, secret, secret. (Psst...if you stay for a couple more chapters, I might be comfortable enough to tell you…)

Me: …

Novel: You were right.

Me: … (le sigh)

Trust me: I wanted to like this book. It’s gotten awards and great reviews. The cover is pretty cool too. But I just couldn't seem to find it in my heart to love it. It probably didn't help that I’m not the biggest fan of what I like to call “realistic” contemporary fiction, but I was open to it (even though I was required to read it for school).

Perhaps, that’s an important note to add as well. Unlike a lot of people, I don’t get annoyed at required reading because they are required. I love to read. I love it when I am given new awesome books to read that I might not have otherwise found. What I dislike are required books that I don’t think are good. Because here’s the thing, if I’m required to read it for school (especially now that I’m in college), I don’t just expect it to be good: I expect it to be really good because it’s required and won the it-must-be-read-in-my-class award. Plus, some people treat classics and required reading like they are the best books in the world and all the other books you have ever read in your free time were ugly peasants.

The other thing is I always got the feeling from this book like it was trying so hard to be artsy and funny at the same time. Unfortunately, these two things didn't really work well off of each other. Often times I didn't find the book as funny as I felt it wanted to be and the funny bits brought down any artsy, thought-provoking vibes this book was trying to give.

The other, other thing is that since The Big Bad Secret is the main plot thread the main character Melissa comes across as throwing a pity party and begging for sympathy way too long.

As well, the romance/relationship feels forced and unfitting for this kind of story. I know that the outcome of the story needed to be hopeful, but I feel like throwing a nice guy in here was kind of the easy way out.

Since I feel like I’m being way too negative, here are a couple of pros:

-Easy to read

-Occasionally funny

-Accurate representation of school and the teenage mind (for the most part)

So, should you get this book? Well, it wasn't my favorite, but if the problems I've listed don’t seem like an issue to you, then go for it.

Completion: A

It’s a short easy read. Even though I wasn't a huge fan, it wasn't hard to breeze through the pages.

Writing/Style: B-

The style was hit and miss for me. Sometimes it worked, but, more often than not, it didn't. It is simple to read though. Also, the paragraphs were spaced out into blocks, for some reason…

Characters: C+

I liked Melissa. She seemed realistic and she did have her funny and emotional moments. However, with the story and the secret being stretched out so long, Melissa as a character indirectly suffered. I started to get tired of her being sad and troubled all the time, and I should never feel that way! I felt bad for getting annoyed because she has a good reason for being messed up, but I thought it was executed poorly. As well, a lot of the other characters didn't feel as fleshed out.

Plot/Pacing: D

This book consists of Melissa’s day to day life. Classes, family, friends. That’s it really. And because Melissa is angry and sad all the time, she tries to avoid people, making the opportunity of interesting scenes rare. I really found it hard to stay interested in the story and I felt disconnected from Melissa and her circumstances.

World-Building/Atmosphere: C+

I can’t even remember where Melissa lives. Not the state. Not the town. Sure, the overall high school feel is there and pretty solid, but I never had nothing more than a functional understanding of the world and atmosphere.

Sub-genres (Romance, Humor, Mystery, etc.): D

The humor, as I've said before, is good overall, but the funniness was not enough to save it. The romance is light, but it just didn't feel right in combination with the main plot (I would be more specific, but it’s part of The Big Bad Secret). And speaking of which, the mystery element failed because I guessed it at the very beginning.

Question Time!

1. Did you like Speak? If so, let me know what you liked about it. If not, tell me too so I know I’m not alone. :)

2. What is one of your book pet peeves?

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte Review

Fiction

153 pages

At age 19 Anne Brontë left home and worked as a governess for a few years before becoming a writer. Agnes Grey was an 1847 novel based on her experience as a governess. Bronte depicts the precarious position of a governess and how that can affect a young woman. Agnes was the daughter of a minister whose family was in financial difficulty. She has only a few choices for employment. Agnes experiences the difficulty of reining in spoiled children and how wealth can corrupt morals. She later opens a school and finds happiness.

Grade: B-  Must Read/Library Rental

Being a governess is the worst babysitting job ever. Agnes Grey shows the life of a governess: lonely, frustrating, unfair. However, unlike Jane Eyre and The Turn of the Screw, Agnes Grey is a quiet, mild book. The events are small, and even the book is small. In many ways, Agnes Grey has more of a nonfiction structure than fiction because it feels more like a series of events than the traditionally crafted plot. The romance is light and unassuming; the historical content interesting and sympathetic. There were points when I wanted to pull my hair out because I really truly felt the frustration of being in some of the helpless situations Agnes was in. Despite her troubles, like the synopsis suggests, it does end happily. I believe that even though this novel is normally overshadowed it can find an audience with those who enjoy this time period, history in general, and/or Bronte fans. Unlike Jane Eyre and The Turn of the Screw, it lacks the popular appeal of a large mystery or grand love story (making it more of a niche read), but it’s not a half bad novel if you give it the chance.

Completion: A

Like most classics I have found, once you get used to the language it is not too hard to follow the story and complete it. This is a rather small book, after all.

Writing/Style: B-

The style feels pretty stand of the time period, and for some that might require a bit of a learning curve. There were times when I thought the writing itself was interesting, but as a whole, it was more functional than elegant.

Characters: B-

Agnes and her family are sympathetic characters; however, they are so quiet and mild as to not give off much of an impression at all. I found Mr. Weston interesting and his relationship with Agnes the most engaging part of the novel because, while I was engrossed by her interactions with the families she worked for, these interactions tended to be negative, unpleasant, or at the very least frustrating.

Plot/Pacing: C+

For a fictional novel the pacing and plotting felt off. It came across as more like a bumpy road with slight troubles and inconveniences rather than a rising action leading to a mountain of change and turmoil. I did wonder quite a lot where exactly this novel was going. As I mentioned in the overall review, this novel feels more like nonfiction, and I believe if you know that going in it might be more enjoyable.

World-Building/Atmosphere: B+

Agnes’ isolation and frustration really shone through in several scenes. The world-building was there, but not especially impressive. However, points go for making me really feel what it was like to be a governess.

Sub-genres (Romance, Humor, Mystery, etc.): C-

The romance did not appear until the end which felt really late for me. As I read this book, I often wondered if there would be any sub-genres at all. The romance takes up a very small section of the novel toward the end, but it is dabbled in very lightly which can be refreshing from the hit-over-the-head Insta-Love that can be found in many a YA novel. There was little humor or mystery, focusing a lot on the straight telling of the circumstances Agnes has to deal with.

Question Time!

1. Have you read Agnes Grey? If so, did you like it?

2. What classics have you read and/or which are on your to-read list?

My Reviewing Style

Before I dive into reviews, I thought I would explain my rating style. Since I’m still in school, it only seemed fitting to “grade” the books I read according to what I valued in a book. I have six categories with individual grades that are then averaged into an overall grade. Thus, you can read my review and the grade of the book and then look at what it got in each category. This way, for example, if you care so much more about solid, awesome characters than little flaws in world building, then I want you to be able to have the information to make the right choice for you.

(Now, let me state right now that this is all my personal opinion so if you don’t quite agree that’s okay.)

My six categories are as follows (the order is not ranking importance):

1. Completion- For me, this is an obvious choice, but for some it might appear too simple so let me explain. If I had to force myself to finish a book or skim to get through it, that’s not a good sign. If I couldn't finish a book completely (I normally give up after 100-200 pages which I believe is pretty gracious), that’s a major warning. Granted, that does mean the book could have improved or made a recovery later on, but if it takes me 100+ pages to get there, what does that really say about the book?

Note: I know I’ll probably get comments on this so I’ll address it now: I believe it is okay to review a book you have not finished. Why? Because I’m trying to warn people against bad books. If I go to sincerely read and enjoy a book and after a significant number of pages I’m still left unsatisfied, I believe people should know. Often times I give books a longer shot that the average casual reader does anyway. If a large percentage of a book is unbearable, why would I continue to suffer through it after I've given it more than a fair amount of time for it to win me over?

2. Writing/Style- I believe this is so important not just for the first read but for rereading as well. Sometimes a story leans too heavily on its concept or characters, and the writing is used merely as a tool rather than a craft. However, I really value beautiful writing and writing that packs a punch. I believe the greatest books offer rereading potential where you find something new every time you read it. If a book relies too much on a plot twist, then what happens to rereading once you already know it? The rereading just doesn't happen, that’s what.

3. Characters- I’m a huge fan of world building, but even I have to admit that characters can make or break a book. We are going on a journey with these characters. We are inside their heads. No matter how wonderful everything else is, if the characters are a flop, most likely the book is a flop too.

4. Plot/Pacing- There are always great ideas ruined by pacing. There are always great concepts or characters ruined by plot. Now that doesn't mean a book has to follow a formula or that X, Y, and Z plots or pacing don’t work. Sometimes a meandering plot is perfect for the story. Sometimes a slow simmer is not only necessary but fascinating. However, you don’t know how many times I try to figure out why I didn't like a book and it came down to plot and pacing. Plot holes, Insta-Love, time gaps, oh my!

5. World-Building/Atmosphere-Every book has a world. Even if it’s not a new fictional world like in high fantasy, a book has a setting it wants the reader to see. Smell. Feel. Hear. Whether it’s Chicago or Westeros, no reader has been everywhere and they really want to envelope themselves in the world and atmosphere. If the world building feels redundant, bland, or nonsensical that’s no good. If the atmosphere doesn't seem to match the plot or lacks umph!, that’s equally bad.

6. Sub-genres (Romance, Humor, Mystery, etc.)- I don’t know if I've ever read a book that doesn't have sub-genres. My big theory? Books are about people. Even books that do not have “people” per se in it are still connected to humanity in some shape or form. Relationships, humor, and curiosity exist in fantasy characters just as much as in the classics. These sub-genres add layers to a story that help make readers invested in the outcome. When done right, sub-genres can really add to the overall love or hate for a book.

Now that you know the six categories, it’s time for me to explain my overall grades. I’m American so the grading scale will be the standard A, B, C, D, and F. But what do these letters really mean?

A- Get thee to a bookstore!

This book is every bit worth its price. It is worth reading, owning, and rereading.

B- Must Read

I would definitely recommend this book. It is worth reading at least once.

C- Library Rental

I saw its potential, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I can see how other people can enjoy it. Check it out if you get the chance, but I wouldn't buy it until you know for sure you will like it.

D-At Your Own Risk

Super disappointing. It had a lot of flaws.

F- Burn It With Fire!

No one has time for a bad book. Beyond bad. Not just disappointing, but infuriating.

The goal is for these reviews to be informative, entertaining and easy. I want my reviews to be clear and to help all book lovers out there find deserving books. I will try to be as specific as possible while avoiding spoilers; however, I might from time to time give spoiler reviews (that will be labeled as such) to delight in the books I loved and to complain about the books I hated. Hopefully with this explanation the method to my madness makes a little more sense.

May The Reading Odds Be Ever In Your Favor!

New Year, New Blog

Hello Internet!

With the start of the new year, I am happy to announce the start of this blog on all things book-like! Addicted to books and the internet, it’s about time I took my shot at this. I am a junior at the University of Evansville, majoring in English and Creative Writing; a book blog is the perfect challenge for my honors project. For as long as I can remember, I have read. And read. And read. In between classes, during classes, late into the night. There is a thrill in finding the next great book and hunting for the best of the best, but there is nothing worse than a bad book. Boring. Offensive. Lazy. Confusing. Bad, bad, bad. If I can save anyone’s time by avoiding a bad book, then this blog will be a success.

I am a huge fan of YA fantasy and sci-fi, but recently I’ve found a love in nonfiction. Normally, I don’t care for what I like to call “realistic” contemporary fiction, but there have been some books that have surprised me. Plus, between my required school reading and their title, I love trying out the classics to see if they are worth the hype. Overall, between my reading range and my “grading” reviews, I hope we can start a conversation on the books we love, the books we hate, and the books that surprised us.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you will come on this book journey with me!