June and July's books

Photo by Piotr Bizior www.bizior.com

June completely got away from me.  At the end of June, I was too busy with goodbyes to friends and family to stop and blog.  This month, you'll get a look at books I read in June, but didn't bother to write about, and books I read in July.

REVOLVER by Marcus Sedgwick

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Better World Books

This is the last of the Printz Honor Books I began reading in May.

Alone in a cabin in the arctic, Sig sits staring at the frozen body of his father.  His sister and stepmother have gone to town to look for help, leaving Sig alone with the body.  His silent watch is interrupted by the knock of a giant-sized man, determined to recover the gold he is convinced Sig's father stole from him ten years previously.  Defenseless, except for his father's old Colt revolver hidden in the storage room, Sig struggles with his father's past and a desperate decision to shoot first or be killed.  Colt vs. God.  Redemption vs. Revenge.  Can their ever be a winner?

The mystery involved in this story is definitely intriguing, Sig and his sister Anna are well-crafted characters, and the question of whether violence is always avoidable is important, but for a reason I cannot really fix upon, this book was not for me.  Perhaps it comes down to the frigid landscape that I could not get comfortable in.  Me and frozen toes don't go well together.  Which, in the end, is another testament to Sedgwick's powerful writing.

THE LAST LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE by Maureen Johnson

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Better World Books

This is the sequel to Johnson's THIRTEEN LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES, in which Ginny travels across Europe guided by letters from her eccentric and recently deceased Aunt Peg.  In the first book, Ginny makes it through twelve envelopes, but the thirteenth is stolen, leaving her journey derailed.

This novel begins when Ginny gets a message from a man in England who has recovered her stolen letters, including the 13th envelope that she never got to read.  In order to get it back, she must accompany the young man, Oliver, to three locations in Europe to recover the pieces for Peg's final piece of art. Oliver isn't about to hand over the letters or any information about where they are going willingly.  He is also demanding half of the money from the sale of the art.  When Ginny's maybe-boyfriend Keith finds out, he decides to go along too.  Unfortunately, Keith has a surprise for Ginny.  His beautiful and so-nice-you-just-can't-hate-her girlfriend (yep - girlfriend) is also coming.  Should be an interesting journey.

I really enjoyed THIRTEEN LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES, so I had high hopes for THE LAST LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE.  It was funny, entertaining and perfect for a quick summer read, but, in the end, I wanted more from Ginny.  I felt like she had learned so much, but still put herself in exactly the same place at the end of this book as she did in the first:  going home to America with a maybe-boyfriend in England.

WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman

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Better World Books

This is another sequel.  In the first book, IF I STAY, teenage Mia's entire life ends in one tragic car accident.  She is the only one in her family left alive, although she's in a coma and teetering on that brink.  She must decide:  fight to live or slip away with her parents and brother.  IF I STAY is written from Mia's point-of-view.

WHERE SHE WENT is written from Mia's boyfriend Adam's point-of-view.  A few years have passed since the accident, and Adam is still struggling to put his life back together.  He achieved fame with his rock band, based solely on an album he wrote in the aftermath of Mia's accident.  Despite that success, he is miserable and alone and grasping for reasons to go on.  Without spoiling either of the books, I'll leave you with that.

These are both good books, although, I preferred the first to the second, once again.  Adam's neuroses dragged on a bit too long for me.  He just kept going in circles, which kept the plot from moving forward.  Thankfully, I'm passed my cry-at-everything phase, because I bet I'd have cried like a baby if I'd read this in April or May.

DRINK, SLAY, LOVE by Sarah Beth Durst

This surprisingly fun book goes on sale September, 13, 2011.  I highly recommend anyone who likes a good fantasy story to mark your calendars for that day.

Pearl is your average, run-of-the-mill teenage bloodsucker.  She's merciless, unimaginably beautiful, strong and fast, and a reckless driver too.  Her family is large and powerful in the vampire world.  Their expectations pressure Pearl to be the perfect vampire.  Pressure she handles with ease until she starts hallucinating behind the Dairy Hut one night.  She must be hallucinating because she just saw a unicorn, and they don't exist, right?

Pearl's existence changes drastically after she starts seeing unicorns.  No more joy rides in stolen cars or vampire raves with her devastatingly handsome vamp boyfriend.  Pearl is thrown into a much more dangerous situation.  High school.

So, um, yeah . . . a book with vampires and unicorns!  Unicorns!  White, sparkly, ass-kicking, unicorns! Must read.

All joking aside, Pearl is a relatable character, forced to change quickly and learn to find herself in those changes.  Sounds just like being a teenager, right?  I mean, except for the bloodsucking.

HOW I STOLE JOHNNY DEPP'S ALIEN GIRLFRIEND by Gary Ghislain

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Better World Books

How can you not read a YA book with a title like that.  Johnny Depp, people!  Johnny Depp!

David is fourteen and in love with an older woman, 311 years older.  Zelda is a patient of David's psychologist Dad.  She's violent, freakishly strong, and determined to find her Chosen One and take him back to her home planet Vahalal.  She's the nuttiest nut David's dad has ever brought home, and David will do anything to be with her, including hunting down Johnny Depp (the Chosen One, of course).

This wildly funny and adventurous book was perfect for a summer read.  Ghislain's writing is fast paced, hilarious, and even heartwarming.  The librarian was slightly mystified by the title when she checked it out for me.  Even more mystified when I assured her it was for me, not my preteen daughter.  I can't wait to tell her just how great this book was.