Tuesday, July 2, 2013

First Year of Teaching Done... and a few short ramblings!

Well, I can officially say that my first year of teaching has come to a close. At times this blog has taken a back seat to work as I tried to navigate the land of teaching, but I'm always thinking in the back of my mind about books I want to read and the thoughts I want to share on those books. The end of this year was especially busy. Who knew that getting ready for summer break could be so hectic?! I didn't read as much in the last month, but for the few books I did read I don't want them to get lost in the void. So without further ado, here are my ramblings on the books I read in June!

The Human by Keary Taylor

I happened to get an copy of this book which came out on June 18th and couldn't find enough time to really get into it. I LOVED the first book in this series, The Bane and I was a little worried that The Human wouldn't live up to it. As a matter of fact I kind of loved how The Bane ended, and while I wanted the story to continue, I also wanted to just kind of be happy with where Eve, Avion and West ended. I even struggled through the first few chapters of The Human, it started down the love triangle path and I really didn't want that for any of the characters. Thank goodness I kept going. Taylor expertly weaves the emotions of all the characters into a story, that while there are elements of split allegiances and broken hearts, never truly falls into the trap of love triangle story. Even, Avion and West all have a part to play, and while there are relationships there that factor in to the greater story, those relationships aren't the entire story.

Taylor took the story to the next logical place. Now that our friends in New Eden are relatively safe (for the time being), what will happen next? It's a wild ride as we see Eve continue to come to grips with who and what she is, and the twist at the end is spot on. Providing both a resolution and a perfect set up for the next book. This was a great sequel and I can't wait for more!

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Insomnia by J. R. Johansson

This book was like a roller coaster for my emotions. At the heart of the story is Parker, who has the unique ability to step into other peoples dreams. The last person who he makes eye contact with is the person who's dreams he will enter, and since he is experiencing someone else's dreams, he's not actually sleeping. when we first meet Parker he is physically exhausted and he is tired of dealing with the good and the bad that he sees in other people's dreams. His mother thinks he's on drugs and there is really no one he can turn to. Then he meets Mia, a foster child who has moved into his town. Her dreams are different and Parker can actually get some peace, but at what cost? What follows Parker's revelation about Mia and her particular brand of dreams is what makes this story brilliant. As Parker begins to lose his mind, as I reader you begin to go crazy too. I was never quite sure if Parker was the good guy or the bad guy, and that's the point. It wasn't until the end, as it all started coming together for Parker, that I, as the reader, began to figure it out too. Which is rare in a book. I was walking around in Parker's head, even as he was walking around in everyone else's. It was creepy and uncomfortable and at times I wanted to put the book down... but my desire to know how it would all turn out was much stronger then anything else.

This was a fabulous book and I'm really looking forward to the sequel which can't come soon enough!

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Imposter by Jill Hathaway

First of all, this is a sequel, and I did not read the first book, Slide. Why didn't I read the first book? Because I got this book as an ARC and I was already half way through and WAY too invested to stop and get Slide. Which is a testament to Hathaway's writing. Even without knowing the first part of this story, I never felt like I was missing anything. Things that I assume were part of the first book were referenced, but in such a way that I felt like I had all the information I needed. I didn't know I was missing anything until I looked Hathaway up. Now that I'm done with Imposter I've borrowed Slide from the library and am going back. Still, this book stands on it's own, which I love! 

So, about this book. It's a doosy. Vee has what she sees as a curse, she can slide into other people, momentarily taking control of their actions. It's something she struggles with, but does on occasion use to her advantage. Throughout the story we see her dealing with two separate issues. First, she is reconnecting with an old friend who has been taken advantage of by the same boy who also took advantage of Vee. So there is a history there and the girls, along with Vee's sister and friend hatch a plot which backfires horribly. The fallout from that is at the center of the story. The second issue that Vee is dealing with is that she can tell that she is being "slid-into" she doesn't know anyone else who has the ability, so suddenly everyone is a suspect. Is someone out to get her or is it coincidence? Her long-absent Aunt is back in town and there is a mysterious woman who keeps turning up and Vee is wary of almost everyone around her. 

What I like in this book is that Hathaway blended the more supernatural elements of her story into the very common experiences of high school pretty seamlessly. I believed that what happens to Vee could happen to anyone. The way it was written made sense and the way Vee (and those around her) handle the information also seemed real. I was drawn into the story and really connected with the characters and I loved how at the end of the book there was a promise of a happy ending for everyone involved. I hope that we get to see what happens next! 

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So those are the 3 books I read in June. All three were great and left me wanting more! Now it's time for July and some great summer reads. :)