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. :) 

MY Ramblings on The Bane by Keary Taylor

The Bane
By: Keary Taylor 
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Author Website
Book Received From: NetGalley

Summary:
Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter. It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world. Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction.

Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.

Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.

The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance.

Previously published as Eden, due to reader demand it has been revamped and rereleased as The Bane: book one in The Eden Trilogy.

My Ramblings: 
I love when you get to discover books and authors that weren't on your radar and suddenly it's like a whole other world of books opens up for you. How is it I didn't know about Keary Taylor before NetGalley put The Bane in my path? The Bane was originally published in 2011 under the title Eden and was revamped (and retitled) as part of The Eden Trilogy, with the sequel, The Human, coming out mid-June. This book was excellent and I'm really glad that I stumbled across it on NetGalley. 

At the heart of the story is a girl named Eve who lives and works in Eden. She has no memory of her life before she arrived in Eden although she knows from hearing the stories of others about how the world used to be before machinery took over the human race. Somewhere in here is a parallel to The Terminator series, but instead of technology simply becoming aware one day, here we see human experimentation and ambition going sideways and getting out of control. what I really enjoyed was that the leap from where we are today to where we find Eve isn't that large of one. Already we are building better prosthetic that are helping people get back to life as normal. Cybernetics are certainly something that is being researched and worked on, so is it really that huge of a leap to see how we could start to use technology and fuse it with DNA to help people live a more full life. 

Here we see how it so quickly spiraled out of control. I particularly liked how Taylor told the story from two different ends. First we see how Eve and the other residents of Eden are living now, post Evolution. We watch as they try to stay alive, how they survive in a world where they have to provide for themselves mostly off the land, while still fighting off the Bane.  When West arrives in Eden he brings with him a key to Eve's past and also some secrets to how the Bane came into existence. Through West we get stories from the past and the gaps are filled in not only for Eve, but the reader. 

I know that this is a pretty technical review thus far, and there's a reason for that. It's relatively rare that a book surprises me, that the twists and turns actually catch me off guard, but Taylor managed it. I had an inkling of what was happening, of what part Eve played in the story of the Evolution, of what she was capable of and who she would find herself choosing. I was only partially right on most of my guesses, and that was awesome. There are twists and turns, there are moments of action and peace, and there are times when you can see the weight of the world pressing down on these people as they try to just stay alive. Mostly though, there is hope. Hope that there is a real possibility to survive, to defeat the Bane and the find a normal life amid the chaos. Watching the characters navigate a world turned upside down and face the unbelievable (like the Bane) and the very normal (finding love) is very satisfying. I for one can't wait to not only read The Human when it comes out, but also pick up the free short story, The Raid, and the free prequel, The Ashes, that Taylor has made available for Kindle.

My Ramblings on Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen

Leverage
By: Joshua C. Cohen
Release Date: February 17, 2011
Author Website

Summary:

The football field is a battlefield

There's an extraordinary price for victory at Oregrove High. It is paid on - and off - the football field. And it claims its victims without mercy - including the most innocent bystanders.

When a violent, steroid-infused, ever-escalating prank war has devastating consequences, an unlikely friendship between a talented but emotionally damaged fullback and a promising gymnast might hold the key to a school's salvation.

Told in alternating voices and with unapologetic truth, Leverage illuminates the fierce loyalty, flawed justice, and hard-won optimism of two young athletes.

My Ramblings:

I finished this book a few weeks ago and instead of reviewing it right away I wanted to sit on it, to think about it, and to really take the time to process it. I have a lot to say, but, to be honest I'm unsure how to say it, or even if I want to. Here's why: part of what this book have such an impact is that you are experiencing right along with the characters both the good and the bad in this world. I'm afraid that if I go too in depth, if I give too much away that I will also take away the impact of the story and that would be unfair. I know, I know, this book is 2 years old. why worry about spoilers at all? Well, because in this case I think it really could ruin the book for you. So I'm going to keep it broad. 

This book centers on two high school boys, Kurt a football player with demons lurking in his past and Danny, a gymnast who is faced with a world that at best doesn't respect him and at worst wants to hurt him. Laced into the story is violence, steroid abuse, corruption, bullying, people who do nothing when evil rears it's head and those that take a stand against it. When one of Danny's team mates is raped, Danny has to decide what to do next. Watching Danny struggle with this decision is heart breaking and terrifying. you want to say that these things don't really happen, that the author is exaggerating or ramping up the situation to create drama or tension. He's not though. As disgusting as some of the actions portrayed in the story are and as much as they make you want to close the book and find lighter fare, you know that somewhere this is actually happening to someone and it's heartbreaking. Think of Stuebenville (to reference a more recent case). Think of how children are abused by adults, think of how they abuse each other, and think about how, sometimes the bad guys get away with it. This book goes through all of that and allows you a glimpse into the minds of those who are stuck in the middle of the cycle and want desperately to get out. 

This is a great book. It wraps up just a little to neatly for me, but I imagine that after the last page turns, the ones who deserve it will get what's coming to them and those that were harmed will know that even though evil wins some of the smaller battles, eventually the right side wins out.