Tag Archives: reading

A New Rating System

Not that I rate books publicly, but I kinda rate them in my head when I’m finished. I’ve been thinking about my rating system and decided to overhaul it a bit:

ONE STAR: I didn’t finish the book for whatever reason. Does not apply to books I fully intend to finish, like THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST BOOK 2. I swear I’ll finish you someday! (It’s been like two years…) This is more for books I didn’t finish because I found them boring, or I couldn’t connect with any characters, or any other arbitrary reason that has more to do with my personal taste than the quality of the writing sometimes. ON THE ROAD was a one-star book for me.

TWO STARS: I finished the book but I didn’t like it. A WRINKLE IN TIME was a two-star book for me. Most people disagree, and I agree with them that maybe there is something wrong with me that makes me not like this book. Anyway, if I finished the book, something compelled me to do it. Something drove me to finish it. Characters, motivation, writing. SOMETHING. So it gets two stars.

THREE STARS: I finished it and liked it alright. Not earth-shattering, I definitely don’t regret reading it. MATILDA was a three-star book for me, probably because I saw the movie first and the movie is FOUR STARS NO QUESTION and the book doesn’t have Danny DeVito or Mara Wilson.

FOUR STARS: I finished the book and WOW, it was really great. Superb writing. Compelling. Wonderful. A book that makes me laugh usually gets four stars automatically. For whatever reason, it’s not on my list of favorite books ever, but I do love it. MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF N.I.M.H. was a four-star book for me.

FIVE STARS: It made me cry AND it made me laugh. (Both are usually required.) It made me feel strong emotions. I can’t stop thinking about the book after I read it. I have to buy it and put it on the bookcase where I keep all my other favorite books. I would buy out this book’s merchandise. I would maybe get a quote from this book OR THE BOOK’S COVER tattooed on my body. THE MURDER OF BINDY MACKENZIE was a five-star book for me. (I could totally get “Bindy Mackenzie talks like a horse” tattooed on me FOR SURE)

All my examples, except the five-star one, are from authors who are now dead, so they can’t get offended. That said, feel free to tell me how wrong I am. I AM VERY USED TO IT.

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SYNC Audiobooks!

I’m revising my book (see previous post) but I’m updating for a different reason. I think I’m gonna try and do the SYNC Audiobook Summer thing – it’s a program that offers free audiobook downloads of YA books every week (see HERE). Some I won’t listen to because of time (mostly the adult books that are sometimes paired with the YA books), and there are some books I’ve already read (WORDS IN THE DUST, HOW IT WENT DOWN, GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE, ON THE JELLICOE ROAD, THINGS FALL APART, and BONE GAP). Still, it should be fun. I’ve already listened to last week’s book, VIVIAN APPLE AT THE END OF THE WORLD, and just started this week’s book, THE SIN EATER’S DAUGHTER.

My audiobook listening has really increased lately! Some recent faves: BAD FEMINIST, DUMPLIN’, TINY PRETTY THINGS, THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN, and PAX. Mmmmm, audiobooks.

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March Books!

Getting back into the swing of things! Hopefully, anyway.

Sadly, I did not read very many books in March! Mostly due to how hectic launch month turned out to be. But I wanted to comment briefly on what I did manage to read.

17341550Trust Me, I’m Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer

I’ve been excited to read this book ever since I got the chance to meet Mary Elizabeth last year. (So, a while.) There are four debut 2014 authors from Oregon that I know of, and (since I just finished Hook’s Revenge by Heidi Schulz) I’ve now read all four! Mary Elizabeth’s debut is exciting and page-turning, with a knock-out voice and a great use of language. (I love it when books are seeped in language relating to the main character’s world. In this case, cons!)

 

Sizzle by Lee McClain10564957

Read for the 2014 Latin@s in Kidlit Challenge! This was one of those books I kept yelling at. You know, where some of the characters are so mean and despicable to the main character that you just want to reach your hands through the pages and strangle them?

 
 
 
 

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Strange Sweet Song by Adi Rule

Adi was a classmate of mine at VCFA, so I’ve been a fan of her writing for a long time. I knew I would love Strange Sweet Song before I even started reading it, but something about the cover kept me from picking it up right away. There are a lot of covers with girls in dresses on them, so I had to fight against what my brain was trying to tell me, which was that this book would be just like the others. Cover judgement can be terrible. Anyway, I’m only saying this because I don’t want anyone else to fall into the same trap I did. Adi’s book is gorgeously written, fantastically realized, and positively infectious. Honestly, the less you know about it going in, the better. Just pick it up, all right? (It’s out now! Because Adi and I shared a book birthday.)

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2013 Book Awards!

Last year on twitter I gave out some silly book awards for my favorite books (Like “Grossest Depiction of a Human Foot” going to The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey), and I wanted to do the same thing again! Maybe a couple of days late, but oh well.

ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTIONS AWARD

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Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. From hysterical laughter to uncontrollable sobbing all on the same page! Terrible and wonderful all at the same time.

RUNNER-UP

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The Land by Mildred D. Taylor. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry was like this too, come to think of it. Mildred D. Taylor is just one of those authors who’s gonna make me cry. And laugh, a bit, before dissolving, once again, into tears.

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S HISTORICAL FICTION AWARD

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Caminar by Skila Brown. This beautiful verse novel feels more timely than it should.

MOST DISTURBING AUDIO BOOK

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Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. Look, there are certain words that are hard to read. It turns out those same words are even harder to hear.

THE WONDERFUL WHIMSY AWARD

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The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates: Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson. So much whimsy! So much fun to read!

VERY BEST VOICE AWARD

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Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Lanesha has a poetic, lyrical voice I couldn’t get enough of.

OH GOD, REMEMBER JUNIOR HIGH AWARD

I Heart Band

I Heart Band by Michelle Schusterman. Made me remember Junior High in a rose-colored light (unlike the usual brown-colored light in which it is usually remembered).

BEST CONCEPTS EVER (AKA JUST TRY NOT READING THESE)

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The Color of Rain by Cori McCarthy: Teen Prostitute in Space!

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Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones: X-Men Con Men (and women)!

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By the Grace of Todd by Louise Galveston: Boy creates life through sheer grossness (I think that’s even a line from the book)!

THE LESS IS MORE AWARD

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Parched by Melanie Crowder. Less than 23,000 words and every one pulls double duty. Maybe even triple!

I’LL NEVER LOOK AT COWS THE SAME WAY AGAIN AWARD

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Steering Toward Normal by Rebecca Petruck. (Also wins the funniest book of the year award!)

BEST GRANDMA AWARD

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45 Pounds (More or Less) by K. A. Barson. Grandma chain smokes and is a little rough around the edges, but you can’t help but love her.

I’D NEVER LIVE IN NEW YORK, BUT THIS BOOK KIND OF MADE ME THINK ABOUT RECONSIDERING

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Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead. Can I live in a wacky apartment building down the block from a delicious pizza place?

MOST LYRICAL WRITING AWARD

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Entangled by Amy Rose Capetta. Every single line you could frame and hang on your wall.

BEST TRAILER PARK AWARD

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Becoming Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan. (Also wins Worst Parent Award.)

Here’s hoping that 2014 will be filled with just as much excellent reading! It’d be great if I could get back into the habit of reading 100 books a year, but we’ll see how that goes.

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