Hey book friends! How's your week been? We are in the midst of, as one of my teacher friends calls it, a month of Sundays. I'm not saying it's the end of summer ( never! ) but the new school year is coming fast. I'm excited but also nervous ( of course! ) and have a lot of work to do to get ready. We've also been doing birthday advent around our house since David's birthday is at the end of the month--and on my first day back at work, sadly. I've been doing something fun or giving David a small gift every day, which I've done as Christmas advent for years, but this year I wanted to try doing it for his birthday, too. I'll do a post on that next month if you guys are interested! Onto the book! Stand Off is the sequel to Winger. I would say it's one of those sequels that if you haven't read the first one then you really won't get the second one. Sure, you could read it but it wouldn't be very good. Both books are about a boy named Ryan Dean West who, in Stand Off, is a 15 year old senior. At the opening of Stand Off, Ryan Dean is still struggling with what happened at the end of the first book ( which I will NOT spoil for you--you know how I feel about that! ). One of the absolute best parts about both Winger and Stand Off is the voice the author gives Ryan Dean -- he is a very funny, very typical 15 year old boy who is struggling with self-image, relationships, school, and of course hormones. The author uses a lot of internal monologue to give us insight into Ryan Dean, as well as his comics, which are fantastic. It took me a little while to get into Stand Off because I felt it started a little slow--BUT since I loved Winger so much, I knew it would be worth sticking it out so I did. Although I feel the author could have cut out a bunch of material in the beginning, I loved how the characters evolved in this book and it didn't just feel like a "Winger 2.0." I literally laughed out loud at parts of this book ( LOVE it when that happens! ) and definitely cried in parts of the book, too. Stand Off is about personal growth and reflection while also telling of ridiculous teenage boy adventures. You would like Stand Off if you like books that are . . . funny adventurous young adult male protagonist about self discovery about character growth "boy books" ( though, I'm not a boy and I think girls can appreciate these books, too! ) Stand Off also reminded me a bit of Paper Towns or The Abundance of Katherines so if you liked either of those then you would probably like Stand Off. I had a few students this year who never considered themselves readers finish both Winger and Stand Off, even though they are longer books, and love them so if you're hesitant, give them a try; I think you'd really enjoy them! Have a great weekend everyone!
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Hey book lovers! Doesn't that title just grab you right away? It made me immediately wonder, stop pretending. . . what? Like The Crossover, Stop Pretending is told in free verse. This makes it a unique and fast read; I think I read it in a few hours. It was very popular among my girls, like most of the Sonya Sones books, and would be great for hesitant readers since it is engaging and quick paced. Stop Pretending is about a girl whose sister has a mental breakdown. One minute, she and her sister are best friends, sharing their lives and preparing for Christmas and then on, Christmas Eve, everything changes. Throughout the book, the protagonist struggles to deal with her sister's illness, how others perceive it, and how to reconcile her new sister with the one she's always known. It is dramatic, emotional, engaging, unique, and quick. You would like Stop Pretending if you like books that are. . . quick reads poetry from a girl's perspective about family relationships / sisters dramatic emotional about mental illness / health Stop Pretending reminded me of All the Bright Places because the author wrote the book because of her own experiences with mental illness and a desire to educate others and break down the stigma around mental illness, which is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. Have you read Stop Pretending or other Sonya Sones books? What did you think? Happy Friday, book people! Everything, Everything was at the top of my summer reading list and I'm so happy that it was. If you're looking for a great read this weekend, please read Everything, Everything ! It is one of my new favorites and I can't wait to share it with you. First of all, how much do you love that cover? I mean, "The greatest risk is not taking one" is one of the best lines and sentiments. It's easy to get safe in our own lives and this book really tackles that issue. The other visual part I love about this book ( besides the beautiful cover! ) are the illustrations all throughout the book. Everything, Everything is Nicola Yoon's first book and her husband did all of the illustrations; how cute is that? The illustrations are great, too. Everything, Everything is about a girl named Madeline who is allergic to the world. Her mother is a doctor and her primary care taker and has transformed their house into a safe, sealed environment so that her air is filtered and no one can come in without being decontaminated. Madeline is eighteen and doesn't remember ever being outside, having friends, eating most foods, or having most of the childhood memories that we all take for granted. Her life is perfectly safe, organized, and ordered. . .until a boy named Olly moves in next door. Madeline develops her spy skills and starts to learn about Olly but then Olly becomes interested in her. They strike up a friendship through an online relationship but resist telling each other their secrets. I'll try not to spoil any more from you but it's a must read, in my opinion! You would like Everything, Everything if you like books that are . . . inspirational romantic about growth about self-discovery about unique situations witty young adult realistic fiction Have you read Everything, Everything? Are you going to add it to your summer reading list? Please say yes! |
"'Have you really read all those books in your room?' Alaska laughing- 'Oh God no. I’ve maybe read a third of ‘em. But I’m going to read them all. I call it my Life’s Library. Every summer since I was little, I’ve gone to garage sales and bought all the books that looked interesting. So I always have something to read.'" -John Green
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