June and July Books!

Something about losing my job I guess made me not want to review books in June or July. But I am back with an obnoxiously long post about book reviews!! And I have also decided I am going to stop apologizing about these posts. If you don't like them then don't read them. If you do like them, feel free to share your own book suggestions in the comments.

I read 14 books in June and July! Wahoo!! That is what being unemployed and taking a two week vacation will do for you! I set a goal at the beginning of the year to read 40 books and I am currently at 34 books. I am going to push for 50. Here we go:

The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan. 4 out of 5 stars.
As Wheel of Time books go, this one is pretty great. Rhuidean. the Aiel. The breaking of the White Tower. Good times. Did my nerd-cred just go up?

Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff. 4 out of 5 stars
I recommended this book in my guest post over at Today's Mama about what to buy for Father's day. I stand by it as a great gift for Father's. It is a true story (told through historical documents and accounts, but it reads like a fiction book.) of a sightseeing plane of GIs in WWII that goes down in a secluded valley in Dutch New Guinea. It is a great story of survival. Also, this proves I don't just read fantasy books and/or post apocalyptic novels for teenagers.

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. 3.5 out of 5 stars
I have never read Willis before, but I know her fans are rabid and many. I listened to this on tape and found it quite enjoyable. It is the story of a future society where historians can send people back in time to conduct research. It was a bit slow in the middle, but worth the read.
Marcelo In The Real World by Francisco X. Stork. 4 our of 5 stars
This was my Bingham Book Day 2011 purchase. It is the story of a boy with Asperger's syndrome who goes to work over the summer at his Dad's law firm. He uncovers so things there that are unsettling, and it is interesting to watch how this boy who views the world in a very different way than most people deals with those discoveries. It was well written and I am a bit of a sucker for stories about triumphant kids with aspergers.
Divergent by Veronica Roth. 5 out of 5 stars
A fantastic, post apocalyptic teen romance. My favorite kind of book!! I think it is the next Hunger Games, except without Peeta.
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book. And as soon as I have a job, I will become a barefoot runner. (Because I need to buy special shoes, which seems a little odd, since it is about barefoot running.) I can't stop thinking about this book. If you are a runner (even a casual runner) you need to read this.
Whistling In the Dark by Lesley Kagen. 2.5 out of 5 stars
This was our book club selection for June? July? I don't remember, but I know it was lame. It was the story of two girls growing up in the 50's and being boring. It had some nice writing, but the plot was tired. It was won of those books that as we discussed it at book club, everyone hated it more and more.
Troubletwisters by Garth Nix and Sean Williams. 4 out of 5 stars
My good friend Kacy gave this to me for my birthday, probably not knowing how much I love a good YA Fantasy yarn. (Although if she reads this blog, maybe she does know.) This is going to be a great series. And with the glut of YA novels targeted at young girls (who dream of falling in love with supernatural creatures) I always appreciate a YA book that I feel like boys would like to.
Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe. 5 out of 5 stars
Really? 5 stars for Rob Lowe? Isn't 5 stars what I gave East of Eden? This is a GREAT celeb book. The thing is, Rob is a pretty great writer, shares so fascinating stories of growing up in old Hollywood with Martin Sheen (President Bartlet!) as his next door neighbor and shares some great life lessons as well. (What did I learn? You can't make your boys into good men by lecturing it into them. They don't learn that way.) I recommend listening to it on tape, because Rob reads it and does all the different voices, and his impression of Matt Dillon is pretty spot on.
The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan. 3 out of 5 stars
Meh. As WoT goes, this one is a little long winded. Plus everyone joins a circus, which never goes well, amiright?

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin. 3.5 out of 5 stars
I can't really decided how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it is an incredibly beautifully written fantasy novel with an incredible premise. On the other hand, I didn't exactly care about anyone.

Fuzzy Nationby John Scalzi. 3.5 out of 5 stars
Do you want to read a book about the legal battles of a giant multi-planetary organization who is trying to strip the resources from a hostil planet inhabited by little talking teddy-bear/cat creatures? Then this is the book for you.
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. 2.5 out of 5 stars
In all fairness to this book, I don't think the author wrote it thinking that it would have a huge audience in the overweight and balding 34 year old man demographic. My wife and SIL were both fans of the book so I gave it a chance. It had some original ideas and was well written. And for you twilight haters, the girl in this book is pretty powerful and it is the boy who needs the saving. But not for me.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver.4.5 out of 5 stars.
Fantasgreat. I love me a good dystopian teen story, and this is a great one. In the future, society has identified "love" as a disease and has created a cure to eradicate it. Love and passion, they surmise, have been the cause of a lot of human suffering so wouldn't we be better of without it. And while that sounds like the plot of a Lifetime movie, this is a great read.

So there you have it. Feel free to share what you are reading in the comments. Or come visit me over at Goodreads.

What I read....wait for it...in May!!

Your favorite series is back!! It is what I read: May edition!! Feel free to skip if you don't care.
Looking for Alaska by John Green 4 out of 5 stars
A pretty great YA book. The story of a boy who is sent to a boarding school and the life he develops there. It wouldn't be a spoiler to say something tragic happens (the chapters are named "One-Hundred Forty Four Days Before" etc.) and the book largely becomes about how this boy deals with it. The characters are well realized and believable and the teen-age angst seems realistic and not forced. A great YA read. Je le reccomande.

Behemoth by Scott Westerfield 4 out of 5 stars
This is the second in a series that started with Leviathan. It is a steam punk remaining of the events of WWI. Is this world, the Germans are called Clankers and build their war machines out of steam powered steel. Think old fashioned AT AT walkers. The British are Darwinists and have created genetically modified beasties (Giant flying whale-zeppelins) to fight. Westerfield is a great writer and this book feels like an old fashioned adventure novel. Ich kahn es nur empfehlen.

The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall 3.5 out of 5 stars
This is the second time I read this book. I read it a few years ago, but then was chosen for my NWBC so I re-read. It is almost impossible to describe this book. It is the story of a man who is losing his memory because he is being chased by a meta-physical shark who is eating his memory after the death of his girlfriend. He journeys into un-space to find a doctor who specializes in though fish who can help him. WTF? you are saying. I know. But it was pretty universally liked by my book club, so go for it.

So that is it...19 books so far this year. Anyone reading anything I need to know about?

What I done read: April

I get it. You are totally bored with my "What I Read" series. I'm sorry. If you don't know, I am now writing for many, many blogs (OK, one other blog.) So if you are bored, you can click over there and read all sorts of entertaining things. (For the record, I can only vouch for the "entertaining" part for about 3 authors. Try him, him, him or them.) Everyone else...I'm not so sure.

If you are sticking around, here is what I read last month:
Room by Emma Donoghue
4 out of 5 stars. I really, really loved this book. Amy absolutely hated it. We have never disagreed about a book more. It is the charming and happy story or a woman who is kidnapped at a young age and held in a soundproof room by a crazy man. She has a son (by the crazy man) and raises him in the room. Lovely, right? It is told through the eyes of the boy, who has a unique view of the world. You know, he was raised in a 12' x 12' room. I recommend.
A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
3.5 out of 5 stars. I sort of love Brandon Mull. He writes the exact type of books that I want to write. They are smartly written and and creative and fun to read. This is his new series about two kids who get sucked into a world ruled by a malevolent wizard. My only problem with all of his books is that for some reason I have a hard time keeping his characters apart. I dealt with that all through Fablehaven and thought maybe I was just dumb. But nope, it is happening again. I blame you, Mull.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
5 out of 5 stars. Hold me. Hold me and never let me go. I loved this book so much. It is, of course, high-larious, but it also has some great life lessons and touching moments. If you are going to read it, and you should, get the audio book. Tina reads it and it rules. I may need to listen to it again.
The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan
4 out of 5 stars. More Wheel of Time. This one is a good one.

That's it! I am at 16 books for the year so far. The goal is 40 (I am sure you are keeping track on your bubble chart at home.) I think I will make it!!!

On a related note, I loved Bossypants and am looking for other great audiobooks. Anyone out there an audiobook listener? Any suggestions?