Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Genre: YA fiction, fantasty, science fiction, dystopia
Rating: 5/5
Avg Rating (Goodreads): 3.97/5
Themes & Topics: suspense, "The Man," horror, scientific observation, dystopia


Overview:
When Thomas wakes up inside a dark elevator, his whole world changes. Not that HE would know it, because he has no concrete memories. After being introduced to a group of firecracker boys all living in a place called the Glade, Thomas soon comes to the realize the strange entrapment he has been placed in. Each day the Gladers must run a treacherous maze with horrifying death creatures inside to try and solve the way to their escape. With Thomas' sharp mind, loyalty, and unique gifts, he spends the book tackling events he would have never thought possible.


My Review:
The Maze Runner was introduced to me through a YouTuber and I IMMEDIATELY knew I had to read this book as soon as possible. My obsession for dystopian novels persists and this one really quenched my thirst for them. I had heard that the Maze Runner was comparable to The Hunger Games and while I agree that it's on the same LEVEL, they were 2 COMPLETELY different books.

The thing I enjoyed most about the Maze Runner is the constant questions I had stuffed into my head throughout the entire book. "Where is this going next?" "What will they encounter in the maze?" "What's going to be around the next turn?" "Why can't I piece together the mysteries of the book?" That's what makes a page-turner: QUESTIONS. So here's MY question: when are you going to read it?

If you're read this book, PLEASE comment and tell me what you thought! I'm currently on the 3rd book of the trilogy and would love to debate!

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Autumn Pages: Top 5 best books for falltime

With the cool autumn air all around us, I know I'm constantly beckoned outside to read under a tree or spread a pretty vintage quilt out and host your book club outside! I've been thinking a lot about what good books for fall reading would be and I have a few to share! I haven't read all of these personally, but they all come from my wishlist at least!



1. In the Woods by Tana French is a story about murder, a cold case, and personal mystery. It chronicles the story of a Dublin detective put on the case of an eery local murder VERY similar to a case he survived as a child. When these childhood memories come flooding back, can he make it all go away for good?

2. Vanished by Meg Cabot (a well-loved author) brings us Jessica Mastriani: struck by lightning and given the ability to find missing people. Even though Jessica is trying to avoid the fame and torture of media, she has no choice but to use her powers to locate a string of classmates gone missing. This makes for an eerie and supernatural book for fall!

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the classic piece of literature, is the PERFECT autumn read in my opinion! This book is sprinkled with murder, mystery, and small-town secrets! Halloween even makes an appearance in this true must-read book.

4. Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson is a new novel that I've heard talk about through the web and I'm eager to get my hands on it! Staged in modern-day London, a group of teens must investigate the copy cat murders of Jack the Ripper and uncover the true killer to protect London at all cost.

5. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn is on my wishlist for sure. As a child, young Libby watched as her mother and sisters are brutally murdered and fled the scene of teh crime. After condemning her older brother to prison for the murder, a kill club contacts Libby later in life pumping her for details to free her guilty brother. Will Libby reveal any missing links to the case or stick to her youth convictions?

These books are chilling without being overly gruesome and gory. I know I love getting the creeps from a good book that has pulled me in and you will too! Lay out in the leaves or read in the dark before bed for a spooky autumn reading rush!
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Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Author: Ransom Riggs
Genre: YA fiction, fantasty, paranormal fiction
Rating: 4/5
Avg Rating (Goodreads): 3.75/5
Themes & Topics: family traditions, mystery, time travel, superhuman powers


Overview:
Just when Jacob can't believe his grandpa's crazy fairy tales anymore, he makes a trip to discover the truth. Once he walks into that creepy old orphanage, not only he does he unfold the truth about the tales, but they come to life before his eyes in the form of danger and suspense. This book is peppered with unique children, paranormal gifts, and time travel. Miss Peregrine will astound and amaze you as you flip through her pages and eerie vintage photographs.


My Review:
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is was LITERALLY unlike any book I have ever read until now. It took me a few Chapters to get into it, but once I did, I read 3 quarters of the book in one sitting! The thing that kept me going with this book was the magical powers of the children. When I picked up the book, I had no idea what to expect. I thought the "peculiar children" might be ghosts or something, but they were really more like sideshow acts: freakish abilities packaged in tiny children. The superhuman powers ranged from extremely useful to incredibly disturbing. But altogether, the children use all their unordinary abilities to work together in a battle of another dimension! As a photographer, I also appreciated the use of the vintage photographs in the book. The author did an incredible job of fusing the old photos into a cohesive and brilliant story of the 40s.

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Review: Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity

Title: Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity
Author: Kerry Cohen
Genre: non-fiction, autobiography, memoir,
Rating: 3/5
Avg Rating (Goodreads): 3.47/5
Themes & Topics: sexuality, psychology, sex addiction, teenage life





Overview:

This book chronicles the promiscuous endeavors of Kerry Cohen in autobiographical form. She starts from a young age to realize the power of the female body and begins to use it to her advantage. Growing up in a broken home, you learn the reasons behind her casual sex: trying to fill the male void left by her druggie father. But Kerry doesn't know if these changes are possible or if she's too far gone into the world of "teenage slut."

My Review:

Loose Girl gives a compelling and emotional look into a real adolescent sex addict and proves that people CAN change. Her creativity in writing and intellect help her dig down to the root of her behaviors and will her to make changes in her life. It's always very interesting for me to read books like this, because when I was her age, I didn't even know HOW to have sex, let alone be as ostentatious as Kerry was. Extreme promiscuity is something that's happening more and more in society, especially with the rise of teen pregnancy! Although even if I was not a teen sex addict, I CAN identify with being "THAT girl." You know, the girl that is so desperate for a boyfriend, and feels like the world is over when he doesn't call when he says he will. I think almost any girl can relate to that aspect of Kerry's story. But the thing that struck me the most was that even through STDs, pregnancy scares, rape, and other serious sex-related nightmares, her desperation persists!

In either case, it's a good read and another gem to add to my collection of realistic psychological books.

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The July Stack

Popping in to show what books I've got lined up for July and into August! I've been frequenting the public library and have found some real gems hidden in the shelves!




1. The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender
2. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
3. Dreams in the Golden Country by Kathryn Lasky
4. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
5. Hidden by Tomas Mournian
6. THe Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar
7. Before I Go by Riley Weston
8. In Stitches by Amy Butler

So with the exception of the Amy Butler book, the rest of these are pretty dark reads. We're talking jewish immigration, Holocaust, mental hospital, hidden homosexuality, suicide, drug abuse, and terminal cancer. I don't know why I'm drawn to these types of tragic books... I couldn't explain to you if I tried. They're just the ones I go for sometime. I go through phases where I like really light hearted stuff, then phases where I'm drawn to darker fiction. So either way, this is the stack I'm going to be chugging away at over the coming month!

What are you reading right now? Please share! Also, don't forget to ADD ME on Goodreads!
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Review: Distant Waves

Title: Distant Waves
Author: Suzanne Weyn
Genre: historical fiction, Titanic, paranormal fiction
Rating: 3/5
Avg Rating (Goodreads): 3.80/5
Themes & Topics: Titanic, Nautical, psychic, spiritualism



Overview:

Distant Waves revolves around the women of the Taylor Family who are known for their air of clairvoyance. The mother of the family runs a service at a spiritualist camp. She and her five daughters travel to Europe to a spiritualist convention and through occurrences and predictions, they end up aboard the great TItanic. Through psychic mediation and mad science, each sister realizes her fate as the events of the Titanic unfold.

My Review:

This book definitely held my attention and it was unlike any book I have ever read in my life. But I have to give it 3 stars simply because of the misleading subtitle: "A Novel of the Titanic." I suppose technically it WAS a novel with the Titanic IN it, but I felt that it was in no way a novel OF the Titanic. When I read the title, I was under the impression that the novel would center around the events of the TItanic and the setting would primarily be the gigantic ocean liner. Although there was MINOR foreshadowing in the beginning of the book with reference to Morgan Robertson's book, Futility, the Titanic wasn't even mentioned until almost 3/4 of the way through. I was beginning to wonder if the book had the wrong dust jacket on it! haha

ALthough the book did ultimately end, Titanic included, it was a strange book with several curious inaccuracies that didn't quite make sense to me. A few of these involve (without revealing spoilers) the first class' friendly interactions with steerage, the time travel machine, and Tesla himself. Suzanne Weyn addresses the realities in the novel in the Afterword, but she doesn't really address the specifics of how she rationalizes the science behind certain inventions and historical inaccuracies.

But overall, I liked the book a lot. It IS a book, and it IS fiction. Imagination has to play a part in the process, and if that means glorifying some details, and leaving questions unanswered, I respect that. I DO wish the subtitle wasn't as misleading as it is, but I'm willing to let that go since the book was a good read. :)

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Review: Mistaken Identity

Title: Mistaken Identity:Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
Author: Don Van Ryn, Susie Van Ryn, Newell Cerak, Colleen Cerak, Whitney Cerak, Mark Tabb
Genre: nonfiction, Christian, True Story, memoir
Rating: 4/5
Avg Rating (Goodreads): 3.85/5
Themes & Topics: death, car wreck, family, Christianity, God, identity



Overview:

After the car accident that killed 5 people, The Van Ryn family was informed that their daughter Laura survived and was taken to a nearby hospital in a comatose state. Meanwhile, the Cerak family was informed that their daughter Whitney was pronounced dead on the scene. The Van Ryn family maintained a bedside vigil for their daughter for 5 solid weeks until they started noticing things about the girl that made them realize it was not Laura. After positively identifying the girl as Whitney Cerak, the rightful family was notified and shocked after believing Whitney to be dead.

My Review:

I picked up this book because I have been meaning to read it since high school. The summer after my senior year, I saw these families speak on Oprah and I was in awe. This wreck happened in my state, not 2 hours from where I lived. After what they had gone through with their daughters, I could not believe their unwavering faith in the Lord. Neither family was ever resentful or jealous or angry about the events that transpired. They lived by the scripture Romans 12:15-- "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." By this they understood through Christ's grace that they should accept the results of the accidents as His plan and uphold his name is worship even through the pain they were experiencing. I believe it was the greatest test of their faith: to still know that God is good even after losing a family member.

This book was peppered with inspiring scripture and though the chapters I learned SO much about what it is to be a true and unwavering Christian and servant to the Lord. I can only hope that through reading this, it has helped me to become closer to God and I can learn from the example of these inspiring families and what they endured together.

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