New books!

I got all of these books today for $16.55. Not too shabby. This whole going on vacation thing is making it difficult for me to pick a book to read now because I'm thinking about what I'll read on the beach.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

So I finally read The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'm not sure how I made it through all of my schooling without having read it. It was never assigned to me, which I find hard to believe.

I have to admit I wasn't blown away but this novel. Though I wonder if my impressions of it would be different if I'd read it in a setting where I was participating in discussions about it and having an instructor tell me all sorts of interesting facts about what was going on in the world when it was written and in Fitzgerald's life.

True Grit by Charles Portis

 True Grit by Charles Portis is one of my July book club books. Unfortunately, I'll be missing the meeting, but only because I'll be laying on the beach.

 I was definitely interested in reading this book, but wasn't super excited (if that makes sense). I just wasn't sure if I'd like it or not. It's obviously a western, and I don't think I've read a western before. 

This is the story of Mattie Ross, a precocious 14-year-old girl, who is on a mission to avenge her father's death. She is looking for Tom Cheney, a man who worked for her father and ended up shooting and killing him in Fort Smith, Arkansas and then emptying his wallet. Mattie recruits the one-eyed U.S. Marshal Rooster, Cogburn to help her track him down in the territory now known as Oklahoma.

This was a quick read, with lots of action. I ended up liking it a lot more than I was expecting. Now I just have to see the movie (the Jeff Bridges one). I loved that I could picture Jeff Bridges as Rooster the whole time I was reading. He is perfect for that role!

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire is Kristin Cashore's second novel. While this book published after, Graceling, it is more of a prequel. It is set in the same world as Graceling, but has its own characters with one character that appears in both books.

This books is set in the Kingdom of the Dells (which is not one of the Seven Kingdoms of Graceling). The Dells doesn't have Gracelings, but it has Monsters. Beautiful and dangerous creatures who all have brightly colored fur and are attracted to blood. Fire herself is half-monster and half-human; she as bright red hair, with hints of orange and pink. She also has the power of mind-control. After her father's death, she is the last living human monster.  The Dells is in a very tumultuous time. There are two Lords who are both conspiring to overthrow the king, and everyone knows that they are on the brink of war.

I love Cashore's writing style. I also find her views on marriage and sex refreshing as it is very different from most YA writers. As Fire a companion novel, you can read it without having read Graceling, but you'll want to read Graceling next because you'll enjoy Fire so much!

Blood Red Road by Moria Young

I am very behind on posting for this book. I finished reading it in June. So hopefully I didn't forget too much.

Blood Red Road by Moria Young another fabulous dystopian novel set in a future after the Wrecker Civilization has long since been destroyed. The story's protagonist is Saba, a young teenage girl, who has lived near Silverlake, which has been drying up her entire life. She lives with her twin brother Lugh, pesky little sister, Emmi, and their father. 

When mysterious men show up at Silverlake and take Lugh, Saba promises she will rescue him. This journey takes Saba into the lawless world her father protected her from at Silverlake. She makes many enemies and finds friends in the Free Hawks. Rescuing Lugh turns into much more than just that; Saba and her friends challenge the leaders of their civilization. 

If you are a YA dystopian fan, I definitely recommend this book. Saba is a great main character; she learns things about herself and the world on her journey. The writing style may turn some off. Think Huck Finn but on a MUCH lesser scale. I noticed that only some words were spelled differently and that most of the book was written the way any other book would have been. The first few pages were a little tough to read but I adjusted quickly. 

Something that struck me in this novel, that I think applies to other dystopian novels, is how in the future civilization seems to digress. When I was reading this it felt like I was reading something set in the old West. 

This book is the first of a planned trilogy. 

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

I preordered J. Courtney Sullivan's latest novel, Maine, and then kept checking my order status to see if it had shipped. And then kept checking the tracking number to see where it once was it had shipped.

First let's talk about the cover. I think it could be a little deceiving. It kind of makes it look like a light, beachy read.  I've actually heard it being touted as "the smart woman's beach read" for this summer. The only reason I think this could really be a good beach read is because the novel's central location is a family's beach house in Maine.

This is a book about people. About family and those relationships. There are four central characters who give us a glimpse into the Kellehers Family. Alice the matriarch of the family; Kathleen, Alice's oldest child, a recovering alcoholic and a bit of a hippie; Maggie, Kathleen's daughter, who finds herself pregnant by her not-so-great boyfriend; and Anne Marie, Alice's daughter-in-law, who acts as if her family is perfect.

If you like a good book about relationships, then this is right about your alley.