Stumbling Through Reality, Book in Hand

It looks like I've run out of time for my May reading. I managed to finish most of the books, but I've definitely learned my lesson about setting myself up for failure. I've written some short reviews for the books I completed. I'm not much for long book reviews. I don't read them and certainly don't write them. Here are my snippets.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
Loved it! As I told my 10 year old, I had good cries and sad cries. Edward's journey touched my heart. I'm always amazed at how Kate DiCamillo can make me feel so much for her characters in so few words.

You by Charles Benoit
Even though Kyle seems hopeless and bored and dead-ended, he's not a bad kid, just at the end of a road built with a lot of bad choices, and you can't help but hope for him to pull himself together. You know from the beginning of the book that something gut-wrenching is going to happen, and it's pins and needles waiting to see how bad it's really going to be.

Kyle's mom is a total wake-up call for me. I can see so much of myself in the way she talks to him. I'm guilty of those long speeches/rants that are thoroughly negative and wouldn't inspire any child to change.

I will definitely be sharing this book with my son.

Turned by Morgan Rice
Despite the editing help this book needs, I found myself enjoying it more the longer I read. By the end I was thinking, "Yes, I want to know what happens next." This is very strange for me because I can't stand editing errors. At one point the word "cacophonous" was used instead of "cavernous", which was funny because it made me wonder if I was wrong about the meaning of the word. I had to look it up to be sure, but yeah, wrong usage.

I have to stress that I really did like the story. If you can get over commas between adjectives that shouldn't have commas, missing words, double words, missing spaces, and one or two cases of having to decipher what the author intended to say, then you should give the book a try.

Note: The edition I read came from my library's overdrive site. Please let me know if you've read one from somewhere else that has been revised.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Maybe dystopian YA books just aren't for me. I failed to get into The Hunger Games and probably would have put this one aside as well if it hadn't been an audio book. I couldn't connect with the main character, and she annoyed me to no end by misinterpreting the obvious.

I hope my daughter will enjoy the paperback copy she got for Easter.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Oh, Stargirl, how I love thee. I laughed, I cried, I made indistinguishable noises, and I wanted so much to smack your Starboy on more than one occasion. I'll have to pass this one around.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Love as a disease, how could I not read that? While I was never really bored reading this book, it didn't remain in my hands for long periods of time. It was easy to put down. After I'd made it halfway through, it became more difficult to part with, and by the last quarter, it was glued to my fingers. To top it all off, I cried.

I found myself telling people about this book before I'd finished reading it. Lena's Portland and its disease phobic citizens are just plain interesting. Try not discussing it! I will definitely be checking into more books by this author.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross
Steampunk is definitely something different for me. Aside from the mystery aspect of it, I enjoyed the story. I'll probably have a look at the series.

Emma by Jane Austen
It's strange that the very thing I find irritating in modern novels is something that brings me enjoyment when done by Jane Austen. So much dialogue! Her characters make it worthwhile. I adore Miss Bates and Mrs. Elton. Lucky is Emma to live with such colorful people around her.

Chocrotes and the World Without Question by Steve Berkowitz
Interesting, but serious and dull. Children need a fun factor in their reading, something to keep their attention. The addition of pictures or a character that makes us laugh would go a long way.

I could be in a little over my head with this month's reading requirements, but I'm game for some hard work. Here's the final May schedule.

Spell the month challenge:
M - The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (completed) I recommend!
A - Any Red-Blooded Girl
Y - You (completed) I recommend!

Year Challenge
Month #1 Read 3 books with single word titles
1) Turned (completed)
2) Divergent (completed)
3) Stargirl (completed) I recommend!

My own picks & misc book clubs
1) Delirium (completed) I recommend!
2) The Story of My Life
3) The Strange Case of Finley Jayne (completed)
4) The Pickwick Papers
5) Insurgent (didn't like Divergent, decided not to read)
6) Emma (completed) I recommend!
7) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
8) Chocrotes and the World Without Question (completed)

I'll add the reviews to my blog at the end of the month. Now I'd better get busy reading!