Jellicoe Road by Melina MarchettaB

Book: Jellicoe Road
Author: Melina Marchetta
# of Pages: 419 (Paperback)
Rating: 5 stars

From the back of the book:
At age eleven, Taylor Markham was abandoned by her mother. At fourteen, she ran away from boarding school, only to be tracked down and brought back by a mysterious stranger. Now seventeen, Taylor's the reluctant leader of her school's underground community, whose annual territory war with the Townies and visiting Cadets has just begun. This year, though, the Cadets are led by Jonah Griggs, and Taylor can't avoid his intense gaze for long. To make matters worse, Hannah, the one adult Taylor trusts, has disappeared. But if Taylor can piece together the clues Hannah left behind, the truth she uncovers might not just settle her past, but also change her future.

My Thoughts: In this story, we follow Taylor as she discovers who she is as she leads her school in the territory wars. Along the way, friendships are developed, secrets are revealed, and romance becomes unavoidable. This is my new favorite book! I kick myself for not reading it sooner. There are so many things I loved about it. The two story lines, the amazing characters, the concept of the territory wars. I now understand why everyone recommends this book. With its elements of family, friendship, mystery, and romance, it is hard not to love it. And, even though I only read it a couple weeks ago, I really want to read it again. So, if you have not read it yet, you really should!

"Waiting On" Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Book: Everybody Sees the Ants
Author: A. S. King
Release Date: October 3
                                                                             Goodreads Summary:

Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their family is fine. And he certainly didn't ask to be the recipient of Nadar McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.

Lucky has a secret—one that helps him wade through the daily dysfunction of his life. Grandad Harry, trapped in the jungles of Laos, has been visiting Lucky in his dreams—and the dreams just might be real: an alternate reality where he can be whoever he wants to be and his life might still be worth living. But how long can Lucky remain in hiding there before reality forces its way inside?

Printz Honor recipient A. S. King's distinctive, smart, and accessible writing shines in this powerful novel about learning to cope with the shrapnel life throws at you, and then taking a stand against it.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Top Ten Books I Want To Reread

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
2. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
5. If I Stay & Where She Went by Gayle Forman

6. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

7.The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

8.  Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

9. The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

10. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Book: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
# of Pages: 441 (Hardcover)
Rating: 4.5 stars

Lena lives in a world where love is considered a serious disease. Boys and girls go to separate schools. Marriages are arranged (AHH!) And everyone must be cured of love, aka deliria, when they turn 18. This cure rids a person of the ability to love or express any other real emotion for the rest of their life. The cure also makes people happier. Lena is afraid of love and is counting down the days until her procedure. She is a strong believer in the government's laws and is very careful with how she acts and what she says. Then, she meets Alex and her whole world turns upside down.

For the first part of the book, I did not like Lena much. She was so focused on following the rules and lecturing her best friend, Hana. At one point I found myself wishing that Hana was the protagonist. But, once Alex came into Lena's life, she began to relax a bit and became more likable. Once she made this turn, it was easier to want her to be happy, to want her to end up with Alex even though the odds are against her. Unfortunately, the story ended on a cliffhanger to which I cannot help but say UGH!

Oliver's idea of treating love as an epidemic is genius. Not only does it set her novel apart from the other dystopians that have been released this year, but it also gives the story a believable quality. She takes the term love sick to a whole new level.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.     


READ LAST WEEK

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

CURRENTLY READING

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

NEXT UP IN MY TBR PILE

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

In My Mailbox

IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.                                                                                                

Ashfall
by Mike Mullin

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern

The Iron King

by Julie Kagawa

"Waiting On" Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Book: Insurgent (Divergent #2)
Author: Veronica Roth
Release Date: May 28, 2012
                                                                         Goodreads Summary:
One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.(


What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Anything by Jane Austen
3. Anything by Cassandra Clare
4. Anything by Sarah Dessen
5. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
6. The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater
7. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
8. Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
9. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
10. Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa

In My Mailbox

IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

The Hunger Games series

by Suzanne Collins

For my Nook:

Hex Hall 

by Rachel Hawkins

Anna Dressed in Blood

by Kendare Blake

"Waiting On" Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Book: Ashfall
Author: Mike Mullin
Release Date: Oct. 11
                                                             Goodreads Summary: 
Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don't want to ruin the book for others.)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

Teaser:

"The Lachlan House leaders were always strict. Commandments number one to ten ranged from No Fun to No Fun."- Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta p. 59

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. 

READ LAST WEEK

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

CURRENTLY READING

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

South of Broad by Pat Conroy

NEXT IN MY TBR PILE

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Book: Enclave (Razorland #1)
Author: Ann Aguirre
# of Pages: 259 (Hardcover)
Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads Summary

Deuce has finally become an adult in the eyes of the members of the enclave. After years of waiting, she has finally earned the title Huntress. This job includes gathering food and killing Freaks, zombie-like creatures that roam the tunnels of what once was the subway. Deuce's spirits are marred when she discovers that her hunting parter is going to be Fade, a mysterious loner who has had much experience in the outside world. As she gets to know Fade and his beliefs, Deuce comes to realize that the elders' decisions and rules are not always the right ones. When fate takes an unexpected turn, Deuce finds herself Topside, above ground, with Fade faced with danger and unfamiliarity.

One of the things that I really liked about this book was the names of the characters. Deuce, Fade, Twist, etc. They are just so unique, and the naming ceremony, the way the members of the enclave receive their names, is quite interesting. I know the Goodreads summary says that Deuce is fifteen when she gets her name and becomes an adult. I might have missed it, but I don't think the book mentions Deuce's age.

I also liked the Freaks. They are creepy and numerous and better than one singular villain. Though, who knows, Aguirre might introduce an even greater human enemy.

The ending was the one thing that annoyed me. It was so abrupt and I couldn't help thinking Is that it? The story was flowing so smoothly then, bam, it was over. But, other than that, I really did enjoy this book.

"Waiting On" Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Book: Ruthless (Pretty Little Liars #10)
Author: Sara Shepard
Release Date: December 6


Goodreads Summary:                             For years scandal has rocked Rosewood, Pennsylvania—and high school seniors Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer have always been at the center of the drama. They’ve lost friends, been targeted by a ruthless stalker named A, and narrowly escaped death. And it’s not over yet. Aria’s love life is on the fritz. Emily’s exploring her wild side. Hanna’s kissing the enemy. And someone from Spencer’s past—someone she never thought she’d see again—is back to haunt her. But none of that compares to what happened last spring break. It’s their darkest secret yet and guess who found out? Now A is determined to make them pay for their crime, and the only thing scarier than A is the fear that maybe, just maybe, they deserve what’s coming to them.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Top Ten Sequels I'm Dying to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Enshadowed (Nevermore #2) by Kelly Creagh
2. Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth
3. Two Truths and a Lie (The Lying Game #3) by Sara Shepard
4. Ruthless (Pretty Little Liars #10) by Sara Shepard
5. Outpost (Razorland #2) by Ann Aguirre
6. Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano
7. The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan
8. The Fire (Witch and Wizard #3) by James Patterson
9. The Twelve (The Passage #2) by Justin Cronin

In My Mailbox

IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Enclave
by Ann Aguirre

Where She Went
by Gayle Forman


For my Nook:

Mile 81
by Stephen King