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?