Summer Reading List (Part 2)
Here is the second half of my summer reading list. If I had to compare this half of the list with the first half, I would say this bunch of titles is intended for a younger audience as a whole. This part of the list is also heavy with dystopic YA stories.
11. "Divergent" by Veronica Roth-- Ariel sent this Nook book to me and I'm really glad she did. This dystopic novel asks what would happen if society was split into four types of people who specialized in certain job types. Of course, something goes wrong. This novel is set in a Chicago of the future and it is interesting to see how future teenagers question the purpose of "The Bean" and the major buildings.
12. "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth-- This is the second of three in the "Divergent" series. As you can see, I liked the first one well enough to get the second. In this part of the story, the main character, Tris, is dealing with the fall out of the first novel and is discovering the origins of the society she is now in. The hard question of, "why would anyone choose this life instead of freedom" has come up, and Tris is learning that her parents may have had something to do with it.
13. "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley-- This story has to do with a sighting of a long thought extinct woodpecker and the disappearance of a high school boy. Whaley tells an interesting story that touches on mental illness, the butterfly effect, and personal responsibility. The story seems disjointed at first, but comes together in an interesting series of "Venn Diagram" type circles.
14. "The Stupidest Angel" by Christopher Moore-- When Christopher Moore does a Christmas novel there be zombies in it. Pine Grove, setting for several of his other novels, hosts an angel who is tasked with making a miracle-- but he can't seem to get anything right. As per Moore's MO, things fall apart and someone needs to step up and save the day.
15. "The Girl of Fire and Thorns" by Rae Carson-- What happens when you have never aspired to leadership or being the center of attention, you have been content to live in the shadow of your older, prettier, smarter sister, and you are suddenly thrust into the spotlight as the wife of a king? This book is about transformations and stepping up to responsibility that seems to seek us out. Elisa, the main character, is fat and unremarkable as a princess, but she becomes a totally different person when she is forced to battle for her life.
16. "The Girl in the Clockwork Collar" by Kady Cross-- This is part of the "Steampunk Chronicles" series and stars Finley Jane and her band of misfits. This novel is typical of most series-- it's not as good as the first one. This story line takes Finley from England to America to help a friend in need, but the story line gets a bit sidetracked in a love storyline that is more distracting than interesting.
17. "Coyote Blue" by Christopher Moore-- This is Moore's take on the Native American trickster figure: the coyote. Typical of Moore, the story draws on characters from other novels and provides some back story that illuminates other novels while entertaining everyone with the story. This book questions if it is possible to turn your back on your past and truly remake who you are. Moore's answer? No, but you'll be happier when you admit that to yourself.
18. "Matched" by Ally Condie-- Can society dictate who we fall in love with? Well, the society in this book seems to think so, but something goes wrong for Cassia when she sees two different faces that she is matched with, instead of one. This first installment sets the reader up to question how far government can go in regulating free will.
19. "A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty" by Joshilyn Jackson-- Family is a pretty powerful thing. In this novel, three generations of a family deal with a secret that has been hidden for nearly 17 years. Told from three different points of view, the story layers together and forms a tapestry of story that says some interesting things about how life works, what makes a family, and why bad things might be for the best. Each of the narrators' voices are captivating.
11. "Divergent" by Veronica Roth-- Ariel sent this Nook book to me and I'm really glad she did. This dystopic novel asks what would happen if society was split into four types of people who specialized in certain job types. Of course, something goes wrong. This novel is set in a Chicago of the future and it is interesting to see how future teenagers question the purpose of "The Bean" and the major buildings.
12. "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth-- This is the second of three in the "Divergent" series. As you can see, I liked the first one well enough to get the second. In this part of the story, the main character, Tris, is dealing with the fall out of the first novel and is discovering the origins of the society she is now in. The hard question of, "why would anyone choose this life instead of freedom" has come up, and Tris is learning that her parents may have had something to do with it.
13. "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley-- This story has to do with a sighting of a long thought extinct woodpecker and the disappearance of a high school boy. Whaley tells an interesting story that touches on mental illness, the butterfly effect, and personal responsibility. The story seems disjointed at first, but comes together in an interesting series of "Venn Diagram" type circles.
14. "The Stupidest Angel" by Christopher Moore-- When Christopher Moore does a Christmas novel there be zombies in it. Pine Grove, setting for several of his other novels, hosts an angel who is tasked with making a miracle-- but he can't seem to get anything right. As per Moore's MO, things fall apart and someone needs to step up and save the day.
15. "The Girl of Fire and Thorns" by Rae Carson-- What happens when you have never aspired to leadership or being the center of attention, you have been content to live in the shadow of your older, prettier, smarter sister, and you are suddenly thrust into the spotlight as the wife of a king? This book is about transformations and stepping up to responsibility that seems to seek us out. Elisa, the main character, is fat and unremarkable as a princess, but she becomes a totally different person when she is forced to battle for her life.
16. "The Girl in the Clockwork Collar" by Kady Cross-- This is part of the "Steampunk Chronicles" series and stars Finley Jane and her band of misfits. This novel is typical of most series-- it's not as good as the first one. This story line takes Finley from England to America to help a friend in need, but the story line gets a bit sidetracked in a love storyline that is more distracting than interesting.
17. "Coyote Blue" by Christopher Moore-- This is Moore's take on the Native American trickster figure: the coyote. Typical of Moore, the story draws on characters from other novels and provides some back story that illuminates other novels while entertaining everyone with the story. This book questions if it is possible to turn your back on your past and truly remake who you are. Moore's answer? No, but you'll be happier when you admit that to yourself.
18. "Matched" by Ally Condie-- Can society dictate who we fall in love with? Well, the society in this book seems to think so, but something goes wrong for Cassia when she sees two different faces that she is matched with, instead of one. This first installment sets the reader up to question how far government can go in regulating free will.
19. "A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty" by Joshilyn Jackson-- Family is a pretty powerful thing. In this novel, three generations of a family deal with a secret that has been hidden for nearly 17 years. Told from three different points of view, the story layers together and forms a tapestry of story that says some interesting things about how life works, what makes a family, and why bad things might be for the best. Each of the narrators' voices are captivating.
Comments
Post a Comment