How Many Have You Read

The NPR has a list of the best ever teen books set up as a checklist so you can check off how many you've read. It's HERE. Give it a try and see how many you've read (Eleven for me). Do you agree with the list? What is missing from it?

It would be nice if they had a similar list for inspirational or Christian books. 

Here's what I've read from this list. This is not saying I recommend them. You can read my review of them in earlier posts

Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix (just finished this week)

The Hunger Games
Review HERE

The Fault in Our Stars
Review HERE

The Book Thief

The Giver

The Outsiders I was really bored!

Divergent

13 Reasons Why
Review HERE

The Dark is Rising

Forever

Just Listen

If I Stay

I think I've seen more as movies than what I read. I watched these as movies:
The Hunger Games
The Fault in Our Stars
Fahrenheit 451
The Book Thief 
The Giver
The Perks of Being a Wall Flowers
Paper Towns
Twilight
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The Dark is Rising
If I Stay
The Maze Runner


Other YA Novels I've reviewed are:
All the Bright Places
City of Ember
I Was Here
This is How I Find Her
The Boy in Striped Pajamas
The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days
Counting by 7's

What I'm Reading While Traveling

I have  a very diverse in-the-process-of-reading list while I'm traveling. This is when I'm most thankful for my kindle. Here's what I'm reading. Let me know in the comments section what you are reading.

Manual for my advanced diving class (paperback)

Inspirational (Kindle)

non fiction writing resource (paperback)

YA novel--I haven't actually started this, but I have it with me (paperback)

Children's action adventure (kindle)

YA novel (kindle and paperback!)

YA novel (phone and kindle)

Inspirational (kindle)

YA novel--haven't started yet (kindle)

YA novel (hard cover from library)

adult Christian suspense (kindle)

Writer's resource (kindle)

That's more or less my reading list for now. What are you reading?

Book Review: The Hunger Games

The following review of The Hunger Games was written by author Bryan Davis. After you read the interview, leave a comment in the comment section--do you agree with all, some or none of his review of the book? Why?

Bryan has written several best selling young adult fantasy books. You can read his interview HERE. This review is being used with his permission. He also has a review of the movie, which I will be posting soon. 

 The Hunger Games is a dystopian/science fiction novel targeted for young adult readers. Since the genre is the same as my daughter’s novel, and since it is so popular and highly acclaimed, I decided to read it while flying home from Singapore.

First, I will list some of the good qualities. The Hunger Games accomplished two important feats – it held my interest throughout and kept me thinking about the story and characters after I closed the book. This doesn’t often happen to me, so I consider this to be a strong quality. If a story can’t hold my interest, I simply don’t finish. I don’t have time to read a boring book.

The author developed the main character (Katniss) quite well. Her traits (with one exception) were clear and consistent. For the most part, she was likeable and easy to follow. I will get to the exception soon.

The level of action, for the most part, proceeded at a good pace with appropriate pauses for rest and reflection. The author used foreshadowing quite well, better than most.

Now I will list some negatives. The first I noticed was the use of present tense. I found it annoying and unnecessary. It constantly jerked me out of the story, and I never got used to it.

The author’s use of fragments in narrative was also annoying. I understand the need for fragments in dialog and interior monolog, but it is simply wrong in narrative. It is a gimmick that has become popular of late, and it doesn’t work. There were many times that a comma would have made a proper sentence, and the use of a period instead had no reasonable explanation. Every use jerked me out of the story, and such jarring is so easily avoidable.

For example (page 6 in my copy):

"In the autumn, a few brave souls sneak into the woods to harvest apples. But always in sight of the Meadow. Always close enough to run back to the safety of District 12 if trouble arises."

The second two "sentences" are not sentences at all. If the author had put commas after "apples" and "Meadow" instead of periods, the entire section would have been grammatically correct. There is no reason to use periods except for employing a gimmick that doesn't work.

This example also points out how the use of present tense has problems. "In the autumn" indicates a time that differs from the present, but the section is still written in the present tense, which doesn't make sense at all.

On another point, the author was inexplicably inconsistent with speaker tag placements—sometimes near the beginning of a dialog segment, sometimes in the middle, sometimes at the end. It was especially distracting when she placed a speaker tag at the end of a several-sentence paragraph, and I found that the speaker wasn’t who I thought it was. When the speaker isn’t obvious, it is always better to put the tag as near to the beginning of the spoken portion as possible. The other option is to identify the speaker with an action beat at the beginning. If the speaker is obvious, there is no need for a tag at all.

The author did a poor job with scene-setting descriptions. I am a minimalist with descriptions in my own work, but I strive to provide enough to set the scene. Ms. Collins describes almost nothing. I could rarely see the places at all, and there were plenty of places to set the scenes unobtrusively. The arena was barely visible. What did the hovercraft look like? The training facility? I didn’t realize the size of the cornucopia until they climbed onto it at the end. Practically nothing was described sufficiently.

***Caution, spoilers ahead

The author did a poor job with world building. The motivations for the games themselves were lacking. Sure, I understood the punishment and warning angle, but she didn’t provide any counterbalance to explain if the citizens debated refusal to cooperate. If they did, what was their reason for not rebelling? Annihilation was threatened, but it was an empty threat. They leaders couldn’t afford to annihilate everyone. Some of these issues lacked sufficient exploration. Also, many of the technology aspects had little to no explanation. Where did the silver parachutes originate? How could they be delivered without notice? How could they fall so precisely, like in the crook of the tree where Katniss slept? How could there be cameras wherever they went, no matter where they went, all without notice? Explaining some of these issues is a huge part of world building. These were a big part of the story, so I got the impression that the author had no idea how to explain them, or just didn’t want to bother. Also, if the technology was that advanced, why did they need a train to get to the training facility? Much of this felt like the author was simply pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

The romantic angle seemed very contrived. Although Katniss was a well-developed character for the most part, when it came to her relationship with Peeta, she became a shallow drone. With most of the story, she was smart and strong, but she was clueless when it came to understanding what Peeta was doing. I suppose that every reader in the world knew what Peeta was doing, but Katniss was too stupid to figure it out, which created a situation that ruined suspension of disbelief. Katniss was too smart most of the time to be that stupid regarding Peeta. I get the impression that the author just tossed the romance into the mix in order to titillate readers, especially the ridiculous kissing parts, but it doesn’t work at all. In fact, this is the biggest flaw in the story and makes me unable to recommend it to anyone. The romance was completely unnecessary to the point of being silly.

Another story flaw is the author’s decision to create a midstream rules change that allows for two winners from the same district. This really took the edge off the intensity, and it was a big letdown. Would Katniss have helped Peeta so willingly and so painstakingly if she still thought he might kill her? That would have been a fantastic idea to explore, but the rules change removed that tension. The threatened suicide that comes later would have been more powerful without the change and then the change back. The leaders would have still wanted a victor, and if Katniss and Peeta had selflessly refused to kill one another, their final decision would have had much greater impact.

The story is lacking any deep thematic element. It explores brutality and despotic rule, and there is some examination of selfishness versus sacrifice, but the author doesn’t seem to have enough of a moral compass to allow for a look at real selflessness. If she had avoided the rule change, she would have had a prime opportunity. The most redeeming element was how Katniss treated Rue, both in life and in death. Their teamwork was fun to read. Still, since Rue died, we don’t get to see how Katniss would have decided to treat her if it came time to have to kill her. The avoidance of this issue with Rue and with Peeta really hurt the thematic depth.

***End of spoilers

I mentioned some strong positives at the beginning of this review, but they are not enough to outweigh the big negatives. If the author could have removed just a few of the negatives, I probably could have recommended this book. As it stands, I don’t want to read the sequel. I think I will find some of the same big flaws, and they would probably be too annoying or disappointing to get through.

This could have been a great book. Unfortunately, it is mediocre to poor. I give it 2.5 stars out of 5.

Bryan's website is HERE

My 2016 Reading List

One of my goals is to read young adult novels this year. I hardly read anything last year. My primary focus is to read what is on the best seller list. Since I am writing Christian fiction, I want to see what regular, ordinary teens are reading. So I used the list I posted HERE.

So far I've read:
All the Bright Places  review HERE
13 Reasons Why review  HERE
8 Notes to a Nobody --Christian fiction that I read in its entirety on my phone in line at Universal last weekend. Read an interview with the author HERE
Hunger Games- yes, I read it when it first came out, but I just reread it. Actually I listened to the whole thing on CD driving to Orlando and back. I prefer the movie to the book, and I'll talk about why in a future post.

I am currently working on:
The Fault in Our Stars--Jasmine and I watched the movie and are reading the book now (actually listening to it read on CD)
Looking for Alaska  

Still on my list to choose from (a mix of new and old): I am not familiar with many of these books, so I may find that I do not like them, in which case I won't finish them.
Running Lean Christian fiction
10 Steps to Boyfriend Status Christian fiction
The Giver/Gathering Blue/The Messenger/The Son
Perks of Being a Wall Flower
Abundance of Katherines
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
13 Little Blue Envelopes
If I Stay
Wednesday Wars
Chocolate War
Someone Dies and Someone Lives
Deadline
Before I Fall
10 Things to Do Before I Die
Papertowns
A Wrinkle in Time
Divergent
Speak
A Separate Peace
Just Listen
The Truth About Forever
Along for the Ride
City of Ember
The Beginning of Everything
The Future of Us
Harry Potter (maybe books 1-4)
Twilight

I've noticed that a lot of books are either about death, dying or trying to survive.

Now that you've seen my list:
Which of these books have you read and what did you think of them?
What books have you read that you'd recommend to me?
What Christian books are best seller list worthy?

Book Review: 13 Reasons Why

My goal is to read 10 YA books this year. I have found it easier to listen to them on CD while I do busy work. This is my second book, and like the first, it deals with suicide.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

No one knew why Hannah Baker killed herself. But before she died, Hannah recorded a set of cassette tapes, one side for each of the reasons she killed herself, some of the incidents being minor and some more serious. Each of those reasons has to do with a person, and those thirteen people must listen to the tapes and pass them on.

When high school student Clay Jensen receives the tapes, he has no idea how much they will change his life. He plays the first tape and is surprised to hear the voice of classmate Hannah Baker, who recently committed suicide. Aside from making out with her at a party, he didn’t really know her well—even though they worked at the movie theater together for a time and attended the same school.

 He spends a long night listening to the tapes and visiting the places the tapes led him to. The book alternates between Hannah’s story on the tape and Clay’s thoughts and memories. As the story progresses, Clay wonders if things would have been different if he’d only had the courage to speak to her.

After he listens to the tapes, the world looks different to Clay. When he returns to school, he notices Skye, another student who seems to be heading down the same road as Hannah and reaches out to her.

My Thoughts

In some ways this was a compelling read, but in others it lacked authenticity.

The way the story is woven together from two point of view characters, one who is telling her story by tape and the other through his thoughts and memories, is engaging. I listened to the book on CD, so I heard the story in two different voices. Reading it might not be so compelling.

The idea of a person’s actions affecting another person is important, however I don’t think Hannah should have blamed thirteen people for her choice to commit suicide. Some of the people were merely unkind, while others were cruel. The title “The Thirteen Reasons” points a finger at others and could be taken as vindictive. “You made me suffer, so I committed suicide, and it’s your fault.”

 That being said, I think it’s good if the book makes people look for those around them who are hurting, reach out to others and consider their words and actions. What to some people might have just been annoying, was traumatic to Hannah. Just one more thing piled on top of the others.

Hannah never really stood up for herself in the book, and more than once she put herself in a situation that led to her problems. For instance, at one point she was in a place that was a teen hang out. She was cornered in a booth and was being groped. She hoped some one would notice and help her, but she did not yell for help, which would have quickly ended the problem. Another time Hannah went into a hot tub with a boy knowing his intentions, and she had sex with him knowing it would make her darkness worse.

People need to be honest with others about their feelings. Clay assumed he had no chance with Hannah, when Hannah was actually hoping that he’d show interest in her. But since she appeared to want him to leave her alone, he did.

“Thirteen Reasons Why” ended with Clay feeling hopeful as he reached out to another student because of listening to the tapes and realizing his mistake with Hannah. But that is the only hope it gave.

My Recommendation:

It’s a good read, but it somewhat trivialized suicide. The book lacks any spiritual content. It is set in a public school and some of the language used and incidents reported do not support the values of a Christian teen. Yet it is enlightening. If you choose to read it, use discretion.

I found the book “All the Bright Places” to be much more authentic. So if you are going to read only one book about suicide, read “All the Bright Places.”

Hannah had 13 reasons why she committed suicide, here are my

Thirteen Reasons Why You Should Choose Life: I only have five so help me out and write your suggestions in the comments section.

1. God created you in his own image with a unique personality and talents. (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:14)
2. God has work especially for you to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
3. You have something to contribute to society that only you can contribute.
4. There is someone else hurting, and you are the perfect one to reach out to him or her.
5. Only by living will you find out all that you are capable of.

Other things to read:

Jay Asher's Website

Helping a Friend Who is Talking About Suicide

Teen Suicide

Feeling Depressed

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/april-web-only/when-suicide-strikes-in-body-of-christ.html

Story of a Suicidal Christian

Best Teen Novels

What do teens read and enjoy? You probably have your own ideas. But here is what www.npr.org said are the favorite 100 best-ever teen novels.

How many of these have you read? What have they left off the list that you would add?

I tried posting the actual article with book covers, but the formatting was very hard to read, so I'll post the titles only and also the link to the article so you can read the descriptions and see the book covers. READ HERE

100 Best Teen Novels according to npr.org

1. Harry Potter series 
   
2. Hunger Games series 
   
3. To Kill a Mockingbird
   
4. The Fault in Our Stars
   
5. The Hobbit
6. The Catcher in the Rye
7. Lord of the Rings
8. Fahrenheit 451
9. Looking for Alaska
10. The Book Thief
11. The Giver Series
12. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
13. The Outsiders
14. Anne of Green Gables
15. His Dark Materials Series
16. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
17. The Princess Bride
18. Lord of the Flies
19. Divergent series
20. Paper Town
21. The Mortal Instrument series
22. An Abundance of Katherines
23. Flowers for Algernon
24. Thirteen Reasons Why
25. The Curious Incident of the Dogs in the Night-Time
26. Speak
27. Twilight series
28. Uglies series
29. The Infernal Devices series
30. Tuck Everlasting
31. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian
32. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series
33. The Call of the Wild
34. Will Grayson, Will Grayson
35. Go Ask Alice
36. Howl’s Moving Castle
37. Star Girl
38. A Separate Peace
39. Vampire Academy series
40. Abhorsen Trilogy
41. Doon
42. Discworld/Tiffany Aching series
43. My Sister’s Keeper
44. The Dark is Rising sequence
45. Graceling series
46. Forever
47. Earthsea series
48. The Inheritance Cycle
49. The Princess Diaries series
50. Song of the Lioness series
51. Treasure Island
52. Delirium series
53. Anna and the French Kiss
54. Hush, Hush, Saga
55. 13 Little Blue Envelopes
56. It’s Kind of a Funny Story
57. The Gemma Doyle trilogy
58. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
59. The House on Mango Street
60. Something Wicked This Way Comes
61. The Chocolate War
62. Just Listen
63. A Ring of Endless Light
64. The Truth About Forever
65. The Bartimaeus trilogy
66. Bloodline series
67. Fallen series
68. House of Night series
69. I Captured the Castle
70. Nick and Norma’s Infinite Playlist
71. Before I Fall
72. Unwind
73. The Last Unicorn
74. The Maze Runner series
75. If I Stay
76. The Blue Sword
77. Crank series
78. Matched series
79. Gallagher Girls series
80. The Goose Girl
81. Daughter of the Lioness/Trickster series
82. I Am the Messenger
83. The Immortals series
84. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
85. Chaos Walking series
86. Circle of Magic series
87. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
88. Feed
89. Weetzie Bat series
90. Along for the Ride
91. Confession of Georgia Nicolson series
92. Leviathan series
93. The House of Scorpion
94. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci
95. This Lullaby
96. Gone series
97. Shiver trilogy
98. The Hero and the Crown
99. Wintergirls
100. Betsy-Tacy books

Now that you've read their list, leave a list of your top ten favorite YA or teen novels. 
This giveaway has ended. Look for a new one soon. Also put only your first name and age if you are between 10 and 18 years old. (Also get a parents' permission please) 

I will be putting the names into a drawing. I will draw on December 24. First place will get a $15 Books a Million Gift card, second and third places will get $10 gift cards. 

I will post the winners late the 24th and ask you to send your address to my e-mail address in order to get the card. (That's why you need an okay from your parents)