August Books Read

I'm trying to keep track of all of the books I read, so where better to keep track of them than right here on this blog! For those of you who don't know, I work at Barnes and Noble and can recommend books all day long. If anyone reads anything that they see on here (or has already read something they see on here) let me know.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

Okay, I tried not to get addicted, I really did. But I was in Europe, and it was on sale, and I desperately needed something to read having read both books I brought during my freakishly long layover in Chicago. So I tried it and I will say this about it: when I finished it, my thought was What the hell was that? The writing is not particularly wonderful, and thinking back, I couldn't think of any major plot points really. And yet, I finished in less than a day and couldn't put it down. Which meant heading back out to Waterstone's and picking up:

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Basically, see above. Read in my hotel room in Dumfries and finished by the end of the day. Looking back, this is probably my favorite book in the Twilight saga.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Again, see above. Though I had to make this one last a little more than a day. By now, I am officially addicted to all things Twilight.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer.

Currently the last book in the saga, as bummed as that makes me. I really hope she continues the series, because after finishing it, I realized that I was a tad disappointed with the way it all ended. A certain plot point makes Bella go from very real and relatable, to not so much. And what kind of name is Renesmee? Okay, that's all I'll say....

Overall for the Twilight sage: 3 stars for quality of writing, five stars for addictiveness

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Having enjoyed the Twilight books so much, I decided to check out her only other novel. The only type of book that I love more than those that are futuristic and apocolyptic are those that comment on society or humanity. Two of my favorite books are Brave New World and The Handmaiden's Tale for goodness sake. The Host fits into that format in that it makes an observation of humanity that I totally just got. Worm-like aliens, called souls, have practically harvested earth's human population. The main character, a soul called Wanderer, can't quite make the voice of her host-body disappear. I hate to give it all away, but I will say that they become friends and it somehow manages to have a happy ending. This book really made me step back and take a look at Stephenie Meyer. She proves with this book that she can write more than just the sappy romance (though The Host doesn't lack in the I-wish-he-was-my-boyfriend department.)

Four stars.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher.

I finished out the month with a quick read of a teen novel called Deadline. I had picked this up almost a year ago as an advanced reader's copy. I am trying to read a teen novel here and there to get the language down for my own book. Anyways, Deadline is about a senior in high school who, upon getting the required sports physical as a cross-country runner, he finds out that he has an aggressive case of leukemia. Instead of undergoing treatment that would make his last days miserable, he instead opts to keep his disease a secret. Going out for the football team, asking out the hottest girl in school, and questioning the politics of his small town are all ways that he tries to make the most of his final year. This book is witty and sensitive, though a bit preachy at times, but had me bawling at the end.

Three stars.