Everything, Everything. Oh man, I loved this book. It was typical YA — the characters were pretty perfect and the teenaged boy was proficient in the language of love in a way that no grown man has ever actually been, but it was incredible. The main character has a fragile immune system and has never left her home, spends all of her time reading and taking online classes, and only ever sees her nurse and mother — until Olly moves in next door, and the rest is history. I enjoyed the characters, their witty banter, the way the world was seen through the eyes of a girl who has never seen the world before, and most of all, I love the way it ended.
"prom • ise ('prämes) n. pl. -es. 1. The lie you want to keep. [2015, Whittier]"
Thirteen Reasons Why. This was this November's book club read, and another YA. About a young girl who took her own life and leaves 13 tapes behind for 13 people to listen to and hear why they were, in some way or another, responsible for why she killed herself. I didn't hate this book, but it was definitely a very easy read, super straightforward, not too shocking or surprising, and I finished it in three sittings. Overall, a good read if you're looking for something quick and easy, but other than that I wasn't totally impressed.
"No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same."
All the Bright Places. This book was tragically beautiful. Also YA and also touching on the subject of suicide, this book really opens your eyes to the struggles within the mind of someone contemplating taking their own life in a way that our book club book didn't. I also loved that it was split point of view between the two main characters, so you could see inside the minds of two troubled young people, but how each handled the cards life dealt them. Truly upsetting but ultimately beautiful, I definitely recommend this one as a more serious read.
". . . but the great thing about this life of ours is that you can be someone different to everybody."
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Every time I read these it feels like the first time and the millionth time all in one. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this series.
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
Carry On. I was so excited for this book to come out after I finished Fangirl earlier this year. Even though it has nothing to do with Fangirl, it's the fan-fiction story that the main character of that story started, and I knew it was going to be awesome. I was right. Bear in mind, in order to enjoy this book, you need to accept that it's not Harry Potter at all, and then it's fantastic. It's a different kind of fantasy story surrounding magical students at a school in England (I know, just ignore it, seriously), and the main character, Simon Snow, has spent the last eight years dealing with being the most powerful mage in the magical world. Loved it.
"You were the sun, and I was crashing into you. I'd wake up every morning and think, 'This will end in flames."
Invisible City. This was December's book club read, and even though after the first chapter I wasn't sure I was going to like it, I ended up devouring it. It's about a 22-year-old woman named Rebekah, who is in her first year out of college as a stringer for a newspaper. She is called to get information from a crime scene in which a Hasidic Jewish woman's was found, and Rebekah makes it her mission to find out what happened to her. I enjoyed it and there are apparently going to be more featuring this main character, which is exciting.
In 2015 I read 35 books and crushed my reading goal of 25 by ten whole novels — in 2016 I'm going for fifty. Wish me luck.
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