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8.3.14

Review: Changers Book One: Drew by T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper

Changers Book One: Drew
Author: T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper
Genre: Young Adult
Published: February 4th, 2014
Publisher: Akashic Books
Source: Giveaway via PaperLanternLit
Find: Goodreads
The cheerleader, the nerd, the jock, the freak. What if you had to be all four?

Changers Book One: Drew opens on the eve of Ethan Miller’s freshman year of high school in a brand-new town. He’s finally sporting a haircut he doesn’t hate, has grown two inches since middle school, and can’t wait to try out for the soccer team. At last, everything is looking up in life.

Until the next morning. When Ethan awakens as a girl. Ethan is a Changer, a little-known, ancient race of humans who live out each of their four years of high school as a different person. After graduation, Changers choose which version of themselves they will be forever—and no, they cannot go back to who they were before the changes began.

Ethan must now live as Drew Bohner—a petite blonde with an unfortunate last name—and navigate the treacherous waters of freshman year while also following the rules: Never tell anyone what you are. Never disobey the Changers Council. And never, ever fall in love with another Changer. Oh, and Drew also has to battle a creepy underground syndicate called “Abiders” (as well as the sadistic school queen bee, Chloe). And she can’t even confide in her best friend Audrey, who can never know the real her, without risking both of their lives.

With a such a crazy concept, I knew it was going to be a fun ride, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hesitant at first. By the end, however, I was captivated by this moving insightful story, and Ethan/Drew really stole my heart. There were some tough and sensitive subjects, but T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper handled them with tact and care, and most of my worries dissolved.

At first, I was wary of how the authors would handle a teenage boy transforming into a girl. I mentally prepared myself for over exaggerated gender stereotypes and crude humor.  I was ready to cringe if Drew looked down her shirt and was utterly amazed at her boobs or if she started crying about how it was the end of the world now that she was a girl. Imagine my surprise when none of that happened. There were a few gender stereotypes mentioned, but they weren't used as a punchline for a funny joke. Instead, Drew was able to empathize and grow as a person in these situations. In fact, Changers Book One really stole my heart by the end. Drew's experiences the perfect blend of humor and sincerity, and it left me feeling so much that I didn't want the story to end.

7.3.14

High School Classics I Never Had To Read


So this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic was about popular authors whom I've never read, and I automatically knew I would have no trouble completing that list. It started to get me thinking, though, on how many classic books I've also never read. When I think about my high school/college curriculum, I realized I managed to get away without reading a lot of the more popular classics. I don't mean those classics that were assigned to me and I skimmed through with the help of Sparknotes - that would be an entire list altogether. I mean the list of classics that none of my teachers ever required me to read.

    1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
    2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
    3. Animal Farm by George Orwell
    4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
    5. 1984 by George Orwell
    6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
    7. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
    8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
    9. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
    10. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
    11. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

4.3.14

Top Ten Tuesday (11): Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish that allows readers to share their lists and opinions on a number of subjects from their top ten book covers to their top ten villains.

This week's topic for March 3rd is:

Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read

26.2.14

Waiting on Wednesday (9): Confessions by Kanae Minato


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight some upcoming releases that we're impatiently tapping our feet for. It's a great way to to keep track of some of the most anticipated releases amongst other book bloggers and a new way to discover books yourself.

This week I'm looking forward to:

Confessions
Author: Kanae Minato
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Mulholland Books
To be published: August 19th, 2014
Find: Goodreads
Her pupils killed her daughter. Now, she will have her revenge.

After an engagement that ended in tragedy, all Yuko Moriguchi had to live for was her four-year-old child, Manami. Now, after a heartbreaking accident on the grounds of the middle school where she teaches, Yuko has given up and tendered her resignation.

But first, she has one last lecture to deliver. She tells a story that will upend everything her students ever thought they knew about two of their peers, and sets in motion a maniacal plot for revenge.

Narrated in alternating voices, with twists you'll never see coming, Confessions probes the limits of punishment, despair, and tragic love, culminating in a harrowing confrontation between teacher and student that will place the occupants of an entire school in harm's way. You'll never look at a classroom the same way again.

I'm bringing back this meme on my blog just for this week, because I'm actually really really excited for this book. The Japanese 2010 film adaptation of this book is one of my favorite movies, and I'm thrilled by the news that this book is finally going to be translated into English.

25.2.14

Top Ten Tuesday (10): Top Ten Favorite Covers


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish that allows readers to share their lists and opinions on a number of subjects from their top ten book covers to their top ten villains.

This week's topic for February 25th is:

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND: Top Ten Favorite Covers

For this week, we're allowed to choose a previous topic to talk about, so this week, I want to talk about some nice eye candy.