Confessions of a Shopaholic

by Sophie Kinsella

I went to see the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic and loved it so much that I decided I needed to read the book. The movie was funny and sweet so I had high hopes for the novel that inspired it. After all, the book is nearly always better than the movie!

Wrong.

I hated this book! In fact, I didn't even finish it. I hardly ever abandon a book. Only once before have I not finished a book that I chose to read. But I just could not stand this one any more.

In the movie, the main character Rebecca is funny. She just can't seem to help herself when it comes to buying things. But despite this you feel bad for her. She's endearing despite her often silly ideas.

The the book Rebecca is mean. She buys way to much and it's just annoying. She curses, and mocks people and is deceitful.

The movie was hilarious, sweet and innocent.

The book was cringe-worth, obnoxious and kind of dirty.

I read 5 chapters and decided that was enough for me.

I'll stick to the movie this time around.

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods

by Suzanne Collins

Back to Gregor! This is the third book in the Gregor series, and I think they just keep on getting better!

At the beginning of the book Gregor in back in NYC with his family. However, the Underlanders need him again to help fulfill yet another prophecy. This time though, Gregor's mom is absolutely not going to let him go! The family tries to avoid the rats that come to "convince" them, but soon realize that there is no escaping them. Gregor's mom relents, but insists that this time she's coming with them. Having Gregor's mom in the Underland is in interesting twist this time around, although she ends up having a smaller role than I thought she might. But again, the Underland is always entertaining!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

by Mary E. Pearson

Love this book in such a different way than I love other books.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson is a book that makes you think. What starts off seeming to be a simple mystery, turns into a medical science fiction novel that asks many tough questions.

Jenna wakes up for a coma not remembering anything about herself. She doesn't remember who she is, where she's from, or who her family and friends are. She learns that she was in an accident that caused the coma, but no one will speak any more about it.

It's hard to discuss it much more without giving away the ending, so consider yourself warned: spoilers coming.

Partway through the book we learn that Jenna almost died in the car accident. In fact, only 10% of her brain was salvageable. In the future time that Jenna lives in there exists technology to recreate any part of the body. However, each body part has a point value, and each human is allotted only a certain amount of points. Once one has reached the point limit, they cannon receive any more "replacement parts". In order to save Jenna after the accident, she needed replacements for nearly every part of her - a point total far exceeded the limit. However, Jenna's parents developed the technology to create these replacement parts, and in defiance of the law, they spirited Jenna away in secret in order to recreate every part of her in an effort to save the 10% of the girl they have left.

The reader is then forced to grapple with the questions: What is it that makes us human? At what point does a soul leave a body? If science exists to keep a person alive, should it be used no matter the cost? Is Jenna the same person as the girl who was in the accident or simply a nearly-exact copy? Is that 10% the most important part? The only part that really matters?

Fast-paced and thought provoking - totally different from most of the stuff I've been ready lately, but I really enjoyed it.

City of Bones

by Cassandra Clare

I've been wanting to read this book for a while, and when the third entry to the series came out a few months ago I made sure to finally put this on hold at the library.

City of Bones was a fun mix of action, romance, and supernatural elements. I enjoyed the twist at the end even though I suspected that it was coming.

I wish I had written this blog a few weeks ago when I actually finished it (around the date this post is dated.) I can't remember many details or specific things I wanted to say about it. But I did enjoy the book and the supernatural world that the author created, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

by Suzanne Collins

I've gotten terribly behind on this blog (7 books behind) and I can't really remember the order I read some in or when I finished them, so this is just my best guess.

This is the second book in the Gregor series. Gregor returns to the underland to fulfill yet another prophecy. This book was better than the first one with some additional fun characters through into the mix. The fireflies are both hilarious and infuriating, while the newest rat Twitchtip keeps you guessing. Gregor continues to struggle to interpret the prophecies and understand his new friends all while having to make some of the most difficult decisions of his life. You can't help but love him, his sister Boots or even the various rats, bats and cockroaches that accompany him.

Gregor the Overlander

by Suzanne Collins

Two reasons to read this book: it's by Suzanne Collins, author of the incredibly awesome The Hunger Games, and Dani recommends it! (Both reasons clearly being enough on their own - put them together and it's pretty much mandatory to read this book!)

Gregor the Overlander is the first book in a five-part series. Gregor lives in New York City and lives a fairly ordinary life - until he and his little sister Boots fall through a grate in their laundry room and find themselves deep below the city in the Underland. Here they meet pale-skinned people with violet eyes, as well as scores of giant cockroaches, bats and rats. Gregor soon learns that the Underlanders believe he is the "warrior" from an ancient prophecy as well as that his dad (who's been missing for over 2 years) is likely being held prisoner by the rats. Gregor and his new acquaintances must set out on a journey to save his father, as well as the future of the Underland from the scheming plans of the rats.

Fun premise, fast read, amusing characters and four books to follow all add up to an exciting new series to enjoy!

It's a Mall World After All

by Janette Rallison

Fun and frivolous - that's how I'd describe this book. I laughed a lot.

Charlotte works in Bloomingdale's in the mall. While she spraying people with perfume she observes lots of things going on around her. First, she thinks she witnesses her best friend Brianna's boyfriend Bryant out with another girl. She also befriends a little boy who comes in needing new shoes for his mother. Charlotte spends a lot of the book trying to help this boy while also trying to prove to Brianna that Bryant is actually a jerk. Along the way she has many amusing encounters with Colton - Bryant's best friend who sometimes seems interested in her, as well as the boy Reese and his friend T.J. This boo isn't the next great American novel, but it is a fast read that will have you laughing out loud with frequency.