Read in June 2011

Holy cats you guys! I read a ton in June! I guess being unemployed/out of school/incredibly bored all day will do that to you. There were lots and lots of good books, but I didn't review all of them both to keep the post shorter and because some books were part of a series. Here are some of my favorites from last month (pictures link to Goodreads for summaries):

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson - I love fairy tale re-tellings, and this one is a new favorite. Based on a more obscure fairy tale (that I always loved as a kid), and set in an India-like country, Toads and Diamonds has just about everything I want in a story. I loved that this story changed the tale, and made what may have seemed like a curse a blessing. The magic and world is rich and the prose is just beautiful. If you like books based on fairy tales go out and find a copy right now!


Where She Went by Gayle Forman - This is the gorgeous sequel to If I Stay, which came out a few years ago and which was an instant favorite of mine. I loved that this story could easily stand on its own, and that the journey is about a different character, but that it still relates to the first book. Forman's writing is wonderful, and it was a great blend of so many wonderful things. There is some profanity/older content, but I'd still recommend it along with If I Stay for any reluctant teen reader.


Divergent by Veronica Roth - Wow, this book was epic! Another great dystopian (there have been so many awesome ones coming out!), this one taking place in Chicago in the future. This book has a little bit more of a sci-fi than post-apocalyptic flare, and it's incredibly gripping, with high stakes for the character and those she loves. I can't wait until the next one in the series comes out! (And my teenage brother-in-law read it so fast, trying to sneak it away from me before I was even done!)


Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool - This was this year's Newbery winner, and it did not disappoint! I loved the way Abilene's adventures intertwine with the entire town of Manifest, both its past and present inhabitants. This book is a great example of how to move back and forth between two timelines in a story, while still keeping the reader interested. I didn't realize how much some of the characters meant to me until the end, when we reach a full understanding of the loss they experienced. A beautiful book.


Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen - This month I read my first Sarah Dessen books, which are great so far. (Amazon had them for cheap, so I bought a bunch). I loved the friendship in this book, which is something I don't think we see enough of in YA. Dessen's writing is smooth and thoughtful, and her characters always feel real and flawed. Even though she deals with some tough issues in this book (like teen pregnancy) Dessen treats them with tact, and I never felt like things were thrown in just to make it edgy. An excellent read.


Also Read in June:
The Lost Saint by Bree Despain
That Summer by Sarah Dessen
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
The Color of Water by Kim Dong Hwa
The Color of Heaven by Kim Dong Hwa
The Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

What have you been reading?