Click the title to go to the Amazon page for each book!
The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
This was a decent YA novel but in my opinion not nearly as good as The Hunger Games or Divergent. The whole world is built around the concept of creating perfect, beautiful people. Tally, the main character, gets involved in a rebel group and comes to see the inner-beauty in the ugly people but she still dreams of being beautiful herself. I am not entirely sure what lessons she learned. It was an entertaining read but after reading the "sneak peek" of the second book I decided against continuing the series.
Sister by Rosamund Lupton
This book is the story of a woman trying to solve the mystery of her sisters disappearance. It was a huge page turner as Beatrice considers various suspects and explores concepts such as genetic trails in infants. Soon the police discover the Tess committed suicide but Bee refuses to believe this. There are so many itty bitty clues leading to the ending, but you will never see it coming! It ends with just the right balance between open-ended and hopeful.
Angelfall by Susan Ee
I bought this one because it was on a special deal on Amazon, although I was a little uncertain about it after reading the reviews. Some people described it as morbid while others said it gave them nightmares. It was certainly a bleak, post-apocalyptic world but it was an interesting take on an otherwise worn out idea. The end of the world in this story was brought about by the rapture; the Angel Gabriel sent with an army of Angels to destroy mankind and all their evil. It is definitely a different way to look at Heaven/Hell, Good/Evil, etc. I do not really see this book as a dig at any particular faith, but more an exploration of the concept of God and faith in general.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This is a phenomenal book. Let me start by saying that I am fascinated by the history and culture of World War Two in general. I love the complete contrasts you see during that time; pure evil and hatred against simple innocence. The idea of people going along with horrible ideas based of of one man's words and then people who still do the right thing, despite their entire community and culture telling them to do something else. This book, which is narrated by death, explores both of these world: those of simple people and how their actions fit into the larger structure of hugely important events. You will fall in love with Liesel and all the amazing people she encounters.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
This was a strange book but worth the read! Its a mystery, love story and history all tied into one. It took me awhile to get into it, there was at times too much focus on the tiny details of typography and bookmaking, but it was all necessary to really get into this world. It was fun to think about the possibility (and honestly likelihood) of underground societies dedicated to old books. I adored the ending as well and the idea that even the smallest acts can have the biggest impact on the future.
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
I have a love/hate relationship with this book. To be honest, I did not particularly enjoy the memoir part of this book. At times it seemed a bit heavy handed and contradictory; my life is so wonderful and I am so blessed and lucky versus I am making no progress this is the worst idea ever. I got a bit annoyed reading those two general ideas over and over again. But there were so small details that really added depth, like talking about her husbands illness. I loved the overall concept of this book though and the map she provides for individuals looking to add more happiness and contentment to their own lives. If you are feeling a little lost I would highly suggest this book.
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