Title: The One and Only Ivan
Author: Katherine Applegate
Series: One and Only Ivan #1
Genre: Contemporary, Middle Grade
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 307
Reason Read: Play Book Tag
Rating:
My Thoughts
Even though THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN was a very easy read, being as passionate of an animal lover as I am, it was very difficult to read at times. It made my heart cry several times. I’m still glad I read it, though, and I thought it was very good. I loved Applegate’s writing style. It was very descriptive and painted a clear picture in my head. It was a joy to read, other than making me angry and sad about how animals are treated by some humans.
The One And Only Ivan
Author: Katherine Applegate
Series: One and Only Ivan #1
Genre: Contemporary, Middle Grade
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 307
Reason Read: Play Book Tag
Rating:
My Thoughts
Even though THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN was a very easy read, being as passionate of an animal lover as I am, it was very difficult to read at times. It made my heart cry several times. I’m still glad I read it, though, and I thought it was very good. I loved Applegate’s writing style. It was very descriptive and painted a clear picture in my head. It was a joy to read, other than making me angry and sad about how animals are treated by some humans.
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid
Author: Jeff Kinney
Series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid #1
Genre: Contemporary, Middle Grade
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 217
Reason Read: Play Book Tag
Rating:
I’m not a huge fan of graphic novels so DIARY OF A WIMPY KID was kind of perfect for me. It’s basically a middle grade novel with lots of pictures in it and I really liked that aspect of it. I also enjoyed the story. It was a lot of fun. I laughed out loud a few times. I did find the very grownup part of me groaning while reading the second half. It was fun but it was annoying too.
The 5th Wave
Author: Rick Yancey
Series: The 5th Wave #1
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 457
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:
My Thoughts
Until I saw the trailer for the movie, I had no idea THE 5TH WAVE was about aliens, which turned me off a little bit at first. I’m glad I still gave it a chance, though. I enjoyed the story a lot. It was very suspenseful and intriguing. I’m curious about where it goes from here. The series has a lot of potential and I hope I won’t be disappointed when I read the sequels.
Finding Audrey
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Genre: Romance, Young Adult
Format: Kindle
Pages: 288
Reason Read: Book Club
Spice Rating: 0.5 / 5
Rating:
My Thoughts
Because I suffer from mental illness, particularly anxiety and depression, I really connected with Audrey. I also connected with her in terms of her issues with school and being bullied. I kind of felt like her story was my story. I really liked the sense of hope without the finality this story had. So often books focusing on issues “cure” their characters by the end. If Audrey were real, she’d probably deal with anxiety for the rest of her life. But, with the help of counseling, medication, and her support system, she’d be able to cope and live a good life. I love that FINDING AUDREY showed that instead of curing her.
Still Alice
Author: Lisa Genova
Genre: Contemporary
Format: Paperback
Pages: 427
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:
My Thoughts
I wan’t excited to read STILL ALICE and went into it thinking it was going to be boring. Surprisingly, I quite enjoyed the story. The beginning was a little slow, but once I had read three or so chapters, I just kept reading and finished the book in one sitting. I don’t think any of the books I’ve read this year have made me cry, but this one did. It was such a raw, heart-wrenching story, and I’m glad I decided to read it.