My August Reads
Dying of heat frustration in Orlando this month really slowed my reading progress. So far I’ve only read 54 books this year. I’ll never make it to 100 at this rate!
What I Read in August:
Sisters Red – Jackson Pearce
Scarlett March obsesses with hunting down Fenris–werewolves that killed her grandmother when she was a child. Her younger sister Rosie struggles with her duty to help Scarlett and her desire for a normal teenage life.
I really wanted to like this book. I met the author at a book signing and she was really funny and sweet. I love the cover and the fact that it’s a Red Riding Hood retelling, but the plot and the writing didn’t draw me in. I didn’t care that there were wolves in sexy man-skins devouring beautiful girls. Go ahead and eat them, I say! It’s no skin off my nose.
As I do not have a sister and have never wanted one, I am not inclined to enjoy stories about sisterly relationships (which is funny ’cause I sorta wrote one). They don’t interest me, which is probably why I don’t care much for Frozen.
Yeah, I said it.
Sold – Patricia McCormick
Lakshmi, a thirteen-year-old Nepali girl, is sold into prostitution by her step-father. Trapped in a brothel in India, she makes unlikely friends while struggling to buy her freedom back.
I CANNOT begin to describe how angry this book makes me. The horrifying treatment of these children and the culture’s views toward women is enough to make me scream. For example, Lakshmi’s mother tells her that when she has a husband, she must let him eat first and then eat his leftovers. And when she is done washing his feet, she should drink some of the water.
I mean, how backwards can you be?
The story is written in verse, which I normally despise, but McCormick’s style didn’t bother me. I could read it as I would a normal book.
It’ll piss you off, but you should probably check this book out.
Beauty – Robin McKinley
After her father’s business goes under (literally, all his ships sink), Beauty and her family move to the forest, where there are tales of an enchanted castle inhabited by a wicked Beast.
I liked this Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I didn’t love it. Published in 1978, it had an old school charm and I enjoyed McKinley’s writing style, but I felt like the story could’ve started much later than it did. I wanted to spend more time with the Beast in his castle. Beauty doesn’t even arrive there until nearly halfway through the story. I also wished the Beast was more of a dick, but you can’t have everything.
As obsessed as I am with Beauty and the Beast retellings, I’ve never actually read the original. I should probably get on that…
Liars, Inc. – Paula Stokes
Max Cantrell, surfer boy and slacker extraordinaire, runs a business called Liars, Inc. His classmates pay for anything from forged signatures to test answers. But when he’s framed for the murder of his best friend, Max has to find the killer in order to clear his name.
Oh what a tangled web we weave. Liar’s, Inc. is a gritty, fast-paced mystery along the lines of Barry Lyga’s I Hunt Killers. And if you haven’t read I Hunt Killers yet, go forth, my child, and read it. You must.
Like, seriously don’t even bother with this book until you’ve read Lyga’s trilogy. It’s delicious.
Shatter Me – Tahereh Mafi
Juliette’s touch kills. After nearly a year of being locked up in isolation by The Reestablishment for murder, a young officer releases her to be used as his weapon.
This book is overwritten. No, seriously, this book is overwritten. Weird similes, ongoing metaphors, repetitive sentences. Mafi is an incredibly creative writer, but it’s just too much too much too much. HOWEVER! I loved the main bad guy. I thoroughly enjoyed the story line. He’s so freaking sexy and evil. It’s a fast-paced dystopian. I have serious issues issues issues. As Juliette begins to regain some of her sanity, the taxing strike-through sentences and repetitiveness become less abundant. It was a good read and I’m excited for the next book.
This Month’s Haul:
(There’s a reason I didn’t go into photography…)
What have you read/bought this month?
