Mini Reviews #5
Hi, all! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/weekend for those who don't celebrate. Did anyone get any good books from Santa? I got tons of Barnes and Noble gift cards that I'm itching to spend.Anyway, here's one last round of mini reviews for 2015! These are all books that I've wanted to review but didn't get around to in the chaos of the end of the semester and the holidays.
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
Publication Date: May 7th, 2013
Format/Source: ebook, purchased
Part of a series? It's a standalone, but it has a sequel of sorts coming out next year.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Goodreads / Purchase: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.
Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.
Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.
The Summer I Became a Nerd was a total impulse buy. It's only ninety-nine cents, as part of Entangled Publishing’s 25 Days of Christmas, and the premise screamed, “Read me, Serena!” So I did, and it was just as cute as the summary made it seem.
It was so fun and wonderfully nerdy. It was difficult for me to like Maddie at times because it seemed so ridiculous that she felt like she couldn't be herself and be popular, but I understand that high school cliques come with pressure. I liked her a lot more at the end when she realized that she could have the best of both worlds.
I did like Logan and his best friend, Dan, throughout the novel though. Logan is such a sweet guy, and both of them were, again, so funny and wonderfully nerdy. It was really cool to see them in the LARP world and learn how it's run because I had no clue how it worked prior to reading this.
Overall, The Summer I Became a Nerd was a like but not a love. It read kind of middle gradeish, but it was a fun, quick read.
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Crushed by G. Willow Wilson
Publication Date: June 23rd, 2015
Format/Source: Paperback, purchased
Part of a series? Yes! The third in the Ms. Marvel series.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Goodreads / Purchase: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
Love is in the air in Jersey City as Valentine’s Day arrives! Kamala Khan may not be allowed to go to the school dance, but Ms. Marvel is! Well sort of--by crashing it in an attempt to capture Asgard’s most annoying trickster! Yup, it’s a special Valentine’s Day story featuring Marvel’s favorite charlatan, Loki! And when a mysterious stranger arrives in Jersey City, Ms. Marvel must deal with...a crush! Because this new kid is really, really cute. What are these feelings, Kamala Khan? Prepare for drama! Intrigue! Romance! Suspense! Punching things! All this and more! The fan-favorite, critically acclaimed, amazing new series continues as Kamala Khan proves why she’s the best (and most adorable) new super hero there is! Plus, see what happens when S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jemma Simmons goes undercover at Kamala’s school!
I love Kamala Khan, and I love the Ms. Marvel franchise. Something about this particular edition just didn't work for me, though.
Compared to the last two Ms. Marvel volumes, Crushed seemed all over the place. It jumped time periods a couple times, and there's an extra scene at the end with a S.H.I.E.L.D agent (in a completely different illustrating style) that I'm not sure is an extension of the original storyline or if it’s just a bonus scene. So that was weird.
Don't get me wrong, I still loved Crushed. I loved the role Loki played in this volume because Loki is my dude. I loved how real Kamala is. It's easier to forget sometimes that she's just a kid when she's out saving the world, but she is. She's going through life trying to navigate boys and friendship and family relationships just like any other teenager. It's harder for me to relate to some of the older heroes, so it's nice that Kamala is still pretty normal.
Crushed isn't my favorite in the series so far, but it still has the feel I've come to expect from the Ms. Marvel series. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next volume.
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Publication Date: April 14th, 2011
Format/Source: Paperback, purchased
Part of a series? Nope, it's a standalone.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Goodreads / Purchase: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "
Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.
When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.
By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.
What would he say . . . ?
Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.
When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.
By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.
What would he say . . . ?
I avoided reading Attachments for a long time because, although I love both (Carry On wasn’t out at the time) of Rainbow’s YA novels, I wasn't sure how her writing would translate in adult fiction. Now I know that I will read literally all of Rainbow’s words because she writes adult novels with the same beautiful flair in which she writes her YA books.
The premise is unique and well-executed. I was worried that I might find Lincoln and the whole situation with the mail a little creepy, but it ended up being adorable and not at all weird. It was so frustrating to wait for Beth and Lincoln to meet and get together, but it was well worth the wait. Both storylines and characters were great, but once they were together, it was perfect.
If you've been holding off on reading Rainbow Rowell’s adult books, don't delay! They are lovely and hilarious and oh so cute.
Those are all the reviews I have for you today! They're also the last reviews I have for you this year. Thank you to every one of you who have followed the blog or shared or read a post or just been a friend to me in the blogging community. Y’all are awesome. Until next year!
Aw, I love seeing Attachments get a 5 star rating and such a great review. :) I feel like Rowell's Fangirl gets all the attention'love and Attachments gets a bit overlooked. I just adored this one. It was so sweet and funny and charming - I totally fell for it. So glad you enjoyed it! :)
ReplyDeleteTanya @ Girl Plus Books
I think Fangirl is definitely her most well-loved novel. I wish Attachments got more love too because it really is so lovely. Thanks for stopping by, Tanya! I always enjoy reading your comments. Happy new year! xoxo
DeleteThe Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller looks like a fun book to read. Thanks for the review, Savings in Seconds sent me here :)
ReplyDelete