The List of Authors Everyone Loves

Rebecca Stead is on that list!  The List of Things that Will Not Change is her latest.  And I did like it.  But for some reason I just can't really get into Stead.  I loved the love.  I heart-broken about Mission.  I thought the relationship between the two main character and her soon to be sister was very real.  I just thought the whole cousin thing wasn't needed.  I am not sure why it just seemed so out of place for me.  But the big secret surrounding Bea and her cousin...it just didn't fit for me and really did a lot of take away from my experience with the book.  

Man...

Sharon M. Draper is one of the BEST.  Truly.  And Blended is just excellent.  I love all of the characters and I think this is a really, really good look at racism and divorce and identity and blended families and love.  And all done with that incredible Draper way.  Not preachy.  Just real.  Real.  Real.

Just Really Good!

Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now came out this year and is another example of what I think has been a really great year so far for new books.  I am so glad that I randomly spied this one on the downloads available from my local library!  Dana L. Davis is a new to me author and well, I guess she is new to many as this is her first book!  It made me super happy to see that she already has a new one coming out next year.  And while that seems so far away, it will be here before we know it.  So I will be patient!
This was quite good.  Quite good.  Dealt with hard issues in a very real way and wasn't a "problem" novel, formulaic, that kind of thing.  I have to say that this was just really well done from all perspectives. The faith perspective is always the most interesting to me and I thought this was really well done.  Very real.  Good, good stuff.  I loved Tiffany and I ached for her and admired her.  I also loved Mrs. Stone.  And I didn't know what the DNA test results would show but I had my hopes the whole time.  And I was very happy with the results.  I also thought that Mr. Stone was such a real character.  So well drawn.  And London, too.  Just a really good read. 

Monsters Come in All Shapes, Sizes and Ages...

Little Monsters was very good and it kept me guessing.  The only thing that kept it from being a 5 star was that I think it wrapped up WAY too fast at the end.  But maybe that was just because I was sad to see it end?  Very creepy and good book.  At first I thought it was going to be a paranormal thing, but I was glad that it wasn't!  It was also nice to hear all of the Wisconsin references! 

Brother from Another Mother, Sister from Another Mister

Little and Lion are brother and sister.  And I love their love for one another.  That's the first thing that made me really like this book.  I love the love that their parents have for one another.  That's another thing I love about this book.  I love that love is defined as Christ would define it.  People can love people regardless of their color or ethnicity or body parts.  Additionally, I loved the way in which Lion's Bipolar Disorder was not WHO he was.  This was just really, really well done all the way around.  I think it is Printz worthy, for sure. 

In a Few Days

I changed my goodreads rating of The Upside of Unrequited from 3 stars to 1, but if I could give 1.5, I would have.  Though, maybe not.  I just found so much I didn't enjoy about this book.  First of all, I think it is completely predictable.  And for me to find something predictable is saying a lot because I am generally clueless.  But one could see the end of this one coming from a LONG way off, I think.
Another thing I didn't like was how stereotypical everyone was.  It was just really blah for me to the point that it was irritating.
What I loved, loved, loved about the book (yes, 3 loves) was the fact that it takes place during the time when same sex marriage was declared a constitutional right by the Supreme Court.  That was awesome.  Because that was such a beautiful day and well, writing about that is just going to be awesome!  As a person of faith, it made me even happier that day because so many have used faith (strike that, I mean MAN MADE RELIGION) to outlaw same sex marriage, it was an especially beautiful day for the government to be inline with Jesus!  But even the celebration of such goodness wasn't enough to save this book.  I just couldn't wait for it to be over.  That doesn't mean that others won't like it.  It just wasn't my cup of tea!

Very Interesting Concept!

See You in the Cosmos was really good.  Such a neat way it done, recordings on an iPod that Alex hopes to send into space where aliens can find it and learn all about life on earth.  It is neat!  But there is so much more-- mental illness, deadbeat dads, death, brothers and sisters, all kinds of things.  Just a great book.  Am I ready to say Newbery material?  Sure, yes!  But did it wowowowowow me?  Sadly, no, not wowowowow.  Just maybe wow.  Let's see what the next books will bring!

It was a very good year...

Maybe it was because I joined an great group on goodreads that seeks to read Newbery contenders, but man....2014 has been filled with incredible books.  The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond is one of them. This one did remind me a lot of Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It.  But there is such a need for books of quality and on subjects such as this, that I won't squabble about how similar they are.
Brenda Woods a new author for me and I look forward to reading her other books.