Top Books of 2012 (Part 1)

We made a vlog of our faces and voices for the whole internet to see! *flails*

We talk about some of our favorite books of 2012. Also, Rachel interrupts Megan a lot and mentions cute boys way too many times a normal and healthy amount of times.



(The picture we mentioned.)

Check back soon for part two!

RACHEL GETS A VIDEO CAMERA

Do you want to see me ramble really awkwardly to a camera in the corner of my basement?

OF COURSE YOU DO. 

This whole video thing is WEIRD. But I think I like it.

-Rachel



Megan Rambles About The Summer Series

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
From Goodreads:Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

I just recently finished the Summer Series by Jenny Han and I really, really liked it. This is a unique contemporary series that follows Belly, her brother Steven, and their friends Conrad and Jeremiah as they spend their summers growing up at Cousins. Each of the three books takes place during the summer, skipping the entire year in between which is something I had never experienced before. In between each book Belly grew up so much because there was so much time in between.

Rachel has been trying to get these books forever, and I am so glad I finally did! Everything about Belly's summers from laying in the sun to swimming in the pool, going to parties on the beach, and swimming in the ocean is amazing. It made me wish that I could have summers like Belly's. Also that it was still summer and I wasn't in school. *cries*

Right, right awesome series of books. Sorry.

Plus can we just talk about Conrad and Jeremiah for a second? I am totally 100% Team Conrad. He's angry, mysterious, hot, and basically everything I look for in a book crush. Don't get me wrong, he definitely had his jerk moments, but by the end of the series I felt like I understood him a bit better. Especially once there were a few chapters from his point of view in the third book, We'll Always Have Summer. Jeremiah was great too, playing the role of the goofy younger brother and usually Belly's partner in crime. But MAYBE there is something else there? IDK IDK IDK.

The relationships in this book were constantly changing and getting more complicated. When this series starts in The Summer I Turned Pretty, it is just a light, fun contemporary about spending the summer at the beach. Then as you get into the story there is a lot more beneath the surface. By the end of the series, Belly, Steven, Jeremiah, and Conrad have all grown up a lot and I really liked getting to see how they changed from book to book.


I might not have always liked Belly, or understood her decisions, but I still really liked her story. From the light and fun moments to the sad ones, The Summer Series was a great read that left me wishing summer would just hurry up and COME BACK already! If you love summer, the beach, and cute boys, then you can't miss this series!

Plus, the covers look pretty cool together. I love matching covers :)

-Megan

Rachel Rambles About Struck By Lightning

Struck By Lightning by Chris Colfer
From Goodreads:
Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal follows the story of outcast high school senior Carson Phillips, who blackmails the most popular students in his school into contributing to his literary journal to bolster his college application; his goal in life is to get into Northwestern and eventually become the editor of The New Yorker. At once laugh-out-loud funny, deliciously dark, and remarkably smart, Struck By Lightning unearths the dirt that lies just below the surface of high school. At a time when bullying torments so many young people today, this unique and important novel sheds light with humor and wit on an issue that deeply resonates with countless teens and readers.

I had no idea what to expect from this book. All I knew was that the film version looked like it was going to be pretty awesome, and that guy from Glee wrote it. I hadn't read any reviews or anything, so I really didn't know if this was going to be any good.

Struck By Lightning didn't exactly blow me away with its awesomeness or anything, but it was a pretty good book. The main character is a typical outcast kid at school. He's the kid who gets bullied and wants more than anything to get out of the small town he's trapped in. I thought Carson was absolutely hysterical. He was sarcastic and hilarious and bold, and reading from his point of view was a lot of fun.

Even though this book deals with some serious issues, it was mostly just a really funny book. There were so many high school related jokes that I could relate to so perfectly, and I felt like Chris Colfer really got the whole teen angst no one understands me! thing down.

This book is made up of Carson's journal entries, which could have potentially been super cheesy, but I really liked it. It made sense in the story since Carson is a writer, and his voice came out really well in the journals. The reader got to experience his completely unedited thoughts.

Struck By Lightning didn't change my life or anything, but I definitely enjoyed reading it. It was a quick read that had me laughing hysterically on almost every page. Carson's descriptions of his high school and classmates are spot-on, and any kid who has ever felt excluded in school at some point will be able to relate to him easily. 

If you're looking for some excellent teen angst and a quick read that doesn't require too much emotional investment, then I think you should give this book a chance. I can't wait to see the movie! If the trailer is any indication, it's going to be awesome.

-Rachel

Rachel Rambles About Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield
From Goodreads:

An arresting un-coming-of-age story, from a breathtaking talent

Becca has always longed to break free from her small, backwater hometown. But the discovery of an unidentified dead girl on the side of a dirt road sends the town--and Becca--into a tailspin. Unable to make sense of the violence of the outside world creeping into her backyard, Becca finds herself retreating inward, paralyzed from moving forward for the first time in her life.

Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson's life are intercut with Becca's own summer as the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and relationships on the edge twist the reader closer and closer to the truth about Amelia's death.

Beautiful. That's the first word that comes to mind when I think of this book. The writing style is absolutely beautiful, though the story is far from it.

Becca's seemingly dull and uneventful life is cloaked in a layer of creepiness that left me unsettled the entire time I was reading this book. From the first few pages, I could tell that something didn't quite feel right, but it was hard to put my finger on what it was. Even after finishing the book, I don't really know how to explain it. But it was there. This small-town, boring life broke my heart in ways I still don't understand.

The sections from Amelia's point of view only add to the creepiness. I mean, you know from the title that she dies, so it's not exactly a comforting feeling knowing that with every page turn, she gets closer and closer to her death. 

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone is unlike anything I've ever read. The plot is not exciting or intense in any way. It's more of a subtle story that will take over your mind without you even realizing it. A mix of beautiful words and an unsettling, mysterious feeling combine to create this little book about this little town that doesn't seem to be a big deal at all. Yet when you finish reading it, you know that you've just read something amazing.

-Rachel

Waiting on Wednesday (15)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Harken by Kaleb Nation
From Goodreads:

After surviving an assassination attempt, teenager Michael Asher discovers that he is at the center of a worldwide conspiracy reaching higher than any earthly power. A supernatural organization desperately wants him dead. He doesn't know why. Everyone who might have the answers has already been killed.

Tumbling into a web of international secrets, Michael is forced to fight back and dig up the truth. He begins to question how much of the world is truly as people are led to believe it is. Are there things that humanity is not being told? Who is the puppet master? And how far into the maze can he venture before he is lost forever?

I made an entire post about how excited I am for this book, which you can find here. But all you really need to know is that I think this book sounds amazing, I absolutely adore Kaleb Nation, and I am counting down the days until I can finally read it!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave links to your Waiting on Wednesday posts in the comments below!

-Rachel

Harken by Kaleb Nation

Do you guys know who Kaleb Nation is? I'm sure you do. And if you don't, well, you should. So...get on that please. Because he's awesome and I may or may not have had a crush on him since I found his Youtube videos a few years ago as a young middle school fangirl.

Kaleb has been working on his SECRET KALEB BOOK for freaking ever now, and everyone has been dying to get some information about it.

And we finally have some information!

Here, why don't I just let Kaleb explain what this book is all about:

It started off with a few announcements and a super special mailing list and the title reveal and a live webcast, and now we have the cover reveal. You can watch the video below to see the awesome cover.

I absolutely love the cover. I love that it's dark and mysterious and intriguing and not too flashy but also cool enough that it would draw your attention in the bookstore.

I also love the hand thing. Kaleb has been telling all his fans to write things like Don't Trust Anyone and #SecretKalebBook and #Harken on their hands for awhile now, and though we didn't completely understand why we were doing it, we did it anyway because we're such loyal Nationeers.

(On a side note: This is actually a bit alarming. What if Kaleb told us to, I don't know, form an army or something? WE WOULD TOTALLY DO IT.)

SO I DID IT OF COURSE.

And it's so cool to see the hand on the book cover because it means there was an actual reason why we were writing it on our hands!

Anyway, you probably want a summary of the book, so here you go:

After surviving an assassination attempt, teenager Michael Asher discovers that he is at the center of a worldwide conspiracy higher than any earthly power. A supernatural organization with authority over world leaders, celebrities, and the wealthy desperately wants him dead. He doesn't know why. Everyone who might have the answers has already been killed.

 

Tumbling into a web of international secrets, Michael is forced to fight back and dig up the truth. He begins to question how much of the world is truly as people are led to believe it is. What is humanity not being told? Who is the puppet master? And how far into the maze can he venture before he is lost forever?

Does that sound awesome, or does that sound awesome?! Be sure to check out the Goodreads page and add it to your to-read list!

Kaleb read the first chapter during his live webcast, and let me tell you, it was so cool. You have no idea how badly I want to read the entire book!

If this post has sparked your interest (which I'm sure it has, because come on) you should head on over to the official website to find out ALL THE THINGS about this book. You can also sign up for the mailing list so you get information before everyone else. :)

I feel like Harken is the kind of book I've been waiting to see in the YA world. A supernatural conspiracy theory sounds exciting and unique, and I think it's definitely going to be a Big Freaking Deal once it's released.

Everything about this book sounds crazy exciting, and I'm so happy for Kaleb Nation. If you aren't already stalking following him at various places on the internet, here are a few links:

Kaleb's Youtube channel
Kaleb's Twitter
Kaleb's Tumblr

And I think that's pretty much all you need to know. Are you excited? I know I am. :D

-Rachel