A Christmas Beginning, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Merry Christmas! My favorite time of year, with all the family, food, friends, food, and music, how can you go wrong? I'll just take a moment to review and recommend a couple of Christmas themed books, then get back to my food obsession. 

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

By Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

272 Pages

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

I won't lie, I read this book either two years ago, or last year (it's been a while either way), so my memory may be a bit fuzzy. Either way, I really enjoyed reading this book during the Christmas break. It's about a girl who leaves a little book in her favorite section of a bookstore full of clues, designed to introduce her to the boy of her dreams, and the boy who finds the book and follows the clues to her. There's only one problem, Lily LOVES Christmas, and Dash hates it.

This book switches between the two characters by chapter, with Rachel Cohn writing for Lily, while David Levithan writes for Dash. It provides an awesome switch of character since the voice of the writing is so different. It's a super cute story and a very fun Christmas read. (Sometimes I think that what Lily does is a perfect way to find a man! Then I realize, yeah probably not...) I'd recommend it to anyone who likes teenage coming of age novels and those who enjoy witty, fun, Christmas stories.

A Christmas Beginning

By Anne Perry

190 Pages

"It was not even twenty-four hours since the murder, and panic was already rising, fear cold and dark, wakening like the wind rattling at the windows. Except that the wind could be shut out, and fear entered in spite of all the locks and bars in the world."

I know what you're thinking. Are you sure that quote is from a book called A Christmas Beginning? Here's the answer. Yes. A Christmas Beginning is a short story, where a young girl in Victorian England is killed, but it's about the Detective who is on Holiday in the town. Mr. Runcorn. This story is about him, and how this case opens his eyes to the way he has lived his 50 years of life thus far. It's about how he plans to change his life. But it's also a who-done-it story. It's a bunch of genres mixed into one short story, and it was fun to read. The book I read it from also had another Christmas story by this author, but I didn't get through all of it in time.

Merry Christmas Everyone! I got a kindle fire from "Santa", and I've already bought two books! I'm pretty excited! Also, I CANNOT wait for Clockwork Princess to come out (84 days!) and now I believe I can get it at midnight the day it comes out! Wow, I'm a nerd. I mean, I got up SO early to buy Mockingjay the day it came out, because it was also my first day of College and my first class was at 7:30. Good times. Anywho, may you have a peaceful and merry holiday season!

Read On,

Jamie

Chapter 3: Summer after Summer Reading

Once Upon a Time, Jamie had a summer long adventure. This is the story of my relationship with books during that adventure, interspersed with my reviews of the books I mention.

I speculated that Garden Valley would have a library, and it does! A very nice one too. Unfortunately, when they know that you aren't going to be there for very long (four months!), they won't let you get a library card. Crazy, I know. My heart seemed doomed to break into a million pieces. How could I ever live a whole summer without books one summer after reading ten thousand pages??!?!! Fortunately for me, I had purchased two sequels just before I left Salt Lake. A note about me; I don't buy books unless I've already read them, and love them, so that I can read them again later. So this was a strange thing for me to do. To buy two books, one of which I subconsciously knew I wasn't going to love, but I did it anyway.

Insurgent
By Veronica Roth
525 Pages

His eyes are wild with new information. Not all the Erudite are power hungry and devoid of conscience, like their leader, Jeanine Matthews. Some of them are like Caleb: fascinated by everything, dissatisfied until they find out how it works. I am glad he has found something to distract him from his grief.
"Don't you remember from our Faction History Book?" He says. "It called them the 'essential factions'-without them, we would be incapable of survival."

What a wonderful gift last summer gave me. I started all sorts of trilogies and series last summer that I get to continue as the are released. The first book in this series was Divergent. (go ahead, click on it!) I just read what I wrote for Divergent, and I think it's still right on. This being the sequel, it's hard to write anything without giving the first book away, and I don't want to do that if you haven't read these books because they are wonderful.
So instead, I'll tell you my relationship with this book. I read this book about the beginning of Fiddler on the Roof, just one of the four shows I did this summer. I played Yente, the old matchmaker. The best part about playing Yente was that I carried a large basket with me. Large enough to store snacks and books under all the cloth and still go undetected. I would read this book right up until I went on, then stored it in my basket. One time, I was so engrossed in the story and what was happening, I almost yelled out loud backstage, another time I almost missed an entrance. Luckily neither happened. But it's a testament to the (grippingness? engrossingment?) marvelous writing and plot progression. Once this book starts to roll, it really rolls. It's very hard to put down.
As I said in my review of Divergent, true fans of the Hunger Games will enjoy these books.

City of Lost Souls
By Cassandra Clare
534 Pages

Who dares to summon me? The Angel spoke in Simon's mind, in a voice like great bells sounding.
Tricky question, Simon thought, If he were Jace, he could say "one of the Nephilim," and if he were Magnus, he could say he was on of Lilith's children and a High Warlock. But he was Simon, without any titles to his name or any great deeds in his past. "Simon Lewis," he said finally, setting the spell book down and straightening up.

Where to start... This is the fifth book in the Mortal Instruments Series, so it's hard to say.

Well, here, I suppose this would be a good place to start. (City of Fallen Angels)

Followed by here. (City of Glass and Clockwork Angel)

And maybe you want to look at this one too. (Clockwork Prince)

Fhheeewwww! I don't know how I'm going to blog the last two books in these series! This is hard enough.
If you've read the Mortal Instrument Series, you should have read this book already. If you haven't, you need to start with City of Bones, the first book. If you're curious about how I reacted to this book, please, read on.
In a word, boring. In a made up word, angsty. In a sentence, the battle at the end was cool. If you like these characters, and you'd follow them no matter what they're doing, then by all means, read this book and City of Fallen Angels. If you like the first three books in the series as they are, like me, stop after City of Glass. I can't say I didn't know I was going to regret buying it, but I had higher hopes since some of her books are so good, while others fall flat. The last one fell flat, so I had hoped this one would be an upper. I suppose I'm tired of Clary and Jace at this point, and Jace isn't even really in this one. There's just too much angst in all the characters to be relatable, so I sure don't feel sorry for them. As the King once said, "A little less conversation a little more action please."

 So, I was entertained for a while. (Longer than I thought for only having two books since I was in rehearsal all day and evening. By the time I got home at night, I was so tired, reading put me to sleep, so only very slow progress was made.) But that point came, as it always does, when you finish a book, and don't have another one to reach for. (Unless you're extremely fortunate and always have another book you want to read AND have access to.) One day, a new found friend saw me finishing my last book, and became very excited, apparently the library hadn't gotten this sequel in yet. I loaned it to her, asking if in exchange, she might get me a book from the library (she is a resident of Garden Valley), she agreed, and a beautiful friendship was born over books.

The Maze Runner
By James Dashner
374 Pages

No quote for this one, since it was a library book long since returned.
The maze Runner has been a popular book for quite a while now, and it seemed like it was everywhere I looked. I kept saying, "Later, I'll read that after this." So, it was the first book I asked my friend for.
The Maze runner is about teenaged boys who are stuck in a labyrinth like maze. They don't know how they got there, they don't remember their lives before the maze, and they're only hope is to solve the maze. The problem, it that there are terrible monsters in the maze at night, so during the day, runners are sent out of their safe zone they call "the glen" and try to find an exit, or a pattern, since the walls change every night.
The story revolves around Thomas, who has just woken up in the maze. He knows as much about the place as you do, so you discover it all at the same rate. He says things like, I didn't understand it, or it didn't make sense, or I was confused, A WHOLE LOT. It becomes a little frustrating after a while. We know you don't know, but we don't know either! Besides that little pet peeve of mine, this was a great book. Lots of suspense. I'd recommend it to action, fantasy, and mystery lovers.

The Scorch Trials
By James Dashner
? pages

This book opens on an attack on some kids while they are sleeping in a room. That's all I know, because that is as far as I got. I'd recommend it to myself, to finish. (Maybe someday)

Ironically, I only took two books from the library with her card, one of which I actually read. Mostly because, about this time, it was my birthday. My birthday present to myself was a day at Barnes and Noble in Boise. I bought myself a book and a strawberries and cream frappuccino, sat down, and just enjoyed myself. 

The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini
371 Pages

One day, in July 1973, played another little trick on Hassan. I was reading to him, and suddenly I strayed from the written story. I pretended I was reading from the book, flipping pages regularly, but I had abandoned the text altogether, taken over the story, and made up my own. Hassan, of course, was oblivious to this. To him, the words on the page were a scramble of codes, indecipherable, mysterious. Words were secret doorways and I held the keys. After, I started to ask him if he'd liked the story, a giggle rising in my throat, when Hassan began to clap.
"What are you doing?" I said.
"That was the best story you've read me in a long time," he said, still clapping.

The Kite Runner follows the life of Amir, from his childhood in Kabul, to his escape to America. But it's not about his refugee years so much as it is about his childhood.
I struggle with my thoughts for this book. I could gush for hours and days about why this book is now in my top five for sure. I could attempt to tell you every line that made my heart wrench in unexpected ways. I could try to convince you that even though it's the saddest book I've ever read, it's also the happiest. But really I just want to thank Khaled Hosseini for this masterpiece.
The reason The Book Thief is my favorite book, is because I will never forget the way it made me feel the first time I read it. The inexplicable sobbing mixed with just as strange laughter. The Kite Runner took me to that place again. It feels SO GOOD to read a book that has such deeper meaning beneath ever line, every word. Every paragraph is expertly crafted to create a beautiful story. Everything ties together, just as we as people, and these characters, are connected by some kind of tether, so are the words. The words flow so beautifully, I'd swear it's poetry.
Someday, I may write a whole blog about Kite Runner and Book Thief. For now, I hope everyone High School and above will pick up this book. Unless of course you are very very sensitive. It's not a book for the faint of heart, that's for sure. It's a cruel and horrifying ride in search of Amir's redemption, so hold on tight.

The same week, my family came up from Utah and, at my request, brought a couple of books from my house.

Gone With the Wind
By Margaret Mitchell
Pages... how many have I read or how many are there?

I have enjoyed every time I've gotten to sit down and actually read this book. But those moments are few and far between. I had misplaced the book when I came home, but recently located it again, so here's to take two!

Happy Holiday Season!

Read on,

Jamie

I am the Messenger, Sherlock Holmes

Here's what I've been reading recently.

I am the Messenger
By Markus Zusak
357 Pages


Once I receive the card, I try buttering him up a little to get my hands on all the books. "Thanks, mate. You're doing a hell of a job." He looks up. "You still want all those books, don't you?" "That's right. Basically, I really need them and one way or the other, I'm going to get them. Only in today's sick society can a man be persecuted for reading too many books."


I read this book just before spring break, (In fact, I finished it on the beach) so I'll do my best to remember what I can and give it a fair review.
The reason I read this book it because the author wrote my favorite book. The Book Thief. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. This book is the opposite of The Book Thief, but I still liked it.
The story revolves around a 19 year old... maybe he was 20. Great... I don't have the book with me, so all my facts may be wrong. ANYWAY, he stops a bank robbery, and after that, he gets these cards with hints on them. Each hint is a person. To each person he is required to take a specific message, something that they need to hear or see or be put through, to change their life.
ED... Ed is his name. I remembered that...
I love Zusak's writing style. It paints a picture so clearly, and that's what brings the emotions to life. A lot of times and author with write. "She was sad." And that's ok. What's better is when the author shows you what the character is thinking, and the emotion infallibly follows. Zusak has mastered that.
Another great thing about Zusak's writing, is his characters. Everyone is so human in his books. There's no two people the exact same, and they all have different and realistic flaws and struggles. No character is one sided or shallow. Each gets his or her own developing.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a great story, and I love the end.

Sherlock Holmes: Study in Scarlet, Sign of the Four, and A Scandal in Bohemia
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
225 large, very small print, Pages


I don't have a quote for these because I don't have the book with me. I read these stories out of The Complete Sherlock Holmes Volume I.
I've always wanted to read the Sherlock Holmes stories, so I started A Study in Scarlet while working on crewing a show at school. Plus I wanted to read about the murderous cult known as the Mormons. (Just kidding :D) I had a very enjoyable time laughing during that story.
I LOVE the show Sherlock, and after reading these books, I love it even more. The ways they take these stories and turn them into modern mysteries is unbelieveable. I read all the stories after I saw the episode, except Scandal in Bohemia, and now I wish I had time to read The Hound of the Baskervilles before the next episode comes out next Sunday.
If you don't know what Sherlock is, it's the Sherlock Holmes stories told in modern day London. They show it on PBS as part of the Masterpiece Mystery. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Sherlock Holmes (books or movies!).
I love reading these, and there are SO many stories. I know I read two other short ones, but I just wrote the ones I could remember in the title.


Ugh. It's so late and I feel like I'm losing my mind right now. I apologize for my scattered brain, I just don't know when else I'll be able to catch these up before I leave for the summer to Garden Valley. Luckily for me (and maybe you too!) They have a library up there! More to come later (hopefully!)

Read on,

Jamie

Chapter Two: A Look Back

It's not the end my friends, it's just a new chapter.

Here I've compiled some interesting information about what I've read this summer including my favorite characters and books, and everything from how many main characters died to the total number of love interests!

The Books
(grouped by genera and series)

YA Fiction
Infernal Devices Series
     -Clockwork Angel
     -Clockwork Prince
Mortal Instruments Series
     -City of Glass
     -City of Fallen Angels
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
-Fang
-Evermore
-Radiance
-The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Dystopian Science Fiction
The Hunger Games Trilogy
     -The Hunger Games
     -Catching Fire
     -Mockingjay
Matched Series
     -Matched
     -Crossed
-Divergent


Fairytale Retellings 
-Beauty
-A Kiss in Time
-The Goose Girl
-Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
The Looking Glass Wars Trilogy
     -The Looking Glass Wars
     -Seeing Redd


Historical Fiction
-A Northern Light
-The Help


Teen Life Fiction
-Paper Towns
-Deadline

Mystery
-First to Die

Some Interesting Facts


Longest Book = Harry Potter 7
Shortest Book = The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (It wasn't short enough)
Total # of Books = 26
It was my first time reading 20 of them
I reread 6
I borrowed 19 books from the Library
I never read two of them
I didn't have a library card until July, before that I had been using my Mom's (Thanks mom!)
I didn't collect any fines! (Yay!)
There was a full out war spoken of and seen in 10 of the 26 books
66 Main Characters died! (So this one was interesting, the count would have been MUCH higher, but I didn't count all of the tributes from Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I only counted the REALLY important deaths in that series. In other series, Main Character means they have a name and are referred to often.) That's almost three per book!
3 of the books were written by a man, 23 by women.
9 of the book's main characters were male, 17 were female.
There are 24 romantic interests in 20 books or series (so all the Mortal Instruments books and such were counted as one here) No main character was without at least one love interest.
4 of the books made me cry


Favorite Characters


So, I tried to use a formula to determine who the best characters were. I factored in things like how funny they were, and how brave. (The formula looked like this - F(2)+B(3)+R+C(2)+S/1+A See I learned something in Math) With this tool, I came up with this order for the list.
1. Peeta (Hunger Games)
2. Katniss (Hunger Games)
3. Jem (Infernal Devices)
4. Harry (Potter) and Skeeter (The Help) Tied
6. Simon (Mortal Instruments)
7. Iris (Ugly Stepsister) and Minnie (The Help) Tied
9. Will (Infernal Devices)

Well, my formula did a pretty good job, because it came close to my REAL list:

1. Jem (Infernal Devices) - The perfect gentleman, and a fierce fighter. I just want to be his best friend.
2. Katniss (Hunger Games) - Tough as nails and deadly smart. I wish I was her sometimes.
3. Peeta (Hunger Games) - He's really vulnerable, which makes him stand out in such horrific circumstances.
4. Skeeter (The Help) - One of the most relatable characters. She's every woman who's ever felt held down and fought to escape the circumstances of her life.
5. Iris (Ugly Stepsister) - Also super relatable. I love the way she looks at the world around her.
6. Harry (Potter) - Who can deny the greatness of the Boy Who Lived? He's definitely a Gryffindor.
7. Simon (Mortal Instruments) - Really just a teenaged boy. Nice in a series about people who are anything but. He rated second of all characters for brave acts, and they're usually for others.
8. Minnie (The Help) - I want to hang out with her and just let her talk. She that sarcastic friend we all have and love.
9. Will (Invernal Devices) - I love the witty funny things he says. But that's about it. Everything else he does annoys me to death. That shows you how witty he is to make this list regardless.

And now, the moment you've all be waiting for...


Favorite Books
(countdown style)

To qualify here, the book has to be something I had not read before this summer. So Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and others are out of the running for this.


6. Matched - By Ally Condie
 This book is here because of the poetry. Ally Condie has such a poetic way of writing. It's also on this list because of the amazing character progression. I could see the world becoming this one day. It's a scary thought, being forced to do "right".


5. First to Die - By James Patterson
I love murder mysteries. And one written by James Patterson about women who solve cases together? It was super entertaining. One thing with Patterson is that you can never guess the end. Even if you know who the killer is, chances are you don't know half the story.

4. Divergent - By Veronica Roth
What's better than a book you don't want to put down? A book you can't put down. I just wanted to keep reading. I always wanted to know what was next. I enjoyed the mix of characters and the ever present danger Tris was in. I REALLY appreciated that the book didn't end on a cliff hanger in the middle of an important moment.

3. The Help - By Kathryn Stockett
The world fell in love with this book over the summer, at least that's what it felt like. And it was rightly deserved. The story is just so full of moments that make you want to stand and cheer or cry or laugh, all with the characters. The message of the book is touching as well. It's not a high action book like I've been reading a lot of in this page count, but it certainly holds it's ground.


2. A Northern Light - By Jennifer Donnelly
Even now I don't know what it is about this book. Maybe it's that it's so applicable in my life right now. As I'm coming of age and I'm realizing what this world is about, I know it's going to take courage, and that is what this book is about for me. We accept things that should be questioned all the time. We "go with the flow" when it's not what we want. A Northern Light tied several genres into one, and did it very successfully. There's only one reason it's not number one...

1. Clockwork Prince - By Cassandra Clare
And that reason is fan girl giggles. Will and Jem. Basically Sherlock and Watson. (If they were teenagers and killed demons for a living.) Even though I couldn't really stand Tessa in this book, Will and Jem made up for it. Ok, Jem made up for it. It's a fast paced roller coaster ride. And while I could have used just a tad more fighting adventure, this book was almost everything I need for my perfect book. This is another book I just couldn't put down. And when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I believe this is Clare's best work by far.

Well... What now? The answer is in the sign off.

Read On,

Jamie

Divergent

Divergent - 487 pages


"Beatrice?" a voice behind me says.
I turn, and Caleb stands behind me, a book in his hand. His hair has grown out so it flips at his ears, and he wears a blue T-shirt and a pair of rectangle glasses.
"What are you doing here?" he says.
"I wanted to go home," I say, "and you were the closest thing I could think of."
He presses his lips together.
"Don't look so pleased to see me." I add.
"Hey," he says, setting his hands on my shoulders. "I'm thrilled to see you, okay? It's just that this isn't allowed. There are rules."
"I don't care," I say. "I don't care, okay?"
"Maybe you should." His voice is gentle; he wears his look of disapproval. "If it were me, I wouldn't want to get in trouble with your faction."


So, I've found a new favorite genera through this page count, dystopian science fiction. It all started with Hunger Games, but this summer (slash winter...) I've read Matched and now Divergent. On my last blog I wrote that if you like Hunger Games you'd like Clockwork Prince, but really, Divergent is much more similar.

It takes place in future Chicago. The people of the world decided that there were specific reasons why the world was all messed up, so they each created their own faction based on a virtue. There are five: Candor, who believe in honesty, Abnegation, who believe in selflessness, Dauntless, who believe in courage, Amity, who believe in peace, and Erudite, who believe in knowledge.

When children reach sixteen, they must choose which faction they want to live in, even if it isn't where their family lives. The factions have very little interaction, so if you leave your family it's likely that may never see them again. "Faction over blood." Your new faction is your family.

But what happens if you don't fit into just one group? Well, that's Beatrice's problem. She fits into three, she's what they call Divergent. But it's not a good thing. In fact, it can get you killed. Beatrice must find out who she can trust, and where she fits in with a world that wants her dead.

The story follows Beatrice from before her aptitude test, (where they tell her what faction she should choose) far past her initiation into the faction she chooses. I loved that the book told a good portion of a story, that it didn't end in a cliff hanger, or before the current problems were solved. The problem I had with Crossed was just the opposite, that I didn't feel like I got enough of a story. There is plenty in this book.

I loved this book. The sequel comes out in May. I can't wait. While I didn't get the fan girl giggles like I did with Clockwork Prince, it takes intriguing twists and keeps you on your toes. Beatrice, who decides to change her name to Tris (thank goodness) is a likable and strong character. I almost like her as much as Katniss (Hunger Games). And I like her a whole lot more than Tessa (Infernal Devices), so that's good.

It's scary to think that the world could end up like the world in this book, and it reminds us that we must be Courageous, Honest, Selfless, Knowledgeable, and Kind, not just one. You see the corruption in each system or faction, and you realize there's no way each can stand on it's own.

There's a lot of action in this book, so don't think it's all about politics, because it's not. It's equivalent to Hunger Games. I recommend Divergent to anyone who likes Hunger Games. (For real this time)

398-487=(-89)!!!

Well folk, that's 10,089 pages! Sure it took me a while longer than I planned... okay, five months more... but I made it before the next summer right? Don't worry, I'm not done yet. I don't have any books to read right now, and midterms are coming up, but I have a few more things up my sleeve before I officially close the 2011 summer page count. So stay tuned. (If there's even anyone there...)

Read on,

Jamie

Clockwork Prince

Clockwork Prince ~ 502 pages

"I know we are in a hurry to get to the council meeting," said Jem, "but I wanted you to see this." He gestured around them. "Poet's Corner."
She smiled at him. "How did you know just what I'd want to see?"
"How could I not?" He said. "When I think of you, and you are not there, I see you in my mind's eye always with a book in your hand."

Clockwork Prince is the sequel to Clockwork Angel, and the second book in the Infernal Devices series which is the prequel to the Mortal Instrument series. Got it? I broke it all down in a previous blog (in fact, it was my first blog).

I like the Infernal Devices series more than Mortal Instruments, which is saying something because I liked Mortal Instruments a lot. The characters in this series are so interesting, it's hard to put it down once you get into it. I found myself having to allow specific time slots to read because I would've just read it all the way through and forgot about all my homework. It's just so gripping. I also found that I couldn't read it in public places because the reactions it drew out of me were so erratic and even as I looked up from the book it took me a couple of seconds to pull myself to reality.

So to tell you a little bit about this book...

It continues to tell the story of Tessa, and her experiences now that she's living in the institute with the "shadowhunters". It takes a long time to explain all of this world, and I attempted to do that in the City of Fallen Angels blog. (so go read that if you feel so inclined) Luckily, this book was more of a romance than an action. Yes there are still battles, (including one particularly bloody one) but the real foundation of the book was, "What the heck is Will's deal?"

You find out a lot about Will in this book, explanations for his really strange behavior and such, but the thing was... I didn't really care. In my Matched blog, I wrote out which "team" I am for several books and series. (For example, Team Jacob or Team Edward) I am Team Jem forever and always after this book. I was team Jem after the first book, but this book made it even more clear. I still stand by everything I said in my defense of Team Jem, but now I have so much more to add...

I guess the biggest problem was that I just wanted to punch Tessa in the face. She's supposedly really smart, but she does a lot of stupid stuff for a smart person. But I guess that's good writing. The fact that I was so freaking involved with this book speaks volumes to it's writing.

If you like Hunger Games, or fantasy action romance, this series might be for you. The only hesitation I have in recommending it, is that I don't know which book you should read first, City of Bones or Clockwork Angel. I don't know if you have to read the Mortal Instruments series to fully appreciate the Infernal Devices series. I think I liked reading City of Bones first, because it all ties together, and you get better explanations in City of Bones because it was written first.

Anyway. 900-502= 398 Pages left


Read on,


Jamie

Crossed

Guess what? I'm baaaaack! But really. Here I am, continuing my page count. It's a new year, but I don't feel like giving myself a new goal until this one is finished. Luckily the library decided that fifty days is enough to wait for a book and got Crossed just in time for the new semester to start. So here we go.

Crossed ~ 367 pages


"What else should we bring?" Vick asks, looking through some of the books.
"We can find something in the morning," I say. For some reason the neatly ordered and abandoned books make me feel sad. Tired. I wish Cassia were here with me. She's turn each page and read every word. I can picture her in the dim light of the cave with her bright eyes and her smile and I close my eyes. That shadowy memory might be as close as I come to seeing her again.

Crossed is the sequel to Matched, a book I blogged in the summer, so feel free to look back at that. While Matched was about freewill and choice, Crossed is about what you do with that free agency. So since this is a sequel, it might give away some of the first book, so if you don't want to know how Matched ends, skip down past the bold purple 900.

The story starts with Cassia, who has decided to go against her oppressive government and find Ky, who has been taken away. It's against the law for Cassia to love Ky because she has been Matched or paired with Xander, her best friend. (All this means is that she's required by law to marry him.) This book goes back and forth between Cassia and Ky's point of view, each chapter with a different narrator. Ky has been kicked out of the society and deported to the outer provinces, to face sure death, no one lives very long outside of the society. He's also trying to return to Cassia.

This book was different, and even though I think I liked the first one more, the sequel is complimentary to the series. Crossed is like reading poetry. It's really beautiful writing, and it makes it so engaging to read. It's downfall would be that not that much happens. What could've taken half a book to tell became a full book. Not to say that it wasn't interesting, but at the end, I felt as though I didn't get as much story as I wanted.

All in all I enjoyed reading this book. I will read the third one when it comes out. Last time I blogged this series I said it was like Hunger Games, Twilight, and Book Thief combined. I'm going to explain that thought. Hunger Games because of the dystopia government and the futuristic setting of the book. Twilight because it's a romance book, the characters fall in love despite it being super dangerous. Book Thief because of the poetic writing of the author. If that sounds interesting, this is the book series for you.

1,268 - 368 = 900 pages left.

Well, I'll be the first to admit that one book since school started is really sad. I started a book in the semester, but just didn't have to time to read it. I'm going to finish it and I'm waiting for two books from the library (it's been 43 days so....) so you'll for sure be getting new blogs. Once I finish my goal, who knows, maybe I'll set another one. All this info and more, coming when I figure it out myself!

Read on,

Jamie