The Book BIt: June 2017 Ed.

  Ok, so this month has been absolutely bananas!  And I'm writing this insanely late at night while the kids are quiet, hoping to get through the entire post uninterrupted.  Fingers crossed.  So, I bumped it up this month and finally got three books in!  It feels like a major accomplishment, so please just give me a moment to bask in my own glory...
  Ok. 
  That was enough.  Let's dive in!







"Marked"- P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast

  Full disclosure, I have read this book before.  Many, many moons ago.  It's part of a young adult series and honestly I've read almost all the books.  But it was either so long ago that I can't even remember what happens or it really never left a lasting impression; it popped up in my series list as one to finish and I knew I would have to start it all over to get any real amount of closure from the series.  So, here I am, starting it over.  You know how most of the time I say it doesn't read like a young adult novel?  This one does.  After about the fourth time "poopie" was used; I was about to just call it and pretend like I finished the whole series (there are twelve f-ing books, ok?), but I persevered.  It's an alright book.  We follow Zoey Redbird as she gets tracked and marked to become a vampire.  At sixteen, this is as bad as puking at prom.  She has to immediately uproot and move to The House of Night and begin the long process of "changing".  And the hardest part about changing for Zoey isn't the fact that she might die (some people don't survive the change), but maybe all the other drama that seems to surround her arrival at this new school.  It's set in Tulsa, OK, which is near and dear to my heart and she also has Native American roots which also strikes a chord with me.  It's an easy read, easy to follow and understand, the concept of the story is pretty good if you can just survive being inside a sixteen year old girls head.  P.C. Cast did a pretty good job of writing from a typical teenage point of view instead of an adult trying to think like a teenager.  Vampire books aren't really my thing, but this puts a different spin on it compared to the same tired old vampire stories that are already out there.


"Don't You Cry"- Mary Kubica

  This was a surprise pop up on my list and I'm glad it happened!  Kubica also wrote "The Good Girl", which I loved; you can read my thoughts on it here.  We start with Quinn, an average college graduate working in a career not related to her major and sharing an apartment in a fairly nice neighborhood in Chicago.  One morning (after a long night), Quinn discovers her roommate is missing.  Now, this just isn't like Esther.  Esther is predictable, dependable; she would never leave Quinn in the lurch.  But as the time stretches on and Quinn gets worried, she starts to unearth information she never knew about Esther.  And she starts to question whether she really knows her bestie roommate at all; or if anyone really knows her.
  We meet Alex.  He lives in small town where everyone knows everybody's business and Alex's business is that his dad is the town drunk.  Alex is a bright kid, but gave up his opportunities simply to take care of his dad (that's a lot to live with at eighteen).  Alex's life is predictable, boring, and frustratingly stagnant; until one surprising day something happens.  A new girl appears in town.  And Alex can't seem to keep away from her.  Let Kubica take you on another roller coaster ride, she pulls out all the stops on this one.  I could not put this book down, I simply had to know what was coming next; and she'll keep you guessing until the very end.


"The Storyteller"- Jodi Picoult

  Do you have an author that you read a lot simply because you know when you pick up one of their books it'll be an enjoyable experience?  This is Picoult for me.  I've read almost everything she's written.  It's like coming home to an old friend, reading an author you really enjoy and letting them surprise you (still!!)  This book was a real shocker for me, but it was an excellent read.  The one thing I can say with confidence is that Picoult always does her research.  No matter what her book is based on, you can tell she works her a** off to make sure it's accurate.  This book jumps between modern times with Sage Singer, who has a handful of her own personal issues, a past with her Grandmother and surviving the Holocaust and the story she wrote to keep herself alive through the whole ordeal.  It is a powerful book.  And it really, really messed with me; because I know Picoult researches.  So, it makes me wonder how much of the story has been drawn on by experiences recounted by actual Holocaust survivors.  Just let that sink in while you read it.  We follow Sage, primarily, as she befriends an interesting old man.  Just when Sage thinks she's finally found a friend who can accept her for who she is, Josef asks her for a favor: for her to kill him.  Even as he confesses to Sage his deepest, darkest sins, she's still unsure what she should do.  This is one of those books you'll think about for a long time once you finish.  And the ending.  Sigh*  It's perfect.  Really it is.  Pick this up; read it, you'll love it.


  That's all I have for you this month and I've already got more on the way for July!  It's looking up and summer is seriously the best time for reading, am I right?  Sitting by the pool, or curled up in a chair while those summer storms blow through (I live in Midwest, we're never without weather) a book is a necessity for the enjoyment of summer.  Let me know what you're reading or if you have an suggestions for me.  Want to start a discussion about a book we've read?  Hit me up in Instagram (@alyxandraramos) and we will make that happen; anytime!  See you next time, happy reading!