So I have in fact, not died. I did, in fact, succumb to the lack of time that affects many college students every year. Simply said, taking 20 credits and working 35 hours a week doesn't leave for much play time. Heck, it doesn't even leave adequate time to sleep. Now that school is over for the summer, I find I have much more time on my hands. So what have I been doing with that time when I haven't been working? Reading. Lots and lots of reading. My life consists of books. I've always loved reading, but I don't think I've ever read this many books for enjoyment in my life! Here's a few that I read recently and what I thought of them:
- Full Ride By Margaret Peterson Haddix: This is about a girl named Becca Jones who goes into hiding with her mother after her father gets arrested for some hefty white collar crimes. It's Becca's senior year in high school and it's time for her to start applying for financial aid and colleges, but her mother reveals to Becca that if she does this, it could reveal her past. As she digs into her past, she finds out that she and her mother might be in more danger than she ever thought. I just finished this book today, and it was a page turner. I read this book in a span of hours and it definitely didn't disappoint. It has to do with the pressure of college (and paying for it!), while still adding a thriller and mystery storyline to it. Great read. A
- Trafficked By Kim Purcell: This book centers on an illegal Russian immigrant named Hannah who comes to America as a nanny. When she first gets there, things seem fine but she soon finds a rude awakening. She never gets paid, the parents restrict her from leaving the house and they seem to somehow know something about her missing uncle. This book deals a lot with sex trafficking, manipulation and the importance of finding help. It also has a touch of mystery added to it. This was a great book (another book I read in a matter of hours) and I highly recommend it. I only wish there was a sequel to it! A
- In The Land Of Invisible Women By Quanta Ahmed: This book is a biography following a female doctor through her journey in Saudi Arabia. I've been really into female oppression in the Middle East lately, so I thought this would be interesting read. Learning all about the crazy rules and regulations in Saudi Arabia was very interesting. Unfortunately, that was about all I was interested in. The book was very long and moved very slowly, so it was hard for me to keep interest in it. Although I'm sure this was a great book for some, it just didn't do it for me. B-
- Etched In Sand By Regina Calcaterra: This is a biography that follows the story of Regina and her experience of homelessness and the foster care system while living in Long Island. This is a short book of only about 200 pages, but every page of it is riveting. I loved this book. The story filled me with hope that things would turn out well. The fact that it was a true story made it all the better. I would definitely hope that everyone gives this book a chance. A
- The Maze Runner By James Dashner: As many probably know, this book is being made into a movie. This is NOT why I read the book. I actually started it last December but became so overcome with my busy schedule that I was just barely able to finish it. It centers around a boy named Thomas who awakes in an unfamiliar environment with no memories. He's been dropped in a settlement with other boys, but no girls are to be seen. Around the settlement is a giant maze, and it's the only way out. The only problem is, no one can seem to solve the maze. Although this book has a good premise, I felt it just wasn't done all that well. It seemed like the author used a lot of cop outs when writing. It was an okay story, but I probably won't pick up the sequel. B-
- Shades Of Grey By Jasper Fforde: First of all, this book is not to be confused with 50 shades of grey- with the exception of a similar title, these books have literally nothing to do with one another. This book takes place in a dystopian society where color dominates. Every person has a assigned color in the society hierarchy, with greys being the lowest and purples being the highest. Whatever assigned color you are, you can only see that color. This book was a great read, although a little confusing. There was a lot of new words introduced in the book, and I felt that this overtook the plot itself and made it harder to understand. There's a sequel that should be coming out soon, and I felt like this book was more a prequel to the sequel. It was basically all background information- there was no big climax at the end, which irritated me. It was an interesting book, with a great premise, but a let down in the end. C
- Framed By Clair M. Poulson: If the title didn't give it away, this book is a mystery book. It's all about a girl named Adriana who is a witness in a murder investigation and believes the person on trial is innocent. This book was also sort of a letdown. It could have been quite good, the plot proved that. However, it wasn't very well written and some hints and foreshadowing in the book were just too plain and obvious. There was a romance weaved into the story, but it was just so incredibly cheesy that I hated reading it. C-
