This novel was very similar to Looking For Alaska and, for me, it's hard to live up to that book. Green is quite the expert and placing you squarely back into the angst of high school in a very visceral way. I was pretty engrossed by the main character Quentin's search for the girl next door after her disappearance - John Green's favorite archetype: the unattainable female. Lot's of great writing, original relationships between the characters and a satisfying, if not happily ever after, ending.

I enjoyed this YA realistic fiction novel that really delved deep into the many complex relationships the heroine Serena has in her life as a teen mother. Yes, it mainly centers on her romance/obsession with bad boy Sawyer. But, as in real life, her life does not just center around him - even if she doesn't realize it. Thankfully there were other awesome characters to rally behind, because as much as I can get behind the bad boy who changes his ways, I just couldn't get behind Sawyer. Perfectly serviceable book and I enjoyed the way it came together, just didn't love it.

This was a bit of a emotional roller coaster of a book, but I really, really loved this story of two very broken people who find each other despite themselves. Things did drag in the middle a bit, where the main characters seemed to be dancing around each other in the same way, over and over again, which is fine - but I don't want to read the same scene over and over. Despite this, it was filled with dark humor and very real people (lots of really well written characters) that I felt I could connect with easily. Definitely recommend.

So excited to get a signed copy of this after the Beat The Blerch race. Of course, I've read the main comic in this book before. But, in typical Oatmeal fashion, I love how he adds really interesting scientific and 'the more you know' tidbits into his gut-busting comics. The bit on how bees take on hornets is FASCINATING and hilarious all at once. Plus, his tips on getting into running (or any kind of fitness) are great tips for life in general. Matthew Inman is just awesome. I luuuurve him.

This book was freaking awesome. It plays out in a very cinematic way, switching viewpoints from Mark Watney who is stranded on Mars, to his crew, to NASA back on earth. Super intense and HILARIOUS at times, as Mark is quite the funny guy and uses humor to help him through his ordeal in getting back to earth. Things did get a little dry with all of the scientific jargon, kinda like watching House, but a real page turner. The last book I remember that made my heart almost leap out of my chest in the way The Martian did at the end was The Silence of The Lambs. Bravo, Andy Weir.

This was a very compelling story told by Amanda Lindhout about her abduction in Somalia. It reminded me a bit of when I was reading Unbroken, I wasn't all that jazzed to pick it up, due to the subject matter. And it seemed repetitive, one horrible thing after another. But, to bear witness to what is going on in the world and in Somalia is important. I just felt slightly annoyed by Amanda, since it seems as if her entire predicament could have been avoided if she wasn't so bull-headed.

This book was just as good as The Fifth Wave, the first book in this series. The frenetic pace picks right up where the last book left off, and I pretty much loved the same things: it balances the dystopian bleak with a good dose of hope, the characters are vividly told, the romance is believable, the subtle humor is spot on and the plot is fast and unpredictable.

The follow up to Cinder was good, but not quite as great as the first. Things dragged a bit for me in the middle, when I felt like I was reading two completely different books: Cinder's and Scarlet's. But as the connection to each other's story became clear, the plot picked up again. Just like the first book, I loved the sci-fi interpretation of a children's tale (in this case Little Red Riding Hood), and it's many parallels to Star Wars. I can't wait to finish it out with Cress, which looks to be a Rapunzel themed tale, woven into Cinder and Scarlet's story.

This was a predictably fun read, very much like Bossypants. Not quite as funny, or at least the same brand of humor as Tina Fey, but maybe I should also listen to the audiobook. It's always fun to read a memoir of someone who's life mirrors your own in many ways. Being a 40 year old mother of two, I identified with all of her fun pop culture references of the 70s onward to what it's like with two little ones stealing your heart. I also love how it reads like a self-help book - stating the obvious stuff mostly, like Daring Greatly, but in a MUCH more entertaining manner.

WHOA. I had heard this novel compared to Gone Girl on several occasions and as I was about a third of the way into this book, I could see why. The shift in perception of the characters happens much more subtly, over time, in this book. But, it's still fraught with tension on every single page that you have to keep turning. This would be a helluva book club book - lots to dissect about right and wrong and 'what would you do in this horrible situation?' kind of discussions