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Friday, August 21, 2015

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl


After reading and enjoying The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (author of highly recommended Looking for Alaska), I decided to try Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. With the movie release this summer, the book got a bit of buzz and sparked my curiosity.

The book follows the selfish and totally unlikeable protagonist, Greg, as he makes weird movies with his best non-friend Earl and worries about not caring as his other non-friend Rachel dies of cancer. Nothing really happens. They never make a great movie. Greg never grows in character. The only really interesting character Earl just fades away.

I have to admit I was highly disappointed. Advertised as the "funniest book you'll ever read about cancer," the book did not make me laugh even once.

Title: Me and Early and the Dying Girl
Author: Jesse Andrews
Publisher: Harry Abrams
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 978-1419719608
Blamey Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

The Lightning Thief

This summer my family went on vacation in the Outer Banks. Each year we head to the library before our trip to find a book on tape that everyone can agree on for the 10+ hour car ride. This year we chose The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. We had no idea what to expect going in, but we were pleasantly surprised!

The fantasy novel follows Percy Jackson, a boy with dyslexia and attention-defecit disorder, who always finds himself in unusual situations. He soon learns that the reason he seems different is that he is different--he is the son of a mortal and a god, making him a demigod. Before he can wrap his brain around the idea that the Greek gods are alive and well, they send him on a quest to find Zeus's missing lightning bolt. Will Percy find it in time to avoid the next major war between the gods? Read the book or listen on tape as we did to find out!

Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: 2006
ISBN: 978-0786838653
Blamey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars