Recently Read: Why We Broke Up and Eleanor & Park

I've got a double review for you today. I got a nook HD for Christmas, and I have been really enjoying it. I find it convenient to travel with and lay in bed and read. Anyway, I have read Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, (AKA Lemony Snicket) and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I loved both of these books, and already have both of them marked to potentially be on my best books of 2014 list.

Why we Broke Up is the story of Min falling in love with one of the popular guys in her school, Ed, and of course their break up. This book has really beautiful illustrations, and if you read the actual hard copy of the book they are laid out in a very aesthetically pleasing way.

This book came out in 2011, but it was not until recently that I learned it was written by Lemony Snicket, who wrote The Series of Unfortunate Events. This really sparked my curiosity because the two stories were so different. I really enjoyed this novel. It was real and true to life, which can be a problem with contemporary novels. All of the characters in the book progressed by the end of the novel. I would recommend this, and I am interested in checking out some of Daniel Handler's other works.

Elanor & Park was a much hyped, and talked about book, in fact it still is. It was many people's favorite book of last year. I had been kinda unsure about reading it, partly because of all the talk, and partly because I have so many other things I really want to read. But I saw it on my nook for a reasonable price and decided to pick it up. I ended up reading it in two sittings, and I had to force myself to put it down the first sitting.

This novel is the story of Eleanor, a sophomore girl with a troubled past and a less than desirable family situation, who moves to a new school, and Park, the only kid who will let her sit next to him on the bus on her first day. These two go through all the typical stages of a first love, and end up forming a very powerful bond with each other.

This book made me so nostalgic. It was so true to real life; the dialogue, the small things that cause excitement in a new relationship, and how you feel about your first love were realistic and right on point. While I was reading this, I was constantly remembering how I felt when I first started going out with my boyfriend. A lot of people have said that this book has a sad ending, but I would have to disagree. The ending sure doesn't tie everything up in a neat little bow for you, but it was, in my opinion optimistic and endearing.