Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Mystery Double Review: They Do it With Mirrors and The Body in the Library

Author: Agatha Christie
Genre:Classic/Mystery
Publication Date: 1952
Page Count: 202
Rating: 3/5

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Also by Agatha Christie:
And Then There Were None


In this Miss Marple mystery, our detective heads to the home (and juvenile delinquent rehab center) of her old schoolmate. Miss Marple is sent on the suspicion that something is not right, and of course, that suspicion is correct as murder ensues.

This was my third Christie novel and first Miss Marple. I picked this book up to take to work with me one day and ended up reading it in two days. I loved that this novel was so quick to read and easy to follow, which made for great work reading. I really enjoy reading (and watching) mysteries, so of course, I enjoy Christie. While I don't think this is the best mystery she has ever crafted, I was thoroughly entertained and suspicious of every character. The setting really made this novel, and I'm eager to pick up more by Christie. I have been scouring for her novels at every used bookstore and sale I've been to lately! 

If you've never read anything by Christie, I highly recommend picking her up. She's a great author to start with if you are new to mystery, and a must read for those who love mysteries.


Title: The Body in the Library 
Author: Agatha Christie 
Genre: Classic/Mystery 
Publication Date: 1942
Page Count: 207
Rating: 3/5



In this novel, Christie tackles the 'body found in the library' trope of the mystery novel, and of course, she does it in a clever and entertaining way. Miss Marple is called when friends of hers awake to find the dead body of a young girl they have never seen before in their library. 

I have come to find that I really enjoy Miss Marple. I find her to be funny and smart in her observations and village parallels. She never seems to be the focus of her novels, which leaves room for Christie's eccentric and humorous characters to lead the show. This novel, like They Do it With Mirrors, was hard to put down and very entertaining.  I find myself turning to Christie when I need a quick and entertaining read to help me pass the time during trips or slow work days. 

Christie's works also make great beach reads as they are clever and entertaining, but not overly complicated. The plot and characters are easy to keep track off, and her clever detectives can always be counted on to add wit and humor to the very series topic of murder. 

What's your favorite Christie novel?

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday: Young Adult New Releases I'm Looking Forward To


I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday in quite a while, but I'm back today with some new releases I'm looking forward to! This year has had a lot of great new releases already that I need to catch up on, but here's a look at what's coming up that I'm excited about.

Book Titles Link to Goodreads


Release Date: May 30
This YA contemporary sounds fun and poignant. It puts me in mind of Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere, which makes me very interested. 


Release Date: May 30
I know a lot of people are anticipating this YA contemporary with two Indian-American main characters just as much as I am. 


Release Date: June 1
I enjoyed Fowley-Doyle's debut The Accident Season, and this one seems to have a similar magical-realism atmosphere to it.  


Release Date: June 27
This looks like a really entertaining historical fiction read! The early reviews have been pretty good. 


Release Date: July 25
I'm always interested in books that center around art! 


Release Date: August 8
I haven't read very many contemporaries with female LGBTQ characters, so this one is high on my list. 

Release Date: August 15
The first book in a duelology about a family where the women can manipulate beauty. 


Release Date: September 12
This fantasy series sounds quite interesting. The main character seems to have OCD and anxiety, and there is dragons. Sounds great to me. 


Release Date: September 12
I love Cat Winters and need to get caught up on her books before this one comes out. Her books always have a supernatural element that mixes perfectly with a historical fiction setting.


Release Date: October 10 
And of course I am looking forward to Stiefvater's newest release. Another author I need to catch up on the back-log of! 

Link me to your post so I can add even more books to my TBR! 

Monday, May 22, 2017

Recently Read: The Inexplicable Logic of my Life

Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Genre: Young Adult- Contemporary
Publication Date: 2017
Page Count: 452
Rating: 5/5

Add on Goodreads

Also By Benjamin Alire Saenz:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 


Sal is about to start his senior year of high school. He loves his life with his best friend Sam, who is really more of a sister, and his adoptive father. But thoughts about his unknown past and a tragedy leave Sal, and those in his life, dealing with grief and uncertainty. Sal doesn't like the way he's dealing with these changes, by throwing his fists at anyone in his way, but is it an inevitable part of his DNA?

I loved Aristotle and Dante when I read it earlier this year and was surprised to see that Saenz had a new release that I hadn't heard anything about! I loved this one, not quite as much and Ari and Dante, but I did love it. 

Of course, this book has great diverse representation. Sal is white, but was adopted by a gay Mexican-American father and both of the other teenage characters in the book are Mexican-American as well. I really enjoyed Sal's father, both as a character and a diverse representation, as parents are usually M.I.A. or unlikable in YA novels. Sal's father is so loving and so kind, and very much likable. 

I love the way that Saenz writes teenage male characters and father-and-son relationships. He doesn't write stereotypical male characters, who hide their feelings and rely of a tough image; his male characters are realistic, but honest about their feelings and gentle. Sal was such a sweetheart, and so was his dad. I loved their relationship and think it's great to see healthy parent-child relationships in YA. 

Another element of this book that I loved was the lack of romance! Sam and Sal have been best friends since they were small children, and even though it would have been easy for Saenz to put them together romantically, he chose to explore their friendship/sibling relationship instead. I loved that, and I really think it added to the beauty of the story. 

This book deals with a lot of interesting and usual YA contemporary topics such as friendship, grief, self-discovery, etc. But it also deals with a few unique topics such as faith and religion, having a gay parent, being adopted into a culture you weren't born into, and platonic male/female relationships. I thought all of the themes and topics were well-done, and are all things I would love to see in more books. 

I thought this book was the perfect combination of sad and sweet. I couldn't stop reading once I got to know the characters; the story flows beautifully and the short chapters make it hard to put down. I definitely consider myself a fan of Benjamin Alire Saenz, and will be keeping an eye on all of his new releases. I highly recommend you pick this up! 

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Recently Read: The Hate U Give

Author: Angie Thomas
Genre: Young Adult- Contemporary
Publication Date: 2017
Page Count: 453
Rating: 5/5

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I'm sure you don't need to hear a synopsis of this book since it's been everywhere lately, so I will keep it short. Starr feels like she maintains two versions of herself. The version of herself that goes to a suburban prep school and the version of herself that she is at home in the poor black neighborhood where she lives. One day. Starr is the only witness to the shooting of her best friend by a white police officer, and she must decide if, and how, to use her voice to speak up for her friend and her neighborhood. 

I loved this book, and I'm so glad that everyone else is loving it too. This is one of the only books that I actually thought that the use of slang and pop culture added to the book instead of just being an aspect that will leave the book feeling quickly outdated. Starr talks and thinks like a REAL teenager and I loved that. Of course, I also loved the political themes in the novel and the accurate representation of the current political culture and movements such as Black Lives Matter. I thought the political events and story line were realistic and very well done. I love that teenagers are getting involved in the political culture of today and using their voices through social media, and this story reflected that. 

This book covers many important topics very well including youth activism, police brutality, gang violence, love between different cultures, and the importance of using your voice. Of course this book deals with very serious and harrowing topics, but it also contained large amounts of humor and love. This book never felt too heavy or hopeless, and all of the characters felt real, despite how small of a part they may have played in the story, I couldn't read the second half of this novel fast enough and flew through it. 

This is a book that I would love to use in my classroom in the future, as well as a book I will be buying a copy of to have on my classroom library shelves. I think this book is so important, but also entertaining and heartfelt. It delivers its important message, but it also delivers a message of hope and persistence, which is equally important for the younger generation to receive through art. 

Have you read this? Did it live up to the hype for you? I'm very glad this book exists and is getting the recognition it deserves!  

Monday, May 15, 2017

Library Haul (and what I will be reading next)

I've got a few things out from the library right now, both in physical form and ebook form, so I thought I would share them with you as they will be what I am reading and reviewing next. I've really been loving getting my YA new releases from the library lately, especially contemporaries, as those tend to be really hit-or-miss for me.



The Hate You Give 
by Angie Thomas
This book has been everywhere lately, and rightfully so! I've already read this one and loved it! I'll be reviewing it soon, as well as buying a copy for my classroom! 

This book is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and follows Starr who witnessed the shooting of her best friend by a police officer. 

The Inexplicable Logic of my Life
by Benjamin Alire Saenz
I'm currently reading this one, so again watch out for a review soon. I didn't even though this book existed until a couple weeks ago, is it just me or is no one talking about it? I read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe earlier this year and loved it, so I was eager to pick this one up. It's not grabbing me as fast as Ari and Dante did, but I'm only about fifty pages in. 

This novel focuses on a Mexican-American teenager starting his senior year of high school. Sal is the adopted son of a gay dad, and that's really all I know at the moment! This one has a lot of potential and I have high hopes. 

Piper Perish
by Kayla Cagan
I really don't know much about this one expect the main character is an artist. Art is a book buzzword for me, so I decided to place a hold on it. I've been eager for more YA books with art elements ever since Nelson's I'll Give You the Sun.

Piper is in her senior year and dreaming of art school in NYC. But as things start to shift in all parts of her life, will her art be enough to get her through?

Let me know if you've read any of these!