Sunday, February 24, 2013

On John Green and Paper Towns

Oh, dear. John Green poses such a problem to me.
You see, It's my nature to hate anything that's popular and like anything that's critically acclaimed (or at least pretend to). So, naturally, when something that's both popular AND critically acclaimed comes along, my brain kinda blows a bit. That's why John Green's books pose such a dilemma. I can't say that I'm John Green's biggest fan - I mean, there are so many people who really, really love him - but I have respect for him, all the same.
(I plan to write a post on John Green later).
I think Paper Towns has been one of my favorite John Green books so far. I don't think it's the most well - written, but I really enjoyed it. Paper Towns is the story of Quentin Jacobsen, a high school senior about to graduate, and his obsession with his neighbor and childhood friend, Margo Roth Spiegelman. When Margo enlists Quentin to help bring justice to her two-faced friends, he thinks that this might be the beginning of something new - but Margo disappears the next day. Armed with a set of carefully placed clues that seem to lead nowhere, Quentin and his cronies head off in search of Margo - or, the Margo they thought they knew. Though the book occasionally calls for a stretch of the imagination, it's a great read, and a real page-turner. It's fun, intriguing, and satisfying - a combination which always makes for a good book.


Saturday, February 16, 2013

I'M SORRY THIS ISN'T A REAL POST, BUT IT'S THE BEST I CAN DO

Okay. So you might notice that my blog has a slightly different look now. That's so it's easier to find the "follow" button.
So yeah, I'm expecting a cult following by tomorrow, people.
(cough)
Also, I've added a poll, please vote so I know what kind of books you want me to review. Feel free to comment if you have any recommendations.
I'll get a proper post done soon. I've been super busy.
Alsos, here's a link to some INCREDIBLE early photos IN COLOR, like the one of a zeppelin below.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/09/color-photos-of-paris-in-_n_2653184.html#slide=2080134

Friday, February 1, 2013

A Step from Heaven, by An Na

After trying for the past few days to write a post on The Hichhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I decided to write about something perhaps more... straightforward. Looking back over the books I've read in the past year, A Step from Heaven stuck out.
A Step from Heaven is the story of Young Ju - a girl who immigrates to America (Mi Gook in Korean) at age four along with her mother and father. The sparse, poetical chapters are bittersweet and poignant, sketching scenes of Young Ju's life as she grows up, struggling with her two cultures and increasing family troubles. When Young Ju and her brother find a baby bird, when she tries to explain government forms to her father, and the scenes of family tension are each memorable and beautifully written.
A remarkable debut novel by author An Na.