Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

“Underneath this veneer of slightly crazy and mildly socially retarded, I'm a complete disaster.”

I fell in love with Eleanor and Park when I read it last summer, so I've been eager to read more by Rowell (I just realized I never reviewed E and P...I might need to do so!).

Fangirl is the perfect book for anyone who has been obsessed with a certain franchise of books (Harry Potter definitely came to mind when I read this). Cather is obsessed with a series about a character named Simon Snow, and with her sister, Wren, has built a huge fanbase online writing fanfiction. Now that she is older and in college, awaiting the release of the eighth and final book, the pressure is on to finish her own novel for her own adoring fans.

The only problem is that she's starting her freshman year of college, dealing with a difficult roommate, her roommate's odd boyfriend, trying to understand why her sister is pulling away, avoiding reconnecting her her estranged mother, and worrying about her father who now all alone at home and definitely empty-nesting. 

In one word, I would classify this book as adorable. Because while there are certainly enough negative things going on in Cather's life, the story is heart-warming. Cather undergoes a big transformation from the beginning of the novel to the end. She enters college unsure and scared-afraid to even venture into the cafeteria for fear of being alone or not knowing what to do. Eventually, she finds her place among all the craziness around her and we see real growth in who she is and what she wants.

 “In new situations, all the trickiest rules are the ones nobody bothers to explain to you. (And the ones you can't Google.)”

Some of what I enjoyed most about this book were Cather's little quirks-many of which I have myself. I've also felt a bit of fear about going into a new situation and not knowing what to do. Her fear of being alone and uncertain in the cafeteria is a fear I've felt many times-going to conferences, etc. She is also a bit of a recluse, choosing to stay in and write or read than go to a party. She's also a person who cares for people who ask her for help. First, the boy from her fiction writing class. Then, her roommate's odd duck of a boyfriend.

I was also fascinated by Cather's writing and her devotion to her craft-and props to Rowell for using fanfiction in such a positive light! While I've never written fanfiction (I know I couldn't do justice to someone else's characters), my younger sister did for quite some time. There are so many big communities out there, and for many, it's a great way to extend the life of a well-loved series. In Cather's case, it was also a way for her to play with her words, and push her to trying something else.

However, the thing that I most loved about this was Cather's love interest. Can I say a huge thank you to Rowell for showing a male love interest who is actually a really good guy? Who doesn't do creepy/stalkerish things that are "romantic?" THANK YOU.

In all, this was a sweet book that left me with lots of warm fuzzies and a desire to read more by Rowell in the future.

"Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy,” Wren said. “It’s the noblest, like, the most courageous thing two people can shoot for.”

Top Ten Tuesday: Rewind (Books I Bought But Haven't Read!)

It's Tuesday and today's Top Ten Tuesday is one of my favorites-Rewind! This topic is for participants to go back and redo a topic that we may have missed, or that we want to do again!

After scouring the list of old topics, I decided to do an oldie based on the books I had to go out and buy....but haven't managed to read yet.

I don't know if you're like me, but I tend to buy books in big batches. And, generally speaking, I don't read through that batch before going out and buying more (as evidenced by my huge TBR list).

For this, you'll see a mix of new releases and classics-all of which I was determined to read when I bought my copy, but have since found their place on my bookshelves.

1. A Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling: I'm pretty sure I bought this the week it came out. And I haven't read it. I also bought The Cuckoo's Calling. Haven't read that one either. Whoops.
2. Salinger by David Shields and Shane Salerno: I bought this the week it came out, which was perfect since I was teaching The Catcher in the Rye at the time. And...still on the shelf.
3. Wither, Fever, and Sever by Lauren DeStefano: I bought each of these close to their release and still haven't even read the first one. The covers for these are lovely, which is probably why they came home with me!
4. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman: I've heard wonderful things about this one (dragons!), but still haven't found the right moment to start reading it. I might wait until the series is finished...
5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: This was one of those hot books that everyone was reading, and since it sounded interesting, I bought a copy too. I even lent it to a few people, but I still haven't given it a chance!
6. The Autobiography of Mark Twain Volume 1: I bought this right after its release (notice a trend) and I had the best intentions of settling in and reading it. Since purchasing, volume 2 has come out and this volume is collecting a bit of dust.
7. The American  by Henry James: After finishing The Portrait of a Lady a couple of years ago, I bought a slew of James novels in hopes of tackling more by him. This was the title I was most excited for....still haven't read it.
8. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: This is another one of those titles that was everywhere and it sounds really interesting....just haven't give it a chance yet. Like Gone Girl, it's another title I've lent out a few times!
9. Beloved by Toni Morrison: Back when I made my 250 list, I was really excited to read my first Morrison novels, and Beloved was at the top of that list. And while I've read Morrison, I haven't touched this one yet.
10. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin: Technically I've started this one, but this is another that I was anxious to read, but haven't found the time or urge to do so!

 What books did you really want to read, but haven't found the time to pull them off your shelves?

Weekly Wrap-up for February 23, 2014: Done with Winter.

I love the winter. I really do. I love the snow and the cold and the layers of clothing I get to wear. As a teacher, I love the occasional snow day and the excitement of the kids the day before a big snowstorm. I love cuddling up under warm blankets with a cup of hot cocoa and bowls of hot soup.

But I'm done now.

This has been, by far, the worst winter I can remember. From below freezing temperatures, to massive piles of snow, the last two months have been a blur of never-ending snow, cold, and freezing rain. And while I'm not at all ready for the heat and summer months to get here, I'd be okay with slightly warmer temps (it did get up to 40 earlier this week. I actually drove home with my windows cracked to enjoy the "nice" weather).

I'm also quite sick of the snow days. We had Friday off....for "hazardous road conditions." That was our 7th snow day since January. I was actually mad when I got the call at 5 in the morning! Now it's up in the air as to whether we need to make up the day. We get 6 snow days built into our calendar year, so now we might have to stay later in June. And I know our district isn't that bad off-some schools have had 10 or more days!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a change in the weather, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon (more snow this week....yay). I think the kids are looking forward to it too!

The good news is that Spring Break is looming and I'll be heading out to California with Matt and my parents to visit my sister Torrie. She graduated from college back in December and got another internship with Disney (she interned down in Florida a couple years ago). We'll be there for the week (Matt a little less because of work), so we're planning on hitting up the Hollywood area as well. It's dreams of warm California weather that are keeping me going. :)

In reading, I haven't been too focused. I'm still in the middle of a bunch of things, but I have plans to at least start The Sound of the Mountain by Yasunari Kawabata this week. The Classics Club issued a dare to read the novel, so I'm going to tackle it so I can dare others. :) It looks interesting and my copy arrived last week, so it'll be next up. I'm also trying to finish 7 Events that Made America America by Larry Schweikart, but it's going rather slowly....it has a very obvious conservative slant that gets distracting...I'll admit that I've skimmed a few passages. The ideas behind the book are interesting; however, so I'm not ready to declare it as DNF.

I also started the second book in A Song of Ice and Fire a couple weeks ago, and I've been meaning to finish it, so I assume that'll be next up. I ready to dive back in to Westeros after a month or so away from it. I think spacing out those books was a great idea, but now I need to make sure I finish through book 3 by the time the show premieres again in April.

I hope you all have a happy reading week!

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith.

“Good books are always about everything.”

This will be, hand's down, the most difficult post I've ever written. And that's not because the book was awful, or I hated it, or that I don't have anything to say. Instead, it's because there is SO MUCH I could say, and SO MUCH that I loved, and SO MUCH that is valuable to talk about...but I have no idea how to do so.

To put it in perspective, my husband asked what the book was about when he saw it sitting on the coffee table in all it's bright green glory. I began explaining it, then had to back up to add in some details...and then I trailed off. All he could say was, "It sounds weird."

And it is a weird book. But in the best way possible.

It's weird because it is a book about everything all at once, and once I try to explain a piece, the rest disappears, but it's important too!

Essentially, the book is about a teenage boy named Austin who lives in the small and decrepit town of Ealing, Iowa. He's dating a girl named Shann, who he is very much in love with. And then there's Robby, Austin's best friend and someone that Austin is also in love with. And Robby loves him. And Shann loves Austin. And Austin is struggling to come to terms with his feelings, what they mean, and how to avoid hurting the two people he loves most.

The book  is also about the reckless nature of two teenage boys-who refuse to do what they should and take chances-smoking, cussing, experimenting with getting drunk for the first time, launching an investigation into what is going on in the town of Ealing.

It's also about a boy discovering and recording his history and present, and of discovering who he came from and where he is going. 

But it's also about the end of the world-an old experiment with Unstoppable Soldiers (giant grasshopper/mantis beings) gone wrong and the quest to find a way to defeat them and prevent their spread outside of Ealing.

And at it's very core, it's a book about a boy learning who he is and coming of age in a very dramatic fashion and amidst chaos.

*sigh*

Even writing all of that doesn't capture the spirit and mood of this bright green book. It's lively and quirky and surprising and weird. It is everything that shouldn't make sense, but does. It captures what it means to be a teenager and confused about your feelings-about experimenting and wondering if it's okay, wondering if you're the only one who feels that way.

In that way, it's an extremely passionate and inspiring read. It's one that made me want to try to achieve something great, so as not to be forgotten.

I don't think I can say any more except that this is a firecracker of a book. You need to read it to understand it.

“History shows that an examination of the personal collection of titles in any man’s library will provide something of a glimpse into his soul.”

I also want to throw in as a pos-tnote that I am continually impressed by the depth and "realness" of Smith's books. I've read Stick, In the Path of Falling Objects, and Winger in addition to this one. All have been excellent, diverse, and true in capturing the spirit of modern teenagers. If you haven't read something by Smith, you need to.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Reasons I Love Being a Blogger and Reader.

It's Tuesday and time for the Top Ten Tuesday meme hosted by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish.

The topics from the last few weeks haven't inspired me to post, but I couldn't pass up the warm fuzzies this week's topic brings to mind.

I've been blogging here for over 4 years (it used to be a lot more regular than it has been recently), but in those 4 years, I've learned a lot about myself as a reader and a blogger. So, here are the top ten reasons why I love being a reader and a blogger.


On Blogging:

1. The Community: When I began blogging in the fall of 2009, I wasn't aware of the larger book blogging community. I was very much blogging in isolation and in hopes of completing my goal of reading my 250 classics. When I got my first comment that wasn't from my mom, I was shocked. From there, I grew to love the book blogging community and all it had to offer.
2. Friendships: I never imagined the friendships I would form through blogging. Getting and sending Christmas cards, writing letters and e-mails, conversations on Facebook and Twitter...it wasn't something I planned on when I started writing here. But I'm happy to say I've formed some amazing and lasting friendships through a shared love of the written word.
3. Challenges: Whether you're successful with them or not, I love a good reading challenge. It all started with my initial challenge (which I have yet to complete), but it's led to many others. Reading in a "challenge" format provides some inspiration when you're stuck in a reading rut, and it's always fun to fail in great company. ;)
4. Readalongs and Group Reads: I think what I love most about the community of book blogging is that it lends well to banding together to tackle tricky reads. During my time blogging, I've participated in so many groups reads and readalongs, and I've been able to tackle some crazy reads-Atlas Shrugged, The Brothers Karamazov, Clarissa (I actually never finished it), and more.
5. Finding New Books/Authors: I will be the first one to admit that while I thought I read rather broadly prior to blogging, I've since learned about so many new authors and books that I know I will never read everything I want to in my lifetime. I'm continuously adding both books and authors to future reading lists, thanks to the suggestions of fellow bloggers.

On Reading:

1. Exploring New Places: I'm not a very well-traveled person. In my lifetime, I have only been out of the country a small handful of times, and just across the border to Canada (a couple of times to Sarnia to march in a Christmas parade when I was in band, and once on a weekend trip to Toronto). And while I would like to travel, I don't know if it will ever happen. But, I have traveled the world over through books...and to other places besides!
2. Learning about New Topics, etc: As a teacher myself, I love any opportunity to learn something new. Books give me that opportunity and the options are endless.
3. Escaping Reality/Finding Comfort: I know that there are many people who settle in front of the TV when they aren't feeling good or need to escape for awhile....I can disappear into the pages of a book, which I find to be a far more valuable experience. Books always give me the comfort I crave.
4. Collecting: In many ways, I'm not only a reader, but a book collector. I think I'm lucky to live in an age when there are so many options and beautiful covers for me to pick from. And while my husband might not see the sense in owning 4 different collections of Austen's novels...I know that I get a different reading experience from each edition.
5. Sharing an Experience: This is definitely the connection between these 2 topics. There is something so....inspiring to me about reading a book that has been read for hundreds of years and knowing I am one of many to share that experience. Probably, above everything else, that is what matter to me most!

How about you? What do you love about blogging and reading?