EBN A Young Adult Book: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

I must have really needed a good teenage romance novel, because I just devoured this book. I was driving to Utah to visit my family and needed a book to listen to on the way since it was going to be just me and the kids. I picked a YA book on CD thinking it couldn't possibly have anything too bad in it. It was meant for teenagers, right? They don't put naughty stuff in teenage books, do they? I am apparently loosing touch with my teenage self because they definitely do. Actually, there really wasn't anything very bad in this book, but the language was a bit too "mature" for my 7 year-old's ears. I listened to it anyway, that is how badly I got wrapped up in this book.

So, either I had friends who just seldom swore around me or high schoolers don't cuss as much as the ones portrayed in this book. Maybe I just hung out with a different crowd. Maybe we were those straight laced kids who only swore when the emotions merited extreme language. I didn't think we were, but maybe we were. Over half of us graduated with our virginities still in tact so we must have been. Either way, I was surprised at the language, but everything else was great... sappy, but great.

The basic break down is relatively ordinary boy falls in love with a weird new girl who is going through hell at home. That is this book in a nut shell, but Rowell pulls you through all the emotional intensity of these characters relationship so effectively it feels like there is an eternity inside that tiny nutshell. There is one scene in the book where they are in English class and the teacher asks Eleanor why Romeo and Juliet has remained such a beloved love story for so long. She says she doesn't think Shakespeare is glorifying their love story at all; he is actually making fun of it and showing how stupid their young infatuation with each other is. I've got to say, a small piece of her is right. Romeo and Juliet are stupid. Their love is foolhardy, impulsive, and so devastatingly stupid. But is also is intense, passionate, and blind-siding. There is a reason why, even though you know they will die in the end, you spend the whole play desperately praying that they will. We admire and crave stupid love, even though it is often not good for us. Eleanor and Park's love carries with it the same desirable passion.

One more thing, there is a point where Park says there is no such thing as a hot Asian guy. Who's ever thought that! Everyone has their preferences, but I for one find Asian guys very attractive. I am not married to one, but that doesn't change the fact that I think they are often totally hott.

EBN A Book About a Culture You are Unfamiliar With: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

I need to get up early for a 4 hour drive to visit my family in Utah, so this is going to have to be my last entry. I'll have to make sure to add another couple entries soon. I might be cutting this challenge a little close the wire if I don't get a move on.

I first heard about this book on a Crash Course Literature series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Kw94qjdQA Part of this might just be my Fangirl-esk love for all things John Green, but I decided I wanted to read all the books on his literature series. I've read almost all of them, but this was one I had never even heard of. I might be the fact all of my up bringing has taken place in especially conservative communities, but I was surprised no one  has ever mentioned this book to me before. I don't know why not, it is amazing. I found the portrayal of both the African people and the European colonists was open and unbiased. I love books that show how not black and white the world almost always is. Every situation is more complex than it appears and to simplify something as big and multi-leveled as the changing environments of Nigeria during is colonization is to blind ourselves to reality. I loved this book and think it aught to be taught in schools the world over, not just Africa. I certainly plan on teaching it if I ever go back to teaching high school. What a remarkable book.

EBN A Book with Magic: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

I am only on my second entry for the night and I am already starting to loose steam. These are going to be short, or probably just completely incomprehensible.

This was such a sweet book. There were quite a few plot holes in the story that I felt like should have been dealt with, but it's a children's book. I think it can be forgiven. The imagery was really remarkable. It had such an interesting blend of different cultural influences in the world she created. The story was cute and beautiful. If you are looking for a book for a fantasy loving young girl, this would be a great recommendation. I am still, a bit lost on the character Gerk, who he is and what really is his relationship with Xan. It's ok, it's just a children's book. It doesn't all have to make sense.

EBN A Book with an Unreliable Narrator: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

I have been crazy busy this summer. Not a whole lot of time for reading and even less time from blogging/journaling. That being said, I didn't just take a three month hiatus from reading. I have a few I need to add to this challenge record. We'll see how many I manage to add before I run out of energy and go to bed.

First off, I loved this book. It was well written, exciting, and totally fit in with my unreliable narrator category. It is a multi-perspective story, where you get the perspective of events from a bunch of different people and get a pretty good idea of what really happened. Well, sort of. You do get a pretty good idea of what is going on by the end of the book, but the ending is still a real shocker. I honestly didn't see it coming. Don't worry, no spoilers here. But this book was great and the story's twists were worthy of the author's reputation (read Girl On A Train). Also, just look at that cover art; gorgeous. I don't know who created it, but it is stunning and was one of the main reasons I picked the book up at the library.