Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians #1) by Kevin Kwan

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Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back.

Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich. 

I expected more from this book. I thought that there would be more of a story, especially romance. I didn't see Crazy Rich Asians as a romance but rather as a drama that deals with the effects of socioeconomic status. The majority of the novel focuses on how rich everyone is and what they buy or don't buy with their piles of money. I felt like there was a voice in my head that kept saying "how rich are they" with a laugh track attached. It didn't take me that long to understand so I didn't feel it was necessary to harp on it so much.
I wanted the book to focus more on Rachel and Nick's relationship and how it was affected by the attitudes and ideals of the culture he was raised in as well as his family. It didn't seem like there was much of this until the last 100 pages or so which disappointed me.
I didn't mind the the numerous points of view over the course of the book but I would have like for it to be duel (Rachel and Nick). It was interesting to learn about the different characters and how each of their lives are affected by money and the judgements of others in high society.
What was up with that ending?!? That wasn't an ending. I was left unsatisfied and if I didn't know that there was a sequel I would be so annoyed by it.

The House of the Scorpion (Matteo Alacran #1) by Nancy Farmer

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With undertones of vampires, Frankenstein, dragons' hoards, and killing fields, Matt's story turns out to be an inspiring tale of friendship, survival, hope, and transcendence. A must-read for teenage fantasy fans.

At his coming-of-age party, Matteo Alacrán asks El Patrón's bodyguard, "How old am I?...I know I don't have a birthday like humans, but I was born." 

"You were harvested," Tam Lin reminds him. "You were grown in that poor cow for nine months and then you were cut out of her." 

To most people around him, Matt is not a boy, but a beast. A room full of chicken litter with roaches for friends and old chicken bones for toys is considered good enough for him. But for El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium—a strip of poppy fields lying between the U.S. and what was once called Mexico—Matt is a guarantee of eternal life. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself for Matt is himself. They share identical DNA.

I thought that The House of the Scorpion was an interesting and thought provoking read. I'm not sure that this was the book for me though.  I didn't have to fight myself on getting through reading the book but there was something that didn't gel with me. It was a solid story but maybe I wanted things to be explored more. I think that the author scratched the surface with the topic of what makes someone human and the rights that they should have. I would have loved for her to have taken things further and pushed the envelope even more.

It's so hard to discuss the book because it's not poorly written, the characters are good, and there's nothing glaringly wrong with it. It just wasn't the right book for me. I can completely understand why people enjoy and love the story. It makes sense why it is a Newbery award winner. 

The Great Movies (Great Movies) by Roger Ebert

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America’s most trusted and best-known film critic Roger Ebert presents one hundred brilliant essays on some of the best movies ever made. 

For the past five years Roger Ebert, the famed film writer and critic, has been writing biweekly essays for a feature called "The Great Movies," in which he offers a fresh and fervent appreciation of a great film. The Great Movies collects one hundred of these essays, each one of them a gem of critical appreciation and an amalgam of love, analysis, and history that will send readers back to that film with a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm–or perhaps to an avid first-time viewing. Ebert’s selections range widely across genres, periods, and nationalities, and from the highest achievements in film art to justly beloved and wildly successful popular entertainments. Roger Ebert manages in these essays to combine a truly populist appreciation for our most important form of popular art with a scholar’s erudition and depth of knowledge and a sure aesthetic sense. Wonderfully enhanced by stills selected by Mary Corliss, film curator at the Museum of Modern Art, The Great Movies is a treasure trove for film lovers of all persuasions, an unrivaled guide for viewers, and a book to return to again and again.

The Great Movies includes: All About Eve • Bonnie and Clyde • Casablanca • Citizen Kane • The Godfather • Jaws • La Dolce Vita • Metropolis • On the Waterfront • Psycho • The Seventh Seal • Sweet Smell of Success • Taxi Driver • The Third Man • The Wizard of Oz • and eighty-five more films.

While I agreed with a few of the reviews in the book, I found my attention wandering during the whole of the book. Roger Ebert writes as if he were a college professor of film which makes for a boring book. He makes even the most exciting movie sound boring. He talks quite a bit about the technical details of the movies that he lists when I would rather hear about why he appreciated the plot and acting abilities of the actors/actresses. He does mention those things but sense I am not nor have I ever been a film student it is difficult for me to comprehend many of the points that he makes about many of the films. I think that this book would be great for film students but it just wasn't something that I enjoyed. I love movies but his writing makes me want to read more rather than watch a movie. He makes movies sound dull. I also disagreed with many of his choices such as Citizen Kane. I will never understand why some people love that movie so much. I think that it is overrated and dull. 
To be fair, I knew that I was going to disagree with many of his opinions which is why I picked The Greatest Movies to represent my nonfiction you feel you will disagree with category for the reading challenge I am participating in. Roger Ebert is famous for trashing movies and having controversial views. He either seems to like things that others think are awful or hate things that other people enjoy. 

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting when I began listening to this book. I had reservations because of the hype surrounding the author and her books because I have hated and I have also loved hyped books. It's hard to tell which way a book will go. I had heard from another book reviewer that Daisy Jones and the Six is best read through audio book because like Sadie it has a full cast and is written like a podcast or interview. For those of you who will remember this...it reminded me of an episode of VH1 behind the music. I thought that this method was brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed the style of writing. 

It was difficult to listen to many parts of the book because I hated paths that characters went down and decisions that they made. Let's just say that the characters were truly living in the 70s with drugs and rock and roll. The book didn't always go in directions that I was expecting. The author hints that certain characters may not survive by the end but I was surprised. It is a heartbreaking story and I felt that mostly through the point of view of Daisy which I think it because she didn't have much self worth no matter what she tried to portray. I also think that she self destructed rather than facing and battling her demons. There were other characters that certainly drew me into their emotions and side of the story but Daisy was the focal point for me. 

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

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Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them...right?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was trying to make sure it downloaded correctly after getting from the library and as soon as I looked at the first sentence I was hooked. I think that it was because Hazel had such a unique voice that captured me immediately and didn't let go. She didn't apologize for who she was but was still able to be vulnerable when she received looks or comments from others involving rejection. I loved that she was awkward and didn't have a filter. Awkward girls unite! I'm all for more awkward, weird female leads in books. I liked Josh as well and actually thought that he and Hazel were a good match for each other. I think that it's good to have characters that are different from each other. He was the calmness she needed to feel secure to fly and be silly.

I normally become annoyed easily with romance books that have the whole will they won't they, we don't want to risk being rejected trope but the author was very clever in her execution of the story. I didn't feel that there was any unnecessary drama added to the story. The dynamic made sense because of their past with each other combined with how Hazel views her dating life. 

They only part of the book that felt a little bit off for me was the end. My mind and emotions were still in one place when the book jumped to the epilogue. I wasn't ready for that at all. I thought that the story wrapped up nicely but I would have liked a bit more filler before the epilogue.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

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Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.

Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy Eliza and Her Monsters after reading one of Francesca Zappia's other books a while back and loving it. I think that Francesca's writing and story telling abilities have grown so much since her last book because I think that Eliza and Her Monsters is even better than I Made You Up. 

There were so many things that I enjoyed about the story. I thought that the web comic portions of the story were well done and it added to the story. I felt that there was so much of Eliza in her comic that it paralleled her story extremely well. I would love for the author to have Eliza's web comic as a separate book so that I can read it. The ideas behind it were so creative and I don't think that I have read anything like it. I know that a lot of readers would probably argue that this book is too much like Rainbow Rowell's book Fangirl and say that Franesca is coping her if she were to make Eliza's web comic into a book but I don't care. I didn't really like Fangirl. I think that this book is far and above the better book of the two. I think that Francesca does a better job of portraying severe anxiety in teens. 

I loved Eliza and Wallace as characters. They were so different in such a beautiful way. Their struggles were real and to someone who doesn't have anxiety the characters may not make sense because they have the hardest time just conversing with people. I loved the growth that I saw in each of them regardless of it being in baby steps. I liked that nothing was perfect by the end of the book because it felt closer to real life. People don't adapt and change drastically in every day life. It was interesting to see how Eliza's perspective changes over the course of the book and her eyes are opened to the world around her. There was a point where I didn't like Wallace at all because of something that he said and the way that he acts and I'm not sure that I got back to a good place with him by the end of the book. 

There is one thing that I have to speak about concerning the book because I know that my friends are waiting to hear my opinion on it. There has been a lot of debate in our book club regarding Eliza's parents and if they were in the right or in the wrong with their parenting of Eliza. I had this on my mind the entire time that I was reading and the conclusion that I came to is that there is not easy black and white answer. Eliza's parents clearly don't understand her. She is different from their other children and doesn't have much in common with either of her parents. It's clear from the first chapter that they are flying blind when it comes to her and even at times try to fit her into their family mold to make it easier for themselves. I felt that was wrong. She should be allowed to be her own person. She interacts enough with other people on a daily basis that don't accept her and she doesn't deserve that at home. I understand what that is like. I have pulled away socially many times in my life because people saw me as weird or awkward. It becomes easy to think "No one will except me for who I am and I don't want to change who I am to make other people more comfortable or make myself more likable". 

On the other hand, even though her parents push her or pull away from her at times they are still there. I think that they have interesting character arcs as well because it is clear that they grow and change along side Eliza. I appreciated this because the other was letting us know that none of the family members were perfect and that change needed to be discussed and worked on together. I think that it is important to note that they kept trying regardless. Could they have tried harder? Absolutely! I think that is what the author is trying to get across. We all need to try harder with other people. It may seem easy to judge someone and say they are weird but you don't know what they are going through or who they really are. They may be really creative or funny if you just give them the chance. 

Love Story (Love Story #1) by Erich Segal

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He is Oliver Barett IV, a rich jock from a stuffy WASP family on his way to a Harvard degree and a career in law.
She is Jenny Cavilleri, a wisecracking working-class beauty studying music at Radcliffe.
Opposites in nearly every way, Oliver and Jenny immediately attract, sharing a love that defies everything... yet will end too soon. Here is a love that will linger in your heart now and forever.

"Love means never having to say you're sorry." What a load of crap! That is just not true! The very act of saying that you are sorry to someone means admitting that you feel that you have wronged them in some way and are seeking forgiveness. If you love someone that doesn't automatically give you a free pass to make mistakes and never own up to it and apologize. That line, which is said in the book a few times, annoyed me so much. It was difficult to get past it especially after what happens to prompt the one of the main characters to say that line to the other. 
Can you tell that there were many things that I didn't like about Love Story? It was a very short book so I will mostly talk about the characters and their relationship as there was not much content besides that to go off of. 
I didn't find either of the main characters very likable and they treated each other poorly. It seemed like that was their thing...to belittle the other as if it were a game that each of them were striving to win. I have read enemies to lovers romance before but each person at least has redeeming qualities and ended up genuinely caring for the other. There is a point in the beginning of the book where Oliver is talking to Jenny about something regarding a  relationship with a family member and is being completely serious and she just brushes it off as if he were a whiny baby with no regard for his feelings. I don't think that this book should have been called love story at all. 
Also...insta-love! No! If you are writing a romance and the characters dislike each other this strongly you cannot have insta-love. I will admit that at times it has its place but it didn't work in this book. It was hard for me to care about their relationship or how it affected them and those around them. The characters were not fleshed out enough to really know or understand any of them. I was sad at the end of the story because as a human being I care when people are hurting but the story didn't have the effect that I think that the author set out to achieve.