Books I Read (Minus the DNF) with random commentary.
JAN 2012
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
Comments: Incest is icky, but this is a heartbreaking love story between siblings. And I say this with absolute seriousness. Remember in V.C. Andrews’ Dawn when Philip Cutler is all ‘It’s not incest if we turn the lights off’? and that was um, gross, but in Forbidden, I was really rooting for Maya and Lochan and hoping they’d run away (but not procreate). I felt so TORMENTED after this read.
FEB 2012
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Comments: Pretty Cover!
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Comments: Hazel’s quest to meet that Peter Van author dude mirrors my Christopher Pike stalking. I can relate. Unlike Peter Van Mumble Mumble, Christopher Pike is really nice and HE WROTE ON MY FB WALL WISHING ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY ONE WEEK BEFORE MY ACTUAL BIRTHDAY WHICH MEANS HE HAS ME MARKED ON HIS CALENDER. ZOMG I’VE BEEN MARKED BY THE PIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To quote Hazel: What is this life?????
MARCH 2012
Misery by Stephen King
Comments: The book is much freakier than the movie. I learned a new word: man gland. And when Annie Wilkes threatened to cut off Paul Sheldon’s man gland, I was secretly worshipping Stephen King’s sick mind.
APRIL 2012
Cujo by Stephen King
Comments: Rabid dogs are scary. That’s all. Read with some liberal skimming as there were lots of exposition on ad agencies and whatnot. Could use a ‘man-gland’ now and then.
MAY 2012
The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott.
Comments: Stopped page 195. Reason: Library book due. Aspiring dressmaker on Titanic. I liked the pacing and rapid scene breaks, but when my copy went back to the library, I felt like I could live without finishing it. I’d probably pick it back up again when the Titanic mood strikes.
Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
Comments: Derek Craven is one sexy gambling kingpin. And he speaks with a cockney accent, much like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, except Derek gets it ON with mousy romance novelist. Not that Dick Van Dyke doesn’t get it ON now and again. If you recall his Penguin dance, he is very flexible and… feral.
JULY 2012
Cracked by K.M. Walton
Comments: The bully and the boy he bullied become roommates in a psych ward. This is neither here nor there, but I kept imagining Biff and George McFly as roommates.
AUGUST 2012
Phantom by Susan Kay
Comments: This is one big mother of a book, but I am obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera and sort of want to marry the man behind the mask. This book is about his life and is so scrumptiously written that I actually looked up from the text to mouth “Wow.” Oh Phantom, you are like the most perfect man EVER. Master architect, magician, composer, tortured genius—who cares about your face? Christine doesn’t deserve you…Please take me to your secret lair and let me play with your mechanical monkey (oh how wrong this sounds).
SEPTEMBER 2012
The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell
Comments: Gothic-y middle grade involving a tumbledown mansion and an aviary filled with creepy birds. Birds freak me out. Feathers. Beaks. Scaly feet. Nasty avian scum! I once saw a man at the beach with two parrots on his arm and nearly tossed my cookies. Do not EVER ask me to pet your pigeon.
God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie Debartolo
Comments: This book is like a love letter to LA from characters who hate LA. This book is hilarious and the voice, my God the voice…Since this is blurbed as “This generation’s Love Story” on the cover, I already knew what was coming and yet, the end felt like a million daggers into my heart all the same. And when I finished picking up the shattered pieces of my heart off the floor, I thought about all the tragic endings I encountered this year. The Phantom. This book. A Fault in Our Stars. Forbidden. It’s the year of tempestuous love and untimely deaths. P.S. I pictured Jacob and Trixie as Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke circa Reality Bites.
The Lit Connection 
I will not EVER ask you “to pet my pigeon”-talk about sounding WRONG. Besides, birds creep me out too. I like nests, eggs, feathers, but yeah, the beaks, scaly feet/legs, beady eyes are disturbingly reptilian. I worked at a store with a pet dept once and the worst task ever was sticking my hand into the box containing just-delivered-fresh parakeets, to get them out and into their cages one at a time. The box had only airholes so it was a blind, feely sort of endeavor. Shudder. It made me go back to college.
I love the list, but best of all, Christopher Pike wrote on your wall?!? How cool!
My sister read The Fault in our Stars, but I haven’t read any of these books yet. I am totally going to be all over buying and reading Phantom soon…very soon. I love Phantom of the Opera! 🙂
Forbidden sounds heart wrenching. I finally read The Fault in Our Stars, too. Was shocked to find that I loved it.