Swipe by Evan Angler

Jan15

Logan Langly is twelve years old living in the small town of Spokie, a part of New Chicago. Soon he will receive his Mark allowing him to get a job, ride public transport and buy things. It’s a right of passage, the right of pledging to become a full citizen of American Union. Everyone is excited to get his or her Mark this year, everyone that is except for Logan.

Five years before, Logan’s sister Lily went for her Mark but never returned. Ever since that tragic day Logan has been convinced he’s being watched, hunted with no idea why. When he goes for his Mark, he’s sure to come back isn’t he? The bumps in the night sing a different tune and Logan will have to make up his mind what to believe in before his 13^th birthday and time is running out.

I was surprised and unaware that this book was written for the middle school range. It took me a while to remember my books of my youth such as Animorphs and Goosebumps to get my head around this kind of story. It’s a bit younger than what I like but once I was able to get into the right age frame I grew to enjoy the book and was impressed with the effective story telling.

Swipe is more than just a story of a missing sister, there is so much more to this new North American world. The aspect of politics is slowly introduced and the struggles of family life because of survival make this a darker read than I expected. The characters are full of life and each has a clear and consistent voice. Most of the characters are male as well and although ‘romance’ is slightly present it doesn’t distract from the real heart of the story: reuniting a family. An excellent book for boys who don’t like to read, I’d suggest Angler’s series to anyone who has a tween-aged reader.

Fool

Jan14

Abbeylex, Ireland, 2012

2013 Reading Goals

Jan12

A couple of friends of mine are making reading goals for this year. I’m so happy to announce that I have found a job and have also recently applied for my next visa to stay and work in the UK! Do to being a grown up, I now have the opportunity to make actual goals for myself like my friends. A year goes by so quick. When you live abroad it seems time moves even faster. I have goals for my life! I want to accomplish things this year! (I also really, really hope my visa gets approved)

Anyways, here’s my reading goals for this year!

1. I know it may sound silly to make buying a book a goal, but I haven’t had a full time job before. London has got some amazing bookstore and frighteningly, bookstores are coming under threat due to Amazon and other online retailers. (Seriously, if you want to buy used books, go to Half.com, a partner of eBay.) Plus I need an excuse to spend time in bookstores and support them!

2. Because sometimes it can be hard to find authors with the letters X and Z.

3. I start many YA series and then forget to check back when the rest of the books are published, or don’t make the effort to complete them. If they’re good, I want to see how the rest of the books are too!

4. Everyone says it’s amazing and I need to suck it up and give it a go.

5. Going to meet EL James, of 50 Shades of Grey, was an interesting experience. Many times the events are free and I love the idea of building a library of signed copies!

So those are my reading goals for this year. Do you have any? It’s never too late to start!

January Literary Accessory

Jan10

It’s one thing to buy books for those who love to read, but it’s a whole other level discovering book inspired accessories. Personally, I am a huge fan. Even if it’s a bookmark of a beloved childhood character or a witty reinvented cover for a Kindle, there are just some things out there in the world (or on the Internet) that should be seen. Every month I’ll bring to light a company that offers something that readers of Young Adult Fiction might enjoy.

For January, I must pay credit to Bruce over at thebookshelfgargoyle, his holiday gift guide for 2012 bright to light an amazing company called The Literary Gift Company. On his list was a bracelet and I simply fell in love.

UK price: £12.99

USA price: $21.20

It’s one of my favourite things I bought last year and it’s also a great conversation starter. Captain Underpants was a banned book? Why and yes and let’s discuss why or why not you think that’s right or wrong.

Not into jewellery? Have a look around The Literary Gift Company, they’ve got something for every budget and their delivery is swift! It’s the little touches that give such sparkle to everyday life. Until next month!

Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Jan8

Simply smashing cover!

The Earth is nearly deprived of oxygen. Pockets of Pods grace the world. Run by the company Breathe, only the wealthiest can afford air to practice sports. These are known as Premiums. Tattooed with a circle behind the ear Quinn has never known a live where one struggles to breathe. Opposite of his best friend Bea, an auxiliary who can barely afford air for her family, they plan a trip out of the pod. It’s just two friends going away for the weekend but that all changes when Quinn sees Alina.

With eyes so green they could be trees themselves, she’s the poster child for the rebellion against Breathe. There’s more to this organisation that neither Quinn nor Bea have any understanding of. On the run, Alina escapes the Pod with Quinn’s help, but it’s his attraction to this mysterious girl that opens up the barren world. There’s just one problem: their limited air supply. For Quinn and Bea, what seems like a wild goose chase will change their lives forever.

I was really excited to read Breathe, I have waited ages for it to be published, and I am so very lucky my local library has a newly published section for Young Adult books. The chapters are each told by one of the characters, Quinn, Bea or Alina. The differences in voices are spectacular, mainly because I disliked Quinn right from the beginning. Alina and Bea are strong, sure footed female voices, whereas Quinn is a typical male idiot for the most part. However, Quinn shows growth throughout the book and this was one of the reasons why I kept reading.

In a world that could easily be our future, I found myself being short of breath as I was reading. Who would want to live in a world where air is limited? How could one company be so rest assured that there would always be enough oxygen? As the book continues there are deeper, more adult questions that pop up. This isn’t just a romance, there is some real scientific concern hidden within the creative genre. I want to know how the rest of the world is faring with hardly any air and I can’t wait for the second book to get published. If you’re looking for some excitement and science fiction pondering, look no further for Breathe with have you gasping for breath once you reach the last page!