My Holiday Wish List 2012

Dec22

It’s nearly Christmas! Back home I had a wonderful tree with all of my childhood and grown up ornaments that I would put up every year. I’ve wrap all the gifts for my friends and family and put them under the tree. The perfect Christmas cheer corner!

Sadly, I wasn’t able to bring my tree over to the UK, or any of my ornaments. Oh well, in my flat we do have tree with a few gifts to brighten up the cold living room. (The heating doesn’t really work…)

Here’s what I’m hoping is under the tree for me (or arriving in the post) this year! What kinds of books are hoping to unwrap this holiday season?? Because there should be LOADS!

I have been DYING to read this series and the final book was published last month! With such stand out covers, they’d be the perfect stocking stuffers! Find out what they’re about here. Luckily, all titles are available at my local library so next year it can be easy enough to get them read!

I’ve heard mixed things about this book. Due to this I still really want to make my own opinion about it. Plus the cover is so spectacular, I can’t shy away from it! Find the description here.

This is the last in a series that I started this year and truth be told I want this book most of all! Find the description for the first book here. Find my review here.

Lastly, this was a recommendation from the Seattle Public Library. I really liked the premise of the book and have been patiently hoping it would come to the libraries here. Sadly this isn’t the case, but it’s on my radar and I know, one day I’ll get it read. Find the description here.

That’s all for now readers! May you have a few literary treasures under tree, near the menorah or whatever festival holiday you celebrate. Let’s enjoy the days off and read away!

Forever by Judy Blume

Dec20

I’m doing something new for ashleyisee. Every month I’ll cover a ‘vintage’ Young Adult novel in my eyes. I challenge you to think about some of the choices I make and encourage comments for discussion. YA is a relatively new genre but I want to show that it truly has always been around, it’s just been marketed in a different way.

This month’s vintage YA is none other than the ground breaking Forever by Judy Blume.

Published in 1975, Blume’s simply story of a girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy and girl decides to have sex with boy, was one of the most controversial books of it’s time. I also like to see it as the ‘birth’ of YA. Young Adult fiction was originally categorised as a story revolving around teenage or young adult characters that experience tales of growing up.

Nowadays however, the genre is bombarded with unrealistic romance and every kind of fantasy or science fiction aspect that can be thought of. There isn’t anything wrong with these books, they still are YA, but it’s rare to find a contemporary type of young adult book such as Forever. Is it just as powerful as it was in 1975? I think so. Is it as tantalising and scandalous? Unfortunately not. However, there is one thing that makes this story timeless and that is how her main character Katherine falls in love. At times it isn’t logical, nor is she considering things that truly matter in a relationship, but guess what, she’s a teenager and that’s what they do.

Thank you Judy Blume for opening the door to teenage fiction. To paving the way for young love to find a voice.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Dec18

February 12^th, also known as ‘Cupid Day’ for senior Samantha Kingston at Thomas Jefferson High School. Every American High School has a day like this. Students buy flowers, write a message and send them to whomever throughout the day. It’s a race for popularity to see who receives the most. Sam’s one of the most popular girls in school along with her best friends Lindsay, Ally and Elody. Her boyfriend Rob is the hottest guy in school and tonight she’s going to lose her virginity to him.

With popularity comes a way to act and for Sam this is no different. Cruel and cold to all the other students in her class, she doesn’t bat an eye to painful pranks pulled by Lindsay against her enemy Juliet Sykes. When the group attend a party by geeky guy Kent in school, Sam watches as her life pools at her feet. Tired and drunk from the festivities, Sam sits in the front of the car as Lindsay gets behind the wheel. They were supposed to make it home, Sam is too young to die, but the car hits something and suddenly she’s falling.

However, that isn’t the end of Sam’s story as she wakes up to a brand new February 12^th. Stuck in the ‘in between’, Sam must figure why she’s reliving her last day on Earth. A journey of self-discovery that comes too late, Samantha Kingston, this was your life.

This is the kind of book that you might not originally like whilst reading, but it’s after you finish that it creeps into your heart. Sam Kingston is your typical mean girl and I really struggled with her character throughout most of the book. Her redeeming qualities took forever to come about and I felt as if most of the novel was just an excuse for her to piss all over everyone simply because she could.

Yet, the ending gives me what I want and as each day begins anew there’s a little bit more of Sam that is less snobbish and more genuine. This isn’t a story of the Mean Girls; it’s a story behind every insecure teenager trying to get through High School in one piece. Sam does evolve and I grew to like her for learning to stand up for herself. This is the kind of book that does take you back to those four years when everyone though they were invincible, that the future was bright and open. You’ll anxiously await turning the pages, wondering what Sam is going to do or learn next.

Many thanks to Stacey of PrettyBooks for this book!

A Forest

Dec17

University of Roehampton, 2010

David by Mary Hoffman

Dec15

Gabriele moved to Florence in hopes of earnings funds to support a future with his beloved back home. Instead his good looks and innocence take him on a political journey he never expected. Learning the ropes of life in a big city, Gabriele and his ‘milk’ brother, budding artist Michelangelo work together to create a unexpected symbol of the republic, a marble statue of David. Passion, art and politics, Gabriele grows up to discover just what is important in one’s life.

Normally I love historical fiction and a few weeks back I praised the amazing historical YA novel Velvet by Mary Hooper. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same way about Hoffman’s David. I found Gabriele to be lacking in character development, boring as wood and a bit of an idiot. He told the story rather than show it and I found myself falling asleep after the first few chapters. I understand that Gabriele is meant to be an ignorant stonecutter, but he stayed that way all through the novel.

Although I didn’t personally enjoy the book, I did enjoy Hoffman’s writing style. I honestly think most of my dislike of the book is due to the subject matter. It’s not a particular historical period I care about and I know nothing about the political conflicts of the time. Regardless, Hoffman’s writing is brilliantly researched and it brings the reader back in time. For those that love this time period and Italian history, it’s a wonderful read. Just because I didn’t like doesn’t mean that others won’t. I think I’m on the odd end in my feelings of the book. It’s a perfect YA choice for guys and I praise Hoffman for tackling such a difficult (not to mention rare) readership.