Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Author: Jesse Andrews

Publisher: Amulet Books

Release Date: March 1, 2012

Format Read: Paperback, Movie tie-in Edition

Description from Goodreads: Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg's mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia-- cue extreme adolescent awkwardness-- but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives. 

And all at once, Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

ME AND EARL was all the hype this year as the movie came to the big screen, and since one of my good friends read and loved it, I decided that I should probably give it a try, especially since I have a rule about not watching a movie before reading the book. So I did, I read the book, and finished very confused and displeased.

The way this book was written was interesting, but for me it was overrun by the crude humor. That, added to the fact that it didn't really feel like this book had an ending, made for... an odd experience. It felt like the author had been in the middle of writing the climax, got bored, and ended the story in a single chapter instead of sticking it out. 

While I started this book with an open mind, I ended it feeling like I'd wasted those hours it took me to read the novel. I would give ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL a single star, and sadly wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

What did you think of this one?

(Un)Happily,

Stephanie

Waiting on Wednesday (#8): Untamed

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that hilights upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.

Title: Untamed (Splintered #3.5)

Author: A.G. Howard

Publisher: Amulet Books

Release Date: December 15, 2015

Description from Goodreads: A post-ENSNARED collection of three stories-- available in both print and e-versions.

Alyssa Gardner went down the rabbit hole and took control of her destiny. She survived the battle for Wonderland and the battle for her heart. In this collection of these three novellas, join Alyssa and her family as they look back at their memories of Wonderland.

In SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS, Alyssa recalls the most precious moments of her life after ensnared, and the role magic plays in preserving the happiness of those she loves. Alyssa's mother reminisces about her own time in Wonderland and rescuing the man who would become her husband in THE BOY IN THE WEB. And Morpheus delves into Jeb's memories of the events in SPLINTERED in THE MOTH IN THE MIRROR, available in print for the first time.

This collection expands upon ENSNARED's epilogue, and includes some deleted scenes to provide a "director's cut" glimpse into the past and futures of our favorite SPLINTERED characters.

I hadn't planned on using UNTAMED as a WoW post book. Since it releases this year, I wasn't going to do it. But then I realized that it comes out in six days.

SIX. DAYS.

SIX DAYS, PEOPLE!

I've been a fan of SPLINTERED and its lovely author for some time now, and when MOTH IN THE MIRROR released as an e-book, I was unable to get my hands on it due to not e-reading. So I waited and hoped that it would someday come out in print. And then, at NTTBF, A.G. Howard revealed the cover for UNTAMED, and sent her fans into a frenzy. It took me a long time after that to realize that MOTH IN THE MIRROR would indeed be included in this collection, and that put me so over the top excited, combined with the closeness of release day, that I couldn't keep from putting it on here.

UNTAMED comes out in six days, and I absolutely cannot wait to hold it in my hands. There are things from ENSNARED that I need answers to. Things I NEEED TO KNOW. You can bet I'll be at a bookstore come the 15th, and you can bet I'll leave with this gorgeous white thing in my hands.

I am completely stoked to read it, and I can't help but wonder how amazing it's going to look on the shelf next to the first three books.

Happily,

Stephanie

25 Days of Book Boyfriends Tour-- Stop 8-- Maxon Schreave

Welcome to stop number eight on the 25 Days of Book Boyfriends tour, hosted by Lovin' Los Libros and Readers Live A Thousand Lives! The purpose of this tour is to shine some light on 25 different book boyfriends, one for each day of the Christmas season, and to show you why they deserve to be one of YOUR book boyfriends. 

A different boy will be showcased each day from December 1- December 25, and some of us will even be hosting a giveaway with our posts. Trust me, you don't want to miss this, and so that you don't, here's a link to the tour schedule.

My stop on the tour is all about Maxon Schreave from The Selection Series, who I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with. But if you, (like me, until this year) don't know anything about Maxon and his prince-ness... well then you have come to the right place.

Since Maxon is a main character throughout the entire Selection Series, and I want to stay away from spoilers for those who haven't dived into the books yet, I'm going to be giving you information on Maxon from book one: THE SELECTION. 

So here we go. Prepare to swoon.

Who is Maxon Schreave?

Maxon Schreave is the Prince of Illea in the beloved Selection series by Kiera Cass. You can see my reviews of the first three books HERE, but the description for the Selection is as follows.

From Goodreads:  For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. to be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself-- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Maxon is described as "gorgeous" in the blurb.

Physically, He has close-cut hair the color of honey, deep brown eyes, and is well muscled. He is always in a suit, and speaks formally due to his palace education. 

Being brought up in the palace, Maxon is more than a little naive when it comes to life outside of the castle, and at 18, he has his moments during the Selection where he gives off waves of complete innocence and cluelessness. Having never dated, Maxon's knowledge when it comes to women is below average, and nearly always leads to an amusing scene.

He is caring, and devoted to his country, and though he comes across as confident, he's more self-conscious than he leads on.

Quotes from Maxon

"Don't mention this to the others. Technically, I'm not supposed to meet you until tomorrow, and I don't want anyone getting upset. Though I wouldn't call you yelling at me anything close to a romantic tryst, would you?

"Oh, please don't cry! I never know what to do when women cry!"

"You ask for such simple things, I can't deny you."

"What do you think my chances might be of finding a soul mate in the group of you? I'll be lucky if I can just find someone who'll be able to stand me for the rest of our lives. What if I've already sent her home because I was relying on some sort of spark I didn't feel? What if she's waiting to leave at the first sign of adversity? What if I don't find anyone? What do I do then..."

"If you don't want me to be in love with you, you're going to have to stop looking so lovely. First thing tomorrow I'm having your maids sew some potato sacks together for you."

Scrambler

I happen to love playing games. And I also happen to love Maxon. Like... a lot. A whole lot.

So I thought, Why not combine the two?

Below is a word scramble. You don't have to know Maxon to solve the scrambler, but it does help to keep the above information in mind. 

1.) _ _ _ _ _ nwocr

2.) _ _ _ _ _ xoman

3.) _ _ _ _ _ _ nepcir

4.) _ _ _ _ _ liela

5.) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ vecsrhae

Last, But Not Least

Enter below for your chance at winning a copy of THE SELECTION, so you can see just what Maxon Schreave is really like. He's better than I made him seem, trust me. And it only gets better as the series goes on, believe me. You, too, will fall in love with the prince.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happily,

Stephanie

Manic Monday: November

Manic Monday is a monthly wrap-up post at Doodle's Book Reviews that hilights the past month's book haul(s), books I read, and any big bookish events that took place. Feel free to leave a comment!

November was a nice, slow month in the Doodle's Book Reviews world. Other than those Holiday Happiness blitzes, I didn't have a lot going on. You would think this would mean that I could get a lot more reading done, but no. Between ACT prep classes (wHY SO MUCH MATH?), reviews, and Christmas shopping (I'm completely done, ayy) I read like... not much. 

But I did get to meet one of my internet friends, so I feel no remorse for my lack of reading. None at all. Not even a tiny bit. Even if I did have a total of 26 hours in the car to read. I was too excited to concentrate! But the meeting totally happened. I have proof. See below.

You know what it's like if you've ever met one of your close internet friends. If you haven't, then I truly hope you get that chance. I'll spare you the details, because those are for us to cherish, but it's safe to assume that the 12 hours we had together were crazy fun.

Okay, okay. Back to business.

Book Hauls

So, definitely not as ginormous as October's haul, but here it is. ACE OF CAKES, and DUFF BAKES-- books from Food Network's "Ace of Cakes" Executive Chef Duff Goldman, a tv personality and show I've been watching for a solid ten years--, as well as THE CHRONICLES OF HARRIS BURDICK, JUMANJI, and POLAR EXPRESS by Mr. Chris Van Allsburg. THE MITTEN by Jan Brett (a childhood favorite), and WILDFLOWER by Drew Barrymore. FORGET TOMORROW was given to me by Entangled Teen when I won one of their contests, and then the ARCS of HALO, HEAVEN, and PHOENIX were acquired via twitter in a #booksfortrade like scenario. And then there's the Penguin Classics edition of THE OUTSIDERS, my all time favorite novel and one of the only books I collect editions of.

Books I Read

I do not actually have a picture of all of these together, due to having given three of the four books back to their owner, but I'll still tell you what they were. The LEGEND trilogy by Marie Lu were the ones I gave back, and the other one that I read was ILLUMINAE (*Screams*).

Events

In November, I only had two bookish events, and they were as follows...

Duff Goldman, aforementioned Executive Chef of Charm City Cakes, true to form in a hockey jersey at his signing for his new cookbook, DUFF BAKES.

Mr. Chris Van Allsburg at the 30th Anniversary Edition signing of THE POLAR EXPRESS. Books of his that I also got signed include JUMANJI and THE CHRONICLES OF HARRIS BURDICK. They were sold out of my personal favorite, ZATHURA, by the time we got there, which is always a good thing for Mr. Van Allsburg.

That pretty much brings this November wrap-up to, well, a wrap. 

How were your Thanksgivings? I hope you ate until you fell asleep, and then woke up and ate some more.

Happily,

Stephanie

Finally Friday! (#6): When We Collided

Finally Friday! is a weekly post on Doodle's Book Review that hilights a recently acquired book that I've been waiting to get my hands on. Feel free to leave a comment!

I'm a sucker for a good contemporary, and I've been in the YA world long enough to know that a lot of people absolutely adore Emery Lord and her work. I personally haven't read anything of hers, so I was excited to see that the blurb for WHEN WE COLLIDED interested me quite a bit. That being said, I was content to wait until release date... until the opportunity arose for me to receive an ARC.

Now, I hold in my hands this April 2016 release that I am quite excited for. How did this happen? But now it is mine and I can't wait to dive into it, though I'm saving it to read until the New Year so that I can finish my current TBR.

WHEN WE COLLIDED has me full of anticipation.

Happily,

Stephanie

Book Review: Playlist for the Dead

Title: Playlist for the Dead

Author: Michelle Falkoff

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Format Read: Hardback

Description from Goodreads: A teenage boy tries to understand his best friend's suicide by listening to the playlist of songs he left behind in this smart, voice-driven debut novel.

Here's what Sam knows: There was a party. There was a fight. The next morning, his best friend, Hayden, was dead. And all he left Sam was a playlist of songs, and a suicide note: For Sam-- listen and you'll understand.

As he listens to song after song, Sam tries to face up to what happened the night before Hayden killed himself. But it's only by taking out his earbuds and opening his eyes to the people around him that he will finally be able to piece together his best friend's story. And maybe have a chance to change his own.

Part mystery, part love story, and part coming-of-age tale in the vein of Stephen Chbosky's THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and Tim Tharp's THE SPECTACULAR NOW, PLAYLIST FOR THE DEAD is an honest and gut-wrenching novel about loss, rage, what it feels like to outgrow a friendship that's always defined you-- and the struggle to redefine yourself. But above all, it's about finding hope when hope seems like the hardest thing to find.

I dove into PLAYLIST FOR THE DEAD with high expectations based on the prose. It sounded like a story that would really hilight what it's like being on the other end of suicide; being the one that got left behind. Instead... well... I'm still not sure what I got.

PLAYLIST took a completely different turn from what I thought I was in for. The conflicts that I felt should have been there, weren't and the ones I thought shouldn't have been there, were. I was nearly halfway through the book when I wanted to put it down, but I held out hope that it might get better, and made myself finish it. Once I got to the ending, I realized that the playlist from Hayden really didn't have that big of an influence on the story other than Sam listening to it more times than he could count, and another thing I realized was that this story was very much trying to be in the vein of THIRTEEN REASONS WHY. The last page of this book left me confused, and a bit blindsided by the dramatic change of paths towards the end, when instead of trying to come to terms with Hayden's death, Sam starts making new friends and trying to solve a mystery. It felt too forced, as if those things were supposed to show that Sam HAD moved on, when we knew that he hadn't.

One point five stars from me on this one. I still am not sure what caused the storyline to take such a turn, and it bothers me. So it's a low rating for me on this one. Two thumbs down.

Have any of you read PLAYLIST? What did you think?

(Un)Happily,

Stephanie

Waiting on Wednesday (#7): Bookishly Ever After

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that hilights upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.

Title: Bookishly Ever After
Author: Isabel Bandeira
Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Release Date: January 12, 2016

Description from Goodreads: In a perfect world, sixteen-year-old Phoebe Martins' life would be a book. Preferably a YA novel with magic and a hot paranormal love interest. Unfortunately, her life probably wouldn't even qualify for a quiet contemporary. But when Phoebe finds out that Dev, the hottest guy in the clarinet section, might actually have a crush on her, she turns to her favorite books for advice. Phoebe overhauls her personality to become as awesome as her favorite heroines and win Dev's heart. But if her plan fails, can she go back to her happy world of fictional boys after falling for the real thing?

As YA fans, we all know that there are times when we wish that our lives were more like the books we read. Phoebe is just like us, and the idea of reading about someone who really gets what it's like to be booknerd is so appealing. 

I've had my eye on BOOKISHLY EVER AFTER for a few months now. I found the description on the Spencer Hill website and fell in love, and now that I'm seeing ARCS pop up in the blogger world, the excitement is starting to flare up. Release date won't come soon enough, and I can't wait to start seeing reviews come in.

If you received an ARC, I want to know what you think of it once you finish!

Happily,

Stephanie