Books I Read in September 2014

Originally posted on 10/8/14 here. 



Paper Towns by John Green

This novel was very similar to Looking For Alaska and, for me, it's hard to live up to that book. Green is quite the expert at placing you squarely back into the angst of high school in a very visceral way. I was pretty engrossed by the main character's search for the (literal) girl next door after her disappearance - Green's favorite archetype: the unattainable and mysterious female. Lots of great writing, original relationships between the characters and a satisfying, if not happily ever after, ending.



How to Love by Katie Cotugno

I enjoyed this YA realistic fiction novel that really delved deep into the many complex relationships the heroine Serena has in her life as a teen mother.  Yes, it mainly centers on her romance/obsession with bad boy Sawyer.  But, as in real life, her life does not just center around him - even if she doesn't realize it.  Thankfully there were other awesome characters to rally behind, because as much as I can get behind the bad boy who changes his ways, I just couldn't get behind Sawyer. Perfectly serviceable book and I enjoyed the way it came together, just didn't love it.



The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

This was a bit of a emotional roller coaster of a book, but I really, really loved this story of two very broken people who find each other despite themselves.  Things did drag in the middle a bit, where the main characters seemed to be dancing around each other in the same way, over and over again, which is fine - but I don't want to read the same scene over and over.  Despite this, it was filled with dark humor and very real people (again, lots of really well written characters) that I felt I could connect with easily.  Definitely recommend.



The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances by The Oatmeal

Yay! So excited to get a signed copy of this after the Beat The Blerch race.  Of course, I've read the main comic in this book before.  But, in typical Oatmeal fashion, I love how he adds really interesting scientific and 'the more you know' tidbits into his gut-busting comics.  The bit on how bees take on hornets is FASCINATING and hilarious all at once.  Plus, his tips on getting into running (or any kind of fitness) are great tips for life in general.  Matthew Inman is just awesome.  I luuuurve him.

I'm adding links below for:

Books I Read in August and...

Books I Read in July to link up with Everyday Reading's third quarter reading. Janssen has an awesome blog and I highly recommend checking it out, if you haven't already through the numerous recipes I link to in my weekly menu plans!  

And also linking up with Modern Miss Darcy's Twitterature link up!