We are Okay

I finished another audio book today!  I've been off work for two days because they suspected I had Shingles!  UGH!  Luckily, my labs came back negative...however, that means they still don't know why I have this stabbing pain in my head behind my left ear.  But, using my right earbud and some computer time, I was able to finish another book, so oh well!  (Also, since my labs were negative, I'm allowed to go back to work tomorrow.)

"We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour was an audio book that just caught my attention at the library the other day.  I hadn't heard anything about it and didn't read any reviews before listening.  With the title, I assumed there would be some type of loss that the main character had to recover from or learn from.  I was right, but there was so much more going on in this somewhat short little story.  (5 discs, which is probably the smallest amount of discs in audios I've listened to so far.)

One thing that really stuck out to me in this story, is how our family is often times more than just our blood relations.  We can find family in friends as well.  Family is more than just who we are related to, it's the people who care about you and are there for you no matter what.  It's the people who welcome you into their home and life when you really need a place to turn.  It's the people that forgive us without question when we let them down and still love us through it all.  Sometimes this is found in relatives, but some people have to look outside of that to find this.  Marin is one of those people.  

Mabel is a friend that all of us should strive for.  She and her family are the kind of people to openly welcome someone who needs family in their life.  When Mabel sees how much Marin needs them, there is no room for anger or bitterness in past actions, there is only the thought of making her see that they are her family now.  It's a lucky person who has never had to experience true loneliness or the need for an "alternate" family.  Most of us, at some point or another, have needed that welcoming presence in our lives.

There is loss in the story.  Marin has to deal with loss on such a huge scale, because she doesn't just lose a family member to death, she discovers things about that family member after they pass that cause a different sort of grieving.  To find out, when it's too late, who someone truly is must be so difficult.  My heart went out to Marin as she reels from her discoveries while processing the loss.

I think that people who enjoy the works of John Green or just Young Adult Contemporary works in general will enjoy this book.

Unlike my last audio book, the narrator did nothing to turn me off to the story.  Her vocal changes for characters was great and I didn't get the sense of over pronunciation that I did from the last one.  She also portrayed the deep emotion that the character was feeling through her voice.  I was impressed.

I'm currently reading "The Here and Now" by Ann Brashares and hope to finish soon.  In the mean time, please feel free to share any thoughts you have on any of my reviews so far.

Turtles All the Way Down

One of the things I've started to do fairly recently, is check out Audio Books from the library and listen to them while I check e-mail, work on my photography, or anything else I have to do while sitting at the computer.  In my mind, this doubles my reading time since I can be listening to the book while I get other things done that I need to do.

My most recent 'listen' was "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green.  The story itself was good, but I did have some issues with the narrator.  There was just something about the way she spoke that was irritating to me.  It wasn't something I couldn't get past though, and I was able to listen to the whole book.

Down to the meat of the story though...

I was intrigued by Aza as a character and her conditions.  I have experience with anxiety and O.C.D. but not to this extreme.  I can't imagine having my thoughts spiral to the degree in which hers did.  The toll it takes on her relationships and just her functioning as a normal individual are hard to fathom.

The mystery going on in the story is enjoyable, but also made me angry.  Without spoiling anyone, I just can't imagine how a person can do what Davis's father did.  And my heart hurt for Davis and Noah.  Sometimes, being a parent makes certain stories even more emotional for me.  When reading books like this as a child, I obviously identified with the child.  Now that I have kids of my own, I generally end up identifying with the adult, and I just couldn't see how this man behaved in this manner.

The dynamic between Aza and Daisy was different from other friendships I've read about and I think that the fanfic that Aza finally read ultimately gave them a stronger bond.  Daisy's feelings about her friendship with Aza made me reflect on my own friendships and how my anxiety might color people's opinions of me.  I think in the future I will be more conscious of how that anxiety manifests itself when hanging out with friends.

Like all Green novels, I did enjoy it.  It was deep and meaningful.  Some YA is what I call 'fluffy,'  it's easy to read and light and fun.  Those books are awesome, but so are the ones like this.  If you want more than a sweet romance, this book might be for you.

A Love Letter to Whiskey

Last night, I finished "A Love Letter to Whiskey" by Kandi Steiner.  I won this book through a giveaway of some sort, (I honestly don't remember which one,) and it's even signed!  It came with the bookmark in the picture above as well.

When I first got the book and read the back, I wasn't sure if it was about a romance or an actual alcoholic.  Rest assured, my romance reading friends, it is a romance.  Whiskey is what the MC calls the man that she's been in love with forever.  Due to the way he makes her feel like she's an alcoholic for him and due to the color of his eyes and his whiskey like scent.  Each chapter is named something to do with alcohol that compares her infatuation with him to a drunk's infatuation with their favorite liquor.

Beginning in her Junior year of High School, Brecks (or B as she prefers to be called,) tells the story of how she fell for Jamie and how the timing was never quite right.  Through the course of this book I was so frustrated with B and Jamie for not seeing what was right in front of their eyes.  It's definitely one of those books that made me want to slap the MC and show her how stupid she was being.  But it's also told in her voice, so you can tell that she's slapping herself enough already.

I've really been into contemporary romance lately and this book fit right in with what I've been wanting to read.  I enjoyed how the story started in High School but spanned clear out into their late 20s.  We got the WHOLE story, and it didn't just fast forward through parts to get to the ending quicker.  At the same time, it didn't feel like the story was dragging...even though I was screaming in my head "Come on already!" to the characters to get their stuff together.

In the end, I had to give it 5 stars.  I used to give 5 stars to pretty much everything I enjoyed at all, but learned from an author that doing that isn't necessarily helpful to them.  They want to know what we liked and what we didn't so they can constantly be improving their writing.  This book deserved it from me though.  I would recommend it to friends and possibly even re-read, and that means a full 5 stars from me.

A shout out and thank you to Kandi Steiner for signing by book (and my name was spelled correctly!)  And also for her generosity in the giveaway.  I apologize that it took me so long to read your wonderful book!

Welcome to my Book Blog

Thanks to anyone choosing to follow my new blogging adventure.  I'm going to be trying my hand at book blogging.  I review every book I read anyway, but I wanted a way to connect with other readers and share some more of my personal feelings while reading.

I read a little bit of everything, but currently have been enjoying YA Contemporary books.  Some other favorites of mine are Paranormal and Dystopian books.

What are some of your favorite genres?  What has been your most recent 5 Star read?

I hope to post at least once a week and have a few questions for you all in each post.  My next post will be about the book I'm currently reading, "A Love Letter to Whiskey" by Kandi Steiner.