Fall Reads

photo by j brew


Here is what I read this fall.


Crank Ellen Hopkins - This book was kind of really good. The midwestern underbelly of methamphetamine use and sexual depraivity holds a weird appeal for me. Remember Faces of Meth? This is a YA novel and it's written in verse, so steer clear if you're not into gimmicky fiction written for 14 year olds.

Thirteen Reasons Why Jay Asher - I read this book in about two sittings. It's another YA novel about suicide. I didn't really like it. The girl who kills herself comes across as being WAY too prepossessed and her reasons for hating life are WAY too well thought out and explained away for the reader to believe her as a self-hating teen. In the end, I felt like this book actually made light of the reasons kids kill themselves.


Love At First Bark Julie Klam - Okay, so... I don't really care about dogs. (Don't hate me, dog people.) I just don't really love them. I did kind of love this book, though. You can read my review here.

Flying In Place Susan Palwick - This was a good book about sexual abuse. It wasn't entirely believable, though. The bad, abusive character was a little over the top. I had trouble viewing him as a real person. I saw him as sort of a composite "bad guy" character. It was a really engrossing read, though.

City Of Bones Cassandra Clare - Yeah, I'm sorry, but I liked this book. I am going to read the next installment. It's a totally cheesy urban fantasy novel full of characters who overuse witty repartee. It was really fun and had sexy wizards and stuff. Whatever.

Crush Richard Siken - I feel ill prepared to share my feelings on this book of poetry. I loved the first few poems and felt like, "Yes! I am getting why people like poetry!" Then they all kind of started to sound the same. By the end, I reverted back to my, "I either hate poetry or like... don't get it or something," stance. I didn't get this.

Men Women and Children Chad Kultgen - White, American male reading. I loved Chad Kultgen's earlier novel, The Lie, so much that I recommended it to a bunch of people who immediately barfed all over themselves at it's perverty-ness and inappropriateness. Men, Women and Children was a sort of made up expose into the lives and sexuality of everybody, within the confines of our modern setting. I wanted to say, "Fuck yeah. Another Chad Kultgen book. I love it." Instead, I said, "Okay. Another Chad Kultgen book. It is JUST OKAY." I liked reading it, but it was nothing to demand your sister read only to have her pronounce you some kind of sexual deviant because it made her feel uncomfortable with it's maleness.

How to Be An American Housewife Margaret Dilloway - I mean. This book was nice. It was sweet. It was a mother/daughter, clash of cultures, finding yourself kind of book. You can read my full review here.

The Chosen One Carol Lynch Williams - Loved it. It's a YA novel about being a teenager in love, who also happens to live inside of the abusive, polygamist FLDS cult.

Lunch Wars Amy Kalafa - Um. If you want to read about how you can change what kids are eating at school, then this book is for you. If you're just a person, looking for a book to read... well, whatever. You can read my review here.

Fallout Ellen Hopkins - I was really looking forward to this book after reading Crank. I only got halfway through it before deciding to return it to the library. It was basically EXACTLY LIKE Crank, only less entertaining, less inventive, with crappy, unlikeable characters and, oh yeah! We just read all of this in Crank.

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised By Wolves Karen Russell - YES! This book of short stories is amazing. It is insanely quirky, imaginative and totally genius. I found my two new favorite stories in this book. Read it. It's awesome.


Now it's your turn. What have you been reading all autumn? What should I add to my winter reading list?


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