Andye Reads

by andye I was really excited to get INTO THE DIM by Janet B. Taylor in the mail. I love books about time travel, and this cover looked really great. When I read the description and it takes place in Scotland, I was really intrigued. HELLO! Outlander for teens?? Yes! But there have been quite a few things as I've been reading, made me think that this book isn't going to be for me. The first thing I noticed, was that the main character was very judgmental (calling basically every other girl mindless, blonde and slutty). I don't mind this so much, if there is growth happening, but I didn't get the sense that that was going to happen. Maybe it does, and if so, that's cool. My biggest issue right now, though, is that the storyline is just not grabbing me. I'm not sure if it's the writing, which isn't bad, or the story itself, but I just don't feel a desire to pick it back up and read it. I've had a couple of conversations on Twitter with p...

From Becca's Shelves... Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by  The Broke & The Bookish .   
 This week's topic is  TOP TEN RESOLUTIONS I HAVE FOR 2016 aka "I resolve to finally FINISH reading these 10 books" (or a special edition of READ or DITCH for TTT).   Because as everyone knows, Becca's reading year in 2015 is better known as the Year of the BIGGEST Book Slump of Mankind. So I kind of, sort of started a bunch of books last year, that I basically just gave up on, because I just wasn't feeling it. I did enjoy most of what I read, but because of my slump, I just wasn't digging it as much as I hoped, if that makes any sense. Anyways, in some way or fashion, all of these books were DNF'd last year, but not forever. I just sat these aside for another time.  Should I really resolve to finish reading these or should I ditch them?  (Apparently I'm not sure about finalizing these resolutions? Haha)     The Creeping by Alexandra S...

I was really excited to read SOUNDLESS . I had never read a book by Richelle Mead before, and I've only heard amazing things about her writing. However, I'm having a really hard time getting into this book. Is it just me? Is this her normal writing? Not that it's bad! It's just so slow! The story sounds really interesting on the outside. I love that she's writing something that hasn't been done 1000 times before, but it just doesn't seem to be working for me. It is super slow, and not just because the characters are deaf, so there isn't much dialogue. Also, the world building is lacking and there just isn't very much happening. Not to mention that I feel no connection to the main character, and I really think the current (only?) love interest is a jerk. I'm listening to this on audiobook , which I'm usually much more patient with, but I don't know guys. I'm strugglin' So, do you have any advice for me? Does it get b...

Things started off so well for us. I was digging you. You were different, dark, and twisty. Demons that were taking over the world? A freaky twist that seriously made me squirm? Yes!! But then something happened. Or should I say nothing happened? I started getting bored. I put you down, and more exciting books started dancing in front of me. "Pick me!" they said. "I'm more exciting," they said. And I kind of think they were right. But here's your chance. Gather your friends, let them advocate on your behalf. Is it just a phase you're going through? Should I give up on you? Or do you deserve another chance? So what do you think, Fans of The Stars Never Rise? Should I pick this up and keep reading this? Or should I ditch it?

There have actually been a lot of books that I've ditched here lately.  I just find that I'm getting very impatient with books that aren't excellent.  I mean, who has the time or the patience for mediocre books?  Not me. But this one I'm having conflicting feelings about, so I thought I'd ask your opinion. Sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape from the coastal cities or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks. The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an altern...

Here I am again with another "Read or Ditch."  I'm coming to you for help.  On trial today is: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil. Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she ...

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program. Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories. Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. ...

Recently I've read quite a few books that have just not done it for me.  They've been sitting on my Goodreads shelf (as well as my shelf IRL) for months and months, and I've finally given up on them.  But before I press the eject button, I thought I'd give you the chance to tell me what you think.  Should I try one last time to read them?  Or should I ditch? Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist. Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island's workers--soulless clones like Elysia--are immune to. At first, Elysia's life is idyllic...

I really hate writing negative reviews.  The last thing I want to do is hurt someone's feelings, and I know that everyone has different tastes, so a book I love, someone else hates, and visa versa.  But, as you all keep coming back here, I guess you might want to know what I thought about these books.  So, I thought I'd just lump them together in this post.  Here's a few books that weren't for me.  Let me know how you felt about them and if I should try again, or ditch them. Reading level:  Young Adult Paperback:  432 pages Publisher:  HarperTeen; Reprint edition (August 31, 2010) Language:  English ISBN-10:  0061490040 ISBN-13:  978-0061490040 Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns . . . Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one attacks her boyfriend—ruining any chance of him taking her to prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as...