Off the Shelf #1

  Hello everyone and welcome to Off the Shelf!  This is my way of sharing any new books I receive or buy as well as let you all know what my reading plans are for the week and what I hope to get off my TBR shelf.

It's Monday! What are you reading is hosted by One Persons Journey through a world of Books. Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.

Finished Reading:

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Currently Reading:

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Up Next:



by J.K. Rowling



48 Hour Reading Challenge: Final Summary

I had a lot of fun doing this reading challenge!  In total I finished one book I had already began, completely read two books, and started two more.   I started Delirium and couldn't get into it, so I started to re-read A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin.  I read for twenty hours total which was four hours short of my goal and read a total of 941 pages.  I donated $20.00 to the ASPCA, one for each hour I read.  I also won a trivia question on twitter with the epic read-a-thon, so I'll be getting a prize!  That was exciting because I never win anything, so I'm really excited about that.

I wanted to thank everyone that hosted the epic read-a-thon and the 48 hour book challenge at Awesome Bookworm and Mother Reader.  I had a great time, thank you all so much.  You ROCK!

Complete Books:

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Started Books:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

48 Hour Reading Challenge: Saturday Summary

After finishing Anna and the French Kiss (at 8:30am....crazy I know) I slept until 2:30 then watched some tv, ate food, showered, then headed off to Starbucks at around 3:30.  I was there until 5:30 then I headed to Barnes and Noble and read at the Starbucks there until 8:00.  I hit up a half price books, found a bunch of Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series (I just need books #1 and #7 yay!) then I headed home.  I read straight from 9:30pm to 1:30 am, then took a Jersey Shore/wash the dishes break.  It's now 4:00am, and I think I'm gonna read for an hour or so then head to bed.

Finished Books


Shine by Lauren Myracle

This book was very good.  I was really impressed with the storyline and how the author handled heavy topics of hate crimes, teen drug use, and sexual assault.  Shine reminded me of Matthew Shepard, and it brought my mind a new focus on GLBT issues that are still very relevant in today's society.  Shine focuses on bullying and peer pressure that can escalate when left unchecked, and how prejudice, ignorance, and intolerance are unhealthy mindsets that lead to a communities destruction.

The Wall Street Journal recently did an article (found here) about young adult literature being too dark for today's teens and it specifically calls out Shine, questioning the subject material and language used in the novel.  I think that the material is something that teens need to be aware of, because it HAPPENS.  OFTEN.  All across the world, and in many places even worse than what is experienced in Shine.  I was rather offended by this article, because it seemed like the author was trying to say that teens shouldn't be exposed to darker subjects such as drug use, abuse, or self mutilation.  Their main argument is that 30 or 40 years ago books that were racey are now considered very tame.  I don't think that this is a reflection of society becoming increasingly more morally corrupt, but rather a society that is beginning to have more open dialogue about issues that have always existed.  If anything I think that today's young adult literature is beneficial because it can help teens who have been a victim of hate, abuse, or neglect find something to which they can relate. This is the same argument against video games.  I think that parents need to be willing to have open conversations with their children to discuss the issues presented in media.

ok, end rant.

Currently Reading

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I haven't started this puppy yet.  My friends on twitter picked it for me, so I'm planning to read for about an hour then finish it tomorrow.

Total Time: 16 Hours

Total Pages: 822

48 Hour Reading Challenge: Friday Summary

Here is my progress for the first day.  I'm going by time before sleep, since it's technically Saturday morning, and the sun is up.

Finished Books


Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

I loved this book!  It was such a ridiculous satire, I was cracking up the entire time.  It really reminded me of Drop Dead Gorgeous, it had a very similar sarcastic feeling.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes dark comedies like Heathers, In Bruges, or Saved!.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I'm really liking it so far, though I thought it started a bit slow.  Also there were some plot points that I saw coming a MILE AWAY.  And the fact that Etienne is short puts me off because height is one of my top attraction factors.  However, there were parts of this book that had me laughing out loud, shouting in frustration, and swooning.  A really cute read!

Total Time: 7 hours
Total Pages: 472

Currently Reading


Shine by Lauren Myracle

This is the book I plan on starting in the morning...or later today I guess.  For now off to bed!

48 Hour Reading Challenge!

Hey everyone!  I have absolutely nothing planned for this weekend so I decided to participate in a 48 hour read-a-thon hosted at Mother Reader. My official start time is Friday at 11:00pm (it would have been earlier but I fell asleep...oopsies!)  and my end time is Sunday at 11:00pm.  You have to read at least 12 hours to be considered for prizes (easily done) and for every 5 hours reading time you get 1hour of social networking time to update your blog with your progress.  I also plan on tracking my progress on twitter via the hash tag #48hbc.  At the end of my 48 hours I'll write up a summary post with total time and number of books read.  


I'm also participating in  Awesome Bookworm's Saturday read-a-thon.  That starts at noon on Saturday and will run until noon on Sunday.  There are also going to be trivia challenges and prizes for the winner!  I LOVE prizes :)  


Here are some of the books I plan on reading:

1. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
3. Shine by Lauren Myracle
4. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
5. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
6. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
7. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
8. Across the Universe by Beth Revis 

 Leave a comment if you plan on participating too!  Happy reading!

Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson

Published in 2007 by Harper Teen
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Sometimes you have to get lost . . .

The Girl: Clio Ford, seventeen, wants to spend the summer smooching her art-store crush, not stuck on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least she'll get a killer tan.

The Mission: Survive her father's crazy antics. Oh, and also find some missing underwater treasure that could unlock the secrets of civilization.

The Crew: Dad's wacky best friend Martin, his bizarre research partner Julia, her voluptuous daughter Elsa . . . and then there's Aidan, Julia's incredibly attractive, incredibly arrogant assistant.

What's going on behind Aidan's intellectual, intensely green eyes, anyway?

As Clio sails into uncharted territory she unveils secrets that have the power to change history. But her most surprising discovery is that there's something deeper and more cryptic than the sea—her own heart.

. . . to find what you're looking for.

Review:  Girl at Sea is an adorable tale of a young girl searching for herself, love, and buried treasure on the Mediterranean Sea.  This book does a really great job explaining the different dynamics of Clio's relationship with her friends, her father, and her budding romance with Adian.  The characters are totally believable.  The strongest part of Girl at Sea is the character development.  I had a clear sense of every character's opinions and goals even though the story was told from the perspective of Clio.  The romance with Adian was developed realistically.  There was not love at first sight, nor did some huge catastrophe bring them together. 

Girl at Sea book is not just a love story though.  There is an interesting mystery where Clio tries to discover the purpose of her father's mission and then the mysterious objective of the mission itself.  The historical experts add a fun bit of insight into their mission.

I also LOVED the setting of Girl at Sea.  I've been to Italy a couple of times and I've traveled to every location mentioned in the book.  Maureen Johnson did a wonderful job describing the Italian scenery and atmosphere. 

Overall Girl as Sea is a fun book about a girl growing up oh the high seas.  She encounters many adventures, some exciting and some dangerous, and through it all learns to forgive and love.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

#3 in Robert Langdon Series
Published in 2009 by Doubleday Books
3 Stars


Goodreads Review
In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world's most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling--a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths... all under the watchful eye of Brown's most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation... one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

As the world discovered in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, Dan Brown's novels are brilliant tapestries of veiled histories, arcane symbols, and enigmatic codes. In this new novel, he again challenges readers with an intelligent, lightning-paced story that offers surprises at every turn. The Lost Symbol is exactly what Brown's fans have been waiting for... his most thrilling novel yet.

Review:  The Lost Symbol, the third installment in the Robert Langdon series, is an exciting adventure that combines ancient conspiracy theories and modern espionage, but lacks some of the magic of it's predecessors.  The Lost Symbol follows the basic formula as The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons; an evil villain hell bent on awakening some ancient power and bringing about the end of the world and our hero thrust into the fray, frantically trying to beat the clock and solve the puzzles before the villain can achieve their dastardly plan.  Brown again uses his knowledge of symbolism, history, and philosophy to weave a fictitious story founded in fact. 

I'm not sure where exactly The Lost Symbol missed the mark.  I think much of my dislike comes from the naivety of the two main characters.  They do things that didn't seem logical, such as agreeing to a meeting without ever confirming with their friend, believing text messages and not actually phone calls, not backing up their life's research, and just the general gullibility of the cast.  These people are supposed to be top scientists and scholars, but their lack of common sense made them seem unbelievable and unlikable. 

However, my biggest problem is the lack of completion at the end of The Lost Symbol.  In all of Brown's previous books, I finished with a sense of knowing.  All of the loose ends were tied up, I understood the motivations of the characters and the myths and truths that their believes were based upon.  However in The Lost Symbol the main plot concepts were never fully explained.  The ending is very anti-climatic, disappointing, and more than a bit confusing. 

There were smaller concepts that I found very interesting, in particular the noetic science that Katherine was investigating.  I found her story to be a lot more compelling than Roberts.  I cared more about her scientific discoveries than his symbollic history.

Overall The Lost Symbol is a good action story that has some very interesting concepts, but misses in the big payoff at the final reveal.