Thoughts: Wither

Title: Wither
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Year: 2011
Length: 358 
Source: Public Library
First Line: "I wait."

The dystopian world of Wither is perhaps one of the most plausible to date, at least for me.  In this world, genetic engineering has gone to such extremes that people no longer live long, full lives.  Women die at age 20.  Men die at age 25.  I find this a little horrifying and a bit too realistic for comfort.  It is much easier for me to ignore the implications of other YA dystopian worlds.

Sadly, efforts to keep the population alive lead to the kidnapping of young girls who are forced into polygamous marriages.  They are, in essence, baby makers, which reminded me a little bit of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.  

Kidnapped Rhine becomes one of the wives of the somewhat pathetic Linden.  I alternated between despising Linden and feeling pity for him.  I never could reach a middle ground with him.  However, I admired Rhine's spirit and determination to escape her cruel fate. 

I heard about Wither through the ravings of other bloggers.  It took me a while to get into it; after I did, I flew through the second half of the book.  Naturally, this is the first book of a trilogy, The Chemical Garden Trilogy to be exact.  I am interested in finding out what happens to Rhine so I will keep reading.  Fever, the second book, is set for a February 21 release.  

Thoughts: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Year: 2011
Length:  338 pages
Source: Owned
First Lines: "I have three simple wishes.  They're really not too much to ask.  The first is to attend the winter formal dressed like Marie Antoinette."

I was a bit hesitant going in to Lola and the Boy Next Door.  It sat on my shelf for a couple of months.  How could it possibly compare to my love for Anna and the French Kiss?  However, last week, I craved something fun and light while on vacation from work.  And I was not disappointed.  I love Lola, too!

I did not realize that Lola is actually a companion book to Anna.  What a happy surprise to find Anna and Etienne happily running around in Lola's world!  I will not put off reading the final companion book, Isla and the Happily Ever After, when it comes out this year.  I cannot wait!

Back to Lola.  It took me several chapters before I fully gave in to loving Lola.  She is very different from me.  I will never be brave enough to have such a unique and imaginative sense of style.  Lola actually reminds me of a friend from high school.  She started off making her own clothes and continues to win fashion design competitions to this day.  Such talent!  So while I would not consider myself a Lola, I can relate to her and be her friend.  Kind of like Lindsey, Lola's best friend in the book.

On to the boys.  When the book begins, Lola is dating Max, an older musician of whom her parents do not approve.  I cannot say that I liked Max much either.  I guess I can understand the teen girl urge to date the bad boy, but I was prejudiced from the outset because I knew to expect someone better.  That someone is Cricket.  Yes, Cricket is a strange name for a boy.  But I loved him.  More than Etienne.  Shocking, I know. 

I am not going to delve into the actual plot, but I do want to mention the supporting characters.  They were so rich and memorable.  Each one obviously served a purpose related to the overall Lola story, but I could probably read a book about one of them, too.

Bottom line: Read Lola and the Boy Next Door so you can swoon like a tween girl at a Justin Bieber concert.  Except better, because the Beebs is not involved.  But first, you should read Anna and the French Kiss, if you have not done so already.  It will make you happy!

2012 Reading Resolutions

In 2011, I read 40 new books and 4 rereads.  In 2012, I am aiming for 50 new books.  I typed that in at Goodreads this afternoon, so clearly it is official!  I have outlined the following reading resolutions for 2012 in an attempt to read and blog with more purpose.  Hold me accountable!

1. Read more of my own books.
I own a lot of books.  Shamefully, there are a bunch of them that I have never read.  I will read from own shelves in 2012.  I am too chicken to say that I cannot buy any new books, so instead, I will try to read two of my own books for every new book I buy.  Likewise, I will try to read one of my own books for every book I check out of the library.   

2. Read more classics.
2011 was a fun reading year for me.  However, the majority of the books I read were young adult fiction.  I love YA books and will continue to read them in 2012, but I want to read more classics, too.  I am aiming for at least 10 this year.  Specifically, I know I want to read my remaining Austen titles and The Great Gatsby (because I will want to see the movie in December). 

3. Write better blog posts.
Granted, this is vague; however, I want to put more effort into writing my thoughts about the books I read.  Lately, I have been in a slump.  I need to stop being lazy about writing posts.  At the end of the day, I am cheating myself by not putting more effort into writing down my thoughts.  After all, the primary objective of this blog is to record my thoughts for me, so that I can remember what I have read and how I felt about it. 

4. Allow myself to reread.
Sometimes I get the urge to reread a favorite book from the past.  I usually do not let myself because there is always something new to read.  This year, I am going to try to put aside those feelings.  If I feel like rereading a book, I will.