Sunday, May 5, 2013

E-Reads



That Sadie Thing
and other stories

That Sadie Thing is a collection of award-winning short stories that captivated me from the first page. Even now, a week later, several of the characters linger with me and I find myself thinking of them throughout the day. I’ve been intending to read Annalisa's work for some time. I’m glad I finally dove into this. I expected to read a story here or there, as is easy to do with a collection of shorts, yet once I began, I didn't stop reading until I reached the end. The author has a beautiful way with words and is a keen observer of people and how we relate to one another. Her stories surprised, soothed, and brought me to tears.


Destroy Me
by Tahereh Mafi

In my last post I told you all how much I enjoyed Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me and Unravel Me. My daughter had the novella, Destroy Me, which was released between these two books, on her Kindle. So, still on the Shatter Me high, I read it. Meh. I’m thinking that these types of novellas serve a purpose, and if I were anxiously waiting for the release of Unravel Me, I would have probably been hungry for any continuation of the story I could get my hands on in the interim. But since I didn’t start the series until the first two books were already available, there wasn’t much point in Destroy Me. It’s told from the antagonist’s point of view so it lacks the poetic flow of Juliette’s stream-of-consciousness narrative, and just kind of fell flat for me. But there is a revelation or two, and I do feel I know the antagonist a little better for having read it.




Defy the Stars

Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent is a YA novel told in free verse. My daughter raved about this one when she read it a while back. I don’t know what took me so long to get to it. Once I started, I was reading like a fiend. I got nothing done for two days and I may have snarled at my husband more than once when he tried to talk to me. Yes, it was that good!
(And Yay, I finally have one book toward my Novels In Verse Reading Challenge goal!)



25 comments:

  1. Wow, another verse novel for me and my student to devour, too. Thanks for sharing, Ruth. (Hope your husband wasn't too hurt!) I hope to find a copy of 'Defy the Stars' in my library.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I read Shatter Me based on your recommendation. Wow! It was great. I haven't got the next one from the library, so I wonder if I would enjoy Destroy Me? Hm.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! So glad you liked it, Katie! Let me know how you feel about Destroy Me if you do give it a try.

      Delete
  3. Thanks so much for the info, Ruth! I may have to check these out. My TBR stack grows by the week.

    Have a great week! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you mean, Karen. My TBR list is quite unruly ;)

      Delete
  4. I have grabbed Shatter Me for my kindle. Thanks for the such a fun read.

    ctny

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Courtney. Glad you enjoyed it =)

      Delete
  5. Books that elicit tears are some of the very, very best.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Two winners and one Meh.^-
    I'm clapping my hands to you Ruth for finishing a book that didn't thrill you (I'm obviously referring to the so-so one) because I have long lost this ability.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for your insights on these books, Ruth. Hope all is well with you and your family. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nothing like really losing yourself in a good book and not wanting come out of it. Congratulations on finishing that book in verse.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for sharing these books with us, Ruth! I am looking forward to checking them out, especially DEFY THE STARS!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for taking the time to read and review my book, Ruth. I love the fact that some of the characters are staying with you :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love it when characters stay with you long after you've finished reading.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'll have to see if I can find Defy The Stars. I'm not a huge fan of the free verse style books, but if its done well I'm willing to give it a chance. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love reading book reviews. Thank you for these! Wonderful. Although, I don't really need to add any more novels to my need to read pile. : )

    ReplyDelete
  14. I haven't read any of these, but they sound intriguing.

    I can relate to books that grab you and don't let go until you finish. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is a great example of this. Also, Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness had me reading until my eyes hurt.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow! I have to read these. They sound amazing. :)
    ~Jess

    ReplyDelete
  16. That's interesting about the novella -- whether these e-novellas are in general as interesting to people who aren't "between books."

    ReplyDelete
  17. All three sound so good.... I've actually got the first two on my TBR list...

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love many of the books you review! The Sadie Thing really captivates me. I love caracters that stay with you. I have been on vacation and listened to two book tapes while gone, and the charcters in one book I can't get out of my mind. Know the feeling.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for posting these reviews. All three sounds intriguing!

    Nas

    ReplyDelete
  20. Right Steps play bazaar websites new creating ideas satta king going to your way.

    ReplyDelete