How Did You Get This Number

"How Did You Get This Number" By Sloane Crosley

I love Sloane Crosley. Her stories mimic my own life. Her books are collections of personal essays so my attention deprived self can get through them. And she also makes me miss New York like I never thought I would.

There are 3 reasons this book resonated so much with me.

The first is that Sloane told stories about being abroad, both alone and with friends. Last year I went to Turkey for a week by myself, and everyone told me I was crazy. My mother thought I was going to be kidnapped and raped. My friends were supportive but incredulous, often saying things like "You're my hero, I could never do that." And my roommates mother was convinced that it meant I was a terrorist.

Now, Sloane did not go to Turkey, she went to France, so maybe it is a little different, but I liked hearing about the faux pas she had and that travel is most entertaining when looking back on it.

The second is that Sloane devotes an entire chapter/essay to describing how out of place she feels when in the middle of nowhere Alaska. I, too, am a city girl through and through. Transplant a city girl into the Alaskan wilderness and there is no chance you won't have a good story.

The third and final reason this book will be a favorite forever, is that the last chapter almost perfectly explained how I felt during my last romantic ending. I know that sounds very mushy and hormone driven, but for some reason it makes me feel better to know someone else has experienced what I did. And had pretty much the same reactions.

Rating: 4.2/5 stars

A Visit From the Goon Squad

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

This is a great book for someone with ADD. Each chapter follows a different character so you aren't stuck with one point of view the whole time. Each character is somehow intertwined in the others' lives as well, making the book whole.

I love the style of writing Egan has in this book. She even has a chapter that is completely in powerpoint slides. The way each chapter is written differently definitely kept my attention.

The characters themselves also had a part in keeping me reading. The same character might pop up in different chapters, but I never expected it to be the way it was. The assistant to the Boss Man had a one night stand with the guy who ended up working with the daughter of the failed publicist who tried to improve the image of a genocidal maniac by taking photos of him with an American celebrity who was almost raped by a reporter at the end of his career and whose sister was the publicist hired by an aging drummer from a band that Boss Man discovered at the start of his career.

That was a mouthful. But it all came full circle and I applaud Egan for the very well thought out plot and character development.

4.99/5 stars

I Love Mindy Kaling

I read Mindy Kaling's new book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), in one day. I honestly can't remember the last time a book made me feel so good about life. Mindy's book is a memoir arranged into hilarious essays, ranging from her childhood experienecs and breaking into a comedy career, to dating tips and her thoughts on relationships.

Most people know Mindy Kaling as the character Kelly Kapoor on The Office, but many don't realize that she's actually a writer and producer for the show as well. I'm pretty positive that every person who reads this book will automatically want Mindy to be their best friend

This book would probably be most appealing to an audience of women in their 20's and 30's, but I think men that are willing to open their minds could actually learn a ton by reading Mindy's advice- so I would reccomend this book to anyone!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Room

Room by Emma Donaghue

This book stunned me in so many ways. The concept itself was difficult to wrap my head around. It also made me realize that people's coping mechanisms are astounding. The human brain can do such great things when it has to. The entire book is written from the perspective of a 5 year old, but it's his mother that intrigued me most. Imagine having to create a life for yourself and a child in a Room.

Would you think to use egg shells as mosaic tiles so that your child can do art projects? Or use toilet paper rolls to make a castle that beads can play in? Would you be able to come up with reasons to tell your 5 year old why the people in the television can be in grass and outside and he can't?

I don't think I have completely processed this book yet, I am still in shock. I would highly recommend reading it, but only if you are mentally prepared. I was close to tears several times. I was also laughing, though, because a lot of normal things when described by a 5 year old are hilarious.

Rating 4.75/5 stars

Coming of Age in a Crap Economy

Coming of Age in a Crap Economy by Liz Funk

Allison: I thought this book was definitely well researched and inspiring. I loved that Liz interviewed post grads with a wide range of backgrounds and ambitions, while mixing in the opinions of other professionals and the history of how our economic situation has come to exist. Instead of speaking down to recent graduates as many articles in popular media today seem to do, this book had an encouraging tone and left me feeling like there is a lot more in my post grad life that I could be accomplishing.

My only criticism of the book is that the sheer amount of interviews (while all extremely interesting) can sometimes be overwhelming to read. As I think back to the book, it's hard for me to pick one interview that stood out because there were so many.

That being said, I still believe the book is an inspiring read and I look forward to the second book in the series!

4/5 stars

Shikole: Coming of Age in a Crap Economy is the book equivalent of an anthem for our generation. Liz mentions that our generation is one of the few that doesn't have a World War to bond over or define us. The economic struggle is our World War. There are very few post grads that are not affected by it. The effect of the economy on our lifestyles, outlooks and success is universal.

One of the things I liked best about this book is references Liz made to so many aspects of pop culture. Pop culture IS generation Y. How do we deal with losing our jobs? We watch television shows like Dexter to try and remember that other people's lives might be worse. Our struggles are even being used in pop culture as a theme. There was a movie released in 2009 aptly titled "Post Grad" that almost every one of us can relate to. I still haven't decided if seeing post grad struggles on screen makes me feel better or worse about it.

I agree with Allison that the amount of interviews gets overwhelming. I would have loved to have seen a case study or two instead that delved deeper into a post grad story. Obviously other interviews would have been needed to prove some points, but the only interview I can remember after reading is Caitlin's. And I only remember hers because we share an alma mater.

I think the best thing you can take from this book is that we, as a generation and as individuals, need to re-work the equation we thought equalled success. Behind the struggle, the failure, the rejection and even the optimism, is the bottom line: Post Grads in today's economy have to do it differently.

Rating: 3.8/5

We will be giving away a copy of Liz's book "Coming of Age in a Crap Economy" on Friday so be sure to come back to enter!

Deception Point

Deception Point by Dan Brown

Dan Brown has an amazing way of making something boring into something intriguing. Like a meteorite. I mean, they can be cool in the "oh wow this came from outer space" kind of way. However, when you start getting into the actual science of it, you lose my interest.

Unless you are Dan Brown. I have never wanted to know what made a chondrule and chondrule more in my life. Hell, I didn't even know what a chondrule was until now. Nor have I ever cared so much about how an oceanic vortex was created and what kinds of life forms thrived in them.

After reading that last paragraph, would you expect this book to be a murder mystery? I didn't either. I honestly had no idea where the author was going with all this until about a third of the way in. Mystery books have never been high on my list of good reads, but this man knows how to make it interesting.

I must admit I have a small bias because several of his books take place in DC. I happen to live in DC so reading about places that I am familiar with makes me more interested than if I was reading about a dead end road in Oklahoma. Tell me the character is on Leesburg Pike headed towards the FDR memorial and you've got my attention.

Read this book if you like:

Mystery

Science

Conspiracy

Government

Explosions

Rating: 4.2/5 Stars

GoodReads

If you haven't noticed by now, I quite like reading. I do it often. And the books seem to go by quickly. Unlike movies, tv shows and music, though, finding a new good book to read is not as mainstream. There is no commercial that pops up on Hulu telling you about a good book. The radio does not bring authors onto the show to discuss a new book. It is sad, but our society is not book-centric.

But alas! I have found Goodreads. Good reads is like a cross between facebook and an online book club, and it is amazing. I will admit that it is most enjoyable, and helpful, when your friends are using it too. You can see what books your friends are reading, what they plan to rad, what they thought of books they have finished and so much more. There are also groups and forums to join so that you can discuss your favorite reads with other people as well as your friends.

This month's GoodReads Book Challenge is to read "A Visit from the Goon Squad" by Jenifer Egan. Sadly I have not joined this challenge yet, but that is only because of the unfortunate condition of my bank account. Every month there is a different challenge and GoodReads offers polls, discussion and a live chat with the author upon completion.

There are a lot more features to this site that I have not mastered yet, but I encourage you all to check it out. And if you do, friend me so we can share our Good Reads!

Uglies

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Imagine being sent to boarding school when you are twelve. Now imagine the city brainwashing you into thinking you are ugly the entire four years you spend there. And instead of getting a sweet 16 party when you turn that magical age, you get an operation to MAKE you the cities idea of pretty.

Welcome to Tally Youngblood's life. Except she is 3 months away from being 16 and already brainwashed. She is looking forward to the doctors grinding her bones to the right size and shape and giving her new skin and making her face completely symmetric. She actually plays around on the screen wall in her dorm room to see all the ways she could be made to look.

Now imagine that one of these kids realized they were being brainwashed and did not want an operation. Instead they ran away. But running away isn't as simple as hopping a bus to the next town. No, cities in this time have magnetic fields through them that carry the hoverboards and hovercars, and there is a magnetic field surrounding it alerting the authorities when anyone tries to leave.

This is just the premise of the first book in a series of 4. I am currently reading the very last book of the series and don't want to give too much away, that would be bogus. I would like to mention that the language used in these books is entirely catching. I have begun to use phrases like "nervous making" in everyday life thanks to them. A future post about a different part of the series will go over that with you all.

For now I will leave you with the fact that I am grateful to not be brainwashed or operated on. And able to leave this damn city whenever I please.

Rating 3.2/5 stars

Wither

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

I am noticing a trend lately with the books I read. This one also takes place in a post-apocalyptic USA, just like the last. Scientists found a way to make humans live long and healthy lives after curing cancer, but, oops, it only lasted for 1 generation. Now females die at age 20 and males at 25.

Think about that. We (or half of us I guess) would be dead right now. Our life span would end before we could finish college. Quarter life crisis would happen at 5. Oh and most of us would be orphans by the age of 5 as well.

This is the world that Rhine lives in. And it has created a new black market, for young brides. The wealthy males want heirs before their premature deaths, and who better to birth them than orphans and other young girls who have nothing else going for them?

This first book in the Chemical Garden series, however, is not all dark and morbid. There are scientists looking for a cure, and not all of the wealthy males are so sinister. It's just that Rhine doesn't take well to captivity.

If you like scientific fantasy in the way of post apocalyptic scenarios like I do then this book is definitely for you. And there are two more in the series that haven't even been released yet.

Rating 3.75/5 stars

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This book (series) has everything needed for an enjoyable, thought provoking read. There is a political dynamic, romance, action and even mystery. The series takes place in a country whose foundations were created after an uprising and now resembles somewhat of a dictatorship. But the country is very advanced in its technology, inventions and fashion.

Katniss Everdeen, the main character, is 16 years old and the main provider for her family. Until the unthinkable happens and she is forced to participate in The Hunger Games. The cruel games invented by the Capitol to prevent the country from ever challenging them again. It is a fight to the death between 24 children ages 12-18. Yes, you read that right.

These games are televised for the whole country to watch. It is actually mandatory that they are watched. The country watches as the contestants find food, shelter, and use weapons against each other.

And that only explains a small portion of this book.

Rating 5/5 stars (although it deserves 6)

I Was Told There'd Be Cake

I Was Told There'd be Cake by Sloane Crosley

This book of personal essays is witty and relatable. Well, at least I could relate to it. She has a writing style similar to that of Chelsea Handler but with less swearing. Follow Sloane through her journey of self discovery and read all about her mistakes along the way.

My favorite essays include:

One Night Bounce

The Good People of this Dimension

The Ursula Cookie

Sloane tackles the very difficult topics of volunteer work after high school, bosses that are not ideal, and how a woman's view of men changes since childhood. How can you go wrong with such topics? I mean, when you were 7, what did you think a One Night Stand was? Read the book and you'll get Sloane's rendition.

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Girl Who Played With Fire

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

The second installment of this mystery series was a lot less slow in the beginning. Same characters,different mystery, same great writing. The leading lady finds herself in some trouble in this book, And of course being her stubborn self she makes the mystery difficult for everyone. Her computer skills however are absolutely incredible. Working at an IT company and reading about her hacking skills makes me look at what goes on at work a lot differently.

At times I found the story to be quite unrealistic. *Spoiler* I cannot see anyone being shot three times, once causing brain matter to be exposed, being buried alive, and then digging herself out. Not going to happen. It was at this point I lost some interest because it was no longer a realistic story.

I really enjoyed the paternity twist. I did not see that one coming and really liked how it played out.

Overall Rating: 3.6/5 Stars

The Lost Symbol

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Amazing. Everything about it is amazing. No part is boring. It makes you think. I might be a little biased because it takes place in DC, where I happen to live. But even if you don't know the landmarks of the city personally, the book should still be intriguing.

I am not a big fan of religion in general, but Brown's book presents it in such a mysterious fashion that it caught my attention. The mystery surrounding the religion, and how it ties in with the science is incredible.

Which brings me to the scientific mystery of the book. I had never heard of Noetic science before. And now I can't know enough.

Overall rating: 4.99/5 stars

(I will never give anything the highest rating because I believe there is always room for improvement)

Chelsea, Chelsea Bang Bang

Chelsea, Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler

Hilarious. And not just for girls. This book has wit and hilarity for both the sexes. I have a really good male friend who just finished it after my recommendation. And no he's not gay or metro sexual in any way. He's a man's man, and still read and liked the book.

His only qualm was that Handler told the story as fact, but in reality there was no way she could've remembered such minute details and conversations. I tried explaining that the book is simply BASED on her life, and that she gets some lee-way as a writer, but he wasn't having it.

The book was typical Handler. If you've ever watched her show on E! the book is very similar. Her tone in the book makes you feel like you're watching the show.

And the subject matter is amazing. Handler is living proof that you can still have fun and drink and go out, and also have a steady boyfriend who puts up with you and a successful career. I don't know if I would ever believe a word out of her mouth after reading about the pranks she plays on the gullible people around her, but it's entertaining for the rest of us.

Overall rating = 4.3/5 stars

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo By Stieg Larsson

It's about to have an english movie version remade in which Daniel Craig has been cast as the male lead. It's a New York Times Bestseller.

Personally I think the first half of the book was horrible. While it gave the reader information necessary for the more interesting and intense mystery later in the book, it just dragged on. I had to force myself to continue.

The latter half of the book though was amazing. It made the first half worth it. I've never been big into mystery novels, but Larsson wrote this beautifully. There was just enough plot and romance to compliment the mystery aspect very well.

Other than the slow first half, my only complaint would be that the book is set in Sweden, and often expects the reader to know about Swedish geography. I do not know the names of Swedish towns. I do not know how big or small they are or close or far from each other. A map should have been printed in the back of the book so the reader could make sense of this.

There are two more books in the series that I will share after finishing them

Overall Rating: 3.8/5 stars