After reading some heavy books, I needed something light to read. I picked up The She-Hulk Diaries, which I thought would nicely blend chick lit with superheroes. For the most part, the book succeeds and I had a fun time reading it.

Description: Saying there are two sides to Jennifer Walters's personality is an understatement. When she hasn't morphed into a 650-pound, crime-fighting, hard-partying superhero, she's a single lawyer trying to get her act together. Hilarious and action-packed, The She-Hulk Diaries tells her story, as she juggles her intense legal career by day with battling villains and saving the world by night. Maybe bad guys will stop trying to destroy the planet so she can have a real social life and even meet a guy who isn't trying to take over the universe.

Review: The She-Hulk Diaries a light book that you can enjoy when you want to put your brain in rest mode. There are no large epiphanies or flowery descriptions in the book, but rather you will have a fun time as if you were hanging out with friends. I really enjoyed the humorous writing style. It was informal, friendly, and read quickly since it was composed mainly in a diary format. It didn't take me long to snicker and giggle while reading this book, especially with the back-and-forth banter between Jen and her best friend, Dahlia. There are many "geek culture" references that I spotted and enjoyed, from Skyrim to LARPing, and the science-themed lyrics penned for Jen's ex-lover's band Fringe Theory are outrageously fun.
  The characters for the most part are dimensional, diverse (culturally and racially, too!), relatable, and likable. I loved Jen, Dahlia, and Genoa from the start, and appreciated the depth of the other characters. She-Hulk aka Shulky was also a delight in that she also had her own personality and came to life on the pages. The villain, though, was very easy to identify and didn't take me by surprise.
  While I appreciated the fact that Jen is a smart heroine and more than capable of fighting her own battles, in the court room and as She-Hulk, I was bothered by the fact that majority of her personal goals and much of the novel is focused on finding a PFLOML (That's "Potential Future Love of My Life") or mooning over an ex who's unexpectedly back in the picture. Though I like a romance (this one features a very hilarious and awkward romance) it felt forced in this story and it didn't quite move beyond infatuation/lust for me.
  If you're looking for a fun book to help cleanse out your genre palate, give The She-Hulk Diaries a chance. It won't necessarily blow you away, but it will leave a smile on your face. 

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language, crude humor, and sexual situations. Recommended for older teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: The Night Gwen Stacy Died by Sarah Bruni, The Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones, Bridget Jone's Diary series by Helen Fielding

 I've never been much of a fan of talking animals in books, but every once in a while I make an exception. The 2013 Newbery Award winner, The One and Only Ivan, has such terrific characters that it almost made me forget they were animals!

Description: Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.
  Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Review: Inspired by a true story, The One and Only Ivan is a haunting and bittersweet tale of friendship told from the perspective of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who has been confined to a small "domain" of concrete, metal, and glass for 27 years at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. Joining Ivan are Stella, an aging female elephant, and Bob, a feisty stray dog.
  While other animals perform, Ivan makes art, watches TV, and offers melancholy assessments of their situation. I felt terrible for Ivan and his "home" was claustrophobic. Ivan doesn't mince words about his environment and his dislike of the animal keeper who doesn't really care for the animals, especially when Stella dies from neglect. Ivan's bleak perspective changes with the arrival of the extremely cute Ruby, an inquisitive baby elephant. Ivan wants to uphold Stella's dying wish of helping Ruby escape from their confinement and be free.
  The chapters of the book are brief and read much like free-verse poetry. The extra line space between the paragraphs emphasis the contrast between Ivan and humans communicate. Ivan's words of sparse but direct while the humans of the story use much more words to express what they mean. Applegate gives animals a personality of their own and effortlessly anthropomorphize them until the reader forgets that they are animals. Although Ivan's role in the events leading to their rescue reads as too human, readers will be left rethinking our relationship to animals as well as the power of friendship and courage.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 3 and up.

If you like this book try: Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow, The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

  I'm a bit behind in some of my YA reviews. Below are my reviews of The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman and Crash into You by Katie McGarry. Please note that these reviews are based on the advanced copies provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Description: They called it the killing day. Twelve people dead, all in the space of a few hours. Five murderers: neighbors, relatives, friends. All of them so normal. All of them seemingly harmless. All of them now dead by their own hand . . . except one. And that one has no answers to offer the shattered town. She doesn't even know why she killed—or whether she'll do it again.
 Something is waking in the sleepy town of Oleander's, Kansas—something dark and hungry that lives in the flat earth and the open sky, in the vengeful hearts of upstanding citizens. As the town begins its descent into blood and madness, five survivors of the killing day are the only ones who can stop Oleander from destroying itself. Jule, the outsider at war with the world; West, the golden boy at war with himself; Daniel, desperate for a different life; Cass, who's not sure she deserves a life at all; and Ellie, who believes in sacrifice, fate, and in evil. Ellie, who always goes too far. They have nothing in common. They have nothing left to lose. And they have no way out. Which means they have no choice but to stand and fight, to face the darkness in their town—and in themselves.

Review: I was completely out of my reading comfort zone when I was reading The Waking Dark. I'm not a big contemporary horror fan. I prefer Gothic atmosphere with the potential threat looming above the characters rather than see a person ripped to shreds with blood gushing for all to see. I've debated on picking up The Waking Dark for quite sometime but after reading some fabulous reviews, I got intrigued by the plot and thought I would give it a shot.
  The Waking Dark is a book for someone who has a sensitive stomach for violence and gore. Wasserman holds nothing back by bringing horrific situations to the citizens of this sleepy town in Kansas from a senseless mass shooting in a convenience store to a teen killing a baby. While I was appalled and felt uneasy by the violence in the novel, I was interested in the introspective horrors that the teens of this story deal with unfit parents with mental instability and homophobia, just to name a few, and this is what prevented me from not finishing the story. I liked reading from multiple perspectives, but there were just too many in this book without any smooth transitions between the two which made it a bit difficult keeping track of who is who. The book lost its steam for me when we are given the reason behind the violent acts that took place in the town. I felt the twist had a M. Night Shyamalan-ish ending that was suppose to be clever but it came off as a bit silly. Still I would recommend this book to Stephen King fans for both teens and adults.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: Strong violence, including attempted rape, and strong language. Recommended for older teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Under the Dome by Stephen King, Scowler by Daniel Kraus


Description: The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Review: I've adored Isaiah from the moment he appeared in Pushing Limits and have been waiting for him to have his happy ending since his heart was broken in Dare You To. I was really looking forward to reading Crash into You and hoped that the melodrama was turned down a bit.
  The plot of Crash into You is pretty much the same as the previous novels in this series, focusing on the slices of life, coming of age of gritty, urban teens in the foster care who find love and an identity. Isaiah is the bad boy, with a heart of gold, who has a broken past as much as a broken present. His mother wants back in his life and he is staying with Noah to avoid his foster family. Monetary funds are running low to nothing so Isaiah participates in illegal street racing in order to cover rent for the apartment and food.
  On the other side of the spectrum is Rachel, the good, affluent girl caught in he middle of a controlling family. She suffers debilitating panic attacks, which she hides from everyone.  Everyone, including herself, perceives her as weak when she really wants to do her own thing, and step out of the shadow of her deceased sister who went too soon from cancer.
  I thought it was a bit too convenient how Isaiah and Rachel met. Their relationship, particularly from Isaiah's side, happened too quickly for my taste. I found it strange that at one moment Isaiah is still reeling from his unrequited feelings for Beth and then the next heartbeat he was thinking about Rachel. I would have preferred if we got see Isaiah and Rachel grow as characters separately and then come together. I did like the couple enough and their chemistry in places was very cute. I loved how they bonded and shared a passion about cars.
  Unfortunately, there is not much character growth as I would have liked for Isaiah. I didn't really learn anything new about him that I didn't know from the previous books. It took me some time to warm up to Rachel as her story was frustrating because I constantly wanted her to find her footing, step up to the plate, and start saying no to all the people asking her not only to lie in the dimensions of her family, but also lie to herself. I was glad when she did grow a backbone.
  As for the side characters, I really liked Abby and Ethan and would love to know more about them. I think they would make an interesting couple. I'm not entirely sure about West, Rachel's playboy brother, but I'm willing to know him beyond his reputation and will follow his story just to see what happens next.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: Strong language and some underage drinking. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: Take Me On by Katie McGarry (will be released in May 2014), Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller, Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

 Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. Volume 19 is filled with over the top silliness but it also shows character development in Tsukasa, a character that I don't particularly love but holds my curiosity.

Description: When Tsukushi is left homeless, she has no choice but to become a maid in the mansion of her one-and-off boyfriend, Tsukasa. Not only that, but she becomes his own personal maid! Her duties include the dreaded task of waking him up in the morning, a job normally left to three people. Then Tsukasa orders her to come to his room unseen at midnight, causing Tsukushi to panic. Will this pull bring them closer together or push them further apart?

Review: Romance takes the stage with this volume of Boys Over Flowers. Tsukushi and Tsukasa are in a very awkward situation. Now that Tsukushi's home is destroyed, she finds solace in Tsukasa's mansion but she refuses to be a burden on his family. She insists to work for the shelter and food, but she is not prepared to take on the role the senior housekeeper gives her: to be Tsukasa's personal maid!
  Interestingly enough Tsukasa does not want Tsukushi as his maid and puts up a fight to give Tsukushi another job. Tsukasa doesn't want Tsukushi to be treated as a servant and this is a real change in his behavior and attitude. The old Tsukasa we've met in the first installments of this manga would have relished the thought of bossing Tsukushi to do his bidding, seizing every opportunity to show his power and superiority. The new Tsukasa is less focused on stature and wants to show Tsukushi is that he is more than the average stuck up, spoiled rich boy and that is capable of being a serious relationship.
  It takes Tsukushi a while to notice the change in Tsukasa's behavior. She always expects the worst of him, but she does admit that he is really trying to change. She even likes the sensitive and playful Tsukasa, but will he remain this way? And if he is still persistent of wanting to be in a relationship with him, will she say yes?

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and crude humor. Recommended for teens and adults.

If you like this book try: Boys Over Flowers Vol 20 by Yoko Kamio, Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances by Masami Tsuda, Mars by Fuyumi Soryo

  Jojo Moyes is quickly becoming of the many authors that is constantly checked out at my library. Although she has been writing for quite some time, just recently she has appeared in the spotlight in the United States. I think what draws readers to her books are the wonderful relationships that she creates between her characters and the extra care she gives to her female protagonists. Though I didn't enjoy The Girl You Left Behind as much as I did Me Before You, I thought it was a decent read.

Description: In 1916, French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything - her family, reputation and life - in the hope of seeing her true love one last time.
  Nearly a century later and Sophie's portrait is given to Liv by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. Its beauty speaks of their short life together, but when the painting's dark and passion-torn history is revealed, Liv discovers that the first spark of love she has felt since she lost him is threatened.

Review: The title of Moyes' latest book is the name of a fictional painting that serves as catalyst in linking two loves stories, one set in occupied France during World War I, the other in 21st-century London. In occupied France, Sophie is helping the family while her husband, an artist who studied with Matisse, is off fighting. I liked Sophie right away and admired her tenacity in standing up to the German occupiers and to her suspicious neighbors who believe she is a German sympathizer. Sophie's vibrant personality draws the interest of the new German kommandant in the village. It turns out that the German kommandant is also an art lover and notices the portrait of Sophie, drawn by her husband, which captures her essence and her husband's adoration. Arranging to dine regularly at Sophie's inn with his men, the German kommandant begins a cat-and-mouse courtship trying to lure Sophie in by providing her more food for her family and security, but Sophie resists. In what could be described as emotional blackmail, Sophie learns that her husband is being held in a particularly harsh "reprisal" camp and she must decide what will sacrifice for his freedom: "The Girl You Left Behind" or herself.
  Jumping to 2006, we are faced with a different moral puzzle also entangled in a relationship. Liv is a young widow who has been struggling financially and emotionally since her husband David's sudden death. In an attempt to move on, she meets Paul in a bar after her purse is stolen. The two have chemistry and he is the first man she's been drawn to since she was widowed. They spend time together and their relationship blooms but things turn tumultuous when Paul notices that the "Girl You Left Behind" portrait on Liv's wall and rushes away with no explanation. There is no doubt that Paul is as smitten as Liv, but his career is finding and returning stolen art to the rightful owners specifically Liv's portrait is what threatens them apart. Liv and Paul soon find themselves on opposite sides of a legal battle.
  My issue with this book lies with the under-developed and the off-pace of the story lines. While I found Sophie's story heartbreaking in the depictions of a squalled occupied France and was drawn to the details of this story, I found it to be slow. I couldn't tell if the German kommandant was actually drawn to Sophie as a person or how she was represented in the portrait. I would have liked to have a bit more moments shared between Sophie and her husband which would give the portrait a more prominent role.
 Interestingly enough I found Liv's story line had a better pace and I was able to support the romance between Liv and Paul, who were adorable together, the legal battle went on much longer than needed. I grew restless towards the end and found myself skimming some sections just to see what would happen to Liv and Paul's relationship.
  If you are looking for a book that has a bit more emotional intensity, I would suggest reading Moyes' Me Before You instead of this book. If you're interested in art and World War I history without having your heart ripped out, you might enjoy this one a bit more.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language, allusion to rape, and sexual situations. Recommended for older teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, The Eight by Katherine Neville