Good News!!!

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It’s been a long time coming but Kate and I finally seem to have got our sh*t together.  I mean it has taken us two years to really get this blog going. We’ve have taken the next step of making this blog awesome! Well, at least easier to find.  Now, you can find us at www.stacksexceedlifeexpectancy.com! No more will you have add .wordpress.com. Our name is long enough as it is.

We also have a group going on at Goodreads and also a new Facebook page! We hope to have contests and giveaways and maybe do our podcast (We actually started recording the first episode, 2 years ago when we started this blog).  The possibilities are endless!  So please, click, join and like us. Spread the word to all your friends.  Come with us our journey to read more and more books!

Review: I Was Here by Gayle Forman

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Featured imageGayle Forman knows how to make people cry. If you are familiar with her other books, If I stay and Where She Went then you know that.  She took a little bit of a break from the waterworks with Just One Day, Just One Year and the novella, Just One Night.  There were tears in those too but it wasn’t the weepers as her previous novels.  I Was Here, is back to making you cry.

I Was Here is about two best friends, Cody and Meg.  They were inseparable.  Did everything together until Meg went off to college and Cody didn’t.  When Meg commits suicide no one is more surprised and baffled by it then Cody.  How could Meg be so unhappy that she wanted to kill herself and Cody had no idea.  Cody tries to figure out what happened to Meg after she left for college and what does the mysterious Ben McAllister have to do with it.

Really, this isn’t a story about suicide but a story about self-discovery.  For Cody, it was always Cody and Meg.  They made plans together and when those plans fell apart when Meg got a scholarship and went to college and Cody didn’t and stayed in town.  Now that Meg is gone, who is Cody?  Before Meg’s death, Cody still had plans of joining her in College next year.  So what now?  Who is Cody without Meg?  Cody must overcome her own insecurities and fears to face a future on her own.  Meg may be gone but Cody is still here.

Forman knows how to make dynamic and sympathetic characters.  I really felt bad for Cody.  She comes from a broken home with little support.  Her mother is really just a roommate and not a mother.  Meg’s family really helped take care of her.  So it was a real blow when Meg went off to college and Cody couldn’t afford it and stayed home.  She cleans people houses to make money and goes to the library but little else.  Her life is on pause.  With Meg’s death, what little hope she had went with her.  By the end of the book, she is in much better place but I won’t say more.  My only problem is the resolution seemed to quick and sudden.  After all the discoveries and mysteries, the reason seemed too simple and really obvious that how could Cody not have figured it out long before Meg left.  Other than that it was a satisfying read but have your kleenex near by.

GoT Update

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So the Dance of the Dragons is going much better than A Feast For Crows did. I’m already on page 400!  I think it helps that so many of my favorites are back. Tyrion! Jon Snow. (You know nothing, Jon Snow) and Davos. Yes, the Onion Knight is one of my favorites.  He is really one of the only truly decent people in Westeros.  He’s trying to make the best of what’s he’s got and god, is he loyal.  I’m not sure Stannis deserves it though.

I like Dany but she’s not my favorite but I think that might be her story line.  I sort of lost interest in her when she was raiding Slaver’s bay and now in Meereen, the same thing. Isn’t it time for her to get to Westeros. Let’s move things a bit.

So happy that Davos is still alive. I was worried.  Tyrion, you sly bastard.  Messing up the Spider’s plans.  Oh, btw, where is Varys?  Does anyone else get the feeling that Jon Snow isn’t going to be Lord Commander much longer? Poor Theon.  Yeah, he was a git but no one deserves to be tortured like that.  And man, those Northmen are sneaky.

Let’s Do Some Reading: Goals for 2015

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So today Kate and I will discuss our reading goals for 2015.  It’s hard to believe that this year is almost over.  Like, Seriously!  Where did the year go?

I hit my apex in 2012 when I read 94 books.  My goal that year was 90. So yeah, me, I made it! but it left me with little time to really enjoy the books I was reading.  It meant that I had to immediately start a new book as soon I finished one.  I also had to rush through books when I started to fall behind in my goal.  I think there were a lot of books I read that year that I would have enjoyed more if I had given the time to really let them sink in as I read.  Let’s just say, it was stressful.  I promised myself that I would never set a goal that high again.  Last year, my goal started at 65.  Totally doable but half way though the year, I lowered my goal to 50.  I know cheating! but it was taking me forever to get through the first 3 books of Game of Thrones.  I guess when you reading 300-400 page teen novels the pace of GoT was a snail’s pace.  It turns out I didn’t need to worry since I ended up reading 74 books this.

I’m going to set my goal again for 65. Why? Obviously, I know I can read that many books in a year since I’ve read more than 65 in the last four years running.  I’m purposefully setting a low goal because I don’t want to be rushed and also there are a lot of books that I want to reread.  Books that you have already read don’t count in your total book count.  (So really, I read more then 74 books this year, if you count my rereading of The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves before Blue Lily Lily Blue came out, also my yearly read of Wuthering Heights, etc.)

I know I should say something, like my goal is also to whittle down on my to-read stack and I will but maybe I’ve come to the realization that my to-read is really never going to shrink.  There are far too many new books going to come out this year that I can’t wait to read.  There are so many books and authors that I have yet to discover and who knows what ARCs publishers are going to send out.  So, I’m going to do my best and read as many books I already own as I can but I will refuse to feel bad if the stacks pile up.  At least I know I will always have something to read.

Oh, one more goal for 2015. To finally buy more bookcases!

So Kate, whats your goal?

Thanks, Beth! I think it is wise to accept that one’s to-read list will
never really shrink. I get really excited thinking about the new year and what the next year is going to be like. (I get really excited about the same thing at my birthday, too.) What will the next 365 days bring? Will there be adventure? Romance? Sadness? Bravery? Victory? Travel? The answer to these questions is always yes because no matter what else will be in the next year there will always be books. In the past I’ve put together lists of things to read in the next year and while that has been fun this year I’m giving that a pass. I am setting myself a number and some guidelines and then I’m just going to let myself go.

In 2014 I read 53 books (I just finished Junot Diaz’s Drown); this means I surpassed my goodreads goal by 13 books. This year, I am setting the number to 50. It is a nice round number. It will be a challenge because I do a lot of reading for my day job. In fact, I should probably do more reading for my day job. That’s a post for a different day. And, now the restrictions: the books have to come from my endless stacks, the library or be ebooks. I am not to buy physical copies. That’s going to be the real challenge.

Reading Challenges

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As 2014 comes to a close many readers are considering how to challenge themselves in 2015. Tomorrow Beth and I will be discussing our 2015 challenges but until then you can check out this fun list of reading challenges published by popsugar.

What do you think of this list? Could you do it? (How many boxes can a single book check?)

Books that Rocked My Face off, Part two

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Kate has already posted her list. We have some of the same books in common but unlike my sister, I don’t have any qualms about reading only fiction and mostly teen fiction.  There are a few non-fiction novels I do want to read.  I’m quite interested in the Secret History of Wonder Woman. I’ll get to it eventually.  Anyway, this is about what I read this year so let’s get on with it.  I omitted a few books from contention because I read them as ARCs and they have not been released yet.  That will have to be a post for another day.

1.Blue Lily Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater.

I love her. I might have mentioned that before but I really do love Maggie’s writing style.  Blue Lily Lily Blue is the third book of her The Raven Cycle.  The search for the Welsh King, Glendower, is back with more earnest as Blue’s Mom, Maura has gone missing. Blue, Gansey, Ronan, Adam and Noah all have grown up so much in the last three books and yet, if we know anything about Maggie, they have so much to learn before the series ends in the next book.

2.The Heroes of Olympus: The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

I’m going to miss Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Leo, Hazel, Frank and Reina.  I’ll even miss Jason and Piper too.  They both did grow on me.  I thought it was a fitting ending for a great series. As a team, the Heroes came together, defeated the Giants and brought the Greeks and Romans together.  They all got a happy ending and there was a little bit of opening for some to return in Rick’s next series.

3. Landline by Rainbow Rowell

This was such a satisfying book. Georgie McCool is a TV screenwriter on a crappy show but she and her writing partner finally have a chance to get their own show going.  The problem is they have to write six episodes over Christmas, meaning Georgie has to stay in LA, while her family goes to Omaha.  Georgie’s marriage is already on thin ice; can it survive this?  While spending the night in her old room at her Mom’s house, she plugs in her old landline phone and magically calls her husband Neal in the past.  It soulds fantastical but it is based in the real world.  Rainbow has such a way of creating characters that you can’t help but fall in love with and want to be friends with.

4. The Young Elites by Marie Lu

In a revision of history, after the blood fever in the middle ages, the children who survived are left with scars.  Some were left with mysterious powers. They call themselves the Young Elite. Adelina is one of them. The blood fever left her disfigured with a scar over her left eye.  She has been shunned and abused by her father and when her powers surfaced, she’s a danger to herself and everyone else.  Marie creates a world with so much atmosphere that it was easy to get lost in it. Adelina, is filled with anger about how she is treated; you feel that it’s valid.  There are so many other layers of intrigue and one shocking ending, that the next book can not come too soon.

5. Cress by Marissa Meyer

I really do love the Lunar Chronicles.  A retelling of fairy tales with an alien twist.  I think they are really clever and the characters are so likable.  Cress is a take on Rapunzel.  She is a lunar and is hidden away in a satelite so she can spy on Earth for Queen Levana.  She is rescued from her prison but of course things don’t go as planned. She and Throne crash land in the desert.  Cinder seeks the doctors help for wolf, who is injured and Scarlet is captured by the Lunars.  Oh, and they only have a few days to stop Prince Kai from marrying Queen Levana.  I’m kind of mad that I have to wait until October or November for Winter, the final book but I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

6. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

In the final book of the Grisha Trilogy, the Darkling has taken over Ravka and only Alina, the Sun Summoner can stop him.  I feel in the past, I have been too hard on Alina, especially how she treated Mal in the last book.  It really started to get me to think how far more critical we are on female characters then we are of male.  Alina, is a  young girl who discovers she has a frightening power that can save them or destroy them.  It is a lot to take in.  She needed someone to understand and for a while, the Darkling was really the only one who could or so she thought.  It is a fitting ending to a dark series.  I felt like all the stories were wrapped up right and they all found some kind of peace.

7. Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan

Part Gothic Novel, part Nancy Drew.  Not your usual combination but it worked for the whole trilogy.  It was funny, scary and heartbreaking without missing a beat.  It was also one of the rare YA novels that not all of the main characters get a happy ending. I sometimes feel that authors feel they have to keep them alive or they will upset their readers but lets be honest.  That’s not realistic.  How many near death experiences can one character live through?  Kami is smart, resourceful and brave and really someone I would love to be friends with.  I’m going to miss this series but I am happy with how it ended.

8. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

Yet another conclusion to a fantastic Trilogy.  Excluding the last half of the first book, this series grabbed me and never let me go.  It was heartwarming and heartbreaking.  The sacrifices that had to be made were real gut punchers but necessary. In the end Karou and Akiva achieved what they set out to do and a surprising relationship for Liraz was perfect.

9. Firebug by Lish McBride

Firebug doesn’t have the clever names as Lish’s other books but has the sense of humor and urgency.  Set in the same world as Hold Me Closer, Necromancer and Necromancing the Stone (see what I mean about those titles) but in Maine and not Seattle.  Ava is a firebug, a rare gift. She is forced to work for the Coterie, a magical mafia.  When she refuses to kill a family friend, she and her team, Locke, a dryad, and Ezra, a werefox, go on the run.  It really is funny.  Lish has such a great sense of humor that comes out in such surprising ways.  I can’t wait for the next one.

10. Raging Starr by Moira Young

Apparently 2014 was the year to end trilogies.  This is the last book in the Dust Lands series.  A dystopian series that goes beyond what the Hunger Games did.  Miss Young has no problems killing off characters or being seduced.  Saba has found her brother and reunited with Jack and is now ready to take down DeMalo.  The problem is that Saba does not disagree entirely with what DeMalo is trying to do.  Maybe not with how he is going about it and it puts her in direct conflict with both Jack and her brother, Lugh.  I really had no idea where this series was going to take me and it was quite a ride.

Books I loved so much, that I read the whole series:

A Song of Ice and Fire aka A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Ok so I technically haven’t finished all the books that are out.  I just started A Dance of Dragons.  Also, I did take a 8-month hiatus to watch the series and then read other things but I do love this series.  It’s so rich and challenging.  So many characters and places and plots.  How does he keep them all straight?

Obsidian, Onyx, Opal, Origin and Opposition. The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Daemon is a jerk and I love him for it.  He is also loyal and will do anything for his family and the ones he loves.  So the jerk with a heart of gold.  Obsidian got me hooked and well, I immediately bought the other books.  Were they the best books I’ve read this year.  No but damn, they were entertaining.

Legend, Prodigy and Champions by Marie Lu

I’ve been wanting to read these for a while and finally gave in and I’m glad. June and Day are perfectly matched heroes,  The ending was bittersweet but it did leave us with some hope.

Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Sometimes you just need a couple of good romances.  It’s really not a series but three companion novels that happen to have overlapping characters.  Anna is a new girl in an American high school in Paris, who falls for the charming St. Clair. Lola is a girl who knows exactly what she wants, except when it comes to Cricket, who lives next door and Isla has been in love with Josh, all for years of school but was to shy to do anything about it until a chance meeting over the summer. Isla is my favorite with Anna close second. Lola is ok but I just didn’t relate to her as much as the other two.  If you are looking for a sweet story with a lot of heart, you couldn’t do much better then these three.

Etiquette and Espoinage, Curtsies and Conspiraces, and Waistcoasts and Weaponry.  The Finishing Series by Gail Carriger

Sophronia is a handful for her mother. Always getting into trouble so when she is accepted into a prestigious finishing school, she’s sent packing.  However, this is no ordinary finishing school.  Not only do they teach the finer points of being a lady, they also teach the best ways to hide weapons in your skirts and what is the best poison to use.  All for Queen and Country, of course.  This steampunk look at Victorian Englad is full of humor that I did literally laugh out loud.

Ola!

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I would like to diverge a minute from our regularly scheduled broadcasts of discussion of published works to rep for a friend doing some awesome work.

I spent much of my summer at the Institute on Collaborative Language Research (CoLang for short) which is a biennial summer language program for linguists, language revitalization experts and speakers of any and all languages. While at CoLang I met an awesome woman named Hali Dardar, who was working with Houma Language Project. Houma is a language of Lousiana, it is endangered, and the speakers are looking for ways to change that for the better. At CoLang, Hali put together the first draft of an excellent guide for language investigation, specifically, language investigation in small groups with some native speakers and some learners. Since this summer she has continued to work on it and it now has a kickstarter! This book that she has put together is a guide to language discovery for small groups. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in practical language acquisition in small groups working with native speakers, I recommend you check this out!

Or, if you yourself are interested in what linguists do when they go to the field, you may want to check it out, too. A mere 15 bucks would get you a copy of the book!

GoT Update

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I’m still working on my Top 10 list for books I have read but in the mean time, a little update. I have finished A Feast For Crows!  Finally!  As I stated before, it started off slow.  So many new characters.  So many characters that were only briefly mentioned before came back, that then I had to spend time trying to remember who they were.  And the Iron Born.  At first I wasn’t sure why I should care what was going on in the Iron Isles but figured, Mr. Martin wouldn’t write it if it didn’t matter but damn, some of those early chapters were painful.

After, I got through all of that, the book picked up and boy did it pick up.  Cersei got off the local train to crazy town and got on the Express.  As the reader, we have the benefit of knowing what is going on the realm that Cersei doesn’t but then again, if she wasn’t so paranoid and short sighted, she might have been able to tell good advice from bad.  And what happened with Brienne? What did she say?  Did it save her?  and Jamie, so proud of you.  Littlefinger, still creepy. Arya? What?  Is she blind blind?

So many questions.  Can’t wait to dive into A Dance of Dragons.  What’s going on with Tyrion?  How is Commander Snow faring?  Are Dany’s Dragons behaving themselves?  Ok, Mr, Martin.  Bring it.