Book Haul - September 16th, 2012

Hi guys! I hope you've all had a fantastic week. I haven't had a chance to post a book haul for awhile so this is the last three or so weeks' worth of books.

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WON/GIFTS

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick {GoodReads}

In Honor by Jessi Kirby {GoodReads}

Kobo cover from my friend Laura

Signed Defiance bookmark from CJ Redwine

BOUGHT

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (ebook) {GoodReads}

Defiance by CJ Redwine {GoodReads}

LIBRARY

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio {GoodReads}

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine {GoodReads}

Wake by Amanda Hocking {GoodReads}

So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti {GoodReads}

Chocolat by Joann Harris {GoodReads}

NETGALLEY

Dante’s Girl by Courtney Cole {GoodReads}

Splintered by AG Howard {GoodReads}

Huge thank you to Amy from Book Goonie, Elemillia from Gone Bookserk, Laura, CJ Redwine, Lakehouse Press, Abrams, and NetGalley. 

What books did you get this week? Tell me in the comments below or post a link to your Book Haul/In My Mailbox, Showcase Sunday, Stacking the Shelves, etc. 

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Book Review: Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Series: Standalone

Published: May 31st, 2012

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

202 pages (hardcover)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: From the library

Warning: May contain spoilers

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Synopsis: Noelle's life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she's terrified. Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself--and for the love that keeps her holding on.

 

Keep Holding On is a story about survival, triumph, and hope. To say that Noelle has a hard life is an understatement. She’s neglected at home and bullied at school. Between her horrible, selfish mother and the nasty kids at school, her life is miserable.

When I saw that this book was only 202 pages, I wondered how much character growth there could be, but Noelle had quite a bit of depth, and she developed nicely as a character. She got stronger, she realized things wouldn’t always be the way they were, and she also realized that she wasn’t the only one with problems - a lot of people have lives that are just as hard, if not harder, but sometimes in different ways. It was very inspiring to see her taking the bad and trying to turn it into good.

Noelle was lucky in that she wasn’t completely alone - she had a really supportive best friend, a boy who liked her, teachers who cared, and she made new friends throughout the story. In some ways it was lighter than a lot of other books on the same subject where the main character is all doom and gloom, heartbreakingly lonely, and has no one and no where to turn.

Keep Holding On talked about a lot of hard subjects that many authors shy away from - bullying, neglect, suicide, sex. I really admire Ms Colasanti for writing this book, and for doing it in a way that instills hope and imparts knowledge without being preachy.

I think that books like this should be required reading in high school so that all kids - whether they’re bullied, doing the bullying, or watching it happen - can see how their actions have consequences. The kids who are bullied can learn that they’re not alone, that things do get better, and to never give up. The kids doing the bullying can see the dire consequences their actions may have, and discover how it feels for their victims. And the kids who watch it happen, thinking there’s nothing they can do, or they don’t want to become targets themselves, can see that they don’t have to let it happen.

Keep Holding On is a story I think a lot of people will be able to relate to. Even if you’ve never been in Noelle’s position, she’s easy to relate to, and you can empathize with her situation because it feels very real. Although I did have some issues with the story - the secondary characters, although mostly likeable, were very two dimensional, and I had trouble understanding some of Noelle’s motivations - I enjoyed the book and came away with an overall feeling of hope.

Have you read Keep Holding On? What do you think of YA books that talk about real subjects like bullying? 

 

 

Library Loot: June 4th - 11th

 

Library Loot is a weekly theme hosted by  Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. 

Since I'm currently scraping by as a freelance writer, I unfortunately can't afford to buy books right now *insert sad face here* which I hate, but luckily I have an awesome library in my city, so until I can have my own personal library filled with wall-to-wall books, the public library's the next best thing.

  
This week, I was back to my usual style of picking more books than I could possibly read but that I was compelled to get anyway.  My choices were divided up between Tuesday's visit, and Saturday's.  Saturday was the library's 5th 'birthday' and they had a party to celebrate.  My mum, sister-in-law and 2 nephews went, had cake, and played in the children's section for awhile.

Here are this week's selections:

Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams.  A month or two ago, Elizabeth S Craig - aka Riley Adams - started following me on Twitter.  I couldn't believe it, I was so flattered.  I immediately checked out her books and added them to my list and finally just got around to picking up this one, which I can't wait to read.  Oh wait, did I mention this amazing woman also follows my blog?  How cool is that?  It doesn't take much to make me happy, but it's rare that I feel special, and that made me feel special!  Thank you Elizabeth!

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa and Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black.  Two faerie books - if you've been reading my blog, you'll know that I love faerie books, and that I have an idea for one of my own that I plan to start writing as soon as I'm done editing my current novel.  Besides just plain loving books about faeries, I figure reading them is research - it's good to see what's out there, what's been done, and what hasn't been done so that my story can be unique.
 

Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne - I can't remember where I saw this book or what made me add it to my list, whether someone mentioned it or reviewed it on a blog, or I came across it randomly, but anyway, I had it on my list and the reserve came in Saturday. 

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti - I saw a few of Susane's books in the library a couple weeks ago, wrote down her name to check her out (I always do that with authors that I'm unfamiliar with because so many books are part of a series these days that I don't like picking up books and then finding out they're mid-series).  I have a few other books by her on my list but this was the one I chose first.

*The linked titles of the books lead to each book on Amazon.  I belong to Amazon Affiliates - anything that you buy from my blog through Amazon gets me a small commission, and as a struggling freelance writer, I can use every cent I can get!  If you're considering buying any of the books I mention on this blog, if you go to Amazon through the links on my blog to buy, it would really help me, and I'll be eternally grateful!*

What are you reading this week?  What have you read lately that you really enjoyed?  Do you have any suggestions for my library loot picks next week?  I read just about any genre, and I'm always looking for suggestions!