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She Made Me Do It: Round Two

5/25/2012

21 Comments

 
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Previously on She Made Me Do It...

Flannery challenged Tatiana to read:

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford

Tatiana read The House of the Scorpion and rated it: 4 Stars
Tatiana challenged Catie to read:

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

Catie read The Painted Veil and rated it: 4 Stars
Catie challenged Flannery to read:

Shadowland by Meg Cabot

Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt

The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov

Flannery read Okay For Now and rated it: 5 Stars

We all loved last month’s picks so there’s a lot to live up to with this round.  And now the tables have turned! The challengers become the…challengees! Throwing a monkey wrench into the whole affair is the fact that all three of us are currently in varying stages of the dreaded YA slump. Can anything possibly break us out of it?  Without further ado, here are this month’s selections:

Catie's Recommendations for Tatiana
Feed MT Anderson cover
Feed by M.T. Anderson

What it's about: a dark commentary on consumerism, set in a not-so-distant future.  Titus is an ordinary teen, who spends all day with the feed implanted into his brain - buying stuff, chatting with his friends, and getting high.  Until he meets rebel Violet (definite shades of John Green here) who starts to open his mind.

Why I think she'd like it: It's a very smart, sophisticated teen sci-fi. Also, the audiobook is fantastic.  I know that Tatiana loves audios and I think she'd really enjoy listening to this one.
As Meat Loves Salt Maria McCann cover
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann

What it's about: An incredibly dark historical novel with a very unreliable narrator, plus lots of sex, betrayal, and misery.

Why I think she'd like it: Simply put, this is one of the darkest, most depressing books I've ever read.  Which is why I think Tatiana will love it. Reading Jacob's account is like being him for a little while, and experiencing all of his noble, sweet, deranged, violent feelings.  This reminds me of other dark psychological stories that she's loved, like In The Woods or Sharp Objects but it has the added bonuses of being a very accurate and well-researched historical novel AND did I mention lots of sex?
True Grit Charles Portis cover
True Grit by Charles Portis

What it's about: Mattie is fourteen when her father is murdered and being the practical, determined girl that she is, she sets out to hire a U.S. Marshall to help her track down his killer.

Why I think she'd like it: Before there was Ree Dolly or Katniss, there was Mattie Ross. Mattie is a tough, opinionated, no-nonsense girl with a strict moral code. I think Tatiana will love Mattie.  This book is also a very fast-paced, exciting read and is only about 150 pages long.  Take that, book slump!
The Verdict: Feed has been in the back of my mind for a very long time. My library has the audio available right now, so I am listening to it for sure. Catie has recommended As Meat Loves Salt to me so many times, that I think I owe it to her to at least give it a try:) The new movie adaptation of True Grit was marvelous (even though I understood maybe half of what Rooster was saying), will the books surpass it? We shall see...
Flannery's Recommendations for Catie
     
The End of the Affair cover
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

What it's about: Love, obsession, private detectives, marriage, religion, fidelity, war, contemplation. Or, in a sentence, a broken-hearted man rekindles a romance with a former flame.

Why I think she'd like it: This book packs a punch into less than 200 pages.  As far as classics go, it is very easy to read but Greene doesn't sacrifice thoughtful language, which I know Catie enjoys. I think this book can be very divisive and I'd love to see where Catie falls. Parts of it might enrage her and a little bit of my recommendation is selfish interest on my part--I'm just really curious about what she'll think of it. Plus, it's on her 110+ Books list and it would be super easy to cross it off! (and there's a movie!)
Five Flavors of Dumb cover
Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

What it's about: A deaf girl becomes the manager of a high school band.

Why I think she'd like it:  Since we've all been in a YA slump lately, this is a pleasant departure from the typical voice of the genre. There is a nerdy chess-playing love interest, and I know that Catie and I both love the nerdy high school students. *cough* No love triangle either, so major bonus!
    
Lets Pretend This Never Happened cover
Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson

What it's about: The Bloggess recounts stories from her childhood and adult life, including stories about what her life was like with a taxidermist father, how she lives with a social anxiety disorder, what childbirth was like, and blogging. 

Why I think she'll like it: I listened to the audiobook of this one and it is one of those books that Catie will actually laugh out loud to, and I'm willing to wager she'd laugh several times. This is the perfect audiobook to listen to while she's working out, driving, cleaning, or doing anything else.  Jenny Lawson narrates the book herself and her stories are filled with so many nearly unbelievable moments that it is impossible not to talk about it while listening. 
The Verdict:  The End of the Affair and Five Flavors of Dumb have both been on my to-read list for a while, and are both very easy for me to get (The End of the Affair is sitting on my shelf about ten feet away from me right now) so those two are very convenient picks!  The End of the Affair sounds like something I'd love, but I think I would need to be in the mood for all of that intense heartbreak.  Five Flavors of Dumb sounds like a lot of fun and will probably appeal to my lighter side (LOVE the nerdy romance).  I'm not sure about the third pick, because I rarely read memoirs, BUT I know that Flannery has an amazing sense of humor and if she thinks it's funny, then it's probably worth checking out.  I do rely quite a bit on engaging audiobooks to make exercise more palatable.  Great picks Flannery!
Tatiana's Recommendations for Flannery
A northern light cover
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

What it's about:  Set in 1906, this is a historical novel about a girl who is torn between her dreams of becoming a writer and her family responsibilities and wishes that push her towards settling for being a farmer's wife.

Why I think she'd like it: Flannery seems to like historical YA, and this book is definitely one of the best one in the genre - Printz Honor is a pretty good indicator of it.
The Handmaids Tale cover
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

What it's about:  Women being oppressed in various horrifying ways.

Why I think she'd like it:  Not sure how Flannery managed to not have read any Margaret Atwood yet, but it's definitely time to check her out. This book is a big time downer, but Flann doesn't shy away from bleak, depressing dystopias.
The Bell Jar cover
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

What it's about: A young woman on a verge of a nervous breakdown.

Why I think she'd like it: Well, I know Flannery likes books about mentally unstable people, so The Bell Jar should be right up her alley. This novel also has the bloodiest de-flowering scenes I've ever read. I hope she is intrigued enough to pick this up:)
The Verdict: This is going to be a hard choice for me.  I've been meaning to read The Bell Jar and The Handmaid's Tale for so long--probably since high school. They are favorites of many trusted reader friends and I always get a little nervous that I won't see what is so wonderful about books that people love so much. Tatiana is right that I really enjoy historical YA. I don't read a ton of it but it is a great get-out-of-jail genre for me to break through a book slump. I'm going to try all three to see if one sticks with my mood right now.
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21 Comments
Nafiza link
5/25/2012 04:28:17 am

The Handmaid's Tale and The Bell Jar both in one month? Speaking from my own experience, The Handmaid's Tale made me hate men for a good long week after I finished reading it so it'll be interesting to see Flannery's take on it. Also, Feed is awesome. I loved how Anderson portrayed the world and the influence (and effect) of the feed. Have fun reading!

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Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 05:34:05 am

My main concern for Flann is that all the books I've picked are with a feminist bend, which is bound to inspire some men-hate:)

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 09:08:17 am

Well I picked up Northern Light from the library today BUT I definitely want to read one or the other of the remaining two because I can't take many more recommendations of them without going crazy:) Sci fi or suicide? That is the question.

Kara Malinczak link
5/25/2012 04:32:33 am

This is a really great feature. I love that you guys do this. I can honestly say that, of these books, I have only read Five Flavors of Dumb, but a couple of them I own or have on my own tbr list. For the record, I loved Five Flavors and hope you do too. I will be following this feature closely in the future.

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 09:09:42 am

Five Flavors is the one I am most nervous about, actually. I *think* she'll like it but whether we like contemporary YA is so based on mood. One reason I love this feature is that we honestly have no idea which one the other person will pick to read:)

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Catie (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 01:00:56 pm

Just downloaded that one today, because I really am in a contemporary mood right now. I think a little nerd romance could go a long way with me at the moment. It is fun/a bit scary waiting for first the choice and then the outcome. I really like this feature too.

Noelle link
5/25/2012 06:41:52 am

Ooooh I love this feature so much! I love how you all have pretty distinct book tastes. It must be fun picking out books for each other. Can't wait to see what you all choose to read.

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 09:13:19 am

It IS fun...but a little bit nerve-wracking, because I don't want to recommend something that someone else will end up hating. That feeling that another reader will be like, "WHAT was she thinking?" We had a laugh thinking of recommending all of the other person's worst nightmares one month. Could result in hilarity...or new-found appreciation:)

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Rachel B. link
5/25/2012 01:36:49 pm

I love this idea of picking reads for one another. I enjoyed reading about the reasoning behind the picks. I had to laugh when I read that Catie picked for Tatiana As Meat Loves Salt BECAUSE is was dark and depressing. I can't wait to see the results of this round of picks. Looks like the results of your first round turned out well. Happy reading! :)

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Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 05:35:09 am

Depressing is my super special forte:)

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Catie (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 01:04:30 pm

I have quite a fondness for bleak, depressing books as well - and if they're a bit twisted to boot? Even better.

I'm in complete suspense about whether she'll like the book or not!

Maja link
5/25/2012 10:00:25 pm

Good call, Catie! I really think Tatiana would enjoy As Meat Loves Salt, as traumatized as I am by it. (I shudder every time I see that cover, lol). But it is unusual enough that I think it mught work perfectly for her.
I didn't read Five Flavors of Dumb, but Lisa did and loved it. I do have a copy, if you decide to go with that one, let me know, deal?

Flann, I wish you would choose The Bell Jar. I honestly have no idea whether you'd like it or not, but I'm super curious. Readitreaditreaditreadit... well, you get the picture. :)

I can't wait to see the results.

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 09:11:17 am

I think I will. I've been reading a lot of darkness lately but it's much easier on my mental state if I read this type of stuff when the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. I miss you. I wish we didn't live in different time zones.

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Catie (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 01:08:46 pm

I really think she'll like it, but I've been wrong so many times before! It's kind of exciting; I never know which way she's going to go. It's not a fun book! In any way! Hahaha.

I think that I probably will read Five Flavors of Dumb - so this is me letting you know. :) Are you going to read it too?

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Jenn@OwlReadIt link
5/26/2012 02:20:37 am

Great feature! I like how you're picking books out for each other. Seems pretty interesting. I definitely like the idea of the feature. My co-blogger and I have very similar tastes in books, but we are always recommending books to each other. I hope you all enjoy the books you've been challenged to!

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Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 05:38:08 am

Our tastes are at the same similar (in a way that we like YA and genre fiction, with an occasional classics), but at the same time we still seem to be drawn to different things. Like, both Catie and I love fantasy, but not everything Catie likes (for ex., China Mieville) I can take on.

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Catie (The Readventurer) link
5/26/2012 01:17:52 pm

I've actually spent many distracted minutes trying to categorize and define our separate tastes. Like, I think that Tatiana loves books with a faster pace that grab you right away. Flannery loves large casts of colorful characters. Tatiana loves fantasy that feels original but isn't too epic. Flannery loves silly humor and heartwarming stories, but she also loves twisted murder mysteries. I could ponder these things about all of my bookish friends forever! That's probably why I wanted to do this feature, haha. I think it would be really fun to someday expand this out and trade recommendations with other blogs.

Heidi link
5/27/2012 02:59:24 am

I was so happy to see that all of your selections from the last round came out as winners! I've actually read more of your suggestions myself this time, though the bulk of those I haven't read I'm not even familiar with, other than Five Flavors of Dumb. Excited to see what everyone picks and your reactions! Great choices on non-YA books, and YA books that shouldn't fall into the slump category that we all know so well.

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VeganYANerds link
5/27/2012 10:50:45 am

I really love the book challenges you set for each other!

Catie - I’ve added all three of your recs to my to-read list, they might not all be for me but they do sound interesting and my library has them, win!

Flann – I’ve added The End of the Affair to my list, I already have a copy of Five Flavours... and I have read good things about Let’s Pretend..

Tatiana – I’ve added A Northern Light to my list as historical fic is growing on me. I’ve never read any Margaret Atwood but I have heard a lot about her books, so I will try The Handmaid’s Tale as well as The Bell Jar as I’ve promised Trin that I will read it this year.

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Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
5/27/2012 11:42:10 am

I am myself interested in "The End of the Affair." There is a new audio version of this book read by Colin Firth. Wonder if he enhanced that story...

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April Books & Wine link
5/27/2012 11:25:47 pm

I love that you all make each other read certain books, talk about book pushing ha ha. Flannery, I dearly hope you read A Northern Light, I say that selfishly because I love reading reviews of one of my favorite books.

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