Hello!
There has been lots of reading being done around my house lately! I just finished two good reads, The Selection by Kiera Cass and book five in The Popularity Papers series by Amy Ignatow. Although the two are completely unrelated, I thought it would be fun to review them both today. Yay for random books, right?! :)
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Summary: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
{kindly taken from Amazon}
My Thoughts: I really wanted to love this book. I was so excited by the synopsis {does it not sound like a princess version of The Hunger Games?} but it fell a bit short for me. Set in a loosely developed dystopian world, America Singer is about to enter a competition known as The Selection, named this way because Prince Maxon will be selecting one of the thirty-five girls to be his wife. I thought the beginning was strong, and I instantly took a liking to America. She was strong, both mentally and physically, and she didn’t let a boy control her life, which is always a plus. Sometimes, her actions felt a bit forced, like when she helped her maids. I just couldn’t see her doing everything the author put her through and handling it so well. She felt a bit too perfect. Prince Maxon was adorable, and he was my favorite part of the whole book. I love a polite guy :) The supporting characters {i.e anyone besides America and Prince Maxon} let down the story for me, which was a big disappointment. The other girls in the Selection had so much that could have been contributed to the story!
The plot definitely dragged in the middle, and I was forcing myself to continue on when I was half-way through. I’m happy I stuck with it though, because the ending picked up. The author left us with a major cliffhanger, though, so now I have to read the sequel to find out what happened. I mean, I have all these lingering questions. What else am I supposed to do?!
Pros: Solid main characters and entertaining ending.
Cons: Dragging main events and the supporting characters were let-downs.
Heads Up: A bit of romance and rebel violence.
Overall: I give it 3 stars {***} and I recommend it for ages 13 and up.
The Popularity Papers, Book Five: The Awesomely Awful Melodies of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang by Amy Ignatow
Summary: Fresh off their epic summer road trip, Lydia and Julie are back and ready to take seventh grade by storm. Well, Lydia is: She wants to start a band, and she’s convinced Julie to join her. The Macramé Owls are joined by Roland (expert at the hardingfele) and Jane (expert at drama). None of them, unfortunately, are experts at rocking out. The band needs more practice, but instead Lydia and Julie find themselves riding an unexpected wave of popularity to their own belated birthday party. The girls may have accidentally stumbled upon the secret to popularity—if only the secret weren’t so completely humiliating.
{kindly taken from Amazon}
My Thoughts: I do love a cute, quick read like this from time to time! Although not anything jaw-dropping, the latest installment in The Popularity Papers was while worth picking up. There is plenty to keep you reading the entire time. In this book, Lydia and Julie are celebrating their birthday by starting up a band. This was such a good idea, and it really half the story through until the very end. There band was a total failure, but it was fun to read about! :)
I think a major improvement from the last books was how we were introduced to more characters and as the reader, you were able to dive into their lives a bit more. It can be really hard, I’m sure, to develop characters using so many pictures and much fewer words, but Amy Ignatow succeeded, and she did it well! I thought the new hippie Melody was the best, as well as the crazy songs the band members created. Not a whole lot to say about this one, but do note picking it up if you see it at your local bookstore or library.
Pros: Unique, entertaining characters and an engaging plot.
Cons: The ending felt a bit rushed.
Heads Up: Nothing!
Overall: I give it 4 1/2 stars {**** 1/2} and I recommend it for ages 10 and up.
My review of another book in the same series can be found here.
Have a lovely night! It’s the Glee finale day! :)
Making a frittata is easy enough. Chop and roast a few vegetables, crack a dozen eggs, throw it all together, and then bake it in the oven. What could be the problem? Do not mistake the ease of the recipe, however, for the lack of flavor. This frittata was delightful both at breakfast and at lunch, and the different ingredients all combined nicely. The many vegetables added layers of rich color, giving the dish a less bland appearance. You can go many different ways when serving this, but my suggestion {as you can see below} is to enjoy it with a simple salad topped with croutons :) Yum!
