1984 by George Orwell

Title: 1984
Author: George Orwell
ISBN: 9780452262935
Publisher: Plume - Harcourt Brace Book

Summary:
"Thought Police. Big Brother. Orwellian. These words have become part of our national vocabulary because of George Orwell's classic novel 1984, the story of one man's nightmare odyssey through a world ruled by warring states and a power structure that controls not only information but individual thought and memory. A minor functionary named Winston Smith joins a covert brotherhood and pursues a forbidden love affair against the cold, gray backdrop of the Republic of Oceania - only to become a hunted enemy of the state... and of Big Brother. ______________________________________________
Review:

I know it seems weird that I didn't have to read this in college or something, but I finally got around to reading this book. I really love dystopian fiction - and this is one of the best in the genre. There are a lot of books that I've read that I now see have been influenced by this, which is really kinda cool. It was also interesting to learn how their new words work. Perhaps that's the nerd in me, though.

I really did enjoy reading this book - finally. And the story was very interesting. It definitely was a bit wordy at times, but that was the nature of the story. Once you get past that, it's a really interesting story. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes the dystopian stuff - or even science fiction.

Of course there are plenty of reviews of this book floating around, but here are a few of the ones I found online:
Challenging Destiny
ShannanlovesBooks
The Other Side of the River
Books Love Me
book-a-rama

Japan Ai by Aimee Major Steinberger

Title: Japan Ai: A tall girl's adventures in Japan

Author: Aimee Major Steinberger

ISBN: 9781933617831

Publisher: Go! Comi

Summary:

"In Japanese, "Ai" means "Love" - and if you love Japan, get ready to dive head0first into the incredible world of Japanese pop-culture!

Join Aimee Major Steinberger (a professional animator with a passion for all things cute) on the ultimate otaku vacation! Visit fantasy restaurants, maid cafes, and the world's most exclusive doll store! Cosplay on the infamous Harajuku Street! Attend an outrageous all-female Takarazuka musical! See beautiful shrines, hot springs, stores full of manga, and so much more!

Aimee captures it all in a manga journal that is both adorable and breathtaking!"

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Review:

I really didn't have any idea what this book was like when I got it for our collection, but it's so awesome! It's almost a travel guide to Japan for anyone who is into manga or cosplay. It details all of the places the author went, the food she ate, the crazy people she saw... and much more. It's probably the best kind of travel guide there could ever be.

The illustrations vary from hilarious to fairly pretty (of some of the people/places). Her descriptions are pretty humorous as well - just because she was constantly hitting the height and size issue.

I would recommend this to absolutely anyone. Period. More specifically the anime/manga lovers - which is almost all of the teens around here. And middle school and up would be best. Adults should pick it up, just because it's so cute! :D

Other blog reviews:

Manga Blog

Comics Worth Reading

Oriental Desires

Manga Maniac Cafe

Mania

Girls by Tucker Shaw

Title: Girls
Author: Tucker Shaw
ISBN: 9780810983489
Publisher: Amulet Books

Summary:
"Meet Mary- She's beautiful, she's a good girl, and her ski star boyfriend is cheating on her.

Meet Crystal- She's a townie, she works at Mod Jeans, and she's cheating with Mary's boyfriend.

Meet Sylvia- She's nasty, she's rich, and she's got something up her Prada designed sleeve.

Meet Amber- She's a flake, she's the barista at the hottest coffee shop in Aspen, and she serves up gossip even hotter than grande skim lattes.

Meet Peggy- She's Mary's best friend, she's a showboarder and aspiring chef, and she has no idea how to deal with all these girls.

A modern retelling of Clare Boothe Luce's classic play The Women (which featured not one male in the cast). The Girls is a quick-witted, stylish comedy about friendship, love, and most important, gossip! An elite Aspen prep school sets the stage for jealousy and intrigue as the lives of many girls intertwine and tangle into a wickedly fun mess (in which no boys ever appear)."
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Review:

I haven't read/seen The Women, but perhaps I will now that I've read this retelling. If the front flap of the book had not said there were no male characters in the book, I don't think I would have noticed. This book was such a fun, drama-filled story! It was a much faster read than I thought it was going to be - but I suppose two sentence chapters make for a fast book :).

The story is catty and gossipy and all things good about chick lit. If you are a fan of the chick lit stuff, I'd definitely recommend this book to you. It is pretty much all about boys and relationships, but with no actual guys making appearances. This book is good for all ages of girls (middle school and up).

I have to say, though, that if you're into cooking - this is a great book. There are tons of recipes mentioned and a list of a few in the back pages. I almost wanted to make them myself - and I'm not a cook, so much.

Other blog reviews:
Young Adult (& Kids) Books Central
Customer Review on Amazon.com
Flipkart.com

Gentlemen by Michael Northrop

Title: Gentlemen
Author: Michael Northrop
ISBN: 9780545097499
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Summary:
"Micheal, Tommy, Mixer, and Bones aren't just from the wrong side of the tracks - they're from the wrong side of everything. No one at their high school takes them seriously, except for Mr. Haberman, their remedial English teacher.

Mr. Haberman calls them 'gentlemen,' but everyone else ignores them - or, in Bones's case, is dead afraid of them. When one of their close-knit group goes missing, the clues all seem to point in one direction: to Mr. Haberman. "

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Review:

This book had one level - intense! First off, it's written from the perspective of a teen boy who has image issues and attitude issues and and and... So it's already packed with self doubts and concerns and stuff. But then you throw in the mystery aspect and the book just hits ya across the face.

That's not to say I didn't like it! I did. There was just very little break from the heavy/intense feel of the story. That did make it a little harder for me to read - but that's probably a mood thing, not the book.

I would probably recommend this to any high school guy for a mystery read. It does weirdly dodge the whole "language thing," so that makes it a little more awkward. But I think guys will still be able to get into it. Girls too, maybe. But it's definitely guy-centric.

Other blog reviews:
Wonderous Reads
Juiciliciousss Reviews
Reading Is Bliss

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Title: Princess of the Midnight Ball
Author: Jessica Day George

ISBN: 9781599903224

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Summary:

"Princess Rose is the eldest of twelve sisters condemned to dance each night for the wicked King Under Stone in his palace deep within the earth. It is a curse that has haunted the girls since their birth - and only death will set them free.

Then Rose meets Galen, a young soldier-turned-gardener with an eye for adventure and a resolve that matches her own, and freedom suddenly begins to seem a little less impossible. To defeat the king and his dark court, they will need one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all - true love. "

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Review:

I didn't realize this was a re-telling of a classic fairy tale until one of my coworkers clued me in. I haven't read the original story, but I really loved this book! The story itself was a little predictable (of course), but that's kind of the thing that a fairy tale is made of.

The way this story is written is so rich that you almost feel like you've been transplanted into the story. The descriptions of the places and sights and sounds are just the way I like them to be done. The only thing I would have changed was the length of the book :). I was wishing for more when I reached the last page... but I suppose that's a good problem to have.

I would recommend this to girls, mostly. And, really, any age - from middle school on up. It's a great princess story - and who doesn't love a good princess story?!

Other blog reviews:

Librarian by Day

Becky's Book Reviews

My Favorite Author

Wands and Worlds

The Magic of Ink