Melanie Goodman (ReclusiveBibliophile) (97 books)

Melanie Goodman entered a giveaway

He's Gone
by Deb Caletti (Goodreads Author)

25 copies available, ends on May 29, 2013 Enter to win »

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Charm & Strange
by Stephanie Kuehn (Goodreads Author)

60 copies available, ends on May 31, 2013 Enter to win »

Melanie Goodman is now following John Green and Jodi

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Temptation (Temptation, #1)
by Karen Ann Hopkins

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Noah is Amish. Rose is English. (Not like tea and footy English; just not Amish.) They are not meant to be together, but when they lay eyes on each other, they immediately fall in love and know that they must find a way to spend the rest of their liv...more Noah is Amish. Rose is English. (Not like tea and footy English; just not Amish.) They are not meant to be together, but when they lay eyes on each other, they immediately fall in love and know that they must find a way to spend the rest of their lives together–even if it means one of them must give up everything they have ever known.

Karen Ann Hopkins’ Temptation is a story of forbidden love between a boy and a girl from two drastically worlds. I was excited for the culture clash! And the swoon! And the buggy rides! Alas, this was a gigantic letdown. There are horses and puppies in Temptation, and even they were not enough to save it. Temptation was quite possibly the worst book I have ever read all the way through. (Though we’ll forget about the V.C. Andrew phase of my life.)

I generally have very little tolerance for books I dislike and put them down quickly–and thus do not write about them–but Temptation was like a reality tv show or soap opera so mystifyingly bad that you just can’t bring yourself to change the channel or turn it off.

Glutton for punishment that I was, I made it through all 400 pages. I figured I would at least find out what happens. And do you know what happened? I discovered that this book was not in fact a standalone, but the first book in a series. 400 pages was apparently not sufficient to resolve all of the bad decisions that lay within. But I am not masochistic enough to read another book in this series, I’m afraid.

Temptation attempts to delve into a gray area of love, but it does so using purely black and white terms. The book is packed with all the usual Amish stereotypes, never bringing anything new to the table. Further, it was poorly written and had very little plot development. Rose and Noah fall in love immediately. I was almost willing to forgive their insta-love, even though it is something I generally abhor, accepting that perhaps the “otherness” factor was at least reasonable justification for instant-attraction, if not all out love.

However, the relationship never moved on from that point. They continued to be in L-O-V-E for no real reason that I could figure out aside from their good looks and mutual appreciation of horsies and kissing. There are admittedly some pretty hot kissing scenes, but not enough to save this sinking ship, and certainly not hot enough for either of them to play something like Trading Spouses for the rest of their lives.

One might hope that Noah and Rose would at least be characters that you could root for along their painful journey. Sadly, that was not the case, either. Noah is basically a selfish, controlling douchebag, and Rose a girl with so little self-respect that at a couple points she nearly considers getting pregnant (Noah’s idea) so that they can convince the adults in their lives they should be together. I was so appalled that I nearly threw my Nook across the room, and then wanted to send my ovaries flowers, chocolates, and a card to let them know that I have more respect for them than that.

If you cannot resist the allure of Amish smut and must pick Temptation up anyway, I understand and will forgive you. In general, though, I would strongly encourage you to save yourself some time and just go watch For Richer or Poorer instead. It’s not particularly good either, but at least you can get it over with in 115 minutes and not have to wait for a sequel.(less)

Melanie Goodman is now a fan of Goodreads Author Joelle Anthony and Goodreads Author Lois Duncan

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The Right and the Real
by Joelle Anthony (Goodreads Author)

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I can’t remember the last book that kept me up reading through the night. They don’t come along often. I really love my sleep. But I loved The Right and The Real even more. I started it before bed, figuring I would read a few chapters, but ultimately...more I can’t remember the last book that kept me up reading through the night. They don’t come along often. I really love my sleep. But I loved The Right and The Real even more. I started it before bed, figuring I would read a few chapters, but ultimately could not put it down. And it was worth every bit of book hangover the next day.

It’s hard enough for Jamie to watch her father get remarried, but things get a lot more complicated when his new marriage leaves her out on the streets. In marrying Mira, Jamie’s dad pledges to enter the church of The Right and The Real, a cult in which members believe that The Teacher is in fact Christ on Earth. At the group wedding ceremony, Jamie is expected to sign her pledge to the church, too, but she refuses. Since Jamie will not commit to the church, she is no longer allowed to communicate with her family or her boyfriend, who is also a church member.

Jamie hasn’t exactly lived the good life–her dad is an ex-alcoholic and her mom took off years ago–but she has always had a roof over her head, food in her stomach, and somebody else to clean the bathroom. She took the basics for granted until she didn’t have them anymore. Kicked to the curb, Jamie is forced to get back on her feet and find a place to stay and a job to support herself, all while trying to appear normal in front of her friends and teachers.

When the church begins to ask for more from Jamie’s father than he anticipated, can she forgive him? Can she get him out? Or is it too late?

Oh, The Right and The Real, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

This book scores major bonus points for its remarkable characterization, complete with teens who have genuine interests, hobbies, and ambitions. Fashion, theater, film. I love to read about people who are passionate about what they do and willing to fight to make their dreams a reality.
There is suspense! There is action! There is romance! This is a contemp with a little of everything for everyone, and a pace that keeps propelling you forward until you’ve reached the last page and can’t believe what time it is and how long it’s been since you last remembered to breathe or eat or stretch your legs. It is completely and utterly engrossing.
Anthony’s characters are unlike those in any other book I’ve read recently, or possibly ever. Jamie moves into a seedy rent-by-the-week (and possibly the hour, if that’s what you need) kind of building. Her neighbor, LaVon, is an intimidating ex-con who turns out to have a big heart and a love of fair trade chocolate and gourmet hot plate cooking. He may look like he can kick your ass–and he can–but when it comes to protecting Jamie, he uses his powers for good and not for evil.
I probably should have led with this, but The Right and The Real includes a hot barista. I know, chocolate and coffee. Between that and the sleep deprivation from reading, I am more than willing to join Joelle Anthony’s cult of YA. Jamie gets a job at a coffee shop that happens to be managed by Trent, an amazing guy who comes with free mochas. Nothing makes me swoon like free coffee.

I could go on and on, but my raving cannot do this book justice. This is the kind of book that makes it difficult for me to think in complete sentences because there’s just so much book love sloshing around in my brain (and also maybe coffee). The fact of the matter is that the characters of The Right and The Real are the ones who can most easily convince you to fall in love with their story. This is a book that I’ll be keeping on my shelf so that I can open its pages and spend time with some of my favorite fictional friends again and again.

Fans of Tara Kelly’s Amplified and Denise Jaden’s Losing Faith are sure to fall in love with The Right and The Real.(less)

Melanie Goodman added

Gone, Gone, Gone
by Hannah Moskowitz (Goodreads Author)

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Ever since his boyfriend Cody went to a mental hospital, Craig has kept himself busy with a houseful of rescued animals. But one morning he wakes up to find that they are gone. The house has been broken into, and every single dog, cat, and critter ha...more Ever since his boyfriend Cody went to a mental hospital, Craig has kept himself busy with a houseful of rescued animals. But one morning he wakes up to find that they are gone. The house has been broken into, and every single dog, cat, and critter has taken off.

Lio is a recent Maryland transplant. His family moved there from NYC after his mom walked out on them. Lio, too, has been left behind in more ways than one. He's a cancer kid, but the lucky kind, the one who survived. His brother Theo was not so fortunate.

It is a year after 9/11. Everyone is more aware of the randomness of violence than they'd like to be. Then, their fears are pushed over the edge when the Beltway Sniper begins picking people off one by one. It's not the same as a terrorist massacre, but to those who can't pump gas or walk to school without fear of being shot, the number of deaths is not particularly significant.

Craig and Lio know plenty about loss already. They are both a little fucked up, as Lio's therapist would say. Neither is entirely emotionally available--their many issues both attract and repel one another--and yet when their lives intersect, they can't imagine being without each other.

Hannah Moskowitz's Gone, Gone, Gone is a snapshot of two fictional lives framed by two very real and memorable events in recent American history. Each character carves out their own space in the novel; Moskowitz reveals a great deal about Craig and Lio through their distinct styles of interior monologue. Craig wants to hide behind a life of noise and chaos; he thinks in run-ons, reflected by stream of consciousness prose. Lio's thoughts, on the other hand, are more fragmented and carefully constructed. He's quiet, he says, because his brother was born to talk, and he was born to sing. While Craig's thoughts are unfiltered, Lio's run through a fine sieve.

Moskowitz squeezes a lot of subplots into a tight space, but pulls it off remarkably well with their thematic tie-ins. Lio and Craig's relationships with each other and their families all reveal the characters' struggles with the unpredictability and magnitude of violence and loss. At times they feel invincible, at others like they could die any minute. Though they know that the odds of a normal, long life are in their favor, this can be difficult to accept when they see people they love and other "normal" people dying all the time. This struggle further reinforces the need, trite as it may be, for both Craig and Lio to find a way to live more fully with whatever time they have.

Gone, Gone, Gone is an odd and beautiful little book with a well-paced plot that both races forward and retreats. As always, Moskowitz excels at evoking tears, but Gone(x3) never veers into melodrama. It is a quiet and thoughtful case study that will be beloved by those who enjoy character-driven fiction. Craig and Lio are characters you'll want to get to know, characters so achingly imperfect and real and quintessentially adolescent that it is hard to believe they exist only in fiction.(less)

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Melanie Goodman entered a giveaway He's Gone by Deb Caletti (Goodreads Author) 25 copies available, ends on May 29, 2013 Enter to win »
18 hours, 36 min ago · like · see giveaway
Melanie Goodman entered a giveaway Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn (Goodreads Author) 60 copies available, ends on May 31, 2013 Enter to win »
May 21, 2013 06:57pm · like · see giveaway
Melanie Goodman is now following John Green and Jodi
Jan 22, 2013 11:32am
Melanie Goodman added the Goodreads iPhone app
Jan 04, 2013 12:08pm
Melanie Goodman added Temptation (Temptation, #1) by Karen Ann Hopkins	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Noah is Amish. Rose is English. (Not like tea and footy English; just not Amish.) They are not meant to be together, but when they lay eyes on each other, they immediately fall in love and know that they must find a way to spend the rest of their liv...more
Apr 26, 2012 04:14pm · see review
Melanie Goodman is now a fan of Goodreads Author Joelle Anthony and Goodreads Author Lois Duncan
Apr 26, 2012 04:13pm · see all of Melanie's favorite authors
Melanie Goodman added The Right and the Real by Joelle Anthony (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I can’t remember the last book that kept me up reading through the night. They don’t come along often. I really love my sleep. But I loved The Right and The Real even more. I started it before bed, figuring I would read a few chapters, but ultimately...more
Apr 26, 2012 04:13pm · see review
Melanie Goodman added Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Ever since his boyfriend Cody went to a mental hospital, Craig has kept himself busy with a houseful of rescued animals. But one morning he wakes up to find that they are gone. The house has been broken into, and every single dog, cat, and critter ha...more
Apr 17, 2012 08:00am · see review

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