The Last Little Blue Envelope - Maureen Johnson

This is the sequel of the book that I read earlier in the year, 13 Little Blue Envelopes. It wasn't that long ago, actually. I really enjoyed the first book and I knew there was a sequel and because of those two things I really wanted to find out what was in that last little blue envelope.

Maureen Johnson did not disappoint with this book. I enjoyed it, laughed a fair bit, and face-palmed a few times. (Showing up, unannounced, at the guy-you-like's door, when said guy lives in a different country? Definitely a face palm moment, knowing no good was going to come of it.)

I really like Ginny's character and can definitely relate to her. She is unsure of herself and is convinced her life is boring, even though the evidence speaks to the contrary. I think all teenagers, at least girls, feel like this. They dream of having an amazing life, and often don't realize that they already have one. When the life you are living is yours to you it is normal, not amazing, no matter how much others mike say otherwise it will always seem ordinary. Because it is your normal.

Honestly I liked the first book better, which often happens, but I would still read a third should Johnson ever choose to write one, because I really want to find out what happens to Ginny.

So if you like Young Adult fiction and enjoy reading about people traveling and being extorted then you would enjoy this book. It's fun, funny, and a great read. I would give it 4/5 stars.  Come on Maureen, I want a third book.

Note:
I promise my reviews will get better as the year goes on, but I will not promise that they will be great reviews. These are just my own thoughts about the books I read.

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

Life of Pi, a novel that was published back in 2001 and has become popular once again because of the movie that was released this year (which I have not seen). I admit I only heard about it about three years ago, I came across it at a book store, the title stuck out to me, but I dismissed it. Then I started to notice other people talking about it. So I decided to put it on my to read list.

It did not disappoint me. A boy, 16 years-old, shipwrecked. With him in his lifeboat is a Zebra with a broken leg, a gorilla, a hyena, and a bengal tiger called Richard Parker. Yah, so his father owned a zoo in India. For whatever reason I thought this would be a nice story where a boy lands on a deserted island and all the animals get along because of course that is what happens when you take zoo animals and stick them with a boy and give them no food. NOT. So it was more violent and messy than I was expecting, but I believe that is what makes the book so good. It felt more real, almost believable. It almost felt like this book was based on a true story, though it is not, and if it were I'm not so sure things would have turned out the same.

This book made me think a lot. Looking at Pi's view on religion and life made me reflect on my own views of religion and life. I wondered how I would fare on a life boat alone with only some carnivorous animals for company. Would I go crazy? Would I be all right? I'm pretty introverted and like being alone, so I'm not sure that would be so bad. But to not have anything to read? I can be pretty sure I would have read that instruction manuel a dozen times or more.

The end threw me for a bit of a loop. Being left to decide what really happened, what was true, what wasn't. I'm not sure if I want to make that decision. I know what it is I want to be true, and I know what it is that seems more likely to be true, and those two things are not the same. But isn't that how it often happens with life.

I give this book 4.5/5 stars (I'm holding out on the 5 for a book that I fall head over heals in love with). I would definitely recommend it for others to read.

13 Little Blue Envelopes - Maureen Johnson

I picked up this book because they did not have either of the other two books that I wanted available the day I got my library card (yay! :)) and because I've heard she is a really good young adult author and I have been wanting to read one of her books. I had already picked this one as the first of her books I wanted to read and luckily enough it was the only one of her books that was at my library.

13 Little Blue Envelopes is about a 17 year old girl, Ginny, whose Aunt has recently passed away. A few months later Ginny gets a letter from her aunt which contains 1000$ and instructions to buy a passport and ticket to London, but to stop in New York to pick up a package first. This package contains 12 more little blue envelopes that are to be opened sequentially after the task in the previous envelop is complete. Ginny is taken on an adventure across Europe as she moves out of her shell and meets many different people and learns more about herself and her aunt.

I really enjoyed this book. Having spent last year in France, and some of that time travelling though Europe, reading this book brought back many memories for me. Not only that it made me really want to travel more. But what I liked most about this book was that it was fun. It was a book that you didn't want to put down, and when you finished you just wanted to read it again. Even though at times it was very predictable I found it never took away from the story. I would definitely recommend this book.

4/5 stars because I loved it. (5/5 is reserved for books that I consider a must read)

Library Cards

I got a library card the other day. That's not to say I didn't have one before, I did, but I just haven't used my New Brunswick one since I was about 13, and I couldn't find it anywhere and it wasn't in the system anymore anyways. So I got another library card to add to my collection (Which is now comprised of 6 if anyone was wondering). Having this library card does 2 things for me. One it makes me miss my library in Miramichi. I spent so much time at that library when I was growing up. Two it makes reading 53 books so much easier, because now I have access to many, many books.

With my shiny new, purple library card I now have 4 books lined up, the first of which I already finished. They are:

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson (as soon as I finished the first one I really wanted to read the second so I put it on hold right away).

These books should bring me to almost the end of February.