Crossing off my Reading Challenge! Part One (and a half)

As everyone might remember, in April I posted my Reading Challenge for ya'll to see. I've since made progress (as one should hope, seeing as we're halfway through the year now - scary!) and here it is - Update One-and-a-Half (having already shown my undying love for cat warriors in my 'first' update).

Alright! What have I read so far?

A book published this year - First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen (Published January 20th, 2015)

As we already know from a previous post before I thought to make my challenge public, First Frost is by my very favourite adult fiction author, Sarah Addison Allen.
The Waverly family is plodding along nicely, until suddenly everyone loses spirit. The first frost is coming, and everyone is uneasy. Claire doesn't know if her magic is working - or if she even had any to start with, and Bay, her niece, is trying to make her way through high school after her powers make a huge mess of her reputation with the one person who matters.

I cannot possibly explain how much I love her books, but just take my word for it. Apparently, they're similar in style to Diana Wynne Jones (says a well-read friend) which I haven't read (yet) so if you're a fan of hers, these books might be for you. When I finally could get my mitts on this latest one from SAA, I read it in one go - not hard, as this ones quite a bit shorter than her others - and loved it, as I expected.

A book with a number in the title - Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why is about a teenage girl who, before committing suicide, records 13 'reasons' of why she came to the conclusion to do so, and then sends them to the people 'responsible' for her death. The main character, Clay, receives them one morning in the mail, and slowly listens to why the girl he thought he was possibly in love with killed herself.

It's a morbid read that does well in showing how suicide and depression is still taboo and 'ignored' - despite how common it is and sheds some light on why that can't happen anymore. In that way, I respect it. I just didn't think it was for me - not because of content/themes, but because the main guy, Clay, got on my nerves a little.

A book with non-human characters - Black Wings by Christina Henry

Maddy is an Agent - someone who leads the dead to the after-life. She's also broke and in need of a flat-mate to help pay her rent. Enter Gabriel, a hunky guy who just happens to know about her past and her mother's death, and who inadvertently brings a whole bunch of demons knocking on Maddy's door. She has to fight or die, and with Gabe's help, she finds she is much more than just an Agent.

A paranormal/fantasy romance. Angels, demons, 'Agents', titan-like beings that like to mess stuff up. A fun read that was easy to get through, but not for if you're wanting some serious thinking to go on - so it's like most of the books I read, haha.

Just like a fairy tale

Fairy tales are so hot right now...even if Snow White does have a taste for forbidden fruit. Never trust a girl who flats with seven guys.
 
There's Once Upon a Time, Camelot and Grimm on TV, not to mention two Snow Whites on the screen, and a whole crop of Beauty and the Beasts.

In honour of this trend, I have hunted down some of the latest titles based on fairy tales. Sorry if it's a bit girly, this one - but if there are any males out there in cyberspace, try the Fables or Grimm Fairy Tales series. There's plenty for guys in graphic format! And Jim Butcher's Small Favour has a fantastic showdown with some oversized Billy Goats Gruff. If you haven't read his Dresden Files series yet, DO. This from someone who seldom reads fantasy, but I recognise great story and characters when I see them.

Moving on, every girl secretly wants a fairy tale ending  (unless it's a Hans Christian Andersen one, or you're the witch). So this is for you.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Ok team, this week I'm going to attempt to write about a book instead of music. Here we go:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
There's a chance that some of you may have heard of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and already written it off. I mean the publishers of this book are 'MTV Books' which in itself is kind of gross and you may have seen the many thousands of oh-so-edgy quotes and gifs on Tumblr backed by pictures of snow/flowers/arms and God knows what else. But before you write this off as hipster nonsense; hear me out because it's actually kind of amazing.

Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up. (From http://www.goodreads.com/)

There are several pretty solid reasons why I liked this book and I think you, anonymous reader, may like it for the same reasons so hear me out:

-Charlie is a bit peculiar and awkward that his interactions with other people are either endearingly cute or hilariously uncomfortable. He's odd, and I like that because it makes me feel normal in comparison.

-This book was written in the 90's so it's gloriously free of cell phones and Facebook and the kids actually go outside. Ahh, the good old days.

- While Charlie is a bit of a spaz he has amazing taste in music and books (there goes my attempt at not writing about music). Charlie makes mix tapes featuring The Smiths, Fleetwood Mac, Suzanne Vega and Procol Harum. And reads books such as To Kill a Mockingbird, On The Road and The Fountainhead.

-This September the movie of TPOBAW is coming out and it's directed by Stephen Chbosky himself. Which fascinates me because when I saw the casting I thought 'Emma Watson as Sam is just plain wrong!' then I realised the author did the casting so I've decided to shut up and accept that I don't know anything.

I know you may be thinking 'Laura, you just said that this book mentions The Smiths and Jack Kerouac and you're telling me it's not hipster nonsense?' And I will be the first to admit that this book does have a bit of a cult following but unlike Glee it's actually a quality book that's defiantly worth your time. And I promise that if you find Charlie so annoying you want to push him out of a moving car; then I will watch an hour of Glee to make up for it*.

*I lied, I'm not doing that.