A List of Lists: Reading Challenges

I am a huge fan of reading challenges. Oh, who am I kidding. I'm a huge fan of challenges in general - especially when I come across them in list form. If there's a list of things that need to be ticked off, then by golly I will try to do that.

Working in the library means that yes, I have access to and often read a lot of books. Why not make a list of them, or read particular ones? Why not try to expand my reading repertoire?

Thus began my main reading challenge - a family wide one (we're very bookish) with a whole bunch of relatives all seeking to mark off a list to see who can finish it first. ("It's not a competition though!")

And, because I like to make life hard for myself, I also set my own personal challenges - another 3 in fact -

Dana's Reading Challenge List

1. The family 'Reading Challenge' - 52 Books in Different Categories
2. Adult Fiction - 26 books, one for each letter of the alphabet
3. Young Adult Fiction - 26 books, one for each letter of the alphabet
4. Children's Fiction - again, 26 books, one for each letter of the alphabet

Why, Dana? Why do you do this to yourself? Especially the books in alphabetical order, and in YA and Children's? Well, I'll tell you why - in another list!

• Forcing myself to go by letters means I'll probably pick up books I wouldn't think of, just because the letter won't have anything I normally read;

• This situation - "This looks like such a lovely book... BUT it's children/YA fiction." should happen less. Why not judge a book by its cover and read it for that instead of whats on the inside (or who it's 'meant' for)?

• Being a young(er) library assistant means that when kids or teens need a recommendation, co-workers often send them to me for help.
  Having a limited knowledge of children/teen fiction means that I've steered too many kids towards 'popular' series - The Hunger Games, Geronimo Stilton, anything by Robert Muchamore for someone after 'action-y books'. While the books are popular for a reason, I'd like being able to cater to a kids preferences better. If they've read The Hunger Games, Divergent series, The Maze Runner - what can they read next? What else is there? You know, I don't know... But I'm hoping reading 52 books that aren't adult will help me find out.

• Also, I like lists. Did I mention I like making lists, and crossing things off of lists? 

So I figure, since I've made so much work for myself already, I might as well make a little more and share my reviews with you as well every so often (as I share them on my family 'Reading Challenge Page' on facebook anyway).

But not today. Today I'll just share the original Reading Challenge with you. Let me know if you have any challenges of your own going on! Or, if you have any recommendations (for example, I'm not a fan of classics, so if you have a favourite then let me know, because choosing it myself would just be 'whatever-classic-is-the-shortest') for either the categories OR the alphabet ones I'm doing. I've already started, and have crossed some off, but don't let that stop you from giving me your opinions!

Or anything else to do with lists, or goals you have in mind to complete by the end of the year. Because, as I said - I love lists (and I can't be the only one).

Trailers, trailers, everywhere...

I seem to be stuck in trailer heaven... or maybe it's trailer hell.  I'm not that sure anymore because I've watched so many over the past few weeks.  And not just movie trailers but book trailers. Wonderful little snippets made by publishers and authors and the like, all in the name of reaching out and promoting their books.

They've come a long way in recent years.  No longer bland little ads that really didn't tell you much , they are now professional mini movies with special effects, celebrity cameos and so much more.

And they're marvellous   And also highly addictive.  Which of course meant that I just had to share. Because like all new addictions I've just got pass it on to others.

The following are just a few of the trailers I've found and enjoyed.  Most strangely enough are for books I had never thought of reading until I saw these trailers.  And now I am madly adding to my ever increasing holds list.  As you do.

The one flaw with some of these trailers and a great many others out there are the voice overs.  Seriously someone somewhere could make a really good living out of doing decent voice overs for book trailers.  Sadly it doesn't seem to be a career choice for anyone... yet.   Personally I can't wait for someone like Richard Armitage (he of Hobbit and Spooks fame) to become involved.  Of course if he or someone with an equally swoon worthy voice did start to book trailers I'm might never stop watching them...

One More thing by B J Novak

I have to admit I'll probably won't read the book.  But I just love this trailer anyway.  It's just so French and quirky and French and charming and French... did I mention French.  Oh good I did.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I so want to read the book after watching this creepy trailer.

The Ring and The Crown by Melissa de la Cruz

I kinda wish that this was a TV show.  Because it certainly plays out like a TV show trailer.  Like I said book trailers have come a long way

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Weirdly enough I had trouble putting this trailer in my blog post.  I blame Youtube.  Or maybe Blogger.  Either way I got it in the end.  Take that.

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Annoying voice over aside I am tempted to read this because hey awesome special effects.

Reboot by Amy Tintera

I'll be honest.  This is kinda badly made.  Annoying voice over, amateur movie making and yet I still want to read the book.  Sometimes bad can work.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

This might win my award for the most annoying voice over.  In fact it has two annoying voice overs.  Which is even worse  Still dragons.  As people.  So yeah I'm hooked.

As Dead As It Gets by Katie Alender

This trailer rocks.  Like seriously.  Great soundtrack and great voice over.  Now this is how to do a book trailer.  Great ending too.

Actors Anonymous by James Franco

A celebrity trailer.  Starring not only James Franco who also happens to be the author but a handful of other actors.  I just love some of the sights.  Awesome stuff.

Fortunately The Milk by Neil Gaiman

I love and adore Neil Gaiman so I just had to include this.  Because Neil is in it.  Talking about his book.

Brand Spanking New YA Fiction

We have just received quite a bit of new young adult fiction in the libraries this week so I thought I would share some the books that caught my eye as I was preparing them for the library shelves.

The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant - Joanna Wiebe

So many secrets for such a small island. From the moment Anne Merchant arrives at Cania Christy, a boarding school for the world’s wealthiest teens, the hushed truths of this strange, unfamiliar land begin calling to her—sometimes as lulling drumbeats in the night, sometimes as piercing shrieks.

One by one, unanswered questions rise. No one will tell her why a line is painted across the island or why she is forbidden to cross it. Her every move—even her performance at the school dance—is graded as part of a competition to become valedictorian, a title that brings rewards no one will talk about. And Anne discovers that the parents of her peers surrender million-dollar possessions to enroll their kids in Cania Christy, leaving her to wonder what her lowly funeral director father could have paid to get her in… and why.

As a beautiful senior struggles to help Anne make sense of this cloak-and-dagger world without breaking the rules that bind him, she must summon the courage to face the impossible truth—and change it—before she and everyone she loves is destroyed by it.

This Song Will Save Your Life -Leila Sales

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

When I was the Greatest - Jason Reynolds

Ali lives in Bed-Stuy, a Brooklyn neighborhood known for guns and drugs, but he and his sister, Jazz, and their neighbors, Needles and Noodles, stay out of trouble until they go to the wrong party, where one gets badly hurt and another leaves with a target on his back.

So Much it Hurts

Iris is an aspiring actress, so when Mick, a well-known visiting Aussie director, takes an interest in her, she's flattered. He's fourteen years older, attractive, smart, charming and sexy--in other words, nothing like her hapless ex-boyfriend, Tommy. But when Iris and Mick start a secret relationship, she soon witnesses Mick's darker side, and his temper frightens her. Before long, she becomes the target of his rage, but she makes endless excuses for him. Isolated and often in pain, Iris struggles to continue going to school, where she is preparing for her role as Ophelia. When her family and friends begin to realize that something is terribly wrong, Iris defends her man, but she also takes the first tentative steps toward self-preservation.

The Lure

Fifteen-year-old Blaise Montgomery lives in the gritty outskirts of Washington, DC, where a stray bullet can steal a life on the way to school. Drugs and violence are the only ways to survive, so Blaise and her friends turn to gangs for safety, money, and love. When Blaise is invited to join Core 9, one of the most infamous crews, she jumps at the chance. Though her best guy friends, Rico and Satch, warn her about the danger, she agrees to be beaten for a minute straight as part of the gang's initiation ritual.

Now Blaise is finally part of a crew. A family. 

But things get only more dangerous when she becomes a member of Core 9 and tensions with a rival gang heat up. Trek, the head of Core 9, asks Blaise to be his "lure," the sexy bait he'll use to track down enemy gang members and exact revenge. Rico and Satch tell her it's a death sentence, but Blaise can't resist the money and unparalleled power. As Trek puts Blaise in increasingly dangerous situations, she begins to see that there's more to lose than she ever realized-including Satch, the one person who has the power to get under her skin. With death lurking around every corner, should Blaise continue to follow the only path she's ever known, or cut and run?

Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always - Elissa Janine Hoole

Cassandra fears rocking the family boat. Instead, she sinks it. Assigned by her English teacher to write a poem that reveals her true self, Cassandra Randall is stuck. Her family's religion is so overbearing, she can NEVER write about who she truly is. So Cass does what any self-respecting high school girl would do: she secretly begins writing a tarot-inspired advice blog. When Drew Godfrey, an awkward outcast with unwashed hair, writes to her, the situation spirals into what the school calls "a cyberbullying crisis" and what the church calls "sorcery." Cass wants to be the kind of person who sticks up for the persecuted, who protects the victims the way she tries to protect her brother from the homophobes in her church. But what if she's just another bully? What will it take for her to step up and tell the truth?

Young Adult (actual books, not the movie. Sorry).

Anna and theFrench Kiss by Stephanie Perkins  

"Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris, until she meets Ètienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful Ètienne has it all, including a serious girlfriend. But in the City of Life, wishes have a way of becoming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?"

Stephanie Perkins sure knows how to write a love story. Very cute and sweet filled with ‘will they, wont they’ moments. This one is defiantly written for teenage girls but if you love a good romance novel then give it a go. I liked it. 

You will like this if you liked: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight 

Wither by LaurenDeStefano 

‘After modern science turns every human into a genetic time bomb with men dying at age twenty-five and women dying at age twenty, girls are kidnapped and married off in order to repopulate the world.’

Despite the blurb above this book is essentially the light, teenage version of ‘The HandmaidsTale’ by Margret Atwood. Set in the future in a dystopian society (they’re all the rage right now) Rhine Ellery is kidnapped to be sold the bride of a wealthy and powerful scientist’s son. Wither has 2 sequels called Fever and Sever.

You will like this if you liked: The Hunger Games

Inside Out byMaria V Snyder 

‘I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.’

This is another futuristic dystopian book but unlike ‘Wither’ this one is science fiction. I won’t give too much away because figuring out what’s going on with Trella is super fun but I will say that it’s an interesting concept with great characters and well worth a read. The sequel of this book is called ‘Outside In’ is available now.

You will like this if you liked: Uglies

Daughter of Smokeand Bone by Laini Taylor

‘Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low and in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.’

Set in the beautiful city of Prague this dark and mysterious book is a fresh twist on the ever so fashionable supernatural teen novel. A little bit gothic and what would have been emo five years ago. This book made me want to pack a bag and head off to Europe and then not talk to any strangers once I got there.

You will like this if you liked: Hush Hush. 

The Deeply Paranoid, Zombie-Killing, Anti-Establishment Breakfast Club (no deathbots!)

Death comes to us all, eventually. The latest trend in youth fiction is to stare it in the face - then jab it in the eye. Mean girls and jocks usually come armed with more than a sharp tongue and a wet towel - and failing a test can be lethal.

Time for a new list of fiction for teens that takes the reader to dark places, and out the other side. Fans of The Hunger Games, rejoice!

Black Helicopters - Blythe Woolston

The recent kidnapping and hostage drama involving a small boy in Alabama shows just how dangerous anti-Government extremists can be. What if you were brought up by one? Meet Valkyrie White. She's fifteen. Her whole life, she's hidden in an underground den with her brother Bo while Da is working, because Those People will kill them like coyotes. But now, with Da unexpectedly gone and no home to return to, Valkyrie and her big brother must bring their message to the outside world. They're stupid out there - little boys wear their names on their backpacks and people don't pat down strangers before offering a lift. Valkyrie and Bo are going to wake them all up...Or will they be the ones to wake up? Explosions are promised.

City of a Thousand Dolls - Miriam Forster
Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls train as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die. Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. And may end up paying with her own life.

The Infects - Sean Beaudoin

Seventeen-year-old Nero is stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of other juvenile delinquents on an "Inward Trek." As if that weren't bad enough, his counsellors have turned into flesh-eating maniacs overnight and are now chowing down on his fellow miscreants. These kids have seen zombie movies. They know the rules. Unfortunately, knowing the rules isn't going to be enough.

Freakling - Lana Krumwiede
In twelve-year-old Taemon's city, everyone has a power called psi -- the ability to move and manipulate objects with their minds. When Taemon loses his psi in a traumatic accident, he must hide his lack of power by any means possible. But a humiliating incident at a sports tournament exposes his disability, and Taemon is exiled to the "dud farm". It's not what Taemon expected, though: people are kind and open, and they actually seem to enjoy using their hands to work and play and even comfort their children. But gradually he discovers that there are mysteries, too -- dangerous secrets that would give unchecked power to psi wielders if discovered. When Taemon unwittingly leaks one of these secrets, will he have the courage to repair the damage?

The Farm - Emily McKay

For Lily and her twin sister Mel there is only the Farm...It's a prison, a blood bank, a death camp - where fear and paranoia rule. But it's also home, of sorts. Because beyond the electric fence awaits a fate much, much worse. But Lily has a plan. She and Mel are going to escape - into the ravaged land outside, a place of freedom and chaos and horrors. Except Lily hasn't reckoned on two things: first, her sister's ability to control the horrors; and, secondly, on those out there who desperately want to find and control Mel. Mel's growing power might save the world, or utterly end it. But only Lily can protect Mel from what is to come...

Shards and Ashes
Powerful original dystopian tales from nine bestselling authors offer bleak insight, prophetic visions, and precious glimmers of light among the shards and ashes of a ruined world. Stories from: Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, Kami Garcia, Nancy Holder, Melissa Marr, Beth Revis, Veronica Roth, Carrie Ryan and Margaret Stohl.

The Disappeared - C. J. Harper

In a future where children are segregated into institutions that range from comfortable “Learning Communities” to prison-like “Local Academies”, seventeen-year-old Jackson is an academic high flyer, living in a top Learning Community and destined for a position in the Leadership. But when he and his best friend Wilson are sent to deliver a package to a factory block, they are attacked, leaving Wilson dead. And now Jackson's teachers claim not to know him. Sent to an Academy set up to train factory workers, Jackson finds himself immersed in a world that couldn’t be further removed than the life he’s used to; where the students have created their own hierarchy based on fighting ability. He starts to realise that his whole life has been based on half-truths. In order to survive, he needs to expose the lies that surround the Academy and find out the truth about who he really is.

When We Wake - Karen Healey
Dystopian fiction by a Kiwi author. Sixteen year old Tegan was loving life: she was joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world, she was playing guitar, and she thought she might be falling in love. She didn't plan on the best day of her life being her last. When Tegan wakes, a hundred years in the future, locked in a government facility, she has no idea what happened. The first person to be cryonically frozen and sucessfully revived, she is an instant celebrity - but all she wants is to rebuild some semblance of a normal life in this strange new future. When appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: should she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better future?

Revolution 19 - Gregg Rosenblum

Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars turned their weapons on us. Nick has spent his whole life in a community in the wilderness, hiding out from the robots that have enslaved mankind. But when the bots discover the community's location, he, his tech-geek younger brother, Kevin, and adopted sister, Cass, barely make it out alive--only to discover that their home has been destroyed and everyone they love is missing. All survivors were captured and taken to one of the robots' Cities. Determined to find out if their parents are among the survivors, Nick, Kevin, and Cass venture into the heart of the City. As they live among the bots for the first time, they realize they're fighting for more than just their family. The robots have ruled for too long, and now it's time for a revolution.
If you like this one, I recommend the Tripods trilogy by John Christopher - a classic.

Apocalypse Now

The end of the world is nigh.

Well at least according to some.

So it makes sense that if we are going to go out with a big bang or some other cataclysmic event to get update to with as much apocalyptic fiction that you can find so that you can be ready to face whatever may come.

It's kind of handy that apocalyptic fiction is so in vogue right now.  The end of the world has never been so popular which probably says something about the human psyche, I'm just not sure what.

Are we all doomsayer's or is it a more hopeful notion that it could never happen to us so reading about it is some kind of life affirming thing.

Maybe it's just all just a  guilty pleasure.

Whatever it might be there's plenty of scenarios to choice from; exploding volcanoes, virus's ravaging the population, asteroids and meteors hurtling towards the earth, there is something for everyone.

How to spend your summer with John Green

I have to be honest with you dear reader: I am utterly in love with the written word. Whether it be books, plays, poetry, song lyrics or just a really great episode of Community. To me there is a magic to a great piece of writing that is somewhat similar to eating a piece of cake. I love it so much that I kind of want the written word to become a person so I can take it to Las Vegas and marry it.

This being said, you can imagine that when I stuck my nose into a new book by one of my favourite authors, I was pretty excited.

Turns out, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is, quite simply, a work of art. I don’t think I have ever read a book that was this beautifully written whilst perfectly poignant. It’s funny, smart, raw, honest and I loved every word. I know that every reader’s experience with a book is different but for me this book was truly an education in what it means to be human. 

Now, I know that MJ has already written about The Fault in Our Stars and has encouraged you to read not only this book but his other work as well (I whole heartedly concur) so I thought I would point out some of his other books for you to enjoy over the summer.

The Fault in Our Stars  

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.  

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Looking for Alaska

Before: Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After: Nothing is ever the same.

An Abundance of Katherines 

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. He's also a washed-up child prodigy with ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a passion for anagrams, and an overweight, Judge Judy-obsessed best friend. Colin's on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which will predict the future of all relationships, transform him from a fading prodigy into a true genius, and finally win him the girl. Letting expectations go and allowing love in are at the heart of Colin's hilarious quest to find his missing piece and avenge dumpees everywhere.

Paper Towns 

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer Q gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson Written with David Levithan 

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.


Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humour that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

Happy 12/12/12 everyone. DFTBA. 

Picture books aren't just for under fives

If you think picture books are just for kids, think again. At one of my book groups last year (made up over folks over 30), we discussed Duck, Death and the Tulip. It provoked a lot of discussion, who was it "aimed" at? After much discussion, we couldn't come to a concensus.

I've found another title that also got me thinking - who is it written for? I immediately wished I was a high school teacher of Art or English (that happens to me occasionally!) so I could use this book to provoke the students. Instead, I'll share it with you, fellow blog reader(s).

I am Thomas written by Libby Gleeson and illustrated by Armin Greder is 32 pages long. Typical picture length, but the audience is definitely not for the under five brigade.

The opening lines two lines are "I am Thomas." and "I am not the child I once was.".

The scene is set for a short (but powerful) tale of standing strong and being yourself, against a back drop of family expectations, peer pressure, societal group-think.

The imagery and language references are provactive, and evoked an uncomfortable reaction for me on the first read through. There are many layers and ideas that need to be re-read, un-picked, pondered on and debated about. I could imagine talking about this book alongside George Orwell's 1984, or WWII propaganda posters, or even Pink Floyd's The Wall album.

For me, it is another key example of picture books definitely not always being for under fives!

5 fictional friendships mine could be like...if I were a halfway decent friend

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things."
- Anonymous

Friendships are funny things. Funny haha and funny weird. I admit upfront that I'm a horrid BFF who is lucky enough to be blessed with two friends who accept me as I am. Somebody slack. Really, really slack. This is how slack: I read their text, grin...and never respond, I read their emails, hoot with laughter...and never reply, I listen to their voicemail messages, wince at reminders to call them and let them know I'm still alive...and never return their calls, I view the pxts they send me of their children and go "Awww!"...and never send any of my nephews in return, I talk to them by phone occasionally and promise we should do catchup lunch/margarita night/icecream breakfast...and never do. The list goes on. I truly always mean to stay in touch more, I just never seem to. The downside is that I miss out on so much of their lives and wonder why I'm amazed that the oldest of their daughters is now at tertiary. When did this happen? The upside is that when we finally do manage to get together we spend hours making the most of it. In the last two weeks I've been fortunate enough to have spent two such girl' nights in with friends old and new, and those of you who know what I'm talking about will understand this next comment. BFF dinners/get togethers are made of this: chocolate, tears, wine, pointed comments, cheese, loud talk, chips with dip, dinosaur lollies, embarrassing questions, rum and coke, Sherlock and John *sigh* and, as ever, love and laughter. And so, in honour of just such people, here are five fictional friendships that I admire. (And sometimes wish I could embody).

Also!

Hot tub time machine [DVD] directed by Steve Pink

Do you have a favourite fictional friendship (book or film)?

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I did both

Teenagers. Cancer. Lost limbs. Blindness. Facing up to the reality of life and death. It doesn't exactly sound like the line-up for a stellar read does it?

Thankfully this isn't the case with John Green's latest book, The fault in our stars. This is the funniest and most poignant book I have read in a *long* time. The characters' voices - teenagers, parents, doctors - in this book are pitch perfect. I laughed out loud much more often than I cried.

If you've not read John Green before (An abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska), you're in for a treat as I'd argue that this is his best book yet.