Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Basics:

Title: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Originally published: 2005

Pages: 183

Genre: YA, Contemporary

Format: Paperback

Plot according to Goodreads:

"It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who's just walked in to his band's show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City--and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date. "

My Thoughts: 

I read this book in two sittings. It was a perfect light read after reading To Kill A Mockingbird. I liked that the romance was not super excessive and althought there were some cringe-worthy moments, the overall feel made up for it. I really liked the characters, especially Nick. Though I found Norah's chapters rather boring and a serious lack of dialogue, it was all really fast-paced and just what you need after finishing a slow classic. I also liked that both of the characters were a bit more mature and there was not this constant nervousness surrounding sex and such things. I get why that is sometimes relatable but it was refreshing to read a book with experienced characters. Not that there was anything more than make-out action, but it gave a sort of calmness that they knew what they were doing. I'm rambling. I liked that music and bands played such a big part in the story and I have never really read anything like it. I may be biased since I did read this book at the perfect time (speaking of which, Ariel Bissett did a video on reading books at the perfect time which I highly recommend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xzADPOenF0) but I really loved it despite it's flaws. My review may be different if I re-read it in a few years, but for now:

5/5

Next review coming up: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

/Ingrid

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Basics:

Title: To Kill A Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

Originally published: 1960

Pages: 309

Genre: Coming-of-age, Classic

Format: Paperback

Plot according to Goodreads:

"A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father ― a crusading local lawyer ― risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime."

My thoughts:

I had a mixed relationship with this book. I found it really slow at the beginning, really fast-paced in the middle (pages 80-200 ca) and the last part really dragging. Most books are slow in the beginning so I wasn't gonna let that stop me. During the books middle part if you could say that I really enjoyed it. The writing during the entire novel truly is amazing and so thought-through. The books consist of many events and how Scout and Jem deal with them is the main topic. However, during the last 80-100 pages, after the trial, I found that the book was dragging and the events did not contribute to the story. It was not until the last two chapters that things picked up again and returned to it's interesting writing style and fast pace. 

The characters are what makes this book so good and unique. Scout was definitely my favourite. I loved how smart she was for her age, yet still learning and you could still see the child in her. Atticus is probably the ultimate role model, not just for dads and raising kids, but really for anyone. I'm not gonna go into it that much but know that these characters are gold worth. 

4/5

Next review coming up: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

/Ingrid

What I have been reading

Yes, I have been away. Since before christmas however, I have read a few books which I shall do mini-reviews of below.

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler

I watched and finished the Parks and Recreation TV-show this fall and absolutely fell in love with Amy Poehler (as well as all other characters) and when I found out she wrote a book I had to read it. It was amazing. It is a biography although it is quite interactive and really witty. If you like anything Amy I suggest you give this a try. I will say though, if you haven't watched up until season 7 of Parks, you probably want to skip those chapters about the show (THEN READ THEM ASAP BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE BEST ONES). Since the book was published before season seven came out there aren't any spoilers there.

The only thing I did not like was the physical production of the book. Thick, "plasticy" pages in a paperback makes the book heavy and not very flexible. I suggest you read the hardcover.

Anyway: 5/5

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll

I will review these two as one. I was in Oxford in December and while there, you have to pick up something Lewis Carroll. It came upon me that I have never read Alice in Wonderland and I was in the mood for a light classic so I found a really nice small edition with both Wonderland books. I flew through the first one. I loved how silly and not logical it all was, yet the story still kept moving forward and it was like exploring the world along with Alice and not just watching her do it alone. However, the second book was a bit of a drag. I found that it was to slow and things weren't really clear about what was going on or what the goal of the story was.

Therefore: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 5/5 and Through the Looking Glass 2.5/5

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

As a child, I loved the Narnia films. I still do (although I have not seen the latest one, I heard it was quite rubbish. Will fix that in the immediate future) however, I never read the books, which is quite strange since I always read the books of the movie I loved. I even read movie-to-book adaptations of Star Wars, Pirates of the Carribean and High School Musical. Needless to say, they were all rubbish. Anyway, I received an entire box-set with the Narnia Chronicles for Christmas so now I can finally catch up. The first book is really more of a set-up for the other books and it explains the entire world of Narnia, for example: why there is a lamp post in the woods. It is a really nice little story but I feel like it is not much without the rest of the series. I haven't continued the series just yet since I received quite a few books for christmas but I'm getting there!

In conclusion: 3/5

Next review coming up: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

/Ingrid