Library Loot!

The other day I got the itch to visit my local library. So, not having my license at the time, (which I do now, eeeeeeeep!) I summoned some serious strength and got my bicycle off the roof of our garage, and rode to the library! When I was finished, I couldn't fit all my books in the bag I had brought with me, so I asked the librarians if they had a grocery sack or something- I wasn't about to put those books back! But no such luck. So, I ended up having to ride the few blocks back to my house with all the books I could fit crammed into my tiny backpack, and still two of them clenched in two fingers with my other two fingers on the handlebar. They were seriously cramping by the time I got back. Next time I'll bring a bigger bag! So, here are the few books I got this week!

Memoirs of a teenage amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Winger by Andrew Smith

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Top 5 Characters I Wish I was More Like

A really good book should contain a really good role model. I love it when you come away from a book, with a good life lesson and someone (or something) to look up to. It adds so much more to the power of a story! I've found countless bookish role models in an even bigger number of books, but I somehow managed to narrow it down to my top 5(ish)!

(in no particular order)

Hermione Granger- Hermione is one of my all time favorite characters. I wish she was a real person so we could be like, best friends. But as far as her strong traits go, she's loyal, clever, strong, extremely intelligent, trustworthy, I could really go on and on. She's the kind of friend we all wish we had, but more so than that, the kind of friend we all should try to be. And she was constantly helping Harry and Ron, and who knows where they would've been without her wits saving them continuously!

Katniss Everdeen or Tris Prior- To add in the bravery aspect, I  couldn't decide which of the two I looked up to most. Both were willing, on several occasions, to lay down their lives for the people they cared about. They were brave in the situations where I would've been paralyzed with fear. This is part of the reason why I like the dystopian genre so much, because the character always stand up and face the situations they're given, instead of just letting life happen to them. The bravery these characters show time and time again is remarkable!

Oakar Schell- Some of you may not know Oskar. He is the main character in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Johnathan Safran Foer. Oskar's Dad died in the tragic events of 9-11. But without telling you the full synopsis, Oskar is very young. And the way he looks at the world is so unique, and open minded... He has the unique mind of a child, but at the same time, the intelligence and wise attributes of someone much older. He knows things he wishes he didn't. H knows there is an infinite amount of things for him to know. I really can't describe Oskar to you well enough, if you read the book (which is phenomenal, by the way), you'll understand. But what I look up to in him is his unique perspective on the world, and his unfiltered mind, and so much more. He's a great kid.

Scout Finch- Scout is our protagonist from To Kill A Mockingbird. She is very intelligent, confident, and thoughtful. And she's a tomboy. she refused to be shoved into a dress and made into a "proper lady" like her society wanted her to. She had a very sense of personality, that wasn't affected by the society around her. The events of her life make her become wise beyond her years, but she always retains that characteristic goodness that we all associate with her.

Hazel Grace Lancaster- And lastly, Hazel. Hazel always knew that her time here was limited. Because of that, she didn't take it for granted like so many people do today. Hazel showed us that a short life can be a full one. And that it's okay to have loved deeply, but not widely. She may not have been known or remembered by a lot of people, but she surrounded herself with people she loved. Like Agustus said, "She walked lightly."

So what characters do you look up to? There are so many more than the ones I mentioned, these are just a few! Let me know who your favorites are!

Lines That Linger: Hollow City

"So I lay alone feeling irrationally forsaken and stared into the dark, more exhausted than I had ever been and yet unable now to sleep, listening to the others shift and moan in the grip of nightmares that could not have equaled to the one we were about to awake to. And eventually the dark peeled back layer by layer, and with imperceptible gradations the sky feathered into a delicate pale blue."

Hollow City
Ransom Riggs
P. 56

Lines that linger is a new series I'm going to be starting up here on Noodles and Novels, where I post lines from the book I'm currently reading that particularly stick out to me, or that I just really like. Let me know what you think!

Top 5 Beach Reads!

Summer is finally upon us! After a winter in Texas that seemed to last forever, I'm so ready to break out the swimsuit and flip flops! Now just to find a friend who will let me bum off their pool...
 The summer season is the perfect time to breakout those light-hearted, mushy contemporary chick-lit books that we all know are our guilty pleasure. For me, that means Sarah Dessen and the like! Sarah Dessen's books have always been the first thing to come to mind when it comes to summer reads, because they're just so much fun! Even though I like to read books that really make you think, It's nice to have something light that I can breeze through and leaves me with the itch to go to the nearest beach town and relax with my toes in the sand. Her books are perfect for that! So as you plan your summer vacations this year, and are wondering what books you should bring along, consider some of these as worthy options!

Along for the Ride- Meet Auden. Auden wants to escape another summer with her mother, so she opts to spend a few months with her Dad and his new wife, Heidi, and baby Thisbe, in the small beach town of Colby. She ends up getting a job at Heidi's boutique and is introduced to a completely different world than that of her mother's strict academic life. Auden learns to let go, and finally gets the childhood she never had, and realizes it's okay to have a little fun!

Keeping the Moon- Colie goes to spend the summer with her eccentric aunt Mira, while her mom Kiki Sparks, fitness extraordinaire, is off touring the world. She's not expecting much. Mira has always stood out like a sore thumb, no matter where she is. Unlike Colie, who has spent years trying to become invisible. Living with Mira, and working at the Last Chance Cafe, seem to ruin everything Colie has worked for over the years. And it's not helped when Caroline- the girl that has made her life back home miserable, turns up vacationing in the same town. With the help of her new friends, Colie learns to embrace imperfections and let loose.

The Truth About Forever- Last Christmas, Macy's dad died of a heart attack. Since then, Macy has shut herself out almost completely from her old life, putting everything she has into being perfect, because it takes her mind off the pain. She throws herself into her school work and her mom's realty business, and doesn't make time for anything else. But then one night, when the Wish Catering company brings their chaotic and unorganized circle close to hers, Macy goes out on a whim. She begins the process of healing, and finally comes out of her shell. Letting go of her strict, perfect life, Macy learns what it means to live again and finally branches out.

The Moon and More- While I haven't read this one yet, I trust Sarah and I know I'll love it whenever i do get to read it! Check it out on goodreads for a synopsis.

This Lullaby- Remy doesn't trust love. And when her mother has had 5 husbands, who can blame her? And she has an even stricter rule- no musicians. Her dad left when she was young, leaving her with his one his wonder "This Lullaby", that he wrote for her. Enter Dexter. Clumsy, loud, and worst of all, in a band. Remy can't stand him. But Dexter is persistent. He thinks they were meant to be. Remy thinks he's crazy. But Dexter is willing to wait as long as it takes. Will Remy come around? Will she, despite her experiences, learn what true love feels like again?

So what books are getting a spot in your beach bag this summer? Let me know in the comments!
 This post was a part of The Broke and the Bokish's Top Ten Tuesday meme. Go check them out to see their recommendations!

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is a story that pretty much everyone, if they haven't read, has at least heard about. This review is very much overdue for me, as it's one of my favorite books of all time! I've read it at least... 5 times. And I can't wait for the movie to come out this week! It follows two star crossed, cancer ridden lovers, Hazel Grace Lancaster and Agustus Waters. These two emphasize in their daily lives, that while their cancer is made of them, they refuse to be made of their cancer. They refuse to let themselves become their illness, and show that a even a short life, can be a full one. Augustus and Hazel first meet at support group, and their connection is instantaneous. Their love is what has made this book truly become a modern classic.  Because while the main characters have cancer, it's not a cancer book. It's a profound, heart wrenching, thought provoking, and incredibly relevant story about love, not cancer, that makes it strikes a chord with so many hearts around the world. It's not just your stereotypical chick-lit, boy meets girl kind of story. It's unique in that it presents love in a way that most these days are afraid to talk about. It shows love that is more than just what you see on the surface. Augustus and hazel's love is deeper and more profound than any I've ever read. They're not Romeo and Juliet, people.  I think one of the reasons people love this book so much, is because it reminds us all of what love should be. Love is keeping the promise anyway. Love is an infinity within our numbered days. Love is the stars that can't be fathomed into constellations. This book is one that I know will be passed down for years. It has become one of the greats for our generations, and Augustus, ironically, got exactly hat he wanted. His and Hazel's story became immortalized within the pages of this book. I have cried every. single. time. that I have read this book. I really feel like I can't say enough good things about it. So, needless to say, 5 out of 5 noodles, everyone.

my much loved copy!