Every Wednesday, YA Highway asks their readership a simple question to answer on your blog. Once you answer, you link your blog in the comments for other readers to hop on board. This is Road Trip Wednesday.
Today’s topic: What’s the best book you’ve read this month?
For the record, I’m excited that this topic has come back. Like, wicked excited. Knowing this topic happens monthly, ensures I complete at least one book a month*. I gave half of the eight I read this month four stars, but there’s only two I’m still thinking about.
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
What I liked about it: Surprising, I enjoyed the novel-in-verse format. This made for a fast, engaging read. The subject matter is handled well and I was totally rooting for Kristina throughout the novel**.
After reading it, I understand why so many places ban this book. I don’t agree with it, but I get where they’re coming from. (That’s an entirely different subject and one I can rant about a lot.)
Jenna and Jonah’s Fauxmance by Brendan Halpin and Emily Franklin
What I liked about it: I talked about it here, but I realized the vagueness of my review didn’t do the book justice. When you have the set up of two people stuck in a fake romance, it’s interesting to see that change and how it happens. There’s no dark issues in this book, which is a nice break from the rest of my June reading which covered the sequels to Crank and The Shifter***.
If you like the sound of Jenna and Jonah’s Fauxmance, you can win a signed copy from me. All you need to do is tell me your best fauxmance story (and outcome).
* Though given my spastic reading pace, this hasn’t been a problem. Yet.
** Something that didn’t happen during it’s sequel. I spent a lot of time calling her a stupid shit.
*** Which wasn’t dark/edgy, but dark with murder and stuff like that.
_______
Last.fm hit of the day: LA ’86 by The Soho Cobras
I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I haven't read any of Ellen Hopkin's work… clearly I need to remedy that! Jenna and Johan sound like all kinds of fun. Thanks for the the recs!
I must add Crank to my TBR pile. *goes to make a note of it*
I love Crank, but haven't heard of Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance. Sounds fun!
WOOT. Awesome book reviews AND a giveaway.
And oh man – fauxmances. I have had those. Mostly because I was fourteen and desperate to have a boyfriend, even if it was my best friend whom I really didn't like THAT WAY. But he liked me a lot, and my parents adored him, and I figured, Hey, I might grow to love him eventually. So we had that fourteen-year-old dating relationship where you hold hands and meet up with each other at the ice cream parlor, and this went on for almost two years, and then…I fell for my OTHER best friend.
Yeah. I know. My high school experience is a YA novel waiting to happen.
So glad you liked Crank. Wait, that sounds weird.
You have me really gunning to read fauxmance, too. *crosses fingers*
I haven't read Crank, but I've read a couple of Ellen Hopkins' others recently, and I am always so impressed that she's able to write in verse.
I echo Katy–I haven't read Ellen Hopkins yet either! *is ashamed* I'm working on that though.
And the Fauxmance sounds awesome! I'm so using that word in conversation today.
Crank was really good! I read that at Pam's suggestion and I agree about the novel in verse format–it did make for a quick & engaging read.
I LOVE Ellen Hopkins!!! Have you read Identical yet? That is, IMHO, the best one. I'm going to have to check out her website to see when the next book comes out. She's got amazing writerly info on her site too.
I haven't read Crank yet, but I've had it on my TBR list for a while. I hear it's fantastic and that all of Ellen Hopkins' books are. I need to get on that!