Nothing New

I imagine that you shouldn't be surprised by now to know that I've gotten behind on my vow already to update my blog on a regular basis.  It's funny how I can get behind on blogging, but I stay ahead of reading.  I also got my grades turned in on time if that helps! So here's what I've read in the past two weeks and my thoughts. If you don't like spoilers, don't read all the way through!
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (http://stiryourtea.blogspot.com)
This book was amazing! Well-written, well-thought. I'm such a sucker for a great romance with some action.  Juliette is a post -apocalyptic girl who has been held captive by The Reestablishment.  Food supplies are down, diseases are taking over, animals are dead and there's something wrong with her. Everyone that she touches or touches her dies.  Except for one young man.  Only he works for the enemy.  I really like how this book develops. Tahereh know exactly how to get you drawn in. The story flowed so well that I couldn't put it down.  Although I love when this happens, I also hate it because that means I'll have to buy another immediately.  The ending left you wanting more and of course the sequel Unravel Me doesn't come out until next year.  I do plan on reading Destroy Me in the meantime which is a novella based on the original. Will keep you informed.

Glimmer by Stephanie Wallace Benefiel (Zellie Wells #1)
Glimpse was actually the first book in this series.  I liked the first book way more than the second.  This book seemed rushed to explain a lot of things.  The premise of the book is that this girl has a crush on a guy.  She finally gets a chance to dance with him at her birthday party and when she does, she has a vision of his death. Well of course they fall in love but she's afraid to tell him what she saw.  It turns out that she has powers and she wants to be with this boy even if he is going to die.  Well, in this book, her parents send her away because of the boy and her visions. One of the things that throws me off about this book is its quick explanations of why things are the way they are. The other is her mother's relationship with a ghost. I mean I like paranormal, but this is just too much. I'm in no rush to read the last book of this series, although I will because I like to finish what I start.
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
The only reason I read this book was for book club. I never would have read it otherwise. I hate historical fiction. History was never my favorite subject. And to top it off, this book was about slavery. My absolutely LEAST favorite topic of all. So my dislike of the book stems from its subject matter. I imagine the writing is good, however I just couldn't get past the hate, pain and suffering of the slaves that this book clearly conveyed.  The main character, an indentured servant was not smart. The secondary main character was a slave who suffered so much it gave me anxiety.  The characters in this book were so strong, I actually developed real feelings towards them. I think this is a very important book to read in order to get a clear perception of the pain that slaves went through and their everyday struggles.
Okay, although there are two more books to report on, I don't want to overwhelm you right now, so I'll write about those later.  Enjoy!