Summer reading - part one

I feel like my blog posts are getting pretty inconsistent and I've decided to do something about it. The last time I blogged, it was about the end of school. Since then, I've been on a trip to Malaysia, started three books and finished two of them. So I figured that I better blog about what I've been reading, especially since I've been reading so much recently. By the way, I'm on Goodreads now, so click here to stalk me and my books.

Finished books
An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green
4 stars. The plot was predictable, but I did like the character development a lot. I read this book on the first day of summer in one sitting, because it was just that good. I think I may be biased though, because I pretty much like anything written by John Green. Hassan was great for when the plot got boring and I think I have a - and I hate to use this word - "girl-crush" (shudder) on Lindsey. All in all, a pretty good book. More John Green for me, please.

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
5 stars! I loved this book. I loved Holden especially, even though his habit of calling people "phonies" got annoying to the end. I wish Allie appeared more through the book though. And Phoebe - she was adorable. So much love for this book. The plot wasn't a lot (basically Holden getting drunk, hiring a prostitute, crying, sobering up, visiting Phoebe, being depressed, and getting drunk again) but Holden was so witty. Something interesting I found out about his name: a "caul" is the membrane covering the head of a fetus during birth. So Holden's last name is a metaphor for his inability to see just how complicated the adult world is.

13 Reasons Why, by Jay Asher

3 stars. The plot was amazing, eerie and left me hanging on the edge of my seat. The characters were not-so-amazing. For the full rant, check out my Goodreads page (hint hint)! In short, I felt that the characters were kind of "flat" and two-dimensional. They were way too similar to the characters in fairytales, where everything is black and white - Clay was automatically good and pure, whereas Justin was immediately shown as an antagonist. This is something I would recommend if you are looking for something light, fast and extremely plot-based to read over the summer. Not something for people who are really into character development and slow pick-ups. Also, am I the only one who found the dual-narration quite tricky to understand?

Currently reading

Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens

Yes, I am still reading this. I had to give my brain a break after one month of this book (I spent the first day of summer reading John Green - see above). I picked it up again a few days ago, and I have to say: I'm glad I didn't abandon this book. I'm still not done with it, but the last few plot twists have really made this book a worthy investment of my time. Looking forward to finishing it up. If it were possible to give half-stars, I think I would give it a 3.5 - probably something I should reread at a later date. And I'd really love if they made a movie remake starring Tom Hiddleston, Orlando Bloom or Benedict Cumberbatch as Pip. Just saying. I'm totally not obsessed.

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell

So far, I think I'll be giving this book 4 stars. I love Cath so much, and to me it seems like Rainbow Rowell (I still can't believe that's her real name - but I'm not judging) took a little piece of me and wove it into the story. By the way, that's not gross at all. So far it seems like Nick is meant to be Cath's love interest but I'm not sure I like him, and I'm secretly hoping Reagan and Levi aren't actually dating (maybe Levi and Cath will get together??). The little FanFixx inserts are nice for between chapters, and the fact that Simon Snow is basically Harry Potter makes me love the book even more. If this was made into a movie, I'd hope that Emma Watson plays Cath. Just think of the fandom-ception! 

Also, this book was much better than Attachments, which I also read recently although I'm too lazy to post a review of it. Just check my Goodreads (I'm so good at self promotion now, aren't I?).

So that brings me to the end of this post. Leave book suggestions or any other comments below!