{2015 Amazing Book Race Challenge Review} THE FIRST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST by Claire North

Lupe's Review:

It's not often that I am truly blown away by a book, so much so, that as I sit alone at home and close it, I still say "Wow" out loud to no one. This does that. It was closely reminiscent to The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell, with the whole ability to come back in another life, but in this case, Harry August comes back as himself over and over, and has to relive his past time and time again. He always sees his mother die, always finds the Chronus Club and always befriends Vincent. Their friendship (which is an immensely complicated and unhealthly codependent one) is one of true beauty. Combine this with the fact that suddenly members of the Chronus Club and, by and large, others with the ability to die and come back, are vanishing or worse, not being born at all, Harry is tasked at the deathbed of one of his lives to find out WHY the world is ending so much faster than it should. This is a fantastic work of time travel, historical fiction, mixed with some quantum physics. I wasn't sure what I expected this novel to be, but what I was given was so much better. I was given hearbreak and sadness, with a mix of awe and reverence. I am saddened that this is a library book and that I have to turn it in, since I would re-read this in a heartbeat. So I will have to make this a staple on my bookshelf instead. Really, this was a wonderful work and I feel like I need to go and think about it a bit more.

{The 2015 Amazing Book Race Challenge Review} NOT MY FATHER'S SON by Alan Cumming

ISBN #: 978-0062225061
Page Count: 304
Copyright: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Dey Street Books

Lupe's Review:

I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Alan Cumming himself, and I have to say, it was so much better that way. Being able to hear the tiniest inflections in his voice, feel, really FEEL what he is saying, made this such an immersive story. You're able to chuckle with him when you hear his voice smiling and get teary eyed and cry for him when you hear him speak so solemnly about his childhood, and even much of his adulthood.

His foray into what happened to his grandfather, the trigger from his father that makes him so introspective on himself, parallel in a way that only a Hollywood story should. Unfortunately, this was no glamorous Hollywood life. Alan's childhood and adulthood were marred by his father, Alec, and just listening to his story was enough, at times, to just make my heart break. I have always liked him as an actor and musician. He is just so versatile and just, well, GOOD, that you never would have expected all the obstacles he had to face. His personal life alone (being bisexual and his HEAVY advocacy of LGBT rights) were nothing compared to his childhood personal life. He was able to overcome so much adversity from his father, so much angst. And to be able to tell it so truthfully, without hindrance and without hiding anything, I think is a true testament to his character.

Read this. If you don't ever read another memoir again, read this one. I promise you won't regret it.

{The 2015 Amazing Book Race Challenge Review} THE BONE CLOCKS by David Mitchell

ISBN #: 978-1400065677

Page Count: 640

Copyright: September 2, 2014

Publisher: Random House; First Edition

Lupe's Review:

Wow. I really don't know what else to say except this was amazing. Following Holly through life and seeing how all of her time streams connect was just crazy and beautiful. I think the climax was by far the best part and to think the person I for sure thought was a bad guy wasn't?!? Omg way to throw a curve ball! I am so glad that this was a book I purchased instead of having to take back to the library. What David Mitchell does with this story, even with all the characters, is he makes you feel for each and every one of them. They are all important to you, you are rooting for the success of the whole, not realizing it's exactly what you're supposed to be doing. Simply a masterpiece of literature. Solid ending too. I was in tears. Just. So good. I really don't have the words.

{2015 Amazing Book Race Challenge Review} AS YOU WISH: INCONCEIVABLE TALES FROM THE MAKING OF THE PRINCESS BRIDE by Cary Elwes

ISBN #: 978-1476764023

Page Count: 272

Copyright: October 14, 2014

Publisher: Touchstone; First Edition

Book Summary:

(Taken from Goodreads)

From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner.

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come.

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets, backstage stories, and answers to lingering questions about off-screen romances that have plagued fans for years!

With a foreword by Rob Reiner and a limited edition original poster by acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey, As You Wish is a must-have for all fans of this beloved film.

Lupe's Review:

"Hello. I am Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

The movie, the book, and now this beautiful memoir are all you need to complete your collection of William Goldman's masterpiece The Princess Bride. Such an iconic book that was translated beautifully to screen, even though many didn't realize it at the time, has turned into a sensational cult classic that has lasted generations.

Cary Elwes, the beloved Westley, narrates this tale of meeting director Rob Reiner, being cast, meeting cast and all the highs and lows of being on set. But this isn't just any movie set. This is the set of The Princess Bride, where magic, mayhem, romance, swashbuckling, swordfights and humor combine into the most perfect of all perfect movies. Cary takes us on an inside look at how hard it could be to film scenes with Andre the Giant-not because he was a giant, but because of his health issues. Or how he found out Mandy had already began training on how to swordfight and had a leg up on him (no fair!). Robin was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Billy made Mandy injure himself because he was trying NOT to laugh! I mean, as I was reading this story, all I could see were these actors, who are so HUGE now (in stardom) becoming this family who ate together, hung out together, acted together, practiced together and even after 25 years, were still as close as ever.

I was laughing, crying, laughing through tears, crying through laughter. This whole book really makes you take on a fresh perspective of the work that went into making this incredible film, and how hard everyone worked to make sure that the film stayed true to the book that William Goldman had written. So much of this book makes me want to go back and re-watch the movie just so I can say "Oh THAT'S what Cary was talking about! OMG SO FUNNY!" There are tales in here that seem to be as tall as Andre was, but are oh so very true.

If you are a fan of The Princess Bride, be it movie or book, plese make sure you read this. It would be inconcievable if you didn't.

"And, if they'd like to know a little bit more about how their favorite film was made, as seen through the eyes of a young actor who got much more than he bargained for, then all I can say is...As you wish." - Cary Elwes, Intro

{Review} ONE PLUS ONE by Jojo Moyes

ISBN #: 978-0525426585

Page Count: 384

Copyright: July 1, 2014

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied, and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight in shining armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever.

Mandy's Review:

We're in a time period where the definition of "family" has come to mean many different things. There's still the standard, more traditional idea of a family (mother, father, children), but now we support blended, non-traditional families. This is one of the ideas Ms. Moyes uses in this novel.

Jess used to be a wild child who could care less about the rules and that's what her boyfriend, Marty, loved about her. When Jess became pregnant, they decided to marry. The once wild Jess now became a more responsible, careful Jess ... especially when Marty's other child (Nicky) comes to live with them. All of the responsibility was too much for Marty and he left. Two years after leaving, Jess is still trying to be understanding and makes no demands on Marty for child support. She believes he'll make the situation right once he gets back on his feet. In the meantime, Jess still works two jobs and barely makes ends meet.

Nicky continues to live with Jess, even after his father leaves. His mother is a crazy lady whom nobody wants around. When we meet Nicky, he's your typical Goth-like teenager who doesn't like to talk and gets teased by others. Occasionally, he'll even get beat up by the local bullies. Nicky never retaliates, though, and nobody understands why Nicky's so passive. It's because Nicky is wiser than his years. Instead of feeling angry about the bullies, he pities them. Nicky knows that the bullies probably realize they'll never amount to much in life and they take their frustrations out on the first person available.

Tanzie, short for Costanza and the daughter of Jess and Marty, is a 10-year-old math genius. She loves working at math problems and is well beyond her years in this subject. She is presented with an opportunity to go to a private school on a 90% scholarship. The problem is, the balance of the tuition fees is still more than Jess can afford. Their solution? For Tanzie to compete in a Math Olympiad and win the 5,000 pound prize, which would cover a couple years' worth tuition at the private school. The problem? The Math Olympiad is in Scotland, more than one country away from where they live.

Ed has always been a geeky tech guy. He and his buddy Ronan start up a tech company. Over the years, it has grown to the point that they sell it so they only have to worry about writing code and coming up with the next great idea. When you're at the top of your game is when you tend to become too confident in your position and one fatal mistake can bring you crumbling down. That's what happens to Ed in the form of an ex-college friend whom he had always had a crush on but could never speak to. Dating her now shows Ed that all he was missing was a crazy, emotionally unstable female. To let her go gently, Ed gives her a check to invest in some stock that will soon be worth more than it is, allowing her to make money selling it so she can pay off her bills and go traveling.

One Plus One refers to Tanzie's love of math, but it also refers to when two people come together to form a relationship. This novel is emotionally engaging and you find yourself invested in the lives of the characters. I love the interaction between the four people mentioned above. I love how they each have their own dramas, yet they're a perfect blend together. I love how each chapter is in one of the four characters' voice so that the reader gets to know each of them intimately. All around, One Plus One is a satisfying read and is my favorite Jojo Moyes book thus far.


*A hardcopy of this novel was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** This also counts towards one of my 2015 Amazing Book Race reads.

{The 2015 Amazing Book Race} Intro Post

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

We're really excited to get this new year going with our very first reading challenge! If you've not joined a 2015 reading challenge yet, you still have time. Sign-ups for our reading challenge will remain open until the end of this month. We would keep it open longer, but we want to be fair to everyone who's participating.

To check out all of the long, drawn-out specifics of this challenge, click on our 'The 2015 Amazing Book Race' tab above. It should answer any and all questions you may have. If, after reading all the details, you still have questions, feel free to email us at literaryrr2@gmail.com and we'll be happy to answer them for you.

As a recap, here are Mandy's and Lupe's lists for this reading challenge. These and their other reading challenge lists can be found under their respective reading challenge tabs above.

Mandy chose the So You Think You Can Read? challenge level:

1.) Historical Fiction: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

2.) Debut Goodreads Author: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

3.) Memoir & Autobiography: As You Wish by Cary Elwes

4.) Humor: People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann

5.) Fiction: One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

6.) Horror: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

Alternates:

1.) Young Adult Fiction: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

2.) Mystery & Thriller: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Lupe chose the Dances with Books challenge level:

1.) Fiction: Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

2.) Sci-Fi: The Martian by Andy Weir

3.) Sci-Fi: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

4.) Horror: The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

5.) Horror: The City by Dean Koontz

6.) Horror: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

7.) Humor: Choose Your Own Adventure by Neil Patrick Harris

8.) Memoir & Autobiography: As You Wish by Cary Elwes

9.) Memoir & Autobiography: Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming

10.) Memoir & Autobiography: My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff

11.) Young Adult Fiction: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

12.) Young Adult Fiction: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

13.) Young Adult Fantasy & Sci-Fi: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

14.) Young Adult Fantasy & Sci-Fi: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Steifvater

Alternates:

1.) Historical Fiction: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

2.) Horror: The Wolf in Winter by John Connolly

Link List Sign Up:

{The 2015 Amazing Book Race Reading Challenge} Sign-Up Post for Lupe

I cannot wait for 2015!!! Who's with me?! To see the rules for this reading challenge, click here.

Reading Level: Dances with Books

Reading List:

1.) Fiction: Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

2.) Sci-Fi: The Martian by Andy Weir

3.) Sci-Fi: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

4.) Horror: The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

5.) Horror: The City by Dean Koontz

6.) Horror: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

7.) Humor: Choose Your Own Adventure by Neil Patrick Harris

8.) Memoir & Autobiography: As You Wish by Cary Elwes

9.) Memoir & Autobiography: Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming

10.) Memoir & Autobiography: My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff

11.) Young Adult Fiction: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

12.) Young Adult Fiction: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

13.) Young Adult Fantasy & Sci-Fi: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

14.) Young Adult Fantasy & Sci-Fi: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Steifvater

{The 2015 Amazing Book Race Reading Challenge} Sign-Up Post for Mandy

Hi, everyone!

Because I review so many books during the year, I'm going to start out with the So You Think You Can Read? level for this challenge (see challenge details here). Below is my list for this challenge:

1.) Historical Fiction: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

2.) Debut Goodreads Author: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

3.) Memoir & Autobiography: As You Wish by Cary Elwes

4.) Humor: People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann

5.) Fiction: One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

6.) Horror: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

Alternatives

1.) Young Adult Fiction: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

2.) Mystery & Thriller: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

{Reading Challenge} The 2015 Amazing Book Race

What is The 2015 Amazing Book Race Reading Challenge?

We are excited to welcome you to our first ever reading challenge!

So often throughout the year there are books we are dying to read but can't due to review obligations. This challenge is to get you (and us) to read some of those books you were dying to read the year before, based on the Goodreads Best Books of 2014 list (compiled by your votes during the Goodreads Choice Awards in 2014).

The Race

Below are the reading levels for this race. You can always move up a level, but never down so be sure to choose a level where you'll reach the finish line. Your start up post will need to include your goal as well as link back to us, the host of the challenge.

1 to 6: So You Think You Can Read?

7 to 12: Reading Rainbow

13 to 18: Dances with Books

19 to 24: Survivor

25+: The Librarian

Challenge Details:

Make sure to read all the way through!

1.) This challenge will run from January 1, 2015 until December 31, 2015. Sign-ups will remain open until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on January 31, 2015.

2.) Please make sure you sign up in the Linky List below with the link that goes directly to your master challenge list. This is the list you'll keep updated as you review the books for the challenge. You do not have to post your review on a blog; posting your review on Goodreads is fine. Be sure to update your master list with the link to your review of each book as you finish them.

Side Note: Books can be read in any order, so feel free to bounce around!

3.) Each of your chosen books must come from Goodreads' Best Books of 2014 list (found here). We will be confirming your selections so please include the category for each book on your list (i.e. Horror: Prince LeStat by Anne Rice). There are 20 categories so you should have plenty of options. You are allowed 2 to 3 alternatives in case you have novels on your master list you just can't get through.

4.) You can absolutely crossover books from other challenges into this one ... as long as the book is on Goodreads' Best Books of 2014 list.

Monthly Check-Ins:

On the 20th of each month, we will have a check-in post to see how you're progressing. Feel free to leave any links in the comments section to the challenge books you've reviewed the previous month (no duplicates, please).

What's a Race without Prizes?

Every race has 1st (gold), 2nd (silver), and 3rd (bronze) place winners. So, in the spirit of that, we're offering three (3) prizes for this challenge. Entries for the challenge giveaway are earned based upon the number of books you read and provide a direct link to your review. For example:

6 books read and reviewed: 1 entry

12 books read and reviewed: 2 entries

18 books read and reviewed: 3 entries

24 books read and reviewed: 4 entries

25 or more books read and reviewed: 5 entries

So, let's say you chose the Reading Rainbow level but you only finished reading and reviewing (with direct link provided) 8 out of 12 of your books. Well, then you've earned one (1) entry into the challenge giveaway. If you chose The Librarian level and only finished reading and reviewing (with direct link provided) 22 books, then you've earned three (3) entries into the challenge giveaway. Prizes are below.

Gold Medal:
One (1) physical copy of a novel of your choice off of Goodreads' Best Books of 2015 list
List to be announced December 2015 on Goodreads
Maximum value up to $25
Open internationally - Please confirm the Book Depository ships to your location

Silver Medal:
One (1) $10 Amazon Gift Card

Bronze Medal:
One (1) Ebook of your choice (valued up to $6)
Ebook can be chosen from Amazon or Barnes&Nobles

How Do We Determine the Winners?

Participants will be entered into a spreadsheet as they earn entries. On January 1, 2016, three winners will be randomly selected using Rafflecopter. First winner chosen wins the Gold Medal, second winner chosen wins the Silver Medal, and third winner chosen wins the Bronze Medal.

Winners will be announced in our wrap-up post on January 1, 2016 at noon Eastern time. Winners will also be contacted via email, which is the reason why we ask for your name and email address when you sign up via the Linky List. Winners will have 48 hours to respond. If the winner fails to respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen in their place.

Each winner has the right to forfeit their prize, should they be so willing. If this happens, we will chose a runner up winner for that specific medal.

Socially Acceptable:

Feel free to like our Facebook page and chat with us there. We're also on Twitter. Please use #2015TABR when tweeting with us about this challenge.

Questions?

If you have ANY questions concerning this reading challenge, please feel free to email us at literaryrr2@gmail.com.

Grab The 2015 Amazing Book Race Button:

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Linky List Sign Up: Will close January 31, 2015