Book Three: The Maze Runner-James Dashner

Book number three out of fifty was finished a few weeks ago, I've just been pokey in the posting! This was another book recommended to me from my friends at work... they knew I LOVED "The Hunger Games", so they thought this might be right up my ally too! When searching books in a similar genre to "The Hunger Games" this book would come up. It deals with a time in the future when bad things have happened to the world, and we get a glimpse of what life is like now... see the summary below for what this great novel was about...

Summary:

"When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade-a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up-the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind."

(from the Chapters website)

This was another fantastic story, I don't know if I would put my love for it above "The Hunger Games" trilogy but I have really enjoyed it so far, and don't want to compare it too much, until I'm done the series, which I haven't yet. This is the kind of book that you need to be able to sit down and just read right through. I started it at night time, so never got to read a lot at once, but when I finally had a good chunk of time, to dedicate to reading, I zoomed through it and really LOVED it.

It has an interesting plot, which isn't one I've read before. I had as many questions as Thomas did as he entered the glade and I really enjoyed discovering the answers with him. There were some interesting twists in this story that just make you want to read more. I found Thomas was a character that I just couldn't help but love, he's a natural leader and just someone you find that you would want to be around in a tough situation.

This book is the first in a series, which I did know, so I wasn't surprised with the ending. It's a fantastic ending that leaves you wanting to read MORE! Luckily I had book two on my bedside table ready to go. I'm excited to continue the series, and would love to see it come out in a movie.

The author James Dashner has a website, http://www.jamesdashner.com, it's a blog where he posts upcoming events where he'll be (he was just at BYU so cool!) and book info... I think the third book in this series comes out maybe this fall? Not soon enough!

Book Two: House Rules- Jodi Picoult

So I have been reading since January, and just haven't had the chance to post my latest books, but I've been reading and loving my latest books. Book number two was by Jodi Picoult, she's a favourite author of mine, I've read almost all of her books, and am excited about her new one coming out March 1st, and plan to get it right away it's called "Sing You Home" and I'm sure it's going to be FANTASTIC as always.... but hey I'll let you know!

House Rules was a book I was waiting a long time to read, it was out in hard cover and at the time I hadn't realized my love for the hard cover book, so I was waiting for it to come out in paper back... it finally did and I snatched it up! I think what interested me the most was that the main character in this book has asperger's syndrome, I'd learned a lot about autism and aspergers in the education program and was very interested to see it put into a novel, and I wasn't disappointed. I found a lot about what I had learned in this book, and actually learned some other facts and insights. Picoult is very big an researching her books so things are authentic and correct and I appreciate that. Here is what the book is about, taken right from Jodi Picoults website... www.jodipicoult.com ...

Synopsis:

HOUSE RULES is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject – in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s – not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate affect – can look a heck of a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel -- and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder. HOUSE RULES looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way – but lousy for those who don’t.

On her website she shares some of the reasons behind writing this book which is super interesting, it all came from a family member. She also goes into more detail about asperger's and the controversy around vaccinations. Which I'm not even getting into on here.... she just shares some facts and I found it all interesting to read.

I enjoyed this book a lot, and would recommend it. What I love about her books is that each chapter is usually written surrounding one characters perspective. So you are able to piece together the story through all these characters accounts and feelings. You really do feel for each of her characters as they struggle with their situation... you feel Emma the mother's pain and frustration for both of her children, but you also feel her loneliness and exhaustion. You feel for Theo, Jacob's brother, who sometimes feels forgotten. You also feel greatly for Jacob as you hear accounts of events in his life as he tried to fit it, and only got in trouble in the end. Her books usually centre around a court case, which is always super interesting but her books also intertwine the life's of the characters around the case that they are battling in, you get attached to her characters and feel for them. It was a fantastic book and opens your eyes to asperger's, maybe if we all read more books like this we would become even more sensitive to those who face the challenges that these syndromes bring to families throughout the world. Check it out!