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  1. The Year of Learning Dangerously

    Friday, December 20, 2013


    I was homeschooled from K-12, so when my mom recommended this title to me, I knew there was plenty of opportunity for hilarity!

    The Year of Learning Dangerously:
    Adventures in Homeschooling
    By Quinn Cummings


    Check it out on Amazon
    Judge the Cover:

    Looks accurate!

    What's Going On:

    Preteen Alice is a bright kid that hates math, and is underachieving her way through the school system. Her mother, Quinn Cummings (the author) decides to take matters into her own hands, and thus begins a journey into the weird and wonderful world of homeschooling. As she begins to research the different approaches to education, she discovers surprising and sometimes shocking subcultures among the likes of libertarian "Unschoolers", and conservative Fundamentalists, to name a few.
    Cummings recounts her experiences with laugh-out-loud humor and honesty, even as she is confronted with her own fears, inadequacies, and insecurities.

    Optimal Reading Scenario: Surrounded by Friends

    At first your friends are going to take a skeptical glance at the title and maybe think you're off your rocker. And then you'll start chuckling to yourself as you read, and they'll shoot you a sideways look. Then you'll read them a funny excerpt and they will laugh along, and a seed of jealousy will be planted. They will want your book, but its yours and you get to read it first. Make sure you laugh out loud a lot to keep them envious. They shouldn't have judged you.

    Crack it Open:

    "...these people might be on to something useful. Maybe we should be encouraging our children to be brave and individualistic learners, unbowed by traditional classroom roles or bedtimes, solving the problems of the world with unique minds covered by blissfully unbrushed hair. Maybe these people will become my brethren, my Radical homeschooling tribe." 

    There are four authors on the back cover that each use the word "hilarious" in connection with this book, so I think it's pretty safe to say it's not just an inside joke among homeschoolers. In fact, it might even be funnier if you are unfamiliar with homeschooling; I'm not sure. Though I've never homeschooled any kids myself, I've been on Alice's end of things and that meant there were some relateable moments.
    Quinn's undercover missions to different homeschool conventions, with their specific dress code and alibis, were a definite highlight!
    In the end though, I felt bad that she never found a "tribe" of average un-extreme homeschoolers like herself, and I especially wish she had been able to connect with some supportive parents who felt her same doubts about homeschooling. Contrary to her perception that they are all uber-prepared and super confident in their decision to homeschool, there are a lot of them out there that feel just as lost as she did (trust me, I've overheard enough of my mom's over-the-phone pep talks with new initiates)! However, I did feel that she concluded on a positive note, and it was an amusing and informative read.

    Regis Reads Rating: ***

    Mischievous Monkey Rating: 0

    Some mild language, but nothing shocking.

    Have you ever wondered why people choose to homeschool? What are your experiences with homeschoolers? Do you think this book is an accurate portrayal? 

    Disclaimer: These are my own opinions, and I am not receiving compensation of any kind for reviewing this book. Dangit. 

  2. Insurgent

    Friday, December 6, 2013

    Today I review the second installment in the Divergent Trilogy! 
    You can read my review of book one here

    Insurgent
    By Veronica Roth

    Check it out on Amazon
    Judge the Cover:

    This time I'm in the know! The tree is the symbol of Amity, the faction that strives for peace. It looks like it might be dying, or at least getting ready for a long, cold, winter.
    A sign of things to come?
    Ps. those taglines are getting more ominous all the time!

    What's Going On:

    (SPOILER ALERT! Go read Divergent, and then you may proceed without consequences)

    Insurgent picks up exactly where Divergent left off, a literally seamless transition, which makes for great marathon reading.
    Tris is dealing with the aftermath of having just seen both her parents murdered at the hands of her faction while they were under the sinister simulation created by the Erudite leader, Jeanine Matthews. She is also coming to terms with the fact that she killed one of her best friends (in self-defense!), and she has to be supportive of her boyfriend, "Four" a.k.a. Tobias, as he comes face to face with one of his greatest fears: his father.
    Its all very emotional and traumatic. I'm sensing a bit of a Debbie Downer reminiscent of the Mockingjay fiasco here, but let's be real, I'll keep reading because want to know what happens after the tumultuous conclusion of Divergent.

    Optimal Reading ScenarioIn-flight Entertainment

    This is the book you should pick up in that over-priced airport convenience store. Its fast-paced enough to keep you turning pages for the duration of that excruciatingly long flight or layover, and it won't require a lot of brainpower.
    Bonus: its a trilogy, so pick up the other two and read them all!

    Crack it Open:

    "Like a wild animal, the truth is too powerful to remain caged." 
    - Candor Faction Manifesto

    Ok, so all the crying, depressing, guilty-and-grief-stricken, self-destructive stuff isn't really my cup of tea. My fictional friendship with Tris has always been a little shaky, and I got annoyed with her emotional constipation ( I recognize this might be a reflection on my own personality rather than poor characterization). Granted, she has an excuse to act this way. What I wasn't impressed with was that she continuously lied to her friends' faces, and never really seemed to be too remorseful about it. Even predictably heroic and forgiving soul-mate Tobias gets fed up with her at times! Speaking of which, while I enjoy some saucy times as much as the next person, the smooching is non-stop. And all I can think is please, make it stop. Tris, you need PTSD counselling, not kissing. Apparently she disagrees.

    For me, the best parts of the novel were exploring more of the city and the different factions. The reader gets to take a peek into each compound and learn more about the way the other factions work. This is the side of the story that explores the bigger themes like power, corruption, religion, what real peace is, and what it will cost. Divergent touched on these, and Insurgent goes a little deeper. I'm interested to see where Ms. Roth takes it with Allegiant.

    I felt this book was a bit more of a page-turner than book one, because there is more at stake in Tris's life at this point. There is plenty of action, and I found more surprises waiting for me at the end of this book than Divergent. Though the characters grew a little stale for me, and a few acted in ways that seemed manufactured for shock value, the plot is intriguing enough to check out the final book in the trilogy. Once again, Veronica Roth has secured my reading priorities by leaving me with so many questions. Now I just have to wait until I get a hold of a copy of the newly released Allegiant!

    Regis Reads Rating: * * * 

    Mischievous Monkey Rating: 1.5

    Not a lot has changed here since last time. Insurgent is jam-packed with gun-toting, knife-wielding battles, bloody wounds, executions of the evil and innocent alike, and more. One point for violence!

    As mentioned before, there is plenty of kissy-kissy action with mild to medium sauciness. It gets a half point, because let's not forget, this is a young adult book about an emotionally vulnerable sixteen-year-old who is heavily invested in a very recently established relationship with an older teenage boy, and there is no parental supervision of any kind.
    Let's be smart, kids. Don't try this at home.

    Two down, one to go! Did you like Insurgent? Will you go on to read the finale? What do you think is going to happen?

    Disclaimer: These are my own opinions, I am not getting compensation of any kind for reviewing this book. Dangit.


  3. Why Shoot a Butler?

    Friday, November 22, 2013

    I heard the name Georgette Heyer referred to as being "very Agatha Christie", with this particular book recommended as a first read. Being a rather enthusiastic Christie fan, I knew I had to check it out!  
    Why Shoot a Butler?
    By Georgette Heyer
    Check it out on Amazon
    Judge the Cover:

    This cover tells me 3 things that I like : 
    1. I don't know anything about cars, but this look like it might be set in the 30's or 40's. 
    2. The car appears to be moving very quickly, with what I assume to be a lady (its a little blurry, ok?) at the wheel. I take this to mean we have an interesting female lead, and the story will be fast-paced.
    3. I spy with my little eye an English countryside...

    What's Going On:

    Its the early 1930's and Frank Amberley is a successful barrister on his way to visit his relatives in the quaint English town of Upper Nettlefold, when he happens upon a crime scene- a dead man shot in his car, and a young woman nearby who protests she knows nothing about it. Though he can't prove anything against her, Amberley is sure she is hiding something.
    It isn't long before the case gets complicated and the incompetent local police force are forced to swallow their pride and ask the arrogant amateur detective for his assistance.
    Amberley knows he can solve the mystery surrounding the murder and Miss Shirley Brown's part in it, but time is a precious commodity, and it's running out...

    Optimal Reading Scenario: A Classy Evening In

    Its all about the quality of time, not quantity, you spend reading this one. Turn on the smooth vintage jazz, and sink into your velvet upholstered wingback chair with your book and a glass of merlot. Enjoy the moment. A crackling fire in the hearth, and a sleeping cat or dog nearby are conducive to the atmosphere, but keep away from the phone and tv- you need to concentrate. It's classy time! 

    Crack it Open:

    "Dear me! Am I going to see more of you?" She inquired. 
    "You are going to see much more of me than you want to," said Mr Amberley grimly. 
    "I've done that already," She informed him in a voice of great sweetness.

    If Sir A. Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie had a literary lovechild, the result would be something like this.

    Our main man, the famous barrister Frank Amberley, is sarcastic and condescending to almost everyone he comes in contact with, which he claims a right to by being intellectually superior. Despite his rude and know-it-all ways, there is something indefinably attractive in his authoritative manner, and contrasting moments of unexpected sensitivity and gentleness. By the end of the story I was quite taken with him, against my better judgement. 

    The novel is complete with everything you could want in a vintage mystery: burglaries, foggy nighttime meetings by the river, car chases, masked balls, kidnapping...you name it. Each and every player in the mystery, from Sergeant Gubbins to Aunt Marion (especially Aunt Marion!), exudes personality that is both familiar and satisfying, and Georgette Heyer skillfully infuses the dialogue with understated humor that made me giggle and grin like the book geek I am. In my head, I was watching the story unfold as an old black and white movie with the swoony old-fashioned accents and glamorous costumes, which is a very pleasant way to spend a quiet evening. 

    The mystery itself is satisfying, though I doubt it will blow anyone's mind. If you have Amberley's brains (which I don't) you may be able to pick up on all the clues and red herrings, and solve it yourself. While I couldn't piece it together one hundred percent, I had a pretty good idea of who was behind it all, so I wasn't shocked at the conclusion, but I did enjoy hearing how it all fit together. Nevertheless, it was a fun ride, and worth a couple of evenings to read.

    If you like the characters and romantic British setting of a Christie novel, and the logical deduction and cool intelligence of Sherlock Holmes, you will certainly enjoy trying to solve Why Shoot a Butler?

    Regis Reads Rating: * * *

    Mischievous Monkey Rating = 0 

    Of course there is death involved in a murder mystery, but there is nothing terribly morbid or gory here.

    Have you heard of Georgette Heyer? Do you enjoy old-fashioned British murder mysteries? Will you play detective with Why Shoot a Butler? 

     Disclaimer: These are my own opinions, I am not getting compensation of any kind for reviewing this book. Dangit. 


  4. Author's Note

    Wednesday, November 20, 2013

    I've been reading lots and working on more reviews for you guys! I've scheduled them on Friday mornings, two weeks apart so that I can keep up :)

    I also realized that I was making my reviews way too long, so I'm streamlining them for your convenience. Hopefully this will still allow you to get a good idea of what the book is like and whether or not you are interested in it.

    Check out the sidebar for an explanation of my ratings, if you feel so inclined. I'm trying to be consistent :)

    Side note: the semester is almost over, and exams are nearly upon us! What the heck. Where did this year go??

    Happy reading!

    Jill

  5. Divergent

    Friday, November 8, 2013

    Welcome to Regis Reads' very first review! I'm geekily excited to begin. 
    Now I'm going to impress you all with my literary prowess and deep, scholarly insights.
    That's right, we're diving into some popular young adult fiction!

    I don't even know where first I heard about Divergent. It's kind of everywhere right now, due to the publicity over the movie that will come out next year. I figured I should do the responsible thing and check out the book before watching the movie so I can be that annoying person that compares the two (yes, the book is always better, and yes, I know we should judge the movie on it's own merits, but let's face it...that is virtually impossible. I refuse to sacrifice my expectations and interpretations!) 
    These days I fight my natural tendencies to bother with teen sci-fi/fantasy (its often a blurry line) because it is so often disappointing. However, there didn't seem to be any indication of scantily-clad cuddling vampires involved, so I gave it a chance.

    Divergent
    by Veronica Roth

    Check it out on Amazon
    Judge the Cover:

    Dark, ominous cityscape! Fiery symbol! Foreboding tagline! These are all promising signs.
    Also, the book sells well...but then, so did Twilight. And they're making a movie about it...which means nothing about the quality of the story because, well...Twilight.

    Chances of reading the synposis: Very Good.

    Read the Back:

    "In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue- Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is- she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, even herself.
    During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are- and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it might can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves...or it might destroy her."

    Dystopian? Love it. Teens being gathered for a ceremony after which they will be divided into competitive groups? This is sounding good. Tough decisions? A plus. Secrets, Romance, and Betrayal? Sign me up!

    Chances of reading this book: Practically guaranteed.

    Optimal Reading Scenario:

    In-flight Entertainment: This is the book you should pick up in that over-priced airport convenience store. Its fast-paced enough to keep you turning pages for the duration of that excruciatingly long flight or layover, and it won't require a lot of brainpower. Bonus: its a series, so you can pick up the other two and read them on the flight home.

    Crack It Open:

    Overall, Divergent was a easy, mostly satisfying read. I felt like it landed somewhere between The Hunger Games and The City of Ember, so if you like both/either of those, you'll probably like this.

    The book is written from 16 year old Tris's POV, and the story moves along at a pretty consistent rate. It was easy to get sucked into her world, which was very visual and imaginative. I loved the different cultures that Veronica Roth created within the factions, which played with various real-world stereotypes in a way that was entertaining, and am excited to (hopefully) delve into more of them later on in the series.

    Tris is a pretty solid protagonist: she makes the difficult choices, she's got her weaknesses, but she mostly tries to do the right thing, even if its the hard thing. Mostly. After all, she is human.
    Occasionally I would be mild to moderately annoyed at her complete lack of self-awareness (Seriously, Tris, your crush couldn't be more obvious if it punched you in the face, so smiling and being weird "for some reason" every time he is around is just frustrating. Get with the program.) and bemoaning her size and shape (small, blonde, and slight...ya, that's gotta be rough), but overall she is smart, tough, and brave. Her development throughout the novel felt pretty realistic, at least as far as growing up and finding where she belongs (or doesn't) in the futuristic factions of Chicago. I always feel a bit distant from characters with a special destiny or gift that sets them apart from everyone else, because let's face it...I can't relate, and most likely neither can you (if this is not true, please...do tell).
    Also, she seems a bit volatile and liable to punch anyone/everyone, so that kind of makes me not want to be her friend. But if we were friends, I would be well-protected, so there is that.

    Four is the hunky, strong, silent type that is meant to make your knees go weak and your heart go pitter-pat, which he accomplishes pretty well, as long as you don't think too hard about how unoriginal he is...or his philosophy on teacher/student romances (as long as no one knows about them they're ok...right?). When his tough-guy exterior cracks and you see his wee heart of gold and his weaknesses and vulnerability, just let out a little "awwww" and let your love heal him. Or something mushy like that.

    The good guys and the bad guys are fairly easy to identify from the get-go, with a couple wild cards thrown in. I never felt terribly attached to any of the characters, but that is not to say they are unlikable. I just felt like there wasn't time or a good enough reason to flesh them out in book one, which was primarily focused on Tris, her initiation into her faction, and her love interest (take one guess who that would be).

    The plot was interesting, and deals with fairly obvious themes of bravery and selflessness as Tris tries to figure out what they each mean and where she fits into them. There are plenty of questions like "What is Four's real name?" to "Why is it dangerous to be Divergent?" to keep the reader turning pages.
    If you keep your thinking cap on, there won't be a whole lot of surprises that actually take you by surprise since there is plenty of foreshadowing and it unfolds just the way future Hollywood blockbuster should, ie: very dramatically. Can you think of the most shocking, dramatic thing that could happen right at this moment? Bingo- you got it. That's what's gonna happen.
    While the plot didn't feel highly original at it's core, it had enough cool sci-fi trappings to keep it fresh and enjoyable. It ended leaving some loose ends and nagging questions that are bound to be addressed in the next book, so I will definitely be checking out the rest of the trilogy, Insurgent and Allegiant.

    Mischievous Monkey Rating: 1.5

    Ok, try not to imagine me speaking in a really cantankerous old lady voice, because seriously...young adult books now are not what young adult books were when I was teen! So, if you haven't been reading young adult fiction for the last ten+ years you might be surprised by what you find here.

    Basically, this book has a lot of violence, including vicious fistfights, blood, guts, broken bones, scary scenarios involving guns and knives, and character death & suicide! And there is mention of physical child abuse.
    While it isn't always terribly graphic, there are a few cringe-worthy moments (If you plan on joining Dauntless, I would suggest investing in some good protective eyewear). The violence accounts for one whole Mischievous Monkey point.

    The half point is given for some medium to mild saucy times involving (underage! student!) Tris and a certain mystery man, as well as some definitely inappropriate actions on the part of Tris's (clearly evil) nemesis, for which he does receive some (but not enough) punishment.

    Overall Rating For Divergent: * * *

    So there we have it! Does this sound like a book you would enjoy? Have you already read Divergent? What did you think? 

    Disclaimer: These are my own opinions, I am not getting compensation of any kind for reviewing this book. Dangit. 

  6. Author's Note

    Saturday, November 2, 2013

    I LOVE BOOKS!

    I've felt this blog percolating in my head for a little while, because:

    1. I love books (and reading them, in case that needs to be clarified)
    2. I love sharing my books with others
    3. I love getting book recommendations from friends!

    I think this blog can further all of those things! At least, that is the hope. I often go through a time of reading drought because I just can't find anything I want to read. This will act as a record of books I've read, as well as (hopefully) provide ideas for new reading fodder. I'm counting on you readers to send your recommendations my way!

    My tendency is towards fiction in the categories of sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, or classics. That being said, I will read just about anything, if given a good enough reason to do so!
    I usually have a few books on the go at the same time, and I get through them at varying speeds, depending on what kind of mood I'm in and how much time I have. Non-stop reading weekends have been known to occur. I will try to have a new review ready once a month at the very least. Guest reviews are welcome!

    Ok, now I must leave you. There is much to read, and much to write!

    Look for my first review by the end of next week!

    Jill