Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Bumped is the first official young adult novel by author Megan McCafferty, who previously wrote the Jessica Darling series. It takes place in a dystopian world where a virus has made everyone over eighteen infertile, so people looking to have children are instead paying teen girls to conceive and give birth instead. Bumped focuses on the contrasting stories of identical twins, Melody and Harmony, who had never met until Harmony randomly shows up on Melody's doorstep one day. The novel alternates between the two girls' points of view, with Harmony having spent her whole life on the religious Goodside where she prepared to be a wife and mother, and Melody living on the Otherside where she has a conception contract with a couple who will pay her a lot of money... assuming they can decide on a partner before Melody turns eighteen. Harmony's goal is to convince Melody that "pregging for profit" is wrong, but is that really the reason Harmony left her home, or does she have a bigger secret? Things get extra-complicated when Melody finally is matched and a case of mistaken identity begins a journey which shows Melody and Harmony they have more in common than just DNA.

Bumped is the first book I've read by McCafferty, and it definitely made me interested in picking up her Jessica Darling series which is a contemporary series about teenage girls. In fact, I am probably more interested in picking up her other series than picking up the companion to Bumped, despite the fact that the book has one of those unfortunate not-quite-an-ending-endings that sometimes plague the first books in series. The reason for my interest in McCafferty's other books is simply that while Bumped was a fun read with a definite sense of humour, it doesn't work at all as a dystopia. Maybe I'm picky since dystopia is definitely one of my favourite genres, but in Bumped, the reader is simply dropped into the world, complete with a whole new set of slang, with no idea how they got there. What is this virus that has infected everyone? How did the current world develop into the dystopia McCafferty has created? When it came to the ability to world-build believably, Bumped left me with more questions than answers.

When it came to the characters, I definitely have a soft spot for stories about twins since I am one myself, but Harmony and Melody's case of mistaken identity, as well as the whole idea of being raised in two polar opposite worlds not knowing about each other, seemed a little too Parent Trap or It Takes Two for me. I also felt that many of the secondary characters were pretty poorly developed, people like Melody's parents who are conveniently on vacation while all of her mishaps are going on and who pushed Melody to "preg for profit", as well as most of her friends one of whom had a breakdown following giving up her baby. Such characters clearly had an interesting back story, but they often seemed to exist mostly to make a particular statement, for example about parents using their children, and never felt real to me.

An aspect of the Bumped I really enjoyed was the relationship between Melody and her best friend Zen. Zen himself is pretty adorable, smart and funny but unfortunately undesirable because he is vertically challenged. I absolutely loved the banter between him and Melody. The subtle tensions developing between the two of them felt believable, and I just wished for a few more moments like that in the novel. I was less convinced about Harmony's budding relationship, but perhaps it will be more fleshed out in the sequel. Another scene that stuck with me was when Melody visits the hospital and runs into a young girl who she thinks is pretending to be pregnant only to realize the girl actual is about to give birth. It was a moment that is particularly scary in face of current culture and the increasing popularity, or at least publicity, of teen pregnancy and how young girls want to emulate those they look up to.

Although I had high expectations for the book, when I first began reading Bumped I was a little puzzled. Not just because it took me awhile to grasp the details of McCafferty's world, but also because I don't usually associate dystopia with a fun read. In the end I loved the idea, but sometimes found the execution lacking. It also took awhile to get me actually interested in the characters themselves, but once I did I found them charming if occasionally one-dimensional. Overall, Bumped failed as a believable dystopia, but succeeded in entertaining and fun read that has me definitely interested in picking up McCafferty's other books.

Release Date: May 1st, 2011
Pages: 336
Overall: 3/5
Source: Netgalley
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Free ARCs, Pay The Shipping (#4)

These are all ARCs but in good condition. They are a variety of upcoming or recently released titles that I have mostly already read and am trying not to hoard. If you are interested in them you can have them for free, just as long as you are willing to pay shipping. Once I know which ones you want I will visit the post office, find out the cost of shipping and let you know so you can paypal it to me before I put them in the mail.

-Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay
-Separate Kingdoms by Valerie Laken
-Far to Go by Alison Pick
-The Raising by Laura Kasischke
-Anatomy of a Disappearance by Hisham Matar 
-Small Memories by Jose Saramego
-Minding Ben by Victoria Brown
-The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong (YA)
-Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton (YA)
-Day of Deliverance: A Jack Christie Adventure by Johnny O'Brien (YA)
-Skinny by Diana Spechler 

I also still have a batch of finished copies looking for new homes. The paperbacks are $3 plus shipping, the hardcovers are $5. They are all in very good condition, I just don't have storage space to hold onto books I don't plan to reread any time soon or in a few of these cases I have multiple copies of the same book. In the right situation I would be willing to swap, you can see my wishlist here or make me an offer, but I will admit I would rather not take on new books (again, storage space).

-Beastly by Alex Flinn
-101 To Hiking
-Nobel Genes by Rune Michaels
-Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon
-Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay
-Underground by Antanas Sileika
-Don't Kiss Him Goodbye
-The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia
-Lonely by Emily White
-A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer
-Finding Rose by Stephanie Humphreys
-So Much For That by Lionel Shriver
-Small Wars by Sadie Jones
-Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
-Emma's River by Alison Hart

If you have any questions or if you are interested in these great titles, you can contact me strandedhero(at)gmail(dot)com

I am located in Alberta, Canada in terms of shipping cost, usually it costs around $13 for 2 books and $19 for 4 in the past to other Canadian addresses although of course that varies with location and size of the books. That cost included a small cost for packing materials/envelopes/boxes. So I don't have to visit the post office too many times, preference will probably be given to those interested in multiple books. Let me know if you're interested!

*Books that are crossed out are no longer available. Thanks!

April Reading Wrap Up 2011

26 books this month for the fourth time in a row in 2011.

1. Underground: A Novel- Antanas Sileika (April 2 2011)
2. Double Shadow- Carl Phillips (April 3 2011)
3. Better Living Through Plastic Explosives- Zsuzsi Gartner (April 4 2011)
4. The Summoning- Kelley Armstrong (April 4 2011) 
5. Stay- Deb Caletti (April 5 2011)
6. The Awakening- Kelley Armstrong (April 6 2011)  
7. Wake- Lisa McMann (April 7 2011) Audiobook
8. The Reckoning- Kelley Armstrong (April 7 2011)
9. The Lipstick Laws- Amy Holder (April 8 2011) 
10. The Pun Also Rises- John Pollack (April 9 2011) + Author Guest Post
11. Fade- Lisa McMann (April 10 2011) Audiobook
12. Small Mechanics- Lorna Crozier (April 11 2011)  
13. Separate Kingdoms- Valerie Laken (April 11 2011)
14. Small Memories- José Saramago (April 13 2011) 
15. Bees: Nature's Little Wonders- Candace Savage (April 16 2011)
16. Wrecker- Summer Wood (April 18 2011) + Author Interview
17. Folk- Jacob McArthur Mooney (April 19 2011)
18. The Sky is Everywhere- Jandy Nelson (April 22 2011) 
19. Bird in a Box- Andrea Davis Pinkney (April 22 2011)  
20. Two Kisses for Maddy- Matthew Logelin (April 24 2011)
21. Anatomy of a Disappearance- Hisham Matar (April 25 2011) 
22. Promise Not To Tell- Jennifer McMahon (April 25 2011)
23. Russian Winter- Daphne Kalotay (April 28 2011)  
24. Origami Dove- Susan Musgrave (April 28 2011) 
25. The Peach Keeper- Sarah Addison Allen (April 29 2011) 
26. Far To Go- Alison Pick (April 30 2011) 

Some April Stats:

• Adult Fiction: 7/26
• Memoirs: 2/26
• Non-Fiction: 2/26
• Young Adult: 9/26
• Short Story Collections: 2/26
• Poetry: 4/26
• Audio Books: 2/26
• Favourite Adult Book of the Month: Wrecker by Summer Wood
• Favourite Poetry of the Month: Small Mechanics by Lorna Crozier
• Favourite YA of the Month: The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
• Nearly Favourite Books of the Month: Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong, Separate Kingdoms by Valerie Laken, Bees by Candace Savage, Promise Not To Tell by Jennifer McMahon, Origami Dove by Susan Musgrave, The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

It was a good though unusual month reading wise. I read mainly YA at the beginning after getting hooked into two series (Darkest Powers by Armstrong and Dream Catcher by McMann) and I also made sure to pick up some more poetry in honour of National Poetry Month. I read two short story collections, including the first one I really enjoyed so far this year (Separate Kingdoms), but fewer normal novels than any other month. Most of those were outside my normal genres, but a couple like Promise Not To Tell (mystery) and The Peach Keeper (magical realism/romance) really surprised me with how much I enjoyed them and I will definitely be picking up other books by the authors. I also picked up two non-fiction and learned quite a bit, I especially enjoyed Bees, it being full-colour certainly didn't hurt, and I'll definitely be reading more by Savage in the future.

In terms of May, I have my largest review stack ever so I'll definitely be focusing on that although they are all books I am looking forward to. My only concern is that I'm also the furthest behind on reviews I've been in as long as I can remember, right now I have ten where I have finished the book but not written the review yet which is almost half the books I read this month... so I'll definitely have to put down the books and catch up on reviewing very soon, possibly today.

How did April treat you reading-wise? Any plans for May?

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

House Rules by Jodi Picoult tells the story of what happens when Jacob Hunt, a teen with Asperger's syndrome, is accused of murder. It tells the story of not only what happens to Jacob, but how it impacts his entire family. When the inability to look somebody in the eye is part of your diagnosis, you're bound to look guilty, and Picoult shows what it is like for somebody with a developmental disorder, somebody obsessive at certain things- in Jacob's case, crime scene analysis- and hopeless at others, like reading social cues, to go through the criminal justice system. House Rules is told in alternating perspectives, including Jacob, his mother Emma, his younger brother Theo, their attorney Oliver, and police detective Rich. Everyone is impacted by Jacob's arrest for murder in a different way, but one thing they all are afraid to know is did Jacob actually do it?

House Rules was my first experience with Picoult and I admit to mainly picking up the book because it was narrated by a full cast on audiobook and I found that idea really interesting and something I had no experience before. I really enjoyed the audiobook experience, although at about twenty hours long it took me about a month to finish and I will probably stick to shorter books in the future. The various voices Picoult used all sounded both realistic and different, but ultimately I was unsure that the character of Rich needed to have his own narrative. Rich has a child of his own and there is a bunch of background on how divorced impacted him and how he wishes he could spend more time with his daughter, and although the point being made is that he relates to Emma's love for Jacob, it seemed like unnecessary information that dragged down the story and following Jacob's arrest I definitely felt like House Rules would have managed fine without Rich's perspective.

When it comes to how realistic House Rules was, I don't know anyone personally on the autistic spectrum so that is hard for me to judge. That said, I really appreciated the insight Picoult gave into what life is like for Jacob versus how he appears to others. I liked that Jacob was smart and funny and not somebody to be pitied. There was clearly a lot of research that went into the novel, not just for Jacob's perspective but also for the criminal justice system and forensic science in general and I definitely learned quite a bit reading it. That said, House Rules is definitely not any kind of murder mystery as the killer is immediately obvious from almost instantly after the death occurs, so the reason I continued reading the book was not to find out whodunnit but rather because the characters were strong and well-written and I felt personally invested in things turning out okay for them. I did feel that for a book where so much time was spent in courtroom scenes and developing the story, the ending was quite rushed in comparison. I also felt the reintroduction of a character who had not been there throughout the rest of the story was overly optimistic, especially considering how realistic most of the book was.

Unrelated to the actual story, the cover of House Rules is ridiculous. If that is supposed to, as seems most logical, Jacob on the cover he is eighteen and not a young boy. There is also no body of water involved in the book or beach for him to be playing at. Luckily, as an audiobook I didn't really have to look at the cover but I definitely think it is a very poor representation of the novel. As much as I enjoyed getting to know the characters in House Rules, I did have one major frustration with the book which is the entire premise upon which it is built- nobody asks Jacob if he committed murder or not. Considering that Jacob is unable to lie believably, I found it hard and frustrating to see that nobody wanted to know if he was the murderer. Picoult explains this using various justifications- the lawyer doesn't want to know for legal reasons, Emma is afraid to know- but when it comes down to it I feel like somebody would have asked him. Still, in the end, it is a very strong novel from an emotional perspective as well as extremely well-researched. In writing House Rules Picoult gives insight not only into one fictional but believable family's lives, but also into the joys and the struggles that come with raising a child who has Asperger's.

Release Date: March 2nd, 2010
Length: 19 hours 55 minutes (532 pages)
Source: Audiobook
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Giveaway: The Pun Also Rises

In combination with my review of The Pun Also Rises I have the opportunity to give away a copy of this incredibly interesting non-fiction book. Click here to read my review.

The summary of the book from Goodreads is:

A former word pun champion's funny, erudite, and provocative exploration of puns, the people who make them, and this derided wordplay's remarkable impact on history.

The pun is commonly dismissed as the lowest form of wit, and punsters are often unpopular for their obsessive wordplay. But such attitudes are relatively recent developments. In The Pun Also Rises, John Pollack-a former World Pun Champion and presidential speechwriter for Bill Clinton-explains why such wordplay is significant: It both revolutionized language and played a pivotal role in making the modern world possible. Skillfully weaving together stories and evidence from history, brain science, pop culture, literature, anthropology, and humor, The Pun Also Rises is an authoritative yet playful exploration of a practice that is common, in one form or another, to virtually every language on earth.

At once entertaining and educational, this engaging book answers fundamental questions: Just what is a pun, and why do people make them? How did punning impact the development of human language, and how did that drive creativity and progress? And why, after centuries of decline, does the pun still matter?

You can win a copy of The Pun Also Rises by leaving a comment letting me know how you feel about puns. You must be a follower to enter. Make sure to include your e-mail so you can be contacted if you win. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new one will be picked. This is open to the US and Canada only. No PO Boxes please. It ends May 15th at 11:59 PM MST.