Looking for Alibrandi - Melina Marchetta

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta 
Published on October 5, 1992 by E-Penguin

For as long as Josephine Alibrandi can remember, it’s just been her, her mom, and her grandmother. Now it’s her final year at a wealthy Catholic high school. The nuns couldn’t be any stricter—but that doesn’t seem to stop all kinds of men from coming into her life.

Caught between the old-world values of her Italian grandmother, the nononsense wisdom of her mom, and the boys who continue to mystify her, Josephine is on the ride of her life. This will be the year she falls in love, the year she discovers the secrets of her family’s past—and the year she sets herself free.

Told with unmatched depth and humor, this novel—which swept the pool of Australian literary awards and became a major motion picture—is one to laugh through and cry with, to cherish and remember.

So I finally gave in and read a Marchetta book, usually when I start reading a new author I try to read by publication year, from the oldest to the newest, I think this is a safe method because obviously authors grow and  if I read their latest works there is a bigger chance that when I get to their first works it will be underwhelming. Anyways, about Looking for Alibrandi, so, this one was a mixed one for me.

On one side I really get why people obsess over Marchetta, this is her first work and the writing is already so beautiful - I highlighted so many quotes on my Kobo! It has that way of just putting philosophical thoughts on life, growing up and finding yourself in such a natural way that is also very truthful which made me really emotional at some parts. It was incredible to get to know Jose and I was so proud of her on the end, like seriously this is a coming of age story where we actual see, REALLY see the main character change and grow so much.

But at the same time this book kind of... surprised me, maybe, I don't know, at times. Jose and her family and the characters of this book shout and cry and fight a lot, like they will be talking something completely ordinary and suddenly someone will start shouting and there is some big fight and I was like "what". I get that this was on purpose because Jose Italian family and stuff but still, I mean I know this happens, this happens on my family all the time, still, it was weird.

In the end I enjoyed this book more than got bothered by its explosions of feelings. I think that if you enjoy a funny but also meaningful story you will love this one, Jose kind of reminded me of Georgia Nicholson and Ruby Oliver so if you liked those main characters highly recommend this one too and of course to every lover of contemporary and coming of age fiction.

Lazy Town #3

More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell
Series: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops #2
Published by Constable and Robinson on April 18, 2013

If you don't know what this book is about the title is very self explanatory: it's a non-fiction humorous book about weird things that customers say in bookshops. It's a really short and quickly read (the epub version that I read had about 121 pages), I read it in about an hour and laughed my ass off, seriously there are some quotes that are so funny which I guess makes this a successful book since it is trying to be funny. Anyway, recommended to everyone that wants a good laugh - either you already worked on a bookshop/library or not, you will probably enjoy yourself reading this.

About a Boy by Nick Hornby
Published by Penguim on January 2, 2014

I found out about this book because of the tv show of same name and got interested on reading the book. I read some reviews before reading it and was aware that the book was really different from the show, so that part wasn't much of a surprise but if you came here looking for something similar I wouldn't recommend this book (for those who saw the movie I can't testify if they are similar).

The book is told from two POV's - Will and Marcus, always alternating between them. Will's chapters were definitely not my favorites, he could be really obnoxious and sometimes even offensive, and at first I was like "okay, this is great for a major character arc you know" and he does have a character arc but at the same time he kind of continues the same? I guess it's realistic and stuff but it was really annoying to read how little he cares about fucking everything, and how proud he was of that, when we were like 80% in on the book already. Marcus' chapters were easier to read and enjoy, he is weird and very different from... well, everyone and this really made room for a lot of laugh out loud moments but also there was some pretty touching moments, not gonna lie to you, there was times when I cried (and it was a lot). But them, THEM THAT ENDING HAPPENING AND NOT GONNA LIE I HATED IT! It just passes a completely wrong message that I definitely don't want younger readers believing on and it has some major character arcs just trow out of the window and done in about 1 page (or line)(or sentence), seriously what the hell was that last chapter.

To sum it up: this book had it's moments with funny and emotional scenes but there was some messages that it passed that I can't totally agree with, and also some character development that could have been done in more than one chapter.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews 
Published by Amulet Paperbacks on May 7, 2013 

This book and I had a kind of weird relationship. I started reading it thinking "I'll just read some pages and go to sleep" (I really needed that sleep) but ended up not sleeping and reading about 150 pages on one sitting (and to finish it I abdicated of a little bit more of sleep), so yeah this book sucked me right away into this story. 

The biggest win for me was the hilarious parts of the story, I think that the only book that made me laugh so loud and hard was the ones from the Georgia Nicholson series (Angus, Thongs And Full Frontal Snogging: Confessions Of Georgia Nicholson) and I always appreciate a book that can make me laugh. But I also feel like I didn't get to spend that much time with these characters, I just not know if I really knew them on the deep level that I like with books - this probably has to do with Greg and him always trying to not get involved with people and have friends and stuff but still, I would have liked to know more about them or feel more of a connection with these characters.

But at the same time I did cried a hell lot at the ending and there was passages that I was head nodding because it was so damn real and emotional. So yeah, I don't really know what do about it, it was definitely good and it grew on me when I was reading it. I would recommend if you like contemporary stories that are more on the realistic side, and also that are very funny.