More Reading Challenge Stuff

 and a new book for review! I recently signed up for Blogging for Books through Crown Publishing Group and my first free book, Armada by Ernest Cline, arrived two days ago. A review should show up in the next few days as I'm thoroughly enjoying the book so far (only up to pg 71). One unexpected and totally amazing thing turned up before I'd gotten past the first chapter. I tend to remove the dust jacket from my books as I read so as not to damage it. I know, I know. The point of a dust jacket is to protect the book. What can I say? I'm weird. I like it to look beautiful sitting on my shelf, dust jacket intact and pristine. Anyway, the point of that book ramble is that when you remove the dust jacket, it looks like this:
 

 

Picture borrowed from the Blogging Bookshop

As soon as I've finished, I'll let you know just how amazing it is with some quotes, some nerd info, and maybe a bit of squeeing. Then I'm going to acquire Cline's first book Ready Player One and repeat the process. How can I be so sure that the books will be awesome? They got Wil Wheaton to read the audio version! So, yeah. Kind of a duh for me. :)

As far as the reading challenge stuff, I've finished three more books on my list. They are as follows:

• Secret of the Haunted Mirror (Three Investigators Series) by M.V. Carey for the category of book from my childhood
• Paper Towns by John Green for book that became a movie (which I totally want to see)
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a book that got bad reviews, which still amazes me

When I first started reading Gatsby, I was annoyed by the shallow characters and their vapid lifestyles. I came close to putting it down and moving on to the next book on my list. I'm glad I didn't. The whole point of the book was to illustrate just how shallow and vapid those people were, how having money made them into pretty much horrible human beings. Only Jay Gatsby, and to a lesser extent Nick, had any redeeming qualities, any humanity at all. Even now it's very timely and indicative of how the current ruling corporate class feels about the rest of us. I plan to check out the Baz Lurhmann adaptation of the book as I hear it is well worth watching and captures the spirit of the story if not the exact details.

My next book for the challenge will be either Looking for Alaska by John Green or one of the Bronte classics. I'll be using Armada for my book that came out this year instead of Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee as I've heard lots of negative feedback that make me hesitate to read it. Apparently the representation of Atticus Finch in the sequel isn't very flattering and I don't want to ruin a story I love by tarnishing the image of the hero. And I really can't invest time in a book that is sure to piss me off by making said hero into a racist, especially after what made him a hero was to stand up against societal pressure of the time, to not be a bigot like his friends and neighbors. No thanks. I get enough disgusting racism and hate in the news and on social media without putting it in my relaxation time too. Okay, rambling done for now. I'll be back very soon with a new Cozy Mystery Monday review and the review for Armada. I'm also sorely lacking in reviews for all the great stuff I got from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. Off to read lots!