It was back to work last week, but since I'm only teaching once a week, I have major down time, for which I'm very grateful. It's been filled with a lot of home projects and shuttling the kiddies back & forth to their various activities - but has also involved some major reading time.
(Photo Credit: That Covergirl)

Weekly Reading Under the Graffiti Moon And On The Jellicoe Road

Graffiti Moon, Cath Crowley.
Setting: Melbourne, Australia.
It's the end of Year 12. Lucy's looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about. His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere. Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow's thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls. But the one thing Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

It should be known that I'm not really a fan of contemporary young adult novels, because I usually can't relate to the decisions these teens make in these stories. YET I loved this book! The story is beyond beautiful - funny, sad, romantic, cute, deep & meaningful, all at the same time. The action takes place in one night - and so much happens - yet it doesn't feel rushed, or too much. Crowley did an excellent job weaving this story of friends that are looking towards what their future might be after finishing high school. The characters became my friends too - so complex, yet vulnerable. And the details on graffiti art and the art of glass blowing were phenomenal and beautifully done too (I'm so overusing that word, but it is so appropriate). Towards the end the were any moments when I laughed to myself while reading, and the ending left me with a satisfied smile on my face. (Amazon| Goodreads)

Jellicoe Road, Melinda Marchetta.
Setting: Australia (600km from Sydney)
Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was 11, Taylor Markham, now 17, is finally being confronted with her past. Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, so Taylor is trying work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does.

This is another contemporary young adult book that was absolutely adorable! It's written so beautifully, that I couldn't help but fall in love with it like everyone else. It's sad & heart-wrenching but at the same time, touching and sweet. There's heart-ache & loss, but also the developing of new friendships & love. This book is just raw & emotional. And yes - it's confusing at the beginning because there are 2 different stories taking place and the author left it up to us to figure out what was happening with a slow unraveling - something that not everyone will like. In fact - I didn't, but I kept reading because of the book's emotional power, and everything that's revealed just blew my mind. Truly a really interesting book - if you're not loving it at first, just keep going and I promise you will be rewarded with an amazing story. (Amazon| Goodreads)

Currently Reading and Next

Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3), George R. R. Marin. Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. (Amazon| Goodreads)

Insurgent (Divergent #2), Veronica Roth. One choice can transform you, or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves - and herself - while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. (Amazon | Goodreads)

I'll probably be on that 900+ page George Martin book for the next few weeks. Any big books in your summer reading plans?
- Linked to It's Monday, What Are You Reading @ Book Journey