Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

In my effort to read outside my comfort zone, and in celebration of going to Disneyworld, last week I read Cinder by Marissa Meyer for my “being lazy by the pool” read, and I was pleasantly surprised!

 

Cinder is a science-fiction take on Cinderella. So in other words, Cinder is a cyborg mechanic (duh). She meets Prince Kai when he needs his personal android fixed, and together they do their best to fight against Queen Levana, the cruel ruler of the Lunar Colony on the moon. There's a lot more complexity than what I just explained of course, and similar to the popular dystopian books these days, this book deals with themes of injustice, discrimination, loyalties, and so forth. I have to admit I was pretty skeptical about this type of remake, but when I continuously heard the title from kids, at conferences, and on-line, I figured I should jump on the bandwagon, and I'm happy to have read it.

Why you might like this book: Even though we all know futuristic books are so not my forte, and despite the fact I had to figure out the difference between a cyborg and an android (still a little fuzzy on that one), I really liked this take on a traditional fairytale. Growing up, I loved twists on old stories, like Ella Enchanted and Just Ella. I think Marissa Meyer did a nice job of leaving some of the traditional elements- the shoe, the ball, the wicked stepmother, etc- and still transporting me into a whole new world where I had no idea what might happen next. 

Why you might not like this book: Although I guess this is also in step with the original Cinderella story, I thought that the relationship between Cinder and Prince Kai progressed a little too quickly. Cinder’s certainly an awesome person –er, cyborg- but all of the sudden Prince Kai met her and started telling her his deepest fears and I thought that was a little much.

Similar Titles I’ve Read: Just Ella, Ella Enchanted, and Wicked

I would recommend this book to: All of the reviews on the cover of Cinder recommend this book to people who love fairy tales as well as Star Wars; in other words, everybody should like this book (right?)!

And of course, since this is Young Adult Lit, Cinder is a part of the Lunar Chronicles Series. Each story in the series focuses on a different fairytale protagonist. The first three- Cinder, Scarlet (Red Riding Hood), and Cress (Rapunzel)- are already out, but the final book Winter (Snow White) won’t be out until November 2015. Lots of time to read the first three books before then!

Book Review: Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres

I have never met someone who doesn’t like Ellen Degeneres. I mean, right? She’s real, she’s a good role model, and she’s hilarious- what’s not to like? When I worked part time, I used to be able to make it home from school almost every day to watch her talk show at 3pm. It was glorious.

Ellen Degeneres’ book Seriously… I’m Kidding ended up in my hands during our family’s annual Christmas Book Exchange. This is the third book Ellen has written, and, like her talk show, it is filled with silly quips, jokes, and well-meaning advice covered in ridiculous exaggeration.

Why you might like this book: Seriously… I’m Kidding is a very quick read and the chapters do not need to be read in any particular order. If you like Ellen’s personality and style of jokes, you will really enjoy this book. In fact, here is a glowing review from NPR.

Why you might not like this book: If you are looking for an inspirational, heartfelt memoir, this is definitely not it. I would have liked to see a little more seriousness in Ellen’s writing and was expecting to find out more about her as a person. As such, I would probably recommend the titles below if you’d like a little more meat to your female comedian reading; I found that Mindy Kaling and Tina Fey bared the souls a little bit more than Degeneres, while still maintaining a hilarious voice.

Similar Titles I’ve Read: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling and Bossy Pants by Tina Fey

I would recommend this book to: people looking for a quick beach read or in need of a laugh

Seriously… I’m Kidding is lighthearted, upbeat, and a fun, quick read. While this wasn't my favorite book of all time, I still love Ellen can't wait to see her host the Oscars on March 2!