Welcome to the Monkeyhouse

Every time I re-read this I fall in love with it all over again. Honestly one of my favorite Vonnegut books, his short stories are masterful and stick with you. Each one of the twenty five short stories in this collection are well worth a read and pack a punch. Some of my favorites are Harison Bergeron, Who Am I This Time, The Foster Portfolio, and hell, who am I kidding? I love all of them! This collection is a great introduction to anyone who has never read Vonnegut. It's got some sci-fi, romance, satire, and intrigue. Of course there is his famous black humour and hoosier-isms packed in throughout. A personal favorite that ages well and always reads well.

A Christmas Story

Simply the best Christmas tale. Why did I wait so long to read this?! I grew up loving the movie and being proud that it was written by a Hoosier who lovingly wrote about where I grew up (the "region"). Reading this collection of short stories (taken from another short story collection by Jean Shepherd) that inspired the cult classic Christmas movie, I was in awe of how truly funny it was. I literally laughed out loud on multiple occasions much to the annoyance of my cats. I can't praise it enough. It's fantastic and I want to reread it every holiday season. It's too damn good to read just once. For fans of the movie adaptation, humor, and Hoosiers. Not to be missed!

The Fault in Our Stars

So I've already read "The Fault in our Stars" and written a review for it (in 2013) but in light of the movie coming out and it being our chosen read for book club I just HAD to reread it. And let me tell you what. It was just as good the second time around! I still ugly cried all over it. Augustus is amazing. Hazel is amazing. Their romance is amazing. Their banter is amazing. Everything about this damned book is amazing. I could quote it all day long. It's beautifully written. It really truly is. If you haven't read it yet, what in the hell are you waiting for?!? Go get a copy now! But be warned if you go to the library to get it, you're going to have a bit of a wait. My library system has nearly 30 copies and there is still a waiting list of about 60 people. Just goes to show you what good advertising movie adaptations are for books. Seeing the movie tonight with my Reading Between the Wines Book Club. Can't freaking wait!

Looking for Alaska

STUPID FEELINGS! Why John Green why?!? Why do you lure me in with your beautifully flawed characters, witty dialogue, and the wonder of searching for the great perhaps only to stomp on my feeble little heart?!?!?! Why?!?

That being said. I loved the shit out of this book. It was perfect. I loved every single character. They were perfect, and by perfect, I mean faithful representations of flawed human teenagers, invincible, convincing, and full of wonderment.

Miles Halter (aka Pudge) leaves behind his parents and exciting friendless life, to go to a boarding school in hopes of finding the great perhaps. He immediately becomes best friends with his roommate, the Colonel, and is introduced to an exciting group of kids, Lara (the exotic foreigner), Takumi, and Alaska, the most intoxicating girl he's ever met. Together they make the school year more exciting, pulling pranks, smoking cigarettes, reading, drinking, and questioning their lives. It's a wonderful coming of age story. John Green understands teenagers better that I did when I was one. His narration and dialogue is spot on.

An absolute must read. You'll laugh and cry (although not as badly as in "The Fault in Our Stars") and want to go read every single word ever written by John Green. Also, he mentions Kurt Vonnegut several times in the story, a fitting tribute to a fellow Hoosier author.

The Fault in our Stars

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I totally would. Holy hell it was fabulous. So amazing in fact that I almost became enraged at my grandmother for interupting my reading so I could get her some much needed groceries. I did not want to put it down, I read it in 1 day. Spoiler alert, this book will make you have emotions. You will care for these characters more than any others you've read in a long long time. And you will cry, if you don't it's possible you have no soul. I sobbed/bawled my way through the last 50 pages. My eyes were on fire (thanks mascara), my hair was soggy, and I'm pretty sure I was the epitome of beauty (not!). This book made me FEEL and I haven't had a book do that in a while. I literally cannot stop thinking about this book, it's just too good.

I will attempt to decribe this book without giving too much away or making it sound depressing. The story follows Hazel, a sixteen year old girl with terminal cancer. Her best friends are her parents and she hasrelaxed into a routine that involves not doing much of anything. Her parents desperate to get her out of the house make her go to a cancer support group for kids and it is there that she meets Augustus. Augustus is in remission but his battle made him lose a leg. He doesn't dwell on it though, he uses his charm (and good looks) to befriend Hazel. In no time at all they're inseperable, they read the same books, help their friend Isaac get through the loss of his eyesight, and try to make the best out of being sick. I think I enjoyed this book so much because it isn't about the poor sick little cancer kid that needs to be pitied, this is the other side if the story, this is what it is really like for these kids living with cancer. They don't need to be pitied, they need to be understood.

Again, this is a must read. It is without a doubt added to my list of all time favorites and I cannot wait to read his other works. Side note, for all you Hoosiers or Vonnegut lovers, there is a Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. reference in here. So it goes :)

So It Goes...

As usual Kurt Vonnegut never fails to let me down and writes a witty and poignant novel about characters to which everyone can relate. His cynicism and odd sense of humor always makes me laugh and this book was no exception. This novel follows the story of Walter F. Starbuck as he is released from jail and tries to make sense of what the hell happened to his life. It's funny, witty, insightful and a must read for everyone. Personally, I can't get enough of Vonnegut which is why I have to dole out his works slowly, because I know once I read all of his works that's that. No more books from my favorite Hoosier author, as such I have to pace myself to enjoy his books slowly. Thankfully there's a lot of good autobiographies out there. So it goes.