Hey Everyone! Love the title? I’m so clever…
I hope you all had a great weekend! Today’s my last day here in Kansas City, so I spent my weekend away from my computer and just enjoying my time in KC and with my family! If you were also off enjoying your weekend and missed any of my weekend posts, here’s a recap:
A Middlesex Book Review and an awesome movie theater
Some great quotes about having faith
Yesterday, I went on a run with my dad! The weather was pretty good (although still a little warm to me for a 1pm run), and we had a great time! I didn’t wear headphones, bring my phone, or wear my garmin! I just went out there with my dad and chatted away while we ran 4 miles around our neighborhood in KC. My dad has a route that he runs every weekend, so I just followed him!
One thing that I’ve learned since moving to Chicago is how nice it is just to walk places! Kansas City isn’t much of a walking city, we always drive to get anywhere we want, and if we go on a walk it’s just around the neighborhood.
However, I looked it up on Google Maps and discovered that Brookside, which is an area of shops and restaurants, is only a 1 mile walk from my apartment! I’ve walked there a couple times since I went home and I went there yesterday as well.
I headed back to the Roasterie to get a Café au Lait with almond milk and work on reading a book: Wither! I’d been dying to read this book since Julie on Peanut Butter Fingers mentioned it, and I really enjoyed it!
Wither, written by Lauren DeStafano, is the first book in a triolgoy she calls Chemical Garden. It is a dystopic novel (I know, I know) centered around a 16-year old girl named Rhine who is kidnapped and taken to to be a bride, far away from her home with her twin brother, Rowan, in New York. In the story, the human race thought they had developed children that would be free of all disease. However, when these children, called the First Generation, had their own children, that generation had a much more shortened lifespan. Men only lived to 25, and women to 20 years old. Which meant that Rhine only had 4 years of life left.
When she is kidnapped and taken as a bride, she befriends her two other sister wives, while vowing to escape and return to her brother. She discovers that her father in law is performing medical experiments in the basement of the mansion in which they live.
I enjoyed the book because it was an interesting story in which you get very invested in the characters. You learn to fall in love with all three sister wives, although they are all very different. Lauren DeStafano has a great way of writing about people with flaws, but also showing their good side. Even Rhine’s husband becomes a sympathetic character when we learn that he is completely oblivious to the fact that these women were kidnapped from their homes, thinking that they grew up wanting to be brides.
Now don’t get me wrong, this is definitely an easy read (I finished it in a day) and meant to be read by younger crowd. But I definitely enjoyed that after reading Middlesex before this book! I’m already dying to read the next book, Fever. However, someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe the third book (she calls it a triology) has been published? I certainly can’t find it!
Well I hope you all have a great start to your weeks!
Are you a fan of books aimed at younger crowds, such as Harry Potter or Twilight?
Do you live somewhere that you walk everywhere, or mostly drive?
I dont really read books that are aimed for younger crowds since i dont get to read (lack of time) very often so I usually read specific literature or a book that cheers me up or helps me focus again. I used to live in a small village when i grew up and there was no way to get anywhere else without a car. i live in vienna now and cant imagine living in a village anymore. i like visiting home, but after a few days I miss being able to walk everywhere!
I think I’d be a little more picky too if I needed to, but when summer hits I love reading anything and everything! And yes, I also miss walking places while I’m here at home!
Thankfully I live in the city as well and do I usually walk places too. Or take the CTA. Cars aren’t needed much unless I’m in the burbs. But yeah, I’ve never heard of Wither. But I usually prefer books for my age bracket, although I did love Twilight (all of the books!) haha. Have a great Monday!
That’s what I love about Chicago, I don’t need a car to get anywhere! You have a great monday too, Kammie!
Loved Harry Potter & The Hunger Games, HATED Twilight with a passion.
Haha I haven’t read any of the Twilight series or seen the movies. From what I’ve heard I don’t think I’d like them.
I love dystopian novels and am always looking for new ones! Thanks for the review – I’m adding it to my list!
I hope you like it!
There’s a BBQ restaurant that I can walk to…and I don’t have to feel so guilty for eating ribs because I walked there, right? LOL
Haha exactly! That’s why I like to walk to the froyo place I go to in Chicago, it’s like 2 miles!
I’ve been interested in Wither since I saw Julie talk about it too. Thanks for the recap!
I really liked it!
i WISH we lived in a place that i could walk everywhere. i love walking! our house is in more of a rural place though so walking would take awhile to get to anywhere.
Haha I know what you mean, but then again, when I’m in Chicago I really miss having a car! I need to find somewhere with a happy medium!
I walk everywhere in Chicago. I used to have a car but ever since I left it in Michigan, I’ve been getting around primarily on foot. Also, if something is too far to walk, I try to bike it before using public transit. I figure it saves me money and gets me a little more exercise!
Oh gosh, I’m too scared to bike in Chicago! Too much traffic!
I’m not really a fan of books aimed at a younger crowd. I like books with characters I can relate to!
haha I guess I’m a kid at heart!
Fever was really interesting, though I think it could have been longer. I’m not the biggest fan of the male character she falls for, and it felt forced. Check out “The Selection” for a different kind of love story but still dystopian. I’m considering writing an article on dystopian females this summer and how they bring about a different type of female character that we haven’t seen in fiction since Buffy.
I’ve been wanting to get The Selection but I’ve only found it in hardback, so I’m waiting to get it from the library so I don’t have to pay so much!
I picked up Wither a few months ago, but am tied up with my book club’s pick “Freedom” by Johnathan Franzen. I highly recommend this book!
I’ll add it to my list!
You must live so close to Craig – he lives in Brookside (pretty much). I’ll have to try Roasterie! I think the only place we’ve been to eat in Brookside is The Brooksider. But I keep wanting to try Aixois for a morning brunch or something – it looks so cute!
I probably do live close to him!!! Although I live west, near State Line. You should totally try the Roasterie, it’s getting pretty popular in KC! Haha and the Brooksider is an interesting bar… I hope you try some other places! Bella Napoli is a good place for sandwiches (my dad loves them), Oak 63 is a great restaurant, and the Blue Grotto is a fun pizza place. Also, Jalepenos is good for mexican, although I haven’t been there in like 8 years… lol.
aww i love running with my dad too 🙂
Best way to start off the morning in my opinion.
definitely!
I live in NYC so I walk everywhere!! Although I rented a bike this weekend and had so much fun : )
bikes can be a blast, but I’d be afraid of traffic in a big city!
I was too- we actually have great bike lanes
Oh that’s nice! Chicago isn’t so great about that…
I got into the YA genre after reading Twilight and Hunger Games! I saw that Julie recommended Wither, and read it recently, it was good! I also liked her recommendation of Divergent, have you read that one?
Yes I have, I really want to read insurgent but I’m waiting to get it from the library rather than paying for the hard cover!
me too! i love getting books from the library, even if there is a wait 🙂
That sounds like a good book to read! I’ve been trying to walk more places lately–I love it! Have a good Monday 🙂
I LOVE that you went for a run with your dad. I just spent the weekend with my parents and I went for a run with my dad too – it’s one of the best things about being home with my parents!
One of my biggest complaints about LA and about KC is that it’s not very walkable when compared to other cities like Chicago and NY!
Definitely not, they’re just so much more spread out! Pros and cons I guess!
I have to drive most everywhere, but I typically walk to my sister’s house (she lives a little over a mile away) and to Starbuck’s on the weekend or the grocery store (again, about a mile away).
Yea where I live is similar, anything I’d be able to walk to is about a mile
I totally do the same thing. If I finish a particularly “heavy” book, I always follow up with something light and silly.
I am two miles from Brookside, so I mostly ride my bike there if I want. In fact, yesterday I rode my bike to the grocery store there! Very nice 🙂
As you probably know, I’m a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Big big big. I listen to podcasts, keep up on the casts’ current news, read the books almost annually… I just can’t get enough. Any book (or series) that can bring together nations of people is an amazing feat, in my opinion.
I didn’t even know there are Harry potter podcasts!!