TBR Tuesday

I got the idea for To Be Read Tuesday from Kori at Korianne Speaks (check out the site if you haven’t already. It’s awesome.) So thanks, Kori, for this.

I just got these from the library, and I look forward to reading them.


It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. This was recommended to me first by Devyn of Five Awesome YA Fans. He gave it a glowing review and called it one of the “three books I will tell everyone they have to read.” Here’s the synopsis from Barnes and Noble.

Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life-which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job-Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy.

At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. The stress becomes unbearable and Craig stops eating and sleeping-until, one night, he nearly kills himself. 



Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, isolated from the crushing pressures of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.

Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, has created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness. For a novel about depression, it's definitely a funny story.


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This one has been recommended to me by pretty much everyone. I’ve heard only positive things about it. I’ve kind of always meant to read it, and never gotten the chance. When I saw it at the library I broke down and got it instead of some other more impulsive stuff. Here’s Barnes and Noble’s description.

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .


Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.


Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. I’d actually never heard of this before my friend recommended it to me. She gave it such a great review, though, that it made me curious. She and I have very similar taste in books, so if she loved it, I figure I’ll probably enjoy it as well. Here’s what Barnes and Noble has to say about it.

The Earth is under attack and the survival of the human species depends on a military genius who can defeat the alien “buggers.” Recruited for military training, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin’s childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battle School. A reader’s guide is available for this Starscape edition—perfect for readers ten and up—of the beloved science fiction classic by best-selling author Orson Scott Card.

I look forward to reading these, and I’ll post as soon as I finish them to tell you what I thought.

Bibliobibula out.