A New Book

I finished Epic, and I've spent a while thinking about why I really didn't like it.  It's an adventure story, but I didn't get the buildup of tension as I was reading it.  It seemed more like they had three different adventures that they completed.  For example, in The Knife of Never Letting Go, the kids just kept getting deeper and deeper into more and more problems and the tension built up to the end (where we are left HANGING for the second book, which I wasn't happy about, but that's another story.)  In this book, I just kept waiting to see what happened, so that I could get on to my next book.  Which I have done . . .

Gentlemen, by Michael Northrop.  I love this cover--that's what drew my attention.  It's interesting because when I was searching for an image of this book, I came upon a blog by the author of how this cover was chosen.  He's lucky the folks at Scholastic are so smart, because the final product is MUCH better than the original one.  Anyway, the premise of the book is that a high school boy from "the wrong side of the tracks" disappears and his friends begin to suspect their weird remedial English teacher.  They are reading Crime and Punishment (yea, I know that would never happen in a remedial English class) and that definitely influences their conclusions about their missing friend.  It's a unique premise, a quick read, and a good book for boys. 

New Book Time

I really liked Jenna Fox, but I'm not sure why.  It was certainly far-fetched, but I guess it was believable enough that it kept me engaged.  I really didn't figure out what was going on until it was revealed, which I guess was also part of the entertainment.  It is a quick read, and even though a bit sci-fi, it does begin to explore some moral issues.

Now I am going to read The China Study:  The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted, by T. Colin Campbell, and Thomas M. Campbell II.  We have been trying to eat healthier -- given our high cholesterol and my husband's recent diagnosis if diabetes, so I thought maybe this book, recommended by a friend, would help motivate me.

The next book . . .

I loved Splendor, of course.  I just love historical fiction, then you add romance to that and I'm there!  I wasn't totally happy with the ending, but still was a very entertaining read.

Now I'm reading The Adoration of Jenna Fox.  17-year-old girl wakes from a coma after a year and has to re-learn everything about herself.  She doesn't remember her family and can't feel emotion.  But something else is going on . . . .

Thank God I'm starting a new book .. .

Before I Die was heartwrenching.  It was a very well-written book that dealt with a teenager's fight through a terminal illness in a very realistic way.  I could feel her emotions, and the romance made it all the more tender.  Be warned, though.  You will cry -- for quite a while at the end of the book.

And now for something lighter -- Spendor, by Anna Godbersen, the fourth book in The Luxe series.  I love historical romance, and I loved the first three books in this series, so I'm looking forward to this one!

Another book started ...

What to say about Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society?  It was wonderful.  A very feel-good, uplifting book, but also sad.  It tells of a period of time and a place during and just after WWII that few people know about.  Definitely recommended reading.

I've started  Before I Die, by Jenny Downham, and I suspect it won't be quite as uplifting.  It's about a dying 16-year-old girl who has a list of things to do before she dies -- the first is to have sex, of course.  The flap says its "uplifting, life-affirming, joyous" so maybe I'll be surprised.

Finally Finished

I finished Gone with mixed feelings.  I thought the second half of the book was very exciting.  The book took so long to get going though, and I really thought the kids were portrayed as being very "stupid."  All the adults are gone, and it takes them four or five days to think about checking the houses for infants that might be helpless???  The entire first third of the book is about finding Astrid's autistic brother, and it doesn't occur to them that there may be others that need assistance.  Also, how long would it take most 12 to 15-year-olds to try to drive a car?  Most teenagers I know would have been hopping in all those cars within hours, not fearfully, after days of contemplation.  I just thought that the teenagers behaved, especially at the beginning of the book, like seven-year-olds.

I'm getting ready to start The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  This one has been on my list for a long time, and my daughter just finished it and said, "Mom, you have to read this, you will really like it!"  So, I will.

New Book

I finished Airhead.  It was OK, but kind of crazy, in a Freaky Friday sort of way.  Also, leaves a lot of loose ends for the sequal to resolve.  I really don't appreciate that.  Not nearly as good as the Princess Diaries.

The next book is  Gone by Michael Grant.  No adults, no technology.  Just children are left.  What's gonna happen?

A New Book - Already!

Part-Time Indian was a very quick read.  Actually finished it Friday, but haven't had time to post.  It's an entertaining story about an American Indian who leaves the rez to go to an all-white school, so he can better himself.  A quick look at life on the reservation and the hardships that are faced.  The main character actually is eventually accepted by the kids at the white school, so that sends a hopeful message, in this day when we hear so much about how pervasive bullying is in schools.

Now I'm on to Airhead by Meg Cabot.  I understand that this book has a far-fetched plot (brain transplants) by I trust Meg Cabot to make it work.  The awkward, unattractive, unpopular girl ends up in the body of a supermodel.  This book is also the "first in a series," so that always makes me worry.  As long as there is an ENDING to this book that's OK.  I don't like one book, one plot, that is chopped into three pieces.  I read so much and try to choose a variety, that I very rarely read past the first book in a series.  Exceptions:  Harry Potter, Twilight, and Luxe.  I'll let you know what I think of this one.

New Book

I'm now reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.  I know it's not a new book, but it has taken me a while to get to it. It was a National Book Award winner, so it's been popular.

I really liked The Season.  I would recommend it to fans of the Luxe series, but others also.  This book has more of a mystery associated with it, although it takes a while for the mystery part to get going.

Began a new book

I really liked The Lost Symbol. I thought it was very exciting -- a page turner.  I just didn't care for the last 50 pages, after the climax of the book, that seemed to go on and on.  I thought it was kind of preachy.  As with all of Dan Brown's books, now I want to visit the setting (in this case Washington D.C., where I've been probably 8 times) and go to all of the places he talks about.

I've started The Season, by Sarah MacLean.  I thought it sounded like the Luxe series, which I loved.  Takes place in the 1850s and is about three girls who are experiencing their "coming out" season.  I'll let you know.