What have I been reading?

I have all of these wonderful friends and family reading and reviewing books for me, I guess I should share some of the pages I've been turning.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson - Strong females, laughter and secrets!  It's Joshilyn Jackson, you have to read it!!!

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - The cold and unforgiving wilderness of 1920s Alaska - a middle-aged childless couple - a snow child - love and hope.  Just released by Hachette!  It's already a hit.  Read it for your book club, share with your mom or sister!

The Perfect Gentleman by Imran Ahmad - "A Boy Meets the West" - The personal and hilarious and eye-opening journey of a Pakistani bonny baby through his years growing up in England.  I actually learned what it is to think like a man (scary).  Author is doing a 50-city driving tour - he's driving himself - May - June 2012.  Release date of April 2012 by Hachette.

SHINE SHINE SHINE by Lydia Netzer

Reviewed by Billie Jo E.
Published by Macmillan (St. Martin's Press)
Release date July 2012

5 *****
Wanted to keep reading to see what would be revealed next!  Well-written flashback scenes (which can be confusing sometimes but not in this case).  Kept me interested all the way to the end!

(Sexual content but limited and written well.)

Carry the One by Carol Anshaw

Guest Review by Helen D. (thanks!)
Published by Simon & Schuster Adult
Available March 2012

Carry the One is the story of a shared tragedy between a group of friends and
how each one of them deals with it.  Carol Anshaw does a masterful job of
portraying the dance of the friends away from and back again toward one another. 
This is a story of struggle to make life meaningful, to make love attainable, to
make pain go away.  There are moments of discovery and insight, always
overshadowed by a life that 'could have been.'

Good book.  Well written.  I look forward to reading some of Anshaw's other
works.

Guest Review - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

published by HarperCollins Children's Books

Review by Judy:

Ivan’s story is captivating and imaginative, a real page-turner. The format of short chapters with pithy titles is refreshing.  Ivan, Stella and the other animals hold a mirror up for humans to see themselves in a new light. It would be a wonderful read-aloud story.

I would give it a 5 (out of 5).

Guest Reviews

I received and am very thankful for many books at Winter Institute 7 in New Orleans.  The books were provided by numerous publishers and many were signed by the authors at the wonderful author reception.  I could and would read them all (approx. 40) if I was able to ignore my hubby, family and friends with a guilt free conscience.  Instead, I've divvied them up among several friends and family to read and review. Thank you all!!  (I plan on reading them too but in increments.)

 

Here is the first review back from my youngest reader, Sarah, and her mom's perspective of the workbook:

 

I give the book Summer Fit: Exercises for the Brain and Body While Away From School** five stars !  I really like it because it has interesting stories and fun things to do like math problems and counting by fives, tens, twos, and ones and games with compound words.  Love, Sarah

As a parent, I like the book because it seems like something fun to do rather than work, and it is a good way for a child to keep up with their skills during the summer break.

 

**Summer Fit is an activity/workbook series for pre-K through 5th grade and is is published by Midpoint Trade Books.

Quick Takes on Books You SHOULD Read

All of the below are Taleastic, which means awesome!

Pure by Julianna Baggott - Pressia, Bradwell, Partridge, El Capitan (Helmud) - Beautiful, sexy, strong and characters with some of the deepest depth I've ever read.  Looking forward to riding with them into their next battle.   One will never see (or feel) the flutter of a bird's wings or hold a doll the same way after reading this post-apocalyptic novel about the battle between what appears to be and what is.  (Yes, I had to spell check apocalyptic.  And the speed at which I talk normally doesn't help when saying it to the author/publisher/fellow booksellers.) 

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga - If the title doesn't catch the darkest part of your thoughts, then the cover design will (yes, I do judge a book by it's cover (sometimes)).  Jazz is determined to not be his serial killer father.  But he was raised and taught by one of the most brilliant serial killers in history.  How to be a normal teenager?  Lyga takes you on a roller coaster of chills in I Hunt Killers and when you realize that there are only 5 pages left and the end is nowhere near, you are captured on that roller coaster with Jazz and Howie.  Are you strong enough to hunt a killer?

Both of the above can be enjoyed by mature young adults and adults.

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison

Oh, the anticipation of your first snog...you never get that feeling back.  I'm over doubly past 14 and coming of age but it would be awesome to be Tallulah Casey and starting an exciting summer at a liberal arts camp and be tall with knees to my chin and wearing squirrel slippers in my loft bed.  This is the book that put me all in a dither and using my imaginary Yorkshire accent.  If you're a 14 year old girl or a 60 year old girl, you should read this book and just do an Irish jig because you can.  Ms. Rennison's words made me realize that that young girl is still in their somewhere, I just have to learn to give in and let her out every now and again (the tears, uncontrollable laughter and dancing amongst the trees).  Oh and this is the beginning of a series...