Silent to the Bone

Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg

I read this for my Youth Lit book group at school. It was an entertaining book and I enjoyed it. This is a book that I think middle school and early high school boys would like if they gave it a chance.

started: September 12, 2007
finished: September 23, 2007

The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry

A really powerful book that's a bit of a cautionary tale. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. I had Bryan read it too and he thought it was wonderful too.

Lois Lowry's website

started: September 4, 2007
finished: September 10, 2007

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

A Judy Blume classic. I remember reading this in fifth grade. It was a godsend back then and I'm sure is a godsend for girls today. I love how honest this book is even with it being over 30 years old. So many girls are still dealing with the issues in this book.

started: August 31,2007
finished: September 3, 2007

Eclipse

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

I plowed through the first two books in the Twilight series. This one took me a little longer. I still enjoyed it but I think I liked Twilight and New Moon better. It didn't help me that I was starting school in the middle of reading this book and had other books that I need to read for school too.

started: August 10, 2007
finished: August 31, 2007

Heat

Heat by Mike Lupica

I read this for my Children's Lit class. It was definitely than I would normally read. I enjoyed the baseball aspect of this book but I think someone who wasn't familiar with baseball may not have enjoyed it as much.

started: August 23, 2007
finished: August 25, 2007

Peeps

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

I think I enjoyed Uglies more. Plus I'd read so much vampire fiction by Stephenie Meyer this summer that this vampire novel just didn't work well with me at this particular moment. I was so anxious for Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer to come out that I think I would have enjoyed this more if I'd read it another time.

started: August 3, 2007
finsihed: August 9, 2007

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I can't believe I actually finished this book so quickly. The 734 pages were intimidating until I realized how quickly I'd flown through them. I think this is my favorite Harry Potter so far.

July 22-30, 2007

New Moon

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

I read a significant part of this book in one day. Literally, I read the entire day that I finished it. I can't wait for the next book Eclipse to come out next month. I honestly don't remember being this crazy over a series of books, that feeling of absolutely HAVING to read the next book or else.

The Uglies

The Uglies

An entertaining read. It made me think about what we're leaving behind as far as our buildings and trash. Are we going to be seen as the Rusties in this book in about 100 years? Also a very interesting idea of genetic modification of people after they're already alive.

July 10-16, 2007

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Well, I have jumped on the Harry Potter bandwagon recently. Several years ago I read the first two Harry Potter books. After being disappointed with the second book, I've had no desire to pick up the third one until now. Our library is having a Harry Potter party and I'm working the circ desk that night. I can't help but get caught up in the excitement of all of the anticipation. I'm slowly working my way through the book only because I've been working on my baby quilt and other sewing projects. If I plan to be a young adult/teen librarian after finishing school, these are must-read books for me.

I plowed through this book and plan on reading at least two more before school starts in August.

July 3-10, 2007

Twilight

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

A great vampire love story between a normal human girl and a vampire that she meets at school.
Can't wait to read the next book. There's no wonder this book and the next one, New Moon, are so popular. This is such a fun book.

Books like this really make me excited that there are such great books out there for teenagers. It really gives me hope that we won't have a generation of kids that are so plugged in that they can't enjoy the pleasure of sitting down and reading a book in a quiet room.

June 21-July 3, 2007

American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yan
This has been the summer of YA/teen books for me again as they are the perfect summer reading books. They have great stories and don't get really hung up in some of the stuff that adult books get hung up in, plus they are quick reads. Two other books that I've really enjoyed in the last few weeks are American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang was the winner of the Winner of the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award, which is the award for excellence in young adult literature. It's a graphic novel and one of the best graphic novels I've read. Bryan and I really enjoyed it and both highly recommend it.

(2007 Michael L. Printz Award winner, National Book Award Finalist)

Dicey's Song

Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt

I book I'd wanted to read when I was younger but didn't. I'm glad I read it now, it's a classic YA book.

started: May 25, 2007
finished: June 5, 2007

Sold

Sold by Patricia McCormick

I read a lot and rarely does one book make me want to tell the entire world about it. Yes, there was Prep but this book is different. This is one of those books that everyone should read. I started it on Wednesday night and have been so drawn in by the character that I’m already half-way through. The book is Sold by Patricia McCormick. It’s an important story about a girl from Nepal, who thinks she is going to work as a maid in the city, only to find out the hard way that she’s been sold to a brothel. After arriving at the brothel, she dreams about her pet goat which almost had me in tears because I can’t imagine the horror of being sold to a brothel and being torn away from everything I love, my family and my kitties. The character is drawn from many women that the author interviewed in India and Nepal, who have been sold into brothels in India. It’s a horrifying reality for millions of girls in poor countries and has been getting a lot of attention in recent years. Last night as I was lying in bed reading it, I was thinking, “I am so lucky to be born in this country.”

If you’re looking for your next book to read, I highly recommend Sold. It’s a book that’s a must-read for everyone and one that is one of those books that is heart-breaking but very important to read.

started: February 7, 2007
finished: February 9 or 10, 2007

Waves

Waves by Sharon Dogar

Another ALA Midwinter in Seattle book from the Scholastic table. Really good, I hope this book does well. Parts of it dragged a bit, but the story definitely kept my attention. The twists in this book were completely unexpected and I totally didn't see them coming. The book is about Hal whose sister, Charley, is in a coman after a surfing accident that seems a bit mysterious since it happens so close to dawn. Hal hears Charley's thoughts in his head and she helps him find out what happened to her. It sounds strange but it's so well done.

started: January 26, 2007
finished: February 6, 2007

Plain Janes

Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg

An advanced reader's copy of a graphic novel that I picked up at ALA Midwinter in Seattle. It's the first in a series of girl-centered graphic novels that DC Comics is putting out. I really enjoyed this and Bryan did too. I look forward to reading other books that are part of this series.

started: January 20, 2007
finished: January 21, 2007

Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska by John Green

An excellent book. Definitely a recommended book.

Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award, 2006

started: January 2, 2007
finished: January 19, 2007

Elsewhere

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the author's idea of the after-life and how we're reincarnated.

started: September 27, 2006
finished: October 4, 2006

Pieces of Georgia

Pieces of Georgia by Jennifer Bryant

This is an interesting book. It's written as if it's a journal written by the main character to her dead mother. It was an enjoyable book but not something that was extremely memorable partly because I read Love Walked In right before it.

My sixteenth book of the summer (books read between Memorial Day and Labor Day).

August 30-September 3, 2006

The Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life

The Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt

I really loved this book. It's about a 16-year-old girl who was adopted and her birth mother suddenly wants to get in contact with her. This was a really good book about family and what your family means to you. I'm not adopted but I identified with some of what the main character goes through in her thinking about her religion and why she believes the way she believes.
A really good young adult novel.

August 13-17, 2006