Books - July 2014
1. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
It was o.k., nothing special. Didn't make me want to read any more in the series.
2. In the Cut by Susanna Moore
Creepy/weird & kind of gross. It has sex and mystery, but not good writing.
3. About a Boy by Nick Hornby
Not sure what the hype was about this book. I thought it was slow. The character of Will is way over-praised seeing as how he's basically a scam artist.
4. The Giver by Lois Lowry
My second favorite book ever. I love it so much. I wanted to re-read it before the movie botches it.
5. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Maybe if I had read this before I saw the movie (years ago), I would've like the book better. It just didn't seem as scary as I'd hoped.
6. Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
YA that relies on a past hidden/secret tragedy to lead the story. I liked it.
7. The Land of Stories 3: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer
I love these stories. Fairy tales are so good! However, this one ended with a major cliff-hanger & it will be a year, at least, before it's resolved!
8. House at the End of the Street by Lily Blake
Mystery/thriller. I read the book, then watched the movie - though the book was written based on the book. Good twist that played out well in my mind as I read the book; however, it didn't translate as well to screen.
9. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sàenz
One of the best books ever written, IMO. Ari & Dante are teenagers who come to meet, become best friends, & discover growing up, & figuring themselves out. Wonderful story.
10. Conversion by Katherine Howe
This was a cool story that connects the Salem Witch Trials to today and is based on a true story of girls who began having tics and other medical issues with no explanation. Fun read.
11. Doctor Who: The Shakespeare Notebooks by James Goss
No. I mean, maybe if I new more about Shakespeare I would have been more interested. This book basically puts the Doctor in some of Shakespeare's plays because the Doctor & Shakespeare knew one another.
12. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
I had to re-read this before the movie comes out this fall. Great trilogy, as a whole, and this one is a tear-jearker.
13. A Better World by Marcus Sakey
Second story in the Brilliance series. It took me a few chapters to get in to this story, but I ended up enjoy it and wondering what's going to happen next.
14. The Lowlands by Jhumpa Lahiri
I wasn't sure I'd really like this, but the descriptions of the settings were what really hooked me in - the story takes place in India (past and modern-day) and in Rhode Island. It's about family relations and what one will do to make a family work.
15. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Long. Loooonnnnnnggggggg. 771 in over-sized paperback. Very daunting. But, I loved it! Great story. However, I felt the last couple hundred pages were a little slow, though quite a bit happens. Definitely worthy of all the awards it receives.
16. Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
It was o.k. the connection to the lead character and "the passengers" wasn't really there, but at times it worked. Mainly about a teenager coming to terms with her sexuality.