Books I've read (mid-April through June)
20. The Compound S. A. Bodeen **** (reread, read with Chriss) The first time I read this, I really wanted to know what was going on, so I read it as fast as I could. This time around, we went a bit slower so I was able to gain a greater appreciation for just how screwed up the dad is. I also have a greater appreciation for Eli’s emotional growth throughout the book. It’s definitely one freaky story.
21. My Unfair Godmother Janette Rallison ***** I love these books! They’re so much fun. The first book, My Fair Godmother, is still my favorite of the two, but this one is still great. The parts with Robin Hood were fun, but I especially loved how the story of Rumplestiltskin really got turned on its head. I’ve always been a sucker for fairy tale retellings, but these books are in a category all on their own. They’re books I wish I’d thought of, but since I didn’t, at least I can have fun reading them.
22. Turtle in Paradise Jennifer L. Holm *** Turtle’s voice really drew me in with this book. It’s so distinct and fun to read and it feel true to the time period. I also liked the 1935/Great Depression era details. They fit in so seamlessly and made it feel real, but it didn’t take over the story. There were some scenes that felt a bit rushed to me and because of that, they felt less like they belonged and more like, “hey, this would be a cool scene to have.” There’s a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming, but when I thought about it, I felt like I should have seen it miles away. There’s also a part at the end that I did see come miles away and I was sad that not much more was done with it. I have mixed feelings about the ending but can’t say much more than that without giving things away.
23. City of Bones Cassandra Clare **** I liked this far more than I thought I would. It’s got great world-building, nicely complex characters, and tons of tension. Even though I figured out of some of the twists ahead of time, I was still surprised by how they worked out. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.
24. Princess for Hire Lindsey Leavitt ***** (reread) This is such a fun, light read, but what I love most about it is how much depth there is in it. The character growth and emotional depth is fantastic.
25. The Royal Treatment Lindsey Leavitt ***** I liked this one even better than the first one. It has the same light, fun feel to it with an awesome combination of character growth and emotional depth. I really like the direction this series is going and I can’t wait for the next book.
26. The Throne of Fire Rick Riordan **** I really like this series so far and this is a great sequel to The Red Pyramid. It’s fast paced with tons of action and adventure and it also has some great character development. I liked seeing Sadie and Carter grow even more from the first book. I can’t wait to read the next one.
27. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Jeff Kinney *** (read with T) T LOVED this book and wants me to get the next one right away. He loved the cartoons and the story itself. I thought it was pretty good, but there were many times when I didn’t like Greg’s attitude or the way he treated Rowley. But then again, I remember being that age and there were times I had that attitude too (though I was never mean to my friends like that) and I remember plenty of other kids in my class who were self-absorbed like that too. I guess it brought back too many middle school memories and I’m convinced middle school is a horrible experience that no kid should have to live through. So in that respect, Jeff Kinney did a great job of capturing the experience. It also provided me a great opportunity to talk to T about what a true friend does and doesn’t do.
28. Please Ignore Vera Dietz A.S. King **** First of all, this book is beautifully written. Secondly, it definitely tugs at the heartstrings. I loved seeing Vera’s relationship with her father grow. As a parent, I didn’t agree with many of his choices but I could see where he was coming from and the fact that he tried as hard as he did gets kudos from me. I could definitely relate to Vera’s “Please ignore Vera Dietz” signal she sent out at school because I did the same thing in school, but for different reasons. I like the way the book spoke out against bullies and keeping bad secrets. I also like the way the story unfolded and the chance to see deeper into the characters.
29. Blood Magic Tessa Gratton **** This was really good and really creepy. Lots of tension, great character development, tons of emotion. There were many places where the emotional element was so well done that I wished I’d written it. I liked the multiple POV’s, especially the journal entries.
30. Hunger Jackie Morse Kessler *** This was a good book, but very difficult to read for many of the same reasons that Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson was hard for me to read. It’s a very honest book and eating disorders are very difficult subject. And having heard Jackie Kessler’s personal story before I read Hunger, made it even more real and honest for me. The four horsemen of the apocalypse was a very cool twist and worked very well with the subject matter. There were also tons of brilliantly written lines that really showcased her talent.
31. Rage Jackie Morse Kessler *** This one was really good too, and like Hunger, also a difficult read because of how honest and raw it is. There were so many times when my heart broke for Missy, the main character. The poor girl went through a lot and dealt with some pretty heavy-duty pain. This is also a really good book for speaking out against bullying.
32. Cloaked Alex Flinn **** I really liked her other fairy tale retellings and this was no exception. She did a great job of weaving several different fairy tales together and making them feel like one story.
21. My Unfair Godmother Janette Rallison ***** I love these books! They’re so much fun. The first book, My Fair Godmother, is still my favorite of the two, but this one is still great. The parts with Robin Hood were fun, but I especially loved how the story of Rumplestiltskin really got turned on its head. I’ve always been a sucker for fairy tale retellings, but these books are in a category all on their own. They’re books I wish I’d thought of, but since I didn’t, at least I can have fun reading them.
22. Turtle in Paradise Jennifer L. Holm *** Turtle’s voice really drew me in with this book. It’s so distinct and fun to read and it feel true to the time period. I also liked the 1935/Great Depression era details. They fit in so seamlessly and made it feel real, but it didn’t take over the story. There were some scenes that felt a bit rushed to me and because of that, they felt less like they belonged and more like, “hey, this would be a cool scene to have.” There’s a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming, but when I thought about it, I felt like I should have seen it miles away. There’s also a part at the end that I did see come miles away and I was sad that not much more was done with it. I have mixed feelings about the ending but can’t say much more than that without giving things away.
23. City of Bones Cassandra Clare **** I liked this far more than I thought I would. It’s got great world-building, nicely complex characters, and tons of tension. Even though I figured out of some of the twists ahead of time, I was still surprised by how they worked out. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.
24. Princess for Hire Lindsey Leavitt ***** (reread) This is such a fun, light read, but what I love most about it is how much depth there is in it. The character growth and emotional depth is fantastic.
25. The Royal Treatment Lindsey Leavitt ***** I liked this one even better than the first one. It has the same light, fun feel to it with an awesome combination of character growth and emotional depth. I really like the direction this series is going and I can’t wait for the next book.
26. The Throne of Fire Rick Riordan **** I really like this series so far and this is a great sequel to The Red Pyramid. It’s fast paced with tons of action and adventure and it also has some great character development. I liked seeing Sadie and Carter grow even more from the first book. I can’t wait to read the next one.
27. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Jeff Kinney *** (read with T) T LOVED this book and wants me to get the next one right away. He loved the cartoons and the story itself. I thought it was pretty good, but there were many times when I didn’t like Greg’s attitude or the way he treated Rowley. But then again, I remember being that age and there were times I had that attitude too (though I was never mean to my friends like that) and I remember plenty of other kids in my class who were self-absorbed like that too. I guess it brought back too many middle school memories and I’m convinced middle school is a horrible experience that no kid should have to live through. So in that respect, Jeff Kinney did a great job of capturing the experience. It also provided me a great opportunity to talk to T about what a true friend does and doesn’t do.
28. Please Ignore Vera Dietz A.S. King **** First of all, this book is beautifully written. Secondly, it definitely tugs at the heartstrings. I loved seeing Vera’s relationship with her father grow. As a parent, I didn’t agree with many of his choices but I could see where he was coming from and the fact that he tried as hard as he did gets kudos from me. I could definitely relate to Vera’s “Please ignore Vera Dietz” signal she sent out at school because I did the same thing in school, but for different reasons. I like the way the book spoke out against bullies and keeping bad secrets. I also like the way the story unfolded and the chance to see deeper into the characters.
29. Blood Magic Tessa Gratton **** This was really good and really creepy. Lots of tension, great character development, tons of emotion. There were many places where the emotional element was so well done that I wished I’d written it. I liked the multiple POV’s, especially the journal entries.
30. Hunger Jackie Morse Kessler *** This was a good book, but very difficult to read for many of the same reasons that Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson was hard for me to read. It’s a very honest book and eating disorders are very difficult subject. And having heard Jackie Kessler’s personal story before I read Hunger, made it even more real and honest for me. The four horsemen of the apocalypse was a very cool twist and worked very well with the subject matter. There were also tons of brilliantly written lines that really showcased her talent.
31. Rage Jackie Morse Kessler *** This one was really good too, and like Hunger, also a difficult read because of how honest and raw it is. There were so many times when my heart broke for Missy, the main character. The poor girl went through a lot and dealt with some pretty heavy-duty pain. This is also a really good book for speaking out against bullying.
32. Cloaked Alex Flinn **** I really liked her other fairy tale retellings and this was no exception. She did a great job of weaving several different fairy tales together and making them feel like one story.