Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

Judy Blume, the same woman who created Are You There God and tackled those uncomfortable teenage topics relating to sex and womanhood, has done it again.  This time in Summer Sisters she's tackling those topics for adults.  One website I found lists this book as Young Adult, I respectfully disagree.  This book had moments that made me blush and be uncomfortable, and I'm an adult.

In this novel, Judy is following two young ladies as they grow together through summers on Martha's Vineyard.  The two women experiment personally and sexually through the summers.  The book follows them into adulthood to see who they grow into and if they grow apart.

The topic itself intrigued me, I've had many great female friends who have influenced who I've become.  However, I can honestly say I've never been in the romantic situations these ladies put themselves into.  It clouded them for me, and made me hesitant to continue reading.  Overall, I'm giving this two smiles.  I think she went a little too far in relation to how they "experimented".

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

A Yearling publication aimed at 8-12 year olds, this one landed on my wishlist after a few new-to-reading students of mine suggested it.  Always eager to find out what has them reading, I finally managed to get my hands on a copy.  The book is inventive, creative, and fun. It centers around a boy who discovers doors that lead to other worlds in the attic of his Aunt and Uncle's house.  In the classic style of a book that will kick off a series of books, this one leaves many unanswered questions.  I can see why it was so enjoyable to teenagers and I would recommend it.  One word of caution, stick with it.  The beginning is a bit slow, but once it picks up it's hard to put down.

Three smiles for a slow beginning but a great ending (which earned a wink because I wasn't expecting it).

In the Woods by Tana French

In her debut novel, Tana French proves that she is a writing force.  Breaking into the mystery genre by following an Irish police squad as they solve a shocking murder, Ms. French weaves a story that rings truer than most detective novels.  The suspect is not caught quickly, the detectives do not immediately know who it is, the detectives are not perfect, they miss a few things that may have lead to solving things quicker, and you won't get all the answers you're looking for.

However, the novel is extremely well written. Tana is able to put you so aptly in the mind of Detective Ryan that you will believe you are one person. You begin to think like him, and you hurt when he hurts.  It's an amazing feat for a writer to give me something to wonderful in their first work,  and it lead me to immediately put her second work on my reading list.  Overall, highly recommended.

Zoo by James Patterson

Move over Planet of the Apes, there's a new what-if sci-fi book starring animals to worry me at night.  This time the story stars not only apes (although there's a really cool one in the book) but ALL THE ANIMALS ON THE PLANET.


The book takes shape quickly, but heads in a different direction than you are expecting.  Readers of the blog know that I'm a huge fan of surprises, so that was right on point for me.  I enjoyed every moment of the scientists putting their impressive brains together to attempt to find a solution to the massive global problem, and I put my faith in humans that they would do what needed to be done to solve it.

This is a book worth reading, no question about that.  Well done, as usual, Mr. Patterson.

Rosie by Alan Titchmarsh

This adorable English novel follows an old lady who wants to live life to its fullest every day, beginning the day she is arrested.  Rosie is a believable, yet hilarious character. She has crazy ideas of how best to invest money, what constitutes a practical car purchase, and even family.  Her brilliant grandson, Nick, is just trying to keep his life in order amidst all the chaos.   Three smiles for a fun fiction story that reminds us all to live a little while we can.

Artemis Fowl the Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer

The second installment of the Artemis Fowl series did not disappoint. It is packed with the same amazing writing that made us laugh and cringe in round one.  This book follows young Artemis on a quest to rescue his lost father. Holly, Butler, Root, and the gang all return to liven up the scene.  We may even see a decent side to this evil criminal mastermind. 4 smiles for this exciting sequel.

What Doesn't Kill You by Iris Johansen

In my humble opinion, the best books have characters you believe in. Characters you can imagine are living out these life stories somewhere. This book had 1 like that, and a bunch who just seemed fake. Have you ever met someone that seemed to be putting on a show? This is probably someone you wouldn't hang out with again, at least not by choice. Despite the great action is this story line, that feeling from the characters kind of ruined this book for me. However, the plot line was exciting.

Therefore, if you don't need characters to love a good story this is for you. You'll travel along with a CIA agent and an old Chinese apothecary as they hunt a vial that could have deadly consequences. Enjoy the high action story, then forget the characters.

Private Games by James Patterson

As James Patterson books go, Private has been my least favorite series. That doesn't mean that I do not enjoy them. On the contrary, readers of my blog know that my least favorite Patterson book is still among my favorite titles. But, I digress. Private Games was not like the other Private novels I have read. Jack was not a featured main character, although he certainly makes an appearance. This time we find ourselves in London for the summer Olympics. This book was fantastic, full of high energy and villains who are real enough to scare you. It was James at his best, for sure. It also brought in Greek mythology and that feel-proud-of-humanity Olympic spirit, so what's not to love? My only complaint about this book, it ended. Honestly, it was perfect from start to finish and I highly recommend it even for those among you who (gasp, be still my heart) may not be fans of James Patterson. He went outside his norm here, and scored the gold.

Summer Light by Luanne Rice

This one fell into my lap off someone's book shelf, an unexpected pleasure. There are many reasons I enjoyed this work of beautiful fiction. One, I adore hockey and appreciated the references to my favorite game. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the language used to create this novel is nothing short of amazing. Ms. Rice clearly spent time considering all ways to a present her ideas and choosing the one that painted the most vivid picture. I was not expecting much from this book, but it delivered.  This is now taking a spot of honor on my bookshelf among personal favorites to be reread. Bravo! 4 smiles for a beautiful story of strength.

True Believer by Nicholas Sparks

This is billed as a classic love story, like everything else Mr. Sparks seems to pen. I enjoy a good love story, honestly. However, I have yet to find a Sparks novel that sparks anything other than a strong desire to nap for this avid reader. This novel started off promising, with two characters who were not what I first expected. This big city boy is anything but snobby and the small town girl is the kind with sass. The story line fell flat for me sometime in the first hundred pages, making the book drag on. I smiled a bit at the clever ending, but I'm just not sure it was worth it. 2 small smiles...and I feel I am being  generous.