My Life in…

This was an excellent book. Both characters are strong and delightful and their obsessions and awkwardness work really well. The friendship and romance is really well-developed. There’s lots of humor here, particularly from Hank’s point of view, but you are always laughing with him and not at him. When I finished it, I kept telling my husband over and over, “I just finished a really good book.”

I wasn’t as fond of the third book in this series because it seemed like a placeholder. This installment really ramps up the action and forces Cammie to make some big decisions and leaps of faith. The ending is crazy and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

This was an interesting story for me to read, because I was only about a year older than the girls in the story, and while I was never a Tupac fan (much more of a Biggie fan, though I also liked Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg), I distinctly remember feeling the way these girls did when Kurt Cobain died. Aside from the personal connection, the strength of this book lies in the gorgeous writing. Every word out of these characters’ mouths is poetry but at the same time, it is all realistic dialogue. Though there isn’t a lot going on in the story, particularly for the narrator herself, the characters’ intelligence, wit and warm affection for each other sparkles. I liked how Neeka’s brothers’ stories were also fleshed out and provided two male perspectives.

I listened to this on audio. I needed to reread it for our book club, but since I didn’t have anyone signed up, I didn’t really want to devote the time to it. (Don’t get me wrong, I love this book; it was the first book that turned me into a fantasy fan. But it’s long and I had a pile of ARCs from BEA and ALA to get through). I had a 5 hour bus ride on the way home from Washington after ALA so I listened to this. It was amazing. It was so amazing that I continued to listen to it even after I had returned home. I sat with headphones on playing mindless computer games so I could concentrate. I am not an audio fan typically, but this one worked for me 100%.

This is another knockout book from Dana Reinhardt. Both brothers feel really authentic and Levi’s friends add some lightness to this heavy book. This is one of the best books of the year hands down.

Reviewed from ARC received from Random House at ALA Annual.

This is a re-read for me, since we read it for our Talk It Up book club. As I reread, I was cringing a bit that I should have used this book in the group for grades 10-12 rather than 7-9. The content wasn’t inappropriate, but the narration and concepts went way over the heads of some of our younger readers. Three of the girls who are going into 9th grade read it and loved it though, so I feel a bit vindicated. Just a great book all around.

This is another cute addition to the Ruby Oliver series. I love the humor and the lists and the footnotes. This seems to be the last book in the series, and while I enjoyed the books, this seems to be a good place to end Ruby’s stories.

Reviewed from ARC received from Random House at ALA Annual

The whole setup for this story is a bit ridiculous (though I hear the DUFF is a term actually used in some high schools) but the characters have such crackling chemistry that even though Wesley is a total jerk, you do sort of root for him. Bianca is funny and smart, and I enjoyed her relationship with her friends and family even though she is reluctant to actually have a connection with them. I really liked Casey and thought she felt like a really authentic friend. I read this at lunch at work and was dying to get home so I could finish it.

Reviewed from ARC received from Little, Brown at Book Expo

I love Julia Alvarez, and the Tia Lola stories are just sweet, funny stories that middle grade students will love. This is a quick, easy read, peppered with Spanish words and a lot of heart.

I received an ARC of this book from Random House at ALA Annual and Julia Alvarez signed it for me!

I was pleasantly surprised by this one (particularly that it’s written in prose rather than diary format). I have not read the Sex and the City book but as a huge fan of the series, it seemed very true to character that Carrie would have gone through these experiences as a teenager. I’m not really sure that teens will find this book interesting unless they are fans of the tv show, however, since the plot isn’t all that interesting. If you preexistingly care about Carrie, you will love hearing about where her interest in journalism came from and how she developed her love of fashion, her feminist beliefs, and her relationships with boys.