Catch Up Post: Books Read August 2009
Aug-1-2009 By Keri
Real life caused me to get very far behind on my reviews last year. Here are the books I read in August 2009.
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| Book #66 | 8/3/09 | Keturah and Lord Death | Martine Leavitt | Grade: B+ |
| This was a bit of a struggle for me since I am not much of a fantasy reader, but this was well-written and the two kids in our book club who bothered to read it did like it. I wasn’t very happy with the ending personally but I think others will enjoy it. | ||||
| Book #67 | 8/4/09 | Knights of Hill Country | Tim Tharpe | Grade: A- |
| Wow. I’ve heard good things about Tim Tharpe’s books but this was the first one I had read. It’s about football and friendships and I’d recommend it to fans of Friday Night Lights. This was really well-written and compelling. | ||||
| Book #68 | 8/7/09 | The Treasure Map of Boys | E. Lockhart | Grade: A- |
| I managed sneak some time in from reading book club books to read the third book in the Ruby Oliver series and this one did not disappoint. | ||||
| Book #69 | 8/11/09 | Repossessed | A. M. Jenkins | Grade: A |
| This easily-booktalkable novel is HILARIOUS. Kiriel, a demon, spends his days torturing people in hell, but he’s starting to get bored with that so he decides to break all the rules and take over the body of a teenage boy on earth. This is super funny, but touching as Kiriel sees things about the earth that we take for granted. | ||||
| Book #70 | 8/12/09 | Bait | Alex Sanchez | Grade: A- |
| This was a nice change from Alex Sanchez. I enjoyed the storyline, the revelation of the abuse that the main character has suffered, and the use of a gay role model. This is an all-around hit on a topic not typically covered with a male protagonist. | ||||
| Book #71 | 8/14/09 | Jumping Off Swings | Jo Knowles | Grade: A- |
| This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but it was very enjoyable. I thought that the four characters would be a little closer together but they manage to keep their distance through their chain of friendship that connects the pregnant Ellie to Josh, the baby’s father. | ||||
| Book #72 | 8/21/09 | Fire | Kristin Cashore | Grade: A |
| In this prequel to the 2008 Graceling, Fire is the last half-human, half-monster hybrid, whose beauty, charm and talents attract too much attention. She’d rather hang out with her best friend Archer and his father than use her powers of mind control for evil – like her father did, or good – which is her natural inclination despite her monster background. When the kingdom’s troubles become too big to ignore, Fire travels to help the Dell family figure out who is trying to take over their kingdom and how to take them down. Although Fire prefers to keep her distance from people, she is drawn in by this family, particularly Brigan, the headstrong brother who leads the family. There is only one crossover character between Fire and Graceling, and knowledge of the prior work is not necessary to enjoy this one. Fire’s strengths lie in the strong writing and characterization, and Cashore’s ability to combine action, suspense, fiery hot romance, feminism, friendships, some sadness and some victories into this slow-moving but engrossing novel.
Reviewed from ARC received at BookExpo from Dial |
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| Book #73 | 8/23/09 | 20 Boy Summer | Sarah Ockler | Grade: A- |
| I thought the premise was interesting to begin with but when you discover exactly what Anna has gone through, this book which appears fluffy at first glance, has incredible depth and characterization. Highly recommended. | ||||
| Book #74 | 8/24/09 | Matisse on the Loose | Georgia Bragg | Grade: B |
| BookEval Review: Matisse spends his days after school copying paintings in the art museum where his mom works, and when a work by his namesake is exhibited, he makes a great copy. So great that when he switches the paintings (just to see) after the security system has gone down, no one notices that he has switched the work. Will Matisse get caught for grand theft painting? This is a cute, humorous story for the middle grade reader. | ||||
| Book #75 | 8/25/09 | The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes | Kelly Easton | Grade: B+ |
| BookEval Review: Liberty Aimes has one goal - to escape her evil father who has kept her trapped in their house. When she discovers his secret laboratory, she is able to steal a lifting potion and fly away, but keeping herself from getting caught is a lot harder than she thought. This book has a Lemony Snicket feel, but much happier, with a delightful main character. | ||||
| Book #76 | 8/26/09 | Psych Major Syndrome | Alicia Thompson | Grade: B+ |
| A nice, and pretty authentic college novel. | ||||
| Book #77 | 8/29/09 | The Sweet Life of Stella Madison | Lara Zeises | Grade: B+ |
| Great characters in this warm story with a unique ending. | ||||