Guernsey literary and potatoe peel pie society

I listened to this book over the last couple of weeks. This was my office book. I usually like to listen to something laid back when I'm in my office. It was ok. I didn't love it like many others have. I thought it was clever to write a book in a series of letters, and it was an excellent and fresh way to look at WWII.

I never would have made it through this book if I read it. There were too many people and too much stuff going on. As an audio book each letter was read by a character. Like most adult fiction titles, I felt it was about 75 pages too long.

This is one of those, I read it because everyone was talking about it. That's never a good reason for me to read a book, but I did finish it.

Lawn to Lawn by Yaccarino, Dan

Once again, I pick a book for it's cover. I have a thing for gnomes. They crack me up, I just hoped this book would do the same. The story was cute. Pearl moves to a new place, but doesn't have room for her lawn ornaments. Like a page from Homeward Bound, they walk, run, and ride until the get what they need. They have funny encounters, but the soft edges of the illustrations really make the book. They have a retro feeling to them, but still quirky enough for today's kids.

The Complete A**hole's Guide to Handling Chicks by Indante, Dan and Karl Marks

This is not a book for people who take themselves seriously. This is a very humorous look at how guys interact with women through out their lives. I have been going through my version of a trashy novel. I don't do typical romance novels. I enjoyed Tucker Max's book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, so I went on a look for similar books.

We all have our guilty little pleasures, this is one of mine.

Millicent Min girl genius by Yee, Lisa

I thought this was a fun book. It was a read by Keiko Agena who also played Lane Kim on the Gilmore Girls.

I love Lisa Yee, she is a blast. Her writting and the reading by Agena meshed together to bring a great story together about Millicent and how hard it is for a genius. She goes through weeks of trying to adjust to the changes in her world.

She takes a college class and is getting ready to graduate high school at the ripe old age of 11.

I highly recommend anything by Lisa Yee. It is a good time.

Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald, F. Scott

This is the second time I have listened to this audio book. I much prefer the version read by Tim Robbins. I read this earlier this year so I don't remember it much. Only that I remember thinking, I wish it was the other version of this book. That's what I get for not updating more quickly.

Reader by Schlink, Bernhard

Well it was made into a movie, and it dealt with World War II, I figured it would be a good fit for me.

It was weird, but I liked it. As I listened, I found I was fascinated on how they would do this in a movie. I can see why there were scenes in the movie they couldn't shoot until the actor turned 18.

The text flowed and the story was gripping. It pulled me along right up until the twist I didn't quite see coming at the end.

I recommend this to people who would like to have something slightly different. There is a reason this is a part of the 1001 books to read, I think everyone should at least try it.

Postman always rings twice by Cain, James M

This was a fast moving book. I had to start over the first disc 2 or 3 times because I didn't think I got the whole story.

I haven't seen the movie, but this was a good book. At the time it was published (1934), I'm sure it raised some eyebrows.

Since I listened to this over a year ago, I don't remember much of the intricate details. While I generally like books that are short and use limited words to tell the story, this one at times felt a bit too quick. I felt left with questions that the story couldn't tell me.

All in all, I liked it. I might even watch the movie, maybe.

Invisible Man by Wells, H.G.

After Pride and Prejudice, I thought it was time for me to get serious about catching up on those classics I always planned to read but never got around to it. After much searching, I found a list called, "1001 books to read before you die." Hey it sounded like fun, so I figured why not. It even came with a downloadable version in Excel so I could keep track of my books.

I went to Librivox.com to see which titles I could download without fear of copyright to my iPod. I found out that I could get hundreds of books that way.

This was the second book I downloaded this way. The reader was quite good. This being a science fiction title, I didn't think I would like it. I was amazed at the story. More importantly I liked it.

It has a feeling of book that was written a 100 years after it was. It was written in 1897, but it didn't feel like a stuffy classic. I think more people should go to librivox and try out some great classics.

Good Girls

Title: Good Girls

Author: Ruby, Laura

Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers

Synopsis In this new novel, Audrey Porter is a "good girl" -- a good student, a great daughter, an amazing friend. She's also the last person anyone expects to be hanging out with Luke DeSalvio, the hottest guy at Audrey's school. But Luke is a liar, a player, a dream, and Audrey knows it. She dumps him at her friend's Halloween party with no intention of looking back. But everyone else is looking -- looking at a mysterious and humiliating photograph that has popped up on their cell phones and computers. But who took it? And why? And how will she ever live it down?

Comments

This was well written. I don't feel it received the attention it deserved. On the surface it looked like your average teen angst novel with the good girl gone bad angle. But if you look a little deeper to also is a cautionary tale to teens about protecting their privacy. In this age, anyone can take a picture at any time or place. Then with the click of a mouse or a push of a button everyone in school, town, or the world can receive it.

Audrey learned this lesson the hard way. These embarrassing photos aren't just for celebrities anymore. Every student in her school has the photo and then when it can't get any worse, it shows up in her parents email.

Broken moon

Title: Broken moon

Author: Antieau, Kim

Illustration:

Publisher:Margaret K. McElderry Books

CIP When her little brother is kidnapped and taken from Pakistan to race camels in the desert, eighteen-year-old Nadira overcomes her own past abuse and, dressed as a boy and armed with knowledge of the powerful storytelling of the legendary Scheherazade, is determined to find and rescue him.

Comments

To be honest, it has been a few months since I have read this book. There is nothing like a holiday to help me catch up on the last six months of book blogging.

I read this book after I had read Sold. While some elements are similar, most readers will find the traditional format of the book easier to read. Other than having female characters in developing countries being sold into some sort of captivity, they are totally different. Nadira goes into the camel camps dressed as a boy to save her brother. Throughout her experience she comforts other boys in the camps with stories of the legendary Scheherazade.

It is a short book which provides a window into another country and the things families need to do to stay together.

Impulse

Title: Impulse

Author: Hopkins, Ellen.

Publisher: Margaret K McElderry Books

CIP Three teens who meet at Reno, Nevada’s Aspen Springs mental hospital after each has attempted suicide connect with each other in a way they never have with their parents or anyone else in their lives.

Comments

Ms. Hopkins's books are always interesting to read. They are about five inches thick, but you will hear lots of people comment that "it doesn't count each page only has a paragraph of text."

I would disagree. The format of the book makes is accessible to a larger group of readers who normally wouldn't attempt a book that size, but also provides the readers with a sense of accomplishment when they finish it. The format also allows for separation of characters and division of storylines.

This is one of her more complex stories with three characters talking at the same time. It took me a long time before I could keep the story straight in my head. I was frustrated, but engaged by the characters.

She builds a very realistic setting for these teens. Each comes from a totally different background proving that no one is immune from mental issues. She gives adults a look into the minds of teens. She also allows teen readers to see what other teens might be facing and just because things look good on the surface, doesn't mean that is what it is like behind closed doors.

It tackles tough teen issues.

The glass castle : a memoir

Title: The glass castle : a memoir

Author: Walls, Jeannette.

Publisher: Scribner

CIP The author, a contributer to MSNBC.com, recalls a bizarre childhood during which she and her siblings were constantly being moved from one bleak place to another by dysfunctional parents, and in which she and her siblings learned to prosper on their own.

Comments

For those of you that have read Dave Peltzer's books, I recommend this as well. It was my first book club book. I received it rather late, so I wasn't able to finish it before our meeting, but it was fascinating. The life that this woman lived growing up is something some people feel must be fiction.

It is parents like Mr. Peltzer and Ms. Walls that give us a chance to look our lives to realize how good we have it. Books like these need to be available so that we can learn about people. Not everyone has a great childhood, but that doesn't mean that they grow up to be worthless people. Ms. Walls comments on a time when she was on her way to a fancy party, and along the way passed her mother on the street digging through the garbage. She tried everything to help her mother, and she didn't really want it.

I know this is a common book with book clubs. It is well reviewed and well written. Parts are difficult to read, and I wanted to strangle the mother about every other page. Our histories are what make each of us different.

I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you

Title: I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you

Author:Carter, Ally.

Publisher:Hyperion Books for Children

CIP As a sophomore at a secret spy school and the daughter of a former CIA operative, Cammie is sheltered from "normal teenage life" until she meets a local boy while on a class surveillance mission.

Comments

Every few books, I throw in one that is just plain fun. I loved the title of this book. There was no deeper meaning. No great teen angst or historical perspective that I learned. It was just a fun story about a secret spy school. Classes teach the girls how to blend into a crowd, different surveillance techniques and technologies, and the languages. Imagine having to go to a lunch with people you see every day, but you don't know what language you will be speaking until you enter the room.

I recommend it to anyone who feels life is getting a bit too serious.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Title: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Author:Cohn, Rachel David Levithan.

Publisher: Distributed by Random House,

CIP High school student Nick O'Leary, member of a rock band, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes in order to avoid his ex-sweetheart.

Comments

This is a well reviewed book. It is being made into a movie due out in late 2008. I read it months ago, so the details are pretty hazy. I liked it. It is kind of your average teen angst boy/girl disses by friends, significant other, or society. They are brought together by their taste in music. The two authors work together to write the book Levithan writing Nick's portion and Cohn penning Norah.

It will be interesting to see what kind of air play this book will receive with an movie and a sequel out within the next year.

Does my head look big in this?

Title: Does my head look big in this?

Author: Abdel-Fattah, Randa.

Illustration:

Publisher:Orchard Books

CIP Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith--without losing her identity or sense of style.

Comments

I have been pushing this book on anyone who asks. I went into this thinking it was just another teen novel, but it provided so much more. I gave me a glimpse into a what it is like when a person choses to wear a hijab full-time.

Even though the story takes place in Australia, the author keeps the Aussie slang to a minimum. It isn't just a book about a Muslim girl and the trials she experiences with her choice, it is a book that any teen girl can identify with. The author did a great job showing the difference in Muslim families and the worried Amal's parents had with her decision.

The ending is a bit too neat for me, however the characters are realistic. There are students that are supportive, and those that are not. There are concerns from the school administration, and from her parents. Her parents support her all the way as do her close friends. In the end a lot of her classmates get to know her better because of her decision.

Highly recommended.

Who's sorry now? : a Grace & Favor mystery

Title: Who's sorry now? : a Grace & Favor mystery

Author: Churchill, Jill.

Publisher:William Morrow

Synopsis Times couldn't be tougher in the Hudson River Valley during the Great Depression, so penniless sister-and-brother duo Lily and Robert Brewster are in good company. Even the much-revered chief of police in poor, tiny Voorburg has been forced to abandon his boardinghouse. But there's something even more sinister going on around town.

Comments

Just noting that I read it. This is one of my brain candy reads. I nice light cozy mystery that takes place after the Crash.

Today I will fly! By Willems, Mo

Title: Today I will fly!
Author: Willems, Mo.
Publisher: Hyperions Books for Children

Comments

CIP
While Piggie is determined to fly, Elephant is skeptical, but when Piggie gets a little help from others, amazing things happen


First of all, I love Mo Willems. He could put a book out with nothing but a cover and I would by it and love it. I love that his illustrations are nice and easy to draw, and let’s face it what is funnier than a Pigeon. That’s what I thought until I started reading his newest series Elephant and Piggie.

They are written in a style similar to Dr. Seuss. The book has few words, but it engages the reader. It is a book that begs to be read aloud, by two people, or more. It would be fun to act out and have kids learn the pieces. That is if Mr. Willems doesn’t have a problem with it, always make sure to ask before you go stealing other peoples work.

But enjoy this book and the others coming in the series. I am just warning you, if you say

Paula Deen : it ain't all about the cookin' by Deen, Paula.

Title: Paula Deen : it ain't all about the cookin'
Author: Deen, Paula and Sherry Suib Cohen
Publisher: Simon &Schuster

Comments

CIP
A memoir with recipes from the Southern cooking impresario (Food Network shows, restaurants, cookbooks, magazine).


I loved this book, but I love Paula Deen. She is one of my favorites on the Food Network. I love her cooking style, her personality, and her life. She was just a regular person that worked hard to get what she wanted. She believed in herself when no one else would. She had a family that backed her when she needed it. And her sons did more than the will ever admit.

I watched a Chefography about Paula a few months ago and was just amazed at what she had overcome to get to where she is. That show was just the half of it. This book goes through everything, the ups the downs, the good the bad, the stuff she is proud of and the stuff she is ashamed to admit. All of it is there.

She writes like she talks, Southern. If you are a stickler for grammar, don’t read this. If you don’t like the way she talks, don’t read this. If you love Paula’s show, read it in a heartbeat. If you want to know the story behind some of her favorite recipes, read it. If you want some recipes that haven’t been printed before, read it.

I really enjoyed it, and I hope that other people will take time to read it, too.

Sisters Grimm : Once upon a crime By Buckley Michael

Sisters Grimm : Once upon a crime By Buckley Michael
Title: Once upon a crime
Author: Buckley, Michael
Publisher: Amulet Books

Comments

CIP
When the fairy-tale detectives rush to New York City hoping to find an Everafter who can cure Puck, they trigger a chain of events that includes a murder mystery, and learn many new things about their mother who, along with their father, is still in an enchanted sleep.


These are just fun reads for my brain. For the age group this is written for, it is just good fun. They are away for them to enjoy characters from other books they grew up with. For people who tend to like to read fairytales or other literature they are very interesting. For example Shakespeare fans will love this new title. It focuses a lot on characters from Midsummer night’s dream. Puck was hurt in the previous book and now needs to visit a the only doctor that can help him. Oddly enough they end up going to New York City and running into Puck’s parents. The Sisters also run into Bess (the cow that jumped over the moon) and the Great and Powerful Oz.

I highly recommend giving this series a try. I know the author works to keep the characters close to the roots of their original stories. I don’t’ know my Shakespeare well enough to double check them, but if you are looking for a fun read, go for it.