Speak

I saw Speak at the library and noticed it was a best-seller by Laurie Halse Anderson, an author whose historical fiction books I love.  Speak is a story about a very sensitive subject--rape.  The story is from Melinda's point of view, and it follows her during her freshman year of high school after a disastrous party that happened the summer before.  The book tells of Melinda's struggle to understand what happened to her and her journey to find courage to speak out.

This was a very powerful story.  In the author's note, the author points out that this topic is one that is often not addressed appropriately for teenagers; I thought this book did a great job of bringing to light the seriousness of this issue in an appropriate way.  (It shares facts at the end that 1 in 6 American women will be the victim of an attempted or completed rape, and half of them are under the age of 18.  And, experts estimate that only about 16% of rapes are actually reported to police.)  The point of view of the book was very strong, and it was easy to relate to the main character.  The book also made me really appreciate good teachers and true friends.  It was quite a depressing book throughout, obviously, so that made it hard to really love the book--but it was a good read with a strong message about overcoming obstacles.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Testament

I wanted to read more John Grisham books and had The Testament recommended to me.  It is about billionaire Troy Phelan who has 3 ex-wives and numerous children--all anxious to get his money as soon as he dies.  Troy has a better plan than giving his money to his selfish, reckless descendants--he writes a secret will, gives it to his attorney, Josh, and then commits suicide.  The new will leaves all his money to an illegitimate daughter--a young woman named Rachel, serving somewhere in Brazil as a Christian missionary to Indians.  Josh sends his lawyer friend (and recovering alcoholic) to Brazil to track Rachel down, while the rest of Troy's descendants and their lawyers fight the new will.

This was another really great book.  The story was really compelling, and it also had a great message of change and redemption.  I loved the characters, and the plot kept me guessing.  Unfortunately, I didn't love the ending; I was just bummed about how it turned out.  But, I do have to give John Grisham credit because even though I didn't like the end, he left no questions unanswered.  I have felt that in all his books--he's really a master at addressing every detail.  In my reading, I tend to consider a lot of what-ifs, and he seems to just cover everything, so I never am left wondering.  Another good book!

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Beauty

I read Beauty by Robin McKinley because of recommendations from friends.  It is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and tells of Beauty, who considers herself quite plain, especially compared to her older sisters. When Beauty and her family have to leave their life in the city, they find themselves living a very different life in a small village.  One day Beauty's father is out on a journey, and when he picks a rose for Beauty, he finds that he has stolen a rose from a beast, who requires one of his daughters as payment.  It is Beauty who volunteers to go to the beast in order to save her father's life.

This was a great book.  I haven't read a book quite like this in a long time, and I can't place exactly what made it different.  But, I liked how the entire book was from an all-telling Beauty's point of view.  It made it interesting and exciting to follow her throughout the book.  The only thing I didn't like about the book was that I knew the story of Beauty and the Beast.  That made it so at the beginning, I was just waiting for the connection to the fairy tale, and then toward the end, I knew how it would all pan out.  But, I liked the differences to the story I was familiar with, and I think the author wrote the story very well.  The book was filled with detail, but other times, it skipped right to the part of the story that mattered--and that made it a nice read.  And I loved the ending.  :)

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

A Single Shard

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park is a Newbery Medal winner.  It is about Tree-ear, an orphan in 12th century Korea who lives under a bridge with his guardian, Crane-man.  Tree-ear loves to watch Min, a town potter, create his beautiful work.  Soon, Tree-ear finds himself as Min's apprentice and then on a journey to bring Min's finest work to the city in hopes that Min can be assigned a royal commission.

This was a really good book.  It took me a bit to get into it, but then it was a really nice story with beautiful language and great character relationships.  It was a simple book but a good one.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Client

After reading John Grisham's two books for young adults, I decided to move up in the world to his adult books.  The Client is about 11-year-old Mark who, along with his 8-year-old brother Ricky, witnesses an attorney commit suicide.  Before the attorney commits the act, he confesses to Mark some secrets about his client--a mafia member accused of murder.  Soon, Ricky is in the psychiatric ward from the trauma, and the police start asking Mark questions about what happened.  Mark realizes that he has to find a lawyer and has to figure out what to do with the information he has before the mafia finds him.

This was a really great book.  I loved the main characters (Mark and his lawyer, Reggie) so much.  I loved how well developed the characters were.  The book got me to laugh, got me a little choked up, but mainly got me completely, continually freaked out due to the awesome plot twists.  I kept wondering how the book was going to keep the story going for the length of the whole book, but it did it--and it did it well.  I also liked how the book covered the points of view of lots of characters. The only downside (another reason why I tend to prefer young adult/children's literature) was a bit of language.  And there were a few parts where I questioned if it really would've happened the way it did....but hey, it's fiction.  I think I will start reading a lot more of John Grisham's books, so if you're reading this, and you've read some and have a favorite, let me know.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Maze of Bones

I've heard a lot about the 39 Clues series, so I decided to read the first book, The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (who also happens to be an author I really like).  It is about Dan and Amy Cahill who are raised by their great-aunt since their parents died years earlier.  When their grandmother dies and leaves behind a mysterious will, Dan and Amy decide to accept a challenge rather than $1 million.  The challenge will leave them (and other family members, their competition) to find 39 clues, which will apparently lead them to the most powerful treasure in the world.

I'm surprised that I didn't really enjoy this book too much.  I love Rick Riordan's other books, and this series is so popular, I expected to be really into it.  But, I just felt like the characters weren't super well developed, so I couldn't build the connection with them that I wanted to.  That led to me feeling like parts of the story were just unrealistic.  I think the plot is a fun idea, but it just dragged on with a lot of searching for clues without any idea about where this is going to lead.  I did think the book was kind of interesting with lots of connections to Benjamin Franklin and his history.  I wouldn't consider it a wasted read, but it wasn't my kind of book.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)

Theodore Boone: The Abduction

After reading John Grisham's first book about Theodore Boone, I went to the library to get the newest one: Theodore Boone: The Abduction.  In this book, Theo's best friend April (who has a very dysfunctional family) suddenly disappears and is presumed kidnapped.  Theo and his friends form their own search parties to help find her, but when the police suddenly find a body in the river, Theo realizes that everything is not as hopeful as he thought.

This was another really engaging book--a super quick read because it kept me interested.  I enjoyed the plot and the characters.  I probably liked this book slightly less than the first one, but it was still great.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

I saw Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham on the New York Times bestseller list at the library, and it sparked my interest.  This book is about 13-year-old Theo who loves visiting the courthouse and watching judges and lawyers in action.  He keeps his own office in a storage closet at his parents' law office, and he helps kids at his school with questions related to the law.  Theo is thrilled to be able to watch parts of a criminal trial in his town--a man accused of killing his wife.  It looks like the man is going to go free, but suddenly Theo is given some information that would prove the man's guilt.  It is up to Theo to decide what to do.

This book was awesome!  If all John Grisham's books are this good, I'm converted.  It was completely engaging, with exciting twists, totally believable characters, and a fabulous storyline. I also learned a ton about the judicial system while reading, which was fascinating.  So glad I found this book!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

Yes, I still read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney.  This latest book is about Greg and his family during the holiday season and the huge snowstorm that gets them stranded in their house.

This was another funny book, a few parts getting me to chuckle out loud.  Greg is just a hilarious character, and it's just entertaining to read what happens to him and his perspective on things.  Not much more to say about it, but it's such a quick read, that I don't even feel that bad about spending my time reading it.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Nory Ryan's Song

After really enjoying a book by Patricia Reilly Giff last week, I looked for more books by her at the library and found Nory Ryan's Song.  This book is about Nory and her family who live in Ireland in the mid-1800s.  Money is tight, and they are at the mercy of the English government--expected to pay rent each month no matter what.  Things go terribly wrong when the potato crop suddenly goes bad.  Soon Nory (and all her neighbors) completely run out of food and are desperate to survive.

This was a very well written book (great language), and it was fascinating to learn about this time (the Great Hunger of 1845-1852) in Ireland that I really know nothing about.  It was even neater to read in the author's note at the end that 6 of the author's 8 grandparents lived through the famine and then came to America--but none of them really spoke of that time in their lives.  So, the author went to Ireland, researched, and wrote this novel.  The book was almost too sad to really enjoy--just a lot of bad things happening and not much good.  But, I'm still glad I read it.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Kira-Kira

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata was the Newbery medal winner in 2005.  This book is about Katie, a Japanese-American girl who adores her older sister Lynn.  When Katie's parents have to close their grocery store, the family moves to Georgia where the parents work long hours at menial jobs to help the family save money for a house.  Soon Lynn gets very sick, and Katie is full of questions but is given no answers--but tries to use Lynn's optimism to keep the family together.

This was a very well written book--made me laugh out loud but also made me cry (ie., bawl my eyes out).   There is a strong plot, and I loved how the book was written from Katie's point of view.  It's just great to read a book that really captures a child's point of view.  The only downside to this book is that there was a little bit of language and some references to inappropriate things, so I wouldn't really consider this a children's book even though I think that's its intended audience.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

R My Name is Rachel

I saw R My Name is Rachel in the new book section at the library and recognized the author, Patricia Reilly Giff, as one I've liked in the past.  This book takes place during the Great Depression where 12-year-old Rachel lives with her dad and younger brother and sister in the city.  When her dad loses his job but gets a chance to work out in a town in the country, they move to a run-down farm house.  Even worse for readaholic Rachel, the town school is closed because they can't afford a teacher.   When the job doesn't work out and Pop has to leave the kids alone in search of work, things move from bad to worse--but Rachel and her siblings find a way to make the most of what they have.

This was a quick read and just a wonderful book.  I love this author's language and descriptions, and Rachel was a wonderful and relate-able character.  (And I loved all the other characters too.)  It was a great book to put a face on what the Great Depression was like, and the book was just full of detail.  Loved it!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

I, Coriander

I got the book I, Coriander by Sally Gardner from a student when I taught school, and for some reason, I never got to reading it until now.  It's the story of Coriander, a young girl in England in the 1600s, whose mother dies, and then a few years later, her father disappears.  She's left with her evil stepmother and an even evil-er preacher, but she soon finds an escape into another world where she discovers that her mother had been a fairy princess.

This was a nice read--well written, thoughtful language and great characters; I loved the ones I was supposed to love and just despised the ones I was supposed to despise.  I also liked the historical background in the book (Oliver Cromwell, etc.).  The only downside to the book was that I didn't love the parts of the book where she went to the other world--maybe because it reminded me of some not-as-enjoyable books I've read where similar events take place.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)