Book #92 Read in 2016
Girl on a Plane by Miriam Moss
This is a story about Anna, a 15 year old girl, who is on her way to boarding school when her plane is hijacked. The author went through a similar ordeal as a teenager and she felt that now was the time to write about it, fictionalizing it. This book was emotionally raw and displayed the emotions of the hostages while they were wondering if they would live or die. This book was fairly action packed and would be a recommended read for high school and adult readers alike. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #91 Read in 2016
Something in Between by Melissa De La Cruz
Jasmine is a top scholar, cheerleading captain, hospital volunteer and all around success story. She wins a national college scholarship and is extremely happy. Her parents--not so much....as they must tell Jasmine that she cannot accept the scholarship as their Visas had expired and they are undocumented immigrants and not US citizen. Add to this storyline a romance with a rich senator's son and you have an interesting read. This book is very timely given all the current news and is more than just a teenage romance. I recommend it for high school girls. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #90 Read in 2016
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Charlie is a 17 year old who manages her pain by cutting herself. As the book opens, Charlie is in a mental ward. Insurance runs out and her mother boots her to the curb. Charlie heads to Arizona to her friend Mikey's place and gets a job as a dishwasher in a coffeehouse. Will she be able to make it on her own? Will she be able to resist hurting herself? This book is emotionally brutal and raw but is one that a reader will not be able to put down. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #89 Read in 2016
Murder at the 42nd Library by Con Lehane
This was a more gritty mystery than my usual cozy mysteries, but I enjoyed it. Ray Ambler is the Crime Fiction Librarian and he begins an investigation of his own when someone is murder at the 42nd Street Library where he works. As he investigates, he realizes that this is more complicated than he thought. Many people are involved and many things that occurred in the past are mitigating factors in these murders. This was a good mystery, with good twists and turns. The characters were interesting. I enjoyed it.
Book #88 Read in 2016
Replica by Lauren Oliver
This book was interesting from the get go, starting with its format, This book two the stories of two girls, Gemma and Lyra, and the book was designated as half for each. To read the other story, readers had to turn the book upside down. That would intrigue teenage readers. Gemma has had health issues all her life, which makes her different from her classmates. She begins to look into Haven, a place her father was once connected to and sneaks away to Florida to try to get a look at what is going on in there. What she finds is more than she could have imagined. Lyra is one of the Haven residents and Gemma finds her when Haven is burned down. Is Lyra a human or a clone/replica? Can the two girls help each other? This book had an interesting plot, well-rounded characters as well as action and humor. I enjoyed it and highly recommend it. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #87 Read in 2016
Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman
This is not a nice book. This book is gritty, disturbing and edgy. Hannah is a nice girl but not popular in high school. The new girl, Lacey, takes an interest in her and turns her into "Dex" a more wild, rebellious girl, much like Lacey. But Lacey has a lot of issues in her world that bring a dark side to her. How far will she go? This book will hook readers will non-stop angst and action and readers will be on the edge of their seats seeing how far into the darkness these high school girls will go. I recommend it.
Book #86 Read in 2016
The King Slayer by Virginia Boecker
This book is a sequel to The Witch Hunter, a YA historical/paranormal book. Elizabeth is still after evil magician Blackwell but without her stigma to protect her she is vulnerable and mortal. John and she are still trying to figure out their romance. Add a war and overthrowing a king to the mix and you have an action-packed read. This book picks up right where the first book leaves off and ends in a way that it could be the end and it could have more to come. A good read, I recommend it for both girls and boys in high school and adults.
Book #85 Read in 2016
Glitter by Aprilynne Pike
Inside the Palace of Versailles, people dress, live and act like it is the 18th century, ignoring the modern-day world outside. Danica longs to be part of that modern-day world. She is used as a pawn by her mother and engaged to the king as part of her mother blackmailing him. Danica is desperate to raise enough money to secure her escape but at what cost? She begins to deal a highly addictive drug to her society mates. This book would be ideal for fans of the Red Queen series and such. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #84 Read in 2016
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
Joe has to write a biography for a college class. He picks Carl, a man dying from cancer who was paroled from jail to a nursing home. Carl was convicted of raping and murdering a teenage girl years ago. But is he innocent of that crime? Joe begins to delve into the evidence from the trial and begins his own investigation--risking his own life. This bogged down a bit in the middle for me but the last third of the book was unputdownable. I recommend it.
Book #83 Read in 2016
Esther the Wonder Pig by Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter
I follow Esther on Facebook. She is a pig with a lot of personality. I enjoyed reading about how Steve and Derek came to be owned by a pig...a huge pig...not the mini pig that they thought they were getting. The book is written in a conversational tone that flows well. A must for animal lovers!
Book #82 Read in 2016
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
Jack is a popular high school student who has a secret--he suffers from a disorder of face blindness--he cannot recognize faces of anyone, including his family. Libby was once so overweight that her house had to be cut into for her to be able to leave it for medical care. The unlikely duo work their way to couplehood, hitting quite a few bumps in the way. Told in alternating chapters of Jack and Libby, this book is raw with emotion and real. These two characters are ones that readers will care about and root for to get a happy ending. High school students will love this book. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #81 Read in 2016
The Girls by Emma Cline
Evie is a young teenage girl who joins a Manson-like cult. She experiences sex, drugs and rock and roll with them. But they take an evil turn. Will Evie be able to put this group of people behind her? This was a good read (and has made me want to read Helter Skelter, which I've put off doing for years) but in my opinion, the ending was a bit abrupt. I wanted more follow up. That being said, this was a good read and I recommend it.
Book #80 Read in 2016
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
This book has made it to the top three Picoult reads for me. Ruth is an African-American Labor and Delivery nurse. Turk and Britt are parents of newborn Davis and are also white supremacists who do not want a black person handling their baby and they make such a request of Ruth's supervisor who pulls Ruth from the care of baby Davis. Davis has medical complications and goes into cardiac arrest and Ruth is the only one there. What does she do? Others come to the aid of Davis but the baby dies. Ruth is then charged with murder. This book takes us through her trial and is told in alternating viewpoints of Ruth, Turk and Ruth's lawyer Kennedy. There are twists and turns at the end that I never saw coming. Make sure to read this one! I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine and Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Book #79 Read in 2016
Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
Lily is a daschund who has an "octopus", otherwise known as a tumor, on her head. This is early on in the book so it is not a spoiler. Even knowing the inevitable end of the book, I decided to read it. Lily has personality. Her "dad" has some difficulty with grasping reality (the octopus not a tumor, thinking Lily speaks to him) but he loves his dog and wants to do anything to save her, even though it is probably impossible. A must read for dog lovers.
Book #78 Read in 2016
Book, Line and Sinker by Jenn McKinlay
This is the third book in a great cozy mystery series. Lindsey is a Library Director who seems to always have to solve a murder in her small town. This series has a great small-town setting, interesting characters and enough book talk to make book lovers happy. In this book, an island is thought to have the treasure of Captain Kidd and of course people are hoping to get rich quickly. But at what cost?
Book #77 Read in 2016
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
This is a moving memoir of a neurosurgeon in his 30s who is diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. He is a realist when it comes to his disease and his wife, also in the medical field, continue to live life as long as possible. It was a quick read, flowed well and gripped my heart. It makes one pause to consider how lucky one is to be healthy and alive. I recommend this read.
Book #76 Read in 2016
Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich
This is the 19th book in the Stephanie Plum series and I still find these books funny. Stephanie is a bounty hunter who isn't very good at it. Her sidekick is Lula, a former hooker. Many funny mishaps occur in this book, cars get blown up, Stephanie gets attacked and there is still tangible tension between Stephanie and her two men, Morelli and Ranger. Always a fun read!
Book #75 Read in 2016
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling et al
This is the 8th "book" in the Harry Potter series and is the script of a play going on in London. It picks up 19 years after the end of the 7th book. Harry and Ginny are married with children, as are Ron and Hermoine. Albus, Harry's youngest son, is struggling with being the son of the famous Harry Potter. There are, of course, sinister forces at work--will good once again overcome evil? This was a great read and did justice to the Harry Potter books. I enjoyed it.
July Reads:
1. Murder Between the Covers 4/5 2nd in series
2. The Reader (YA) 5/5
3. The Best Man (YA) 5/5
4. Exile for Dreamers (YA) 5/5 2nd in series
5. Our Chemical Hearts (YA) 4/5
6. The Wild Robot (YA) 4/5 library book
7. Burn (YA) 4/5 4th in series
8. The Trouble with Twins (YA) 4/5
9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire re-read (YA) 5/5 4th in series
10. Never Missing Never Found (YA) 4/5
11. Paris is Always a Good Idea (4/5) library book
12. Booked for Trouble (5/5) 2nd in series
13. My Life in Pictures (YA) 3/5 library book
14. Murder in the Secret Garden (5/5) 3rd in series Kindle book
15. Curse of the Boggin (YA) 4/5 1st in series
16. A Pound of Paper (3/5) library book
17. Girl at War (4/5)
74 books read in 2016
