Currently have read, but not posted:

Spring 2014 Readings...

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer Smith

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

Under the Dome by Stephen King

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Reboot by Amy Tintera

Cry Wolf by Tami Hoag

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiassen

Alex Cross Run by James Patterson

Sick Puppy by Carl Hiassen

Deliver Us From Evil by David Baldacci

The Ghost Writer by Robert Norris

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly 

 If you like stories of lawyers defending murderers, you will like this one. This Lincoln lawyer usually defends low lifes, but he is hired to defend a rich Beverly Hills client, who is accused of a brutal murder. You will ask yourself is this guy guilty or innocent? You will be enveloped into the story and worry for a variety of characters. I don't want to give much away, so you need to read this one!

 

 

 



The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 

Zusak does an incredible job of telling the story of a young German girl, Liesel, who has to be given to a foster family during WWII. Liesel struggles with being given up and being accepted into another family. Her foster mother comes across as a harsh German woman, but her foster father is a loving man.

 

She begins stealing with her best friend, Rudy, the boy who lives next door. At first, she steals a book after her brother has died at the gravesite. Then Rudy and Liesel steal small pieces of food. Liesel is drawn to books and begins stealing them from one of her foster mother's clients. Liesel learns to read and is able to share these stories with her neighbors while they are in bomb shelters.

 

This is a story of love, relationships, grieving, war, and tenderness. Markus Zusak is a fabulous story teller.



Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This plot twister thriller kept me on my toes. I loved and hated the characters of this book. Flynn did a great job of drawing me into the story and getting deeply involved my feelings for the characters.

Nick and Amy seemed happily married until they both lost their jobs as writers in New York City and moved to Carthage, Missouri to help take care of Nick's dying mother. Well, the change in scenario and jobs does not help their relationship and things change. Amy disappears on their 5th wedding anniversary and Nick is the prime suspect in what appears to be a murder.

I definitely recommend this one!


A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett

Ken Follett's A Dangerous Fortune has treachery, deceit, love, and a little mystery in it. Historical novels always intrigue me and this one does not fail in that department. It begins at a boarding school in 1866 England with a drowning. Following the lives of several of the characters that were present or involved, the drowning has a great impact on the lives of these boys. You will absolutely love to hate a few of the characters. Follett does a great job of allowing you to travel back in time and get emotionally wrapped up in the characters lives.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
Like all Nicholas Sparks books, I really enjoyed this book. The story is about a woman, Erin, who is married to a very controlling man who beats her. She tries to run away a couple of times, but has to come back, as she has no money. Finally, Erin steals enough money from her husband and gets far away. At first she is constantly looking over her shoulder and keeps her distance from everyone, but of course, like all Sparks' books, she falls for someone. The story is a bit predictable, but very enjoyable. If you are a Sparks fan you should read this one.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

An abundance of katherines by John Green

SUMMARY

An Abundance of Katherines is about a prodigy teen, named Colin, that has only dated girls named Katherine. Upon graduation, Katherine XIX dumps him. He is a misfit because of his intelligence and he has a Muslim friend, Hassan, that is also a bit strange. They decide to go on a roadtrip to heal Leo's heart. They fall upon a small town in Tennessee and wind up staying awhile and working there. While there, they both learn a lot about themselves, love, and life.

MY THOUGHTS...

Although this book deals with kids who do not necessarily feel they fit in, it does so in a humorous way. I honestly laughed out loud during many parts of the book. John Green took a child that is working on trying to be the next genius and made it into a comical story. He does go into detail that at times seems a little much, but it helps to give depth to his prodigy character, Colin. I believe high school students would enjoy this book and probably relate to many of the issues Leo and Hassan deal with.