60/100

The Longest Trip Home: A Memoir by John Grogan

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is another book I read at school, although rather than it be a middle school required reading, it was a book a teacher was reading that she didn't feel like continuing.

This was the life story of John Grogan, author of Marley and Me. I loved loved loved Marley, and this book was okay, but not nearly as captivating. I think it was because it was a little hard for me to relate to erections and extreme Catholicism. But overall, I found it very enjoyable, although there was sadness involved.


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59/100

Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book is written in all letter form which I am not a big fan of. The main character, Joey Margolis, is a young boy who is growing up as a Jew, without a father, in the middle of a war. He is also a pathological liar, which I had a problem with at the beginning because it was hard to discern truth from fiction. After getting 50 pages in, I decided to quit the book. I was all set to return it to the library when I saw the reviews on here and how great they were. So I sucked it up, and continued to read.



Once I really started getting into the book, I loved the relationship between Joey and Charlie Banks, the professional baseball player he swindles into his life. I ultimately felt heartbroken at the end, and I don't regret deciding to finish the book.


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58/100

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

My review

rating: 1 of 5 stars
I know this book is highly recommended but I just could not get into it! I read 100 pages and finally used the "life is too short" mantra.


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57/100

Watermelon by Marian Keyes

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was your standard chick lit book, but for some reason I really enjoyed it. The story is about a woman who gives birth and is left by her husband for another woman, all in the same day. I really liked the author's humor and writing style and I will definitely seek out more of her books in the future.


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56/100

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is another book from school. I am truly intrigued by books that center around the Holocaust. Seeing as this book is meant for middle school students, it was quite toned down, but it was still very well done.


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55/100

The Giver by Lois Lowry

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another book I read from school. I loved it. I really like the ideas of utopian, "Big Brother" societies. The story follows a boy named Jonas who lives in a perfect society. Every family has one boy and one girl, and jobs are preselected based on the observations of a group of elders. At the yearly ceremony, Jonas is left out of the job selection. He later finds out he was given the very special job of Receiver.

The Receiver is responsible for holding all of the community's memories. While at first, this seems fun, Jonas realizes all that he is missing out on: love, color, and even pain. When Jonas finds out devestating news, he must make a life-altering decision.


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54/100

Plum Spooky (A Stephanie Plum Between the Numbers/Holiday Novel, #4)
by Janet Evanovich

status: Read in March, 2009
review: This book was standard Janet Evanovich, but in a between the numbers variety. Therefore, there was very little Ranger and even less Morelli, but mostly Diesel. Still loved it, very quick enjoyable read.

53/100

The Bride by Julie Garwood

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I am kind of shocked to see that this book has a rating of 4.22. Granted, I liked the book but over a 4? Really? I found myself having a hard time getting into the story, which takes place hundreds of years ago, mainly in Scotland. Jamie and her three sisters have been told that one of them is to be married to a ruthless savage who possibly murders his first wife. Naturally Alec Kincade chooses Jamie, who is headstrong and tough. She causes trouble in his life, hijinks ensue, and everyone winds up loving her. There is a brief underlying story about a wife-murderer. I was able to figure out who the murderer was probably halfway in, and I am normally not good at that. Decent read, a little too predictable and Harlequin Romance novel-y.


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52/100

The Torn Skirt by Rebecca Godfrey

My review

rating: 1 of 5 stars
This is another book I grabbed from the library because it looked interesting. I couldn't even be bothered to finish it. I think it tries to hard to master rebellious teenage angst. There is so much going on it is like one constant trip. Go Ask Alice it isn't.


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51/100

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Memoirs are typically not my favorite type of book. But, that being said, I finished this book in less than 24 hours on a trip from Florida. Jeannette Walls tells the story of her dysfunctional yet loving (?) family. While reading some of the reviews, many people found her story to be unbelievable. This didn't really bother me. I almost hope she made some of it up because it doesn't seem right for someone to have to live like that. I hated her parents by the end, even though I am sure that was not her intentions. I would definitely recommend this book.


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50/100

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This story reminded me a lot of The Green Mile. A young black man finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when he is part of a murder. In 1940's Louisiana, this is reason enough to be sentenced to death. The main defense used in his favor is to compare him more to a pig, than to a man. Although this didn't help in sentencing, it does make Jefferson feel worthless. He withdraws from his family before his death. His family demands that the local teacher make Jefferson think himself a man and ask God for forgiveness before death. As expected, everyone else learns from Jefferson more than the other way around. Good read.


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49/100

The Wave by Todd Strasser

My review

rating: 1 of 5 stars
This book was recommended to me by the 8th grade literature teachers in my school. A teacher at a high school wants to teach his students about the Nazis in a way that will grab their attention. He decides to implement a "cult" called "The Wave." Before long, the students begin to attack others who do not belong to The Wave and The Wave grows to epic proportions. Although this concept was based on a true story, I found it to just be too tidy. It wraps up with a pretty bow at the end, yet still teaches everyone a lesson just like a bad after school special.


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