Author Archives

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Bossypants by Tina Fey

I knew going into this book, if it truly was a reflection of Tine Fey, I would be laughing and loving it the entire way through. She is an amazing writer and comedian, and she got her words of advice and wisdom across like she was just talking to a friend, not someone who had just shelled out money to read her book.

Her sarcastic wit was prevalent throughout the book and made her stories even more relatable and funny. It felt like she was sitting across from me in a coffee shop, just telling stories and thoroughly enjoying herself. You could tell she takes herself just seriously enough to know who she is, but not too seriously. She knows who she is, and takes the struggles in her life and uses them to make her a better person.

I was laughing out loud several times during this book and I’m very happy I bought it. It’s a great book to have around if you ever have a bad day and need a little pick-me-up.

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Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

I am always hesitant to start books that are the first of a trilogy, and have years left to go before the final conclusion. However, this book came highly, highly recommended and I decided to read it right away. And then ended up reading twice in as many days.

I am so glad I did. I love stories that involve Greek mythology. There are so many different stories and sides to those stories that you can take it anywhere. While Angelini took a few liberties with the mythology, she was able to explain why she changed it and had it make sense.

I feel like I can’t give it the review it deserves without giving too much of the story away. But I’ll say there is something in it for everyone, and I will be rereading it many times over as I eagerly await the next and last book in the series. They can’t be released soon enough.

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Surviving the Angel of Death: The Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz by Eva Mozes Kor and Lisa Rojany Buccieri

I knew this was going to be a hard book. The subject is an unthinkable one, and it’s even harder to realize this actually happened to the author. It was written well for it’s intended audience, providing just enough information to tell her story, and yet not writing it in such a way that the children for which it’s intended wouldn’t be able to read it.

It’s the story of Eva Mozes Kor and her twin sister and how they survived being experiments for Mengele. They made it through the first “sorting” and would learn later the rest of their family had been killed. They were given, essentially, a “privileged” sort of life in the camp because nothing could happen to the twins that Mengele used, except whatever he would do to them himself.

It was an interesting and well written story, and Kor deserves much praise for being able to write about her experience.

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Trickster’s Girl by Hilari Bell

Kelsa is having to deal with the loss of her father, and the distance her mother has put between them. Raven comes along and asks (forces, almost) her help in healing the world. The head to Alaska, stopping at different locations to heal the leys and help fix the world.

As much a story it was about healing the world, as they went on their journey, Kelsa was able to start healing herself, and see her as a powerful girl, ready to face the world after her father’s passing.

I missed the element of romance through the book, but I can understand why it was not involved. It wasn’t written to be a love story. It was written to show Kelsa become herself, and she didn’t need romance to do that.

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The Last Little blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

Despite the slight disappointment of 13 Little Blue Envelopes, I was still wanting to read this book and see if it could top the previous.

It was better. The character were more developed and appeared more like actual people. It didn’t have that crazy travel sparkle like the first one did, but it made up for it with having real characters and I felt the dynamics were better explored in this one.

This was definitely a better book than the first, and I’m glad I made it past the first and was able to read it.

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13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

I thought this story had a lot of possibility. It was an interest premise that could have made for a fantastic book, but it fell a little flat. It was still a good book, but there was so much possibility that wasn’t met. There were some holes in the story that distracted me, as well.

The relationships weren’t really built up as much as I’d have liked. The one exception is that between Ginny and Richard. For as little as they are together, I enjoyed how they came to view and respect each other. The relationship with Keith was different for me. I’m not sure if I like it or not. I go back and forth with each chapter.

Overall, if I’m in need of a quick, low-angst read, I might read for this one and breeze through it.

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Where She Went by Gayle Forman

If I Stay dealt with Mia’s choice. Where She Went deals with the aftermath. It’s three years after the accident, and true to his promise, Adam lets her be.

Adam is a celebrity, known for his band. Mia is a rising cello star at Julliard. In a twist of fate, one night Adam goes to Mia’s concert, and feel all those emotions and feelings that never really left him when he let Mia go.

After the concert, he meets Mia and she begins to show him her New York, and he falls in love with her all over again, and fast. They only have this one night to reconnect, but they want it to work so badly.

It’s whirlwind love, but it’s written in such a raw and powerful way that you can’t help but fall in love all over.

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Hate List by Jennifer Brown

As someone in Colorado at the time of Columbine, and can remember that day and the ones that followed, this was a book I felt very compelled to read.

Valerie’s boyfriend went on a shooting spree through the school. His victims were ones that he and Valerie had put on a “hate list.” It was a way to release steam for her, but for him, it was more. So when the truth comes out after the shooting, it’s hard to not blame Valerie for at least part of it, even though she was the one that got in the way and stopped Nick from hurting more people.

Valerie makes the brave decision to go back to the high school for her senior year. She’s faced with the uncertainty of acceptance and having to face all those people that knew they were on the list. The school has been changed and soon, one of the girls that had been on the list reaches out to her, and helps her find some acceptance within the school and with herself.

I was moved to tears at the end of this book. It was one of the most emotional ending I have ever read, and I applaud Brown for tackling this subject with grace and respect and writing one of the best books I have ever read.

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Willow by Julia Hoban

This was a hard book for me to get through. It started out rough and I couldn’t understand Willow’s motivations throughout the book. It was difficult to follow her thoughts, but I can understand it, in a way. As hard as it was for me to follow, I think it may have been done deliberately, so readers could truly understand how jumbled her mind was.

It started to get better as Willow started to find more focus and bring the life back into her world. Guy forces her to confront the truth, and makes her feel like she is worth more than the space she takes up. He makes her feel like she is more than just the accident that made her lose her parents.

It was tough to start, but if you can get past that, you’ll enjoy the book as a whole.

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His Eyes by Renee Carter

This was a quick, refreshing heartwarming read.

Carter makes Amy a very sweet, slightly better than average teen. Most girls would turn down this sort of job, not wanting to have to deal with the extra responsibility. But Amy sticks with it and soon discovers that what started out as a way to earn money for college tuition is turning into hanging out with a friend, and possibly turning into something more.

Tristan is having a hard time dealing with losing his eyesight after an accident during a showjumping competition. He doesn’t like having to depend on others for things and it’s hard for him to accept help. He is shocked when Amy shows up the second day, after he ignores her the first.

Their relationship starts out awkward and slightly uncomfortable, but quickly changes into one of trust and understanding.

It’s a sweet book, and a great one if you have a day to just devote to a nice story.