Monday, March 26, 2012

Book # 11: Love, Stargirl

by Jerry Spinelli

I loved the book Stargirl!!  LOVED it!!  I consider it in my top ten books I've ever read.  It's that good!  When I taught, I used it as a read aloud with my class, and then had them do a Act of Kindness like she did all the time.  This one is a sequel.  It's good, but not as life changing.  It was nice to be back in Stargirl's world, but this time it is Stargirl who gets a lesson more than the rest of us.  It was a quick read and enjoyable.

Book # 9: The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

I know I read this previously, but I couldn't resist pulling it back out before seeing the movie.  Still as good.  Still as hard to put down.  Still as frustrating that it ends where it does without tying up the ends.  Now I'm waiting on the next two to ship to my house (I borrowed them last time)...  waiting is so hard.  :)

Monday, March 12, 2012

Book # 8: Sisterhood Everlasting

by Ann Brashares

This is the 6th book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.  I think I missed book 5, but it didn't matter as this one took up the story 10 years later.  I had enjoyed the first books in a quick-read-teen-book kind of way.  They were not going to make my top ten book list, but they were entertaining.  I couldn't resist this one as the girls were now about my age, and I was curious to see what had happened to them.  The biggest surprise was that they were all still childish.  At 28-29 year old, I expected more.  Perhaps that's my own 29 year old self talking with three kids in tow.  But even so, they all really struggled to make normal adult decisions, with perhaps Tibby as the exception.  To be honest, if this is how our generation acts at 29, then I'm kind of ashamed to be part of it. 

It was an emotional read, and one I finished rapidly, but this time I didn't feel as much a part of their life because of the divide between where they were at 29 and where I am at 29.  I just couldn't relate.  While I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt about their immature 18 year old selves, I was not willing to do that anymore.  The whole time I repeatedly thought, "Just grow up.  Act your age."  By the end, they do, but the tragedy that had to happen to cause them all to grow up was so extreme.  I'm left wondering if that tragedy never happened, then how long would these girls have clung to their childish ways?

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Book # 7: Madame Bovary

by Gustave Flaubert

This is one of those honors English books that is an obligation to read more than an enjoyment.  It involves a  disgruntled housewife who wasn't satisfied with what she had in life, and this led to her ultimate demise.  These stories can annoy me at times because it's all about communication with her husband about expectations, and so many people just don't do that.  I was fully expecting the story to end with the main character banging her head against the wall upset that she didn't see what she had until it was too late.  So I will say that the end surprised me, but I'm not sure that her lack of repentence made the book any more enjoyable. 

Book # 6: Junie B. Jones books 9-12

I'm reading these with my daughter.  We read a chapter a day before she does her quiet time.  They are short, so I'm counting four of them as one book.  I'm enjoying them as they make me laugh and bring up some good talking points with her.