New Year's Eve

Well, looks like I'm done. I know I would have been able to pass 100 if I hadn't started college. But I did, so I wasn't. Anyway, I've started a new blog. So, if you enjoyed this blog, or even if you didn't, go follow it. :)

-Bre

www.readingsforarainyday.blogspot.com

Book 92 - The Future of Us

My 92nd book was The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. This was one of the most interesting concepts I've ever seen for a book. Emma (whose perspective is written by Mackler) is a teenager living in 1996. Her father, as a present to make up for his guilt for living her, sends her a new computer. Her best friend Josh (written by Asher) lives next door. He gives her 100 free hours on the internet that he got in the mail. While on the internet, they discover a webpage called Facebook. They soon find out this website tells them exactly what will happen in the future. As they find out about their futures, Josh is ecstatic. He marries the most popular girl in school and looks happy. Emma, however, has a cheating husband and no kids. She decides to take this into her own hands, but she soon finds out that even the littlest change in the present can drastically affect the future. As Emma desperately tries to change her fate, Josh desperately tries to keep it the same. Because he's happy in the future. Or is he? While this was a good book, it was a let down from Asher's previous book, Thirteen Reasons Why, which is probably my favorite book of all time. (Of course, just about any book would be a let down from that book, which everyone, but especially high school kids, should read.)
Grade: A
SC: 5
V: 2
C: 3

Book 91 - Saving Zoe

My 91st book was Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel. Now, as I know there are only 5 days left in the year, I know I'm not going to make it to 100 books. I'm just trying to get as close as I can. This book is about Echo, who, instead of struggling with the problems of her freshman year of high school, is struggling with the lingering memory of her dead sister. Everyone loved Zoe. She was beautiful, mysterious, and cool, everything that Echo isn't. Ever since her murder, everyone stares at Echo, wondering why she is so different from her sister. Just when she thinks things can't get any worse, her sister's ex-boyfriend, Marc, shows up with Zoe's diary, claiming that Echo didn't really know her sister at all. At first she laughs it off, sure that he doesn't know what he's talking about and that her sister would never hide something from her. When she starts reading the diary, she realizes that Zoe lived in a world that Echo didn't even know about. And, as she makes her way through the diary, she wonders what other secrets the book holds. Overall, good, short read.
Grade: B+
SC: 7
V: 5
C: 6

Book 90 - Waiting for You

My 90th book was Waiting for You by Susanne Colasanti. Marisa is starting her sophomore year and she is ready for a fresh start and, most importantly, a boyfriend. Not just any boyfriend but the hottest guy in school, Derek. When he asks her out, she thinks it's too good to be true. Marisa thinks her long wait for happiness is finally over. But several bumps in the road—including her parents’ unexpected separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with Derek—test Marisa’s ability to maintain her new positive outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose underground podcasts have the school riveted, seems to understand what Marisa is going through. But she has no idea who he is—or does she? I loved the first book I read of hers, Take Me There, but in my opinion, this one surpassed it.
Grade: A+
SC: 5
V: 2
C: 4

Book 89 - The Body Finder

My 89th book was The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. This book was a little creepier than the books I normally read. Every once and a while, I'll read a scary one and this was definitely one of them. This book is about Violet who, ever since she was little, could sense the bodies of dead things around her, and the predator that killed them. Anytime one is near, she gets a sense, such as a specific taste, smell, or sound. Each body is different. The strongest scents she gets are from human beings. When she was eight, she found the body of a little girl and ever since then, she has been protected by her parents, her aunt and uncle (the police chief), and her best friend, Jay (who Violet definitely wants to be more than friends with). While she is working out her newfound feelings for Jay, a serial killer is on the prowl. While water skiing in the lake, Violet (and Jay, as her passenger) accidentally stumble onto the first of this killer's victims. As subsequent bodies start showing up, Violet must figure out not only how to find this killer but how to stop him. Because, after a terrifying moment in the woods, it becomes clear that the killer intends for Violet to be his next victim. Will Violet and Jay be able to stop him? Or will the killer catch her before she can catch him?
Grade: A
SC: 5
V: 8
C: 3

Book 88 - The Boyfriend List

Book number 88 was The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart. This book is about Ruby Oliver, who has just been dumped by her boyfriend. Not only that, Ruby's boyfriend of six months, Jackson, has dumped her in favor of her best friend, Kim. Ruby's resulting panic attacks land her in the office of a shrink, Dr. Z. Part of her therapy involves writing a complete list of the boys with whom she's ever had a crush, kiss, relationship or "little any-kind-of-anything." As readers learn about each entry on the boyfriend list (including lots of authentic-sounding dialogue and asides, which appear in the book as footnotes to the list), they hear the Jackson drama and every painful, truthful detail about the clique land mines Ruby must maneuver when it comes to her former friends, to whom she's now a "leper."

Book 87 - Girl at Sea

My eighty-seventh book was Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson. I read some of her other books (13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Last Little Blue Envelope, and Suite Scarlett) and I've loved all of them. This one was also pretty good. Clio plans on spending the summer in a quiet little art store, working with gorgeous fellow employee and potential future boyfriend Ollie. When her mother gets a grant for a new project, she's obviously happy for her. But when she finds out the job is in Kansas and she's not exactly invited, she suspects that something even worse is coming. And it does. Her mother informs her that she has to spend the summer in Italy. For most people, this would be a summer to dream about. For Clio, however, this summer also involves her crazy father. After she arrives, she meets her father's new girlfriend, Julia, her daughter, Elsa, her father's friend, Martin, and Julia's research assistant, Aiden. Clio soon realizes that they're not just going for a cruise. They're searching for something. And this something is a major secret. So secret they won't even tell her what it is. While Clio tries to figure out what they're hiding, she also has to figure out what to do about her dad, Aiden, her dad's new girlfriend, and how to get back home to Ollie before it's too late.
Grade: B+
SC = 3
V = 5
C = 2

Book 86 - Take Me There

My 86th book was Take Me There by Susane Colasanti. I've heard that her books are a lot like Sarah Dessen's and everyone knows how much I love those books. This book is about Rhiannon and her two best friends, Nicole and James. Through the book's two parts, the point of view switches from one to the other. The story starts with Rhiannon, who's boyfriend Steve has just dumped her, giving the much used excuse "it's not you, it's me...I just think we're in different places". Yeah...right. As she tries to get him back, she begins to realize that maybe it was her after all...maybe it's the fact that she's not the school's hot-yet-extremely-byotchy girl Gloria. Nicole sees what Steve has done to Rhiannon. She also sees what she did to her boyfriend, Danny, when she broke up with him. Even though it's clear that he still loves her, and that she still loves him, she can't get back together with him, for reasons she doesn't even know. After James' girlfriend Jessica dumps him because of Rhiannon, why most of his other girls dump him, he begins to wonder if there really is something between them. Although he has (deep down) always felt that way about her, he wonders if there is anyway she could feel the same way as him. Especially with the dirtbag Steve always hanging around. But what's a guy to do? As James and Danny help each other with their respective girl problems, Rhiannon and Nicole just try to live through the week without suffering too much of Gloria's wrath. As the school dance approaches, the guys try to work up their nerve to put their plan in action. But can Nicole get over her past before Danny gives up on her? And can Rhiannon finally see that there is something between her and James? Or will she never see the light?
Grade: A++
SC: 6
V: 3
C: 5

Book 85 - Get Well Soon

Book number 85 was Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern. I just happened to find this on Amazon.com for $3 and thought it looked good. Anna is depressed and is having panic attacks. So, instead of dealing with her themselves, her parents decide to take her shrink's advice and send her to a "mental health facility", AKA looney bin. At first not only is Anna humiliated to have to go through this but also horrified at the thought of spending her first three days in this place in a hallway. Things get a little better after she gets her own room, especially because she is now allowed to go to "Community", where patients tell other patients what they appreciate and like about them. While there, she meets fellow patient Justin. And, crazier than falling in love with him at first sight, she thinks he actually might feel the same way about her. Just as she's starting to actually like the place, her parent's insurance runs out and the doctor assures her that she's "cured". But what if she doesn't want to leave just yet? What if she finds out about Justin's feelings and wonders if it's too late?
Grade: A-
SC: 5
V: 4
C: 7

Book 84 - The Power of Six

My 84th book was The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore. This book picks up where I Am Number Four left off, with John, Sam, and Six running away from the police and trying to find the other members of the Garde from the planet of Lorien. As they're evading the police and trying to figure out how to open the chest left to John by Henri, Marina is in Spain. She is Number 7, living in an orphanage in a small town. Her protector, Adelina, has seemed to forget their purpose on Earth so, for a while, Marina has been on her own. She has developed Legacies but she has no idea how to use them. She starts to notice strange things around town, such as a man looking in the window, someone inside of her secret cave, and a strange man in the town's cafe. So, she, along with her new friend Ella, start looking for her chest, which Adelina hid when they arrived. But, as she starts finding out not only about herself but about John Smith in Ohio, she starts to wonder if she'll ever meet the others from her planet. But, maybe with Six's help, she'll be able to survive long enough to do just that.
Grade: A
SC: 3
V: 8
C: 4

Book 83 - The Best of Me

My eighty-third book was The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. I have read all of his other books and was super excited when I saw this one at Kroger. This book was definitely not Sparks's best but it was still good. Dawson Cole has a bad reputation through no fault of his own. His family is known around their small community for being troublemakers and criminals. From the start, Dawson is determined to prove that he is nothing like the rest of his family. When he meets Amanda Collier in 1984, he was sure that his luck had finally turned around. Soon, he and Amanda are deeply in love, defying both family's expectations. But Dawson's life is ruined after Amanda leaves him for college and an unfortunate accident sends him to jail. In present day, Amanda is married to an alcoholic with three children and Dawson lives on his own, working on an oil rig for months at a time. The one thing that still connects them is an elderly man named Tuck. When they receive word of his death, they both come back to the small town of Oriental to say their goodbyes. But, little do they know, while they're saying goodbye to Tuck, they'll be saying hello again to their former relationship.
Grade: B+
SC=4
V=6
C=3

Book 82 - Redeeming Love

My eighty-second book was Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. This book is about Angel, a prostitute living in the Gold Rush. She hates being a prostitute, but it is the only thing she has ever known, having been sold into it at the age of 8. While she is out walking, she is seen by a man named Michael Hosea. God tells Michael that she is the women that he is supposed to marry. He visits her in the brothel, intending to take her home with him. She has been proposed to many times, so she thinks that he is just like the others. However, unlike the others, Michael keeps coming back. One night, after Angel is beaten, almost to the point of dying, she is rescued by Michael, who insists that they be married before he will take her home. She agrees, thinking she is close to death anyway. After he nurses her back to health, she still doesn't believe he actually wants to be with her forever. Even after she runs away, he goes and gets her again. Finally, she decides that he might just be exactly what he says. As she starts to open her heart, she also starts to fear even more. Because, even though Michael vows to love her forever, she still has a secret that even he might not be able to take. Based on the story of Hosea and Gomer from the book of Hosea in the Bible, this is a great story for anyone, but especially believers.
Grade: A+
SC: 7
V: 7
C: 1

Book 81 - What Happened to Goodbye

My 81st book this year was What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen. As with all of her other books, I loved this one. It just took me a long time because of rehearsals for something at my college called Tiger Tunes...long story. Anyway, this book is about Mclean, who is a girl that reinvents herself everytime she moves somewhere new with her father. After they move to their fifth town, she somehow accidentally tells a new friend that her name is Mclean, instead of the planned name of Liz. As she gets closer to her new friend Riley, she also begins to grow close to Dave, the "good" boy next door. Although he appears to be the standard goodie-two-shoes, he isn't quite what he appears to be, proving that even the people that look the cleanest have secrets of their own. While she navigates the problems of being herself for the first time in years, she also has to solve the problem of her mother, who hasn't left her alone since the divorce, even though that's exactly what Mclean wants. And just when Mclean finally finds a place where she actually wants to stay permanently, what will happen if her father decides to move again?
Grade: A
SC: 3
V: 2
C: 3

Book 80 - Delirium

My eightieth book this year was Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Lena lives in a world where love is illegal. Every person, on their eighteenth birthday, gets an operation done that prevents love and, because they can't love, it also prevents hate and any other strong emotion. Anyone that resists is either forced or killed. Lena can't wait to have her operation and be matched with a boy who she will spend the rest of her life with. But when her best friend Hana convinces her to go to an illegal party, where the "uncureds" listen to outlawed music and talk to the opposite gender, Lena discovers a whole new world. And this new world includes Alex, a mysterious boy who Lena suddenly feels like getting to know better. Lena knows that she's coming down with the "deleria", but she can't bring herself to care. But, with her operation fast approaching, she and Alex have to find a way to escape to the Wilds, a place with no rules and, most importantly, love.
Grade: B+
SC: 6
V: 8
C: 3

Book 79 - Fairest

The seventy-ninth book I read was Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. In this rewrite of Snow White, Aza lives in the town of Ayortha, which is a town mentioned in Levine's other novel, Ella Enchanted. This is considered a companion novel to Ella Enchanted because it mentions several characters and places from that book. Aza is considered ugly because of her skin complexion and her...size. All of her life, she's had to cope with the fact that she's completely different from everyone else in her family and town. But, when a Dame asks Aza to step in for her companion who has fallen ill, Aza is transported to the magical world of the wealthy in the king's castle for his wedding to the beautiful Ivi. Some people in the kingdom immediately distrust Ivi, but Aza finds herself drawn to the new queen, even more so after she becomes the lady-in-waiting. While she doesn't understand many of the customs of this new country, she seems willing to try. That is, until the king is suddenly injured and Ivi is suddenly put in charge of the kingdom. Soon, Ivi has turned most of the country against her because of the things she does trying to be a "strong queen". When she blackmails Aza into helping her, Aza becomes sure that Ivi is much more devious than she appears. But who would believe a lady who isn't even a true lady over a queen?
Grade: A
SC: 3
V: 5
C: 1

Book 78 - Forgotten

My seventy-eighth book was Forgotten by Cat Patrick. London Lane seems like a regular girl. But she's not. Every night, at exactly 4:33 AM, her brain resets itself and she doesn't remember anything that went on the day before. All she can "remember" are events from her past. With the help of her mother, best friend, and carefully written notes about what went on the day before, London is able to make it through life basically unscathed. But, when a mysterious (and gorgeous) boy named Luke Henry shows up and seems to "get her". But, the problem is, London can't find him in her memories of things to come. Even after they start dating, she still can't find him. As her memories get increasingly darker, she has to try to figure out what happened before the memory most on her mind (a funeral of an unknown person) comes true. Several big shocks in this book, most of which the readers don't see coming.
Grade: A
SC: 3
V: 5
C: 3

Book 77 - Dreamland

My seventy-seventh book was Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. This book is about Caitlyn, who's sister, Cass, just ran away from home. Cass was always the perfect child, always outdoing Caitlyn, seemingly without even trying. So, it was shocking that she ran away, and so unexpectedly, especially because she was going to Yale in just a few weeks. As Caitlyn tries to make sense of her sister's absence, and the absence it creates in her family's life, she meets Rogerson. He's handsome, cool, and mysterious from the very beginning. As Caitlyn finds herself falling for Rogerson, she sees that his home life is not as perfect as it first appeared to be. And that his hard home life might be taking a toll on his relationship with Caitlyn. Rogerson becomes more and more possessive and Caitlyn doesn't know how much more she can take before she just fades away forever. This book is extremely different from every other Sarah Dessen book I've ever read. But it was still good. Just not as enjoyable, because of the subject matter.
Grade: A-
SC: 5
V: 7
C: 6

Book 76 - Before I Fall

My seventy-sixth book was Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. This book is about Sam Kingston, a very popular girl and the best friend of Lindsay Edgecomb, the most popular girl in school. Sam and Lindsay, along with their other friends Elody and Ally, rule the school until the night of Kent's party. Kent used to be Sam's best friend, until she became too cool after starting to hang out with Lindsay. After the party, as the girls are driving home, they swerve off the road, hitting a tree. Sam is sure they're all dead but she wakes up the next morning, in bed and completely fine. As she starts the same day, over and over, she finally figures out she has to make things right. As she tries to do that, she knows her time is coming to a close. But, just as she knows her life is ending, she starts to fall in love with Kent. And, now more than ever, she has to make things right, if only to be worthy of him.
Grade: A
SC: 6
V: 5
C: 5

Book 75 - Lock and Key

My seventy-fifth book was Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. This book is about Ruby, a girl who lives with her alcoholic mother. The book starts a couple of months after she was abandoned by her mother. After living on her own for a while, her landlords finally noticed and called social services. Since then, she has moved in with her sister, Cora, and her wealthy brother-in-law, Jamie. She also meets the neighbor's teenage son, Nate, who is very friendly, despite the fact that Ruby is anything but to him. Ruby feels that she shouldn't get attached to anyone here, because she's going to be leaving soon. She, like her mother, feels that its better to leave someone than be left by someone. Ruby knows the sting of being left, first by Cora, then by her mother. But as she learns how her mother lied to her, she starts to see Cora in a different light. And not only Cora, but other people around her, like Jamie and even Roscoe, Jamie's annoying dog. But the person that seems to "get" her the most is Nate, perhaps because he's hiding some secrets of his own.
Grade: A++
SC: 4
V: 6
C: 3

Book 74 - Someone Like You

My seventy-fourth book was Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen.* This book is about Halley (like the Comet). Her best friend, Scarlett, has always been the cool one, always the strong one who has to take care of everything. But, when Scarlett's boyfriend Michael dies, Halley suddenly becomes the strong one, taking care of everything Scarlett needs. And when they find out that Scarlett's pregnant, Halley is the one that has to save her from her mother, who insists she have an abortion. But Scarlett decides to keep the baby instead. As they go through the pregnancy, figuring out everything together, Halley gets her first real boyfriend in Macon Faulkner, a bad boy who was Michael's best friend. At first, Halley knows that Macon loves her. But, as he starts disappearing more and more, she isn't so sure. What she is sure of is that Scarlett is going to need more help than ever. But is Halley strong enough to help?
Grade: A++
SC: 6
V: 5
C: 3

*I am officially in love with Sarah Dessen books.

Book 73 - Anna and the French Kiss

My seventy-third book was Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Anna's father sent her to Paris for the school year. She doesn't want to leave her mom and brother or her friends. And she definitely doesn't want to leave her new maybe-boyfriend Toph. But she's sent to the School of America in Paris. There she meets Meredith, Rashmi, Josh, and the very beautiful Etienne St. Clair. There's just one problem: St. Clair already has a girlfriend. As Anna navigates her first year in another country, it becomes harder and harder to stay away from St. Clair. Anna knows nothing can happen between them as long as he has a girlfriend. She knows that he likes her too. So, why won't he just break up with his girlfriend? A lot happens in this book, because it takes place over an entire year. I really enjoyed it.
Grade: A+
SC: 7
V: 2
C: 6

Book 72 - If I Stay

My seventy-second book was If I Stay by Gayle Forman. For Mia, things are going great. She gets along well with her family, she has a loving boyfriend, and she's probably going to be accepted to Julliard. But things get disastrous when the family are in a car accident. As Mia climbs out of the ditch, she realizes that her parents are dead. As she goes back to the ditch to see if her little brother, Teddy, is there, she sees a very strange sight: herself, laying in the ditch, unconscious. While Mia tries to figure out what's going on, the paramedics show up and start working on her as well as putting her parents in body bags. She follows her body all the way to the ICU in Portland. There, she listens in on doctors and nurses conversations and hears everything they don't want her to. As the rest of her family shows up, Mia walks all around the hospital, thinking about her life before the accident and everything that has changed. The reader takes the journey with Mia, as she thinks about her parents, her life, and whether or not she wants to stay. The nurse explains to her grandparents that it's really up to Mia whether or not she lives. As Mia thinks about it, her family comes in to make sure she doesn't give up.
Grade: A
SC: 5
V: 7
C: 6

Book 71 - Thirteen Reasons Why

My seventy-first book was Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. This was my second time reading this book and it was just as powerful as the first. Clay Bensen recieves a package one day. The package is a shoebox full of casette tapes. Clay thinks, Who listens to casette tapes these days? But he listens to them because he's curious. After he hits play, the voice of classmate Hannah Baker comes out of the speakers. Clay can't believe this because Hannah is dead. She committed suicide a couple weeks before. As he continues to listen, he is informed by Hannah that, if you have recieved these tapes, you're one of the thirteen reasons why Hannah killed herself. And if you don't listen, the tapes will be realeased and everyone who isn't on the list will hear the horrible things you did. As Hannah tells the story of her high school life and the events that led up to her suicide, Clay follows the map she gave him. And as you learn more and more about the torture Hannah went through, you also learn more and more about Clay. But Clay, and the reader, can't help but wonder, if Clay is such a "nice" guy, why is he on the list at all?
Grade: A++
SC: 7
V: 6
C: 4

Book 70 - Ripple

My seventieth (yay!!!) book was Ripple by Mandy Hubbard. After reading, Prada and Prejudice and You Wish this year, both for the second time, I was very excited about Mandy's new book. She's one of my favorite authors and she didn't disappoint. Lexi is a siren (which is kind of an evil mermaid...when she swims, she sings and that song lures men into the water, where they drown). On her sixteenth birthday, she accidentally killed Steven, the first boy she ever loved. And, since that day, she hasn't let anybody get close to her and she's pushed all of her friends away. So, when Cole, Steven's best friend, starts paying attention to her, she's not thrilled. Not only does this kind of ruin the whole "not getting close to anyone" plan, but he's also known as a player, girls were always throwing themselves at him. But the more Lexi tries to push Cole away, the more she ends up letting him in. As Lexi starts to fall for Cole, a new boy moves to town. This boy, Erik, knows she's a siren and is the answer to her curse. He's a nix, a guy version of a siren and, if they can fall in love, it will break both of their curses and solve all of their problems. But what about Cole? This book was good, but not as good as You Wish.
Grade: A
SC: 6
V: 6
C: 5

Book 69 - Stay

My sixty-ninth book was Stay by Deb Caletti. A lot of things about this book kind of scared me because I was in a relationship that was a lot similar to Clara's relationship with Christian. I think if I wouldn't have ended it when and the way I did, it could have easily turned out the same way. Clara and Christian have a very intense relationship from the start. Clara quickly starts to think Christian is "the one" with his deep eyes, his blonde hair, and his sweet personality. But it quickly becomes clear that, not only is Christian the jealous type, he becomes jealous about things that don't matter. He accuses Clara of trying to get other guys to like her, of cheating on him, and of being flirty. Finally she gets fed up and decides to break it off. But Christian won't take no for an answer. For a while, Clara feels sorry for him and tries to let him down easy, answering some of his messages back and even seeing him a couple times. But after a scary encounter with him, her father decides they need to get away, to a place where Christian can't find them. As Clara and her father settle into their new home at the beach, Clara embarks on a slow romance with a sailor named Finn. But, even as she is falling in love with Finn and working at the lighthouse, she can't shake the feeling that Christian is somewhere close, looking for her.
Grade: A+
SC: 6
V: 7
C: 7

Book 68 - Just Listen

My sixty-eighth book is Just Listen by Sarah Dessen. I really like Sarah's writing. It's very easy to read, but the subject matter is deep. You can really relate to the characters. Annabel is the youngest of three girls, the oldest, Kirsten, being the outgoing sister and her middle sister, Whitney, taking up a lot of attention because of her eating disorder. So, Annabel feels like she's never been able to express herself as well as her sisters, Kirsten talking all the time and Whitney never needing to talk to make you understand how she feels. So, when a traumatic event happens, she keeps it to herself. Even though it means losing all of her friends, especially her best friend, Sophie, who is now vicious towards Annabel. It seems like this year will be the worst yet. Until she meets Owen, an outsider with an anger issue. Since he was forced to take anger management classes after attacking a classmate, Owen is very open about everything, the exact opposite of Annabel. As she starts spending a lot of time with Owen, learning all he has to know about music, she starts to feel like speaking up. But speaking up would mean telling everyone she loves about what happened at the end of the year party, that ruined everything. Will Annabel keep to herself? Or will she trust Owen enough to tell him her secrets?
Grade: A+
SC: 6
V: 5
C: 5

Book 67 - Cloaked

My sixty-seventh book was Cloaked by Alex Flinn. I loved Alex's book Beastly, so I decided to give this one a try. Unlike Beastly, which is based on Beauty and the Beast, this book is based on several lesser known fairy tales, including "The Frog Prince" (before Disney made The Princess and the Frog), "The Elves and the Shoemaker", and "The Salad", which sounds exceedingly strange. Johnny is a poor teenager, working in his mother's shoe repair shop. His best friend, Meg, works in the coffee shop next door, but even her family has more money than Johnny and his mother. One day, Johnny meets the princess of Aloria, Victorianna, who does nothing but drink and party. So, when Victorianna shows up, telling Johnny that she needs his help because her brother was turned into a frog, Johnny just thinks she's drunk again. But, as it soon becomes clear that she's serious, he just thinks she's crazy. But, when she gives him a magical cloak that can transport him anywhere he wishes, he has no choice but to believe her and set out in search of the missing frog. Armed with his cloak, an earpiece that will let him talk to animals that were once human, and the promise of a marriage with the princess if he succeeds, Johnny finds out that, what he really wanted all along, was right next to him the whole time.
Grade: B
SC: 4
V: 5
C: 3

Book 66 - Split

The sixty-sixth book I read this year was Split by Swati Avasthi. 16 year old Jace Witherspoon arrives on his estranged brother Christian's doorstep one night with a bloody face (courtesy of his father) and a secret. Christian, of course, knows the secret. That their respectable father, Judge Witherspoon, has been beating up their mother for years. After Christian escaped, he started in on Jace. Now that Jace is gone, they are more worried about their mother than ever. As they try to figure out how to get her out, Jace's own secrets are threatening to come out. And, if they do, Jace knows Christian won't let him stay. This book gives readers a glimpse into what happens after a person makes the split from the life of torture. But starting over is the hardest challenge of all.
Grade: B+
SC: 3
V: 8
C: 6

Book 65 - Along for the Ride

My sixty-fifth book was Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. I have seen her books at the bookstore and wondered why they were so popular, so I decided to give one a try. And I totally see why a lot of girls love them. It was very entertaining and written in a way that was totally easy to read. LOVED IT! Auden decides to spend her last summer before college with her father and his new wife and baby at the beach. She has totally written off her father's new family as a stuck-up girly-girl and her daughter that will soon be a mini version. But when she arrives, she realizes that the family dynamic is not at all as she pictured. Instead of being all happy and lovey-dovey, her father spends all of his time writing his book while Heidi is left alone to care for Thisbe (the new baby), who won't stop crying for anything. As Auden finds herself helping Heidi in many ways (including helping her at Heidi's cute girly boutique), she also starts to bond with the girls that work there. As she learns about clothes, fashions, and hanging with the girls, she also starts to learn about love as she becomes very interested in Eli, a loner and fellow insomniac who shows her the nightlife of her new town.
Grade: A+
SC: 5
V: 2
C: 2

Book 64 - The Water Wars

My sixty-fourth book was The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher. Dystopian style books are really "in" right now and I enjoy reading them as much as the next person. This book was pretty good, it just felt like there wasn't very much character development...it actually seemed too short to get a true picture of the characters. The other dystopian novels I've read (The Hunger Games series in particular, but also including Matched and The Forest of Hands and Teeth series) exceeded this one by far. Vera and her brother Will meet a stranger named Kai, who pours water out of a cup onto the road like he has more than enough. But no one in this future has enough water. So, Kai sitting in the middle of the road, in plain view of anyone passing, is very odd. Even more odd, Kai tells the siblings that he knows of a place with a river. But people haven't seen rivers in years. When Kai and his father are kidnapped, Vera and Will decide they have to rescue their friend. To do this, they go to the end of their territory and meet pirates, "environmentalists" who don't seem to care for the environment at all, and a greedy company that wants all of the water left in the world for themselves.
Grade: B-
SC: 3
V: 5
C: 3

Book 63 - Trapped

My sixty-third book was Trapped by Michael Northrop. To me, this book was like The Breakfast Club mixed with The Day After Tomorrow. Northrop's style of writing was pretty cool; the way he kept hinting at the bad things that would happen later made you want to read faster. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. I don't like when books end in a way that you don't know what happens to the main characters. This is one of the worst I have ever read in that way. Scotty Weems is on the basketball team and the only thing he is thinking is his first game, which has been canceled because of the stupid snow. Even though it's coming down pretty hard, Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason stay in the shop classroom for an hour or two after everyone leaves. When they finally realize that this snow storm is going to be pretty bad, they make their way to the gym, where a teacher and four other students are waiting for their rides. By this point, Northrop has informed us that, not only will this storm be considered the worst in the history of the United States, but not everyone in our little group will survive. The seven kids have to try to figure out how to survive and how to get along, being that most of them are not only from different grades but different cliques as well. Kind of like The Breakfast Club, except with less swearing and more death.
Grade: B
SC: 4
V: 6
C: 2

Book 62 - Stolen

My sixty-second book was Stolen by Lucy Christopher. This book is about a British girl named Gemma. She and her parents are on their way to Vietnam so that her mother, who is a curator, can buy some paintings there. While on a layover at the Bangkok airport, she meets Ty, a very handsome, but much older than her, man. While drinking their coffee, Gemma starts to feel weird and it becomes clear to the reader that Ty has drugged Gemma. After he takes her far away from Bangkok, she eventually wakes up in a cabin in the middle of the desert. Gemma eventually learns that Ty has been watching her for a long time. But, even more suprising than that, she starts to realize that Ty might not be as despicable as he first seemed.
Grade: A-
SC: 5
V: 6
C: 6

Book 61 - Inkdeath

My sixty-first book was Inkdeath by Corneila Funke. This is the third in the Inkheart series, following Inkheart and Inkspell. I have been working on this book for a month, reading a little bit a time. It is WAY to big to carry around (it's 663 pages long), so I've been reading it on the side. I finally finished! This book has many story lines. When the book starts, Dustfinger is dead, having sacrificed his life for Farid's. Now, the Inkworld is under the rule of the cruel Adderhead and is now in bloody chaos. So many events happen in this book, that its impossible to write them all down (um, did you read that it is 663 pages long?!). But, if you're a fan of Inkheart and Inkspell, you'll like this book.

Book 60 - Uncommon Criminals

My sixtieth book was Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter. In this sequel to Heist Society, we find teenage thief Katerina Bishop in Russia, stealing a painting from the head of the KGB. The difference between Kat and the rest of her family is that she steals items that have already been stolen and returns them to their rightful owner. Kat is also known to the thief world as the girl who robbed the Henley with a team made entirely made of other teenagers. That is why she doesn't think its odd when a woman named Constance asks her to steal the Cleopatra Emerald. Especially when Constance tells her that a man that goes by the name of Visily Romani told her to ask for Kat. After she and her team (composed of Kat, her best friend WW Hale the Third, and her cousin Gabrielle) return the emerald, it becomes clear that Kat was conned by this woman that had called herself Constance. Even more disturbing, it is revealed that the woman, now going by Maggie, knows her Uncle Eddie, the king of thieves, and his hermit twin brother, Charlie. And to add to the already growing problem, Maggie is claiming that this emerald is the Antony, the missing half to the Cleopatra. Kat has to con Maggie while also trying to make sure that she doesn't end up like Maggie; alone, having conned and pushed away everyone who cared about her.

Book 59 - Red Riding Hood

My fifty-ninth book was Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakely-Cartwright (based on the screenplay by David Leslie Johnson). I saw the movie first and got the book because the movie was really good. This book was actually written after the screenplay, so it's pretty much the same as the movie. Several things happen differently and there are several added parts, but if you have seen the movie, you can pretty much skip the book. The book (and the movie) is about Valerie, who is wild and adventurous. Her sister Lucie is careful, but much loved by everyone who meets her. One night, Valerie sneaks out to meet Peter, a woodcutter who Valerie loves, but has been gone for years because of a crime his father committed. Before they are able to talk, they realize there is a blood moon, which means the wolf that stalks the town. For years, the wolf has been kept at bay by the monthly sacrifice. But now, no one is safe. Including Valerie's beautiful sister, Lucie. When an expert Wolf hunter arrives, the villagers learn that the creature lives among them. It could be anyone in town. It soon becomes clear that Valerie is the only one who can hear the voice of the creature. The Wolf tells her she must surrender herself before the Blood Moon wanes... or everyone she love will die.

Book 58 - The Last Little Blue Envelope

My fifty-eighth book was The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson. In this sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Ginny is home again after her backpack with the letters in it was stolen. But she gets an email from a mysterious boy named Oliver. Oliver tells her that he found all of her letters after he bought her backpack. He even has the last letter that she never got to open. When she arrives in England, it becomes clear that not only is her "boyfriend" Keith dating someone else, Oliver is not at all what he seems. He tells Ginny that, since he found the letter, he will tell her what it says and they go together. Ginny realises that, if she wants to find out what her aunt wrote, she has to take Oliver on her adventure and split the money they get from the sale. Their adventure takes Ginny and Oliver, along with Keith and his new girlfriend Ellis, to various places in Wales, Amsterdam, and finally Ireland to find three pieces of art that her adventurous Aunt Peg wanted her to put together. She's gone most of the journey hating Oliver for what he's doing, but she starts to realize that he might have good reasons for wanting the money.
Grade: A+

Book 57 - The Dark and Hollow Places

My fifty-seventh book was The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan. It's the third book of the Forest of Hands and Teeth series. This book is about Annah, who is revealed in the last book to be a relative of someone in the series. Annah was devastated when Elias left her to join the Recruiters three years before this book starts. Since then, she has become hard and tough, having to learn to take care of herself even more. The scars she got from the barbed wire help keep people away from her, but the scars also give Annah a reason to keep people away from her. As she's planning to leave the Dark City, she sees something that makes her go back in. And when she gets back in, she sees that the city is being taken over by a Horde, thousands, maybe even millions, of Unconsecrated swarming over the city. And it turns out the only place that is safe is the Sanctuary, an island that is surrounded by a wall (the reader can only assume that the Dark City is New York and the Sanctuary is Manhattan). As she's trying to get there, she meets a mysterious stranger named Catcher who saves her from the Unconsecrated many times. As they try to get to the Sanctuary, Annah learns many things about Catcher, including that she might love him. This book was very hard to review without giving too many things away. This was my favorite book in the series. The other two were great, but this was much better.
Grade: A++
SC: 5
V: 10
C: 3

Book 56 - Teen, Inc.

My fifty-sixth book was Teen, Inc. by Stefan Petrucha. This book is about Jaiden Beale, who's parents were killed a few days after he was born when a faulty oven knob caused their oven to explode. The company, NECorp, was sued and, to make their company look better to the public, decided to file for guardianship of Jaiden. After the court agreed to let the company try to raise him, and that the company had to pay him $40 million when he turned 18, he grew up raised by a corporation, with handlers instead of parents. Eventually, when he started high school, they let him start going to public school, because he wasn't developing socially enough. Then, Jaiden's life gets even worse when his handler Nancy calls him into the meeting room to discuss dating options. They have profiles from the most promising girls from Jaiden's class in school. He storms out instead of telling them that the girl he is really interested in, Jenny Tate, wasn't in the group of profiles. That day, some luck does come into his life when he is paired up with Jenny for a biology assignment. The lawyers from the company ruin their friendship when they storm in, demanding Jenny's signature saying she knew about Jaiden. After she runs off, Jaiden thinks his life is over. Little does he know, the troubles have just begun. After he finds out that the corporation isn't as "green" as they claim to be, he has to choose between thinking of the corporation as a family or thinking of it as it really is: a group of people that will do anything to make a little money.
Grade: B
SC: 3
V: 4
C: 3

Book 55 - The Dead-Tossed Waves

My fifty-fifth book was The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan. This book is the sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. This book is about Gabrielle (or Gabry) who is Mary's daughter. Mary named her after Gabrielle, the girl from another village that was turned into an unconsecrated by the Sisterhood. At the end of the last book, Mary was found by a lighthouse keeper, who trained her to take care of the lighthouse. Now, many years after the first book, Gabry is sixteen and scared of everything. So, on the night that her best friend Cira and her very handsome brother, Catcher, try to talk her into crossing over the fence and into the abandoned amusement park, it is out of character for her to listen. She knows that she shouldn't go beyond the wall. Everyone has always told her that it's not safe and Gabry has never even been tempted to go beyond it before. But, Gabry is too in love with Catcher to resist. As everyone else in the group is racing to the abandoned roller coaster, Catcher and Gabry climb on the old carousel. They are the only ones that see the Breaker (an Unconsecrated, or as they are called in this town Mudo, who has died and turned in an area where there are no other Mudo around. To continue the infection, they are much faster than anyone else) that comes running into the park and heads towards their friends. As Catcher races off to save Cira, one of Gabry's former friends races towards her and Catcher is able to save her just in time. But he gets bitten and tells Gabry to run back to the town. The kids that were in the park that night are punished by being forced to join the military. But Gabry notices that Catcher isn't in the group that has been captured. Gabry, so afraid of everything, must risk her life and get over her fears to find Catcher in the abandoned town outside of the park. But she finds something there that truly surprises her, including a Mudo worshipping cult, a mysterious boy who seems to know who she is, and Catcher, now infected, but still alive. The first book was great, but I think this book topped it. Gabry is much less annoying than Mary was in the first book. Definitely worth reading.
Grade: A++
SC: 5
V: 9
C: 3

Book 54 - The Cardturner

My fifty-fourth book was The Cardturner by Louis Sachar. His books Holes and There's A Boy in the Girl's Bathroom are some of my favorites from when I was younger. It's cool that there are books for when you get older, too. Alton Richards is looking forward to a summer of relaxing, and possibly getting a job, when his great uncle calls. His uncle has recently gone blind and needs Alton to be his cardturner when he plays bridge. Alton's mother is desparate to get the money he will no doubt leave to them, if Alton can just get him to like them more. So, Alton begins to learn how to play bridge, which he finds is actually kind of interesting. He also learns about the "crazy" Castaneda family, who have also been after his money for years. Toni Castaneda was his cardturner until they had a big fight. Alton slowly gets to know his uncle as well, who he starts calling Trapp. They play bridge three times a week. As Alton gets to know Trapp, he also learns about his past, why he stopped playing bridge, and the mysterious Annabel, Trapp's "perfect" bridge partner who was sent to a mental institution by her husband. Annabel also happens to be Toni's grandmother. What Alton learns about Trapp, Toni, and the history of the Castaneda family comes as a surprise to him and the reader both.
Grade: A
SC: 3
V: 3
C: 2

Book 53 - Butterface

My fifty-third book was Butterface by Gwen Hayes. This book is about a girl who was born with hemifacial microsamia, which causes scars on your face. She's been told that she's lucky because she isn't as disfigured as some people are. But when she meets Lucky O'Leary, she feels anything but lucky. She's in love with him but she's convinced that he only likes her as a friend, because who could love a girl that looks like her? When Lucky starts spending a lot of time in the diner she works in, she starts to hope that he could possibly like her. When he finally asks her out, it seems that he does. But then she finds out why his friends are trying to get him to take her to a party. This party proves that she really was right all along. Or are things not what they appear?
Grade: B
SC: 5
V: 2
C: 4

Book 52 - The Forest of Hands and Teeth

My fifty-second book was The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. I heard that this book was similar to The Hunger Games. And it is, except that it isn't at all. Instead of being forced to fight other children (like Katniss), the main character of this book (Mary) has to fight people that have been infected (they're basically zombies) and are trying to eat her. Her father disappeared months before and her mother watches for him outside of the fences every day. Mary knows that she is supposed to be with her mother, because if she wandered too close to the fence, one of the many Unconsecreted could bite her and infect her. Which happens, of course, because Mary gets sidetracked with the laundry and the boy named Harry asking her to the banquet. Mary's brother, Jed, is so angry with her for allowing their mother to pick to live in the jungle as an infected person instead of killing her that he will not allow her into his home. So, because no one has spoken for her, she is sent to live with the Sisterhood at the cathedral and become a sister. It soon becomes clear that they have many secrets from Mary, and even from the entire town. Travis, Harry's brother and the boy Mary is really in love with, gets hurt and is cared for in the cathedral. Mary realizes just how much she loves him while caring for him. She also finds out about a girl that has come from the outside world, walking on a fenced in path that connects to the village. No one can use this path, so it means that the girl, Gabrielle, came from another place. When Mary sees a flash of bright red outside of the fence the next day, she realizes that it is Gabrielle and that the sisters have turned her into an Unconsecreted because she would have revealed their secret. But she's different from the others. She's very fast and even finds a way to knock down the very secure fences. After the invasion, there's no turning back. Mary, Travis, Harry, Cass (Mary's best friend), a little boy named Jacob, Mary's brother Jed and his wife Beth are able to make it into the fenced in path, which they walk down for many days. They don't know what is at the end of the path, if there's even anything at all. Very good book. I the entire 308 page book in one day.
Grade: A++
SC: 5
V: 9
C: 2

Book 51 - Stuck On Earth

My fifty-first book was Stuck On Earth by David Klass. This book is about an alien named Ketchvar III, who is sent to Earth to evaluate whether or not humans should be destroyed. He inhabits the body of Tom Filber to evaluate the situation. He soon finds that it is dire and that humans are violent, unhappy people who are destroying the Earth. After several days of being bullied and teased at school (Tom Filber isn't exactly popular to begin with) only to go home to be yelled at and chased around the house by his mother, Ketchvar is ready to annihilate the human race altogether. Just when everything seems bleak for Planet Earth, Ketchvar (in Tom's body, of course) meets his neighbor, Michelle Peabody. From Michelle, Ketchvar learns that not all humans are like the family he unluckily chose to be inserted in. Michelle is kind and sweet. Because of this, Ketchvar decides to give humans another chance. This book, of course, has an enviromentally friendly message. And, though the author does try throughout most of the book to shove this message down the reader's throat, I enjoyed this book. The author has a very interesting style and voice. Overall, not bad.
Grade: A-
SC: 4
V: 4
C: 3

Book 50 - Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

My fiftieth book was Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Mirjam Pressler. Yay!! Halfway there!! There is no way to measure how excited I am. Last year, I read 54 books. I've almost passed how many books I read in whole year! :D So, this book is about Johanna, a German girl who's grandfather owns a popular clothing store. On a class trip to Israel, she finds out that her grandfather was a member of the Nazi party. Johanna has always loved her grandfather, she even gets along better with him than her father, but she can't put what she learned out of her mind. She can't help but wonder if he stole the store from the Jewish owners, whom she meets one of in Israel. When her grandfather commits suicide, she becomes convinced that her grandfather bought the store for less than it was worth. But her father, even though he knows the truth, won't discuss it. Johanna tries to investigate, but keeps coming to dead ends because no one in the family wants to talk about what really happened. Can Johanna find out the truth? Or will she just be quiet like her family wants her to, not waking the "sleeping dogs"?
Grade: B
SC: 7
V: 4
C: 4

Book 49 - Matched

My forty-ninth book was Matched by Ally Condie. This book is about Cassia, who lives in a world where the Society controls everything, including what you eat, what you do for a job, and even who you marry. Cassia has never questioned the Society, so it seems natural when she is matched to her best friend, Xander. It's rare that a girl is matched to someone they know, but they tell her it has happened before. When she goes home to view information about him on a special disk the Society gave her, she sees Xander's face, but she sees another face flash after his. Cassia is shocked, because the Society has never made a mistake before. There's another problem: she knows the other boy, too. His name is Ky and he lives down the street from Cassia's family. His uncle and aunt adopted him after their child was killed by a rare criminal: violence doesn't happen in this world. So, is Cassia meant to be with Xander? Or is she really meant to be with Ky? She must choose between the guy she's known all of her life (and the life the Society wants her to live) and the guy she's quickly falling in love with.
Grade: A++
SC: 4
V: 3
C: 1

Book 48 - Notes from the Midnight Driver

My forty-eighth book was Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick. Alex Gregory gets drunk and takes his mom's car to go rant at his dad, who has recently divorced his mom. But he doesn't get all the way. Halfway there, he crashes his car into a yard and runs over a lawn gnome. He is sentenced to one hundred hours of community service at a retirement center. His mother gets to pick the patient. Of course, she picks the most difficult patient she can find, named Sol Lewis. Sol doesn't like Alex from the very beginning and Alex has a difficult time of convincing him he's not a bad guy. In between cursing at him in Yiddish and playing practical jokes, Sol actually begins to develop a friendship with Alex, based around their mutual love of jazz music. Pretty soon, Alex learns that, not only can Sol play guitar, he was actually quite famous for doing so. Only, Sol hasn't played since the night that his wife died in a tragic car accident. Alex started his community service at the home very unhappy with the whole situation. By the end of his sentence, his relationships with his divorced parents, his best friend, Laurie, and, especially, Sol, have changed for ever.
Grade: A-
SC= 2
V= 3
C= 3

Book 47 - How To Take The Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend

My forty-seventh book was How To Take The Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend by Janette Rallison. Giovanna Petrizzo brakes up with her boyfriend, Jesse, after he decides to back Wilson in the school's presidential campaign instead of her twin brother, Dante. After all, Wilson is the most popular boy in school and the mayor's son. Dante is the underdog and he's doing it for a good cause: to get the school's council to pay for a memorial for a student who died the year before. So, when Jesse decides to be Wilson's campaign manager, Giovanna breaks up with him. Instead of teaching Jesse a lesson, it just makes her lonely. Soon she realizes that she wants him back. But she can't get back together with Jesse without betraying Dante. So, what's a girl to do except become Dante's campaign manager. With the two ex's going head-to-head, it's bound to be the most intense race for class president. But, when the dust clears, will Jesse still love Giovanna? Or will he be too wrapped up in stuck-up Bridgit to even notice her?
Grade: A+
SC= 3
V= 2
C= 3

Book 46 - Invasion

My forty-sixth book was Invasion by Jon S. Lewis. This is kind of an odd book for me...an odd book period, actually. But I still kind of liked it. Invasion is about Colt McAlister, who's parents are killed in a bizarre accident. Soon, Colt finds out that it wasn't an accident. Colt's mother, a reporter, had found out something about the billion dollar corporation Trident, who develops everything from weapons to prosthetic limbs. The something his mother found out was going to be the subject of the new article she was going to write. So, along with his childhood friend Danielle and his new friend Oz (who Colt is convinced he knows from somewhere), Colt tries to find out what really happened to his parents and what Trident is hiding. (And no, this Trident is not the company that makes toothpaste.)

Book 45 - The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It

My forty-fifth book was the Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It by Lisa Shanahan. I got this book at the library (it's really a must for a book to have an interesting spine...otherwise, I won't pick the book up...I just skip over it.) This book is about Gemma Stone, a girl who lives in Australia. Her sister, Debbie, is getting married and Gemma is the flower girl (flower girl at 14?? Really??) and she's not excited about it. She's even less excited when she meets the family Debbie will be marrying into. The Websters are obsessed with all things military. The daughter, Jackie, who is Gemma's age, actually wears fatigues all the time. So, as a sort of escape, (and because Gemma's crush, Nick, asked her to), she auditions for The Tempest at her school. Because of this, the troublemaking boy that has a crush on Gemma tries out for the play, too. They get paired up to do an audition scene together, which Gemma is not at all excited about...doesn't the drama teacher know she's meant to be together forever with Nick?! She tries not to judge Raven by his crazy family like the rest of the town, but it’s hard because anytime she goes over to his house, chaos consumes the family. Everything is going alright between them for a while, but when Raven is cast as the villain in The Tempest, he storms out because he knows that's how everyone in town sees him. Gemma doesn't know what to do. Then, when tragedy strikes Raven's family, it becomes even harder to connect with him.
Grade: B+
SC= 4
V= 4
C= 3

Book 44 - Leap Day

My forty-fourth book was Leap Day by Wendy Mass. Yet another of my sister's books. This is the last one for a while, because I got some from the library. haha Anyway, this book is about Josie Taylor, who was born on Leap Day. So, when this book takes place, she's technically only had four birthdays, even though she's sixteen. Josie likes to feel special and being the only person in school with this birthday really does that. Her family even goes all out on this birthday, because this is the one time every four years she actually gets to celebrate her birthday on the actual day she was born. This book was written in a very interesting and cool way. The whole book takes place on one day: Leap Day. Starts early in the morning, ends late at night. Normally entire books about one day are boring but this one breaks the mold. It's very interesting and keeps you on the edge of your seat, even though this isn't an "action" book. Another interesting thing the author did was write one chapter through Josie's perspective and the next chapter is from everyone else's. For example, Josie's mother brings her muffins for her birthday and someone steals them. In the next chapter, you learn who it was and why they did it. It's very different, because, instead of just knowing what is happening with one character, you know what all of the people Josie comes into contact with are thinking. Very interesting book and writing style.
Grade: A+
SC= 4
V= 2
C= 1

Book 43 - Half Upon a Time

My forty-third book was Half Upon a Time by James Riley. This was another book of my sister's (her favorite, actually), so I said I would read it. It was actually very good. Jack lives in a fairy tale (not one that we would think was "normal", though.) It seems like everyone around him is rescuing princessess and going on adventures and that they want him to do the same. But he feels like he just doesn't have it in him. Then May comes along. She is wearing a shirt that says "Punk Princess", so he assumes she's a princess from the land of Punk. What he doesn't know is that she's from our time, transported back The Huntsman, who is also trying to hunt her down. Yes, the Huntsman. As in, Snow White. Then she finds out, not only is he trying to find her, but her grandmother is actually Snow White and she's been kidnapped by the Wicked Queen. Then, just when she thinks her story couldn't get any weirder, she meets a handsome prince, an imp, a giant, a wolf-man, Little Red Riding Hood, a magical genie, an evil fairy, a tiny fairy, and Repunzel. Yeah...she has a very busy week.
Grade: A
SC= 1
V= 3
C=0