The Wednesday Wars - Gary D. Schmidt

Summary:  Holling Hoodhood is really in for it.

He's just started seventh grade with Mrs. Baker, a teacher he knows is out to get him.  Why else would she make him read Shakespeare...outside of class?

The year is 1967, and everyone else has bigger things to worry about.  There's Vietnam for one thing, and then there's the family business.  As far as Holling's father is concerned, nothing is more important than the family business.  In fact, all the Hoodhoods must be on their best behavior at all times.  The success of Hoodhood and Associates depends on it.  But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has Mrs. Baker to contend with? (Summary from back of the book and image from http://www.sonlight.com/)

My Review:  First of all, Holling?  Holling Hoodhood?  Weirdest name ever.  The Wednesday Wars has a paradoxical feel: disjointed yet fluid.  The writing is superb, especially for the level it's written.  The character is relatable and yet not.  He pulls off some amazing feats and somehow manages to get himself in the worst situations (like having the 8th grade bullies after him or having to wear a fairy costume with yellow feathers on the rear) and comes out unscathed.  What makes Holling so relatable is his family, the pressures he feels there, his humanity, and his humility.

As a former seventh grade teacher (eighth grade isn't that different from seventh), I thought his teacher was fantastic!  I covet her situation, in that I'd love to have students who could grasp Shakespeare on their own.  She was strict, hard, but compassionate.  I loved how he started out thinking she hated him, but then grew to understand her, and even got to the point where he could talk to her more easily than other adults in his life.  From the perspective of a teacher I know this to be true.  Many times students at this age come in thinking teachers are the devil, and then as the year progresses they learn to trust you and even think of you as more than a robot who sleeps in her closet at the school each night.

There are plenty of conflicts which drive the story; man vs. man, with his father; man vs. self, with his innter turmoil; man vs. world, with the 8th grade bullies, and the list goes on.  Much of Holling's life revolves around his ability to get through difficult situations--a fantastic message for the middle level reader.  And Schmidt does an eloquent job of creating compassion in the reader, rooting for Holling to succeed.

Lastly, I should mention how much Shakespeare was woven in.  The reader isn't expected to have read Shakespeare, but if you have, it adds another rich dimension.  I'd highly recommend this to anyone.

Rating: 4 Stars

Sum it up:  A seventh grade boy's journey through the turmoil that is middle school with the backdrop of the Vietnam war.

Wiretap - Valerie Biamonte

Summary:  Amanda Stephens creates business plans to help companies in trouble--but she's the one in trouble now.

Her firm gathers information through interviews and on-site surveillance then suggest new directions for management.  But her newest client--Moyer Metals--has a different problem: one of their employees was just murdered on their property.

Homicide Detective Lou Mason shows up at Amanda's firm with a warrant for her surveillance footage.  He also asks for a date.

Amanda and business partner Julio continue their work for Moyer.  Reviewing surveillance audio, Amanda overhears a second worker die a terrible death.  She calls Lou and their date becomes an investigation.

Police arrest a Moyer employee whose brother is a high-powered defense attorney--and Amanda's old flame.  He's determined to win his brother's case, and Amanda's heart.

But when Julio goes missing, and the killer hunts Amanda--Can she come up with a plan to save herself?  (Summary from the back of the book and image from author.  This book was given free for review.)

My Review:  Wiretap was a fun and fast read  The characters were well developed, the plot was fast-paced and engaging, and the ending had a nice twist.   I'm sure my father would have known who the killer was after watching so many Miss. Maple episodes, but I could not.  I can honestly say I wasn't sure who the murderer was until it was right upon me.

I do enjoy a book that can surprise me and make me go back to see if I was catching the clues correctly or missing them.  Biamonte does a nice job of surprising the reader, abruptly and in a good way.  The twist in the plot did have me flipping backwards to re-evaluate my guess.  I also enjoyed the author's use of a variety of characters and personality types and the equal acceptance of all types of people regardless of race. 

While the overall writing would have benefitted from a bit closer inspection (by an editor), the story was not affected by it.  Besides the few missing words or typos -- which really weren't many -- my only other gripe was that the story had a lot of interweaving lives and coincidences.  It works great for the story, but in a city so close to Chicago it was a little far-fetched.  I wouldn't call Wiretap classic literature, but I will say it's a book I'd recommend to friends.


Rating: 3.5 stars 

For the sensitive reader:  Occasional swearing and one F-bomb. 
Sum it up: A fast paced, engaging murder mystery.

Back To Basics: Traditional Kitchen Wisdom - Readers Digest, edited by Andrea Chesman

Summary:  Live on less and still have plenty!  There's something to be said for simpler times, when our way of life seemed more wholesome...when our food was grown with fewer pesticides and growth hormones...when we tended kitchen gardens, kept a flock of chickens, and "put up" beans, pears, and pickles.  So it's easy to see why people across the nation are returning to their roots--and root cellars--and embracing a return to the basics.

With Traditional Kitchen Wisdom you, too, can enjoy the rewards of being more self-reliant by...

• Growing your own fruits and vegetables in a space as small as a windowsill
• Turning fresh fruit into jams and jellies
• Learning safe canning and freezing methods
• Drying foods and creating your own herbs and spices
• Making homemade wine, beer, and naturally flavored vodka
• Raising chickens and honeybees, making your own cheese, and more

Start your own family traditions with Traditional Kitchen Wisdom, and rediscover the pleasure of returning to a greener, healthier, and more self-sufficient lifestyle.   (Image from  http://images.bookcloseouts.com/ and summary from back of the book.)

My Review:  Honestly, I've never been much of a Suzy-Homemaker type.  My mother knew how to can, sew, garden, pickle, and everything in between.  I spent a little time learning the very basics of a couple of these skills--definitely not enough to talk about though.  In the past couple years I've gotten into gardening and consequently canning and maybe someday I'll get into sewing.  This book peaked my interest because it gives the basics on many kitchen tasks I've never fully explored...and allows me to refresh my skills without pestering my mother!

Reader friendly is the best way to describe the format.  It has an easy to follow table of contents, clear headings broken down into steps, has color illustrations depicting what it's describing, tables and charts when the information is best conveyed that way, equipment lists, and recipes.  I can't say I've tried everything in the book because I don't have all the right tools/equipment for each skill. But, I'm excited to try some though.

There's one section of the book that is obsolete for me, but may intrigue other readers: wine and beer brewing.  While I'm sure it's a great skill for some, I have no use for it.

The last section of the book shows ways to have a sustainable home.  I'm not sure I'll ever get to this point in my life, as raising chickens is not my ambition.  Still, I like having the information if I ever do need it.

For a novice like me, this book was informative and inspired me to want to try some of these food preserving techniques.  If you're a domestic diva knowing all the arts of the kitchen, this book is probably too simplistic.


Rating:  4.5 Stars

Sum it up: A book with basics of home preserving techniques for a beginner in the process.

Cooking with Food Storage Made Easy - Debbie G. Harman

Summary:  We have been counseled by prophets to keep a long-term supply of food on hand.  But once we have accumulated some food storage, what do we do with it?  Food storage is not just for emergencies; it's meant to help us sustain life today.

In this fun cookbook, Debbie Harman shows you how you can cook delicious meals and tasty treats your family will love with the food supplies that have too often been put away only for a rainy day.  You'll soon discover how to use storage items and other everyday ingredients to make tasty dishes a few times each week, which will keep your food storage in constant rotation--and save you money.  So, should disaster strike, you'll have plenty of usable food on hand--and you'll be an expert on knowing what to do with it.

Along with hundreds of fast and delicious family-tested recipes, you'll find:

• What you need to store
• How to use dry foods to add nutrition to everyday dishes
• How to store meats, beans, vegetables, fruits, grains, water, and more
• How to sprout your own fresh greens
• How to put together 72-Hour Emergency Kits for you and your family

Let Cooking with Food Storage Made Easy be your guide for making your food storage a valuable asset your family will enjoy.  (Image from http://www.countryconsultant.com/ and summary from back of the book.)

My Review:  I have been looking for a cook book like this!  Food storage is something we do (something LDS people do anyway) and this book is aimed at that audience.  I try to store food, but I'm not at the point yet where I feel confident using it everyday.  I'd hate to waste what I have, but I also want to use some so that I can  begin rotating my supply.  I want to know what goes in my food, what ingredients make or break a recipe, and if, heaven forbid, a disaster does occur, that I can cook food my family will actually eat.  Part of what drew me to this book was that it gives recipes using dried products you don't normally buy from the grocery store.  This book had those recipes!  It has so much of what I've wanted in a basics cook book: how to make fruit leather, suggested amounts to store more than just the basics, planting and gardening tips, jerky, the list goes on.  While I realize this may not be a cook book for the everyday chef, it's perfect for my needs and for someone interested in cooking with food storage. 

My Rating: 5 Stars

Sum it up:  This cookbook has just about everything you'd want to know about to storing and preserving your own food.

Stick Figure - Lori Gottlieb

Summary:  That's when all the trouble started.  First of all, my long blond hair kept getting darker and darker until it finally turned brown.  I know it doesn't sound that terrible, but one of Mom's magazines said if you have "dishwater brown" hair, you should take that "boring" hair and make it more "exciting" by dyeing it red or platinum blond.  Then next to the article there were these pictures of three different ladies with brown, red, and blond hair.  The redhead and the blond lady were smiling like those people on game shows who win trips to Hawaii, but the lady with the brown hair looked like she was about to cry.  So now I'm stuck with hair that makes you cry.  But that's just part of what's happened to me since second grade.  Believe me, it gets a hundred times worse.  (Image from  http://www.harrywalker.com/ and summary from back of the book.)

My Review:  Like walking down a familiar and difficult path, this book brought back many harsh memories for me.  The difference was that I was seeing anorexia through the eyes of an anorexic and not as a bystander.  This book rang true--Lori's intelligence, control, disdain for others, her fixation on minor things, her skewed perception of herself and others and her desire to never grow up--because being a grown up is hard.  Reading this was almost deja vu but instead of watching it, it was almost as if I was living anorexia.  I'm amazed at the diary of this young girl and yet all her social commentaries fit my own experience.  Young girls are sent so many mixed messages but the most prevalent at the teen age is to be thin and sexy.  Sadly, Lori's story starts at the tender age of eleven.  The girls I knew dealing with this were thirteen and older.  I cannot fathom watching a pre-teen going through anorexia and becoming so thin.  The distortion she details is right on: anorexics literally cannot see themselves for what they really are physically.  Her stubbornness, although frightening, is reality for a girl suffering from an eating disorder.

What I'm not sure is portrayed accurately was her recovery.  She just decided one day that it was just too much work to be the thinnest.  I know that this was true for her case.  Or maybe it wasn't but the book needed to end and she needed to show how it truly is a decision on behalf of the sick and no one else.  I think it would be helpful for readers, as well as young girls dealing with an eating disorder, reading the book to know that for some recovery is long, painful process with ups and downs, something that for many never truly goes away.

I must applaud her epilogue.  Lori Gottlieb is honest, blunt, and doesn't sugar-coat the reality of what she sees--it's refreshing.  Her sentiments about our culture, the advertising in the USA are poisoning the minds of young girls and plague the minds of women.  And we often sit there and take it, embracing it for some, loathing it for others, but nonetheless simply accepting the messages that are sent.

If you're needing to understand an eating disorder and want to truly understand what it's about, this is a good first step.  It will help the reader understand it's not as simple as just taking a bite--it's a mindset that must be changed, a world that should be challenged when it sends such debilitating messages to young girls.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Sum it up: An insiders look at teenage anorexia.

Book of Ages: 30 - Joshua Albertson, Lockhart Steele, Jonathan Van Gieson

Summary:  Welcome to your thirties.  Are you rich, poor, single, married, divorced, straight, gay, crazy in love, happy, in good health, insured, employed, in school, falling apart?  On the brink of fame, like Ford, Emeril, Napoleon, Nonan, Couric?  Do you have problems, dreams, house, job, money, kids, car, gun?  Do you exude sex like Clooney, Berry, Stallone, Madonna, Elvis, Cher?  Feeling promiscuous, monogamous, dumped, living in sin, virginal, pregnant?  What's next?  Layoff, promotion, power, new career, wedding, debt, divorce, degree, death?  Are you in danger like Welles, Plath,Alexander Ringwald, Murphy?  Struggling like Bush, Tan, Gandolfini, Kafka, Rowling, Mr. T?  How do you stack up?  Are you a visionary like Oprah, Bono, Gates, Edison, Franklin, Eminem?  Will you change the world like Shakespeare, Mandela, Mao, Lennon, Gorbachev, Kennedy?  31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39...What's Next?  (Image from https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ and summary from back of the book.)

My Review:  Yes, I am thirty.  I'm actually fine with that number, but I was given a book to remind me that time is ticking and maybe to shame me into being more aware of how I'm using my time.  This little coffee table book is set up visually appealing with black letters on white pages with red thrown in for emphasis and lots of fun pictures. Easy and fast to read is an understatement.  Whether the information in the book is really all that important is debatable.  Much of what you learn is about famous people and what they were doing at that the age of thirty.  Sometimes this was interesting, sometimes it was worthless.  When you spend your time comparing yourself to people that are such a small percentage of the population it can never be realistic.  I'm afraid some readers might be discouraged after learning all these minute details.

The other aspect to the book I wasn't so thrilled about was how much emphasis was put on a person's sex life and how much money he or she makes.  As if those are the greatest indicator of how happy you truly are at the age of thirty.   Maybe that's a representation of the authors?  Or is that really what Americans really care about?  I'd wager it isn't, but I could be wrong.

If you're not taking it too seriously and enjoy frivolous facts, feel free to pick up this book.  Otherwise, it's more or less forgettable.

Rating:  2.5 stars

Sum it up:  Random facts about anonymous people and famous people alike while they lived the years called their thirties.

Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

Summary: Gone With the Wind is a sweeping, romantic story about the American Civil War from the point of view of the Confederacy. In particular it is the story of Scarlett O'Hara, a headstrong Southern belle who survives the hardships of the war and afterwards manages to establish a successful business by capitalizing on the struggle to rebuild the South. Throughout the book she is motivated by her unfulfilled love for Ashley Wilkes, an honorable man who is happily married. After a series of marriages and failed relationships with other men, notably the dashing Rhett Butler, she has a change of heart and determines to win Rhett back.    (Summary from amazon.com and image from casablancaauthors.blogspot.com)

My Review:  After reading this novel I feel like I've read four, maybe five, books.  It is LONG--1024 pages to be exact.  Bear that in mind if you decide to read it. 

I hardly know where to begin.  Should I start with the way I was wrapped up in the storyline?  Or, should I write about all the ways the book bothered me in both moral and personal levels?  I guess I'll start with Scarlett.  She drove me crazy.  No, not slightly annoyed, not irritated, not even disgusted, which was a how I felt constantly while reading her thoughts.  CRAZY.  Understandably, she was spoiled, very young, beyond wealthy, impetuous, selfish, and honestly cultivated to be such.  Still, I cannot let that excuse her behavior or thought process.  While Scarlett has a period of time in her life--the worst days according to her--where I can almost stomach her, almost pity her, and almost like her, she eventually goes right back to her amoral and selfish ways.  It's amazing to me that the men around her didn't loathe her as much as the women did.  I don't want to ruin the story, but will name a few events vaguely that I felt were beyond understanding: what she did to her sister, what she did to Melanie, how she tried to steal Ashley away, how she treated Rhett, and how she treated practically everyone in the book.  Scarlett's obvious lack of interpersonal intelligence was probably the aspect I could fathom least about her.  If she could have stepped outside of herself for even one moment, she wouldn't have been such a despicable character.  I just kept telling myself: she's onlysixteen, she's only eighteen, she's only....wait!  That line of thinking doesn't work any more when she's twenty-eight. 

Rhett was harder for me to distinctly like or dislike.  There were times where I sincerely didn't like him, and yet others where his motives and actions were very clear and, for his circumstance, understandable.  How he could adore Scarlett as he did, again, is beyond me.  How he turned the rejection from his family into a personal victory was fascinating; it was cloaked in a screw the world attitude, but was actually his way of saying, "You can't reject me because I've already rejected you."  At the end of the story, the event that crushes him would have crushed me as well.  There were many moments where I felt his actions were heroic and chivalrous and others downright deplorable.  He was a flawed, yet captivating, character.

The race and slavery thread was one of the most disturbing.  The descriptions of the black characters was offensive and awful most of the time.  Still, it amazed me how southern families felt such a strong attachment to the people they didn't even view as completely human.  Mammy's character was one of my favorites.  Her loyalty went to the point of charity.  So much of this book was hard for me to fathom, hard for me to swallow, yet was written so nonchalantly, as if writing and thinking this way about another race was acceptable and normal.  That disturbed me the most.  It also amazed me how you could view someone of a different race as less than human, but then allow them to nurse your child.  I just don't understand that.  It's a contradiction in my mind to allow such a personal and intimate action to be done by someone you don't even treat as an equal.  Blows my mind.

While the above characters and depictions disgusted and disturbed me, there were characters that were noble...from a southern, slave-owning view point.  Melanie was the embodiment of humble strength.  Her character, although somewhat unrealistic to some, was very real to me.  There are still people as good, genuine, and charitable as she, and it's nice to be reminded how important they are and how they hold together a society.  Mammy was an amazing caregiver and stabilizing force.  Dilcey was hard work epitomized.  There are many good people throughout the story, flawed though their perspective on slavery may be.

While I won't be reading this book again, I did learn a lot.  I loved learning about southern culture.  Most of my education of the civil war was union focused, so I loved learning the history of that time period from a different view point.  I was swept up by a storyline that drove its characters into a world where they had no idea how to function.  I was also intrigued by Scarlett's determination to survive and thrive.  The societal rules that restricted women at the time, reinforced how blessed I am to live in the USA today.

Despite its length, I finished this book much faster than I expected.  While I could write more -- there's so much to cover in 1024 pages -- I'll save my comments on the over-done details, and the shrewd and intelligent mind of Rhett, for my book club night.

This wasn't my favorite book, nor was it the easiest to get through, but I'm glad I read it.  I won't be recommending this to my students, as I believe it's for a more mature audience that would be able to recognize it as a depiction of a specific time period, and why the opinions, attitudes, and sayings are not acceptable today.  I don't think an impressionable mind should pick it up just yet. 

My Rating: 4 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  Racist depictions typical of the era in which the book is set.

Sum it up:  A period piece from a Southern/Confederate/Female perspective during the Civil war and after.

Gregor the Overlander - Suzanne Collins

Also reviewed by Heather.

Summary:  When eleven-year-old Gregor follows his little sister through a grate in the laundry room of their New York apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland beneath the city.  There, humans live uneasily beside giant spiders, bats, cockroaches, and rats--but the fragile peace is about to fall apart.

Gregor wants no part of a conflict between these creepy creatures.  He just wants to find his way home.  But when he discovers that a strange prophecy foretells a role for him in the Underland's uncertain future, he realizes it might be the only way to solve the biggest mystery of his life.  Little does he know his quest will change him--and the Underland--forever.  (Summary from back of the book and image from http://images.betterworldbooks.com/)

My Review:   I feel behind the times that I'm just now reading this series. After reading Collins' trilogy, The Hunger Games, and recommending it to my students, I discovered that they already knew and loved this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this first book.  Collins has a wonderful way of making her characters real and endearing.  I absolutely loved Gregor's sister Boots.  She practically made this book.  The idea that humans migrated (is that what you'd call it despite the location?) underground and created another world is fascinating.  The way they grew their food and traveled on large bats that stealthily flew in darkness, took away the impending fear of constant darkness one would normally associate with being stuck underground. However, there was still that sense of fear with the larger than life insects and rodents. 

Collins, despite having violence in all the books I've read of hers, manages to write in a way that does not glorify the violence but instills in the reader a real sense of loss.  I think despite this being a book written for a younger audience than my 8th grade students I'll still recommend the series if they enjoyed the Hunger Games.

My Rating: 5 stars--warning for parents: since this is aimed at a 5th or 6th grade reading level, I think parents should know there is death, and particularly death related to war, in this book.

Sum it up: A modern day imaginary adventure, sure to capture children's attention and entertain adults.

Secret Sisters - Tristi Pinkston

Summary:  Ida Mae Babbitt, president of the Omni 2nd Ward Relief Society, didn't mean to become a spy.  But when visiting teaching stats are low, and she learns that one family under her care is in financial trouble, she'll do whatever it takes to make sure they have what they need.  If that includes planting surveillance cameras in their home and watching them from a parked car in the woods...well, isn't that what any caring Relief Society president would do?

With the help of her counselors, Arlette and Tansy, Ida Mae soon learns there's more to the situation than meets the eye.

But it's all in a day's work for the Relief Society.  (Summary from back of the book, book given free for review and image from http://cranberryfries.blogspot.com/2010/04/secret-sisters-review.html)

My Review:  I'm always wary of literature written for and aimed at the LDS population.  The audience is so narrow and the topic so specific that unless you're LDS you probably won't enjoy the book and often it can lack real depth. 

While this book falls into the "LDS" category, there was much that I enjoyed and it contained more depth than others in the genre.  This is probably the first LDS lit I've read that had so much wit.  Ida Mae is a great character and such a spunky old gal that I almost felt like I was listening to my own inner dialog while reading.  She's constantly seeing the puns in life, saying and connecting them to situations, but without the dorky "did you get that?" line you typically see.  She enjoyed her own humor and the way it was written the reader can too.  She also kept her judgmental side in check, which was refreshing.

The story line was quite intriguing.  I was truly curious to see how the sneaking around would come back to bite them and it did.  Nice.  So often you see people get off the hook for doing something wrong even if it's for the right reasons.  And in real life, that's not always the case.  The story was going really well and I enjoyed the ending, though it was a tad cliched and the frying-pan scene was a bit of a let down.  It wasn't very realistic, at least for me.  

Overall, I honestly enjoyed the book and was glad to have a chance to get to know Ida Mae and her quirky Relief Society presidency.  (It painted a very realistic picture of what a Relief Society President does for her ward on a daily basis.)

My Rating: 4 stars

Sum it up: A quirky read for a female LDS audience.

Forge - Laurie Halse Anderson

Summary:  Would you risk everything to be free?

The young soldiers at Valley Forge are suffering from hunger, cold, and the threat of the British army.  Their newly forged bonds of friendship might be enough to help them survive.  But the chains of Curzon's past threaten to shackle him again.

Surrounded by the fires of ignorance, mistrust, and greed, Curzon can't risk sharing his deadly secrets with anyone.  Does he have the mettle to hold on to his freedom?  To claim his rightful place as an American?  Is he strong enough to find the answer to the hardest question of all: Is Isabel still alive?

Acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson continues the thrilling adventure started in her bestselling, award-winning novel Chains.  Ride along on a gallop that will take you from battling the British at Saratoga to fighting the elements at Valley Forge to rebelling against merciless tyranny.  Discover what the fight for freedom was really all about.  (Summary from jacket cover and image from http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com)

My Review:  When I first started Forge, I kept thinking that it was a bit slow and that I didn't get introduced to the main character very well.  I realized after reading three-fourths of the book, that it is a sequel.  Chains comes first.  Obviously you're expected to come into the story knowing the protagonist.  I didn't want to stop reading to start the first in the series, so I'm missing some of the back story but once I was a third of the way through I was hooked.  Reading Forge was the best way to make history come alive for me.  I never had a love of social studies growing up; I just couldn't get myself interested in all the dates and places that I was supposed to memorize.  It wasn't until I became an adult that I realized how fascinating it is. 

Forge was very informative and I feel like I understand the Revolutionary War a lot better after reading it.  I didn't know much about it besides the little I can remember from elementary school.  I had no idea that slaves fought in the war and that many of their owners made a deal of freedom at the end of the war if they fought in the army.  I am going to highly recommend this book to all my students and especially to the social studies teachers at my middle school.  I think I would have retained more information if I had learned about the war in this format.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Sum it up:  Gritty on a YA level, it opens eyes to what conditions were like for soldiers fighting for our freedom and then takes it a step further by seeing it all through the eyes of a slave.

The Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs

Summary:  Juggling the demands of her yarn shop and single-handedly raising a teenage daughter has made Georgia Walker grateful for her Friday Night Knitting Club. Her friends are happy to escape their lives too, even for just a few hours. But when Georgia's ex suddenly reappears, demanding a role in their daughter's life, her whole world is shattered.

Luckily, Georgia's friends are there, sharing their own tales of intimacy, heartbreak, and miracle making. And when the unthinkable happens, these women will discover that what they've created isn't just a knitting club: it's a sisterhood.   (From the publisher.  Image from http://www.trashionista.com/images/fridaynight.jpg)

My Review:  Reading this was like eating a store-bought cookie.  You enjoy it, it wasn't much work, and sometimes there are small bit and pieces that aren't your favorite, but it's good enough you'll consume the whole thing.  The writing was ok.  For me, Jacobs is the queen of fragments used for impact.  While I understand the use, and often it is very helpful, it was overdone in the Friday Night Knitting Club.  The other aspect that fell short in my eyes was the way her characters were crafted.  Every single character had a foul mouth.  In today's age, this isn't that uncommon or surprising, but one of the characters I don't believe should have had a cleaner vocabulary.  A woman in her 70's who lived a privileged lifestyle in New York City, married and from a religious Jewish background just didn't fit that she should be dropping four letter words.  The other characters, fine.  Anita?  No.  That and the way the characters swore so often, they started to sound alike.  James, the only male character you spent much time hearing from his perspective, started to sound like the Friday Night Knitters.

Aside from those inconsistencies and the overdone fragments, the story was charming and feel-good.  I won't ruin the ending, but even with a twist thrown in that those of you who've read the book would probably contend is NOT feel-good, I left with that same feel-good experience.  I thoroughly enjoyed learning about knitting--what I could imagine.  I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their back stories.  I also loved reading about New York.  I can't help myself when it comes to New York.  It's such a fascinating and amazing city.  I haven't done my research, but now I'm curious to know if there is a quaint yarn shop on the second story of a building in New York.  I'm sure there is, but I'd love to have visited when we went to New York.

I'd recommend this to my friends and probably acquaintances, but definitely not to my mother.  I don't think she could get past the four-letter-words sprinkled  generously throughout.

My Rating: 3 stars--Warning for sensitive readers: Lots of four-letter-words, albeit rare with the most offensive.

Sum it up: A easy-reading, feel-good story.

The Anatomy of Pilates - Paul Massey

Summary:  Pilates is an exercise method designed to elongate and strengthen the body by emphasizing balance, alignment, proper breathing, and core stability.  Osteopaths, physiotherapists, and general practitioners recommend its simple, low-impact approach as one of the safest forms of exercise, ideal for injury prevention, rehabilitation, and overall physical health.  Pilates can be beneficial for just about everyone, regardless of age and fitness level.

The Anatomy of Pilates takes the reader inside the body to show exactly what happens in the body's muscles and joints during a Pilates exercise.  At the heart of the book are 150 full-color illustrations showing the muscles that lengthen and strengthen in 40 classic exercises, together with information on anatomy, technique, breathing pitfalls, and more.  The Anatomy of Pilates is an accessible, authoritative guide for current and prospective teacher of Pilates, practitioners at all skill levels, physical therapists, and health professionals.  (Summary from back of the book, book free for review from Lotus Publishing and image from http://www.pilates-pro.com/)

My Review:  Reading this book made me want to utilize Pilates more in my exercise routine.  I'm not the most versed in Pilates, but I have enjoyed a class or two.  I think this book is geared more towards people who know anatomy, or have more experience with Pilates.  Not that I didn't find it helpful, because I did.  I have never taken an anatomy class. Therefore, the read wasn't as fast as it would have been had I been more knowledgeable in the proper names of each muscle.

The book is organized in a way that the reader can easily navigate the basics of Pilates--Introduction, Posture and Movement, Applications, and Classical Pilates Exercises.  There were a couple of aspects I found very helpful (besides all the full-color pictures).  The pitfalls that accompany each exercise/pose were informative for someone who is a beginner.  The second section of the book, Posture and Movement, had diagrams and examples of poor posture.  After determining your posture--unless you're perfect and don't have any problems with incorrect posture--there is a suggested exercise section.  These suggested exercises will help improve the weakened areas of your body based on your posture.  The last aspect to the book I found useful is the chart on page 60.  It illustrates the exercises to do at what ability level and how many repetitions.

Overall the The Anatomy of Pilates is very informative and because the book is only around 150 pages, it isn't a daunting read.  The full-color illustrations are the icing on the cake, making the book more easily digested.  (Does icing to do that?  Oh well, If not, you get the idea.)

My Rating: 4 Stars

Sum it up: A comprehensive look at Pilates and how it works the body.

Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer

Summary:  When Miranda first hears the warnings that a meteor is headed on a collision path with the moon, they just sound like an excuse for extra homework assignments.  But her disbelief turns to fear in a split second as the entire world witnesses a lunar impact that knocks the moon closer in orbit, catastrophically altering the earth's climate.

Everything else in Miranda's life fades away as supermarkets run out of food, gas goes up to more than ten dollars a gallon, and school is closed indefinitely.

But what Miranda and her family don't realize is that the worst is yet to come.

Told in Miranda's diary entries, this is a heart-pounding account of her struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar time.  (Summary from book jacket and image from  http://ashley-thecompulsivereader.blogspot.com/)

My Review:  I can't help but feel this book is too creepy to be enjoyed.  What are the chances that a meteor could knock the moon off its orbit enough to affect the world?  That is a question I'm not sure I really want to contemplate.  But, with that spark of thought, it opens up a wide range of possibilities, all with consequences I have a hard time combining with the realities of raising my small family.

Miranda's family and their progress through this book is very realistic.  The depictions of Miranda's envy of her younger brother's food consumption,  her mother's desire to keep them all alive but putting more emphasis on Jon (her younger brother), their reactions to the latest downfall to their predicament all felt so very true for a teenage girl and her perspective of her family.  I was amazed at her mother's foresight.  I was impressed by the family's loyalty and work ethic.  I cannot imagine going through such an ordeal.

I cannot say I raced through this book.  In fact, I was rather slow in the beginning to trudge through the pages.  I knew it was only going to get worse.  It can be hard to want to know what is coming when you know it has to be bad.  By the last third, as is typical of me, I was racing to finish.  I just had to know if it had a happy ending.  It's not peaches and cream ending, but it didn't leave me upset.  I refuse to ruin it for you.

I'm not sure I'll recommend this to my students.  I'd have to know the reader was strong to start and had an interest in end-of-the-world situations.  Otherwise, I think it would just freak them out.

One thing I do know, I want more food storage and think I'll keep more basic necessities on hand...just in case.

Rating:  3.75  For sensitive readers: There is persistent swearing, of the Bible variety, but since it's a young adult book I felt it necessary to note.

Sum it up: Although an end-of-the-world scenario type book, it really had me thinking about emergency preparedness and just what it would take to live through a worldwide catastrophe.

Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink

Summary:  An ancient prophecy divides two sisters--one good...one evil...who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthrope have just become orphans.  They have also become enemies.  As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, they find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.  They just know they can't trust each other.  (Summary from back of the book and image from theslowestbookworm.blogspot.com)


My Review: I really wanted to like this book--the cover is quite eye catching, and it came to me highly recommended.  Alas, it was slow paced, so dark and sinister that it repulsed me, and ended unresolved.  I know there's a second book, but I truly don't want to read it.  I'd like to get the cliff notes to satiate my curiosity, but I don't want to waste another week of reading time to figure out how it all plays out. 

Much of this book is spent trying to figure out what is wrong with Lia and Alice. And once you do understand what is going on; you spend the rest of the book trying to figure out how to stop this craziness.

The writing was more sophisticated than typical YA books, which was nice.  And the atmosphere in the book reminds me a bit of Jane Eyre.  Where it didn't measure up was the contrasting feelings of overall goodness.  Maybe I'm jumping the gun on this judgment, for I'm fairly certain the next book will (hopefully) address some of these issues by answering how Lia will try and make everything right again.  Will I pick up the sequel?  I'm not sure.  Not for a while at least.


Rating:  2.75 Stars

Sum it up: Disturbing and dark, slow paced and sullen, this book evokes a sinister feel that you can't shake.

This Must Be The Place - Kate Racculia

Summary:  When Arthur Rook learns that his vital, creative wife, Amy, has been killed in an accident, he realizes to his horror that he has no idea what her last wishes would have been.  Blindsided by the sudden loss and delirious with grief, he flees his home and job in Los Angeles, guided only by a pink shoebox full of Amy's keepsakes.  Among the contents, he finds an unmailed postcard written sixteen years earlier, addressed to a woman he's never heard of.  Arthur follows it to the Darby-Jones boardinghouse in the sleepy town of Ruby Falls, New York.

There, he finds more answers than he bargained for in Mona Jones, Amy's best friend from childhood, now the proprietor of the Darby-Jones and a professional baker of wedding cakes.  It turns out that Mona and her daughter, Oneida, two quirky kindred spirits, have a lot to learn from Arthur as well.  As the three gradually unveil one another's secrets, they are forced to choose whether the truth will ruin them or teach them about love: how deeply it runs, how strong it makes us, and, even when all seems lost, how it brings us together and gives our lives meaning.  (Summary from book cover, book given free for review from Holt Publishing, and image from  http://chamberfour.com/)

My Review:  I don't think of myself as a sensitive reader, but after this book I'm going to put myself in that category.  I handled the profanity for a while--I've read books with profanity before that I was able to finish because the content really grabbed me or the message of the book was so redeeming I wanted to know the ending.  About one-third of the way through the book Racculia added a teenage male character obsessed with masturbation and then sex.  Again, I persevered, hoping that this was just a quick side character.  Then she added a relationship that reminisced a lost lesbian summer.  I'm afraid at that point I was done--I just don't want to read about that.  Racculia's writing is well executed.  She is a bit detailed laden, but truly the writing was well done.  I just couldn't finish the story with where it seemed to be leading and I had a strong dislike of the main (dead) character, Amy.  I think there is an audience for this book and that many would probably enjoy the storyline despite the detail heavy, slower pace.  It's just not a book for me.

My Rating: 2 stars--writing was well done, I just didn't like the content. 

For sensitive readers:  Controversial relationships and excessive profanity.

Sum it up: Troubled characters centered around a selfish and irritating woman with healing to be done and secrets to be revealed.

Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Summary:   A sacred oath.
A fallen angle.
A forbidden love.

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan.  She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her.  Not until Patch comes along.  With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust.  Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends.  She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide.  And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen--and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life. (Summary from jacket cover and image from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/)

My Review: If I were to compare this book to something you'd eat, it would be the perfect midnight snack.  I read it that quickly and enjoyed every bite, which surprised me because I typically can't sink my teeth into suspense or scary of any nature.  Hush, Hush might have changed my mind.  I can't profess that it's all that literary, or that the overall message is a perfectly clean one for young adult readers, but it sucks you in and takes you for a wild ride.

Nora is so easy to relate to, which makes her predicament shockingly believable--and it shouldn't be.  Despite the warning flags that went off in my mind, you couldn't quite guess which warning flag was the right one.  All the way until the end of the book you're wondering who is the really bad guy, or if they all are and Nora's trapped in an inescapable trap.  I even began wondering if her best friend Vee was in on Nora's demise.

I think what also makes this book fun is how it vicariously allows the reader to indulge in going for the bad guy, something I'd never do in real life because who knows what kind of trouble it could bring.  The book is probably the safest way to enjoy that little experience without getting too close.  My only concern would be for young adult females who, I worry, would think that the bad boys in real life could be as benign as the ending of this book makes him out to be.

I can't help but want my friends to read this book, whether it has any significant literary value or not.  I'd just want to see how they enjoyed the crazy trip.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Sum it up: Thrilling, often heart-pounding, suspenseful -- a fantastic and indulgent YA read.

Also reviewed by Mindy.