The Kid Table by: Andrea Seigel

the kid table was a hilarious read; i am currently on a winter break reading binge, and this was the first book to start it off. i laughed out loud hysterically numerous times at the word choice from the author, andrea seigel.
i'm not sure who i would recommend this book to; though it was funny, the plot left a bit to be desired, and there were so many family members, sometimes the names were hard to keep track of.
15,802

Grendel by John Gardner

grendel, i swear, is now in my top ten favorite books. it is so beautifully written, clever, astounding, powerful! it made me think. i finished this book a few days ago and it has been all that i can talk about! i relate every situation to grendel and his life. everything i say has an undertone of grendel.

this book is very philosophical. it may seem so vast and scary; if that is keeping you from reading, please, just read it anyway. any philosophical meaning will come to you in time. i'm still unsure of a bit of the symbolism, but i know that with a little more thought, it will become clear as day!

READ GRENDEL!! DO IT! RIGHT NOW! TODAY!

p.s. i am so terribly sorry that i haven't written in so long. i haven't been reading as much as i should be; senior year isn't forgiving at all.

15,496

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by: Richard Bach

this book was recommended to me by a good friend. when i first saw the book i was thinking i maybe wouldn't like it.. but i read it.. soo good.. thought provoking, amazing. i am a different person for reading this book.

there is one point of this book that i disagree with; the idea of limits are discussed, flying faster, stronger, longer, and we are told that setting goals and limiting yourself, and you should strive to attain perfection, and you are your best self in striving for perfection. i feel that 'perfection' is a limit. what is perfection? who determines that?

also, the idea of heaven is discussed; it is not a place but a state of being. i am having trouble wrapping my mind around this concept, but i love that in a book, i love reading something that makes me think!

read this book and spread your wings

happy reading :)

15,322

The Notebook by: Nicholas Sparks

the notebook, romantically heartbreaking.. beautifully sad, wondrously amazing.. this book was so fantastically written; i was enthralled with the love story from page one. i could read this book a million times over and still cry my eyes out at the end.
so many beautiful lines.. noah is adorable. and i love when old people still are passionate in old age; this story.. my goodness.. so great. words hardly can explain how i feel right now; i just finished the book, and i am still weeping a bit. the end.. sooo adorable. i wanted to crawl into this book and hug noah and allie and be apart of the story. i want my own love story to be like this one.
amazing, truly.
read it!!
happy reading :)
15,210

Twilight the graphic novel volume 1

i will admit.. twilight is a guilty pleasure of mine.. so i was really excited to read this graphic novel of twilight.. and i must say that i am HIGHLY disappointed; the art is beautiful, but the captions suck, as do the thought bubbles that COVER THE PEOPLE'S FACES. get a brain; graphic novels are pieces of art, don't cover the art with words that don't even make sense! the 'conversations' being had are contradictory and confusing as all get out.. i would have been happier with no words and all pictures! another thing that upset me, this was in black and white; i would have loved it in color!
so, long story short, pretty pictures, stupid words, lack of color, not worth the time it took to read the piece of garbage.
happy reading :)
14, 996

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by: Muriel Spark

the prime of miss jean brodie is a book that i did not like.. at all.. one bit. i hate saying that, but it is absolutely true in this case.
i had to read this book (along with the blind assassin) for my ap english summer assignment, and when school starts (in 4 days [and i haven't finished the blind assassin yet!]) i will be forced to just absolutely understand these books enough to write a senior thesis on them.. i am completely stumped as to what the prime of miss jean brodie meant.. all i can gather from what i read is the miss brodie is a borderline nutcase!!!!! and a fascist to boot! i can't even say that there was a plot in this novel; the ideas were introduced and built upon in a pel mel fashion that i had a hard time following.
for such a short story, there was an awful lot of things going on.. and there was the idea of Calvinism tossed in at the very end. i mean, goodness, i am just utterly lost!!!! i think i will have to read it a few more times just to get the characters straight, let alone be able to write an entire thesis on it, comparing it to the blind assassin, which, let me tell you, thus far, i have found NOTHING similar between brodie and assassin except maybe the fact that they both mention nazis, or something like them.
words to describe brodie: weird, strange, odd, confusing, befuddling, awful, annoying, blithering, BAD.
the end.
don't read this book.. spare yourself.
UNhappy reading :)
14,796

Walk Two Moons by: Sharon Creech

i've read this book so many times, and i just reread it last night, and i am amazed at this book.. my experience reading this book as a child, and then reading it again as a young adult almost adult was so different; everything meant so much more to me. i cried at things i used to laugh at; this book is just truly amazing and i am so glad that i reread it.
i'm sure you've read this book, if not, please read it!
happy reading :)
14,636

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by: Aimee Bender

three words: ah may ZING!!!!!!!!!!!
my new favorite book; lemon cake is the kind of book that i dream about; captivating story, brilliant writing, cute cover!
i was hooked not only on the story, but on the writing style of bender; it was truly wonderful and refreshing. and, to my great, happy surprise, i didn't find one mistake in this book! i hate finding mistakes in books (cough cough twilight cough cough). but this book.. soooooooooooo goooooooooooooooooood. i don't even know what to say about it. i say, if you aren't interested in what the back cover says, keep this in mind: the writing is brilliant. the word choice and colorful diction employed by bender was so refreshing to my mind compared to so many other books that i have read; this was clean and fresh, like a mint after garlic.
please, dear God, read this book.. I'M BEGGING YOU!!! read it! today! right now!!
happy reading :)
14,332

Go Ask Alice by: Anonymous

this book was so dreadfully, terribly, heart breakingly sad. i don't know if it is truly a real diary, and if it is, why is it in the fiction section? but if it is a real diary, i feel horrible for the main character of this story. i really don't know what to say. i am so sad for her. over the course of this book, i feel as if i really got to know her, and that she became my friend. during good times and bad, i felt as if i was there for her. the ending of this book practically killed me. i honestly don't know what else to say besides the fact that this book, journal, whatever, was beautifully written. it touched my soul, even in the darkest moments, i felt as if i could relate to the poor girl, who i am still not sure what her name is.. is it alice? i don't know.. but i am not a druggie, and i felt myself relating to this person.
i'm not sure if you want to read this book. it is terribly haunting and sad. but read this book it you want a memorable story.
happy/unhappy reading :) :(
14,040

The Last Olympian by: Rick Riordan

the last olympian was an utterly thrilling read that i found extremely hard to put down!! i am sad that this is the last book in the percy jackson series, but i have already read the first chapter if the lost hero which is another series by rick riordan that seems not as good, but i'm sure it will be fine because i think it is continuing on with the percy jackson idea.
the last olympian is my second favorite percy jackson book, following the battle of the the labyrinth and the lightning thief. i loved this book series, and i saved the last olympian all summer because i was burning through the series way too fast! i will now reread them all!!
read the percy jackson series! you are SURE to love it!
happy reading :)
p.s. i have calculated the pages of all the books i have over the past year or so, and the final count is.. 13,855 and from now on, i will post the amount of pages as it grows with every book that i read! how exciting?!

My Best Friends Have Hairy Legs by: Cierra Rantoul

best friends was adorable! i laughed and cried..
i am a pet addict..so i could totally relate to the feelings of the woman in this book about loving her animals unconditionally. this book is actually the true life story of a woman who had three bad marriages, all abusive and awful, and how her pets were able to pull her through the dark times and lead her to the great ones.
the end of this book had an amazing metaphor about luggage relating to life; rantoul said she wanted all of her baggage to fit under her seat or i the overhead cabin; she didn't want to have to lug around four huge bags full of useless crap. the way i am saying it sounds sooo cliche, but it was written from a fresh angle that i truly enjoyed and found refreshing.
the animals in this story were extremely love able, my favorites being mandarin orange, the cat, tink, the pug, and trooper, the lab/pit mix.
read this book and understand true friendship!
happy reading :)

Speaker for the Dead by: Orson Scott Card

speaker for the dead was SO good..it was as good as ender's game, except better..
the idea of this book was 3000 years after the end of ender's game, set on a planet that is inhabited by a new alien breed, the 'piggies' (which was a distracting name, if you ask me..but still, amazing book). i don't really want to go into the details of the plot for this book because there were SO many plot lines..but they were merged together so well..almost like they were, french braided to my brain in an amazingly graceful and beautiful way, creating a story that will stay there forever.
the only problem i had with speaker was this; the font on my mass market copy of the book was this big which is distracting, to say the least..AND the book was so old that the pages were brown..ANDDDDDDDDDD it was so hot in my room as i was reading this book that the ink was all but melting off the page. but, as you can see, none of these complaints have anything to do with the writing itself..so, another excellent book, orson scott card, and i will now locate his address so i can write him a letter in which i sing my praises for this book even higher.
happy reading :)

Pretty Little Liars by: Sara Shepard

the only reason i read this book was because the library i work at had all four books, which is rare for a library..so i got it.
this book disappointed me..almost everything was predictable..except the texts for a certain -A..which were mysterious and spooky and the only reason that i intend to finish the series to see what happens with that!
pretty little liars was comically written with some twists and turns that i enjoyed..though i could have done with a little less kissing......
i will read the rest of the novels and report my findings!
happy reading :)

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by: Jacqueline Kelly

i loved the evolution of calpurnia tate; it was an adorably quick read. the best part, for me, was the fact that this book was set in 1899 in the deep south of texas during summer, which is me right now, except in 2010.
the only problem with this novel, in my opinion, was that there was really no evolution of plotlines of any sort..it ended, and some questions were answered..but i was left with a few questions of my own; does callie have to be a housewife? does granddaddy die?! who does harry marry???
so i am bothered that these weren't answered..oh, and i also was bothered about the things left unsaid, like that granddaddy was loosing his memory and, in turn, mind..i wanted that to be addressed!
reguardless, still and VERY good book, being that it is jacqueline kelly's first!
happy reading :)

House Rules by: Jodi Picoult

house rules was another excellent nail-biter by jodi picoult; written in her usual, judiciary-type fashion, this novel posed much food for thought, but the main two messages that stuck most pungently to me are these:
1. how is 'insanity' defined
2. what exactly does a high functioning form of autism entail; and yes, the MAIN focus of this story is one of the main character's, jacob's, struggle with his form of autism, aspergers.
i enjoyed the flow of this novel; the transition from the mindset of character to character was practically seamless, save for the awkward chapters in the mindset of rich, the police officer, whom i very much disliked..
anyway, this was a good book which left a little to be desired in the ending, and sort of a weak murder mystery/plot line which i had figured out by page 200.. but still an excellent read, as usual, by jodi picoult.
happy reading :)

The Battle of the Labyrinth by: Rick Riordan

the battle of the labyrinth was my favorite percy jackson thus far!!
it was totally action packed, full of twists and turns, and a bit scary!! i absolutely loved it!!
percy jackson is an awesome book series for anyone and i am obsessed with it!
read the battle of the labyrinth and fall in love with percy!!
happy reading :)

Tangled by: Carolyn Mackler

tangled is one of those awesome books where the characters have all these intertwined connections and i totally loved it!
the story is told in four parts from four different perspectives; very original!
i LOVED this book!!
it was a quick and delicious read and really an upper :)
there were a lot of different story lines going on in this one, but unlike kantor, mackler was able to successfully braid them all together!
the only complaint i have about this novel is the overuse of the phrase "as it is,"; i kid you not, it was said AT LEAST seven times!!
read this book! it is very cute
happy reading :)

The Breakup Bible by: Melissa Kantor

the breakup bible was a book the i happened across while seeking out duplicates of books to make room for more in the library i work at. i saw this book and read the back cover, which made me laugh, so i checked it out and read it (in the course of 2 hours, a VERY quick read). i was able to relate to so many aspects of the breakup of the main character, jen, and i felt so sad for her!! i also was laughing at the humor and voice that this story was full of.
there are a few negative things about this book though..the different plot lines weren't intertwined well at ALL! like, you could SEE exactly where the story was going; the shifts were not subtle..
so, overall, a relate able story that was semi poorly written..ahh i feel terrible saying that, but it is unfortunately true. i think if the story had JUST been about the breakup, it would have been much better. also, the author seemed to put emphasis on weird words via italics, which was just awkward..
anyway, maybe don't read this one..
happy reading :)

The Titan's Curse by: Rick Riordan

the titan's curse is my favorite percy jackson thus far!!!!!!!!
there were so many twists and finally some ACTION!! the sea of monsters left me feeling bored and had be doubting percy..BUT THE TITAN'S CURSE TOTALLY BROUGHT BACK MY FAITH!!
i can't wait to read battle of the labyrinth, but i don't want to tear through the series too quickly..
i hope that movies will be made of all the percy jackson's (yes, i totally hate myself for saying that..but ugh, i just love it and logan lerman is freaking adorable) because i imagined everything from this book so vividly in my mind..i can't even begin to fathom how it will all play out on the big screen!!!
read all about percy jackson and fall in love!
happy reading :)

The Sea of Monsters by: Rick Riordan

the sea of monsters was a quick read, and not that amazing.

number two in the percy jackson series, this book was GREAT, but not as awesome as the first percy jackson, so i'm hoping the next one will be better. the premise of the series is great, so i don't think the rest of the series will be bad, it's just that the sea of monsters didn't really have a ton of action, and the things that happened were a bit far-fetched, and sometimes predictable..like, to solve a problem, riordan seemed to just pull a plot line from thin air and messily work it into the main story line.

a good read, but not as great as the first.

happy reading :)

Nightlight: a parody by: The Harvard Lampoon

nightlight, or, the funniest book ever, was a FANTASTIC read, regardless of it's punctuation and spelling errors! i literally laughed out loud numerous times at this book! oh, and i read it in one day..via my new NOOK FROM BARNES AND NOBLE! yes, i got one for my birthday! I LOVEEEEEE IT!!!!!!! so awesome!
anyway, back to the book; a hilarious read, basically it just makes fun of twilight and it is a freaking riot.
you will absolutely love this book! i promise!
happy reading :)

Rhyme? and Reason? by: Lewis Carroll

an odd collection of poetry by lewis carroll; these poems were sort of difficult to understand, but once the meaning was decoded, the poems were quite hilarious! the illustrations were truly the best part of this collection!
i would read this if you want an interesting taste of lewis carroll's poetry besides the walrus and the carpenter or jabberwocky.
happy reading :)

Catching Fire by: Suzanne Collins

CATCHING FIRE: AMAZINGLY THRILLING READ!
though not as fast paced as hunger games, catching fire is still awesome with a twist in the storyline that you'd never see coming and an 'ending' that is utterly unforgettable!
the 4 month wait for mockingjay is going to be unbearable..i wish i had waited to read this series until all 3 books were out..but the wait adds to the adventure..i suppose..
catching fire, a sequel with unprecedented amazingness, only matched in hunger games, will haunt you after you put it down!
i personally am home alone (sick again..), and a little scared to be here..thinking that president snow (read the book, if you don't know who i'm talking about) is going to burst out of my closet any second and..and..tear my hair out!
read catching fire if you loved hunger games!
happy reading :)

Ender's Game by: Orson Scott Card

ender's game=FREAKING OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this book was recommended to be by a guy in my creative writing class (we traded book for book, hunger games for ender's game) this book was seriously the best sci-fi novel i have EVER read; don't be deterred by the weird cover or childish premise--there is absolutely nothing 'childish' about this book! it is philosophical and completely mind blowing!
be sure to start this book on a friday night, and be prepared to finish on sunday night at 10:59, screaming in frustration..yet laughing at the utter amazingness that this book is.
i don't remember the last book i've read that got me..this worked up; yes, hunger games is amazing, but ender's game is a different kind of amazing.
don't let the words "sci-fi" fool you; this isn't your typical cliche nerdy novel; it's sci-fi written for people who don't know quantum mechanics, nor want to understand it's..umm..quantum-ness.
read this book, and lend it to everyone you know!
happy reading :)

The Hunger Games by: Suzanne Collins

two words: FREAKING. AWESOME.
this book was AMAZING-- and i'm not just being dramatic; i'm dead serious!
it was suspenseful, violent, vicious, disgusting, disturbing, and ROMANTIC!
i recommend this book to ANYONE WITH EYES!
up there in the greats with harry potter and percy jackson.
this book left me saying "GET ME CATCHING FIRE RIGHT THIS EFFING MINUTE!!!!!!!!!!"
happy reading :)

The Great Gatsby by: F. Scott Fitzgerald

well, SATs were today, so i can read again without feeling guilty.
gatsby was mandatory reading for my AP English III class, and i must say that it was eons better than the scarlet letter.
i truly enjoyed the rich language and fluid writing style that fitzgerald has.
it seemed like every time i reread a chapter, i found something new to think about; i guess fitzgerald does that a lot..but i wouldn't know because i haven't read anything else by him. i'm going to try to read some more of his books!
happy reading:)

Geektastic : Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by: Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci

two books in one day; SCORE!
it's a shame that i wasted an entire day home sick READING, when i SHOULD have been studying for my SAT that i'll be taking this Saturday..shame on me!
geektastic was a massive collection of short stories from some of my favorite authors about geeks. it was quite hilarious; a wonderful way to spend a day in bed, hacking up a lung, and whispering due to the fact that i have contracted laryngitis.
the stories were insanely relate able (embarrassingly enough..); i found myself completely identifying with those poor geeks!
read this book, and let your inner geek shine through!
happy reading:)

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book One: The Lightning Thief by: Rick Riordan

the lightning thief was SO AWESOME!!! seriously!!
i would say that this novel is the same caliber as harry potter; WAY better than twilight..
i am in love with this series now..
no, i didn't read it because the movie came out..i've been wanting to start reading this series for like, two years, i just could never find the first novel at my library, so i finally broke down and bought it last Thursday, and i've been hooked ever since!
read the lightning thief if you love adventure, awesomeness, Greek mythology, and harry potter!
happy reading:)

The Treasure Map of Boys: Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch--and me, Ruby Oliver by: E. Lockhart

i've been devouring books like a fiend lately, which is not a good thing because i really ought to be studying for my SATs that i will be taking in exactly two weeks (on march 13th, to be exact), but books help me retain my sanity, so, even if i get a crappy score on my SAT (which i most certainly will NOT [knock on wood]), at least i will still be sane!
anyway, treasure map was another riotous book by lockhart, apart of the ruby oliver novel series, which i hope (dear God) there will be more of.
the book is basically the twisted dairy (except not exactly a diary, more like just her thoughts) of a girl who is mentally unstable due to the debacle that is high school, and the tacky relationships she has with boys.
this book was quite funny!
happy reading:)

Julie & Julia by: Julie Powell

julie & julia was a delectable read, i loved it!
it took me a while to read because i've been quite busy, and it wasn't as quick as baby ducks, but still very delicious!
this book was hilarious, i laughed aloud numerous times, and also, it made me want to cook some french food!
read this book if you like a good chuckle and enjoy reading descriptions of food (which i actually LOVE).
happy reading :)

Peace, Love & Baby Ducks by: Lauren Myracle

peace, love & baby ducks is a hilarious, sweet, and delicious novel that i devoured in a grand total of two days. it is a book about the bond between sisters (which sounds cornball and borderline cliche, but honestly, the story line was verrrrrry cute). there is conflict, yes, but not the nail-biting kind, just enough to make you upset; i also cried in the end at the part when the little baby ducky, well, you know, i can't say exactly what happened, because that would ruin it; you'll see when you read it, and you will cry. there was romance! ah yes, romance is so fun to read about when your life is completely devoid of it..but whatever; sweet an adorable, a nice novel from lauren myracle, who also wrote ttyl, which was utterly inappropriate! i hated it!! but this book is great!
read peace, love, & baby ducks! laugh (really hard), cry, and don't bite your nails off!
happy reading :)

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by: E. Lockhart

disreputable history was a quick, thought provoking, and hysterical novel.
in this book, to the main character frankie, the concept of an all boys secret club is simply ludicrous; she much breach their system! and she does..you learn all about her escapades and whatnot, a truly brilliant read, as always, from e. lockhart (except fly on the wall was not brilliant at all..it was just HIGHLY inappropriate!)
read disreputable history if you like to laugh and think!
happy reading :)

Confederates in the Attic by: Tony Horwitz

Confederates in the Attic was the most interesting nonfiction novel written about the Civil War that i have ever read; now, don't get me wrong..this book was still dreadfully boring at times, but it was also hilariously funny!
my favorite part of Confederates was when a Scarlett O'Hara impersonator flashed a group of Japanese tourists her red bloomers! it was a riot!
learn some crazy things about the Civil war! read this book!
happy reading:)

The Hunting of the Snark by: Lewis Carroll

The Hunting of the Snark was a hilarious tongue-twister by Lewis Carroll.
i am slowly (but surely) working my way through Lewis Carroll's complete illustrated works, and loving every second of it.
waste some time with Lewis Carroll!
happy reading:)

Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by: Lewis Carroll

through the looking glass was another amazing, yet quick read from lewis carroll..i'm beginning to become a little..obsessed with the works of lewis carroll! i bought a massive book with ALL of his works that he EVER wrote..i'm into the hunting of the snark now, which is a story in 8 poems, and it is pretty great!!
read some lewis carroll!
happy reading:)

Alice in Wonderland by: Lewis Carroll

alice in wonderland is a great book; entertaining for children, and VERY interesting for teenagers, like myself.

i loved all the riddles and verses in this book, and i am continuing on in reading through the looking glass and what alice found there.

amazing book!!

read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

happy reading:)