The two I loved:
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
This charming book combines a coming-of-age story with a mixture of social dillemas. It's written from the point of view of a twelve-year-old girl but don't let that fool you--this book is for adults. Although I found a few faults with the writing, the character development, and the plotline continuity, I do recommend it because overall it is worth reading and will probably make you smile and giggle and make you teary all at the same time.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
I realize I am so behind the times with this one. It came out five years ago (In my defense, I was on a mission), and if you haven't read it yet, you simply MUST. It is excellent. The book is set in post-World War II England and is written as a series of letters. The characters are simply delightful and made me wish the book went on for at least 500 more pages. LOVE, LOVE, LOVED it!
The one I was a bit disappointed by:
All Things New by Lynn Austin
Chances are, if you've have a conversation about books with me, I've probably recommended a Lynn Austin book to you. I own like six of her books but only ever have one or two on my bookcase at any given time because I've usually lent them out. I've read almost all of her books twice. I just love the way she weaves history, human nature, and Christianity with an intriguing storyline and loveable characters. So, you can understand how excited I was to be able to find her newest book (this one) on the library shelves a few weeks ago. I think I was probably too desperate for some of her writing, because this one just fell a little flat to me. It follows three women in post-Civil War Virginia. Note: reading about reconstruction is not the most interesting thing ever (I knew that going in), nor is it for the faint of heart. So, if you have extra time, pick it up, but I wouldn't list this one as worth going out of your way to find.
The two I was disappointed by:
A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
Okay, so I love Ella Enchanted by Levine, so I usually pick up anything when I see her name on it. I realize that the intended audience for this book was a bit "young" for me, but since I usually enjoy Young Adult Literature, I didn't think I would mind. I did. This book was slow, and the fantasy was too complicated to make it enjoyable (not complicated in an I-don't-understand way, but complicated in your-explanations-of-the-ogre-are-taking-way-too-long-and-I've-lost-interest type of a way). I only made it halfway through and then I skipped to the end and wasn't impressed. Sad Day.
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
The first fifty pages of this book were absolutely fascinating. I was sucked in. And then, there it was. The scene that made me want to throw up because of its vulgarity. And although I skipped a few pages, read some more, skipped a few pages, and read some more, and eventually finished the book in this fashion, I simply cannot recommend it to anyone. In my literary wanderings I have come to understand that rarely is my code of morals and standards applied to the lives of the characters I read about. I get that. But the end of this book would have you believe that two wrongs somehow make a right and that is simply NOT TRUE. So, in good conscience, I just can't tell you to check this one out.
And here is Kevin's pick of the month:
Too Purpley by Jean Reidy
We ran across this board book at the library last week and I fell in love with it! In simple, two-word phrases, every girl's getting-dressed dilemma is addressed: every outfit is too purpley, too stripy, too matchy, or too itchy to wear and is quickly discarded until just the right ensemble is found. I think every little girl should have this book in her collection!
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