my books. my life.

10-year-old Milo is bored with life. Until one day, when he discovers a large package has arrived for him. Inside he finds a tollbooth. When he drives through, he finds himself teamed up with a watchdog named Tick on a rescue mission through new lands.

This was, perhaps surprisingly, my first experience with The Phantom Tollbooth. What I found inside was both silly and smart. I enjoyed the adventure and would gladly pass it on to any reader of any age.

When Ava’s boyfriend, Jackson, dies, she finds herself incapable of moving on with her life. Then Jackson comes back into her life and Ava begins to think she doesn’t have to. But, of course, life must always go on and Ava is forced to face her reality.

This is my third book of Schroeder’s and my love for her continues to grow. Written in verse, this is a beautiful story of death and grief (that only takes an hour or two to read).

In Thompson’s first graphic novel, Chunky Rice, a turtle determined to see the world, must say goodbye to his best friend.

I am honestly getting teary-eyed just thinking about this book again. It is a lovely and heartbreaking story of friendship. This graphic novel is short but  the characters are rich. I dare you not to cry with this one.

Victoria grew up in the California foster care system (side note: I worked at the Youth Law Center in San Francisco one summer and was thus instantly drawn in). Her only brief period of happiness growing up was with Elizabeth, who taught her the Victorian language of flowers. Newly emancipated, Victoria must make her own way in the city with the only thing she’s ever known: flowers.

This is a book that definitely deserves a full review of its own. I adored this beautiful book and Tara Sands’ narration was wonderful. The flawed characters were constant surprises. I’d look for this one on one of my Best of 2011 lists next week.

When the future King of England enters public life largely free of the speech impediment he has suffered from his whole life, it is his speech therapist, Lionel Logue, he has to thank.

It was the narrator, Simon Vance, (and Tantor Audio’s tweeting about it) that made me pick up this one. It is not the movie, and I enjoyed learning more about King George VI and Lionel Logue.  It goes beyond the scope of the movie – describing their entire lives – and leaves out the dramatization.

Jon Stewart explains Earth to the aliens that will visit us in the future. Do you need more than that?

This audiobook accompanied my husband and I on a drive from Ann Arbor to Charlevoix this summer. It was hilarious, as expected. The satire that the Jon Stewart and his writers give to the world is much needed.

Harry Dresden is a crime fighting wizard. When a paranormal double murder occurs, the Chicago PD call him to help investigate. Soon he is wrapped up in a complex plot full of magic and mobs.

I can’t remember the last time I gave a book one star. I considered giving it 0. I pretty much loathed this one. Not even James Marsters as narrator could save this one (he actually made it worse – I could hear him BREATHING). The writing was subpar, the story fell flat, and the characters were unlikeable. I really can’t believe I finished reading it. People have told me the series gets better but there is no chance I am ever going to make it that far to find out. Sorry guys.

On a side note, my morning sickness began when I was listening at this and just looking at the cover actually makes me feel ill.

Luce arrives at the Sword & Cross reform school after being blamed for a mysterious fire. There she feels an instant attraction to Daniel, who appears not to feel the same way toward her. The shadows that have surrounded her her whole life grow stronger and a deeper mystery begins to unfold.

While I’ve read about a myriad of other paranormal creatures, Fallen is my first angel book. I was intrigued from the beginning and found myself NEEDING to know what was going to happen. Plus I love a good star-crossed soul mates story. It is a little slow at times, so the audiobook (read by the fabulous Justine Eyre) might be the way to go.

When Lena moves to Gatlin, Ethan is instantly drawn to her. When he learns her secret and meets her strange family, he is pulled into the dark family secret along with her.

Beautiful Creatures was not the book for me. I was looking forward to a male POV for a change and I thought it would be impossible to not like a good Southern Gothic story but the whole thing just didn’t work. I was bored and confused and will not be continuing this series. But others love it so perhaps it was just me.

Evie finally got the normal life she wanted. Or thought she wanted. Now she’s contemplating going back to work for the IPCA and finds herself caught up with in a strange new friendship.

While Supernaturally suffers from some of the normal middle-book-in-a-trilogy problems, it continues to be an entertaining and unique contribution to the paranormal YA world. I am anxiously awaiting the last book in this series.

An academic researcher in Paris finds a box of artifacts from the early 1900s. Through these objects, he imagines the life of Louise Brunet, who lost her first love in World War I, married another, and had affair with with a third man. Back in the present day, he falls for the woman who gave him the box.

This was a beautiful and adventurous novel. It was unconventional and, for that reason, a unique experience. I was not as enamored as some by the book’s quirkiness, and I thought the ending got a little strange, but overall I would say it is an experience worth having.

Clive and Vernon are friends despite (or because of) a shared lover, the recently deceased Molly. Clive is a successful composer. Vernon is the editor of a newspaper. After witnessing Molly’s demise, the friends make a pact that has dire consequences.

I did not like Amsterdam. I read it on my husband’s recommendation so there must be some merit here that I am missing. But I just thought it was strange. I am usually a fan of McEwan’s twist endings but this one seemed so ridiculously unlikely that I was almost laughing even though I could see it coming. If you want some good McEwan, stick with Atonement or On Chesil Beach.

Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna have enough on their plates just getting by in uber-trendy Rosewood. Spencer is falling for her sister’s boyfriend; Aria’s new love interest is also her new teacher; Emily has feelings for a girl; and Hanna is struggling with her weight in a less-than-healthy way. Then the girls start getting threatening messages from “A” who they suspect might be their mean girl friend Alison who went missing three years earlier.

I adore the Pretty Little Liars television series, which is why I decided to give the books a shot. These are not the best books in the world. But they are certainly entertaining.

Now that they know “A” is not Alison, Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna must figure out who “A” is. Still dealing with the consequences from their actions in the first book, the girls have anything but a boring life. As they try to solve this mystery, they realize they can no longer trust anyone.

After reading the first book, I basically knew what to expect from Flawless. So-so writing, brand name dropping, and lots and lots of plot. I raced through this book like I raced through the first. Even though I’ve seen the tv show, I just had to know how everything was going to turn out.

These are not my favorite books in the world. But I will definitely keep reading them. We all need our guilty pleasures.