Audrey's Summer Reading List 2008 Part 2

Alright, so to make it a little bit less overwhelming, here's part 2!!!! And for those of you that asked me last time what YA is - Young Adult. Meaning that these are books for people about 10 years younger than I am. :-P

Big Boned - Meg Cabot
* * * * * (5)
It's Meg Cabot; need I say more?

Avalon High - Meg Cabot
* * * * * (5)
Again, Meg Cabot

Kabul Beauty School - Deborah Rodriguez
* * *1/2 (3 1/2)
This book was terrific; it was comedic but to the point about a very serious topic: Afghanistan. The story was heartfelt, touching, and amazing. Sadly, though, it was badly written, which took away quite a bit from what could having been an AMAZING book.

the Spell Book of Listen Taylor - Jaclyn Moriarty
* * (2)
Australian YA. I was expecting real magic, but instead I got quirkyness. :-(

the Man of My Dreams - Curtis Sittenfeld
* * *1/2 (3 1/2)
Curtis Sittenfeld is a wonderful author, and while this book was nothing compared to Prep, it was still a very enjoyable and thoughtful read. (Can a read be thoughtful?)

A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
* * * * * (5)
Now THIS is an extremely well-written book about Afghanistan. I wasn't sure if Khaled Hosseini would top "The Kite Runner," but with "A Thousand Splendid Suns," I really think he managed. Three decades of Afghanistan history, two very different women brought together through their struggles. . . I laughed and cried, but more than anything, I hoped.

Size 14 is Not Fat, Either - Meg Cabot
* * * * * (5)
I did mention before, I think, that Meg Cabot is just amazing.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka
* * (2)
Don't get me wrong, I DID like this book, and it was well-written. I just didn't particularly like the WAY it was written. And the characters annoyed me. And if anything, it made me hate both Russia and the Ukraine. And yet I am for some reason oddly compelled to read other books by this author.

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - Gregory Maguire
* * *1/2 (3 1/2)
If you read "Wicked" and liked it, you should also read this. I like Gregory Maguire enough to keep reading everything he writes, even though I don't really find anything special or impressive about his characters, his stories, or his prose.

I Am American! (And So Can You!) - Stephen Colbert
* * * * (4)
My brother gave this to me, and before that I had never heard of Stephen Colbert. And so while reading, I had NO idea if he was joking about things he actually believed in or joking about things he found ridiculous. Until I read the speech he gave to Bush at the end. I don't think I'll start watching the Colbert Report, but this book was HILARIOUS!

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Shiguro
* * * * (4)
A colony of clones raised to be organ doners. This book could have gone either way, and it went the right way. Instead of focusing on the unbelievable or the ridiculous, he focused on the PEOPLE and the EMOTIONS, and in the end it made for a brilliantly touching book.

the Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
* * * * * (5)
Kind of like "The Host," this book immediately jumped to my top 10. Don't let the cover fool you! This book is romantic (while making you believe that it's not), funny, sad, happy, original, scary, and everything else that a good book should be. (Yes, Kristen , I have read this book. :-P)

Pretties/Uglies/Specials - Scott Westerfeld
* * * * (4)
I loved this YA trilogy. Even though it was written for younglings, I thought it brought up some really interesting ideas and points that ALLOWED you to think without actually making you think. Which I thought was cool. The stories were great, and the characters were well-developed, even if the two main characters COULD get annoying from time to time. I'm looking forward to reading Extras, which makes these books not a trilogy despite still being considered a trilogy.

Spin - Robert Charles Wilson
* * * * * (5)
This book is an amazing modern day sci-fi creation. I really thought that sci-fi had just sort of gone down the drain. I still love fantasy, but when it comes to sci-fi, I had resigned myself to the fact that if I wanted a good read, it had to be an old read. This book proved me wrong. What would happen to the Earth if some hypothetical beings encased it in a sort of membrane inside of which time moves millions of times more slowly than on the outside? This book brings up many important and interesting issues and makes something that is really probably outside the realm of possibility seem, well, possible. AWESOME book!

Shoe Addict's Anonymous - Beth Harbison
* * * * * (5)
This is what a chick lit book should be. Seriously. It was the best and most refreshing book of the genre that I had read in ages. All that was missing from the experience was a comfy couch next to a fireplace with a steaming mug of vegan hot chocolate.

Keeping the Moon - Sarah Dessen
* * * 1/2 (3 1/2)
I normally love Sarah Dessen. When it comes to emotional, lesson teaching YA books, she really is the queen (I could be saying this, though, just because she wrote the books that were the basis for "How to Deal," one of my favorite movies of all time). Sadly, though, I didn't feel that this book lived up to most Sarah Dessen standards. It was good and touching and predictable, yes, but I just felt that there was something missing.

Playing With Boys - Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
* * * (3)
This was TRYING to be everything a Mexican chick lit book should be, and that was just the problem. It was trying way too hard. It was a quick, fun read, but there were often things I just wanted to rewrite for the author.

the Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
* * * * 1/2 (4 1/2)
This book was FANTASTIC! It was a mystery with mysterious subplots. And those mysterious subplots had more mysterious subplots. But in the meantime you sometimes wonder if what you are reading is actually a mystery. This book was really perfect. And hello, a Cemetery of Forgotten Books. I MUST find one of these! Aside from the fact that I would have ended it differently. And that there was one thing (which would give away too much of the book for me to say) on which pretty much the whole story was based but that didn't actually make sense to me and was never explained. Which is why it only gets 4 1/2 stars. I still HIGHLY recommend it!

And presently reading:
The Gravedigger's Daughter - Joyce Carol Oates

I've just started it, but so far it seems good, aside from the really erratic punctuation. It's my first Joyce Carol Oates, but I hear she is amazing and that when I am done, I will want to read everything by her.

Audrey's Summer Reading List 2008

Since reading is basically my favorite thing in the world to do (with the exception, perhaps, of sleeping, but only when the book I am reading is not the best book ever), I decided to compile a list of books that I read over my summer/beginning fall(i.e. the months of July, August, September, and October until now) , with ratings and one or two sentence reviews. Perhaps this will help some of you who may be having trouble finding something to read. Or it might give you an idea of books that you could recommend to me (you'll see I have very varied taste, so it's not that difficult)!!!!
N.B Some of these books might have been read before that date but accidentally gotten mixed in, but for the most part, this is the list! Also, there are a lot, so I've decided to separate it into two posts. Please don't feel too overwhelmed to read them all. :-)


Your Big Break - Johanna Edwards
* * * * (4)
Great chick lit! Not the BEST, but still a very satisfying and diverting read!

The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
(0)
I would give negative stars here if I could.
This is possibly the WORST book I have ever read. The author was trying to hard, and it seem like she was deliberately trying (but failing, actually) to confuse the reader (maybe into believing that there was a point to her ridiculous prose). I persevered thinking the end would maybe save it; it absolutely did NOT!

the Almost Moon - Alice Sebold
* * * (3)
Certainly not "the Lovely Bones," but still a well written, interesting story (that only bored me a very little bit).

A Lesson Before Dying - Ernest J. Gaines
* * * * * (5)
A story about how a life can be changed for the better, even in the worst of circumstances. Heartfelt, well-written, powerful!

Before I Die - Jenny Downham
* * * (3)
She has cancer, she dies. I cried and cried. It was good, but I didn't actually LIKE the main character, so not great.

Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
* * * * (4)
The best kind of YA fiction - YA fantasy fiction! I loved this book, really! And I'm looking forward to reading others by Melissa Marr!

Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
* * * 1/2 (3 1/2)
A wonderful, descriptive book that makes one want to take off and explore the world for as long as necessary. Even if sometimes it got repetitive and long. By the end I was ready for it to be over, but at the same time not. As there were still life lessons and amazing experiences to be had by the author.

To Have and To Hold - Jane Green
* * * * (4)
Jane Green is one of chick lit's best, and this was a refreshing change from most chick lit in that it really made me feel that I was watching the characters instead of just reading about them.

Peony in Love - Lisa See
* * * * 1/2 (4 1/2)
I would give this 5 stars, except that it's Lisa See and it's not "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan." I really can't get enough of this author and everything by her.

Airhead - Meg Cabot
* * * * *(5)
Predictable but at the same time not predictable and different. I literally could NOT put this book down, and I will be buying the sequel the DAY it comes out and most likely reading it then. I would recommend this book to any YA fan.

How to Be Bad - E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle
* * (2)
I was expecting a lot more from this book. Don't get me wrong, I ENJOYED reading it, but by the end I sort of wanted to shake the authors and ask them to do things differently. If you like YA, though, don't listen to me, as most people seem to be giving it 5 stars.

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
* * * * * (5)
When it comes to vampire love stories, this is as good as it gets. Romance, suspense, excitement, and VAMPIRES all packed together. . . I wanted more, and thank goodness, there was more to come.

New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
* * * * * (5)
As if romance, suspense, excitement, and VAMPIRES weren't enough, let's throw in
WEREWOLVES! While not as fantastic and riveting as Twilight, this is still one of the best books I have ever read. Seriously. And y'know what - maybe it was actually better than Twilight, as this one also made me feel sad.

the Host - Stephenie Meyer
* * * * * (5)
I'm still thinking about this book. I've had dreams about this book. It's riveting, tantalizing, and emotional, and it left me questioning myself and the world and civilization. This easily jumped to the top of my top 10 (which may actually contain more than 10 books, but in no way takes away from the validity of what I am saying about the awesomeness of this book).

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
* * * * * (5)
HOW had I not read this book before? A sci-fi classic and with reason! It left me LONGING for more!

Les Thanatonautes - Bernard Werber
* * * * (4)
This was an AMAZING book that only gets 4 stars from me. Because when they stared putting ads up on the road to heaven, that just got to be a little too much for me. It was cheesy in a book that was trying to be serious. Aside from that, though, this book was next to perfect, and it left me wondering if some day humans will find a way to explore the afterlife.

Hyperion - Dan Simmons
* * * * * (5)
Another 5 stars, another sci-fi classic that slipped by me in my youth. It's the story of seven very different pilgrims on the same quest for seven very different reasons. The telling of the story and the story itself was original and magnificent!