The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Rating: 1.3.4 (PG-13)

Recommended audience: Mature teen to adult

Category: Historical, considered YA fiction

Review: 4.5/5

When I was about a third of the way through The Book Thief, I was enjoying the book but wasn't sure what all the hype was about. At the end, I understood why so many people liked it but I wasn't sure how I felt about it. It's now been a few weeks since I finished it and I'm finally going to try to write a review. This is the kind of book that I didn't love while I was reading it but looking back on it now, I will say that it is very good. The setting is Nazi Germany and the protagonist is Leisel, a young girl trying to make sense of the turmoil all around her. The thing that really makes the story unique is that the narrator is Death. That took a while to get used to and I felt like it didn't always "work" (there were some inconsistencies or problems with the point of view) but it added some interesting touches. There was quite a bit of profanity (some blasphemous) but it never got into any really harsh swear words, so while the profanity put me off, I would still recommend this book to many people I know (with a strong profanity disclaimer). I'm still waffling between a 4 and a 4.5 star review, but I'll go ahead and stick with the 4.5 because it did touch me, I came to really care about the characters, and whenever I think about it I remember some of the emotions I felt as I read it.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Rating: 1.1.1

Recommende audience: 8 and up

Category: Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy, YA Fiction

Review: 4/5 stars

I listened to the audio version of this book and I kind of wish that I hadn't. The narrator read in a little girl voice that distracted me. I'm sure it was intended to be listened to by children and the voice may have been appealing to children, but it wasn't to me. That being said, I thought it was a good book with a wonderful story. As I had been told, it is quite a bit different than the movie and I enjoyed both as separate, though similar stories. In the story, Ella is given a "gift" as a newborn by the completely clueless fairy, Lucinda. Lucinda gives her the gift of obedience so whatever Ella is told to do, she must obey. This turns out to be a curse rather than a gift as evidenced by the many difficult situations Ella finds herself in. Despite this curse and maybe because of it, Ella is a strong-willed, independent character who just wants to be able to do what she wants to do, instead of others dictating to her. I recommend this Newbery Honor book but I would suggest reading it rather than listening to it.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Rating: 2.2.1

Recommended audience: Teen to adult

Category: YA fiction, fantasy, romance

I listened to this one on cd's and I really think I would have preferred reading it. The recording of this book is one with a different actor reading each voice and I found it quite distracting in the beginning. Eventually I got used to it and I didn't think about it anymore but I just have a feeling that I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read it. This a retelling, not a twist, on the Goose Girl fairy tale. I had never heard of the Goose Girl before so the whole story was new to me but knowing many fairy tales, I was able to predict fairly easily what was going to happen but that didn't prevent me from enjoying the ride. It has a slow start but it gets much better. Like all of Hale's characters that I've read so far, the heroine is interesting and worth getting to know. I definitely recommend this book to any lovers of fairy tales, young and old.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Rating: 1.2.1

Recommended audience: Pre-teens and up

Category: Fantasy, romance, YA Fiction

I've heard it said that this is the "golden age of children's literature." When I heard that I thought, "Yeah, Harry Potter is so awesome," and didn't think much more about it. As I've read other book blogs I've decided to look into some of these young adult and children's books and now I'm excited to read a lot more. This is my first book by Shannon Hale and I can't wait to read her other books. Princess Academy is set on Mount Eskel in a mystical world that the author describes so well that it feels like it really exists. It's not the kind of fantasy world where there are elves or sorcery or talking animals, just a few things with magical properties. All the girls ages 12-17 of Mount Eskel are required to leave their village and attend a Princess Academy where they learn what they need to know to be a princess. Then the prince of the lowlands will choose one of the girls to be his princess. It sounds silly and simple but it's not. The main character, Miri, is admirable and interesting, funny and kind. I definitely recommend this book for tweens and teens but their mothers would probably enjoy it too.

The Gift by Richard Paul Evans

Rating: 1.1.1

Recommended audience: Teen to adult

Category: Inspirational

The Gift tells the story of a boy who has the power to heal people and the effect this has on the people around him. I listened to this book on CD and found it hard to turn it off. It is a compelling story and the characters are likable and seem fairly real. I didn't love it though and I think it's because I just don't care for this genre of books. I had the same problem with Christmas Jars. I think I just prefer the messages of a book to be more subtle. I know many people have adored this book and all the others by Richard Paul Evans. I do think it is well written and the characters are well developed so if you like inspirational books you should definitely pick this one up. There are some very thought provoking ideas.

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Rating: 3.3.2

Recommended audience: Mature teen to Adult (16+)

Category: Romance, thriller

Another fun read by Stephanie Meyer. Similar concerns as in the first two books. The physical aspect of Edward and Bella's relation gets a little more edgy in this book and I've said before that it concerns me. I know there are books out there that are much worse but I think this one is held to a higher standard because of the religious beliefs of the author. I think morally it gets a little gray in there but most unmarried people (teens or not) come up against these kinds of issues (pre-marital sex). With the standards of today's society, choosing to wait until marriage is not only almost unheard of, it can often be ridiculed. Edward and Bella deal with this issue, if not always in a mature way (Bella), they do at least make the right choice--in my humble opinion. :)

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

Rating: 2.3.2

Recommended audience: Mature teen to adult

Category: Romance

Another fun read but I did see it coming. I won't give anything away but this one seemed a little predictable to me because of fore-shadowing. Still, not all of it was predictable and it introduced some interesting characters. Bella drives me a little crazy because she just seems too dumb sometimes but, again, I'm afraid I identify with her stupidity a little too much sometimes, maybe that's why I can't stand it. I know some people who were quite bored with the middle of this book and I understand that opinion but I didn't think it was too boring. My biggest problem with this book though was the poor proofreading. There were so many errors that it really bugged me. I'm pretty nit-picky about that kind of stuff though so hopefully it doesn't bother you. Anyone know how I can get a job as Meyer's proof-reader?

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Rating: 2.3.2

Recommend audience: Adult and teens (16 and up)

Category: Romance, thriller

I really liked this book. It's exciting, romantic, suspenseful and a fun read. I gave it 4 stars because there were a couple of things that bothered me about it. I don't read a whole lot of young adult fiction so maybe this is not a valid point. I just felt like Bella's inferiority complex towards Edward is not a healthy example for teenage girls to be reading. I think it's pretty real because I was very similar as a teenager but I would hate to see that kind of thinking reinforced in teenage girls. Another problem I had with it is that even though there is no sex in the book, it is definitely titillating. I'm just not sure I would want my teenage daughter reading this and thinking that they can behave the way Edward and Bella do and not get too carried away. Their affection is innocent enough but eventually could lead to much more when two normal people are involved instead of a vampire with super-human powers. I know this is a soap box and I'm probably taking this all too seriously but when something is so hugely popular as this book, I think it can have a big influence on people. There's my take on it and I'd love to hear your opinion.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Rating: 2.2.3

Recommended audience: Adult, mature teen

Category: Historical, some romance

I've put off doing this review because I'm not sure what to say about it. I don't want to give anything away. The main character is a 14 year old girl who has to deal with the death of her mother and surprising circumstances surrounding that. The book is set in the South during the summer of 1964 when racial tensions were very high. When I read it I liked it but I didn't love it. After discussing it with our book group I came to appreciate it even more. I would not recommend it to anyone who is offended by unorthodox religion. There is also a lot of profanity and though I didn't find it very offensive, I believe some people would find it to be so. I definitely recommend this book because it is beautiful in many ways but it may not be for everyone.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Rating: 1.3.2
Recommended audience: Teen to adult
Category: Adventure, survival




This book has two parts. The first is about Pi Patel, a teenager living in India who accepts and practices three religions--Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. The second part is the story of his survival at sea. You've probably heard at least a little about this if you haven't already read it. I loved this book. I loved it even more the second time I read it. For some people the first part is a little boring but please just keep going. It is so different from other books out there. Make sure you know someone else who has read it or will read it because I can guarantee, you'll want to talk about it with someone.