Spring Break

Over Spring Break I am planning on catching up on some reading. I am currently reading Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and Jay's Journal by Anonymous ( the same editor from Go Ask Alice).

I'm planning on reading....

Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

In the past year I have come to truly enjoy reading Memoirs. I loved House Rules by Rachel Sontag, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, A Child Called it by Dave Pelzer, and Smile for the Camera by Kelle James. I recently bought Three Little Words for the library. I had been meaning to read this book for a while and brought it home with me for the weekend. This is one of those books that stays with you for a long time and will change you. Ashley Rhodes-Coulter is a remarkable young woman who went through and overcame so much at a young age.
Summary
I felt as worthless as the junk in my trash bag . . . once again, I was the one being tossed out and thrown away.” Taken from her mother when she was scarcely four years old, Rhodes-Courter spent the next nine years in foster care with “more than a dozen so-called mothers.” “Some were kind,” she acknowledges, “a few were quirky and one . . . was as wicked as a fairy-tale witch.” She names names in this memoir, which is also a searing indictment of an often sadly deficient system of child care. Given her experiences, one can understand why she is angry and often bitter, but the unrelieved stridency of her tone makes for sometimes difficult reading. Nevertheless, she gives a voice to countless thousands of children who continue to be abused, abandoned, and ignored, and one hopes her book will make a positive difference in their lives. . --Michael Cart 

This World we Live in ( third book in life as we knew it series)

Over the weekend I finished This World We Live In, the third and final installment to the trilogy Life as We Knew it. From the beginning I found this series to me gripping and believable. I have told several people about this story and it made me worry about my own preparedness in the wake of a natural disaster. I enjoyed the series, but I would have to say the first book was by far my favorite.

Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The Dead and the Gone is the sequel to Life as we Knew it. The story follows Alex Morales and his family during their experience in New York City after the moon changes course. Reading the first book in the series had me flipping the pages. However, reading it from a different perspective did not leave me as engaged. I was interested to learn about how others fared during the problem but I found some of it to be repetitive. I'm currently reading the third book in the series, This World we Live in and enjoying that the characters from both books have met.

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This book has been a popular item in the library over the last few months. I found a free copy online and read it last week. It was definitely a quick read, and an interesting story. I am intrigued to see how it will play out in the theaters with the main character crying as often as he did in the story. In today's society we do not often see men or young men brought to tears. The story follows a boy in his freshman year of high school trying to make way with his older brother in college, his older sister, a senior in high school in an abusive relationship and a best friend who committed suicide over the summer. This was a nice coming of age story and I would certainly recommend The Perks of Being a Wallflower to all of the students.

Currently Reading

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

I had the pleasure of meeting Jodi Picoult at her book signing over the weekend. Ms. Picoult was a delight and made it clear why she is one of the most popular authors in the marketplace. I am half way through her newest books Lone Wolf and truly enjoying the book. Ms Picoult spoke over the weekend about the premise of the book and the ethical dilemma that takes place. In our society when someone is in a coma, or considered to be brain dead it is common practice to take someone off life support. However, there have been several 'miracle'stories where someone recovers from bringing brain dead and goes on to live a full life. Who should make the decision about life support? Should it be legal to decide for someone else when they should give up? Per usual, Picoult leaves the reader asking them self what would they do in that situation. I can't wait to finish as i'm sure it will be a wonderful and surprising ending.

Hunger Games Trilogy

I re-read The Hunger Games Series for Book Club and the upcoming movie release of Hunger Games. I loved the series the first time around and I loved it even more the second time around. Although I knew the ending, I still found myself turning the pages and staying up past my bedtime to keep reading. I had to know what was going to happen to Katniss and the other tributes in the Arena. Suzanne Collins, is a wonderful storyteller to keep a reader engaged even after they know how it is all going to end. At school, the buzz is electric while the staff and students eagerly await the release of the movie.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

This book is on the NY Times Bestseller list. I thought the premise sounded interesting. What if JFK wasn't assassinated. How would that one moment in time have changed history. One day, a small town English teacher, Jake Epping, has the chance to alter history. Epping goes back in time to 1958 and re-writes history for every person that he encounters. Knowing about the future, and living in the past posed an interesting lifestyle for Jake Epping. Overall I thought the plot was well written and exciting. However, I believe Mr. King could have shortened the book down to under 600 pages. If you have the time, I would recommend 11/22/63.