Top Ten Books I Think Would Make Great Book Club Picks

I have never been in  a book club so I will be kind of winging this.. These will be stand-alone novels, 200-400 pages, conversation starters, with somewhat wide appeal.

1. The Lovely Bones: A devastating murder and what happens after to those involved. The murderers life, the victims take on an afterlife, and the after effects on her family and friends.
2. The Bermudez Triangle: A fun and touching tale dealing with first love and GLBT issues.
3. The Jungle: A classic that exposes the dirty underside of living and working as an immigrant in turn of the century Chicago.
4. Awaken: When was the last time you looked someone in the eyes and felt comfortable? When was the last time you met someone new and hugged them because you hit it off so well? This digital age connects us in so many ways, but does it disconnect us in the most important ways?
5. Smack: Two teenagers in love run away and get caught up in a dark drug filled world.
6. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things: A story of never fitting in from the perspective of a narrator who is refreshingly blunt and witty.
7. A Monster Calls: This novel goes through topics of strength in grief, the power of stories, the complicated nature of humans, and the importance of truth in our lives.  
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower: This book has so much in so few pages... It's a story of growing up, of embracing life and of facing truth.
9. Ella Minnow Pea: On a more fun note this is a story about the love of words. Would you be able to communicate effectively if letters of the alphabet were banned?
10. Speak: girl is ostracized at school after calling the police at a party, but the real problem haunting her is the secret she's keeping, the reason she called the cops in the first place.   

Have you guys read these? What do you think? Do you agree with my choices? Would you join my bookclub?

Review: Ditched by Robin Mellom

Published: January 10th 2012, Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 288
Part of a Series: Stand Alone
Setting: Small town America
Read For a Challenge: 2012 Debut Author's Challenge
Recommended By: Allison at Reading Everywhere
Teaser: "You must be a scumbag too, Ian. You took me to prom and I ended up in a ditch!"
In a sentence or so: Justina is retracing a prom night gone awry by following the map on her dress: it's literally stained with bad memories.
*Rating: 9.5/10
GoodReads Description:
High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.
Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat handle first.
Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.
Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.
And then ditched her.
Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together — stain by stain on her thrift-store dress — exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car...


1. Type of story: YA Contemporary/Romance (Free 1 point)
2.Consistency: Flawless, so much so I didn't even think about it until writing this review. No chinks in the story, nothing that pulled me out. (1 point)
3. Flesh:This book wasn't trying to break any stereotypes. These are all characters we've loved before, friendly stoners, full of themselves popular people, great boy-next-door best-friend, etc. Then there is Justina, who narrates her way through the night sprinkling in bits of her reputation as "The girl at that party" a former make-out queen. All imaginable together and fun. (1 point)
4. Flow: Perfect for making me want more. I had to keep reading to find out how the story would all end. This story ebbs and flows, rushing to tell you some juicy bit then pausing as the main character analyzes and hesitates with the next truth of her prom night.  (1 point)
5. Character Growth: Justina starts off with a very assumptive nature and grows by connecting the truth of the night's events. (1 point)
6. A Point/ Purpose/ Journey: An oldie but goody: when you assume what do you make? (1 point)
7. Witty Dialogue: The dialogue was more straightforward. Each character's speech matching their archetype. There were a couple moments, though. (1/2 point)
8. Love: Oh Yeah.... Chicka, chick-aahhhh.Prom night could turn Justina's Boy-next-door BFF into her own professional boyfriend. But everything goes awry and she has to figure out how her plans failed so badly. (1 point)
9. Evoke Realistic Images: This book has a few black and white photos to assist, but they really just back the narrator as she recalls her night by recalling how she got each stain on her dress. This tie to her dress made the recounting very visual and easily imaginable. (1 point)
10. Writing/Story telling: Sometimes corny and totally predictable, but oh so sweet and irresistible. This story is like a Cinnabon, only better (healthier) for you. The writing is simple, minimalist, conversational, and un-distracting. (1 point)

Reread Worthy: Definitely, anytime I'm in need of losing myself in something sweet. This book isn't life changing, but it is perfect at being what it is: dessert. And who doesn't need something  nice, easy, and fun to bring us out of the dark every once in a while.
Recommendation: For fans of the movie She's All That, Never Been Kissed, or Grease; or the book You Are So Undead To Me, Princess Diaries, or Something, Maybe.
*Click Rating to see post about my 10 aspects of a great book.

Top Ten Freebie

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

For this Freebie I have decided to research a question that I always ask in the back of my mind: What books inspired the authors I love? So.. Here are ten authors and a book of theirs I love each paired with a book they loved.*

1. Maureen Johnson (13 Little Blue Envelopes- Ginny is led on a journey through her deceased aunt's letters): Berlin Stories: Set in the 1930s an incredibly descriptive mix of history and fantasy.
2. John Green (Looking for Alaska- A life changed by a mysterious girl named Alaska): The Catcher In The Rye: A complicated 16 year old leaves his prep school to discover underground New York.
3. Libba Bray (A Great and Terrible Beauty- Historical fantasy about secret pasts and magical escapes with a dark side): Tithe: An independent modern teenager, Kaye, becomes caught between battling faerie kingdoms.
4. Scott Westerfeld (Uglies- A world where the government makes pretty at sixteen with surgery, but is that the whole story?): Charlotte's Web: Charlotte the spider makes her friend Wilbur the most famous pig in town to save him from a usual darker farm pig destiny.
5. Sarah Dessen (This Lullaby- A life shattering tale of first love): Mrs. Darcy and the Blue Eyed Stranger: 14 bittersweet short stories.
6. Christopher Moore (Lamb- A take on those years missing from Jesus' tale in the Bible): Choke: Victor goes to fancy restaurants and pretends to choke making his "saviors" feel responsible for his life and getting them to send him monthly checks for bills.
7. Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss- A romantic tale of an American student in Paris; so real, so touching, so irresistible): Cat's Cradle: John researches what was going on in America when Hiroshima was bombed and ends up following this spiral of a historical journey.
8. Judy Blume (Forever- The truth of what happens in most tales of first love no matter our intentions): Betsy-Tacy: Stories about friends so close people often referred to them as though they were one person.
9. Stephenie Meyers (Twilight- Love it, or hate it an epic love tale and a new take on vampires): Wuthering Heights: A classic story of all consuming passion.
10. Janet Fitch (White Oleander- A tale of Astrid's journey through foster care and never really escaping her all encompassing mother): Tropic of Cancer: Part autobiography, part fiction story of an expatriate in Paris.

*Out of these author favorites I have only read two, eight more to add to the monstrous TBR. Can you guess which two I've read? Have you read any of these? Have you ever wondered what your favorite authors read and have more to add to my list? (Some of these were very easy to find, Christopher Moore suggesting who to read while waiting in between his own releases, And some difficult, like Scott Westerfeld saying he thought favorites were silly questions and only giving in on a childhood remembrance.)

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

 

Published: September 29th 2011, Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 372 pages
Part of a Series: Shades of London #1
Read For a Challenge: The TBR Double Dare
Teaser: "Babbling and babbling like a babbling thing.. Madness. Wouldn't shut up. She's fine really, probably some period thing. I go completely mental too. Period fever. It's the worst.
In a sentence or so: A monster seems to come from the past to kill and Rory is the only one who sees him. She is only a school student she can't save anyone, right?
*Rating: 9.5/10
GoodReads Description:
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.
Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

1. Type of story: YA Horror/Paranormal Fantasy *set in England* (Free 1 point)
2.Consistency: Teacherly - sprinkling, hinting, foreshadowing, and occasionally repeating the important bits. This distracted from the flow  a little bu was barely noticeable. (1/2 point)
3. Flesh: I love every character in this book. "The Ripper" is a curious character. Rory has a wonderfully quirky family and background, she is brave and just all around quality friend material. Jo is the most admirable character I have met in a long time. I could go on and on, even characters that only existed for a couple pages were fascinating such as the ripperologist and the girl who sets up security camera systems. (1 point)
4. Flow: Like water in a stream I glided through this story; it was only slow enough to be memorable. (1 point)
5. Character Growth: Rory embraces this new life, a new side of herself, and becomes so brave. Very coming-of-age - she's making herself. (1 point)
6. A Point/ Purpose/ Journey: This story is Rory growing into what she's going to be and the mystery with "The Ripper" providing the platform. She went looking for a path in England, so even though it wasn't how she expected, she got what she wanted. (1 point)
7. Witty Dialogue: This is natural to Ms. Johnson's writing. So much that it need not be discussed. (1 point)
8. Love: First love shows its potential here for Rory, but the true passion in this story is bonding with friends that are the never-ending type. (1 point)
9. Evoke Realistic Images: I know Maureen spends a lot of time in England from her blog and that she is a dedicated researcher. This book shows the fruit of those labors in the best light. (1 point)
10. Writing/Story telling: Maureen you are the history teacher I always wanted. She give me a story with well rounded characters and intrigue me with truth so I must know more. Also her books slip in admirable traits in characters so I want to emulate them. (1 point)

Reread Worthy: Every chance I guess.
Recommendation: History buffs, serial killer story enthusiasts, those who want (just a little) vicarious horror in their lives, and fans of: Maureen Johnson's previous work (This is still in the same style though the genre has changed.), Scott Westerfield, Libba Bray, or John Green.
*Click Rating to see post about my 10 aspects of a great book.

Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To Someone Who Doesn't Read X

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

 

1. Atlas Shrugged: A social commentary hidden within a suspense novel. For those who avoid social commentary.
2. The Black Book: Diary of a Teenage Stud, Vol. I: Girls, Girls, Girls: Short, sweet and very funny, fun, enjoyable. Recommended to those that don't read male protagonists.
3.  100 Selected Poems e.e. Cummings: So much story in so few words. E.E. Cummings is easy to follow and relate to and I recommend this to any readers weary of poetry.
4. The Jungle: Dirty true story of being a turn of the century immigrant in Chicago. This i for anyone who thinks of classics as boring, stuffy, or uptight.
5. A Great and Terrible Beauty: Historical fiction that entwines a Victorian world and a magical one. For any out there who have never gotten completely caught up in a fantasy novel.
6. Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading: Charlie tells a hilarious story that, in a reverse-psychological type of way, shows the importance of literature and the unavoidable impact of stories in our lives. I recommend it to all reluctant readers mature enough to catch the message.
7. Anna and the French Kiss: An irresistible romance in Paris. Recommended for women, or others with interest in Parisian boys, sites and/or food, who don't read YA.
8. Looking For Alaska: Life changing story about the impact of a whirlwind mystery contained in a girl called Alaska. Top of the list for those who dismiss YA because it isn't serious literature.
9. Generation Dead: A different look at the undead as part of contributing society. My gift to everyone who doesn't read about zombies.
10. Uglies: Social commentary wrapped up in a beautiful, engaging Sci-Fi. Highly recommended to those who keep their reading grounded in this world.