Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Towering by Alex Flinn

So, school started again, and I noticed that I did not blog about all of the books that I read this summer.  I will try to blog about them in the next few weeks mentioning that they were summer reads.

Now, onto this book...Towering by Alex Flinn.

Rachel lives in a remote tower and cannot see anyone except her "Mama".  She has long flowing, fast growing hair and healing tears.  One day a boy, Wyatt, comes to her tower and is able to reach the top by climbing her hair.  Sound familiar--yes, this is a modern retelling of Rapunzel.  Rachel and Wyatt have a strong bond so much that they can send messages to each other even when they are far apart.  Rachel must stay in the tower because there are people who want to kill her, but Wyatt does not know why.  Through a fast-paced story, Flinn leads us to discover the dark secrets of a town and how Rachel can help to save them all.

I really liked this book, and I whipped right through it.  Flinn is a great story teller, and this one does not disappoint.  I highly recommend this good read.

Monday, August 5, 2013

SR--Planet Tad by Tim Carvell

Tad decides to begin a blog, and he writes in it almost every day.  He writes his thoughts and happenings for an entire year. 

I have to admit; I put this book off for a long time.  Based on the cover and the title, I just WAS NOT INTERESTED.

Write it down, folks.  I was SO wrong.  Diary of a Wimpy Kid is put to shame with this one.

This book was so very funny.  I read most of it in one sitting, and I was literally laughing out loud!

I strongly recommend this one.

SR--Break My Heart 1,000 Times by Daniel Waters

So...based on the title, it sounds like it is a sappy romance story.  But it is far from that.  This book opens up with Veronica seeing a new ghost in her bathroom one morning while she is in the shower.  She goes down to breakfast to tell her mother and father.  Her mother is not too concerned, and her father does not respond.  That does not sound too odd until you consider that her father is a ghost.  You see--in this small town, ghosts appear all over the place just like clockwork--literally.  You can set your watch by the time that the ghosts appear every day.  Meanwhile, down the street, there is a specific ghost appearing every morning to Mr. Bittner, a high school history teacher.  The ghost that appears on his step every morning was violently murdered almost 4 years prior.   Veronica notices that Mr. Bittner is paying a lot of attention to her lately--and when he finds out her birthday--he REALLY starts watching her with special attention.  Could Bittner have had something to do with Mary's death 4 years before, and is he interested in Veronica now?  Only the ghosts have the real proof, but will Veronica and her friend, Kirk, be able to figure out the clues in time...
This was a creepy, page-turner.  It did take me a few pages to get into this book while the author set up the premise, but once I got past that...I could not put it down.
GREAT READ!!!!! 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

SR--Almost Home by Joan Bauer

Sugar is a precocious sixth grade girl who definitely speaks her mind. One day she finds a sweet pup named Shush, and the two of them have a special bond.  The problem is--Sugar is strong headed, but her mother is less so.  After Sugar's dad takes all of their money, her granddad dies, and her mom loses her job, they suddenly find themselves without a home. 
Sugar's mom decides to go to Chicago to find a job, but when they get there--the job is gone.  Sugar is put into foster care while her mother tries to pull herself together.
Now, this sounds like it would be a depressing story, but Sugar is such a fantastic heroine.  I mean--she has this great life spirit that keeps her going through some very difficult situations.  I have been reading Bauer's books for a decade now, and I have met her a couple of times.  This is by far my favorite of hers--and there are 2 others that I truly love.  I can't say enough about how precious this story was to read.  I am not much of a dog lover, but I fell in love with Shush.  Bauer captured the healing effects of what a pet can do for people. 
This was a great read!

Seriously...

So...I have had real trouble with this blog and being able to post.  I think I may have it figured out.  Yay!!!
I have read so many books, and I hope that I can catch up with them over the next few days.
Stay tuned!

Just saw a movie trailer for an oldie but a goodie--Sea of Monsters.  I think I may have to go see it.

Here is the clip.