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27 / 30 books. 90% done!

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

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39 / 50 books. 78% done!

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

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My Progress:


34 / 51 states. 67% done!

2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

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24 / 25 books. 96% done!

2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

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29 / 50 books. 58% done!

Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge

Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge

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38 / 52 books. 73% done!

2026 52 Club Reading Challenge

2026 52 Club Reading Challenge

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34 / 52 books. 65% done!

2026 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

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22 / 40 books. 55% done!

2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

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24 / 51 books. 47% done!

2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

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2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

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19 / 25 books. 76% done!

2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

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44 / 52 books. 85% done!

Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)

Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)

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54 / 65 books. 83% done!

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2026 Countdown Reading Challenge

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Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

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70 / 125 books. 56% done!

2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge

2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge

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9 / 9 books. 100% done!

2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)

2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)

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36 / 60 books. 60% done!

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

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10 / 40 books. 25% done!

European Reading Challenge 2026

European Reading Challenge 2026

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7 / 50 books. 14% done!

2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)

2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)

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67 / 125 books. 54% done!

2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge

2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge

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4 / 5 challenges. 80% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

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98 / 100 names. 98% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

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76 / 80 skills. 95% done!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Native American Coming-of-Age Story Just Okay

5:59 AM
(Image from Amazon)
Montana, 1909 - Intent on civilizing Native Americans, the U.S. government is rounding them up, corralling them onto reservations, and cleansing them of their "savage" ways. For young Lionel and Beatrice, Blackfoot orphans who lost their mother to tuberculosis during the brutal winter of 1903, this means enrollment at the Chalk Bluff boarding school. Although Lionel would rather live with what's left of his family, he's not unhappy with the situation. Beatrice, on the other hand, craves the old ways. She defies the Brothers who run the school by speaking her native tongue, refusing to let them cut her thick black braids, and honoring the Creator in the ancient manner. Lionel can't understand why she insists on making trouble not only with the priests at the school but with the soldiers at the Army outpost next door.

On the day Lionel finds a dead man kneeling in the snow, Beatrice turns on two of the soldiers with a vengeance that surprises them all. Stealing the Army's prized stallion, she and Lionel flee into the wilderness. Beatrice thinks she remembers how to get to their grandfather's home, but the way is long and the weather uncooperative. With soldiers hot on their trail, the children try to move quickly, keeping themselves and the big horse safe from harm. Fighting hunger, the frigid winter, wild animals, illness, and the not always honorable intentions of other wanderers, the children's journey is fraught with danger. And adventure. And great revelation for Lionel, who finally begins to see why Beatrice fights so strongly to defend the culture the government's determined to destroy.

Starfish, a debut novel by writer/filmmaker James Crowley, examines two very different characters coming of age in a time when everything around them is changing. As the old ways converge with the new, Lionel and Beatrice must choose which to embrace. The farther their journey takes them, the more they learn - about themselves, each other, and what it means to be a Native American in the white man's world. While I didn't absolutely adore this book, I did find it to be an exciting adventure piloted by two engaging characters. It's not entirely believable and I have no doubt that some people (see Debbie Reese's very thorough review of Starfish here) will have problems with Crowley's portrayal of American Indians, but I thought it was okay. Not unputtownable, not riveting, not jaw-dropping, just okay.
(Readalikes: Apparently, I haven't read too many books about Native Americans. Any suggestions here?)
Grade: C
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for mild, but frequent invectives
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Starfish from the generous folks at Disney/Hyperion. Thank you!
Labels:,,,,, | 3 bookworm(s) said...
Friday, December 17, 2010

Who Killed Sutton Mercer? Frankly, I Couldn't Care Less.

1:00 AM
(Image from Indiebound)

Something's always been missing in 17-year-old Emma Paxton's life. And it's not just because her mother dropped her off at a friend's house when she was five and never bothered to come back. It's more than that. It's almost like a piece of herself is missing. When she sees a You Tube video of a girl being strangled, Emma's shocked - not just because of the violent images, but because the dead girl looks exactly like her. Even if the video's some kind of sick joke, one thing is certain: Somewhere out there, Emma has a twin sister.
Sutton Mercer, also 17, wakes up in a bathtub in a house she's never seen before. Primping in the mirror is a girl who looks exactly like her. Confused, Sutton tries to get the girl's attention, only to be completely ignored. No one in the house can see or hear her. Considering her body seems to be fading, Sutton can only come to one conclusion - she must be dead. Only she can't remember how it happened. She can barely remember anything. All she knows is that she's now somehow attached to her twin sister, a girl she never even knew existed until now.
As Emma digs into her long-lost sister's life, she discovers a girl living the kind of existence Emma's known only in her dreams. Sutton's beautiful, wealthy, popular, loved and, as far as she can tell, not dead. When she receives a Facebook message from Sutton, it's all the encouragement Emma needs - she hops a bus to Tucson. Before she knows what's happening, Emma finds herself living Sutton's life. Since Sutton is nowhere to be found, it's obvious that's something's happened to her, but what? Did she take off voluntarily, thinking that Emma could just step in and take her place or did someone steal Sutton's life from her? The more Emma learns about her sister, the stranger the whole situation gets. Can she figure out what happened to Sutton before she, herself, is discovered? Before she, too, disappears?
Sutton longs to help her sister, tries to remember, but everything's so hazy. Can she harness her beyond-the-grave powers to help Emma solve her murder? Or will she be forced to stand by and watch while someone kills her sister?
As intriguing as its premise is, The Lying Game by Sara Shepard falls flat due to poor execution. The writing's clumsy, the characters are almost wholly unlikable and the story goes nowhere fast. It's the first in a series of four books, so I didn't expect Emma to find the killer in the first book, but still, it seems like she makes no progress at all. Sutton's presence is just irritating since she does almost nothing to advance the story. If you can't tell, I found the whole novel frustrating. Still, I picked it up again after abandoning it twice, so I guess that says something. The premise continues to interest me, but the series doesn't. Frankly, I couldn't care less what happened to Sutton Mercer. And that's no lie.
(Readalikes: A little like The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold)
Grade: D
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (1 F-bomb), sexual innuendo, and depictions of underrage drinking/smoking/drug use
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Lying Game from the generous folks at Harper Teen. Thank you!
Labels:,,, | 12 bookworm(s) said...
Thursday, December 16, 2010

1 Skinny Sixth Grader + 1 Swirlie-Loving Bully + The First Day of Middle School = Disaster

1:00 AM
(Image from Indiebound)

What do you get when you mix one scrawny 11-year-old, one swirlie-loving bully, one ex-best friend and the first day of middle school? A disaster, that's what. David Greenberg isn't exactly thrilled to be starting junior high, especially since he and his closest pal had a big fight. Now, David has to navigate the confusing world of Harman Middle School all on his own. To make things worse, his BFF's now hanging with the biggest bully in town. Their favorite target? You guessed it. David Greenberg.

At least David's troubles give him plenty of fodder for his online talk show. With the help of Hammy, his talented pet, David just knows that someday he's going to be as famous as his idol, Jon Stewart. When a new friend spreads the word about his videos, TalkTime goes viral. Suddenly, David's getting hundreds of hits and comments. He's an Internet sensation. Only his popularity doesn't follow him to school. If anything, it makes him a bigger target for the bullies. What's a short, nerdy sixth grader to do? Can he handle being a star? Can he make it out of middle school alive? As David treads the treacherous waters of middle school, he'll learn a whole lot about family, friendship, and the importance of following your dreams.

How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart is a laugh-out-loud funny story that perfectly captures the ups and downs of preadolesence. David's an engaging narrator, completely lovable and empathetic. Kids will find his woes familiar, his triumphs encouraging. With an engrossing plotline, interesting characters, and an upbeat tone, this charming treat of a novel is perfect for children dreading the jump from elementary to middle school and their parents (who are dreading it even more). I loved it. Hamster and all.

(Readalikes: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney [sans illustrations])

Grade: B+

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for very mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of How to Survive Middle School from the very generous Donna Gephart. Thank you!

Labels:,, | 2 bookworm(s) said...
Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Another Warm Family Saga From Trigiani Has Me Pining for Italy (Or, at least, for Baked Ravioli)

9:47 PM
(Image from Indiebound)


(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Brava, Valentina, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from Very Valentine. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

I can't say this about many authors as prolific as Adriana Trigiani but I've read every book she's written, including the cookbook she created with her sisters. This doesn't mean I've loved every one, but it's convinced me that I can always turn to Trigiani for a hearty, well-written story filled with warmth, humor and a whole lot of heart. I love me a juicy family saga and Trigiani crafts them to near perfection. Not only do her stories make me want to whip up a pan of baked ravioli, but they make me want to gather my big, crazy family together to talk, laugh and argue our way through a heavy Italian meal. Her tales are that convincing, that delicious.

While Trigiani's Valentine books haven't swept me away like her Big Stone Gap series did, I still enjoy peeking in on the Angelinis. They're a funny bunch, those Greenwich Village shoemakers. When Brava, Valentina, the second book in the trilogy, opens, the family is gathered in Tuscany for Gram's wedding to Dominic Vechiarelli. While 34-year-old Valentine Roncalli is thrilled that her grandmother's found happiness with the elderly Italian, she can't stand the thought of returning to New York without the woman who has been her roommate, friend and mentor. She's even more dismayed when she discovers Gram has deeded the ownership of the family's 100-year-old custom shoe business to both Valentine and her brother, a man for whom no one is ever good enough "whether we were born after him, gave birth to him, fathered him, or married him" (130). Valentine, whose dedicated six years of blood, sweat and tears to keeping the business solvent, can't think of a worse situation than working with her least favorite sibling.

To complicate matters, Valentine's lonely without Gram, conflicted over her long-distance love affair with 53-year-old Gianluca Vechiarelli (who is now technically family), and worried about financing for the launch of her newest shoe. She doesn't need an explosive family secret to steal even more of her energy, but that's what she gets when she unearths a design from a long-lost relative. The chance to find a missing branch of the Angelini family tree takes her on a whirlwind trip to Buenos Aires that will open her eyes to a broader meaning of family, an unbelievable business opportunity and the very real possibility that the Angelini Shoe Company will always be more important to her than love.

Torn between a centuries-old craft and modern technology; things she's always believed about her family and new revelations; a mature love and her childhood sweetheart; bucking change or embracing it; Valentine is forced to make life-changing decisions. With advice from her flamboyant best friend, her sanctamonious brother, and her feisty great aunt, as well as the rest of the loud, colorful Angelini/Roncalli clan, of course. Even for a family for whom "The wolf's been at the door so many times over the years that we invite him in for manicotti" (158), this many crises in one year threatens to unravel them completely. Can Valentine, the calm, steadfast one who's always held them together keep their madness at bay long enough to make her own decisions? Or will she go down with the crazy ship, dragging the business she loves along with her?

As I said earlier, the Valentine books aren't my favorite Trigiani sagas, but they hold all of the elements fans love about her novels, including what I like to call the Trigiani Trifecta: Italian families, Italian food, and New York fashion. Oh, and interior decorating. All the detail about the former as well as the art/business of crafting shoes made the story sag a little bit for me. However, it's buoyed by the two things I love most about Trigiani: humor and heart. Even though I still pine for the Big Stone Gap characters, the Roncalli/Angelini crowd keeps me entertained. I'm not ready to say Ciao quite yet (even though the series will end when the last book comes out in February). For keeping me immersed in yet another engrossing drama, I say, Brava, Adriana.

P.S. If you're pining for Italy, click on over here for a chance to win a Adriana Trigiani Tour to Italy for you and a friend (sponsored by Harper Collins).

(Readalikes: Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani; other novels by the same author)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), sexual content/innuendo, and brief references to illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Brava, Valentina from the generous folks at Harper Collins in exchange for my honest review. This review was written for Adriana Trigiani's book tour, hosted by TLC Book Tours.

Labels:,,,,, | 6 bookworm(s) said...
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