Sebastian Mundt, hero of Catherine Ryan Hyde's Chasing Windmills, isn't your average 17-year-old. He's never hung out with friends, never watched a movie and never so much as tasted a bite of takeout. Thanks to his paranoid, germaphobic (I think mysophobic is the proper term) father, Sebastian has led a decidedly sheltered life. When a doctor finally convinces the elder Mundt that his son must breathe fresh air at least occasionally, Sebastian is allowed outside for a daily run. This tiny bit of freedom goes to his head - not only does he make his first friend (his elderly neighbor, Delilah), but he also finds the courage to sneak out of his apartment at night. Too fearful to head to the nearest nightclub, Sebastian spends his precious hours of freedom riding the deserted subway.

One night, another passenger boards the train - pretty Maria, who hides her secrets behind wide-brimmed hats and long sleeves. Although Sebastian has never seen her before, he feels an electric spark between them. After a few furtive glances, he realizes "we weren't afraid of each other anymore. We knew we didn't have to be. I mean, except to the extent that we were afraid of everything" (2). Thus begins the clandestine relationship that will change the pair's lives forever.

Both Sebastian and Maria have reasons to be cautious, but the emptiness of their lives compels them to continue meeting on the subway. Despite their growing closeness, the two remain strangers, unwilling to part with their individual secrets. Even when they decide to run away together, Sebastian doesn't realize all that Maria is hiding. When she shows up one night with her daughter in tow, Sebastian quickly realizes that love is a lot more complicated than he ever imagined.

Sebastian's new-found bravery also leads him to question his life in general. Is it right for his father to keep him cooped up, denying him a normal life? Is he strong enough to stand up to the man he has feared for so long? Why do memories of windmills in the desert keep ricocheting in his mind? What do they have to do with his mother, who died when he was a child? These questions, combined with his desire to whisk Maria away to a safer place, propel him on a literal journey into his confusing past.

The plot seems simple, and it is. Chasing Windmills is basically a re-telling of West Side Story, which is, of course, a re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. There are also subtle hints of Don Quixote, hence the book's title. Thankfully, Catherine Ryan Hyde's immense talent lets her tell the familiar story of star-crossed lovers in a fresh way. Her characters are fascinating, from sassy Delilah; to romantic, but realistic Maria; to Sebastian, an innocent with old-fashioned manners, whose vulnerability makes him instantly loveable. Even the players who remain one-dimensional will draw you in. Add the subtle and evocative beauty of Hyde's writing and you get a story that feels as complex as it does simple.

Complexity comes into play, especially, at the end of the book. I don't want to spoil it, of course, but let's just say I found the finale surprising and less than satisfying. It works; it's just not how I wanted things to end for Sebastian and Maria. I was also disappointed in the portrayal of Sebastian's father. I wanted to know more about this enigma, who never gets the fleshing out he deserves. The plot line just feels unresolved to me. A few other things bugged me about the book, but overall, I enjoyed the read. Chasing Windmills definitely pulled me in, making me care about its characters and their fates.

If you can't get enough of star-crossed lovers who will defy all odds to be together, this is the book for you. It's a sweet, moving ode to first love in all its simplicity ... and complexity.

Grade: A-

College is all about thinking for yourself, but the authors of How to Survive Your Freshman Year by Hundreds of College Students Who Did (and some things to avoid, from a few dropouts who didn't) aim to prove that many heads are actually better than the mind of one scared, confused freshman. In their definitive (yet not so definitive) guide, Mark Bernstein and Yadin Kaufmann follow the easy style of past Hundreds of Heads how-to books to dole out advice to first-time college students. The book offers expert opinions on everything from stocking your dorm room to choosing classes to getting along with roommates. The experts? Current and former students (oh yeah, and a handful of dropouts).

The book is divided into sections, each with a skimpy introduction and several pages of advice from the experts I described above. Their responses are honest and unfiltered, written in their own, individual voices. It really is like sitting down and chatting with a group of friends. Of course, some of those friends are wise, some are funny, and some are downright bizarre. So beware. Just like having a real conversation, you have to filter out the good advice from the bad. The authors draw no conclusions for you. Thus, if you're looking for a definitive guide, this may not be the one for you. Still, I think the "experts" come up with some pretty good stuff.

Like I said, some of the students are wise, instructing freshmen to bring with them patience, an open mind and a "blank slate" (7). Others are completely practical, advising dorm dwellers to communicate with their roommates during the summer so they can get to know each other and avoid bringing duplicate items. Some of the information rates high on the "duh" scale, as when Hilary Tress, a junior at New York University says, "Bring warm clothes if you go to school up north. I'm from Miami and I didn't know what a winter coat was. Now I have a couple, and an umbrella" (7). My favorite advice is from the class clowns, who chime in with these gems:

"If you're going to steal furniture for your dorm room, steal it from the lounge. They won't find it until they spray for bugs over spring break - then you only have a few weeks of classes left anyway." - J.G., Florida State University, Graduate (p. 59)

"Do a lot of things your mother would disapprove of. Tattoos, body piercing, spring break trips; as long as you can act like an adult, the sky's the limit." - Anonymous, Mississippi State University (p. 215)

"Fall in love with someone in your class right away; student, T.A., professor, whomever. You'll be hard-pressed to skip class. If there is no one in your class to love, then pick someone to hate and show up every day to make his or her life a living hell." - S.P., University of Georgia, Graduate (p. 107)

Like I said, the students' advice remains unfiltered, touching topics like drinking, drugs and having sex in the dorms. I have to say upfront that I went through 4 years of college without doing any of those things, but apparently, life at the most sober school in America (BYU) is not considered normal. The book also covers topics I never had to deal with, considering things like Facebook and MySpace were not around back in the Dark Ages when I went to college. So, even though some of the information won't be relevant to you personally, How to Survive Your Freshman Year does offer some good, solid information for college-bound freshman. Given its quick, easy format, this is one book a new freshman might actually read.

Grade: B

I use the word "preachy" a lot to describe books. Usually, writers get this criticism when they

Well ... we are in our new house. It was a huge, exhausting job, and we're not even done yet. I'm tired, sore and really happy - the house is fabulous!

Anyway, I finally picked some winners for the two giveaways I'm hosting. I like to draw names out of a hat, but I'm just way too weary for that, so I assigned numbers to each of the contest entrants and let Random.org do the drawing for me. So, without further ado, I announce ... the winners!

The 2 copies of Immortal go to:

Sadiejean & Karen from Planet Books

One copy of The Questory of Root Karbunkulus plus 2 dogtags go to:

Christy

Thanks so much to all who entered, and to the authors/publicists for providing me with copies of their books to give away. If the winners would please email me their mailing addresses, I will get these to you as soon as I can. My email is: blogginboutbooks@gmail.com . Congratulations, you 3!