Emma has a lot going on. Her best friend's not speaking to her, a boy she's known all her life is suddenly smokin' hot and in love with her, and oh...
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Feb 27, 2011
Donut Days is a spirited, yes pun intended, and humorous adventure of faith, family and friendship. I totally related to Emma's frustrations toward her overall understanding and connection of God and religion. I was initially worried that this novel might be a too "preachy" for me, but it wasn't at all. It did take me a little while to get into the story, it finally got interesting when Emma got to the Donut Camp. A Donut Camp, which seems like the most ridiculous thing ever, I mean se
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Jan 29, 2011
Taylor
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Interesting book. Normally i wouldn't have read a religous book but the cover loured me in. One question i have for the author: Why did Molly have to be so evil?
Nov 09, 2010
Marley
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Book Report By:Marley Attawny /Mustard
I thought this book was really good. It was about a girl who's parents own a church and her parents are having trouble with the church
because some people think that her mom should not preach (the bible says women are not aloud to preach). She also is totally in love
with her old boyfriend. Plus her 2 best friends are mad at her. So she goes and camps out in front of a soon to open donut shop meets
some friends and some enem More...
I thought this book was really good. It was about a girl who's parents own a church and her parents are having trouble with the church
because some people think that her mom should not preach (the bible says women are not aloud to preach). She also is totally in love
with her old boyfriend. Plus her 2 best friends are mad at her. So she goes and camps out in front of a soon to open donut shop meets
some friends and some enem More...
Jul 06, 2010
Ellz
rated it: 
My thoughts...Hmmm, let me start by saying I liked this book. That being said there are a few things that I don't usually discuss with people, those are religion and politics. You have your beliefs, I have mine. Donut Days takes place in a VERY religious community. There is quite a bit of preaching to the main character Emma about her actions in relation to the Bible. She seems to be constantly disappointing practically everyone because she doesn't walk the straight path everyone expects he
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Mar 10, 2010
Kat
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http://tinyurl.com/of3nng
Reviewing a friend's book is triply difficult: you don't want to offend, you want to get the word out, and you are nervous about your review being written adequately. That being said, I'm going to go for it.
Because in this case, it's really easy. I loved this YA novel, hands-down. It comes out on August 9, and I urge each and every one of you to buy it. Why, you say? First, a bit about present-day YA as I see it...
I'll admit to having More...
Reviewing a friend's book is triply difficult: you don't want to offend, you want to get the word out, and you are nervous about your review being written adequately. That being said, I'm going to go for it.
Because in this case, it's really easy. I loved this YA novel, hands-down. It comes out on August 9, and I urge each and every one of you to buy it. Why, you say? First, a bit about present-day YA as I see it...
I'll admit to having More...
Aug 20, 2009
Jennifer
rated it: 
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Emma Goiner's father informs her one night that the only universities her college fund will help support are those that her parents approve of. In other words, any secular school is OUT.
Both of Emma's parents are pastors at Living Word Redeemer, so they expect Emma to be guided by their choices. But Emma knows they are disappointed in her. Since her baptism not so long ago, she's yet to speak in tongues. And she's inflamed that the c More...
Emma Goiner's father informs her one night that the only universities her college fund will help support are those that her parents approve of. In other words, any secular school is OUT.
Both of Emma's parents are pastors at Living Word Redeemer, so they expect Emma to be guided by their choices. But Emma knows they are disappointed in her. Since her baptism not so long ago, she's yet to speak in tongues. And she's inflamed that the c More...
Jul 28, 2010
Melissa
rated it:
It seems like Emma’s life can’t get any more complicated than it is right now. She is the daughter of two evangelical preachers who “co-preach” at their church. Her parents want her to experience God the way they do and want her to attend a conservative Christian college. Her best friend is fighting with her at the moment and Jake is suddenly looking real good. She soon finds out that her mother is in trouble of losing her pastoral position due to Jake’s dad. She decides to get away from it
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Sep 08, 2011
Leslie (That Chick That Reads)
rated it:
I did have to say I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It had some things that are normally not discussed in any YA settings and I have to give it to Zielin for doing a great job with it! We see conflict with religion and what it means to go out and break out of your shell. Her parents are both extremely religious, so religious in fact that the money they’ve been saving up for college has to go toward a religious school. She then decided to try and write a story and win the grand prize of a scholars
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Dec 07, 2011
Erin
rated it:
Donut Days
by Lara Zielin
When I was growing up my family went to an evangelical church a minimum of three times a week. I think that is why I could relate to this book. Emma's parents are ministers at the Living Word Redeemer church, and when Emma's mom announces to the entire church that women and men are equal, many in the church greet the announcement with shock. Suddenly Emma's parents' jobs are on the line. Will Emma's friendships fall apart as the church splits up and takes sid More...
by Lara Zielin
When I was growing up my family went to an evangelical church a minimum of three times a week. I think that is why I could relate to this book. Emma's parents are ministers at the Living Word Redeemer church, and when Emma's mom announces to the entire church that women and men are equal, many in the church greet the announcement with shock. Suddenly Emma's parents' jobs are on the line. Will Emma's friendships fall apart as the church splits up and takes sid More...
Aug 02, 2010
Beth
rated it:
Donut Days is Lara Zielin's debut novel. It's about a teen-age girl whose parents are preachers at an evangelical church in a small and very religious community.
Emma, the main character, struggles to determine what exactly her beliefs are as she does not speak in tongues or have prophecies like the members of her parents' church do. Her situation is compounded by several factors. The church's wealthiest member/benefactor claims to have had a prophecy in which God told him women shou More...
Emma, the main character, struggles to determine what exactly her beliefs are as she does not speak in tongues or have prophecies like the members of her parents' church do. Her situation is compounded by several factors. The church's wealthiest member/benefactor claims to have had a prophecy in which God told him women shou More...
Sep 01, 2010
Anne
rated it:
Emma is struggling with a bunch of different issues. Her parents are both ministers at an evangelical church, but when her mom announced from the pulpit that Adam was a hermaphrodite, an uproar ensues and the board is meeting to try to kick her out. In addition, her best friend is no longer talking to her. And a boy that she has known her whole life is suddenly a heart-throb and appears to be interested in her.
To take her mind off all these things, she goes to camp out at the open More...
To take her mind off all these things, she goes to camp out at the open More...
Sep 17, 2011
Kay
rated it:
Lara Zielin strikes just the right balance between faith and skepticism and between humor and thoughtfulness in her debut novel, Donut Days. I was a little nervous before reading it. Some books that deal with Christian characters and themes come across as too preachy. Others play into the best and worst stereotypes. Donut Days does neither. It presents people of faith with all their complexity and disagreements and humanity.
Emma's world is falling apart, and she doesn't know whe More...
Emma's world is falling apart, and she doesn't know whe More...
Jul 11, 2010
Lisa
rated it: 
Emma is the daughter of evangelical ministers who isn't sure her beliefs align with those of her parents or her church. She feels like a square peg. She's seventeen and about to begin her senior year of high school. But she's in a huge fight with her best friend, fighting with her parents, and has alienated the boy who loves her. She feels very much alone in her struggles. With trouble brewing at church, her parents keep the matter very private, shutting Emma out, leaving her angry and resen
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Apr 15, 2010
Kit
rated it:
There are a lot of things to like about this debut novel about the daughter of two ministers who is having an easier time fitting in at the local donut shop (before it's even open yet) than at church. There are some nifty characters, especially in the bikers-for-Jesus gang. Unfortunately, for some reason the plot unfolds in massively-telegraphed flashbacks of the, "As I stood there, I thought back to six days ago..." variety, and the resolution is way too pat, especially when we're not
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Jan 16, 2011
i really like this book i finished 2 books this break,dear pen pal and another mother daughter book club :) .im looking foward to fnishing this book before the week is over. i enjoyed thease book and ill enjoy this one too.donut days is very very good book like rebecca recomended to me so i started reading it and now im on page 102 :) :D im really enjoying this book! emmas parents have not decided to pay for collage because if emma goes to christan school... but emma had entered a crispy donut
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Jul 31, 2010
Kristi
rated it:
Emma is your typical teenager. She is at odds with her evangelical parents about attending a Christian college (if she doesn't-she will have to pay for college on her own), her best girlfriend is currently not speaking to her and Jake, the boy friend she has known for years, just recently declared his love for her. She is determined to win a scholarship to college by writing a news article about the new donut shop in town, Crispy Dream.
Donut Days by Lara Zielin is an entertaining More...
Donut Days by Lara Zielin is an entertaining More...
Apr 10, 2011
Keri
rated it:
I must say that this book was a little slow for me, but the payoff in the end was worth it. As an adult who questioned faith as a teen and still does occasionally, I really related to the sarcasm/realism in Emma. The growth of her pastor parents, her friendship, and her own growth was a great example to any young person. "Mom said she kept things from me because she thought I was strong, not weak, and that mayube I wouldn't understand her going through something that made her feel powerless
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Sep 05, 2009
Bri Meets Books
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Emma Goiner's pastor mother has just told the entire congregation of their church, Living Word Redeemer, that Adam was a hermaphrodite, and now her position is in jeopardy. If this wasn't enough, Emma's got her best friend not talking to her, a boy she's known since childhood in love with her (and he just so happens to be the member of a family trying to oust her parents from the church board). Right now though, she's going to head to the Crispy Dream camp, where fans are lined up to be the firs
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Aug 03, 2009
Karen
rated it:
I enjoyed Lara Zielin's debut novel, Donut Days, from start to finish. I immediately liked the novel's protagonist, Emma, and admired her strength. Emma is faced with some major drama (a huge fight with her best friend, a scandal at her parents' church that threatens their future, pressure to attend a college that isn't right for her), but she's determined to learn the truth, make things right, and follow her own path to happiness. I enjoyed seeing Emma grow to value herself and her choices.
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Jul 02, 2010
Heather
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 04, 2010
Handd51
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I guess I see hwo this got on the Lone Star list - it is about born-again religion but still light and fluffy. It will be easy to read and has some good points that are pretty blatantly made. Several plot elements are pretty much of a stretch - like a group of biker born-agains just wher eyou need them. There is a mystery element, but it is mostly a side-show and used just to advance the rest of the plot: the heroine gets her guy - the one she didn't think she wanted - and she helps her family
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May 17, 2011
Natalie
rated it:
the book I read was Donut Days by Lara Zielin. This book is realistic fiction. Its about a girl who's parents own a church. Her mom prechen and no one likes it. During her parents meeting wheter or not her mom should preach she went to the opening of krispy Cream Donuts. She meets this mortor cycle gang that gets influenced by god. I like the characthers in the book. This book was ok but not the best one I have read. I recomend this book to girls because there is more girl stuff. Guys probably w
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Jan 09, 2012
Alexa Loves Books
rated it:
The book focuses on Emma's attempts to try to understand the concepts of God and religion. I could definitely relate to Emma as she struggled to try to figure out her own particular stance when it came to what she believed. Zielin does a great job of highlighting different factors that made Emma's struggle so difficult: her parents' rules, her own aspirations and beliefs, what was happening to her friends, what was happening in church and what was not happening to her, to name most of them. Th
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Mar 13, 2011
Tracy
rated it:
4.5
This was one of those books that I picked up at the library for no apparent reason other than feeling like a book with a cheesey cover should be given a chance. I no time at all I had flown through the thing enjoying it more than I should have. At first it seems like a fun, light book for a beautiful weekend but quickly becomes a story much deeper than that. Emma's voice was spot on and kept me reading. The story was well paced for the most part but at times tripped up. In the end it al More...
This was one of those books that I picked up at the library for no apparent reason other than feeling like a book with a cheesey cover should be given a chance. I no time at all I had flown through the thing enjoying it more than I should have. At first it seems like a fun, light book for a beautiful weekend but quickly becomes a story much deeper than that. Emma's voice was spot on and kept me reading. The story was well paced for the most part but at times tripped up. In the end it al More...
Feb 06, 2011
Bookworm1858
rated it:
Summary: Emma is the daughter of evangelical minister parents who is having quite the difficult time. Her mom may lose her position as co-preacher at their church, one of her friends is newly hot and in love with her, her best friend isn't speaking to her, and her parents have announced their financial support only if she attends a Christian college. This takes place over a three day period as people camp out to see the opening of a new donut store.
I really liked Emma-she was very lika More...
I really liked Emma-she was very lika More...
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Jun 23, 2010
Andrea
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Emma is the daughter of two evangelical ministers, but there is trouble at their church. It seems that some of the parishioners don't want Emma's mom is preach anymore. Now Emma is fighting with her best friend and fighting her true feelings for her best guy friend all while trying to win a scholarship.
I understood her fight to get to choose her own way, a way that might not agree with her family's expectations. I felt sorry for Emma because she genuinely wants to help her family More...
I understood her fight to get to choose her own way, a way that might not agree with her family's expectations. I felt sorry for Emma because she genuinely wants to help her family More...
Jul 13, 2010
(G)Emma
rated it:
Writing: Zielin's writing was absolutely hilarious! Her writing style was direct and it rang true to the protagonist without making Emma sound naive, although there was some unrealistic dialogue. 4 and a half flowers.
Plot: Emma's trying to get that scholarship and her parents could lose the church! Pretty straight forward, and consistently mentioned through out the book. There were also some great twists and subplots. 5 flowers.
Originality: I love the premise of this! I t More...
Plot: Emma's trying to get that scholarship and her parents could lose the church! Pretty straight forward, and consistently mentioned through out the book. There were also some great twists and subplots. 5 flowers.
Originality: I love the premise of this! I t More...
Jul 16, 2009
Robbie
rated it:
I picked this book up because of Lara Zielin's brilliant "Editing Letter" video. I found the novel to be slightly less brilliant, but not bad.
Emma lives in a Minnesota town where her parents are the preachers at an Evangelical Church where it is perfectly normal for people to go into convulsive Visions of God or to shout out "Hallelujah!" Emma isn't so drawn into it, and wants to go to a non-Christian college, so her hopes are riding on a scholarship. If she can More...
Emma lives in a Minnesota town where her parents are the preachers at an Evangelical Church where it is perfectly normal for people to go into convulsive Visions of God or to shout out "Hallelujah!" Emma isn't so drawn into it, and wants to go to a non-Christian college, so her hopes are riding on a scholarship. If she can More...
Aug 18, 2009
Yan
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
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Aug 23, 2009
Alea
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Donut Days had a lot going for it. Emma is your everyday girl with her own set of problems but has a great sense of humor to get her through them. I really appreciated Emma's struggle over her religion, I feel like I don't see that side of religion enough. Like Emma talks about in the book sometimes things are glossed right over and not really talked about in the church. And I really liked seeing her question her relationship with God. And the book is written in such a way that you don't need to
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