From our GoodReads authors:
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston (read end of Dec, sorry, I just wanted to mention these authors, I'm not in a January contest)
Echoes by Erin Grady aka Erin Quinn (Jan)
Easy Innocence by Libby Fischer Hellmann (Jan)

I read:

Four More Degrees - Malcolm Rose
Animal Lab - Malcolm Rose
The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.K.Rowling

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. So far, so good! Wicked Lovely was incredible, but I like the romance in this one more. ;)

The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, Book 3) by Philip Pullman 5 stars

As I'm usually not a big fan of YA category, I wasn't expecting much, but I really enjoyed this trilogy, which in my opinion is only a YA read because of the young age of the protagonists. I especially loved the last book.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 3 Stars

I was hoping to like this book much more than I did, but I did not. I felt like it was so drawn out and I could not wait to finish it and move on to something else. I did watch the movie years ago with Wiona Ryder and Clares Danes and did enjoy that more that the book.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 4 stars

I really liked the beginning of the book (which is as far as I read as a kid) but then defitely had to push myself through the middle portion. I started to give it 3 stars but it is such a classic and definitely something I'd want my daughter to read (if I had one that is!) someday.

I really thought I'd be able to get through a few more YA books this month but it just doesn't seem to be happening. I finished Tweak on New Year's Eve so that doesn't count for this one. Maybe one month I'll have more than one book from the list!

Twilight - 4 stars

I surprised myself by thoroughly enjoying it. It followed a somewhat heavier book and I found it a fun and light read. I can see why the popularity with teens and I will endeavour to read the whole series at some time.

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard" by J.K. Rowling. (or am I on the wrong page of the list?)
I enjoyed the way this book treated the fairytales so much like "Muggles" fairytales. They are short, teach morals, and except for one "The Warlock's Hairy Heart" which seems to favor Grimm's fairytales, they are all fine for children. I also found the comments taken from Dumbledore's notes interesting.

I read Bogus to Bubbly by Scott Westerfeld and gave it 4 stars. My review:

I'm so glad I finally found this ^^ Scott's blog always entertains me greatly, and this was no different. A really great guide to the Uglies series, summing up anything you might have been confused or curious about, and also a good refresher course (I really want to read the series again now that I have a bit of "insider knowledge"). There were also some really interesting facts included that I found fascinating - like how our friends and family forget how ugly we are after spending so much time with us. Hahaha.

Also: can't wait for Leviathan!! :D

Well I finished The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. I gave it 3 stars.
Here is my review:
What I liked most about the book is that the book describes what each girl is feeling and what they are thinking. It is also very unpredictable. It is impossible to tell what is going to happen next. Bridgets story was the most touching and enjoyable as was Tibby's story. But Lena and Carmen are whiners in this book and it really got on my nerves. It ties up loose ends, which is nice, but doesn't maintain the independence each girl had before.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot - 3 stars

I read this book very quickly. It varies greatly from the movie, but I definitely expected that. I found Mia's character to be very whiny in the book and she kind of annoyed me. But, all in all, I still enjoyed the story enough to consider reading the second one.

I just started to readBreaking Dawn I am not a big fan of the series but I have to finish what I started so we will see...

This Lullaby-Sarah Dessen.

Such a good book. Sarah Dessen may be added to my favorite authors list.

New Moon - Stephenie Meyer.

The second book of the Twilight Saga, and I'm not as impressed as I was with the first book. The book handles a lot of questions that have to do with life, love and friendship. Overall the story is good, but not as gripping as Twilight itself.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. 2 stars.

The whole making everyone beautiful after turning a certain age with an operation is an interesting concept and reflects upon society's focus on appearance. Unfortunately, calling the pre-ops uglies and the post-ops pretties seems to cheapen the idea and I found that I couldn't take the book seriously. Also, it is never explained why their society came into being. There's plenty of talk about the Rusties (our current society) and how they messed up, but it doesn't explain how theirs came into being. Their society makes little sense and is not believable at all. But I doubt that explanations couldn't have made it any better. The characters are too one-sided. And the rebellion in the story is unbelievable as well. I took that their society was at least a century or two. Closely guarded secrets shouldn't be that easily discovered. The rebellion felt too contrived and seemed just like a plot device. At least the hoverboards were cool.

The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis. 4 Stars.

My favorite in the Narnia series. A boy, Shasta, escapes from his "father" when he hears the man bartering with a visiting tarkaan (great lord) over the price to buy him. He escapes with the tarkaan's war horse, in the direction of "Narnia and the North."

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray - 4 stars

Just finished this book. It was a long one and parts seemed to drag, but others seemed to fly by. This book had a lot of lead up to the climactic end. There were quite a few surprises -- one I accidentally ruined for myself by reading Bray's blog, but still kind of shocking. I have enjoyed this trilogy and am kind of sad to see it go.

The Sisters Grimm: The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley - 3 1/2 stars

This was another fun Sisters Grimm book. I'm quite enjoying this series so far, although I still think it is geared towards an audience that is younger than I'm used to for YA books. I think this is partly because the main theme is plainly stated for the reader - I'm also not a fan of the vocabulary lessons the author keeps tossing in, although they may be helpful for younger readers. This book ends with a cliffhanger, so I may just have to run to the library to get the third book soon.

That might be considered a nice review compared to some of the others I have read for Eragon. xD

Ouch, Natasha!

Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1) by Christopher Paolini. 1 star.

Is this book serious? The book reads like a total self insertion novel. Finding a dragon egg and going on a grand adventure is something a lot of kids dream about. It doesn't make for a good book. The similarities to Lord of the Rings was irksome, but I could have gotten past that if the book didn't annoy me so much. Oh look, it's a just an average boy that turns out to be not so average. He's so freaking special that he hatches a dragon, is amazing at magic, and amazing with a sword without any...more Is this book serious? The book reads like a total self insertion novel. Finding a dragon egg and going on a grand adventure is something a lot of kids dream about. It doesn't make for a good book. The similarities to Lord of the Rings was irksome, but I could have gotten past that if the book didn't annoy me so much. Oh look, it's a just an average boy that turns out to be not so average. He's so freaking special that he hatches a dragon, is amazing at magic, and amazing with a sword without any damn explanation! Seriously? I'm not going to buy that. Plus, he's pretty annoying and gets into bad situations where others have to rescue him. His character is bad enough, but Paolini had to throw in elves, dwarfs, and even werecats to make his novel chock full of fantasy staples as he could. All in all, it makes for a very bad, extremely annoying book that should have never been published

Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene

I totally adored Nancy Drew when I was 11/12 so I thought this would be a great revist to my preteen years, but it wasn't at all what I was expecting.

I reckon that the copy of this book which I own is from the 1960s due to the style of drawings, but it appears to be the original 1932 text. I now understand the statement on Wikipedia which said that the British publishers of Nancy Drew "revised" the books to suit the British audience. The British Nancy Drew books which I've read (one of which was published as early as the 70s) have a lot more detail in them, and appear to portray Nancy as a young woman in the 1950s, not the 1930s. There were a lot of comments in this book about Nancy being a brilliant and contentious driver, and several people lectured her on "not knowing her place" and being too independent for a woman of her age. Bess and George barely featured and Ned acted like he was formally courting Nancy! Nancy also wears evening gowns and sets out to buy a hat in the Emerson colours to wear to Ned's football game. As quaint as this book was, I definitely prefer the British Nancy Drew books. The mystery in the British novels is generally much more complex and detailed. Overall, this was a rather sweet book to read, but Nancy just didn't seem to be the Nancy Drew who I grew up with. 5/10

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

I read this on my 11 year old's recommendation. The plot was certainly interesting and engaging and it is easy to see why he is hooked. As for the actual writing, as an English teacher I have read many, many books that are better written than this one. He writes in half sentences much of the time and his constant use of colloquialism gets quite annoying from the first page. That said, I will probably read the next one just to keep up with my son.

Looking for Alaska by John Green. 3 stars.

I can't wholeheartedly recommend this book, but I wish I could. I loved the characters and the writing style. John Green beautifully captures the essence of "teen" with some smart, likeable, and realistic characters. They question the meaning of life and death (“How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?”), they explore the value of true friendship and life experiences (“I go to seek a Great Perhaps”), and in the end they actually learn something.

John Green has written a novel that The Catcher in the Rye only aspires to be. His characters actually learn and grow as a result of their experiences. Unfortunately, as with The Catcher in the Rye, this novel also has content that I wish it didn't. There is some profanity, but what bothers me more is the constant drinking and smoking and some sexual activity by the teenaged protagonists. I understand that this may be "reality" for many teens, but I still can't endorse it. Without that, I would have given this book a solid four stars.

new moon

book 2 was not as good as book 1. the beginning started out strong, but the middle got kinda weak after edward left. the book picked back up at the end. to me, the story was nothing without edward.

edward leaves bella. bella breaks down, but eventually, she finds herself again with the help of jacob black. jacob has loved bella since the beginning. now bella thinks she may be falling in love with him. but then, alice shows up. something is very wrong and bella has to fix it.

I just finished my January read, Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret. Written in 1970, but is still relevant for pre-teens these many years later.

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

This is the first book in the Jessica Darling series. Jessica is dealing with a nightmarish year in the life of a teenager. Her best friend, Hope, has moved away leaving her to endure high school along with the rest of her group of friends, most of whom she doesn't like very much. Her ex-boyfriend, Scotty, follows her around constantly, the outcast of her high school, Marcus "Krispy Kreme" Flutie, has made her the object of his mind games and her family is driving her crazy. This book is a light, funny and sometimes sarcastic read that is definitely worth a read.

Im reading The Catcher and the Rye for the first time, which I expected to be better, but its ok. Im also reading the third book in the Narnina Series, which I love.

I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobosky. 2 stars.

I liked this book at the beginning, but the book soon turned me off to it. I found nothing unusual about the gay relationship or the drug use or the sex. That's all pretty commonplace in a high school even if you didn't participate in it yourself. The story in the book felt so unreal as did the character. He felt at times way too young and way too old. He didn't feel like a fifteen your old boy. The title also led me to believe that he would a total outsider, with maybe one or two friends. His o...more I liked this book at the beginning, but the book soon turned me off to it. I found nothing unusual about the gay relationship or the drug use or the sex. That's all pretty commonplace in a high school even if you didn't participate in it yourself. The story in the book felt so unreal as did the character. He felt at times way too young and way too old. He didn't feel like a fifteen your old boy. The title also led me to believe that he would a total outsider, with maybe one or two friends. His observations were poignant and truthful, but he wasn't alienated enough for me. Sure his friends were outside the normal group, but Charlie still felt at home around them. It's probably a stupid reason to be disappointed with the book, but that is how I feel.

Little Women - 3 stars.

I had a hard time finishing - the middle felt like it dragged on forever. I'm glad I stuck with it tho.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. 4 stars.

Wow. POWERFUL. It was interesting reading this directly after The Catcher in the Rye. They have a lot of similar points, yet are vastly different. I was much more sympathetic to Melinda's character and didn't find it tedious to be in her mind listening to her thoughts as I did with Holden Caulfield. Also, Melinda actually had a reason for her actions, whereas Holden was reacting to consequences brought about by his own actions.

I also loved Melinda's sense of humor. I would never have expected to laugh while reading a book dealing with such a serious subject matter. I wish I had had her sense of humor while going through high school!

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - 5 stars
What an extraordinary young woman she was! Even though we all know the end of her story, I still found myself hoping for the outcome to be different!
I personally wouldn't have come close to articulating my thoughts and emotions at the age of 13-15 as well as Anne did. Let alone seeing fault in my behaviour and flaws in my character, as she matured to do so as the diary progressed. At the beginning there were traces of the classic teenager (centre of the universe) as well as second child syndrome (what about me? & Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!).
Amazingly she was extremely positive regardless of her environment 'What I'm experiencing here is a good beginning to an interesting life'. I certainly doubt I could have been so pep about life after a year in the worlds first big brother house when eviction didn't mean driving away in a brand new car with a mobile phone it meant your prospects were either instant death or witnessing and experiencing the worst human nature has to offer.
My Heart bleeds for her father, who must have been unbelievably proud and surely gained great comfort from her phyical memory of their time in the annex and yet unfathomably distressed by some of it's content. How lucky we are that he ultimately chose to share it with the rest of the world

I have just finished The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. I gave it 3 stars. I enjoyed the book and agree with Angela’s comments above about the series being a cute read.

I can see why it is popular for young adults. I liked how through the pants and their friendship the girls found courage to deal with the issues and emotions they were experiencing.

Oops, I posted my read for this group under the incorrect discussion board. My January 2009 read for this group will be, Are you There God? It's me, Margaret.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. 2 stars.

THIS is one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century? Why? I guess I missed something. Holden Caulfield is just an unpleasant character, and nothing much ever happens in the book. I found it a chore to get through until right towards the end. I liked Holden's little sister and how much he cared for her.

I did find one quote I liked: "What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though."

I'm surprised I could find a quote of that length without a profanity, though. The book is littered with them, and I just don't see the point. Definitely not a favorite.

Jamie wrote: "The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michae..."

Sounds interesting, Jamie. I really liked the Thursday Next series.

The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley - 4 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Although the mystery was quite predictable, it was still a page-turner. The story was a bit reminiscent of Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series (and I’m sure much closer to his Nursery Crimes series), but I liked this book better, as the fairy-tale world didn’t seem as contrived as Fforde’s world does to me. While reading, I often compared it to the movie Shrek, too, even though the main characters are humans (I haven’t read Shrek yet, though). For the most part, the book seems to have been written for a younger audience than I’m used to with YA books, but I’m still looking forward to subsequent books in this series. One disappointment: Sabrina’s poor attitude lasted for a good portion of the book and it got annoying after a while.

The Year of My Miraculous Reappearance by Catherine Ryan Hyde

I gave this 3 stars but would have given 2.5, if I could.

It's a story about a young teen girl growing up with an alcoholic mom and a down's syndrome brother. Heartbreaking at times. I didn't care for the author's writing style and feel that although it's a good story, I'm not so sure kids would stick with the book.

The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Another lovely story from Ibbotson. This one is more involved than the last one I read but it still features a lot of wonderful secondary characters from Ruth's family and friends to Quin's imposing aunt. Quin made for an interestingly moody hero and the heroine with her curious chattiness reminded me a bit of one of my all-time favorite characters, Anne Shirley... I actually started to picture Megan Follows in my head as I was reading.

I enjoyed the love affair here and only wish the misunderstandings hadn't gotten quite so convoluted towards the end although I thoroughly enjoyed Pilly's astute observation as to Ruth's behavior at the end though.

Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine - 4 Stars

This is another one of those series where the story draws me in and I read the book in one sitting because I just have to know what happens next. And the cliffhanger endings just kill me when I can't get the next book right away.

As much as I love the story, I have to only give it 4 stars because the writing is only so so.

Lots of surprises in this one that I really wasn't expecting. I won't say more so as not to spoil but I can't wait for the next one to find out what happens next.

New Moon, by Stephanie Meyer. Rating: 3 stars.
Nothing new to say that hasn't already been said about this somewhat addicitve series: disengage brain, enjoy!

I read The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart for the JAN challenge.

My daughter chose this book for me to read and I was happily surprised at the quality of writing. This isn't just a teen fluff read. The angst of teenage life was expressed with wit and humor, yet I felt every sling and arrow (and I am far removed from my own teen years.)
My What I Learned The Boyfriend List List:
-I need to read more books by E. Lockhart.
-This genre definately deserves some more of my time.
-I'll willingly keep every wrinkle and every stretch mark and every extra pound rather than return to high school.

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Oh what a lovely book this turned out to be! I adored the heroine Anna and all the lovely characters who she meets... the lovely Ollie and her family in particular. I really loved that the story doesn't go the route you expect with Anna suffering terrible indignities.

The meanies on the other hand, led by the insufferable snob Muriel (why do most of my literary namesakes tend to be of the dastardly variety?) were totally loathsome... we're talking of the Dursley variety here ;-)

Yeah, it kinda ran away on me.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. 5 stars!

This is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read - and I almost didn't read it at all. The first time I checked it out from the library, I felt like I had too many books to read and it was very long. It didn't immediately catch my attention, so I returned it. This time I didn't stop after the first few pages, which gave Zusak's amazing words and characters a chance to pull me in. They wouldn't let go until I had finished the book. I literally read it in one sitting. At the end, I felt like I had experienced a lifetime's worth of emotions.

Maybe it was good that I waited, though. I recently read a biography of Hitler that attempted to answer three questions: What sort of man could plan and carry out such horrendous schemes? How was he able to win support for his deadly ventures? And why did no one try to stop him until it was almost too late? The Book Thief also answers these questions, but in an entirely different way. Yet even more important themes in the book are the power of words, the love of family, and the bonds of friendship.

I can't believe I almost missed reading The Book Thief. Everyone should read this book.

Sarah that's a complete readathon in itself!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling

Four Stars

The final instalment in the Harry Potter phenomenon shows how the series has developed over the seven volumes. Harry and his friends face the final battle with Voldemort, deal with doubts about their friendship and learn that not everything they previously believed may be true.

I found the plot refreshingly realistic; there was no clear set of instructions left to Harry, so although he has a general idea as to what is expected of him he is forced to work out most of the details himself. The downside of this is that it takes him so long to work them out that you wonder if he ever will or whether he will spend the entire book wandering around Great Britain arguing with his friends. Obviously an ending that involves Harry Potter freezing to death in a snowstorm would not be satisfactory so there are a number of helpful clues discovered at convenient intervals which push them back in the right direction.

It is important to remember while reading, that Voldemort is truly evil and that he kills for fun. However, there were so many deaths, and so little time to comprehend them, that I quickly ceased to feel for the characters. Of all the sacrifices and heroics from all the characters which I feel I have got to know over the course of the series, it was really only that displayed by Dobby and the other House Elves which moved me to tears.

I hope that this does not give the impression that I did not like the book as I did enjoy it. Most of the more clumsy plot devices are only noticed when you look back at the novel with the intention of reviewing it and are not too noticeable while reading. I meant to have the series last me most of January but I started a little early (after Christmas) and ended up finishing all seven books before the end of the first week.

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
4 stars

I liked this one a little better They just finished their last year of high school and will be going to different colleges. Again the pants play a role in the story, but all of them are together for their final summer before college with the exception of Bee. Again a cute read. Nothing mind blowing, but fun!

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
3 stars
I read the first one about a month ago and I enjoyed it enough that I wanted to read the rest of the series. A story about four teenage girls who are all best friends and usually find themselves apart for the summer. They have a pair of 'magical' pants that they exchange all summer long which keeps them together during their time apart. Each character has their own story and struggles that they endure. Overall a cute read.

Mel wrote: "Julianne wrote: "Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, 5 stars..."

Sorta...but to anyone with this issue, too ;-)