false 17 30 18 true 5800243 read 1 true 5464853 currently-reading 11 true 5464852 to-read 12 false 5800493 ya-lit 6 false 5610775 historical 4 false 6862971 rip-challenge-2009 4 false 8410706 loved-the-setting 4 false 6861924 wish-i-lived-in-europe 4 false 5610776 rural-life 2 false 7530156 nostalgia 2 false 6861921 scary 1 false 5610774 nebraska-prairie 1 false 7035373 life-changing 1 false 8417550 orphans http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78362852 Gilda Joyce and the Ladies of the Lake (Gilda Joyce, #2) by Jennifer Allison
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78213499 Shadows on the Rock (Vintage Classics) by Willa Cather
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78075006 to: True Confessions of a Heartless Girl (Paperback) by Martha Brooks
bookshelves: loved-the-setting, rural-life, ya-lit
I enjoyed reading True Confessions of a Heartless Girl. Lynda's restaurant reminded me of the Whistlestop Cafe, and I loved the setting in rural Manitoba. I had to look on a map because I'm not that familiar with Canada geography. I don't remember that much talk about what provinces border what in Anne of Green Gables... Dorothy was my favorite character; she is just so maternal and loving. I also couldn't help but have a little crush on the 50-something farmer, Del. Am I turning into Kate?! ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77904882 to: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady (Enola Holmes Mysteries, #2) by Nancy Springer
bookshelves: historical, loved-the-setting, wish-i-lived-in-europe, ya-lit
It was great to spend an evening with Enola again. I can't get over how brave she is! She ventures out alone into the dark streets of the East End all the time. She is 14. When I was alone in Europe at 19, I never went out at night. Enola is very inspirational, and I love the interactions with her brother--especially when she outsmarts him. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77757395 The Bean Trees (Hardcover) by Barbara Kingsolver
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76649152 to: The Sea Is All Around (Hardcover) by Elizabeth Enright
bookshelves: loved-the-setting, nostalgia, orphans, rural-life, ya-lit
I read Thimble Summer last summer, and The Sea Is All Around was a great winter counterpart. Mab is a wonderful heroine, and I loved following her on her adventures. Growing up, I always wished I lived near some water: a river, lake, ocean, something. It seems like water is often the catalyst to some amazing fun, and the setting of Pokenick Island was fantastic. Mab's friends, the Crokers: Candace, Channing, Casper, and Charles were particularly enjoyable. The descriptions of the Croker house reminded me a little of how the Thomsen house must have been like when Kate (the oldest) was 10. Aunt Belinda and Mr. Bates were also great characters. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76649309 The Secret Scripture (Hardcover) by Sebastian Barry
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77356113 Good for the Jews (Michigan Literary Fiction Awards) by Debra Spark
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76013391 to: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (Hardcover) by E. Lockhart
bookshelves: ya-lit
I enjoyed Frankie but kept getting annoyed with her relationship with Matthew. I can't stand smart, capable female protagonists paired up with spineless weaklings. Matthew's only redeeming quality was his proficiency of the English language. That was hot. I also loved his Superman t-shirt. When I was 15, I would have loved to have a worn-out ringspun cotton shirt that wreaked of boy. This was a fun read, and it makes me happy I didn't go to a boarding school like Alabaster. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76163693 to: Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator (Gilda Joyce, #1) by Jennifer Allison
bookshelves: rip-challenge-2009, scary, ya-lit
This book made me laugh out loud so many times! Gilda is so funny! Foggy San Francisco is a great setting for a ghost story. I especially enjoyed Gilda's realization at the end of the book regarding her brother Stephen: "Whatever happens, Stephen and I will have to deal with it together," I love finding textual support for my theory: "Thomsen shouldn't be an only child, Errol." ]]>