Friday Fifteen
We made it to Friday! Time for a Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less.
1. How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
A favorite collection of short stories. Sharp and evocative, potential for YA crossover.
2. Fodor's In Focus Barbados & St. Lucia, 2nd Edition by Fodor's
Picked this up before going to St. Lucia. Moderately helpful.
3. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Nice balance of sweet and serious, with charmingly beach-y setting.
4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
A dynamic novel and a cool look at the history of comics, but the Pulitzer?
5. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
A must for writers of any level, with lots of humor and tenderness.
6. Miss Manners' Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding by Judith Martin
Didn't agree with everything, but made me feel more sane about my own wedding.
7. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Still want to read this every time I have a day that cannot go right.
8. Walking to Martha's Vineyard by Franz Wright
A gorgeous collection of poetry. "The Only Animal" is a favorite.
9. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (The Penderwicks #1) by Jeanne Birdsall
Sweet and cozy family story set in Massachusetts. I would have been obsessed with this at nine.
10. Antigone (The Theban Plays #3) by Sophocles
My English teacher had to explain Oedipus to us. First use of fuck in class.
11. Hip Hop Til You Drop (Full House Stephanie) by Devra Newberger Speregen
When you can't take dance, you read about it in a bad television spin-off book.
12. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Lively fairy tale-esque adventure with a fallen star. Not as deep as other Gaiman books.
13. The Gardner Museum Cafe Cookbook by Lois McKitchen Conroy
Haven't tried anything yet, but it's a fun look at culinary history.
14. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
One of my very favorites. Thoughtful and touching, with New York fifties chill.
15. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
Beautifully written saga of love, plus old people hooking up.
