August Reads

Lots of good books this month... not the least of which was...

Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - Do I even have to recommend this one? If you're not on the Twilight series train yet, get on! This final book in the series delivered all I hoped it would and wrapped up the ending perfectly. Good job Steph!

Homeless Bird - Gloria Whelan - I decided to try a few more of her books. This one was set in India and followed a girl who has an arranged marriage at 13 years old. It was a fascinating story and a great ending.

Listening For Lions - Gloria Whelan - This book is similar to The Secret Garden, but with a twist. It has a bit of Out of Africa in it as well. I still have a soft spot for stories in Africa and this one found that spot again.

The Time Thief (book 2) - Linda Buckley-Archer - The first book was originally called Gideon, Cutpurse and Gentleman but aparently it's been renamed to The Time Theif (book 1). This follows the story of two British tweens, their families, and various people they meet in both the 1770s and modern day. I liked the first book better, but still the history is fun.

Saving Juliet - Suzanne Selfors - All Shakespeare fans... this is a good one. A young actress playing the part of Juliet ends up magically in the famous story. Only this time, the heroine will do whatever it takes to keep Juliet from meeting her usual end.

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs - Betty Birney - This is a classic "there's no place like home" story, where a young boy sets out to find wonders in his own backyard. The characters are a lot of fun and it's a good think.

Beastly - Alex Flinn - The story of Beauty and the Beast from the Beast's point of view. Set in modern day New York City too! It's a fun read. A little on the sappy side, but then again, it is a fairy tale.

The Castle Corona - Sharon Creech - I've read several of Sharon's books (Walk Two Moons, The Wanderer, Ruby Holler, etc.) and usually really like her stories. This one, however, disappointed greatly. It was an attempt at a fairy tale but the plot was boring and the resolution was anything but. Read her other books instead.

The Host - Stephenie Meyer - I've been holding off on reading this one because I just wasn't sure I'd like it. Hello! I love it! The whole alien/host love triangle thing sounded random but it is sooo well written and the story is marvelously told. Again, go Steph!

And so ends summer reading... And my bedside table is unusually empty! I need more recommendations! Anyone?