Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Title: Flipped
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Genre:YA Fiction
Rating: Thumbs up

What I liked: This book is written from the perspectives of two main characters, it's really interesting to know the motives on why they both say or do things, and it's also interesting to get different versions of how conversations went. The writing is extremely clever. I liked the message of the book, it's about not judging others by appearances, and really getting to know people.

Synopsis: Juli Baker has been waiting for Bryce Loski to move in all summer, and can hardly contain herself from piling into their moving truck to help get them settled. All Bryce can see is a dirty little girl who is content on ruining his life--especially when she grabs his hand in front of his mom.

Bryce decides the best move is to avoid his annoying neighbor, but it's hardly possible when Juli hounds him for years. Juli's smitten by him, and can't keep herself from smelling his hair when she gets a seat behind him in English.

Bryce is finally successful in getting her off his back when he realizes maybe Juli wanting to be his friend wasn't the worst thing in the world. Bryce misses Juli, but it's too late, Juli can't stand him. Bryce has to find a way to convince her he's a changed man before Juli writes him off for good.

This was such a good read!

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

Title: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: PG, Thumbs up--it's a classic (already)

What I liked: I felt like I was in middle school again, this book is really interesting, funny, serious, thoughtful... I like how the book kind of just rides along with Holling HoodHood during the school year. It's so funny the kinds of things he gets himself mixed up in. The author did such a good job of mingling in Shakespeare throughout the book, it was really well done. Loved it.

Synopsis: Mrs. Baker hates Holling Hoodhood. There is no other reason she would look at him like that, the only kid left in the classroom after his Catholic and Jewish friends go to church on Wednesday afternoon. Why did he have to be Presbyterian? After Mrs. Baker assigns Holling various chores that go awry, she decides their Wednesday afternoon's should be used to study Shakespeare. The thought of which convinces Holling she must be out to get him. The novel is set in the 1960's, the characters dealing with the Vietnam war as a back drop to daily life.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid-The last straw, by Jeff Kinney

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The last straw
Author: Jeff Kinney
Genre:Junior Fiction
Rating:PG, Thumbs way up

What I like: It's hilarious. I was a doubter, and thought, what's the big deal? Even after I read the first ten pages I was like, so what? And then it got funnier and funnier, and I could appreciate the genius it took to write the book--it's all in the magic of layering, he would mentioned something in the diary, and then 10-15 pages later, it would come back up in a hilarious way. The set up was amazing, it's really hard to write humor, I was super impressed and loved the comics that went with it. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the others.

Synopsis: Greg is a seventh grade wimpy kid, who has to put up with alot: his older brother Rodrick harassing him, his baby brother--and his blanket named Tingy, his mom embarrassing him, and now his dad wants to send him to military school! Read along as Greg employs various tactics to avoid the inevitable--Spag Union military academy, before the school year is up and he has to say so long to summer. (This is the third book in the series)

Jerusalem Vigil by Bodie and Brock Thoene

Title: Jerusalem Vigil
Authors: Bodie and Brock Thoene
Genre: Historical/Christian Fiction
Rating: I would rate this book a seven out of ten, Adult

What I like:I found that it increased my knowledge and understanding of the on-going struggle in the Middle East.

Synopsis: It is an enjoyable historical novel of the 1948 birth of the nation of Israel. It is very descriptive concerning the geographic locations, as well as vivid portrayal of the horrific fight between the two warring factions of the jihad fighters of Islam and the Zionist fighters.
It is told as a narrative story that includes the heartaches and struggles of both sides; it is clear that the author viewpoint is from a Christian perspective that favors the Jews.

Pig-Tail-Peg

Gallagher Girls Books, by Ally Carter

Title: Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: YA
What I like: I am reviewing the second book, it's kind of random, but I read the first one, I liked it alright, but I didn't love it...it was clean and cute but it didn't hook me like other books I was reading at the moment. After I ran out of ideas for the library again and I decided what the heck, I'll reserve the next one. And I loved it. This book was so cute! I would suggest reading the first book, because then you have all the back ground, it's not a bad book--but I liked the second one better, I think it has to do with the pacing of the book--and the "what's going to happen next" factor.

Synopsis: Cammie "Chameleon" Morgan is having a hard time "being herself" after a rough post break-up Christmas break, that ends with a Government debriefing. Back at Gallagher Academy she can't seem to erase Josh from her mind, even though she knows that exactly what they did to him. What exactly did he remember after the "tea" her mother gave him? But Josh isn't the only thing on her mind, it's the closed off passage way, her mother (the headmistress)acting strange and wanting her to be a good daughter, while her friends think she needs to be a good spy--not to mention there are a whole new set of students coming in mid-semester. Cammie's got to figure out who she is when she is shoved into the spotlight, despite all her spy training to live her legend and be invisible.

Airhead, Meg Cabot

Title: Airhead
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: YA Sci Fi
Rating: PG-13, Thumbs up

What I like: I love the main character Emerson Watts, she is funny, smart, sarcastic, and totally not in the 'in-crowd', she loves hanging out with her best friend Chris and playing video games. I like the plot, because it's a spin off on something that's day been done many times before, but this is fresh and funny. All the romantic elements in this book are really fun, I found my self smiling and laughing while reading this book--and that's always a good sign.

Synopsis: (Spoiler-Alert--I'd rather just have you read it, but if you want to know... here it is) Em Watts is dead. At least her body is, after the tragic accident at the Stark Mega-store grand opening, where one of the plasma t.v.'s came crashing down on her. The thing is at the same time, Stark's face, a beautiful super model Nikki Howard suffered an aneurysm. Both girls are rushed to the hospital where a top-secret transplant takes place. Em Watt's brain wakes up in Nikki Howard's body. And if that's not hard enough, no one outside her immediate family knows she's not dead. Not even her best friend Christopher. Em Watt's has to find a way to be Nikki. Which reminds me the second book "Being Nikki" is really good too. I can't wait for the third book, "Runaway" it comes out May 2010.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Genre:YA Sci Fi
Rating:PG, Thumbs up

What I like: I like how the author doesn't just overwhelm you with information, he gives you pieces at a time, it can be a little frustrating, because you just want people to tell Thomas what's going on, but at the same time it keeps you hooked because you want to know all about the maze. I really liked the characters in this book too, and the names, they were unique and clever. It may be a little too sci fi for The Flying Dutch Pig, but I really liked it. Even if the crazy things running around in the Maze were a little hard to wrap my head around.

Synopsis:
Thomas wakes up without a single memory of who he is, where he came from, or anything before he was sitting in the metal lift with a group of boys surrounding the opening. He barely remembers his own name.
The boys fill him in on his new home,the Glade. They are in the middle a huge maze with enormous doors that shut them in the meadow every night, no one remembers anything from before the lift, and a new Glader arrives every thirty days.
Thomas reluctantly takes his place as newby as the others go about their normal routines. The very next day, Thomas is ousted from his newby status by an unexpected newcomer--a girl, the only girl that has ever come to the Glade.
And she comes with a message. The message, and her strange connection to Thomas has everyone on edge. Thomas must try to unlock the secrets hidden within his mind, in order figure out what is really going on--in order to unlock the secrets of the maze.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

Title: The Lightening Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy
Rating: PG, Thumbs up

What I like: This book was cute, I didn't really know what to expect. I'm not really into Mythology, but it was a fun read. And I think I'll read the next books. I really like having a romantic subplot in books, there isn't really one in this book, but there's potential for the next books, so I'm curious to see what happens with that. It does read like a middle school boys book,(who probably don't care about romantic subplots) but it's fun.

Synopsis: Percy Jackson is not like other kids, he's bounced around from school to school, he's dyslexic, has ADD, and is known as a trouble maker. Bad things just seem to follow him. It's when Percy's math teacher turns into a monster and tries to kill him he knows it can't just be bad luck. With the help of his mother and his best friend Grover, Percy finds out he's a hero, a half blood--son of a god and son of a mortal--and better get into Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for kids like Percy, before any other monsters can track him down. Percy is summoned on a quest, and must prove himself to the gods by turning his weaknesses into strengths and fulfilling their requests.

Leepike Ridge by N. D. Wilson

Title: Leepike Ridge
Author: N.D. Wilson
Genre: Juvenile fiction, Adventure
Rating: PG, Thumbs Up

What I like: This book was fun to read, I felt like the plot winded like the river Tom rides on in the book, you're not sure where it will end up. It's an interesting book about survival and taking chances. Other people have compared this book to Hatch, by Gary Paulson and Holes, by Louis Sachar. I really like that the author said he ripped off Tom Sawyer, the Odyssey and Robinson Crusoe--sounds crazy but it totally worked.

Synopsis: Tom Hammond falls asleep on a piece of Styrofoam out of a Refrigerator box that's floating in a pond near his house. Tom wakes after the foam has floated out of the pond and down the river. It's a matter of seconds, after he wakes that the river plunges underneath the Mountain and down into a series of caves. With no hope of rescue Tom must find a way to escape.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Title: One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien Anos de Soledad)
Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Genre: Ethnic Mind-bender
Rating: Thumbs almost down, pg-13.
What I like: More like what I didn't like. Trust me the book is very long and it feels like it takes a hundred years to read it. Honestly though, there is a constant sadness to this book with the main characters being a family unit. The mythical place of Macondo is intriguing and Marquez does a great job of describing detail but the labyrinth that is the story can be frustrating. In some editions there is a family tree to help the reader discern which person the author is talking about. Many of the male characters have the same name and it can be difficult to know what place in time or which person Marquez is speaking of...the ending is what makes it such a mind-bender.
Synopsis: The novel chronicles a family's struggle and the history of their fictional town, Macondo. Although the title implies that the story spans one hundred years, it is unclear exactly how much time the narrative covers. This ambiguity contributes to the novel's treatment of time, as there is a notion that time lapses, repeats, changes speeds, or stops altogether at different parts of the story, and that all the events in some sense happen simultaneously.

Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot

Title: Nicola and the Viscount
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: YA Romance
Rating: PG, Thumbs Up

What I like: I didn't know what to expect with this book. Some of Meg Cabot's books I love, others I've put down. But this was really different. It wasn't in her quirky tone that Princess Diaries and Airhead were written in, it's more Jane Austin-y, which really surprised me. It was a cute fun read, not a classic per se, but really cute.

Synopsis:
Nicola Sparks is an extremely lucky orphan, stepping into society with the help of her friends and their families. Nicola is infatuated with a Viscount, Lord Sebastian, who amazingly shows interest in her as well. Will Nicola find the love she has been looking for or are Lord Sebastian's intentions driven by something else?

P.S. I think the pink and blue cover makes this book way more appealing, I had a hard time picking it up with the girl in the red dress on it... I have such a hard time not judging books by their cover! Poor authors who get crappy book covers!

Pictures 1918

Title: Pictures 1918
Author: Jeanette Ingold
Genre: Historical/Realistic Fiction
Rating: Thumbs up, G

What I like: I enjoyed this book, I felt like I was watching a black and white movie, it was a slower paced book, but not in a bad way, just a way that was like real life, the way things happen, it had a really good sense for the time period.

Synopsis: Asia is heart broken when her baby rabbit is trapped inside the burning shed on the back side of the chicken coop. If only she had a picture to remember straw-bit the way he was and not the image in her mind of him jumping amidst the flames. When she sees an automatic camera in the window of a store in town she is determined to get it. Things are rapidly changing in her life, if only she could catch them and keep them how they are. Like her relationship with Nick, the beautiful trees, her Grandma, her summer trip to the river, she needs the pictures to remember, before everything is gone.

The Trouble With Tea by Jeanette E. Alsheimer and Patricia J. Friedle

Title:The Trouble with Tea
Author: Jeanette E. ALsheimer and Patricia J. Friedle
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: Thumbs up PG

What I Like: This book keeps your interest from the first page! It's also fun because it has romantic elements in it all the while keeping it clean. Some people think that because it's a historical fiction you would get bored, but this is the best book I have read in a long time!

Synopsis: The main character goes from a young naive girl from Plymouth to a grown women in Boston. During her stay in Boston, she experiences first hand the political tensions of the loyalists and rebellious colonists. She also witnesses the Boston Tea Party and gets tangled in a love triangle and decides where her loyalties stand.

Hunger Games, Catching Fire by Susan Collins

Title: Hunger Games
Author: Susan Collins
Genre: YA Sci Fi
Rating: Thumbs up, PG-13

What I like: I love this book. It is amazing. It is honestly a book I couldn't put down. The characters are very real, very unique. There is a lot of substance to this book. A fun book for book club, because everyone has an opinion.

Synopsis: Living in a post apoctalyptic world, Katniss Everdeen finds her self among the contestants of the governments Hunger Games, an annual event that takes two children from each district, puts them in an arena and has them fight to the death. The winner is the only survivor. The annual games is a reminder to the districts, that the government is in complete power. It's interesting to see the effect the games has on Katniss and the friends she makes in the arena, knowing that there can be only one winner.

GO GET THIS BOOK NOW! I don't even have to review the second book, because once you finish the first you won't be able to stand not reading the second. I'm counting down the days until the third comes out! 8/24/10 Woo Hoo!

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Title: Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
Rating: G, Thumbs up

What I like: Stargirl is a book about growing up, about non-conformity, about the affects of trying to fit in. It's a super quick read. I love Jerry Spinelli's writing style and characters.

Synopsis:
Leo Borlock hears the rumors flying through the hall: "She was homeschooling gone amok", "sniffing fumes", "an alien". She was Stargirl, a girl who manages to capture Leo's heart, despite toting her rat and ukulele to school. It's when Leo tries to help her fit in, that Stargirl has to decide who she really is.

GO READ IT!