Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (#5) by Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley is beginning another year of middle school and quite a few things are changing. He and Rowley are no longer friends. It is the year for "the talk" in health class, and the co-ed lock-in at school. Mom is heading back to college for the semester, which means things are changing at home ("Increased Responsibilities"). Will Greg survive or have to face "the ugly truth"?

Why I picked up this book: I loved the other Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and wanted to see where Greg would go next.

Why I finished it: It is a fast read & funny.

I'd give it to: boys, reluctant readers, middle schoolers, parents.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Double Shot (Maya Davis, #3) by Erynn Mangum

Maya Davis is a 20-something, college grad working as a barista at Cool Beans and her life is changing fast. Her roommate and bff is getting married and moving out. Maya's boyfriend, Jack, has just asked her to marry him. And she's about to become an aunt. But is Maya ready for all these changes? Can she really trust God when life doesn't turn out quite the way she imagined it would be?

Why I picked up the book: I read the first two and I was dying to know what happened with Maya, Jack, & their wedding.

Why I finished it: Maya is a quirky, fun character. I think teens and adults can relate to her.

I'd give it to: fans of Christian fiction (SHELBY!!), coffee, and anyone looking for a fun, fast series. (You may need a few Kleenex's handy for this one!)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Sophomore Switch

Name: Shelby

Grade:12+

Book Title: Sophomore Switch

Author: Abby McDonald

Review:

A semester abroad isn't always what it's expected to be. Take Emily a brain smart Brit girl from Oxford, working her whole life studying in order to become someone her father can be proud of who was suppose to be at Harvard, not UCSB, and the exact opposite Natasha a California born babe who's used to the guys, and umlimited sunshine. When each of the girls gets involved in switching it up for their Fall semester of their College Sophomore year- the trip itself is anything but expected. Both girls complete opposites are asking for advice from each other in order to fit in to make their semester abroad better than the first couple of days or even weeks of being outcasted and made fun of. Through emails, text messages, phone calls, and any form of communication each girl gives advice for the other in the areas of fashion, boys, and studies. While this newly found discovery is great and fortunate for both, each girl walks away with more than just a new friendship, and new styles, but a deeper sense of self, and purpose.

Why I picked up this book: I seem to always go for the attractive covers, and sophomore switch, just the title caught me questioning whether it were college or tenth grade in high school. I happened to be very fortunate to have it be about college :) which made me excited to read it on my thanksgiving vacation.

Why I finished it:

It was great, Abby does a great job developing both characters and having them live seperate lives, but communicate thoroughly. while this novel was cute, it was also a moral for development of who you are, and knowing what you are doing with your life. Abby also, did a great job of every other chapter writing from Emily's point of view, and then writing from Natasha's point of view keeping me focused and reading most of the time ;)

I'd give this book to:

Anyone who wants to read about the chaos of having a real life as a college student, and it's easily relatable to the lifestyle of what happens when your in a new place away from home, and the purpose of life. :)

Ratings ****

Five Flavors of Dumb - Antony John

Name: Krystiana Graham

Grade Level: Senior

Book Title: Five Flavors of Dumb

Author: Antony John

Review: Five Flavors of Dumb is not the usual sort of book, I myself; would read based on title. My mom saw it while processing it; showed me the cover, and I decided to look inside it. Five Flavors of Dumb is titled the way it is, because it is about a band called Dumb, with five different members with their own unique flair. What the book starts out with, is the main character, a girl outside the group of Dumb, is living in her own world, keeping separated from others in the school. But when she starts to insult Dumb, she tells them that they are doing everything wrong, and she could easily not only make them a big name, but getting them paying gigs. That is when the lead of the band decided to challenge her to that - with an ulterior motive no one else knew about. Of course, the challenge was- she had to get them a paying gig by the end of the month. As if it wasn't hard enough already, you also had to count in the fact that Piper, the main character... is, well, deaf.

The book starts off with Piper not getting along with anyone in the group, at this point in time there are only three members. You have Josh, who is in charge of the band, you have Tasha, who plays guitar, and Josh's twin brother plays bass. The fourth member comes when Piper asks her friend, Ed, to come watch the band play - because she can't hear, and she needs someone who can to come in and help. Ed startles them all when he starts beating out a beat for the band to follow - when he discovers how off sync they are, and as they all break lose to really play, he dazzles them on his make believe drum set. At that point in time, despite Josh's displeasure at letting a 'freak' like Ed into the band, Ed becomes the new drummer, and helps the band get ready to really show what they have.

The next member is Kallie, the prom queen, who Josh has a crush on. Josh only offered Piper the job of manager, in hopes of getting Kallie into the band, so that he could get her to date him. Of course, Kallie gets into the band, but she refuses Josh's advances, and... to every one's disgust, Kallie can't play her guitar very well. So, Piper does the only thing she can think off, she brings her brother in, Finn, who has been playing guitar since he was little, and has him help get both Kallie and Tasha to play better... The story continues, showing Kallie becoming part of the band, Tasha welcoming and forming a bond with both Kallie and Piper, as well as other twists. All and all, it is an excellently written book, featuring a deaf main character - which made everything flow extremely well.


Why I picked this book: I picked this book, because I like the books where the main character is expected to fail, or has complications that might limit her winning the challenge put before her. I find them more interesting, and I've never read a book with a deaf person as the main character, so I really wanted to try it out.

Why I finished it: I finished the book in one day, in a few hours in fact. Why, you may ask? Well, partially because I had no desire to be part of my family's thanksgiving with so many people there. And also, because, I couldn't put it down. it was one of the few books, that while reading, I couldn't figure out what was going on, so I had to keep going. And going, and going.

I'd give this book to: Anyone who wants to see the heroine beat the odds, as well as anyone just looking for a good book.

My rating for this book: ****

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

Name: Caitlin

Grade: 12

Book: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

A glass castle; a majestic, towering structure made entirely of glass. For Jeanette Walls, this was one of the amazing dreams her father provided for her growing up. Together, she and her father would build the glass castle.

While her father did inspire her with brilliant stories and knowledge, the life that he provided for her and her siblings was less than average. The whole Walls family was always on the run; from the police, from people that want their money. For Jeanette, this life was wonderful-at first. As the book opens, Jeanette is only five and loves her father and his ideas very much. As the book progresses, however, as she tries to remain loyal to her father, everyone around her begins to lose hope.

Jeanette's father is wonderful-- when he's sober. On the nights that he drinks, though, he is violent and oppressive. When he spends the money he gets from odd jobs on alcohol, the children go without food. Unfortunately, their poverty and unsettled lifestyle grows. As his alcoholism grows, the family grows further and further apart, and the dreams of the glass castle start to fade for dreams of moving to New York.

Throughout the book, it's impossible not to feel outraged or sympathetic for Jeanette and the Walls family. There were times when all I wanted was for Jeanette to punch her father in the face, or otherwise cause physical harm. The characters and story of their lives make for a fascinating, emotional, and wonderful book. This story gave me a whole new perspective about life and what it could be like. I ended up rooting for the Walls family the entire time.

Why I picked up the book: I had a recommendation from a teacher, and I also really loved the cover.

Why I finished it: I couldn't even think of abandoning the Walls family.


I'd give this book to: Anyone that wants to feel better about their lives, root for the main characters, or anyone just looking for an amazing read.

My Rating for this book: *****

Lullaby by Chuck Palahinuk

Name: Caitlin

Grade: 12

Book: Lullaby

Author: Chuck Palahinuk

Have you ever heard a culling song?

Chances are, you haven't. If you had ever heard one, reading this would be difficult...because you would be dead. A culling song is spell used in ancient Africa to relieve dying people from their pain, or, in modern application, untraceably kill those around you. It is also the basis of Lullaby by Chuck Palahinuk.

In Lullaby, we are introduced to Carl Streator, a run-of-the-mill, middle-aged journalist living alone. Streator is on a mission- to figure our why Sudden Infant Death Syndrome occurs so randomly in so many homes. On this routine investigation, Streator uncovers an ancient African poem called "The Culling Song."

Though this poem is only a few lines of text on a page, it's also the world's deadliest weapon. Stretor soon finds himself using the Culling song to his advantage. Fed up with all the noiseophobes and quietoholics, he kills several people in his apartment building, people that run into him on the street and people that generally annoy him- like his boss. He soon realizes what he has become and teams up with Helen Hoover Boyle, a real estate agent, her razed assistant, and her crazed assistant's eco-terrorist boyfriend on a quest to destroy all copies of the culling song.

On this adventure, they seek the original book the Culling song comes from; but at the same time, both Helen and Streator have a constant struggle not to kill their passengers-- or each other.

Palahinuk uses repeated sentences, awful characters, and bleak situations to demonstrate his lack of hope for humanity. It's twisted, dark, disturbing, and at times left me feeling claustrophobic. However, the idea of simple words being so devastating, a single poem wreaking so much destruction, became almost and obsession for me as I read on in the novel. This books was an amazing piece of fiction that spans so many different topics and ideas. IT left me sitting up long into the night pondering exactly what was happening to not only the people in the book, but also everyone in the real world as well.

Why I picked up this book: I loved Fight Club, and wanted to try another one of his novels.

Why I finished it: I literally could not put it down.

I'd give this book to: Anyone up for a dark, disturbing, amazing read.

I wouldn't give this book to: Noiseaholics, Quietophobes, or anyone opposed to the darker, bleaker, more twisted view of the real world.

My Rating for this book: *****

Dead Witch Walking

Name: Krystiana Graham

Grade: Senior

Book Title: Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows; #1)

Author: Kim Harrison

Summary: As the title suggests, the story Dead Witch Walking is about a young woman named Rachel Morgan, who after being stuck at a job she despised, decided to quit. Ah, you're probably wondering what this has in common with the title right?W ell, what if I told you that she was a Witch? And not just any witch, but a witch runner. You see, in the book, a runner is someone who is sent after a member of the 'Hollows' who has abusing their powers. Vampires forcing themselves upon victims, for blood. Weres causing chaos. Black Witches.... You're probably staring now right, Vampires, Weres, Witchs; the likes (and then some) all exist in the Hollows. You see, when a outbreak of some sort of poison fell upon the human world it was only humans (and elves who had bred into the human world) who were affected, and began to die off. And between you and me, the poison was carried in tomatoes. But, as it, when the humans began dying out, all the others realized here was their chance to take back the world. After a full on war, in some descriptions, and a retreat in others, the humans welcomed the 'others' as long as they stayed in the Hollows, and didn't bother them. So, to keep this peace, Runners, who were part of a group called the I.S. But, they don't allow you to quit. It's basically a 'you join up' you're in till you die... which, happens a lot.

So, Rachel Morgan decided to quit. Of course, this would have been okay if it was only her leaving - seeing how they wanted her to leave. But in the act of leaving, she took their best runner with her. Causing such an intense stir of emotions, that because they couldn't put money on the other girls' head (because she paid her contract off) they put out a hit on her. The entire story consists of Rachel running into some sort of trouble, here or there. Being thrown into a rat fight, as a small mink. Being caught in a bad guys house.... Things like this... Oh, that bad guy? Hmm, well, you see. When she realized the one way to get them off her back was to bring Trent in. Trent was a man who no one could pin any crimes on, though they all knew he was guilty. So she has to go through catching him, arresting him, avoiding certain death - all while dealing with an annoyed vampire she manages to keep turning on by accident, a man who she has no idea what to do, a demon she owes a favor too, and a pixy who thinks he's always right. All in all, the book is full of twist, turns, ups, downs, and the always favored cliff hanger.... But it's up to you if you want to keep reading.

Why I picked the book up: A few years back I had the misfortune of falling in love with this series, but because I could never get ahold of the first book, I resorted to reading the next one. Curiosity finally forced me to come back, read the series over again, this time starting with the first book in the series - I wasn't prepared for what I had missed.

Why I finished it: Honestly, it was impossible to put down. i was reading it in English, before Class, during Lunch, during Astronomy. My friends repeatedly kept asking what I was reading - I kept telling them... It was just impossible to not read.

I'd give this book to: Well, if you live in Cincinnati, this will probably be a survival guide, so I would defiantly recommend you to read it. Who knows! You might decide that you need to take on saving the world form these people too! Otherwise, I'd recommend this to anyone who likes your fantasy styled action packed, oh so amazing twisted stories. Well, not really twisted, but close enough.

My Rating: ***** , I hate giving anything a five, but after reading what I'd skipped out on the first time around - well, there is no other choice really. it's a five, or nothing xD And I wouldn't give this masterpiece a 0 to save my life!

The Shining

Name: Serina

Grade: 12+

Title: The Shining

Author: Stephen king

Jack Torrance is out of options. His career as an English teacher is down the toilet, his wife is threatening to leave him, and his writing career is also spiraling away; and he owes all his problems to his alcoholic lifestyle. But after becoming painfully sober to try and save himself and his family, Jack has one last chance to make things right. He is given the job to take care of a motel deep in the mountains that closes down in the winter due to the frequent snow storms. With family in tow, Jack heads to the Overlook Hotel with no idea what it will do to them. Once there and completely snowed in, the Torrance's make themselves at home. Jack spends his time working on a screenplay, watching to boiler, and heating the rooms. His wife, Wendy, prepares the meals. His son, Danny, wanders the hotel. Unknown to his parents, Danny has a very strong psychic gift that he calls a 'shine' and he sees a lot more in the hotel than just empty rooms. Evil lurks there, an evil that chases him through his dreams with a roque mallet, an evil that shares an uncanny resemblance to his father. Jack sees things as well and the hotel slowly begins to take over his mind, turning a once loving father into a monster that only seeks to destroy his family. There will be no help coming for Wendy and Danny; the phone lines are out after a rather hideous storm, and there is no way down off the mountain. Also, the Overlook is determined to keep them there in its clutches, because it wants Danny's shine, and it refuses to let them escape from the horrors inside its doors.

This book was slow at moments, but also extremely enthralling. Each chapter seemed to bring the Torrance family closer and closer to their doom, and while Stephen king threw in his general supernatural scenes, the horror was painfully real. As usual, Stephen king has churned out a horrific masterpiece that quickly became a cult classic as well as was adapted into a movie. But trust me, the book is more worth your time.

I picked this book up because I am trying to read everything by Stephen king.

I finished this book because all the seriously exciting and horrifying stuff happened in the last few chapters.

I'd give this book to any Stephen King fan and anyone who is willing to be patient for well written horror.

***** It was amazing!

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak (verb): to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice: talk. To express thoughts, opinions, or feelings orally.

We learn to speak as infants, to communicate our needs and feelings to our caretakers. It starts with simple words, then short phrases, and then we learn to speak in sentences, paragraphs, and monologues.

But what if there were no words to describe your feelings? No one willing or able to listen? What if you weren’t even ready to speak to yourself and admit your deepest secret, deepest hurt, deepest fear?

Melinda starts her freshman year of high school with no words, no friends, an outcast even in her own skin. But would she even be able or willing to explain what happened the night of the party? The truth behind why she really called the police? Will Melinda find her voice and be able to Speak?

Why I picked this book up: I read it in 2005 for a Young Adult Lit class. Our teen book club requested we read it so I picked it up again.

Why I finished it: Melinda has so much to say without ever speaking. I keep hoping someone will hear her.

I'd give it to: teens, parents, and adults who work with teens. Anyone who needs reminded that teens face a harsh world and need adults who are willing to listen and let them speak.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Briana

Grade: 12

Title: I Am The Messenger

Author: Markus Zusak

Summary: This book is about a 19 year-old illegal cab driver without much of a future. He stinks at playing cards and is in love with his best friend Audrey, who does not love him back. His life is a peaceful routine until he accidently stops a bank robbery. Since then, Ed has been receiving mysterious cards with names on them. For each name, Ed must do something different, until he begins to ask questions of who is behind these mysterious messages. This book is filled with intense action and heartache. As Ed continues his joury, the reader mental roots for him to succeed.

Why I picked up this book: I was looking for an interesting book with some action involved, and when this book was listed for the Library's Teen book club, I jumped on the chance to read it. This book has suited my interests, involving action, a bit of romance, deceit, and it was just fun to read.

Why I finished the Book: I think it is obvious that I enjoyed this novel, so there was never a question about not finishing it!

I'd give this book to: Anyone really. It is relatable to everyone I think because it is about a guy, but he deals with family and friend issues like us all. I believe that any teen would enjoy this novel!

Punk Rock Etiquette By Travis Nicholes

Let me guess, your young dude/dudette who hates the idea of rapping. You don't want to spend 3 minutes of your life tuning into 104.7 just so you you can listen to, (ca-li- fornia girls are unforgetable), do you? No you want to listen to some dude screaming and actually sing with a hard core band behind him/her. The idea that talking in rhymes with some guy pressing a few buttons to make beats makes you sick. So here is my question for you. Want to fight back. Ya I bet that you play an instrument. What is it, drums, guitar, base, or maybe your a singer. Maybe you and your friends have some killer ideas for a song but don't know how to start. Well this book is the answer. It is the manual for starting a band. It tells you everything from what kind of rocker you are to how to make it big. You will be surprised at how accurate it is too. If you have a question it has an answer. It even has some funny comics in there. I give this book a solid 10 just because is was so darn awesome. I picked it up because just like you I like to rock and this book just screamed rock, and I finished it because it was so witty and funny that even if you don't want to be in a band it's still a good read. So stop reading this, pick up a copy at you local library, (I say that cause my boss is reading this), and start living like a rock star.