Who wants to do some summer reading?

So...we've been out of school for a month today and I've been reading like crazy, but clearly have not been telling you about what I've been reading.  Sorry about that!  So far I've read 28 books this summer!  My goal is to read 65 before I go back to school in August.  I think I'm well on my way.  My other reading goal was to read some "classics" that I've never read.  I started with Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen.  It was good, but I've got to tell you, I had to think really hard as I read that one - reading and interpreting English as it was spoken in the 1800's when the book was written required a lot of focus, so it took me longer to read it than I expected.  I really wasn't sure I liked it at first, but once I got used to the "fancy" language, I really liked it.  It was actually fairly sarcastic and funny.  I'm planning to finish up The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger tonight.  It is not quite what I expected, but it's pretty funny too.  The narrator, Holden Caulfield, definitely doesn't hold back about saying what he thinks.  I hope to read a few other classics before summer's end, as well.  But for now...let me fill you in on a few titles I've read that you might like.

I'll start with 2 different books by the same author.  The first is called Boy21, by Matthew Quick.  Boy21 is told to us by Finley, a boy who's life revolves around basketball.  He's about to start his senior year in high school when his coach asks him for a favor.  A good friend of his coach was murdered, along with the friend's wife, but their son has moved to the area with his grandparents and is going to go to Finley's school.  Finley's coach wants him to befriend the son, Russ, and help him to adjust to the new school.  The only problem is that since his parents' murder, Russ is calling himself Boy21 and says that is from outer space and he's waiting for his parents to come back from outer space to get him.  This story is incredibly quirky and funny, but also moving and emotional, like most of Matthew Quick's stories.  I checked this book out through MCPL's Overdrive, but they also have copies on their shelves if you're interested.

Another Matthew Quick book that I love is Sorta Like a Rock Star.  I read this book 3 years ago, but I loved it so much, I insisted that this be one of the audiobooks my husband and I listened to on our road trip to Phoenix a couple weeks ago.  My husband ( who is not really a reader, but does enjoy a good story) loved this book too.  Sorta Like a Rock Star is about Amber Appleton, a young girl who is living on the school bus her mother drives with her mother.  Her life is far from easy or perfect, but Amber considers herself the princess of hope - she always sees the glass as half full.  Until...tragedy strikes Amber's life and she doesn't think she can find any hope left in the world.  Can she find her way back to her hopeful state of mind?  You'll have to read the book to find out!  This book can also be checked out through MCPL's overdrive or off their shelves.

If you're looking more for a fantasy/dystopian type book, then you might like An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir.  This story is told from 2 different perspectives - Elias, who has been raised to be a soldier from the age of 6 and Laia, a girl who was poor and free, but became a slave to try to help her people.  Elias is a Martial.  His people rule his society.  He's been training as a solder at Black Cliff since he was a child and is planning to run away as soon as he graduates until unforeseen circumstances keep him from doing so.  Laia's brother is arrested and her grandparents are murdered, but she escapes.  She'll do anything to help her brother, including joining the resistance movement and becoming a slave at Black Cliff.  When Laia's and Elias' paths cross sparks fly & adventure ensues.  If you want a book with lots of action and suspense, you'll like this one.  I also checked this one out through MCPL's Overdrive, but you can find it on their shelves, as well.

I finally got around to reading The Heir, by Kiera Cass.  If you thought The Selection series was over with The One like I did, you were wrong.  The Heir jumps about 30-ish years into the future where we meet Eadlyn, Maxon & America's oldest daughter, who is first in line for the throne of Ilea.  Even though things have been better in Ilea since Maxon became king, there has lately been some unrest and dissatisfaction, so to fix that, King Maxon and Queen America decide that Eadlyn needs to have a selection of her own to distract the country from its troubles.  Eadlyn, however, is not really too excited about the prospect of a selection and is determined that she's going to make her suitors squirm.  She definitely does just that...and more.  There will be at least one more book in this series to continue Eadlyn's story and her selection.  I'm interested to see how it turns out.  Again - this book is available through MCPL's Overdrive & on their shelves.  I don't have any doubts that it will eventually find it's way to our Congress Media Center's shelves this fall as well!

Since I'm on a girly-book roll, let me tell you about Kasie West's newest book, The Fill-in Boyfriend.  Swoon...I love Kasie West.  Gia's boyfriend Bradley dumps her on the way into her prom.  None of her friends had ever met Bradley, who is in college, and one friend (or not-so-much-friend) in particular has been dropping hints that she doesn't believe he's even real.  Gia has no idea what she's going to do when she spots a boy just sitting in a car reading a book.  She decides that she has nothing to lose and asks him if he'll pretend to be Bradley for the evening.  This boy decided to go along with her and really impresses her friends as Bradley.  He impresses Gia too...she really wishes she knew his real name and how to get back in touch with him.  When circumstances lead to her returning the favor for him, Gia starts to really fall for fake Bradley (whose name shall remain secret until you read the book yourself).  This was a fun, feel-good read.  I loved it.  I checked it out from MCPL, but it's now also available on Overdrive.

Finally, I'll leave you with another fun book called Geek Girl, by Holly Smale. Harriet Manners, our main character, knows many things.  One thing she knows is that she is a geek.  She can't help it, it is just who she is.  When her best friend asks her to go to a fashion show, Harriet doesn't want to go, but does anyway.  Once there, she realizes that her friend is hoping to get discovered as a model...but much to Harriet's surprise, SHE is the one who is discovered and a secret modeling career is launched.  If you like a book with a funny main character who experiences lots of misadventure, you'll probably like Geek Girl.  You can get this book through MCPL's Overdrive or find it on their shelves.

That's it for now.  I will do my best to update a little more often than I have been doing.  I hope you're all having a fabulous summer!