5 Must Read Memoirs

I wasn't able to post on my non-fiction saturday yesterday. I will more than make up for it today; five great memoirs in one post. Mind blowing, right? So I'll put it in the order I read them. Here we go.

 

1. Trespassers Will Be Baptized: The Unordained Memoir of A Preacher's Daughter by Elizabeth Hancock.

Growing up Southern and Baptist in Eastern Kentucky, Elizabeth Hancock's world revolved around Sunday School, foreign missions projects, revival meetings and of course, the Kentucky Wildcats, who "glorified God through their goal-shattering, soul-shattering play." Hancock chronicles her childhood misadventures with sardonic wit, detailing her and her sister Meg's mischievous - if harmless - abuses of power (stealing Guess jeans from the Africa donation box, or hawking backyard swimming pool baptisms during her neighborhood's annual yard sale) and lovingly recalling the wisdom imparted by her long-suffering parents as they ministered to their unruly flock.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5 stars. -- Click here! to buy this book.

2. Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs.

True story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor’s bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock- therapy machine could provide entertainment.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. Very funny. -- Click here! to buy this book.



3. Five Men Who Broke My Heart by Susan Shapiro.

A successful freelance writer living in Manhattan, Susan Shapiro was in the midst of a midlife crisis she called her "no book summer." Married for five years, she was beginning to wonder if she'd remain bookless forever. Then the phone rang, and it was Brad, a college flame who'd become a Harvard scientist with a book coming out. Susan offers to interview him, and she winds up launching into all the intense, invasive questions she'd always wanted to ask him, and he answers them. This ignites a spark that sends her on a cross-country jaunt back through her lust-littered past. Yet somewhere between the tantalizing what-ifs and bittersweet might-have-beens, she finds what she's been searching for all along.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 3/4 out of 5 stars. -- Click here! to buy this book.


4. Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer.
When Ralph Helfer first began working, he was shocked by the cruelty that was accepted practice in the field of animal behaviorism. He firmly believed that love, not fear, should be the basis of any animal's development, even when dealing with the most dangerous of creatures. Then Zamba came into his life, an adorable four-month-old lion cub. Over the next eighteen years, Zamba would thrive and grow, and go on to star in numerous motion pictures and television shows, all the while developing a deep and powerful bond of love and affection with the man who raised him.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5 stars. -- Click here! to buy this book.

5. Waiting For Snow In Havana: Confessions Of A Cuban Boy by Carlos Eire.

The Cuba of Carlos’s youth becomes an island of condemnation once a cigar-smokin guerrilla named Fidel Castro come to power in 1959. Suddenly the music in the streets sounds like gunfire. Christmas is made illegal, political dissent leads to imprisonment, and too many of Carlos's friends are leaving Cuba for a place as far away and unthinkable as the United States. The memories of Carlos's life in Havana are cut short when he was just eleven years old, In 1962, when he became one of 14,000 children airlifted out of Cuba—exiled from his family, his country, and his own childhood by the revolution.

RED' S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 1/4 out of 5 stars. I loved this book! -- Click here! to buy this book.

The Unwinding Death

I want to finish the month, and the school term, with quite an amazing novel. There are so many to choose from, but I wanted to pick a story with intense drama and action. That narrowed down the list, and eventually I found the perect book to end on. The book is Unwind by Neal Shusterman. This book is a thriller about three teens fighting to stay alive in a savage future world that condones killing minors for body parts.

First off, you must understand that in this future, from the ages of 13 to 18, parents can have their kids unwound. This basically means they are killed and their entire bodies are donated to others who need the parts. The practice is accepted in the society, but there is still alot of debate with the age that unwinding should be illegal. But, there are so many kids who are supposed to be unwound that there are so many that escape, and many parts that hospitals just have in a freezer.

The first teen is Connor. Connor is a bad boy at his high school, and his parents are just done with him, so they decide to unwind him. He runs away though and, with help from a few others he knows and doesn't know, he gets away from his father, the cops and everyone else who is chasing him. But, in escaping, he causes a pile up on the highway, a few deaths and, most impressive, he shoots a juvie-cop with his own tranq-gun.

Risa is an orphan at the State home in Ohio. She is going to be unwound to cut costs at the home, but she doesn't want to. When Connor causes the pile up on the highway, her bus crashes and she escapes. She also escapes with Lev, a boy who has been scheduled to be unwound since birth, with the help of Connor. They escape together, and help eachother stay alive long enough to turn eighteen when they can't be unwound.

The things they go through next, however, they could have never imagined. They go through chase scenes, run-in's with police, teachers and smugglers to find their destination. They encounter many other unwinds and connect with a few, others not so much. They have to be shipped in crates and locked in a celler for three days, and on topof that, the three get seperated for most of their journey. But, they find eachother just when things get dangerous.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. It's such an intense, dramatic thriller, and it has such a great storyline. It is so well written and I loved it so much.

MASS APPEAL: This book is for guys and girls equally. It appeals to everyone, and they should all read this book.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

The Hidden Colors

Well, after Valentine's week, I thought you might need a little break. But, I'm back and I have a heartbreaker of a story that ends so nicely. The book is so beautifully written and I couldn't put it down until I was done. The book is A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass. The story is of a 13 year old girl who, in an unusual family, turns out to be the strangest of them all with a physical condition that allows her to see things that others can't.

Before you automatically think ghosts or the dead, let me stop you. Mia Winchell sees colors. This doesn't sound very strange, but it is how she sees colors that is different. To Mia, every word, sound and number has a color for her. The letter 'a' is yellow; music gives of swirls of color for whatever instrument is playing, and these are only examples of what Mia can see. Mia has seen them her whole life, and she's never told anyone.

Her family, as I've mentioned, is strange. Her sister is a zen yoga goddess who chages her hair color like clothes, and her brother keeps track of how many McDonald's burgers he eats. Her parents aren't much better. The one person Mia can always count on is her best friend, Jenna. Jenna is quiet but very nice, and has been friends with Mia forever. But, the secrets Mia has kept to herself threaten her family and her friend.

While taking her beloved cat, Mango (whose purr is the color orange-yellow), to the vet, she sees a boy from her school there. Roger's dog is being put to sleep, and Roger is overwhelmed. Mia finds a common string with him, as he is color-blind. They also work on a project in school together, and she starts to become good friends with him. After an incident with her condition, Mia discovers that he likes her, and she doesn't seem wierded out by it.

When Mia finally tells her secret, her world falls apart slowly. Jenna abandons her, her mother takes her to a psychologist and Mango is getting sicker. One person Mia finds is Adam, a boy with the same condition called synesthisia, who befriends Mia over an internet chat room for patients with all kinds of this condition. She doesn't know who to trust, and she may put it in the wrong people. And, what's worse, Mia's synesthesia may not last forever.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5. It is such an adorable and eloquent story. I loved the story, the characters, the interactions and the outcome of the story.

MASS APPEAL: Girls should really enjoy this book, but I'm not so sure about the guys. We'll stick with girls and recomend highly to them.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Feel The Love Week Pt. 10

Oh my goddess, It's Valentine's day! Yes, I said goddess, and it is not a typo. Today is the last day of my Valentine's blog series, and I though we should have some kind of historical fiction in the mix. Maybe not the most romantic ancient Roman legend, but the story of the god of love, Cupid and his beloved Psyche is a wonderful Valentine's day story. It's a story of jealousy, passion and God-like wrath to it's most glorious. The version? Cupid by Julius Lester.

in a kindom near ancient Rome, there was a king and queen with three daughters. The older daughters were vain and cruel, and jealous of their youngest sister. Psyche is a sweet. caring young woman. She is kind and wishes that she wouldn't be so loved by her people. her people adore her, though, because Psyche was beautiful beyond human comparison. She is said to be as beautiful as the goddess of love, Venus, herself.

Venus, of course isn't too happy that people are worshiping a human girl instead of her. She looks down on Psyche as trying to take her place. Even though Psyche prays to Venus everyday as to why people worship her, and why was this beauty cast upon her. Venus thinks it's all a play and sends her son, Cupid, down to earth. His job is to make a fool of her by making her fall in love with the ugliest man in the world. He seems content to doing this.

That is, until he sees her. He immediately falls in love with her beauty, and the words she rays to his mother for her troubles. He sees the goodness in her, and decides to keep her for himself. He goes to Apollo, and makes him tell the king that Psyche will be married off to a monster on a mountain. Psyche bravely accepts her fate, little to know that her husband is actually the god of love himself! but, this is because he only comes to her at night, and she is never to look at his face, for then she won't love him anymore.

But, when Psyche's sisters come home to 'support their parents and their long gone sister, they go up to Psyche's mountain. Psyche meets them there to tell them she is fine, and she tells them all about her mysterious husband. her sisters, being the evil ones they are, try to trick Psyche into looking at Cupid's face when he sleeps. But, she knows fully well the consequences of looking at him, but she is very curious and wants to know who her husband is.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 1/2 out of 5. This story is a modern update on the classic tale, with funny narration and great humor between the drama. I liked this version of the roman myth.

MASS APPEAL: Come on, it's Valentine's day! Even if it doesn't sound good to you, read it anyway.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Feel The Love Week Pt. 9

The good times just keep on coming, don't they. Despite the fact that it is a Monday, and Monday's suck beyond comparison, I'm going to try and brighten the day. The next book in my blog series, is by the teen queen of romantic fiction, Sarah Dessen. The book i've chosen is one of her newer books, and one of my personal favorite books ever, Along For the Ride. In the book, a girl fights for the childhood she never got

Auden West has been a grown-up forever. Her parents were both established professors and she was forced to dinner parties instead of palying and learning to ride a bike. Even when her parents split up, she acted like a grown up the entire time. But, it's her last summer before college and she is deciding what to do. Fo some reason, she decides to spend the summer with her father, his 26 year old wife and new baby, in the beach town of Colby.

Auden gets there, and immediately gets wasted, which doesn't seem like something she usually does. She makes the mistake of hookng up with Jake Stock. He is a total player, and Auden doesn't even like him. But, it's not all bad. She meets Jake's ex, Maggie while working at her stepmother, Heidi's, clothing store. She becomes really good friends with Maggie and the other girls at the shop, and their friend Adam, who is in love with Maggie, and she doesnt know it.

It also brings her closer to Eli. he is Jake's older brother, and an insomniac, too. He and Auden spend their nights in coffee shops and on the town doing the things she never got to do as a child. Eli has a lot of things he is going through, though. He rode BMX with his best friend, Abe, all through school until he died last year in a car accident. Eli was behind the wheel, so he feels responsible for Abe's death. But, so does everyone else in town, even naming the bike shop after him.

But, there is stuff going on at Auden's father's house, too. The new baby, Thisbe, is causing problems between Heidi and Auden's father. He refuses to help take care of her, which causes Heidi to go into an emotional breakdown. The only thing Auden can do is call Eli, who brings his mother over. Karen Stock helps Heidi to control Thisbe's outbursts and not completely lose herself while taking car of the baby.

RED'S ALL STAR REVEIW: 4 1/4 out of 5. Highest ranking yet! This book is really good; it's no wonder Sarah Dessen is so popular in this style. She is an amazing writer, and this story is told beautifully.

MASS APPEAL: Every girl in the entire world should read this book. It's an amazing story about living your life how you want.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Feel The Love Week Pt. 8

Wow, we are coming into the last few days before Valentine's Day and the end to my fantasic blog week. I have already blogged on two 'queens of romance novels' , including Deb Caletti and Elizabeth Scott. I am going to blog about another one, one of my favorite authors of all time, the wonderful Susane Colassanti. My favorite book by her, so far, is Waiting for You, about a girl and her decision between her perfect guy and her prince charming.

Marisa has been waiting forever for the right guy to come along and sweep her off her feet. Her best friend, Sterling, is the opposite, always chasing after older guys on the internet. They make a dynamic duo, and they stick together through everything. Marisa, when she comes back from summer camp, goes to the beach with Sterling, and sees her current crush, Derek. Derek is the typical cali-surfer boy; cool and popular, and always has the hottest girlfriend. He seems out of Marisa's league.

But, that changes when his girlfriend and him break up. He's not okay for awhile, but him and Marisa start talking and soon hit it off. It seems that he likes her as much as she likes him. When he asks her out, she is ecstatic, and agrees immediately. They go out, and it goes perfectly. He is clearly the guy of Marisa's dreams, but he has a secret that he's not telling Marisa, and she wants to know what it is. She's not sure what to think of his secrecy.

The 'prince charming' i refer to, in fact is her best guy friend. He isn't a real prince, but he treats her well and always want the best for her. But, Nash is clearly not right for Marisa; he's a total geek and Marrisa doesn't like him. But, that doesn't stop him from really liking her. But, after she makes it clear they are just friends, they become even closer then they were before he confessed that he liked her. Maybe that's what their friend ship needed all along.

But, Derek is slightly jealous of all the time she spends with Nash. Especially after nash's girlfriend dumps him because he was 'too intense' for her. Him being miserable and Marisa being lie to by Derek brings them even closer, and they start to trust only eachother. This grows when Sterling goes crazy jealous and starts dating some creepazoid on the internet and Derek's ex suddenly is poping up everywhere she goes with Derek.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars, but of course I'm alittle biased. It is a really good book, and the story is incredible. Of any of the books so far, this is the one i reccomend the most.

MASS APPEAL: Any girl who has found love in the most unexpected place, or had it find you when you least expect it, this is perfect for you. But, obviously I think everyone should read it.
Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Feel The Love Week Pt. 7

I realize, it is supposed to be a non-fiction Saturday, but it is surprisingly uneasy to find a romance memoir. So I'll just add another fantasic novel. As I said in my last post, I have a special liking for the writing styles of Elizabeth Scott. That's what the next book is in my Valentine's festival of literature. Scott is one of the modern queens of romance literature, in my opinion, and so choosing which book to blog on wasn't easy, but I came to the conclusion on Between Here and Forever, because it's not a normal high school relationship.

Abby has always thought of herself as the shadow to her perfect sister, Tess. Tess was the girl every guy wanted, which made guys hard to find for Abby, and she always looked perfect and had perfect grades and pleased everyone. Abby almost hated her sister for that, and was almost glad when she left for college. But, Tess didn't last long in college before something terrible happened to her that changed her family's life.

Tess, driving home from a party that she wasn't drinking at, wrapped her car around a tree. No, Tess didn't die, but she is in a coma, and the docters doubt she will ever wake up. Abby goes to visit her everyday after school before she goes home and she's never seen her sister move, until someone comes to visit her. The gorgeous Eli, who works to gift shop at the hospital, comes up to lend a hand to the nurses, and when he speaks, Abby swears that Tess moved.

Eli thinks Abby is crazy when she says that she wants him to talk to her sister and wake her up. He does it anyway, seeing how determined Abby is, even though he doesn't think it'l work. But he talks to Aby and Tess, getting to know both of them. Abby wants Tess to wake up to be with Eli, but she's starting to like Eli herself. But, she's used to giving up things for her sister's benefit, so she doesn't try to make it a big deal.

After having intense conversations, Abby and Eli start to trust eachother with their issues. Abby tells him about being Tess's shadow and Eli tells her how people treat him because of his bi-racial ethnicity and his struggle with OCD. But, Abby is about to learn secrets about the life of her sister. Secrets that change the way Abby feels about her and Tess's ex best friend Claire, who Tess stopped talking to when Claire got pregnant in high school.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. Like I've said, i'm a big fan of Elizabeth Scott's writing, and I've already blogged on one of her books, Stealing Heaven. The book was honestly written and I loved reading it.

MASS APPEAL: Same as the former books, but more heartreak than Caletti's Honey, Baby, Sweetheart.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Feel The Love Week Pt. 6

Not all romance novels are about high school romance. Some are about family and friends, as you've seen in the last novels of Valentine's week, such as If I Stay, For Keeps and Sweethearts. I'm going to add another book to the list, Deb Caletti's Honey, Baby, Sweetheart. This book isn't just about family, but also about a bad relationship with a boy in town, and how the main character solves her family's problem's.

Ruby McQueen's family isn't all together. She lives with her mother, Ann, and her brother, Chip Jr. Ann's boyfriend was the boss of Ruby's father, Chip, when they met. He drove her home from a party and they wound up together. But, Chip wasn't the kind to just settle down, and so he left to become a rock star. He still visits and keeps contact, but he's not part of their family now. But, when Chip comes back, he always screws up everyone's lives while he's there.

But, Ruby meets someone soon that takes her mind of her broken family. She meets Travis Becker, son of one of the richer families in town. Ruby met him while he was driving his motorcycle, like the bad boy he is, and he caught her staring. He asked if wanted to go for a ride, gave a fancy present, and so started their relationship. Due to the fact he is like no one she's ever met, she falls for him pretty quickley.

Things are changing, though. Chip has come back and wants everyone to be okay with him just coming and going. Her mother is freaking out about him, and the trouble he causes. She hates how she lets him do whatever he wants, too. And, on top of that, Travis is starting to test their relationship; doing crazy things and getting into a lot of trouble. ruby isn't so sure anymore that she wants to be with him. 

She starts to go to her mother's weekly book club for seniors, who have a great bunch of personalities. They lighten the mood with their humor, which I enjoyed. This is mainly to stop her fom seeing Travis, who continues to cause Ruby problems,but he may not last much longer. Travis and his careless ways are soon to catch up with him, in a dangerous way, which gives Ruby the oppertunity to stop talking to him. Good for her

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 1/2 stars out of 5. The book was good, but I'm not as much of a fan of Deb Caletti as other authors like Elizabeth Scott and Susan Colassanti.

MASS APPEAL: The same description as yesterday's post on Natasha Friend's For Keeps.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Feel The Love Week Pt. 5

It’s true; love is hard to find. You can’t go looking for it because love comes in the most surprising ways. The only exception is your family. You can always find your family, even if you don’t know where they are. They will find you, because love comes in the most unexpected ways, right? That’s what happens in the next book in this blog series. It’s a story about a girl who finds love not only in her highschool, but in her complicated family tree. The book is Natasha Friend’s For Keeps.

Josie Gardner has a big family. By family, I don’t mean her parents. Her mother is her best friend; the Gardner girls are always a team. Then there’s Liv, her brother and two fathers. Whatever she needs, her ‘family’ is there to help and get her back on track. Especially now that things are changing for Josie. Her mother, kate, has gotten a boyfriend, her crazy boss has decided to re-do his ice cream shop, and liv is dating a guy years older than her. Josie is not sure she can hang on to them like she has before.

Of, course, Josie does find one ‘stable’ thing in her life. Matt Rigby is her crush since last year. They got pretty close when he drove her home from a party, and they’ve liked eachother ever since. Now, the girls and boys soccer teams are throwing a party, so Josie, Liv and Matt are invited. But, Liv ditches the party, so Josie dances with the girl's team, which catches Matt's attention and they reconnect at the party. In a good way.

But, things fall apart soon. Paul Tucci, Her long-lost father's parents have recently moved back into town. Mr. Tucci gets to know Josie at her job without knowing she is his granddaughter. But, Mr. Tucci collapses in Josie's workplace and after they perform CPR, he's taken to a hospital. This causes Mr. Tucci's sons, including Paul, to come to town. Paul is surprised when he meets Josie, because he thought Kate, his high school girlfriend, had gotten an abortion before he moved away.

Josie almost doesn't want to get to know Paul. She starts to go crazy, and so does everyone around her. Matt starts being a jerk, Liv has a secret that may change her life, and Kate starts getting serious with her boyfriend. The Tucci's all want to know her, and she's not sure how to react around them. She has never known them, and as far as she knows, they kept her mother and Paul from eachother. But, there are secrets that she has never been told; secrets that may change her opinions.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 3/4 stars out of 5. The story is well written and captures Josie's emotions really well.

MASS APPEAL: This is definately good fro any girls that have had familt isues or not known a family member that should be close to you. It's a good book for anyone, though.
 Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Feel The Love Week Pt. 4

Going off of yesterday’s post that heartbreaks happen, I turn now to a new meaning of this. Everyone has a bad relationship at some time, whether it was a cheater, a teaser or a plain jerk. The important thing is not to dwell on what went wrong, but to embrace being single again, and putting yourself first. This is what happens to Penny Bloom in The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg.  Penny decides that relationships are just a waste of time, and for her remaining years in high school, she is through with guys and their games.

First off, Penny Lane Bloom (yes, named after the Beetle’s song), has had her last bad relationship. Nate is the son of her father’s best friend, and although they lived in different cities, they grew up together in the summer. Penny and Nate had a silent relationship, until Nate kissed her one summer. Penny was elated, until she found him in her basement with another girl, and I think you know what I mean when I say this. Penny was devastated and refused to even talk to him from then on.

Penny decides to swear off guys for the rest of her two years in high school. Her best friend, Tracey, thinks she’s crazy and doesn’t think she’s serious. But Penny is, and she starts the club after reconnecting with Diane. Diane was her best friend all through elementary and middle school, but when Diane snagged Ryan Bauer as a boyfriend, Diane forgot about Penny. But, Ryan and Diane have broken up and Diane wants to put herself and her friends first now, so she decides to be in Penny’s Lonely Hearts Club, where they will not date until high school ends, or even after that.

But, girls are starting to join the club, swearing off the losers at McKinley high as well, and this start to cause trouble. The guys at her school start to dislike Penny, a lot. Including Todd, who has called ‘dibbs’ on Penny, and expects her to be his girlfriend. It also cause trouble with the school principal, Mr. Braddock, who believes penny is trying to control the girls. Penny starts to doubt that the club is a good idea.

But, good things happen, like Diane finally has the support to quit cheerleading and join the basketball team. Her friend Kara can finally talk about her eating disorder and the girls in the club are so tight- they’re like a family. But things go wrong as fast as they go right, too. Penny learns that Nate is coming for Thanksgiving. She accidentally denies her friend Morgan her perfect guy, and there’s always Ryan. Ryan, Diane’s ex-boyfriend, who Penny is completely falling for, but he always seems so hot and cold to her.

 RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. I loved the writing and the story I can totally relate to, as can most girls out there. It was funny and dramatic and a pleasure to read.

MASS APPEAL: any girl who has ever been in love, lost love or has sworn it off completely, this is perfect for you. It also goes to show that there is always love, especially where you don’t go looking for it.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Feel The Love Week Pt. 3

Just because Valentine’s Day is about sharing the love with people near you, that doesn’t mean there aren’t heartbreaks, or stories of how love almost died. Not every story is a fairytale, and for some, love is hard to find and even harder to keep. Especially for the characters in the next book this week, If I Stay by Gayle Forman. This heartbreaking story is about Mia, a musician from Oregon country, who loses love and her struggle to keep the love that is left.

Mia is the daughter of a local ex-rock star and his music obsessed wife. They have straightened up over the years, abandoning their rock lifestyle once Mia’s younger brother was born. But, they have always pushed her into music, but unfortunately, she didn’t want their kind of music. She fell in love with the cello, and classical music, causing her parents a short time of grief. But, when they finally accepted her wish, they learned how extraordinarily talented she is.

In the book, she talks about how she got her start as a cellist. She always was in orchestra at school, which lead her to Adam. Adam was a year above her in high school, and he was a rocker. He was in a popular local band and was very popular with other girls, too. But, he picked her to take to a Yo-Yo Ma concert, where they talked about music. They were slow in their relationship, but they fell in love quickly.

Mia now has a choice to make. She can stay in Oregon, be with Adam and her family, and go to a local school. Or, she can go to Julliard, the school of her dreams, which happens to be on the other side of the country. Mia is troubled by this because it is her dream to be a cellist, but she loves Adam and doesn’t want to leave him. Adam seems to be okay with her going to Julliard, but she can tell it troubles him, too. Mia is confused and needs help to decide what to choose.

The choice, though, is taken from Mia. On a beautiful morning, Mia and her family go out for a drive, and don’t come back. They get in a car accident, and Mia is the only survivor. She is also in a coma, but in a strange out of body experience, she can see and hear everything that happens in the hospital surrounding her. She finally has a different choice, should she stay with her broken life and her complicated relationships, or should she choose to go and be with her family? Suddenly, there is a new meaning when she says, ‘If I stay’.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. It is beautifully written and I love the point of view from the ghost-like Mia. There is a sequel out to this book, and you should read this, too, if you like this book.  

MASS APPEAL: Girls, this is a heartbreaker! Anyone who has lost love or faced a choice between two things you love, you will relate so much to this book. It is the people who are left behind and talk to Mia,  who make the decision for her. Can she stay, or should she go?

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Feel The Love Week Pt. 2

After the cold of winter, we all need something to warm our hearts. And, even if you have no fairyrtale of your own, it doesn't mean you can't read about it. The next book in my ten day series for Valentine's week is the delightfully adorable Sweethearts by Sara Zarr. This book is about an elementary best friend duo, Jennifer and Cameron, who get split up abruptly. But, their lives collide again in a big way years down the road.

Jennifer Harris, in elementary school, was a dork. She was the chubby, quiet girl that no one liked. The only person that ever understood her was Cameron Quick. He, a social outcast as well, became instant friends with her. They even had their own elementary romance, including a small ring given to her, hand holding, and sticking up for each other when they were in danger by Cameron's crazy father. Then one day, Cameron dissapeared.

Jennifer grew up alot after Cameron left. Her mother remarried Alan Vaughn, a great guy who Jennifer really liked. Her name was changed, and so was her personality. Jenna Vaughn is everything Jennifer wasn't. She has good friends, she is exceedingly popular, and she even has a boyfriend who she's been with for a while. Jenna is happy, which she never thought she would be after she thought Cameron died. But, her life is going well, or so she thinks.

When Cameron shows up in one of Jenna's classes at her high school, Jenna is appalled. She thought that Cameron was dead, and now that she knows he's not, she is surprised, sad and mad. Sad that he left, mad that he never said goodbye and surprised that he's back. They try to talk about things, and pick up where they left off, but there is just too much unsaid between them. But, after Cameron loses the apartment where he's staying, she has to find a place for him to stay, or lose him again.

What happens between Cameron and Jenna is so crazy. Jenna wants to just let him back into her life, but she doesn't want him to leave once he is, like he did last time. And Cameron is so diffetent then he was; he is so internal and always thinks lowly of himself. He is obviously damaged from his father's abuse, and Jenna wants to help him. But, it anmost seems like he doesn't want her help, which frustrates Jenna and her family. But, they find a way to help him in the end.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5 stars. it is a good book, but I was dissapointed by the ending. I so wanted it to end different, but it's still a cute, silent love story between two best friends. You can't help but like it.

MASS APPEAL: Girls who love romance, and have ever wondered if your friendships with guys are any more will enjoy this book.


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Feel The Love Week Pt. 1

Hiya all you readers! Hope you had a good January, because you are about to be slammed for ten whole days with a festival of YA fiction dedicated to St. Valentine. Yep, this is the first blog of Valentine's week! So, to kick of the week I’m going to kick off the week with the first novel by Melissa Kantor, Confessions of a Not-It Girl. From her parents to college, her best friend and crushes, Jan is convinced she is destined to have the world’s least amazing life, and it seems to be going that way.

Jan’s best friend, Rebecca, was named one of Chic magazine’s top It-girls of New York. She knows where all the clothes are and all the cool places to shop are. She seems to be able to date any guy, even those much older than her; a direct contrast to Jan who has trouble talking to her crushes. She has all the clothes to make her look amazing, plus a gorgeous body and beautiful hair; Jan’s always complaining about her huge butt in contrast to Rebecca. But even Rebecca can’t help Jan in some of the trouble she gets in.

Her parents are annoying, overachieving and obsessed with getting her into a good college. She is convinced she’s never going to get into a college, but her parents keep pushing her into their Alma mater. And compared to her brother, who goes to Yale, she is ‘the bad child’. She also has to fill out a ton of application papers, which doesn't help when her parents are always asking her to finish them and what college she likes the best, or which one she wants to attend. It’s clear, though, that they are pushing her in a certain direction.

The most frustrating thing in Jan’s life is her love life. She has two crushes, but only really likes one. Josh moved to New York from Seattle to live with his mom, stepdad and half-sister, Hannah. Jan babysits Hannah because Josh’s mom promised he wouldn’t have to be a live-in babysitter. At first Jan thought that Josh was a total loser, but then she noticed his smile and she started to like him. Now she wonders if he’ll be at his house when she babysits, after soccer practice, of course. Sometimes he is, and they talk because Hannah is asleep, and other times he just goes to bed. But she still likes him, and can’t get enough of his smile.

This is a funny book; right off the bat there was humor and I laughed a lot during almost every chapters. When I wasn't laughing I was reading intently and holding back gasps, because of the drama, but it doesn't last extremely long and there's always a funny part coming up soon. It’s a good first novel, and based on Kantor's success after this book; others have obviously liked this book, too. You will look forward to seeing how Jan solves her problems like which college she picks, and most especially, what she does with Josh. I read this quick and I liked the ending especially.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 3/4 out of 5. Funny, beautiful novel that is as well written as any other books I’ve read by long time novelists.

MASS APPEAL: Girls, this is a romance and drama novel. But, the funny parts keep it light and fun. Read this book! Can I make it any clearer?

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The Sweetest TLC

We are finally moving on from L.J. Smith's Night World series, and onto something greater. Starting Sunday, I'll be giving a special dose of romance for St. Valentine's day, an entire week dedicated to the saint and its day. I figure, I need a good book to hold up in between, and that's just what I have. This next book has love, but a different kind. Love between a long-lost daughter and her estranged father. Things obviously don't go smoothly at first, but like all people who are thrown together, they find a way to get by.

The book is Tender by Valerie Hobbs. The main character is a semi-goth girl named Olivia, but called Liv. Liv's last family member, her grandmother, has just passed away and she has to fly all the way to the west coast to live with her father. She has never known her father, who left when her mother died, and has never written or sent anything that indicated he ever wanted to see her. Now she has to move there and spend the rest of her high school life in California with the dad she never knew.

Liv's dad, Mark Trager, a famous diver, is one of the most stubborn people Liv's ever met. He never seems to care about her, he doesn't even pick her up from the airport. He leaves that to his new girlfirend, Sam. Sam is the opposite of Mark, she's fun and smart and sweet. She also has cancer, and that scares Mark. Just like when Liv's mother died, Mark left and Liv is scared he'll do the same to Sam. But Sam is convinced that there is good in Mark and that Liv will see it when she gets to know him.

The only other person that liv enjoys seeing, it's Brian Spinuchi. Spinuchi is her father's tender, which means he's the person who controls the lifeline when he dives. Mark doesn't really like Spinuchi that much, but he's good for work. Spinuchi and Liv have a slight connection right away, and she kinda wants to act on it. But, Spinuchi is more than Liv can see with her eyes. He gets into trouble and Liv will have to see if he is really the guy he claims to be.

Things are so uncomfortable between Mark and Liv, and the tension thickens when Spinuchi breaks his arm and can not be Mark's tender for the summer. Mark forces Liv to do it, and she does well enough that she convinces her dad to take her out one last time. But this ends up being a horrible desicion for Mark as things take a turn for the worse. The end is crazy and I was so worried about Liv, but as all books usually do, she ends up all right.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 3/4 out of 5. Good book, interesting story with lots of drama! I'm starting to think the scale is too small. I'm thinking of changing my scale, maybe to a ten?

MASS APPEAL: Anyone who fueds constantly with their parents, or has a parent they don't know well, this is good for you. People who like drama and hate stubborn parents, or teenagers, will like this one too.

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