Heather Hobbs's Blog, page 5

I’m so excited that Nancy from Graphic Novelty2 nominated me for a Liebster Award! How cool is that?!

Graphic Novelty2 is a great blog so make sure to check it out! There is a super helpful list of Graphic Novel recommendations for those, like myself, who are somewhat clueless about such things. I think I’ll give A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge by Josh Neufeld a try based on this list!

The Liebster Award is passed around the blogging community as a fun way of getting to know each other. Here is how it works – once you get nominated:

Thank the nominator and link back to their blog
Answer 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you
Nominate other bloggers that you think deserve the award
Write 11 questions for your nominees
Let them know you’ve nominated them

Okay, so I would like to nominate:

Pearl Kirkby at Old Fossil Writes – I loved her short story Folded Dreams and her blog posts are great! (Plus she gets bonus points for loving Harry Potter and Midsomer Murders!)
Nicole Sewell – Nicole is a blogger and amazing YA writer!
Jaed at The Bibliophile Blogs – She reviews a lot of great books and also posts about her travels!
Arvenig: Arvenig’s blog is full of book reviews, author interviews, and the occasional giveaway!

My 11 questions for the nominees:

What is your favorite book or series?
If you could do anything (other than your current job) what would you do for a living?
What is your favorite book-to-film adaptation?
What is your least favorite book-to-film adaptation?
On average, how many books do you read each month?
What is your favorite thing about blogging?
What is the most challenging thing about blogging?
Why is your blog focused on the topic(s) you’ve chosen? If you can write about anything, why this?
How often do you blog?
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Tell us a fun fact about yourself!

And here are the answers to the questions Nancy gave me!

1) What is your favorite book or series? My favorite stand-alone book is probably To Kill a Mockingbird; I can’t remember how many times I’ve read that – I really love it! My favorite series is hands-down Harry Potter. I’m a little obsessed.

2)  What are you thankful for? My family! I’m super thankful that I have an awesome husband that will go on random adventures with me J I also have great parents and in-laws. I love ‘em! Oh, and my two rowdy dogs!

3)  What is your favorite place to visit? That’s a tough one! I always have fun in Vegas (I got married there!) I also really love D.C. and am super excited to be visiting again in a few weeks.

4)  Why is your blog focused on the topics you’ve chosen?  If you can write about anything, why this? My life has always involved books, reading, and writing in one way or another. Along with loving to read in my spare time, I have an English degree as well as a Library Science degree. I’ve worked in various bookstores, for a publishing company, and now I’m an archivist at a library. It just seemed like a natural fit for me to have a book blog.

5)  Do you hold yourself to any sort of schedule as a writer (for example, you must write a little every day or do a post every week) or do you just write when you feel so moved?  Why is this your chosen path? I have a lot of fun doing the Top Ten Tuesday, Top 5 Wednesday, and Tuesday Talks so I try to do at least 1-2 of those a week. I also make an effort to write a recap of the books I’ve read each month. Otherwise I just write when a topic pops into my head.

6)  What would you like to learn how to do? I would love to learn sign language. I know the alphabet but that’s it. We have a school for the deaf and blind where I live and we often get hearing impaired patrons at the library where I work – it would be great to be able to communicate with them more effectively.

7)  What do you want people to remember about you? I would like to be remembered as a kind person.

8)  What is the reason behind the name of your blog? It’s just my name! I suppose I could have been a little more creative with that one J

9)  Which post on your blog would you like to have gotten more readership? I’m always surprised by which posts get a lot of likes and comments. I’m not sure that I have a particular post that I wish had more readership. I am always thrilled when people like my posts though!

10)  Has there been anything challenging about blogging since you’ve started writing for an online audience? The biggest challenge is probably finding time to blog. It was also difficult at first to build an audience and jump into interacting with other bloggers since I didn’t know what on earth I was doing. But I’m getting better!

11)  Lastly, what have you found to be the most rewarding part of blogging since you began your writing venture? I’ve added so many books to my to-read list based on blogger’s recommendations, discovered some great indie authors as well. It’s just great to hang out (virtually) with other book nerds!

Thanks again to Nancy at  Graphic Novelty2 for the Liebster nomination – what a wonderful surprise!

It’s the end of the month, which means it’s time for my Goodreads Reading Challenge recap!

I was busy traveling this month (San Diego for fun and Oklahoma for work) so I have two airports reads this month, along with a book written by a fellow blogger! Here we go…

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica: I picked this up at the airport during my trip to Oklahoma City. As with 99% of the books I pick up at the airport, this is a mystery/thriller. This particular title grabbed my attention because it’s compared to Gone Girl on the jacket. I enjoyed Gone Girl so I figured I’d give it a shot! Here is a brief section of the blurb:

I’ve been following her for the past few days. I know where she buys her groceries, where she works. I don’t know the color of her eyes or what they look like when she’s scared. But I will.

One night, Mia Dennett enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn’t show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. At first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia’s life.

Okay, so here’s the deal. I think without the Gone Girl comparison I would have enjoyed this title more. The comparison made me assume there would be a “twist,” so I really wasn’t surprised when there was one. I also didn’t love the ending. All of that being said, I think my lack of sleep during this trip made me grumpier than I normally would have been while reading this. It’s was interesting enough to keep my attention so I would read another Kubica novel in the future.

The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon: I picked this up at the airport on my way to San Diego. I’d read another book of McMahon’s previously (also an airport pick!) and enjoyed it. I suppose I’d categorize her books as paranormal mysteries. Here is a section of the book blurb:

Once the thriving attraction of rural Vermont, the Tower Motel now stands in disrepair, alive only in the memories of Amy, Piper, and Piper’s kid sister, Margot. The three played there as girls until the day that their games uncovered something dark and twisted in the motel’s past, something that ruined their friendship forever.

I really like Jennifer McMahon’s writing. This book is definitely a page-turner but I think Winter People is a lot better/creepier. This book really kept me guessing until the end and if you like monsters-under-the-bed type stories, this is the one for you!

Folded Dreams – The Beginning by Pearl Kirkby: I follow Kirkby’s blog, Old Fossil Writes and really enjoy it so I was looking forward to reading her short story. The blurb:

When we reminisce, we think we’re remembering our past. But if time is relative, rather than fixed, what exactly are we thinking back on…The past, or the future? Maybe some time in between?

Memories from birth, to a death by flaming inferno and the uncomfortable gifts of seeing, which plague her throughout life – all of these things are seen through the eyes of Relativity, when Time and Space seem confused.

Folded Dreams – the Beginning is a short story that is destined to become Folded Dreams – The Novel.

Or was it the other way around?

Folded Dreams was my favorite read this month! Kirkby is a really strong writer and I finished this in one sitting. The way the author tackled the relativity of space and time, along with the idea of memories v. premonitions was really intriguing to me. The characters are unnamed in this, which I found to be effective (not sure if Kirkby plans on adding names in the novel?) This story eerie and odd (in a good way!) and I’m looking forward to the novel. Side note: this is free if you have Kindle Unlimited!

What did you read this month?

This week’s T5W topic: Summer Reads!

Summer reads can be interpreted in various ways (books to read on the beach, books that are light in tone, books set during the summer, etc.) My list consists of five books that are set during the summer and/or involve a beach or water in one way or another.

More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon : This novel is set during a summer in Maine. (Side note: I’ve always wanted to visit Maine.) This is a love story/ghost story and I like to re-read it every 5 years or so.

 

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan : I read Atonement for an English class and have been reading McEwan’s novels ever since (he is an amazing writer, check out his work if you haven’t already.) This book is set in the 1960s and takes place on the night of a young couple’s honeymoon. If you’ve read McEwan before, you can probably imagine that things do not go as planned.

 

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares : Four best friends find a pair of jeans that magically fit them all perfectly despite their differing shapes and sizes (that makes no sense, I know, don’t worry about it too much …) Each girl has summer plans but the traveling pants – they mail the pants to each other throughout the summer – keep them connected. This is a great summer read for YA fans. Plus the entire series has been released so you can read them all!

 

Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman : I’m stretching it a bit here but there is technically a body of water so I’m counting it! Gaiman is the author of Coraline, which I also recommend. I’m going add a portion of the book blurb here instead of attempting to explain the plot myself.

 Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn’t thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she’d claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

 

A Painted House by John Grisham : I don’t read a lot of Grisham, though I do typically enjoy films based on his novels. This is different than a typical Grisham book – meaning that it is not a courthouse crime story – and my mom suggested I read it because the main character’s childhood was similar to the way my grandfather was raised (minus the murder.) Anyhow, it’s about the summer of a young boy living on a farm in Arkansas who ends up seeing more than any 7-year-old should. The book gets pretty mixed reviews but I personally enjoyed it.

So there you have it. I had a tough time with this week’s T5W (maybe because it really could include anything?) What are your summer reads? And what do you consider a summer read?

It’s that time again…Top Ten Tuesday! Click the link to join the fun!

The topic: Books I’ve picked up on a whim!

As you read this list, you will find that a lot of books I’ve picked up on a whim have been at the airport – usually paperback mysteries/thrillers or humor titles that I can finish by the end of the trip. I’ve also found many books while browsing bookstores – that’s the best way to stumble upon a book you’ve never heard of!

In the Blood by Lisa Unger: This was an airport pick. I don’t want to give anything away here so I’ll just say that a college student with some serious secrets and a missing friend takes a job babysitting a manipulative boy. It’s a serious page turner and it really creeped me out!

 

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: I picked this up at a bookstore because the title and cover intrigued me. I’d never heard of it but since it was on a book display, I imagine it was already quite popular. I loved this! Jacket blurb:

 In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.

  But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

           

Winter People by Jennifer McMahon: Another creepy book I picked up at the airport. A mother and her two daughters move into a Vermont farmhouse. One day, the girls wake up to find that their mother has vanished. While searching the house, the oldest daughter finds the diary of a woman named Sara. Sara lived in the farmhouse in the early 1900s and also vanished. Things get weird. Really weird.

 

Post Secret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives by Frank Warren: This was another bookstore browsing find. If you are unfamiliar, Frank Warren passed out postcards to strangers as part of an art project. He asked people to write down a secret and anonymously mail it to him. I found this book sooo fascinating. Some of the secrets are hilarious, some are gross, and some will break your heart.

 

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: This is one of my favorite books and it was another bookstore find. I didn’t care for his second title as much but this one is really fantastic. Here’s the blurb:

 

Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets–an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

 

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz: This book is the first in a really funny mystery series. The Spellman’s are a really dysfunctional family and they run their own private investigating business. If you like humorous mysteries – and really zany families – you’ll probably enjoy this.

 

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde: As soon as I read the book blurb, I knew I had to read this! And I’m so glad I did. (Purchased at a bookstore on a whim.)

 

England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection. But when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontë’s novel, Thursday is faced with the challenge of her career.

 

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh: And we’re back to the creepy stuff. This is set in the Ozark Mountains and involved missing women, a small community, and a twisted love story. I couldn’t put it down but if you aren’t into dark and gritty you may not enjoy it.

 

Prize Winner Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan: I think I grabbed this one while working at Borders. It was the subtitle that grabbed me: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less.  It’s a true story about a woman who kept her family afloat by entering contests in the 1950s-1960s.  I think they turned this into a movie but I haven’t seen it. (Have any of you watched the movie? Is it any good?)

 

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? By Maria Semple: This was another airport find and I enjoyed it so much I bought another copy for my mom (she loved it too)! Here’s the blurb:

 

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she’s a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she’s a disgrace; to design mavens, she’s a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette’s intensifying allergy to Seattle–and people in general–has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence–creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter’s role in an absurd world.

Okay, your turn! What have you read on a whim?

Today’s T5W: Author’s you’d want to meet at Bookcon! Top 5 Wednesday is a Goodreads group – join and play along!

Bookcon takes place this month in Chicago. And while I’m not going (nor have I ever been), I think I need to add it to my bucket list! There are a ton of great speakers, panels, and meet and greets – it looks like a blast!

Ann M. Martin: As soon as I saw her name, I knew she was going to be #1 on my list. I used to love the Babysitters Club books. I have since passed my large collection of the series on to my cousin so her little girls can read them. Martin is presenting “Beyond the Babysitters Club” along with Raina Telgemeir (she creates the graphic novel versions of BSC.)

Author Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie is participating in a book signing, a panel called “We Need Diverse Books Presents: Love & Loss in Children’s Literature,” and a panel called “The Power of Storytelling.” I would love to go to all three!

Melissa de la Cruz: Not gonna lie, I picked Melissa de la Cruz because my niece is obsessed with all things Descendants. So in this imaginary scenario, she is at Bookcon with me[image error] She is participating in a panel called “What is Light without Darkness? Balancing Good and Evil in YA Literature” and I think that sounds really interesting.

Veronica Roth: If you read my blog, you may recall that Allegiant is on my DNF list, though I did enjoy Divergent. Like de la Cruz, Roth is participating in the “What is Light…” panel. One of the topics is “the power of choice for each of their characters” and I’m wondering if she’ll touch on the way she chose to end her series. I’m sure many readers would like to know more that!

Kate DiCamillo: With two Newberry awards, I would love to hear what she has to say when she participates in “The Power of Storytelling” panel.

I’m also going to give an honorable mention to Chris O’Dowd because he’s really funny and I think he’s going to have a really lively session.

Are any of you going to bookcon or have you been in the past? Is it as fun as it sounds?

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday (by The Broke and the Bookish) is a fun one!

The topic : Ten childhood characters you’d love to revisit as an adult.

Pippi Longstocking: I think I enjoyed this as a kid because Pippi was just so …unusual. She didn’t want to grow up, which I could relate to at the time. Also, she was super strong so that was pretty cool! If the Internet can be trusted, Stieg Larsson based Lisbeth from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on an adult version of Pippi Longstocking. I will never think of that book the same way again!

Eloise: I liked Eloise because she got to live in a hotel. As a child, I thought that was the greatest thing ever. It’s rumored that Eloise was based on Liza Minnelli. So I like to think that the adult Eloise became a huge Broadway star. And she still lives in The Plaza with a pug, of course!

Harriet the Spy: As I put this list together, I’m noticing that as a kid I really enjoyed books about girls getting into trouble/hi-jinks! My guess is that Harriet became a successful journalist for the New York Times (and never lost her notebook again.)

Encyclopedia Brown: This book series is how I learned to spell encyclopedia! I imagine that he continued with his detective agency (in a location other than his garage) or perhaps followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Police Department. And maybe had a child nicknamed “Dictionary” or “Thesaurus.”

Calvin (& Hobbes): I’m still a Calvin & Hobbes fan. In my mind, Calvin marries Susie and they have a super rambunctious little girl and Hobbes is now her BFF.

Charlie Bucket: It’s hard to say what happens to Charlie as an adult because he has some of the most unique experiences a person can have – anything could happen! A third Charlie book was planned by Dahl but he never finished it. The first chapter of the book is on display at the Roald Dahl Museum in England (how fun would that be to visit?!)

Ramona Quimby: The Ramona series stops when she’s in 4th grade. I would really like to know what Beezus, Ramona, and Roberta end up doing as adults. I think they’d have some pretty funny stories to share.

Any HP Character: We technically know what becomes of Harry, Ron, and Hermione (and others) because of the Deathly Hallows epilogue but I want to know more! Good thing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is releasing soon[image error]

Cinderella: Cinderella was one of my favorite Disney movies as a kid so of course I wanted to read the story as well. There are many different versions of Cinderella; I read the version by the Brothers Grimm. It was definitely more…extreme? Sure, let’s go with that. I would like to learn more about her life with the prince.

Kristy Thomas: Kristy is from the Babysitters Club (more on that during tomorrow’s post!) I imagine she starts a care.com-esque babysitting empire. Well, that or she’s a high school softball coach!

Are there any characters you would like to revisit as adults?

The last Top Five Wednesday of the month! (Is April really almost over?)  As always, click the link to join the Goodreads group and see the weekly topics!

Top 5 Wednesday Topic: Favorite Mothers/Maternal Figures

1. Marmee in Little Women: Little Women was one of the first “big” books I read when I was young and it holds a special place in my heart. I also love the various film adaptations. I always thought it would be fun to live in the March house.

2. Lillian Gilbreth in Cheaper by the Dozen: If you haven’t read this book, you totally should! It is a true story and nothing like the Steve Martin movie. This book is hilarious and both parents are fun and very intelligent. Fun facts: Lillian received a BA and MA from UC Berkley  in the early 1900s and earned a PhD from Brown. She was also the first female professor at Purdue’s engineering school. AND she raised 12 kids!

3. Marilla Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables: I LOVE Anne of Green Gables – the books and the movies. Going to Prince Edward Island one day is totally on my bucket list. Marilla is one of my favorite characters and a great mother figure for Anne.

4. Mary Poppins: Does this count as a maternal figure? I’m going to say yes. Who doesn’t want to have Mary Poppins as their nanny?!

5. Mrs. Weasley in Harry Potter: Need I say more?

Who are your favorite literary mothers or maternal figures?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week’s topic: Top Ten Bookworm Delights

Free Books! Is there anything better than a free book? If you don’t take advantage of your local library, you should!

2. Bookmarks: Especially really fun ones like this.

3. New Releases: Oh, the anticipation!

4. Book-related Candles! I recently bought a Frostbeard candle for a friend and it was a huge hit.

5. Bookstores: Buying books from Amazon is affordable and fast. But there is nothing quite like browsing in a bookstore. (This is the bookstore from Gilmore Girls, if you are wondering.)

6. Snow Days: So I can stay home and read!

7. Bookshelves: I love seeing my bookshelves full at home. And it’s fun to look at fun creative ones online as well.

8. Autographed Copies: When I worked at Borders, I used to love getting autographed copies of books. I still love it, actually.

9. Book-related clothing: I get a lot of this for Christmas. See the picture above (all from Out of Print Clothing) as an example!

10. Visiting Libraries: Okay, this sort of relates to #1 but I’m talking specifically about travel. I’m super excited about seeing the Library of Congress when I visit D.C. in a few months!

What are your bookworm delights?

 

Top 5 Wednesday is a Goodreads group – click the link to join the fun!

This week’s Top 5: Books You’re Intimidated By

I love to read. I have an English degree, I’ve worked in numerous bookstores and libraries,  and between home and work I’m pretty much constantly surrounded by books. Are there any I’m intimidated by? Absolutely! I love classics but there are some I haven’t even cracked the spine on. Here are five:

1. The Brothers Karamazov: Along with the length (Amazon lists it as 824 pages) I feel like this book will just really confuse me. Maybe I’m wrong? Have any of you read – and loved – this?

2. War & Peace: Speaking of long books….Amazon lists this as 1296 pages! I don’t hate long books, I swear. But this is a seriously long book. I’ve been told it’s hard to keep track of the characters and that there are a ton of really long, seemingly unrelated passages. I’ll probably try to tackle it one day. But not today.

3.Lord of the Rings: I don’t read many books of this genre and I think that has something to do with the intimidation factor. I have a friend who insists I’ll love it so I’ll try to read it eventually (maybe.)

 

4. Cloud Atlas: This is a favorite for many people but I haven’t attempted it yet and I’m not sure I ever will.

5. Atlas Shrugged: I actually own this one but every time I pick it up, I immediately put it back down. Now that I think about it, my friend who insists I’ll love LOTR also loves Altas Shrugged. I wonder what books she’s intimidated by…

So apparently I’m intimidated by books that seem hard to follow and/or have the word Atlas in them!

Have you read any of these books? Am I right to be intimidated? What are your Top 5 in this category?

It’s Top 5 Wednesday time! This Goodreads group is open to anyone so check it out!

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday: Books with Hard Topics

I’m pretty excited about this week’s topic and am really interested to see what other bloggers pick. As I considered books that would fit into this category, I realized that I’ve read a lot of books with hard topics. A lot. So I am randomly picking five because choosing my all-time favorites would be way too hard.

1. A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer: This is the true story of one of the worst cases of child abuse in California. And it’s written by the child – now an adult – who experienced it. This book is not an easy read but I could not put it down. When I finished, I immediately read the other two titles by Pelzer – The Lost Boy and A Man Named Dave.I believe I read this book when I was in my early high school years and it was certainly eye-opening.

2. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen: Another true story, Kaysen writes about the two years she spent a psychiatric hospital in the 60s. As with most adaptations, I think the book is much better than the film. And speaking of psychiatric hospitals and film adaptations…

3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey: The first time I tried to read this, I stopped after the first few pages. I’m not sure why because when I picked it up again a year later, it ended up being one of the best books I read that year. It’s both hilarious and heartbreaking. And I enjoyed the book and the movie, which is rare!

4. Room: If you haven’t read this, you may be familiar with the title as a recent Oscar nominated film. I haven’t seen the movie yet but I thought the book was fantastic. A woman and her son are held captive in a small room (the five-year-old boy has never been outside of the room). It is about survival, hope, and determination. Speaking of kidnapped girls, I read The Girl in the Box in middle school and it was completely enthralling to me at the time.

5. Good Kings Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum: Apparently, I’ve read a lot of books about hospitals/institutions. This is about a group of juveniles with mental and/or physical disabilities living in an institution. The author is very familiar with her topic and there are parts of this book that literally made me squirm. This book is excellent but not an easy read by any means. I liked that it was told from multiple points of view – from patients, from a woman that recruits people to enter the facility, from nurses, etc.I highly recommend this one.

And because I just can’t help it, I’ll give mentions to Go Ask Alice, The Book Thief, We Need to Talk about Kevin, and My Posse Don’t Do Homework.

This Top 5 actually reminded me of when I was in middle school. I went to a bookstore and told the clerk “I want a book that will make me cry.” Without batting an eye, she pulled out three books that fit the bill. I want a book that will make me think and make me feel. These books did that.

Top 5 for next week: Books You’re Intimidated By!