Heart and Salsa by Suzanne Nelson

Heart and Salsa by Suzanne Nelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I think this might be my new favorite book in the series. I really liked Cat's journey and the maturity she developed by the end. So much of it rang true! When you move away, friendships can change in ways you don't expect. When a friend has a creep for a boyfriend, she won't always believe you. And most importantly, no matter how much you plan on life going in a certain direction, it can always surprise you in ways you never planned. All of these themes help to create a fascinating character on a wonderful journey. Loved it! :) I think Spanish students would particularly enjoy this installment since it takes place in Mexico and has many Spanish words and phrases throughout. Again, these are the kinds of books I feel good about sharing with teen girls. I love the positive messages they bring and diverse characters and settings. So good. :)

When Irish Guys Are Smiling by Suzanne Supplee

When Irish Guys Are Smiling by Suzanne Supplee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really like this series because they tend to feature strong and smart female protagonists that learn a lot about themselves while traveling and studying abroad. I love that I can share these books with my young teenage cousins and feel good about it. This is another great installment that I will happily pass along to young female readers. This particular installment follows Delk, a young girl trying to escape all of the changes in her life following the death of her mother. She goes to Ireland for a semester and learns just as much about herself as she does about the country. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to any teenage female, particularly one interested in studying abroad or travel. If you're a parent of a teen girl, this is the kind of series I would recommend you give to her. While Twilight might break the ice and get a girl into reading (if she's reluctant in the first place), this is the kind of series you want her to read ultimately. Teen girls should have positive and strong female characters to look up to and emulate and these books almost always deliver that.

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was excited to read this book because I love to travel and would like to go to India someday. It started off decent, but definitely hit a snag partway through and I lost interest. It did pick back up near the end, save for when she visits her husband in Pakistan. That was a verbose chapter to get to a point, in my opinion. In fact, that was often a problem for the author. I could see what she was wanting to get to, but she would take the long way to get there. I am a sucker for alliteration and the author does have some rather excellent alliteration sprinkled throughout. But, it wasn't always necessary. I think this book would have been much better if had been condensed a bit. It needs some of the superfluous content cut and it would be much more enjoyable.

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Another Day In Paradise by Carol Bergman

Another Day in Paradise: International Humanitarian Workers Tell Their Stories by Carol Bergman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really liked this book. I've been fascinated by humanitarian work for many years. I've read more about the Peace Corps than most people I know. This book was written for people like me. :)

The stories aren't candy coated. They are gritty and real and cover the horror as well as the beauty of the work. Some people would read this book and feel turned off from humanitarian work. But, when I read it, it deepens my understanding of what it takes and I feel encouraged to explore my humanitarian side more deeply. I want to know the stories more intimately and have one to share. Truly a fascinating book and I'm very glad I was able to read it.