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.

Devil May Ride by Wendy Roberts

Devil May Ride by Wendy Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Satanism, a motorcycle gang, and ghosts galore! Seriously, this woman is fast becoming my new favorite author. This series is so up my alley! They characters talk like my friends talk and I just love that. The main mystery is seedy and fascinating. We learn some really interesting back story and it seems to fit in well. Sometimes, when an author goes back to explain things, they can stop following their own rules or it will stick out in some way. That did NOT happen for me at all. I felt it was all very smart and it totally worked for me. I can't wait for more in this series. :)

Push by Sapphire

Push by Sapphire

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I imagine this book will become required reading in many college lit classes. It has some great themes and a unique voice. But, even without analyzing it, it's still a great book. It's hard and raw and feels more real than not.

You know what book I would compare it to? The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. That one left a similar impression on me. It's another book with a strong and unique voice and of course, it has sadness. The subject matter is totally different, but it left a huge emotional impression.

That is the strength of Push, for me. The emotional impression is really key. I've read several Jodi Picoult books and while they are well crafted, I have trouble connecting to the characters emotionally. Push allowed me to emotionally connect with Precious. She didn't hide the emotions and I don't believe she focused on them too much, either. It's just a really fascinating book to me.

While My Pretty One Knits by Anne Canadeo

While My Pretty One Knits by Anne Canadeo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Overall, I was a little disappointed because the mystery was so easy to figure out. I knew who did it and the motive long before the reveal. So, it was a little difficult for me to give it a higher star rating when I felt annoyed at how simple the mystery was to solve. But, that being said, I still finished the book and enjoyed it well enough. I will give the next book in the series a shot because I'm a knitter that loves to read knitting related mystery novels. What can I say? I'm a total sucker. lol! :)

The Chris Farley Show by Thomas Farley Jr.

The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts by Thomas Farley Jr.

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
An emotional book for me. I adored Chris Farley and loved getting to know him throughout this book. Of course, the story is heart breaking in the end and it's hard not to get a little teary eyed while reading. I liked that not everyone agreed on certain points, but that they were still represented. I have more empathy for David Spade than ever before. I can't imagine what that time was like for him. Overall, it was much more than I thought it would be. It was more emotional, more honest, and more brutal than I expected from a biography written by friends and family. There are a lot of great pictures included too. I loved being able to put a face to the few names that I didn't recognize.

Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell

Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Well, it was different than what I was expecting. There were excellent and realistic depictions of witchcraft mixed with the more fantastical Hollywood depictions of it. I felt conflicted by this throughout the entire book. I guess I don't understand why the author chose to mix realism with fantasy as much as she did. Weird. I enjoyed the store and the cast of characters quite a bit. I liked the setting, the action, and most aspects of the story. I just didn't like the real versus Hollywood versions of magic. It was just so inconsistent for me that it took away some of my enjoyment. I would be willing to give the next book in the series a try though. There were definitely enough positives for me to go into the next one with an open mind.

You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Not bad. There were a few editing problems that I noticed and that always takes me out of the story. I was a little disappointed with some aspects of the plot and entertained by others. For example, I was a little disappointed by who was behind the RC attacks and the motive. However, I loved all the zombies and the job of the Settlers. I'm not sure all of the explanations of Settlers work together, but it was an interesting concept and I enjoyed it overall. For instance, the author said zombies are attracted to Settlers in their age range and that adult Settlers that have children lose their Settler abilities. I would think more adult Settlers would be needed because so many adults have children at some point. Plus, she mentioned many older (childless) Settlers work in Settler Affairs and I wasn't clear if they still deal with zombies at that level. And then there are adults that go into Enforcement, so it's a little more confusing figuring out who deals with the adult zombies. A little nit-picky, but these are the details that distract me while reading a book. I might read a sequel, but I wouldn't run out and buy it right away either.

Poisoned by Gilt by Leslie Caine

Poisoned by Gilt by Leslie Caine

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is the first book I've read in this series and it is okay. I would not say it is poorly written, but I did not fall in love with the main characters. It is almost too realistic at times with Erin's inner thoughts. But, she's much more girly than I am so I did not really connect with her. I don't know that I want to go back and read this series from the beginning. I fear that it's a Stephanie Plum-like scenario where Gilbert and Sullivan are "made for each other" but that their romance has trouble getting off the ground and never really gets anywhere. In fact, that is a strong reason I may have disconnected from the story in the first place. It's just something that doesn't work for me. I'm not really sure what to say about the mystery. It was a little odd and the reveal seemed a little uneven. It felt delayed and rushed all at the same time. Very odd to me. Oh well. The book didn't suck, but I'm not sure I'm going to read any others in this series.