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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie I absolutely loved this. Alexie's humorous prose and dialogue is spot-on for teenagers. The accompanying illustrations are wonderful, too. I stayed up late to finish the last several chapters, exciting yet tender and sweet. It's a rare book that touches me like this one did! |
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The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian I enjoyed how this book took characters I know so well and used them as if they were real. Readers of The Great Gatsby will enjoy how Daisy, Gatsby, and Tom are remembered in this novel. The ending took me by surprise. |
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling I was anxious to read this and sad at the same time. I just love the world that J.K. Rowling has created for us, and I didn't want to be finished quite so soon. I appreciated that she left some questions unanswered yet. |
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Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert Intensely satisfying, her fantastic analogies made me chuckle. Gilbert’s search for herself was something a lot of women can relate to. I enjoyed learning about the various countries she visited, and the people she described seem like old friends to me now too. I want every woman I know to read this. |
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Extras by Scott Westerfeld In this new world, Aya bemoans her low face rank (popularity) and wishes to "kick" a story that will send her shooting up the fame scale. I loved the idea that we all are newsmakers/storytellers who frame the world for everyone else. Aya is so immersed in this world that NOT having a hovercam to record her every moment is uncomfortable for her, like someone removed part of her memory. There is plenty of action and gadgetry to keep readers turning pages, chapter after short chapter. |
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The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde What a cool world this would be: a place where special operations teams stamp out literary crimes, where fiction and reality blend. The names of the characters (Braxton Hicks, Jack Schitt, Thursday Next) made me giggle. Although a background in literature helps, it's not necessary to enjoy this light science fiction mystery. |
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Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos I really loved this book. I couldn't figure out how the two stories connected. When they did, I was hooked. How appropriate is the title! I particularly liked the old movie references and the way the narrator comments on the writing style while addressing the reader in second person. |
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Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro A thinking book with a wonderfully revealing conclusion, Never Let Me Go is a slow mystery in which the author reveals the horrifying truth little by little, small nuggets of information that keep the reader wanting more: to understand what carers are, to know why the children of Hailsham are special, to see how Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy's lives turn out after all. Will our society ever get to this point? |
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This is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn by Aidan Chambers [sigh] I can't begin to do this book justice with a few sentences. I was immersed for a month in Cordelia's world and loved every minute of it. The detailed imagery was so vibrant that months later, scenes from the novel are still with me. The front cover flap tells us it's not for "younger readers," and I do hope that the sheer magnitude of the book would keep younger readers away. Cordelia's recollections of her study of love are authentic, frank, sweet and true. This book is genius: the language, untraditional pagination, allusions, the life-like characters who help teach Cordelia who she is - amazing. Readers cannot help but learn about themselves as they learn about Cordelia Kenn. |
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A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Although this book did not grab me like The Kite Runner, the beautiful language, deeply-imagined characters, and the fateful plot kept me interested from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend that readers who liked Hosseini's first novel read this one. Girls especially will appreciate seeing Afghanistan from a female angle. |
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