Summer Reading

Per the request of my great cousin Kayrena, I would like to share some of my reading from this summer. I promise this list will be varied and will probably make you scratch your head as to how all these books possibly got together into the same thing. Yep.
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. Such a great book. I read it every summer, it just feels like summer to me.
- The Fablehaven series, by Brandon Mull. I don't really enjoy these books. Why, you will ask, are they on this list then? Well, remember when I hung out with my friend Jeremiah last week? He was raving about these books, and said I HAD to read them. He said they were as good as Harry Potter. THE BIG REVEAL: They're not. So don't get your hopes up, like I got mine! Also, nobody tell Jerem I said that. Ha! However, I am currently reading the second book in this series, and it being summer and they being books, they must be put on this list. Try them, but don't expect HP caliber writing.
- Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. This book is the basis for the Broadway musical of the same name, and it tells the comprehensive story of the Wicked Witch of the West, before, during, and after Dorothy came to Oz. The book is intriguing, but don't expect it to be full of lighthearted music, dancing, and fun, like the play is. It goes into way more depth about every aspect surrounding the Witch. Very interesting.
- The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare. This may or may not be in the children's section of the library. . . . but it is great.
- 24 Girls in 7 Days, by Alex Bradley. See, this title sounds a little iffy, right? Don't even worry, it is a hilarious book about a boy who is choosing a date for his senior prom. The first time I read it, I literally laughed out loud. I was reading in the bath, and my mom knocked on the door and asked if I was on the phone, because I was laughing constantly. Ha! Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face. Hilarious.
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, by Ann Brashares. You may or may not think that I am a pre-teen girl for recommending this. However, onward and upward. I just finished the series, and it made me cry. Good enough for me.
- The Women of Genesis, by Orson Scott Card. Alright, who knew that this guy is LDS? I just thought, you know, science fiction writer, cool, whatever. But I was reading his afterword, and he is def Mormon! This is a series, and I have read the book Rachel and Leah from it. There are two more, Sarah, and Rebekah. I am definitely going to read the other two. They are dramatized versions of the Biblical stories of these women, and very interesting reading.
- A Long Fatal Love Chase, by Louisa May Alcott. My friends Lora and Kelly B. recommended this book to me. At first, I was a little sketched out, thinking, Alcott? The same that wrote Little Women? Which, while being a good story, is incredibly sappy. And also, I hate Amy in that book and movie. The little wench baby, thinking she is the queen and getting everything!! Daht! Ok. Calming down. Anyway, I checked out A Long Fatal Love Chase from the library, and I was literally hooked. It is brill! Suspenseful and tense, so interesting! Very great.
- Digital Fortress, by Dan Brown. Yes, the same Dan Brown that wrote the Da Vinci Code. Which I also love, but not as much as Angels and Demons, WHICH I found at a thrift store for $1.67! That price includes the tax. However, I do believe that Digital Fortress may be my favorite Dan Brown work. I also may or may not be a nerd who loves numbers and codes and just wishes I could be as smart as the people in this book. Ah well.
- The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. It had to be said. I love this entire series. I read all seven books ever summer. Let's rank in order of favor, shall we? This may be hard. But. I will try my best.
1. The Last Battle. Have you read this? If so, did you get all the incredible symbology? Gospel stuff, just literally peppered with gospel analogies!
2. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Great adventure.
3. Prince Caspian. Again, adventure to the max.
4. The Magician's Nephew.
5. The Horse and His Boy.
6. The Silver Chair
7. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Ok, this list also gets mixed up a lot, due to the fact that all of these books are a 10 on the one to ten scale. They are all great!
- Standing In the Rainbow, by Fannie Flagg. This book is so hopeful. That's really the greatest way to describe it. It always makes me happy. Also, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by the same author is outstanding as well.
- The HARRY POTTER series, by J.K. Rowling! It has to be said. HP FOREVER!!
I think that will end the book list for today.
Just realized, this post may or may not be my first attempt at book criticizing! I am well on my way to fulfilling lifelong dreams!
Before the end, we will do one song recommendation: Stephen, by Ke$ha. Ke$ha, what a girl. As my friend Jeremy once said, when asked to rate Ke$ha on the one to ten scale, "On Auto-Tune, she's a 10. Live, a 3.3."
Thank you, and goodnight.