January - June 2007

January 2007
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashares
Girls in Pants, by Ann Brashares
Forever in Pants, by Ann Brashares
I needed to re-read the first three books in this series so I would be ready when the fourth book came out in mid-January. They are all wonderful, telling the story of four teenage girls who grew up together and are now spending summers apart for the first time. In the fourth and final book, they have just finished their first year of college, at four different schools. Tibby is staying at college to finish a class, Carmen is roped into a summer theater performance, Lena is staying at college to take an art class, and Bridget is going on an archeological dig in Turkey. They continue to share the traveling pants, sending them from state to state, but realize that the pants have become a substitute for actually being together and talking to each other. Eventually, the pants bring them all back together again. I've read all of these books a couple times now, and I can't pick a favorite. Each of the girls has a situation or characteristic that I can really relate too, and while there are a few wild plotlines, overall the books feel realistic.

The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
A continuation of my goal to read every King Arthur-related book ever written. This is the first of a four-book series (although some people would prefer to pretend the fourth doesn't exist), and while I don't remember much about it, I do remember enjoying the series.

February 2007
L'America, by Martha McPhee
I remember thinking that this book would be about one thing, and it turned out to be about something very different. It was quite good, however. A girl goes to Italy and falls in love with a boy there. She eventually has to go back to America, but they continue to keep in touch, and he comes to visit her. More than just a love story, it's about seeing someone else's country and culture through their eyes, and seeing your own country and culture through foreign eyes.

March 2007
The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare
A teenage girl from Jamaica moves to America to live with her Quaker relatives. She has a hard time fitting into their strict culture, but eventually finds a friend in a old woman who also does not have a place in the small religious community. The girl learns that it's okay not to be perfect in everyone else's eyes, and that even though she disagrees with them, her relatives are trying their best to understand her as well. Her culture is as foreign to them as the Quaker culture is to her. In the end, everyone finds a happy medium.

Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L'Engle
A book about the Austin family, where they spend the summer on an island. The oldest daughter befriends a lot of boys and is very confused. The entire family deals with the grandfather's imminent death as they spend his last summer together.

Patrick, by Stephen Lawhead
A Welsh teenager is kidnapped and forced into slavery in Ireland. He works for years to gain his freedom and return to his former home. Eventually he buys his freedom and returns to Wales, where he finds things to be very different. Then he goes on to be famous. This book was a nice departure from the usual science fiction series that Lawhead writes.

April 2007
Elements of Style, by Wendy Wasserstein
This book is completely unrelated to punctuation and grammar, contrary to what the title may lead you to believe. It is about high society in New York City, a subject which never ceases to amuse me. Reading fictional stories about the crazy things that stay-at-home wives with too much money do? Always good for a chuckle and a "who does that, anyway?"

May 2007
The Hollow Hills, by Mary Stewart
The Last Enchantment, by Mary Stewart
Books three and four of her King Arthur series.

Winkie, by Clifford Chase
I read a brief review of this book in the paper, and thought it sounded interesting. A toy bear comes to life and is mistaken for a terrorist. It is less light-hearted than I expected, but it was a very interesting book.

Ball Four (plus Five), by Jim Bouton
A book about baseball by an ex-pitcher, this is old enough that the author has added an extra chapter since he originally wrote the book. On one hand, insider information about baseball players and what goes on behind the game is always interesting to me. On the other hand, there really is a limit to the number of drug/sex/argument/alcohol/etc related anecdotes I really need to read. It wasn't a bad book, just a little repetitive at times.

Bridge to Terebithia, by Katherine Paterson
I never got around to watching the movie, but it did remind to buy and re-read this book. It's still a great book, and the ending is still horribly sad.

June 2007
The Wicked Day, by Mary Stewart
The last book in her series. I'll be honest, I didn't think the fourth book was that horrible. Sure, the story was less pleasant, but that doesn't make the book bad.

A House Like a Lotus, by Madeleine L'Engle
A story about the O'Keefe family, centering around the oldest daughter's adventurous trip to Europe.

Charlotte's Web, by EB White
Another childrens' classic, another excellent book.

The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger
This is me, reading the book instead of watching the movie. A young woman's first job in fashion is as an assistant to an evil evil magazine editor. It has the NYC high society feel of "who does that?" and the crazy job feel of "your boss expects you to do what?" all in one. If you're looking for a light read, this is a good one.

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
This was an excellent book. A man has the ability to travel back and forth to different times in his own life, but he has no control over his ability. He meets a girl, they fall in love, and eventually get married. His traveling makes everything more difficult, as one day he will be there with her, and the next day they will not have met yet. It's a fascinating story, and a twist on the usual time traveling tales.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by JK Rowling
Harry Potter 7 comes out next month, so obviously I need to re-read the first six books to get the story fresh in my mind.