Stargirl - 3M's Review

Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli

2002, 186 pp.

Rating: 4



Stargirl is a high school girl who, refreshingly, does NOT try to be like everyone else. She marches to her own drummer. She is kind to everyone, almost to a fault. But does everyone love her for it or think she's too much of an oddity?

I enjoyed this book, though I winced a bit at the too familiar (though long ago) high school culture. A very good story for teens.

The View from Saturday

i've finished my first book for this challenge - E. L. Konigsburg's The View from Saturday, from Sarah Miller's list. i've posted a brief review on my book blog. (by the way, Sarah's blog, which i'd never visited until now, is here.)

this is what Sarah had said about it:

I honestly can't tell you exactly what it is that makes me love this book so much. The way everything fits together appeals to me - how with the characters and the story itself, the whole is equal to more than the sum of the parts. I also love the haven these kids create for themselves.

i completely understand what she means about the whole being equal to more than the sum of the parts! this book is well-crafted - as well as a delightful story.

i've been meaning to read this book - the 1997 Newbery Medal Winner - for a number of years. thanks for putting it on your list, Sarah, to give me a little motivation to get it read!

Becky's Third Book: Regrettable Food Fun

Review originally appeared at Becky's Book Reviews

Part of me thinks it should almost be illegal to have this much fun reading a book. Seriously. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. The book that inspired such fun and giggles is James Lileks' The Gallery of Regrettable Food: Highlights from Classic American Recipe Books. Why now? The Something-About-Me Challenge of course. This gem of a book is from Tiny Librarian's list.

This book got its start when the author, James Lileks, found an unbelievable book in his mother's closet--a "pristine" copy of Specialties of the House. A cookbook that arrived via the neighborhood Welcome Wagon in the early sixties. He writes in the introduction, "The truth of those times won't be found in these pages. These are the commercial bones of the past, what we're left with." (14)

This book isn't for everyone. Let me tell you that right now. It's not a clean read. The humor sometimes turns adult in nature. And its dosed largely with sarcasm. But there is just something so perfect about this book. It's funny. It's witty. It's brilliant.

The book consists of two things: pictures and illustrations and captions taken from authentic cookbooks from America's past (30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s) and adds the "observations" of Lileks. Both can get you into trouble. Sure you might laugh if you look only at the pictures, but once you start reading his narration...you're bound to laugh even harder.

I've been struggling on how best to capture and convey what this book is really like...since I know that most people won't rush on out and see for themselves...

The very least I can do is link to what portions are online...Excerpts of Gallery of Regrettable Food

Actually, I've just been exploring the links...and it seems these are things that aren't in the book. They're extra. They're even-more zany fun that I'll have to explore!! But even so, you'll know if you want to find the real book by examining this site.




And my particular favorite...note the recipe for "Sherry Cream" meant to be an exciting cocktail drink.


Be sure to visit Lileks' other site as well:

The Institute of Official Cheer

What does this book say about Tiny Librarian? That she has a great sense of humor. That she'd be fun to hang out with. That we are kindred spirits.

The Books Heather T is Reading

This was so hard. And there are new lists up since I chose my books, so I may have to add some to my list here. I pocked 5 to start with. Those are:

Diary of Anne Frank (from Pattie's List)
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd (from Bonnie's List)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (from Kathrin's List)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (From Becky's List)
Dakota: A Spiritual Geography by Kathleen Norris (From Beachreader's List)

I have already begun to read Jane Eyre. I am journaling my progress over at A Reader and A Thinker.

Other books on my list include:

The Awakening by Kate Chopin (Also from Pattie's List)
Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott (from Nattie's List)
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (b/c of the UK link we share - from 3M's List)The Writing Life by Annie Dilliard (From Megan's list)
So Many Books So Little Time by Sara Nelson (Have heard so much about - From Vasilly's List and the List of a.book.in.the.life)
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Can you believe I haven't read this - From Bookworm's List)
The Five Gifts of Illness by Jill Sklar (From Dana's List)
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli (From Sarah Miller's List)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (also From Sarah Miller's List)
Because it is Bitter and Because it is My Heart by Joyce Carole Oates (from Judith's List)
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (From Faith's List)
The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende (from Little Willow's List)
Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks (from Gracie's List)
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (from Karlene's List)

Heather

The Secret Life of Bees - 3M's Review

The Secret Life of Bees
by Sue Monk Kidd

2003, 302 pp.

Rating: 4.5






Crossposted at my blog at http://3m3am.wordpress.com.

I'm so glad I hadn't read this book before so that I could read it for the Something About Me Challenge (and the Southern Reading Challenge). I loved everything about this book. The setting, the characters, the story. I didn't know anything about it before I started reading, and I think it's best that way. All I'll say is that it is about a girl named Lily and that bees play an important part of the story. If you're one of the few who haven't read it yet, you'll be in for a treat when you do.

soleil's first read

Uglies is my first read for the something about me challenge. i have been eager to read this book since i have heard so much about it but i wanted to wait until the challenge officially started. i read it one sitting.
this is an absorbing read about a dystopian society where people are separated based on their looks and ages. when children are youngsters they are called littlies and live with their parents whom are called by name, not by mom and dad. once children reach age 12 they go to uglyville where they live in dorms, have very rigid rules and are monitored by interface rings. across the river is new pretty town where the older adolescents are free to run wild and do whatever they want. the uglies have to wait until their sixteenth birthday before they can become one of the pretties and move to new pretty town.
there are some who don't want to become pretty. they know there is something far more sinister happening. their bodies and faces aren't the only things being operated on, but their brains are too. . .

i highly recommend this book, especially if you like scary dystopian fantasies in the vein of Brave New World, etc.

this was from faith's list. i don't remember why she picked this book particularly but i do know that she loves this book and has recommended it several people. i can see faith being a combination of tally and shay. i don't think she would ever ever betray her friends or entertain the idea for a second but tally seems to be the true heroine. shay was the one who initially wanted to run away but she is a fickle girl and faith's not like that. she prizes her intelligence and her noncomformist ways. thanks for the great read, faith. i am desperate to read the other two!

The Chosen Ones

It has been so hard to narrow down which books I want to read for this challenge...

So here they are with a few extras just in case...

Snow Flower and Secret Fan
Chocolat
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
The Historian
Cheaper by the Dozen
The Thirteenth Tale
The Namesake
Biblioholism

**on a side note, my list in the sidebar says SheReads (Diane), it should be SheReads (Becky), I used my username because there is another Becky and I didn't want there to be a lot of confusion.