Goodreads | The Little Women Letters

This month I read just one book, but it was what I'm calling a window-seat book: quick, lighthearted, entertaining. Can I copyright that term? :) Here it is! The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly. This is a current-day Little Women, and actually, these sisters are the descendants of the March girls. What's not to love about a take on the classic? Each sister reminds you of one of the March sisters, and as the story follows them through their 21st-century lives, it takes a lot of the same twists and turns as the classic. My verdict? It was a little cheesy, but a must-read if you're a Little Women fan. I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

As the weather's gotten a little cooler and rain has actually fallen out of the sky (imagine that!), all I've wanted to do is curl up with a book. Look for more than one Goodread next month hopefully! And if you have good book recommendations, please share! I'm always looking for something new.

Goodreads | Off Balance

Nathan and I tried a new thing in the last couple months ... audio books. I don't care what anyone says about how great audio books or e-Readers are. NOTHING beats reading a bound book with pages that you can physically turn. I know it's not the green thing, but really, you just can't replace books. This was my second time trying an audio book and I've come to the conclusion that I just don't get as much out of it when I'm listening to it. I'm a visual person (flashcards were my saving grace in school; if I physically meet you and you tell me your name, I will remember it for life!), so there's nothing better than curling up with a paperback and getting lost in the story. On that note, my Goodreads this month ...

Seriously ... I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres. I might be the biggest Ellen fan in the world. Seriously ... not kidding. :) I love her humor and the good she does. Having said that, while parts of her book were hilarious, overall it was a little disappointing for me. I'm not sure what I expected, but after the first few chapters it all kind of ran together. If you're looking for a really, really light and easy read, pick this up. If not, keep it on the shelf (it PAINS me to say that!).

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. This was one of our audio books and while I liked it, I think I would have liked it better if I was holding it in my hands. The Westing Game is a classic children's mystery (although "children" means older than 12 in my mind) that's kind of like Clue. There's a murder and all the characters come together to play a game for money. I really thought I'd be able to put the clues together, but in the end I was still stumped. Always a good thing to be surprised right 'til the very end.

Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu. This was the perfect pre-Olympics book. Dominique was my very favorite gymnast growing up, so her memoir was fascinating to me. I had absolutely no idea what went on behind the scenes of her very public life, and this was eye-opening. While it was an easy read, I thought there was a lot of depth to the story. Plus, the really cool thing is that she lives in Cleveland now. Maybe she needs some sweet family photos? :)

Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan. So, so different than all the books above, Say You're One of Them was a heart-wrenching read. It's made up of five short stories chronicling children in Africa, and there is no sugar coating here. It was agonizing and painful, but it was necessary for me to read. I had no grasp on what poverty looks like in Africa, and I always appreciate books that force me to look up from my cushy world and realize that I'm blessed beyond belief.

Goodreads | The Hunger Games

I'm kind of embarrassed to say it, but I feel like I'm in mourning now that I'm done with The Hunger Games series. I got so invested in the characters lives over the past few weeks that I need my fill of Katniss and Peeta and Gale. Maybe there's a fourth book in hiding? :) I was skeptical about The Hunger Games before I started. I admit, I was feeling so superior for not having bought into the "teenage drama," but once I started reading, I realized it's so not like that. Or maybe it is, but I bought into it anyways!

If you've been living under a rock for the past year (and that's OK because I was!), The Hunger Games is a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins about a place called Panem, formerly North America. It takes place way in the future in a post-apocolyptic world, and the nation's made up of a Capitol, which basically dominates 12 outlying districts. Every year, the Capitol holds the Hunger Games where one boy and one girl from each district are randomly picked to fight to the death in a televised battle (aka a reality show). And all this is done to remind the districts who's in control.

The books are so suspenseful that you can't stop reading after a couple chapters. I literally finished the first book in a day and a half because the story fascinated me that much.

So, here are my brief reviews of the three books. What did YOU think?

The Hunger Games (#1). I think out of all three books, this one was my favorite. The concept of the Hunger Games was so unique I just couldn't put the book down. This first story follows the 74th games and is narrated by a player in the arena. So, you get all the inside action, plus a lot more. Goodreads review: 5 stars (out of 5!)

Catching Fire (#2). Almost equally as good as the first book (in my opinion!), this story follows the victors from past Hunger Games and introduces the "Quarter Quell," or the 75th Hunger Games, which is even more elaborate and dangerous than the rest. I totally did not see ANY of this stuff coming, which made the book that much better. Goodreads review: 5 stars

Mockingjay (#3). The last book in the series focuses on the aftermath of the 75th Hunger Games … and that's about all I can say about that! This book was a little slow for me, and then all of a sudden it would get CRAZY. I wasn't a huge fan of the direction some of the twists and turns took, but I did like the ending, which is the most important part, right?? Goodreads review: 4 stars

Thanks, Sharon, for getting me hooked and letting me borrow your books! I can always count on my best friend to introduce me to new stuff (I didn't watch The Office until she made me give it a chance!)

Goodreads| Maisie Dobbs

I only had time to read one book this month, but it was a good one! :) Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. Set during WWI, this is the first in a series of books about Maisie, who is a detective or private investigator. I expected this to be a mystery, but it was more about her life, how she came to be where she is and how the war affected almost everything. As someone who really doesn't read much about WWI, I thought those stories were the most interesting. A good, solid read all around. Thanks for the book, Mom!

And now ... I'm off to start The Hunger Games. Oh yes, I'm doing it. I hope it's as good as everyone says! :)