If I Stay

If I Stay By: Gayle Forman

Mia has a choice, does she stay and live or does she die.  She had everything but was in a car accident that took the life of her whole family (Mom, Dad and little Brother).  She is now stuck wandering the hospital where she is in in ICU fighting for her life. She is watching her grandparents, best friend and boyfriend and how they are handling the accident. While doing this she remembers much about her life and all the wonderful and not so wonderful times with her family.  Is it worth still living without them? That is the choice she has to make.

I really liked this book. It was a great story of how much the people around us mean to us and what it would be like to have to live without them.  It makes you think about how fast things can change and if you were able to choose what you would choose to do on Earth without those you love the most.  Perfect high school read.

I borrowed this from a friend
ISBN: 978-0-14-24153-6

I've Got Your Number

I've Got Your Number By: Sophie Kinsella

Poppy has a problem, her heirloom engagement ring has been lost!  And her phone has been nicked, but she is resourceful and finds a phone in a trash bin and picks it up! She gives this number to the hotel personnel so that if they find her ring they can phone her. But then Sam calls, and wants to know how and where she found this phone, but she is able to convince him to let her use it until she finds her ring. She just can't help herself though and gets mixed up in reading all his emails and answering texts.  Before she knows it she is in deep. While she is trying to set up her wedding she finds her self doubting things a little more, but Sam is there to help her all along!

This was a cute and fun read. I loved the story line that she finds a phone and just takes it to use for her own use!  So funny.  I thought the characters were endearing and had so much going for them, Poppy and Sam complement each other well. I loved the part when Poppy was feeling bad because she was not good at Scrabble with her in laws so Sam texts her words to use and she ends up winning the game!! So funny.  Great great adult read!!

I borrowed this from the public library.
ISBN: 978-0-385-34206-3 

Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush By: Becca Fitzpatrick

Nora is really annoyed when she is forced to be lab partners with Patch in biology. But she feels that there is something going on with him.  For the past few months she has been feeling like someone is watching her and following her, now that she knows Patch she thinks it might be him.  But when things start to get a little more intense and her best friend his beaten up, she is more than worried.  Vee, her best friend, also has been hanging around with Elliot, a transfer student with what Nora finds out is a dark past.  Can Nora figure out what is going on and who is out to get her, and will she sort out her feelings for Patch who is acting sketchy?

This was a great teen read.  Perfect mix of thriller and teen drama.  I loved the characters of Nora and Patch and think that the chemistry between them was great. I also liked how as the reader you knew there was something about him being a fallen angel but you couldn't quite put your finger on it until it was all revealed.  The author did a good job keeping the true ending hidden and I loved that there were twists and turns throughout.  Great read!!  AND there is a sequel Crescendo!

I borrowed this from the public library.
ISBN: 978-1-4169-8942-4

An Invisible Thread

An Invisible Thread By: Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski

Laura is a busy lady, she works very hard and has a lot on her plate. So when the young boy asks her for money on the street she walks past, but something makes her stop and turn around.  She decides to help this young boy of 11 out and take him to lunch.  She does this every Monday after that, with this one small decision she changes both of their lives forever.  This is the story of how it you can make a difference in someones life forever.  Laura is able to teach Maurice many things that were missing in his life and help to make him a better person.  Maurice is able to teach Laura how you can't give up on someone.

This is one of my favorite books.  It is a wonderful story of two people who were very different but needed each other in their own way.  Maurice needed Laura to be a mother figure in his life and teach him a different path than his own mother was able to teach him. Laura needed Maurice to teach her how to survive and how to be a mother to someone.  Fascinating Beautiful story!!

I borrowed this from the public library.
ISBN: 978-1-4516-4251-3

A Curse Dark as Gold

A Curse Dark as Gold By: Elizabeth C. Bunce

Charlotte and her sister Rosie are all that is left of the Miller family. They just lost their father and now are the only ones left to run the mill. But the mill seems to have a curse on it, as it is not able to ever be fixed up, and strange things are always happening that make it so the millers are not successful or fall into peril.  The girl's uncle comes to live with them and to act as their guardian, but he ends up cheating them out of things with his gambling problem. Charlotte meets Randall, the banker, that while he comes to tell them about the debt they owe the bank finds more when him and Charlotte fall in love. Charlotte is not going to let the mill fall into shambles or close and so she sets out to break the curse before it is to late.

I loved this book. I thought it was a fantastic book with mystery  and shows that even though girls may not seem like they can do a lot, they can do whatever they set their mind to. I loved the strong will of the characters to make the best of what is a bad situation.  I think that it would be great for upper middle school and up readers.

I borrowed this from the public library.
ISBN: 978-0-439-89576-7

Grandpa For Sale

 Grandpa For Sale By: Dotti Enderle and Vicki Sansum  Illustrated By: T. Kyle Gentry

Lizzie works in her family's antique shop, Oldman's Antiques. Her grandpa sometimes gets tired and sleeps on the settee. One day Mrs Larchmont comes in and decides that she cannot live without the antique, meaning Lizzie's grandfather, but no matter how much she is offered Lizzie cannot bear to part with him, which makes Mrs. Larchmont very angry. But makes Lizzie very happy.

I love this book. The illustrations make it a very special book to read.  They are vivid and beautiful.  I think that the story is also a wonderful one, that some people may think that money can buy anything, but they are terribly wrong.!

I bought this from Scholastic.
ISBN: 978-0-9729225-8-6

Book of a Thousand Days

Book of a Thousand Days By: Shannon Hale

Dashti is a lady's maid.  She works for Lady Saren, but little does she know that she is about to be locked into a tower with her for seven years.  Lady Saren has made her father angry and he has locked her into a tower until she has agreed to marry a certain man or until seven years has passed.  Well after a thousand days in the tower Dashti is able to find a way out of the tower and they find that the towns around them have been leveled. They head to the town of the love of Lady Saren's life to see if they can get help there, they end up in service to him in the kitchen.  But circumstances have it that Dashti is called upon to help heal one of his men. She becomes his friend, but has not told him who she is and who she works for. Lady Saren has changed a lot since being locked in the tower and does not want her love to know who she is, so she tells Dashti to pretend to be her, things get very mixed up from there and Dashti ends up in jail and awaits the ruling on her life.

This was a great book, it is very hard to explain so my summary is a little confusing I know.  It is the story of real love and much sorrow.  I thought the author did a fantastic job telling this story, at first I was really confused as to what was happening but then was drawn into it and could not put it down. There is a mystery surrounding the man that Lady Saren was supposed to marry that will appeal to all paranormal fans out there! Such a great read!  I would say that it would be great for upper middle school readers and up.

I borrowed this from the public library.
ISBN: 978-1-59990-378