July Book List

Disclaimer: This was a month of scavenging for reading material. I've started (re-) reading books that I own after months of going to the library all the time. So keep that in mind. :)

Who Gets The Drumstick? by Helen Beardsley
I think this is the real story that Yours, Mine, and Ours was based on. Helen Beardsley was a widow with eight children; she married a widower with ten of his own. Then they had two more children together. It's a pretty staggering concept, but they made it work! I enjoy stories about large families.

Ordinary Life: Stories by Elizabeth Berg
A short story collection. Most of the stories were about marriage problems and were pretty depressing. Well-written but too much of a downer.

The Luckiest Girl by Beverly Cleary*
This was one of my favorite books as a teenager, and I have to admit that I still love it. It's the story of Shelley, a mild-mannered Oregon girl who spends a year living with the family of her mom's college roommate in California. Since it was written around the '50s, it's quaint in a good way. And I always cry at the end. :)

A Big Storm Knocked It Over by Laurie Colwin
Laurie Colwin's books are all like following a regular person around for a while. There's no structured plot, everything unfolds naturally, but her characters are so real and likable. This particular novel is about a woman having a baby at the same time her best friend does. It inspired me to talk to Kathy about coordinating pregnancies someday. Hee hee.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen BOOK OF THE MONTH
Most people know that Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite writers. This is by far her best work. It's about Annabel, a gorgeous model, and her two sisters. They look like the girls who have everything, but their lives are a mess. Annabel is hiding a big secret, and no one will talk to her except a music-loving outcast named Owen, who teaches her what it means to be honest. I'm making a mess of the plot, but trust me - read it. It's wonderful.

When Dreams Come True by Eric and Leslie Ludy*
This is the exceptional and true love story of Eric and Leslie Ludy. Their whole point in sharing it was to convince readers that everyone has an equally perfect storybook romance waiting for them. When I read this book as a single person, it depressed me. It doesn't anymore, but I still think it's way too idealistic. We're all sinners, people.

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
The first Jodi Picoult I have read. It's about an Amish girl who is accused of murdering her illegitimate baby. However, she insists that she was never pregnant in the first place. I had a hard time putting this one down and felt like I learned a lot about Amish life.

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
I've been working up to this book for a while. It's an alternate-history novel in which Charles Lindbergh becomes President instead of FDR during WWII, so America doesn't join in the fighting and Lindbergh sympathizes with the Nazis. It's all told through the eyes of a young Jewish boy in New Jersey. This was a creepy and fascinating book. The coolest part is that, in the back, there's a very detailed timeline of what really happened, so you can compare the twists and turns. Pretty neat stuff.

So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld
A YA novel about a teenager in near-future NYC who works as a "cool hunter." He helps companies spot and promote trends. One day his boss disappears after being involved with a shipment of black-market sneakers, so he teams up with a "innovator" (one who creates the trends) to find his boss. And the shoes. I LOVED this book. It was too short.

Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner*
A re-read of one of my favorite books - a memoir of Lauren Winner's journey from Orthodox Judaism to Christianity. It is truly amazing.

The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton
katshakespeare recommended this one to me, and lo and behold, I discovered it in Evan's sci-fi bookcase. :) It's a pretty decent Star Wars novel. Leia is asked to consent to an arranged marriage with a rich, good-looking prince. She considers it. Han gets mad and decides to win her back. Ah, love. :)

Total books for July: 11
2006 year to date: 50

July Book List

Disclaimer: This was a month of scavenging for reading material. I've started (re-) reading books that I own after months of going to the library all the time. So keep that in mind. :)

Who Gets The Drumstick? by Helen Beardsley
I think this is the real story that Yours, Mine, and Ours was based on. Helen Beardsley was a widow with eight children; she married a widower with ten of his own. Then they had two more children together. It's a pretty staggering concept, but they made it work! I enjoy stories about large families.

Ordinary Life: Stories by Elizabeth Berg
A short story collection. Most of the stories were about marriage problems and were pretty depressing. Well-written but too much of a downer.

The Luckiest Girl by Beverly Cleary*
This was one of my favorite books as a teenager, and I have to admit that I still love it. It's the story of Shelley, a mild-mannered Oregon girl who spends a year living with the family of her mom's college roommate in California. Since it was written around the '50s, it's quaint in a good way. And I always cry at the end. :)

A Big Storm Knocked It Over by Laurie Colwin
Laurie Colwin's books are all like following a regular person around for a while. There's no structured plot, everything unfolds naturally, but her characters are so real and likable. This particular novel is about a woman having a baby at the same time her best friend does. It inspired me to talk to Kathy about coordinating pregnancies someday. Hee hee.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen BOOK OF THE MONTH
Most people know that Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite writers. This is by far her best work. It's about Annabel, a gorgeous model, and her two sisters. They look like the girls who have everything, but their lives are a mess. Annabel is hiding a big secret, and no one will talk to her except a music-loving outcast named Owen, who teaches her what it means to be honest. I'm making a mess of the plot, but trust me - read it. It's wonderful.

When Dreams Come True by Eric and Leslie Ludy*
This is the exceptional and true love story of Eric and Leslie Ludy. Their whole point in sharing it was to convince readers that everyone has an equally perfect storybook romance waiting for them. When I read this book as a single person, it depressed me. It doesn't anymore, but I still think it's way too idealistic. We're all sinners, people.

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
The first Jodi Picoult I have read. It's about an Amish girl who is accused of murdering her illegitimate baby. However, she insists that she was never pregnant in the first place. I had a hard time putting this one down and felt like I learned a lot about Amish life.

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
I've been working up to this book for a while. It's an alternate-history novel in which Charles Lindbergh becomes President instead of FDR during WWII, so America doesn't join in the fighting and Lindbergh sympathizes with the Nazis. It's all told through the eyes of a young Jewish boy in New Jersey. This was a creepy and fascinating book. The coolest part is that, in the back, there's a very detailed timeline of what really happened, so you can compare the twists and turns. Pretty neat stuff.

So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld
A YA novel about a teenager in near-future NYC who works as a "cool hunter." He helps companies spot and promote trends. One day his boss disappears after being involved with a shipment of black-market sneakers, so he teams up with a "innovator" (one who creates the trends) to find his boss. And the shoes. I LOVED this book. It was too short.

Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner*
A re-read of one of my favorite books - a memoir of Lauren Winner's journey from Orthodox Judaism to Christianity. It is truly amazing.

The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton
katshakespeare recommended this one to me, and lo and behold, I discovered it in Evan's sci-fi bookcase. :) It's a pretty decent Star Wars novel. Leia is asked to consent to an arranged marriage with a rich, good-looking prince. She considers it. Han gets mad and decides to win her back. Ah, love. :)

Total books for July: 11
2006 year to date: 50