Book Recs August 20, 2009
Posted by Jess in books.trackback
So I’m really liking this idea of just picking out some of the books I’ve read lately and telling you how highly I recommend them. It’s much easier than writing a review, and people might get some ideas for what to read next. See, I love book recommendations. I just…I don’t know. I’ll wander around Amazon or GoodReads and not come up with anything new to read. For some reason I just like it better when someone says to me, “Oh my gosh! You must read this book!” Or when they go, “Ew! Do not read that one.” The latter helps me to know what could very well waste my time, and the former (hopefully) means I just may like it. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. But, hey. Different strokes for different people.
Anyhoo… Lately I’ve read:
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Recommended.
I don’t know. I guess technically this book isn’t the greatest thing ever, but it really is good and very gut-wrenching in places. I liked it muchly.
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headly
Definitely recommended.
Okay, I admit it. I expected to hate this book. Everyone was raving about it. *Everyone.* So I was just like, “Eh, I’ll just give this a shot and see what happens.” Well, what happened was that I liked it a whole, whole lot. Given the fact that I was feeling absolutely dreadful when I read it, I’m surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did. Most books I read when I’m in a bad/sad mood tend to get the hate treatment. (Yes, my emotions at the time help me decide how I felt about a book.)
Water Song by Suzanne Weyn
Recommended if you’re a fan of the “Once Upon a Time” Series. If you’re not, well, you may not be too fond of this.
Look, it was like every other book in this series. Short. Predictable. Slightly/Really cheesy at times. Very little character development.
It’s a Mall World After All by Janette Rallison
Recommended for lovers of chick lit.
Janette Rallison wields a rare power over me. She is one of the very few authors who has actually made me laugh out loud while I was reading. This book was good, clean, and fun chicklit. Awesome stuff. 
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
Not recommended at all.
Every so often a book comes along that leaves me scratching my head and going, “What the freaking heck?” Yeah, that would be what this book did to me. And then after it ended I considered dropping it in a vat of burning oil. However, it was a library book. Sigh.
Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
Recommended.
I heart Elizabeth Scott. End of story.
Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita
Definitely recommended for lovers of chicklit.
More clean and fun chicklit. Again, awesome stuff. Jen Calonita makes me smile.
So, dear readers, have you read any of these? Thoughts and opinions on them? I’d love to hear ‘em.
I love If I Stay, North of Beautiful, and Something Maybe. I haven’t read the others… thanks for the mini reviews!
I agree totally with your assessment of Water Song. I’ve read most of that series, and I found that one to be one of the worst. It was predictable, and so cheesy I wanted to smack the characters.
Elizabeth Scott is one of my favorite authors. None of her books rank among my favorites, but her books just make me happy. Her books are like Sarah Dessen’s, but…idk. They’re not lighter per se; they’re just…what?
I want to read Sleepaway Girls. I <3 Secrets of My Hollywood Life.
If I Stay…it wasn’t amazing. But it was.
I want to read more of Janette Rallison’s books. I’ve liked the two I’ve read. Especially My Fair Godmother. I’m totally buying that paperback.
Tender Morsels…ah…I wanted to like it. But. It was just really stupid and pointless. And I’m not sure I even understood a word of it.
If I Stay totally captured me.
I didn’t like North of Beautiful until nearly the end, but then I loved it.
I’ve only read one Janette Rallison, but I loved it. So, so funny.