inexcusable

This book was a quick, one-day read and a good one for high school students.  The story of Keir Jensen and his love Gigi, Inexcusable examines the topic of date rape, and encourages the reader to really look at the narrator's reliability.  I didn't love this book, but it was a decent read.

bossypants

Absolutely hilarious.  If you love Tina Fey, you will love this book.  If you don't love Tina Fey, you will still love this book!

thirteen reasons why

Wow, loved this book.  Hannah Baker records cassette tapes revealing how 13 people contributed to her committing suicide.  She mails them to the first person mentioned, requests that he mail them to the next person on the tapes, and then kills herself.  Despite the sad story, Thirteen Reasons Why was not a downer.

The dual narrator is really cool (Hannah and Clay Jensen, her first love), especially the way their voices are intertwined throughout each chapter, not trading off chapters as some books do (a la My Sister's Keeper). 

The book leaves the reader with the very real message that one must consider how his actions or words may impact another.  Great read.  I can see why it was a New York Times bestseller.

the adoration of jenna fox

I'm not sure how I feel about this book.  The climax wasn't all that climactic; I figured things out too early.  Jenna wakes up from a coma and doesn't remember her parents or her friends, yet she recalls the details of the French Revolution and can recite entire passages from Walden. She quickly realizes there is something different about herself, but what is it? 

The story of one girl's struggle with what it means to be human, this book deals with both medical ethics and love, while maintaining readers' interest with its slight creepiness.  It was a quick two-day read, so I guess it was worth my time.  I can see why teenagers would enjoy this one.

the disreputable history of frankie landau-banks

A great YA read that lauds girl power!  At Alabaster, a prestigious boarding school, Frankie tries to infiltrate her boyfriend's all-male secret society in an effort to show she is just as smart and just as daring as the boys.  Although this book is not a challenging read, it is a fun one for teenagers.  I read it in Florida by the pool and on the plane over the weekend.

the art of racing in the rain

This is my first Garth Stein book, and I really liked it.  Although his writing isn't sophisticated, the story is a touching one, even if you're not a dog lover, I would imagine.  Enzo, a wise and philosophical dog at the end of his life, looks back on his relationship with Denny, a race car driver, and his family.  Having Enzo narrate added an interesting twist to the book, one I haven't seen since Death narrated The Book Thief.

A sweet, quick read.  The perfect summer book to read by the pool :)

where men win glory

I love Jon Krakauer.  This is the fifth book of his that I've read, and once again, I was so impressed.  His sophisticated writing style and ability to weave the story of one man's life with the history of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is remarkable.  The story of Pat Tillman walking away from a life of privilege, as offered by a career in the NFL, in return for a life of sacrifice in the army,  revealed some troubling information about our government and our armed forces. 



Although I was drawn to the story of Pat and the man he really was, not the man the media portrayed, I was most pulled into the story of the cover-up that happened after his death by friendly fire.  How this was allowed to occur I cannot imagine, but it did, and not enough of the American public knows the truth of what happens behind the scenes.

This is a great read.  I learned so much about Afghanistan and our evolving fight there, but I learned more about one man's desire to do what's right.  Loved, loved this book.