The Possibilities of Sainthood: Review Haiku

Wanted to love it,
but concept and character
never gelled for me.

The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas. FSG, 2008, 280 pages.

Suite Scarlett: Review Haiku

High sibling drama
from a mousy blond who
finally finds her voice.

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson. Point/Scholastic, 2008, 353 pages.

NEPHEW!

I have a nephew! He has no name, and he is very small, but still! NEPHEW!

Tell Me Where It Hurts: Review Haiku

Made me sad (I miss
my dogs!) but also glad (I'm
not wackjob parent!).

Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in My Job as an Animal Surgeon by Nick Trout. Broadway, 2008, 286 pages.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Review Haiku

Twain's classic captures
the best and worst of the
American spirit.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. 1884, Charles Webster & Co., 366 pages.

#41 on The LIST, even though it wasn't there before, because it should've been, and hey, it's my LIST. Listened to on a Playaway device.

Julia Gillian and the Art of Knowing: Review Haiku

Not exactly plot-
heavy, but a welcome new
voice in middle-grade.

Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing) by Alison McGhee. Scholastic, 2008, 280 pages.

So. Tired.

Spent the weekend at home in the good old Midwest, co-chairing my high school reunion (go, Rocks!) and hosting a children's-book-themed baby shower for my sister, at which she received the full Triumvirate of Mediocrity, some in multiple copies.

Am busy editing and coding reunion website and writing essays and designing a newsletter, so have not been reading. Started Little Women; started Minders of Make-Believe; still slogging through Huck Finn (which isn't on The LIST but should've been).

Will have a couple make-up posts soon, but otherwise, I'm on a break. Happy end of summer.

House Lights: Review Haiku

Twenty-something thesp
seeks father figure in taut
family drama.

House Lights by Leah Hager Cohen. Norton, 2007, 303 pages.

Here endeth the vacation reading. Spottier posting schedule surely to follow.

Suddenly Supernatural: Review Haiku

Though brand names detract,
a charming little romp through
middle-school occult.

Suddenly Supernatural #1: School Spirit by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. Little Brown, 2008, 316 pages.

New Obsession

http://notalwaysright.com/

Hat tip to bookshelvesofdoom for the link.

P.S. Hey, I hit 400 posts and I wasn't even paying attention! Yay, me!

Home: Review Haiku

Mary/Maria/
Eliza makes even crap
childhood sound cheery.

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews. Hyperion, 2008, 339 pages.

The Underneath: Review Haiku

Appelt's grand novel
tackles love, bitterness, and
death. A tour-de-force.

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. Atheneum, 2008, 313 pages.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames: Review Haiku

Sedaris returns
in turns petty and poignant.
Smile-out-loud funny.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. Little, Brown, 2008, 323 pages.

The Green Glass Sea: Review Haiku

Dewey and Suze and
consequences writ large make
for one gripping read.

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages. Viking, 2006, 321 pages.

Little House on the Prairie: Review Haiku

Caroline Ingalls
makes me feel like a wholly
inadequate mom.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Harper, 1932, 238 pages.

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Harper, 1935, 335 pages.

#40 on The LIST.

Summer Blowout: Review Haiku

Cook's latest romp is
easy, breezy, beautiful --
perfect summer fare.

Summer Blowout by Claire Cook. Hyperion, 2008, 242 pages.

The Chocolate War: Review Haiku

Do I dare disturb
the universe? Dark classic
offers little hope.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. Knopf, 1974, 263 pages.
#39 on The LIST.

Wish You Were Here: Review Haiku

Road trip from hell shows
Ariel there's more to life
than lousy boyfriends.

Wish You Were Here by Catherine Clark. Harper, 2008, 212 pages.

Vacation Roundup

15 books, 4345 pages, give or take a couple. Not bad for ten days' work.

Back to the grind . . .

The Downhill Lie: Review Haiku

For a non-golfer,
kind of like watching a bad
vacation slideshow.

The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport by Carl Hiassen. Knopf, 2008, 207 pages.