For the Record: September 2010

My reading list this month reflects the fact that school has begun yet again--more Junior Fiction.  Much of it is good quality and fun to read, though the general task-load that school adds to my day seems to make it more difficult for me to get the more serious reading done.  Here's an overview of what I read in September:

78. Flame Over Tara, Madeleine Polland (4) A book I pre-read for my son. I really enjoyed this retelling of St. Patrick. I thought it did a great job of portraying the country at the time.

79. Whitethorn Woods, Maeve Binchy (3) This had been on my shelf for quite a while. It was entertaining--the author is great at writing real, 3D characters--but since it was about a place more than a person, the plot line kind of dragged. It was told in a series of short stories, each which touched on the fate of Whitehorn Woods (outside of Dublin).

80. Red Sails to Capri, Ann Weil (4.5) Read-Aloud for my kiddos for school. We all really loved this book. The characters have so much personality; we were laughing aloud every time we read.

81. The Boxcar Children, Gertrude Chandler Warner (3) Read-Aloud for my 6 year old. I hope this is the last time I have to read this aloud. I never read this as a child so can't find any magic in it.  All I find is boring! But the kids love it.

82. Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt (4.5) I loved this book. Great balance of humor and tragedy.


83. Winter’s Bone, Daniel Woodrell (4) I think I actually liked the film better than the book--a dark independent type of look at the unique culture in the Ozark hollows.

84. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, Aimee Bender (3) This was a book club book--and such an odd one! I was expecting something heartwarming and happy, and it really wasn't that. It provided great discussion for my book club though, which is always a good thing.

85. Ginger Pye, Eleanor Estes (3) We all thought this was going to be a happy puppy story, so we were pretty bored with all the happy-childhood-traipsing-around stuff. Wish we'd known what to expect.

86. Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson (5) This was really an amazing book. Not overdone at all--not too descriptive or shocking. The main character's voice was great. It wasn't the depressing book I was expecting. I loved the the characters seemed like real people.