It feels as though it has been an eternity since I've posted anything here, and really it hasn't (just since August 1). But still. It's because I'm so busy with baby care and other responsibilities, I'm having difficulty finding time to read. (This makes me feel very not myself.) In addition, I haven't read anything extraordinary lately. I did read the young adult novel Speak last week. I accidentally picked it up thinking it was by M.T. Anderson, and then Ickie pointed out to me it is by Laurie Halse Anderson. However, I saw it was nominated from some awards, so I gave it a try. It was a quick read and a well-written YA novel about a 14-year-old girl trying to come to grips with a traumatic experience. It had the high school-outcast thing going on like Veronica Mars, minus the snark and the noir. I appreciated LH.A.'s believable depictions of relationships at that age, the protagonist's difficult growth, and the open-ended finale.
What else? I read Nicholas on Vacation, which was just as funny and charming as the other Nicholas books. I'm currently reading Gideon the Cutpurse, which captured my attention largely because of the cool cover and is showing promise.
My reading choices have been slightly more limited the past two months because the state-wide library loan system has been down. Boo! It is due to restart at the end of this month, and you'd better believe I'll be flooding the system with all my requests! The sequel to Hunger Games is coming out in about a week, and my biggest goal is to find time to read it as soon as I lay hands on a copy.
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Beth,
I teach Speak every year, and my students (8th graders) absolutely love it. I like the references she makes to other novels (The Scarlet Letter) and the great voice of Mel. Thanks for your wonderful reviews. . . I may do Hunger Games this year, but I have one mom who will probably protest. . argh.
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