Once A Runner

Whew! Now that that's done, let's get down to business. Right now I'm reading Once A Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. I heard about this book a year or so back whe I read an article in Runner's World magazine about Parker, who had just published the sequel to Once A Runner after 20+ years. The book, out of print for a number of years, had garnered somewhat of a cult following and was selling on ebay for upwards of $300. I searched and searched for a copy at a reasonable price and finally found one online for $12 back in September. Of course, now the book is being re-released. TODAY! Oh well, the hunt was part of the fun. I just started reading the book yesterday, so no critique as of yet, but hopefully I won't fall so far behind again.

Good Intentions, Bad Follow Throuth

I really have intented to post regularly throughout the school year but I have failed miserably. Here is a list of what I've read since my last post:
Fearless Fourteen-Janet Evanovich
Breaking Dawn-Stephanie Meyer
Cheer!-Kate Torgovnick
love the one you're with-Emily Giffin
Hot Mess: Summer in the city-Julie Kraut & Shallon Lester
Beastly-Alex Flinn
Bad Kitty-Michelle Jaffe
Red Glass-Laura Resau
American Wife-Curtis Sittenfeld
The Battle of Jericho-Sharon Draper
November Blues-Sharon Draper
The Loop-Nicholas Evans
The Boy Next Door-Meg Cabot
How to Be Popular-Meg Cabot
Sisters-Danielle Steele
Schooled-Anisha Lakhani
The Book Thief-Markus Zusak
Bergdorf Blondes-Plum Sykes
Sloppy Firsts-Megan McCafferty
Gods in Alabama-Joshilyn Jackson
Second Helpings-Megan McCafferty
Charmed Thirds-Megan McCafferty
Fourth Comings-Megan McCafferty
The Other Boelyn Girl-Phillipa Gregory
America America-Ethan Canin
Fat Kid Rules the World-K.L. Going
What I Saw and How I Lied-Judy Blundell
Boy Meets Girl-Meg Cabot
Alibi in High Heels-Gemma Halliday
Hornet Flight-Ken Follett
The Shack-William Young
Lock and Key-Sarah Dessen
Princess Forever-Meg Cabot
The Friday Night Knitting Club-Kate Jacobs
The Poison Apples-Lily Archer
Bittersweet Sixteen-Carrie Karasyov & Jill Kargman
Annie on my Mind-Nancy Garden
Confessions of a Shopaholic-Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan-Sophie Kinsella
Atonement-Ian McEwan
The Associate-John Grisham
Massie-Lisi Harrison
Lemonade Mouth-Mark Peter Hughes
Dylan-Lisi Harrison
I Love You, Beth Cooper-Larry Doyle
Violet on the Runway-Melissa Walker
Tourist Season-Carl Hiaasen
Thirteen Reasons Why-Jay Asher
I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You-Ally Carter
Alicia-Lisi Harrison
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn-Betty Smith
Secrets of My Hollywood Life-Jen Calonita
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy-Ally Carter

Life As We Knew It

I'm currently reading Life As We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer. It's very good. The story is told through Miranda's journal entries. Miranda is just finishing her sophomore year in high school when an asteroid collides into the moon, knocking the moon off its orbit and sending the world into a frenzy. The weather goes wild, people go even wilder. It's a very apocalyptic tale, so far anyway. I know it sounds very wierd, but because of Pfeffer's writing style, it seems totally realistic. In fact, much of it reminds me of the immediate panic after 9/11. Parents picking up their kids from school early, crazy long lines at the gas station, people stocking up on bottled water and canned food. The similarities are a little eerie. The book, however, is full of hope and love.

Long Time No Blog

Wow! Has it really been since April that I've posted? I guess I got just a little busy at the end of the school year and a LOT lazy over the summer. Well, I'll get back into it now that school is starting again soon. Here's a list of everything I've read since my last post:
Big Boned Meg Cabot
The Truth About Diamonds by Nicole Richie
Every Boy's Got One by Meg Cabot
Infected by Scott Sigler
Princess Mia by Meg Cabot
Checkmate by Malorie Blackman
Nobody Does It Better by Cecily von Ziegesar
Nothing Can Keep Us Together by Cecily von Ziegesar
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
Only in your Dreams by Cecily von Ziegesar
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Don't Make Me Choose Between You and My Shoes by Dixie Cash
The Hammer of Eden by Ken Follett
Shoot The Moon by Billie Letts
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
Would I Lie to You by Cecily von Ziegesar
Don't You Forget About Me by Cecily von Ziegesar
It Had to Be You by Cecily von Ziegesar
Turning Angel by Greg Iles
Airhead by Meg Cabot

It's been a great summer of reading!

Middlesex

After reading millions of young adult and chick lit books, I was really in the mood for something literary. A sweeping epic of sorts that I could become totally absorbed in. I chose Middlesex, not knowing, based on the summaries I had read, whether or not I would enjoy it. In fact, I picked it up, put it back, picked it up, put it back, etc. I finally decided I would give it a try. Nothing says I have to finish it if I don't want to. However, I was hooked from the very first sentence. I really don't want to say much more about the subject matter because it might scare some readers off. There is no way to give a summary of the book without it sounding bizarre. Actually, though, it's written in a very sensitive way, with beautiful languge and imagery. The characters are very well developed and multi-dimensional. Middlesex is a perfect balance of a story and a history lesson. It's been a while since I've read a book that I couldn't wait to get back to, but that's how I feel about Middlesex. It's 9:15 AM right now, which means I can get back to Middlesex in approximately 9 hours and counting!

Size 14 Is Not Fat Either

I decided to take a break from young adult lit, so I read Size 14 is Not Fat Either, which is the follow-up to Size 12 is Not Fat. If you haven't read these, you are missing out on lots of laughs. The main character, Heather, is a former pop star. Like, the mall tour type pop star. Robin Sparkles-type pop star (See: How I Met Your Mother). She now works as an assistant director for a residence hall at New York College (the fictional version of NYU). Unfortunately for Heather and the residents of the dorm-I mean residence hall-there is a murder in each book. Of course, Heather is the only one who seems to be able to solve the crime, much to the chagrin of the the police. I can't wait to read the third installment, Big Boned. Heather is so funny and lovable, and the quirky characters with whom she associates make for some seriously enjoyable reading. If you love Stephanie Plum, you'll love Heather Wells.

Paranoid Park

Wow! It's been a really long time since I've written. Sorry for the delay. I just apologized to myself considering I'm the only one who reads this blog. I really feel, however, that one day this blog will become famous, like The Gospel According to Larry, and that everyone from the Today Show to the New York Times will want me as their book critic. For this reason, I keep my blog going. Okay, Paranoid Park. Did I like the ending? First, let me say that the book was interesting. Blake Nelson is obviously a great storyteller. I totally get why he ended the book like he did. He wanted the reader to think. He certainly accomplished that. On a literary level, I thought the ending was genius. On a personal level, I didn't like it at all. I can't really say anymore than that because I don't want to ruin it for everyone (no one) who reads this blog.