June Books Read: Part 1

Still reading around here! Here is my finished book list so far for June. I love summer because I have time to read.:)

1. The Naming by Alison Croggon (good Tolkienesque fantasy for young adults; the library only had the first one in the series so I am going to have to track down the rest)
2. Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (love, love, love this book!)
3. Body Surfing by Anita Shreve (good!)
4. Testimony by Anita Shreve (good)
5. Blindness by Jose Saramoga (I have not seen the movie but the book was fantastic. It is very, very dark. It is interesting how none of the characters have names; they are only referred to as the doctor, the doctor's wife, the girl with the sunglasses, etc. Definitely recommend this one but it is not a light read.)
6. Lock and Key by Sarah Dressen (enjoyed this one/ young adult)
7. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (I started this way back in February and finally finished. Interesting book but not my favorite.)
   

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

I just finished Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen this morning. It is a fun YA book that delves into how people keep themselves hidden and separated from other people. The main character, Ruby, is abandoned by her mother and was living alone for two months when her plight is discovered by social workers, and she is sent to live with her sister who she hasn't seen in ten years. She has to learn how to trust people to help her and learn how to be open to helping others as well. Although it delves into issues like abuse and alcoholism, it does not go in-depth with graphic scenes. It is a good summer read for young adults .

Books I have read in 2009

Here is where I am going to keep track of all the books I read in 2009!

1. The Favored Child by Phillippa Gregory 1/2009
   
2. Meridion by Phillippa Gregory 1/2009
   
3. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver 1/2009
   
4. The House on Tradd Street by Karen White 1/2009
   
5. House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo 1/2009
   
6. Watcher in the Woods by Robert Liparulo 1/2009
   
7. A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire 1/2009
   
8. The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb 2/7
9. Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier 2/17
10. Testimony by Anita Shreve 6/2009
    
11. The Naming by Alison Croggon 6/2009
    
12. Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 6/2009
    
13. Body Surfing by Anita Shreve 6/2009
    
14. Blindness by Jose Saramago 6/2009
    
15. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen 6/15
    

I also have a master list of books to read over the following year that I compiled from several greatest lists:

Pulitzer Prize
Pen/Faulkner
Oprah's Book List
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die
National Book Award
Nobel Prize for Literature

My goal is to read a combination of fifty books from those lists over the year. I have started my list but have not nailed down the fifty books yet.;)
Check out that list here! The highlighted books on the list I am reading along with APA. She has her own 50 book list that you can find on her blog. Want to join along with us?

House of Dark Shadows: Review

Title: House of Dark Shadows
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Thomas Nelson


I recently finished House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo published by Thomas Nelson.
The protagonist of the novel is a fifteen year old boy named Xander. He is not happy about moving from L.A. where he and his friends are budding film directors, to a sleepy small town with his family. His father has just found a new job as a principal at a local school which precipitated the move. They settle in a hotel and start looking for houses. They immediately find one they like, an old Victorian that is well below their price range. The only problem is that someone was murdered there thirty years before! Of course, now there will be ghosts and bumps in the night, right? Well, in the house there are passages that lead to other places like the linen closet that leads to the school, but there is also an attic with a long hallway of doors that lead to other times and places like the Colosseum in ancient Rome.

This is a very enjoyable, quick read that is spooky and a little bit scary. I finished it in a night because I did get so wrapped up in the story and wanted to find out what was going to happen. There is a cliffhanger at the end which drives me a little crazy. It is nice to see some kind of resolution even it there is a sequel to the book. I did go out and buy the sequel so the cliffhanger did work. It is perfect for the middle school crowd; of course, I am an adult who thoroughly enjoyed it too!