The Wednesday Sisters

The Wednesday Sisters, by Meg Waite Clayton.

I heard of this book through a U of M alumni newsletter - the author, Meg Clayton, is a UM Law School alum. This book is one of the best I've read in a while. The "Wednesday Sisters" are a group of women, mostly mothers, who get together originally on Wednesdays, in a park in Palo Alto, CA, and eventually they all start writing and their meetings become a writers group of sorts. Two of the 5 women write novels that get published, and the rest write stories that get published as well. The book follows the women through the trials and tribulations of their lives, and the ending is just about perfect, in my opinion.

5 stars out of 5.

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Life Without Summer

Life Without Summer, by Lynne Griffin.

Sad book, with a shocking ending, but the writing is tight and the book is overall enjoyable. The author is apparently a "nationally recognized expert on family life" (so says the back cover bio) and contributes to Boston's "Fox 25 Morning News." This was her first book and was very good, in my opinion.

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Along for the Ride

Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen.

Admittedly, I am a big fan of Dessen's, and I like most of her books. This one was no exception, though I don't think it was as strong as some of her previous novels, such as This Lullaby. Auden (named after poet W.H. Auden) goes to live with her father, stepmother, and new baby half-sister, Thisbe, for the summer, in Colby, Maine, after realizing that she's never really had excitement during any of her summers. She is going to be a freshman at college in the fall, and is looking for something ... she doesn't know what ... to happen. She meets Eli, who likes to participate in bike tournaments (competing), and who hasn't really been social with anyone since the death of his best friend, Abe, the year before. The story goes on from there and, as with all of Dessen's books, includes a happy ending. She has definitely achieved mastery in the YA genre, and I love how her books include so many variables that all tie up neatly in the end. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

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Carter Finally Gets It

Carter Finally Gets It, by Brent Crawford.

Not only was this book hilarious, it was like a chick lit novel - except for guys, and written by a guy! It's Crawford's first book, apparently, and I hope to see many more from him. The main character, Will Carter (who goes simply by "Carter"), is entering his freshman year of high school, and Crawford really gets into his mind. Simply HILARIOUS and a "must-read." :)

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Commencement

Commencement, J. Courtney Sullivan.

I felt like this book ended abruptly, but other than that, I have nothing but good to say about it. It reminded me a bit of Prep (Curtis Sittenfeld), except that it was set at Smith, an all-women college, and followed the four women more throughout their "adult lives" (when they graduated from college to the present, 4 years later) than their college lives, though it frequently referred to memories from them. It also sort of reminded me of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares), in a weird way, maybe because there were four women (and in the Sisterhood, there are 4 girls).

Anyway, great book overall ... I highly recommend it. :)

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Hollywood is Like High School with Money

Hollywood is Like High School with Money, Zoe Dean.

Another entertaining chick lit novel by the author of "The A-List" series, which is basically "Gossip Girl" but set on the West Coast (California). Dean has written many non-"A-List" books, and this is her best to date. One of the minor characters is named "Magnolia," which I've never heard before, but which works for the character, who is a major "free spirit".

I zipped through this book in about a day total ... very easy reading.

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