Girl at Sea

Girl at Sea is a 323 page novel written by Maureen Johnson. Johnson is also the author of 13 Little Blue Envelops, Bermudez Triangle and Devilish. Girl at Sea takes place in modern time. This book is the ultimate summer read. The main character is Clio, who lives with her mother, who is an artist. In summer of Clio’s junior year, her mother gets an opportunity to paint and draw the prairie landscape of Kansas. The thought of spending a summer on a farm in Kansas is not a pretty picture for Clio. Clio’s father, who is a millionaire from a game he created, invites Clio to come spend the summer on his sailboat with his new wife stepdaughter, and boat keeper, Aiden. Leaving behind her art classes, friends and a spring fling; Clio leaves for Italy to meet her dad. To find out what adventures lie ahead for Clio, and to see if she finds peace with her new family you must read. I assure you, you will be as surprised as Clio when you read what happens.

            I loved this book! I liked it so much I now have to read it every summer. I would rate this book an A+.

Commencement

            Nervous about leaving for college or who your new friends will be once you graduate? If so, Commencement is for you. This novel follows four girls from very different backgrounds through college. There is Celia, a nice normal girl from the suburbs with a secret drinking problem. Bree, a small town sweetheart who leaves her fiancé behind. Millionaire Sally who has just lost her mother, and April, abused and radical. These four girls meet on their very first night of college and never separate. The book follows their friendship and each girls individual life past college.

            Commencement is a 416 page novel written by J. Courtney Sullivan. Commencement is a feel good story, with a few surprising twists. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy read. I would rate this book an B+.

Atonement

            Atonement is a national bestseller by Ian McEwan. This novel is 351 pages long. The novel first starts out in the summer of 1935 in Europe. Briony Tallis, the youngest daughter of the very wealthy Tallis family, witnesses her older sister, Cecilia, and the yard boy, Robbie in the act of love. Briony, not understanding what is happening makes a decision that will change the course of all three of their lives. The book follows the three characters thru their lives until death.

            Atonement is by far one of the best love stories I have ever read. It is not cheesy, but not harsh. The style of writing the Ian McEwan uses is the best I have ever read. It is illuminating and beautiful, yet realistic. Once you start Atonement you will not be able to put it down. If you do put it down, its all you will be able to think about. After reading the book make sure you check out the movie. I rate this book an A++.

Eat Pray Love

           Eat Pray Love is novel written by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is 331 pages long. This book takes place throughout Italy, India, and Indonesia. Liz the thirty something all American girl form New York City decides to divorce her husband and go on a search for her self. The book follows Liz through her travels to these three countries in search of what she really wants and what she discovers.

            I loved this book. One of my all time favorites. After reading this book I was sold on the idea to travel to Italy and indulge myself in there food. It also inspired me to pick up a second langue. Ha, something I hope to do, but quite haven’t got the ambition yet. Overall, I strongly encourage you to read this book. It is a fairly easy read, although has small print. I would rate this book an A+.

The Perfect Score

           Worried about your ACT or SAT score? Then, The Perfect Score is the book for you. The Perfect Score is about six high school seniors taking the SAT. With all of them doing poorly on the exam, one of them, Kyle comes up with the idea to steal the answers to the upcoming SAT exam. Telling his best friend, Matty, the two plan out an adventure that will alter their lives forever. Kyle and Matty join hands with four other classmates and precisely plan to break into the highly secured building where the answers are kept.

            To find out whom Kyle and Matty get to join their plan, and to see if they get the scores you must read the book, or watch the movie based off of the book. Beware; the ending of the book will pleasantly surprise you.

            The Perfect Score was written by David Levithan and is 184 pages long. It is a super easy read, and not wrote with the most talent. I thought this book had a good plot but it did a poor job of explaining things. I would recommend this book anyone in the high school age. I thought it gave a perspective that there is a life out their even if you do terrible on the SAT or ACT. I would rate this book a B.

Change of Heart

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult is 447 pages long. It is a good past time read. The book is about a mother who has lost her oldest daughter, Elisabeth and her husband to a man, shay, which murdered them.  The man who murders them is put on the death penalty in the state of New Jersey. Eleven years later the book follows one of the guys on shays Jury, Shays unexpected lawyer, and June Nealon, the lady who lost her husband and daughter.

            Right before shay is schedule to receive the death penalty he decides that he wants to be a heart donor. June Nealon youngest daughter, Claire, has a heart problem and desperately needs a new heart. Read the book to find out whether or not June allows to let her daughter take the heart that killed her other daughter.

            I thought this book was ok, not outstanding but not terrible either. It had an interesting plot line that coasts you through. I rate this book an A-.

A Million Little Pieces

A Million Little Pieces is a semi-fictional novel, written by James Fray. The book takes place in a rehab center in Minnesota. James is the main character who is addicted to almost everything.  He is twenty-three when his parents pick him up from the airport and drop him off at the rehab center. The book follows James through his recovery and the people he meets in the center.
            This book was ok, but defiantly not one of my favorites. It uses a lot of harsh langue, which almost gets annoying after a while. It is a book that truly lets you look into the life of a drug addict and how dirty it truly is. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book to anyone; it is a struggle to read because it’s so depressing. I rate this book a B.

Into Thin Air

Into Thin Air is a first hand account of the disastrous climbing season of 1996. The book was written by Jon Krakauer and is 333 pages long. Jon Krakauer also wrote Into the Wild, which has recently been made into a movie.

            Into thin Air was one of the more informative books I have ever read. It did a nice job of keeping the reader hooked, but also teaching them something along the way. The story follows Jon Krakauer and his crew as they summit Mount Everest. It tells of on the edge of your seat situations the climbers had to endure. The story itself is heart wrenching, considering it was the deadliest climbing season Everest has ever had. The gripping tale starts when a couple of the crew members reach the top and start their descent, while the rest of the crew pushes towards the top; not knowing the weather and their route is about to take a turn for the worst. To find out who returns home alive, or who simply makes it off the mountain, and is not lost to barren of snow.

            I loved this book. It was extremely informative and gave me a new respect for mountains and mountain climbing. It was a tad bit difficult to read, because of all the facts that are presented. I would recommend this book to anyone. It should be a required read in school. I rate this book an A+.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain is a novel by Garth Stein. It is 321 pages long and is a fairly easy read. The Art of Racing in the Rain perfect book for anyone who loves a heartwarming story about the relationship between human and pets.
                The book starts off with a newlywed couple buying their first place and getting their first dog, Enzo. The book is told thru the eyes of Enzo. It truly gives you a sense that dogs can understand things and are always trying new ways to express themselves. Denny, the father loves to drive race cars and is one of the best in the business, but does not make enough money at it. Eve, the mother is continually controlled by her parents. Enzo narrates through his life on the eve of his death. At times it is very sad, but overall it shows that all good things must come to an end.
                I loved this book; the first page almost made me cry. Enzo is a stunning character, who will capture heart. It showed me that there was possibly more going on inside a dogs head besides food, and sleep. This book is appropriate for all ages. I rate this book an A+.

The Color Purple

The Color Purple is a novel written by Alice Walker. The Color Purple is 288 pages long. This book is defiantly a classic and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
            This book opened my eyes to another perspective of the South when it was extremely segregated. The book is based around two sisters, Celie and Nettie. The book follows both sisters from there early ages on into when there are old. Celie, the oldest sister has a life of pretty much hell, but she manages to overcome her sorrow, and awful treatments to find that there is actually true love out there. Nettie, one of Celie younger sisters knows how much Celie wants her to get out of the poverty-stricken lifestyle they are in, and make something of her self, besides being a slave to a man the rest of her life.
            This book was heart wrenching and shocking. I was leery at first to read because I thought it would be a hard and boring read, but in reality, it showed me that even though the white people of the town where awful to the blacks, the blacks were not doing much to help themselves. It showed me a side of the South racial issues I had never seen.
             I would recommend this book to everyone from high school age on up. It’s written in a journal, and letter-to-letter entries. Alice Walker does a fine job of writing how a person actually talks, making it an easy read. This book will make you sit back and think for a moment about someone else’s life beside yours. The Color Purple does have some graphic detail and langue. I would rate this book an A.  

Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars is a teen-lit novel by Sara Shepard. It is approximately 318 pages and the first book out of eight.
             Pretty Little Liars is one of the better of a series that I have read in quite some time. The setting takes place in wealthy community of Pennsylvania. There are five girls who become best friends in the middle of their fifth grade year. All the girls are brought together by the most popular girl in school, Alison. As the girls go thru middle school, they commit scandal after scandal, until they commit the ultimate scandal on a dorky girl in there grade. After they commit this, they are bound together by the secrete they hold. On a warm summer night, right before there 7^th grade year, Alison went missing and never came back. To find out what happens to the other four girls and if they stay best friends or if they go there seprate ways, you must read the book. The book travels through the four girls sophmore year of high school and all the scandoulas activietes they girls become involved with.
            I would highly recommend this book to anyone, young or old. It has just the right mixture of suspense, mystery, and romance. This book has also been made into a TV series on ABC.  I rate this book an A+.

Perks of being a Wallflower

       The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a book by Stephan Chbosky. This book is 213 pages long, including the epilogue. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a teen-lit novel about a boy, Charlie, in his first year of high school. When the book begins, Charlie tries to be anonymous to the reader as possible; but as time goes on, he cannot help but let the reader become gradually more involved with his life.
     Charlie begins high school extremly shy, awkward, and with very little friends. One night at a football game he meets Sam and Patrick, these two are brother and sister. As time goes on Sam and Patrick somewhat guide Charlie through a transformation, and show him what it is really like to be a teenager. To find out what the transformation and realization Charlie comes to, you must read the book!
     I would recommend this book to anyone above the age of 15. It can be a bit graphic at times, and a higher maturity, tolerance level would be recommend to gain the full effect from the book. This book caontains drug, alcohol, and sexual material. All in all this is an A+ book. 

The Memory of Running

The Memory of Running is a novel by Ron McLarty. It is 358 pages long and is a fairly easy read. The book mainly takes place in Rhode Island, but also jumps around the entire United Stated. The main character is Smithy Ide, who has an inner struggle with himself. Smithy is very insecure and shy. The books goes through the expierances of Smithy's "quest" across the U.S.A on his bicycle, and his entire life. This book is filled with suprises in every chapter.
                        I would request this novel to someone who interseted in phsychological problems and wanting just a good heartwarming book. I would rate this book an A-

All about my page

Hello and wishing you wonderful reading in the blog "A Book a Day Keeps the Mind Away." This blog will follow 15 books throughout 15 weeks. This blog will review these 15 books and give an opinon on them. I hope you sincerly enjoy following my blog.

                                              -Ellie