#8: Where'd You Go, Bernadette

I just finished Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.  I really liked the humor and emotions in this book.  Here is my review from Goodreads:  This book was really unique.  I loved the different letters, e-mails, faxes, etc that made up the book.  It was a fun way to follow the storyline while meeting all the different characters.  It's really interesting to see how much you can learn about a character just through their writing.  While I liked Bernadette's humor, I think what I enjoyed most was the correspondence between Audrey and Soo-Lin.  It just always had me laughing.

Up Next:  The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer

#7: The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

I finished The Girl Who Fell From the Sky last night.  This was the story of Rachel, a bi-racial girl. She was the only survivor of a family accident when the family "fell" off of their apartment building.  We learn about Rachel's parents, grandmother, aunt, and some friends.  This story was sad.  It's hard to talk too much about it without giving out any spoilers.  I think this book deals a lot with repressed memories and how no matter how hard you try to block out memories, you still can't change your past.  I really liked the story and the main character in the book.

Up Next:  Where'd You Go, Bernadette

#6: Okay for Now

I just finished Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt.  Wow.  This book was amazing.  I didn't really know what to expect when I first started the book.  I thought it was about boys who were mouthy because of abuse from their father, but it was so much more.  The main character, Doug, was creative, intelligent, kind, and hardworking.  He turned all the negatives in his life into many positives, even though it took a long time to do so.

While reading the book, I couldn't tell whether I hated the dad or gym teacher more.  They both were so mean to Doug and he couldn't seem to catch a break from either of them.  Without giving away spoilers, I just loved how we were eventually able to see some good in both of these characters. 

I'm not a fan of birds, but I can see why they were significant in this story.  Doug was able to "take flight" in his life just like the birds did in the pictures.

This book was full of emotions for me.  I cried several times from happy and sad parts.  I felt sick to my stomach during some parts. And I was laughing during other parts.

Up Next:  The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow

#5: Double Dexter

I just finished Double Dexter (#6 in the series) by Jeff Lindsay.  It's been awhile since I read the other Dexter books, so I couldn't remember what was last happening.  I remembered that Dexter had a baby, but couldn't really remember the other stuff.  This book was okay, but I didn't like how sloppy Dexter was getting in his "hobby".  While I like him being a father, I just feel he's turning too much into a normal guy.

I'm really excited to finally watch the whole series now since it's back on Netflix. 

Up Next:  Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

#4: The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

I finished The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells yesterday.  I think the story behind this book is good, but I just thought some of the things brought up weren't compelling enough to make such family drama.  I also thought the dialogue of the book was really "cheesy".  There's only so many times I can hear the word "y'all" before wanting to gouge my eyeballs out.  I think this could have been a great story, but I think some secrets that should have been told weren't and others just felt rushed.  I also didn't really like the characters in the book.  I felt sorry for them, but not enough to really love the characters.  Maybe a little harsh since I didn't dislike the book.  I just thought it was okay.

Now reading:  Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

#3: The Yellow Birds

Today I finished The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers.  This was the story of war in Iraq.  It is the story of Bartle and Murphy.  Bartle makes a promise to Murphy's mom to keep his safe during the war.  The story covers their time in the war and Bartle's return home.  Like most war stories, it is very sad.  I have respect for soldiers, but I could NEVER fight in a war.  The images described by Powers seemed so realistic, most likely because he was actually in the war.  I just feel so bad for Bartle and can't imagine how he could ever get over what happened to him and Murphy and the others.  I don't always understand everything that happened and maybe that is for the best.....  A very sad, but well written read.

Up next:  Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

#2: The Bridges of Madison County

I just finished The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller.  I have never seen the movie and never really cared to read the book, but I would love to visit these bridges some day.  I saw the book at Levi's grandma's house.  She told me the book was terrible, even though she never read it.  I decided to bring it home and give it a try since it is short.  Here is my review on goodreads:

I liked this book more than I thought I would.  I wasn't expecting it to be good based off of what other people told me about the book and movie.  It was a very quick read and a "four day love story".  I didn't really care for the character of Francesca, just because I don't like people who have affairs.  I did like how the affair ended though.  I still feel sorry for Robert and wished things would have been different for him.  So not my favorite book, but better than I expected.

I'm glad I finally read the book.  I don't really have any desire to watch the movie, but I would love a trip to the covered bridges sometime this summer or fall. 

Up Next:  The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers