Mrs. Eriksson's Summer Reading Challenge 2015 discussion

Post about the third book you read this summer. This is a review, not a summary. Tell why you liked it/didn't like it and whether you would recommend it.

I just finished Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick (He also wrote Silver Linings Playbook). I loved this book. I held my breath a lot because I was anxious and fearful for the main character. The voice is authentic and powerful. I recommend the book with the warning that it tackles sensitive subject matter ... A teenager planning a murder-suicide. A great book that challenges the reader to think.

I just finished Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. A mature YA thriller is a next read for fans of Gone Girl. Dangerous Girls keeps the reader guessing during the trial of a best friend accused of murdering her bestie. There are mutual friends, a complicated boyfriend, and a wild spring break all rolled up in a murder. I enjoyed it and recommend it for mature readers looking for a thriller based around young adults. Once again risky, for mature readers only. Involves underaged drinking, illegal drugs and sexual situation but all are necessary to develop the story.

I just finished Never Enough by Denise Jaden. This book took me two days to read.. Which surprised me. I thought this was going to be a sappy love story with some betrayal, and I honestly didn't want to read it, but it was the only book I had. I was definitely wrong about that. I think the description was a little misleading.I really liked this one though. It made me sad but it also made me appreciate having a close relationship with my sister. I'm glad I picked this one up instead of leaving it on the shelf. [Like I had originally planned once I read that description.] I would also like to point out that the girl on the cover is nothing like the description of the main character... I just thought that was funny.

The Kite Runner: I am not sure about this book. In honesty, I really didn't like it. I couldn't get in the book and was actually lost by the 5th page. It was a struggle for me to finish this book because of the intensity and how confused I was. I liked the point of the story but I would've liked it more if it was easier for me to read. I might read it again to try to get more out of it.

I read In The Woods by Tana French. I wasn't impressed, it's a murder mystery with several red herrings thrown into the mix. I felt like the author tried too hard to make it a 'mystery' book that it completely missed the mark and pretty much sucked. If I need any examples of why it sucked, the author took good character development and rewound all her work at the very end and it just ended with 2D characters I couldn't relate to.

I read Hanging Onto Max by Margaret Bechard again because I got a fourth of the way through it at the end of the school year and completely forgot about it after that. I would definitely recommend this book. It's a simple, quick read that has a great little story. I like realistic fiction books, so of course I liked this one. It showed the struggles that the main character Sam went through and how he overcame them. The ending is a pretty predictable, but there are a few instances that you question it.

I just finished Candida by Shaw. OMG it was amazing. I was captivated by his words. I can't wait to read another play by him. Plus it was short and an easy read.

Over the course of the summer, I read eight books in the manga series Blue Exorcist. Since these books aren't very big, I'm grouping them all into one review. They were as enjoyable as the earlier books in the series, and contained some serious plot twists. I recommend it only to those who enjoy supernatural types of things.

I read BZRK by Michael Grant. This book is twisted and groosum. The author goes into a lot of detail that makes a gross and disturbing picture in your head. I did like all the plot twists he threw into the book. Overall it was a good book.

Kass MorganHomecoming

I just finished the book What The Dog Saw. It was a very good book and it's just a book that talks about explaining and just problems and improvements in life in real life tales.

I finished Thirty and a Half Excuses by Denise Grover Swank. I liked it and I hope to soon finish the rest of that series.

I finished the Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. The book was beautifully written and well thought out. The characters all play a developed role in the main characters past and her future, and teaches a very important lesson about imperfections. The Secret Life of Bees

I just finished The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I fell in love with the protagonist and I felt the confusion and pain she was dealing with. The longing she had for the truth was inspirational. Dealing with other aspects that would have taken place in South Carolina long ago. The lesson Sue teaches us about imperfection is a beautiful one.

My last book this summer was Journey to the Center of the Earth. This book was hard to put down. It is a sci-fi kind of book. I strongly recommend it if you are interested in adventure.

I read Push Girl by Chelsie Hill. This was hard to read because it was difficult to relate to.

My last book this summer that I read was The Kite Runner. This was a very good book about betrayal and how rape could affect any ones childhood. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes historical novels because it was places in 1981.

I read the Tuckets Travels book by Gary Paulsen. I loved this book. I love the era that it is set in and for me it never got dull. I would definitely recommend this book.

I read Jump Ship by Josh Shipp. I didn't care for the book. However, there were some inspirational sections sprinkled throughout the book like I did like.

The third and last book that I read this summer was Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. It was a book that I got into kinda easy but would recommend it.

The third book I read was Tweak: Growing up on methamphetamine by Nic Sheff. It is hard core business and beautifully written. I highly recommend it.

The Big Field by Mike lupica

The third book I read was the ecstasy club. I liked it a lot because you got to see into the characters minds a lot but it has a lot strong topics