Summer Reading

Hey!

I meant to put a list of what I read this summer on here, and I forgot, so here it is now! (The books are in the order that I read them this summer. Sorry none of them have authors listed, but I forgot to jot down the author with the title. If any of the books interest you, I can try to track down the author.)

1. Urban Shaman By C.E. Murphy (Book 1)
Summary: Joanne sees someone being attacked from a plane and since she is determined to help the person, it leads to her meeting Gary and finding out about non-human things. She also has to learn how to use her own new powers.
Thoughts: It was a good book and I put the sequel on hold as soon as I finished this book. It was really interesting and based in Seattle.
2. Book of Shadows By Cate Tiernan (Book 1)
Summary: Morgan starts learning about Wicca from Cal, the new boy in school, and discovers that she is good at it. The book follows her while she learns more about Wicca and her abilities.
Thoughts: It was a good book and Morgan was a good main character. I stayed up reading this book until I finished it, if that tells you anything. : )
3. The Constant Princess By Philippa Gregory
Summary: This book is about Catalina of Spain who marries Arthur at the age of 15. On his deathbed she promises him that she will marry his brother and become Katherine, Queen of England. This book follows her life.
Thoughts: It was a good book, but I liked The Queen's Fool better, which is by the same author.
4. Sloppy Firsts By Megan McCafferty (Book 1)
Summary: This story follows the life of Jessica Darling after her friend Hope moves away.
Thoughts: It's a good book. I have read this book at least 2 times.
5. Singer By Jean Thesman
Summary: Mary escapes from her mother and changes homes frequently to stay hidden. On the journey she learns about her powers and tries to help her friends and others along the way.
Thoughts: Good story and plotline but it was kind of odd.
6. Perfect Strangers By Jahnna Malcolm
Summary: As Madison runs for her school's body president, she gets closer to her Heart-2-Heart pen pal. She also learns the truth about an event that is in the past.
7. Second Helpings By Megan McCafferty (Book 2)
Summary: As Jessica approaches her final years in high school, she has to evaluate her feelings for Marcus and what her college plans are.
8. Thunderbird Falls By C.E. Murphy (Book 2)
Summary: Joanne goes on her newest adventure after finding a dead body-again. She meets new friends and enemies on her journey.
9. The Coven By Cate Tiernan (Book 2)
Summary: As Morgan learns more about magick, she also learns that she was adopted, which causes a great commotion among other things.
11. Winter Moon By Multiple Authors
12. Riding Lessons By Sara Gruen
Summary: Annemarie comes back to her parents farm when her dad gets sick and gets attached to a horse that closely resembles her old horse.
13. Children of the River By Linda Crew
Summary: Sundara is living in Oregon after fleeing her hometown of Cambodia. Trying to adjust to America while following her family's customs isn't easy, especially when a boy gets involved.
14. The Moon Riders By Theresa Tomlinson
15. Harmless By Dana Reinhardt
16. Peeps By Scott Westerfeld
17. Cast in Shadow By Michelle Sagara
18. Feeling Sorry for Celia By Jaclyn Moriarty
19. The Realms of the Gods By Tamora Pierce
20. Get a Life By ?
21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows By J.K.Rowling
Summary: Harry embarks on his last journey in this book. As he searches for the remaining Horcruxes, he learns information about the Deathly Hallows while hiding from Death Eaters, snatchers, and Voldemort himself.
22. A Summer of Kings By Han Nolan
Summary: Esther lives during the time of Martin Luther King Jr. and after King-Roy, a negro man, lives with her family for a summer, she is determined to do something to help make blacks and whites equal. She is also struggling with the fact that she feels like the odd one out in her family.
23. Wild Magic By Tamora Pierce
24. Wolf-Speaker By Tamora Pierce
25. In the Hands of the Goddess By Tamora Pierce
26. Boys over Flowers #24 (Anime)
27. The Year of Secret Assignments By Jaclyn Moriarty
Summary: When two schools start a letter writing program, Emily, Lydia, and Cassie willingly write letters to anonymous people. When their correspondents turn out to be Charlie, Seb, and Mathew, they get mixed reactions. Follow their story through letters and more in this book.
28. Secrets of the Nile By Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Supermystery)
29. Coyote Dreams By C.E. Murphy (Book 3)
30. The Book of the Sword By Carrie Asai (Samurai Girl Book 1)
31. Mis Match By Lensey Namioka
Summary: Sue and Andy are told they would be a great couple sine they're both Asian Americans, but in reality their backgrounds cause some difficulties.
32. Major Crush By Jennifer Echols
Summary: Virginia struggles with being a drum major with Drew. she also has to deal with the Evil Twins spreading rumors about her and her family.
33. All Together Dead By Charlaine Harris
34. Samurai Girl 2 By Carrie Asai
35. Samurai Girl 3 By Carrie Asai
36. Samurai Girl 4 By Carrie Asai
37. Samurai Girl 5 By Carrie Asai
38. Samurai Girl 6 By Carrie Asai
39. Charmed Thirds By Megan McCafferty (Book 3)
40. Gone By Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson
41. Keeping You a Secret By Julie Anne Peters
42. The Write Stuff
43. How I Live Now
44. Blood Witch
45. Love and Sex
46. Just Like That
47. Sandpiper
48. Dark Magick
49. A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life
50. Shark Girl
51. DragonSong
52. DragonSinger
53. Blood Bound
54. Rules
55. The Christopher Killer
56. The Farther You Run
57. On the Prowl
58. The Angel of Death
59. Kissing Tennessee
10. A Time for Dancing
61. If We Kiss
62. Awakening
63. Trickster's Choice
64. Eclipse
65. Poltergeist
66. Fourth Comings
67. The Boys Next Door
68. When Demon's Walk
69. Are You Alone on Purpose?
70. Bringing Up the Bones
71. Spellbound
72. The Calling
73. Pants on Fire
74. The Key to the Golden Firebird
75. Tightrope
76. Desperation
77. Love Undercover

So there's my list of my Summer Reading.
Enjoy! : )
Kaminsky

Emma

Hello -

My newest reading adventure? Reading Emma By Jane Austen for school. This year for English, we're supposed to read 2 classics per trimester. Then we have to do a 3-5 minute speech on the book we read, while making sure that we cover certain criteria.

As you can tell, the first book I chose was Emma By Jane Austen. I'm on page 95 at the moment, and it's good. So far it's a lot easier to read than David Copperfield was. I'm not sure whether it's less intimidating, with it being 379 pages versus 800, or whether it's actually easier, but so far I like it. It also doesn't hurt that I have to have my speech done and prepared by October 11th.

I don't know which classics I'll read after Emma, but Jane Eyre, Oliver Twist, Pride and Predjudice and others look interesting.

Hope you're reading a good book too!
Kaminsky

Hurt Go Happy

Hello -

I finished an incredibly good book last night called Hurt Go Happy By Ginny Rorby.

It's the amazing story of a deaf girl who gets attached to an old man and his ape (not monkey) Sukari. The story progresses as Joey (the girl) and Sukari create an understanding and talk to each other through sign language. This book has so much depth and I cried twice while reading it.

FYI - Towards the end of the book when they go to pick up Sukari, it's extremely sad and kind of disturbing.

It's a great book, and everyone should read it!!!!

Kaminsky