Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asker

I have decided this book needs to be required reading for high school instead of The Invisible Man.  This book grabbed you from the first page and didn't let you go until the last page. 

It is the amazing and heartbreaking story of Hannah, who kills herself and leaves tapes for 13 people explaining why she did it.  Her story is not unique, but it paints a picture of how high school life is not all sunshine and roses for everyone.  I finished the book 5 hours ago and still cannot stop thinking about it.

This book will stay with me for a long, long time.

Way to go Mr. Asher. 

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

I picked this novel up because the author wrote a review on the back of a recent book, I think it was Major Pettigrew and I like to read books from authors that appear on back covers, usually they have the same sort of style. 

I am neutral about this one, not sure if I liked it but at the same time I didn't hate it.  The story is vague, jumping from one character to another but somehow all leading back to Olive (who is a total basket case).  It almost scared me sometimes how much Olive seemed like my own mother and the mother I worry constantly I am turning into.

 The story is disjointed, following different people in a small town and how they connect to Olive, the stories themselves really have nothing much to do with Olive, but more paint a full picture of who she is.

It is about love, but more the loss of love rather than the finding of love.  About betrayal of love, understanding love and finally accepting love, and as usual when that happens you always have to say good-bye to love and hope you might say hello to love one day again.

I thought some parts were spectacular and some not so much.  Read it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipe…

I remember watching this movie when it was first released in 1992.  I was 12 years old and had no idea about love, passion or really cooking so while I didn't understand a lot of the story I still loved the movie.  I can still remember scenes, dialogue and sitting on the couch with my mom watching this amazing move after 15+ years.  On a whim I decided to check out the book and was shocked that it is exactly like the movie. 

The book is beautifully written, the emotions practically bleed off the page and you cannot help but feel along with Tita and Pedro.  I loved the mixture of old family recipes, Mexican traditions and tall tale like folklore.  It was almost like reading a fairy tale.  Although not everyone lives happily ever after, but the story could not end any other way.  I enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed watching the movie as a prepubescent teenage girl.  I might have to find the movie and watch it again.

Stravaganza by Mary Hoffman

I just finished Mary Hoffman's Stravaganza series first two novels City of Masks and City of Stars.  The books deal with time travel between "our world" and an alternate universe that resembles Italy during the 16th century.  The first novel was actually pretty sad because the main character Lucien is dieing from cancer in his world but when he travels using a talisman he arrives in Belleza (much like Venice) a young, healthy man.  I like the style of the writing, jumping from character to character, which I find really moves the story along rather then getting bogged down.  I would recommend for a quick light read but still engaging enough to keep you reading.

The series has two more books so far but my library does not have them so not sure if I will be able to find them or not.  I would like to find out what happens to the major characters.  I will have to add them to my TBR list and maybe I will get lucky and find them at my library or the used book store.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand was an awesome book.  It has been a very long time since I have enjoyed reading a novel this much.  I was skeptical about this book because I wasn't sure how relate able the main characters were going to be.  After all it is about an older major living in a small town in England, not exactly my cup of tea.  The little known secret about MPLS is that it is a simple love story.  The characters are real, honest and charming, if a little old fashioned.  I really enjoyed the story, the simplicity and the fairy tale charm of the novel, all while falling in love with the Major and Jasmina myself.  I highly recommend this book.
I will have to keep an eye out for another book by this author, if it is anything like this one I might become a new fan of her work.