# 24 -- Beastly

Beastly, by Alex Flynn, is a modern-day Beauty and the Beast tale. It is set in New York City and involves teenagers instead of adults. The story is very similar to the classic tale you may know, but the telling is worth reading and I enjoyed it very much.

Now about the movie....if you haven't seen the trailers yet, you will soon. It makes an impression when you see the young man's transformation on screen. I'm looking forward to the movie, but don't expect it to be like the novel. First, because they rarely are and second, because I think you need to take the movie at it's own value without comparing it to the book.

# 23 -- Poverty Bay

I enjoyed reading Poverty Bay, by Earl Emerson. I had forgotten that I'd read his first book that introduced his private eye, Thomas Black. This one had several twists and turns and kept me guessing right up until the end. (Of course, I don't try to figure out my books before I get to the end.)

I've got the next one, but won't read it for a little while. I've learned my lesson about reading all the books in an author's bibliography. It keeps me from burning out.

# 22 -- Confessions of a Shopaholic

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella is a laugh-out-loud read! I listened to this one on my iPod and I can't tell you how many times I groaned, laughed, or yelled "NO!" to the main character (Rebecca) when she was about to do something foolish. If other people around me were paying attention, they probably thought I'd lost my mind! I also loved that the book was set in London! Hearing about some of the places I've been made me want to go back!

The sad thing is that I was just like Rebecca several years ago. I was $50,000 in debt and not paying attention to where my finances were headed. When I finally "woke up" it was horrible! Luckily, I had a wonderful husband who supported me emotionally while I took care of my money problems. Now I'm debt free and love not having to worry about that "cloud" hanging over my head. However, I don't know if you are every truly FREE from the want/need to spend. I just make a conscience effort every day to watch where my money goes and don't let it get away from me.

# 21 -- Dewey

Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Changed the World is a wonderful story about what libraries mean to people all over the country AND about the impact an animal can have with the people they love.

If our legislature would read this book, they might begin to understand how important libraries are and what they mean to the communities they serve. It's not just about the information housed within the walls, but the people and the interactions that happen within those walls as well. We need libraries and we need people to come together over something like a sweet kitten in need instead of how to cut budgets and tell people they are unnecessary.

# 20 -- Last Sacrifice

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead is the last book in the Vampire Academy series. I've enjoyed reading this series because it was different than the other vampire novels, but that's not saying much....all the vampire series are different. They have different ideas about vampires, how they live and react with humans, and what their motivation is for survival. But, some are stranger than others. I like the cast of characters in this series even though I think the story may have gone on one book too long. I was more than ready for the story to come to an end and found this ending anticlimactic.

# 19 -- The Chosen One

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams was a quick and furious read. There was a real love/hate relationship as I read the story because it involves a religious sect and a young woman within that sect that wants to change how things are. What they do and how they do it, made my blood boil, especially given some of the topics in the news over the last few years, but the story itself was fast-paced and I couldn't put it down. I finished in it one day.

I will definitely look at more of Williams novels and read as many as I can.

# 18 -- Listen

Listen by Rene Gutteridge is a Christian fiction story about the power of words. The novel begins with a website created in a small town that posts everything people say in private.

It really makes you think about how what you say can hurt someone else even if they hear it second or third hand. There is also quite a bit of suspense and drama flowing through the secondary storylines.

I enjoyed it. However, I read it on my eReader (I won't tell you which one I have except that's it's an older type) and I didn't enjoy that part of it. This particular reader is not as easy to read as the new Kindle or Nook and the page-turning feature leaves something to be desired.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to buy an eReader for myself (the one I have was given to me via the district because of our new Digital Library). I've tried out a few of my friends devices, but can't decide which one I would like to own. I also don't want to spend a TON of money. Thankfully, most of the newer eReaders are much more affordable. I'm just going to have to keep looking and see if I can find one right for me.

Oops! I forgot to add my penguin rating:

# 17 -- The Dirty Parts of the Bible

I got this book free on my iTouch Kindle app. I friend had recommended it to me, and Amazon said if I liked Water for Elephants (one of my all-time favorites), then I might like this title as well.

I did like it, though it is a little crass in some parts, it had a "sweet" story throughout. It's set during the Depression and is actually based on the story of the author's grandparents (I think). The main character is the son of a preacher in Michigan, who travels to Texas to meet the relatives he's never seen. He actually ends up in Glen Rose, which I found "funny" because I just recently spend the weekend in Glen Rose.

If you can get past the few cuss words and the "coming of age" issues young boys have, you'll enjoy the story. The author could have left most of that out, but he didn't.

# 16 -- Out of My Mind

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper was WONDERFUL!

This is the story of an eleven year old girl (Melody) with cerebral palsy who is trapped in a body that doesn't allow her to express herself or the brilliant mind she has. The story is told from Melody's point of view and runs the gamut of emotions. I will honestly tell you that Chapter 15 made me cry....if you are a parent, it will make you cry, too.

The great thing about this story is that I could see some of the children I've known in my schools (both "normal" and like Melody) within this story. You've GOT TO READ this book!

# 15 -- Death Qualified

This was a long novel to listen to on my iPod. I downloaded it from one of the digital libraries close to home, and it was in 14 parts (about an hour each). It got to the point where I just wanted the story to be done. There was a problem with the recording and it would repeat sections over, which was frustrating.

I had a difficult time keeping up with the story and characters. There were many layers and so many people to keep up with, it was hard to keep it all straight. The ending was also unsatisfying to me. I don't know if I'll pick up another one by this author or not. Maybe next time I'll read it in print.