Ramona the Brave

By Beverly Cleary...yet another fond return to books of my childhood!  What a fun story...I will continue to make my way through the Ramona series...it is something light and definitely fun.  I forgot how fun it was!

Neverwhere

By Neil Gaiman...I have read other books by Neil Gaiman...some with great anticipation.  This was not one of them.  Recommended by a teen...and my husband who LOVES this author, I read it to kill time on an airplane until the 10,000 feet mark so I could read by Kindle.  It turns out that while I wasn't totally hooked on the book I could not put it down.  I simply had to know what was happening next.  Richard has recently moved to London.  Richard is a normal guy, recently engaged and lives a very normal life.  One evening he gets into a disagreement with his fiancee and sees a girl who is dressed bizarrely and helps her.  Because of this help he is no longer visible to those who knew him...and he ends up in the world under London.  Much adventure begins.  I liked the book, but admit it isn't for everyone!

Pillars of the Earth

By Ken Follett...it is 12th century England, we meet several characters, Phillip the Prior, Tom Builder, and Elaine of the forest.  Their lives and the lives of those they touch intertwine in this novel about building churches in the middle ages.  I read this book because Starz was coming out with a mini series...and I wanted to watch.  As I told people I was reading this book I found that many people view this as one of their favorites.  This intrigued me.  The story has a lot of history about building gothic cathedrals, fighting in England, family dynamics, evil men, and war.  I was definitely hooked and enjoyed the read!  I look forward to trying some of Ken Follett's other novels.

Dreamland

By Sarah Dessen...this author is recommended more to me by my teens than any other author in our collection.  I have read only one of hers and was told this was the one to read.  I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  I started it as an audio and decided I couldn't wait to see what happened next.  It is Caitlin's birthday and her older sister Cass has disappeared.  Her sister Cass was everything to everyone and Caitlin feels the pressure to be more like her.  She ends up in a relationship with a boy, Rogerson...and things start to go downhill.  Who can she turn to?  What will she do?  This is an emotional ride.  I highly recommend!

The Madonnas of Leningrad

By Debra Dean...came recommended by several library patrons and several local book clubs have taken on this book.  It is a short read full of history, though this book is historical fiction.  You bounce back and forth in time from the present to the world of Russia WW2.  Our main character is dealing with confusion and her family doesn't realize how bad it is getting.  She does remember packing the paintings from the Hermitage and learning what was hanging where so she could give tours through the museum.  It was a good read!

Ramona The Pest

By Beverly Cleary...the second in the Ramona series.  What a walk down memory lane.  I giggled as I remembered Ramona going to kindergarten...meeting the girl with the BOOIINNNGGG curls and being engaged with earthworm to Henry Huggins...it was all so fun to re-read.  Moms, if you are looking for something to read with your new readers...this is it.  Or if you just want to start reading a chapter book at night...this is fun and there is lots to experience.  I highly recommend.

Beezus and Ramona

By Beverly Cleary...I decided to take a trip down memory lane and re-read some of the Ramona books.  A movie was released today based on some of the books and I wanted to read and see if they were as great as I remembered them as a kid.  They were.  I was laughing out loud at much of the book and I remember feeling like Beezus a lot!  Read them to your kids, read them with your kids, have your kids read them...they are so timeless and still really funny!