Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

by Jeff Kinney
PRMS hard cover, 217 pages
genre: YA humor

I'm torn. Greg is such a repulsive child - lazy, selfish, rude, etc. Yet these books are so delightfully written (with the exception of #2) that I really do enjoy reading them. There are moments of such pure honesty that Greg, Rowley, and their families are endearing. This summertime experience makes a fun read!

Deceived

by James Scott Bell
Hennepin County, paperback, 327 pages
genre: Christian mystery / adventure / relationships

This book had its good points and bad points. I don't like it when writers start by introducing a dozen different people in a handful of scenarios in the first ten pages. I actually made a "cheat sheet" to keep track of the characters and their situations. Arty is one of the most important characters in the story, even though he falls off a cliff in the first chapter and . . . well, no spoiler alerts here. Mac was my favorite character - I like how he kept working out his faith even when it was really hard. Our discussion tonight was good, but we were frustrated by a lot of unanswered questions.

What exactly happened when Liz pulled the trigger in the graveyard?
How did Mac's position with his daughter and ex finally turn out? (Did he actually just walk away from her and not seek to see her ever again?)
What happens with Rocky?

An enjoyable and action-packed enough book . . . I won't be seeking out this author's other titles.

Messenger

by Lois Lowry
PRMS paperback 169 pages
genre: YA SciFi

What a quick read! I love how it pulled The Giver and Gathering Blue together. I'm a bit disappointed in Lowry, however. The fact that Kira's world had changed so dramatically seems too simplistic. And the change coming over the Trade Mart and the people was never really explored. Matty's sacrifice was cryptic, but that fit with the rest of this intriguing series. Now I wish I had time to go back and re-read the other two. I wonder why Cina dislikes Gathering Blue so much???

The Dog Says How

by Kevin Kling
Carver County Library audiobook 3.75 hours
read by the author

Local playwright Kling has hit the jackpot with this collection of autobiographical stories. I had a good belly laugh on my way to work one morning. "Taxidermy with love" was one of my faves. Having three sons, a lot of the "guy" humor hit the mark for me. His voice is unique, and his tone comes through in both his writing and reading. Delightful storyteller! This one is a gem. The only thing I didn't like was his liberal use of the Lord's name in vain . . . it's always hard for me to hear that.

Catching Fire

by Suzanne Collins
PRMS hardcover 391 pages
genre: YA adventure, futuristic, survival

Sequel to The Hunger Games, I can hardly wait for book three to come out this summer! I'm not going to write much about it, because I hate spoilers and I'm so thankful that none of my students spoiled this one for me. This was not predictable and the almost-400 pages felt far too short. What an engaging scenario Collins has created! It's both horrifying and fascinating. Reminiscent of Jackson's The Lottery, it has appealing characters in Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Cinna, and even Haymitch.

Skeleton Man

by Tony Hillerman
read by George Guidall
Carver County Library audiobook 6.5 hours
genre: mystery, adventure

Liked: . . . the reader's voice, the good guys won, some of the Grand Canyon & Hopi Indian info

Disliked: the repetitive storyline! Every time a new character was told the details of the plane, the diamonds, etc. it was like a joke - how many times does the author need to share the exact same info?! Also, who was the main character supposed to be? Leaphorn? He was hardly part of it at all. Jim Chee? Bernie? Joanna Craig? This just didn't work. It was pretty annoying.

Eggs

by Jerry Spinelli
PRMS paperback 220 pages
genre: YA, coming of age

This was a re-read for sixth grade book club at school. David and Primrose are unlikely friends, but they definitely connect in a meaningful way. My sixth graders really liked this - one said the nightcrawler scene was her favorite. David's mom has died; Primrose's mom is self-absorbed and emotionally stunted. The two of them work through some of their issues together with a mix of humor and sadness.

The Lost Symbol

by Dan Brown
my sister's copy, hardcover, 506 pages
genre: thriller, mystery, suspense

I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as The Da Vinci Code. There didn't seem to be a compelling reason for the CIA to behave the way it did (both initially, when they were draconian, and later when they were lenient). The "national disaster" seemed overwrought. The nasty gory stuff was interspersed with long diatribes about ancient mysticism and it just didn't work for me.
What did I like about it? The Washington D.C. lore - I love that city! It's gorgeous and I could spend weeks there, exploring its treasures. An interesting note about this book - really short chapters make it seem more like a "quick" read (133 chapters plus a prologue & an epilogue).

That said, I'll put other people's opinions in the comments below.