Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have)

by Sarah Mlynowski, 357 p.

Somehow April convinces her parents that she can stay with her friend, Vi, and Vi's mom while her dad and step-mom move to Ohio. Except Vi's mom will be with a touring theatre group.  And there is no adult supervision.  April and Vi do some pretty crazy things, and April finds out more about herself than she ever thought she would.


At first, I really disliked this book because a) April is obnoxious and horrid and b) I'm tired of reading about mean people getting away with things.  But the further I got into the story, the more I appreciated that April truly was growing up and that she wasn't just another snot.  Thank goodness for redeeming qualities...

Karma : a novel in verse

by Cathy Ostlere, 517 p.

In October 1984, Maya and her father are on a trip to New Delhi to return her mother's ashes after her death.  On their first night, Indira Ghandi is assassinated and the city erupts in chaos, separating Maya and her dad.  Maya is then pulled through the city by Sandeep, a guy she doesn't know but who ensures her survival in a city in turmoil.

This was a really beautiful story.  The turmoil between Sikhs and Hindus in Maya's personal life mirrors similar conflicts in India.  I also loved the idea of east/west love stories, and coming to terms with one's background.

Lola and the Boy Next Door

by Stephanie Perkins, 384 p.  Release date: 9.29.11


Lola lives in San Francisco with her two dads, her dog, her wonderful boyfriend, an awesome job at a movie theater, and the memory of something horrible that happened with the next-door neighbors.  All in all life is pretty perfect - until the neighbors come back.  Lola's world (and heart) start to rocket around like a roller coaster as she figures out who she is and who she wants to be with.

So this is the companion novel to "Anna and the French Kiss" (which I ABSOLUTELY ADORED!).  I don't understand why it can be so hard to find a really good readin' book sometimes, but if Stephanie Perkins wrote more, I wouldn't have a problem.  Lola is fleshed-out, her problems are relatable, and San Francisco sounds beautiful.  After tearing through "Anna," I was a little bummed that I would be leaving this awesome world.  But thank goodness Anna went to school in San Fran so we could meet the lovely Lola and the even lovelier Cricket (if only I could have a nattily-dressed gentleman caller in real life...).

Instructions for a Broken Heart

by Kim A. Culbertson, 295 p.

Just before leaving on an Italian tour with her classmates, Jessa catches her boyfriend making out in the costume barn with another girl.  To make matters worse, they're going on the trip as well.  Thankfully, Jessa's best friend sends a long a care package of sorts to get her over Sean and find herself again.

1) This reminded me so much of Glee that I kept internally referring to Jessa as Rachel.

2) The story was a little disjointed.  As soon as she'd grow a bit, she'd close down and would be back to square one.

3) I liked most of the characters because of my lovely theatre upbringing, and I LOVED the theatre references, but oh. My. GOSH!  Get over yourselves, please and thanks!

Verdict: If you want an ok read before the upcoming season of Glee, pick it up.  Otherwise... meh.