TSS - monthly wrap-up

Another month gone, and we're almost halfway through the year. Thankfully, it's Farmer's Market time again, which always brightens my mood. I had a great month of reading - here's the list:

Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kern - really good sci-fi about what happens when an alien race decides to atone for its sins against humanity. Rated 8/10. (my review of Steal Across the Sky)

While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky - fairly average family drama about the choices one makes when a family member is about to die. Rated 6/10. (My review of While My Sister Sleeps)

Fault Line by Barry Eisler - thriller for a blog tour about brothers dealing with cryptovirology. Rated 6/10. (My review of Fault Line)

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips - entertaining chick-lit involving the Greek gods living in modern-day London, and some very Olympian practical jokes. Rated 7/10. (My review of Gods Behaving Badly)

Somebody Else's Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage - secrets galore in a small, private school community. Rated 7/10. (My review of Somebody Else's Daughter)

My Abandonment by Peter Rock - captivating tale of a homeless girl and her father, and what happens when they are found. Rated 9/10. (My review of My Abandonment)

Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee - the immigration story of a young girl who travels from India to New York to Iowa in search of a new life for herself. Rated 7/10. (My review of Jasmine)

Losing My Religion by William Lobdell - memoir detailing one man's journey to faith, and away again, as a reporter on the religion beat. Rated 9/10. (My thoughts on Losing My Religion)

Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson - the story of a grieving man's quest to learn the secrets of his past. Rated 8/10. (My review of Sonata for Miriam)

Tightrope by Michael Kaplan - nonfiction about 6 generations of a Jewish family involved in many of the major historical events of their time. Rated 7/10 (review forthcoming)

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - the aftermath of a high school shooting, and the effects it has on the lives of the families involved. Rated 7/10. (My review of Nineteen Minutes)

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan - nonfiction about a woman's struggle with cancer, and the bond she shares with her family. Rated 8/10. (review forthcoming)

Testimony by Anita Shreve - the consequences of one horrible decision by four high school students, which changes the lives of a small town in Vermont forever. Rated 8/10.

Annie's Ghosts by Steve Luxenberg - true story about a man searching for the mystery of his mother's past. Fascinating. Rated 8/10. (My review of Annie's Ghosts.)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - beautiful novel about the friendship between two children during World War II - one of my favorite books this year. Rated 10/10. (My review of Hotel...)

Saints in Limbo by River Jordan - atmospheric novel about a woman given the gift of revisiting her past. Rated 7/10. (review forthcoming)

20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler - thought provoking young adult novel about best friends trying to come to grips with the death of someone they both loved. Rated 7/10. (review forthcoming)

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams - a young girl in a polygamous cult has to choose between the family she loves and the freedom she desires. Rated 7/10 (review forthcoming)



All in all, this was a great month. I found a couple of books that could very well make my list of yearly favorites - that's always fun!