Dog Days of Summer Wrap-up

Oh, I had such a great time participating in the Dog Days of Summer Read-a-Thon. It was fun to read along with others, fun to check out some of these
teen "classics" that I've missed along the way, fun to have an excuse to read more! Here's what I read -









My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews - Okay, I have to admit this was entertaining, but seriously? It was a little bit like eating an entire chocolate cake - you know it's a bad idea even while you are doing it. I can see why these novels are popular with teens, though - So. Much. Drama. And for a kid who thinks their life is just THE WORST, reading about someone who has this much crap going on must be comforting. Fun, but I think this will be my first and last by this author.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith - I was pre-disposed to enjoy this because I watched the tv show for a few seasons back when it started, so I had a feeling this would be a fun read. I was pleasantly surprised at how non-annoying I found most of the characters - but is it a vampire-story thing, or just a teen-romance thing, where the girl is in love with the guy after about 2 minutes? Because that's a little troubling. All in all, though, I enjoyed it, and found the next book on audio so am continuing the series.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares - this is my favorite of the books I read this weekend. I really appreciate the author's ability to portray each of the girls in a way that feels honest, and also that she didn't try to lessen the importance of their relationships with their families. I am definitely going to read more in the series - this book just made me happy the whole time I was reading it.






Heart to Heart by Lurlene McDaniel - Yep, this is the cover on the book I read. And the main characters' names are Elowyn and Arabeth. It was actually like reading the script for one of those old ABC Afterschool Specials - someone dies, and it serves as a warning to the friends, but ultimately everyone winds up feeling better about themselves. I can absolutely see how teenage girls eat this up.






Now I'm thinking of joining in the Bout of Books, which is another read-a-thon taking place this week. It's just so much fun!