Diary of a Wimpy Kid (4): Dog Days

Review:

Greg Heffley, who is now an expert in the middle school ways, is on summer vacation. While most kids are swimming at the public pool or riding their bikes, he’s in front of the television playing video games. Greg’s mom wants him to be more social, more active, and more … well, outgoing. With the cute lifeguard and trying to earn the responsibility of having a dog, maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea. But after the sufferings of walking through the men’s shower room at the pool and having a cold, wet dog sleep next to him all night, Greg realizes that being lazy and irresponsible is just the way he is.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has yet to disappoint me! While I can tell that Greg is getting older and his opinions are becoming more grown-up, his narration and drawings still crack me up. This book is simply entertaining and it’s very easy to read and keep reading. Greg’s experiences and feelings are so realistic that I couldn’t help but sympathize with him, laugh at him, and just want to be with him! The series appeals to both boys and girls and is the perfect gift.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (#4): Dogs Days by Jeff Kinney
pages: 217 (reads like 100), release date: November 2009, publisher: Amulet Books (of ABRAMS)
Contains: crude humor

RECOMMENDED (ages 12+)

STARS: 5 out of 5

SKNReviews

SKNReviews
sorta, kinda, not really reviews

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
2.5 out of 5 stars
Ages 15+

NOT RECOMMENDED

I’d been waiting months to acquire a copy of this book and now that I finally to got to read it, I am extremely disappointed. All of the political and religious things talked about were completely opposite of my beliefs. But I found myself not wanting to put it down. Everything was so different from what I know, that it was interesting. That was the only reason I kept reading. Good stories have diverse characters, unique personalities, which If I Stay lacked. The pace of the novel was messy and the ending unsatisfying. I hope to see Gayle Forman’s writing talent put to better use in the future.

*Contains: sensuality, profanity, and homosexuality of a minor character


i am neurotic (and so are you) by Lianna Kong
3.5 out of 5 stars
Ages 15+

RECOMMENDED

This book is based on real people’s submissions to iamneurotic.com so you know you aren’t the only one with these neuroses. From lining up the tacks on bulletin boards to eating Cheetos with chopsticks (orange fingers, eww!), over 200 neuroses are explored each with a wonderful photograph and a few short sentences.

This is a nice, quick sit-down read that’s really fun to look through. I didn’t expect the neuroses to be so different from each other. I found it boring at times yet the pictures kept me interested enough to keep reading. The pictures were terrific! The models did an excellent job with posing for them. If you pick up i am neurotic (and so are you), don’t expect a book. Expect a photography portfolio (which can sometimes be even better than a book).

*contains a sexual reference & a picture of partial nudity


My Self (a guide to me)
by Marlene Wallach and Grace Norwich
3 out of 5 stars
AGES 11+

*recommended to check-out at the library*

I adore the format of the book and the fun facts Marlene includes. It’s so bubbly and inviting! Marlene is like the babysitter who understands everything you’re going through. Towards the beginning are the tips on body language and not whining or complaining. It was fun reading about those topics because they aren‘t brought up that much. After awhile, though, the books goes into things like looking in the mirror and telling your reflection three things you love about yourself. This book is meant to give confidence to tween and teen girls but by most of the advice, it has more possibility of giving too much confidence that it becomes arrogance.

I don’t admire the pictures at all, mostly because the way the models posed. There is some good advice in here, though, so pick up a copy and flip through it for awhile.

*Contains nothing inappropriate

Like Christian novels?

TitleTrakk is having a huge contest in celebration of Christmas! They are giving away 10 Christian novels, 5 Christian music CDs, & 2 comedy DVDs.

(<--) That's 17 prizes all to the same person!

Enjoy them with your family or wrap it up and give it as a Christmas gift. Check it out and sign up for the contest here! All you have to do is answer the question, "What's your favorite Christmas carol?"

How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World

Review:

Jordan Christy uses her experience of the music and media business to create a guide for girls that want to resemble Audrey Hepburn and acquire her class and charm. Jordan explains that kindness is a necessity for finding and keeping real friends, taking care of your responsibilities will get you that job promotion, and that by keeping your virginity until marriage, your boyfriend will respect you even more. These things may be hard to understand at first glance, but Jordan teaches them in a simple way and you will soon catch on. So open this book! And see how to be and act like a real woman.

In How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World, it was sometimes hard to be respectful of the author and what she was trying to teach when she talked nastily about “stupid girls”. She could have went about writing the first part of the book in a different way that included all the girls that wanted to become classy, even ones with a not-so-pleasant past, but after the first 15 pages, she started to ease off a bit. I enjoyed a lot of things from this book, ones that I had to share with everyone that crossed my path, and I thank the author for using such an easily understood yet classy vocabulary. My favorite thing to read was the true short stories of how couples became married couples. It was really cute! The tips on how to dress made me feel a lot better about shopping, about how I’m not the only one with the problem of fitting into the right pair of jeans. This book really taught me how to become more of a graceful and respected, classy young adult. I recommend every teenage girl to read it before that first date or first job interview!

How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World by Jordan Christy
196 pages, released 2009, published by the Center Street division of Hachette
Contains: mentions of sex, sluts, and the female anatomy AGES 15+

4 out of 5 stars

RECOMMENDED

The Amanda Project Street Team

Hey, everyone! You may remember a while back when I posted the review of The Amanda Project: Invisible I (from HarperCollins), rated at 5 stars. Now, it's time for you to get acquainted with the site! An overview:

What Happened to Amanda?

AMANDA VALENTINO came to our high school on Halloween. She disappeared on the Ides of March. She left us some clues, but we’re not sure what they mean. The only thing we know for sure is that she utterly, completely changed our lives.

If you contribute, your idea of what happened to Amanda may get into a future book in the series!

So make account now, to help us find Amanda!

Why is this post titled the way it is, you ask? I'm one of The Amanda Project's Street Team members, trying to help spread the word of this amazing website and book series. If you have the time after making an account, send me your Amanda Project username and your zipcode so it can be counted as part of the Street Team's recruits. It would help a lot! So send your information here:

ReadingToMyself @ yahoo . com
(remember to remove the spaces when copied into your email or I won't receive it)

You Are Here

Review:

The way Emma Healy thought of her childhood and family changes. At the age of sixteen, she finds a birth certificate in the attic of her supposed twin brother. And with it, his death certificate dated two days after. Emma never felt like she belonged with her scholarly family and now she can imagine that there had been someone else like her, someone ordinary. Though she doesn’t own a car, she wants to visit her brother’s grave, states away in North Carolina. Her neighbor, Peter, offers to drive her there so she accepts. What she didn’t expect, though, was to find someone who understands her way better than she does herself that it’s almost scary. And he’d been next door for all these years.

You Are Here is now my All-Time Favorite book. Enough said. But since you want to know, here is a list of everything I loved about it: Each sentence, paragraph, and chapter ended on the perfect note. The characters and their lives were so fully described that I felt connected to them and wanted to never, not ever, stop reading. At 2am I finished it and I could feel a cry coming up my throat just because it ended. There is a whole world inside this book that explores every corner of awkwardness, kindness, love, failure, imagination, death, hope, anger, and all the other kinds of emotion. And I experienced every one myself while reading. It’s amazing! I have nothing bad to say about it. Author Jennifer E. Smith has an unbelievable talent that I can’t even dream of having. She weaves together great writing, a wonderful storyline, an amazing plot, completely likable characters, and emotions that make the reader feel like they are just discovering them for the first time. All while keeping her unique voice.

You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith (author of The Comeback Season)
pages: 251, release date: May 2009, publisher: Simon & Schuster
Contains: rebellion against parents (but resolved) AGES 12+

5 out of 5 brightly shining stars
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

*To see what others said about this book, click on the cover.

*Another* Another Faust Contest

Daniel Nayeri, one of the two authors of Another Faust, guest blogs:

Hi everyone. Dina and I are about to kick off a month-long tour for our book, Another Faust, and we want to do it by announcing a contest! We are looking for the most promising writers out there (that’s YOU). And then we want to showcase their work, so that all of the Internet can bask in their awesome writing might (and, you know, give them prizes).

HERE’S HOW IT GOES.

We want you to write your own short story, re-imagining of the Faustian Bargain. (For inspiration, check out Bedazzled, Simpsons “Tree House of Horrors IV,” and The Little Mermaid). It can be about anything you like (but let’s keep it PG-13, and under 3,000 words), and it’s open to everyone.

All you have to do is send your entry to dviergutz(at)gmail(dot)com before January 31.
Rules and details can be found here.

Make sure to read them so you don’t get disqualified.

And the winner gets all kinds of sweetness:

A signed copy of Another Faust
A handwritten deleted scene
A featured article & interview on our site
An author’s galley of the sequel Another Pan

Though we’ll feature the top five on our site for comments, the judging WON’T happen by popular vote (so basically, we don't care which contestant has the most friends). Dina and I will personally read them.

So, spread the word! Tweet, retweet, forward, thread, spread, embed this post.
Good luck!
D&D

To learn what Daniel & Dina's book is about, click here. :)