I loved this book! Noggin was my first John Corey Whaley novel, and I will certainly be reading more after finishing this funny and bittersweet story that is the perfect follow-up to The Fault in our Stars by John Green or Love, and Other Unknown Variables, by Shannon Lee Alexander, or any other book thatContinue reading “Book Review: Noggin”
Tag Archives: reading
Book Review: Eleanor and Park
Eleanor and Park gets filed under: Books I wish I wrote. It is easily a new favorite. It won a Printz honor award, and I boldly declared on some social media site that it should have won, admitting I hadn’t read the others. I’ve read another of the honor books, which I’ll review soon. IContinue reading “Book Review: Eleanor and Park”
Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
I have this prejudice against “dying child” books. Basically, I feel like it’s cheating. Dying children is a sad topic; and as an author, you don’t have to work very hard to make me cry. If I’m going to cry, I want to be moved by a depth of character or deeply complicated plot thatContinue reading “Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”
The Little Perfections
Josh and I often marvel at the wonder of how good our bed feels. It’s not a special bed. We don’t have fancy sheets or expensive pillows. But climbing in after Josh’s busy shifts is one of his favorite things in life. For me, it’s watching him wind down and become downright giddy about theContinue reading “The Little Perfections”
Book Review: Fixing Delilah
So, last year I was doing this thing where I kept trying to like Sarah Dessen. (I realize I’m reviewing Sarah Ockler’s book. Bear with me here.) I’m a fan of romantic books, and Sarah Dessen is the go-to romantic writer of YA fiction. I see review after review about how much everyone loves herContinue reading “Book Review: Fixing Delilah”
Book Review: Drought
I loved Pam Bachorz’s book CANDOR so much! It was one of my top five last year. And so this going to sound a little assy, but because I loved CANDOR, I figured DROUGHT probably wouldn’t be as great. So, I’m happy to say I’m wrong. I loved this one too. Maybe it’s my fascinationContinue reading “Book Review: Drought”
Book Review: Where She Went
This was a wonderful sequel to my favorite book of 2010. It definitely lived up to my hopes and expectations. The only thing that bothered me was that the hardback cover to this book complements the paperback version of the first book. I’m sure it was a marketing thing, but it bugs me. Still, ifContinue reading “Book Review: Where She Went”
Book Review: Girlfriend Material
I liked this book. I picked it up mostly because it was published by Disney-Hyperion and I’ll be attending an upcoming conference with one of their editors. I always feel better if I’ve come with at least one of their books read. Possibly I’ve read more, but nothing comes to mind. Anyway, I started anotherContinue reading “Book Review: Girlfriend Material”
Book Review: Girl
I think Blake Nelson may have just become my favorite author. Every time I read something of his, it’s such a different kind of book from the time before. I think I’ve only read three of his books, but whatever. You know how when you read a book and you feel like you know theContinue reading “Book Review: Girl”
A Bit About Building Character
So I’ve been reading and writing and constantly comparing where my book draft really is to where it should be going. I’ve got issues with the timing and fictional school calendar in my YA book. I’ve got too much plot and the lens on my characters is nearly all long-shot views. Also, I still haven’tContinue reading “A Bit About Building Character”
Jody Sparks Mugele 