July Book List

64. Savvy by Ingrid Law (****) (342 pages) Savvy is just plain an awesome book.  I love the style, I love the message, I love the characters, I love the descriptions, I love the voice.  And the sequel is coming out next month.  :)

65. Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (****) (203 pages) Very humorous and well written.

66.  Dug Down Deep, Unearthing What I Believe and Why it Matters by Josh Harris (*****) (231 pages)  I loved this book.  I think that the author and I have a lot in common.  Growing up in the church world, Christianity tends to become more of a way of life than a foundation and a belief system chosen of our own accord.  I appreciated this book so much I really can't describe it.  Highly recommended.

67.  Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (**) (419 pages) Two stars because it held my interest to the end.  Excuse me while I climb back onto my soapbox.  Is anyone tired of hearing this yet?  WHY, WHY WHY???!??!  must there be SO MUCH language and... JUNK in Young Adult Fiction?  I understand that it's nothing kids don't hear every day the minute they walk out their front door.  I don't care.  It's wrong.  It's disgusting.  I finished this book because the progression of it fascinated me in a train wreck kind of way.  Can't bear to keep going, but can't look away...  The plot comes out so slowly and so fragmented that it's illogical to stop 3/4ths of the way through the book because by that time you are only starting to understand what it's all about and you've already invested so much time into it... I'm sure it's designed this way on purpose.  Which is quite genius, I'm sure.  But, I found the main character annoying, and I really didn't like any of the other characters either come to think of it.  The writing is only so-so in my opinion.  Maybe it's just not my preferred style.  Or, maybe I'm just being too nice.  If you have any aversion to language and adult situations, suicide, etc.... do not read this book. 

68.  Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (****) (184 pages) This book is full of magic words from start to finish.  I think I could've read it one sentence a time and stopped to consider and wonder at each one.  The front of my (borrowed) copy calls it "A novel of the strange and wonderful" which I think is a very accurate description.  This book is summer, life, death, wonder, horror and growing up all neatly packaged into 184 pages of the most beautiful prose that I'm almost tempted to call it poetry. 

69.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (***) (374 pages)  Reviewed HERE