41) Holes-Louis Sachar

Stanley Yelnats. It's the same name both ways. A name that has been cursed for generations because of a no-good-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. When Stanley is accused of stealing the shoes of Clyde "Sweet Feet" Livingston from a homeless shelter, he is given the option of juvenile detention or Camp Green Lake. Never having been to camp as a child, they choose that over jail. However, Camp Green Lake isn't exactly what Stanley or his parents pictured. For one, there is absolutely no lake. After he realizes things aren't as they seem, Mr.Sir tells him that he will be digging a hole (five feet deep, five feet wide) every day in order to build character and reflect on what he's done. But why do they have to dig them? Surely there is something else they can do to build character! He is given his two orange jumpsuits, his canteen, hat and group assignment. The next day, he starts digging. It isn't until he finds a gold tube with the initials KB inside a heart while digging that everything starts to change.

This was, BY FAR, the book I was most excited to be assigned for Adolescent Fiction. I mean, it's Holes! This was one of the very first "big kid" books that I ever really loved (see also: Ella Enchanted). I haven't read this since...probably fifth or sixth grade. I sort of missed it, you know? It's different but absolutely the same when you read it now. It's just as wonderful, but you pick up on so much more than you did when you were younger. You realize the underlying messages, but still love the storytelling. 

It felt so good to reread this. Sometimes, you don't realize that your favorites when you were younger could be just as great now as they were then. Great writing doesn't age and this is some really great writing. I think I'll go grab the movie from my collection and enjoy some baby Shia LaBeouf. It's been too long.

40) Will Grayson, Will Grayson-John Green & David Levithan

If you met someone with the same name as you in a porn store, what would you do? Walk away as if you didn't realize you shared a name? Say something? Don't know? Well, in the case of both Will Grayson and Will Grayson, this strange coincidence happens. Due to circumstances that neither one of them could have foreseen, they both end up in a porn store one night in Chicago. When they discover they share a name, they tell their stories of how they landed where they are. While they are completely different people, they realize that maybe their meeting wasn't just a coincidence. What follows is how this meeting changes both of them for the better.

I'll admit it. The cover caught me last year. It wasn't until about a month ago that I even finally purchased it, but I'm so happy that I did. I absolutely, in every way, love with this book. If you like the work that either of these authors have put out, you'll love this one. It's funny, full of music, feels conversational and really great all around. I read another review that said it was sort of like a John Hughes film and it kind of is. But if his work was being put out today. Did I mention they talk about Neutral Milk Hotel? That had me pretty quick. 

I smiled quite a bit, laughed a lot and kept thinking, "This needs to be a movie. It'd be amazing!" the whole time. I found it hard to put down and was sad when it was over. I would also like everyone I know to read this as well. You'll thank me later.

39) Annie On My Mind-Nancy Garden

New York City in the 80s. Aspiring to attend MIT for architecture, Liza looks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for inspiration for her solar house project. Taking a detour to avoid crowds, she walks into the American rooms where she hears a lovely singing voice. Drawn to it, she walks towards the room and comes upon a girl named Annie. For some odd reason, the two girls are drawn to each other without knowing at all why. They exchange numbers and each spend the next few days thinking about the other. Soon, they both find themselves in love for the first time. However, the ups, downs, twists and turns of a first love can be hard and unpredictable. Neither could see the trouble they could cause.

This was another read for Adolescent Fiction. For me, it was just another adolescent love story. It surely did not matter that it was about a lesbian couple. It could have been a heterosexual couple and it would have all been the same. Until, of course, I was 75% of the way through it and I just got incredibly pissed off. People's ignorance can be so appalling. I spent the last 25% of the book just angry at how disgusting people's views can be. Love is love, so back the hell up.

It was a really great story. Lesbian or not, it was a wonderful depiction of teenage and first love. The awkwardness, the trepidation, the excitement. It's all there. It really encapsulated what that is all like. What I'm saying is, be prepared to be annoyed with prejudice and ignorance. Other than that, I thought it was a great story.

38) The Elephant's Journey-Jose Saramago

"When the mind wanders, when it carries us off on the wings of daydreams, we do not even notice the distances traveled."

King Dom Joao the Third of sixteenth century Portugal and his wife have no idea what to gift the Archduke of Austria. "Solomon!" the queen exclaims. Solomon, the elephant they had received from India two years prior, has merely set in his enclosure and done little else. The king agrees and once the archduke accepts the gift, arrangements are made to transport the elephant to his new of Vienna. What transpires is the journey Solomon takes with the mahout Subhro over many lands and how a single elephant can change someone in each convoy's mind.

The first group travels by foot from Lisbon to Valladolid where they meet a group of Austrian soldiers halfway. Once in Valladolid, the king's convoy is sent back to Lisbon. From there, the elephant and the mahout, now named Suleiman and Fritz, continue traveling across Europe, through the Alps and finally arriving in Vienna.

I bought this book simply because it was about an elephant. What? They're my favorite animal and any reason you find for reading is good enough. You're still reading, right? Exactly. Anyway, I think this was an interesting read. Something that was definitely not something I would have normally read. There are paragraphs that can last for thirteen pages and dialogue is woven in throughout separated only by commas. There was also a bit of religion and as I am not generally all about that, it was interesting to say the least. It bounced around at bits, but it was still a good read.

(Sidenote: At one point, they arrive in Mantua and I found it incredibly hard not to scream about Romeo being banished. Sue me.)

37) The Chocolate War-Robert Cormier

The boys of Trinity Prep know one thing: The Vigils run this place. Even freshman Jerry Renault knows this. That is why when the school does the annual fundraiser, this year chocolates, Jerry is told by the group to defy the staff and not sell the chocolates for ten days. However, once those ten days are up, Jerry continues to say no. Much to the dismay of the corrupt Brother Leon, the student body and, most importantly, himself. This creates a cascade of events. Calls come in the middle of the night, he's attacked on the school grounds and invisible isn't even the right word to describe how he's treated during the school day. So, what happens? Does he sell the chocolates allowing the crazed brother, Archie and the goons of the Vigils win? What happens if he stands his ground? What could they possibly do to him that could make things worse? 

This was another book for my Adolescent Fiction class. I didn't really go into this thinking I'd like it or I wouldn't like it. It was just an assigned book for another class. Sadly, this book just did not do it for me. It might be a classic, but I could have gone without ever reading this as well. There was nothing that was necessarily complex. I spent most of the book bored out of my mind and thinking of all the movies it reminded me of: A Clockwork Orange, School Ties, The Emperor's Club. Then I thought of A Separate Peace and that only made things worse. I didn't like that book at all.

What annoyed me most was that everyone allowed all of these things to happen. The only person who stepped up was Jerry. I mean, let's face it. The brothers allowed the vigils to do what they did. The students did what the vigils said for fear of punishment. The members of the vigils listened to Archie without hesitation instead of telling him he was out of line. God damn! Someone take a stand around here! 

The one thing I did like was that it was told from someone else's perspective each chapter. You saw the story unfold from different aspects. I always find it interesting when authors use that form of narration. I just wish I hadn't been so bored reading this

36) The Last Newspaper Boy in America-Sue Corbett

The day before Wil David turns twelve years old, he learns that the newspaper route he has been so excited to inherit will be ending its distribution to his hometown. Outraged, he tries to find every way possible to help keep the route alive. He e-mails the owner, gets signatures on a petition and still he doesn't feel that it's enough. It isn't until he sees the new game at the fair that things start to turn around for him. When the fair rolls in, it brings with it the Cover the Spot game guaranteeing its winner a $1,000 prize. One to always figure out the catch, Wil can't seem to figure out what the catch is this time. It isn't until the day before the fair ends that he figures out how it's rigged and how he can catch the crooks, and save the paper and his town, all at once.

I really liked this book. I saw it every so often on the shelves of the bookstore and always said, "Eh, maybe next time" until I finally did. I thought it was interesting. The first few chapters didn't really do it for me, but once it got to the bit with the fair, it got really, really great. It had a lot of different elements. There was mystery (you want to find out the catch of the game just as much as Wil!), humor (one of his older brothers can never get sayings correctly), hope (you want the paper to stay alive) and so much more. I was very glad to have picked this up.

It's a quick read once you get beyond the first few pages. It's only 199 pages and will only take you a few hours to read it. It's nice to see a book about something that is certainly on its way out due to technology. Oh, the paper route.

35) The Outsiders- S.E. Hinton

Tulsa, Oklahona in the 1960s. The war between the greasers and the socs is about to reach yet another rumble. But who is to prevail this time? Will it solve anything at all?

Ponyboy is a fourteen-year-old greaser living with his brothers Dally and Sodapop after their parents died in a car accident. Ponyboy is smart, insightful, sensitive and aware that most of the happenings in his life can be changed if only he put the effort forth. He can't change that his parents are gone or his social standing, but he can always change where he's going and who he'll turn out to be. 

One night, he and his friend Johnny meet up with Dally and set out for the drive-in. It's here they meet one Cherry Valance, a soc who doesn't see much difference between the sides. She realizes that Pony is nothing like the rest of the greasers. After the movie is over, the girls can't find a ride home, so Dally suggests that he would take the girls home. Unfortunately, the soc boyfriends of Cherry and her friend spot them with the greasers. A fight is narrowly avoided and Dally leaves Ponyboy and Johnny to their own devices. The two accidentally fall asleep, which makes Pony come home late and a fight erupts with his oldest brother, Darry. Pony flees, finds Johnny and they decide to run away. They reach a park and a car full of socs spot them at a park. Outnumbered, a fight breaks out between the two groups. What happens next changes more lives than could be anticipated.

This was an assigned book for my Adolescent Fiction class. Although I wasn't a MASSIVE fan of this book, I can see why it's still such a popular book and often taught in schools. It's still completely applicable to today's society. Aside from a few aspects, the core ideas are in no way dated. They're still relevant now. It's essentially what started the YA genre. My favorite part was that the first few sentences ended up being the last few sentences in the book. When I finished, I (out loud) said, "Oh my god! That is so neat!" I felt pretty awesome about that.

If you don't want to read the book, just do what I'm about to do. Watch the movie with, wait a second...everyone before their careers really took off. I'm coming for you, Patrick Swayze!

34) La's Orchestra Saves the World-Alexander McCall Smith

La is a girl from the country. A girl from the country who wanted the proper education and attended Cambridge University. It was here that she met a man named Richard who she would later marry. Sadly, it did not go the way she planned and she finds herself removed from London and back into the countryside. Suffolk is never where she assumed she would end up, but as World War II began, she was glad to be where she was. She attended to hens on a farm not too far from her home, plants vegetables for the war effort and enjoys the quiet of the country. It's not until a friend of a friend pays her a visit and suggests that maybe what they need is a morale booster. La suggests perhaps starting an orchestra but then quickly dismisses it as a silly idea. Tim disagrees and soon they have themselves a quiet little orchestra. They meet once a month and occasionally perform concerts with the promise of a victory concert once the war is over. But is music as healing as she believes it to be? Does her orchestra stand a chance at boosting morale? Will anything she does help at all?

This is another book I have had my eye on for awhile. It always sounded so interesting. I had read a few other books by AMS, but this is absolutely my favorite. I could not put it down. It was beautiful even if it was set in England during WWII. I thought that the story had soul, that it was uplifting and wonderful. I was mad when I had to stop reading and, despite being incredibly happy with the book as a whole, was upset when it was over. It made you remember that no matter what hardships we come across (and WWII was certainly a massive hardship for anyone at that time), the power of music and the necessity for love is important. 

While I understand that the shortened synopsis I gave hardly gives anything away, I want to give enough to entice someone in and then they can discover just how special this book really is. Everyone should read this book. Male, female, flying purple people eater. Whatever you may be. It's one of those books where you stop and think, "Wow, not all books these days are unsatisfactory. Some still blow you away."

33) A Walk to Remember-Nicholas Sparks

What? They're quick 2-3 day reads, okay? So what if it was made into a movie! That happens to a lot of books. Anyway, I finally decided to give it a go recently and I'm glad that I did. 

The book, set in 1952, takes us through Landon Carter's seventeenth year. A bit of an arrogant "rebel" (apparently eating boiled peanuts in a graveyard at night makes you a rebel in those days), he cares little for other's feelings and least of all, Jamie Sullivan's. He cares a great deal of what other's think of him and wonders how she could go about her day to day life and not have a care in the world about how she is perceived. 

After attending the homecoming dance together, Jamie asks him a very personal favor. She asks if he would be willing to play Tom Thorton in the town's annual Christmas play. He agrees after she explains she wants it for her father's sake. Landon begins walking her home after play practice and slowly gets to know the girl he had been so wrong about was in actuality perfect for him. And just like that, he's in love with her. But love will always through curveballs and his obstacle was one that could not be overcome. Did it restore his faith in God or did it help him lose it? Where does true love take you and what could it make you do? Can love and faith transcend time and pain?

I thought that this was a really wonderful book. It was different in a lot of ways from the movie and I don't think that was necessarily a bad thing. Both could stand on their own for what they were. Although it's a little heavy hitting on the Jesus juice, it was much more tolerable than say... The Last Song. It was a wonderful story and a great quick read. Unfortunately...in the battle on the war of my tear ducts...

Sparky: 6, Megan: 1.