Second Helpings

 I really enjoyed the first book of this series and expected better things from this one. In the first one, it seemed like Jessica had a better sense in what she believed in, and this one, she was always changing her mind. Plus I don't think that the characters were written as well. They all seemed to act alike. It also had a Gossip Girl twist thrown in. I'm hoping that the third one is better.

Garden Spells

 This was such a magical book. Better than The Sugar Queen, and I loved that one. I just love the characters that the author comes up with. I don't think I could ever have the imagination that she has. This book reminded me of the movie Practical Magic, only the sisters in the book aren't witches, but kind of give you the feel like they could be. The apple tree alone is worth reading about. Loved it. Check it out.

Sloppy Firsts

 I wasn't sure if I would like this since it's a teenager novel, but I found it to be kind of funny. It was kind of like Mean Girls meets Juno (though no one gets pregnant) meets a John Hughs teenage 80's movie. Jessica's best friend moves away leaving Jessica stuck with friends she doesn't like, a secret crush she's embarrassed about, and all the fun of being  teenager. I liked it.

Twenty Wishes

 After reading the first chapter, I wasn't sure if I would like this book or not, but I kept reading and it turned out to be really cute and good. Kind of cheesy and predictable, but most of her books are. It's about four women who are widows and they decided to make a 20 Wishes list, kind of like the girl's version of The Bucket List. They write down all the things they want to do that they haven't done before, like go to Paris, or buy a fancy new car, or dance around barefoot in the rain. What really made the book readable was the cute girl Ellen, who ends up changing the life of one of the characters. She makes kids seem not so bad. It was a quick fast read, and introduced new characters. It's the 4th book in the Blossom Street series, and I was glad that the author made a new main character, because I was getting tired of always reading about Lydia who owns the yarn store, which is why I still have yet to read the 3rd book. This is a good book to help you remember why we have wishes in life.

Gorgeously Green

 All 'Green' books I read pretty much tell me the same thing, as did this one. But this one was a bit different than the others. It was a lot more detailed and gave lots of web sites to visit to learn more about how to keep yourself, your home, and the planet green. What I liked was how it mentioned beauty products. I have super sensitive skin, and after I read the beauty chapter and reading the list of toxins that are in the products we use, it's no wonder my skin looks like crap. There's a great web site www.safecosmetics.org where you can type in your products and it will tell you how harmful or not they are. That's a real eye opener. The book did get kind of boring towards the end, because I really felt like I was reading the same info over and over that I had read in other 'green' books. But it was still very helpful, and if I thought that anyone would actually read it, I'd give it as a gift. So get out there and be green.

The Sugar Queen

 What an amazing book. I love the cover, it's what got me to want to read it. The characters are vivid and likeable. They each have their own little story. There's a character who has books that follow her around. They just show up out of no where. I never would have even thought to come up with something like that. Magical is a good word for this book. It just grabs your attention and you can't put it down. Check it out, you'll love it.

Sammy's Hill

 I always saw this book at the bookstore, and always thought it looked really boring. Then a month or so ago I heard an interview with the author and found her amusing and decided to give the book a try. It follows the year in the life of Sammy who is working in DC with Senator Gary. It's full of politics, most of which flew over my head, and probably would be boring if the main character wasn't goofy and fun. It's smartly written with humor. I would really like to ask the author if some of the wacky things that Sammy does are things that she does. So check it out. I'm eager to read the sequel.