What I've Been Reading

It's been so great to be able to choose my own reading materials lately. In the fall I was teaching a young adult literature class. It was really fun but very intense. I may have overdone it on the reading list with the six to seven young adult books per week. Needless to say, I didn't have much recreational reading time despite reading A LOT of books.

This past weekend I treated myself. I read three books of my choosing for fun!
First, I read Whirlwind by David Klass. It was a sequel to Firestorm, a book that I listened to during winter break. While I thought this book was just ok, it had lots of action and kept me turning the pages. A combination of action, scifi, and adventure, the characters from the book (some of whom were from 1000 years in the future) worked to try to save the Amazon from the Dark Lord.

It was a weekend for sequels. I've really been looking forward to the release of Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. I loved the first two books about DJ and the folks in Red Bend, WI (Dairy Queen and The Off Season). It was great to catch up with the characters and see what was happening in their lives during DJ's junior year basketball season. This is realistic fiction with sports, family stuff, and romance all mixed in.

Finally, I read the next 7th Grade Lunch Bunch Book Club Book. The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is all the rage at Highland (like everywhere else, I'm guessing). For book club we chose another mythology inspired story, The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh. Jack has a near-death experience which has left him with the ability to visit the New York City underworld. He's looking for his dead mother and ends up having quite an adventure with Euri. It was a fun read, but it didn't knock my socks off. I'm looking forward to hearing what the book club members have to say.

Since I can choose my own books now, I'm looking for some recommendations!

Works Cited
Front and Center Cover. Library Thing. Web. 22 Jan. 2010. http://www.librarything.com/work/8187861
The Night Tourist Cover. LibraryThing. Web. 22 Jan. 2010. http://www.librarything.com/work/3931039
Whirlwind Cover. LibraryThing. Web. 22 Jan. 2010. http://www.librarything.com/work/3941396