How To Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles

Title: How to Ruin a Summer Vacation

Author: Simone Elkeles

Rating: 5 stars!!

Ages recommended to: 13 and up!


When Amy's dad (a.k.a. the Sperm Donor) phones and announces that he's taking her to Israel for the summer, she is anything but excited.
Amy only sees her dad on her birthday, and for the past few years, she hasn't seen him at all. He's never tried to be a dad, so why should she be forced to spend the summer with him??

It's hot and sticky in Israel and Amy is even more upset when she finds out she'll be spending three months in a tiny house with no air conditioning and only one bathroom. And to make matters worse, her father's family doesn't even KNOW Amy exists.

Things start to get better, and Amy finds a love interest.... But can things work out after Amy leaves?

This book is by one of my faaaaaavorite authors ever, and the book was ah-mazing!! Definitely recommended!


Praise for "How to Ruin a Summer Vacation":

"A breezy read." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“Fresh, fun and fabulous! Guaranteed NOT to ruin your summer vacation!” —Mari Mancusi, author of Boys that Bite

26 Fairmount Avenue and Here We All Are by Tomie De Paola

Book Titles: 26 Fairmount Avenue and Here We All Are

Author: Tomie De Paola

Ratings: 5 stars to both!

Ages recommended to: 7 and up!


Back in 3rd grade, we read these two books in class, and I saw them on the library shelves about a week ago and got all excited and knew I just HAD to read them again. I finished them both that night, and checked out the rest of the series the next day.
They were just as I remembered them, and just as good!
I'm so glad I found them.

These two books are the story of Tomie's life. Beginning kindergarten, moving into the new house, getting a new baby sister, starting dance classes and much more.
Definitely recommended!!

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Title: Elsewhere

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Rating: 5 stars!!!!

Ages recommended to: 12/13 and up!


Liz Hall is dead.
Kind of.
She's dead, but she's kind of still living.

At first she thinks it's a dream- it has to be, right? She's on a boat, with her roomate, Thandi. And she meets rock star Curtis Jest. You only meet rock stars in dreams.
But when her memories start coming back, she realizes she's dead. The boat she's on is bringing her to the land of Elsewhere, where everyone goes when they die. Except, you don't stay the same age, or get older in Elsewhere. You get younger as the days go by, until you're a baby again so you can be sent back to Earth to be reborn.
Liz is horrified when she finds out this is what her 'life' is now. She becomes depressed and wants only to go back home, where everything can be normal again. She was only 15! That's way too young to lose everything.
In time, Liz finds her place in Elsewhere and things get better for her.... Or do they?

This book was FANTASTIC- I'm amazed with Zevin's writing!! It is just.... like, really good!! Very very very very much recommended.

Praise for Elsewhere:

"Zevin offers a strikingly original answer to the eternal question: what happens when we die?.... The often wry, always absorbing narrative sensitively portrays Lizzie's grief and anger at the loss of her old life and her slow and painful acceptance of her existence in Elswehere. With an intriguing and well-developed promise, thoughtful characterization, and refreshing style, Zevin's poignant novel rewards readings with a view of death that celebrates the rich complexities of being alive." ~ The Horn Book

"A quiet book that provides much to think about and discuss." ~ School Library Journal

"This inventive novel slices right to the bone of human yearning, offering up an indelible vision of life and death as equally rich sides of the same coin." ~ Booklist

On the Bright Side, I'm now the Girlfriend of a Sex God by Louise Rennison

Title: On the Bright Side, I'm now the Girlfriend of a Sex God

Author: Louise Rennison

Rating: 4 stars

Ages recommended for: 13 and up!

This is the second bok in the Georgia Nicolson series. Another one of her journals, going on about the usual- boys, friends, school, teachers, family, makeup, clothes, snogging..... You get the idea.
Took me a bit longer to read this one than the first, but I think I'm still going to continue to read the rest of the series. If you read the first book, I'd recommend you read this one as well, to see how everything turns out for Georgia.... for the time being :)


Praise for "On the Bright Side...."

"Seriously funny- so be careful about reading it in public." ~ Daily Telegraph

"Laugh-out-loud stuff for anyone worn down by adult life who needs reminding that being young isn't all good fun." ~ The Sunday Mirror

"Zips right along with never a dull moment!" ~ The Philadelphia Inquirer

Title: The Book of Luke

Author: Jenny O'Connell

Rating: 5 stars

Ages Recommended for: 13 and up!


Emily Abbott, her mother, her brother (and NOT her father....) are moving from Chicago, back to their home town of Boston. On moving day, Emily's boyfriend Sean dumps her, out of the blue, and she decides she's through with being the 'nice girl'.
She reconnects with her best friends Josie and Lucy back in Boston, and she realizes she's not the only one who's been receiving some nasty guy- don'ts. So the trio decides to write a book of things guys shouldn't do to put in the Senior Time Capsule.
And to test their rules out, Emily starts dating Josie's ex-boyfriend Luke, who dumped her- by e-mail.....

Emily and her friends create a guide for guys..... But what Emily doesn't realize is that she's going to need the guide for falling in love.

The book was really good- fast moving, and interesting at all times. Good amounts of dialog when it was needed, and everything was just all good. I definitely recommend this book!!

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Title: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Rating: 5 stars

Ages recommended to: 13 and up!


When Naomi picks tails on a coin toss and has to go back for the yearbook camera, she falls and hits her head on the steps. She wakes up in the hospital with amnesia. She doesn't remember anything other than her first 12 years of life. She doesn't remember her boyfriend, or her best friend, or her parent's divorce.

This novel was surprisingly amazing, and I enjoyed it VERY much. I haven't gotton into reading yet this summer, but this book definitely got me started! Even with the busy weekend, I finished it in two days. I'm excited to pick up Gabrielle Zevin's other books, as well!

Other books by this Author:
*Elsewhere
*Margarettown
*The Hole We're In

Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

Title: Perfect You

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Rating: 4.5 stars

Ages recommended to: 13 and up!


When I first started this book, I didn't think it would be very good, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

It's about Kate Brown. Her father has recently quit his job to go sell Perfect You vitamins in the middle of the mall. Things are going terribly and he doesn't make any money. Kate's mom is working two jobs and they still can't keep up with anything.
Meanwhile, Kate has been seeing super popular, gorgeous Will- a guy totally out of her league. They're not dating.... So what are they doing?
And Kate's best friend Anna has ditched her after losing a ton of weight and dying her hair blonde, now part of the popular crowd.

Everything seems to be going wrong for Kate. She just needs to realize that everything can be okay again.... as long as she lets it.


Praise from Perfect You:

"I absolutely loved this book! It's funny, sad and wise, and will make your heart ache in the best way."
~ Melissa De La Cruz

"Warm and engaging, Perfect You holds on to your heart and won't let go."
~ Susane Colasanti

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison

Title: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

Author: Louise Rennison

Rating: 5 stars

Ages recommended to: 13 and up!


I decided to read this book after seeing the movie "Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging", which is based on this series.
The book is the hilarious journal of Georgia Nicolson. I'm not sure what to say about it without giving the whole plot away. If you've seen the movie, the two are actually very similar, which I was pleased with.
Recommended for a quick, funny summer read!!

Praise for "Angus Thongs":

"A spectacular debut." ~ Publishers Weekly

"Hysterically funny. You might want to refrain from reading this one in public!" ~ Seventeen

Secrets of my Hollywood Life: Broadway Lights by Jen Calonita

Title: Secrets of my Hollywood Life: Broadway Lights

Author: Jen Calonita

Rating: 5 stars

Ages recommended to: 13 and up!

This is part of the amazing series, Secrets of My Hollywood Life.
Hollywood starlet Kaitlyn Burke hits Broadway in the 5th installment of the series.
Again, with it being at the end of a series, I won't give too much away if you've just started from the beginning.
As usual, the book was fabulous, kept me on the edge of my seat, had the perfect conflict and kept me excited at all times.
I love the characters- each one is expressed so perfectly.

This series is definitely recommended.

My 2010 Summer Reading List!!!!!!!!

Rachel's 2010 Summer Reading List (So far)


1. My Little Phony by Lisi Harrison

2. Wanted (Pretty Little Liars, #8) by

3. Kiss and Blog by Alyson Noel

4. Temped (House of Night by #6) P.C. Cast

5. Passing Strange (Generation Dead, #3) by Daniel Waters

6. Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

7. The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

8. How to Ruin a Summer Vacation (How to Ruin, #1) by Simone Elkeles

9. Dead is Just a Rumor (Dead is, #4) by Marlene Perez

10. Reality Check by Jen Calonita

11. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

12. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

13. On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God by Louise Rennison

14. My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day

15. The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and me, Ruby Olivery by E. Lockhart

16. Jason and Kyra by Dana Davidson

17. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

18. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

19. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

20. Tips on having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend by Carrie Jones

21. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

22. Something Like Fate by Susane Colisanti

23. Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn

24. Five More Minutes by Darlene Ryan

25. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

26. Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison

27. Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas

28. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Title: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman

Rating: 2 stars

Ages recommended for: 13 and up


I was really looking forward to this book after reading so many good reviews and seeing what it was about, but I truly did NOT like it, at all!!
It was really really boring and it took me nearly 2 weeks to get through the whole thing. Very boring.

It's about Mia, who was in a car accident with her family and is in a coma. The book is written telling about this one day she's in a coma, and gives flashbacks about her life and reasons why she should stay and wake up or not.
It was just SO boring, though!
I don't really recommend it at all.

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

Title: Wait Till Helen Comes

Author: Mary Downing Hahn

Rating: 4 stars

Ages recommended to: 10 and up!


This book was a really quick and easy read for me because it was mostly for younger kids. I found it in my 10 year old cousin's bedroom and borrowed it and read it in about an hour and a half.
But that doesn't mean it wasn't necessarily good!
It's about a new family: Molly and Michael's mom has just married Heather's dad. Heather is a monster of a child, always causing a commotion or blaming Molly or Michael on something they didn't do to cause friction between the parents. The bad part is that Heather's dad and Molly's mom always believe what Heather is telling them because she witnessed her mother's death a few years back.
When they move out in the country into an old church house with a freaky graveyard in the back, Heather discovers a new ghostly friend....

It's a really good book, so pick it up if you need a slightly scary book that'll keep you on the edge of your seat :)


Praise for Wait Till Helen Comes:

"Genuinely scary, complete with dark secrets from the past, unsettled graves, and a very real ghost." ---- The Bullitin of the Center for Children's books

"An unusually scary, well-crafted ghost fantasy." ---- Kirkus Reviews

"A first-rate thriller." ---- ALA Booklist, starred review

Love Bites by Ellen Schreiber

Title: Love Bites

Author: Ellen Schreiber

Rating: 5 stars

Ages recommended to: 13 and up!!

This is the 7th installment of the Vampire Kisses series, one of my favorites. I can't say much, because I don't want to give away everything if you're reading the series and haven't gotten this far.
But, the series is FANTASTIC. They're very quick reads and they keep you wanting more. I really really recommend them!!


Praise for Vampire Kisses series:

"All in all, a good read for those who want a vampire love story without the gore." School Library Journal

"Readers will love this funny novel with a bite!" Wow Magazine

"A fun, fast read for vampire fans." School Library Journal

"A good choise for Goth lovers and fans of romantic vampire stores." School Library Journal