Books Recently Read

After joining ROW80, participating in blogfests, hosting giveaways, and interviewing authors, I haven't done one of these Books Recently Read posts in a while. I miss doing them, so here goes....

WATCHING WILLOW WATTS - Talli Roland

Willow Watts is a sweet young woman who left London to live with her widowed father in a small England town. When she impersonates Marilyn Monroe and becomes a Youtube hit, people think she's not only an impersonator but the spiritual incarnation of the Hollywood star. The village turns topsy-turvy with the media attention. Then a shady agent hones in on Willow to transform her further into Marilyn, romance her, and swindle her. Willow falls for his lies because she wants to help her father get out of debt. Under her agent’s guidance, her hair is bleached and parts of her body are artificially plumped, and the line between Willow and Marilyn blur. There are other storylines interwoven in the story when Willow experiences longing for an old beau and her father falls for an American Marilyn fan. I loved how everything fell into place for Willow, but I won’t reveal too much. This is a fantastic chick lit book full of humor and heart.

A PLACE IN THIS LIFE - Julie Rieman Duck

Natalie is torn between two boys. Alex is handsome, sweet, and—as she finds out later—rich. Todd is a bad boy who has leukemia. Natalie, who is rather innocent and has never been in a relationship before, has these two boys vying for her attention. She makes her choice, even though heartache is inevitable. This book fully captures the teenage experience. I was inside Natalie’s head as she underwent a tumultuous year of love, and I felt all her highs and lows.

SCARS - Cheryl Rainfield

Kendra was sexually abused as a child and as a teenager she cuts as a mechanism to relieve the emotional pain. Her attacker is out there, sending her threatening messages, and she’s always on edge. Even though she can’t remember his identity, he won’t let her forget what’s happened and he’s doing whatever it takes to make sure his name isn't unleashed. Even though Kendra has strong ties with friends, a new love interest and a caring counselor, what blocks her from happiness are her memories of an attacker who’s currently watching her every move. 

Cheryl Rainfield has written a novel that exposes a real problem, giving a face to cutters. To sum it up in one word, this book is raw. SCARS is easy to read in the sense that it’s well-written and the pages seem to fly by because of the riveting story, but at the same time it’s not easy to read because I felt uncomfortable with certain scenes. This debut is powerful, gripping, and suspenseful. 

INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN - Thanhha Lai

Hà is a ten-year-old Vietnamese girl who leaves war-torn Saigon unsure of whether her father is alive or not and what it’s going to be like in her new location. She ends up in Alabama. The culture shock is so realistic that I felt like I was with Hà during her struggles, which were confusing, heartbreaking, and finally empowering. I finished this yesterday and I’m still thinking about it. INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN is a book I’m sure I’ll read again. It's a wonderful, historical MG novel written in verse. 


DOWN TO THE BONE - Mayra Lazara Dole

I believe this is the first GLBT book I’ve read in a lesbian’s point of view. It’s definitely a POV that’s needed and I can say this novel pulled me into the main character’s world, one that I wasn’t familiar with. I felt sympathetic during Laura’s familial and romantic ups and downs as she experiences hurt feelings, romance, and confusion. The book is also funny and bright—it takes place in colorful Miami. DOWN TO THE BONE is also a multicultural read as it contains Latina characters.

THE SMELL OF OLD LADY PERFUME - Claudia Guadalupe Martinez

Chela Gonzalez's father falls ill, the mean girls at school turn her into a pariah, and she experiences puberty. The title is derived from the smell she associates with the arrival of bad things—the scent of old lady perfume—and Chela does go through many bad things, but she overcomes them. Although Chela is an eleven-year-old in the sixth grade, this novel has the feel of a coming-of-age story. I found so much meaning in this book as I related to Chela’s struggles and triumphs regarding family, friendship, and Mexican-American culture.

THE FUTURE OF US - Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

When Emma installs an AOL CD on her computer and it takes her fifteen years ahead into the world of Facebook, she first thinks it’s a prank created by someone who’s tech-savvy. She brings in her friend Josh, who’s not enthusiastic to assist because he has feelings for her, but she rebuffed him not too long ago. Despite what they feel for each other, they check their Facebook pages on a daily basis on Emma's computer, seeing that what they do in the present affects their statuses in the future. Reading about their futures eventually changes them for the better by the end of the book. It was interesting to see how all the little things they did had a butterfly effect that rippled across time. Also, the novel made me nostalgic for the 90s, so I loved the cultural references of that time period. THE FUTURE OF US is a charming and engaging read. 

Are there any good books you've recently read that you'd like to share?