Summer Reading Part 2

 

Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram,* “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island’s Council, which has banned the use of certain letters of the alphabet as they fall from a memorial statue of Nevin Nollop. As the letters progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl’s fight for freedom of expression, as well as a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere. {from goodreads} 

This was a great book! I loved the word play & the characters. I think that this was a great lesson in taking something too far or too literal, and what the consequences are. 

 

Alright, if I didn't have this book on my Kindle app, I would lend it to everyone I know. Of course, since this book is about 4 friends & a scrapbook, I fell in love. But I also have followed this author in the scrapbooking community for many years & she has written a wonderful book. I have read a few other fiction novels about scrapbooking and they have been pretty cheesy. This one definitely isn't like those other books. It is a beautiful story of long lasting friendships & the chance for healing. There are 2 other books in the series, A Sweethaven Homecoming is out now.

 

I have read this book before. But this summer when we went to see Rock of Ages, they had a preview for the movie that is coming out this Christmas season with Leonardo DeCaprio as Jay Gatsby. It looks amazing. So I read it again. It is very short, but was happy that I read it again. It is a classic! Such a rich, engaging story. I am also excited to see Tobey Macguire as Nick Carraway. Such a good character for him.

 

I received this book for my birthday from a good friend. Wow! It was a thriller. I don't usually go looking for these types of books but I am glad I read this in the daytime & near the pool. It was an intense story and has a shocking twist at the end. Loved it!

 

As I was reading this, I felt that I have actually read this story before. Maybe I started it with the kids and we never finished it. But this time we did. I love Katie Dicamillo's writing. It is so soothing. She had me at Because of Winn-Dixie & I have been a fan every since. This story has wonderful lessons learned throughout. It is almost like a fable. Expect miracles. Always have a hope & desire for good. It was a beautiful read.

I am actually finishing this one right now. I had it from the library on my Kindle, but after 3 weeks it expired and someone else had it on their waiting list so I couldn't download it to finish. I went on a hunt for another copy & 2 airports later I found it! It is a book that you think about when you are not reading it. I love author's that can write that well. This also has many medical situations that he writes in full detail, so if you have a weak stomach - be ready! It is about twin brothers, and one tries to break free from the tradition of his family to make a better life for himself & the childhood stories that brought him to where he is today through heartache, anger, sadness, joy, and hope! Good, good read! *If you are on goodreads.com please find me from the link on the left side of this blog. I have a long list of books I want to read, but I am always interested in what others have found fascinating.
 What did you read this summer? Please share!