I recently finished Reckless Daughter and thoroughly enjoyed the book
352031
As a Joni Mitchell fan for almost 50 years, I recently finished Reckless Daughter and thoroughly enjoyed the book.  Reading this biography filled me in on parts of Jonis life, music, and her loves  some things that I knew little about.  This book took me on a long, sentimental journey (from my high school days until now) and gave me closer insights to the woman whose music and spirit have filled all those years.  I had a wonderful time reminiscing while I read and listening to all her music at the same time.
There have been criticisms of the book regarding the authors writing style.  He got too carried away at times, especially when discussing music theory, musical notation, guitar tunings, etc., but those parts are short.  He loves to throw in big words and Im fairly sure he wrote with a thesaurus by his side.  (I don't like reading when its disrupted on every other page by my having to look up a fancy word or foreign term.)
Yaffe has been criticized for putting together a biography that doesnt really provide any information that cant be found on the internet/Google searches.  However, its fun to read a well-organized, well-put-together finished piece rather than searching the internet.
My major criticism of the book is that the author spends page after page going into tedious detail, analyzing her earlier songs and albums; then, he glazes over her last 4-5 albums, some of which happen to be my favorites!  (Night Ride Home, for example, got two whole pages of discussion, while her albums up to that point received full chapters of their own.)  I also feel cheated that Jonis later career received only a slight attention.  In the end, its a fine book  enjoyable, well worth reading.
3934388
I was really excited to get my hands on this book. I am not a big fan of YA books, but this one really caught my eye. That said, it was a bit slow to start off for me. However, with how good the blurb was for this book I was determined to stick it out, and I am glad that I did!

This book was about a popular crowd of girls called the "Larks". Someone is killing the girls off, one by one. This book was thrilling, and once I got past the beginning it really sucked me in.

The writing was excellent and I loved that I didn't figure out who it was. The fact that she threw in the killer's POV was brilliant for me. I Highly recommend this book. This was a fast read once I got past the first couple of chapters. Well Written, Characters were well developed and the dialogue flowed very well.

I haven't read a book by Monica Murphy, but I am sure that I will check her out again.
2468198
This wasn't the first book I've read by this author so I figured I would enjoy it but it proved to be better than what I'd expected. (No offense to the author intended) I just figured it would be a lot like several other lawyer stories on the market,of which I am a fan. However, what made this so outstanding for me was the fact the heroine was a native American.  She'd lived with her grandfather until she was seven. He'd taught her how to track, all about the forest, the animals, survival. She even had her own spirit animal.  She's working in the U. S. Attorneys office, preparing for a trial when a vital document she filed came up missing, her apartment caught on fire, and she nearly dies during an oral surgery procedure.  When she realizes none of it was accidental but part of a plot to sabotage her trial, she does some digging. Then her husband is kidnapped and his life depends on her getting the judge to declare a mistrial. So how does she stop whoever's responsible and get her husband home safely? What follows makes the book wholly unique to anything else I've previously read. It was thoroughly enjoyable.  I loved Aroostine and the elements related to her heritage the author wove into the story. Definitely recommend.
4621024
Plot: Cindy is a typical junior high girl with a best friend and a crush. Until the day she is called home from school to the bedside of her dying mother. Not long after her mother passes, while alone in her room, Cindy looks down and finds that her skin is gone, along with all muscle and everything else except the bones. She is a skeleton! It seems she turns into a skeleton when night falls, but then back into herself with the dawn. Now Cindy, who dubs herself Cinderskella, must deal with her curse, getting her dad to accept her, and exploring the world--especially the cemetary!--after dark.

Things take a complicated twist when Cindy makes her way into an underworld-type plane and then her father brings home a "new mom" who has two bratty daughters of her own.

Narrator: She's spunky and headstrong, which makes fun to follow around. She has her weak, teenage-girl moments, but other times she has a lot of insight. I particularly enjoyed this aspect of the story because so many people don't think teens have much insight at all. Teenagers tend to act in their own interests, which is why people think that, but most are much deeper thinkers, with much more insight, than anyone gives them credit for, so I really loved this aspect of Cindy.

Extras: The R.I.P. characters (that's Real Incorpsified Paradise)--Bert, Mr. Death, and a mouse named Cheddar especially--were among my favorite characters. So well-written! I loved the scenes with them in them!

Illustrations: The pictures--drawn by Bethany Borst, I think--are few and far between, but they're fantastic! So much fun. I felt like they added a lot to the book. Go get a copy just so you can look at them!

Overall: I was so impressed with this story. It was simple and fun, with plenty to make me smile and a love and compassion for Cindy and her situation. Cindy has to deal with plenty of grown-up emotions, including the grief of losing her mom, lack of acceptance by family members, the worry of lack of acceptance by her friends, and prioritizing her choices. By the end, she learns a lesson that might possibly have come across as cheesy, but the mother-daughter Borst team bring it across beautifully, and if feels profound.

Such a great story! And so much fun to read. I would recommend it to any tween girl. And their mothers, of course. And anyone who loves fun, sweet, unique middle-grade stories. Right after reading Cinderskella and being so pleased with it, I heard that it is a Whitney award nominee. Congrats Amie and Bethany!
2888932
the author spoke to my daughters school then later her book club, the kids were given this book. though this is not usually her, my daughters, preferred genre, she was absolutely engrossed. i  too read the book and liked it very much though was not as surprised by the ending as my daughter was....
1299409
I found this book in the paperback version in a second-hand store.  Although it was evidently intended for teens, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I am a grandmother!  It was truly hard to put down, and I read the book in just a couple of long readings.  The characters are pretty well developed, and the action moves along at a nice pace. There were some unexpected twists to the plot, which kept my interest.  I was pleasantly surprised!
4057507
When I heard that my daughter's English teacher wrote a book, I had to read it out of curiosity. I do have to agree with the other reviews that said it was a difficult book to get into, but once I got past the first chapter or so, I couldn't put the book down. It was well worth continuing. The story-line was exciting and moved along at a good pace. The characters and setting were well developed and I could visualize everything clearly as I read. It was interesting to see this near-future society's views on parenting with the best interest for the children in their minds. It left me thinking not only about the views in this book and how they got to this point, but how it also parallels other issues in today's society.

I'm hoping for a sequel before the iPhone 10 becomes ancient. The ending left me wanting to know what happens next, especially with Daniel, Renee and Nayden.
3563107
I was pleasantly surprised by Mostly Good Girls. I picked it up expecting a light, humorous read, which it definitely is. But it's also so much more than that. There's an undercurrent of teenage angst and confusion and all the stress that goes along with being sixteen years old.

Violet is a hilarious and witty character. There were plenty of moments during the course of the book where I literally burst out laughing at what she said or thought. She's brilliant and lovable and she's so...sixteen. Which is perfect because I can easily remember myself three years ago when I was sixteen and think, yeah, wow, I felt exactly like that. And Katie - I can easily see where she was coming from too, because my best friend went down the same path Katie did.

Leila Sales did a brilliant job at creating her characters and the world they existed in. I went to a small private school when I was in middle school, and I can see the similarities between my school and Westfield. Her writing style was effortless to get into. Her writing is amusing and real, much like her characters.

For the first half of the book, I kind of felt like not a lot was happening. There were a lot of hilarious moments and events, but the main story arc didn't really occur until about halfway through. The beginning was mostly backstory, I guess? It was all build up to the main story arc. But that was okay because the first half of the book was really, truly funny. It was more of fly-on-the-wall view of Violet's world and all the things that happen to her and how she feels about it. The second half that starts to get more serious and delve into the more deeper issues of being a teen. There was still the hilarity of the first half of the book, but it began to focus more on how people grow up and grow apart.

I really enjoyed Mostly Good Girls. It was extremely easy for me to relate to nearly everything that happened to Violet and around Violet. I had silly crushes on boys, I stil fail at cooking, I had issues with friends and their choices, and so it goes. The ending wrapped up a little too neatly in my opinion, but I think nearly anyone can read this book and be able to identify with the situations.

So yes! Definitely pick up a copy of this book. I really enjoyed it - it's a great young adult debut, and I can't wait to see more books from Leila Sales :)
3748829
I totally enjoyed this book and I  hope for a sequel soon.
3779574
I just finished this book that was passed on from a friend and I absolutely loved it. I do not typically indulge in fiction but this was a great addition to mix up my summer reading list. I loved the way the author bounced between two worlds; one realistic with a strong and relatable female lead and the other a sultry fantasy world of passion and adventure. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to indulge this summer with a little romance, passion, and empowerment.
4674254
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, written with a different voice, and a different location, and a different cast of characters- I so loved the main character's attitude and justified defiance throughout the book. Ehsani is quite an enjoyable author, with attitude.
Set of characters includes a pretentious and thoughtless matron of the household who years to improve her lot, and return to England, who feels slighted that she has been diminished by her husbands unfortunate habits that have cost the family their security and home, and needs everyone to know it. The poor relation who lives with them is the main protagonist, who sneaks off to have amazing adventures with natives, locals, doctors, and some mystery men The whole thing is quite a lark.
2983259
This was one of the best and most fun and books I have read in awhile. I have already recommended it to two people, one Miss Tulip, and another heavy reader of women's literature. I'm somewhat burning with former English major jealousy, although very impressed, that it was written by an undergraduate.

The second half of the book really picks up with complex themes like the commodification of sex that really resonated with me.

I love the characters and the settings, particularly Quare, the Quaker run boarding school.
2217140
Great book that kept me interested and engaged from start to finish
2867399
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I normally do not gravitate toward romance, but I really enjoyed this story and felt that it was safe enough for my 12 year old as well.  I loved the character of the characters, they were good people who did the right thing.  I look forward to reading more by Robin Lee Hatcher in the future.
I also read the second book : Betrayal and I loved that one too - don't miss it either!!
NOTE : I was offered a copy of both books at no cost, in exchange for an honest review.
3006603
I thoroughly enjoyed this book !  I loved the memories intertwined with the present.  I know some find it confusing but it made sense as a coping mechanism to what she was enduring. I loved Harlin and loved Skylar. Both strong  characters I enjoyed following them through her memories .  All I have to say it I'm sad that it's done and I haven't seen more .  But looooooved the epilogue!
4015042
Beautifully written, The Lovely Reckless captured the perfect amount of action, love, grief, and self-discovery. It lingered with me for days as I reveled in the love story of Frankie and Marco. It was one of my favorite young adult contemporary romances ever. I just loved the development of Frankies character and her growth throughout the novel. I loved how every relationship played a role in who she was and was becoming from her strained relationship between her parents, the forced friendship with her best friends, to the new unexpected relationships in the people shed have never associated with if she were the same Frankie before the death of her childhood friend and boyfriend.

But the story wasn't all love and moving forward through grief, it was action-packed and exciting with some mystery. It had all the things I love in a novel. If you enjoy stories about love and loss, are a fan of street racing movies like The Fast and the Furious, like young adult contemporary romance, and novels with diversity, The Lovely Reckless is for you.
567445
The story and characters drew me in right from the first page.

I especially loved Ward and Sylvia, Mikey's parents who play a huge role in his life and support him all the way.
Mikey is a loving character, who turns his whole life around after his daughter Holly is born.
Despite his problems and broken heart, Mikey seems very sensible and grown up and fights to prove everybody wrong.

The book follows Mikey, Abby and their families for about 10 years from the birth of their daughter Holly and gives a taster of the sequel.

I would have given the book 5 stars, as it did keep me hooked from the beginning till the end, but I did feel it got slightly unbelievable and cheesy in places.

I never really took to Abby very much. Maybe my opinion of her will change in the sequel.

I was delighted to have won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.