OTHER books part 2

Flappers and Philosophers - F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of my favorite authors. After reading The Great Gatsby in high school, I was dying to read anything else of his I could get my hands on. This book was a collection of short stories that I read while lying out in the sun last summer. I drove around with it in my car for quite a few months (I'm not even sure why...or how it got in there to begin with) and ended up reading it again. Quick, witty, enjoyable stories.

Flowers For Algernon - Daniel Keyes

This was another book that usually dominates the HS reading assignment list but again, we never read this one (I'm starting to question NRHS's literature curriculum...although, I shouldn't complained, I loved most of what we read...except Grapes Of Wrath...HATE HATE HATE that book....HATE...but I digress.) I loved this story about a sweet, mentally retarded man , Charlie, who has an experiemental surgery done to try to improve his intelligence level. His progress mirrors that of a mouse, Algernon and the story is written through Charlie's eyes, his journal. You can track his progress as his writing and expression skills improve, but as Algernon's intelligence starts to waver and he takes a turn for the worse, Charlie wonders what his own future holds for him. I loved this book. Couldn't pass up the $4 price either. :)

Forever - Pete Hamill

This was a Bargain Book buy at Borders and 50% of the reason I bought it was because of the price ($5) and 45% was because of the cover. The other 5% was because the story line interested me. Luckily this book didn't cost much but still looks cool sitting on my bookshelf because it never really captured my attention enough to finish the whole thing. The story isn't bad, but I have yet to pick it up to finish...

Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

I loved this book and have loaned it out to so many people who also loved it just as much. It's a story told from a girl who has been murdered as she looks down on her family and friends as they deal with her death and try to figure out the mystery surrounding it. Beautiful story. I was inspired to buy it partially because of the charm bracelet picture on the cover of the book. I have a charm bracelet almost identical to the one on the cover and I was inspired to wear it more often after I bought that book. :)

Lucky - Alice Sebold

This is the non-fictional story that Sebold based Lovely Bones from (I believe). She suffered a similar experience in her own life and it was interesting to read the 'true life' version of things and compare the similarities. I have loaned this one out along with Lovely Bones many, many times.