My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece by Annabel Pitcher

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Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 211
My rating: 3 stars
Ages: 12+

Jamie's family has been orbiting around the urn on their mantlepiece for five years. Then Jamie's mother leaves them and Jamie and his sister, Jas, move out of London with their father. Jamie is forced to face the truth of his dad's drinking, his sister's death, and his mom's new life.

This is Pitcher's debut novel, and while nominated for several awards, I found Ketchup Clouds to be a more superior read. Jamie is the narrator, and at ten years old, I found it hard to read. Then there was the way that there was no conversation--anytime Jamie recorded when someone spoke, it was written in italics. This ended up being draining on my brain. I just wanted conversation, set in a familiar way.

Other than that, the story is really interesting. The trials of a family still reeling from a child's death, how that effects their actions and thoughts, and what it does to Jamie who doesn't remember his sister. The end was hopeful, but honest, which seemed to make up for the frustration I felt while reading the book.

*I am not compensated by Amazon.

Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography by Rob Lowe

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Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Pages: 306
My rating: 4 stars
Ages: 18+

Actor, director, and writer Rob Lowe offers an inside look into his life. Starting with his parents' divorce all the way up through his time on the West Wing, Lowe offers an honest, no holds barred story. He offers no excuses, but tells it like it is, from how he wanted to become an actor, to being on the set of Star Wars, to his alcoholism.

While I was reading Lowe's book, I kept telling everyone how amazing it was. First, because it was insane to me how many people he met--even before he became famous. He was friends with Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez, giving him access to their father Martin. He dated Cary Grant's daughter, was given access to Liza Minnelli's hotel room, went to school with Robert Downey Jr., met LaVar Burton the week before he became famous for Roots. The writing is mostly in the present tense, and the mentions of most of these people are casual. Lowe really encapsulates what it was like, without seeming to let everything that happened since then influence how he wrote about it.

The stories about his acting jobs are fascinating, and it's interesting to see how different and similar teen actors where then compared to now. But the part of the book that got to me--the part I actually shed a few tears during--was when he decided to seek help for his alcoholism. The honesty as he describes how he knew he needed to stop and how he discovered what was important is moving.

There is some strong language, and references to sex and drugs, which is why I put the age rating up.

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon.

I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

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Publication date: 2010
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 307
My rating: 3 stars
Ages: 18+

When Angela finds out her fiancé has been cheating on her, she makes a brash decision to leave England and go to New York. With one small travel bag, a pair of Louboutins, and a bridesmaid dress, she arrives in New York with nowhere to go and no one she knows. She soon meets Jenny who uses her Oprah-like advice to give Angela a new look, and a new life.

This book reminded me a lot of the Shopaholic series by Sophia Kinsella. A girl loves shoes, meets an attractive guy or two, there's a problem, she finds herself. There isn't anything bad with this formula, and I find Angela a little less annoying than Becky. This is a fun lite lit for when you need a break from heavier stuff.

That being said, there was some stuff that annoyed me. The language, for one. Hard language is pretty typical in British novels, but it's just not something I like. There is also the fact that within two weeks of Angela breaking up with her fiancé and moving to New York she sleeps with not one, but two men. The last thing that bothered me was the editing. At first I could see that the proofreading didn't seem to have been very thorough--strange extra spaces, the wrong word here and there. And then I started noticing inconsistencies that should have been picked up by an editor; the biggest one being that the chronology would get off. Angela would say she had a meeting the next morning, but she wouldn't actually go to it until two days after she said it; she lived one Monday twice, etc.

If the language and sex doesn't bother you and you can turn your brain off to the editing, this is a fun start to a light read series.

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamond Hodge

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Publication date: 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 342
My rating: 3.5 stars
Ages: 14+

Nyx was raised to do two things: to marry the Gentle Lord and to kill him. For 900 years her country has been ruled over by the demon they call the Gentle Lord and, as her father had bargained her away, Nyx is chosen to be the woman to defeat him and free Arcadia. The only thing no one counted on was that she might fall in love with her husband.

I passed over this book many times before I actually decided to get it from the library. I was wary about another Beauty and the Beast retelling, especially after the last one I read. But after having seen it recommended several places, I finally bit the bullet and got it.

This is not your typical retelling of a familiar fairytale. Taking place in a parallel world where the Grecko-Roman empire was destroyed, save for the island of Arcadia, Hodge intertwines Greek mythology with fairytale, creating something I wouldn't have expected. This isn't a story about a beautiful girl taming a wild beast, but a story of revenge, complicated love, and bargains that harm more than they help.

Since I had such low expectations going into the book, I finished it surprised. It's a debut novel, and I expect that Hodge's writing will just continue to get better. Nyx's jealous and dark hearted nature was a little wearing at times (I find it hard to believe that twins could be so blind to each other's true nature for seventeen years), but the characters grow in change throughout the novel which is always good. A good book for anyone who wants a new kind of fairytale, but it's not exactly the first title that will come to my mind when someone asks me for a recommendation.

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon.

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

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Publication date: 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 337
My rating: 4 stars
Ages: 14+

Lucy and Owen meet in an elevator during a New York City blackout. Two weeks later they are traveling in completely opposite directions, Owen to the West, Lucy to Scotland. The only things keeping them connected are the postcards they send each other, and the realization that the center of the world isn't a place, but a person.

This is a great example of how contemporary YA should be written. It's realistic, but imaginative. I also appreciated the clean language and the absence of sex. A love story can be told without sex and, personally, I think it's important to show that intimacy is more then being physical with someone. Smith shows this true intimacy, born out of having a long distance relationship that was started in a moment that unites strangers.

A good indicator of a well written story is when you can't put it down. After I turned off my light to go to sleep, I turned it back on to finish the book. There are moments when the story seemed to jump around, and it would take me a couple of pages to catch up again. But there were some beautiful turns of phrase, and the growth of the characters was refreshing and natural. Great for teens and adults.

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

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Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Crown Archetype
Pages: 219
My rating: 4 stars
Ages: 16+

Comedienne, writer, and actor, Kaling presents a memoir full of humor, and almost surprisingly profound advice. In this book you'll discover everything about why Kaling no longer eats cupcakes to how she made it to show business. For those only familiar with Kaling's character "Kelly Kapoor" from The Office,   you'll be delighted to learn that Kaling was a bookish little girl and has an Ivy League education.

There is something about comedians . . . they always seem so down to earth, as well as unashamed to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Kaling is no different. Her writing actually caused me to laugh out loud at times, as well as nod my head in agreement with her thoughts on marriage and one night stands.

If anyone should be a role model to teen girls, it should be Kaling. She is a woman who is respectful of her parents, took her education seriously, and followed her dreams. But she also shares her failings (like when she was kicked out of work by her boss), and unique ideas on how to leave a party you don't want to be at. This is a great book for older teens who are looking toward the future after high school, as well as those adults who are still trying to figure out what they are doing in their life. Or, maybe you just need a laugh.

*I do not receive any compensation from Amazon

Me Since You by Laura Wiess

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Publication date: 2014
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 342
My rating: 4 stars
Ages: 16+

Rowan's life changes forever the day she skips school. One man's action ripples outward, changing her, her cop father, her librarian mother, and a boy she's never seen before, in ways they could never have imagined. Everyone in town knows, and everyone in town has their own opinion, so how can Rowan find the peace she needs to keep on going?

This is a deeply moving book about family, grief, depression, and suicide. It's the kind of book that stays with you for a little while after you finish reading it, leaving you feeling a little morose.

The book is kind of split into two different sections, with the second half of the book being almost completely about Rowan dealing with her and her mother's grief. Truthfully, the second half is hard to read. It felt long, not because of the writing, but because it felt real. Grief is long. It takes time. And sometimes--a lot of the time--you fall apart. And things affect you in ways you didn't realize, even when you think you're getting better.

Because of this, as well as language, teen partying/drinking/smoking, I would recommend parents read it and discuss it with their teenagers.

*I am not compensated by Amazon.