All-American Muslim Girl is a 2019 YA novel by Nadine Jolie Courtney. This book was one of my random Barnes & Noble finds while perusing the shelves in the store the other day. (Don't worry; I didn't stay long and I had my Scholastic "I ❤ Reading!" mask on.) One fleeting glance at the blurb … Continue reading Book Review: All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney
"The internship was all kids my age who were here to sharpen their talents. They wanted to create the next wave of fashion. And I’d lied to them. I was lying to all of them." - 23% Alterations (2016) is a YA novel by debut author Stephanie Scott, and I'm going to jump right in … Continue reading Book Review: Alterations by Stephanie Scott
Does My Head Look Big in This? (2005) by Randa Abdel-Fattah is the story of sixteen-year-old Amal, a modern Palestinian-Muslim-Australian girl. Amal is hilarious, educated, beautiful and spunky, with open-minded parents and a deep commitment to her Islamic faith. The book begins when Amal decides that she wants to wear the hijab full-time. She isn't … Continue reading Book Review: Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
The Siren was the first book written by Kiera Cass, author of The Selection series. It was originally self-published, but after the author's success, was bought by HarperCollins, re-edited and re-released in January 2016. I totally devoured this book. I loved every word of it. Light yet deep, haunting but addicting and seriously page-turning. The story follows … Continue reading Book Review: The Siren by Kiera Cass
The Heir (2015) is the continuation of Kiera Cass's original Selection trilogy, and the first book in (what I'm guessing will be) a new trilogy about the next generation of the Illéan royal family. I cannot believe this was nearly a 350-page book, because it felt so short! I absolutely devoured it and couldn't put … Continue reading Book Review: The Heir by Kiera Cass
I have never read this genre of novel before, but was drawn in by the sample chapters on the publisher's website. I subsequently bought the e-book, wanting to see what happened next. And I'm so glad I did, for this was an adorable read! For a geeky, sheltered stay-at-home mom such as myself who has … Continue reading Book Review: New York Dolls by Catherine L. Hensley
My favorite book by Sarah Dessen is Keeping the Moon (1999). Nicole Sparks used to be friendless and overweight. But even after her weight loss, mostly brought about by her mother’s recent success as a famous fitness instructor, Colie's still friendless, and bullied at school by false, vicious rumors. When her mother leaves to promote … Continue reading Book Review: Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
In Nobody’s Princess, we meet the young Helen of Sparta, as author Esther Friesner imagines her to have been, before she became the Iliad’s Helen of Troy. Inspired by Sparta’s later practices to train girls in athletics and warfare, Friesner paints Helen as a feisty and fearless would-be warrior maiden, as well as possessing her legendary physical … Continue reading Book Review: Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner
Beth Hoffman is the author of this lighthearted coming-of-age novel, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. After tragedy strikes her mentally ill mother, twelve-year-old CeeCee is whisked away from small-town Ohio to the home of her wealthy, larger-than-life Great Aunt Tootie in sunny Savannah, Georgia. Between Aunt Tootie’s bold housekeeper Oletta, and their eccentric southern belle neighbors, CeeCee … Continue reading Book Review: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
This Alabama “chick lit” story of women, food, and friendship straddles two time periods and two sets of friendships: the 1920s friendship of Ruth and tomboy Idgie; and the 1980s friendship of lonely housewife Evelyn, and the elderly Ninny. The friendships and interactions between Ninny and Evelyn are sweet, as Ninny shares stories of her sister-in-law, … Continue reading Book Review: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
When author Mary Ann Shaffer passed away, her niece, Annie Barrows, took up the mantle of completing the novel her aunt had been researching and writing. The resulting product of their joint efforts is this delightful little story, entitled The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. We meet a variety of characters, including our lovable … Continue reading Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
At first, I was reluctant to read The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd, because I knew it was about adultery. But I absolutely loved The Secret Life of Bees by the same author, and was eager to read more of her fiction. I wasn’t sure how I was going to relate to this book, … Continue reading Book Review: The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
In the 1970s, Susie Salmon is a young teen who falls victim to her neighbor, a psychotic child predator. Brutally, the man assaults and murders her in the opening of this book. Thus, Susie narrates The Lovely Bones from beyond the grave, telling the story of her beloved family after she “goes missing,” as she waits … Continue reading Book Review: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
In this beautiful and exceptionally-written coming-of-age novel, The Secret Life of Bees, author Sue Monk Kidd transports us to a 1960s South Carolina summer. Young Lily and her black housekeeper, Rosaleen, are on the run from Lily’s abusive father. Meanwhile, a group of racist white men are after Rosaleen for insulting them. Following the lead … Continue reading Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
C.K. BROOKE 