The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book even though it was sad because it's fundamentally a very hopeful book: a fantasy about the rules of life after death and a fantasy about the rules of life on earth. There were some insightful lines about grief. Overall, it dragged on beyond the point where it was creating value, and the main character is an underdeveloped everygirl.

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A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this! I've always thought I'd love to hike the Appalachian Trail (#bucketlist) but now I've been dissuaded. I actually appreciated that Bryson cheated quite a bit because I think that's what I'd prefer to do one day.

He went from Georgia to West Virginia, discussed Pennsylvania a bit, and then returned to the Northern part of the trail later. In general, I enjoyed the discussion of the Southern locations more, either because I am somewhat familiar with those locations, or because having actually hiked that part of the trail all at once, he gave it more color.

The book was very funny, especially some of his friend's jokes, but sometimes it was a little unnecessarily mean.

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Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having read my first graphic novel just a few weeks ago, I can't stop now. Alison Bechdel is really smart. Her subject matter is interesting, but what's more interesting is how she thinks about and writes about the subject matter. It's one of those books that mention a million other books. She makes me want to read even more.

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The Return of George Washington by Edward J. Larson

The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789 by Edward J. Larson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was supposed to cover George Washington's life in the period between the Revolutionary War and when he became President. However, the bulk of the book covers the Constitutional Convention with mentions of George Washington or quotes from his diary entries. There are no entries for the period of secrecy during the convention so even this is sparse.

The book mentions numerous times that Washington was able to accomplish a lot politically because he was widely very well-liked, though since his respect was born of his service during the Revolutionary War, I didn't have a great picture of why.

I wouldn't recommend this book if you're looking to learn more about George Washington, the man, general, or President. This book can be summed up as: "George Washington was a popular but unwilling politician-farmer at the Constitutional Convention."

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A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this! I've always thought I'd love to hike the Appalachian Trail (#bucketlist) but now I've been dissuaded. I actually appreciated that Bryson cheated quite a bit because I think that's what I'd prefer to do one day.

He went from Georgia to West Virginia, discussed Pennsylvania a bit, and then returned to the Northern part of the trail later. In general, I enjoyed the discussion of the Southern locations more, either because I am somewhat familiar with those locations, or because having actually hiked that part of the trail all at once, he gave it more color.

The book was very funny, especially some of his friend's jokes, but sometimes it was a little unnecessarily mean.

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Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a good YA coming of age book with a gay main character in a conservative town. It’s painful but it’s also appropriate for young teens.

I could have lived without the passengers’ monologues.

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The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this as a kid for the first time and I was overly focused on the fact that I didn't like Holden Caulfield, and was grossed out by his poor interactions with girls and women. But as an adult appreciate the writing and the clear voice of the 16-year-old main character.

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