Barefoot Season

From Andrea Kalinowski
Author:  Susan Mallery
Barefoot Season
Susan Mallery has started a new series set on fictional Blackberry Island. The first is Barefoot Season which is followed by Three sisters. The location is the only thread of continuity which makes these books perfect summer reads since they can be read in order or as stand alones. Barefoot Season revolves around the complicated parent-child relationship and how the effects can be felt among childhood friendships. Michelle and Carly were the best of friends until Carly’s mother ran off with Michelle’s father. Now Michelle is a returning veteran and in order to run the inn that is Michelle’s inheritance, the friends must iron out the hiccups in their relationships.

In Three Sisters, we return to Blackberry Island but on this visit, three unconnected women must resolve issues separate from each other. The newest homeowner on Blackberry Island is running from a wedding, while the homeowners on either side have their own emotional disasters to unravel and surmount. Deanna Phillips, with her OCD disorder and mental anguish leftover from her mother, fears her husband is on the verge of an affair while Boston King, an artist, cannot seem to accept the loss of her son. Boston endlessly renders her son’s image in all sorts of mediums. These three women, brought together because they live next door to each other, bond and with that bonding, manage to provide the impetus for each of them to resolve their issues. Both were entertaining reads and a little bit more because of the strength embedded in the female characters.

 

The Rites & Wrongs of Janice Wills

From Jamie Kauffman
The Rites & Wrongs of Janice Wills
Author:  Joanna Pearson
 The book The Rites & Wrongs of Janice Wills is a great book for teen girls. Its about a nerdy anthropologist, Janice, and all of her observations on the life of a high schooler. Throughout the book she discovers how strong her friendship with her best friend, Margo, needs to be. Once the Miss Livermush pageant comes up, (which is the most exciting thing in Melva) everything and everyone seems to be changing in ways her anthropology research cant explain. This novel was an exciting and addictive read.

friendship bread

From Esther Moy
author: gee, darian
 friendship bread
 This was a heartwarming book about relationships and everyday situations encountered by a small town.  It was well written with many characters that one can identify with.  I enjoyed this book and look forward to a sequel.

At home on ladybug farm

From Rita Anderson
author: Ball, donna
 At home on ladybug farm
3 friends  buy a farm in virginia. They work thru the falling apart farm & create a family. Included with the farm came the cook/maid, a homeless
teenager & one of the womens daughter. Entertaining 1 of 3 books on ladybug farm.

Commencement

From Marie K. Schulken
author: Sullivan, J. Courtney
Commencement
 This is the second book I have read by this author, the other, her recent book, Maine.  This is the story of four young women who begin their freshman year at Smith College.  They are from various parts of the country and have different lifestyles, however, they do become fast friends.  The story follows their lives well after graduation, through the wedding celebration of one of the four and ultimately the challenges they are facing five years after graduation.  A definite beach read, not real challenging, preferred her second book “Maine”.

The Help

From Susan Martin
author: Stockett, Kathryn
 The Help
 A very powerful commentary on racial inequality in the South during the 1960′s.  This is a page-turner and is also very entertaining despite the subject matter.  I’ll look forward to seeing the movie version.

Silver Girl

From Marie Schulken
author: Hilderbrand, Elin
Silver Girl
 I have read most of Elin Hilderbrand’s books and have thoroughly enjoyed them.  Silver Girl was no exception.  It is the story of a woman whose life has been suddenly impacted by a husband’s conviction of a Ponzi scheme (sound familiar). She needs to get out of the city and joins an old friend at her summer home in Nantucket.  What starts out being a season of hiding ends as a new beginning for this individual.  It was quite good.

Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes

From Rosemarie Jerome
author: Meaney, Roisin
Semi-Sweet:  A Novel of Love and Cupcakes
Hannah Robinson’s life is perfect.  She is dating a great guy and she is starting her own business. The grand opening of her cupcake shop is days away, her friends are having a party for her and Patrick announces that he is leaving her for another woman. Small town life holds no secrets and everyone immediately knows about her painful situation. It is a story about heartbreak and tragedy but also shows the warmth of family, friends and love in this small Irish town of Clongarvin. A good summer read and who can resist a little tears, romance and cupcakes?

The Cinderella Society

From Alexandra, Teen Book Reviewer
author: Cassidy, Kay
The Cinderella Society 
In The Cinderella Society Jessica Parker was the new girl at school this year. On the last day of school she peeks inside her bag to look for something and she finds an envelope addressed to her. When she opens it, she finds an invitation that changes her life and a pin. She is finally going to turn her life around and not be the lame new girl loser she was this year. As she joins the Cinderella Society, she gets friends, a makeover, a special boyfriend and a lot more. But as she involves herself into the society she can’t help but wonder “is this really what I signed up for?” Jess finds herself in many tough situations and knows that even though it sounded easy and fun, The Cinderella Society is no picnic. I would recommend this book to all girls who like books about good girls (the Cindy’s) and the evil girls (the wicked’s). I really enjoyed this book and I hope you guys will too.

The Patron Saint of Butterflies

From Joanna, Teen Book Reviewer
author: Galante, Cecelia
The Patron Saint of Butterflies
This month, I read The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante. It is about two girls named Agnes and Honey. Despite their differences, they are best friends. The live at Mount Blessing, a religious commune run by Emmanuel and Veronica. Abandoned there as a baby, Honey is rebellious, resentful towards Emmanuel and Veronica, and longs for a normal life, finding her own comfort at Winky’s butterfly garden. Agnes is the opposite. Firm in her faith, her dream is to become a saint.
When Agnes’s grandmother visits the commune as a surprise, she finds out about the Regulation Room, a hidden room used to beat the “Believers” when they “commit a sin”. She immediately takes them away from Mount Blessing for their own good. Honey is ready to leave without a second glance, but Agnes’s beliefs are firm, and she refuses to leave without a fight. Leaving Mount Blessing was supposed to be a good thing, but it’s the final blow that might rip the  two apart.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give this book a solid 9.5. It’s a nice break from the romance and vampires. Reading the book from two points of view (Agnes’s and Honey’s) really helped me understand the characters. I was a little resentful towards Agnes throughout the book, wanting to just knock a brick over her head and be done with it, but she redeems herself. It’s not too hard of a book to read, but it’s not easy either. To read this, you also have to be able to accept some things, such as Agnes’s annoying belief that can kill them all.
Overall, this was a very good read. I would mostly recommend this to girls though, since it’s told from their point of view and deals with those types of things. Don’t let the outlandish storyline stop you, The Patron Saint of Butterflies is a book worth reading.