The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

From Goodreads.com:
   Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she's bonded to paper, that will be her only magic... forever.
   Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined - animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discover these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.
   An Excisioner - a practitioner of dark, flesh magic - invades the cottage and rips Thane's heart from his chest. To save her teacher's life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane's still-beating heart - and reveal the very soul of the man.

   I received The Paper Magician as a Kindle First book. It's a pretty quick read, in fact I read it so fast that I had to read it again before I began the second book a few months later. I remembered the basic plot and how it ended but I was worried I forgot a small detail that might be important in the second and third books.
   It takes place in the 19th century but the language used isn't old (as long as that won't drive you crazy, keep reading.) Despite this fact, I thought the book was well written without words so modern it would be illogical. (I've gotten hung up on that in a different book.)
   Ceony is a strong female character, who doesn't really follow the rules, this of course leads to trouble and the whole story. This is a captivating book that includes heartbreak, wonder, love, adventure, a battle between dark and light, and magic.
   I don't want to liken this to Harry Potter but I will, if you are an adult who likes Harry Potter give this book a shot. All you really have to like, to love this book and it's sequels, is a touch of the magical.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

From the paperback:
   By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, and who to avoid. Like the crazy guy on the corner.
   But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:

I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own.

I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.

   The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.

   This remarkable novel takes place in the real world but hold a fantastic puzzle at its heart. When You Reach Me is an original, and a brilliant and profound delight.

   I love finding books at yard sales, especially when a book I happen to pick up is as astounding as When You Reach Me. This book is supposed to be for ages 8-12, which might have something to do with why I read it so soon after acquiring it (that 100 book goal on Goodreads.com is looking pretty daunting right about now.) I was surprised to be enamored, even though it did win the Newbery Medal. 

   I enjoyed everything about this book; the writing, the mystery, the talk of time travel, the life lessons, simply everything. I'm trying to think of one thing that wasn't just great, but nothing is coming to mind. It did tell me a lot about A Wrinkle in Time (which I've not yet read (I know!)) but I don't believe it gave too much away. 

   I will be recommending this beautiful book to a couple parents I know, and also a few adults. I believe this is a fantastic story of discovery (I'm also a sucker for anything remotely dealing with time travel.) This would be a seriously good, quick book for those of you who have trouble finding time to read large novels.

Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

From Goodreads.com:
   The old wood-carver Geppetto decides to make a wonderful puppet which can dance and turn somersaults, but by chance he chooses an unusual piece of wood. The finished puppet can talk and misbehave like the liveliest child. But Pinocchio is brave and inquisitive as well as naughty. After some hair-raising adventures, he earns his hearts desire.

   A children's classic, Pinocchio is much darker than I would have thought. I could tell it was written in a different time. The morals were not as veiled as some are now, as is made obvious by the above quote, and there are many more as Pinocchio continues his quest to become a real boy. This book is much darker than the story I remembered.
   I vaguely remembered watching the Disney movie when I was younger, but reading this I kept thinking, "boy, I don't remember this happening in the movie." Well I watched the movie again and was surprised it actually followed the book relatively well, minus a key recurring character that was a large part of the book, the Fairy.
   If you like to read classics don't miss out on Pinocchio. If you're looking for a scary bedtime story for your little boy, this would be perfect! Seriously, it would be if you're into that. I kept thinking, "this is a children's book!?" I really enjoyed reading Pinocchio though, and I think you would too.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

From Goodreads.com:
   Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl.
   Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

   This cover art caught my eye a while ago, but the book just wasn't high on my list, until I was at work without my best friend to talk with. I was browsing my Overdrive app looking for audio books I could check out from the library and this is what I came across. I listened to this book in two days. I just didn't want to stop, every car ride became another chapter to hear.
   Cinder is a young adult book, and I think it's a relatively clean one. I've recently read some YA books that have some pretty questionable morals and language in them, this isn't one of them. Other than mild language I think this one was good for the younger YA audience. I did get slightly annoyed with some of the younger dramatics, but I'm sure if I were a teen this would just be perfect.
   I've also listened to book two, Scarlet and it's just as good, but there's more violence. I haven't read/listened to book three yet but The Lunar Chronicles seems to be a very promising series. If you're a fan of the retelling of fairy tales you should like this book. If you like Gregory Maguire or Once Upon a Time these are the next books you should check out.

I Heart Ed Small by Shirley Johnson

From Goodreads.com:
   In the summer of 1968 Baby Hunnicutt's mama dies and her daddy gives her to her aunt to raise. The only trouble is Aunt Clem works all day and leaves Baby in the hands of her teenage twins. Stoic protector Allen and kind and gentle Jeffrey, along with the help of their best friend, the unwashed and untamed Ed, raise up Baby the best they know how.
   I Heart Ed Small takes the reader back in time to the late sixties, when adventure and friendship were to be found outside in the hot sun of public pools and the smoky haze of pool halls. It's the story of how one little girl gets three lazy hippie boys to get of the couch, clean up their language, and grow up. I Heart Ed Small is the coming of age story of how Baby Hunnicutt captures the wildest heart from the very beginning and never relinquishes it from her sweet little hand.
   As the twins and Ed raise Baby they teach her about everything they deem important from playing pool and cussing to smoking and belching and yet she still remains pure and innocent and follows her own path as she grows up. These three smart-mouthed ruffians are the ones who are left with the responsibility to guide Baby as she begins her journey through puberty. They are the ones left  to help her deal with something Ed knows a lot about; the tricky persistence that is boys. But just as Baby needs the three of them most, they leave her life. The Vietnam War, marriage, and the call of adventure pull the boys away until the tragic threads of life reunite them all once again.

   I found I Heart Ed Small through one of my many daily emails for free! It took me a couple weeks to get around to reading it, but once I did, I just kept right on reading. The writing was nice and flowing, there isn't anything to get caught up on.
   I felt the gamut of emotions while growing up with Baby Hunnicutt. Grief at the loss of her mother, confusion, happiness, contentment, more confusion, love, hope, and grief of a different kind. The boys really stepped up for Baby helping her through times a teenage boy shouldn't have to help a young girl through. They took care of Baby as much and as best as they could. Even though the title is very leading, I still enjoyed the journey getting there.
   If you're looking for a simple book to just get lost in, this would be a great choice (not that the story is "simple" but the book is just easy to read and follow.) Also, I just read that there will (hopefully) be a sequel to this book, which I am very much looking forward to, so read this before it comes out.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

From the hardcover:
   Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls and that Ari has built around himself.
   But when Ari and Dante meet, they bond. They share books, thoughts, dreams, laughter. They teach each other new vocabularies and begin to redefine each other's worlds. And they discover that the universe is a large and difficult place.
   This is the story about two boys, Ari and Dante, who must learn to believe in each other and the power of their friendship if they ever are to become men.
   In breathtaking prose, American Book Award winner Benjamin Alire Sáenz captures those moments that make a boy a man as he explores loyalty and trust, friendship and love.

 
   Two boys who are not "normal" meet by chance one summer day. One is sad and withdrawn, the other is sociable but weird in the eyes of his peers They become best friends and help bring out the best in each other in this fantastic book. Ari never felt like he fit in (the above quote is an Ari thought) he just din't know how to act around people. Dante was strange in his own way but never pressures Ari to be something particular. He didn't expect him to be a certain way so Ari is able to be less guarded, more himself. And a beautiful friendship begins.
   For me, this is just one of those books that hit so hard. I think the first time I read this (almost two years ago) I did so in one sitting. After I finished, I read it again starting the next day. I devoured it slower the second time, really letting everything sink in, discovering new bits of information. I told my best friend about it and said I had to buy a hardcover copy for myself. (I borrowed it from the library to assess it before purchasing.) Next thing I know she bought me a copy (such was my gushing about it.) When she gave it to me, I told her she had to borrow it first, because I knew she'd love it too. I also sent a copy, all my favorite parts marked with post-it notes, to a friend for Christmas.
   It's a little difficult for me to put my finger on exactly what about this book spoke to me. It is beautifully written, but I think more than anything it was Ari. Dante had his moments too, and their parents, oh how I loved their parents. I'm hard pressed to find anything bad about this book, I may have rose colored lenses on though, but that's what happens when you fall as hard as I did. If you are not one of the people I have basically forced to read this book, you should read it, chances are, you won't regret it.

Wreckage by Emily Bleeker

From Goodreads.com:
   Lillian Linden is a liar. On the surface, she looks like a brave survivor of a plane crash. But she's been lying to her family, her friends, and the whole world since rescue helicopters scooped her and her fellow survivor, Dave Hall, off a deserted island in the South Pacific. Missing for almost two years, the castaways are thrust into the spotlight after their rescue, becoming media darlings overnight. But they can't tell the real story - so they lie.
   The public is fascinated by the castaways' saga, but Lillian and Dave must return to their lives and their spouses. Genevieve Randall - a hard-nosed journalist and host of a news program - isn't buying it. She suspects Lillian's and Dave's explanations about the other crash survivors aren't true. And now, Genevieve's determined to get the real story, no matter how many lives it destroys.
   In this intriguing tale of survival, secrets, and redemption, two everyday people thrown together by tragedy must finally face the truth...even if it tears them apart.

   Wreckage is told by two different characters, Dave and Lillian. Each chapter starts out with who is narrating and when it is taking place, post-rescue or pre-rescue, but you still jump around in time during chapters (sort of in the style of Gone Girl.) It was a little odd to start but I soon got the hang of it. The characters are a little flat, but still (sort of) interesting.
   It was a little bit of a mystery, mostly because I was trying to suss out the lies from the truth. It did slow down about halfway through, when you started to see what the lie included. I still felt the need to know how it ended despite thinking it was becoming predictable.
   If you're looking for somewhat of a guilty-pleasure mystery this is a good book for you. But I wouldn't completely label it as a mystery. I think it easily fits into the contemporary fiction genre also. It's a good, relatively quick read that should hold your attention and perhaps make you think a little on the nature of lies.

All I Love and Know by Judith Frank

From the hardcover:
   For years, Matthew Greene and Daniel Rosen have enjoyed a content domestic life in Northampton, Massachusetts. Opposites in many ways, they have grown together and made their relationship work. But when they learn that Daniel's twin brother and sister-in-law have been killed in a Jerusalem bombing, their lives are suddenly, utterly transformed.
   The deceased couple have left behind two young children, and their shocked and grieving families must decide who will raise six-year-old Gal and baby Noam. When it becomes clear that Daniel's brother and sister-in-law had wanted Matt and Daniel to be the children's guardians, the two men find themselves confronted by challenges that strike at the heart of their relationship. What is Matt's place in an extended family that does not completely accept him or the commitment he and Daniel have made? How do Daniel's complex feelings about Israel and this act of terror affect his ability to recover from his brother's death? And what kind of parents can these two men really be to children who have lost so much?
   The impact that this instant new family has on Matt, Daniel, and their relationship is subtle and heartbreaking, yet not without glimmers of hope. They must learn to reinvent and redefine their bond in profound, sometimes painful ways. How does a family become strong enough to stay together and endure when its very basis has drastically changed? And are there limits to honesty or commitment - or love?

   The title of this book drew me in. When I started reading All I Love and Know I was working on four other books, but this instantly became my main focus (so the fact that it's a library book and due may have had some bearing on my decision but seriously, I didn't want to put it down.) I loved each and every one of the characters. You may be wondering; is there a person you love to hate? Not in this one. You'd think it would make for a dry read, but that's just not true in this case.
   There is so much emotion present that I hardly knew what to feel. I was all over the place. So much grief and sadness but also happiness and love. I felt incredibly deeply for Gal and Matt. If you want a book full of emotions this is definitely the book for you.

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

From Goodreads.com
   Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, a biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. But things aren't so great at home and Bianca, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

    This is a cheesy YA book. Predictable? Sure. Did I care? Heck no. It was a great just-forget-the-world-for-a-few-hours book. I admit, I was hoping the ending would surprise me, but I wasn't disappointed. As the book was drawing to a close and I was reading what I now know to be the last paragraph, I was so wanting just one more chapter. I would definitely call this book a "guilty pleasure."
   The DUFF has some of your standard coming of age themes. I don't want to completely spoil the ending (as predictable as it was) but I like what the author did with the word Duff in the last few chapters. Words really only have the power you give them, they're just words after all.
      I recommend it to older young adults, maybe 14-15 years and older. The "enemies with benefits" thing...I'm just not sure how I feel about teens reading that, it really sends a poor message. Adults (probably women) who enjoy a light read would also have fun reading this I think.

Revival by Stephen King

From the hardcover:
   In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing in the yard with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Reverend Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs-including Jamie's mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.
   Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family's horrific loss. In his mid-thirties - addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate - Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that "revival" has many meanings.
   This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. it's a masterpiece from King, brilliantly illustrating why he "is right at the center of an American literary taproot that goes all the way down...to Hawthorne, to Poe, to Melville" (Margaret Atwood The New York Times Book Review.)

   I should tell you upfront, I like Stephen King. I haven't read every book he has written, but I've read quite a few and love them all. Revival is no different. I didn't want to put it down. King has created one creepy (fictional) human in Reverend Jacobs. There really wasn't a moment in this whole book that I trusted him even a little.
   I expected an interesting ending after reading a few reviews on Goodreads.com and even the synopsis on the book. The ending is definitely haunting. One of his best ever? I'm not sure, but I finished this book about a week ago and I'm still thinking about that ending.
   I know this recommendation isn't a lot to go off of, but the synopsis sums up the book extremely well so I don't have much to add to it. I'd recommend this to fans of science fiction. Also, if you haven't yet read Stephen King or are a casual reader of his works, I'd choose this to be one of the books you read. It's a great stand alone book and while being exceedingly eerie it isn't particularly scary.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

From the paperback:
  When The Fountainhead was first published, Ayn Rand's daringly original literary vision and her groundbreaking philosophy, Objetivism, won immediate worldwide interest and acclaim. This instant classic is the story of an intransigent young architect, his violent battle against conventional standards, and his explosive love affair with a beautiful woman who struggles to defeat him. This edition contains a special Afterword by Rand's literary executor, Leonard Peikoff, which includes excerpts from Ayn Rand's own notes on the making of The Fountainhead. As fresh today as it was then, here is a novel about a hero-and about those who try to destroy him.

   The Fountainhead was our first randomly drawn Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge book. It was a great way to kick off such a list. It was told in four parts each concentrating on a different character type. I admit it was slow going during a couple of them, reading this took a little longer than I anticipated.
   I loved Roark. I love his courage to unflinchingly stick to his beliefs. I love that he has no care of most people's opinions. I love that he's so incredibly sure of his self and his passion. I think that one of my favorite things about this classic is that our hero is actually an atheist, but an atheist with a belief in something. A belief so strong that he lives his entire life while staying true to this uncommon and misunderstood belief.
   A person's beliefs are extremely personal, no matter what they may be. I like that Ayn Rand created this strong, nearly perfect man, who does not conform to a more traditional belief system. I think that belief in something is important, to have some guide for your personal morals and I liked that Roark's wasn't based on a belief in a higher power. Instead it was something he felt within his self to be right.
   There's a great reason this book has become a classic. I'm sure it could be and has been dissected in a hundred different ways, but as a pleasure reader I liked most of the characters, and loved to hate one particular character. I enjoyed going along with Roark on his life journey.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

From the Goodreads.com:
   Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers are about to cross paths. From that moment on, their world will collide and lives intertwine.
   It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old - including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical.

   I love this book. I wish I had read it sooner and will soon be pushing it on a few of my coworkers. It doesn't matter if you don't like musicals, you don't have to to appreciate Will Grayson, Will Grayson. John Green and David Levithan each wrote their own Will Grayson. I love the two alternating and  distinct writing styles, each matching each Will Grayson perfectly.
   Aside from the writing, I really enjoyed the story. I became quite attached to the characters, all of them. It isn't often you find a book in which you like each character you're introduced to. There are some pretty valuable life lessons contained in these 310 pages as you learn and grow with Will Grayson and Will Grayson. I sincerely hope someone makes this into a movie, a musical movie. I am worried they would not do it credit, but I'd love to see someone try.
   If you're a sucker for a coming-of-age novel (like me) you'll like this book. I also recommend this book to those who love John Green (of course) but also if you've enjoyed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sanez.

Sand Omnibus by Hugh Howey

From Goodreads.com:

   The old world is buried. A new one has been forged atop the shifting dunes. Here in this land of howling wind and infernal sand, four siblings find themselves scattered and lost. 

   Palmer has never been the same since his father walked out twelve years ago. His elder sister, Vic, is trying to run away from the past; his younger brothers, Connor and Rob, are risking their lives to embrace it. His mother, left with nothing but anger, is just trying to forget.

   Palmer wants to prove his worth, not only to his family, but to himself. And in the barren, dune-covered landscape of his home, there is only one way to earn respect: sand-diving. Plunging deep below the desert floor in search of relics and scraps of the old world. He is about to embark on the most dangerous dive of his young life, aiming to become the first to discover the rumored city below.

   Deep within the sand lies the key to bringing his family together - and tearing their world apart.

   This is a surprising read. I found it through one of the many sites that send me daily emails of free or bargain Kindle books, because you can never have too many books. I admit I was first intrigued by the cover (shame on me,) it's beautiful and the words, "No one will come for us. No one will save us. This is our life." How could I not be interested? I read Sand. almost immediately.
   Sand. takes place in a barely recognizable world. Pieces of the old world, of our world, are salvaged from beneath the ever shifting sand, they are the keys to survival in this new landscape. I continually wondered what happened to make such a sandy wasteland of our world. I was intrigued by sand diving. Scuba diving is the only thing I could compare it to, but (and having never been diving I can't say for sure) I think it's a poor comparison. The diver has to control the flow of the sand around them which allows their movement and also relieves the pressure from tons of sand.
   I wouldn't put this up there with the best books I've read. However, once I started I did not want to put this down. I became attached to every member of Palmer's family. As with most books, the need to know what happens kept me going at a fast pace. I was even surprised a couple times.
   If you're a fan of science fiction this book is for you. If you like some dystopian, maybe give this a try. It is not dystopian but it has a post-apocalyptic feel to it. I know I will be reading more of Hugh Howey's work. 

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

From Goodreads.com
   What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams?
   As a boy William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.
   Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.
   What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.
   In short, it's about everything.

   I did not watch this movie growing up. A tragedy, as I understand it. But not watching gave me a fresh view on the book. First I must say, the story inside a story, inside a story (that's right three!) was a little strange at the beginning. It really threw me off. The part of the synopsis that says Goldman claimed to love his father reading The Princess Bride is a part of the story. After a little research, a friend and I realized S. Morgenstern never existed except in the mind of William Goldman.
   William Goldman created something like I've never read. It is written like he is telling S. Morgenstern's tale to his grandson. He interrupts the story of The Princess Bride, telling us what has happened in the pages left out of his father's telling, with the occasional interruption of his grandson. To complicate matters more, at the end of the book Stephen King pops up, in discussions of the making of the film's sequel. It definitely left me wondering how much was actually true.
   The tale itself is quite entertaining. It's about a girl, who loves a man, very deeply, with every fiber of her being. He leaves to make his fortune only to meet disaster on the sea. Hopeless of ever loving anyone again, Buttercup becomes betrothed to a prince, and is kidnapped by an odd trio.
   I watched the movie after reading The Princess Bride. So many details of both Fezzik's and Inigo's background were left out (of the movie.) I'd recommend this book to those who grew up loving the movie. If you're a fan of Fezzik or Inigo you won't be able to help but fall more in love with them through the original book.

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge Book Jar

   A friend and I have been reading books together for about a year, just randomly choosing books we both wanted to read. We found the idea of a book jar on Pinterest and loved it. No more choosing at random (well relatively speaking.) We just had to decide which books to put in our jar. 

   Pinterest is my favorite way to find book lists, so I started looking. I saw a list of the 339 books mentioned or referenced during the seven seasons of Gilmore Girls. Perfect, I used to watch Gilmore Girls and introduced her (years later) to the beauty that is Gilmore Girls, the quick dialogue, the mother/daughter relationships, growing up, and the literary and movie references. All 339 titles are now in our book jar. 

   After talking about it we decided that we couldn't have it truly random, neither of us wanted to get stuck reading a lot of nonfiction or classic after classic after classic, so I color coded the titles. Nothing too specific, and it's probably not as accurate as it could be, but for our purposes it'll work just fine. I just used some Mod Podge to stick the key on one side of my jar to help us when drawing our next read. 

   The first book drawn is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Some of the books look dreadful (A Monetary History of the United States anyone?) but we plan to give each book a chance. 

Dove Season by Johnny Shaw

From Amazon.com
   Twelve years have passed since Jimmy Veeder set foot in the Imperial Valley of southern California. The only person that could bring him back is his father, Jack, who is dying of cancer. Jimmy is prepared to spend Jack's final days joking and reminiscing, but the old man has other plans. He needs Jimmy to cross the border into Mexico and find a prostitute named Yolanda. It's a strange final request to be sure, but Jimmy's not one to argue with a dying man. With his childhood buddy Bobby Maves in tow, he heads south, looking for Yolanda among the seedy bars and neighborhoods along the Calexico/Mexicali border. Their search leads them to Tomas Morales, a rising star in the Mexican underworld. While dangerous to most, his childhood friendship with Jimmy brings out his loyalty and spurs him to help. But just wen Jimmy thinks his quest has ended, an unexpected murder sucks him further into the violence and danger of Mexicali. In his fight for survival and search for truth, what he uncovers calls into question everything he thought he knew about his father - and will determine just what kind of man he himself truly is.

 
   This book is A Jimmy Veeder Fiasco, the first of its kind and rightly named. Some of the shenanigans Bobby and Jimmy get up to are simply a fiasco. They are an embodiment of Murphy's Law, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, which makes for a hilarious adventure. I laughed out loud so many times while reading this book. Halfway through I was already recommending it to my friends that read. I like that the story was more unconventional than most. I've not read another book quite like Dove Season.
   I don't have too many things to say about this book, but I did love it. What I liked most was the funny antics. When Johnny Shaw was setting up a situation I would think, "here we go again." I recommend this to anyone who is looking for something a little different with action, adventure, and comedy.