August Books

Started the month with Goodwillie, ended the month with Goodwillie.

Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time by David Goodwillie. An account of Goodwillie's life, from a childhood in London to how witnessing 9/11 in New York changed the course of his life. He was a minor league baseball player, a private investigator, and copywriter for auction houses, all while struggling to be a writer and take advantage of start-ups when the Internet was just taking off. The book is long, but so well-written and interesting that you'll keep flipping pages. Throughout the book, Goodwillie is on a quest to write fiction, to be an artist and live a good life. It's fascinating to read about his true feelings while he's getting caught up in "real" jobs - something most everyone can identify with. While it's an excellent autobiography, I would be more likely to categorize it as a book about writing - it was inspirational; it made me feel that familiar itch to put a pen to paper. It didn't hurt that he had some excellent quotes:
     - Friend Ken Hamm, talking about trying to be an artist. "You realize you need something more than a career. And that's when you notice the exits snaking off that highway to riches. They don't have signs, only ramps leading into the unknown distance. But if those exits nag at you, then you still have a chance. It's a cold, isolating decision, turning off that highway. Your life becomes defined by one goal … It's just you and your art. But you know what? You're finally living with no regrets."
     - "…but is there a better challenge, a better life, than creating your version of the world in words? The beginning of every story is a blank screen with a faint reflection of the writer."
     - "You find a voice, a style, a plot, and run with it, then cut off the rough edges until you're left with only the essence, the rounded center, wrinkle-free and ready-to-wear. Except I can't do that. I mix metaphors. I copy cliches. I say too much or too little. I show when I should tell, tell when I should just shut up."
     - "There are two parts to being a writer: desire and purpose. Desire I've had for a long time, but purpose is trickier. Purpose is what carries us through. I want to write about a genuine life, about journeys and dreams and all the stuff we learn as kids. Because it's the same when we're older. We make decisions. We gain experience. And at some point, we all have a story to tell. I spent years dreaming of writing, and now, finally, finally, I'll write about those years of dreaming."

Jimmy's Girl by Stephanie Gertler. Emily Hudson is married with four teenage children. Jimmy Moran is married with an adopted daughter. Emily and Jimmy were in love when they were sixteen and seventeen, before Jimmy was shipped off to Vietnam. They lost touch, but never fell out of love with each other. When Emily can't stand the memories anymore, she seeks out Jimmy. And finds him. The writing in this book seems a little formal; the chapters are told by alternating characters, but both sound the same. The story itself, however, is incredibly well-done and emotionally suspenseful.

Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick. I'll admit I had this book on my To-Read list based on the title alone (rock star obsession), and had no clue what it was about. Amber is a high school junior who lives in the yellow bus her mother drives for the school district. It seems like a bleak existence, but Amber prays nightly to "JC" and fills her life outside of school with charity work that makes her feel better about her life. Everyone calls her the Princess of Hope, because she raises their spirits by just being around. But when her life takes a horrible turn for the worst, she's not sure she can be herself anymore, much less carry everyone along with her.
     When I started reading, I wasn't even sure I'd finish this book. Amber overuses phrases like "sucka," "word," and "True? True." In my mind, that was the author trying to act like how he thought a teenage girl would, and it rang false. However, the story picked up and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it all. Amber remained a bit flat to me, which is strange since the book was told in first person. The secondary characters totally stole the show though, shining through and really making the whole book absolutely amazing. I won't like - I pretty much cried through the last third of the book, because it's so inspiring and powerful.

Big Sky Mountain by Linda Lael Miller. Reviewed here with a guest post from the author.

Beyond the Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. I enjoyed the sequel way more than the original Chocolate War, which I felt moved too slowly and didn't have much at stake but it's best to read before going for this one). Everything is heightened in this book - there is more suspense, more at stake, with the boys on the verge of graduation. Archie has to pick a new Assigner for the Vigils, while the boys seem to be turning against each other. Those who seemed broken down at the end of the first book came back, and they had new resolve, new emotions, revenge at stake. The ending is all you could want it to be.

Life After Death by Damien Echols. Reviewed extensively here.

Zombie Tag by Hannah Moskowitz. Zombies are popular right now, but this is the book that is so imaginatively unique, you wish you had come up with it yourself. The book is set in a world where zombies are a reality - proof of them was found as recent as thirty years ago. The problem is, no one knows how they were raised, how violently they acted when they were "alive", or how they died again. But when he finds a way to raise the dead, Wil knows he wants to bring his older brother back. Graham died months before of a freak asthma attack, and the family has been struggling in his absence. Wil's always been fascinated by zombies, has done extensive research, and plays a game with his friends called Zombie Tag. He finds a way to bring his brother (and all the dead in a five mile radius) back, but Graham… isn't Graham. He's missing all his emotions and soul. Wil is intent on helping Graham get all his feelings back, but Graham doesn't care. At a certain point, Wil has to decide if he should keep struggling or give up and let Graham have what he wants. As usual, Moskowitz writes brothers from a boy's point of view excellently. She includes instructions on playing Zombie Tag in the back of the book.

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp. A great book set up to inspire you in a more structured format than typical creativity books. Tharp breaks the creative process down chapter by chapter to help you get a great habit going. She goes through the negative sides of getting stuck in ruts and having fears, then how to change those ruts into grooves and rationalize the fears. Each chapter ends with exercises relevant to what was discussed in the chapter. The book relates mostly to dance, which is Tharp's specialty. Sometimes it was a little hard to transfer what she was talking about and utilizes into other creative fields, but the overall main ideas worked across the board.

American Subversive by David Goodwillie. I love Goodwillie's writing style (and last name…). I can't even describe it; it's effortless to read. Aidan Cole is a New York society blogger who lives the typical socialite life. Paige Roderick worked with environmental causes before getting, how should we say… side-tracked. It seems hard to believe that these two people's lives cross, but they do, and I can't tell much more without spoiling the book. Goodwillie's characters and settings are described vividly, but things never get bogged down with flowery language. I had previously read his memoir and loved it, and his first novel did not disappoint. The story sucks you in from the beginning, and the suspense grows with each chapter. It is told using two first person narratives, but both characters are drastically different, in terms of lives and voices. Their paths cross, of course, and the suspense that follows is even better than the build-up.

Late Birthday/Early Birthday

Three months after her birthday, my mom redeemed her gift from me.

This was taped to the lid of the cake tin when I showed up for her birthday dinner. I thought it would gross her out and mean there was more cake for me, but no such luck.
We made an appointment and showed up bright and early Friday morning to be pampered. As we walked into the salon, "You're So Vain" was playing over the loudspeaker. The radio was tuned to an easy listening station, but seriously - can you script it any better than that? Mom and I cracked up, but as soon as our feet were soaking in that warm, good-smellin' water, we were all business.

I didn't think I'd appreciate a pedicure. I usually paint my toenails because I wear flip-flops 9 months of the year, but I walk around barefoot a lot so I never worry about sanding down callouses or any of that junk. They're just feet - they get me from here to there, and I don't care how they look.

But… I freakin' loved this pedicure. The soak, the oil, the massage, the nail beautification! I picked a shimmery gold that would match my shoes for the next evening's event, but also because it still made me feel like Allison, instead of some sophisticated, pedicure-gettin' woman I wouldn't recognize in the mirror.

I didn't think ahead and wore shoes acceptable for pedicures,
while Mom got a pair of stylish foam bad boys:

When our technicians started jabbering to each other in their native language, Mom leaned over to me and said "I feel like I'm in an episode of Seinfeld." At least they weren't cackling at us, but I did wish we had Frank Costanza to translate.

As soon as Mom said that, I noticed there was a red dot on my technician's glasses lens. It took all I had to not sing "H - E - double N…" and then yell "What's that red dot on your lens?"

The finished product:

All these Seinfeld references were totally appropriate, because that night Mom was taking me to see Jerry Seinfeld as an early birthday present! Tom Papa opened for him, and was absolutely hilarious. And Jerry himself… he was on a roll. He handled the drunk screamer like the pro he is. Countless jokes had me crying with laughter. And when he acted like a cookie? I can't even explain it, but I see him hopping across the stage like a cookie every time I close my eyes and it's gold, Jerry, gold!

Life After Death

Damien Echols was one of the West Memphis Three, though he asks to not be classified under that title anymore. He'd rather be known for any number of other things, and once his book, Life After Death, hits shelves on September 18th, I have no doubt he'll become known as an eloquent author.

The book is about his life, starting from childhood, spanning his eighteen years in prison, and touching on the freedom he's had since being released last August. It is deeply personal, with emotions riding right under the words you read and excerpts from his extensive journals peppering the book.

He's very funny and light-hearted at times:
       - "Last night I dreamed that a bunch of rednecks burned me at the stake in a
         Walmart parking lot."
       - Joe Biden and John Kerry sent letters, asking Damien for money so the
         Republicans don't violate his civil rights. "I considered writing back and
         informing him that my entire existence has been violated, but could he help
         by donating a few dollars to my fund. I decided against it. The last thing I
         need is to be on some Secret Service watch list."

realistic and (understandably) depressed at others:
       - "Just about every time I do an interview they ask me what I miss most. When
         they do, a hundred things flash through my mind - the memories giving me
         that free-fall feeling in the pit of my stomach. ... if you rolled all the deprivations
         into one thing, it would be this: I miss being treated like a human being."
       - "The dreams are coming fast and fierce. Dreams of freedom. It hurts so much to
         wake up. Time is coming apart for me. At some moments I can no longer feel a
         past, any past, trailing behind me like a snakeskin. At other moments it feels
         like the past is all that's real. Today I was two people, one laughing at the other."

The narrative flows beautifully, weaving his childhood and teenage years into descriptions of life in prison. For example, a mention of a rosary hanging in his cell segues into a memory of the first rosary his grandmother gave him, and moves on from there.

Because this is the story of his own life, Damien doesn't talk much about the case. If you're interested in the facts, I highly recommend Devil's Knot by Mara Leveritt, the Paradise Lost trilogy of documentaries, and WM3.org.
       I first learned about the case twelve years ago, and could relate to being "different" in a Southern high school. Back then my biggest injustice was being pulled to go through the metal detectors for wearing a shirt with a skull and crossbones. I can't imagine the shock of being arrested for a crime you didn't commit, then going to trial as a teenager, naïvely thinking that everything will work out right because there is justice in the world. Spending eighteen years in prison, ten in solitary confinement, sounds unbearable. HALF of his life has been spent in prison! Then there is the shock of coping in the drastically-changed real world after just as suddenly being pushed to freedom.

It's incredible to me that such a book, where the outcome is public knowledge, can still have suspense. But as I got closer and closer to the end, my heart was pounding. I knew Damien got out of jail, but he didn't know; by reading his words you're so inside his world that you forget everything else. It was an amazing, all-consuming reading experience. I still find myself thinking about it, days after devouring the last page.

I'm interested to hear how people react to this book, especially the non-supporters. No one can deny that Damien is highly intelligent. He spent his time in prison reading, taking community college classes, writing, meditating, and working out. He was trying to better himself despite his restrictions, when most people would give up and rot.
       I'm also interested to see him speak at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. I loved hearing Jason Baldwin's perspective last year after a screening of Paradise Lost 3, so it will be nice to hear from Damien.

Just Another Day

One of my 101 in 1001 goals is to write every day for a year. I'd like to announce that today marks the halfway point of that goal!


I read about Jerry Seinfeld's productivity technique: to mark a big red X on the calendar for every day he wrote new material. After you get a lot of Xs going, you don't want to break the chain. I knew that simply saying "I want to write more" wouldn't be enough. Hell, I've tried it and it hasn't worked. The idea of being able to mark something off, however, appealed to me. I make To Do lists with petty little things on them, just to get the satisfaction of crossing them out. So I printed off the 365 day calendar, hung it next to my desk, and vowed to write three pages a day. Three pages of anything.

My first attempt resulted in red Xs over only twelve days. I missed days thirteen through fifteen and sat down to catch up retroactively, but there was no inspiration. I was frustrated I had already messed up the "every day" aspect of it, so I gave up.

I took a break until reached a point where I was ready to start again. I used a black marker on this second attempt. When I crossed out block 13, I felt a sense of pride. I probably didn't miss a day until I was well into the fifties. Too far to give up and still have the desire to start over someday soon. So I kept going. It might not legitimately be writing every day, but I am still producing three pages for every day. I even kept up really well while traveling for three weeks back in June.

Sometimes I skip a day. Not on purpose, but because I'd prefer getting a little more sleep or reading a few more chapters than feeling obligated to write. I don't beat myself up about it. It's life - you get tired and sometimes your creative endeavors suffer so you can, you know, sleep and socialize and be human. But I'm ok with that.

Honestly, I don't think it's possible for me to write every day in the way I envisioned when I started this project. I'm not at the point where I can dedicate myself to writing without there being many, many days of feeling empty yet obligated, and that doesn't produce anything pleasant. I plan to keep up daily writing well beyond the initial year, so hopefully I will get to the point where I can churn out three or more pages every day without feeling like it's something I have to do. As for right now, I'm writing way more than I have in quite some time, and I'm well on my way to establishing a creative habit. That's reward enough.

Left to tackle:

Big Sky Mountain

I was contacted by Meryl L. Moss Media Relations to participate in a blog tour for Linda Lael Miller's Big Sky Mountain, which is a spin-off of Big Sky Country (previously reviewed here). I'm featuring a guest post from the author; you can catch the rest of the tour here!

Would you ever revisit some of the other genres you have written (paranormal, thriller, contemporary, historical)?

I would definitely revisit those other genres — on one condition. I would have to have a really, REALLY good idea. I still write historicals—my Christmas books, “A Lawman’s Christmas”, “A McKettrick Christmas”, etc., are always set in the late 19th or early 20th century. Time travel has always intrigued me, and I’m asked virtually every day when and if there will be a new Mojo book. The answer: Yes. Eventually. I enjoy reading short stories and novellas by my favorite authors as ebooks, and I’m considering doing more vampire and Mojo stories in that format, though right now, I’m truthfully too busy with current projects. Also, it’s important to mention that I LOVE writing about sexy contemporary cowboys and their smart, spirited women.

- - -

My Review:
This book is kind of a spin-off of Big Sky Country, which focused on Joslyn and Slade. Now the stars are Joslyn's best friend Kendra, and Slade's half-brother Hutch. The two dated when they were younger, but wanted different things from life: Hutch took over his family's ranch, and Kendra went to college. She came back to Parable, Montana to become a realtor after she married Jeffrey, an Englishman who swept her off her feet. After discovering too many secrets and lies in his past, Kendra divorced Jeffrey, but as he's on his death bed, he asks her to come see him in England. Kendra comes back with his four-year-old daughter, Madison (from another woman, needless to say) and settles in to raise the girl in Parable. She didn't count on Madison taking a shine to Hutch, and she didn't think Hutch would be such a great father figure. Everything takes Kendra by surprise and she has to figure out what she wants out of life now.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free and was given the guest post, but the review is my own and is, as always, completely honest.

Flowers of Mysterious Origin

I like to think I'm a loyal, caring friend. When Julie hit a rough patch, I wanted to do something that would cheer her up. We already talk all the time, write letters, send books and packages. We text and email and IM silly random stuff that cracks us up. I wanted to do something different.

So I decided to send her flowers.
I know, sending flowers is fairly typical, right? Not the way I did it.

This requires some backstory:
       When we were in Seattle, Julie and I ate at a divey cafe called the 5-Point. Our waiter was a tough-lookin' biker clad in black, sporting the most impressive of moustaches. Once he opened his mouth, we realized he was flamboyantly gay. He joked with us, he charmed us, and he brought us delicious food. He did not, however, introduce himself. So when he brought the receipt, I looked at the top to see Server: Babe D.
       Every day after that, one of us would turn to the other, a thoughtful look on our faces. "What do you think Babe D is doing today?" Julie sent him some fan mail, and I vowed to name my eventual-puppy in our waiter's honor.

As I was clicking through the flower arrangements, I saw one that was a puppy, which made me think of "my" Babe D. Which made me think of the real Babe D. Which made me write the card that would accompany the flowers as if I were Babe D himself.

During a conversation later that same night I ordered the flowers, Julie and I were talking about Richard Simmons. (Don't even act like you find that strange.) I said "I wrote Richard Simmons a love letter back in January because I heard he writes back. Still waiting." Julie replied "Aww, I just remembered I never got a response from Babe D." Could that have been a more perfect set up?

The day of delivery was my first day back in the office after a month off. I sat at my computer, giggling as I imagined Julie opening the card and thinking Babe D had replied to her fan mail in a most extravagant fashion.
       Julie texted me at one-thirty in the afternoon, just to share that she was out to lunch and "got a sandwich called the Memphian. And somebody sent me flowers."
       I was giddy. I couldn't stop laughing, trying to keep quiet so my co-workers wouldn't think I had gone insane.

Julie, 2.16p: Going home now to see who sent flowers. I'm betting my aunt and uncle.
Allison, 2.17p: For graduation?
Julie, 2.17p: Yeah, I dunno who else would send them.

(IT KILLED ME TO KEEP QUIET AFTER THAT, BUT I DID. CLAP FOR ME.)

Julie, 2.39p: OMG. LADY. YOU FUCKING ROCK MY WORLD.
Allison, 2.40p: What?
Julie, 2.40p: YOU SENT THE FLOWERS!!!
Allison, 2.41p: I thought your aunt sent you flowers?
Julie, 2.42p: No, I thought that's who sent them, but you sent them and signed them Babe D!
Allison, 2.42p: Umm, no... it sounds like Babe D sent you flowers.
Julie, 2.43p: Nice try, but Babe D doesn't have my number and you do.
Julie, 2.44p: And they're shaped like a PUPPY!! WITH A BOW!! I love them so much.
Allison, 2.46p: I didn't think about the phone number… Bummer. I wanted you to have a magical day thinking Babe D sent them.
Julie, 2.49p: I was serious fooled for a minute. I read it and said "No fuckin way" haha. It was definitely magical. Then I realized the phone number thing, and the puppy/Babe D tie-in.



And that is how Allison sends flowers.

New 'Do

I knew tattoos were addicting, but haircuts? Nah. I was glad to donate my hair and would do it again without hesitation, but after hiking around the desert and not being able to pull my hair into a ponytail, I just wanted it long again.

Then it started growing out. And it annoyed the hell outta me.

I'm not the best with doing anything to hair other than washing it and (sometimes) brushing it. Having to use a straightening iron to curl under the ends of my 'do was frustrating, and my hair is so thick it never worked anyway. As a result, after a certain stage my hair was all flippy and somehow mullet-y.

At the risk of sounding big-headed, everyone has complimented my short hair. And it's grown on me, no pun intended. With my hair already short, I figured I might as well try a lot of styles now, instead of having to find the balls to do a drastic change again. So I found an even shorter 'do I liked, made an appointment, and chopped my locks again.




The back is kinda boy-short.
The verdict? LOVE IT. I always thought I needed long hair to look feminine, since I'm taller and tomboy-ish. I was scared short hair would make my wide hips look even wider - and maybe it does, but I don't care. I love having my hair short. It's easier, and my art director says it looks sassy. Any time the word sassy is used, you can count me in.

Raise Your (tiny) Glass

I don't want you to think my trip was all business… Okay, who am I kidding - did any of that look like business? Between doing touristy things, hiking in national parks, camping out, and exploring new cities, there was one other thing that was a highlight - visiting breweries.

The first brewery Julie and I visited was in Seattle, recommended by friends whose roommate worked there. So we ventured out to Schooner EXACT to have a most enjoyable flight before meeting up with said friends for dinner. Good beer, incredible environment.

Once we got to Portland, our first brewery stop was the Green Dragon. I won't lie - we picked this place from our list because it had a parking lot. (We were kinda sick of street parking from Seattle.) The bar had board games, so Julie and I snagged one and started asking each other "Would You Rather" questions. Pretty soon the other patrons had joined in, which is how we got recommendations for other cool things to do in the city.

(bar pictures by Julie)


Hair of the Dog was a bit more upscale than the Green Dragon, and meant the other patrons in the bar weren't very chatty. On the plus side, the sample glasses were adorable. With each sip we pretended we were sophisticated ladies. (Pretty sure no one was fooled.)

Also in Portland was Deschutes, which was another upscale brewery with a full restaurant. We were a bit isolated from families eating dinner while we sipped beers outside. You got to pick the beers you wanted for your flight, though, and the paddles it was served on were cute.

Full Sail was visited on a day trip to the cute town of Hood River. I had high hopes because the brewery sounded really unique and is employee-owned, which I assumed meant we'd get great service because everyone is invested. Instead we waited a long time for our flights and the check, the waitress barely talked to us, and the beer was far from the best we'd had. Definitely a bummer, but the town itself was really beautiful to walk around.

The last brewery Julie and I visited when we wrapped up our trip in Seattle was Two Beers Brewery. It was in a warehouse space, so my lasting impression about this place is "warm". Unfortunately that refers to the temperature only - this was another bar where no one was very talkative.

On the second leg of my trip, Kelly and I visited three breweries: two in Montana and one in Utah. The only one worth mentioning is Flathead Lake Brewing in Bigfork, Montana.

The beer tasted just as good as the best in Portland, the bartender and other patrons were chatty, and the place closed at 8p, which means we made it back to our room before darkness fell.


A note to any teetotalers, potential employers, and parents who are reading this: these nine breweries were visited over a twenty-one day trip, and flights are samplers of small glasses to taste - the camera adds several ounces.

Arches and Canyonlands

I never thought I would like the desert - I wasn't blown away by the Grand Canyon and my family's trip out west as a kid, but last year I absolutely loved Arizona and Utah.
     Hiking around Arches this year was beautiful. The heat was insane, but it was a dry heat. Being accustomed to the South's soupy swamp heat made the desert feel practically refreshing. I'm not trying to make it sound like I was as cool as a cucumber - I drank at least a gallon of water without needing the facilities… yeah.




It was strange to look up and think "This is ROCK. In a tiny little bridge over my head."




The sun shines on Kelly




Where's Waldo?

We also went to Canyonlands National Park, which is super strange to see after visiting the massive Grand Canyon…but totally worth it.



More of Arches and Canyonlands here!

The Campgrounds

Camping has always been an item on my To Do list, I've just never had an opportunity. A friend has offered to take me camping over the past year, but our schedules never meshed. So when Kelly and I began planning our trip and she said we could camp in some national parks, I was totally on board. In reality, we camped outside of a national park, but that was probably for the best - our campsite wasn't full, and it was only eight bucks a night.

We found a spot right next to the Green River, outside of Arches National Park in Utah, and put up our claim ticket. We pitched Kelly's tent, which was way easier than I had expected it to be. (I'm sure that had nothing to do with the fact that I was hammering stakes into sand.)


There had been a fire ban on campsites we passed on the way to ours, and since we didn't want to risk starting a forest fire just for some grilled weenies, we went into Moab for some dinner.

The sun was still making itself known at ten o'clock, so we went down to the river to cool off and write a bit in the fading light. My attention quickly wandered and I began experimenting with long exposures.



We headed back to our site when darkness fell and laid on our backs watching the stars. I must have seen eight shooting stars the night, plus the Big Dipper in full - which I'd never seen before! The beauty of the vast sky before me was awe-inspiring; I couldn't turn my head and not see stars.

Sleeping that night was peaceful. After our night of car sleeping, I was used to being in close quarters with Kelly. We dozed off on top of our sleeping bags, but the breeze was cool enough to find us wrapped up in them in the morning. We brushed our teeth using bottled water and spitting into the sand, then set off for a day of hiking in Arches.

July Books Read

Catching up on the books I didn't read last month!
Replay by Sharon Creech. Leo is one of four kids trying to find his niche in life so that he stands out to his parents. He has an athletic sister, an athletic brother, and a musical brother, so he tries out for a play at school. When he finds his dad's childhood belongings in the attic, Leo starts tap dancing secretly, as well as reading a biography his father wrote as a thirteen-year-old. The story had a lot of potential but was jumbled up due to all the characters of the siblings and extended relatives not being as minor as they could have been. There was a storyline brought in halfway through and just left loose, which was disappointing. I loved the completeness and emotion of Creech's Walk Two Moons and was expecting this to be similarly powerful, but it fell flat.

The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin. Liana and Hank randomly meet in the women's bathroom of a hospital, and their relationship spirals out from there. The story is told in alternating chapters from each of their points of view as they learn about each other and overcome bumps in their relationship until, at the height of summer, something happens that seems impossible to get past. For being written by two authors, in the voices of two extremely different characters, this book reads so smoothly and beautifully that I wanted to start it again as soon as I finished it. Or, as the last line says, "Like the song you need to hear at least one more time."

Anything But Ordinary by Valerie Hobbs. When thirteen-year-old Bernie moves to a new town and meets the school outcast Winifred, he has no idea how his life is going to change. Both students are incredibly smart, rocketing to the top of their class, and unique, vowing to never be ordinary. They're together for four years, until something makes Bernie decide to not attend college, while Winifred moves to the other side of the country. The story is told in alternating chapters so you learn how the characters really feel, despite their difference. When Bernie finally takes a chance and follows Winifred, he finds that school has turned her into "Wini," and he's not sure how he feels about her anymore. The ending is a little hokey, but the ups and downs of the relationship are realistic and honest.

Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst. The book begins at the halfway point of the filming of a reality show. Six teams are traveling around the world, deciphering clues and finding objects in a scavenger hunt to win a million dollars. Teams include a mother and daughter who recently experienced trauma, two brothers, a religious couple who believe they "overcame" being gay to marry each other, and washed-up TV stars. Each character has their own story they've brought into the show, and the stress of constant travel and no rest puts them on edge until secrets come out and drama unfolds. As hokey as my description may sound, it's a fascinating, well-written book that deals with people coming to terms with who they are and accepting others. The descriptions of the locations visited are beautiful as well, and really add to the story.

Our Sixth-Grade Sugar Babies by Eve Bunting. I remember reading this book as a kid as wishing my school would give us sugar babies! Vicki and her friend Ellie are trying to flirt with the new seventh-grade boy on their block while being responsible for their sugar babies, which they're being graded on. Vicki has an extra hitch - she wants to prove to her mother that she can babysit her younger half-sister. Things get messed up when boys trump responsibility and Vicki asks her mentally-handicapped neighbor to watch her baby.

A Girl Called Al by Constance C. Greene. I loved this book when I was younger; I thought it was really unique compared to most of the preteen novels out there. There is no fighting for popularity, the focus is not on getting boys to like you. When Al moves into her building, the main character (who is never named) at first thinks Al is too chubby to be friends with - but body image isn't the focus of the book, either. Al's weight is hardly mentioned, and she and the main character become best friends who spend a lot of time with the elderly superintendent of their building. I was pleased that this book was just as unique when I re-read it as an adult, as I had remembered from childhood.

Your Old Pal, Al by Constance C. Greene. Another childhood re-read. Not as clever as A Girl Called Al, but still funny in parts. It's really refreshing to read older books (this was published in 1979, and the other was 1969) and see how they're not focused on situations that are either petty or unbelievable. There is no huge revelation or scene in this book - it's the every day life of middle school girls, and it's nice to be taken back to that time.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. I've seen the movie that came out a few years ago, and I thought I'd read the book as a child, but I was imagining a totally different ending. Regardless, I absolutely loved this book. The writing was so beautiful - I re-read the first page several times over because the sentences were perfection. The idea is also really unique - a family drinks from an innocent-looking spring only to find the water basically froze them in time. They never age, and nothing can kill them - which is both a blessing and a curse. When Winnie stumbles across the family, she's swept in by them and their magical lives. Really makes you ponder if you'd drink from that spring or not.

The Terrorist by Caroline B. Cooney. The beginning of this book will hook you immediately, as it's told from the point of view of Billy, an American living in London with his family for a year. Billy starts a normal day, exploring his new city and looking forward to everything in life. As he's racing two classmates to school, he's handed a package. By the time he realizes what the package is, it's too late. The rest of the book is told by his surviving family members as they try to find the terrorist who targeted an 11-year-old boy. Cooney is amazing with suspense and slowly revealing information, and the ending, while not happy, is incredibly well-done.

Moonwalking With Einstein by Joshua Foer. I picked up this book during a layover, started reading, and missed my connecting flight. Foer, a budding journalist at the start of the book, is writing about the Memory Championship. As he gets to know some of the competitors, they convince him that anyone can improve their memory. Foer starts training to participate in the next year's competition. Very little of the book is actually about his own training - mentions are made here and there, but it is mostly about the strange, savant people he encounters during his year of training.

Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell. I read this book in one sitting because I could not put it down. Jamie's an Army brat; her dad is the Colonel and she and her older brother, TJ, have always played war and dreamed of going into combat. When TJ ships off to Vietnam, he begins shipping home rolls of film for Jamie to develop. She's initially upset he's not writing her letters, until she learns to develop film (which had been her brother's passion) and realizes he's showing her more than he could ever tell. The ending is absolutely perfect.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. I love Cormier's books because they're from a different time period, when writing disturbing books for young adults was majorly frowned up, but he still did it. I was surprised, then, when this book was so slow to start. It's about the social lives of boys at a Catholic prep school, but centers around an annual fundraiser of selling chocolates. The characters are compelling, as Cormier's always are, but a lot of them are thrown at you, with fairly elaborate back stories for each. It's not clear how they fit together until close to the end - even then, many story lines are left hanging, which always leaves me wanting more. The book does pick up and get a little edgier by the end, but overall it is not one I'd recommend to get to know Cormier's style.

The Book of Summers by Emylia Hall. Beth knows something is wrong when her father comes to visit; he hasn't come to her during the twelve years she's lived in London. He brings her a package, and she knows what it is before even opening it. In fact, she's scared to. She knows it's a scrapbook her mother kept of her childhood.      When she was nine years old, Beth traveled with her parents to her mother's homeland of Hungary. They spent the summer there, but only Beth and her father returned home. For many summers after that, Beth returned to Hungary to visit her mother and experience the life she rebuilt there. She stopped visiting after her sixteenth summer, and The Book of Summers is an investigation into why. The language in this book is beautiful, with vivid imagery. The settings are, in my opinion, the most important characters.

Dialogue by Gloria Kempton. Part of the "Write Great Fiction" series. Like all books in this series, each chapter tackles a relevant topic. There are tips on how and when to alternate dialogue with narrative, how to make sure each character's voice is unique, and intensifying conflict and emotion with dialogue. There are multiple exercises at the end of each chapter to help practice what you just learned.