Quick Multi-Book Review

I've gotten a little behind in the book reviewing department, so I'm just going to say a few things about each of the books I've read since my last review.

What We Keep by Elizabeth Berg

I love Berg to death. She has a very down to earth writing style and her books are easy to breeze through. This particular one is about two sisters who haven't spoken to their mother in the 35 years since she "abandoned" them. Life circumstances force them to try to make peace with her and understand her a little better. Not my favorite Berg book, but still pretty good.

Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich

My first time reading this author. I actually read an ARC of this book, so who knows how much of it really stayed the same when it was published. Anyway, it was mildly humorous, but nothing special.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Sparks is evil. Well, maybe not, but he sure does like to write tear jerkers, doesn't he? I listened to this as an audio book and at first I had a lot of trouble getting into it. I guess I did get a little emotionally involved later on though because it left me feeling depressed.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

This is the first time I've read anything by this author. I was amused by the title and it's been a very popular book amongst Bookcrossers, so I couldn't pass it up when it showed up in a box. It's the fictional story of a school shooter as told by his mother in a series of letters to his father. I thought it was an interesting perspective. It's worth reading if you can get over the author's expansive vocabulary.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

This is Hiaasen's first novel for young adults. It was definitely not the best YA novel I've ever read, but it covers some important themes like: standing up for what's right, ecology, getting to really know someone instead of following the crowd's opinion of someone, bullies, etc. The main character is a guy who has to move a lot and is always "the new kid" in school. I can see it appealing to someone who is in a similar situation or is into wildlife conservation.