May 2013: On the Island

Barb:  Easy breezy beach-ready read.  Self-pub, so high on invoking any latent pool boy fantasies but low on literary merit.

Chari:  Thought it was a fun beach read and yes, I liked it a lot. I read it during vacation last summer and ignored my family the whole day. Could not put it down and was thoroughly entertained!

Holly:  Fluffy fluff.

Steph:  Fun, summery read.  I liked the characters and, even if everything was a bit too convenient and easily wrapped up, it was still an entertaining read.

Ashley:  A light fun book to be read on a beach with a fruity drink - The Blue Lagoon meets Sex in the City.

Amanda:  This book started out good and I really loved the adventure of it all. But the ending was so predictable and unworthy of the preceding storyline. I did enjoy the book, just wished it was a little less insipid.

Becca:  I liked this fun, light, "beach read".   I think it was a nice break from the heavier books we have been reading.

Aday:  Fast read, but lacked substance.  

Kerry:  I loved this book, it was sappy and corny and I cried.  There is not much that I will take away with me from this book, but I really enjoyed it!

Kasey:  This is definitely not in my top 5 or even 100 books.  I found both characters to be annoying.  I was actually rooting for the shark when they were on the island.  It was an easy read, but I was very bored throughout.

Mary:  This book wasn't anything special.  An easy summery read for sure, but it was so wrapped up that it annoyed me.  I guess I like just a bit of conflict!!!

Jenn K:  Easy, breezy, fun. Perfect for the beach. I predict a Lifetime movie starring Jennie Garth and Justin Bieber in its future.

April 2013: Nothing to Envy

Barb:  A very timely, gritty, and informative (though somehow not riveting) tale of North Korean defectors and their lives under their dictators' thumbs.

Jill:  It seems wrong to say that I loved this book, given the subject matter and the senseless suffering it detailed, but I am so glad I read it.  It educated me on North Korea while also telling the stories of the characters so beautifully that it read like a novel.

Holly:  A bit tough to get through, but definitely educational.

Becca:  I thought the book was interesting, informative, and incredibly disturbing all at the same time. I'm embarrassed that I didn't know more about N. Korea.  It got a little tedious at times, but overall I really liked the book.

Kerry:  Nothing to Envy enthralled me.  It was hard to imagine what life is like in North Korea, but the memorable stories have stuck with me.  I recommend this book to anyone who wants to expand their understanding of the world.

Steph:  Very interesting and informative.  Made me highly sympathetic to the plight of those currently living in North Korea - I am thankful for the raised awareness the book gave me.