I really do believe that M. T Anderson is a good writer, and you see glimpses of this in this book. Those few glimpses aren't enough to pull this mixed-up plot of feuding fast-food chains, bullies and love into a coherent, entertaining novel. Anthony, who caught his girlfriend cheating on him with a guy (Turner) that works at the local fast-food joint, O'Dermott's, decides he should work there too to get "revenge" on Turner. Anthony's crazy ideas end up getting him in some very odd situations, none which reflect very well on his employer. Just...blah...

As someone who has read many YA books, I have to admit this one doesn't stand out, except maybe for the sheer outrageousness of the storyline. Samantha Madison is teenage artist living in Washington, D.C. One day while skipping her art classes her parents force her to attend she inadvertently saves the president's life. Along with her newfound celebrity comes...yup, you guessed it, a romance with the president's son. I could see most "twists" in the story from a mile away. I do like the minor plot about art however.

This book of essays ranging from "Terrible Fashion Trends" to "Why Being In Prison Wouldn't Be So Bad" show why Ellen's humor has succeeded in making her a great comedian with a hit talk show. Many times during reading, I felt myself chuckle or say out loud "Yes!" I even read some passages aloud to family members. While you might not come away with any deep insights, it's a light and charming comedy read, perfect for the beach.

This slim read by the writer of the "Mary Poppins" book leaves a bit to be desired. It starts off with the author's own version of Sleeping Beauty and has five other tales from different countries and time periods. In between Travers' version and the others, there is an essay about Sleeping Beauty and fairy tales. Nothing in the essay was anything that will surprise or really intrigue the reader. I think there are better essays and collections of fairy tales out there.

What happens when an adult man and woman suddenly decide to seek out their biological mothers? Joanna Trollope introduces us to a wide cast of characters in this novel, and examines the effect the main characters', siblings Nathalie and David, sudden pressing search for their biological mothers has on those who surround them. It all starts when Steve, Nathalie's common-law husband has a friend at work whose girlfriend wants to interview adult adoptees. After talking with her, Nathalie decides she wants to find out about her mother, and convinces her David, to search for his biological mother at the same time. Instead of looking at adoption just from the view of the children who were given up, Trollope skillfully shows us how Nathalie and David's children, spouses, parents, co-workers and biological mothers and their families deal with the two's hunt. These many points of view and feelings add to the great characterization. I think I will be checking out more of her work.

Every child knows the story of Hansel and Gretel, the two children abandoned in the woods by their father and evil stepmother, who eventually discover the witch's hut. What if the story was real? In this incredible novel by Louise Murphy the story is changed slightly, but the main elements are still there: the evil stepmother, the bread crumbs, the "witch". Hansel and Gretel aren't the real names of the two Jewish children who are left in the woods during WWII by a desperate father and stepmother trying to flee the Nazis. Their real names must remain secret, so the young children will be hopefully be taken in and suspected to be Christian. The first person they come upon in the woods is Magda, a midwife who lives alone in the hut near a village. Magda is suspected to be a witch by the villagers and the children alike, but she agrees to take them in and feed them despite their fears. As the war nears its' end, we see how the Nazis stationed in the nearby village frantically try to keep control of the villagers and remain true to their goals of wiping out "undesirables". Madga suspects the children are Jews, but has vowed to keep them safe at all costs. The wonderful weaving of the main themes of Hansel and Gretel with a survival story during WWII makes for a simply amazing read. The one minor problem I had was that ending didn't wrap up everything as well as I would have liked. Otherwise, a unique work that I urge you to read.

I was actually assigned to read this book for my Introduction to Sociology class. While I might not have picked it up on my own, I found that it wasn't that bad. Newman tells us stories of the working poor in Harlem, many who work at the local "Burger Barn". Their struggles do really grip you and give you a different picture of these people. While a couple of chapters were a little bogged down in numbers, and Newman assumes her readers are familiar with some aspects of welfare and such, overall, the book was an interesting look into how people try to "make it", that is easily accessible to most.

Alice Thrift, a surgical intern, is definitely not your typical "chick lit" heroine. She's not gorgeous; she doesn't have a close group of girlfriends to chat about men with, in fact, she's not really actively looking for a man. When Alice meets Ray Russo one day and manages to talk him out of a nose job, she never guesses he will want to start a relationship with her. Can Alice trust Ray? Does she even like him? And why would someone outgoing like Ray like someone who's basically a social misfit like her? While I admit sometimes it was difficult to read about a main character with so little self-esteem, the others around Alice kept the book from being dragged down too much in Alice's depressed moods. Not bad, not great, but different nonetheless.

This book, a collection of short poems, tells the story of a little known event during WWII. In 1942, Japan attacked the Aleutian Islands. Vera, the narrator tells of how the native people, the Aleuts, were removed from the islands and relocated to the Alaskan mainland. The military claimed it was for their own protection. Over the course of three long, hard years, we see how Vera and her fellow people deal with prejudice (because of their resemblance the Japanese) and daily life in an internment camp. Hesse is wonderful at conveying many emotions to the reader. Though it was a short read, it made me want to learn more about the Aleutian Islands and maybe attempt to read more poetry, and that's saying a lot!

As someone who has never heard the actual Grimm fairy tale about the goose girl/princess, I can't exactly judge this book against the original story. As a story in itself, I found it just okay. We are first introduced to Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree when she is just a young girl, and helped by her aunt, discovers she has the ability to speak to animals. As the first child born to the King and Queen, she is supposed to be first in line to the throne, but Ani (as she is called) doesn't really feel like she fits in. After her father dies, the Queen announces that Ani's younger brother will take the throne and Ani will be send to marry the prince of Bayern, a nearby country that Kildenree has only a "civil" relationship with. Ani, her guards and her lady-in-waiting, Selia, set off on the long journey to Bayern, only to find out that Selia has other plans. Ani eventually arrives in Bayern, but must be careful to blend in. She ends up taking a job as goose girl. While I think this first book by the author was good, it wasn't GREAT. Too many characters and the fact it dragged on in some spots made me not like it as much as I could have. I think I might check out the next book by Hale however, because it centers on interesting and little developed character that appeared in this book.