Book review of Pretty Little Liars Book 1 By Sara Shepard

I recently started a new series called Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard. I had heard that this book is very well written and funny. I was intrigued by the title and had to buy it. I have not been disappointed so far. There are five main characters. Their names are Spencer, Aria, Alison, Emily and Hanna. My favorite at this point in the book is Emily. She is very outgoing, likes clothes and has a great sense of humor. The characters interact in a unique way. They have a little brawl about something insignificant like which designer is better Lacoste or Louis Vuitton. They make up just to start fighting soon after. This goes on through out the chapters. This never gets boring because it is written in a funny way and makes you want to keep reading to see what the solution will end up being. The girls are not particularly strong characters and their values are not really something to learn from. However, it is always good to read something a little different sometimes. Each girl is part of a particular clique based on their values. The story is written very realistically and the characters come across as people you could meet in your life. The book is realistic and humorous at times. I think that any girl in our class would find this a fun read. It has many interesting parts to it that many people can relate to. At the end of every day I really enjoy picking this up and reading it as a nice escape before bedtime. I hope that you pick this book up and enjoy it as much as I have!

Part 2 Review of The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer

I just finished the book called The Teashop Girls, by Laura Schaefer. The beginning of the book was very interesting and really intrigued me. Annie, one of the main characters, seemed like a strong character who was going to make a difference in her community. Her grandmother's teashop, the Steeping Leaf, was in danger of being shut down because of high rent and not enough business. Annie and her two best friends Zoe and Genna decided to work together to find ways to save the shop from closing its doors forever. I imagined that they would come up with a creative and intelligent way to save the Steeping Leaf. I kept waiting page after page for some scheme but nothing really ever happened. The story never developed fully and kept bouncing back and forth between many different themes. While it was fun to read about Annie's secret crush on the other barista at the Steeping Leaf, it did not really fit with the rest of the book. It was distracting at times to read about the crush on Jonathan because I wanted to know what was going to happen with the teashop. It turned out that Annie was not the strongest character. Her relationship with her grandmother grew a tiny bit stronger after she made the effort to try and save the teashop. The author never developed the friendship among the three girls in a satisfying way. I have to admit that I was disappointed with the end of this book. It was hard at times to keep going because of the lack of focus and the bland bits of the book. One thing I really enjoyed were the quotes of famous people at the beginning of each chapter. I cannot recommend this book even though at times I enjoyed it. I think this book would be good for a reader who does not need just one theme that is developed during the course of the book. I decided to pick up the second book in this series called The Secret Ingredient and will read it. I am curious about it. Overall this book was an ok read, but it was definitely not one of my favorites.

Book Review of The Teashop Girls By Laura Schaefer

I am currently reading a book called The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer.(By the way this is the first time I have read a book by her. I am excited!) Similar to other books I have chosen this year, this book focuses on strong female characters. The main character is a girl named Annie, who I really like so far. She comes from a big family just like me with one sister and two brothers. She has a great relationship with her parents. She also has a very good relationship with two other girls named Zoe and Genna. They have been friends for their entire lives. The most interesting relationship that Annie has at this point in the book is with her grandmother Louisa. Her grandmother owns a tea shop called The Steeping Leaf. Her grandmother seems very funky and cool. She wears lots of scarves and has a great sense of humor. She is very into tea and the relationship between tea and how you feel and act. Louisa is a very likable character. I cannot wait to read more to see how her relationship grows and maybe changes with her friends and her grandma through out this book. I do not want to be a spoiler but there are many interesting events that occur between Annie and the Steeping Leaf. (She has a secret crush.) Through out the book there are interesting quotes and recipes at the beginning of each chapter that I think is really fun! I chose this book because I also like tea and I thought the title was very catchy and creative. This is a book for someone who enjoys reading about very strong friendships, and a very tight family. I hope that everyone will stay tuned for my follow up blog that summarizes the plots and adventures in the book. In the mean time, enjoy a cup of tea and pick up this book.

Book review of Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

I am currently reading the second book in the series of the Gallagher Girls called Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter. I was excited to read this book because I really enjoyed the first one. The main character Cammie is further developed in this book and she seems like a more interesting and smart girl in this book. She is the head of the spy council at her boarding school. That is a very special position in which every girl at the school wishes to have. She was chosen because of her smart tactics. Cammie finds her true self and what she wants to be in her future career. She has high standards for herself and for other people around her. I like reading about how she approaches a potential spy case and how she reacts to it. She is clever, sneaky, and knows what she is doing. These three qualities help her be the best spy she can be

Cammie is very nice and wants to be the best she can be at all times. I can relate to her desire to excel at what she does. I like her and find that the book helps the reader get to know the character. I enjoy picking this book up at night to relax and find it a perfect choice for pleasure reading. This is a book for someone who likes to read about strong female characters and who likes to read at a good pace. I highly recommend books by Ally Carter because she creates relatable characters and people. I hope that you will buy or pick up a book in this series.

Book review of Best Foot Forward By: Joan Bauer

I am in the process of finishing the book Best Foot Forward by: Joan Bauer. I chose this book because similar to other books that I have read the main character is a strong female one. I reviewed the summary of the book on its jacket and was intrigued by the description of the main character Jenna Boller. She is described as someone who likes everything perfect and orderly but things will not go her way. I thought that the cover was really cute with all the pictures of the shoes and I wondered what that was all about.

Jenna is a 16 year old girl growing up in Chicago. She works at Gladstone Shoes and loves having her own life and a job. Her mother is not a very good person and is not close with her. Her father went to jail. Jenna is very close with her maternal grandmother. Things get complicated for Jenna when she meets a boy name Tanner Cobb. Tanner is a smart boy but does not always use his brain. He has been in trouble with the police several times.

Jenna is a likable character but at times, she is very opinionated and offends people with her frankness. Her character develops in different ways through out the book and it is very interesting to see how she reacts to these tests. I have no been able to put it down and feel that it is a fast read about a strong female character. Tanner is a good character for this book to show how Jenna deals with boys and people who have different values than her. There is always something going on in the book and it is very hard to tell if there is ever a dull moment.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes strong interesting characters. It is a memorable read that takes you to a whole different world while reading it. The ending is very special and I hope you will go out and buy the book and experience for yourself the uniqueness of this book.

Book review of Little Little By: M.E. Kerr

Over the summer I read a book on the Parker suggested reading list called Little Little by M.E. Kerr. I chose this book because I was intrigued by the title and when I read the back cover it said that the main character was only 3 feet, 3 inches tall. I could not wait to read about Little Little La Belle. When I select a book, I always see if the title is interesting and then I read the summary on the back cover and a few pages in the beginning of the book. If I like what I see and what I read then I pick the book. Little Little was no exception and I relied on the title and the summary.

The main character is Little Little La Belle who is a very wealthy girl. She is not an ordinary girl, rather, an heiress and only 3 feet, 3 inches tall. The story centers around her struggles of being both very very wealthy and very small and also her relationship with her best friend, a boy named Sydney. Sydney is also very small. Part of her story involves a love story which makes the book more interesting. Little Little La Belle is a likable character at times but at other times she really tells people how rich she is and becomes less likable. I found myself getting very absorbed in her adventures as she traveled around with Sydney.

I think this a great book for someone who likes books that focus on young, strong female characters with an adventurous side to them. But, this is more than just a booked focused on a rich girl. It it a meaningful book. It teaches you how not to be affected by your appearance but learn to live with your difficulties and differences. The book shows you how to be independent and happy with your life.

When I pick a book for pleasure my favorite kind of book is one that has a girl main character in it and has some humor and adventure to it. Little Little suited my interests. I have never read any M.E. Kerr books before and I hope to read another one by her soon. I highly recommend this book. It is a great read and a great main character! The next time you are on Amazon be sure to look up this book.