The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere

The Christmas Table by Donna Van Liere 231 pages In June 1972, John Creighton determines to build his wife Joan a kitchen table. His largest project to date had been picture frames but he promises to have the table ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Inspired to put something delicious on the table, Joan turns to her mother's recipes she had given to Joan when she and John married. In June 2012, Lauren Mabrey discovers she's pregnant. Gloria, Miriam, and the rest of her friends at Glory's Place begin to pitch in, helping Lauren prepare their home for the baby. On a visit to the local furniture builder, Lauren finds a table that he bought at a garage sale but has recently refinished. Once home, a drawer is discovered under the table which contains a stack of recipe cards. Growing up in one foster home after another, Lauren never learned to cook and is fascinated as she reads through the cards. Personal notes have been written on each one from the mother to her daughter and time and again Lauren wonders where they lived, when they lived, and in a strange way, she feels connected to this mother and her daughter and wants to make the mother proud. The story continues to from 1972 to 2012 as Joan battles breast cancer and Lauren learns to cook, preparing for the baby's arrival. As Christmas nears, can Lauren unlock the mystery of the table, and find the peace she's always longed for?" I finally finished the series and I was very pleased. It was definitely Inspirational and if you don't like those type of books you would not like this series. But I enjoyed it and an glad I read it. This one hit very close to home, because one the the main characters has breast cancer and I have had that twice. I love the way the characters were intertwined throughout the whole series and I could even read about characters from the very first book that were now all grown up. I would recommend to those who like these type of books.

Wink: Surviving Middle School with One Eye Open by Rob Harrell

Wink: Surviving Middle School with One Eye Open by Rob Harrell 315 Pages Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader. He doesn't want to lose his hair, or wear a weird hat, or deal with the disappearing friends who don't know what to say to "the cancer kid." But with his recent diagnosis of a rare eye cancer, blending in is off the table. Based on Rob Harrell's real life experience, and packed with comic panels and spot art, this incredibly personal and poignant novel is an unforgettable, heartbreaking, hilarious, and uplifting story of survival and finding the music, magic, and laughter in life's weirdness.' What a great story! I was impressed by how Rob Harrell told his own story, yet made it appeal to the middle school age group. He even included comics that he drew, through out the book. I think some of the details of the cancer and radiation treatments may be too much for elementary students, I know middle school students would understand it. I also liked the way he tied in a freindship between a boy and girl that was totally platonic and how some of his friends couldn't "handle" his sickness and didn't know how to act. All very real synerios. He even learns a new skill while facing this life changing illness. A very well written realistic fiction book.

Dig by A.S. King

Dig by A.S. King - 394 pages

Four teenagers -- The Shoveler, WhatCanIGetYou?, Loretta the flea circus ringmistress, and privileged Malcolm -- are guided by The Freak to better their lives and discover their connection.

This book won the Printz Award this year so I decided to try to read it.  It is told from multiple points of view including the five connected teenagers, a racist teen, and a couple who have lost connection with their family.  While the premise was interesting I was very distracted by the very heavy-handed way it conveyed its message.  There was literally a point in the book where a character starts yelling at the reader to wake up and stop being racist.  I also think the book did what too many "realistic" fiction books do -- stuff too many issues into a story including racism, abuse, death and more.

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas by Yoru Sumino

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas by Yoru Sumino - 438 pages

An introverted high school boy discovers the secret of popular classmate Sakura.  She is dying of pancreatic cancer.  They slowly become friends as he is the only one outside of her family to know her secret.

I really liked this manga.  The relationship between the two friends is interesting.  The character growth of the boy is believable.  I would highly recommend this to fans of realistic manga stories.

Anything Could Happen by Will Walton

Anything Could Happen by Will Walton - 281 pages

Tretch has a big secret.  There's no real reason he hasn't told anyone.  He knows that pretty much everybody will be okay with it.  Yet, he can't seem to get the words out that he's gay . . . and in love with his straight best friend.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book.  The main character is interesting and sympathetic.  I think the main issue I have is that everyone is so accepting in the book.  It seems a little unrealistic.  Otherwise, I think it's a good book for teens.

Perry's Killer Playlist by Joe Schreiber

Perry's Killer Playlist by Joe Schreiber
Sequel to Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

Perry has finally gotten his life back after the crazy adventure with Gobi, the foreign exchange student his family hosted last year.  He's taken a year off before college to try to make it with his band and it looks like it has paid off.  They're booked for a European tour.  Unfortunately, in Venice he once again runs into Gobi and it's another crazy adventure with her.

This is the sequel to Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick.  It's another humorous, rollicking adventure -- this time through Europe.  I really enjoyed this sequel and am a little sorry I waited so long (5 years) to read it after the first book.

A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon

A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon  pages 512


Gina Bellamy is starting again, after a difficult few years she'd rather forget. But the belongings she's treasured for so long just don't seem to fit who she is now.

So Gina makes a resolution. She'll keep just a hundred special items - the rest can go.

But that means coming to terms with her past and learning to embrace the future, whatever it might bring.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi -- 208 pages

At age thirty-six, Dr. Paul Kalanithi was at the pentacle of his career when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. One day he was a doctor, the next he was a patient.
In this memoir of his, Dr. Kalanithi documents his life and his search to find what makes life meaningful. As a neurosurgeon, Dr. Kalanithi often had to choose between letting a patient die--or saving a patient's life at the cost of his mobility or speech. And when he was diagnosed with cancer himself, he had even more reason to figure out, what makes life meaningful?
I loved this memoir. For me, it was much, much too short. I could have read (or listened) to his poetic yet engaging prose for months.

The Tumor by John Grisham

The Tumor by John Grisham (Kindle Edition)-67 pages

I downloaded this to my Kindle since it is free and decided to read it on a whim after finishing the three Pottermore Presents Hogwarts short stories collections. It is a somber read as it is a fictional (but all too realistic) story about a 35-year-old dad and husband, Paul, who is diagnosed with a brain tumor and goes through surgery and many other horrific things before succumbing to the glioblastoma after less than a year. The story then has an alternate ending with Paul getting Focused Ultrasound therapy, a new and developing treatment for many diseases including brain tumors. He gets this treatment every few years and survives ten years after initial diagnosis. The book is essentially propaganda for this new, supposedly revolutionary treatment. Overall, it was a decent, if somber read.

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick -- 273 pages

This is certainly being added to my list of recommendations for children! It is a realistic and moving look at a teenage boy who's life didn't go as planned. Steven is a drummer, Steven is a thirteen-year old with a crush on the hottest girl in school, and Steven has a brother.

Steven's school paper about the most annoying thing in his life was all about his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey, but when Jeffrey comes down with Leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. The worst part is everyone is so concerned for Jeffrey, that during this terrifying time, no one is paying attention to Steven who's stopped turning in school projects and is growing ever more depressed.
It's hard, but step by step Steven becomes the brother Jeffrey needs.

It's a pretty touching story. A few times I felt like the way Steven thinks about girls was very stereotypical. And Dangerous Pie was only barely mentioned at the beginning of the book! Why is it in the title, except for the reason that it sounds interesting?

I listened to the audiobook. The narration was great.

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green -

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green - 336 pages

You know how they say something can be beautiful and devastating at the same time?  A mushroom cloud, a lightning strike, a mime...well, here's the literary version of that for you.

I won't say much about the story, because there's been a lot of exposure after the film and I think we all know it's about youngsters riding the wave of terminal illness.  What I will say is that I cracked this book open knowing exactly what was going to happen, planned to read it all in one sitting (like ripping off a band-aid, I thought it would be less painful to get it all over with at once), and it still made me bawl like a starving baby.  Still, the pain was well worth it; Green is intuitive and thought-provoking through his characters, story, and setting.  In short, read it.  It may make you a giant squid of anger, but in a "growing through squiddy anger" kind of way.

The F--It List by Julie Halpern- 256 pages

Alex's best friend Becca, slept with her boyfriend on the day of her dad's funeral. Unable to forgive her, she disengages from her until hearing a rumor that Becca has cancer. Deciding to try and reconcile the friendship, she goes to see her and finds that the rumor is true.  Becca has a request. Help her to fulfill her bucket list.  Will they check everything off of their list? And what, if anything, will they gain along the way?

Little Miss Curious

Sweet Rein, v. 1 by Sakura Tsukuba

Sweet Rein, v. 1 by Sakura Tsukuba - 191 pages

Imagine Kurumi Sagara's surprise when she is suddenly tied at the wrist to a strange boy that bumped into her while she was walking down the street.  Even more surprising is his story that she is a Santa and he is her reindeer.  He calls her master and asks for her bidding.  Shockingly, it turns out to be true.  Now Kurumi is attached to Kaito - trying to deliver presents to the kids in her district for Christmas.

The first story in the book gives the setup written above.  The second story is about sick kid Mamoru who Kurumi tries to arrange a miracle for.  The third story sets up the beginnings of a romance between Kurumi and Kaito.

The book also includes a short manga by Tsukuba called Sweet Bite Mark about a vampire who discovers he has a young daughter.

I picked up this manga as it was Christmas themed.  I haven't found too many holiday themed graphic novels other than Manga Klaus about a samurai Santa fighting evil ninja teddy bears.  This is obviously a much sweeter Christmas story.  It was also different in that it portrays "Santa" in the summer in two of the stories.  While it was a cute story, I'm not sure that I care enough to continue through the series.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - 336 pages

The latest "hit" for teen readers is this novel by Green about a young couple who each have cancer. The journey to find one another and then deal with their illness leads them across the globe to meet the author of a oddly compelling book.  The author turns out to be a bit of a recluse and not at all the hero they had hoped.

Filled with illness, sadness and death, this book is sure to continue to be popular with teen readers suffering their own angst and anxious to read of other's.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - 318 pages

Hazel has been terminal since being diagnosed with cancer at 13 years.  Three years later she is surviving on an oxygen machine with the help of an experimental drug -- but she is still terminal.  She knows it is only a matter of time before she dies.  She determines to leave as little pain after her death as possible so she stays home other than to attend a couple of college classes and her weekly support group.  It is in support group that she meets Augustus Waters -- who completely changes her life.
I've been wanting to read this book for a while, so when it came in on audio I picked it up to listen to.  There were no great surprises in this book -- after all it is a cancer book.  You know this going into the story.  Even the plot twists were kind of obvious.  However, I enjoyed listening to the book.  The characters were fun.  I enjoyed the conversations and arguments they had about everything.  The main issue I had was that you didn't get emotionally involved so that when the death scene does occur you just think "about time".  Still, I'm glad I finally got around to "reading" it.

The End of Your Life Book Club, by Will Schwalbe

The End of Your Life Book Club, by Will Schwalbe, 336 pages

This was a poignant memoir (of sorts) about the time spent and the books read by the author and his mother after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  This made me feel like I don't talk to my dad enough and like I don't read enough.  This would make for excellent book club discussion- there are alot of really important discussions about reading, illness, living and dying.