Kaelie's Reads

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it. "To Kill A Mockingbird" became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic. Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, "To Kill A Mockingbird" takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature. My review: Pace?   Slow Plot- or character-driven?   Plot Strong character development?   N/A Loveable c...

Wasted Words by Staci Hart Some universal truths refuse to be ignored. Peanut butter and jelly are a match made in heaven. Spaghetti and meatballs are best friends forever. And guys like Tyler Knight don’t go for girls like Cam Emerson. She knew from the second she met him that he didn’t belong on her bookshelf, the six-foot-six ex-tight end with a face so all-American, it could have sold apple pie. So she shelved him next to the supermodels and rock stars and took her place on her own shelf — the one with the flannel-clad, pasty-faced comic book nerds. Most of her boyfriends have existed between the pages of books, but rather than worrying over her own lacking love life, she puts all her energy into playing Cupid, using her job at the book bar, Wasted Words, as her stomping ground. Tyler Knight always looks on the bright side. His career-ending injury turned into a job as a sports agent. A horrible breakup led him to Cam, his quirky, smart roommate who is far more beautiful tha...

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West Lacey Barnes has dreamed of being an actress for as long as she can remember. So when she gets the opportunity to star in a movie alongside one of Hollywood’s hottest actors, she doesn’t hesitate to accept the part. But Lacey quickly learns that life in the spotlight isn’t as picture perfect as she imagined. She’s having trouble bonding with her costars, her father has hired the definition of a choir boy, Donavan Lake, to tutor her, and somewhere along the way she’s lost her acting mojo. And just when it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, it looks like someone on set is deliberately trying to sabotage her. As Lacey’s world spins out of control, it feels like the only person she can count on—whether it’s helping her try to unravel the mystery of who is out to get her or snap her out of her acting funk—is Donavan. But what she doesn’t count on is this straight-laced boy becoming another distraction. With her entire future riding ...

Lucky in Love by Kasie West Maddie's not impulsive. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment — She wins! In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust. Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret? With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love. My Review: Mood?  lighthearted Pace?   medium Plot- or character-driven?   A mix Strong character development?    Yes   Loveable characters? ...

Rule #4: You Can't Misinterpret a Mistletoe Kiss by Anne-Marie Meyer A mistletoe kiss is just a simple kiss, right? Wrong. All I want to do during this Christmas break is survive. A week at the cabin with our family’s friends/rivals, the Stephensons, every yuletide activity is turned into a competition where my family must win. Every. One. Yep. Lots of Christmas spirit around here. But, I've survived past holidays, there's no reason why I can't survive this one. Until Mom informs me that Jacob Stephenson, my brother's ex-best friend and resident bad boy, is back from his grandmothers after having been gone for the semester. I guess, after you find out your son robbed a gas station, you banish him to the most southern state. Now my ridiculous crush is back in full force and I’m trying really hard to stay away from him. My brother is frustrated that Jacob is home and I'm supposed to put my family above boys. Right? Maybe… I was attempting to be loyal...

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago. Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you? Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying of ALS - or motor neurone disease - Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final 'class': lessons in how to live. My review: Mood?  hopeful  informative Pace?   Medium My rating: 5 of 5 stars Read for school in 8th grad...

Rule #3: You Can't Kiss Your Best Friend by Anne-Marie Meyer It was supposed to be a simple kiss. That was all. Whoops. My plan was perfect: convince my best friend and school quarterback, Ethan, to be the final prize for my matchmaking test where the proceeds go to sending the band to Paris. Plus, if it matches me with my life-long crush, that's a bonus, right? What could go wrong? Apparently, a lot. First, the test matches me and Ethan. Which is easy to explain. Computers make mistakes all the time, right? Second, the girl I switch myself for seems perfect for Ethan. Maybe a bit too perfect. Third, my date with my crush goes horribly wrong and my first kiss tanks. Now, I'm pretty sure I'm destined to be alone while Ethan rides off into the sunset with his perfect match. Man, I've screwed up bad—especially when I ask Ethan the secrets to a good kiss. Big mistake. Feelings start to change and I'm pretty sure that our friendship isn't going to b...