boy books galore

So I went on vacation and somehow I managed to read 3 boy books in a row. Naturally, I counteracted with a girl book on the plane ride home... 4 books = good vacation. :)

Slam cracked me up. I love Nick Hornby's writing. It's dry and irreverent and hilarious. I know this was his first crack at YA but I'm on the fence about whether or not to move it to the adult stacks. I think people who read his other novels would love this one but I'm not sure I could sell something like this to my teens. The whole time travel thing was especially odd. And the subject matter is very mature. There are other more teen-friendly books on teen pregnancy and fatherhood, such as The First Part Last. Either way, I liked it.

I love Patricia McCormick but Purple Heart wasn't my favorite. I liked the rehab and rehash quality of it but I think it would really lose the interest of teen readers. Like Sunrise Over Fallujah, this book deals with the murky nature of friend and foe in the midst of the Iraq war. But this one is more about the trauma and memory issues that come along with recovery rather than the actual events of the war.


My kids have been harassing me to read Gym Candy for months. I read it cover to cover on the plane and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The ending completely shocked me, but I think it was a good, realistic cap to the story. I have to say that I skimmed most of the details about the football games because I have no understanding of the game, but it didn't hurt the story at all.

Alyson Noel is one of those authors I save for girly moments when I need a dose of fluff. Evermore does not disappoint. I actually really liked this story. It's kind of Wicked Lovely light but with the added sweetness of Ever's family. I especially love the little sister!