Me Talk Pretty One Day (Book 2002)

Author: David Sedaris

Genre: Short Stories / Comedy

Summary: Autobiographical stories from Sedaris' childhood and adulthood.

Review: I laughed out loud all night when I read it.

Story:	****
Writing:	****
Entertainment Value:	*****
Educational Value:	**
Overall Review:	****

Me Talk Pretty One Day on Amazon

Around the World in 80 Days (Book 1873)

Author: Jules Verne

Genre: Science Fiction / Children

Summary: A British gentleman tries to travel around the world in eighty days, which was more impressive when the book was written.

Review: I wouldn't spend more than 80 minutes on this book.

Story:	***
Writing:	***
Entertainment Value:	**
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	***

Around the World in 80 Days on Amazon

As I Lay Dying (Book 1930)

Author: William Faulkner

Genre: Fiction

Summary: After the death of the mother, a family tries to honor her wish to be buried
in Jefferson, Mississippi.

Review: Read this for school. Why is his mother a fish?

Story:	****
Writing:	****
Entertainment Value:	*
Educational Value:	**
Overall Review:	***

As I Lay Dying on Amazon

The Poisonwood Bible (Book 1998)

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Genre: Fiction

Summary: A missionary father brings his wife and four daughters to the Congo in the 1960's.

Review: I love the first three quarters, and I love Adah.

Story:	*****
Writing:	*****
Entertainment Value:	*
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	*****

The Poisonwood Bible on Amazon

Toy Story 3 (Film 2010)

Genre: Children / Animation

Summary: The toys have to deal with Andy going to college and being sent to a Day Care center.

Review: Especially great for those who grew up with Toy Story.

Story:	***
Acting:	***
Entertainment Value:	*****
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	****

Toy Story 3 on Amazon

Persepolis (Book 2000)

Author: Marjane Sartrapi

Genre: Memoir / Graphic Novel

Summary: Sartrapi documents her childhood during the Islamic Revolution of Iran.

Review: A stark, honest and often harsh child's perspective of Iran.

Story:	*****
Writing:	****
Entertainment Value:	***
Educational Value:	*****
Overall Review:	****

Persepolis on Amazon

Winesburg, Ohio (Book 1919)

Author: Sherwood Anderson

Genre: Short Stories

Summary: Short stories concerning George's life in Winesburg, Ohio.

Review: I get it. Everything's grotesque. Can we please move on?

Story:	**
Writing:	***
Entertainment Value:	*
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	*

Winesburg, Ohio on Amazon

The Help (Book 2009)

Author: Kathryn Stockett

Genre: Fiction

Summary: It's about African-American maids in the south, as well as their white employers.

Review: Interesting perspectives, but most of the characters really irritated me.

Story:	****
Writing:	****
Entertainment Value:	****
Educational Value:	***
Overall Review:	****

The Help on Amazon

Catcher in the Rye (Book 1951)

Author: J.D. Salinger

Genre: Fiction

Summary: The story follows Holden Caulfield after he gets kicked out of prep school.

Review: I might've been the only teenager that didn't like it.

Story:	**
Writing:	****
Entertainment Value:	*
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	**

The Catcher in the Rye on Amazon

The Fountainhead (Book 1943)

Author: Ayn Rand

Genre: Fiction

Summary: The Foutainhead follows an individualistic architect who tries to stay true to himself and build buildings.

Review: I read it too young, so missed all the philosophy.

Story:	*****
Writing:	****
Entertainment Value:	****
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	****

The Fountainhead on Amazon

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Book 1962)

Author: Ken Kesey

Genre: Fiction

Summary: After McMurphy fakes being crazy to get out of prison and into an insane asylum, he then finds it hard to get out of the asylum.

Review: One of the saddest books I ever read. So depressing.

Story:	*****
Writing:	****
Entertainment Value:	****
Educational Value:	**
Overall Review:	****

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest on Amazon

Stranger in a Strange Land (Book 1961)

Author: Robert Heinlein

Genre: Science Fiction

Summary: A man raised on Mars returns to Earth.

Review: I love this book. It's thoughtful and funny. I grok!

Story:	*****
Writing:	*****
Entertainment Value:	*****
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	*****

Stranger in a Strange Land on Amazon

Clockwork Orange (Book 1962)

Author: Anthony Burgess

Genre: Fiction

Summary: The main character Alex, lives in a future where violence is rampant. He is then conditioned to be non-violent, all while speaking a futuristic slang English.

Review: I thought about this book for months afterwards. Hardcore violence.

Story:	*****
Writing:	*****
Entertainment Value:	****
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	****

A Clockwork Orange on Amazon

Catch-22 (Book 1961)

Author: Joseph Heller

Genre: Fiction

Summary: This book is about WWII fighter pilots and their adventures.

Review: Funniest book ever. My favorite character: Major Major Major Major.

Story:	****
Writing:	*****
Entertainment Value:	*****
Educational Value:	***
Overall Review:	*****

Catch-22 on Amazon

Jesus Land (Book 2006)

Author: Julia Scheeres

Genre: Memoir

Summary: Julia Scheeres writes about her childhood as a white girl with African-American brothers in a fundamentalist Christian home.

Review: Sad and brutally honest, but I really liked this book.

Story:	*****
Writing:	*****
Entertainment Value:	***
Educational Value:	**
Overall Review:	*****

Jesus Land on Amazon

Blindness (Book 1995)

Author: Jose Saramago

Genre: Fiction

Summary: A story of what happens after a mass epidemic of blindness hits a city.

Review: He doesn't believe in periods. But still a great book.

Story:	****
Writing:	*****
Entertainment Value:	***
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	*****

Blindness on Amazon

Lies My Teacher Told Me (Book 1995)

Author: James W. Loewen

Genre: Non-Fiction

Summary: Loewen analyzes high school history books and find errors in their portrayals of American history.

Review: I read the beginning. My teachers didn't lie that much.

Story:	**
Writing:	**
Entertainment Value:	***
Educational Value:	***
Overall Review:	**

Lies My Teacher Told Me on Amazon

Dreams From My Father (Book 1995)

Author: Barack Obama

Genre: Memoir

Summary: Barack Obama's memoir, detailing his life from birth through Harvard Law school.

Review: Best way to understand Barack- all Americans should read it.

Story:	****
Writing:	***
Entertainment Value:	***
Educational Value:	*****
Overall Review:	****

Dreams From My Father on Amazon

Are We There Yet? (Film 2005)

Genre: Comedy / Children

Summary: Ice Cube takes his girlfriend's children on a road trip. Hilarity ensues?

Review: This is the worst movie I have ever seen. Ever.

Story:	*
Acting:	*
Entertainment Value:	*
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	*

Are We There Yet? on Amazon

David Copperfield (Book 1850)

Author: Charles Dickens

Genre: Fiction

Summary: A chronicle of the life of David Copperfield, from birth through adulthood, in nineteenth century England.

Review: Read in London if possible. I would marry David Copperfield.

Story:	*****
Writing:	*****
Entertainment Value:	****
Educational Value:	***
Overall Review:	*****

David Copperfield on Amazon

Passengers (Film 2008)

Genre: Action / Thriller

Summary: Anne Hathaway, while treating survivors of a plane crash, finds a conspiracy, but no one believes her.

Review: I kept hoping Anne Hathaway was schizophrenic. But she wasn't.

Story:	*
Acting:	**
Entertainment Value:	**
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	*

Passengers on Amazon

The Year of Magical Thinking (Book 2005)

Author: Joan Didion

Genre: Memoir

Summary: Joan Didion chronicles the year following the death of her husband.


Review: So sad, so depressing. But I couldn't put it down.

Story:	*****
Writing:	*****
Entertainment Value:	*
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	*****

The Year of Magical Thinking on Amazon

The Lost Symbol (Book 2009)

Author: Dan Brown

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Summary: Dan Brown's latest. This time, it's the masons and Washington, D.C.

Review: Really predictable. Except when it wasn't. Still a fun read. 

Story:	****
Writing:	**
Entertainment Value:	*****
Educational Value:	*
Overall Review:	***

The Lost Symbol on Amazon

Salt (Film 2010)

Genre: Action / Espionage

Summary: Angelina Jolie is a Russian sleeper agent. Or maybe she's not? Who knows. But there are car chases, dyed hair, venomous spiders and guns.

Review: Russian spies. Intrigue. Action. Angelina Jolie. What's not to love?

Story:	****
Acting:	****
Entertainment Value:	*****
Educational Value:	**
Overall Review:	*****

Salt on Amazon