Night Road

I love a book that can make me cry. A book that I get so attached to and so involved in that it evokes such true empathy for the characters. Kristen Hannah's Night Road did that over and over again.
Lexi Baill has lived her entire life in foster care, bouncing from family to family while her drug addict mother bounced in and out of prison. Finally, when she is fourteen, her social worker discovers a relative they did not know about. Lexi goes to live with her great aunt Eva in Seattle, WA, and despite their poor financial situation and Lexi's apprehension, she finally feels like she has a family.
Mia and Zach Farraday, on the other hand, have grown up under completely different circumstances. As twins raised by a surgeon father and a helicopter mother, Mia and Zach have known nothing but love, trust, and financial security. Their mother, Jude, has spent their entire lives chaperoning, baking, throwing parties, and providing a wonderful life for her children.
However, high school brings changes for the twins. While Zach has always been outgoing and popular, Mia is shy, awkward, and incredibly alone. That is until she meets Lexi Baill. Lexi befriends Mia and they become inseparable. Relieved that Mia finally has a friend, Jude invites Lexi into their family and begins to love her like a daughter.
At the start of their senior year, Zach and Lexi discover a relationship that they had never had before. Together with Mia, the three of them spend their final year of high school having fun, falling in love, and planning for their futures. But just a few short days before graduation, tragedy strikes. When the kids are involved in a fatal drunk driving accident, life changes for everyone. Night Road follows Jude and the survivors as they grieve, try to heal, and finally, try to forgive.
I thought that this book was phenomenal. From the very beginning, it was easy for me to relate to Mia and Lexi. I know what it is to have such a strong female friendship, and I was constantly placing my best friend and I in their shoes. From singing Disney songs to drinking at a party, their friendship was extremely relatable.
Oddly enough, I was also able to relate to Jude. Although I am not a mother, (if my relationship with my younger brother is any indicator), I am going to be extremely protective when the time comes.
The story was also incredibly heart wrenching. I grew so attached to the characters that parts of it actually broke my heart. When I wasn't reading, I still thought about the book, the characters, and what was going to happen next. The idea of a drunk driving accident is absolutely terrifying, but it's something that we choose not to think about. Night Road forces you to think about it as you place yourself in their situation and realize how quickly your world could shatter.
I also loved how unpredictable the book was. Just by reading the cover I knew that there was going to be an accident and there was going to be death, and I assumed that I would be able to easily predict how it went. I was completely wrong.
I honestly don't think that there is anything that I didn't like about Night Road. There were times that I began to dislike Jude, but even in those instances I thought of her situation and all that she was going through, and I pushed those feelings aside. As I said, the characters were very relatable and they really came to life.
I would absolutely recommend Night Road, and began to before I was even through. It was a fantastic book with an incredible story line, realistic characters, and a great message. It is one of those books that will stay with you even after you've finished.

The Center of Everything

It's hard to believe, but I have been out of high school for 5 years now, and out of junior high for longer than I care to think about. While reading The Center of Everything, it was easy to reminisce and feel like 11 year old me again.

The Center of Everything is about a 10 year old girl growing up in Kerrville, Kansas in the early 80's. Raised by her 26 year old single mother, Evelyn struggles with bullies, poverty, and discovering her place in the world. The Center of Everything follows her from an innocent ten year old, to a temperamental teenager, to a high school graduate leaving for college. 

I really liked this book. I loved the way Laura Moriarty looked at grown up issues through the eyes of a child, from sex and infidelity to religion and politics. The book places Evelynn in the middle of the Reagan presidancy and Iran-Contra, and touches on real historical events as a kid would have experienced them. It was also so easy to relate to Evelyn, even as a child. I remembered having friendship pins stuck on my shoelaces, and running through sprinklers. Like I said, it was like taking a trip down memory lane. You see her reach the age where her view of her mother changes from idolizing to resentful, as every girls does. As Evelyn grows, she continues to be relatable. From having her crush fall for her best friend, to wondering whether or not she is pretty, and facing peer pressure, it was again easy to put myself in her shoes and remember what my life was like at that age. 

For a book that deals with so many dark and depressing issues, Evelyn brought a light to it. She faces bullying, teen pregnancy, abandonment, death, and an illegitimate half-brother born retarded. Through everything, she comes across as a sweet and refreshing character. 

I will definitely recommend The Center of Everything. It is a book that I think anyone, at any age, would enjoy. 

Her Fearful Symmetry

I have mentioned a couple of times now how much I love Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife. When I found Her Fearful Symmetry, I figured that I would love it as well.
Her Fearful Symmetry is the story of two generations of twin girls. When Elspeth dies of cancer, she leaves her London flat to her twin sisters twin daughters, Valentina and Julia, whom she had never met. Elspeth and her twin, Edie, have not spoken in nearly 21 years, although they refused to say why.
Valentina and Julia travel to England under two conditions: they live in the flat for at least 1 year, and their parents are not allowed to enter it.
In London, they befriend their neighbors. Robert, who is was Elspeth's boyfriend, and Martin, who suffers from severe OCD. The girls struggle to establish their individuality without hurting their bond, while searching for the truth of what happened between their mother and Elspeth. However, things are soon complicated when they discover that their aunt is still haunting the flat.
I'm not entirely sure how I felt about this book. The writing was fantastic, of course, and it was a very interesting storyline. That said, I found most of the characters very unlikeable. Valentina and Julia seemed needy, co-dependent, and immature. Julia came off spoiled and selfish, and while I liked Valentina a little better, I found her rather stupid. I liked Elspeth fine until the end of the book, and then I hated her. I also thought that the story took a long time to get started. I felt like I read half the book before anything relevant happened. And I found the relationships between the girls and their neighbors to be rather far-fetched.
As much as I disliked the female characters, I liked the males. I thought that Martin was adorable. I also just felt like giving him a hug. And although Robert was less endearing, he came through for me at the end of the book. I also liked that it was unpredictable. Throughout the story, I kept trying to predict what would happen next and hardly ever guessed right. I would never have been able to predict the secret of Elspeth and Edie, and it may have been my favorite thing about the book.
Her Fearful Symmetry was darker than I imagined it would be. Although the storyline was good, there was nothing about the book that made me fall in love. I didn't fall in love with the characters, and it didn't make me cry. If anything, the ending made me angry.
I wouldn't say that I completely disliked the book, but I don't imagine I'll pass it on to my friends. But maybe it was just a little too dark and twisted for my taste.

12 Female Characters Every Woman Should Know

Since I was a little girl, I have been an avid reader. My mom used to call me Belle because my nose was always buried in a book, and I would be completely unaware of the world around me. I read Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie, and Great Illustrated Classics. I owe so much of the woman I am today to the characters I met as a girl.

I am a firm believer in strong and independent women. And since Bella Swan is far too so-dependent, and there is something seriously wrong with Anastasia Steele, I decided to create a list of incredible female characters that every girl should know. 

So here they are:

1. Jane Eyre: Jane overcomes so many obstacles in her life, while standing her ground and remaining true to herself. 

2. Anne Shirley: Orphaned at a young age, Anne still has such a beautiful outlook on life and the world around her. She learns from her mistakes, chases her education, maintains her independence, and grows into a kind and beautiful woman. 

3. The March Sisters: Everyone who has read Little Women could tell you if they are a Meg, Joe, Beth, or Amy, and each of the sisters has their valuable qualities. Meg is kind and nurturing, Joe is strong willed and independent, Beth is selfless and Amy grows from a conceited little girl to an educated, caring young woman. As a whole, the March sisters hold their families above all else, and strive to make the best of things no matter what life throws their way. 

4. Sara Crewe: In A Little Princess, Sara remains hopeful after losing everything she has ever known. She is an amazing friend and goes out of her way to boost the spirits of others despite her own feelings. 

5. Nancy Drew: Nancy is fearless. She is strong, determined, and independent. Her books are timeless, and easy to read, making her a perfect role model for younger girls. 

6. Elizabeth Bennett: Obviously. Elizabeth is not afraid to speak her mind. She doesn't apologize for who she is, and she refuses to settle for less than she deserves. 

7. Laura Ingalls: As a little girl, Laura makes mistakes and learns from them. She is a kind and caring girl, but isn't afraid to get dirty and defend her family and friends. 

8. Scarlet O'Hara: Scarlet is tough. She is strong-willed and goes after what she wants. But the best part about Scarlet is they way that she survives. She falls from a plantation princess to a woman without two dimes to rub together. She does what she has to do in order for herself and her family to survive. 

9. Melanie Hamilton: The other incredible woman in Gone With the Wind. Melanie is so kind hearted, but she is also incredibly brave. She nurses sick and dying men, despite not knowing where her own husband is. She remains strong in difficult situations and constantly puts others before herself. 

10. Skeeter Phelan: In The Help, Skeeter stands up for what she believes is right even when it means losing those closest to her. She doesn't see color, she just sees people, and she isn't afraid to challenge the norm and do her part to make a change. 

11. Allie Hamilton: A lot of women on this list are strong and independent, but it is important to also believe in love. Allie follows her heart and finds a love that can conquer anything. And it's important to believe in that. 

12. Anne Frank: Duh. Her diary is something that everyone should read. It is amazing how hopeful and loving she remained throughout her time in hiding."Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart". 

Comeback Love

As I've said before, I have a serious problem when it comes to bookstores. When I went to Barnes & Noble last week, I fully intended to buy one book. That was my limit, then I was cut off. I must have spent an hour browsing the shelves before deciding on the one lucky book I was going to read next. I walked past the non-fiction, biographies, top sellers, and romances and kept my eyes straight ahead until I was safely on the escalator. And then I fell off the wagon. 

In my defense, I fell off at the discounted book section. And, in my defense, the three extra books that I got were all under $5. What kind of person would I be if I walked away from that?

Ironically, Comeback Love was not the book that I originally planned to read, but rather a book that I got at the last minute off the sale shelf. It is the story of a young couple in the 1960's who reconnect nearly 40 years later. I was initially drawn to this story line because I am a firm believer in things being meant to be. However, the book wasn't as mushy, lovey as you would expect. 

Set in the 60's, it deals with a lot of historical aspects. Glenna is a female med student, advocating abortion and Gordon is a pot smoking journalist, covering Vietnam war rallies and Woodstock. The story begins with 2010 Gordon searching for a woman that he has not seen in 35 years, and flashes back to a relationship that they had in their early 20's. Not only did the story deal with their relationship, but it dealt with controversial issues, three generations of war, and family relationships as well. 

There were times that I was concerned about how I was going to feel about this book, because my views are so opposite of the issues reflected by the characters. I was nervous that I was going to find it offensive and form an opinion of the book based on that. However, I loved it. Regardless of my personal political views, it was easy to relate to Glenna and Gordon and understand their lives. 

As I said before, I also truly believe that everything happens for a reason. Time and time again I tell my friends, and myself, that if they are meant to be with someone they will be. Whether it's next week, next year, or twenty years from now. It was nice to root for Gordon and Glenna and believe that two people can come back to each other. The catch line for Comeback Love was "What would you do if you had a second chance with the one that got away?". I think that every reader has someone that comes to mind when asked that question, and it made the story very relatable. 

I definitely recommend Comeback Love, and will no longer feel guilty about grabbing extra books off the sale rack. After all, if I had stuck to my plan I never would have found this one.