The Other Boleyn Girl

By Philippa Gregory

Kristin: I really enjoyed reading about the rule and reign of King Henry the 8th. I watched the mini series of the Tudors before reading this book so I was able to envision a lot of the characters in my mind throughout the book. I really enjoyed the writing style of this author-sometimes reading a historical novel can be dull and boring but Gregory did an excellent job keeping you engaged. The rivalry of the 2 sisters will keep you entertained-there isn't much that will stand between them and their rise to power.This was a pretty big book but I found myself not wanting to put it down. Even if you aren't very interested in English history I would still recommend this book-it's a great love story set in an intriguing historical time.


Amy: What an absolutely fascinating story. I was at first hesitant to read the book because I have seen the movie before (and because it is 600 pages long) but it was by far one of the best and fun and quick reads in a long time. I remember hearing about King Henry in school and how he kept killing his wived because they wouldn't provide him with a son so it was kind of cool to read about it like you were living among it. I found it fascinating with all the research Gregory did and how she built a most likely happened story from facts around the time. It was like you were living in the castles, friends with all the right people to hear all the drama and in the middle of it all. I would highly recommend this period drama (and already have to multiple people!)

One Day

By David Nicholls 

Amy Marie: This book was an amazing story. It was one of the first books where I was happy to know that Anne Hathaway was playing the character because I could put her character into the book while I was reading it. I wanted to finish the story so quick so I could go see the movie. It is a fantastic way to write a story- tracing the friendship and relationship of a couple on the same day over twenty years. I found myself laughing out loud and feeling excited to keep reading because some of the years end on cliff hangers. I do have to admit I did shut my book at one point and get really upset at what happened, but by the end of the story I found myself not high on a cloud but feeling joyful to live this day. I found this book very real... and full of life. If you are looking for a Disney love story where everything turns out how you want it... this isn't the book. For that I can appreciate this real life book. It is funny and sad and confusing and ends the way some things might end in our lives... not ideal but good. I like how Nicholls addresses the everyday feelings between people, spoken and unspoken. He does an amazing job at narrating for both Dex and Emma and their conversation with each other. I love how it was written with a british accent... it wasn't too hard to follow but made for fun reading. I would absolutely recommend this story to anyone who is looking for a great read full of lots of emotions.


Kristin: I had no idea what this book was about when I started reading it. The book had a different writing style...each chapter was written on the same day, July 15, over the span of 20 years. At times I felt like it was a little "choppy" and hard to follow. Parts of the dialogue  made me laugh out loud and I could totally see Anne Hathaway playing the part of Emma...I pictured her through out the entire book. However, I can't say that is was one of my favorite books...in my opinion is was kinda depressing. Neither Dex nor Emma had very fulfilling lives. There was no sense of "hope" in anything for either character. It did have a twist that I was not expecting. Overall, it was a worthwhile read that kept me engaged...but I when I was finished it left me sad. I was reminded by this book that each day is a gift and we should not take our time on earth for granted. If you are looking for a "feel good" romantic book...this is not for you....however if you are looking for a book that kinda shakes things up a bit then I say give it a go! 


Sonneri: I did not like this book! While the writing style was interesting, I would not say that this is a story to read if you're looking for a happy-Hollywood-ending. Kind of like the feeling you get when you go to see a movie with high expectations, and it turns out to be not that great... making you wish you could get your money back. I literally wanted to throw this book across the room when I finished. Sorry, but it's true! Ok, so there were pretty funny parts, and you get very attached to the characters through the extremely real quality of the writing. But the ending was miserably frustrating and goes against everything I believe about there being hope in the worst of circumstances.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

by Mark Haddon

Sonneri: I've never had any personal experience with someone with autism, but I've seen them portrayed in movies and on television. The little boy Christopher in this book is quirky, smart, and very passionate about the things that interest them. But he also seems to be very robotic and almost incapable of true emotion. This, however, couldn't be farther from the truth. The most interesting, and eye-opening part of the story to me was when Christopher describes having two "Black Days" in a row (a "Black Day" is what he considers a bad day - after seeing four yellow cars in a row on his way to school, yellow being his least favorite color)...

"The next day I saw 4 yellow cars in a row on the way to school, which made it a Black Day... And the next day, too, I saw 4 yellow cars in a row on the way to school, which made it another Black Day... But on the third day I kept my eyes closed all the way to school until we got off the bus because after I have had 2 Black Days in a row I'm allowed to do that."
His logic for a bad day may not make any sense to us, but how often do we allow ourselves to "close our eyes", simply to have a break from that which bothers us?

Amy: So I am a fan of love stories, always have been, always will be.  When we decided to read this book I was not that excited, but very curious.  I have been telling myself that I need to read other books and expand my reading material because there are so many good books out there.  So this book was a good start.  I actually really liked the book.  It was interesting and kept my attention.  I don't really work with children that much, I am a nurse and I work with adults.  Adults can communicate and tell you their needs without wondering what they really want.  But I realized that is exactly what this little boy did as well.  Autistic children are about as literal as they come.  It was so fascinating to see from his eyes, how the world works.  It was also very sad to see how hard it was for him to cope in dealing with change and new situations and it was interesting to see the dynamics of all the people in the book and how they all relate to the boy.  I am glad we read this book and have already passed it on to a friend!

Kristin: From the standpoint of a teacher I loved the book. I've worked with so many children that have so many different conditions ranging from ADD/ADHD to autism and processing disorders. It was very interesting to me to really get a feel for how these children feel and view their surrounding world. It was also sad to me to think that so many children that suffer from this live in a constant state of fear and anxiety. They feel like they are a prisoner in their own world. I thought it was very clever of the author to write it from the child's perspective-I don't think it would have had as big of an impact into the mind of an autistic person coming from the viewpoint of a "normal" person. It is amazing to me to see the level of "genius thinking" that these children are capable of-mind blowing!  I would recommend this book to anyone who works in the field of education or other fields that deal with children. Overall it was a fun quick read that I found to be interesting and worthwhile! 

Amy Marie: So at first I was not a fan of this book. Have you ever read The Catcher in the Rye? Well, I was told to read that book and didn't like it so much- yes it was cleverly written but there was nothing that really happened and that is how I kind of felt about this book at first.  This book is told from a 15-year old genius boy. So... there is a lot of talking that leads you nowhere. However, there was a story and a good one at that. It wasn't too hard to follow and I found it extremely interesting looking at a world through a little boy's perspective. It makes me think and realize that everyone has different perspectives and those perspectives are important to respect, no matter what the age. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a good story to read and a cleverly written novel.