An Update

Now that my Master's degree is finally finished, I can return to reading for enjoyment. My reading for the last couple of months has been sporadic, but I mean to change all that this summer. Here are a few of the books that I have been reading:

American Adulterer by Jed Mercurio. This is an interesting work in that the main characters are never mentioned by name. The main character is referred to only as the subject or the President. His wife is named as the First Lady or his wife. Even though names are never specifically mentioned; however, it is clear that the author is dicussing John F. Kennedy. The details discussed in the book are interesting even though the facts of Kennedy's life and adultery are mostly well known by now. I would rate this book a 2 out of 5. No more.

Beastly by Alex Finn. This is the fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast, told with an interesting modern twist. It is of course, completely transparent to anyone familiar with the story. This book is perfect for tween girls who enjoy reading about romance and the supernatural.

This is the touching story of a young girl whose life comes to a close much to early; however, this is not a story about her death but about what happens after. Riley has a difficult time moving beyond the Earth plane, but with the help of her loving dog Buttercup she finally arrives in the Here and Now, only to discover that her life is far from over.

Riley and Buttercup have been given a job, as soul catchers. Their first assignment is the "Radiant boy", a ghost that has been haunting an ancient English castle for centuries. Can Riley and Buttercup succeed and help the Radiant boy find his way to the bridge to Here and Now?

I picked this book up because my 5th grade girls seem to have a penchant for the supernatural and other-worldly type stories. This book has many good messages in it like acceptance of yourself for who you are and never, ever judging a book by it's cover.

If you have a young reader who enjoys these kinds of stories, I recommend Radiance.