Edenbrooke
I flew through this book while on our recent vacation.  It is a love story with a very Jane Austen feel. I do wish there was a bit more resolution with some of the characters at the end, but overall I really enjoyed it.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s
For some reason, this book wasn’t quite what I expected. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting.  I did end up liking it, though.  The characters were so well defined, I felt like I would recognize them if I saw them on the street.  It is very much a character-driven story.  The plot moves slowly which allows the reader to become intwined in the characters’ lives.

Summer of the Monkeys
I read this aloud with the kids and we all just loved it.  It contains a good balance of humor and action and the characters are loveable.  A good moral and happy ending are a plus, too.

The Reading Promise
This was my favorite book of the month.  Such an amazing accomplishment!  It’s inspired me to be more intentional with our read alouds.  We were already reading aloud most days, but since I finished this book, we haven’t missed a day.  I also listened to an excellent interview with Alice Ozma here.

I have been swept up by graphic novels lately.  I’ve never picked up a single one until recently, but in the past month I’ve read several.  I enjoy the visual aspect of story-telling and in some ways I feel more connected to the story through the illustrations.

Maus
This book is the first installment of a Holocaust story, told by a father to his son.  The relationship between father and son (the artist/author) is strained and raw, and I felt like that honesty added a lot to the feel of the story.  The storytelling is compelling.  I can’t wait to pick up the second book.

(As a side note, I’m glad I liked it so much because my 10 month old got a hold of my borrowed-from-the-library copy and ripped/ate the corners of a couple of pages.  We now own this book!)

Blankets
I am torn in two by this book.  I loved so many things about it: the artwork, the heartbreaking plot, the sweetness of the first love story.  Maybe it’s because I am new to the graphic novel scene, but I was taken aback by how (for lack of a better term) graphic the images were.  This book contains difficult content, but not more difficult than a number of other books I have read and enjoyed. However, the artwork makes this much more personal and hard to read.  (It would definitely be R rated, if it were a movie).

Friends with Boys
A definite YA storyline.  I loved the artwork and the development of characters.  I aparently didn’t read the description when I picked this up, so just in case you need the warning (like I would have appreciated): there’s a ghost. 🙂

I’m halfway through several other books, so don’t be afraid that this will be an All Graphic Novels post from here on out…

Head over to Modern Mrs. Darcy for more great book suggestions!