What would a Friday be without the Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less? Onto the books!

1. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Stevens might be one of my favorite literary characters. Manor house intrigue, excellent writing.

2. Lucky Girls by Nell Freudenberger
People seem to love or hate Freudenberger. I thought her stories were fine, if forgettable.

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Possibly my favorite in the series, definitely my favorite twist at the end.

4. 2012 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market ed. Chuck Sambuchino
Always a solid choice. Nice interviews with authors like M.T. Anderson and Maggie Stiefvater, too.

5. King Rollo and the New Shoes by David McKee
New shoes are awesome, but what happens when they have laces?

6. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Sweet YA novel about accepting and finding strength in your past.

7. The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction: Fifty North American American Stories Since 1970 ed. Michael Martone and Lex Williford
The standard anthology for intro to creative writing classes. Apparently there’s a new edition.

8. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Try not to love it. (The movie is awesome, too!)

9. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The first fifty pages punch you in the stomach. Moving and ultimately uplifting.

10. Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson
Got it off the free table. Haven’t attempted anything, but the designs are all fun.

11. Kate’s Surprise (Sleepover Friends, #3) by Susan Saunders
The friends plan a birthday, get kittens. At eight I was the target audience.

12. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Dreamy and compelling, but ultimately less satisfying than I hoped.

13. Ariel by Sylvia Plath
Chilling and extremely well-crafted poems. Talent transcends associated life drama.

14. Bunny Days by Tao Nyeu
Cool art and funny story about mischievous bunnies. Weird in a good way.

15. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
We all want to be the courageous thirteen-year-old captain of a ship.