Although I appreciate them, I don’t tend to write a lot of book reviews. I have some on Amazon, maybe one on Goodreads, and probably none on my various blogs. So I figured I’d try something a little different here. Instead of trying to craft thoughtful, well-worded reviews of recently read books, I’m going to write about every book I’ve ever read. In 15 words or less.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Friday Fifteen.
I figure this will be a fun way to share thought about books without too much pressure. There’s no particular order to this; it’s mostly just whatever books I remember in the moment. Plus I get to share all the embarrassing tween novels I read back in the day.
Onto the reviews!
1. Watership Down by Richard Adams
Lovely writing, compelling plot. And it’s about rabbits. Love!
2. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
History humor at its best. My jury duty book.
3. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
My long-distance relationship novel. The new Gone with the Wind?
4. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Probably read this ninety times in eighth grade. Still breaks my heart.
5. Watchmen by Alan Moore
Engaging twist on the classic superhero, plus the apocalypse. The movie was terrible.
6. Mountain Man Dance Moves: The McSweeney’s Book of Lists by McSweeney’s Publishing
Not all winners. but I cry with laughter at some of these.
7. Will You Please Be Quiet, Please by Raymond Carver
Read this for class. I’m sure we had a nice discussion about craft.
8. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
This is probably what it feels like when you’re the cute girl in ninth grade.
9. Letters from Amelia, 1901-1937 by Jean L. Backus
Research for a certain YA novel. Lots of thoughtful correspondence.
10. Angels in America by Tony Kushner
You can do a lot on stage, apparently. And a hopeful ending.
11. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Probably my favorite of the series, with a fantastic twist.
12. Mary Anne Misses Logan (The Baby-sitters Club #46) by Ann M. Martin
My first BSC book. I didn’t realize it was a series at first.
13. Help! My Apartment Has a Dining Room Cookbook: How to Have People Over Without Stressing Out by Kevin Mills, Nancy Mills
How to prepare a meal, with a side of humor and common sense.
14. The Hours by Michael Cunningham
Not as depressing as everyone said. Stunning writing.
15. Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina
We read this a lot when I was little. Still love hats, don’t trust monkeys.
And there you have it! Feel free to share your own fifteen-word reviews as well.