nightstand notes/ wanna view some reviews?

A day late and a dollar short.  (Who am I kidding... many, MANY dollars short, especially these DIY days...)  Anyway, I'm the late arrival to the Nightstand party, and even though most of the refreshments are gone and the partiers have either already left or are passed out in the corners, I couldn't stand the thought of not making at least an appearance.  The last month has seen a whole lot of reading and reviewing going on, mostly because of the almost-three week stint staying up at my parents' house while hubby worked on the house, and then a lot of attempts to escape the reality of living in a construction site. 

As a result, my bookshelf-slash-nightstand has had some major turnaround, and the review recap down below is longer than usual, both things that make me happy at a time when the stress levels are still pretty high.  Here's a little look-see at what's in store for my reading this month:

* Five Days Apart by Chris Binchy-- I haven't started this one yet, but I did make the mistake of peeking at the reviews on Amazon, which so far are not so hot... we shall see.

* The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen-- I have heard great things about this one, and I'm hoping for a light and fun read. 

* Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation by Matt Myklusch-- First book in a new middle-grade series about a boy who's a little different than his peers and now must face a huge challenge.  Sounds like a lot of other books out there (hmmmm...), but the letter from the author that was included in this unsolicited mailing (LOVE those!) makes me think there should be a very high humor factor that will single this series out.

* Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie-- A new novel to be released late next month that appealed to me from the initial write-up.  Contemporary fiction with a female protagonist... sounds like my kind of book!

* Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton-- It's almost time again for the 5M4B Classics Bookclub, and this one is my selection for this quarter.  It's a short one, and I do remember it being an affecting read back in high school, so I'm looking forward to giving it another go.

I'm sure more books will make their way to the shelf over the next month, but that's a good enough place to start.  I'm glad I showed up to the party, grabbed a few chip crumbs from the bottom of the bowl and drank some room temperature punch.  See you all again next month!

****************************************************
If you're so inclined, you can check out my reviews from the past few weeks:

* On Reading: Going "Classic" with My Child--  my essay about reading a piece of classic literature with JAM.

* Once Upon a Time in the Kitchen-- a cute recipe book making connections with classic kids' stories.

* Eat! Move! Play!-- a book for family's looking to revamp their lifestyle, especially eating and activity habits.

* Weird & Wonderful-- a totally unique book about some completely odd children's books of yore.

* The One That I Want-- fun, light, "chick lit" kind of novel.

* Free to a Good Home-- a debut novel great for poolside reading.

* Children's Classics: Award Winners, July-- our monthly round-up for the Children's Classics challenge!

* The Fat Boy Chronicles-- a YA novel in a diary format with a truly admirable teen narrator.

* The Center of the Universe-- hilarious memoir that you would think wouldn't be so funny, considering the family issues of death and mental illness.

* The Starlet-- complete and unabashed guilty pleasure summer read.

* 32 Candles-- a novel that I was so-so on... maybe you'd feel differently?

* Every Natural Fact-- the best book I've read in a LONG time.  I'm recommending it highly!  And, it's a giveaway, too, for a few more days!

* The Truth About Delilah Blue-- a unique novel about a young woman who finds out she was abducted by her father as a child.


Thankful for books (and the escape they provide from reality!),