Jen’s Comments (group member since Dec 17, 2013)

Jen’s comments from the The 104 Book Challenge - 2014 group.

#19 The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

#16 The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin

March's non-fiction choice. Interesting read, though I think she is using the word 'happy' instead of the more accurate 'contentment'.

#17 Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis


Another Newbery, I liked this more than I thought I would. Its about a young African American boy in Depression Era Michigan.

#18 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Had to finally read this before the movie releases!

#15 Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Super quick read, written in letter and diary format.

#14 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

This book is amazing, as is the whole Time Quartet. Even after numerous readings, I still gleaned new insight this time around.

#13 Everyone Wants to Be Me or Do Me: Tom and Lorenzo's Fabulous and Opinionated Guide to Celebrity Life and Style by Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez

I love Tom and Lorenzo's blog, it's hilarious and spot on. So I was really excited for their satirical self help book to release. It's just as witty and intelligent as the blog, which is wonderful.

#12 The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

I liked this one, it's a fantasy novel about a girl named Aerin who tries to save her kingdom of Damar. I didn't expect a Newbery fantasy novel, so I was pleasantly surprised. The language was a bit forced and awkward at times, and I wish there was more background on Aerin's mother and the magic Aerin possesses and things like that. But I like Robin McKinley's work in general, and I do like this as well. Apparently the first Damar book, The Blue Sword, won a Newbery Honor.

#11 The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

I wanted to like this more than I did. I like cute stories, but this was too precious even for me. Plus it just felt...thin. The plot and the characters and the motivations all came across as...tinny is the word I want to use. Cheaply made and not nearly as solid as it should be. Color me disappointed.

The Guard is Aspen's story in the Selection series, right? I read "The Prince", it was okay and nice to see Maxon's point of view. Is this one worth reading?

#10 The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan

Fictionalized account of Marie van Goethem, the inspiration for Edgar Degas' "Little Dancer, aged fourteen" and her sister Antoinette. Very interesting and well researched.

LOL at your description of Auctioned Off. Never heard of it, I take it that's a good thing?

#9 Holes by Louis Sachar

I love this book, I've read it multiple times since it was published and I always enjoy it.

#8 Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

This is a recent Newbery winner, and I liked it but didn't love it. Neat story with one of those 'story within a story' aspects, which I enjoyed. The issue I found was that the inside story was more compelling than the main story, I liked those characters better and the story was more interesting. I can see why it's acclaimed, though, it has all the right 'important-life-lesson' and 'interesting-historical-setting' and 'inner-turmoil-of-a-bright-child' stuff that seems so prevalent in recent Newberys.

Diana wrote: "9. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder"

Did you read the Little House books when you were younger? They were some of my favorites.

#7 Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray

I had this book as a kid, and I read it several times then. It's about an eleven year old boy in England in the last 1290s. Adam's father is a minstrel and one day Adam manages to lose him while chasing after his stolen dog. Adam ends up wandering England for several months alone, meeting various people and having adventures along the way. I enjoy it because its one of those books that tell you a lot about how day to day life worked back then, which always interests me. But it's such a crazy thought, this pre-teen wandering the country alone, dependent on strangers for a place to sleep.

Yeesh, Nicole, you're making the rest of us look bad....lol

#6 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

I think I read this in third or fourth grade, but remembered nothing other than a character dies. And my little cousin read it for school and there was an uproar over whether it was age appropriate for them ( I think third grade at the time?).

I teared up at the end. I started the first few pages not really thinking I would like this one, but I ended up loving Jess and Leslie and May Belle so much more than I expected. Jess is such a good character, and I even though I think he's more self aware than is necessarily accurate for a ten year old, it makes for good reading.

#5 Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

I read this as a young girl, but not in 20 years or so. I really like the story, and I would be interested in going to California and finding the real Lost Woman's grave and tribe information in the museums there.

Lesley wrote: "I was impressed with the story and loved the artwork. Are you the one who posted the title? If so Thanks, Jen!
I have to admit... I cried at the end of it! That is so typical of Newbery Award books!"

I know what you mean, I was so happy for Ivan and Ruby. I didn't tear up until I read that it was inspired by a real Ivan at Zoo Atlanta, but then I lost it.

I really enjoy the Curse Workers series, I like the world a lot.

Oh, what'd you think of Ivan? The five stars tell me you liked it :)