Audrey D. Brashich. ALL MADE UP: A GIRLS GUIDE TO SEEING THROUGH CELEBRITY HYPE...AND CELEBRATING REAL BEAUTY

I read a fair amount of nonfiction, but I’m rarely compelled to blog about it. But this is really a meaningful book for teen girls. These days girls and women are bombarded with images of what we “should” look like. We are told what is considered beautiful by the media, the fashion industry and Hollywood. But for most girls, that ideal standard isn’t necessarily achievable and frankly, why it should be the goal? A former model and major writer for teen magazines has written a book that encourages girls to see through all the celebrity hype to find their own beauty. She writes about the evolution of models and how they became the “standard” of beauty. Then she breaks through the hype by enlightening readers what a celebrity must go through to maintain their “look.” She also questions why women who are famous for being famous are more celebrated by our media than say, oh, women who are actually doing something, like researching a cure for cancer or training for the Olympics. She encourages girls to find real role models and to celebrate their own beauty, just the way they are. There are some great resources in the back of the book, and the author has an awesome website to discuss topics in the book. I’m glad I discovered this amazing writer. She’s a wonderful advocate for girls and women of all ages!

Here’s her website www.allmadeup.net

Her awesome blog is here: http://www.audreybrashich.blogs.com/

Check it out!

Rick Riordan. THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH

Yay! I finally got to read this one!
The latest installment of Percy Jackson and the Olympians may be the best yet, in my opinion. The story begins with Percy getting in trouble at another new school. And it’s not even the beginning of the school year yet! But he attends the new school’s orientation and has a major run-in involving some demon cheerleaders and fire. Then when he gets back to Camp Half-Blood, he learns that the camp is soon to be under direct attack. The battle between the Olympians and the leader of the Titans, Kronos, is drawing near. Somehow Kronos is getting stronger and will soon begin his attempt to take over the world. Percy and his demigod friends must find a way to stop the Kronos army from getting into the camp through the ancient labyrinth. Percy feels the pressure of saving the world on his shoulders, once again.
I’ve really enjoyed the way this series gets bigger and better with each installment. There are more characters and more engrossing storylines than ever before, plus the same great action and humor we’ve enjoyed in all the books. Definitely a must read!

By the way, the author has a great website here.
And a cool blog here. (he's from Texas, always a plus in my book, as you know)

Tim Tharp. KNIGHTS OF THE HILL COUNTRY

The Kennisaw Knights in the hill country of Oklahoma are on their way to a fifth undefeated season of football. Football and the football legends of the past are about the most important things in this small Oklahoma town. Since Hampton Green is the star linebacker, he feels the pressure of finishing the season on a high note. But things are changing during his senior year. He becomes friends with a girl that makes him begin to realize that there might be more important things in life than football. When Hampton begins to question the ways things have always gone, he encounters resistance from his best friend and other players on the team. Will he be able to begin thinking for himself?
I really enjoyed the way the author created the setting and mood of this small town. You could feel it in the characterization, particularly with the dialect. He was most certainly familiar with the way people speak in small town Oklahoma (and some places in Texas) otherwise, he couldn’t have pulled it off so well. There were times when I felt like I was listening to some of my relatives talk. He really brought this small town to life.
Bottom line: if you like football, you’ll love this one!

Siobhan Vivian. A LITTLE FRIENDLY ADVICE

Ruby gets an unexpected birthday present on her 16^th birthday. Her dad shows up. Since he left them about 5 years ago, it’s a bit of a shock. In fact, she yells at him and leaves. She’d rather hang out with her four friends, as if nothing has happened. But the following week brings many surprises and secrets. Through the emotional highs & lows, Ruby realized that she must deal with her past or she’ll never move on, no matter how much it hurts. This was a great novel about friendship, forgiveness, and learning from life’s dramas.

Check out the great interview that TeenReads did with the author here.

Deborah Lynn Jacobs. CHOICES

Wow! What an intriguing book. Kathleen has just lost her brother in a car accident. She’s devastated. Then strange things begin to happen. She wakes up to a different reality each day. One day she’s Kathleen, another she’s Kate, and then Kay and Kathy. In one reality she’s lost her best friend and her mother is in a downward spiral, while in another she’s still has her best friend and her mom is doing great. But one aspect is constant in all realities – Luke. He seems to follow her to each world. Perhaps he has some answers to what is going on? She also wonders if she can find the “reality” where her brother is still alive.
The premise of the book really piqued my interest. Fortunately, it turned out as cool as it sounded. I really enjoyed this book. Now I’ll have to check out the author’s other books.