Paper Girls Vol 1

Four middle school girls who deliver newspapers in 80s Ohio are caught up in a generational, time jumping conflict. Unique, interesting, and the writing is excellent. All in all, I say: READ IT

Star Trek (2011-2016) VOl 1 of 13

A graphic novel that follows the enterprise - JJ Abrams version of Enterprise. All in all, I say: READ IT if you like Trek.

The Mermaid Girl

Another Amazon Kindle free short story about a relationship. Amazon writes, "a short story of a mermaid who ran away from the circus, and what happened when she started a life on land.

Before she was a suburban wife and mother, Paulina Watson was the Mermaid Girl of Carnival Lareille. She traveled everywhere with two boxes: the first with red sequins for the dress she wore as a magician’s assistant, the second with green sequins for her mermaid tail. She'd grown up on wild stories told by wild circus people. Books, she hadn’t had books until she’d found Daniel Watson and stopped moving.

The first time Daniel saw her, Paulina was floating in a glass tank, suspended in water that sparkled like it was made from night sky. She has settled down now, living in a house on a cliff on Long Island Sound with Daniel and their young family: six-year-old Simon and his baby sister, Enola. But if you steal the magician’s assistant from a carnival, how can you know if she’ll disappear?" SOunds interesting, but not. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Boy With a Coin

A free short story on Amazon Kindle. Amazon writes, "Charlie Chapo is the Haitian nickname of an American traveler who’s tried to adopt Haitian culture as his own. At dawn on January 12, 2010, he walks into the hills above Port-au-Prince as an earthquake lays waste to the city below. A pilgrimage of sorts, his journey that day takes him into, through and out of himself, toward another identity. Out of the shattered world fallen around him comes a kind of reconstructed self." In other words, boring. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Dimension 404

A short lived series on Hulu that is similar to the Twilight Zone. Mark Hamill (Star Wars) narrates. Some of them are interesting, some are not. All in all, I say: STREAM IT if you're bored.

The Eight Foot Woman

A short story that was free on Amazon Kindle. Amazon writes, "After a chance encounter with an old friend, a once-promising basketball star decides to attend her high school reunion. Compelled by a mixture of curiosity and regret, she leaves behind a stable--if not entirely comfortable--life and returns to the depressed Appalachian town where she grew up. But the trip home is more difficult than she expected, complicated by her feelings about the past and the catastrophic event that underlies her present." All in all, I say: SKIP IT - I just get bored with the relationship stuff.

Murder City

Another British crime show on Acorn that I watched awhile ago that I can't find a blog for. It wasn't great, but it didn't suck. Amanda Donohoe (Liar, Liar) and Kris Marshall (Sanditon) star. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Never Stop on the Motorway

A short story written only a couple of year ago.
SPOILER

A woman fears for her life as she is pursued by a man in a black van. SHe finally makes it to her friends house only to discover there was a killer in her back seat.

How can he get away with this. This story has been told by camp fires since I was a little girl. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The Old Guard

Charlize Theron (Mad Max) plays a thousand year old immortal who is supposed to protect the innocent in this movie on Netflix based on a graphic novel. I hadn't read the graphic novel, but that didn't take away from the movie. It's such a cool concept. The action though....oh man, the action. I watched every action scene like three times!!! It was amazing. Even if there isn't a sequel - I can read the graphics. All in all, I say: SEE IT

It Can't be October Already

SPOILER


A short story about a poor, homeless man with a kind heart and soul. Every October as the temperature starts to get cold, he commits a crime so he can be sentences to 6 months in jail. That way he is let out just in time for warm weather. So sad. All in all, I say: READ IT

The Girl Beneath the Sea

This was a free Kindle book from amazon. They do that to let you get hooked on a series. I don't think I'll read anything else from this series. The main characters are well developed and interesting. This is a murder mystery from a very unique perspective - underwater. All that was great. The part that's not so great - boring and predictable - this books crime was drug cartel - BORING. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Comedians of the World

On Netflix is supposed to be just what it's titled. Comedians from around the world. The US is series one and less than half of them were funny, so I don't hold out hope for the others being very good. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Olive Oatman

A very short historical biography that looks at the life of Olive Oatman. He also examines what might be real and what might have been fabricated to sell books. I have been interested in her since Hell on Wheels - one of the characters is based on her life. All in all, I say: READ IT

Marry Me

Filmed in Georgia, tv movie starring Lucy Liu (Kill Bill). She's a social worker whose boyfriend (Bobby Cannavale from Ant-Man)instead of proposing goes off to study frogs. She's bummed because she wants fairy tale romance. She goes on a sort of blind date with her reverend's nephew an architect (Steven Pasquale from Six Feet Under). He falls head over heels immediately, but it takes his playboy best friend (Enrique Murciano from Black Hawk Down) to convince her. The entire thing could have been a one hour Hallmark movie. All in all, I say: SKIP IT - it was cool seeing all the Atlanta Landmarks though. 

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

I was on a waiting list for this book for over a year with the library. I thought it would blow my mind. It didn't. It's a book about the end of the world - the apocalypse. You know the one - there is little food, people are savages trying to survive, innocents and animals get hurt the worst, you don't know who to trust, and everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Everything in this book is predictable based on what you have already learned about the end of the world. SPOILERS


A stranger is allowed to spend the day and night with a family alone on an island in the United Kingdom. They have survived just fine, but their father is too trusting. The guys lies and takes on the kids dogs. Furious the kid goes off in pursuit, but is not match for this post-apocalyptic world. Some people the kid meets can be trusted, others NOT. MORE SPOILERS


The boy is really a girl about to raped when she is rescused by the original bad guy and her long thought dead really kidnapped sister. Wow what a coincidence considering all the miles she traveled. Don't even get me started on what the two dogs go though.

All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Delicious

I love the actors in this British soap opera on Acorn. But it's still a soap opera and I have little patience for those. Iain Glen (Resident Evil) is the cheating, chef husbands who dies in quickly and narrates the rest of the series. Dawn French (French & Saunders) is the first wife that he stole all his recipes from. Emilia Fox (The Tunnel) is the woman he marries after he's caught cheating with her by his wife. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Don't Know Jack

Book 1 of 13. It's a really great idea/concept. Her books have her characters coming into areas where Jack Reacher (from Lee Child's books) has been. They look for clues to find him and offer him a job - I think.. I wanted so much to like this - to love this. But her writing is down right painful. It's like, "I'm walking down a grey hallway. It's small. Who built this hallway? Why do hallways exist? Hallways are always a metaphor. Will they know this too? Will everyone know the hallway is here? Why was Reacher in this hallway? We can use this hallway. The boss knew we would walk down this hallway." It's like shut the fuck up about the hallway. I"m exaggerating, but not - you know. All in all, I say: RUN AWAY

London Kills

A cop show on Acorn from the UK that follows a London homicide squad. It's two main characters are not interesting. I have ti be honest - I tried to watch more than 2 episodes, but her hair. She has a bee hive and it's the 21st century. I just couldn't get past the hair - the over dramatic acting - any of it. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The Whisper Man

Another from UK's Alex North that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. There is one scene with a mail slot that freaked me out!!! Again, we get a supernatural feel to a mystery that has a logical explanation. Well...almost - hehe. It's an interesting concept. It reminds me of childhood, playground songs. For example, London Bridge is falling down - there is historical basis for this song that has been passed down to generations and ended up in playgrounds all over. This is a similar concept. Don't leave your door open even a crack or.... AAAHHHH. Just as good as the Shadows. I also really liked the internal struggle of the man and his son. All in all, I say: READ IT before you see the movie for sure.

Expecting Amy

I know there are people out there who just really do not like her or her comedy. I liked her show on comedy central, I liked her movies, and I liked her non-profit. Her mentor is Jerry Seinfeld and one of her best friends in Colin Quinn. Her closest friend is her sister. I just think people are hard on her because she's famous now. This is a documentary series from her pregnancy. My heart goes out to her - she just had the worst experience I can imagine. I loved this on HBO Max. All in all, I say: SEE IT

The Invisible Man

Elizabeth Moss (Handmaid's) is an abused wife of a very controlling tech genius. She finally comes up with a plan to escape. He was prepared for this and sets forth with his revenge. At least until he finds out some health news. This brief moment of weakness allows her the time to come up with her own plan. The only thing that makes this movie worth watching - because it's predictable - Moss. It's a Canadian production. All in all, I say; RENT IT if you like Moss otherwise SKIP IT

Mrs. Jeffries & The Yuletide Weddings

Book 26 in a long UK murder mystery series. I like the concept - the upstairs, downstairs of it all. The servants for a detective help him solve crimes. It had potential, but it dragged on and on. I just couldn't get into it. Amazon writes, "The week before Christmas, Inspector Gerald Witherspoon's staff prepares for the long-awaited wedding of Betsy and Smythe. But when a middle-aged spinster is killed in what looks like a random crime, the Inspector suspects otherwise. With uncooperative witnesses, sulking relatives, and a second Christmas wedding, a simple investigation seems as unlikely as catching St. Nick at work." All in all, I say: SKIP IT unless you love British, slow mysteries. 

Greyhound

A movie on Apple TV based on a book with the screenplay written by Tom Hanks. He also acts and produces this movie. It has amazing acting, amazing cinematography, amazing costumes, amazing set, amazing..... When it was over, I was like already!! But it's like an hour and half. It just goes so fast. You don't even need to be a fan of WWII to enjoy this story of a ship protecting a fleet of merchant ships carrying cargo to England who are under attack from German subs. All in all, I say: SEE IT - in fact I have already raved about it before now. Why haven't you already watched it?

Unspeakable Things

It's not that it is horribly written. It's not that the plot is predictable. It's that it involves children and even though it's not explicitly written on the page - you can read between the lines. You know what has happened in the family home. And what's worse, is that it's not the worst thing to happen in the book. Amazon writes, "Cassie McDowell’s life in 1980s Minnesota seems perfectly wholesome. She lives on a farm, loves school, and has a crush on the nicest boy in class. Yes, there are her parents’ strange parties and their parade of deviant guests, but she’s grown accustomed to them. All that changes when someone comes hunting in Lilydale. One by one, local boys go missing. One by one, they return changed—violent, moody, and withdrawn. What happened to them becomes the stuff of shocking rumors. The accusations of who’s responsible grow just as wild, and dangerous town secrets start to surface. Then Cassie’s own sister undergoes the dark change. If she is to survive, Cassie must find her way in an adult world where every sin is justified, and only the truth is unforgivable." All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Home

On Apple TV and so interesting. I like architecture, but you don't even have to like it to like this show. The things we are creating out in the world. The ways we are connecting to our communities, to the environment, and to other cultures. Some of this is amazing. The bamboo homes, the greenhouse homes, and the Japanese wood burning. The tiny apartment innovations in Hong Kong. All in all, I say: SEE IT - open your horizons of what you thought possible.

White Fragility

There is a summary only also available. She has taken all her conversations, her workshops, and research and put it in your face. Every argument you have thought or spoken out loud for why you aren't racist - she attacks. It's brilliant. Perfect time for this analysis. If you are white and were raised in a white colonizing country like UK, US, and so on. You have racism in you - face up to it - address it - talk about it - before informed, but not woke. She points out the flaws in that belief as well. All in all, I say: READ IT

Little Voice

On Apple TV, the tale of a young musician in NY. I was skeptical, but there characters in this are interesting. It's a diverse cast. I was hooked after one episode. The only problem is I can stream the entire season. I have to wait and watch it week by week. You get spoiled with Netflix. They have done a great job with this and I can't wait to see how it ends. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey

SO, the author decides to thank everyone involved in creating his coffee. And you can see where this would lead him to research and discover what all is involved in creating his cup of coffee. He meets people at all levels and stages. You will learn a lot about how the global economy can work. You will learn a lot about the products and people behind your cup of coffee. You will also learn a lot about gratitude. I enjoyed this - the research and the concept. All in all, I say: READ IT

Antiques Fire Sale

Book 14 in the series. They have got this down - much better writing than the first couple. The son gets a chapter in this book and your heart will race. There are fewer killing than there have been in the last couple which was a relief. It's a fast read. All in all, I say: READ IT if you read the other 13.

Suspects

This is a UK crime show filmed a lot like the Law & Orders that you can find on Acorn. I don't know why there isn't already a blog on this because I know I've watched every season? I like the three main characters. I like the fast pace. Binging it you get really involved in their lives so the last season is a real kick in the gut. All in all, I say: WATCH IT

Find Me

The now grown child of a serial killer comes back into law enforcement in order to help an agent find her father's victims. As a child she was used a decoy to lure women into her father's trap. It a decent read, and pretty well written. She had me interested until the last two or so chapters. I would have prefered a different ending. It wasn't bad for a quick, free Kindle read though. Amazon writes, "Convicted serial killer Benjamin Fisher has finally offered to lead San Bernardino detective Daniel Ellis to the isolated graves of his victims. One catch: he’ll only do it if FBI profiler Reni Fisher, his estranged daughter, accompanies them. As hard as it is to exhume her traumatic childhood, Reni can’t say no. She still feels complicit in her father’s crimes. Perfect to play a lost little girl, Reni was the bait to lure unsuspecting women to their deaths. It’s time for closure. For her. For the families. And for Daniel. He shares Reni’s obsession with the past. Ever since he was a boy, he’s been convinced that his mother was one of Fisher’s victims. Thirty years of bad memories are flooding back. A master manipulator has gained their trust. For Reni and Daniel, this isn’t the end of a nightmare. It’s only the beginning." All in all, I say: READ IT

Striking Out

On her Hens night an English lawyer goes to visit her fiance. She finds him with another lawyer from the family firm. She leaves him and his family's firm. And that might be the end of that except the once future in-laws are very powerful, and they set out to "convince" her to return to the fold. In doing so, they set themselves up to be investigated by her and her friends. It's different. It's a more realistic look into the UK justice system as well. I enjoyed it. Maria Doyle Kennedy (Orphan Black) stars in the last season. All in all, I say: SEE IT on Acorn

Woman in the Window

This is a Rear Window, Hitchcock type of book. At the beginning you think you've got this all figured out. You think there is no way the author can surprise you. You think I've got this all figured out. But a strange scene here, a strange feeling there, and then BAM. You're wrong - big twist and then you're like okay I've caught my breath the rest of this book will be predictable. And then BAM - WTH I never saw it coming. I never saw the ending coming. I loved that. It was a long book to build up to a climax. I think the author did that on purpose so you would feel comfortable and you would get smug thinking you know what's going on. Amazon writes, "It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, mother, their teenaged son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble and its shocking secrets are laid bare.
What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems." All in all, I say: READ IT

Murder in Suburbia

On Acorn and a formula cop show. It kind of mirrors an American female cop show. I got bored after one episode and stopped. IMDb writes, "The series focused on various murders in the fictional suburban English town of Middleford. The crimes are solved by two female police detectives, Inspector Kate Ashurst and Sergeant Emma Scribbins, aka "Ash and Scribbs"." All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Bang

On Acorn and I only made it one episode - it was boring. It was too slow paced for me. IMDb writes, "Bang is the story of a brother, a sister and a gun. Loner Sam's life is transformed when he comes into possession of a gun and starts to break the law. His ambitious policewoman sister Gina is paid to uphold it and makes it her mission to find the owner of the weapon. The family saga plays out against an inquiry into the shooting of a local businessman that raises questions for Sam and Gina about their father's murder when they were young children. A crime drama about blood, love and human relationships set in the steel town of Port Talbot." All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The Shadows

This book (a BOTM selection) is a very quick read. It has you on your toes constantly. Little surprises and twist every now and then. Very spooky. I thought it would be entirely horror or supernatural, but there is a big turn around at the end. I was hooked and read it in a few hours. Then immediately got his other book. Amazon writes, "You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile--always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet--and inspired more than one copycat. Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree--and his victim--were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and suffering from dementia, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home. It's not long before things start to go wrong. Paul learns that Detective Amanda Beck is investigating another copycat that has struck in the nearby town of Featherbank. His mother is distressed, insistent that there's something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago. It wasn't just the murder. It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again..." All in all, I say: READ IT

Acceptable Risk

Normally I like Elaine Cassidy (The Loft) but her character in this is super annoying. I couldn't get past first hour of this series on Acorn. IMDb writes, When her husband, Lee, is murdered, Sarah Manning comes to realize that she knows nothing about his past. Sarah begins to question who Lee actually was and what he did in his work for a powerful global organization. And why did Lee, a salesman, need to carry a gun?"" All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Murphy's Law

A UK series about an undercover cop on Acorn starring James Nesbitt (Cold Feet). IMDb writes, "As a maverick cop with a dark past, DS Tommy Murphy fails a psychiatric assessment but is given one last chance by his boss and given a dangerous undercover assignment." All in all, I say: SKIP IT There's nothing really interesting or unique about it. Sometimes very hard to understand what the main characters are even saying.

The Commander

I had already seen this tv movie from the UK. It's on Acorn now. I'm not sure why I don't have a post on it already. A reviewer on IMDb states, "Commander Clare Blake has risen to the top of her profession in the male-dominated Metropolitan Police Service and is now the head of the serious crimes unit. Some years previously she arrested James Lampton for murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison but is now out on parole and is a successful author with a best-selling book. Blake's colleagues however, especially DCI Mike Hedges, believe Lampton is responsible for another murder and are out to prove his guilt. Things become complicated when Blake and Lampton become intimate and the question arises whether he is being honest with her or is simply a master manipulator.
—garykmcd" All in all, I say: SEE IT

Color Me In

A BOTM add on for July for me. I gave it five chapters, but I didn't connect with the main character. I just didn't care. Perhaps if I wasn't white I would have felt more invested. Amazon writes, "Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots. When her Black mom and Jewish dad split up, she relocates to her mom's family home in Harlem and is forced to confront her identity for the first time.
Nevaeh wants to get to know her extended family, but because she inadvertently passes as white, her cousin thinks she's too privileged, pampered, and selfish to relate to the injustices African Americans face on a daily basis. In the meantime, Nevaeh's dad decides that she should have a belated bat mitzvah instead of a sweet sixteen, which guarantees social humiliation at her posh private school. But rather than take a stand, Nevaeh does what she's always done when life gets complicated: she stays silent.
Only when Nevaeh stumbles upon a secret from her mom's past, finds herself falling in love, and sees firsthand the prejudice her family faces that she begins to realize she has her own voice. And choices. Will she continue to let circumstances dictate her path? Or will she decide once for all who and where she is meant to be?" All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Jo Koy: Coming in Hot

A Netflix special. He can be funny. Some of his racial stuff - where he mimics racial stereotypes felt wrong though. He focuses on dick for a really large part of the special. All in all, I say; SKIP IT

Storykiller

I like her work. This wasn't bad. I just really wished it was a graphic novel like so much of her other stuff. Amazon writes, "The monster under the bed is real.

In fact, all the monsters are real, as well as the heroes and everything in between because all Fiction is real and exists in a dimension called Story. However, plenty of them hang out in the Mortal world, living both innocent and nefarious lives. This might not mean much to the average Mortal unaware of the Fictional characters living among them, but for The Last Scion--the only Mortal that can kill those Fictional characters--things are about to become very complicated.

Tessa Battle is that Mortal

Upon her return to Lore, Oregon after years bouncing around boarding schools in Europe, Tessa had her sights set on simple things like shoe shopping, finding a hot boyfriend, and eating as many pancakes as humanly possible. However, the Last Scion mantle Tessa just got saddled with is not making any of that easy, and as Tessa and her new friends are about to learn, Story is long from done with her, no matter how much she'd like to deny her destiny.

With more than one monster chasing her and questionable characters like The Snow Queen and Robin Hood as her allies, Tessa is going to need all the superpowers she inherited just to stay alive.
And maybe, just maybe, it's a GOOD thing that behind her back, Stories call her THE STORYKILLER." All in all, I say: READ IT if you like Kelly Thompson's work.

The Okay Witch

This graphic novel was super cute and fun. It's well written and illustrated. Amazon writes, "Magic is harder than it looks. Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, surprise: Moth’s family is at the center of it all! When Moth’s new powers show up, things get totally out-of-control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. Secrets surface from generations past as Moth unravels the complicated legacy at the heart of her town, her family, and herself. In this spellbinding graphic novel debut, Emma Steinkellner spins a story packed with humor and heart about the weird and wonderful adventures of a witch-in-progress." All in all, I say: READ IT

Antiques Frame

Book 11 in the series. We get a predictable resolution to the love interests ex-wife appearing. Predictable, but not bad. Amazon writes, "With their reality TV series, Antiques Sleuths, Brandy Borne and her quaintly kooky mother, Vivian, have a real hit on their hands. But when the bidding turns deadly, Brandy finds herself ornately framed for murder. Aided only by Sushi, their loyal shih tzu, and police dog Rocky, the wacky mother-and-daughter sleuthing team races to determine how an empty antique frame can hold a deadly portrait, before they become the subjects of another masterpiece of murder." All in all, I say: READ IT if you read the other 10

Antiques Ravin'

Book 13 in the series. Amazon writes, "When a series of creepy crimes plagues an ill-fated Edgar Allan Poe festival, newly elected county sheriff Vivian Borne, along with her reluctant deputy daughter Brandy and spunky shih tzu Sushi, springs into action. A purloined tome, a black cat, a musty mausoleum, and mysterious disappearances—these tell the tale of a heartless murderer. But Vivian and Brandy Borne are determined to decipher the cryptic clues to make sure a ravin’-mad killer strikes “nevermore”!  ". This book is serial killer, mass murder. How is this small town even going to exist after almost everyone is killed. All in all, I say: READ IT if you read the other 12.

Antiques Wanted

Book 12 in the series. Amazon writes, "As spring lassos small-town Serenity, Brandy Borne’s crime-bustin’ mama, Vivian, hatches a harebrained scheme to run for county sheriff—ropin’ in her daughter as campaign manager. First stop: a local assisted-living home, the ideal place to round up some voters and some much-needed funds. But shortly after they rope in a valuable donation, a signed photo of an old-timey cowboy actor, a massive explosion sends Brandy to the ER and the donor to the grave. Now the ditzy duo—aided by their clever shih tzu, Sushi—must lay down the law on a deadly renegade . . ." This book explains how Brandy's mom is going to be elected sheriff. So, already you know the killer. All in all, I say; READ IT - if you read the other 11 - it;s a little more predictable than the others in the series. 

The Hero

The author of the Jack Reacher series writes this essay on the evolution of the "hero" in books. It wasn't very interesting. At least it was short. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The Wild Robot Escapes

Finally, all is resolved and right with the world. I spent the entire book waiting to be sad and disappointed, but I got my happy ending. Sequel. Amazon writes, "Shipwrecked on a remote, wild island, Robot Roz learned from the unwelcoming animal inhabitants and adapted to her surroundings--but can she survive the challenges of the civilized world and find her way home to Brightbill and the island?" All in all, I say: READ IT if you read the first. 

Eleanor & Park

I immediately caught on to Eleanor's secret. I could see the signs. This is good, but heartbreaking. Amazon writes, "Bono met his wife in high school, Park says.
So did Jerry Lee Lewis, Eleanor answers.
I'm not kidding, he says.
You should be, she says, we're 16.
What about Romeo and Juliet?
Shallow, confused, then dead.
I love you, Park says.
Wherefore art thou, Eleanor answers.
I'm not kidding, he says.
You should be.
Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits-smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love-and just how hard it pulled you under." All in all, I say: READ IT, but don't let your kids until you have finished it. 

The Bridge Home

This is a heartbreaking story of children homeless in India trying to survive. Amazon writes, "Four determined homeless children make a life for themselves in Padma Venkatraman's stirring middle-grade debut. Life is harsh on the teeming streets of Chennai, India, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter--and friendship--on an abandoned bridge that's also the hideout of Muthi and Arul, two homeless boys, and the four of them soon form a family of sorts. And while making their living scavenging the city's trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to take pride in, too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves and no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom." All in all, I say: READ IT