Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen

Auden just graduated high school and has a summer to kill before heading to college. She has been so wrapped up with pleasing her parents and getting excellent grades she has forgotten to do basic things, like have fun. So she is off to Colby, for a summer at the beach.

I liked this book the most of all the Sarah Dessen books I have read thus far. I am sure I have said that before but this one was more developed and I didn't feel a lacking of understanding for any of the characters, even the side characters were whole.

I love that Sarah Dessen mentions other characters from her other books. Just slight mentions that if you aren't familiar with her writing wouldn't mean anything. It is like a secret between you and the writer that you know about these other people that are only passing through a paragraph. In a lot of ways it makes her writing better, it isn't that she is creating a world per se it is that she is pointing out how small our world really is. Every one has a story, you just may not have read it yet.

In this story Auden develops the child in her. This is something I can relate with. I often let fear hold me back from behaving like a kid sometimes. I was so uptight, and still am in a lot of ways. I could relate to being uptight and also letting go of a lot of it while still maintaining who you are. This book made me want to go bowling in the middle of the night while drinking excessive amounts of coffee.

I recommend this book to my friend Miss A. I also recommend this book to anyone who likes Sarah Dessen or a good read that doesn't take a year to get through.

While writing this review I was listening to Emma play with her bone by throwing it around the room and pouncing on it.

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

Kate Cline is the main character of this book. She discovers a neighbor stabbed to death in their kitchen. Kate finds herself engrossed in figuring out who killed her neighbor. The murder mystery makes Kate remember who she was before she was a married house wife with three kids. Kate is dissatisfied with her life. She isn't happy just being a housewife and mommy.

This book reminded me how much I am sure that becoming a Mother might not be the best idea for everyone. I think that all too often women get wrapped up in the idea of being a Mother and don't take time to consider what it really means. While I don't have children I wouldn't jump into it without realizing that I would be giving up so much of what my life is. Oddly, this murder mystery novel got me thinking about it.

Over all I dug this book. I wouldn't say that it was an all time favorite or anything but it was a decent night time read. I found the interactions between the "Mommy's" in this story to be interesting. Women compete with each other way too much. Who has the best hair, who is the best Mom, who landed the best husband. All of these things come up in the book. I have never been one of those girls who competes in such things. I will say that I do have a competitive streak, I always want to have the highest grade in any class I take. I don't know what is wrong with me!

While writing this review I was watching Ugly Betty. I love Amanda!