Search Results for: guys read jon scieszka

Guys Read: True Stories

December 6, 2014 by Jennifer

Spiders, shipwreck, elephants, dental care, singing the blues: you’ll be wiser about all of these topics when you read Guys Read: True Stories, the newest collection edited by Jon Scieszka.

This is a collection of nonfiction works, which my 5th grade son happily devoured. As a part of his curriculum, they have explore different kinds of reading which includes fiction, non-fiction and poetry. This was the first book I suggested, and the short small bites of informative writing whetted his appetite for me. He’s been surprised to find that he enjoys biographies “as long as the writing is good.”

The collection has “good writing” from Scieszka, Nathan Hale, Candace Fleming, Nathan Hale, Thanhha Lai, Sy Montgomery and more. And just like the writers aren’t all guys, please don’t assume that guys are the only ones who will appreciate reading these. I loved the balance of humor, facts, and illustrations (one story is even told completely in comic form). Some are a bit gory or gross or cringe-worthy, but some in the tween and teen market like that sort of thing. If your child isn’t one of them, I would avoid this one. I also think that the topics covered are most appropriate for 5th grade and up.

Any of the books in this series (see links below) would make great gifts for 10 – 14 year old readers in your life.

5 Books That Hooked My Non-Reader {Friday’s Five}

April 11, 2014 by Nancy

To call my 10 year old son a non-reader is a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. Like many parents, especially those who love to read, I’ve read to both of my boys since birth. Board books, picture books, early readers, we’ve read them all. Bedtime has always been our time to read, and that has continued for Alex, who has been reading independently for a few years now and moved from our family reading time in the loft to his bean bag in his room. During the school year he has required reading that’s part of his homework, sometimes it’s a book they’re reading in class, but often he just has to read. If he had his way, he would read graphic novels, sports facts, or even his little brother’s picture books. But in fifth grade, reading Captain Underpants for the fiftieth time just doesn’t cut it in my book (ha – no pun intended).

Here are five books or series that he has not only agreed to read, but often flew through in only a handful of sittings.

1. Guys Read – The Sports Pages, edited by Jon Scieszka. My son loves sports. He loves playing, watching, and talking about sports. Why it didn’t occur to me earlier that he might like to read about sports, I have no idea. Actually that’s not true, as you’ll see in my next item, I knew he liked to read sports facts. But the Guys Read books are collections of short stories, all written by children’s and middle grade authors. He loved the bits of sports trivia (“Mom, is it true that Bill Buckner let a ball go through his legs, causing the Red Sox to lose the ’86 World Series to the Mets?”), the different authors, and well, the sports.

2. Any book of records or facts. During my time as a reviewer here on 5M4B, I’ve had the opportunity to review a few different records books, including Guinness World Records and Sports Illustrated Kids Big Book of Why. One of the best purchases I’ve ever made for him is another one from SI Kids — Top 10 Lists of Everything in Football. And the Weird But True series by National Geographic Kids is frequently borrowed from the school library. Basically if it has facts, awesome, if it has sports facts, even better.

3. The Origami Yoda series by Tom Angleberger. Star Wars, Origami, realistic characters, what’s not to love? The latest in the series, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue, continues the McQuarrie Middle School kids’ fight against the ridiculously inane standardized test videos they have to sit through instead of going to their beloved specials, this time with an unlikely ally.

4. Two-Minute Drill by Mike Lupica. This is the first in a series of sports-related books by the well-known sports writer. Each book in the Comeback Kids series features a different athlete struggling with issues that kids can relate to – making their parents proud, sportsmanship, conflicts with other kids. Alex at first balked at this book when I handed it to him, and ended up having to repeatedly tell him to turn off the light and go to bed.

5. The Big Nate novels (not graphic novels) by Lincoln Peirce. While he does enjoy the graphic novels too, he also really likes the novels. Fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid looking for something similar will enjoy Big Nate.

There’s a whole world of sports-related middle grade novels that he hasn’t even tackled yet (ha – I’m full of puns in this post) and those should keep him busy for some time.

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Who Done It? edited by Jon Scieszka

March 2, 2013 by Jennifer

Can you imagine the most cantankerous book editor alive? Part Voldemort, part Cruella de Vil (if she were a dude), and worse in appearance and odor than a gluttonous farm pig? A man who makes no secret of his love of cheese or his disdain of unworthy authors? That man is Herman Mildew.

The anthology opens with an invitation to a party, care of this insufferable monster, where more than 80 of the most talented, bestselling and recognizable names in YA and children’s fiction learn that they are suspects in his murder. All must provide alibis in brief first-person entries. The problem is that all of them are liars, all of them are fabulists, and all have something to hide…

I would highly recommend Who Done It? to anyone who reads a lot of YA fiction, and especially those who are major fans of the authors. It is slightly long, with over 70 different authors’ takes on why they did not kill editor Herman Mildew (even though most of them are suspect in some way, and almost all admit to wanting him dead). But I can’t think of one entry that I would have deleted.

As I said, if you are a YA insider, then you’ll love the in jokes (In her entry Emily Jenkins, a beloved children’s author, pokes fun at someone who might use a pen name, when in fact she writes YA under the name of e. lockhardt), not to mention the personality-filled, 1st person, humorous accounts from any author you love. I also found myself looking up several authors whose work I was unfamiliar with, yet whose entry charmed me.

Check out some of the powerhouses featured (children’s and YA authors, but all writing in an adult/young-adult way):

Judy Blundell
John Green
Maureen Johnson
Mo Willems
Elise Broach
Lauren Myracle
Rebecca Stead
Libba Bray

All in all Who Done It? is a very fun read, either to sit down and read straight through, or to pick up here and there when you want a short reading fix.

The only disappointment is that you don’t really get an answer at the end, though the twist is clever in itself, and it hardly had read as a serious fact-gathering mission to that point, so I wasn’t surprised.

CONTENT NOTE: I was familiar with Jon Sciezcka’s GUYS READ anthologies (fantastic!), so I automatically assumed that this was a collection for that same middle-grade 9 – 12 audience. It’s not. It’s definitely young adult, with a bit of mild profanity and some sexual references (concerning affairs and whatnot, though there is no explicit sexual content).

Guys Read: The Sports Pages {Review and Giveaway}

July 2, 2012 by Dawn

Whether it’s as a member of a team or as a solo effort instead, athletes’ experiences often make for exciting and intense stories. With Guys Read: The Sports Pages, editor Jon Scieszka has gathered together ten such stories from middle grade authors and a few athletes themselves. Intended for readers ages 9 to 12, this collection will bring laughter and maybe even some inspiration.

To read more of my thoughts, click over to my review of The Sports Pages at 5 Minutes for Mom. I predict that I won’t be the only one talking about a particular short story in this mix, “I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter,” a wild and hilarious tale of one boy’s grudge against the Yankee favorite. Even though I’m not the target audience, I found myself grabbing this book every time I had a few minutes to sit down and read.

Be sure to leave a comment over at the full review to win a copy of the book for a young reader in your life. (Or for yourself! I happen to be a huge fan of middle grade fiction!)

Dawn hopes to spend much of her summer with a book in hand. She’ll have to put it down occasionally to pay some attention to her long-lost blog, my thoughts exactly.

Guys Read: Thriller

September 14, 2011 by Jennifer

Guys Read: Thriller is the second in a series edited by Jon Scieszka (following after Funny Business, which I rated as a 5 Star Read). The goal is the same — to bring 10 stories in one genre from a veritable who’s who in children’s authors.

The “thriller” genre is a little broader than the humorous stories in the first volume, but they are all suspenseful in some way. The majority are ghost stories, with four of them being honest-to-goodness ghost stories (or the case of a mistaken ghost). There are also a few real whodunnit mysteries, a monster, an alien, and a pirate crew. I like the fact that the tone and subject is so different from story to story. Because of this, all kids probably won’t like all stories equally, but perhaps they’ll be exposed to a genre that they had avoided before, such as the more realistic “Pirate,” or the heartfelt “Believing in Brooklyn.”

My favorite story is probably “Believing in Brooklyn” by the heretofore unknown to me Matt De La Pen~a. There is a real element of suspense as the reader and protagonist try to figure out why all these mysterious magical things are happening, but the main character, Benny, is fleshed out so well as a nice kid who is worried about his grandmother and carries a bit of the weight of the world on his shoulders, that he’s stuck with me.

Anthony Horowitz’s “The Double Eagle Has Landed” is a classic heist thriller that kept me turning pages and smiling at the narrator’s strong and wry voice.

Other fantastic authors contributing to this anthology are M.T. Anderson, Walter Dean Myers, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Gennifer Choldenko, Bruce Hale, James Patterson, and Patrick Carman.

These stories are a little longer, most between 20 – 30 pages, which is a just-right length in my opinion. They are long enough to really challenge and engage a reader in a more in-depth story, yet still holds the appeal of a short story collection.

If the pattern holds true, I guess we can expect the 3rd volume in September 2012, but I wouldn’t mind if it came out sooner. The Guys Read Website indicates that the next up in the Guys Read Library is a volume of Non-fiction, followed by Sports stories. Sounds good to me!

CONTENT NOTE: Ghosts and ghouls aside, this collection is not overly gruesome or crude. It’s a solid middle-grade read that will appeal to boys and girls who are fans of this genre (even though the main characters are all boys).

I am very happy to be able to give away a copy of this book to one of you. It doesn’t publish until 9/20, so you can take advantage of the low amazon pre-order price while you wait to see if your number is drawn. Just leave a comment if you’d like to win, and we’ll announce the winner on 9/28. This giveaway is closed.

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The winners of the What’s the Big Idea? workbooks are

#1 Katy
#2 Pam

Jennifer Donovan is a reader and the proud (and still pinching-herself-surprised) mother of two readers, one guy and one gal. She blogs at Snapshot.

On Reading: Writing for a Middle Grade Audience…

April 10, 2011 by Guest Contributor

… Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About the Details and Just Have Fun

I’ve been asked to discuss writing for a middle grade audience. These are the kids who have moved on from picture books and early readers, but maybe don’t yet relate to the characters or situations in young adult or teen novels. There can definitely be a tricky balance in writing books for this group of readers. You want to challenge them and give them stories and characters they relate to, entertain them, and still leave room for deeper complexity in the story and themes and all of that other stuff.

I think the secret to writing successful middle grade fiction is to not worry about that delicate balance. For me, the trick to finding that right mixture of content in middle grade fiction is simply to focus on writing a fun book, with a real middle grade voice that speaks directly to the kids.

Anyway, when I started writing The Fourth Stall, (linked to Dawn’s review) here are some questions I didn’t ask myself:

Well, how can I keep this appropriate for middle grade kids?
How should I incorporate such and such theme?
How can I get this idea across to kids?
What lesson do I want to teach them?
What if they think I’m talking down to them?
What do I want my book to be about?
How do I make sure it’s not too complicated or hard to read?
How can I get kids to think my book is cool?
What if they don’t like it?
What if they think the guy who wrote this must be a loser?
Oh no, what if they can tell that I’m an adult who doesn’t relate to them anymore and who also likes to eat jelly with a spoon?
What if they want to feed my book to their little brother or sister?
Maybe parents will hate me for putting instructions on how to start fires in the book?
I can’t put this in the book, can I?
What happens if I do?
OMG, I better not put that in there, I want to make sure parents like this book, too.
I might be sort of hungry now?
I deserve a nacho break, right?

None of those questions crossed my mind. Except maybe the last two.

But the point is, I think the key to writing for a middle grade audience, and maybe any audience, is not to over think things. Not to over analyze or stress about technical content or details or peripheral stuff. I think writing a great story that middle grade readers will relate to all comes down to one thing: having fun. Embrace your inner child. Or, you know, whatever.

The only question I asked myself before I start writing my first middle grade book is this: What would be the coolest, most action-packed, fun book that I never got to read as a 12 year old?

And the answer was The Fourth Stall. When writing it, the same logic applied. If I wasn’t having fun writing about my characters, then why would readers have fun reading about them? Of course there is hard work involved, and eventually details and content will need to be addressed in some way. But, initially, writing for a middle grade audience was all about having fun and writing what I would have wanted to read as a kid. And if you write a story organically, one driven by the desire to entertain, then I think the depth and complexity and themes, and all of that other stuff will start to develop on their own. (Also with the help of a great editor.)

Although, to be fair, it may be easier for me to do this than it might be for others. My social and psychological development pretty much ended when I was 13, so I’m basically an overgrown kid myself in a lot of ways. I still love video games, action figures, playing sports, toys, Lego, laughing at weird and gross stuff, and not cleaning my bedroom. So writing for a middle grade audience comes fairly naturally for me. If the writing entertains me, then I assume it will also entertain middle school kids. And I hope it does. Because if not, then I’ll fight them. After school, 3:17, by the monkey bars.

Chris Rylander is the author of The Fourth Stall (linked to Dawn’s review and giveaway), recently named a Spring 2011 Kids’ Indie Next List selection and showered with praise like this from author Jon Scieszka: “Here is an original – a story that really gets how guys are pals. It’s also a story about sixth grade wiseguys that is funny, mysterious, and true to the heart of what really matters when you are in middle school. Do yourself a favor. Read it. Now.”

Read more about Chris Rylander on his site www.chrisrylander.com.

Guys Read: Funny Business

September 14, 2010 by Jennifer

When I heard that this book was coming out, I was excited. My 11-year-old daughter is a bookworm, but still loves humor. My 6-year-old son can read well, but reading doesn’t always grab his attention, so I know that it’s going to be up to me to provide him with books that interest and entice him.

I previewed this book with that in mind — wondering if it would please my tween daughter, and also wanting to store up some great resources for my son a few years down the road.

Guys Read: Funny Business is wonderful and fit the bill on both counts.

The authors who contribute the short stories in this book are a veritable who’s who of children’s writers: Jon Scieszka (who also edited the book and is the mastermind behind the Guys Read site), Kate DiCamillio, Jeff Kinney, Eoin Colfer and many more.

As the title suggests, these stories all have one thing in common — they are funny. The voice is good and conversational, which makes these great to read-aloud, either parent to child or child to parent. They also touch on some important issues such as friendship, courage, integrity and fitting in.

And just because these stories are funny and are targeted towards reluctant readers, don’t think that means that they lack literary merit. I love the creativity and imagination that flows from great children’s writing. Take for example the first sentences of the first story in the book “Best of Friends” by Mac Barnett: “Ernest was a nerd, but it was fourth grade: we were all nerds. Even the best of us was shackled to some fatal flaw.”

This story along with “Dear Lady Author” by Jon Scieszka and Kate DiCamillio were my favorites (that one had Amanda and me laughing out loud as I read it aloud). I know I already mentioned that these stories are great to read aloud, but it bears repeating: they make great read-alouds.

Do yourself a favor — preorder Guys Read: Funny Business (which publishes September 21), buy it for your child’s teacher’s class library, or put it on your child’s Christmas wish list. It’s wonderful, and it’s just volume one in the Guys Read library. I can’t wait for future books in the Guys Read series: Nonfiction, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Mystery, and Sports (edited to add a link to the Guys Read: Thriller book).

I’ve marked it a 5-Star Read because I love the idea of the book, and then it lived up to its promise, with me enjoying each and every story.

Content Note: In an effort to appeal to boys (and honestly to just meet them where they are), there is a fair bit of potty humor, and “The Bloody Souvenir” speaks for itself — reading it aloud with my daughter, we were both grimacing. Most of the boys in the stories are in 4th grade and older, and I think that’s a good recommended age to begin enjoying this book.

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Managing editor Jennifer Donovan is not a guy. She does read, and she is married to a guy who was once a little boy, and she’s raising a little guy. She blogs about non-gender-bending topics at Snapshot.

5 Star Reads

If we post a review of a book here at 5 Minutes for Books, it means that we think that someone out there would like it. It may not have been our favorite book, but it was worth our time to read and review, and we hope someone likes it. We wanted to distinguish our “must reads,” and so we’ve given them the special 5 Star Reads designation.

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
After You by Julie Buxbaum
Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger
Hannah’s Dream by Diane Hammond
The Rook by Steven James
Stealing with Style by Emyl Jenkins
Small Wars by Sadie Jones
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz
Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon
The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Memoir and Biography:

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
My Prison, My Home by Haleh Esfandiari
Boy Alone by Karl Taro Greenfeld
Clara’s War by Clara Kramer
Coop by Michael Perry
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepherd
How to Be Like Walt by Pat Williams
Dough by Mort Zachter

Nonfiction:

Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merriman
On the Go Devotional: Contentment by Lydia Brownback
The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies
Finding An Unseen God by Alicia Britt Chole
5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter by Vicki Courtney
Stubborn Twig, by Lauren Kessler
The Uncommon Woman: Making an Ordinary Life Extraordinary by Susie Larson
Free-Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy
The Grand Weaver, by Ravi Zacharias

Children’s Books — ages 0 – 3, 3 – 6, 6 – 9:

My Name Is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry
The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller
Tiana’s Cookbook: Recipes for Kids edited by Cindy Littlefield
Eye Like and Incredible Books by Play Bac Publishing
Little Hoot and Little Pea, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon

Children’s Books — ages 9 – 12:

Savvy by Ingrid Law
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, by Trenton Lee Stewart

Books for Tweens and Teens:

The Hunger Games & Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Much Ado About Anne by Heather Vogel Frederick
Meet the Austins by Madeleine L’Engle
Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell
The Strictest School in the World series by Howard Whitehouse
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

YA Books for Boys, with giveaway

December 14, 2011 by Nancy

There has been big push in recent years to get boys more interested in reading. Jon Scieszka’s Guys Read collection is a good start, but his lists are geared toward middle grade boys, and rightfully so, since that’s when boys who like reading start to lose interest. But there’s still a pretty big gap in boys for books in the Young Adult genre, and 3 new books from Scholastic make good strides in closing that gap.

Markus Zusak won awards for The Book Thief, but years before that book’s release he wrote 3 short novels about Cameron and Ruben Wolfe, teenage brothers from a working class family. After several years out of print, those novels are available in one collection, called Underdogs. The first of the three, The Underdogs, establishes the characters but doesn’t have much of a plot. But the first person narration by younger brother Cam is intelligent and insightful and his view of the world around him more than makes up for the lack of anything happening. Things get going in Fighting Ruben Wolfe, a title with multiple meanings, where Cam and Rube get involved in a fight club of sorts. In the final book, Getting the Girl, Cam falls for one of Rube’s many girlfriends, but realizes his brother is the most important person in his life. Each of the books take place during winter, a year separating each of the events chronicled by Cam, and the cold and dreary setting sets the tone for the books. Cameron grows up, both physically and emotionally, and Zusak’s writing also evolved, with Getting the Girl the best of the three books.

The reviews for The Eleventh Plague and iBoy were written by Elizabeth’s 16-year-old son, Elliot.

The Eleventh Plague The only life Stephen Quinn has ever known has been that of a forager. He and his father live in the ruins of North America, hunting, gathering and trading whatever they can to survive. After his father is injured, Stephen needs help which he finds in a small community of people trying to survive as well. Stephen learns many new things which he has previously had no experience with, things such as school and baseball, etc. But some in the community are suspicious of Stephen, thinking he is a spy for another community a little ways away. These two communities harbor a strong distrust for each other, which soon leads to war after Stephen and a friend play a prank on the strict community leaders, and make them think that the other side is responsible. The elders hire mercenaries to wipe them out, but the people of the community won’t back the elders or mercenaries and attack them. The other community arrives prepared for battle but winds up helping the people fight off the mercenaries. This book, placed in the ruins of nuclear war, sends a clear message, that though humans are capable of great evil, they are also capable of good. This is a great book for anyone who likes to read. Good plot and storyline.

iBoy is a really great book. It’s got a good plot and a fun idea to write about. Tom Harvey wakes up from a coma to find parts of an iPhone lodged in his brain, and that his best friend has been raped. He soon discovers that he can do everything an iPhone can do and more. He can hear all calls, look at all messages, etc. He can access any part of the internet whenever he wants. He decided to punish the gang that raped Lucy. He gets back at them in many ways–he beats them up, gets them in trouble with their gang bosses, etc. This is a very intriguing novel and had me hooked quite quickly; I finished it within 24 hrs of starting it. It has a good story line and the characters are well developed. The book is narrated in the first person, which gives the reader a deeper understanding of Harvey’s conflict. He struggles with what he should do with his power. He is unsure how far to go, who to tell, etc. He struggles with taking things that aren’t his from the internet, even though it is for a good cause, and he knows the people can spare it. When his grandmother needs money, he takes £1 from each of the 15,000 most richest people in the UK. They aren’t going to miss £1, but the money is not his. Once again this is a great book, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Scholastic has graciously provided a prize package for one (1) winner, consisting of copies of Underdogs, iBoy and The Eleventh Plague, along with a $50 Visa Cash Card! Leave a comment below to enter, and the winner will be announced on December 28. The Giveaway is closed.

Though this giveaway ends after Christmas, these would make great gifts for teenage boys looking for new material. Girls would enjoy them too.

The winner of The Unexpected Miss Bennet is #19 Beth C.
The winner of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is #31 Sara.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Nancy is stockpiling lists of middle grade and YA books for boys. She writes about her 2 boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books..

Mailbox Monday– August 2

August 1, 2010 by Jennifer

Attention: Mailbox Monday is on the move! For the month of August Chick Loves Lit will be hosting, so be sure to check in over there. We’ve had such a fun time with this meme. We’ve “met” some new book bloggers this way, and we love this opportunity to get our current readers’ thoughts on what’s to come.

JENNIFER

In This Way I Was Saved: A Novel by Brian DeLeeuw appealed to me because he’s a young first time novelist and it is supposed to have a strong voice. I think it’s a little heavy, but I do generally love young first time novelists (see Finny — Okay, okay, I’ll stop mentioning it, if you’ll just read it already) and House of Tomorrow).
I downloaded some great titles on my Kindle for my tween, Amanda, that I found on the free list this week. They are all Christian YA series, and I can’t wait for her to check them out. The books offered free on the Kindle are one of my strongest arguments for buying a Kindle.
- Katy’s New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer — I actually want to read this one myself. It’s about a Mennonite girl who enters public high school.
- Melody Carlon’s first two books in the Carter House Girls series, Mixed Bags and Stealing Bradford.
- Nancy Rue’s Lucy Doesn’t Wear Pink and Lucy’s Perfect Summer
Kyle, 6, thought that Belly Up was for him. He loved the cover, and I do think that it’s the kind of novel that will appeal to him when he’s older, combining a mystery with some solid hippo facts, but Amanda, 11, is more likely to read it now (after I do).
Another awesome book for boys that I’ve already peeked into is a collection edited by Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Funny Business.

NANCY

I’m happy to report my first set of books to review:

Georgia’s Kitchen by Jenny Nelson – I dove into this book about a NYC chef as soon as it arrived. Review will be posted soon.
Wild Soccer Bunch – this series is wildly popular internationally and has now arrived in the US with the first English language installment, Kevin the Star Striker. With the fall soccer season closing in on us, I look forward to reading this with my own soccer star.
Stay by Allie Larkin – A woman adopts what she thinks is a German shepherd puppy off the internet, but when the dog arrives it turns out to be an enormous Slovakian police dog, who she names Joe. Dealing with Joe helps take her mind off her love life problems and as expected, helps her meet someone new. I’m a big dog lover and looking forward to what sounds like a fun read.

DAWN

It was a slow week, but two books in the mail is always better than none! My nightstand post from the other day actually included these titles already, because my summer reading craze has knocked my pile down very low, so I’m predicting that these books won’t take too long to go from doorstep to final review.

One that arrived this week but already has a bookmark firmly secured a few chapters in is Sarah Pekkanen’s The Opposite of Me. A story of life changes and personal transformation? Exactly my style.
Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie sounds like it will be a mysterious but fun read, complete with kids in need of adult love and care and an old house in need of an exorcism! Can’t say that I’ve read anything like that lately.

LISA

I am so excited about receiving Steven James’ newest thriller featuring Patrick Bowers, The Bishop! I’ve read (and completely enjoyed) the first three novels in the series The Bowers Files and I canNOT wait to begin this one!

We here at 5 Minutes for Books love to hear your thoughts on what we are reading, and what book reviews to come might be of interest to you, so please let us know in the comments.

Each Tuesday we have a different meme that you join in, from Kids’ Picks to What’s on Your Nightstand, to a Children’s Classics challenge. Join Us!

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