"The Tale of Despereaux," by Kate DiCamillo

Did I love it: 4/5
Sex: 1/5
Violence: 2/5
Language: 2/5

Plot:
This 268-page children's story is an adventure about a brave mouse, a kind princess, a wicked rat, and a witless girl.

Did I love it:
I loved this charming little book. It's something you can read quickly for the story, or take in slowly, letting each word melt in your mouth. The writing was fun, as the author tells the story directly to the reader. I loved the language, the imagery, and the voice.

I haven't seen the movie, but I watched the trailer. From what I can tell, they don't have much in common.

Sex: None

Violence: There are scenes of ruthless cruelty and violence, all off which are written to be kid-appropriate, though.

Language: It takes the Lord's name in vain several times.

"Three Weeks With My Brother: a memoir," by Nicholas and Micah Sparks

Did I love it: 4/5
Sex: 1.5/5
Violence: 1/5
Language: 1.5/5

Plot:
Nicholas Sparks goes on a three-week tour around the world with his brother, and reflects back on his life up until then, with emphasis on his relationship with his brother, with whom he's had a life-long friendship.

This book takes you on an emotional roller coaster as the author details the tragedies and successes of his life. He writes about how he became an author, and you learn what the inspirations were for many of his books.


Did I love it:
I loved it. I'm a sucker for memoirs - especially those about the lives of famous authors. And this one didn't disappoint. I've only read a few of Sparks' novels, but I would venture to say that this is probably the best thing he's written. It comes from the heart, and he does a great job capturing the emotions that surround the most significant moments of our lives - the good and the bad. There were a few stories that I busted a gut laughing over; I ear-marked those so I could go back and re-read them.

P.S. I'm not really sure why his brother is listed as a co-author; he didn't write any of it.

Sex: His sister gets pregnant while living with her boyfriend.

Violence: None.

Language: I think there's one "D" word and maybe an "H" word.

"Matched," by Ally Condie

Did I love it? 3.5/5
Sex: 1/5
Language: 1/5
Violence: 2/5

Plot:
The first of three books, this was kind of a cross between "The Giver" and "The Hunger Games." It takes place in a future place called The Society, where people have little freedom to make their own choices. The Society determines the best choices for people, based on statistics and data. They determine when you die, where you work, and who you are matched with as your marriage partner.

A young woman, Cassia Reyes, is given her match, but when the computer brings up the face and information of the boy she's to be matched with, the screen goes blank, and then a different face appears. She wonders about the other boy, and a love triangle ensues, as well as her attempt to reconcile the life she's known, with the one she wants.

Did I love it:
The book was pretty good. I thought the writing was excellent, and I enjoyed the story. I'm looking forward to reading the next book. I gave it a 3.5 because I felt like the story could have pulled in more of the subplots that were going on; it was a little one dimensional, I thought. If I hadn't so recently read "The Hunger Games," I probably would have liked it more, but I was just constantly comparing the two. But I recommend it to anyone who appreciates dystopian literature (books like "The Giver," etc.).

Sex:
There are a couple teen kisses, but that's it.

Language:
None, I don't think.

Violence:
Very little. There are some minor descriptions of some war scenarios, and an instance of someone being restrained.

"84, Charing Cross Road," by Helene Hanff

Did I love it: 4/5
Sex: 1/5
Language: 1.5/5
Violence: 1/5

Plot:
This is a record of the letters that passed back and forth between a freelance writer, the author Helene Hanff, and and a book seller in England. The letters span about 20 years, and give you a great insight into her bigger-than-life personality, and her great love of English literature.


Did I love it:
I would describe this as a "charming" book. It's very much like "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society," which book I absolutely adored. It's witty, and easy to read. Weighing in at about 100 pages (most of them only half pages, at that), I read half of it over lunch, and the other half over dinner.

Sex: none

Language: She uses the "H" word a few times, but I think that's it.

Violence: none

"Elantris," by Brandon Sanderson

(Guest Post: Anita E.)

Did I Love It: 4.5/5
Sex: 1/5
Language: 1/5
Violence: 3/5

Did I love it: Yes yes yes! It only loses points because of the violence. Brandon Sanderson creates a world that I can immerse myself in completely. Overall, it's a very thought-provoking book that makes a statement about what motivates people to behave a certain way. And I love that there is something that needs to be figured out to "fix" a major problem in the plot. I've read it twice and loved it more the second time.

This is a book full of great personality and likeable characters, as well as several characters you cannot help but despise. There is also enough romance to give you a happy ending for the people who deserve it. The story is told from the perspective of 3 main characters. Surprisingly, however, it enhances the story rather than makes it confusing.

Plot: Raoden, prince of Arelon, awakes one morning to find out he has been damned by fate and has been taken by the Sheod. (Think "terrible disease with no cure," and you get the basic idea of what the Sheod is.) He is exiled to the city of Elantris, where he strives to make something good out of the inhumanity and suffering that exists there. His fiancee, Sarene, shows up for their wedding only to be told that Raoden has died. Because they were betrothed for political reasons, they have never met. Due to stipulations in the wedding contract, she is considered Raoden's widow.

Hrathen is a Derethi priest. He has come to Arelon with a command to convert the country to Shu Dereth within three months, or the country will be destroyed by the military might of his religious leaders. Sarene knows who he is, and the threat he represents to the safety of Arelon and her homeland. She opposes his maneuvering, and attempts to gain credibility among the nobility of Arelon.


Sex: None that I can think of off-hand. There is some suspicion of sexual deviancy by one of the characters, but nothing sexually graphic at all. Very minor PDA with some of the characters.

Language: None.

Violence: There is some violence among the inhabitants of Elantris, and for most of the book that is all you see. However, the culminating battles near the end of the book are quite violent. I found myself skimming through those to get to where the plot advances.

"Air Frame," by Michael Crichton

(Guest Post: Jessica C.)

Sex:2/5
Language:3/5
Violence:1/5
Did I love it:5/5

This was the first Michael Crichton book I ever picked up and I recommend it a lot. The book is very suspenseful and keeps you guessing at every turn. There are lots of surprises that keep you entertained and wanting to come back to read more. I always read it through in a few days because it is so exciting.

Plot:

The book follows a Hong-Kong-based Transpacific Airlines Flight 545, a Norton Aircraft-manufactured plane, flying from Hong Kong to Denver. An incident occurs on board the plane and the pilot requests an emergency landing at LAX, stating that the plane encountered "severe turbulence" in flight. The pilot gives air traffic control conflicting information regarding the type and severity of injuries.The incident seems inexplicable. The N-22 is a plane with an excellent safety record and the pilot is highly trained, making the possibility of human error unlikely. Passengers and flight crew give conflicting accounts of what happened on the flight, and the most likely explanation turns out to be a technical problem that was thought to have been fixed years ago. As the vice-president of QA at Norton Aircraft, it's Casey Singleton's job to try to protect the design's (and Norton's) reputation. she must also deal with Bob Richman, an arrogant and suspicious junior executive assigned to assist her. It is Casey's job to investigate and find out for sure what happened on that flight, and no one is making it any easier for her to get the information she needs.

Sex: there are a few brief scenes with Casey Singleton and her love interest in the book. There are no graphic details, just kissing and waking up in bed together. Nothing explicit.

Language: There is a bit of language in this book. There are a few "F" bombs and a few others. If the book hadn't been so awesome I might not have continued to read it. However the book is fantastic and I can overlook some of the language. And I do remember getting a copy of the audiobook somewhere that had the language edited out (don't remember where)....so i wasn't even aware it was there until I had read the actual book myself.

Violence: There is some violence, mostly descriptions of what happened on the flight from video and other passengers on board the plane. It isn't gory or anything like that, but people do get hurt and injured. It's mostly like broken legs, bruises and so on.

"Digital Fortress," by Dan Brown

(Guest Post: Jessica C.)

Sex:2/5
Language:2/5
Violence:1/5
Did I love it:5/5

Great book! It's interesting and fun and exciting. Dan Brown manages to capture your attention from the first moment and keeps you anxious for more of the story. I enjoy books where I feel like the story could have actually taken place in real life, and this book is just like that. This book was probably one of the first books I ever read as a young adult and I loved it. I have read it a few times since and I enjoy it every time.

Plot: When the United States National Security Agency's code-breaking machine (TRANSLTR) encounters a new and complex code — Digital Fortress — that it cannot break, Commander Trevor Strathmore calls in Susan Fletcher, their head cryptographer, to crack it. She discovers that it was written by Ensei Tankado, a former NSA employee who became displeased with the NSA's intrusion into people's private lives. Tankado intends to auction the code's algorithm on his website and have his partner, "NDAKOTA", release it for free if he dies. Essentially holding the NSA hostage, the agency is determined to stop Digital Fortress from becoming a threat to national security.

Sex: Its been a while since i read the book. i don't remember much sex being in the book, but i rated it a 2 because I believe there is a brief scene between the main character and her love interest in the book. It'snot graphic or really explained in any way, just more or less implied.

Language: I do remember this book did have a few "S" words, maybe even a few "D" words, but overall it's not littered with language, and the few places it appears it is easily skipped over.

Violence: there is no violence that i can recall.

"Howl's Moving Castle," by Dianna Wynne Jones

(Guest Post: Katie W.)

Sex:1/5
Language:1/5
Violence:2/5

Did I love it:5/5

If you're looking for a fantasy novel with a twist, this is for you! This book has so much wit and subtle humor. When I read it, it was like a breath of fresh air after reading so many fantasy novels with the same intense "we've got to save the world" or "we're about to die!" conflicts. In this book, the main character saves her world, but in such an original way that you're bound to love it!

Plot: Sofie, a dissatisfied young woman, is cursed to be old (she thinks she's at least 90 after the curse takes effect) by a powerful witch she hasn't even met. Taking the change in appearance as an opportunity, Sofie leaves her previous position in search of a new place to live. She ends up as housekeeper for Howl, a wizard known for his heartlessness. As Sofie gets to know Howl, she realizes that he's not that bad after all. She also discovers that Howl is also fighting against the witch that cursed her with old age. Together they are able to defeat her.

Sex: None... several couples fall in love, but there isn't anything even slightly iffy. No kissing.

Language: None.

Violence: Very mild. There is a big magical fight, but no gore at all. Nothing shocking. When one of the characters dies, he/she just crumbles into dust (much like the Wicked Witch of the West in Oz who dies by melting). No descriptions of anyone physically hurting another person. There is a headless person, but no scene or description of how it happened.