Sloppy Firsts

I started this book at the beach and finished it up today while a storm raged outside. The main character, Jessica Darling, is the same age as me, but this book is set during our sophomore year. I will go ahead and say I wish I had read this when I was in high school. I identified with Jessica in so many ways. The feelings that she describes related to Marcus Flutie, one of the leading male characters, remind me of the feelings for my high school crush. I cringed with her during the embarrassing moments, felt sad with her, felt unbelievably hopeful that her life would be great. The book was late '90s at their best. I wish I had my Delia's and Girlfriends catalogs again to really immerse myself in the times. It was a great time in life and I am so glad this book was here to take me back there. I want to pass it along to someone, but I don't know who. The book is slightly sexually explicit and there is a lot of cursing, so I can't really give it to one of my kids, but I don't know if my friends want to reflect on high school. Maybe a friend I'm having lunch with tomorrow will want to read it.

Verdict: Generation Y, read this book. You know you miss high school. Go back for a couple hours.

Love Letters: Perfect Strangers

I read this book in a couple of hours. I bought it because I thought it would be a good book to share with a kid of mine who has gotten herself into some sticky situations sharing letters with people she does know. I did end up giving it to her.

The book was highly predictable. It had the same basic plot as any teen romance. The girl has a problem. There are two guys who are main characters in her life. She has to make a decision that will land her love. Blah, blah, blah. It was a fun read, but nothing I plan on reading again.

Bottom line: If you have two hours to spare and you need to get away for a bit, read this book. Then again, if you have two hours and you want to read a cookbook, go bicycling, or garden, do that instead.