My very first post...

I have been trying to start a blog for awhile, and I think I am finally ready.  I really have no design experience, so please excuse the noob appearance of my blog.  If you have any advice for how I can get started, I would really appreciate it.  :D


I think that the best way for me to introduce myself is with a list of the last 10 books I read... according to my Goodreads account:


1.  Intensely Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor- I LOVE ALICE.  I 100% recommend this series to everyone who like YA coming of age books.  Alice is a genuine girl with high standards for herself, and the books honestly explore adolescence in terms of family, emotional issues, sexuality, independence, courage, friendship, and big issues such as suicide, drunk driving, and teen pregnancy.  These books are some of the most banned in the United States, and they span Alice's life from elementary school through high school.  The series- 5 stars.  This particular book- 4 stars.


2.  The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer-  I am still thinking about this book.  I definitely liked it, but I am trying to decide if it is actually well-written.  Anyways, it is a very short read. I recommend it to anyone who liked Twilight (even if you won't admit it).  It is definitely grittier and kind of makes up for the "fairy vampire" issues with Twilight.  4.5 stars.


3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie-  This is a YA book about a Native American high school student who decides to leave the reservation and attend the white school.  The coolest thing about it is the illustration- the book has unique cartoons every few pages to emphasize key events and ideas.  This book is very sad, and contains a lot of bad language, so I would only recommend it for high school and up.  4.5 stars.


4. The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne- This is very deep chick lit.  A young British woman starts her own girlfriend agency after losing her job.  I think it is very well written and has a lot of character development.  It is also surprisingly long, which makes it a little more of a challenge than average chick lit.  4 stars.


5. Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez-  I LOVE JULIA ALVAREZ.  You must first read In the Time of The Butterflies.  Then read this book.  It is about the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.  Both are very good reads. 5 stars.


6. Lucky by Rachel Vail-  DO NOT READ THIS BOOK.  GIANT WASTE OF TIME.  It also made me very grumpy because I was so irritated by all of the main characters.  1.5 stars (because it was at least short).


7.  The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan-  The Percy Jackson series is a great new alternative to Harry Potter.  So much YA fantasy is about wizards and elves, but this series is about Greek mythology.  Excellent male and female protagonists.  5 stars.


8.  The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith- great mystery set in Africa!  A lady starts up her own detective agency, and this book details her life in flashbacks as well as how she begins the agency.  4.5 stars.


9.  The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart- Excellent children's book.  This is the second in the series.  I would recommend this series to anyone who likes adventure.  These books are truly unique and emphasize that all children have special talents, they just need to learn how to use them!  5 stars.


10.  The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer.  Hopefully I do not need to summarize these for you, haha. I am embarrassed to admit that I totally enjoyed Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.  It was like making a huge pot of mac and cheese and eating the whole thing.  Not nutritious, totally processed, but delicious!  3 stars for actual quality, 4.5 stars for pleasure.