BOOK: Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris

I was introduced to this murder mystery series during the Southern Reading Challenge. It used to be I only read these types of books: serial murders, with snappy, damaged, detectives of some sort. I had been through most of my series or lost interest in others when I got started into these crazy internet book reading challenges. This little series has piqued my interest again and has me reading a book not on any challenge list. Crazy times.

Anyway. This was a great read. Lily Bard lives in Shakespeare, Arkansas and works as a cleaner, shut off from living due to a terrible violent incident in her past. Murders happen, even in small towns, for all the same reasons they do in big cities, Miss Marple taught us all that. Standard issue mystery, just the type of book I wanted to read. Lily does seem to get more injuries, in fights and other incidents, that make her every move painful. She seems to get hurt, a lot. Poor Lily.

Harris also has a vampire series that I will have to look into. I am enjoying her writing.

BOOK: Fighting Ruben Wolfe by Markus Zusak

Fighting Ruben Wolfe by Markus Zusak

young adult novel

I did my first book just4theehelluvit, as suggested by Think Pink Dana, who was tired of only reading books for challenges. So she came up with the anti-challenge, where you can't make a list or plan or anything. Every now and then, you have to veer off the plan, be easily diverted by the shiny objects, and Markus Zusak is my newest shiny object.

I already read I Am the Messenger and have The Book Thief lined up for a book themed challenge, so I found his first novel at our school library yesterday, when I went to school to get ready for the first day. Don't ask how I got distracted by the libary; I shouldn't have been there.

This book isn't as powerful as I Am the Messenger, but it has the same feel. It's a coming of age story, narrated by Cameron Wolfe about his brother and their family and getting through hard times. Are you fighting the outside world? Or are you fighting yourself and how you fit in? This was a very quick and touching read and was a good young adult book. It's about brothers and identity and self esteem.