 | The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1) by Alexander McCall Smith
Buy new: $10.04 / Used from: $0.01 Everyone who has read these says they're great...The setting was indeed most interesting. However, I kept waiting for the plot to really start... I'd prefer a faster pace, but it was still good.
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 | The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $1.18 Absolutely intriguing sociological study/story of Hmong immigrants and their interaction with American culture. Two thumbs up.
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 | Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $4.12 Lots of kids read these and tried to tell me about them... but I didn't really understand it until I read it. I found relatable characters, suspense, and creepy (but not too scary) subject matter.
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 | Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Buy new: $11.52 / Used from: $0.01 This was a reread so I could read the sequel (below). Not great for kids (R-rated for language and explicit scenes) but I loved the satire, the depth, and the behind-the-scenes views.
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 | Son of a Witch: A Novel (The Wicked Years) by Gregory Maguire
Buy new: $19.40 / Used from: $0.92 I enjoyed reading more about the world and the characters, but I didn't like it as much as the first. In Wicked you know how the story ends, and the draw is HOW it gets there. Not enough draw here.
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 | Mirror Mirror: A Novel by Gregory Maguire
Buy new: $9.32 / Used from: $1.43 Snow White retelling... Fun to see familiar story elements twisted into deep, mystical significance. However, some ideas weren't explained enough for me.
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 | Surviving the Applewhites (Newbery Honor Book) by Stephanie S. Tolan
Buy new: $14.52 / Used from: $0.01 A really good read! Rebellious kid meets weird family and starts to figure himself out. The characters are likeable and the plot is fun and funny!
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 | The City of Ember (The First Book of Ember) by Jeanne DuPrau
Buy new: $5.99 / Used from: $0.01 Another really good one. Two insightful, determined kids must find a way to save their underground city... or a way out. Mystery, adventure, and ingenuity drive this story.
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 | Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Book 1) by Ann Brashares
Buy new: $8.95 / Used from: $0.01 Again, I reread this before reading the 2nd one. I hadn't read this since seeing the movie, and the book is much better! (But I like seeing Alexis Bledel as Lena in the movie.)
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 | Girls in Pants (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 3) by Ann Brashares
Buy new: $8.95 / Used from: $0.01 I was so suprised to connect much more with Bridget in this book (I liked Lena in the first). Relatable characters struggle to be true to themselves.
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 | Pure Dead Magic by Debi Gliori
Buy new: $6.50 / Used from: $0.01 The backflap said Snicket/Potter type fantasy. Fun mix of magic and technology, BUT the plotlines had too many loose ends and the magical world lacked continuity. NOT at Snicket standards.
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 | A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.01 A lazy evening reread. This was maybe the 25th time I've read it-- I will NEVER get tired of this book. It is pure and sweet and wonderful.
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 | The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $0.01 The simple plot (girl lost in woods) is full of suspense but not absolute horror (a plus for me). Page-turner. Swearing may bother some, but it's not being used in violence.
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 | Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.01 My first by MHC, and I thought it was actually very good! She's a good writer, building suspense and character. A "page-turner."
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 | Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Buy new: $9.75 / Used from: $1.52 A dramatic and engaging story of a woman who survives the Black Plague in England. First 2/3 riveting; ending was disappointingly trite and unbelievable. Kids, read _Fever:1776_ instead.
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