I Need More Time Thursday: "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

"William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As ordinary standards of behaviour collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—the world of cricket and homework and adventure stories—and another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible. Lord of the Flies remains as provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. Though critically acclaimed, it was largely ignored upon its initial publication. Yet soon it became a cult favorite among both students and literary critics who compared it to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in its influence on modern thought and literature.

Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies has established itself as a true classic."

This book has been on my To Be Read list longer than just about any other book.  Someday, someday, someday is going to happen one day.  I promise.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

I Need More Time Thursday: "The Gilmore Girls Companion" by A.S. Berman

"From 2000 to its final episode in 2007, "Gilmore Girls" raised the bar for television writing, redefined the dramatic comedy, and cultivated a dedicated fan base not seen since the heights of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." This companion provides the first detailed account of the creation of this groundbreaking series, based on dozens of exclusive interviews with the actors and behind-the-camera talent."

Happy Reading!
-Melly

I Need More Time Thursday: "Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)" by Sarah Mlynowski

 "2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time."

I read this one!

Happy Reading!
-Melly

I Need More Time Thursday: "Mary Ingalls on Her Own" by Elizabeth Kimmel Willard

"Mary Ingalls lost her sight after a devastating bout of scarlet fever. Now Mary has the opportunity to attend the Iowa College for the Blind, where she will get a fresh start with her education and can learn the skills she needs for an independent future as well.

It seems like a dream come true. But it also means leaving her cherished family behind in Dakota Territory, including her sister Laura. Laura's feisty personality has always complemented Mary's quiet nature, and ever since Mary lost her sight, Laura has served as Mary's "eyes" to the world. Now that she's on her own, Mary must learn to get along without her beloved sister, and in the process realizes that she may have a bit of Laura's spunk in her after all.

For the first time, readers will get a glimpse into the life of Mary Ingalls and will discover a whole new side of this Little House sister they've gotten to know through Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic Little House books."

Happy Reading!
-Melly

I Need More Time Thursday: "Hanging on to Max" by Margaret Bechard

Sam's girlfriend is pregnant — but Sam is keeping the baby. Sam should be planning for college and trying out for the football team with his best friend, Andy. Instead he's up to his ears in diapers and formula, caring for his baby son, Max. Will Sam now have to make a gut-wrenching decision about Max's future — and his own? A poignant and humorous look at an old problem...with a new twist.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

I Need More Time Thursday: "Private" by Kate Brian

Fifteen-year-old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy—the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever thought possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her. She feels like she’s on the outside, looking in.

Until she meets the Billings Girls.

They are the most beautiful, intelligent, and intensely confident girls on campus. And they know it. They hold all the power in a world where power is fleeting but means everything. Reed vows to do whatever it takes to be accepted into their inner circle.

Reed uses every part of herself—the good, the bad, the beautiful—to get closer to the Billings Girls. She quickly discovers that inside their secret parties and mountains of attitude, hanging in their designer clothing-packed closets the Billings Girls have skeletons. And they’ll do anything to keep their secrets private.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

I Need More Time Thursday: "Peaches" by Jodi Lynn Anderson

"In a Ya-Ya Sisterhood for teens, Peaches combines three unforgettable heroines who have nothing in common but the troubles that have gotten them sentenced to a summer of peach picking at a Georgia orchard.

Leeda is a debutante dating wrong-side-of-the-tracks Rex.

Murphy, the wildest girl in Bridgewater, likes whichever side Rex is on.

Birdie is a dreamer whose passion for Girl Scout cookies is matched only by her love for a boy named Enrico.

When their worlds collide, The Breakfast Club meets The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in an entirely original and provocative story with a lush, captivating setting."

Happy Reading!
-Melly 

I Need More Time Thursday: "Something Like Normal" by Trish Doller

Introducing my new (and first) feature: I Need More Time Thursday!

"When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero."

Happy Reading!
-Melly