Third non-DCF

I just finished Janet Evanovich's latest. Smokin' Seventeen was, as expected, a hilariously sensational read. The story included large doses of intrigue, donuts, romance, death, vampires, spandex, and explosions. Oh, and a dancing bear. The car count wasn't too high this time, however Stephanie did get to drive a Shelby GTO. I'm sure you can imagine that it wasn't long for this world! The book ends with a discovery that I had already pretty well figured out on my own, but it was a fun ride getting there. We are, unfortunately, left hanging on which of her suitors Stephanie will choose. Oh well, that just means we have to read the 18th book when it comes out in November!

Second DCF book

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> Today I finished reading "Jake" by Audrey Couloumbis. Jake is an endearing young man who lives with his mother. A few days before Christmas, she is injured, and Jake must rely on his neighbor and family friend, Mrs. Buttermark, and his estranged grandfather to care for him while his mother is in the hospital. Over the course of his mother's hospitalization, Jake learns to love and respect his grandfather. I liked this book a great deal, and found myself drawn to Jake's compassion, intelligence, and even his naïveté. A good example of the latter is this remark: "I learned Mrs. Buttermark had been a rocket. That made me sit up. She and Granddad talked about it a little and I realized it was some kind of dancer." Sweet.
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Second non-DCF book

To prepare for humanities camp last week, I started to read Time magazine's "100 Photographs that Changed the World." This was a very intriguing look at world history, science, nature, and humanity through the camera lens. I found myself reacting in a myriad of ways to the collection of photos: hypnotized, shocked, incensed, brought to tears, and more. The photos were accompanied by short descriptive paragraphs, which provided a wealth of information and clarity. This is a book I will return to over and over again.