The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Another express read...this was by far one of the best books I've read in a long time.  Captivating.  Not at all what I was expecting, couldn't put it down, absolutely loved it.  I can't wait for the next one.  It isn't gory.  A lot happens....I don't know what to tell you about it!  There are 12 Districts and in each district a girl and a boy's name is drawn to participate in the hunger games; until there is one human left.  So they are forced to kill each other.  They are taken to an arena where the temperature is controlled and even their water sources, weather, etc. is controlled.  So basically they make it as miserable as possible, and if not much action is happening they force the participants together and hope for a good show with bloodshed.  Oh yeah, because they are TELEVISED.  They happen every year, it's a big event to remind everyone how powerless they are.  Anyway, highly recommend it to everyone!

Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich

This is second in the series.  I wanted to read it; will probably keep going with this series as they come out.  I'm waiting for the end to see if Lizzy and Diesel get together.  This one was just as crazy as the first.  Lots of "magic" and adventure.  I really like that she works at a bakery.  Must go start my next book as it is another express loan!

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

I read this after "Handle with Care" but apparently forgot to post it.  I had wanted to read it because I know it was talked about years ago when I was in school but I wasn't as big on reading then as I am now.  And a friend recommended it to me, so I tried it out.  It is very imaginative.  At times depressing.  The ending is...I suppose good, but not what I wanted.  Mainly, the tiger takes off and I wanted him to be a sort of pet for life after the journey they have together.  Anyway, it was ok.  Didn't love it.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl by Anonymous

My sister gave me this book to read.  Not something I'd have picked.  It was random.  That's really my only thought about it.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

I read this in a couple of days; it was an express loan at the library because it's very popular.  These are my thoughts on the book.  The storyline wasn't very interesting.  They don't get into the sex until about 100 pages in.  Christian is demanding and controlling but it's obviously hot for his character.  Ana is way too god damn innocent...the number of times she says "jeeze" and "there" annoyed me endlessly.  And there is a lot of description for the foreplay areas, but not much when it comes to the actual act.  What I liked best about the book is that Ana has an inner goddess and inner...something else, but these are given life as if they are two other women who glare at Ana or jump up and down, etc. depending on what Ana is doing / thinking.  And of course, the end of the book is writen in such a way to make to want to read the second, all loose ends and hanging in the air. 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I really enjoyed this book.  This is a Young Adult novel, which is also the type of books John Green writes, and I've decided that I really like reading this type of novel.  I get all caught up in the teenage drama, and of course the romance.  Anyway, this book made me wonder where my Etienne St. Clair is.  He is adorable and swoon-worthy.  Anna is shipped off to Paris by her dad, to go to school.  She doesn't like being torn away from her family and friends / comfortable / known life.  But she eventually grows fond of Paris and what it has to offer:  the food, the theaters, and St. Clair.  I'm already in line for the next book by Stephanie Perkins! 

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

I think this will go in my top faves of Jodi's books.  I'm don't feel like saying anything about it so I'll put in a synopsis here: 

"As the family struggles to make ends meet to cover Willow’s medical expenses, Charlotte thinks she has found an answer. If she files a wrongful birth lawsuit against her ob/gyn for not telling her in advance that her child would be born severely disabled, the monetary payouts might ensure a lifetime of care for Willow. But it means that Charlotte has to get up in a court of law and say in public that she would have terminated the pregnancy if she’d known about the disability in advance – words that her husband can’t abide, that Willow will hear, and that Charlotte cannot reconcile. And the ob/gyn she’s suing isn’t just her physician – it’s her best friend.
Handle With Care explores the knotty tangle of medical ethics and personal morality. When faced with the reality of a fetus who will be disabled, at which point should an OB counsel termination? Should a parent have the right to make that choice? How disabled is TOO disabled? And as a parent, how far would you go to take care of someone you love? Would you alienate the rest of your family? Would you be willing to lie to your friends, to your spouse, to a court? And perhaps most difficult of all – would you admit to yourself that you might not actually be lying"  Which can be found on Jodi's site here.