Scat, Carl Hiassen - Every time I read a Hiassen YA book, I want to go out and buy one of his adult fiction pieces. I absolutely love the way he writes. I enjoy the blend of nature and psychology and 100% believeable characters. This one in particular has a boy whose father lost an arm in Afghanistan. He binds his arm behind his back to more accurately experience what his father is experiencing. It's a very moving gesture and it makes him seem very human. The environmental side of this story is intriguing as well! I've thoroughly enjoyed it.
Science Fair, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson - This is another fantastic collaboration between these two authors. I loved Peter and the Starcatchers and look forward to getting around to the rest of that series. Science Fair takes off in a completely different direction and never stops. It's the story of three middle school science geeks who struggle to keep the bumbling spies from Krpshtstan (in Eastern Europe, sandwiched between some other "-stan"s?) from taking over the world by taking over their school science fair. Throw in a guy who dresses like Darth Vader (D. Arthur Vaderian) right down to the voice distorter, a levitating frog, and some really stinky cheese, and you've got a hilarious good time!
Wixard's Holiday, Diane Duane - I like this much, much better than A Wizard Alone. It's completely cool! I loved the world that Kit and Nita visit, and I loved the changes their friendship begins to experience. I am really, really anxious to get my hands on the eighth book, and the ninth book came out today!
Max, James Patterson - This installment of the Maximum Ride series made me inexplicably happy. I suppose in truth I'm just a terrible, terrible sap and I liked seeing Max and Fang start to fall in love. I can't wait to get my hands on Fang, but I am hesitant to buy it in hardback...these books aren't worth quite that much.
Food Rules - An Eater's Manual, Michael Pollan - This is such a clear, distilled version of In Defense of Food. It's fantastic! The rules are so easy to follow, and even if you only choose to incorporate a few of them, you'll immediately be healthier and save money.
