Just skimmed my way through my first stack of books. Some of them I’ll be revisiting in depth, others I’ll be listing on Bookmooch, and still others I’ll be giving away to friends. I might even have a little contest here on Reading is my Superpower… we shall see.

I picked up way too many books, so consider this the qualifying round for a Superfast Read.

Gym Candy by Carl Deuker
A high school athlete turns to steroids to fulfill his overbearing father’s dreams.
A good character-driven sports book. Not as deep as Chris Crutcher (Stotan!), but does a good job showing how a good kid could make such a poor choice.
Comes out 9/3/7

Sick Girl by Amy Silverstein
A memoir written by a young heart-transplant patient.
Memoirs aren’t really my thing, but the writing here was quite good so I’d recommend this if you like this kind of story.
Due out October 2007

Annie’s War by Jacqueline Levering Sullivan
1946. A white girl recovering from an appendectomy befriends a black woman fleeing discrimination in the South.
This is cornpone Christian Fiction (published by Eerdman’s) that seems to have better-than-average prose. I think I’ll pass it along to my pastor’s kids, as it seems to have a good history lesson in it.
Due out September 2007

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Cholodenko
Middle schooler Kirsten’s unhappy with the weight she’s put on, and the way her former best friend treats her when Queen Bee Brianna is around. Walk is new at school, and already hates being the only black kid in all his classes. A family secret brings the two of them together in a most unexpected way. I’d definitely recommend this one. It has humor, interesting characters, and a solid plotline.
Due out September 2007

Ana’s Story by Jenna Bush
I probably wouldn’t have picked this up if I’d paid attention to the author. I hate celebrity-written books. This one was inspired by Ms. Bush’s work with UNICEF, and chronicles the story of a young woman born HIV-positive. My skim revealed writing that was serviceable, though on-the-nose.
Due out October 2007

Lily Dale: Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub
After the death of her mother, a young woman moves to a town populated by psychics–and discovers that she might have powers as well. Fabulous–love it, love it, love it. It’s the first in a series and I say, “Bring it!”
Due out September 2007

I’ve got a ton more books, but I’ll actually be reading those in full… watch out for reviews!