Good heavens, where did May go?

It’s Memorial Day here in the states, and that’s not a holiday I’ve given much thought to since I graduated from high school and stopped attending my small town’s Memorial Day parade. Though things have conspired this year to make me feel guilty about that, and I’m looking for some suggestions as to what to do to remind my children that there are men and women out there sacrificing their lives so we can live in comfort and freedom. Suggestions?

And I suppose, since it is the last day of the month, I ought to give you my three favorite jacket flaps, huh?

Academy 7 (Speak): “Aerin Renning is a scarred fugitive, Dane Madousin a rebellious son of privilege. On the surface, they have nothing in common. But the two most competitive freshmen at Academy 7 share an undiscovered bond. Both harbor a dangerous secret that threatens their own destruction. And while their safety depends on their staying apart, the two are inexplicably drawn to each other. Evan as unknown forces conspire to separate them, their competition turns to friendship, and their friendship to romance. Now, not only their lives — but their hearts — are at stake. To survive, the two must unite all their knowledge, skills and gifts to uncover a secret bigger than either could have imagined. A secret as big as the entire universe…”

It’s not exactly accurate to the story, and it kind of blows things out of proportion, but, man, it makes you want to read the book. Doesn’t it?

Will Grayson, Will Grayson (Dutton Juvenile): “One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens–both named Will Grayson–are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.”

Spot-on. Captures the essence, without giving too much away. Perfect.

Crossing Stones (Farrar, Straus and Giroux): “Maybe you won’t rock a cradle, Muriel. Some women seem to prefer to rock the boat. Eighteen-year-old Muriel Jorgensen lives on one side of Crabapple Creek. Her family’s closest friends, the Normans, live on the other. For as long as Muriel can remember, the families’ lives have been intertwined, connected by the crossing stones that span the water. But now that Frank Norman—who Muriel is just beginning to think might be more than a friend—has enlisted to fight in World War I and her brother, Ollie, has lied about his age to join him, the future is uncertain. As Muriel tends to things at home with the help of Frank’s sister, Emma, she becomes more and more fascinated by the women’s suffrage movement, but she is surrounded by people who advise her to keep her opinions to herself. How can she find a way to care for those she loves while still remaining true to who she is? Written in beautifully structured verse, Crossing Stones captures nine months in the lives of two resilient families struggling to stay together and cross carefully, stone by stone, into a changing world.”

I think it’s a bit too detailed, but perhaps they felt a need to spell out the plot because it’s a novel in verse. It’s still pretty good, though.

Other books read this month:
Radiant Darkness
My Double Life
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
French Milk
Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence; Sabine’s Notebook; The Golden Mean
Confections of a Closet Master Baker
God Went to Beauty School
Running out of Time
The Wide-Awake Princess
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Letter to My Daughter

Running Total: 72
Adult fiction: 17
YA: 26
MG: 15
Non-fiction: 7
Graphic Novel: 9
Didn’t Finish: 5