BOOK 44: My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok

Rating: 5 stars

Cover synopsis: Asher Lev is a religious boy with an overwhelming need to draw, to paint, to render the world he knows and the pain he feels on canvas. He must learn to master his skill without shaming his people or relinquishing any part of his deeply felt Judaism.

Wow. This was a fabulous piece of literature. Well-written and deeply insightful, it is a story that has been haunting my thoughts all week. Add this to the pile of favorites.

BOOK 43: The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau

Rating: 4 stars

Cover synopsis: The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever.

This was a fun and quick read with an interesting premise. The only reason it didn't earn 5 stars is that it is what it is. I kept hoping there would be an underlying theme or some richer layers to the story (a la Harry Potter), but I never found any. I also wished the author would have given us more character development beyond the main two characters.

Still, it was a fast-paced engrossing book, and I enjoyed it a lot. Can't wait to read the sequel.

BOOK 42: Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke

Rating: 3 stars

Cover synopsis: One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from "Inkheart," and an evil ruler named Capricorn escapes the boundaries of the book, landing in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie's in the middle of the kind of adventure she thought only took place in fairy tales. Can she change the course of the story that has changed her life forever?

Great premise, interesting characters...but for some reason I had a hard time plowing through it. Perhaps I ruined it for myself by seeing the movie first? Or perhaps at 534 pages, it's just too long and could use a good editor?

Still, it was enjoyable, and I'd have no problem recommending it to young adults. It was imaginative and the characters were memorable and well developed. I went back and forth with the idea of awarding it 3 or 4 stars. So in many places, it is quite good! It just fell a tad flat for me overall.