A Few Things I've Read Recently

Not that it has been boring around here, but fairly low-key.  I worked at the Reference Desk on  Saturday--you gotta follow me on Twitter so you can hear all about how I taught elderly people to use electronics & get eBooks.  They tell you everything that's on their minds, from how patient they think you are as an educator, to how they're 87 and the parent of children younger than I am (don't wanna know more, TYVM).  Yesterday I cantored Mass as a substitute at my "second parish" and later my parents invited me to tag along on a trip to the casino where I proceeded to have fun and not lose too much money.  Got a pretty good turkey BLT out of the deal, too, and the leftovers made for good lunch today which I did not share with The Cat because she has been eating corned beef and cat food like a champ. (An eating contest champ, that is.)

Anyway, I have been reading a few things over the summer and I haven't gotten to talk much about them with anyone, so--here you go, in no particular order, all borrowed from the library unless otherwise stated:

• The Reece Malcolm List (YA): Kind of a fish-out-of-water joins Glee-like school while dealing with family trauma sort of story.  I know, that sounds weird, which is why it didn't work 100% for me, but it's a fairly decent teen read.  I have to say I did enjoy the descriptions of California through a new arrival's eyes.
• VJ: The Unplugged Adventures of Mtv's First Wave (Adult Nonfic): Let me start by saying that while I grew up without cable--Mtv's existence probably contributed to that decision by my folks--I definitely had some exposure to maybe not the first couple years but definitely the early years discussed in the book, so I know who these people are.  It's gossipy for sure, full of the cliched "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll," and there are some parts I wish I hadn't read and wonder why they even shared those details.  There's a little bit of history, but for the most part it's four people's (with notes about/writing by the late J.J. Jackson) telling of how becoming VJs affected their lives, both positively and negatively.  Interesting in parts, but sometimes just left me thinking, "So what?" as it seemed they expected more recognition/compensation for what they did (or thought they did).  
• Goddess (YA, conclusion of the Starcrossed trilogy): Really tested my recall of Greek mythology, and wrapped up the story fairly well.  I really liked the first one, Starcrossed, about a girl who discovers she's descended from the original Greek gods (but not in a ripping-off-Percy-Jackson way).  So there's handling all that as well as forbidden romance (not to mention raging hormones), hiding her identity/secret powers, and protecting herself/family/friends/town.  This last book details the final war that everyone had seen coming, and while it didn't drag, it got a little confusing in parts, possibly owing to a multiple-POV problem and some finagling to make the mythology fit.  Really creative, though. *Bought this one with my own money and a coupon.
• I'm in the middle of A Practical Wedding (for you-know-what, and eagerly anticipating a visit from the happy couple next week!) and still can't bring myself to crack open the virtual book club selection (sorry, LibraryElf).

I hope you're reading something good lately, and if not--why not try one of these?