Swim the Fly: Review Haiku

Teenage boys in all
their horny, lying, dumbass,
endearing glory.

Swim the Fly by Don Calame. Candlewick, 2009, 352 pages.

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette: Review Haiku

And again I say,
why am I not a Penderwick?
Maine-ly awesome.

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall. Knopf, 2011, 304 pages.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party: Review Haiku

Maimed cattle, illegitimate
twins, new shoes, and --
at last! -- a wedding.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith. Pantheon, 2011, 213 pages.

The Art of Immersion: Review Haiku

Takes a while to get
there, but a nifty look at
storytelling now.

The Art of Immersion: How the Digital Generation Is Remaking Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and the Way We Tell Stories by Frank Rose. Norton, 2011, 354 pages.

The Last Little Blue Envelope: Review Haiku

MJ gets it right:

love, death, longing, heartbreak --
plus the best car EVAH.

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson. Harper, 2011, 288 pages.

Sweet Valley Confidential: Review Haiku

Their wedding procession
song was from Phantom of
the Opera?!? *dies*

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal. St. Martin's, 2011, 293 pages.

Squish: Review Haiku

Is there nothing the
Holm kids can't do? Fun new series
for squishy boys.

Squish #1: Super Amoeba by Jennifer L. Holm and Matt Holm. Random, 2011, 96 pages.

Beginner's Grace: Review Haiku

A primer on prayer
right when I needed it.
Reverend Kate speaks the truth.

Beginner's Grace: Bringing Prayer to Life by Kate Braestrup. Free Press, 2010, 272 pages.

The Pioneer Woman: Review Haiku

Couldn't get enough
of this real-life love story.
Cowboys are sexy.

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story by Ree Drummond. Morrow, 2011, 352 pages.

The Wilder Life: Review Haiku

Poundy lets her
prairie freak flag fly: A road trip
for budding Half-Pints.

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure. Riverhead, 2011, 352 pages.

Trouble Maker 2: Review Haiku

Well, that was a waste
of a good half an hour

of my life. Piffle.

Trouble Maker, Book 2 by Janet Evanovich and Alex Evanovich. Dark Horse, 2010, 112 pages.

The Trouble with May Amelia: Review Haiku

I'm starting a line
to punch May Amelia's father
right in the mouth.

The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm. Atheneum, 2011, 224 pages.

Five Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth: Review Haiku

More new content would

have been nice, but you still can't
beat a pterobear. RAWRRRRR!

Five Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides) by Matthew Inman. Andrews McMell, 2011, 160 pages.

Let's Panic About Babies: Review Haiku

Fussy and Finslippy
don't know nothin' about
birthin' no babies.

Let's Panic About Babies!: How to Endure and Possibly Triumph Over the Adorable Tyrant Who Will Ruin Your Body, Destroy Your Life, Liquefy Your Brain, and Finally Turn You into a Worthwhile Human Being by Alice Bradley and Eden Kennedy. St. Martin's, 2011, 272 pages.

Unfamiliar Fishes: Review Haiku

Vowell spins the twisted
tale of Hawaii -- but dear God,
why no chapters?

Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell. Riverhead, 2011, 256 pages.

Verily, Verily: Review Haiku

Not for scholars: a
mish-mash of KJV things
the author finds cool.

Verily, Verily: The King James Version: 400 Years of Influence and Beauty by Jon Sweeney. Zondervan, 2011, 224 pages.

One Was a Soldier: Review Haiku

Brutal, honest, grace-filled
repercussions of war.
And oh! -- a wedding!



One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming. St. Martin's, 2011, 336 pages.



P.S. Bonus points for swiping the title from arguably the most delightfully ridiculous Episcopal hymn of all time.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my birthday. And instead of having a night of wanton debauchery and certain humiliation, I am doing this, with fourteen of my closest b-school friends. The older I get, the more insane I get.

Junonia: Review Haiku

A quiet piece of genius as ten-year-old Alice learns about loss.

Junonia by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow, 2011, 192 pages.

Big Nate Strikes Again: Review Haiku

Poor man's Greg Heffley faces his girly nemesis and wins, loses.

Big Nate Strikes Again! by Lincoln Peirce. Harper, 2010, 224 pages.