[insert snappy vacation title here]

As in years past, I'm taking a blog break in July. See you in a few weeks -- and happy reading.

Double Dog Dare: Review Haiku

Looks fluffy but is
surprisingly deep. A great
choice for middle grade.

Double Dog Dare by Lisa Graff. Philomel, 2012, 304 pages.

Insurgent: Review Haiku

Took me 300
pages to remember what
was going on. Phew.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Tegen/Harper, 2012, 544 pages.

See You at Harry's: Review Haiku

Bring tissues and a
neck brace for the emotional
whiplash. Tough stuff.

See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles. Candlewick, 2012, 310 pages.

Unholy Night: Review Haiku

Gospels as revenge-fueled
action flick: so crazy,
it just about works.

Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith. Grand Central, 2012, 320 pages.

Summer of the Gypsy Moths: Review Haiku

The premise strains
credulity, but the characters
are worth knowing.

Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker. Balzer + Bray/Hyperion, 2012, 288 pages.

Are You My Mother: Review Haiku

Inward-looking to
the point of suffocation:
smart but hard to love.

Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel. HMH, 2012, 304 pages.

The Power of Habit: Review Haiku

You are a slave to
your habits. Now lose weight and
stop biting your nails.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. Random, 2012, 400 pages.

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection: Review Haiku

You don't really care
what it's about, right? Just pour
some bush tea and read.

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith. Pantheon, 2012, 272 pages.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: Review Haiku

I defy you to
read this without wearing an
adult diaper. SNORT.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson. Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, 2012, 336 pages.

Drop Dead Healthy: Review Haiku

Entertaining, but
I'm glad I'm not married to him.
(Nature's Platform??)

Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection by A. J. Jacobs.

Girl Land: Review Haiku

I WANT TO PUNCH THIS
BOOK IN THE FACE REPEATEDLY.
The hell, Caitlin?

Girl Land by Caitlin Flanagan. Reagan Arthur Books, 2012, 224 pages.

Food Rules: Review Haiku

Slightly twee, but made
palatable by Kalman.
(SEE WHAT I DID THERE?)

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan, illustrated by Maira Kalman. Penguin, 2011, 240 pages.

The Unseen Guest: Review Haiku

A hearty AWOOOOO
for another great addition
to this canon.

The Unseen Guest (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #3) by Maryrose Wood. Balzer + Bray/Harper, 2012, 352 pages.

Imagine: Review Haiku

Pop neuroscience
lets your inner daydreaming
grade-school freak flag fly.

Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer. HMH, 2012, 304 pages.

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Review Haiku

Perfect airplane reading,
if you don't mind your seatmate
hearing you snort.

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death by Laurie Notaro. Villard, 2009, 218 pages.

The Lifespan of a Fact: Review Haiku

Fascinating, yes;
but mostly, TOTALLY
HORRIFYING. Ye gods.

The Lifespan of a Fact by John D'Agata and Jim Fingal. Norton, 2012, 128 pages.

Caddy's World: Review Haiku

I can never decide
whether I want to be
a Casson or not.

Caddy's World by Hilary McKay. McElderry/Atheneum, 2012, 272 pages.

Wonder: Review Haiku

Geez -- way to stack the
Newbery deck, first-timer.
Amazingly good.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio. Knopf, 2012, 320 pages.

Some Assembly Required: Review Haiku

I wanted to love this,
but the self-indulgence
kinda drove me nuts.

Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son's First Son by Anne Lamott and Sam Lamott. Riverhead, 2012, 288 pages.