January reading

Here's the list of what I read in January. If you want to read beyond the list, I have a few sentences about each book and how I would rate it. Let me know if any of these books are on your list, or if you have read these, what do you think?
Books-January 2011
1. Easily amused by Karen McQuestion
2. Crush by Alan Jacobson
3. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
4. Perfect on paper by Maria Murnane
5. Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano
6. The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
7. Denim and diamonds by Debbie MaComber
8. Applying to College for students with ADD or LD by Blythe Grossberg (for SLJ review)
9. Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner (listened to via iPod)
10. Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park (for gender project)
11. We die alone by David Howarth (for gender project)
12. This life I'd led by Babe Didrikson Zaharias (for gender project)
13. Hangman by Faye Kellerman
14. The wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Morgan
1. I read McQuestion’s first book A Scattered Life on Kindle and enjoyed it. This one not so much. It made good beach reading, but can’t really recommend it.
2. A free book from Amazon Kindle. Long drawn-out story that would be better told in a made for TV movie.
3. Better than Corrections. Franzen is a great writer and his theme of freedom is readily evident throughout the book. I have to agree with Maureen Corrigan when she says, “Franzen gets more praise for doing what many fine female writers do ‘backwards and in heels.’”
4. Cute story, read it in Argentina and it turns out the author wrote it while taking a break from real life and moving to Argentina. (It is not about Argentina.)
5. Loved this historical fiction based on the author’s grandmother and great-grandmother’s real lives.
6. Maybe my favorite this month. Well written and compelling reading.
7. MaComber is an expert at romance writing. This one is set in Wyoming, so with a reduced price on Kindle, it was worth a go. Same story, different setting.
8. I read this for review on School Library Journal. If you have a high school child thinking of applying to college, it is worth the read, even if s/he does not have ADD or LD. Good organizational tips to keep everyone on the same page.
9. I love to listen to Weiner stories. She has a sarcastic style that comes across best in the spoken word. This one had two actresses playing the mother and daughter voices, convincingly and while there is not exactly a happy ending, there is a nice resolution to the relationship issues between the mother and daughter.
10. Park is a Newbery Award winning author. This is a sweet story about a Korean girl who doesn’t like being different, but finally recognizes that difference is okay too.
11. Great book! If you like adventure, this one is for you!
12. Another top book of the month! I loved Babe’s story and loved the way she told it. Wish she had not died of cancer at such a young age.
13. Kellerman does a good job of moving her series characters through the ups and downs of life while maneuvering through a gruesome murder or two at the same time. My favorite character is Rina. Any surprise?
14. A find from the new books shelf at the library. If you read it, let me know who you identify with more: Meg or Nancy? First wife or second wife? One of my favorite passages was when Meg, the first wife, was hungry for something to read after years in captivity and someone brings her a book, she speculates after seeing that it was nice and thick, "Dickens, perhaps. How silly to be so excited."