The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

The last words of a remarkable man as he was dying of cancer.  Everyone should read this book.

Composing Amelia by Alison Strobel

I had a bit of a difficult time enjoying parts of this story due to the character's depression. I kind of skimmed some of those parts because it is realistically written and I find depression to be rather depressing. I did think it was a well written interesting story and I liked the author's questions and explanations at the end.

The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn

I give this book 5 stars for the book part itself, but 3 stars for the recipes. The book does an excellent job of explaining why a plant based whole foods diet is the healthiest way to eat. It also has interesting stories about firefighting and the author's life and some nice looking exercises that I may try.
My favorite story is the one that ends with "Don't eat bear balls. Eat healthy, delectable, plant-based foods so that you will never fall over on your cat."
The recipes, however, make me a bit sad.
I want simple to prepare, whole foods, plant based recipes.
Many of the recipes in this cookbook look good, but are quite labor intensive. I am going to make some of them, but am going to try to simplify them some. I also was saddened by the amount of soy included in the recipes. There is a lot of tofu, textured vegetable protein and other soy products included in many of the recipes in the cookbook part of this book.
There are also a lot of milk substitutes recommended, and unless you make them yourself, those are processed foods. The author states, on pg. 52, "Cow's milk is fine for a calf who wants to gain one thousand pounds in less than a year. Whenever possible, humans should stick to breast milk until the age of two, and then make the switch to a milk substitute." While I agree that it is ideal to breastfeed babies until the age of two, I think that milk substitutes are not necessary and even may be detrimental especially soy milk.
I enjoyed reading the book and found it to be well-written and interesting and I am also reading sequel to this book "My Beef With Meat".

Towering by Alex Flinn

Once again, Alex Flinn has woven a wonderful tale.  In this modern day retelling of the story of Rapunzel, Rachel is a girl who lives in a tower visited by a woman who is not her mother, every evening.  Her hair grows fearsomely fast and her tears have healing powers.  When she is 17 years old, she dreams of a boy with dark hair and green eyes.  Wyatt, also 17 years old has gone to stay with Mrs. Greenwood, a friend of his mother's after a tragic experience.  From her house, he hears a beautiful voice singing.  Not to mention the ghost who spoke to him and her journal that he found.  Drawn inexplicably, he finds Rachel in her tower. That is when things get dangerous. Fantastic story!  I totally loved it and highly recommend it.

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Eighteen year old Kate has been raised to be a purity ring wearing self-righteous Christian. She has believed and done everything her church has taught her and does not understand how anyone else who goes to her church could ever behave differently.
The summer after her senior year, she works at a Christian camp as a counselor and gets her first boyfriend, experiences lust, and realizes why some people do break the rules that her church teaches. As she begins to understand other people a little bit, she is able to see how selfish and self-centered she has been and she is able to forgive her best friend, and herself and she starts to open her mind a little bit to understand that everyone does not believe everything her church teaches and that can still be ok.

True by Erin McCarthy

I am a bit torn about how to rate and review this book. While parts of it were ok - Tyler's family dynamic reminded me a bit of The Outsiders - much of the plot seemed "off". The whole part about Rory's roommates paying Tyler to have sex with her so she would not have to be a virgin anymore is rather a horrid thing and the fact that she did not seem upset about it is just wrong. Rory is a self-deprecating wimp and I am tired of wimpy female characters.

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

This is a charming book of letters back and forth between the author, who lives in New York, and the employees of a bookstore in London that she purchases books from. The letters begin in 1949 and for several years, we see that Helene sent care packages of food via catalog order to the bookstore employees because at that time, many foods were rationed and difficult to procure. It is cute and interesting and a fun read.