Not quite up to the bar set by Amy & Roger, but Since You've Been Gone is still a great novel from Morgan Matson. She continues the trend of putting playlists in her novel and seems to have pretty eclectic music tastes that just might rival my own. Once again, I will doubtless be constructing a Spotify playlist based upon the musical selections from the book. The story is cute and smart, but does have a bit of a predictable ending. That was probably the only downfall. Though I think I seem to appreciate them as much as the majority of readers, the happy, somewhat overly perfect ending approach occasionally wears thin for me. I tried not to let it bother me too much with this one since it had so much more going for it, but it did ultimately cost it a star in the ratings.

Extremely short and quick read that is not nearly as controversial as it is made out to be. A good story of prejudice and racial tension from the perspective of a Native American. Definitely geared for the middle school crowd and admittedly quite appropriate for that age set. I think this book has a lot to offer in lessons for kids in that age range and adults have absolutely blown the potential offensiveness or perceived inappropriateness of the book out of the water. I would have no problem letting my own kid read this. He's 14. I wouldn't have had an issue with him reading at age 12 or 13 either. It's just not that big of a deal guys...it offers more in potential learning and personal growth for these readers than it could ever cause them detriment.

One of these days, Goodreads will allow 1/2 stars... To be fair, this one is a 3 1/2 for me. I knew going into this that I could either love it or hate it. Thankfully, I didn't hate it. I knew it wasn't written fully by J.K. Rowling, but rather that she was consulted on it and more or less approved it. I knew that it was a script for a play and wouldn't read like a normal novel. I wasn't not surprised by either of those things. I've sat on my opinion for a couple of days to give myself a chance to really rate it fairly. Here are my conclusions...

1. The play format did not bother me as much as I thought it would. This was actually my primary reservation prior to reading. I was afraid that the script outline would put me off. But it worked. I was able to read it and hear/see the script in my head just as I would have with any other book. There was nothing in that approach that detracted from the rating for me.

2. It was very clear that J.K. Rowling was not the sole author. The writing style was different, not quite as magical as the original series. The level of detail that had been present in prior books really was a bit lacking. That bothered me. The fact that she hadn't written it alone...not an issue. The fact that it felt so obviously "off"? That did. I tried not to let it affect my view, but let's face it...if it's just not as magical, it's just not as good.

3. The book condenses far too much into one plot. This made some things seem overly rushed and mildly irritated me. I get it...it's a play and it has to be done all at once, but it just felt awkward in some places.

4. The female characters were overly disappointing. I'm frustrated greatly by this. Rowling has always been very good at keeping equality in her novels, both with heroes and villains. That didn't happen here. Hermione and Ginny were notably less...themselves and seemed far too much at the whim of the primary male characters. They were not the powerful and independent female characters that were so lauded in the original books. I really wish this had been different. It is a large portion of the reason for my discounted rating. It could have been done better. I'm disappointed in Rowling for this one...she should have spoken up for her characters and kept them true to themselves.

5. The relationship between Harry and Dumbledore was wildly tainted in this plot. This not only disappointed me, it angered me. Harry came off as far too bitter and resentful -- not the Harry I've come to know and love over the years. And Dumbledore...I don't even know who this character was. He felt nothing like the headmaster present in Rowling's wonderful series. This made me angry and nearly caused me to stop reading the book.

6. I'm not sad or regretful at having read it. It was nice to have a little addition to the story and to relive a little bit of the Potterverse. It definitely reads more like fan fiction than authentic Rowling, but I'm not sure I could have expected much more unless Rowling herself had taken the reins solo once again. It was worth the read...I just wish she had pushed for more for her characters and the legend of The Boy Who Lived.

Meh. It was alright, but I wasn't really a fan of the style. I thought I would like something less formal, but the narrative just kind of annoyed me. The information wasn't nearly as helpful as I'd hoped and most of it was either stuff I already knew (because I'm flipping old and I've been around for a while) or just wasn't useful.

A bit of a wandering narrative with some disjointed chapters, but overall a good, unique view of China. Read for an Asian history class in an interesting approach. Not a bad exposure to foreign cultural experience.

Very cute autobiography that was a breeze as a read. Lindsey holds up her reputation for being both sweet and funny in her well-written narrative and remains down-to-Earth despite her rising fame. She is both honest and private, able to share her life while still remaining real, genuine, and humble. Well worth the read.

She's quirky and funny, but I just didn't love this one as much as her first book.

I always enjoy reading John Green's novels. They move quickly and feel comfortable. He's smart and witty, but still just quirky enough to keep things interesting without being crazy. I'd been wanting to read this one for quite a while. It was good, but nowhere near as powerfully impactful as The Fault in Our Stars. Just a light, easy read that was a darned good way to start my reading for 2017.

I was skeptical at first that I would like this one. Nonfiction is always hit or miss, especially when it comes to the "self-help" variety. But...I was pleasantly surprised. Gilbert is frank and honest without being condescending. She keeps things light, but she doesn't beat around the bush. It's a good balance.

As far as the message, it's a good one. She stresses that creativity is something we must partner with. It is not a burden, it is not a given. It is available from time to time and it is what we make of it. If we do not embrace it, it may temporarily disappear.

I had let my creative endeavors stagnate. This book helped me feel inspired to jump back on the horse once again. What I create doesn't have to change the world, it doesn't have to bring me a fortune, it doesn't have to make anyone happy but me. Just reading her words made it feel as if the burden of producing something special to the outside world had been removed. I don't need to impress anyone but myself. That is about a freeing a message as one can receive.

This one was a relaxing read with quirky characters that just worked. The premise seemed a bit over-the-too here and there, but in the end that just ended up contributing to the novel's charm. Not a terribly poignant read, but still enjoyable.