Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar. not exactly 'shirtless' but my that's really unbuttoned!! sooo hot he was. and kinda is still.

These Happy Golden Years - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Summary:  Laura, not yet sixteen, takes a job teaching school in a drafty shanty twelve miles from home.  It's a terrifying job.  Most of her pupils are taller than she is -- and she has to board with a hateful, crazed lady.  Laura is miserable, but she must help to keep her blind sister Mary in school.  And every Friday, when the school week is over, Almanzo arrives in his sleigh -- come all twelve miles across the desolate icy slough to take her home to her family  for the weekend.  Could it be love?  (Summary from book - Image from openlibrary.org )

My Review:  These Happy Golden Years has a different feel than the novels that precede it. With Laura grown up, by De Smet standards, the story focuses more on her life outside of the Ingalls household -- teaching school, studying for exams, and living in the homes of strangers. A homesick Laura is delighted by fleeting weekends with her family and regular Sunday drives with Almanzo. I enjoyed Almanzo’s attention to Laura, and her bewilderment by it, but found that I missed the pleasures of daily life in the Ingalls home and wished for more detail sprinkled between the weekdays and carriage rides.

As with Little Town on the Praire, this book paid excessive attention to fashion, much to my disappointment and disinterest, but Laura’s budding relationship with Almanzo more than made up for it. My seven-year-old daughter loved it as well, which was a little disturbing, and she kept giggling each time Almanzo showed up to take Laura for a buggy ride. She was aghast at life with the Brewsters, which only served to highlight the love and warmth of Laura’s childhood home.

My youngest daughter made the occasional appearance while reading, but my eldest constantly pestered me to read “just one more!” This book ends in the expected wedding and Laura’s bittersweet journey from the Ingalls homestead to her new home with Almanzo.

We finished this book in around four days and Kaisa bolted downstairs to get the final book (or the follow-up, depending on your perspective), The First Four Years.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Sum it Up:  Laura gets a life, and love, of her own. 

Little Town on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Summary:  The long hard winter was over.  The people of De Smet, South Dakota, came outdoors and began to live again.  They held church socials, dances, and "literaries."  In the summer, Laura took a grueling job -- making shirts, through long hard hours.  She wanted the money to help send Mary to the college for the blind in Vinton, Iowa.  Suddenly, Laura was a young lady.  And who but the dashing Almanzo Wilder escorted her home in the evenings!  (Summary from book - Image from www.littlehouse.wikia )

My Review:  After the long winter, the Ingalls family moves back out onto their claim for the summer and Laura spends the time studying for her teachers certificate and working in town to help pay for Mary's education.  In the fall, a plague of blackbird plagues leads to lost crops but ample blackbird pie. 

When winter rolls around again, the claim shanty isn't ready to weather the storm, so the family moves back to town and the girls become "city girls".  Laura is growing up.  Before long, she gets invited to parties and sociables,  and even begins paying attention to fads, fashion, and (gasp) boys.  My girls were particularly interested in the reappearance of mean-spirited Nellie Oleson, and the problems with the new school teacher (who also happens to be Almanzo Wilder's sister).  My eldest thought it was hysterical that Laura got to ride in Almanzo's buggy instead of a certain snobby schoolmate who shall remain nameless.

Despite my love for this series, there were a few things that I didn't like about this book.  Because Laura is more interested in clothing and looking fashionable, there were many times that clothing was described down to the most minute detail.  Bo-ring.  My kids couldn't picture it and didn't much care.   Also, towards the end of the book, the Ingalls family attends a literary where several men paint their faces black, dress up as "darkies" and put on a show.  Definitely not the most P.C. moment in Little House history, as the word "darkies" was used a number of times.  I just substituted the word "performers" and read quickly.  My children also didn't understand the church revival at all and I think were a little distressed by all the yelling. 

My five-year-old has all but detached herself from this series now, choosing instead to look at other books while I read to her older sister.  I suppose that Laura has grown up too fast for her, but my seven-year-old still begs me to read and dissolves into giggles the moment Almanzo's name is mentioned.  When we finished this one (without her sister) she gleefully ran downstairs to get "These Happy Golden Year" proclaiming that "Laura and Almanzo are going to get married in this one."  Should I be worried?  I mean, she's seven.

My Rating: 3.75 Stars

Sum it up:  A welcome reprieve from The Long Winter, with some interesting description of town life.

Salman Khan

Salman Khan. sexy. shirtless. I think these stills are from Veergati, which wasn't a bad film but sadly flopped. worth a watch again.

Salman Khan

Salman Khan's first completely shirtless appearance after he really beefed up and waxed his chest (boo, wish he hadn't!) for the song 'Oh o jaane jaana'. Great song, and he looked hot!

Emraan Hashmi

Emraan Hashmi's hot shoot for Murder 2. Looking grand. See the 'making of' this shoot here.

Salman Khan

Salman Khan series. Showing a little can be just as sexy as showing a lot. he looks gorgeous here doesn't he?! Salman Khan half... well, semi-shirtless! lols. what a bod, what a face!

Salman Khan

Salman Khan by Salamat Hussain photography.V impressed with the bravura Salman shows in shoots. as a former model and often a muse for legendary photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha (in the early days of Salman Khan's career), Khan has posed in creative ways often. gorgeous man. he used to look even more stunning and photogenic before he got over pumped.

Saahil Khan

Possibly one of worst movies made, but Saahil Khan's super fit. He needs to star in the Indian version of Blue Lagoon... er Blue Bafoon? lols. kidding. he's a hot guy and should stick to posing shirtless and in briefs/speedos!

Akshay Kumar

Some early 90s pics of Akshay Kumar in all his hotness. Akshay Kumar shirtless is the epicenter of the Shirtless Bollywood Men blog/group/site!! lols

John Abraham

John Abraham shirtless. Wow. Series of shots from an upcoming film.

Salman Khan

Salman Khan in a vest. Plus extra shots of him with tabloid photographer RT Chawla. Shot on the sets of Ek ladka ek ladki... I think. salman was so much hotter then, hot chest fuzz, great arms, humble, hot. now, one big bloated super ego walking around.

A Red Herring Without Mustard - Alan Bradley

Summary: Award-winning author Alan Bradley returns with another beguiling novel starring the insidiously clever and unflappable eleven-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce. The precocious chemist with a passion for poisons uncovers a fresh slew of misdeeds in the hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey—mysteries involving a missing tot, a fortune-teller, and a corpse in Flavia’s own backyard.

Flavia had asked the old Gypsy woman to tell her fortune, but never expected to stumble across the poor soul, bludgeoned in the wee hours in her own caravan. Was this an act of retribution by those convinced that the soothsayer had abducted a local child years ago? Certainly Flavia understands the bliss of settling scores; revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters. But how could this crime be connected to the missing baby? Had it something to do with the weird sect who met at the river to practice their secret rites? While still pondering the possibilities, Flavia stumbles upon another corpse—that of a notorious layabout who had been caught prowling about the de Luce’s drawing room.

Pedaling Gladys, her faithful bicycle, across the countryside in search of clues to both crimes, Flavia uncovers some odd new twists. Most intriguing is her introduction to an elegant artist with a very special object in her possession—a portrait that sheds light on the biggest mystery of all: Who is Flavia?

As the red herrings pile up, Flavia must sort through clues fishy and foul to untangle dark deeds and dangerous secrets.
Summary and cover photo from indiebound.org 

My Review: Say hello again to Flavia de Luce, the preteen amateur sleuth readers have come to love in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag. Once again readers find themselves following Flavia as she unravels the latest mystery to hit Bishop's Lacey, this time a brutal assault on a gypsy and the murder of the town idler. Her mission is made more difficult as she dodges her older sisters' cruel pranks and remains constantly vigilant of Investigator Hewitt, who attempts to chase her away from the case.

Flavia manages to juggle her love for chemistry and her loathing for her sisters while she gathers facts relating to the case. A hodgepodge of mismatched information seems to assemble and it's not until the final pages that the pieces fit together. During her journey Flavia receives some insight into her own family's workings which in turn mends fences and builds new bonds. An unexpected friendship also enters into this tale with a colorful character who will hopefully be seen again in future adventures.

This book, while still entertaining, seemed to lack something. There was not as much suspense as I had come to expect from Bradley as the perpetrator was fairly obvious early on. Flavia didn't seem to have to dig herself out of  many sticky situations, which had added an additional element of humor to the past books.The banter between Flavia and her sisters was also not nearly as amusing as I had hoped. I didn't find myself on edge of my seat or chuckling as much as in the past. However the author's note to reader at the end of the book did provide one last smile. And when all is said and done this book is still witty and fun.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Sensitive Readers: This book, as with the previous books, is pretty much spotless. With an 11-year-old protagonist it would really be a great fit in the young adult genre.


To Sum it up: Another entertaining installment in the chronicles of Flavia de Luce, though not the best by far.

Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar's semi-shirtless shot for the now defunct MOVIE magazine. cute. Inspired by the Annie Leibovitz shot of Marky Mark?! Possibly. Wish Akshay was in briefs too! hot.

The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan

Summary:  Jason has a problem.  He doesn't remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip.  Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and his best friend is a guy named Leo.  They're all students at the Wilderness School, a boarding school for "bad kids," as Leo puts it.  What did Jason do to end up here?  And where is here, exactly?  Jason doesn't know anything--except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret.  Her father, a famous actor, has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble.  Piper doesn't understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn't recognize her.  When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she's going to find out, whether she wants to or not.

Leo has a way with tools.  When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home.  But there's weird stuff, too--like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and some camper who's gone missing.  Weirdest of all, his bunk mates insist that each of them --including Leo-- is related to a god.  Does this have anything to do with Jason's amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts.    (Summary from book - Image from fanpop.com)

My Review:  I am a die-hard fan of those Lightning Thief books (aka the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series) and jumped at the chance to revisit Riordan’s magical world of mythology, monsters and mayhem by reading the first book in his new series, The Heroes of Olympus. I loved Riordan’s unique blend of modern with mythological and found that The Lost Hero, now with new demigods (and a few old ones), another ominous prophecy, a case of amnesia, and a treacherous quest, had a similar feel to Riordan’s previous works.

In short, I liked this book.  The Lost Hero was fun, easy to read, and I enjoyed learning more about familiar characters and being introduced to some new ones.  It's always interesting to see what powers each demigod has inherited from their parent and the full extent of what they can do.  Riordan also adds some new gods to the mix and even throws in a a few heroes or villains for good measure.  I loved the addition of the lesser known (to me) Roman mythology and all that it means for the series. 

My only real complaint is that, at first, I had some difficulty figuring out who the "bad guy" really was, or which "bad guy" was speaking to which demigod.  It took a little mental exercise and reading a little further into the story before I finally figured everything out, but it eventually all made sense. 

This is a book aimed at older children or younger young adults, and as such, isn’t overly complex or arduous. It doesn’t take long before an obstacle is faced, overcome, and replaced with another. If this book were written for an older audience, I would call this a “flaw”, but in this case, the pace kept things exciting for younger readers. Either way the story was laced with enough trademark creativity and humor that I didn’t really mind. I look forward to the next book in the Heroes of Olympus series, The Son of Neptune (releasing 10/11/11), and hope that the excitement continues.

My Rating: 4 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  Um.  I don't remember anything offensive -- unless you are offended by Cyclops.

Sum it up: A fun spin-off to a much-loved series.

On the Banks of Plum Creek - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Summary:  At first the Ingalls lived in a sod house in Minnesota.  Then Pa built a clean new house beside Plum Creek, buying materials for it on credit, intending to pay for them with the fall wheat harvest.  But just before the harvest, a strange glittering cloud suddenly blocked out the sun.  Plunk!  Something dropped on Laura's head, and fell to the ground.  It was the biggest grasshopper she had ever seen.  Millions of them descended over the country side--and then there was no wheat crop.  (Summary from book - Image from harpercollins.com)



My Review: On the Banks of Plum Creek begins with the purchase of a hole in the ground. Well, pretty much. Pa and Ma Ingalls trade their wagon and oxen for a dugout (a sod home carved into a creek bank) and some land. For Mary, Laura, and not-so-baby Carrie, it is an incredible adventure. My girls sure thought so! I can’t count the number of times they told me that they wanted to live in a dugout too.

Soon afterwards, Pa Ingalls begins to till the land, and takes out a loan against the next year’s wheat harvest to build a beautiful home out of pine boards. My children were amazed at the illustrations of this new house and especially the shiny wood stove that sat in the corner, looking entirely different from our electric one. Throughout the coming year, the Ingalls family has many adventures and tribulations. Whether it was attending school for the first time or going to a town party, enduring a grasshopper plague, blinding snowstorms, or the snobbery of that despicable Nellie Olsen, my girls were hooked.

What I liked most about these books, after the exciting events and illustrations, is that they provide many opportunities to discuss sound principles with my children. We discussed the dangers of getting into debt, the importance of listening to and obeying our parents, how temptation works in our lives, and much more. When we finished this one, my children leapt off the couch and ran downstairs for the next one (By the Shores of Silver Lake). I LOVE that they love this series!

My Rating: 4.5 Stars. It’s hard to beat the first book, but this one sure tried.

For the sensitive reader: I had a hard time reading certain parts with a straight face (e.g. Laura and her Christmas…ahem…muff). I’m sorry. I wish I could be more grown up about it, but talking about how silky it was nearly made my husband and I cross-eyed trying to keep it together. There were also a few other words that mean different things now (like p***y and gay), that an older child might pick up on. Mine did not.

Sum it up: A wonderful continuation of the life of Laura Ingalls and her family.

The Quilter's Apprentice - Jennifer Chiaverini

Summary:  When Sarah McClure and her husband, Matt, move to Waterford, Pennsylvania, she hopes to make a fresh start in the small college town.  Unable to find a job both practical and fulfilling, she takes a temporary position at Elm Creek Manor helping its reclusive owner, Sylvia Compson, prepare her family estate for sale after the death of her estranged sister.  Sylvia is also a master quilter and , as part of Sarah's compensation, offers to share the secrets of her creative gifts with the younger woman.

During their lessons, the intricate, varied threads of Sylvia's life begin to emerge.  It is the story of a young wife living through the hardships and agonies of the World War II home front; of a family torn apart by jealousy and betrayal; of misunderstandings, loss, and a tragedy that can never be undone.  As the bond between them deepens, Sarah resolves to help Sylvia free herself from remembered sorrows and restore her life--and her home--to its former glory.  In the process, she confronts painful truths about her own family, even as she creates new dreams for the future.

Just as the darker sections of a quilt can enhance the brighter ones, the mistakes of the past can strengthen understanding and lead the way to new beginnings.  The powerful debut novel by a gifted storyteller, The Quilter's Apprentice tells a timeless tale of family, friendship, and forgiveness as two women weave the disparate pieces of their lives into a bountiful and harmonious whole.  (Summary from back of the book and image from  http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/)

My Review:  For the purpose of this review, I feel that I must mention that I am not a quilter and have never been exposed to the world of quilting besides a quick jaunt through the State Fair buildings.  Although, I have always admired quilts and have "peice and sew my own quilt" on my bucket list of things to do before I die.  I think quilt makers/lovers would probably eat this book up.  I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the quilting process, even if at times it was hard to picture.  The author kindly put pictures of the quilt squares Sarah worked on for her sampler quilt at the beginning of the book and I referenced them regularly while reading.  I also enjoyed the camaraderie the ladies shared in their quilting group.  The way Chiaverini describes the friendship it makes you want to take up quilting just to have the good friends and treats.  This is a good, clean read, one I wouldn't mind recommending to any age based on content.

The reason I couldn't give this book a higher rating was because, time and again, I had to force myself to pick up the book and finish.  It wasn't that it was a bad book, or that the characters are unrelatable.  I just didn't have a hard time putting it down.  It might have been from the sadness that hovers around Sylvia's life and my hesitation to learn more of the ghosts that haunt her.  Maybe it was because I read this just before and during the Thanksgiving break from school and my mind was on other things.  Regardless, I wasn't so wrapped up in the story that I couldn't put it down and therefore I could not give it quite a 4 star rating.

Rating:  3.75 stars

Sum it up: A charming tale of personal growth, forgiveness, and the love of quilting.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling

Summary:  Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await...that no fan will make it to the end unscathed....The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself.  (Image and summary from amazon.com)

My Review:  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows picks up where Half-Blood Prince leaves off – with Harry immersed in the search for Voldemort’s mysterious Horcruxes. As the Chosen One, Harry is determined to go it alone and Hermione and Ron are just as determined to come along. The ministry has been infiltrated. People are being cursed, kidnapped, tortured, and killed, left, right and center, and things are finally heating up between Ron and Hermione. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out to find and destroy the Horcruxes, they discover more than they ever thought possible about their mission, Albus Dumbledore's secret past, and the legend of the Deathly Hallows.

This book is the darkest and most suspenseful book in the Harry Potter series. Evil walks the streets and many of the scenes in this book feel as if they come from a horror movie. As her previous book proved, Rowling isn’t afraid to kill off major characters, a quality that I both love and loathe, but one which made this book extremely painful to read. At the same time, Rowling offers more light-hearted, humorous, and romantic moments to help strike a balance within the book. It may be cliché, but the term “roller coaster of emotions” is an apt description of the author's ability to take full control of your feelings and yank them around with ferocity.

My favorite aspect of this book is that, as the story unfolds, heroes emerge that have long stood in the background, to fight alongside Harry as he wages war with the Dark Lord. I love, love, loved the parts that they played, and it was wonderful to see true intentions revealed, and to watch so many people take their place in the spotlight. Ultimately, the final book in one of the world’s most popular fantasy series comes down to a gigantic magical death match, full of astonishing twists and unexpected casualties, as J.K. Rowling skillfully weaves a compelling plot, fascinating characters, and long forgotten detail into a seamless and spectacular conclusion. I am so sad it’s over.

(Disclaimer) At this point, JK Rowling can do no wrong in my eyes -- and, let's be honest, I hit that point about four books ago. Wait! Let me qualify that. If she writes another book and decides to impregnate Hermione with a sparkly baby named Ronnesme, I’m going to have to ditch the whole series and start a hate mail campaign. Other than that lingering fear, I’m too far gone to see any flaws that aren’t glaringly obvious. Deal with it.

My Rating: 5 Stars (more if I could)     For the sensitive reader: This book probably contains more swearing (biblical and otherwise) than the last several books combined. There is liberal application of the word “effing” (no, literally, that’s what they say) which might be offensive to some, given its most likely meaning. I wasn’t bothered by it, but did notice the increase in profanity.

Sum it up: A complex and compelling masterpiece of fantasy fiction and the perfect way to end this stunning series!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling

Summary:  The War against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing.  Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names.  Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.

And yet...

As in all wars, life goes on.  Sixth-year students learn to Apparate--and lose a few eyebrows in the process.  The Weasley twins expand their business.  Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love.  Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

So it's the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter.  Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort--and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability. (Summary from book - Image from amazon.com)

My Review:  If you’ve read this far in the Harry Potter series, you are either a fan, or a seriously devoted hater. Regardless of which stance you take, I’m not fool enough to think anything I say will change your mind. That’s okay though, because I’m too deeply in love with this series to review this book with any kind of objectivity.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has both a light and dark side. It is in this book that Harry finally discovers what he must do to kill Lord Voldemort and the task is anything but easy. In between private lessons with Dumbledore, classes with a new professor, and a special assignment of the utmost importance, Harry shadows Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape, desperate to prove they are working for Voldemort. One of my favorite parts of this book – surprise, surprise – was all the teenage drama. Harry struggles to hide his increasing attraction to Ginny from his best-friend, Ron. Meanwhile, Ron is busy being thoroughly snogged by Lavendar Brown, to the dismay of a distraught Hermione. The ensuing dialogue is inexpressibly hysterical and, much to my listening husband’s amusement, I dissolved into gasping giggles on more than one occasion and was unable to read out loud.

This book stirred up loads of persnickety parental complaints about a well-known character dying. I do not intend to name the character, but will defend the author by saying that this particular death, while heart wrenching, is unquestionably necessary for the story. It isn’t graphic, but it is intensely emotional, and I couldn’t read it the first or second time without crying at the loss.

Book after book, JK Rowling makes me re-evaluate my expectations of YA novels. Many teen reads overflow with characters that lay listlessly on the page, while her creations are animated without being overly dramatic. They are flawed. They are funny. They can even be annoying. In short, they are real—except, you know, with magical abilities. It’s really not fair to all the other books in the young adult department.

Each chapter added a new dimension to Harry’s story and all I could do was turn the page and enjoy the ride. As in most of her later books, Rowling gathered seemingly insignificant details from previous books and used them to turn out amazing twists. When past plot threads collided with this one, and more fully illuminated the story, I couldn’t help but stop and marvel at the author’s foresight. (To give a vague example without spoiling the book, something that is very important to this book, first came into play in book two, though you would never know it.)

This book is by no means the end of an exceptional series. If it was, I’d be writing JK Rowling some serious hate mail. While some things begin to come together, far more questions are left unanswered than in previous books. Brace yourself for a rip-your-heart-out ending and make sure you have Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows handy.

My Rating: 5 Stars.   For the sensitive reader: This book is significantly darker (in spots) than the first five books, as Harry comes to realize just how far Voldemort has gone to obtain immortality. There are a few instances of cursing, though I think there was less in this book, than in the fifth book.

Sum it up: Another amazing book in the Harry Potter Series. It’s getting to the end and things are starting to come together, for better or for worse. Deathly Hallows, here I come!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid : The Ugly Truth - Jeff Kinney

Summary:  Greg Heffley has always been in a hurry to grow up.  But is getting older really all it's cracked up to be?  Greg suddenly finds himself dealing with the pressures of boy-girl parties, increased responsibilities, and even the awkward changes that come with getting older--all without his best friend, Rowley, at his side.  Can Greg make it through on his own?  Or will he have to face the "ugly truth"?  (Summary from back of the book and image from http://sandboxworld.com/)

My Review:  Note:  This is the fifth in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.  If you aren't familiar with the series, you  might want to go back to the first review and start there.  There is a continuous story for Greg and you watch him evolve through the books.

Talk about a fast read! This book only took me 2 1/2 hours to finish--and that was around telling kids to be quiet while they were supposed to be silently reading. While it wasn't the funniest book I've ever read, I did laugh out loud five separate times, and yes, I counted. It contains the same Kinney humor--Greg's obliviousness to his own selfishness is supposed to be funny and the mix of awkward middle school social experiences. You get watch his illogical mind at work as he tries to contrive every situation to his favor.  Alas,  Greg's not a very accomplished manipulator, nor does he have the foresight to prevent some of his mishaps, which can be quite painful. It's not my typical humor, but I'm glad to say I've read it because now I know what the kids rave about. 

Just to give readers here at Reading For Sanity an idea of how popular the Wimpy Kid series is:  For my classroom I'd bought the entire first four books in May of last year.  Two books were swiped before June even arrived.  I started this year with only two books (I'm aware you can do the math, but I'm just being clear).  They were my most fought over books with male students.  This year I bought another set including the fifth book.  The minute I got them out of the Scholastic box I had boys, who normally don't like reading, clamoring over each other to check out the fifth book and take it home.  They were quite disappointed when I told them I got to read it first.  Good thing it only took me 2 1/2 hours to read.  It's already checked out.

My Rating: 3.25 Stars

Sum it up:  Continuing the painful, and sometimes funny, saga of Greg Heffley's middle school experience.