Say It on Sunday: Books That Didn't Make the Cut

Since starting this blog, I have been reviewing almost every book that I've read. Here are three books that I chose to not review for three different reasons:

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray.
Though this novel features an epic journey (favorite thing #1) through Great Britain (favorite thing #2) and is a moving story about three boys mourning the loss of their fourth friend, I just didn't like it. Firstly, the boys act like typical teenage boys. I didn't understand them when I was a teenager, and I still don't understand them today. I can't wrap my head around why these three teen boys thought it would be a good idea to kidnap the ashes of their dead friend from the clutches of the grieving parents and run away to Scotland with them. Really? How could that have even crossed their minds? I get that they wanted to give him a proper funeral, but really? And were they that naive to not think about the circumstances behind their friend's death? Were I to review the book, I would give it a 2 out of 5. Not that it was a bad book, but it just wasn't for me. I would only give it to boys; those of the female persuasion will only shake their heads and puzzle at the boys' motives.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.
I'd like to start out by saying that I was reeeeeealy excited to read this book. So excited that I bought it the moment my Nook was out of the box and hooked up to my wireless. It was the first e-book I read, too. I can't wait to use the lending option with someone else who has a Nook and let them read it. It's a fantastic book about a girl who is forced to spend her senior year of high school at a boarding school in Paris, France. As she finds her way around the city and makes new friends, she discovers love. Etienne St. Clair is the quintessential dream boy and the swoon factor is high, keeping the reader enthralled through the entire book. I chose to not review it simply because of all the press it was getting on other blogs. It's been done by everyone, so I don't want to flood the market. Just do me a favor and read it. I give it a 5 out of 5.

The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud.
This fourth book in the Bartimaeus series is actually a prequel. Stroud's style is very eloquent and descriptive, but the action tends to get dry and during the first three books, I fell asleep quite frequently, and this was no different. The dialog, however, is very witty and entertaining, and Bartimaeus's antics will keep the reader laughing. By the last fourth of the book, I was pretty fed up with the pace. I did something I rarely do, skip ahead. I don't feel I missed out on much, either. I'd give this book only to someone who has read the previous three and/or someone who doesn't mind a slower paced book. 3.5 out of 5.