The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch

And now back to a new young adult novel...

Born to a free-spirited mother on a California communal farm, Alex Lee has dreadlocks, a bit of extra weight, and a great deal of knowledge regarding plants and herbs.  When her mother dies in a tragic car accident, an unfamiliar and wealthy grandmother comes to move Alex to Savannah, Georgia.  After only days in the “grandma-mansion” Alex learns she was born into an exclusive social club, the Magnolia League.  Forced to spend time with the two other teenage girls in the League, Alex finds herself being sucked into the high-society world.  Now, as her new friends, the girls take on the challenge of altering Alex’s look to prepare her for the upcoming debutante ball.  Through this transformation Alex starts to understand the mysteries behind the Magnolia League’s beauty and power.  More importantly she learns the reason why none of these women ever leave Savannah.  Expect sequels out of this one. 

Global Girlfriends by Stacey Edgar

Consider this statistic for a moment: there are 1.3 billion people in the world living on $1 a day and 70% of those people are women. In 2003, social worker Stacey Edgar felt a universal need to help these women and jumpstarted Global Girlfriend, a market for women worldwide to fairly trade their handmade goods.  With a $2,000 tax return and the determination to help impoverished women, Edgar has grown a multimillion dollar enterprise.  Global Girlfriend details Edgar’s steps along the way.  The many stories and names you’ll read are just the tip of the iceberg when you realize all the hard work that has been put into each and every trade, product, and sale.  Edgar has built her business on three core values: the products must be made by women, fairly traded, and eco-friendly. 

It is inspiring to see how women can help change the lives of other women just by changing the way they shop.  Whether you want to buy eco-friendly products or help women across the world, or both, you should check out the website for Global Girlfriend.  By giving women the opportunity and outlet to work and create their products, Edgar (and all of us) can increase a woman’s income and economic security.  This translates to better access to basic needs, opportunities in education for their children, better economic stability for their community, and oftentimes protection against sex-trafficking.   

Pretty amazing.

Also check out GreaterGood, where you can click to give. 

Janet Evanovich's Troublemaker

This is a quick and fun read with a classic Evanovich storyline.  The twist is that it's a graphic novel.  I feel like it's never too late to enjoy a graphic novel, in fact there are some great graphic novels out there for adults.  As a side note everyone should read Maus by Art Spiegelman.  Ok back to Troublemaker.  The characters, Barnaby and Hooker, are familiar from Evanovich's Metro Girl and Motor Mouth books.  Rosa has gone missing and the pair team up to find her but find themselves getting deeper into trouble the further south in Florida they go. 

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

Daniel has the ability to remember all his past lives.  Daniel's love, Sophia, does not.  Their lives continue to cross paths however circumstances keep them apart year after year.  Sophia continues to change in name and appearance from life to life but Daniel always knows it's her.  Sophia's current reincarnate, Lucy, on the other hand doesn't know who Daniel is but cannot explain a certain draw to him.  After their first kiss Daniel attempts to explain their connection throughout their past lives but ends up scaring Lucy off.  Years later though she continues to think of him.  A visit to a psychic and a WWI letter she has written to her future self has Lucy considering the truth behind her past lives and her involvement with Daniel.  However, now she can't find him.  In the end, Lucy isn't the only one looking for him and it becomes a race against time to finally be with him without complications. 


I have read several times online that some people believe My Name is Memory is a rip off of the last book I posted about, Fallen.  However, having read them both, they differ so greatly and stand on their own that I wanted to post about this one as well.  Although Daniel's memory is not realistic this story is more grounded and grown-up than Fallen.  I am also very aware the books use the same names but that doesn't stop me from appreciating both of them as different stories. 

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Seventeen year old Luce Price has been sent to a strict reform school, Sword & Cross, after her friend Trevor dies in a suspicious fire.  Luce finds most of the student body irritated by her new arrival, especially Daniel.  Although Daniel’s attitude towards Luce is "aloof and downright hostile" as Booklist states, Luce can’t help shake the feeling she already knows him from somewhere.  Plus the dark shadows that have been following her since childhood have also shown up at Sword & Cross.  Luce finds herself in the middle of a battle between heaven and hell.  

This is the first in the Fallen Series and each book gets better and better.

Samantha Sotto's Before Ever After

Shelley has been a widow for three years since a bomb on a train took her husband from her.  She has been wearing Max's old flannel bathrobe and trying to perfect his Sunday baked eggs ever since.  Until one day a man shows up at her door claiming to be her dead husband's grandson even though he appears to be the same age as her would-be husband.  What's even more puzzling is that Paolo explains that Max is still alive and knows where he is.  Feeling confused and more than furious at being left behind, Shelley and Paolo jump a plane to find him.  During their long flight Shelley and Paolo share stories and begin to  piece together the mystery of the man they both know.  The novel dips in and out of history creating three story lines that meld together to show us what happens Before Ever After.  
 
I wasn't sure I wanted to post about this book until I finished it.  At times I felt a little lost by Sotto's over-the-top way of writing but it proved to be an excellent story.