The LitChicks: ALONG FOR THE RIDE and THROWING LIKE A GIRL

Despite the fact that they are on a long car trip, the LitChicks came through for us once again with some great recommendations:

Liesl Likes:

THROWING LIKE A GIRL by Weezie Kerr Mackey

I LOVE LOVE LOVE books about girls who play sports and when i found this book i was like "MUst REad!!", so i read it and loved it! This book is about this girl who moves to Texas and doesn't exactly fit in. She is missing her friends and doesn't have any friends and so in P.E. one day they were playing a basketball and her teacher tells her that she is a natural athlete and that she should try out for girls softball... well she does and she throws herself into it and becomes an great team player and a starting 1st baseman. In the midst of other drama ('cause what’s a book without drama?) definitely read it even if you don't like or play sports because it has so much more in it. I found myself being happy when she succeeded and sad when something didn't go right. As the reviews always say " it was a gripping story" - so go read it!!!

Portia’s Pick:

ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Sarah Dessen

My sister, Liesl, is a girl who really loves those chicky-type books. Sarah Dessen and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and all those cutesy books. While I appreciate a good chick book, but usually leave them to Liesl. I read this one however - Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. I'm not sure how I came by this book; I think it might have been one of the many that Cynthia the amazing has dumped on us to read, but it was worth it! When my friend lent me this book for my recent 6 hour road trip, I knew I had to do a book review on it! It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it was just about the only YA book that I brought! :)

Along for the Ride is a cute book about a girl, Auden, who decides to spend the summer before college with her father and his new wife and baby in a little beach town. While there, she stumbles into a job at a girly clothing shop (so not her style), babysitting her newborn sister (so not her forte), and a late night relationship with fellow insomniac ex-bikerider Eli (she didn't know his best friend died in a car accident recently and he was in mourning!).

I don't know what else to say about this book without making it pages long, but the summer away from her controlling mother, stressful schoolwork, distracted father, colicky sister, and frazzled stepmother is an opportunity for growth and experimenting with what she wants to do with her life. I liked that it was a chicky book that still made you think about life. I really like books like that, and Sarah Dessen does a really good job with combining the 2 styles.

Thank you ladies! See you next week.
On this date: In 1964, The Beatles kicked off their first American tour.