Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender

With a little bit of mystery, a touch of romance, and spine-chilling eerieness, Katie Alender’s Bad Girls Don’t Die is a great summer read!

Alexis has a little sister Kasey who’ll be starting high school soon.  During Alexis’ senior year Kasey starts to act really weird by appearing randomly and whispering to her dolls all the time.  At first it just seemed like a collection of dolls but as time goes by the obsession begins to get out of hand.  Alexis meets a new guy that gets under her skin; but can she confide in him that her sister might be psychotic?

Katie Alender does a great job creating twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. You won’t notice how quickly the pages are turning when you get wrapped up in the story of helping Kasey stop from being psycho.  Alender also brings her characters to life with the contrasts between their personalities.  A book that will bring back your own teenage memories, and give you a new one.

If the hunter isn’t careful they will become the hunted.

Bonk by Mary Roach

Stuck in the doctor’s office for 4 hours last week, I finally cracked the cover of Bonk.  I’ve had this book checked out for 3 weeks, and have been meaning to read it for a year or so, but there’s something about non-fiction that makes my eyes glaze over and reach for the nearest fluff book on the shelf.  But, with no other choice than staring at the sterile white walls, I began to read.

What attracted me to Bonk initially was an NPR interview with the author when she first published Stiff: the Curious Life of Human Cadavers.  I was intrigued, and am still on hold for Stiff from the library…it’s always checked out when I want it!  So, in a quest to expand my non-fiction repertoire, I happened upon Bonk…it has a cute cover.

An entire book about the science of sex?  I had no idea what to expect.  At least with romances you know what you’re in for, the cover tells you everything!

Within the first chapter of Bonk I was hooked!  Mary Roach successfully takes an incredibly intimate and almost taboo topic and fearlessly explores how science has gained knowledge of the physiology of sex.  With amazing (and amusing) research, great dialogue, and wonderful footnotes (DO NOT SKIP THE FOOTNOTES!!) Bonk is a great discussion starter, and a great book to read aloud with your spouse.  You have to read it aloud, otherwise said spouse will be asking you every 5 minutes why you’re chortling away…coming from personal experience, anyway.

Bonk is an wonderful, open look at human behavior, and how society reacts & responds to that behavior.  Enjoy Bonk with an open mind and a sense of the ridiculous – because, really, how seriously can we take ourselves?

Surprisingly fun & informative, best when enjoyed with friends/spouse