I recently finished reading 3 Willows by Ann Brashares. She is the author of the bestselling series The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I saw someone reading this book at the YMCA during my kids swim lessons.

I must confess the line The Sisterhood Grows under the title kind of scared me. I didn't want to read a want-a-be sisterhood book.

Though it started slow, the book really picked up for me once I figured out which character's voice was speaking. The three girls in the book, Jo, Polly and Ama, are entering 9th grade and the book takes place the summer before.

They have grown apart in their friendships and long to fill the gap this has created in their lives.

The title comes from the fact that in 3rd grade the girls planted three willow trees side by side. Each chapter starts with a random fact about willows, which I soon found fascinating.

The author cleverly intersperses secondary characters from the sisterhood books throughout this one.

For example, Polly babysits for Tibby's younger brother and sister and runs into Brian, Tibby's boyfriend. Jo works at the beach at a restaurant with a beautiful waitress named Effie, Lena's sister.

I found the whole idea of these random connections so fascinating and completely maddening to write about. However, because they are only secondary connections, one need not read the first series to understand 3 Willows.

The book was a good read that made me want to call some friends I hadn't talked to in a while.

What are you reading?

As I told you all before, I'm not a fast reader. It takes me awhile to get into a book and if it doesn't initially grab me I'm probably not going to read it.

I'm passed the phase in my life where I feel obligated to finish it.

Jenner's has come up with a unique challenge on her book blog and I've decided to give it a try.

Why aren't you playing along?

For this challenge I picked a book based on it's cover alone. This is much harder to do than you think.

The book I picked was entitled Twisted.





I picked this book because I loved the picture of the twisted pencil on the front cover. Laurie Halse Anderson is the best selling author of "Speak", but having never read that book I wasn't sure what I would be in for with this book.

The main character is a teenage boy named Tyler. He has a tumultuous relationship with his father and school is not going very well for him.

The school library journal said this about Twisted:

Grade 9 Up–Socially inept Tyler Miller thinks his senior year of high school is going to be a year like no other. After being sentenced to a summer of character building physical labor following a graffiti prank, his reputation at school receives a boost, as do his muscles. Enter super-popular Bethany Milbury, sister of his tormentor, Chip, and daughter of his father's boss. Tyler's newfound physique has attracted her interest and infuriated Chip, leading to ongoing conflicts at school. Likewise, Tyler's inability to meet his volatile father's demands to be an asset, not a liability adds increasing tension. All too quickly, Tyler's life spirals out of control. In the wake of an incident at a wild party that Bethany has invited him to attend, he is left feeling completely isolated at school and alienated at home, a victim of twisted perception. Tyler must tackle the complex issues of integrity, personal responsibility, and identity on his own as he struggles to understand what it means to be a man. His once humorous voice now only conveys naked vulnerability. With gripping scenes and a rousing ending, Anderson authentically portrays Tyler's emotional instability as he contemplates darker and darker solutions to his situation. Readers will rejoice in Tyler's proclamation, I'm not the problem here…I'm tired of feeling like I am. Teenage concerns with sex, alcohol, grades, and family are all tackled with honesty and candor. Once again, Anderson's taut, confident writing will cause this story to linger long after the book is set down

This challenge continues to surprise me by rewarding me with books I would normally have walked right past at the library.

What are you reading?