Book purge

Okay, this isn't meant to be a tie-in to that lame horror movie that's coming out or whatever.

Let me start at the beginning: I work at a super nice place. It's a friendly, fun, clean, upscale toy store where the co-workers treat each other well. One of the things we do is give out free stuff among one another - things we don't need or want but are still in fine condition. I'm humble enough to admit that I often take advantage of this.

Well, a few weeks ago, I took a look at my bookshelves and realized that they were way too heavy. I started to take out a few books and then remembered I had a bunch of books lying around in my closet, unread and untouched. (Full disclosure: one of them is a high school history textbook and I have no idea where it came from.) So I switched gears and took a fair amount, and basically made two trips to work to unload them all in our break room. I left a note - "These books need good homes" - and over the course of time, the pile has shrank.

These are the books:

Miss Match by Erynn Mangum - modern Christian version of Emma by Jane Austen. It's cute and fun in that lazy afternoon, nothing-better-to-do way. But I'm not gonna read it again.

Perfect Skin by Nick Earls - a novel about a single dad who maybe misses his bachelor ways? Don't know; I never got around to reading it.

The Season by Sarah MacLean - Jane Austen-inspired pseudo-mystery. The real mystery is, of course, when the spirited ahead-of-her-time protagonist and her childhood boy-who's-a-friend are going to get together.

The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper - cute story about students studying abroad, with each plotline resembling a Shakespeare play

Envy (a Luxe novel) by Anna Godbersen - the third in a series about rich snooty girls in 1901 and the blank slates they love. If you've read Gossip Girl, then you've already read this.

Splendor (a Luxe novel) by Anna Godbersen - the fourth in the series. Ditto.

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen - dysfunctional family drama that doubles as an excuse for the author to mock Midwest morals. I should've checked it out from the library.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown - never read it, not about to.

Prama by Jamie Ponti - adorable, sweet, and about as shallow as it sounds.

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli - good-enough books from a great author about a teen boy trying to figure out his life, his crush, and his family.

Matched by Ally Condie - almost-good-enough future dystopia/teen love triangle fare.

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr - a senior in high school meets up with the boy who knew her before she got a life. Very poignant story about the people we choose to lean on and the reasons why. Out of this list, I'd give this one the best recommendation.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr - replace the vampires and bad writing of Twilight with fairies and a seductive atmosphere, and you'd get this book. I've heard good things about the rest of the series, too.

I Remember You by Harriet Evans - romance about two childhood friends and their dramatic, unrequited-love-plagued reunion. Could've been better.

-         unauthorized J.K. Rowling biography - why do I still have this? Why do I need this?

-          Hamlet by William Shakespeare - that one play about angst that's not about a teenage love affair. I might be the kind of dork that would read Shakespeare in my downtime, but not this one. And also I think it's overrated.

-          Eggs by Jerry Spinelli - fun story about mismatched friends. Just not fun enough for me.

-          Austenland by Shannon Hale - you know that awful movie about a Jane Austen theme park? The book really is better.

-          Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding - I've read this twice in my life, and I'm glad I did. But it didn't gel with me either time, since Book Bridget isn't as charming as Movie Bridget. But I will say this: if you liked the friends in the film, you should check this out.

      Okay! Done!

      Reviews to come ... ? I hope?