Books I've Read and Loved... And a few I didn't

Being the random blogger that I am, I thought I would give you, my readers, a listing of the books I've been reading lately.  This is something I did regularly when I started my blog, but has gone downhill since then.

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage.  Told from the point of view of 'rising 6th grader' Mo Lobeau, this juvenile fiction book is set in a southern town with some very memorable characters.  As with any small, southern town, everyone in Mo's town knows everyone's story except hers.  Mo washed ashore in a hurricane and searches for her 'upstream mother' the entire book.  If you're a reader of children's lit, Mo's attitude will remind you of Junie B. Jones.  In the end, Mo comes to appreciate the only family she's ever known.

If you've never read any Lauren Tarshis' books, you are missing out.  I've only read the above two:  I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic and I Survived the Attacks of September 11.  I have several others from this series set aside to read soon.  Although juvenile fiction books, I could not put either of these down.  While relatively short reads, they suck you in and keep you enthralled until the very end.  These "I Survived" books are a HUGE hit in the library as well--they never stay on the shelves!

And now on to adult fiction :)  Sylvia Day is the well-known author of the Crossfire trilogy.  The Crossfire trilogy has been compared strongly to Fifty Shades of Grey, but in my opinion, Sylvia Day's book were much, much better.  More real.  Less painful, if you know what I mean.  Anyways, this book did not disappoint.  Afterburn tells the story of Gia and Jax, who are being given a second chance at their relationship.  I love that Sylvia Day doesn't make her female characters weak and needy--Gia is a strong, confident, successful woman and the sparks fly between her and Jax.  The sequel, AfterShock, is planned to be released November 12, and yes-I've already preordered it!

I've been a longtime fan of Janet Evanovich's One for the Money series.  I even loved the first movie, with Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum.  I took a break from reading, and picked back up with Explosive Eighteen and I was a bit disappointed.  I just couldn't get into it the way I have the previous books.  Not one to make myself read things I don't like, I stopped about halfway through and didn't finish.  I really hope to pick it up and finish it later--maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it right now?  I'm curious to hear if any of you have read it and what your opinions are.

I just started John Grisham's Sycamore Row.  It's reeling me in, but SLOWLY.  Here's to hoping it picks up soon.

What are you reading?  Recommend any good books for me?