By Jen Lancaster

This is the story of how a haughty former sorority girl went from having a household income of almost a quarter-million dollars to being evicted from a ghetto apartment... It's a modern Greek tragedy, as defined by Roger Dunkle in The Classical Origins of Western Culture: a story in which "the central character, called a tragic protagonist or hero, suffers some serious misfortune which is not accidental and therefore meaningless, but is significant in that the misfortune is logically connected."

In other words? The b***h had it coming.

I expected to find this book snarky and funny, but I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Yes, Jen (NEVER Jenny) is snarky and funny - but she also takes us through her journey to hit financial rock bottom and build herself back up again one temp job and margarita at a time (ok, not always just one margarita). She writes well and is always witty and intelligent, even when ranting about ex-coworkers or family ordeals, and I'm looking forward to reading her other books!

(If the edited language in the blurb above is something you are not interested in reading - this book may not be for you!)

4 out of 5 stars.

- Marleah

By Sherrilyn Kenyon

Darling Cruel, heir to the Caronese Empire, survived a brutal childhood. Now, with his uncle on the throne, Darling plans to kill him and the people responsible for his father's death. But before he is able to do so, Darling is captured by the Resistance, a group he thought were his allies. The Resistance leader, Zarya Starska, doesn't know Darling is actually Kere, an ally of the Resistance. Now, Darling - aka Kere - must survive and carry out his mission to overthrow his uncle and become the rightful leader of the Caronese Empire.

Book 5 in the League series. Sherrilyn Kenyon is my favorite author.

5 out of 5 stars.

- Stacy

The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking
By Susan Cain.

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.

I'm a self-proclaimed introvert, so I was excited to read this best-selling book by Susan Cain. In it, she outlines what it means to be introverted -- it doesn't mean antisocial, but differently social. Introverts enjoy being social but react differently in social or public situations, and they work differently as well. Cain also addresses how society and parents react toward shy children and how it may not be ideal.

The book was fascinating, and you don't need a background in psychology to enjoy it. If you want to understand more about yourself, or your introverted friends, this is a great read. However, I don't think we can expect the world to change any time soon.

4 out of 5 stars.

- Marleah

Directed by Brad Bird

The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

I had kind of lost hope in the Mission Impossible franchise after the second Tom Cruise film, and I didn't even watch the third installment. However, when I heard about the new cast members and new direction in the newest film, I was interested enough to watch. It was a fun action movie with just as many great gadgets and uses of technology that I remembered, and the plot was as ridiculous as ever - not necessarily a bad thing for action movies.

It goes without saying that you shouldn't expect any Oscar-worthy performances from a movie like this, but if you want to see some cool tech and some fun action sequences, go ahead and check it out.

3 out of 5 stars.

- Marleah

By Charlaine Harris

Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic waitress, is into trouble of the supernatural kind yet again. Her vampire husband Eric is a murder suspect and it's up to her to investigate, all the while dealing with family and work issues.

I have read every single Sookie Stackhouse novel to date. I'm a big fan - this book does not disappoint!

4.5 out of 5

- Stacy

By Anne Lamott and Sam Lamott

Anne and Sam Lamott wrote this journal about raising Sam's first son, Anne's first grandchild. It's a wonderful in-depth look at how babies affect familial relationships.

Why I picked it up: I love Anne Lamott's writing!

4 out of 5 stars.

- Whitney

By Anne Rice

This is the story of Louis, as told in his own words, of his journey through mortal and immortal life. He recounts becoming a vampire at the hands of the radiant and sinister Lestat and how he became indoctrinated, unwillingly, into the vampire way of life.

Maybe I didn't get it. I definitely didn't get why this was a huge best-seller, other than it was made into a movie starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise as extremely seductive creatures, which I suppose is a plus. I got tired of the ever-loving quotation marks, since, after all, this was an interview. I got tired of the 18th-century speech patterns. I got tired of being told in so many ways that people, and vampires, just could not resist vampires like Lestat or Armand - without really being drawn to them myself.

This is the first Anne Rice book I've read, and I don't see myself picking up another one voluntarily.

1 out of 5 stars.

- Marleah

By Suzanne Collins

Katniss Everdeen is a teenage girl living in District 12 of the nation of Panem (once known as North America). After Panem rose from the ashes of war, rebellion, and destruction, districts were required to offer 2 tributes every year - one boy and one girl - to fight to the death in an arena. The annual tradition, televised for all of Panem to see became known as "The Hunger Games" ... and Katniss Everdeen is representing her district in the fight of her life!

I chose to read this because the Youth Services staff highly recommended it!

5 out of 5 stars.

- Whitney

By Jaci Burton

Twelve years after his abrupt departure, Dante returns home to a chilling scene: a brutal murder eerily similar to what he witnessed before - only this time the killer is setting up Dante for the fall and plotting to kill Anna, Dante's childhood sweetheart. Can Dante and Anna solve the case before the killer strikes again?

Why I picked it up: I decided to try a new author, which came highly recommended by another popular author.

4 out of 5 stars.

- Stacy