Super Summer Reader Club Week 3: We love your book reviews

• We offer some thoughts about what you should include in a book review for the 2016 Super Summer Reader Club
• Editor Paul C. Grzella share his thoughts about Jacqueline Winspear latest book
• Readers share their thoughts about books by Danielle Steel, Graeme Simsion, Jessica Day George, Patricia Cornwell, Cameron McAullister, Crissa-Jean Chappell, Chris Colfer and others

Book reviews are all about personal tastes.

How I respond to a particular book may be very different from how you may respond to it.

For example, I just finished Jacqueline Winspear's "A Dangerous Place." For me, this eleventh installment in her Maisie Dobbs series (I have read them all), started out well, dragged for 50 pages or so, and then picked up considerable emotional steam as it neared the conclusion. I find these ongoing stories of the investigator and psychologist intriguing, informative and very readable.

But not everyone had the same reaction. When I was looking at reviews from fellow readers on my Nook, while some liked the book as much as I did, others found it to be much slower, and were disappointed by the author's work.

I share this because one of the most frequently asked questions we receive about the Super Summer Reader Club is what to include in reviews. Our best advice: be honest, be concise and simply say what you liked -- or didn't like -- about the book. Then our readers can decide from there.

Reviews are an important part of our reading club experience. Reviewers will be randomly chosen to receive tickets to the Somerset Patriots's Aug. 25 game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater where we will have our annual author celebration. It will be a chance to meet and greet 10 New Jersey authors, and it's just a lot of fun. Reviewers also will be invited to the Reading Triathlon celebration on Aug. 27 at the Bridgewater Barnes & Noble.

READ: A little library is part of our week 2 reading club story

READ: Be part of the summer reading triathlon

GET INVOLVED: Summer reading programs in Central Jersey libraries

BOOK SUGGESTIONS: Our Mondays with Authors series

READ: What's your summer reading list?

Last week, I mentioned that I was a little concerned because we only had received a few reviews. Well, you more than made up for that this past week, as you will see as you read on.

Keep sending those reviews in; we love to read them and share them with our reading audience.

As a reminder, anyone of any age is welcome to be a Super Summer Reader Club member. You can sign up at any point this month and next by either filling out the pledge coupon found in the Courier News, the Home News Tribune and on MyCentralJersey.com, or sending your pledge information to ssreader@MyCentralJersey.com. That's also the address you use to send your written reviews -- and drawing-reviews also are welcome, too!

To be a member, you simply have to pledge to read five books during the course of the summer.

Besides Winspear's book, I am also going to read "The Narrow Door" by Paul Lisikcy, "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi, "Family Furnishings" by Alice Munro and "The Name of God is Mercy" by Pope Francis. I also will finally finish  Garth Risk Hallberg's "City on Fire," which I started months ago and put down because of its heft. I think it's a good summer.

As the weeks progress, we look forward to sharing your reading choices and responses with Central Jersey.

This week's reviews:

Elaine Bellock, Colonia

"The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion. As I was reading this I thought, "This feels like a Lifetime movie." I wasn't far off the mark. In the acknowledgements, the author says that it began as a screenplay. It was a quick read -- not great but not terrible.

Don Tillman is very intelligent, observant, particular about details, acts and dresses differently than most people. Those who don't know him or know him only slightly probably think of him as being eccentric. Those who know him better are surely convinced that he has issues. He has a meal plan for each day of the week. He believes that this enables him to shop more efficiently and to prepare his meals more efficiently. He follows a schedule and knows how long it will take him to do each item on the list.

Don has only two friends. You won't be surprised to hear that he doesn't do much dating. As he approaches his 40's he decides that he should make an effort to find a wife. He calls it the Wife Project. He designs a questionnaire that will help him eliminate many women who might be considered unsuitable. His future wife should not drink (although he does) or smoke. She should be intelligent and good at math. She should not be a vegetarian. There are other requirements, also. He meets Rosie, who fails at some of the requirements just listed. You can guess what happens in the end.

If you're looking for something light to read, this could fill the bill. If you should decide not to read it, I don't think you'll be missing much.

Terry Castillo, Avenel

"Blue"  is a novel by Danielle Steel, one of my all-time favorite authors.

It is a story of a human rights worker who travels to war zone countries in need of her help.  Back home in New York she encounters a homeless teenage orphan boy and takes him in. Both have each had tragic past histories and are trying to run away and hide from their memories.

Until, they find each other and both of their lives change. Their secret past comes out and one gives each other the courage and hope to face reality and give each other strength to live. I won't give too many details so not to spoil the story. A very warm and touching tale of family, nurturing human lives.

I could not put it down.  A great summer read.  Can't wait read her other three books due out this year.

Abgiail (Abby) Chiaramonte, Liberty Corner Elementary School, Basking Ridge

"Tuesday's At the Castle" by Jessica Day George, an American author who has written more than 10 book and currently live Utah.

In this novel, three siblings named Celie, Lilah and Rolf are trying to protect their castle. These three siblings live in a castle that builds itself every Tuesday. This castle is in the imaginary world of Sleyne. When their parents go missing after leaving on a trip for the college of Wizardry, Rolf becomes king under regency. People from other lands, like Grath and Vhervine come to their parents' funeral. Everyone is very sad....except Celie, because she doesn't think they are dead.

Meanwhile, an evil prince named Kelsh who is from Vhervine, wants to take over Sleyne. Lilah and Celie to go into hiding because they feel threatened by Kelsh, but then Rolf is left alone. However, the castle really likes Celie so it helps her play tricks on the council and Prince Kelsh. Will they be able to save themselves? Will they be able to Get rid of prince Kelsh forever? But most of all, will they find out if their parents are really dead? You will have to read "Tuesday's At the Castle" to find out.

I recommend this book to readers ages 8 to 15 because it was exciting and I always wanted to know what would happen next. If you like adventures set in a fairytale land, you must read this book.

"Sweet Valley Twins" was written by a Canadian writer; it is about twin sisters Jessica and Elizabeth. Their school is sweet valley middle school, they're the only identical twins in their school. But one day at lunch Jessica sat with a club called the Unicorns. They wanted her to join, but she has to do three pledge tasks and she can't tell anyone about them....not even her twin sister. Meanwhile, Elizabeth starts a newspaper that everyone loves. Since Elizabeth doesn't want to lose her sister she decides to try and get in the club. However, instead of three pledge tasks she gets one which is she invites Lois to the Dairy Burger order milk shakes with whip cream on it, but Elizabeth would have to wipe the whip cream off and put shaving cream on instead. Will Elizabeth do it or will her twin sister do it for her? Will Elizabeth get in the club? The sisters are drifting apart. Will Elizabeth lose her best friend and her twin sister? You must read the book to find out.

I thought this book was good because it kept on getting more and more exciting as the story just kept building up, it also had great vocabulary and the writer made me want to know what was going to happen next. I rate this book 10 out of 10. I recommend this book to all kids ages 7 to 10. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

The "Ruby Red Fairy" book is a quick and easy read for first- to third-graders.

The book tells the story of two girls (Kristy and Rachel) who meet on a ferry going to Rainspell island. When they get there they want to explore the beach, but change their minds and decide instead to follow a rainbow to its end. When they arrive, they find a pot that was flipped over. When they flip it right side up,  out comes ruby the red fairy. Ruby brings them to fairyland to meet the king and queen. the king and queen thank the girls for finding and saving ruby. When they return to Rainspell island, ruby tells them that her sisters are also missing and were taken by Jack Frost. He wants to get rid of all the color in the world. Will Kristy and Rachel be able to help Ruby? Will they find the other fairies? Or will Jack Frost get what he wants?
Read this exciting story to find the answers.

I've read many books in the "Fairy" series  and I find that they are always entertaining and filled with fun. if you want a quick and enjoyable read, then you'll like this book.

The "Goddess Girls" book series takes Ancient myths and turns them into fun fiction.

"Goddess Girls: Aphrodite the Beauty" begins with Aphrodite giving Athena a makeover with their friends. Athena isn't into beauty but she agreed so she could understand her Beauty-ology class. But when the makeover is finished Athena outshines Aphrodite; no boys notice Aphrodite. This makes her jealous.

When Aphrodite figures out Hephaestus likes her and he is the only boy who likes her she decides they should begin spending time together. Hephaestus gives Aphrodite flowers and a beautiful bracelet.

While dealing with her jealousy and hephaestus' attention, Aphrodite also gets a letter from a mortal asking for love help. The mortal loves a beautiful princess. This princess happens to be the fastest runner in the kingdom and the king knows many boys want to marry her. So, he makes a competition race. If the suitors loses a race against the princess he would be killed, but if he won he would get marry the girl. The mortal wants Aphrodite to help him win the race and marry the girl. Aphrodite asks Hephaestus to make 3 golden apples for the big race that will help the mortal in his challenge. 
Meanwhile, Ares is not very nice, so Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis and Persephone decide to play a prank on Ares. Everyone wants to know what happens with the prank. Will Aphrodite get her spotlight back? Will the mortal win the race and heart of the girl? Read the book to find out. You couldn't ask for a better mixture of Greek mythology and fun children's fiction.

Jo Fitzsimmons, Colonia

"The Front" by Patricia Cornwell. The characters in this book were featured in another Cornwell book, "At Risk." If you're looking for a quick-paced crime drama, I recommend this book.

My second review is on "Think Twice" by Lisa Scottoline. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main characters are identical twin sisters, Bennie Rosato and Alice Connelly, who, at first, couldn't be more different. Bennie is a successful attorney while Alice sells drugs. Alice buries Bennie alive and takes over her life. Without giving too much away, this book is hard to put down. It is fast-paced and engrossing. I highly recommend "Think Twice."

Aneesh Karuppur, Warren Middle School, Warren

"The Snail" by Cameron McAullister. This book falls in the realistic and historical fiction categories. The plot of this book is about a boy trying to save his father’s career by making a car for the masses. The story is set mostly in the countryside town of Regnac in France, but there are some events that happen in Paris. The time period of this book is the 1930s, as the Nazis begin their conquest of Europe (except for the epilogue).

Angelo is the son of Luca Fabrizzi, a famous car designer. Fabrizzi and his partner, Christian Sylvestre, won the Paris Motor Show in 1934, garnering a lot of attention. However, their recent cars that they displayed were not as liked as the 1934 car, and so Fabrizzi and Sylvestre, as well as their main sponsor, Bertrand Hippaux, need to create a car that will win again. When Angelo accidentally destroys the car that everyone’s hopes were riding on at the 1938 Paris Motor Show, his father enters a state of deep depression. Angelo feels bad about his recklessness, and to top it off, his mother is furious with him for skipping school for the Motor Show. When Hippaux offers to let Angelo and his father stay in his house in Regnac for some time, both jump at the chance. Angelo makes new friends and enemies quickly in this town. While his father mopes dejectedly, Angelo comes up with an idea inspired by the poor folk of Regnac: why not create a car for the common person? A basic car that would be able to prevent eggs from cracking and jars from spilling over a bumpy field? Sylvestre agrees, and Hippaux agrees to work on the car while Angelo is at the house. But his father thinks it to be a waste of time, until Angelo persuades him to work on the car. As the Nazis plow through France, coming closer to Regnac, Angelo and his small team have to finish the car so that the Germans don’t steal the idea or the innovations they made in the car.

I especially enjoyed this book because of its lightheartedness and because I like cars. This book is pleasant to read and is suspenseful in just the right places. I would recommend this book to car lovers, World War II-era buffs, or just anyone looking for a nice, cleanly written read

Melissa Kaye, North Brunswick

"More Than Good Enough" by Crissa-Jean Chappell. This is the story of Trent, a 16-year-old who is forced to live on the Miccosukee reservation with his father, who has been imprisoned for years. It is unlike any other teen book that I have experienced for an array of reasons, most notably the factual accuracy of the reservation and Native American rituals. As it turns out, Chappell did extensive research on the Miccosukee reservation, spending a period of time in Florida with the natives. This exploration is evident in all aspects of Trent's story, even in something as small as his riding an air boat. Overall, this fairly unknown novel is one that more people should read. While it is not the next Harry Potter or Hunger Games, it is definitely a good, quality read.

"The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms" by Chris Colfer. In this fourth installment of The Land of Stories series, readers rejoin Alex and Conner Bailey as they try to prevent the Masked Man from taking over the Fairy Tale World. As opposed to the first three novels in the series, Alex and Conner travel "beyond the kingdoms" into other beloved stories, including Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, and Robin Hood. In order for readers to enjoy this book, they must read the first three books in the series. It was not the best book in the series, but it was enjoyable to be taken into new worlds with familiar characters. Many parts of the book seemed rushed, including Alex and Conner's stays in other books. The novel is 464 pages long, but it lacks many of the details that one would expect from such a lengthy tale.

"Amy & Roger's Epic Detour" by Morgan Matson. As the title implies, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour takes place during Amy and Roger's cross-country road trip. Instead of following a detailed itinerary, Amy and Roger decide to explore the country on their own schedule, which obviously leads to unexpected events. In general, any of Morgan Matson's books are perfect summer reads. They make the reader want to get on the road and have an amazing summer adventure, whether that is a cross-country drive or a drive across town. Even though there are many predictable, cliche moments, I never wanted to put the book down. This is the ideal book for any teen who wants to escape from reality with a realistic story.

"Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper. This book tells the story of Melody, a young girl who cannot speak because of cerebral palsy. With a photographic memory that no one knows she has, Melody does her best to communicate her love of knowledge with a world who essentially dismisses her as nothing more than a "special ed kid." This was by far one of the most moving books I have ever read. It is intended for younger readers but I, as a 23-year-old, learned many lessons that I did not expect to learn about acceptance and gratitude. Melody is one of the most profound protagonists in any book available today. Young readers should be reading less about Minecraft, Pokemon, and other nonsense subjects, and more about people like Melody.

"Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell. Most contemporary young adult readers know Eleanor & Park as one of Rainbow Rowell's best works. However, I did not think it was anything special. It is a typical teen Romeo and Juliet story with forbidden love and obstacles at every turn. As I've come to expect, there are still many unanswered questions when the book ends. It was an enjoyable, light, summer read, but it definitely is not worthy of all the hype it has received.

Caden Leung, Martin Luther King School, Piscataway

"C1000 Facts You Just Won't Believe" by Discovery Kids. It was a good book but creepy with the pictures.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinny. I like the way they describe not in the words but in pictures.

"Harry Potter Series"  by J.K. Rowling. I like it very much and it is exciting!

"Dragonlance" by Margaret Weis. It is a quest against evil; an interesting book.

"SpongeBob Squarepants" by Steven. It was a different way of being funny.

Isaac Leung, Randolphsville Elementary School, Piscataway

"Ant Man" by Chris Wyatt, I like the book because Ant Man could turn big and small.

"Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White. I like Charlotte's Web because she see's a lot of animals.

"Dragons Fat Cat" by Dav Pilkey. It's a good book because it has a great cat.

"The Pigeon Finds A Hot Dog" by Mo Williams. It's a good book because it has music and found a hot dog.

"Is Mommy?" by Victoria Chang.  It's was great because it has funny sayings!

Carolina Simsuangco, Canterbury School, Kendall Park

"Color of His Own" by Leo Leonni. There is one chameleon, and he has a color of his own and he is red on his own.  He changes colors with his surroundings. So he meets another chameleon, and the other chameleon comes from the grass. They become friends and they turn different colors together.

Andrea E. Tyson, Piscataway

"Deja Death" by Kathy Reichs. This is a novel based on Dr. Temperance Brennan (TV's "Bones" if you watch that series), Quebec's director of forensic anthropology. This book is set up in Canada and the French is not too heavy. The story is a bit gruesome given the nature of her specialty -  and she is always the center of the way the police or FBI find their killer(s). Knowing that, it's still good reading. I read this on my e-reader during vacation and finished it on the plane back home - had to finish it.  And it was an exciting read. Dr. Brennan rubs police personnel the wrong way because she always oversteps her bounds and is always right. That can be annoying to those in the wrong. I liked the book basically because I like the TV series, but this is a stand alone book - not one in a series  It's the first book about Dr. Brennan that I've read. It's unnecessary to know her or her background to enjoy the book. Good fast summer reading. Enjoy!

Super Summer Reader Club 'rules'

• To begin: Pledge to read a minimum of five books and start reading.
• Pledge now through the end of August — readers are always welcomed.
• The program is for everyone, from preschoolers to adults (of all ages!).
• To be eligible to take part in our events, send in a short review of what you've read (write or draw your review, depending upon your age) to ssreader@MyCentralJersey.com.
• On everything you send, including reviews and email pledge sign-ups, it's important to include your full name, hometown and, when applicable, your school and grade in September. It's how we keep track of the content we receive. We also ask for either an email address or phone number in case we need to contact you.
• If you have any questions, email ssreader@MyCentralJersey.com or call 908-243-6624 or 908-243-6601.

• By the way, Time Zone Gaming has a special offer for Summer Reader Club members. The store is closing and selling comics books at a reduced rate. Since comic books can count toward reading totals, a store representative contacted us and said all comic books and omnibus collections in the store would be discounted even a little more for Super Summer Reader Club members. Time Zone Gaming is at 430 New Brunswick Ave., Ford. Call 732-738-5111 or visit https://www.facebook.com/timezonegamingnj/.

Paul Grzella is general manager/editor of the Courier News/Home News Tribune/MyCentralJersey.com; 908-243-6601; pgrzella@gannettnj.com