The Penderwicks - my favorite book of the last few years

I managed to do a lot of reading while enjoying my vacation last week. I was so enamored with one - The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall- that I read it in less than 24 hours. It's a National Book Award winner, so you know it's good. The subtitle tells you enough of the plot, so I'll just say it's magical. And wholesome. And funny, funny, funny! Recommended for kids and grown-ups.

I finished another book too - Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I liked it too, although sometimes the descriptions were clunky. Very intriguing storyline about a distopian future where everyone is surgically modified to be beautiful at the age of 16. Tally, our herione, is smart and strong and undergoes a convincing change from desiring to be pretty and pleasure-seeking to fighting against the evil forces running her city. This book has been wildly popular at a couple of my libraries and there's a sequel I'll have to read soon.