Diary of a Wimpy Kid 9: The Long Haul

Written by: Jeff Kinney

First line: If there's one thing I've learned from my years of being a kid, it's that you have ZERO control over your own life.

Why you should read this book: Admittedly, I haven't liked any of the previous books in this series because Greg Heffley really comes off, at best, as an entitled brat, and at worst, as a complete sociopath, but in this book he really seems like a helpless victim of his mother's completely psychotic sneak attack family road trip, which is badly planned and executed from beginning to end. It's not entirely clear where the family is meant to be going, but that's all right, since you know they're never going to get there anyway. I read this book because my stepson got it for Christmas, and he never reads anything for pleasure except gaming manuals, so it seemed like someone ought to read it.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Possible flashbacks to your own horrible family road trips.