Gemini Moon

Ostrich Boys

2012-01-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray

After their best friend Ross dies, English teenagers Blake, Kenny, and Sim plan a proper memorial by taking his ashes to Ross, Scotland, an adventure-filled journey that tests their loyalty to each other and forces them to question what friendship means.

I listened to this from an audiobook and maybe it was the narrator but I thought it was an okay book. It had its moments like the boys getting kicked off the train. But all in all I think a C is appropriate.

Ready Player One

2012-01-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

This book takes place in the not-so-distant future--the world has turned into a very bleak place, but luckily there is OASIS, a virtual reality world that is a vast online utopia. People can plug into OASIS to play, go to school, earn money, and even meet other people (or at least they can meet their avatars), and for protagonist Wade Watts it certainly beats passing the time in his grim, poverty-stricken real life. Stuffed to the gills with action, puzzles, nerdy romance, and 80s nostalgia, this high energy cyber-quest will make geeks everywhere feel like they were separated at birth from author Ernest Cline.

On my recent road trip to Utah, I took along this book on CD. It was 13 discs and it took a good hour and 1/2 to listen to one disc. I was able to listen to the complete book on the trip. It was so entertaining that it made my trip go by faster. I would suggest it to readers if they grew up in the 80's, are gamers who like ancient games like PacMan, and who enjoy science fiction. Cline goes into a lot of detail and sometimes I found myself having to rewind to listen again to a part that I'd gotten bored with. I highly recommend it. There are twists and excitement and just when you think you've got it all figured out, Cline throws a wrench in.

Girl in Translation

2012-01-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Kimberly Chang and her mother immigrate to Brooklyn from their life of squalor in China in the 1970's. Kimberly borders on genius but has a rough time in the American schools at first.

This book was nominated for an Alex Award, a book that is an adult book but teen appropriate and excellence.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

2012-01-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

When this book came across my desk, I took it home and read it in one sitting. Its 190 pages long.

Perry is a high school geek. His family takes on a foreign exchange student. Turns out she's not a foreign exchange student. For such a short book, you won't want to put it down until you finish it.

A rant

2011-10-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Man, I've really been neglecting my blog! Actually, I've really been neglecting my reading. And I feel it. It seems as though time has gone very fast and very slow (does that make sense) for the past 2 months. I lost my passion for reading. But one good book will show me the way back to my mojo!

I put my application in for a job in Salt Lake City, Utah way back in May. I wanted to move back to Utah because my son and his now wife are having a baby in March. However the deciding force in Utah have not even said "boo" to me about the job since the end of September. Three weeks ago I received an email stating that I had made the second round of cuts and "they" would make a decision "soon". Really? How relevant is the word soon? I sent a message to human resources to ask if they knew the time frame on this position. That was two weeks ago. I never received a reply. Very unprofessional. From the time the job closed to now has been 6 months!

I attended my sons wedding last weekend. He and his fiance were married on October 8! My trip there was very focused: get to Utah, get the wedding set up, get my son married, go home. But a few members of my family decided to use me as a punching bag.

My decision to move back to Utah changed during the week I was home for the wedding. I want to wait for a position to open up that pays more than I'm making now. Preferably one that isn't with the agency I applied for this time. I think, as do some of my colleagues, that someday I will be ready to be a Branch Manager. While I am waiting I will do as many things that I can to prepare myself for this position. And make a true evaluation of myself to decide whether or not I really want to move back to Utah.

I am currently reading "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" as well as "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children". Both are excellent books so far. I really need to focus on a specific time to read. There are a LOT of great new shows on television right now. Among the newest one's I've set to record are "American Horror Story", "The New Girl", "Ringer", and the upcoming "Grimm", "Once Upon a Time", and "Hell on Wheels". Where am I going to find time to sleep? Let alone read!

My purpose on this blog is to be a second brain for me. I am growing older as you read this and this pile of mush in my head isn't as sharp as it used to be. I've never wanted anyone to read my blog as I am quite sensitive about my writing. But a lot of people ask me what I've been reading (I'm a librarian! Did I want them to ask me about the weather?) so I gave the url out to some people. Those people who have read this will understand my half written thoughts, I hope.

The Curse of the Wendigo 8/25/11

2011-08-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancy

In 1888, twelve-year-old Will Henry chronicles his apprenticeship with Dr. Warthrop, a New England scientist who hunts and studies real-life monsters, as they discover and attempt to destroy the Wendigo, a creature that starves even as it gorges itself on human flesh.

I loved this book almost as much as I loved The Monstrumologist! Yancy never strays on the period language, the monster is scary as well as the description of the murders. It is a truly horrific book but in a good way.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 8/19/11

2011-08-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer and viruses; helped lead to in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks is buried in an unmarked grave. Her family did not learn of her "immortality" until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. The story of the Lacks family is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

This book really makes you think about where all the tissue and blood that have been taken over the years goes. Especially when Skloot tells how something like 90% of it goes to research. Why don't we have laws that say doctors and researchers can't use our cells? Our cells have our DNA in them. That belongs to us as individuals and only us. And yet they have been doing it for years. Without our knowledge or permission. With researchers capability of cloning animals, what will it take for them to clone a human from these cells someone has had taken from them. If I run into myself somewhere, I'll know who I need to talk to. That sounded weird.

The Reading Promise 8/14/11

2011-08-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma

When Alice Ozma was in 4th grade, she and her father decided to see if he could read aloud to her for 100 consecutive nights. On the hundreth night, they shared pancakes to celebrate, but it soon became evident that neither wanted to let go of their storytelling ritual. So they decided to continue what they called "The Streak." Alice's father read aloud to her every night without fail until the day she left for college.

I loved the personal way Alice talks about her father, his lovingness towards her, their struggle as he tried to raise her and her sister on his own, and doing it all plus reading every night. It is an interesting and touching book. It also has some kudos to librarians at the end.

The Paris Wife 8/8/11

2011-08-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Paris Wife by Paula Mclain

Meeting through mutual friends in Chicago, Hadley is intrigued by brash "beautiful boy" Ernest Hemingway, and after a brief courtship and small wedding, they take off for Paris, where Hadley makes a convincing transformation from an overprotected child to a game and brave young woman who puts up with impoverished living conditions and shattering loneliness to prop up her husband's career.

Another book I didn't think I would like but after the first couple of chapters I was hooked. I'll admit I new next to nothing about Hemingway's life let alone his wives or children. I knew he killed himself but some of the self destructive things he did were awful. I recently saw Woody Allen's film "Midnight in Paris" which depicted a small portion of Hemingway's life while in Paris. Kind of ironic that this book and his film came to be close to the same time.

Best Thing I've Read All Week

2011-07-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

From The Paris Wife by Paula McLain:

"To marry was to say you believed in the future and in the past too. That history and tradition and hope could stay knit together to hold you up."

It's where I am right now.

What Happened to Goodbye 7/23/11

2011-07-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

What Happened to Goodbye

by Sarah Dessen

Following her parents' bitter divorce as she and her father move from town to town, seventeen-year-old Mclean reinvents herself at each school she attends until she is no longer sure she knows who she is or where she belongs.

After meeting Sarah Dessen at the ALA conference in New Orleans last month, I was sure that I'd love this book. Unfortunately, I have to report that I did not like it. At all. It had too much of her other books in it, was repetitive, and the funny, quirky style that I used to love is getting old. Dessen is still my favorite romance/realistic teen fiction author however. I guess I can't like all of her books, right?

In a Sunburned Country 7/22/11

2011-07-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

In a Sunburned Country

by Bill Bryson

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet.

So I joined a bookclub for librarians. This was the first book we read. I found myself not able to put the book down. I've had friends recommend Bill Bryson's writing to me in the past but have never had time to read it. I'm glad this bookclub is making me go out of the scope of what I usually read. I am now stuck on Bill Bryson.

P.S. I Love You 7/5/11

2011-07-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

P.S. I Love You

by Cecelia Ahern

A young widow finds her way back to life through her dead husband's letters.

Anything about Ireland I am a sucker for. I've visited the country twice and am absolutely in love with it. I read Maeve Binchy (don't tell anyone!) for Pete's sake. When I saw the movie version I was disappointed and I hadn't read the book yet. So I picked it up. As always the book is much better than the movie. The movie was so far off the mark I'm glad I read the book.

It was a little cheesy but it had my attention throughout.

Your help needed!

2011-07-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

I am a member of the Young Adult Library Association's Fabulous Films for Young Adult Committee. This year, we are watching movies with the theme Song and Dance (or song or dance). We desperately need nominations, especially for bollywood films and anime. Help by nominating a film!

The Young Adult Library Services Association's (YALSA) Fabulous Films for Young Adult Committee is seeking nominations for our 2012 list. The 2012 theme, Song and Dance, will highlight films for teens featuring music and dance. To nominate a title, please fill out our nomination form. The committee seeks nominations of feature films, documentaries, foreign films, etc, that fit our theme and will appeal to teens. The final list will be announced in February, 2012. The nomination form can be found online at: http://yalsa.ala.org/forms/fabfilm.php To view our current list of nominations, please visit: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/fabfilms/fabfilmnoms.cfm

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had 6/20/11

2011-06-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine

In Moundville, Alabama, in 1917, twelve-year-old Dit hopes the new postmaster will have a son his age, but instead he meets Emma, who is black, and their friendship challenges accepted ways of thinking and leads them to save the life of a condemned man.

The book is delightful and especially the audiobook. However, the story was a little too unrealistic for being the late 1900's. Anyone who had a proper public school education will read this book and possibly agree with me that the historic aspect isn't believable. This is a fictional book but the author, I'm sure, tried to get the story as close to how things were in the age she was writing for. It doesn't.

Before I Fall 5/30/11

2011-06-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

After she dies in a car crash, teenage Samantha relives the day of her death over and over again until, on the seventh day, she finally discovers a way to save herself.

I found this book a bit depressing and a little long. I liked the first couple of days Sam relives but after three it got old. It was a written well and a good concept just a little long in the tooth.

Portobello 5/20/11

2011-05-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

Portobello

by Ruth Rendell

Walking to the shops one day, fifty-year-old Eugene Wren discovers an envelope on the street bulging with cash. A man plagued by a shameful addiction and his own good intentions Wren hatches a plan to find the money's rightful owner. Instead of going to the police, or taking the cash for himself, he prints a notice and posts it around Portobello Road. This ill-conceived act creates a chain of events that links Wren to other Londoners people afflicted with their own obsessions and despairs. As these volatile characters come into Wren s life and the life of his trusting fiancée the consequences will change them all.

A good friend of mine, one whom I met while working at the Arizona Braille and Talking Book Library, and who has since passed away, recommended Ruth Rendell's work. It has taken me this long to pick up one of her books but I am glad I did. Her writing style reminds me a bit of Alexander McCall Smith, very British, very smooth, and not very bloody. I with my friend were around still. I'd call her to tell her I loved the book.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower 5/15/11

2011-05-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky

Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory.

I had heard that this book was being turned into a movie so I had to read it. Once I started it was hard to put down. It's kind of written in diary form and in letter form. I enjoyed it because the main character sounded like he had a high functioning form of Asberger's Syndrome or even a mild Autism. His parents aren't as involved as any normal parent of a child who so obviously has a disability such as Charlie's. A good, quick read.

Mockingjay 4/30/11

2011-04-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

I have never been so disappointed in an ending series book. I couldn't even get through it the first time I tried. It took my sons prodding to get me to finish it and I am a big fan of the first two books. Katniss's not being in the arena during this book was part of my problem with it. I thought that was a big mistake on Collins part.

A Red Herring Without Mustard 4/6/11

2011-04-07T17:28:00.001-07:00

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

Flavia's discovery of an old Gypsy woman who's been attacked in her wagon sends the girl off on an investigation that will reveal more of Buckshaw's secrets as well as new information about Harriet, the mother Flavia never knew.

I love these books. They are very similar to the Alexander McCall Smith series "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency". They are cozy, comfortable books to read.

New Puppy

2011-04-01T16:39:00.001-07:00

My new Yorkie, Bailey! Isn't she cute?

The Art of Racing in the Rain 3/24/11

2011-03-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope--a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.

Maybe it is because I recently lost my dog that this book meant so much to me. Or maybe it is because the writing is so beautiful. Could be because I related to losing things and having to start all over in my life. Whatever the reason, this is one of the best books I've read since "The Lonely Polygamist" a few months ago. I'm picking up some really good books lately.

Numbers 3/14/11

2011-03-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

Numbers by Rachel Ward

Whenever Jem meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die. Burdened with such an awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance.

A suspenseful and sad book. It was funny to me that these city kids didn't know how to react around a cow, or how to camp. The concept of "Numbers" was a good one, the book was enjoyable enough, and the story had some good points to it.

The Confession 3/11/11

2011-03-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

The Confession by John Grisham

An innocent man is about to be executed. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, he abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row. Now nine years have passed. Travis has just been paroled in Kansas for a different crime; Donté is four days away from his execution.

John Grisham novels are my secret passion. I like the plot line of most of them. Grisham, in my opinion, has always lacked something in the endings of his books. I liked the ending of this book. On the whole, the book was suspenseful, exciting, and didn't disappoint to much.

Ship Breaker 3/1/11

2011-03-09T20:31:00.000-08:00

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota--and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life.

I wasn't as impressed with this book as the Printz committee was. I enjoyed the story but had a hard time getting into it. When Nailer and Lucky Girl started their journey was the time I started to like it. This book would be a good one for boys.

Packing for Mars 2/24/11

2011-02-25T09:14:00.000-08:00

Packing for Mars: the curious science of life in the void

by Mary Roach

Mary Roach settles her gaze on the not-so-glamorous lives of astronauts, their training, and the quirky experiments performed in the name of space science. Roach's research sends her into the archives and into zero-gee flight in order to find answers to such questions as what happens when an astronaut vomits in his/her helmet, and whether or not it is feasible, or even possible, to have sex in a gravity-free environment.

As funny and informative as I think Mary Roach's writing is, it was hard for me to read this book. She borders on obsession about how astronauts poo, what they have to do with it afterward, and how gross it is. With the last of the Space Shuttle's trips to space happening as I type this, this book is very timely. It's just hard to read.

The Lonely Polygamist 2/20/11

2011-02-20T19:08:00.000-08:00

The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall

Beautifully written, keenly observed, and ultimately redemptive, "The Lonely Polygamist" is an unforgettable story of an American family--with its inevitable dysfunctionality, heartbreak, and comedy--pushed to its outer limits.

Obviously, this book is about a polygamist family. I have often wondered what the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints lived like. Mormons have not practiced polygamy for over 100 years. But the reorganized church uses polygamy to its advantage and for bad ends sometimes. Mostly I think that the real polygamy families are just trying to make it work. This book takes a look inside the polygamist family during the 1950's/1960's. It is wonderfully written and hilarious in so many ways. This is a book that I would love to see made into a movie. It would make people who love "Big Love" look twice at this stupidly written, unathentic show.

There are so many stories that could happen here but instead Udall takes Golden (the father), Rusty (son), and Trish's (wife #4) stories and weaves them into this wonderful book.

Revolution 1/29/11

2011-01-26T15:29:00.000-08:00

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Andi Alpers is on the edge. She's angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. Andi must accompany her father to Paris for winter break.

Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago in Paris. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn't want - and couldn't escape.

There's comfort and distraction for Andi in the Alexandrine's journal's antique pages - until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine's words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

The book was an extremely hard one for me to get through. Two reasons: the depression Andi was experiencing. I suffer from depression from time to time and reading about it at this time in my life was difficult. The second reason was the Alexandrine's journal. I had a hard time following it. It was detailed and time consuming to read. Like I said though, it may be because of this time in my life. Sometimes I have a difficult time reading and keeping my thoughts on one topic when I get down.

It has been on many "best" lists for teen reading. I understand why. Jennifer Donnelly's writing style is very readable and her plot can be followed.

Dash & Lily 12/26/10; Girl Who Played w/Fire 1/4/11

2011-01-04T16:51:00.000-08:00

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

A real page turner and with humorous prose. I wondered if Cohn and Levithan took turns writing a chapter each. The end of the book was not as bad as I thought it was going to be for a humor/romance story.

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

Mikael Blomkvist, publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation. On the eve of its publication, the two reporters responsible for the article are murdered, and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to his friend, the troubled genius hacker Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist, convinced of Salander's innocence, plunges into an investigation. Meanwhile, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse, which forces her to face her dark past.

After reading all three of this trilogy, I found Larsson's writing style a little tedious. I understand the need for a little detail when it comes to the business aspect of the plot but he goes into so much detail that some readers who have started the first book give up on it. I'm glad I stuck with it because I really liked the plot but Larsson's writing is just a bit rough around the edges.

Deadline 12/8/10

2010-12-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Ben Wolf has big things planned for his senior year. Had big things planned. Now what he has is some very bad news and only one year left to make his mark on the world.

How can a pint-sized, smart-ass seventeen-year-old do anything significant in the nowheresville of Trout, Idaho?

And then there's Dallas Suzuki. Amazingly perfect, fascinating Dallas Suzuki, who may or may not give Ben the time of day.

Living with a secret isn't easy, though, and Ben's resolve begins to crumble . . . especially when he realizes that he isn't the only person in Trout with secrets.

This book was a page turner until the middle. Then there was too much going on. The story could have really been a good one until Crutcher added more storylines into Ben's story. The football parts really bored me but that's because I hate football. We are reading this book and one other in my teen book club this month so I'll see what the teens have to say about it. I have to say that I am tired of all the current young adult books being about suicide or death. I realize we all have to deal with death and probably suicide at some point in our lives but for a teenager to read fictional books about it kinda bums me out. I mean, they all ready have so much to deal with in their lives already. Just my opinion. My blog. My opinion. Hahaha!

In the Woods 12/1/10

2010-12-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

In the Woods by Tana French

As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. Three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours. Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox-his partner and closest friend-find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.

An adult book, I enjoyed the Irish authors writing style as well as her details of the Irish countryside. It is a story that keeps you turning pages but not as graphic as some suspense thrillers of today. I would definately read another by French.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest 11/2/10

2010-11-02T16:39:00.000-07:00


The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

Lisbeth Salander lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Being a librarian you would think I would know where to look to find out which book comes next in a series. I was lazy this time and read this book before "The Girl Who Played with Fire" which comes after the 1st book "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". Nonetheless, the book was fairly easy to follow and as always I was enthralled in the story. Larsson's dialect in his books needed work--maybe something was lost in translation--but we'll never know now as he has passed on. I really enjoyed the basic plot line of his books. Salinder, who everyone thinks is mentally ill, but probably has some form of Asperger's Syndrome, has a photogenic memory, is an expert hacker, and is extremely intelligent. She also has a real problem socializing and doesn't have friends which isn't a problem for her. It's such a good story and the way Larsson's books read like a suspense movie (fast and intense) I find myself recommending them to reader's. I have to be careful who I recommend them to however as they are very graphic.

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors 10/1/10

2010-10-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Franciso X. Stork

Seventeen-year-old Pancho is bent on avenging the senseless death of his sister, but after he meets D.Q, who is dying of cancer, and Marisol, one of D.Q.'s caregivers, both boys find their lives changed by their interactions.

I wasn't as enthralled by this book as I was with Marcelo in the Real World. Last Summer wore on me after a while. I found DQ whiney, Pancho hard to understand, and Marisol to good to be human. I guess I'm just sick of books with death as a main topic. This week I was trying to make a decision on a book for this month's Teen Book Club. I pulled up a list of the young adult best books that have come out in the last 6 months. Over 1/2 of these books deal with murder, death of a loved one, or suicide. With all the problems our society has been having in the last few years with suicides, I wanted to have the teens read something that doesn't involve death. So I went back a little further and chose Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Even though it does deal with death, it isn't in a realistic sense and it isn't depressing or the main topic. The book is funny, entertaining, and intelligent. That is what I want to read now!

Olive Kitteridge 9/14/10

2010-09-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

At the edge of the continent, Crosby, Maine, may seem like nowhere, but it’s in essence the whole world, and the lives that are lived there are filled with all of the grand human drama - desire, despair, jealousy, hope, and love.

I really thought I would enjoy this book. There were parts I enjoyed a lot. But Strout never really makes this reader like Olive let alone care what happens to her. I wanted to know more about what happened to her husband Henry than anyone else in the book. It wasn't a pleasant read for me. The whole book was rather depressing and dark.

Juvy Desk

2010-09-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

I really get frustrated with patrons who use the kids computers. Today a man and his 2ish year old daughter came in. He sat down in front of an Internet terminal and the little girl looked at books quietly for quite a while.

The thing about where I work is, in the next room is a crazy people/weirdo haven. And it isn't supervised. People from all walks of life go in and sit on the couches staring off in space or yelling things to no one.

Anyway, after about 15 minutes the little girl decided she wanted to climb on the chairs and stand up. I asked the father to keep her with him. No acknowledgement from him or answer, but he eventually just got up and picked her up. He told her something in her ear and she walked back over to the books. Within minutes she was in the next room with the crazy people and playing on the staircase. I watched her go in the room, waited a few minutes do see if dad would do anything, then I got up to check on her. Sure enough she was on the stairs dangling her feet through the railing, getting in people's way who were making their way down the stairs. I went back to the Juvenile desk and said loudly (there were 2 patrons other than this man) "Sir your daughter is playing on the stairs. You need to keep her with you while in the library." No acknowledgement. I walked up to his terminal and repeated myself. Still no acknowledgement so I walked back to the desk. A few minutes later he gets up and finds her. She is tired by this time (they'd been here for at least an hour) and she starts crying "I don't want this place any more Da Da!" He picks her up, puts her in her pram as she is wailing, father still not looking at me.

I really wish people would adhere to societies unwritten rules of etiquette. Last night I was watching a racing reality show (what other kind are there) and they were in Japan on the bullet train. One of the contestants cell phone rang which he answered and because they were on camera he put the call on speaker. Immediately at least 3 people got up out of their seats and started asking him in Japanese to turn off his cell phone. After that, I wasn't watching what the racers were doing but what the people on the train were doing. It was like their down time. Time in a silent room to reflect. A library of the past quietness fell over the train. It was cool. And one of those unwritten rules of etiquette. I don't read Japanese though--there could have been signs all over saying "NO CELL PHONE USAGE".

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius 9/9/10

2010-09-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

A moving memoir of a college senior who, in the space of five weeks, loses both of his parents to cancer and inherits his eight-year-old brother. This book manages to be simultaneously hilarious and wildly inventive as well as a deeply heartfelt story of the love that holds a family together.

No doubt Dave Eggers is an awesome writer. He knows how to tell a story. This story made me sad though and not in the way some would think. He describes his dying parents in such an uncaring way. Maybe I missed some nuance in between the story lines. Maybe Eggers couldn't describe it any other way without losing some sense of himself and his family. I appreciated the story and his loss. Googling Toph Eggers, there were images of him as a young man. Very handsome and attending college.

Fat Vampire 8/4/10

2010-09-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

Fat Vampire by Adam Rex

Unlike most vampires who are drop-dead gorgeous, sexy, and irresistible, Doug is the exact opposite. Overweight, unpopular, and dorky, he seals his fate by being in the wrong place at the wrong time and as a result was attacked by a starving, newly made vampire. Now he must spend the rest of his immortal life as an unattractive 15-year-old, feeding off cows to satisfy his need for blood.

I love Adam Rex's work. But I was so disappointed in this book and its ending. The ending was like Rex just gave up. He wrote 8 or so possible endings, none of which were even remotely funny or vampirish (new word!) for the reader to choose from. I do love Adam Rex's art and most of his books. One of my favorite being "The True Meaning of Smekday". What happened Adam?

Solace of the Road 8/23/10

2010-08-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd

Memories of mum are the only thing that make Holly Hogan happy. She hates her foster family with their too-nice ways and their false sympathy. And she hates her life, her stupid school, and the way everyone is always on at her. Then she finds the wig, and everything changes. So begins a bittersweet and sometimes hilarious journey as Solace swaggers and Holly tiptoes across England and through memory, discovering her true self and unlocking the secrets of her past.

It makes me very sad to know that this book will be the last book I will read by Siobhan Dowd. She died of cancer in 2007 and I've read all of her other books. This one wasn't as great as some of the others she has written but I still read it knowing it would be the last.

Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer 8/5/10

2010-08-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he's only 13 years old, Theo Boone thinks he's one of them. But Theo soon finds himself dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial.

This is a fast read also. Grisham really needs to work on how kids talk before writing another children's book. The plot is good but it was lacking in the way kids lives work. I love Grisham's work but this one I would only recommend to a kid if they wanted a mystery novel and there was nothing else available.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner 8/4/10

2010-08-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay. I've been busy, lazy, out of town and any other excuse I can make. Sometimes updating my blog is a pain. Other times I can't wait!

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, is about the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. This story is about Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

A fast read (I read it a 3 hour car ride), but not as engaging as Twilight. Meyer does keep the reader guessing about who Bree is and where she fits into the Twilight saga which is good but anyone who has read all three knows.

Monsters of Men 8/5/10

2010-08-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others.

Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape.

As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there be peace when they’re so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await?

But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge…

I didn't think this trilogy could get any better after Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer. I was pleasantly surprised. Monsters of Men takes the reader through wars and deaths and life as Todd and Viola go through 600 pages of what is the last of the Chaos Walking series. I cried at the end and Ness certainly leaves the end to the reader to decide what happens. Viola and Todd are truly tied together in the best of ways and their love keeps you reading. I really hope Hollywood doesn't get a hold of these books. I want my picture of this planet and people and Spackle in my head to not be ruined like Harry Potter was ruined. Maybe I'm biased...

The Roar 7/14/10

2010-07-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

The Roar by Emma Clayton

Mika and Ellie live in a future behind a wall, safe from the plague of animals beyond. Or so they've been told. After one of them vanishes and the other takes part in a sinister virtual reality game, they discover their concrete world is built on lies.

This book had the beginnings of a great read. However, from the very start I could tell it was the authors first book. The paragraphs were to long. Sentences had to be reread in order to understand them. The plot itself was good in the onset but The Roar didn't even come into play until 3/4 of the way through. And even then I didn't understand it. This is the first book, by a British author even, that I will have to say, SKIP!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 7/11/10

2010-07-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

A murder mystery, family saga, love story, and a tale of financial intrigue wrapped into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel. Harriet Vanger, scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pieced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

This book is NOT for the weak at heart! It contains violence, rape scenes and torture. However, if you can bypass those thing, if you have been desensitized like the rest of America, it won't be a shock to you. It is a very entertaining book. One that has a movie that is almost up there as following it page to page. I can't wait for the next book "The Girl Who Played with Fire". I listened to these books on CD and I didn't want to leave my car. Larsson is Swedish and the book has been translated with some explanations as (obviously) the culture is a little different than American culture. I enjoyed the intense thrill of the chase of this book!

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax 6/27/10

2010-06-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

Wow, really? It's been almost 2 months since I last posted. It's been a crazy couple of months. I am finally reading again on a regular basis. Thank goodness--otherwise I would go crazy.

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was a widow with grown children. She was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings. She wanted to do something good for her country. So, naturally, she became a CIA agent. This time, the assignment sounds as tasty as a taco. A quick trip to Mexico City is on her agenda. Unfortunately, something goes wrong, and our dear Mrs. Pollifax finds herself embroilied in quite a hot Cold War--and her country's enemies find themsleves entangled with one unbelievably feisty lady.

When I worked for the Braille and Talking Book Library, the ladies and some of the men really loved Mrs. Pollifax. We couldn't keep them in the library they were so popular. I needed something comforting and different, not that I lack for reading material. So I started this book. I wasn't disappointed. Although the author writes as if her characters were raised in the U.K. (the sentence structure) they were supposedly from the U.S. I very much enjoyed my "comfort" read and plan to read another Dorothy Gilman soon!

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand 5/6/10

2010-05-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside is filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and contains a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of readers' own families. Their interactions are both hilarious and heartbreaking.

At first I thought the Major was a stuck up, stuck in the past, prude. But as the book went on, I was glad I stuck with it. It is a gentle love story of two neighbors who have lost their spouses years before and find themselves falling in love. Their love, however, is filled with lots of road blocks. The only thing I did not like about this book is the author writes about librarians in a harsh way. Bad form!

Will Grayson 4/25/10

2010-05-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

When two teens, one gay and one straight, meet accidentally and discover that they share the same name, their lives become intertwined as one begins dating the other's best friend, who produces a play revealing his relationship with them both.

This is a funny book but not my favorite John Green book. Maybe it was the melancholy manner in which the gay Will Grayson is portrayed. I enjoyed the character Tiny and his best friend Will Grayson. Their interaction was funny and had good "best friend" quality to it.

The coolest thing about the copy of my book of "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" is that it is signed by both John Green and David Levithan! I purchased it in a bookstore in Big Bear, CA. I am so stoked!

Shiver 4/310

2010-04-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf - her wolf - is a haunting presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human -- until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears and the temperature drops, Sam must fight to stay human or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

I tend not to read all the "Stephenie Meyer" like books, vampire or otherwise. Some, I've heard, are better than others and probably better written. I'm just really tired of vampires. This book was a Stephenie like book. Werewolves who turn back into human during the summer months. Even the romance was boring. This book has been a little more noticed at our library by the teens here than the other vampire books but nothing like the maelstorm Stephenie Meyer books were.

The Monstromologist

2010-04-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Monstromologist by Rick Yancey

In this dark tale constructed as a journal by 12-year-old orphan Will Henry, it is the story of the boy's apprenticeship to an enigmatic 19th-century "monstrumologist," Doctor Pellinore Warthrop. Purportedly found in 2007 amid the personal effects of the recently deceased Will (at age 131), the memoir opens as a corpse is delivered to Warthrop by a grave-robber one night in 1888. What appears to be a horrific desecration of the body foreshadows a plague of headless, man-eating anthropophagi.

I was drawn into this wonderful tale of monsters and horror. I DO NOT like horror books. I pick this up because it had won the Printz honor award. I didn't know it was a horror book. Anyway, that said I still enjoyed the writing, the wonderful way Yancey had of writing the characters so you knew them. I listened to this book and limited myself to a half hour each morning as I got ready for work but toward the end of the book I found myself listening to it at night. It is my favorite book so far this year, beating out Sarah Dessen's "Along for the Ride" and any others I found worthy of being an A book.

Best Thing I've Read All Week

2010-04-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

From "The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg" by Rodman Philbrick:

"The pungent perfume of the pig is still upon you. The suffocating scent of the swine exudes from your person. In a word, sir, you stink."

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg 3/31

2010-04-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

Twelve-year-old Homer, a poor but clever orphan, has extraordinary adventures after running away from his evil uncle to rescue his brother, who has been sold into service in the Civil War.

I enjoyed this Newbery Honor Awarded book much better than the Newbery Awarded book for 2010. Homer is funny and gets into some tight spots. The story is fast moving, adventurous, and fun. Philbrick is the author of "Freak the Mighty" which I have yet to read. I hope he continues to write stories like this one!

Looking for Alaska 3/20

2010-04-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words – and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another.

The Printz Award Winner in 2006 it has been until now that I picked up this book. I had heard that there was a suicide in the book. I did not want to read about such an awful topic. Why did I finally pick it up? I love John Green's writing and for lack of something to read over the weekend, it was available. I really enjoyed it. However, of all the books John Green has written, my favorite is still An Abundance of Katherines!

When You Reach Me 3/17

2010-04-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Four mysterious letters change Miranda's world forever. By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen.

This was the 2010 Newbery Award Winner. I wasn't impressed. I don't think kids who this book was written for will know a lot of the references the author makes like The $10,000 Pyramid. The storyline was not exciting enough for me. I'm not sure, on what basis, the Newbery committee chose this book as there were many others that were much better.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon 3/15

2010-04-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. While her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man in the Moon, Minli's mother chides him for filling her head with stories. But inspired by these stories, Minli spends one of her precious copper pennies on a beautiful goldfish, which is said to be able to change the fortune of the owner. Her mother reprimands her for the silly purchase, but, it pays off when the goldfish talks and offers to show her the path to fortune and wealth! Minli is eventually joined by a dragon who can't fly, and together they set out to find the Old Man of the Moon to ask him to fulfill their dreams.

The stories interspersed inside this story are interesting however most cannot be told on their own. They don't make sense except in the story. There are several with nice moral endings. I loved the illustrations Grace Lin painted throughout the book. She is a very artistic person.

Along for the Ride 3/10/10

2010-03-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

Along for the Ride

It's been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents' divorce--or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live. A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she's been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend. In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.

This is a very comforting book to read. I enjoyed it and it was a realistic read. It helped me get out of the fantasy and historical fiction genres I've been stuck in. I give this book an A.

Odd and the Frost Giants 2/24/10

2010-02-24T17:23:00.000-08:00

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

An unlucky twelve-year-old Norwegian boy named Odd leads the Norse gods Loki, Thor, and Odin in an attempt to outwit evil Frost Giants who have taken over Asgard.

As always, Gaiman delivers with this clever book about Norse Gods. I hope he writes more about Odd who is the hero in this story. The only thing I didn't like about it was Gaiman made Odd grow up too quickly.

Going Bovine 2/22/10

2010-02-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Can Cameron find what he's looking for? All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school and life in general with a minimum of effort. It's not a lot to ask. But that's before he's given some bad news: he's sick and he's going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure if he's willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.

I hated the Rebel Angel Series by Libba Bray. I can't take it when American authors try to write as though they are British. So after "A Great and Terrible Beauty", which I barely got through, I vowed never to read anything else by her. Then, of course, YALSA's Printz committee voted her book "Going Bovine" a Printz winner. Amazing. I couldn't believe it. So I picked it up and started reading. The first few chapters were okay but then the story took off. The characters came alive on the page and I was looking forward to the time I would have to read more. I kept thinking, "If Bray doesn't kill off Cameron at the end of this book, I'm writing a nasty letter to her." But then, as it came closer to the end, I didn't want Cameron to die.

Feb. 22, 2010

2010-02-22T16:11:00.000-08:00

I'm reading some really good books right now. I've been really distracted and I haven't felt like writing. Things in my life are good but complicated. So I am focusing on books and maybe my life will settle down enough that I can deal.

I love my bulldog but they are expensive to have! She still has an ulcerated cataract that won't seem to heal up. It's getting close to $1000 I've spent to get it taken care of and she may need another surgery. Blah!

I am traveling to Utah this weekend to see my oldest son. Wish I could go skiing! Instead I am spending some needed time with my oldest.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer 2/16/10

2010-02-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson

This book offers younger audiences a chronological, sometimes graphic play-by-play of Lincoln's assassination and the pursuit of his murderer and cohorts. Boothe's fatal attempt at escape is detailed. The book talks of the people who helped Boothe escape and what happens to them.

I thought I knew the story behind Lincoln's assassination. However, the detail in this book is very precise. There are pictures of some of the people who had a hand in the assassination and abetting of Boothe. Its a thin book, an easy read, but it has meat to it. I appreciated the detail Swanson has written. I also hear there is a film in the works based on the adult book by Swanson, "Manhunt".

Leviathan 2/14/10

2010-02-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

On the eve of World War I, the machine-loving Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their big steam-powered Clankers. Inspired by Darwin, the British have fabricated animals into warships. Their mothership, "Leviathan," is a marvelous whale-dirigible.

Steampunk is what they are calling it. A new genre and I like it! A genre of science fiction set in Victorian times when steam was the main source of machine power. Westerfeld has his finger on the pulse of Steampunk in Leviathan. The main characters are well written. The story is a real page turner. I especially enjoy the fact that both girls and boys will like this book because the main characters are a girl who is pretending to be a boy so she can get into the Air Service and a boy who is trying to stay incognito because he is a royal.

The book is going to be a series which kind of bums me. I mean, why can't authors just write one good book and end it? There are all kinds of authors who do it but the fashion seems tilted toward writing in series.

I really like how Steampunk blends today's technology with Victorian times. I don't think a mixing of this kind can be done well with other ages. Like Medievel and technology. I've seen movies where they try to mix the two and they just don't work for me. Steampunk works! I like it!

Liar by Justine Larbalestier 2/3/10

2010-02-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Micah freely admits that she's a compulsive liar. Over the years she's duped her classmates, her teachers, and her parents. But when her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not.

I did not "get" this book. It was a fast read. The author can write but I just didn't get the plot or story. Micah believes she is a wolf. So at the end did that mean she killed her boyfriend? Did she make up the white boy? Is she crazy? I did not like the freaky story/plot line at all. I do not like books that leave me with questions at the end. I give it a C for readability and nice development of all characters including Micah. But the book lost grade points because I couldn't make heads nor tails of the story.

Displays in YA

2010-02-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

I purchased several cardboard displays that I am using for books. They are holding up quite well. This is my Printz Award Book Display. Very inexpensive and the circulation is much more than when they were shelved with all the other Young Adult books.

This display is the Best Books for Young Adults for 2009 display. Once again easy and inexpensive with circulation stats high.

Our Teen New Fiction Display. We leave the newest fiction on display for about 3 months.

Wintergirls 1/30/10

2010-01-31T21:09:00.000-08:00

Wintergirls by Larie Halse Anderson

Six years after Cassie and Lia resolved to become the skinniest girls in their school, Cassie dies. Unable to bear the sadness and guilt following Cassie's death, Lia spirals deeper into her own eating disorder. Elijah, the last person to see Cassie alive, helps Lia find the strength to face her own demons and enter recovery.

A haunting, stick-with-you story that made me look at my own weight issues and eating habits. Anderson has an afterword at the end of the book where she tells the reader that she did extensive research into eating disorders and had some people who were experts in treating this disorder read over her manuscripts before they went to the publisher. This just made the book more haunting for me.

I'm not sure I would recommend this book to someone I didn't know. I mean, who knows what kind of problems readers maybe having and to read this book may cause some issues to come up. This is what bothers me as a reader's advisor sometimes.

Jan. 27, 2010

2010-01-28T16:50:00.000-08:00

Went to a "Performer's Showcase" today to hire performers for summer reading. It's a nice day where librarians are entertained for the day then they get to hire from the small allotment of money they are given by their Friends of the Library. Kids do not know what we go through to entertain them during the summer! It's a lot of fun but A LOT of work. This year's theme for the county is "Make a Splash at Your Library". A water theme.

I found out that the librarian position that I am trying to transfer to is more focused on teens! I have been trying to get into a position like that since I graduated Library school. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Jan. 26, 2010

2010-01-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

Wow. I was going to try to keep up with this "online journaling" thing. Harder than I imagined.

Friday we scheduled my dog to have surgery on her eye and have two of her teeth pulled. She is 8 years old and I'm really worried about her. She is so sweet. I don't know what I would do without her big old paws greeting me when I get home from work. The vet assures me that all will be well.

I put in for a transfer to another library in the county. I wasn't nervous at all about it until I scheduled the interview. Now I'm freaking out. I've been with the county for 3+ years and I thought I knew all I needed to know but the position is for an adult librarian near a university. A university that does a lot of research. What the hell have I done? Oh well. It isn't like I've got the job. I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

G and I decided to go to AZ for my son's 21st birthday. My oldest son is coming from UT so it will be a mini family reunion! Fun!

Jan. 21, 2010

2010-01-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

Today has been wierd. I went to a Children's Services meeting at headquarters this morning. It was pouring rain. I have never, in my life, been in a severe rainstorm as the one this morning. Buckets came down! I mean buckets. I own a Mini Cooper and I couldn't drive in places because the streets were flooding. I made it to the meeting barely on time.

My poor doggie and her short legs aren't liking the wade to the sand box where she does her business. I can't blame her.

Our teen book club met this afternoon after my drive back to the library. Only 3 kids showed up but it was a good chat. Hopefully we will get back to 5 or 6 kids soon.

I still haven't mentioned to my boss the fact that I am thinking about transferring. I'm a little scared of her reaction. In the past, her reactions to news she doesn't like haven't been professional. I hate to leave the people I work with but I think I need to move on. I think being an adult librarian will give me the opportunity to step into a senior librarianship and eventually a branch manager.

Yoga tonight. I didn't go last night. The rain and the fact that I was in front of my tv with Po at my feet kept me from leaving my condo!

If I Stay 1/20/10

2010-01-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

While in a coma following an automobile accident that killed her parents and her younger brother, seventeen-year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weighs whether to live with her grief or join her family in death.

A well written book about the unknown world people are in when they are in a coma. It made me cry, think and laugh. There are many aspects of this book that I would recommend! It may seem like a downer to read but the ending gives the reader hope.

Jan. 20, 2010

2010-01-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

I went to the pharmacy on my lunch hour. Mistake! There was such a long line. Here is why I hate waiting in lines:

people who wander in and out of line and expect to get back in their same spot.
people who invade your space (especially if they have an odor).
people who want to talk (some are okay, some are not).
when you are next in line, listening while the pharmacist talks about personal stuff and realizing you are next. What is he going to tell everyone about you?

There are other things but I don't want to be anymore negative. What are your pet peeves about lines?

Another migraine this morning but my meds knocked it out!

RAIN!!!! YAY!!! I love it!

Jan. 19, 2010

2010-01-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

It rained like a monsoon in July in Arizona here today. Wind and rain, thunder and lightening. It was great! I'm glad I didn't have to be out in it. The weather is suppose to be like this for the rest of the week.

Yesterday I had the day off. I went to a movie (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and cleaned the floors in my house. Migraine later in the day. Blah.

La's Orchestra Saves the World 1/18/10

2010-01-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith

This is a story that celebrates the healing powers of music and friendship. La escapes World War II ravaged London and a shattered marriage and relocates to a small English town.

I purchased this book for my mother-in-law for Christmas which she was finished with in a day. She then let me borrow it and I read it in 3 days (fast for me). Not that it is short or boring, it's that it is an Alexander McCall Smith book. His books are delightful, funny, quick reads that leave you feeling like you've just spent a nice day out with your best friend. The plot line wasn't predictable. I thought I knew what would happen--but it didn't. I loved the book...now I have to give it back to its owner.

Jan. 16, 2010

2010-01-16T15:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my bf and I took Po to the vet to have her eye checked again. After 1 week of putting the medication in her eye, her ulcerated cataract is almost healed up. I have to put it in for another week and it should be all better. Then we have to have 2 of her teeth pulled. =( She is not going to like that.

G and I took her to Huntington Beach to walk around and have dinner. We went to the Farmer's Market they have on the pier every Friday and bought strawberries and snow peas. What a combination. Then we sought out a place to eat. In the past, we have been able to sit outside in a covered area with the dog. HB has an ordinance it just passed that says we have to tie the dog up on the other side of the sidewalk from where we are eating. I was not happy. I understand the cities position on this issue but they are going to have a hard time enforcing it when summer comes and there are thousands of people with their dogs wandering around.

Anyway, G and I came home, watched a few episodes of Sons of Anarchy, walked to Paris Baguette and bought some yummy Korean pasteries.

Today has been busy. I'm in charge all weekend. It's my weekend to work. =( It is supposed to rain all week =) I have Monday off! Woohoo!

Tender Morsels 1/16/10

2010-01-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

A young woman who has endured unspeakable cruelties is magically granted a safe haven apart from the real world and allowed to raise her two daughters in this alternate reality, until the barrier between her world and the real one begins to break down.

To say this book is sexually explicit would be laughable. And yet the author never goes into details about the acts themselves. The first being incest which leads to pregnancy and abortion. The second is gang rape which leads to another pregnancy. It amazes me that the Printz Award Panel for 2009 awarded this book an honor. While the writing is amazing, I would not recommend it to any teen. I do have to say I enjoyed the writing. It flows well. However, the story itself is too long.

Jan. 13, 2010

2010-01-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

Storytime went well today. It's always nice when its the last storytime of the season and we have a couple of weeks off. I did have to do it by myself today but it wasn't a big deal.

We received books galore in our shipment today. A lot of books on explorers. Which will be good when the elementary schools assign their explorers reports.

Po is doing much better. She even seems hungry. We'll see what the vet says on Friday.

I'm tired tonight. Kinda lazy. I don't want to talk myself out of going to yoga tonight. Yoga, yoga, yoga...

Tumtum & Nutmeg 1/13/10

2010-01-13T16:50:00.000-08:00

Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall by Emily Bearn

Wealthy, married mice Tumtum and Nutmeg find adventure when they secretly try to help two human siblings who live in a tumbledown cottage with their absent-minded inventor father.

I don't understand why the publishers (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) did not publish this book as 3 books. When kids look at it they will not pick it up it is so dense. There are 493 pages. Granted there are pictures and the text is double spaced but I know kids. Unless they are avid readers they will not pick up this book. The English books (they were originally published in England probably because the author is British) are published in 3 separate books.

The Nutmouses adventures are so cute! The stories remind me of some of the Beatrix Potter stories. The book is written for 3rd to 5th graders but can be enjoyed by adults! I certainly enjoyed it.

Jan. 12, 2010

2010-01-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

My poor little dog. Here she is in her collar. She just kept trying to itch her eye that we are trying to heal. She has an ulcerated cataract in her left eye. She's been in pain for months and I didn't know. I'm a bad mum.

I tried to make up for it by purchasing her some bling.

It has my cell phone # on the back in case she gets lost.

I've got a cold. I have to do storytime by myself tomorrow. =(

Claudette Colvin 1/12/10

2010-01-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

Claudette Colvin : twice toward justice by Phillip Hoose

Nine months before Rosa Parks declined to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Ala., bus a "smart, angry teenager" named Claudette Colvin actually did it first.

Wow! I really don't read a lot of nonfiction. This book is a real eye opening bit of history that not a whole lot of people know. At least not this person. Claudette was a brave girl in my view. I look up to her. When I was a teenager there was no way I would have taken a stand like she did. I would have cowered like Claudette viewed the adults of her race doing.

Jan. 11, 2010

2010-01-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

I'm not doing very well on my resolution! I think I may have to revise it a bit. See, I don't get on a computer on my days off. I need a rest from it after using it all day when I'm at work. Instead, on Mondays, I will do a short summary of what happened over the weekend.

So Friday morning my dog's eye was swollen shut. Poor little girl was in pain! I made some calls and found a vet nearby. My bf, G and I took her in with all kinds of concerns about a new vet. But we found she was very caring and even gave my stinky little dog a kiss on the head! The bad news is she has an ulcerated cataract in her left eye. We are treating it but she will have very limited vision from that eye. I felt like such a bad owner! She's been in pain for a long time and I didn't know it. The vet gave her some pain meds which make her sleep. That and watching some dvd's G and I got for Christmas took up the rest of the day.

I cleaned my closet on Saturday. An all day job. Took 4 bags of old clothes and shoes to Goodwill. I'm a bit of a pack rat. Anyway, my closet looks divine! I'll take a picture and post it! I also went to IKEA and purchased a lamp for my living room then went to Urban Outfitters to use my discount card (my son works there). I got 3 awesome shirts and some sexy boots. I'll take pics of them too.

Sunday was errand day. G and I went to Barnes and Noble, PetSmart, Pep Boys, and Rite Aid. When we were through we watched "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past". Wish I hadn't, it was that bad. Then I went home and had a visitor. My friend Laurie visited me for about an hour. Then I went to see "New Moon" with another friend of mine, Deborah. She used to be a Teen Advisory Board (TAB) member before she grew older and went off to college. =(. That was my Sunday. Po is feeling better but is still scratching her eye. I hope that means it is healing.

Work today. So far nothing fascinating has happened. Same old stuff. Oh--a librarian job is opening up in Irvine and Aliso Viejo. I think I may apply...

If I had stayed married to my 1st husband, this would have been our 24th anniversary. What a morbid thought.

Jan. 7, 2010

2010-01-07T16:48:00.001-08:00

Today has been a frustrating one for me. A lot of ends to clean up. We are having our carpet replaced in 2 months and my supervisor asked me if I wanted to move my teen section to a bigger area. Duh! Of course I do. But I just finished heavily weeding that area because we didn't have room for all the new fiction coming in. Dang!

Started watching Deadwood last night. It was okay. I wasn't very impressed by all the cursing. I'm not a prude, mind you. I just don't think it's necessary to throw in a swear word every other word. I did like the way the series tries to be true to the old west however.

Tonight I'm going with a friend to have Korean BBQ. Yum!

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie 1/1/10

2010-01-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, must exonerate her father of murder. Armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together and examine new suspects, she begins a search that will lead her all the way to the King of England himself.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I listened to it via Audible.com. The narrator, Jayne Entwistle, was amazing as an eleven year old. But Bradley's wonderful talent to tell a story was the true reason I was enthralled with this book. It is a book that I would recommend to the teenagers in the libraries book group as well as my 89 year old mother-in-law. And both audiences would love it equally. I give this book an A! First of the year and first A! Gonna be a good year!

Jan. 6, 2010

2010-01-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

This morning was storytime. I'm neutral about storytime today. I love the little ones but the parents/grandparents are a bit much to deal with. Anyway, we were not as prepared as we usually are with the crafts. We pulled it off though. By "we" I mean my very competent, very reliable assistant. She has been going through a lot lately. Just in December both of her grandfathers died within 2 weeks of each other. And she has been dealing with her mom's failing health. She has two teen aged boys and a husband who cannot work because of a back injury sustained while on the job.

The happy news of the day was that I was sent three brand new books to review. Titles to come later.

I have a DVD to watch. Currently I am watching Born Into Brothels. I couldn't watch it in one sitting because I was putting together a bookcase and couldn't read the directions as well as the subtitles. So I stopped it cause it was so good I wanted to turn my full attention to it. I just received (on hold from the library) Deadwood which I am previewing before I purchase for my dad who is very hard to buy presents for and loves most things western. But they have to be genuinely western. My dad is great! Some people even think he looks like Johnny Cash in a way. I don't think so. He looks like my dad.

Jan. 5, 2010

2010-01-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

This morning I went to my yoga class. My yoga teacher is a native Korean and speaks broken English. So the whole class is lying on their backs with their arms and legs in the air, shaking them (supposedly this helps circulation as well as balance and muscle tone). The teacher is walking around saying, "Skeez you anus. Skeez you anus. You anus is the biggest hole that loses energy." I am trying not to giggle because this is not something I hear every day. Even in a yoga class!

Work is slow before 2:30 pm. After 2:30 we get slammed with kids. We have a high school across the street from us that is in the top 10 best schools for college readiness as well as academis in the nation. We also have a middle school, 5 elementary schools, and a high school within 2 miles of us. Poor us!

Jan. 4, 2010

2010-01-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

Today, I added 40 Dragonball Z DVD's to our libraries collection which I'm sure I will regret. Kids of a certain age are still into Anime and Dragonball Z. These will surely get a lot of circulation statistics. It took all morning to do. Whew! Now I'm trying to convert a powerpoint into a video so I can upload it to a digital photo frame to be displayed at the circulation and reference desks.

My dog, Po, was happy to see me at noon! She's always happy to see me when her bladder is full or she is going to get fed. Guess I would be the same way.

I'm so glad I live in SoCal. I hear the weather everywhere else is a wee bit chilly.

January 3, 2010

2010-01-03T15:58:00.000-08:00

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to write my daily happenings down in a journal. I've already broken it as today is the third day of the new year. Anyway, since I have a blog and I don't use it except when I am finished reading a book, I might as well use this form of journaling.

So today I worked as a circulation clerk even though I am a librarian. Weird things that happened: a man came in with a chihuahua. We asked him to take it outside. The woman with him said it was a service dog that he had been in a terrible motorcycle accident and it helps keep him calm. What? A chihuahua? The woman said it was a psychiatric prescription.

Other things happened but just boring stuff.

Best thing I've read all week

2009-12-28T13:54:00.000-08:00

From the book "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan C. Bradley:

"As I stood outside in Cow Lane, it occurred to me that Heaven must be a place where the library is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

No...eight days a week."

I love libraries! And one that would be open twenty-four hours a day would be Heaven as long as I didn't have to work the reference desk!

Fire 12/19/09

2009-12-20T15:16:00.000-08:00

Fire by Kristin Cashore

In a kingdom called the Dells, Fire is the last human-shaped monster, with unimaginable beauty and the ability to control the minds of those around her, but even with these gifts she cannot escape the strife that overcomes her world.

I was a little disappointed with this book. Not because the story wasn't good or the writing needed work. No, it was because the characters from Graceling weren't in this book. I fell in love with Po and Katsa's story. I wanted more!

This book had a lot more sexual situations in it than I expected. Cashore doesn't go into detail, but two characters get pregnant and the father sleeps around (obviously).

I am rating this a B. Probably not fairly as I have compaired it to Graceling but its my blog and my review!

Carbon Diaries 2015 12/14/09

2009-12-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd

In 2015, when England becomes the first nation to introduce carbon dioxide rationing in a drastic bid to combat climate change, sixteen-year-old Laura documents the first year of rationing as her family spirals out of control. Told in short diary entries filled with scrapbook clippings, this riveting ecothriller is one girl's attempt to stay grounded in a world where disaster has become the norm.

What a scary book. We see changes now with polar ice caps melting and the quality of air as well as weird changes in weather. Is this what is to come? We have a rude awakening and an irreversible outcome for our children and their children. What have we done? This book made me really think of what we have done to our earth in the name of consumerism. And we are still doing it!!!

Best thing I've read all week

2009-12-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

From the book, "Secret Keeper" by Mitali Perkins:

"...life without hope can be worse than death itself."

I know it's not much but it meant a lot to me while I was reading it.

Secret Keeper 12/09/09

2009-12-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins

In 1974 when her father leaves New Delhi, India, to seek a job in New York, Ashi, a tomboy at the advanced age of sixteen, feels thwarted in the home of her extended family in Calcutta where she, her mother, and sister must stay, and when her father dies before he can send for them, they must remain with their relatives and observe the old-fashioned traditions that Ashi hates.

Perkins talked a lot about Indian culture without explaining the reasons behind some of their practices. I was left wondering "why do they do that?". The culture seemed very strict and orthodox. I know some Indian's who still practice arranged marriage which, in today's society seems odd. Then there is widowhood. When a woman becomes a widow, she can no longer eat meat, fish and eggs, she has to always wear white which imply's that she is a widow.

The way Perkin's tells this story is page turning and the ending isn't what you would think. I enjoyed this book. I am rating it a B.

Best books in 2009 (according to SLJ)

2009-12-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

I went a little crazy today. My copy of School Library Journal came and on the cover was BEST BOOKS of 2009. I immediately started placing many on hold.

Some I've already read and reviewed (in italics). Some I'm reading now (in bold).
Here is the list:

BARTON, Chris. The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors.
BEARN, Emily. Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall.
BISHOP, Nic. Nic Bishop Butterflies and Moths.
BROWN, Jennifer. Hate List.
CASHORE, Kristin. Fire.
COUSINS, Lucy. Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales.
CRUM, Shutta. Thunder-Boomer!
DAVIES, Jacqueline. Tricking the Tallyman.
EMBERLEY, Rebecca & Ed Emberley. Chicken Little.
FUCILE, Tony. Let’s Do Nothing!
FLOCA, Brian. Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11.
GAL, Susan. Night Lights.
HARDINGE, Frances. The Lost Conspiracy.
HEILIGMAN, Deborah. Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith.
HENKES, Kevin. Birds.
HEST, Amy. Little Chick.
HIAASEN, Carl. Scat.
HOOSE, Phillip. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice.
JONELL, Lynne. The Secret of Zoom.
KELLY, Jacqueline. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.
KRULL, Kathleen. The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth.
LARBALESTIER, Justine. Liar.
LLOYD, Saci. The Carbon Diaries 2015.
MANN, Charles C. Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491.
MARCUS, Leonard S., ed. Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy.
MARRIN, Albert. Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl.
METSELAAR, Menno & Ruud van der Rol. Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures.
MONTGOMERY, Sy. Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia.
MURPHY, Jim. Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting.
MYERS, Walter Dean. Looking Like Me.
O’CONNOR, Barbara. The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis.
PALATINI, Margie. Lousy Rotten Stinkin’ Grapes.
PARTRIDGE, Elizabeth. Marching for Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and Don’t You Grow Weary.
PATRICELLI, Leslie. Higher! Higher!
PINKNEY, Andrea Davis. Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride.
PINKNEY, Jerry. The Lion & the Mouse.
RUDDELL, Deborah. A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems.
SÁENZ, Benjamin Alire. Last Night I Sang to the Monster.
ST. GEORGE, Judith. The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr.
SALLEY, Coleen. Epossumondas Plays Possum.
SCANLON, Liz Garton. All the World.
SPIRES, Elizabeth. I Heard God Talking to Me: William Edmondson and His Stone Carvings.
STEAD, Rebecca. When You Reach Me.
STORK, Francisco X. Marcelo in the Real World.
STURM, James, Andrew Arnold, & Alexis Frederick-Frost. Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles into Comics.
THIMMESH, Catherine. Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From.
THOMPSON, Kate. Creature of the Night.
TRACY, Kristen. Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus....
WALKER, Sally M. Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland.
WEITZMAN, David. Pharaoh’s Boat.
WESTERFELD, Scott. Leviathan.
WILLEMS, Mo. Pigs Make Me Sneeze!
WOOD, A. J. & Clint Twist. Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventure.
WOODSON, Jacqueline. Peace, Locomotion.

I plan on reading this whole list but there are a couple of authors I really don't like. I can't wait to read Kate Thompson's book or Scott Westerfeld's book! I love being a librarian! My job rocks!

Rating System

2009-12-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

I've been trying NOT to use a rating system of any sort since I started this blog back in 2004. However, now that I am actually doing some challenges, I feel like I really need to have one. It may make it easier for me in the long run put together good booktalks, advise children and teens, and not lose my mind (yeah right). So here it is:

So there it is. I'll try it throughout 2010. If it works for me...YAY! If not, I can always go back to just writing my reviews.

2010 Challenge

2009-12-06T16:24:00.001-08:00

I'm starting off the year with books and challenges. This one is the 2010 Challenge. Here's the rules:

Rules:

--Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
--The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
--Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
--Each book can only qualify for one category.
--Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
--Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

So, on with the categories

1.Young Adult
Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.

2.T.B.R. **
Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.

3.Shiny & New
Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!

4.Bad Blogger’s ***
Books in this category, should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger count for this category (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book ago).
*** Bad Bloggers: Is hosted by Chris of Stuff as Dreams are Made on.

5.Charity
Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.

6.New in 2010
This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!)

7.Older Than You
Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!

8.Win! Win!
Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long that is, you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so!

9.Who Are You Again?
This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!

10.Up to You!
The requirements for this category are up to you! Want to challenge yourself to read some graphic novels? A genre outside your comfort zone? Something completely wild and wacky? Then this is the category to you. The only requirement is that you state it in your sign-up post.

2010 YA Reading Challenge

2009-12-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

J. Kaye's Book Blog has a Reading Challenge that I am entering this year. I read enough don't you think? I committed to read 50 YA books and list the titles but I may need to up that to 75. I love YA books! Now to get more proficient on html so I can pretty up my blog...

I'll Never be French 11/10/09

2009-11-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

I'll Never be French (no matter what I do) by Mark Greenside

Greenside, a writer and teacher, tells the story of his experience in a small village Brittany, France, after his then girlfriend convinced him spend a summer there. Although he doesn't speak French, he stayed there and ended up loving the village, which became his second home. Here, he recounts the culture, food, and people, as well as his daily life, cultural differences, and anecdotes, as he learns to love this unfamiliar life and culture.

I loved reading about Greenside's clash with the French and their culture. Some chapters seem a little slow going but if you stick with it, in the end it is like a dream come true: living in the US and in France. Well, for me anyway. I even picked up a bit of the French language!

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 11/19/09

2009-11-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

In central Texas in 1899, eleven-year-old Callie Vee Tate is instructed to be a lady by her mother, learns about love from the older three of her six brothers, and studies the natural world with her grandfather, the latter of which leads to an important discovery.

Girls back in the late 1800's just weren't supposed to like anything but homemaking, children and learning etiquette. Calpurnia finds that she loves science when she makes friends with her seemingly rigid grandfather. This book is an enjoyable read. It is also a great teaching tool as the author inserts as much history into the book as she can.

Best Thing 11-17-09

2009-11-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

I know I have been neglecting my blog lately. A lot has been going on in my life. I haven't been reading as much as I normally do. =( There are at least two books I haven't written reviews on that I have read so I have some work to do. Before then, something fun...

Calpurnia and her Granddaddy have been experimenting with pecans trying to come up with a way to make them into a liquor.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly:

I took the glass from him and stuck my nose into it. A powerful pecan essence wafted into my face, not at all unpleasant, considering how sick I was of pecans. "It smells like Viola's pie," I said.

"Ah," he said, "here comes the real test." He saluted me with the glass and said, "To your good health, Calpurnia, my companion in sailing uncharted waters." He took a good mouthful.

I still remember the look on his face as if it were yesterday. The spasm of surprise. Followed by a long, contemplative gaze fixed somewhere in the middle distance. Then, a slow smile.

"Well," he said at last. "I have done an amazing thing."

"What, Granddaddy, what?" I breathed.

"I doubt that any other man alive can make this claim."

"Oh, what?" I wailed.

Calmly, Granddaddy said, "I managed to take perfectly good pecans and ferment them into something approximating cat piss."

Fantastic Mr. Fox--North of Beautiful 10/20/09

2009-10-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl

Mr. Fox is surrounded, and he's going to have to come up with a truly fantastic plan to dig himself out of trouble this time.

I had to read this book because of the upcoming movie. I am a horrible librarian. I didn't know that Dahl had even wrote this book. I read it in like 3 hours. It's more of a fairytale than a story. The pictures are awful but I've seen some of the movie and I believe that the movie is going to be a lot better than the book.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Terra, a sensitive, artistic high school senior born with a facial port-wine stain, struggles with issues of inner and outer beauty with the help of her Goth classmate Jacob.

There is so much going on in this book but the author is very good at making it not "busy" but very interesting. From geocaching to cleft lips to an abusive father, Headley is a wonderful storyteller who weaves all of the differences into a beautiful tale.

Catching Fire 10/06/09

2009-10-07T17:10:00.001-07:00

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion.

I was really into this book until the ending. Hated it! I guess I thought that this would be the last book. It isn't. I hate when author's leave you on the end of a rope. Patrick Ness did the same with his Chaos Walking series. Even though I really enjoyed both series (and will enjoy the endings) I hate when the author leaves you hanging.

I also have to admit that I liked the first book "The Hunger Games" better. Mostly because it had more originality to it. "Catching Fire" seems to read along the same story line as its predecessor. Its not as boring as I make it sound. It is actually readable.

Best thing I've read all week

2009-09-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

From "The Ask and the Answer" by Patrick Ness:

"It's not that you should never love something so much it can control you.

It's that you need to love something that much so you can never be controlled."

The Ask and the Answer 9/24/09

2009-09-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

The second book in the Chaos Trilogy by Patrick Ness. Alternate chapters follow teenagers Todd and Viola, who become separated as the Mayor's oppressive new regime takes power in New Prentisstown, a space colony where residents can hear each other's thoughts.

I have never read a series of books where I thought the second was better than the first. I loved the first--"The Knife of Never Letting Go" but "The Ask and the Answer" answers a lot of questions and opens up a lot more questions by the end of the book. Patrick Ness better write quickly. The third book ends the series and I hope Ness delivers as he has in the 1st and 2nd books!

Vacation

2009-09-21T13:37:00.001-07:00

Just been on a 9 day trip to Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Monument Valley, 4 Corners Monument, Kolob Canyon and home. Whirlwind trip in a Mini Cooper! But fun. No reading done. I'll get on it though...

Charles and Emma 9/2/09

2009-09-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman

Charles Darwin and his wife, Emma, were deeply in love and very supportive of each other, but their opinions often clashed. Emma was extremely religious, and Charles questioned God's very existence.

I really didn't know much about Charles Darwin or his "Origin of Species" book he is so famous for. I wasn't sure going into this book whether or not I would come out of it having an opinion about his theories. However, this book doesn't try to sell anyone on Darwin's ideas. It's more about his life and that of his wife Emma and their 9 children, 2 of which died before reaching adulthood. I was impressed with the way the author caught the Darwins' feelings of love for one another. I was also impressed because Heiligman made me see Darwin as a man and not a scientist. A well written book with pictures of the family. Made me want to read "The Origin of Species" until I saw how thick and detailed it was! I'll stick with teen fiction and non-fiction.