Month in review: September 2011

Here's what I read in September:

128. Notes from an Accidental Band Geek by Erin Dionne (9/1/11)
129. Sass & Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler (9/5/11)
130. The Serpent's Kiss by Thea Harrison (9/5/11)
131. Swept Off Her Feet by Hester Browne (9/8/11)
132. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley (9/17/11)
133. Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts (9/18/11)**
134. Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay (9/18/11)
135. Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith (9/22/11)
136. Heaven and Earth by Nora Roberts (9/23/11)**
137. Face the Fire by Nora Roberts (9/24/11)**
138. In Bed with the Boss by Susan Napier (9/24/11)**
139. Amplified by Tara Kelly (9/24/11)
140. Angels of Darkness by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Sharon Shinn and Meljean Brook (9/27/11)
141. I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler (9/27/11)

Total books read: 14
Favorite book read: Swept Off Her Feet by Hester Browne and Amplified by Tara Kelly
Most disappointing book read: Definitely Kiss Crush Collide and Sass & Serendipity was also pretty awful.

I did some re-reads this month, four total in fact. It was a month that called for some comfort reads as a lot of what I read this month was just disappointing.

In September 2010, I also read 14 books total so I guess it's nice I'm right on track.

And don't forget, starting October 1, 2011, everyone can join Pottermore! I'm in Ravenclaw, hope to see you there!

What was your favorite book read in September 2011?

Review: I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

I'm Not Her is Janet Gurtler's debut young adult book and she does many, many great things with this story. It's raw, it's painful and not really happy at all but I was incredibly emotionally invested in these characters, even when, at times the drama of it got all too high.

Synopsis: “For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…”

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will? (Goodreads.com)


Tess is the imperfect Smith sister, the one everyone ignores and no boys crush on. The forgettable daughter. That all changes when her older sister, Kristina, gets diagnosed with bone cancer. Kristina had it all: a thriving athletic career, popularity, friends. For Tess, looking in on the outside, it didn't seem like Kristina's life could get much more perfect and then, well it definitely didn't.


This is a book that explores many emotions as Tess is the one left standing when Kristina is diagnosed. Her father checks out, busy at work or golf, and her mother just cannot cope with seeing what is happening to her "perfect" daughter. Tess is the one doing the research on osteosarcoma, finding out really scary truths about this cancer and her teenage sister. Kristina may be older but she is not old. Suddenly her future is taken from her but Tess is not left unaffected. She feels guilt at being at her sister for making her grades slip, for not making National Honor Society, for still having all the boys fall all over her. But yet, Tess feels awful for even feeling guilty. Her sister's hair is falling out. She is getting thinner and thinner, not talking to Tess much anymore. This is not the Kristina Tess has grown up with. The tension, fear, anger, and love that Tess was feeling was very palpable throughout the story. Tess behaves like a scared high school freshmen, fretting for her sister one minute, but yet still finding things to envy about her, despite what is going on. Her emotions are all over the board, showing her emotional immaturity, sure, but also showcasing how chaotic life is when a deadly disease hits someone you love.


The scenes in the hospital were depressing, that's all there is to say. It's obvious Janet Gurtler has done her research because it shows as Kristina is being diagnosed, as she is facing the hard realities of what it means to have bone cancer, and that unemotional streak doctors try to project when delivering awful news.


There was a moment in this story where I felt like my emotions were almost being manipulated to an extent by the author. Something happens that I didn't see coming and frankly, I'm still not sure if it needed to happen. But it did and it left me sad yet again. It's like I wasn't allowed to see the light at the end of the tunnel until the last possible second and I'm not sure I'm totally comfortable with that feeling as a reader, but there it is.


This book is a modern day equivalent to Lurlene McDaniel, who was always writing about depressing illnesses. I know she is still writing but there is something a bit more modern to this story. The author references fun YA literature also which I liked because it's nice to read about teens reading teen lit, and not just school assigned texts. The romance is minimal. This is a family story, a story about two sisters who face the unexpected in very different ways.


I cannot wait to read more from Janet Gurtler.


Other reviews:
CSI: Librarian reviews I'm Not Her
In the Good Books reviews I'm Not Her


Reviewed from my public library copy.

Review: Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith

Kiss Crush Collide is being billed as a readalike for Simone Elkeles and John Green, amongst others. I can kind of see the Simone Elkeles comparison but honestly, this book is so, so far below the level of Elkeles and Green that I truly cannot appreciate the comparison.

(Also, is this not one of the cheesiest covers you've ever seen??)

Synopsis: Leah has the life most high school girls would kill for—popularity, glowing grades, a rich, athletic boyfriend. So why does she feel like she can’t breathe? And why can’t she stop thinking about the boy from the country club? The one who isn’t her boyfriend, the one that her mother would never, ever approve of, the one that her perfect older sisters would never, ever look at twice. The one who is always looking back at her. Irresistible attraction, smoldering glances, the bad boy and the good girl—Kiss Crush Collide has everything that a steamy forbidden romance should, and then some.

With graceful and honest writing and an electric love story, this is a book about growing into your own skin. For fans of Perfect Chemistry, Sarah Dessen, and John Green. (Goodreads.com)


This book was plain and simply just rather awful. I love books that don't require much out of me sometimes. I am a rather frivolous person in my life and I like reading light books. However, I also need something in the book to keep me hanging on.

Leah has everything. I mean, seriously, everything. Her family is incredibly wealthy. She has a boyfriend who genuinely likes her even if he's rather dumb. Her sisters are mean spirited and spoiled but all in all she is rather close with them. This is a book where the poor little rich girl whines about her life and how stifled she is but it left me totally cold. She gets into a relationship with a boy she knows as "Porter" (though I knew immediately that was his JOB at the club and not his name) and she calls him that for way, way too long. She is supposedly going to be the valedictorian of her class! I could not understand this stupidity. So then, she starts cheating on her boyfriend with "Porter" (real name JD Duffy) only he doesn't know she has a boyfriend. And well, it all spirals downwards from there only instead of manning up and gaining some independence, she hangs onto her boyfriend until the very end of the book.

Part of what makes Simone Elkeles' books so much fun is that readers get insight into both the male and female main characters with differing narratives. Here, it is all Leah, all the time and this does not do the story any favors. I never could truly understand what JD saw in her (aside from her huge boobs which are referenced numerous times throughout the story, especially in comparison with how flat-chested her sisters are). Despite him being featured on the cover and being part of so many intimate scenes with Leah, JD is essentially a very peripheral character in this book. The sisters and parents have more screen time than JD. And little we do learn about him is not only very cliched but it seems intentionally written as to try to invoke some emotion in his character, but in a manipulative way.


There are better books out there who do forbidden romance, which is what this book is billing itself as only it's not done very well at all. First, start with Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry series. That is well done forbidden romance. Jennifer Echols also does the forbidden aspect so very, very well in comparison to this book. Even Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally was more enjoyable for me than this book. If you were looking to add another forbidden romance YA book to your collection, I would save your money for authors who are better bets.


I realize every book has a reader and I do try to find something redeemable to say about the books I didn't like quite as much but honestly, this book did not work for me at all. I did not like Leah. I couldn't like JD because I barely understood him. If anything, I liked Leah's eldest sister, Yorke, just because she was so shallow and really didn't hide her shallowness. She just was. (And seriously, I could not believe ANY of these girls could be valedictorians of their class, particularly when Leah said she had all her sisters' old schoolwork to rely on. That seems like cheating to me.)

Kiss Crush Collide comes out on December 27, 2011 from Greenwillow books.


ARC provided by Around the World Tours.

The Cybils 2011!

October 1 is right around the corner (though that's still kind of hard for me to believe) which means it's almost time to get your Cybils 2011 nominations in!

As of October 1 you can start nominating. Nominations are open for two weeks, until October 15? Just what titles can be nominated you ask? Well striaght from the Cybils FAQ, "Any books published between the end of one contest and start of another. For 2011, that means books released between Oct. 16, 2010 and Oct. 15, 2011. This year, we are also accepting nominations for book apps for iPad, Web or computers."

So that means if a book comes out in November 2011, it's NOT eligible for the Cybils 2011 award.

Who can nominate?? Anyone! That's what is so great about this award. You get nominations from a variety of really passionate readers who are truly advocating for books. Librarians, teens, bloggers, astronauts, whomever really! They can all nominate a title in any of the following categories:

Easy Readers/Short Chapter Books
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Fiction Picture Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
Nonfiction (MG/YA)
Nonfiction Picture Books
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction
Book Apps

And the Cybils makes it so easy with a very easy to fill out form to get your titles nominated.

So, it's now September 27 which means you only have a few days left to get your nomination lists in order, if you haven't already. I'll be ready and waiting when nominations open up and I hope you will be too!

For more information about the Cybils, be sure to visit their website.

Review: Amplified by Tara Kelly

Tara Kelly's debut book, Harmonic Feedback, was a finalist in the 2010 Cybils Young Adult Fiction category. It was a fabulous story and frankly, she had a lot to live up to. Luckily for everyone (especially me!) Amplified is a powerful and just darn good story. It's the perfect follow-up for me.

Synopsis: When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . . . In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified. (Goodreads.com)


Jasmine Kiss (yes, that is in fact her real name) gets kicked out of her father's home when she says she does not want to go off to Stanford like planned. She wants time to focus on her music. She has talent but her demanding high school schedule did not allow her the time to practice or hone or her craft. Now, she just wants a chance, one freaking chance, which her father doesn't understand. Unfortunately, everything that can go wrong when leaving home in anger DOES go wrong for Jasmine, starting with her car breaking down. And it isn't a cheap problem to fix (then again, are cars every inexpensive to fix??). And, she butts heads with a boy named Clover.

Jasmine has to get on her feet fast and it leads her to a band tryout. C-Side plays industrial rock and needs a guitarist today. Jasmine gives it a try but she is well, she's a painfully awkward character you will come to love. She really reminded me of myself (even today, at way too close to the edge of 30). She has never performed onstage but she has dreams and knows if she tries and tries, she can do it. Unfortunately, she is rather weak at first, not knowing that just by being herself with her guitar, she can win C-Side over.


This is a story of growth and exploration. Jasmine is seventeen, she has graduated from high school and is ready to explore her own future. These are the kinds of characters I love reading about in YA literature because they face pitfalls, triumphs, and mini disasters. Jasmine experiences all of these and she is alone in the mess. Her new band barely trusts her. The fans of C-Side want her out. Her dad won't even loan her money to fix her car, and her best friend is currently in Maui. Jasmine has no one to rely on and she is just doing her damn best to survive. 


She has this dream and much of it is an idealized dream. She doesn't quite realize the pressures she will face when she is actually on stage performing. Nor does she realize that a life of music isn't quite all gold platinum records and fame. But she gets lessons in both, especially when she lets down her band members. But even then, at her lowest point in the story, she rallies and I loved her for it because when it came down to it, Jasmine is not a pushover. There is just so much growth in her character (along with a few bad decisions, she's not perfect after all).


The only aspect of this story that didn't feel fully resolved to me was Jasmine's relationship with her father but upon reflection I think, like her relationship with cute bassist Sean, Jasmine's relationship with her father remains a work in progress. He is a fairly callous man that much is clear. He doesn't buy into Jasmine's dream at all and sees only failure for her but he doesn't want her to fail either. It's a very mixed message so I'm not surprised Jasmine remained all torn up.


On top of the job, Jasmine struggles with a job that pays a bit more than minimum wage, but not much, making new friends, having a crush on a boy who is very clearly not over his ex-girlfriend, and being the new person in a band where there is definite animosity and disbelief that she can ever be what C-Side needs. That's a lot of pressure for any seventeen-year-old but I believed in Jasmine and I think, by the story's end, she believed in herself. 


I have to give kudos to the ending too because it was just what Jasmine needed. It wasn't all neatly tied up with a bow. It was realistic and fitting to the journey Jasmine had gone on so far during the course of the story and there's the open-ended potential to see Jasmine continue to grow in her talents and ambitions. I don't need a sequel to see all that either publishers! The author's writing talent itself painted that very nice picture for me.


Amplified worked for me. It broke my reading slump so yay and is the first book I've read in awhile that I wanted to read and it worked out because, I really enjoyed this one! Put this on your to-buy list. It comes out on October 25, 2011 from Henry Holt & Company and I can't wait to own the finished product.


Also, if you're like me and really do not listen to industrial rock music on a regular (or you know, never before), then author Tara Kelly suggests The Birthday Massacre and Kidneythieves. I'm willing to give them a listen because, I don't know if I mentioned this, but the writing in this book paints a very engaging and pumped up picture of this music. The language is edgy and it's clear Tara Kelly knows music and instruments because this is not the writing of an amateur musician. Her knowledge came through really well in the story and added to my enjoyment. Did I mention you should read this book???


ARC from ALA 2011.

Back to basics...

I have been blogging since April 2009. It's been a good experience for the most part but lately, it has not been as fun as it used to be and I think, last night after suffering through a very crabby mood, I know why. I never read for fun anymore. Like hardly ever. I have all these books waiting to be read but I usually I cannot even read the ones I most WANT to read because I have obligations to other books first. Lately, those books have come in the form of publisher requests.

When I first started receiving publisher requests, I thought, "wow, how cool!" Now, it's more work than it's worth. I have no trouble approaching publishers if there is a book I really, really want to read but I've realized I cannot take on just any old book anymore. I have way too many books (lots from BEA back in May! and some from ALA in June) along with the romance books I love to read to get caught up in this trap anymore.

So, I'm taking this blog back to the beginning for me and that means focusing on titles I want to read. Whether I'll love that book is of course another story but I want to be able to promote books I'm genuinely interested in. I've gotten caught up in the book blogging community in a negative way and frankly, I don't even feel like I'm part of the book blogging community, particularly the YA part, because I don't gush or go crazy in my reviews. I've met people that I truly appreciate in this community, but there are so many people and blogs who I just don't understand the appeal of and I'm going to stop trying to live up to that because it doesn't work for me anymore.

I'm not an overly gushy reviewer. I'm also not a critical reviewer. I'm just a person who likes to read and talk about books and that is the direction I want to go back in for my blog. Which likely means, very, very few contests anymore (unless it's a title I can really get behind) and hopefully, it will mean increased reviews for books that I wanted to read in the first place. It's not a huge change, but it's a sigh of relief for me. And hopefully, I'll get out of this bad reading slump I'm in and that will mean positive things for my blog again. I want to enjoy blogging and not have it become a chore, which is a direction it has been heading for a long time.

The Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award

As part of my determination to eventually get on an YALSA awards committee, I've become involved with the Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award here in Minnesota.

Maud Hart Lovelace, in case you aren't aware, is the author of the Betsy-Tacy series. She was born in Mankato, Minnesota and is in fact buried there. You can visit her grave if you ever visit.

The Maud Hart Lovelace award is a student voted award with two divisions, grades 3-5 and grades 6-8. You can read all about the award here for the full details. But there are books I have to read in order to make it to the shortlist.

Unfortunately, since I started so late in the process this year, just moving back to Minnesota in mid-July, I didn't have time to read every book. I did submit some selections but I'm hoping next year I'll be able to get 100% involved. And this is also a good way for me to get some middle grade reading in, which is definitely my weak spot in the 0-18 years of age spectrum. I just don't read enough 3-6 materials and being that I am now serving the entire youth population of my community, I need to have some better suggestions on hand.

As of November 30, 2010, the Maud Hart Lovelace award is celebrating 30 years. That's a long time (I think anyway, lol) for an award to keep going and in my community, I know it's a list that is heavily relied on, so I'm glad I'm getting more involved with the process of selecting and nominating titles for kids to vote for.

So, another glimpse of what I've been doing in my professional life lately. Fortunately, reading is such a pleasure that I cannot think of this as work!

BBAW interview redux!

Remember when I interviewed Erica from the Olive Reader?

Well, she interviewed me too and it's up so go read it! I mention Veronica Mars, Clarity by Kim Harrington, my love for contemporary YA, and romance! It's a ball of fun.

Review: Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay is a January 2012 book I was lucky enough to read early. It's not a life changing story but it's an interesting and likeable read.

Synopsis: My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? can you even know it until you've lost it? Goodreads.com

This is a novel in verse for fans of Terra Elan McVoy's books, particularly After the Kiss. This is not a violent, drugged up verse novel in the same vein of Ellen Hopkins, who does not shy away from the more difficult aspects of life. Even fans of Kimberly Marcus's Exposed may find this one a little less hard-hitting. However, it's perfect for those girls who want a romance gone wrong then right and who don't mind the poetic form. 


Marcie spends the summer in New Hampshire only, now it's September and she is starting school and she feels lost and alone. Her mother holes up in her room each day, clearly depressed. Her father is back in Boise, Idaho, as are her friends, the Leftovers, and her boyfriend, Linus. Marcie wants to connect to someone and unfortunately, that leads to her cheating on her boyfriend.


Though there is drama in this book, mostly it's introspection via Marcie's poetry notebook. There are some cliched bits in this story but I think there are a few original moments too. In particular, I loved Linus's song to Marcie entitled The Dr. Seuss Break-Up Song. It made me laugh. Only a high school boy could write something so utterly ridiculous yet with some measure of hurt in there too. 


This is not a particularly salacious story but Marcie does want to have sex. She wants to experience passion. I'm not quite sure if she was ready for sex throughout the course of the story, but I did appreciate her honesty in wanting to experience that closeness with someone. I think if you have teens who enjoy Elizabeth Scott or Terra Elan McVoy, or really any contemporary writer who puts the emphasis on romance, you will have a perfect audience for this book. While there are other issues going on (Marcie's mom's depression; her father getting a boyfriend and admitting to his bisexuality) these issues are mostly skimmed over on the surface and the true emotions Marcie experiences come through her quest to find love. That is not a bad thing but it is just a story that doesn't have a lot of other depth in its other plot lines.


Love & Leftovers is a satisfying story, even for those who, like myself, aren't big fans of novels in verse. This book has a an easy likeability to it and since I am a sap for romance, well, this story was right up my alley.

Also, what's up with all these covers that feature legs and feet?? 

Love & Leftovers comes out in January 2012 from HarperCollins Katherine Tegen Books.


ARC from Around the World Tours.

Review: Hooked by Catherine Greenman

Hooked by Catherine Greenman is just one in a recent influx of pregnancy YA inspired stories (In Trouble, Small Town Sinners, Bumped) that tread the very difficult topic of what teens deal with when they find themselves unexpectedly pregnant.

Synopsis: Thea Galehouse has always known how to take care of herself. With a flighty club-owner mom and a standoffish, recovering-alcoholic dad, Thea has made her own way in her hometown of New York, attending the prestigious and competitive Stuyvesant High School. But one chat with Will, a handsome and witty senior, and she's a goner—completely hooked on him and unable to concentrate on anything else.
Always worried that she loves Will more than he loves her, Thea is pleasantly surprised when their romance weathers his move to college and Will goes out of his way to involve her in his life. But then, Thea misses a period. And that starts Thea and Will on a wild ride that neither of them could have possibly prepared for. When they decide to keep the baby, their concerned parents chip in what they can to keep Will in school and give both teenagers a comfortable place to raise their child. But when a freak accident leaves Thea shaken and threatens to upend their little family altogether, Thea is forced to turn to the last place she would have chosen for comfort: her stiff, uncompromising father.
This smart, touching first novel brims with realistic, beautifully drawn characters, and reminds us that love is never as easy or predictable as we might like it to be. (Goodreads.com)

Thea has a lot of expectations on her, particularly from her father who is really pushing for college. Thea is more infatuated with her new boyfriend, Will. Unfortunately, when she finds herself pregnant, Will steps up to the plate, kind of anyway. These two do not have an easy time of it and it is partly because of both of them obviously. Thea isn't entirely at fault, neither is Will. They are put in a bad situation and like most teens put in this situation, are trying to make the best of it.

Unfortunately, this book didn't quite ring true for me. Partly it's because at my previous library I worked in a city that had the highest teen pregnancy rate in Colorado so I truly experienced, as much as I could, how difficult it was for those teens, and the community, to deal with the ramifications of teen pregnancy. Circles of poverty, lower education rates, welfare, not completing educations. These are realities. While I'm sure some parents in this community were able to help their teens, this was a very poor community and often, grandparents, who had already raised their kids, were put in charge and the vicious cycle continues.


Thea and Will, in particular, had rather wealthy parents to fall back on. Both parents gave the kids $10,000 and Will conveniently has an aunt in Africa who can let them live in her apartment. It was all a little too easy. At least, certain parts were. I thought Thea's reaction to the abortion was genuine. She was shocked, scared, and more and didn't know how to react. That felt real to me. What came after didn't feel quite as real. And honestly, I thought the time Thea had to devote to her crocheting seemed very unrealistic. I am not a parent yet but wow, to make a business of it when she she couldn't really make it work in school, well, it just didn't seem right. How do you craft something of that magnitude with a new baby? Fortunately, she does make some parenting mistakes, as any new parent would, and that does in fact add authenticity to her story.


While I liked seeing Thea and her father get closer, again I just had trouble really believing in it even as I liked that aspect of the story. Her father didn't always have the answers or frankly always say the right things but when the going got tough, he made an effort which is more than can be said for Thea's mom.


However, with the popularity of shows like MTV's Teen Mom or 16 & Pregnant, there is definitely an audience for books about teen pregnancy. Perhaps if you're looking for a book that has a bit more of a rose-colored glasses outlook, this is the story. It's not a bad thing to see teens succeed, despite the odds, so there is definitely something to be said for making Thea successful in other aspects of her life. While I could not totally believe in it, I can't say I was disappointed with the way it ended. Catherine Greenman has talent and I am definitely willing to see what she writes in the future.


Hooked came out in August, 2011, from Delacorte Press.


Other reviews:
Spine Label reviews Hooked
Feathered Quill Book Reviews reviews Hooked
A Cupcake and a Latte reviews Hooked


And now, here's your chance to win a copy of Hooked to form your own opinion! Contest is open to US residents only, ages 13 and older. Contest ends on September 30, 2011 at midnight CST.

Enter to win Hooked!

Review: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley is the kind of book that both mystifies and grows on you. It's an odd little story that I'm not completely comfortable with, but yet there were moments I was completely captivated and caught up in the ridiculous yet mundane goings-on of Lily, Arkansas.

Synopsis: Just when seventeen-year-old Cullen Witter thinks he understands everything about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town, it all disappears. . . .
In the summer before Cullen's senior year, a nominally-depressed birdwatcher named John Barling thinks he spots a species of woodpecker thought to be extinct since the 1940s in Lily, Arkansas. His rediscovery of the so-called Lazarus Woodpecker sparks a flurry of press and woodpecker-mania. Soon all the kids are getting woodpecker haircuts and everyone's eating "Lazarus burgers." But as absurd as the town's carnival atmosphere has become, nothing is more startling than the realization that Cullen’s sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother Gabriel has suddenly and inexplicably disappeared.
While Cullen navigates his way through a summer of finding and losing love, holding his fragile family together, and muddling his way into adulthood, a young missionary in Africa, who has lost his faith, is searching for any semblance of meaning wherever he can find it. As distant as the two stories seem at the start, they are thoughtfully woven ever closer together and through masterful plotting, brought face to face in a surprising and harrowing climax.
Complex but truly extraordinary, tinged with melancholy and regret, comedy and absurdity, this novel finds wonder in the ordinary and emerges as ultimately hopeful. It's about a lot more than what Cullen calls, “that damn bird.” It’s about the dream of second chances. (Goodreads.com)

Cullen is just like most seventeen-year old boys in small towns. He's bored out of his mind, he hopes he'll have a more exciting future ahead of him, but while he's stuck there, he's going to make the best of it. Then, celebrity lands in Lily in the form of the long-thought extinct Lazarus woodpecker. Cullen is indifferent to the supposed woodpecker but that indifference turns to anger when his younger brother, Gabriel, goes missing and his name does not make the headlines. Gabriel Witter's disappearance is buried under the infatuation with the woodpecker.


I couldn't help thinking what sly insight the author has into our society as a whole. When something garners its fifteen minutes of fame, in this case, the woodpecker, other more important matters go unnoticed. A fifteen-year old boy goes missing for over eight weeks and there is definitely not the search and rescue parties one often sees in cases like this. The local law enforcement was not helpful and Cullen continues to grow disenchanted with his hometown.

Intertwined with Cullen's story is that of a boy named Benton and his college roommate, Cabot. I honestly found their story more interesting through the first half of the book, until Cabot went religious crazy which always rubs me the wrong way. However, how the author makes these storylines work together is inventive and brilliant. And, the author does a great job, writing wise, of making Cabot seem crazy (at least I thought so). One of my favorite lines in the entire story was on page 166 which reads "He had taken Benton's notes and not blown them out of proportion so much as he had strapped an atom bomb to every letter of every word." It's this kind of larger than life writing style that makes these characters come to life.

This book is different. It doesn't have a love triangle, it has a strong male friendship, it has two siblings and a family who patently care about each other but yet, there is dysfunction of sorts within all these relationships. How that plays out on the page keeps you reading. The fact that this book is very different, yet very normal (teen stuck in a small town, girl troubles, envy at the popular guy who has the girl he wants, etc) will resonate with teens. There is scorn, there is heartache, and there is family. On first looking at the book, it doesn't look as impressive as it appears to be, but there is definitely something special about this story. On the other hand, I think there are spots where this book suffers from lack of movement. The story gets bogged down in descriptions of actions, rather than dialogue and actual action so that, at least for me, led to me skimming several passages throughout this story (pages 184-187 in particular seem to suffer from this problem). The long paragraphs of text do not make for necessarily easy or even pleasant reading.

On the other hand, Cullen is really just a normal teen boy and I like that about him. Nothing flashy, no extraordinary talents, at least outright visible like athletics or something. He's just a guy who cares about his brother, has a crush on an unattainable girl, and is not impressed with the Lazarus woodpecker. Reading about the utterly normal has a power all of its own and I think John Corey Whaley showcases that very well.

Other reviews:
Good Books and Good Wine reviews Where Things Come Back
Novel Novice reviews Where Things Come Back

Book purchased.

The Emmys: YA books with fun celebrity angles!

The Emmy Awards is a time of year I look forward to every single year. I only watch three awards ceremonies (more than most people): the Golden Globes, the Oscars, and the Emmys. I love TV. Most people realize that by now, lol, going by how I dedicated a whole post to shows I was looking forward to this fall. If you've got some teens who are particularly interested in celebrities, they may find the Emmys a fun time of year too! Or they may just want some great YA books that have an intriguing celebrity angle. Well, I'm here to fill the need (if it hasn't already been filled) with some suggestions for titles you can proudly display to show your Emmy love at your library.

Carter's Big Break by Brent Crawford.  Carter gets his chance in the celebrity spotlight when a local tween star comes to town to film a movie. Carter is cast opposite said famous celebrity and gets the chance to interact with fame and fortune. But is it for the best for the hilariously immature Carter? I really enjoy this series and it's a great to hand to your teen boys (and girls!!) who want a slice of the high life.

Kristina Springer's Just Your Average Princess features a scenario when a celebrity for no likely reason comes to town. Milan is the daughter of two famous celebrities and she is also Jamie's cousin. Jamie has no idea why the town is catering to Milan's every wish, but so it goes. We all know that sometimes people become famous for no real reason at all (the Kardashian family, am I right??).

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik also features some teens whose parents are famous, making them famous by default. Yes, it's a play on Pride and Prejudice but it also involves some cool celebrity moments, including a movie premiere.

Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway is another great book about celebrity by accident. When Audrey's ex-boyfriend writes a song about her after their breakup, it becomes a breakout hit and Audrey's star is launched, unintentionally. She has no desire to live up to her fifteen minutes of fame but somehow she can't avoid it all.

Even Gayle Forman's Where She Went could be used for a celebrity-inspired display! After all, Adam is a rock star of epic proportions and while classical musicians are never going to have quite the fame that rock stars are, it's no doubt Mia is a celebrity in her own right. In April Lindner's Jane, another rock star becomes involved in Jane's life in the larger than life persona of one Nico Rathburn.

Meg Cabot could always use another fan and heck, it appears she has kind of written the book on celebrity inspired teen books! All American Girl is one of my favorite books by Cabot and it features a more unusual "celebrity." David is the president's son. That's not all that unusual, celebrity wise, but Sam becomes famous herself when she stops an assassination attempt on the president. Suddenly, fame comes calling and Sam wants no part of it. Though, she wouldn't mind more time with David. It's an older title at this point but I think it's one that most girls will still be able to relate to and hey, you'll get your celebrity fix in also! There also Meg Cabot's Runaway series, where the main character switches lives with a famous (and mean!) supermodel. There's a bit more to the switch than that, but it provides an interesting look at all the perks of being a celebrity (including an adorable dog named Cosabella!) She also has Teen Idol which features a celebrity hottie coming to town to research a new role. Can you tell Meg Cabot has a thing for celebrities too?? (And yes, there is also The Princess Diaries series! I consider royalty celebs.)

Jessica Park features a famous celebrity dad in her book, Relatively Famous.

I don't think we can forget to mention teen books actually written BY celebrities. There is Elixir by Hilary Duff. Tyra Banks' new book, Modelland, and I know that Glee's Chris Colfer has a YA book deal in the works. There's also Lauren Conrad's LA Candy books which are surprisingly really popular at all the libraries I have worked at so far. These titles showing up on display anywhere in your library are likely to fly off the shelves just because of teens and name recognition. There are also countless picture books for children written by celebrities. It's like it's own genre at this point.

So as you can see, celebrity abounds in the YA field! Both in characters and authors. This is just a start of course. I know I'm forgetting quite a few titles but it's a place to start.

What is your best young adult celebrity inspired story?

A little bit about my book reading habits!

So, I was perusing the latest edition of Shelf Awareness that showed up in my work inbox. This issue had a fun interview with Jane Lynch, who, if you didn't know, has a book coming out soon. I thought I'd use the questions they had for her and give my own answers since I'm sort of in a reading slump and don't have a review to post at the moment. I hope you don't mind learning a little bit more about me and my reading tastes!


On your nightstand now:

Ha! A pile of books. I've finally gotten my hands on Meljean Brook's Heart of Steel which I'm so, so excited to be reading finally. I LOVED The Iron Duke so I'm hoping this will live up to it.

Favorite book when you were a child:

So many! I was a reader so you know, there were a lot of books in my bedroom. Roald Dahl's Matilda still stands as one of my favorite books of all time. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary is one of my favorite read-alouds, and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH still gives me awesome chills with the world Robert C. O'Brien created.

Your top five authors:

Jane Austen, Victoria Dahl, Jennifer Echols, Markus Zusak, and Nalini Singh.

Book you've faked reading:

LOL! I love this question. The Bible would top the list, particularly during my Wednesday night CCD classes. But honestly, I give most books a chance, even dreaded college books like A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce which I hated.

Book you're an evangelist for:

It doesn't need it anymore, but when it was just published, I pushed Markus Zusak's The Book Thief on everyone. Also, trying to get people to read Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series because it is definitely one of the best paranormal series in romance land and it's still going strong.

Book you've bought for the cover:

Covers don't do a whole lot for me, honestly. The synopsis is more likely to sell a book to me than the cover.

Book that changed your life:

Matilda by Roald Dahl. Seriously, I wanted to be Matilda. I would sit in my bedroom and concentrate and hope I could move something. It just opened my mind to

Favorite line from a book:

Well, it comes from one of my all time favorite romances, After the Night by Linda Howard. It goes... "I shouldn't have said what I did. I was an asshole, and I'm sorry." (Gray, the hero). "I'm sorry you're an asshole, too," Faith muttered at the phone.

People, I am not a big highbrow literature person, despite having an English degree. I love my genre fiction and I'll proclaim it loud and proud.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling. (Did you seriously think I'd pick something else, given my obvious love for Pottermore?) This was a book that just made me devour the wonderfulness of imagination and the possibilities of storytelling once again. I had been reading mostly romances at that point in time, even though I was only a freshman in high school. This book reminded me why I should be reading other things and what books outside of relationship stories can hold for me can hold for me as a reader.

Review: The Future of Us by Carolyn Mackler and Jay Asher

The long and short of this book? The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler turned out to be more hype than substance for me.

Synopsis: It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out. (Goodreads.com)


In 1996, I was in eighth grade. I did in fact have internet at home, AOL as just about everyone on my block growing up did. AOL was the internet for me at the time. So, in that aspect, the excitement of this book, of getting AOL and being connected to something vaster really rang true for me.

Unfortunately, like several of my recently read books, it was the characters that did not meet my expectations and in fact, alienated me. Emma and Josh used to be best friends, but when Josh confessed to feelings about Emma that she did not share, a rift was driven between them. Emma has a boyfriend now but when she gets the AOL CD and gets online to meet her Facebook self, the first person she wants to share it with is Josh, who has been there for so much of her life. Unfortunately, Emma is a tad unlikeable, and I say a tad meaning, for me, very unlikeable. She leads Josh on, she breaks up with her current boyfriend because hey, she wants to which isn't so bad except she doesn't care that he's kind of hurt about it. And worst of all, Emma just won't let the future be. Every time she tried to change her Facebook life via her life in 1996, it came back to bite her on the butt. Emma dragged everyone down with her in my opinion. I wasn't surprised she had such an unhappy future in front of her because she was pretty darn miserable in her current life.


I have become relatively impatient with teen characters in recent weeks. A lot of the things they are doing on the pages are totally teenager stuff and mostly realistic. I can take unlikeable characters but what I can't take, as in the case of this book, is when the character does a total 180 in the last few chapters in order to bring about a more pleasant ending to the story. I would have been much happier if Josh and Emma had remained friends. Throughout the course of the story, the authors set-up, over and over, how Emma thinks of Josh as a brother. Suddenly, that is not the case at all and there really wasn't a practical motivation for why she was feeling that way.


The story is told in alternating chapters of Josh and Emma. I do think the authors did a great job working together and making the story smooth and easy to read. If I didn't clearly know this was written by two different authors, I would not have noticed. There isn't any overly strong indicators of odd voice changes in the story.
  
I was lucky enough to meet both Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler at ALA this year and it was a real treat. They are fun and really nice to their fans. I think for me, this book was just a case of way too much publisher hype and even some blogger hype, that it would have been impossible to live up to all the extreme "OMGs!" I see online. It was an okay story and for me, that's it.

The Future of Us comes out on November 21, 2011 from Razorbill.


Other reviews:
Chick Loves Lit reviews The Future of Us
One Book at a Time reviews The Future of Us


ARC from ALA 2011.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

Did you know that this week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week? Well it is! One of the best things about this week is discovering new blogs as everyone shares their favorite blogs and bloggers.  And, BBAW also gives bloggers the opportunity to meet totally new bloggers! And that's just what I had the opportunity to do when I interviewed Erica of The Olive Reader, the blog of the Harper Perennial imprint. It was very interesting hearing about blogging from someone right inside the publishing  business. So, here's Erica!

1. You have an incredibly eclectic blog! How does this reflect your real life interests and what you like to read?

The Olive Reader is officially an imprint blog, but I try to have it reflect my own interests as often as possible. Any time I talk about a book that’s not a Harper Perennial book, it’s because it’s something I’ve truly enjoyed, and though I try to be fair in my coverage of our books, my favorites sneak on there way more than the others.

2. How successful has The Olive Reader been at building interest in Harper Perennial titles? Any great success stories to share from readers who have found a book because of one of your posts? (Incidentally, you have now inspired me to read The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones because of the Downton Abbey link!)

It’s always hard to tell exactly how many people might have been influenced by a particular post, especially when I’m often talking about the books on twitter and facebook as well. But recently I’ve been re-reading all the books in Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series, and I think my posts have encouraged people to give it a try, even though I haven’t been great at keeping up with the schedule I made for myself.

3. What are two favorite titles from Harper Perennial coming out this fall that you believe need to be read by everyone?

Technically, Domestic Violets, which I’ve tried to convince everyone in the world to read, is part of our fall season even though it went on sale in August. Beyond that one, my favorites are:

Never the Hope Itself: This memoir from a former NPR correspondent for Latin America just went on sale. The author, Gerry Hadden, did an amazing job of keeping the political events that he covered personal enough to hold my interest while still painting a really extraordinary picture of the region.

Practical Jean: This is a novel about a woman who murders all her best friends. That pretty much says it all.

4. How do you use The Olive Reader to stay current on readers' interest and to stay ahead of the curve of other publishing houses?

I don’t know if it’s possible to stay ahead of the curve! Even though we’re part of a huge corporation, our marketing staff for Harper Perennial is just two people, and I spend most of my time trying to keep my head above water. If I manage to post multiple times in a week, that’s enough for me sometimes.

5. Do you have a favorite setting to blog from or are you perpetually chained to one of the desks mentioned in your about page?

I’m pretty much chained to the desk J We’re about to move offices, so it’ll be a different desk, but still a desk. Occasionally I’ll blog from home, but usually it’s just the office.

6. Do you have a Kindle or Nook? Do you like the ebook reading experience thus far and any crazy "I wish ebooks could do THIS!" thoughts that you hope to see made into reality into the future?
I have a Sony e-reader, but I mostly use it for reading manuscripts. It’s far better than carrying around a giant stack of paper, but I don’t know if I’ll ever read on it by choice. I get why people like ebooks, but for me it’s just not an enjoyable experience. Maybe it’s because my first e-reading experiences were work-related, but to me it just feels like work. I don’t find curling up with my e-reader relaxing or fun.

Thank you Erica! Who wants to read Practical Jean now? Cause I know I do! And if you haven't yet, go visit The Olive Reader right now! It seems to be the perfect place to get some very interesting adult fiction suggestions.

Visit the Book Blogger Appreciation Week site for more fun blog interviews to read! And hey, you can read my responses to Erica's questions too!

Contest: Amulet: The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi

Have you heard of the Amulet series? If you're a 8-13 year old, or know an 8-13 year old, you may have heard of this popular graphic novel series. I know at my library all the volumes are checked out and there were several requests on the newest book in the series, The Last Council.

Here's a little bit more information about the latest book!

Book description:
Kazu Kibuishi's thrilling, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling series continues!

Emily and her friends think they’ll find the help they need in Cielis, but something isn’t right.  Streets that were once busy are deserted, and the townspeople who are left live in fear.  Emily is soon escorted to the Academy, where she’s expected to compete for a spot on the Guardian Coucil, a group of the most powerful Stonekeepers.  But as the number of competitors gets smaller and smaller, an awful secret is slowly uncovered – a secret that, if left buried, means the certain destruction of everything Emily fights for.

The order of the series is: The Stonekeeper, The Stonekeeper's Curse, The Cloud Searchers, and  now, the newest book, The Last Council.

What I've found with this series is that it is equally popular among both boys and girls. It's really got a little bit of something for a lot of readers. Adventure, daring, and bravery. Fights, a quest, and more! If you haven't had the chance to read this series yet, I highly recommend it.

You can watch the book trailer for a sneak peek into this world. And for more information, including character profiles, be sure to check out the websites here and here. There is a lot to be discovered about Amulet!

And now, for the really exciting part of the post! I have TWO copies of Amulet: The Last Council to giveaway. All you have to do to enter is to fill out the form below. The contest is open to US and Canadian residents and ends September 30, 2011!

Enter to win Amulet: The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi!

Pottermore! I'm in, in!

I'm officially in and playing around in Pottermore! And yeah, I'm loving it. I've been sorted into Ravenclaw, which is where I figure I'd always land. As for my wand, it's Chestnut with unicorn core, ten and three quarters inches, unyielding! 

If you're in Pottermore, and want to be friends, I'm HexLumos136 so go ahead and add me.

Now, it's back to Hogwarts I go. 

Review: Sass & Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler

Written as a modern, YA adaptation of Jane Austen's classic, Sense and Sensibility, Jennifer Ziegler's Sass & Serendipity is far, far from Austen's famous book, at least for this reader.

Synopsis: For Daphne, the glass is always half full, a situation is better managed with a dab of lip gloss, and the boy of her dreams—the one she's read about in all of her novels—is waiting for her just around the corner.
For Gabby, nothing ever works out positively; wearing any form of makeup is a waste of study time, and boys will only leave you heartbroken. Her best friend, Mule, is the only one who has been there for her every step of the way.
But when the richest boy in school befriends Gabby, and Daphne starts to hang out more and more with her best friend, Mule, Gabby is forced to confront the emotional barriers she has put up to stop the hurting. And for once, her sassiness may fall prey to her definition of stupidity. (Goodreads.com)


My main problem with this book is that both characters are utterly unlikeable. Every time they are on the same page, all they do is bicker and yell at each other. I don't think there is one conversation in this book where the two don't blow a gasket when they are around each other. They were mean and cruel to each other and I realize that sisters don't always get along, but wow, I was really put off by these characters.


That being said, maybe this will resonate with teens. Maybe they have this kind of relationship with their sisters or brothers and they will respond to the story. For me, this was not in the spirit of Jane Austen at all. I don't know how closely the author wanted the book to match Sense and Sensibility but Austen's book did not have the malicious tone this story did. It was off putting and in the end, ruined the book for me.


I did keep reading on, hoping to see some change in how these sisters interacted with each other but that did not happen for me. I think, on their own, these sisters were somewhat more likeable, if very immature, but put them in a room together, and it was cat fight city.


I had a hard time paying attention to the rest of the story because of how much I wanted to punch these girls in the face (yes, I truly did want to do this and I don't consider myself a violent person but even for teenagers, I wanted to tell them to grow up.). Mom was essentially useless and was away for three weeks in the story anyway.


So you may wonder, why am I even bothering to review this book? Well, because if anything, I had a very visceral reaction to this book. Not necessarily positive but it was powerful. I love Jane Austen and after Pride and Prejudice, this is my other favorite story. Ziegler really made me dislike these characters on a level I haven't felt in a long, long time. So, if nothing else, she made a memorable impression that way. I would however love to hear from readers who enjoyed this story. For me, it was not a positive reading experience at all. It's not that the adaptation was handled badly because it actually wasn't. I think Ziegler did a great job in updating Sense and Sensibility and giving it her own unique flavor. Unfortunately, the characters did not work for me and that is where the story lost me.


Other reviews:
For the Love of Austen reviews Sass & Serendipity
Chick Loves Lit reviews Sass & Serendipity (her review mirrors my thoughts in a lot of ways!)
Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf reviews Sass & Serendipity


Book reviewed from public library.

Exciting news!

I have some exciting news to share. I received an email last night from YALSA's Nominating Committee inviting me to be on the ballot for the 2012 elections for the PRINTZ COMMITTEE! If I was elected (and that's a big if, believe me), I would serve on the 2014 Printz Award Committee.

(I kind of did my happy dance at that point.)

I realize there will be several very qualified candidates on the upcoming ballot so my chances may be very slim. Frankly, that's fine. I just feel incredibly honored to be even considered. I don't think I can get much happier than I am right now so I'm not going to consider the negatives at all.

As ALA Elections time draws nearer, you may be hearing more from me about this opportunity, but until then, I'm just going to bask in the knowledge that my name is going to be on the ballot.

Follow me over to the Hub!

 

I'm talking about new authors and new books (or rather, YA debuts!) over at YALSA's Hub today. So, follow me over and see what's going on.

Romance Round-up: September 2011

Here are the romance titles I reviewed recently. There are some really good ones in this bunch!

Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh (If you aren't reading this series, can I ask why?? It's fabulous.)
Semi-Sweet: A novel of Love and Cupcakes by Roisin Meaney
Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt (This book! Oh man, this book. SO GOOD!)
Slow Ride by Erin McCarthy
Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl

Lots of good books out this month, and in the coming months. If I had to pick one, well I can't. I enjoy them all. Three contemporaries, a paranormal, and a historical. Though I will say Semi-Sweet is more chick lit/women's fiction, but it's good nonetheless.

What's your favorite recent romance read?

Review: Legend by Marie Lu

I have a very special review for you today! It's special because I'm not reviewing this book, instead, one of my awesome friends, Jess, is reviewing it. Jess doesn't read a whole lot of YA but she was excited to read Legend because of a local author connection. Since I had my BEA copy just sitting on my shelf, I let her borrow it and hey, I got something awesome out of the deal too. So, leave some comments for Jess. She is a movie buff, intelligent, and one of the best people I know! You can find Jess here on Livejournal if you're so inclined. (Which you should be, cause like I said, she is awesome.)

---------------------

Despite treading lightly on world-building and character development, Legend is an attractive start to a trilogy, as well as a solid debut novel for author Marie Lu.

Synopsis: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths -- until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills. (Goodreads.com)

Written in alternating first-person points of view, Legend is an action-packed dystopian novel soaked in romance. June, the heroine, is quickly climbing the ranks of the Republic's military. Day, the hero, is separated from his family and on the lam from the Republic. When her only remaining family member is murdered, June requests to hunt down the culprit on her own. They meet under unlikely circumstances. The present tense makes for an engaging read, and the plot doesn't stop to catch its breath until the last page. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to see how the other half lives, so to speak, with the two viewpoints.

June and Day are both intelligent characters with radical personalities that deserve to be explored independently. Instead, Marie Lu wraps the two of them together in a hasty love story. Even though their respective chapters are set in different typefaces (hers in black Adobe Caslon and his in gold Mercury -- I like fonts), June and Day are nearly indistinguishable by way of narration. They are brave but stubborn protagonists whose only faults seem to be each other. A clash of ideologies would have been more fascinating than the inevitable romance, considering June and Day come from such diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. (Legend was inspired by Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.) The series is brand new, however, and perhaps Lu has a few twists hidden up her sleeve for the sequels.

The following statement is more a criticism of YA fiction's inherent catch-22 than it is Legend itself: June and Day seem a bit too young for their advanced physical abilities. Lu writes great action sequences, but some of the fights and escapes are hard to imagine with fifteen-year-olds. Dystopian societies demand more from their children, I suppose.

Lu's flooded and war-torn Republic of America is intriguing, but shallow. Not only are there a lot of questions to be answered, but there also even more questions to be asked. (I'm particularly interested in the Colonies and why the Republic is so heavily militarized.) I already have a theory as to what the "legend" in the title might be, and I'm looking forward to finding out if I'm right or wrong. Ultimately, Lu's debut novel is fun. Its can't-put-it-down quality and characters' histories have captured my curiosity. Enough mystery has been established for me to return for seconds and thirds.

Legend will be released on November 29, 2011 by Putnam Children's.

Giveaway: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

So, have you heard about Gabrielle Zevin's new book, All These Things I've Done?? If not, here is a bit about the book.

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.


Sounds good doesn't it?? Would you like to win a copy of this book? Need a bit more enticement?? Watch the trailer below!



Did you know that Gabrielle Zevin is touring this fall? Check out her Facebook page for all the details!

Now, on to the giveaway! It's open to US/Canadian residents only and I'll be drawing the winner on September 19.

Enter to win All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Review: Notes from an Accidental Band Geek by Erin Dionne

Notes from an Accidental Band Geek by Erin Dionne is the perfect book to hand to your fifth and sixth grade readers who are looking for something a bit more mature, but that is ultimately a clean and fun read. No swearing, one kiss, but all around pleasant and no big drama. I enjoyed reading this book, even as I sometimes vacillated in how much I liked the protagonist, Elsie.

Synopsis: Elsie Wyatt is a born French horn player, just like her father and her grandfather before her. In order to qualify for the prestigious summer music camp of her dreams, she must expand her musical horizons and join - gasp! - the marching band. There are no French horns in marching band (what the heck is a mellophone??), but there are some cute boys. And marching band is very different from orchestra: they march, they chant, they . . . cluck? Elsie is not so sure she'll survive, but the new friends she's making and the actual fun she's having will force her to question her dad's expectations and her own musical priorities. (Goodreads.com)

Elise isn't always likeable. Now that seems simple enough and in fact, I think fits very well with the personalities of the high school freshmen I have met. They are mostly nice, usually, but they aren't always the most mature and sometimes their mouths go off before they think about the repercussions of their words. That is Elsie. She wants to have friends this year, even if she never really thought she would want that. You see, Elsie is a dedicated French horn player. VERY dedicated. She is determined to best her father any chance she can get, especially when she overhears him on the phone saying he does not think she is up for the audition for the really famous musical program, Shining Birches. It makes Elsie want to work even harder, but it also alienates her from her father and their shared passion: music.

Elsie is really, really bad with people. I mean, she says some really rude things to her friends. I'm not at all surprised they were getting fed up with her. She was insufferable at points in the story. But, she was also remorseful and trying to make amends. She didn't understand the importance of friends and how her marching band teammates were becoming a little like family to her until everyone started ignoring her.


Then there are the situations she gets into. It adds quite a bit of comedic humor to the story. Elsie the zombie chicken! (You have to read the book to get the reference). The shenanigans got a bit over the top, particularly towards the end, but it was wholesome fun which a lot of teens will respond to.


Also, and perhaps the strongest feature of this book, is the support and inherent educational experience involved with music. Elsie learns responsibility, she gets stronger due to all her marching, she gets smarter (kind of, anyway, lol) as she learns a new instrument, and she finds a really good supportive group of kids to hang with. Now, perhaps they were a tad too wholesome but on the whole, it was nice to see music and the arts put into such a positive light without hitting readers over the head with the message "We need the arts!". That much is obvious as the story goes on because Elsie grows a lot due to her involvement with band, but it is a natural message in the book. Erin Dionne obviously knows her marching band stuff!


This would make a great addition to middle school libraries and public libraries for sure. It is a nice quick read and Erin Dionne seems to truly understand the age group she is writing about. There is a small romance but the most it leads to is a kiss. It's just a nice friendship that starts to tentatively morph into something more.


All in all, I had a great reading experience with Notes from an Accidental Band Geek. This book is the lighter, less sexy side to Caridad Ferrer's When the Stars Go Blue. Two very different looks at marching bands but both are very supportive of bands and show the beauty of the field experience. I could easily picture Elsie's band, the HeHe High Hellcats, marching on the field.

Notes from an Accidental Band Geek is available now.


Other reviews:
Mundie Moms review Notes from an Accidental Band Geek

ARC copy provided by Around the World Tours

Month in review: August 2011

 

It's fall, it's fall! Or it will be soon. I'm so, so glad the summer months done. I got a lot of reading done in August and mostly it's because I hate being outside when it's hot.

Here's what I read in August 2011:

110. Chasing Vermeer by Blue Baillet (audiobook) (8/1/11)
111. Slow Ride by Erin McCarthy (8/5/11)
112. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (8/6/11)
113. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan (8/6/11)
114. Past Perfect by Leila Sales (8/7/11)
115. Bad Boys Do by Victoria Dahl (8/8/11)
115. Ripe for Pleasure by Isobel Carr (8/10/11)
116. Fighting Fair by Anne Calhoun (8/11/11)
117. Dark Souls by Paula Morris (8/12/11)
118. The Man She Loves to Hate by Kelly Hunter (8/14/11)
119. Shut Out by Kody Keplinger (8/15/11)
120. A Whirlwind Marriage by Helen Brooks (8/16/11)
121. Popular by Alissa Grosso (8/18/11)
122. Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl (8/20/11)
123. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik (8/20/11)
124. Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh (8/21/11)
125. The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (8/22/11)
126. The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker (8/27/11)
127. A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan (8/28/11)

Total books read: 19
Favorite book read: I read lots of good books this month. 3 from Victoria Dahl and probably my favorite of the YA's this month, Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan. Also, Nalini Singh's Archangel's Blade was freaking amazing!
Most disappointing book read: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger. What a disappointing follow-up to The Duff.

In August 2010, I read 15 books so I'm up four from last year. I had also read 122 books at the end of August 2010. I'm only up by five books right now so I probably will not make it to 200 books read but I'll keep trying.

How many books did you read in August 2011? What was your favorite book of the month?