YA Librarian Tales

Review: Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

2012-02-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

Can I just say how much epic fun I had reading Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday?? The fabulous Gail told me I had to read it and while I don't always take her suggestions, I'm so glad I did with this book! If you're looking for a book with a main protagonist that is a cross between Veronica Mars and Tessa from Suburgatory (particularly with all her talk of just what the suburbs are), Hartley is your girl!

Synopsis: Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool.

But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim. (Goodreads.com)

I loved Hartley as a main character. She is a great combination of humorous mistakes, sarcasm, and genuine concern. She is definitely an amateur detective and makes some decisions that I would normally categorize as just plain dumb but given the context of the book and the character I was getting to know, it worked. Yeah, she probably SHOULD NOT HAVE gone and met an informant at midnight on the football field but in the name of information, that's just what she had to do. There is something really likable about Hartley. You sympathize with her because her boyfriend cheated on her certainly, but she also stands out as just a fun character, someone you'd really meet in high school I think. She has a good relationship with her best friend, she is a friendly teen, and she's not body perfect.

I'm not a passionate mystery reader but I did manage to figure out the killer before the end. That in no way ruined any enjoyment I had in the story. While this is about a murder investigation, it's also about finding something (even unwittingly) that you are passionate about, it's about taking care of your friends, and yep, helping others. Even Veronica Mars had to help classmates she did not quite like.

The writing is very appealing and snaps with a lot of great dialogue and introspection from Hartley. She has sarcasm down to an art! The writing is witty and it has great reluctant reader appeal. I don't think it will date itself too quickly, even with some of the label dropping. Some of my favorite lines include:

"Well, I think we kinda proved it wasn't the Batcave." (p. 48)

Upon describing some of the library customers utilizing the internet stations:

"I settled down at a station next to a white-haired woman looking at pictures of her gradnkids on Photbucket (letting out the occasional coo at how cute they were) and a guy wearing three coats, two pairs of socks, and a week-old beard. I made sure to sit upwind from the overdressed guy..." (p.75) (These are totally normal library users by the way!)

"I just think you can handle this one on your own. Go, young grasshopper, show me what you've got." (p. 171)

And so many more! There were just so many great lines in this book that gave me a good laugh.

And oh yes, did I mention the bad boy? Chase isn't quite as full-bodied of a character as Hartley. Since we only seem him through her eyes, there is a distance there and he does not develop quite as much as Hartley or even Sam. But yes, he is intriguing!

Mostly I just liked all the snappy comebacks, the laughs I got from the story, and seeing Hartley bumble and stumble her way through the investigation. Hartley is smart and yes, she does make some rookie mistakes but she also tries to honestly investigate, to think like a detective and to find alibis and reasonable motivation for the people she finds suspicious. I cannot wait to read Hartley's next adventure, Social Suicide, coming out in April 2012.

You can hand this to reluctant teen readers who like sarcasm and humor and who don't mind a bit of murder in their high school reading! It does have sexual content (more like someone see's someone having sex) and it's not necessarily a "clean" read but it has high appeal value, despite the cover which just isn't my favorite. But, consider this, it's in paperback which makes it a relatively inexpensive purchase for most libraries!

Deadly Cool was one of my top reads for January 2012. I hope you'll consider giving it a try! Deadly Cool is available now.

Other reviews:
Ticket to Anywhere reviews Deadly Cool
Mindful Musings reviews Deadly Cool
Book Blather reviews Deadly Cool

Meet Me in St. Louis!

2012-02-06T12:30:00.000-06:00

I'm heading to St. Louis this November for YALSA's YA Literature Symposium! This is an utterly fantastic conference. I had the chance to attend in 2010 and it's really, really worth it if you are a reader, supporter, and fan of young adult literature. It's basically where all the cool kids are going to be. :)

And hey, while you're there, you can see me, along with my cool friend Scott, present! Our topic? Make it Pop! How to Use Pop Culture in Your Library. We are both big fans of all things tv, books, movies, and anything pop culture really so we are both very excited to be presenting on a topic that we both enjoy talking about. I hope you'll consider attending our session!

You can find out about the full array of presentations by visiting the symposium website. Truly, this is a fabulous conference, close to my very favorite because the focus is not about books, those tangible things we dearly love, so much as it is about great ideas, predicting what's next (hence the theme, Hit Me With The Next Big Thing), conversing about the issues that surround young adult literature and spending time with so many people who are devoted to these wonderful authors and books, characters and stories. Basically it's the best thing ever!

So here's hoping I'll be seeing YOU in St. Louis!

Review: Radiate by Marley Gibson

2012-02-06T09:30:00.000-06:00

Radiate by Marley Gibson has a really powerful message about a teen overcoming cancer (yes, it's another one of those stories) but there was so much about this book, in terms of its characterization and dialog that I have a difficult time in fully embracing this story.

Synopsis: Hayley Matthews is determined to be the best cheerleader she can. She works hard and pushes herself 110% all the time.Then Hayley finds a lump on her leg. The diagnosis is cancer. The prognosis is unclear. She could lose her leg. Or maybe her life.At first Haley is scared, terrified. In an instant, everything she’s worked for seems out of reach. But Haley is strong. She’s going to fight this disease. She will not let it take her life or her dreams. (Goodreads.com)

Hayley is a cheerleader and believe me, she reads like one. Not in a vacuous or shallow way just that she is very cheerful. Even in the face of all her adversity, she is incredibly cheerful and doesn't stay down for too long. This is not a bad thing because I do believe hope and optimism have healing powers when it comes to cancer. But all that being said, I became tired of the cheerleading and how it was used. I know this totally makes me sound like a grumpy person but after awhile it just became rather tiresome. The message of inspiration became rather uninspiring as the book progressed. I think I could have handled it better if other elements of the story worked better for me.

Much of the problem for me was this read like a book of how adults THINK teenagers act and what they say, rather than what teenagers ACTUALLY think and say. I did not find Hayley and her friends were all that believable of teenagers. Phrases like "what's your glitch?" "I am on him like white on rice," and other rather clean, oddly used phrases that teens (at least the teens I know) would never use. Interspersed with all these odd phrases are swear words. A lot of them frankly. It was just a very odd combination of phrases that read from like the 1950s to me and then hardcore swearing, as if to prove the teens were contemporary characters. Hayley and her friends just felt very un-teenager-like.

The relationship Hayley gets into with the cool, popular guy is of course doomed to failure and it is obvious from the very first few pages of when they meet. The "perfect" guy is waiting for her and it is no surprise how their relationship progresses. Everything on this book was so on the surface that there just was not much character development or even story development beyond the main plot lines.

This was not a book that really engaged my emotions and in a story that is about a girl suffering from cancer, that seems impossible to say but it is true. I tend to cry easily but I was so disengaged from Hayley's struggle that it was very difficult for me to empathize with her. Yes, I felt bad for her and I was impressed with how she persevered in spite of all the hardships life was throwing at her but it just did not work for me, at all. There are stronger stories of teen cancer survivors out there in the publishing market right now (in fact, there seems to be a gluttony of them) that this book is merely passable.

There is a note at the end of the book from the author that talks about her own daughter's struggle with cancer and how cheerleading helped and I think that is part of the reason I was actually turned-off by this book, as odd as it is to say that. The author did not seem removed enough from her story. I feel like I'm going to be definitely in the minority on this book since, given the topic, I think it will make many people uncomfortable to criticize the book but the fact is, this book just did not work for me. From the characters to the dialog, much of this book felt forced and unrealistic.

There is one thing that I can say in this book's favor and that is that in YA books, too often the cheerleaders are seen as rude, mean and cliquish. In this book, even if it was a rather "through rose colored glasses" look at cheerleading, the group truly did band together to help Hayley and she did her best to help them. There was one rather stereotypical mean-girl teenage cheerleader, but on the whole, I felt like this was a positive representation of the cheerleading experience.

Radiate comes out on April 3, 2012 from Graphia.

Other reviews:
Marjolein Book Blog reviews Radiate
Debra's Book Cafe reviews Radiate

Book reviewed from Netgalley.

Month in review: January 2012

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Well, can you believe January 2012 is over and done with?? It went by SO QUICK! I don't think I accomplished all that much in January but I certainly had a good reading month. Here's what I read in January 2012:

1. The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt (1/3/12) (Audio)
2. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (1/3/12)
3. The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall (1/6/12)
4. Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom (1/7/12) (Debut)
5. Scrumptious by Amanda Usen (1/7/12)
6. Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi (1/8/12)
7. The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols (1/9/12)
8. You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon (1/14/12)
9. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (1/14/12)
10. Bodywork by Marie Hart (1/15/12)
11. Angelfall by Susan Ee (1/15/12)
12. Feral by Sheri Whitefeather (1/17/12)
13. Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel by Samantha Grace (1/17/12)
14. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (1/19/12)
15. The Bro-Magnet by Lauen Baratz-Logsted (1/20/12)
16. Freshmen Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin (1/21/12)
17. With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo (1/21/12)
18. Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King (1/22/12)
19. The Bride by Julie Garwood (1/24/12)**
20. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (1/25/12)
21. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos (1/27/12)
22. The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas (1/28/12)
23. May B. by Caroline Starr Rose (1/28/12)
24. Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper (1/29/12)
25. Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday (1/30/12)

Favorite book read: Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi and Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
Most Disappointing book read: Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
Book outside my comfort zone: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (that was much more fantasy based than I usual read).

In January 2011, I only read 19 books so I'm on a roll already for the year! I hope I can sustain this momentum for the rest of the year to reach my 200 books goal.

Did you reach your reading goals in January? Did you have a favorite book read? Please share in the comments!

Review: The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas is one of those tear-jerker books that you can rank up there with Lurlene McDaniel in terms of wanting to cry. At least, for me the comparison is apt because I definitely shed some tears in this book.

Synopsis: When Rose’s mom dies, she leaves behind a brown paper bag labeled Rose’s Survival Kit. Inside the bag, Rose finds an iPod, with a to-be-determined playlist; a picture of peonies, for growing; a crystal heart, for loving; a paper star, for making a wish; and a paper kite, for letting go. As Rose ponders the meaning of each item, she finds herself returning again and again to an unexpected source of comfort. Will is her family’s gardener, the school hockey star, and the only person who really understands what she’s going through. Can loss lead to love? (Goodreads.com)

I really like the idea of the Survival Kit. I'd actually love to be able to do this for a fun programming opportunity if I could find a way without making it too depressing for anyone. It's a nice way to dig into a project with positive results at the end, a way to make someone smile. Rose's Survival Kit is a definite mystery to her at first. She is locked in a well of grief and it is hard to see her way out, particularly when her dad is drinking hard and when her brother is away at college. She faces a certain solitude in the grief experience that everyone has to go through but her experience seems particularly lonely at points.

I really liked Rose. She is definitely sad but I didn't feel like she was wallowing in her grief or letting it ruin her life or take over. She had her moments of course (and who wouldn't after losing a parent?) but she also was trying find a way to cope. She also didn't totally cut out all her friends from her life. She had a great friend, Krupa, who was a highlight of the story. At times, I will admit their friendship felt a bit one-sided, like Rose was getting all the benefits from having Krupa as a friend but then when I least expected it, Rose did a good job of showing Krupa how thankful she was for her friendship in the aftermath of her mom's death. This was a really nice friendship that was marked by laughter and tears but it felt so honest and real. There was no unnecessary drama in their friendship and it just felt like a relationship that would survive high school and beyond which is kind of nice.

There is a romance in this book. In fact, there is the ending of a romantic relationship and the beginning of a new relationship. I was very torn on Will, Rose's new relationship guy. He had some great shining moments when he really helped her through her pain but there was such a pivotal time when he let her down that I had a hard time finding it in me to forgive him, as the reader. No matter what his excuses were, I just was not going to buy it as easily as Rose does. Also, at times I felt like their evolving relationship was overshadowing Rose's character growth as her own person, as her own young woman. I was a little alarmed at how much she came to rely on him to help her forget her grief, to try to heal. While I don't think she should have gone it alone by any means, sometimes the healing process became less somehow when it was in conjunction with her relationship with Will. And I did like Will, I did. But I wanted more for Rose.

That being said, I loved the hockey portion of the book. I'm an avid hockey fan. It's one of the few sports I can handle watching and I liked the excitement that Rose and her friends felt while attending hockey games. This dates me sadly but I loved attending my high school hockey games as a teen too and it was a great bonding experience, much like Rose and her friends were doing together.

This is a very girl-centric story. Rose's emotional arc is engaging and it represents an experience that hopefully not many teen readers will ever have to go through. Readers who like sad stories (with hope!) will enjoy The Survival Kit. Donna Freitas has a great way of digging into the grief process and Rose is a character readers will identify with. Rose's character arc is not without it's problems but there is so much to like about this story that most readers will find that a minor quibble.

Other reviews:
Steph Su Reads reviews The Survival Kit
The Reclusive Bibliophile reviews The Survival Kit
The Allure of Books reviews The Survival Kit

Reviewed from public library copy.

Review: May B by Caroline Starr Rose

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

Don't you just love the cover of this book? I love all the blue tones in it. May B. by Caroline Starr Rose is a historical survival story set in Kansas in the 1800s. It features a spunky and likeable girl named May.

Synopsis: May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. (Goodreads.com)

I liked several things about this novel in verse and most particularly I liked that it was not weighed down by long, rambling descriptions of nature. Descriptions of nature bore me to death (it's why Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage is my least favorite book ever!) and I think tend to cause the reader to fall away from the main plot. That is not to say that aren't descriptions of nature in May B because there certainly are. The sparse nature of the writing however does not leave room for May to ruminate on the blue sky, the green grass, or the sod house. She has to deal with being left alone, fifteen miles from home, as winter draws near. Nature really is not her friend in this case, but rather it is her adversary, the force she has to somehow overcome in order to make it home safely. I felt that the novel in verse form was the perfect way for May to address nature, to talk about the challenge it brought to her but also still showcase some of the beauty she found in being outdoors. This is a girl who loves her simple life. She is not whiny or afraid of hard work. She has a stiff spine and it shows.

May is a character I think many young girls will identify with. She struggles in school (she has dyslexia and has a hard time reading) but she has goals of her own. May wants to be a teacher and even though she has been beaten down by the educational system, she still holds out hope. I liked that about her. She was not living in a world of rose colored glasses, she knew the realities she faced as someone who struggled with reading, but she did not let that information dispirit her for too long. She worked hard to rise above it. I was glad dyslexia was not a focus of her character. The word is of course not even mentioned in the story since at that time it did not even have a name. But being unable to read is not what defined May, particularly as she realizes she has to escape the soddy she is in or else perish as winter rolls on.

I will say, there is a decidedly strong lack of tension in this story. Even knowing what May faces (the increasing lack of food, having to force her way out of the door, wolves at her door), it never felt all that truly scary. I just knew that there was going to be a "happy" ending for May, that she would find her way back some way or another so even when the going got truly tough, I was not all that worried for her, unlike in other survivalist stories I have read where the odds seem truly stacked against the protagonists. This is not necessarily a failure since the target audience is juvenile and would perhaps not fare as well with a truly depressing ending for May.

This book features a nice glimpse into life in Kansas in the late 1870s. The hard work that went into creating a soddy, to maintaining it, to having to take sons out of school by the age of thirteen in order to have more help on the farm. This would make a great historical read for reluctant readers because for one, it reads incredibly fast with the novel in verse, and because readers will be interested in seeing how May survives, what she does to make it safely home. They may also be amazed at how May does not quite know what to do with herself when she has freedom. She is used to working for much of the day and that is definitely not the case for many kids today. May's individual spirit will come alive and will pull readers in. The author writes in her notes that she was fascinated by Laura Ingalls Wilder growing up and May B is a natural book to hand to fans of prairie settings. Unfortunately, the cover may turn some boy readers away but if you can convince them of the quick pace of the book, of the dangers from nature that May faces, you may be able to get this into the hands of even more readers.

This is a book that has a hopeful nature to it. May is a survivor and I enjoyed the glimpses into her more simple life, filled with songs with family, with chores that tuckered her out, with wagons and sod houses. For me, there is an appealing feeling of nostalgia and simplicity that drew me into the story.

Other reviews:
Things Mean a Lot reviews May B.
Adventures of 2.0 reviews May B.

Reviewed from library book.

YA books and cancer

2012-01-31T06:30:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure why but there seems to be a plethora of YA titles on the market right now that somehow relate to cancer. It's a terrible disease. It's painful, scary, and incredibly hard to deal with which I guess makes it potential fodder for stories. I know very few people who haven't been touched by cancer in some way (for me, it was an aunt I was very close to who died when I was fourteen. She had liver cancer. It was fast and hard on the entire family.)

Fortunately, all the cancer related YA books I have read have dealt with the topic in a sensitive and (sometimes) amusing manner, creating characters that readers can relate to and understand, not because of the cancer but because of the magnitude of emotions each is feeling. Here's a run-down of some of the recent YA Books dealing with cancer.

I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler. Two sisters. One is diagnosed with cancer and the other is left dealing with the guilt, anger, and sadness of being the one without the cancer. I really enjoyed this book and thought the author dealt with the varying emotions between the sisters in a dynamic and realistic way.

Sign Language by Amy Ackley. The main character watches her father deal with cancer. He was once a healthy, vibrant dad and it is of course very hard for her to see him fade away. The main character grieves quite a bit and in the process the reader sees her growing up. Read my review.

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder. Of the books mentioned so far, this is probably my favorite yet. I loved Cam so, so much. She had a vibrant, strong, and aggressive voice that showed she would not let her illness beat her. This story focuses on the main protagonist as the person with cancer and it is a heart wrenching story. You can read my review and judge for yourself.

Perhaps the most famous of any of these cancer books due to the big-name author attached to it, John Green's The Fault in Our Stars is getting major praise. I haven't read it yet but it seems to be another painful but realistic cancer portrayal.

Radiate by Marley Gibson also features a cancer-stricken teen protagonist. For me, this is the weakest of the "cancer novels" I've read so far. I'll have a review posted next week. However, it does use optimism and positive thought to its best advantage I think.

Lurlene McDaniel is perhaps a staple of the "cancer/illness" YA novel. She was writing when I was growing up and yes, it's true, I too delved into her books of teenagers sick with leukemia, going blind, or other rather terrible, life-threatening illnesses. I still have some of her books in my library's collection today. Why you may ask? Well, she does still circulate for me. These are more old-fashioned, cleaner reads that I know younger teens in my community are still addicted to. Long before cancer became the "it" thing to write about in the YA community, there was Lurlene McDaniel.

Another older title but a truly well-written story is Jordan Sonnenblick's Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie. When Steven's little brother is diagnosed with leukemia, his world is truly changed forever. This is a fabulous story and features a male protagonist which is good because yes it's true, teen boys also have to deal with life-threatening illnesses. Be sure to read the sequel, After Ever After, told from Jeffrey's point of view.

Another newer release is Donna Freitas's The Survival Kit. Rose's mother died from cancer and this book takes place in the aftermath, as she tries to come to grips with losing her mother at such a young age.

Sarah Wylie's All These Lives comes out in June 2012. It's the story of twin sisters, one of whom is diagnosed with cancer. I have it on my TBR pile but it sounds like another interesting cancer experience.

Before I Die by Jenny Downham. Tessa has a list of things she wants to do before she dies. It's like a bucket list only her time is running really short. Jenny Downham is never afraid to tackle difficult issues and this book showcases that talent.

What am I forgetting? What other YA books about cancer are coming out this year? Do you know of a middle grade book that tackles this topic? Please share in the comments because I would love to know.

Candidate information for the Printz Award, 2014 committee

2012-01-30T16:33:00.000-06:00

My name is Sarah Wethern and I am addicted to teen fiction. Reading is my passion but getting books into the hands of readers is what fulfills me every day of the week. I absolutely love teen fiction and feel that right now, teens are the luckiest readers in the universe because there are so many interesting, fascinating, disturbing, fun, and happy books being published for teens right now. Teen fiction runs the gamut from the absolutely fluffy to the absolutely literary with so much in between. I feel privileged to pick up a teen book and be able to read it. When I was a teen, my literary YA landscape was peppered with Sweet Valley, with some Nancy Drew, with some Lurlene McDaniel and with plenty of Judy Blume. These stories are important in the development of modern teen lit but they cannot hold a candle (okay, with the exception of maybe Judy Blume) to some of the well-written, thoughtful, and very provocative books that are being published right now.

I am running for the Printz Committee because I want to continue to challenge myself as a reader and a librarian. I want the chance to leave a mark on the landscape of teen literature and I feel that being part of the Printz Committee will be the greatest opportunity to do so. I want to help pick the next book that will challenge readers, make them look at a situation differently, and leave a literary mark on their own reading experiences. I think the Printz Committee is tasked with one of the most difficult jobs in the world when it comes to the Youth Media Awards. How do you choose just one to stand out amongst all the rest when there is so many wonderful books on the market today?

I still consider myself a new professional. I graduated with my MLIS in 2008 but since then I have taken every opportunity available to me to extend my field of knowledge, to improve my skills as a librarian serving teens, and to participate in the library world as much as possible. I do not want to sit idly by and let my career pass me by. I want to delve in and find as many opportunities as possible to make myself a valuable resource to my community and to YALSA.

Currently, I am the youth librarian at the Douglas County Library in Alexandria, Minnesota. I serve ages 0-18 but one of my main focuses right now is on building teen participation. This library has never held teen programs or teen events prior to my arrival in July 2011. Since then, I have held several different teen programs (some with more success than others but that is always the chance you take when it comes to teens). I am currently in the process of starting a teen book club and working to create programming opportunities for teens at my library this summer. In my previous position, I was the teen librarian for the Pueblo City-County Library District where I oversaw all teen activities for the library district including planning three successful teen summer reading programs, planning an anime/manga fair for my library district, participating in several community organizations that focused on teen sexuality, health, and wellness, amongst other activities. My commitment to teens and to teen literature is strong and makes coming to work each day a wonderful surprise. You never know what to expect, what book you may be able to get into the hands of a teen. I am beyond honored to be on the nomination ballot for the 2014 Printz Committee and I know that if you elect me to the committee I will fulfill the duties of this committee with verve and excitement.

I hope you will consider me when voting for the 2014 Printz Committee and if you have any questions to ask me, please email me at sarah.wethern@gmail.com or you can find me on Twitter and Goodreads. I would love to talk books with you or to provide more discussion as to why I think I am a good fit for the Printz Committee.

A little more background information about me and my career:

Education:
St. Catherine University, MLIS, 2008, 2011.
Winona State University, BA in English and BA History, 2006.

Work Experiences:
Youth Services Manager, Douglas County Library, July 2011--present.
Teen Services Librarian, Pueblo City-County Library District, February 2009-July 2011.
Information Clerk II, South St. Paul Public Library, January 2007-January 2009.

YALSA experience:
Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults committee, 2012-2013
Chair, 2011-2012 YALSA/BWI Collection Development Grant
YALSA Hub Blogger, 2011-present
Readers' Choice Task Force, 2010-2011

Presentations:
YA Lit Symposium, 2012: Pop Culture (presentation still in the works with co-presenter).
YALSA Tabletalk Mashup, Contemporary YA Lit and How to Use It, ALA Annual, 2011.
Colorado Teen Lit Conference, 2011: The Under Dog of the YA World: Contemporary Teen Fiction
CLiC Spring workshop, 2011: Collection Development for Teens
Colorado Teen Lit Conference, 2010: The YA Blogosphere
CLiC Spring Workshop, 2011: What's Hot and What's Not in Teen Fiction

Other committees I have served on:
Cybils 2009 Teen Fiction, round I judge
2011 Maud Hart Lovelace Award, reader

Other information:
2011 winner of the Baker & Taylor/YALSA Conference Grant
Member of the 2010-2011 Colorado Association of Libraries Leadership Institute
Member of the Minnesota Library Association

I am committed to working with teens and providing them with the best of the best in teen literature. I believe by working on the Printz Committee I will be a more valuable asset to YALSA and to the communities I serve in Minnesota. Please consider voting for me for the 2014 Printz Committee.

The Youth Media Award Winners and Your Library

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's always with much excitement that the ALA announces the youth media awards. As I have started working as a professional, I have become more invested in the award winners. The excitement of anticipating which books will take home the Caldecott, the Newbery, the Printz, and the many other awards grows for me each year. But, I've noticed, particularly with the library I'm working at right now, that the excitement towards the Printz and Morris awards I feel was not necessarily felt by my predecessor, particularly in terms of purchasing the award winners.

My library is definitely lacking in the Printz and Morris winner and honor books. The same cannot be said for the Newbery and Caldecott awards. There is so much cachet attached to those two awards that many dedicated library patrons follow these awards and eagerly place holds on the winners after the announcement is made. Sadly, I did not notice this increase in the Printz and Morris winners this year at my library, at all. There were no holds placed for Where Things Come Back. No one was trying to get their hands on The Scorpio Races or Paper Covers Rock (Morris). This was addressed recently at YALSA's Hub blog with particular emphasis on the Morris Award, in somewhat of a similar fashion.

When I first started my new job last July, the first thing I noticed was that my library owned NONE of the recent year's Printz winners. I feel like, because my library has never been a very teen friendly place (something I am working hard to change), this may be part of the reason. I do wonder though if other libraries, particularly smaller rural libraries like the one I work at, just do not have the money to fund purchasing another award. For me, this is a no brainer. I want to have these books in my collection and I was pleased to see that by the time the Morris and Printz winners were announced, my library already owned all the books. The same could not be said for most of the libraries in my consortium however. These libraries have less of a budget them me, a smaller population, and perhaps less need for having the Printz and Morris books. But it makes me uncomfortable because somehow I get the sense that some libraries do not feel they need to even carry these award winners.

At my previous job in Colorado, I worked for a much bigger library district and we owned every Printz winner and honor book since the award's inception. But I noticed high school teachers there (and at my current job) are not really utilizing these award winners. The Newbery award on the other hand is well used. Kids have to read a specific number of Newbery books a year and at my current job, one of the assignments is to build a speech around a Newbery character and come dressed as that character to give that speech. These are such well established awards, with a long history behind them. I do worry though about how long it may take the Printz and the Morris award (and the Stonewall Award, and the Pura Belpre Award and many of the lesser known awards) to make a dent in the community, to crash through the educational walls of local high schools and middle schools. Heck, maybe in some communities these awards are being utilized but for me and the professional jobs I have had so far, and the communities I have served, this is not the case.

I do wonder sometimes then if teen lit will ever get the respect and accolades it deserves from those outside the hallowed walls of YALSA and the tight knit community of readers who love teen literature, a community that is much smaller than we perceive.

Picture Book Saturday (02)

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

Story time is back in full swing for me. I've been doing a variety of themes but I wanted to share a few of the stand out books that have been crowd-pleasers with my kids. These are oldies but goodies!

Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin. This would work well for preschool too I think but I used it with my mother goose group (ages birth-24 months). I brought along my own winter hat, scarf, and mittens to help illustrate the point. This book is great to talk about body parts in conjunction with clothes, even for a group so young. Most of them understand hat in particular because they all came in wearing a winter hat of their own. It's a very simple text story but it allows for plenty of discussion. The kids liked patting their own hats, trying on my big (for them!) mittens, and touching my soft scarf. We could also talk about colors since the character had quite the plethora of colorful winter clothing.

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (who I love!). This book pretty much is amazing, particularly with the preschool set who love to discuss (or potentially argue, lol) whether it is a duck or a rabbit. Such a simple book, light on story and the illustrations are deceptive because there is more to think about then first appears. This book always generates big buzz with any kids and I found that to be true for my story time kids this week.What do you think? Is it a duck or a rabbit?

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. I love the illustrations, I love the rhyme. The kids really get into saying "bear snores on." It's a bit on the long side so I tend to use this as a beginning book. It allows for conversation about hibernation, what animals eat in winter, how they survive, and the rhyming text makes it all fun too. I can never keep this book on the shelves any time of the year really and it's my favorite of Wilson's "Bear" series books. The kids haven't all seen some of these winter animals so I like to bring in nonfiction books with pictures of the real thing to talk about after the story is over too. It adds another dimension to the story time and a great way to show parents that nonfiction is good for kids no matter what age.

Picture Book Saturday is the creation of A Patchwork of Books so head on over to see what books she may be discussing today!

Things I Like! (02)

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

You all know the greatness of Downton Abbey, right?

Well if you're ever in need of the most cutting of put downs, be sure to take a peek at this video. Shit the Dowager Countess Says. Enjoy. And be sure to keep some of these cutting remarks in your own repertoire.

Review: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've Got Your Number is classic Sophie Kinsella but that's okay with me! It has all the wonderful things that I love about Kinsella's stories and it proved to be another fast, engaging, definitely fluffy fun read.

Synopsis: Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry the ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her 'happy ever after' begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring but in the panic that followed, she has now lost her phone. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

Well, perfect except the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton doesn't agree. He wants his phone back and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other's lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents... she soon realises that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life. (Goodreads.com)

I really liked Poppy. She is as obsessed with her phone and communication as most people my age so her struggle after she lost her phone really rang true for me. She needed her phone to stay connected but as she finds out, when she snags a thrown away phone, the phone allows her to make new connections too. I also really liked that Poppy liked her job. Kinsella does "chick-lit" very well (though I'm not sure if that's the correct term for these books anymore) and she fortunately she also knows what tropes to ignore. Poppy is good at her job as a physiotherapist. She likes helping people feel better and she genuinely cares about her patients.

The antics Poppy gets into as she has Sam's company phone are hilarious. She cares too much and makes trouble for him though as she sees it, she is just trying to make him a bit more human. I loved their differing views and I liked seeing Sam slowly start to come along to Poppy's way of thinking, at least to a degree. As is usual for most of Kinsella's books, there is a business crisis that takes the two main characters in different directions. But Poppy is not the silly character Kinsella's infamous Becky Bloomwood is. Poppy has a good head on her shoulders and she is able to aid Sam in sorting out the business issues that develop in the story.

Of course, Poppy still has some inferiority issues to sort out, particularly when it comes to Magnus's family. However, the scenes where she plays Scrabble or tries to understand just what this family of academics is saying are hilarious. I liked that she was an ordinary girl just trying to be pleasing to her fiance's family. Poppy is kindhearted and it shows on every page of the story. She is a likeable character that is kind of like the girlfriend everyone has in their life, supporting her friends (even when their envy shows), going out for drinks and just enjoying life. Her romance with Sam is subtle but I loved seeing it blossom on the pages through the text messages. This book is in fact a great readalike to Meg Cabot's Boy series.

All in all, I raced through I've Got Your Number. It's nothing particularly new in the world of romance or women's fiction but it's a fun book with two great characters. Sophie Kinsella just writes fun stories and I enjoy reading them!

ARC provided by Amazon Vine.

Review: Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King is the kind of book people were talking about way before it was released into the wild. The love for this book since its publication has been astronomical. I was very excited to read this book, despite how long I've put it off. I LOVED Please Ignore Vera Dietz and had read only rave reviews for Ants. Well, let me tell you, this book was an utter letdown to me.

Synopsis: Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their family is fine. And he certainly didn't ask to be the recipient of Nadar McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.
Lucky has a secret—one that helps him wade through the daily dysfunction of his life. Grandad Harry, trapped in the jungles of Laos, has been visiting Lucky in his dreams—and the dreams just might be real: an alternate reality where he can be whoever he wants to be and his life might still be worth living. But how long can Lucky remain in hiding there before reality forces its way inside? (Goodreads.com)

Let me tell you first what did work for me. The writing. A.S. King is a masterful writer, digging into her characters actions, motivations and heads with the thoroughness of a sharp blade. Her prose is beautiful and she is easily one of the best writers in the young adult right now. While I did not enjoy this book, I can definitely agree that this is a writer with talent. Her words are amazing.

Otherwise, this book was a big letdown all around for me. I utterly disliked every single character in this book, Lucky included. Oh yes, I felt awful for him no doubt but I did not buy into his redemption arc at all. It felt phony and built on nothing but the circle of lies adults had fed him all his life.

I felt King's treatment of Lucky's aunt, Jodi, a woman who definitely pops quite a few mental health pills, to be nothing short of callous. She became this stereotype of what it's like to suffer from anxiety, sadness, and depression. All I read when Jodi was on the scene was the scorn that King seems to feel towards those who rely on pills to get them through the day. And the fact is, a lot of people need these pills to be functional at all during the day. Jodi came off as this caricature with no humanity at all, no sympathy towards what may have caused her suffering to begin with.

Also, does King hate fat people? There is one quote in particular that sticks out in my head, when Lucky's ants think "why doesn't she just get on a treadmill?" (This was from the arc edition so perhaps it was changed before the final printing.) Yeah, if only it was that easy. It's obvious that food is a respite for Jodi and the grotesque descriptions of what she eats (which sadly mimic all too much what many American families are eating) sounded downright rude and evil. I truly couldn't get past the feeling that King herself hated Jodi.

As for the other adults, they were nothing but a bunch of lemons. It was obvious that Lucky had been suffering from bullying his entire life. And the school administration is too afraid to do something because the bully's father is a lawyer and will sue the school. If that's not the flimsiest excuse for ignoring a student's needs I do not even know what is. I was appalled frankly.

And then there were the dreams Lucky had, where he met his grandfather in Vietnam. Eventually I just started skimming these because, while I did find them relevant to the story, I found them boring and it stopped the flow of the story. It's not that I did not like Lucky's relationship with his grandfather, it was perhaps the most complex relationship in the story, I just could not find them interesting.

I did find Lucky's relationship with his mother to be interesting also, if not always healthy but at least it was a playful, somewhat happy relationship that got worked on throughout the course of the story.

Overall, this story was a disappointment to me. While the writing was beautiful and the risks that King took with her dream interludes were different, they just did not work for me. The story as a whole did not work for me. I could not connect with Lucky or any of the characters. The accolades for this book have been impressive and I'm glad it worked for so many other readers. For me, it did not.

ARC from ALA Annual.

Other reviews:
The Book Smugglers reviews Everybody Sees the Ants
Reading Rants reviews Everybody Sees the Ants
Helen's Book Blog reviews Everybody Sees the Ants

It's book award season!!

2012-01-23T09:31:00.001-06:00

The winners are in! While I had a dentist appointment this morning and was unable to see the awards live, I've got all the handy winner information. Here is the official press release with all the award winners, but here are some of my favorites.

Printz:

John Corey Whaley's Where Things Come Back is the big winner here, taking both the 2011 Printz and the 2011 Morris award! Here's my review of this book.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (one of my favorite books of 2011) took home a Printz Honor! Read my review here

The other Printz Honor books include:

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

The Returning by Christine Hinwood

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

I didn't really have a clear favorite for this award but I knew, as did most anyone involved in YA lit, that Where Things Come Back was going to do some big things. It's not my favorite book of the year but it's literary excellence does stand out.

Caldecott:

The big winner here is A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka. I'll admit, this is not one of my favorite picture books. I didn't really like the watery and squiggly lines myself. BUT one of my favorite picture books of the year got an Honor! Blackout by John Rocco. This book is simply gorgeous! The other two honor books are Grandpa Green by Lane Smith and Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell. I actually like all the Honor titles much better than the winner itself.

Newbery:

Jack Gantos takes the big prize with Dead End in Norvelt which I just checked out from my library because I'm sure the demand is going to go up today. I haven't read it yet but hopefully this coming weekend. I didn't really have a clear favorite in this group. While I really loved Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt the ending was troublesome and over the top.

The Honor books are:

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

I haven't read either of these books but I'm pleased to say that my library owns everything on the list.

So, did anything big surprise you this year in all the awards? A favorite you want to rave about? Something you feel was left out?

Review: With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo is the story of a girl who wants to fix a town. Along the way she learns that sometimes hate can never be removed from someone's heart, that music truly touches the soul, and that there is goodness when you least expect it. Fortunately it's not quite a sappy as I've just described.

Synopsis: When Ollie’s daddy, the Reverend Everlasting Love, pulls their travel trailer into Binder to lead a three-day revival, Ollie knows that this town will be like all the others they visit— it is exactly the kind of nothing Ollie has come to expect. But on their first day in town, Ollie meets Jimmy Koppel, whose mother is in jail for murdering his father. Jimmy insists that his mother is innocent, and Ollie believes him. Still, even if Ollie convinces her daddy to stay in town, how can two kids free a grown woman who has signed a confession? Ollie’s longing for a friend and her daddy’s penchant for searching out lost souls prove to be a formidable force in this tiny town where everyone seems bent on judging and jailing without a trial. (Goodreads.com)

Ollie is the kind of character that it is hard not to like. She's the oldest daughter of five, she is the one the family relies on to model good behavior, partake of family chores without complaining, and be a shoulder for her younger siblings. This is no easy task as Ollie has come to realize. Most days she just wishes her father, Everlasting Love, would stop with the traveling preaching and settle down into a house with hot water, a flusher, and never worry about having to do laundry again. Ollie, at thirteen, dreams of modern conveniences.

She meets Jimmy Koppel and is intrigued. She knows something is wrong with this boy and she wants to help. Perhaps for the first time ever for her, she wants to reach out beyond the usual three days of preaching and try to make a visible difference in a town. Her father agrees and soon Ollie is smackdab in the heart of Binder, Arkansas, trying to figure out a way to save Jimmy's mother, a woman who has signed a confession that she killed her husband when in fact, that is far from the truth.

This is one of those books that smacks of small town charm and hate. There is most definitely something off with Binder. Fortunately, there are some great citizens that the Love family comes to rely. A new family of friends is forged and Ollie is at the heart of it. Ollie is in fact often times more a conduit for the town to get its act together than a real, fleshed out character. Her needs were often ignored I felt, despite her father agreeing to stay in town for longer than the usual three days. Ollie took so much upon herself as the eldest daughter and I did not always feel I got to know the true her, the person with wants and wishes all its own. This book is truly about Binder and Jimmy's story and how the Love family intersects. It is much less about Ollie.

I also had an issue with Reverend Everlasting Love himself. It seemed that he was rather ignorant of his family's needs. It's not that he was a selfish character necessarily but he also did not see what was right in front of his own eyes. For example, his daughter Gwen, who Ollie, and readers, can clearly see longs to take after him, that she is in fact just as good at traveling preaching as Everlasting himself. While I didn't get a clear indicator that Reverend Love looked down on women and saw them as less worthy, I also didn't think he saw them as anything other than being more forces to spread the word for him, an extension of himself rather than people with desires all their own.

However, that being said, I enjoyed the journey even if I found the characters flawed. I liked the mix of good and bad in Binder, and even the rare shades of gray. I also liked that while Reverend Love is clearly preaching a Christian rhetoric, this book isn't really about religion. Rather, I found it to be a nice message about treating others as you want to be treated, as taking the time to talk with people, and at making an effort to truly use yourself for good rather than bad. It was a nice message about living up to the Golden Rule I thought, more so than about living up to God's commandments. Religion can be a very touchy topic to tackle in any book but I think Hilmo ventured into the right direction by showing how these five girls were trying to live up to the Golden Rule, even as they didn't always get their way or had to put their own wants aside sometimes so another family member could have a special moment.

This book is set in 1957. I thought the time period wasn't all that necessary to the story however. Yes, there was the small local grocery store, the pay phone, the new invention of the "flushers" and the laundry machines that did all that hard work, but really this was about a small Arkansas town trying to survive and flourish against a backdrop of anger. The historical setting wasn't necessarily important but the rural setting itself was.

With a Name Like Love has some problems but I think it has an audience. It has that meandering, slow feeling that I associate with Moon Over Manifest only it's a tad shorter and I think easier to engage in. Jimmy and Ollie's friendship is a great part of this story and it stands out, above even the flaws I found. Quick and breezy story that will definitely bring some tears.

Reviewed from local public library copy.

Other reviews:
Kidliterate reviews With a Name Like Love
Semicolon reviews With a Name Like Love

Things I Like! (01)

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to come up with something fun and worry-free to post on Fridays, something that will give you a bit more taste of my personality and what I like to do, outside of reading. Thus, Things I Like! It's an amalgamation of Pop Culture Junkie's currently enjoying feature and KellyVision's Things I'm Obsessed With feature.

Today I want to introduce you to a little thing called history. Maybe you know it! But do you know history set to Justin Timberlake's Sexyback? This is one of my favorite recent Youtube videos. Tell me you don't have 1066 rocking in your head the rest of the day. I was a history (and English) major in college and I love finding fun ways that people are teaching history today. Yes, these videos are slightly dorky but man oh man, it gets a date in your head.

THEN you have to watch Martin Luther (set to Manic Monday by the Bangles). Oh man, the psychedelic!

Stay tuned for next Friday when I wow you with more Things I Like!

A peek at my Goodreads to-read bookshelf

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here are some of the books I've recently added to my to-read bookshelf on Goodreads. A mix of both upcoming YA books and some already published titles.

The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin. I've had this book for way too long sitting on my TBR pile. The cover still catches my eye and I really do want to read it. It seems to have an edgy feel to which I hope it lives up to.

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard. I'll be honest. I really wasn't all that enamored with Kirsten Hubbard's first book, Like Mandarin. It was just okay for me. However, I've had this book on my Kindle for months now since it came out on Netgalley. My plan is to read it before it's actually released which I think is in March this year. So, here's hoping it surpasses the previous book because this will likely be my last try for this author.

Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic. This just came in at my library so I plan on reading it this weekend! It's a very short book so yay, lol. I like the cover and I hope it has some meaning for the story. It looks like it may be a bit of a tearjerker.

Fetching by Kiera Stewart. It breaks middle school up into various canine breeds and I think it sounds like a lot of fun. Cliques and middle school, let the drama begin! I would also totally love to have a dog like the one pictured on the cover.

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo. I've read some reviews of this and it seems like it's going to be a good story. The cover is kind of blah, too much green for me, but I'm curious to see how the title fits the story.

Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot. It's a new Heather Wells book! I'm so excited. Another straight contemporary story from Meg Cabot, one of my favorite writers. She always makes me laugh. I'm excited to see what changes are in store for Heather and her beau, Cooper.

The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate. I have enjoyed everything I've read by Melissa Senate before and this one has been languishing on my TBR pile. It involves food, some romance and I'm sure interesting characters. I really need to get reading this book. (It's an adult book, if you can't tell.)

Of course, this is only a small sampling of my to-read shelf. I feel like I add something to it every day. Goodreads, so addictive! If you want to keep up with my Goodreads shelves, feel free to friend me! I love talking books whether it's Twitter, my blog, or Goodreads.

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is not your ordinary tale of Cinderella. This Cinderella knows her way around an android more than she knows her way around a broom.

Synopsis: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. (Goodreads.com)

There is a lot to like about Cinder. It is really readable. It has that special quality that makes you want to stick your nose in a book and not look up until you're finished. I think much of that relies on the greatness of the main character, Cinder. She is a great character. She is very sweet, likeable, kindhearted and really smart. She knows her way around wires. Of course, it helps that she is a cyborg and needs to know her way around wires. But being a cyborg is not a great thing in New Beijing. Cyborgs are looked upon as second class citizens and Cinder really is not her own person as she is owned by her stepmother. Here is where the Cinderella story stands out most as Cinder is forced to do all kinds of chores, forced to work in the market to provide her family with money, and not allowed the opportunity to attend the grand ball that is coming up.

I really enjoyed Marissa Meyer's take on the Cinderella theme. She created this a very interesting setting for Cinder to live and survive in and she made sure that Cinder is no weeping princess. This is a girl with dreams and plans of her own. She wants to leave her family and make a fresh start. This urge becomes stronger when her stepsister, Peony, is infected with the plague and is on the brink of death. Peony was one of Cinder's only friends and to see her suffering, well, it is more than Cinder can stand.

I also really, really liked smartmouth and sweet Iko, Cinder's android. She has some great one-liners in the story that add unexpected humor, particularly when a scene is on the verge of getting too bleak. She is a great match for Cinder who doesn't want to care about girly things like ball gowns, crushes, and having a prince potentially like her. Iko and Cinder make a great team.

There were some aspects of this story that I wasn't particularly thrilled with and the biggest is that this story is incredibly predictable. Not even fifty pages in I figured out the twists and from then on, much of the tension of the story was lost. Everything was incredibly obvious and to my mind, that hurts the story telling. Secondly, I was rather bored with the political machinations of Prince Kai and the Lunar Queen. While those scenes in the book are definitely brief, they dragged down the story by taking the focus away from Cinder, a character I liked and was rooting for. I realize that the political components play an important role in the story but like in real life politics, I tuned these plot lines out and skimmed. I wanted more time with Cinder who was a character I admired.

That being said, on the whole, I really enjoyed Cinder. I liked the world Meyer created and I liked that it was not a US-centric story too. I found the setting to be very distinct, even if Cinder herself did not appear to be Chinese. She is cyborg however and that identity is something she is cautious about. This is a girl trying to discover who she is and where she fits into the world. She yearns for independence and the hope that being a cyborg will not always make her looked down upon. I really liked that Cinder is not wholly one "ethnicity" or one "identity" because for me, it makes her story more authentic and for readers, makes Cinder a character more people can relate to.

While I definitely wished so much of the story was not so patently laid out for everyone to guess at its twists, I did enjoy Cinder. I'm hooked enough to want the second book now, lol. I'm anxious to see Cinder grow into herself, to stand up for herself and take charge of her future. I think teens in particular will root for Cinder for that very reason, that she is reaching out for what she wants and for what makes her happy.

Cinder is available now from Feiwel and Friends and is a January YA debut.

Other reviews:
The Book Smugglers review Cinder
Wondrous Reads reviews Cinder
Good Books and Good Wine reviews Cinder

ARC provided by publisher.

Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

When I first read Jane of Dear Author's review of Susan Ee's ebook, Angelfall, I thought, I know I've seen that book somewhere before. And I was right! It's a Cybils finalist for YA Fantasy and Science Fiction. Given that it was only $0.99 on Amazon, I was sold. I quickly burned through it this weekend, reading nonstop as I basically had to find out what was going to happen. Yep, this is a good one and truly the closest book I've read that mirrors the brutality of The Hunger Games. But honestly? I liked this book more.

Synopsis: It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again. (Goodreads.com)

My one quibble with this book is that at times the writing is rather clunky and almost too straightforward. There isn't a lot of literary beauty in it but then, there isn't necessarily a lot of literary beauty in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series and well, I adore those books, so as I said, this is a minor quibble. I usually stay far, far away from self-published books but Susan Ee has broken that trend. This is one book that has been edited and critiqued and stands heads and shoulders above so much of the self-published drivel I have come across. Susan Ee has that wondrous gift of being a fabulous story teller and it shows.

Penryn is being compared to Katniss Everdeen left and right around the interwebs but I have to say, give me Penryn any day of the week. There is none of the love triangle crap (at least, so far) and while Penryn makes mistakes along the way, she is also brutally honest in her end goal and she is not above using violence and subterfuge to save her sister, Paige. (Yep, another older sisters saving a younger sister. You can see where the comparisons are ripe for the picking.) There is just something so honest about Penryn though. She has rescued this angel, Raffe, but all she cares about, particularly early on, is using him to gain access to her sister. So, she cuts the feathers from his wings. She wants him to feel the anger and pain she is feeling and it works. This is a character that has already seen the bottom of her world pulled out from her so she has nothing to lose.

I have seen quite a few comments on Goodreads that the world building is weak but honestly, world building is one of those things I don't pay as much attention to. But, like many reviewers, I do question how organized and frankly how little chaos there is in this world even though the angels have only brought destruction to humans a mere six weeks ago. But that doesn't mean I wasn't freaked out because yep, I was. There is definitely something spooky about Penryn and Raffe's journey, as they head to San Francisco. The descriptions of the highways being filled with abandoned cars is chilling, as is seeing the angels circle above, looking for humans or monkeys as the angels call humans. Then there are things in the woods that are eating humans. It seems to be cannibals since food is extremely scarce. Raffe and Penryn have to make a run for it many times.

At the same time, these two have to rely on each other. Penryn needs Raffe and his angelic knowledge in order to find her sister. Raffe doesn't need Penryn quite as much as she needs him but he tolerates her and he does help her. But this is not an alliance. This is not a friendship. It's at most a very, very mild attraction but given the circumstances the world is thrown into, and given their separate missions (after all, Raffe needs his wings sewn back on, Penryn just needs her family reunited) these two are not headed for a love story any time soon. And since this is apparently going to be a five book series, it is obvious to see that the attraction will be drawn out and complicated for a time to come.

This book is twisty and turny and gives me, a seasoned reader who figures out the big "twist" all too easily, a run for my money. The clues are there but there are still some "whoa" moments which I love. I hate figuring everything out on my own. And then the ending, it just smacks you in the face and if you aren't enticed to read the next book, I'd be very shocked.

I wouldn't say this is quite a YA book. It would be great for your older readers but I think in many ways this is more brutal than The Hunger Games so before handing this off to fans of Collins's books, I would read it first. There are some gruesome details that frankly gave me a few nightmarish images in my head. Penryn is a teen but she reads older and her actions are that of someone who has had to grow up quickly. I also think the idea of religion and the angels being so villainous may alienate some readers. But there's more to this story that much is obvious and I will be very interested to get more answers.

For fans of Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series, I think there is also some crossover appeal. I am very intrigued by Ee's portrayal of angels and I know there are more revelations to come.

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, Book 1) is what one could call a page-turner. It is compelling and the fact is, this book is so, so much better than most of the mediocre "dystopian" books being published for teens right now. If you're passionate about dystopian stories, do yourself a favor and read Angelfall!

Copy purchased from Amazon.com for my Kindle (and it's a steal at only $0.99!)

Other reviews:
Good Choice Reading reviews Angelfall
Mindful Musings reviews Angelfall

Review: You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon is a collection of short, interconnected stories, revolving around life at Fort Hood, Texas. This is an adult book with a military theme. If you remember, last week I was commenting on military themed YA books and for some reason, I've really been in the mood to read books on this theme. I don't think too many of you know this but I am kind of obsessed with HBO's Generation Kill (where you can see Askars!). It is a phenomenal look at the assault on Baghdad in 2003. When Jane of Dear Author reviewed this collection a few weeks ago, I knew I had to read it, and I'm so glad I did. I've been in the mood for well-written and thoughtful adult books lately and You Know When the Men Are Gone is just that.

Synopsis: In Fort Hood housing, like all army housing, you get used to hearing through the walls... You learn too much. And you learn to move quietly through your own small domain. You also know when the men are gone. No more boots stomping above, no more football games turned up too high, and, best of all, no more front doors slamming before dawn as they trudge out for their early formation, sneakers on metal stairs, cars starting, shouts to the windows above to throw them down their gloves on cold desert mornings. Babies still cry, telephones ring, Saturday morning cartoons screech, but without the men, there is a sense of muted silence, a sense of muted life.

There is an army of women waiting for their men to return in Fort Hood, Texas. Through a series of loosely interconnected stories, Siobhan Fallon takes readers onto the base, inside the homes, into the marriages and families-intimate places not seen in newspaper articles or politicians' speeches.(Goodreads.com)

I won't go an analysis of each individual story. Rather, as a whole grouping, I really loved this book. Characters that featured in one short story were given new insights and perspectives when they featured as the main protagonists in stories of their own. You think you know someone, you think you know their suffering, but you don't, not really, and these stories illustrate that.

This is not a happy collection. It's not a romance collection either. It is a collection of stories that beautifully showcase the hardships of war. Being without your spouse for months at a time, having to rely on a makeshift family, have to try to understand what life is like for that spouse when they return, having to make the painful decision that military life is not right for you. There are so many emotions in this book, so many sad but realistic portrayals of what it must be like to be a military spouse. The author, Siobhan Fallon, herself is married to a military man and her authenticity on the subject shows. I was immediately thrown into regimented life at Fort Hood, a world away from the United States even as it sits smack dab in Texas.

Of course, you don't have to have any type of military knowledge to appreciate this story because it's all about the hardships in relationships and how war takes its toll on parenting, on sex, on life and on marriage. I cried a lot reading this collection but it was not because of anything schmaltzy. This is an authentic slice of the military experience and it really makes you realize how much entire families are sacrificing for a war. Yes, the men are off fighting and there is no doubt I am thankful for their bravery, courage, and for doing something I could never do, but I also liked taking a peek into what the wives, the kids, the residents of this small community were facing as the men were all gone. It is reality's slap in the face.

What I also liked was that it was not all about patriotism, about jingoism. These are real sacrifices being made every day across the US by military families and they are not thinking about the good of the country necessarily. They are thinking about getting back home to loved ones, or the horrors that could await them once they do arrive home. While I am certainly proud to be a US citizen, I tend to shy away from books and movies that portray patriotism and the US as the be all and end all of life and this book so does not do that. These are ordinary families living harsh lives. The women are doing the best they can, as are the men off fighting. This is a story that is character focused and it shines.

Copy borrowed from my local public library.

Picture Book Saturday (01)

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Well, that time of year is coming up again! Valentine's Day! In honor of that, publishers are releasing a plethora of Valentine's Day and kissing/hugging related books. Here are a few new ones to watch for. These all won me over because of their illustrations, more than the story itself. What can I say? I do like cutesy.

The Biggest Kiss by Joanna Walsh, illustrated by Judi Abbot. What I like most about this book is the illustrations. There really isn't much of a story, it's rather just different examples of kissing. Dogs kissing, elephants kissing, a kiss on the tummy. It is definitely overly sweet but that picture of the big blue elephant totally wins me over. It's definitely a book you'll see being checked out any time of the year but Valentine's Day will give this book extra oomph!

All Kinds of Kisses by Nancy Tafuri. I adore Nancy Tafuri and this book is another example of why. She makes adorable animal pictures. This is ANOTHER book about all kinds of kisses, as the title implies. It could be used in conjunction with animal story times very easily since it has a farm emphasis. There's just something about her realistic drawings that make me happy paging through her books. There is a lot to discuss with kids, such as the different sounds animals make, what they might eat, where they live. So while this is ostensibly a book about kissing, I think it would fit other story time themes very well. It doesn't border on the cutesy quite as much as The Biggest Kiss does either, so if you'd prefer a book a bit more down to earth, Tafuri does not let you down.

Big Hugs, Little Hugs by Felicia Bond. You may recognize her as the illustrator for Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse (Moose, Cat, Dog) books. Yep, this is another cutesy title but I do love the illustrations. Not only does it show animals hugging but it teaches a bit about opposites along the way (inside/outside, big/little, etc). The illustrations are something special though and a bit different than what I normally see with her books. I like the message that hugging is something everyone the world over does.

So there you have it, a little pre-Valentine's Day picture book selection to get on the shelves of your library.

Picture Book Saturday is the creation of A Patchwork of Books. Head on over to see what books she's chatting about.

Romance Round-up: January 2012

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here are some recent romance titles I have reviewed:

Scrumptious by Amanda Usen
Breakaway by Deirdre Martin
Heartstrings and Diamond Rings by Jane Graves
Seven Years to Sin by Sylvia Day

It's not much, the holidays kind of kicked my butt but I really enjoyed all of these books. Need a new hockey romance? Breakaway is the perfect choice. Flawed but still enjoyable.

Have you read any romance books lately you'd like to recommend?

Review: Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi is a book I somehow missed back in 2011 but I'm so glad I picked it up this year. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and meeting Donna Parisi.

Synopsis: In the spring of her senior year, Donna Parisi finds new life in an unexpected place: a coffin.
Since her father’s death four years ago, Donna has gone through the motions of living: her friendships are empty, she’s clueless about what to do after high school graduation, and her grief keeps her isolated, cut off even from the one parent she has left. That is until she’s standing in front of the dead body of a classmate at Brighton Brothers’ Funeral Home. At that moment, Donna realizes what might just give her life purpose is comforting others in death. That maybe who she really wants to be is a mortician.
This discovery sets in motion a life Donna never imagined was possible. She befriends a charismatic new student, Liz, notices a boy, Charlie, and realizes that maybe he's been noticing her, too, and finds herself trying things she hadn’t dreamed of trying before. By taking risks, Donna comes into her own, diving into her mortuary studies with a passion and skill she didn’t know she had in her. And she finally understands that moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting someone you love. (Goodreads.com)

How often do readers get the chance to meet a character interested in mortuary science? Not too often. However, Donna finds herself unexpectedly reeled in by this career opportunity after a high school classmate dies. It was not what she set out to do in life but it gave her new direction and a goal to work towards as her aimless senior year of high school was coming to a close. As for me, I was completely fascinated. While I know there is no way on earth I could deal with dead bodies all day, I liked seeing the emotional aspects of it also, how Donna had to deal with grieving wives, sisters, and relatives. She definitely had a knack for saying just the right thing and as her experiences at Brighton Brothers Funeral Home grew and expanded, her confidence in herself was growing in leaps and bounds. I felt her career interests mirrored all the changes in her personal life too.

Not only is Donna graduating from high school but she is going on a path few of her classmates will ever experience. The death of her father right before she started high school has deeply affected Donna and it shows in this story. It is hard for her to let go of her grief, it's difficult for her to see her mother moving on and meeting someone else, but it is also forcing her to make a new friend, to grow up herself. Donna meets Liz during school and she is immediately smitten with her. As the reader, I didn't quite understand why Donna liked Liz so much, why she saw her as this otherworldly person, exploring all these opportunities Donna never seized on. Liz just did not quite impress me the way she impressed Donna.

So much changes for Donna in a relatively short amount of time. She starts a new relationship with a guy, she has this new job, she moves out of her mom's house, and more. She is growing up. I thought this was a very authentic experience because so often in life things happen at such a breakneck speed. Change does not happen in a vacuum and it definitely did not for Donna. While in some respects all these changes might have been a tad too easy (fitting in at Brighton Brothers, moving out, even her first real sexual experiences) I also thought Donna truly was overwhelmed at times with emotions, particularly when it came to her mom. There was just something so realistic about a mother and daughter fighting, knowing at heart they both want the best for each other, but they are unable to express that properly.

The book is not all sad though! There are a lot of funny moments, light macabre humor at times, and overall a feeling of hope. I loved learning a little more about the mortuary business. It was never gross to read about (and I have a weak stomach for grossness) but instead rather invigorating. As Donna explains, death is something we all share. Why not better understand that process? The nontraditional route she took to find happiness is also invigorating in a YA story. Her "college" experience was in many ways like an apprenticeship of times past. She lived on the premises of Brighton Brothers Funeral Home, she was involved in its daily operations. She was learning straight from the source and that is what she needed, not some rather vague Communications degree from a regular college.

All in all, I found this book to be extremely readable. Violi has a great writing style that kept me hooked and wanting more. I was eager to return to this book every time I opened it back up and I did not want it to end. There was just something about Donna's journey that spoke to me as a reader. It was out of the norm but yet Donna was finding her footing back into the mainstream too as she left her grief behind. Donna just really changed for me throughout the story. She found her own voice and vision. I really enjoyed seeing where she was going and where her journey was taking her. I know that sounds a bit cliched but it's also true. I really liked how she came into her own as the story proceeded. I think her character is summed up nicely from this quote on page 281:

"...This is my ritual, so keep your clothes on." I smile. "We'll make up the steps as we go."

And that she does! Donna finally starts to forge her own path and it's a fantastic journey.

Putting Makeup On Dead People, despite the ugly cover, is one of the better contemporary YA books I have read recently.

Other reviews:
Reclusive Bibliophile reviews Putting Makeup On Dead People
The Book Sp(l)ot reviews Putting Makeup On Dead People
Stacked Books reviews Putting Makeup On Dead People

Review: Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

That fugly blue dress on the cover? Yep, that's truly the prom dress Justina wears to prom. That fugly blue flower? It's also featured in the story! Intrigued? Well then you'll definitely want to get your hands on Robin Mellom's debut book, Ditched: A Love Story.

Synopsis: High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.
Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat handle first.
Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.
Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.
And then ditched her.
Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together — stain by stain on her thrift-store dress — exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car...
But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love. (Goodreads.com)

Several reviewers have compared this book to a movie. One review I read compared it to the 1998 movie Can't Hardly Wait. (I don't remember what reviewer did this so if it's YOU, please let me know so I can link to the review.) In her acknowledgements, Robin Mellom herself mentions John Hughes so you know, if you haven't figured it out yet, Ditched has a great movie quality to it.

Perhaps even more important? It's just plain fun! The characters are eccentric and the odd balls you see in high school. There's the stoners, the uber popular girls, their male counterparts, and then there is Justina and Ian. Justina herself is part nerd part sweet girl making for an emotional roller coaster ride of a story. Told in a back and forth style, from the present to the night before, Justina reveals what happens through a series of dress stains (and more!). It is kitschy and fun and makes you curious just where that curry stain came from or what exactly those other stains are? The french fry bruise? Yep, it has a story too.

This is a book that can be book talked so easily because it has a fun and frothy story to it but it also has romance, mischievous high school adventures, and more! Be aware though, there is drug use in this book along with drinking and driving. Those are not habits I want to necessarily sell to any reader but I am also aware that these things go on in high school. So, basically know who you are talking to when suggesting this book. Though the cover itself may garner attention just when put on display. You will want to find out why she is wearing that blue dress and matching blue flower.

The romance was the least interesting part of the story for me because I didn't feel like I ever got a good handle on Ian. He was Justina's crush but he was absent for so much of the story that all I could see was Justina's perceptions of him. That's not bad but it also didn't sell him as a character to me. But then, this is the type of story where the true joy in the story comes from the adventure rather than the characterization. Teens looking for a fast-paced read filled with twists and turns they might not expect? Teens looking for humor that ranges from smart to potty-mouth humor? This book has both those things.

The story is one told many times in young adult books. Prom. But Mellom gives it a twist and the hijinks that ensue are hilarious and give readers a better understanding of Justina. She is a character I liked from page one. I think she has a bit of that "everyman" quality to her, something about her character that any reader is going to relate to. For me, it was easily the love she had for Buffy marathons. And licorice too! While her relationship with Ian did not fully resonate with me, I did enjoy seeing them go from friends to wanting to take that step into something a bit scarier but so important.

All in all, Ditched kept me hopping! I never quite knew what Justina and her friends would do next, where they would go, or what pranks might ensue. This was a pure fun reading experience and there just are not enough of those in the world.

Ditched: A Love Story is available January 10, 2012 from Disney/Hyperion.

Other reviews:
Galleysmith reviews Ditched
Good Choice Reading reviews Ditched
Mundie Moms reviews Ditched

ARC from ALA Annual.

Review: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu has received some amazing press via the main review related journals (SLJ, Booklist, etc) and it is incredibly well deserved. This is one book that lived up to the hype for me. It is the story of a very brave little girl named Hazel (LOVE the name!) who is determined to rescue her friend Jack, no matter what enemies may try to stop her.

Synopsis: Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. They had been best friends since they were six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best friends. But they couldn't help it - Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you only read about in books. And they didn't fit anywhere else.

And then, one day, it was over. Jack just stopped talking to Hazel. And while her mom tried to tell her that this sometimes happens to boys and girls at this age, Hazel had read enough stories to know that it's never that simple. And it turns out, she was right. Jack's heart had been frozen, and he was taken into the woods by a woman dressed in white to live in a palace made of ice. Now, it's up to Hazel to venture into the woods after him. Hazel finds, however, that these woods are nothing like what she's read about, and the Jack that Hazel went in to save isn't the same Jack that will emerge. Or even the same Hazel. (Goodreads.com)

There is not a whole lot I can add to all the accolades this book has received except to say that I absolutely fell for this story, head over heels. It is a very somber story. There is a dark and unsettling quality to it, much like how fairy tales were originally written, it seems to me. The Grimm brothers wrote scary stories and I think Anne Ursu tackles fairy tales in much the same way. These are not happily-ever-after stories. They are real and prove that no magic potion or pair of ballet slippers is a guarantee to happiness. It is perhaps not an easy lesson to take away but for so many kids, happy-ever-after is not a reality anyway. I truly believe kids will respond to this story.

Can I say how much I adored Hazel? She may just be my new literary star because she was amazing. Danger, scary snow witches, wolves, and even flowers that once were girls do not deter her from her goal. She is determined, absolutely determined, to rescue Jack, her best friend, her rock, the person who keeps her steady amidst all the changes in her life. Her adoptive parents are divorcing, her adoptive father is remarrying but is basically out of her life altogether. He refers to Hazel as "princess" but that is as shallow a term as possible to ever refer to Hazel. She is no princess though she yearns for the happy memories she has from growing up with her father. Then there is her mother who is trying to support them, who cannot give Hazel the attention she once did. Hazel's life is anything but steady and I wanted to cry for her but I had to tell myself to buck up. If Hazel was trying to deal, I certainly had to. This is one unforgettable and brave little girl. But also, do not forget how very vulnerable she is because again, she is only a little child really. A girl who hates her fifth grade class, who feels out of place amongst her schoolmates, who enjoys stories and imagination and who's best friend is changing right before her eyes.

And did I mention stories? This book is filled with wonderful literary references. From Hogwarts to Narnia and back again, this is a book for a reader to savor! Every time you come upon a new link to another story world you will smile. It is a tinge of lightness in a book that is as I have said, a somber story. For all its fantasy characteristics, it tackles kids and their emotions, how they relate to the world around them, and what happens when they start to close in upon themselves. Jack did not just wander into the forest, he willingly chose to go with the witch. This is a fact Hazel has to tackle with as she attempts to rescue him. It made me sad for her but also even more encouraging of her progress.

I haven't even touched on many aspects of the story that have shown up in reviews. The reversal of roles between Jack and Hazel, the fact that she is not white (and yay Walden Pond Press for making the cover truly reflect who she is as well as making it just a beautiful cover), the different ways Ursu turns traditional fairy tales on their heads. While these are important aspects of the book, my heart instead clung to Hazel as she persevered.

I can only end this by saying Hazel won my heart. I am an emotional reader, I always have been. I cry easily, I love to laugh in books, and I especially enjoy when a story takes me to an unexpected place within myself, when it makes me consider my past and my future in a new light. Breadcrumbs does this and more. The writing itself is exquisite but it is Hazel who steals the show, this amazing little girl who will not give up even when she realizes the outcome she expects is not what will happen, at all. This book will be flying off shelves for a long time to come.

Other reviews:
The Book Smugglers reviews Breadcrumbs
Good Books and Good Wine reviews Breadcrumbs
Galleysmith reviews Breadcrumbs

Finished copy provided by publisher. I also won an iPad from them but this book stands on its own merits.

YA Trend: The military

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's actually surprising how slow it seems the YA world has been in responding to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and to start writing about military experiences geared towards teens. There have been a few books thus far (and of course, there have always been historical books about war) but in the context of contemporary voices, the military trend is growing by leaps and bounds, particularly in 2012.

Here are some contemporary military voices geared towards the YA audience, books that haven't been released and some from years past that you should be aware of. I haven't had the chance to read all of these myself so I'm just presenting the synopsis from Goodreads but given the timely nature of this topic, this is something teen librarians should have in their arsenal, given how many people are affected by war in so many different ways.

This is a very United States centric list, that is, books based around various wars the US has been part of. However, I welcome other suggestions because there is so much more to this topic than I know I am aware.

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick released in September 2009 by HarperTeen.

Synopsis: When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, he's honored with a Purple Heart. But he doesn't feel like a hero.

There's a memory that haunts him: an image of a young Iraqi boy as a bullet hits his chest. Matt can't shake the feeling that he was somehow involved in his death. But because of a head injury he sustained just moments after the boy was shot, Matt can't quite put all the pieces together.

Eventually Matt is sent back into combat with his squad—Justin, Wolf, and Charlene—the soldiers who have become his family during his time in Iraq. He just wants to go back to being the soldier he once was. But he sees potential threats everywhere and lives in fear of not being able to pull the trigger when the time comes. In combat there is no black-and-white, and Matt soon discovers that the notion of who is guilty is very complicated indeed. (Goodreads.com)

Badd by Tim Tharp released in January 2011 from Knopf.

Synopsis: Ceejay has never been pretty or popular, but she knows who she is: she's younger sister to Bobby, the most charming bad boy in town. Bobby's a bit wild, but with his big heart and sense of fun, everybody loves him. And nobody understands Ceejay like Bobby.

Now, Ceejay can't wait for Bobby to return home from his tour in Iraq. But then he turns up unannounced and seems to be avoiding his family. And he's so different. His wild streak has become reckless. His sense of fun has become desperate. And seeing this, Ceejay's own tough shell begins to crack. How can she believe in being strong when her hero is broken?

As she tries to get Bobby back, Ceejay begins to reexamine her family, her community, and everyone in her life. What she finds is that true strength is not quite what she thought it was. (Goodreads.com)

The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt released in September 2010 from Wendy Lamb Books.

Synopsis: Finally, Levi Katznelson’s older brother, Boaz, has returned. Boaz was a high school star who had it all and gave it up to serve in a war Levi can’t understand. Things have been on hold since Boaz left. With the help of his two best friends Levi has fumbled his way through high school, weary of his role as little brother to the hero.

But when Boaz walks through the front door after his tour of duty is over, Levi knows there’s something wrong. Boaz is home, safe. But Levi knows that his brother is not the same.

Maybe things will never return to normal. Then Boaz leaves again, and this time Levi follows him, determined to understand who his brother was, who he has become, and how to bring him home again. (Goodreads.com)

Sweet, Hereafter by Angela Johnson released January 2010 from Simon & Schuster.

Synopsis: After Heaven and The First Part Last, three-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Angela Johnson concludes her acclaimed trilogy with a poignant tale of finding where you belong and who you belong with.
Shoogy left home with all her jeans still in the washer because she couldn’t think of a reason to stay. She’s not sure where she belongs, until she meets Curtis. Curtis knows for certain where he does not want to be and that’s to be back in the army. He is happy to be in Ohio, where it is quiet and he can spend time with Shoogy. But when Curtis gets orders to return to Iraq, will belonging with each other be enough to keep Shoogy and Curtis together? Angela Johnson takes us back to Heaven, Ohio in this bittersweet tale of first love found and lost. (Amazon.com)

Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins released in July 2010 from Charlesbridge Publishing.

Synopsis: Bang! A side door bursts open. Soldiers pour into the room. They're shouting and waving rifles. I shield my head with my arms. It was a lie! I think, my mind racing.
Girls and boys alike are screaming. The soldiers prod and herd some of us together and push the rest apart as if we're cows or goats. Their leader is a middle—aged man. He's moving slowly, intently, not dashing around like the others.

"Take the boys only, Win Min," I overhear him telling a tall, gangly soldier. "Make them obey." (Goodreads.com)

Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughn and Niko Henrichon released in September 2006 from Vertigo. (GRAPHIC NOVEL.)

Synopsis: In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad zoo during an American bombing raid. Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle for their lives. In documenting the plight of the lions, PRIDE OF BAGHDAD raises questions about the true meaning of liberation – can it be given or is it earned only through self-determination and sacrifice? And in the end, is it truly better to die free than to live life in captivity?
Based on a true story, VAUGHAN and artist NIKO HENRICHON (Barnum!) have created a unique and heartbreaking window into the nature of life during wartime, illuminating this struggle as only the graphic novel can. (Goodreads.com)

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers (new YA lit ambassador!) released in May 2008 from Scholastic.

Synopsis: Operation Iraqi Freedom, that's the code name. But the young men and women in the military's Civil Affairs Battalion have a simpler name for it: WAR.

In this new novel, Walter Dean Myers looks at a contemporary war with the same power and searing insight he brought to the Vietnam war of his classic, FALLEN ANGELS. He creates memorable characters like the book's narrator, Birdy, a young recruit from Harlem who's questioning why he even enlisted; Marla, a blond, tough-talking, wisecracking gunner; Jonesy, a guitar-playing bluesman who just wants to make it back to Georgia and open a club. (Goodreads.com)

Some new books to consider for library collections:

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller releasing in June 2012 from Bloomsbury.

Synopsis: When Travis Stephenson returns home from Afghanistan, his parents are on the brink of divorce, his brother has stolen his girlfriend and his car, and nightmares of his best friend getting killed keep him completely spooked. But when he runs into Harper Gray, a girl who despises him for trashing her reputation with a middle school lie, life actually starts looking up. As Travis and Harper see more of each other, he starts falling for her and a way through the family meltdown, the post-traumatic stress, and the possibility of an interesting future begins to emerge.(Goodreads.com)

If I Lie by Corrine Jackson releasing in August 2012 from Simon Pulse.

Synposis: Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.

Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise. (Goodreads.com)

In Honor by Jessi Kirby releasing in May 2012 from Simon & Schuster.

Synopsis: Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.
Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences? (Goodreads.com)

I know I'm missing titles so I gladly welcome additions to this list!

Follow me to the Hub!

2012-01-07T06:52:00.002-06:00

I'm over at YALSA's Hub today, talking about teen romance books to chase away the winter blahs. Come on over and share your favorites!

Review: A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young is the sequel to A Need So Beautiful (read my review). It picks up basically right where the first book left off and it jumps into the story.

Synopsis: After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose affect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.

Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really? (Goodreads.com)

I will start off by saying I was not all that impressed with this book initially. A large part of the first half (even a bit more) of the book is the main character, Elise, figuring out what is going on with herself, why she is having these hallucinations. Now, if that sounds even remotely familiar it is because that is exactly what the main character in the previous book went through. It was very repetitious and not all that engaging. For a long time I thought I was reading the same book, just a different setting and characters. I was getting fed up but then... Harlin became more involved.

Now there are not many male characters in YA books that I can say I get crushes on. Honestly, it kind of squicks me out when people say they have a crush on a sixteen year old guy. But at least in this case, I can kind of understand it because Harlin is dreamy. Yep, he is. And he's heartbreaking and I just wanted to give him some kleenex, lol. There is something about the guys Suzanne Young creates that I really respond to (it happened in her Naughty List books also). There is just something about him and his visible love for Elise that makes me incredibly engaged in their relationship.

The villains are incredibly obvious in this book however. Incredibly. You will spot them a mile away, way before Elise does or willingly wants to. This is a drawback but in the case of one of the villains, hopefully there will be a twist or something in the next book because I hate to see that character go down the path chosen. However, knowing how evil some characters are straight away definitely lessens the tension of this book. You will not be on tenterhooks waiting for the big twist because there really isn't a big twist (but there is a mini twist).

Despite a lot of its plot failings, there is just something inherently likable about Suzanne Young and her writing. I think a lot of it, for me anyway, has to do with the fact that this is a story of a girl who doesn't want to lose her family and the connections she has with them. Elise, her pastor father, and her older sister Lucy are close. They are a great group together and the rapport between the three is very well written. Their father is a pastor and wants the best for his children but he also recognizes the reality of having two teenage daughters. Each time they were together on the page (which wasn't nearly enough for me) I cheered because the dialogue was refreshing and interesting and real. You could take about the paranormal elements altogether for me and I would have enjoyed this book.

So despite several failings or at least lack of climactic moments for me, I did find this book readable. It's one of those stories that just goes quickly. It's not pure fluff but there isn't a lot to hang your mind on and investigate either. That's not a criticism though. Overall, I enjoyed this sequel and I look forward to the next book. Suzanne Young throws in a bit of a game-changer at the end so that leads me to high hopes for the final book.

A Want So Wicked comes out on June 26, 2012 from Balzer + Bray.

ARC provided by Around the World Tours.

Review: The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

There is just something about this book. It's kind of ponderous in that there are probably a few too many wilderness descriptions, at least for my tastes, and it's definitely NOT a breezy read. But it is purely compelling.

Synopsis: The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area stretches across two million acres in northern Idaho. In its heart sits the Alice Marshall School, where fifty teenage girls come to escape their histories and themselves.

Lida Wallace has tried to negate herself in every way possible. At Alice Marshall, she meets Elsa Boone, a fierce native Idahoan; Jules, who seems too healthy to belong at the school; and Gia Longchamps, whose glamour entrances the entire camp. As the girls prepare for a wilderness trek, Lida is both thrilled and terrified to be chosen as Gia's friend. But everyone has their secrets--their "Things" they try to protect; and when those come out, the knives do as well. (Goodreads.com)

I was immediately drawn into the world of Lida, a girl who trusts no one, least of all her dad and step-mom who are sending her to the Alice Marshall School. Lida has some very heavy baggage she carries with her and it weighs on the reader just as much as Lida throughout the course of the story. Early on there are glimpses as to what Lida's "Thing" is (to use the words of the Alice Marshall students) but it is a slowly unraveling puzzle as the truth is revealed.

I felt the setting in this book was particularly well chosen and helped to showcase the isolation the girls felt in their "regular" lives. Suddenly, here they all are, a group of fifty or so teen girls with "Things" in their past. They are in this very remote wilderness area, no connections to the outside world outside of mail call and letters, and they are learning to survive. The setting finally pits them against a pitiless and merciless foe, mother nature, someone that cannot be cajoled or lied to, who does what she wants. Rock the boat, makes it rain, you name it and these girls cannot beat mother nature, but they can learn to live with her and I think that's the beauty of their isolation. Granted, not every girl is going to start to become one with nature but there is that opportunity. Nature is deadly and no amount of drugs, liquor, or lies can save these girls from nature.

There is so much I liked about this story. It did not feel contrived to me at all. I truly felt the pain of the characters, particularly Lida and Boone. I felt their lack of empathy, their dislike for Circle Share, how they scoffed at their fellow residents for their lame "Thing." This all felt so very painful and honest. These girls are weak and some, like Lida, seem to be at the very lowest point of their lives, but then they get lower.

The friendships in this book felt so damaging but also... honest and redemptive. I connected with Lida in particular and her search for friendship, for love, and for choosing the wrong person to bestow those gifts on. There is no doubt that Gia is not at all who she says she is, that she is superficial and undeserving of the love Lida wants to give her but yet that in itself is honest. How often in life do we choose someone who is not deserving of the respect or trust or love or whatever it may be, we bestow on them? Way, way too often. Lida's relationship with Gia reminded me very strongly of the friendship between Grace and Mandarin in Kirsten Hubbard's Like Mandarin. This was not really a good thing for me as I found that book to be less than impressive. But more importantly than Gia, there is just something about Boone and Lida's tentative friendship that stabs you in the gut with both its honesty, its rare moments of fun, and its depth of feeling. Lida and Boone are the reason I kept reading, not because of the fake Gia.

I liked how Lida became somewhat more self-aware of her fellow cabin mates as the story progresses, particularly the very nice Jules, who puts a lot of effort into being kind of Lida. I WANTED to know what Jules "Thing" was and when I did, it broke my heart. I liked how Lida had to eventually throw off her preconceived notions of her fellow students and realize that everyone's "Thing" carries weight, value, and pain. No one is more important than another person because of the baggage they have on them and in their lives.

This story simply resonated with me as a reader. As I commented on Goodreads upon finishing this book, I don't quite know how I could put a star scale value to this book and my experience reading it. Even as I was starting to figure out who Lida was, she would change on me, regress but also grow. It was very interesting. And even though I totally figured out the revenge aspect of the story, there is no doubt the end left me a tad shocked. It was not what I thought would happen though given the characters I had come to know, perhaps I should have better guessed.

The Girls of No Return is a heavy story but an exhilarating story. Everything about it felt honest to me, felt painful and all too raw. The adults didn't get on my nerves too much and there seemed to be a genuine interest in seeing the teen girls come to some kind of healthier resolution or decision about their future. It was reiterated that this place would not cure them which I found to be a healthy idea. It could help them but they had to put in work too. It did leave me hopeful for the most part though. There are some darker issues discussed and examined but I had this kernel of hope I maintained for Lida that stood strong, even at her very worst moments of doubt, anger, shame, and hurt.

The Girls of No Return is a debut novel from author Erin Saldin and is available in February 2012 from Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic books.

Other reviews:
Text and Java reviews The Girls of No Return

ARC provided by Around the World Tours.

Review: The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

Titanic aficionados, take note. This book is utterly phenomenal! The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic is simply superb reading. Yes, it is a novel in verse but it reads truly like a pretty regular story with the exception of a few selections. If you ever obsessed over the Titanic as a kid, if you ever crushed on Leonardo DiCaprio during his Titanic scenes, this book is for you. I have been obsessed with the story of the Titanic for much of my life so when this book arrived from B&T, I knew I had to read it.

Synopsis: Arrogance and innocence, hubris and hope--twenty-four haunting voices of the Titanic tragedy, as well as the iceberg itself, are evoked in a stunning tour de force.

Millionaire John Jacob Astor hopes to bring home his pregnant teen bride with a minimum of media scandal. A beautiful Lebanese refugee, on her way to family in Florida, discovers the first stirrings of love. And an ancient iceberg glides south, anticipating its fateful encounter. The voices in this remarkable re-creation of the Titanic disaster span classes and stations, from Margaret ("the unsinkable Molly") Brown to the captain who went down with his ship; from the lookout and wireless men to a young boy in search of dragons and a gambler in search of marks. Slipping in telegraphs, undertaker’s reports, and other records, poet Allan Wolf offers a breathtaking, intimate glimpse at the lives behind the tragedy, told with clear-eyed compassion and astounding emotional power. (Goodreads.com)

With the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking arriving quickly, be assured interest in the Titanic is going to soar yet again. This is one of those books that will hold appeal for adults to your die-hard kid readers. The language is accessible and the multiple points of view from the various Titanic passengers (people who were truly on the ship when it sailed) provide a great historical context for understanding the socio-economic climate of the time and the immigration practices of the time.This is a first hand look into both the upper echelons of society and the third class, those who are trying to make it in America.

There are numerous voices and while I had to adjust to that and kind of keep a running cast list in my head at the beginning, soon I was right in the thick of the story and each voice stood out very distinctly. Seriously, I have to give author Allan Wolf immense credit for making each character, each person that was once alive aboard the Titanic, a voice and a chance to tell his or her story. Yes, there is some authorial license but this book feels like it is true to the hopes and dreams of the Titanic.

This book is mired in rich historical detail. There is an extensive bibliography at the end of the book where Allan Wolf lays out all the details: the characters, those saved, those lost, how he went about his research. The entire book feels authentic and it's because it is obvious how hard Allan Wolf worked at creating a true experience of the Titanic for readers. This is a book you'll want to have prominently on display because not only is it just darn excellent but its extensive list of resources will aid even the most inexperienced researcher, kid or adult. I was just as fascinated with the notes as I was with the actual text of the book.

As I said, this book does read not so much like verse and more just like a normal prose story. There are a few exceptions where he takes definite poetic license in the arrangement of the text. As the boat sinks, the words go up then back down. As the passengers are floating in the water he does amazing things with circles. You need to read this book for that page alone. The rhyming that does happen is subtle and matches the character's persona.

For those of us who have always craved a closer look into what happened on that deadly voyage, this may just turn into your new go-to book. It has the research to back up its story and it has the voices of the people. The rich, the poor, the young, the old, those who did not speak English at all to those who only spoke with the upper crust blue blood of money. We all know this story, we think we know the characters who died but we don't. We know really a minimal amount about their lives, their desires and hopes. Allan Wolf brings us just a bit closer to understanding the ideals and the dreams of those who traveled on the Titanic. This is truly a superb reading experience.

Other reviews:
Stacked Books reviews The Watch That Ends the Night
The Fourth Musketeer reviews The Watch That Ends the Night

Reviewed from my public library copy.

Month in review: December 2011

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here's what I read in December 2011:

169. Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard (12/2/11)

170. Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler (12/4/11)
171. Seven Years to Sin by Sylvia Day (12/4/11)
172. Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas (12/5/11)
173. Audition by Stasia Kehoe Ward (12/7/11)
174. Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis (12/9/11)
175. The Disenchantments by Nina Lacour (12/11/11)
176. OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy (12/12/11)
177. I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan (12/13/11)
178. Welcome Caller, this is Chloe by Shelley Coriell (12/15/11)
179. Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt (12/18/11)
180. Breakaway by Deirdre Martin (12/18/11)
181. Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler (12/20/11)
182. The Watch that Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf (12/23/11)
183. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood (12/26/11) (Audio)
184. The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin (12/27/11)
185. A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young (12/29/11)
186. First day on Earth by Cecil Castelluci (12/31/11)

Total books read: 17
Books listened to: 1
Total books: 18

Favorite book: I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan and The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf
Most disappointing book: Welcome Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

I read 186 books in 2011. It's 14 short of my goal of 200 but it beat 2010's read list. Want to see what books I read in 2011? Take a look!

I read 14 books in December 2010 so I also beat that total too!

Now if only I can make my 2012 reading goal of 200 books!

Review: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

Sarah Ockler writes addicting books and Bittersweet definitely follows in that path. Even though I didn't always like what was happening or the main character's actions all that much, I did not want to be torn away from this story.

Synopsis: Hudson can't wait to get out of Watonka, her working-class town outside of Buffalo. Once upon a time, her talent as a skater was going to be her ticket out... but when her parents' marriage unraveled three years ago, so did her dreams. Now, she buries herself in making cupcakes for her mom's diner and imagining her parallel life where she went on to skate to glory. But when she gets a letter inviting her to audition for a skating scholarship *and* the hockey team asks for her help with their technique (read: free ice time for Hudson), it's impossible to ignore the signs. Is she ready to get back on the ice? Could this be her ticket out? Hudson's determined not to let anything stand in her way. But between baking and waitressing at the diner, the love triangle that's developing with two outrageously cute hockey boys, and the simmering drama with her best friend, her future is anything but certain...

Hudson is rediscovering her love for ice skating just as her mom's diner is in more trouble than ever. That's pretty much the gist of the story but it does go deeper than that. In particular, Hudson's love/hate struggle with figure skating is engrossing, sad, and compelling. She is passionate about it but yet there is a certain abhorrence to it also that comes through. Figure skating was kind of a linchpin in her parents' failed marriage and once it was no longer there, at least connecting them on the surface, divorce ensued. I think it was actually a well done metaphor because ice skating, truly talented figure skating, takes grace but also power and well, divorce is definitely a powerful experience in a teen's life too. I will say, I didn't truly believe in Hudson's ability to win her competition but then it also was not totally about winning. There was so much she wanted to prove to herself.

I really, really liked the family dynamic and the realities of having a mother who works hard at a job that she loves but definitely does not pay well. Hudson and her family, her mom and her younger brother, are a great example of the economic struggles many teens see happening in their own families, as money becomes shorter while heating bills increase, food bills increase. I found the reality situation in this book, the long hours Hudson herself had to work, to be honest and thought provoking. Hudson wants a better future for herself but there is no doubt that she is going to have to continue to work hard to make it a reality.

Hudson herself was both annoying but likeable. I thought her treatment of her best friend was rather deplorable but again, it was reality. Suffice it to say that high school girls are not always that nice to each other, even when they perhaps don't even mean to be. Hudson was not a mean girl but she was secretive and proud and did not want to let herself down. She definitely found it hard to trust in others and give something of herself after the way her father treated her and her brother.

I am a hockey fan and I love hockey players in my story so to have an entire team feature as male characters, well, I was definitely in heaven. :) I didn't particularly find either male protagonist, Josh or Will, the two captains, to be all that interesting or dynamic. They were definitely much more flat characters, particularly given all the issues Hudson was facing. But they added that nice touch of romance that Sarah Ockler is known for.

This was a pleasant story. It's a book that will appeal to the Sarah Dessen/Jenny Han crowd for sure. I wasn't blown away but when I was knee deep in the story, I was definitely engrossed. Another solid effort from an author who keeps me hooked.

Bittersweet is available January 3, 2012 from Simon Pulse.

Other reviews:Pure Imagination reviews Bittersweet

Review copy provided by publisher.

Books read in 2012

2012-01-01T20:02:00.000-06:00

This is the listing of books I have read in 2012.

1. The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt (1/3/12) (Audio)
2. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (1/3/12)
3. The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall (1/6/12)
4. Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom (1/7/12) (Debut)
5. Scrumptious by Amanda Usen (1/7/12)
6. Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi (1/8/12)
7. The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols (1/9/12)
8. You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon (1/14/12)
9. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (1/14/12)
10. Bodywork by Marie Hart (1/15/12)
11. Angelfall by Susan Ee (1/15/12)
12. Feral by Sheri Whitefeather (1/17/12)
13. Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel by Samantha Grace (1/17/12)
14. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (1/19/12)
15. The Bro-Magnet by Lauen Baratz-Logsted (1/20/12)
16. Freshmen Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin (1/21/12)
17. With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo (1/21/12)
18. Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King (1/22/12)
19. The Bride by Julie Garwood (1/24/12)**
20. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (1/25/12)
21. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos (1/27/12)
22. The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas (1/28/12)
23. May B. by Caroline Starr Rose (1/28/12)
24. Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper (1/29/12)
25. Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday (1/30/12)
26. Rivals by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur (2/3/12)
27. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard (2/6/12)

** denotes re-read.

The Probability of Miracles contest winner!

2012-01-01T18:59:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your 2012, all 24 hours or so of it, have been great so far!

I'm here with a contest win.

Melanie G.!

You have won a signed copy of Wendy Wunder's The Probability of Miracles.

Review Policy

2012-01-01T17:56:00.000-06:00

Here is what I read:

Contemporary Teen Fiction (favorite authors include A.S. King, Siobhan Vivian, Jenny Han, Elizabeth Scott, Morgan Matson, Brent Crawford, Jessica Brody, Sara Zarr, Tara Kelly, and Leila Sales)
Historical Teen Fiction -- Of particular interest here is Holocaust/WWII stories and stories set during the American Revolution.

Middle Grade Fiction and Middle Grade Historical Fiction are genres I also enjoy. (Some recent favorites include Bigger Than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder and Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick)

I read SOME paranormal teen books and SOME dystopian or post-apocalyptic books (Divergent by Veronica Roth is a recent favorite as is Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan.)

I read contemporary, erotic, and historical romance.

Here is what I DO NOT READ:
Fantasy. I read next to nothing of it.
Science Fiction. Again, I barely read this genre and on the whole do not enjoy it.
Mysteries. This is not to say I don't enjoy mysteries interwoven in stories but on the whole I do not sit down to read cozy mystery books.

Please do not email me asking me to review your paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy book. I will not reply to your email because I do not read those books and I don't want to waste your time or my own.

I also DO NOT read or review self-published books since most of the books I have tried that have been self-published have been very poorly written and edited. I doubt YOUR book will be the exception to the rule.

You can see more of the books I have read at Goodreads to get a feel for my reading tastes.

If you would like to contact me for a review, author interview, giveaway or guest post, please email me at riddikulus.sarahATgmailDOTcom. Please DO include a brief synopsis of the book and if possible, a link to read a sample of the story.

Thank you for your inquiry!

FIVE Challenge: Favorite YA titles for 2011

2011-12-31T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's the last day of the Top 5 challenge! In this case, I'm going a little bit past five because there I do have more than five favorite titles. I read way too many great YA books this year. So, without further fanfare and in no particular order because again, how can I do that, here are my Favorite YA titles of 2011! You'll have seen some of these on previous Top 5 Challenge posts too.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: There's not much left for me to say about this title except that if you haven't read it yet, do it. You will not regret it. I almost let this story pass me by and I would have regretted that. Puck and Sean will steal into your soul a bit.

Amplified by Tara Kelly: It's a story of music and embracing a dream you've held onto since forever. Jasmine is a memorable character and I discovered some new bands by reading this story! It's got an epic vibe to it, the cover is excellent, and the story just shines with potential.

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan: Again, this is a story that almost passed me by. I waited until the very end of the year to read it. However, once I started I could not put it down. There is truly something magical about this book.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan: I loved this sci-fi title. It reminded me of Battlestar Galactica and everything I loved about that show. The struggles that are developed in this story are both realistic but edgy because hey, it's happening in space! I really liked the main character, Waverly, and her bravery and courage makes her stand out as a character to remember for me.

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt: A title that was overlooked by many this year, this is the story of a girl whose father has just been diagnosed with MS. It changes their family dynamic and it changes Payton. What makes this story so darn memorable is that, like all the books I've mentioned, the characters stand out, particularly Payton. I related to her OCD tendencies, her love for her family, and her sunny disposition being shattered. There is just a lot to like in this book.

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder: There's just something about female characters for me this year, they really stood out and Cam is no exception. Her struggles with life and death made my heartache on every single page. It's not an easy story but it's one that will make you think about your own reality and if you are perhaps making the most of your life (only not in the preachy, saccharine way I just described it in this sentence, lol).

Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman: Yeah, this book, it's not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination but it's a vital story to be told and I liked how Sarah Darer Littman approached it with honesty and sensitivity.

Clarity by Kim Harrington: This was just an enjoyable story for me. Not perfect but lots of fun and I think that's why it remains one of my favorite books of the year. It was just a lot of darn fun to read, even with some of the more serious elements.

And that's that! My FIVE Challenge is complete! But I'd love to know what YOUR favorite books of 2011 were so if you have posted your own lists, let me know in the comments. I want to see what else everyone is raving about.

FIVE Challenge: 5 Great YA Bloggers of 2011!

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

There are so many excellent YA blogs out there. I really want 2012 to be a year when I continue discovering some new blogs and connecting with new bloggers. But for 2011, here are five bloggers I really admire, whose hard work shows up on their blogs every day. They impress me with the quality of their reviews, with the fun they have with their blogs, and with the professional yet personal stance they take on not only their blog but also on Twitter and Goodreads.

The O.W.L : Outrageously Wonderful Literature from the Middle Grades. Jill keeps me informed on all things middle grade and has been a good resource for me to better my reading expertise for my middle grade library readers. I like the features her blog offers, particularly books geared for boys as sometimes boys stump me at work. I like the interviews and just the friendly town her blog offers to readers.

If for some reason you HAVEN'T visited The Book Smugglers yet, what is stopping you? They review YA, romance, and speculative fiction and they do it with panache and honesty. I always respect their reviews, even if I don't agree with what they've said about the book. And the variety! Their blog is filled with a wonderful variety of guest posts, interviews, special weeks devoted to certain topics. This blog is a reader's paradise.

As I've started to get back into the swing of listening to audiobooks, I've been on the prowl for blogs that highlight and talk about audiobooks. Good books and Good Wine has a great selection of audio reviews. They are informative and honest and funny too, something every review should be. I've found several great listening suggestions via April's blog.

As a librarian, Awful Library Books makes me laugh but also realize with chagrin how behind some libraries are with weeding. Seriously, these books should not be on the shelves of any library. It is good for laughs but it's also a painful reminder for those of us working in libraries how important it is to have up to date collections that reflect the community and that you know, have correct information (please don't have medical books from the 1980s or heck even 1990s on your shelves!). I enjoy visiting this blog immensely.

Reading Everywhere has a both a librarian bent and just a general book lover bent to it. I enjoy the reviews, I enjoy the discussions. Heck, I just like the clean layout that she uses. It's nice to see more teen services librarians blogging!

In the new year, I'd really like to find more books that highlight picture books and early reader books so if you have any good suggestions, please let me know!

Who is your favorite blogger of 2011?

FIVE Challenge: 5 Most Anticipated Titles for 2012

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've been hearing about 2012 titles since way back in May 2011, if not earlier. It's amazing how the publishing world already has so much of it's next couple of years arranged and ready to go. That being said, there are definitely several titles I am looking forward to reading in 2012 but here are my Top 5 Most Anticipated Reads of 2012!

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson. I absolutely LOVED Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. It was one of my favorite books of 2010. So, I cannot, absolutely cannot wait, to get my hands on this book. I'm probably over hyping it in my head but seriously, I just cannot wait. This book comes out on May 8, 2012.

Burn for Burn, Ashes to Ashes, and Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. I couldn't find covers for these books but these are two of my favorite YA writers. I cannot wait to see what their collaboration brings. I know it's more supernaturally set which is sad because I'm not really a paranormal reader. But that being said, I have to trust these writers. The first book, Burn for Burn (I think that's the first book) comes out sometime in 2012.

Perception by Kim Harrington, the sequel to Clarity. Remember how much I loved that book?? SO MUCH! It was one of my top debuts of 2011! To say I'm excited for this book is an understatement. It comes out on March 1, 2012 which just cannot come soon enough for me.

The List by Siobhan Vivian. FORTUNATELY, I've already had the chance to read this book and wow, readers, you are in for a treat. This book is probably Siobhan Vivian's best book to date. It leaves you scarred. I cannot wait to buy the finished copy though. There is just something about owning books I truly, absolutely loved that is special. This book comes out on April 1, 2012 so keep your eyes peeled for it.

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. I've heard amazing buzz about this book already from very trusted sources so that makes me even more excited to read this book. There's just something about the war torn protagonist that gets to me time after time. This book comes out on June 19, 2012.

Honorable mentions:

In Honor by Jessi Kirby. I liked her debut, Moonglass, so I'm excited to read her sophomore effort. Another story that has a war angle to it, In Honor comes out on May 8, 2012.

Bitterblue by Jessi Kirby. I have been craving this book for years it feels like and it finally, finally seems like 2012 will be the year it is published. Cashore hooked me with Graceling and Fire and I hope she can work the same magic. This book comes out in May 2012 also!

What books are YOU most looking forward to reading in 2012? Let me know in the comments!

FIVE Challenge: 5 Great re-reads, 2011

2011-12-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

I am not all that prone to re-reading YA books because there are way too many NEW YA books I need to read still. But that doesn't hold the same for romance. I re-read my romance books over and over, sometimes just passages, and sometimes the entire book. They go so much faster than YA stories sometimes. So, romance books will be the focus of this FIVE Challenge but don't let that deter you! I'd love if you'd pick up one of these books and give it a try.

I adore Deirdre Martin's contemporary romances and her February 2011 book, Icebreaker, is another stellar story from her. Not only do I love hockey and hockey heroes, but I loved how grounded in reality this book was. Job issues, potential family issues, and differences of living locations all came into play when it came to Adam and Sinead. There was no easy happily-ever-after for these two but instead, theirs is a story grounded in the realities of making a relationship work in today's world which is not easy.

If you aren't reading Victoria Dahl yet, WHY? She is fabulous and Bad Boys Do is a great example of just why. Two characters who really shouldn't be so well matched discovering that they have a lot in common. Jamie is a bad boy king but he is looking to be something more and Olivia helps him, just as he helps her unleash her inner sex goddess. I loved the dialogue, the dates, and the back and forth will they finally fall in love or not. This makes for a great re-read because there are so many amazing scenes between them that I just wanted to see again.

I actually kind of got back into Nora Roberts, at least a little bit this year, and it's all because I re-read my favorite trilogy of hers, the Three Sisters Island trilogy. Dance Upon the Air is still my favorite Nora Roberts book and it's because I get to see this lovely little island come alive! If I had to pick an imaginary place to live, Three Sisters would be right up there next to Hogwarts. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend it!

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker. This is one of the few YA books I've re-read this year. There is just something about Lacey's struggle with religion, with her family, with a boy, that really stood out to me. Not many YA authors tackle religion and spirituality and I applaud Ms. Walker for giving it her very best. This is a book that makes you question yourself and your own beliefs and hopefully come out the other side a bit stronger and more resolved.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. While I cannot say I've re-read this book in its entirety, I have gone back to certain phrases and passages I really enjoyed. The races on the beach, the chilling scene when a sea horse comes to Puck's small house and almost kills the cat. The love that Puck and Sean feel for Thisby marks every page and I know that for me, THIS is a book that will become a YA re-read. I can easily see myself reading it again next year and reveling in the beauty of the language and the utterly lovely romance that becomes part of the story.

So those are my five re-reads of 2011! Do YOU have a book you've re-read in 2011? Please share in the comments, I'd love to know what it is!

FIVE Challenge: 5 Great Covers, 2011

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

There is no doubt I'm really just not a cover person. I know the saying is "you can't judge a book by it's cover" but honestly that doesn't work so much for me because I'll read just about anything. That's not to say a cover from the 1980s wouldn't leave me appalled now but as a whole, covers on shelves just don't catch my eye. I leave covers to That Cover Girl. That being said, these are the five covers of 2011 that did jump out to me. All for the good in fact.

Bunheads by Sophie Flack. Isn't this a gorgeous cover?? Seriously, I remember seeing it BEA and I was immediately interested. I love the ballerinas in their tutus and just the grace and delicacy of this cover.

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan. It's eye catching and while I don't think it gives you a good look at what the story is actually about (well, it kind of does), it also leaves you in awe. You wonder what is going on with those two figures highlighted in the headlights. I think Holly Goldberg Sloan got very lucky with this cover.

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close. This is an adult book. It's so-so, but I do like the cover. It's kind of goofy, I'll grant you, but all that white and then the bouquet of flowers actually works for me. I wanted to read it when I saw the cover so I think the cover artist did his or her job.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen. I still haven't read this book but again, all the white speak to me. I like covers that are clean and this is a clean, pristine cover. It makes me want to find out what is inside in the hopes there is something to be found beyond the white brilliance. And the shoes hanging is a nice touch. Just a little bit of flavor to get you hooked.

In Trouble by Ellen Levine. I just like the old-fashioned feel of this cover. The blue tones and the loneliness of it all. It's not particularly beautiful but it's evocative. I haven't heard the best thing about the book itself but I do like the cover.

Overall, it seems like 2011 was kind of a bad year for YA covers. I really struggled to find covers that truly did anything for me whatsoever. But these are a few that were at least interesting to me.

Did I miss out on an amazing YA cover of 2011? Please let me know because I'd love to see what amazing covers you were impressed with?

FIVE Challenge: 5 Great 2011 Debuts!

2011-12-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

There is no doubt that once again the field of new authors in YA was stellar. There were so many excellently written books by new authors that deserve recognition. Unfortunately, I can't recognize them all but I do want to point out some of my favorite debut books read this year. You'll probably have heard me talk about some of them at one point or another (after all, what's the point of liking a book if you can't talk about it continuously??). I've linked to my reviews so you can get more information about exactly why I loved the book. Here are my Top 5 Great 2011 Debuts!

Divergent by Veronica Roth. There's just something about this book that was engrossing for me. I loved the world Veronica Roth built. I thought it was scary and interesting. I feel like there is a split in the YA community about this book. Either you loved it or you hated it. I definitely fall squarely into the love it category. It wasn't always the most original but it kept me captivated and I am eagerly anticipating the second book, Insurgent.

Saving June by Hannah Harrington. Man oh man, this book! It made me weep, it made me laugh, and it made me sad and happy. It was a whole range of emotions I could not be pulled away from. I suppose this could be an "issues" novel but what it really is is a story of two sisters who are pulled apart and pulled back together by one sister's death. It's heart wrenching and it's damn good. Seriously, read my review. It's just one of those books that sticks and leaves an impression, leaving the reader changed.

Clarity by Kim Harrington. It's got a tough talking protagonist who just happens to have a little psychic power. It's got murder, it's got a couple of cute guys and it's got that special oomph that turned this book from just yet another supernatural book into something more special. I had a great time reading this book! It's been optioned for a TV series which is SO EXCITING because I can so see this as a great Veronica Mars-esque TV show. Make this happen!

I'll be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Full review to come but I loved this story of coincidences, happenstances, rose colored glasses and the harsh realities of life. This is the story of two brothers who are connected out of desperation, fear and love. It is wonderful!

The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner. It's just a wonderful story of friendship, loss, and a journey for answers. I don't even know how to articulate how much I connected with this story. It's a smaller story but it packs a punch and it just made me breathless but in a wholly relatable way. It's sad but it's not hopeless and that is the best kind of sad.

I did participate in The Story Siren's Debut YA Author Challenge again this year and not only did I meet my goal but I exceeded it!. There were so many amazing debut books this year but out of them all, these five stand out the most to me.

What were YOUR favorite debut books of 2011?

Favorite romance titles of 2011!

2011-12-23T10:30:00.000-06:00

I can't let the end of the year past me by without reflecting on some of my favorite romances titles of the year. You'll have to wait another few days to find out what my favorite YA titles of the year were but in the meantime, you can see what romance titles I absolutely loved this year. So, in no particular order, here are my favorite romance titles of 2011.

Icebreaker by Deirdre Martin. Hockey hero. A heroine who is not about to let him step all over her hopes for a family. Combustible chemistry. A lawsuit. The stage is set for a great story and it is! It's real and visceral and hopeful.

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh. To say it feels like I've been waiting forever for Hawke and Sienna's story in Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series is an understatement. But 2011 brought the epic Kiss of Snow and it is a doozy of a love story. Finally all that simmering tension come to a climax (um, several in fact, lol). As usual, the world of the Psy/Changeling characters is utterly engrossing. I cannot wait for the next installment.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. It's a romance from the guy's perspective and it's wonderful. It's not particularly steamy but it doesn't need to be because what it gets right, the evolution of friendship into something more, is special and poignant. And hilarious too!

Bad Boys Do by Victoria Dahl. Yeah, a hot bartender sets the stage for this steamy romance. Always expect the erotic with Victoria Dahl!

Real Men Will also by Victoria Dahl. A businessman is about to become very unbuttoned and improper. Steamy as sin but with a great storyline backing it too.

Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook. The follow-up to The Iron Duke, this is a wonderful adventure all of its own. Zombies, airships, a heroine who takes no prisoners when it comes to people hurting those she loves. This book kicks ass.

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt. The book I was waiting for all freaking year. It did not disappoint. I absolutely adored Mickey and Silence's story. It was heart-pounding sexy.

Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh. I just cannot get enough of this writer and this book shows why! As different from her Psy/Changeling series as it is possible to be, this world of vampires and angels is addictive.

When I look back and see that only 8 romance stories, out of the over 180 books I've read this year, have made the list, that seems a bit disheartening. But not every book can or should be a favorite. These books stand out because the writing, the characters, and the story lines are excellent. If you need more reasons to pick them up and start reading, I am happy to give you more!

Cover Reveal!

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you're anything like me, you've been eagerly anticipating Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker. It comes out on May 22, 2012 (woe is me, that's so far away!) but in the mean time you can see the beautiful cover this book is getting.

She is one lucky author! Isn't this cover gorgeous?? I love all the pink. (I'm a total pink girl!)

If you haven't yet, add it to Goodreads!

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.

Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.

Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?

Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.

Review: I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan is a book that wowed me. I found it to be an absolutely lovely reading experience. It's one of those stories where I did wear my rose-colored glasses because somehow I knew in my gut that things would work out for these characters and I was so very relieved when that happened. Not in the ways I expected necessarily but in other ways that made the story fabulous.

Synopsis: Raised by an unstable father who keeps the family constantly on the move, Sam Border hasn't been in a classroom since the second grade. He's always been the rock for his younger brother Riddle, who stopped speaking long ago and instead makes sense of the world through his strange and intricate drawings. It's said that the two boys speak with one voice--and that voice is Sam's. Then, Sam meets Emily Bell, and everything changes. The two share an immediate and intense attraction, and soon Sam and Riddle find themselves welcomed into the Bell's home. Faced with normalcy for the first time, they know it's too good to last. (Goodreads.com)

There's something powerful about making visual connection. Sometimes there is just a WHAM of recognition, of immediate connection between two people. It's not always romantic but it can be powerful and important in the future. This is one of those stories, where Sam and Emily share a glance and that's all it takes. They are on that road to something together. Yes, their story is filled with coincidences, missed connections, connections that come back to haunt or help the main characters, and an array of what could be unbelievable moments. But somehow instead, it just felt magical to me.

I think partly what kept me believing in this story is the fact that Sam and Riddle, his younger brother, have a hard life. There is no denying that. Their father has severe mental health issues and these two suffer for it. Sam and Riddle are not alone however. I've known way too many teens in real life who struggle with parents who cannot be parents for whatever reason. Sam has had to become Riddle's father figure, the person Riddle can reach out and it is a responsibility too many teens are having to shoulder. This is real life as clearly as real life can be. This is not something Holly Goldberg Sloan made up. No rose-colored glasses are going to fix this situation.

So did I want things to become better for them? You bet I did! And thus, adventure ensued. Watching these two boys change, watching the entire Bell family change, all for the better was simply wonderful. Sam and Riddle have a lot of baggage and they bring it into a world that has been rather pristine for the Bell family but wow, do these characters impact each other.

The multiple viewpoints lead to a layered and complex story, a rich adventure in storytelling. Each narrative plays a part and even if you meet the character for a very brief time, they have something to contribute to the overall story arc. Heck, there is even the "voice" of a bear in this story. Holly Goldberg Sloan takes chances but I feel it completely pays off. This book proves to be mesmerizing. At first glance, it doesn't necessarily seem like a story that will be anything all that different but then you dive in and that magical spark that takes you away to other worlds, other settings is totally present in I'll Be There. It is a debut here in 2011 and it is one I'm so glad I read. I would have been sorely sad if I had let 2011 pass me by without digging into this book.

Like I said, truly mesmerizing and that great combination of unbelievable and reality mixing to create wonderful storytelling.

I'll Be There is currently available.

Other reviews:
Anna Reads reviews I'll Be There
Abby the Librarian reviews I'll Be There
The Frenetic Reader reviews I'll Be There

FIVE Challenge: Top Fives of 2011!

2011-12-21T13:00:00.000-06:00

At this time of year last year, I was struggling with how I wanted to structure my end of the year posts. Then I saw this awesome feature from Adele of Persnickety Snark. Top Fives! Here are her words from last year about this feature:

From December 21st to 31st I posted daily on different elements of YA. I chose my top five titles/series/moments for each day. It was purely subjective / opinion based but I thought it would be fun to share my thoughts on YA for the year. I am doing the same for 2010.

I really liked this way of creating my favorite reads from 2010 and I'm going to do it again this year! I don't actually know if she is doing it but I like to give credit where credit is due and this was not my idea. Here are some of the possible categories:

5 Great Debuts
5 Great Covers
5 Great Series
5 Great Re-Reads (books you've LOVED so much you went back for more)
5 Most Anticipated (2012 titles)
5 Hopes for YA in 2011
5 Great YA Movie Deals
5 Great Author (in the flesh) Moments
5 Great YA Bloggers
5 Great Miracles that Occurred to Get Me Reading More ______ (choose your genre)
5 Best Titles for 2011 (which I double because 5 was too hard).

I've bolded the categories I am most interested in. So, in the coming days, look for some Top 5's from me!

Review: Welcome Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome Caller, This is Chloe is Shelley Coriell's 2012 debut novel. I was interested in the synopsis when I read it but unfortunately, the story as a whole did not work for me. Or it was more like all the elements in the story came together but not enough to interest me so it was a book I would read, set down, pick up, set down, without really settling into the story.

Synopsis: Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home. (Goodreads.com)

There were so many competing elements in this story that it was hard for me to focus on Chloe and her story. There are the misfits she befriends in the radio station, there is her grandmother's struggle to remain independent even as her Parkinson's was changing her life, there is the mysterious Duncan and his mysterious issues, there is the fate of the radio station, and there are the two girls who were best friends with Chloe all her life but then drop her for what I felt was very lame reasoning. It was all so very much. I wasn't surprised Chloe was so confused and frustrated with her life because it was not very stable.

I wanted to like Chloe more than I did. I wanted there to be a bit more depth to her but mostly I just saw her bright personality, her ability to make others laugh, but I didn't find enough below the surface to make me genuinely care about her. She's not a terrible character but she kind of falls into the what you see is what you get category for me. On the other hand though, I did like her close relationship with her family, particularly her grandmother and mom. It was nice to see a family that truly loves each other, even if that love sometimes turns into anger and silences. That is real life after all.

Chloe and her Grams are very close and that was one of the stronger elements of the story. The friendship and love between them was both painful but also honest and nostalgic. Chloe is having a hard time seeing her grandmother becoming basically older and she doesn't know how to deal with it, just like Grams doesn't. There were a lot of hard heads in this story that needed a reality check. (And as a weird side note, I found it particularly odd that the grandmother's previous job was as a blogger and she then helps Chloe set up a blog for the radio. Maybe because I don't know any older bloggers but this just seemed like a fake way to make Chloe's grandmother "hip" but instead came off very odd.)

I think I expected this story to be more FUN than it actually was. There are several serious issues going on in the book but I expected to get more of the radio vibe, the Queen Chloe of the Universe scenes. Instead, there is a lot of rather sad and depressing plots layered into between the fun. This book wasn't what I was expecting but I don't think that's a necessarily positive thing for me. I was never able to delve too deeply into the issues because there was just so many things going on that the story lines all fluttered on the surface, with little emotional depth to them. I didn't care enough about Duncan's (Chloe's crush) mysterious problems because the reveal happened so late in the story and then he virtually disappears from the ending that I felt nothing for him.

I did like learning a bit more about the inner workings of a radio station. That part I found fascinating, particularly since radio seems to be evolving. I liked seeing how the high school students dealt with this medium, how they produced their own shows and how they took charge of this station and made it theirs. However, a twist at the end I found particularly disappointing and again, made the story just seem like something it's not. The cover does not scream issues to me. And in this book a lot of odd problems creep up.

Overall I just was not very enamored with this story. It did not move me and it didn't make me feel strong emotions, at all. I was kind of a meh read overall and while I tend not to always want to review "meh" books, I feel there would be enough interest in potential teen readers, given all that is going on in Chloe's life (and how much goes on in the real lives of teens) that it is a book that could work for other readers. The radio aspect is particularly interesting and fits the topic of students getting involved in "the arts" or at least a more creative outlet other than sports. There is an audience for this book and I think the bright cover may catch eyes also.

Welcome Caller, This is Chloe comes out from Amulet Books/Abrams in May 2012.

ARC provided by Around the World Tours.

Sarah's Obsessions, 2011!

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

So, Kelly of KellyVision has this awesome feature called Things I'm Obsessed With! I thought I'd take a page out of her book and do a things I'm obsessed with, 2011 edition! These are the things that made me laugh, smile, tear up, and just truly enjoy 2011.

2011 was EASILY the year of the royal couple for me. Kate and Wills made 2011 amazing. I really enjoyed watching their wedding. I still love seeing and hearing about all their escapades. I cannot wait for this couple to become pregnant. I want them to be happy together forever! AND, get this, in January, Princess Di's dress is coming to the Mall of America! I am planning on going to see it. It will keep my royal obsession going strong into 2012.

I discovered my love for Cougar Town! Courtney Cox has never been better and this is a great cast. I don't know what I can tell you to get you to watch this show but it's a travesty how ABC has treated this show. It's funny and poignant and FUNNY. Watch it!

Nalini Singh! I've loved her books for several years now but this year I went through a serious re-read of the Psy/Changeling series. It's one of the few amazing paranormal romance series still going strong. The rest have jumped the shark but Nalini and her books are still going strong. If you haven't had the chance to read her yet, I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Dan Radcliffe! The last two Harry Potter movies were fabulous. Seriously, I have very, very few complaints they were just that good. And then I got the chance to see him live performing in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying which was one of the highlights of my BEA week. He was funny and a good singer and just made me smile. He'll always be Harry Potter to me but I can honestly say that he's finally becoming something else too, a really talented actor.

Yeah, I keep going back to TV but for a good reason. There is some awesome stuff on TV right now and The Vampire Diaries is one of those things. You will rarely see me talking good about YA vampire novels but give me this tv series and I am blown away. Week after week it entertains me and it is FILLED WITH HOT MEN! Like, so many hot men.But it's also really entertaining. Seriously, great story lines.

There's no doubt I've always loved Paul Rudd but for some reason this year I really, really started to LOVE HIM EVEN MORE! If he would go onto a few episodes of Suburgatory my life would be made! He is funny, he makes fun of himself, and he is just so darn cute. I kind of think if you don't like Paul Rudd, well... there's something wrong about that.

Ballet stories! It started with Bunheads and since then I've kind of been on a ballet/dancing kick. I know of at least one more ballet inspired story coming out in 2012 but I hope more are to come. There's just something about this topic I find fascinating. Perhaps it's because I loved the Baby-Sitter's Club so much and you know, Jessi was a ballerina. Who knows! I am just enjoying hearing about this art that there is no way I could ever do but enjoy nonetheless.

Funny amazing women! Amy Poehler, Melissa McCarthy, Emma Stone, Mindy Kaling, and more. Women who are making remarkable things happen in books, movies, and TV. Bridesmaids was one of my favorite movies of the year. I've always loved Melissa McCarthy (way back from her Gilmore Girls days) and Amy Poehler gets better and better each episode of Parks and Recreation. It's so nice to see women (beautiful, healthy, and happy women) doing awesome things in the world of entertainment.

Harry Potter! Okay granted, I've kind of been obsessed with this series since it first came out but with the opening of Pottermore this year, with the last two movies, and with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, my obsession grew anew. There's just something about this world, these characters, and the happiness I get from them that makes this obsession feel just as new as when I first started getting into this series.

Those are my major 2011 obsessions! It's been a great year for reading, movies, and TV for me. So much awesome out there it's hard to keep up or find time for it all but I do what I can. :) In the coming days, look for some of my Best of 2011 book lists!

But in the meantime, tell me about some of YOUR 2011 obsessions?

Author Interview with Avery Sawyer!

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm very excited today to bring you an author interview with Avery Sawyer, the author of Notes to Self. She's written a few middle grade books but this is her debut YA title. Here's a little info about it:

Two climbed up. Two fell down.

One woke up.

In the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury, Robin Saunders has to relearn who she is and find out what happened the night everything changed.

Intriguing, right? You can read the first chapter on Goodreads. And to get you even more intrigued by the book, please see what Avery has to say about Notes to Self, researching the book, and what her self-publishing experience has been like so far.

1. Notes to Self is a definite departure from your Teashop Girls series. What inspired you to write for an older audience?

I found myself wanting to dig into some deeper themes and more sophisticated insights on the part of my main character than I ever had with Teashop. Though the first draft of Notes to Self was middle grade, its tone just wasn't working with a main character who was only 13. Robin was clearly older, and she'd been trying to tell me so for over a year before I finally listened to her and fixed the draft. Sometimes writers have to trust where a book takes them, even if it's into completely new territory.

2. What kind of medical research did you have to do when writing Notes to Self?

The medical research was really interesting. I read an amazing book called ANOTHER DAY IN THE FRONTAL LOBE, which was written by a brain surgeon, as well as several other first-person accounts of people living with and recovering from a brain injury. I emailed with a friend of a friend who'd had this kind of injury as well. I tried to read as many essays and other materials as I could on the subject.

I ultimately realized that the injury suffered by my character had to be fairly mild because I wanted the book to be more about self-discovery in general than brain injuries specifically. Robin is lucky in the book. Many people going through what she did suffer far more and have a longer journey back to healing.

3. Notes to Self seems to be your first self-published endeavor. How did that experience go? Was it more difficult or more freeing than working with traditional publishers?

It is both freeing and terrifying. I didn't expect to enjoy cover design as much as I did, so that was really cool. I kind of want to hang out a cover design shingle and create book covers for other authors...that's how much I loved it. Fonts are fascinating.

To answer your question more specifically, however, putting something out into the world without the collaboration I'd been used to with my editor at a New York house was very new and strange. Fortunately, my best friend is an excellent editor and insightful reader. She and I worked on the book together over the course of about a year and I got to replicate that editor-author relationship closer to home. In addition to my main "friend-editor" (who I did pay, by the way), I also had several other readers offering insights and feedback. I feel this book is one of my biggest accomplishments as a writer, so I didn't want to shortcut the editing process.

4. What kind of character is Robin?

She's introverted and standoffish. She only has two close friends, so when one of them is seriously hurt, it's a crisis. She's one of those people who is a bit skeptical of life in general. It takes a brush with death to change her thinking and see all the possibilities that being young and alive can bring. She's a self-absorbed kid who starts to grow. She is, in a lot of ways, me.

5. How did you get the idea for Notes to Self?

My fiancé Brad said the 25 THINGS ABOUT ME Facebook meme would make a good novel. I agreed right away, and so did my agent. Something like 5 million people had participated in the meme (myself included, with great relish).

I began thinking about a reason someone would want to revisit their 25 THINGS. After several G-chats with various friends, I landed on the idea that my main character didn’t know who she was anymore, and the concept of a traumatic brain injury grew from that.

6. If readers are anything like me, they probably have a pile of books waiting to be read. What would you say to convince someone to move Notes to Self to the top of the reading pile?

I keep hearing from reviewers that the book is different than other things they've been reading. It's got a sweet romance, but it's not about romance. It's got a tragic beginning, but it's full of hope. One reviewer on Goodreads said, "I love a good emotional roller coaster of a book--the kind of books that tugs on your heart-strings and makes you so engrossed in the characters' well-being that you can't stop turning the pages."

I think that's what we all want as readers...to get into someone else's mind for a time and see what it's like in there. Welcome to mine. ;)

7. When you're not writing (for teens and younger, phew, you're busy!) what do you do to relax and have fun?

I am indeed busy as a writer, but I do have a lot of fun. I love going out to eat or having dinner parties with friends, reading (just finished SMALL TOWN SINNERS by Melissa Walker...very good), traveling, shopping, working out, wedding planning and playing with my cat, the inimitable Maine Coon herself, Ramona.

Thank you so much for being here today Avery! I'm very excited to get the chance to read about Robin's journey. In the meantime, if YOU want to read Notes to Self, it's currently available as a Kindle Ebook.

Review: The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Disenchantments is Nina LaCour's second novel. Her first book, Hold Still, was a Morris Award Finalist in 2010. That's a lot of pressure to live up to I would think. Fortunately, for this reader anyway, I haven't read her first book yet (I own it, just haven't gotten around to it) so in my mind, I have nothing to compare this book with. And that's good because The Disenchantments worked for me most of the time but there were moments where I wanted to kick something.

Synopsis: Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next? (Goodreads.com)

First off, I LOVE this cover. It has a retro vibe to it that I just love. I want those sunglasses, badly. The retro works because a lot of what takes in this place has a distinct retro feel to it. The music the group listens to, what they travel in, and the people they meet all contrive to give this book a not quite contemporary feel to it. I want this cover hanging in my living room, that's how much I really like it. It reminds me of Reality Bites for some reason.

Apparently out there in the big world of publishing, there is a new thing called "New Adult" literature floating around.. I learned about this at The Reclusive Bibliophile's blog, so check it out. Let me just say it now, if "New Adult" is the term that is being used, it stinks, big time. Seriously, it's lame. However, The Disenchantments does fit into this category. Three out of the four characters have just graduated high school. They are on the brink of being adults, or at least trying to be adults, and they don't quite know what that means. This book is a definite exploration of that. So while I don't like the term "New Adult," I think this book fits into that grouping.

Now, back to the book. Things I hated: Bev. Or at least, I hated her for the majority of the book and I think it's because so much of reasoning for ditching Colby was unexplained for so long. Yes, I was able to figure it out on my own but I wanted something more from the author, some clue I was on the right track and that Bev wasn't this big bitch who was hurting her best friend, Colby (a guy, in case you didn't get this from the synopsis like I didn't), big time. Her story line ended up being a bit of a let down even though I did like the way she reconciled with Colby. That felt true to what their friendship had been, at some point.

But Bev is really it. I just had a hard time with her character and found her to be the weakest link in the story line, particularly given Colby's rather cliched longing for her. I wanted him to be over her, stat, but as with any young love, it's not that easy and I think the aftermath was far from cliched, was heart wrenching and for Colby, made him examine his own character and what he wanted from life, outside of being with Bev.

I also really liked that The Disenchantments were kind of a letdown, music wise. But that didn't matter because what they enjoyed was just making music, using their minor talents to have fun and enjoy themselves, to pay homage to the female bands they were so enamored with. I think Nina LaCour summed it up nicely: "We all want to feel something, we want to be someone to one another." (p. 271 of the ARC edition, NOT final). This group was not in it for money, they were just passionate about music and I think that's a good message to send. That it is possible to truly enjoy something (whether it's music, or art in Colby's case) without having to use it for profit. Rather, to just enjoy it for the sheer wonder and happiness it brings to you. And that's how I felt with the Disenchantments and their band. Yeah, they kind of were no good but they enjoyed doing it and that counts.

I love road trip stories. I think road trip stories tend to have an exaggerated sense of wonder and amazement to them and I find that happened in this book too. However, that's not a bad thing. Road trips are all about stepping out of real life and embracing the wonder and the uncanny around you. Colby, Bev, Meg, and Alexa met some very interesting people, played in some very dismal places, experienced really amazing coincidences, and got the chance to see the lives of others around them. When you're driving a turquoise VW Bus named Melinda, you have to expect the unexpected and the most mundane and that's exactly what these teens got.

There is a real sense of trying to figure out where to go from here too. Colby feels it more than anyone since his plans to travel Europe with Bev are dashed by her college acceptance. His journey of uncertainty felt authentic to me. He threw all his hopes into one basket only to have it shattered on him. But he's not down for the count. I like that he persists in bugging Bev about why she would do this to him. He doesn't let up. He knows he deserves answers, even if they aren't what he wants to hear.

So yeah... I enjoyed this book. It's rather imperfect really and I know I'm not seeing it as critically as I should. But it left me feeling so much. Things I can't exactly put into words but made me think of how I felt at that stage in my life, how I still feel. Is this really it? Going to work day in and out, hopefully starting a family? But truly, is that it? Shouldn't there be something wondrous breaking up the monotony? I was just left with so many feelings at the end and I think Nina LaCour did a great job of harnessing both nostalgia and reality to make The Disenchantments a success, for this reader anyway.

The Disenchantments comes out on February 16, 2012 from Dutton Books.

Other reviews:
Peace Love Books reviews The Disenchantments
Collections reviews The Disenchantments

ARC provided by Around the World Tours.

Author Interview & Giveaway: Meet Wendy Wunder!

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Heather Parker Photography

Today I am very excited to bring an interview with debut author Wendy Wunder! She is the writer of the very fantastic (SERIOUSLY fantastic, read my review!) This is one of my favorite books of 2011 in fact. I loved the miracles versus medicine ideas that ran throughout and I enjoyed the characters immensely.

And now I get to bring some of that excitement to you! I have a fun interview with Wendy so please read on.

1. The miracles and coincidences in this book really reminded me of the magical realism so many of my favorite Latino writers draw on in their stories. Did you have any particular inspiration that helped to create the sense of magic that runs throughout the story, in spite of Cam's circumstances?
Oooo. I love those Latino writers too. Allende and Garcia Marquez...I don't think I pulled it off quite as well as they do :) , but the trick to magic realism, I think, is having the magic evolve from the realistic details of the characters' lives. And I like that you used the word 'coincidences'. Paying attention to coincidence is something that yoga has taught me. When I see a lot of coincidences coming together in my life, I believe the universe is trying to tell me that I'm on the right path. I tried to manufacture some coincidences for Cam, so that she knew she was doing the right thing.

2. Cancer is such a tough topic to write about though I found Cam's story to be very approachable. How much research and perhaps personal feeling went into creating Cam and her struggle with cancer?
Luckily, because I was working within the parameters of "magic realism" instead of straight up realism, I was able to skirt around some of the true harsh realities of living with and dying from cancer. My father died at 61 from esophagael cancer and my cousin at 33 from breast cancer, so those feelings of loss are embedded deep inside of me. I was able to draw on some of that emotion, but at the same time distract myself from it by shifting the focus of the story off of the disease and on to the probability of miracles.

3. Promise, Maine, is a very special place. Have you had the chance to live in a city that creates that kind of magic and wonder within its city limits?
Well... I grew up on a lake...in New Jersey. So I had this magical childhood where I was usually barefoot and playing in the woods/water. We could walk out our back door and jump in to the lake, go fishing...when we were teenagers we had our own motor boats and we water skiied all the time...In the winter we could just throw on our ice skates and walk across the lawn to the world's largest wooded ice rink. All while living 45 minutes from Manhattan. So my childhood was magical in a natural beauty kind of way. But Promise is based very loosely on my college roomate's hometown, Belfast,Maine. She used to take me up there on vacations from school and it was like no other place I'd ever experienced in its quaintness and quietness.

4. Do you have a favorite scene or moment in this book that stayed with you, even as you turned in your final draft?
There is one joke that cracked me up so much as I was writing it that I had to get up and leave my table at the library so I wouldn't disturb the other people working there. I won't tell you what it is, but that's the first time I laughed outloud at my own writing. That seems a little maniacal...actually. To sit there cackling at your work like a mad scientist. But it was definitely a catharsis for me as I was working with difficult material.

5. This book remains incredibly hopeful despite the situation Cam is going through. How difficult was it when writing this book to keep somewhat of a balance between miracles and the harsh reality of cancer?
My family has always used humor, often self-deprecating humor, to help them wade through difficult times, so the balance between humor and tragedy is sort of a natural state of being for me. My life has always been tragically funny. Or comically tragic. (go ahead... ask around :) So that's the balance I can naturally strike. If I had a "world view," I guess it would be tragicomic. As far as plotting the ups and downs for Cam, I felt like as long as she had her family with her, she was going to be alright.

6. How did you learn you were going to become a published writer? Was there a great celebration after?
Um... I learned on a phone call. And then my daughter probably asked me to get her some apple juice and we got on with our day. Since then, though, there have been many celebrations. An endless array of virtual and face to face celebrations which my friends and family are probably sick and tired of!

7. Outside of writing, what are some of your hobbies? How do you like to relax and unwind?
Well, there's yoga. And skiing. And doing fun things with my daughter. And reading. And watching bad reality tv. And facebooking way too much. And, because you can take the girl out of Jersey, but you can't take the Jersey out of the girl, there's the shopping. :( I'm not proud of that one.

Thank you so much Wendy! I know for sure that Wendy did some great things with humor and tragedy and it balanced itself very nicely. But there were tears from this reader so be prepared!

You can find out more about this book at places all over the internet including The Probability of Miracles Official Site, and The Facebook Fan Page for Probability of Miracles.

If you want to find out more about Wendy Wunder herself, Follow her on Twitter or Find her on Facebook!

Still not convinced to try the book? Watch the trailer! It's beautifully done and may just give you that extra push to visit Promise, Maine, (in the book) yourself!

Have I convinced you that you want to read this book yet?? Well I have exciting news! One lucky person (U.S. resident only) has the chance to win a signed copy of The Probability of Miracles!

All you have to do is fill out the form below.

Enter to win a signed copy of The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder!

End of the Year Book Survey

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

I saw this fun meme over at KellyVision and I thought I'd do it. I remember it circulating last year this time of year and wanting to do it then too. I'll have more in depth end of the year posts coming up but here's kind of a quick overview of my reading and blogging experiences in 2011.

1) Best book read in 2011.

I don't have necessarily one best book of 2011. There are several stand-outs for me including The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan, The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner and Amplified by Tara Kelly. I don't want to give every best book away here quite yet as I'll have several end of the year posts talking about my favorite books. On the romance side of things, Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh was definitely one of my favorites this year.

2) Most disappointing book.
There were definitely some books that were very disappointing or just plain awful such as Sass & Serendipity. The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer was one big bag of disappointment too. Didn't live up to the hype by any degree of the imagination.

3) Most surprising (in a good way) book of 2011.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. I had pretty much written her off as a paranormal YA writer which just doesn't really interest me but then she does something amazing like The Scorpio Races and wows me. Truly, truly wows me.

4) Book you recommended most in 2011.

I think that would be The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner (loved this book!) and Clarity by Kim Harrington which I also thoroughly enjoyed.

5) Best series you discovered in 2011.

Hm... I'm not sure actually. While I liked several books that seem to be the beginning of various trilogies I'm not sure how likely I am to actually continue with them. I want 2012 to be the year of the standalone!

6) Favorite new authors you discovered.

Sophie Flack, Kim Harrington, Jessi Kirby, Anna Sheehan

7) Best book that was out of your comfort zone.

Maybe Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick? I can't think of one definitively which is a problem in itself. Definitely need to explore more books out of my comfort zone next year.

8) Most thrilling/unputdownable book in 2011.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. (Yes, I keep coming back to this book!)

9) Book you anticipated most.

I was on tenterhooks to get Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins during ALA so perhaps that one.

10) Favorite cover.

Covers as a whole do not do much for me honestly and not one is popping to mind at the moment.

11) Most memorable character.

Nick from Pull of Gravity. His story is still stuck in my head. I truly enjoyed and appreciated the journey he went on for his friend Scoot.

12) Most beautifully-written book.
The Scorpio Races. Again. But seriously that book is knock down beautiful in its prose.

13) Book that had the greatest impact.

Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman. That book... it packs a wallop and a hard lesson.

14) Book you can’t believe you waited so long to read.

The Scorpio Races. I remember when it came out and I just brushed it off but more and more of my trusted reviewers were raving about it so I finally had to cave and I'm so glad I did.

15) Favorite passage/quote:

I have some quotes scattered throughout my reviews but I cannot remember anything off hand.

16) Most likely reread in 2012

I'm more of a romance re-reader than a YA re-reader. There are some romance stories that I need to read again and again, or at least some of my favorite passages.

17) Biggest WTF moment

Hm... Don't have much for this one.

Book blogs

1) Favorite new blog

That Cover Girl. I visited sometimes last year but this year I really got into seeing these covers come alive. This is really the only site that can make me care about the artwork for books. I love the interviews with the cover artists because they give me a look into the book that I normally would not get.

2) Favorite review that you wrote

I'm not actually quite sure. The only ones that are leaping to mind are the reviews I wrote for books I did not like.

3) Best discussion you had

I'm more of an observer.

4) Most thought-provoking review or discussion

I've got nothing here.

5) Best event that you participated in

BEA because I got to meet so many awesome people but ALA was just as much fun.

6) Best moment of book blogging

Getting random emails from authors who have read your reviews and wanted to comment on them to you, personally. Even if they don't always agree, I've always enjoyed the feedback and comments I get from authors. Everyone has always been gracious and that really tells me what a great community YA writers are.

7) Most popular post on your blog

According to Google Analytics, New York, New York! YA Literary Inspiration has tons of hits.

8) Post you wish got a little more love

Any of them? I'll take comments on anything, lol.

9) Best bookish discovery

Some of the fun apps I've downloaded to my iPad that correspond with books. They've been a lot of fun to experiment with.

10) Reading challenges or goals

I only participated in the Debut Author Challenge and I met my goal.

Looking ahead

1) Number one priority in 2012

A new feature for the blog!

2) Book you are most anticipating

I've been lucky enough to read two books that I was greatly anticipating: The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour and The List by Siobhan Vivian (READ IT!).

3) Hopes in reading/blogging in 2012

Here are all my blogging and reading goals for 2012.

Review: Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

Audition is the debut book from Stasia Ward Kehoe. It's another ballet based book and wow, did it suck me in. Perhaps because I believe there's a little bit of a ballerina in every girl (and in plenty of guys too) that makes reading books set in the world of ballet is a way to relieve that dream, long after we've all had to give up on ballet.

Synopsis: When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent. (Goodreads.com)

This book stands out to me because unlike Bunheads, where the protagonist clearly loved ballet and wanted to become the best, Sara is very confused. Yes, she is passionate about ballet but not nearly to the extent of her fellow classmates. She loves pasta and pastries. She does not want to become sick because she won't eat. She is constantly questioning if she has it in her to truly make this her career, her life. I think these are all very legitimate concerns because so much of high school and college is learning what you're good at, learning what you may want to do for a good portion of the rest of your life. Sara is starting that already and she is just not sure if ballet is what she wants.

This is a novel in verse and I'll be honest, I tend to shy away from those because I don't think I get enough of the characters, of the world, but that isn't the case here. Poetry and ballet complement each other so beautifully that it seems the obvious choice to have written Audition in verse rather than prose. The confusion Sara feels leaps off the pages as she feels her parents have abandoned her to this new world, but yet she is does not want to seem like a baby. The aches and pains of ballet are also painfully detailed through the poetry. Never quite feeling good enough, no matter how hard you try. Even the experience of exploring sex for the first time, realizing that the guy, in this case Remington, is not the devoted suitor Sara wishes he would be. I felt Sara exploring herself (through ballet, through having sex, through her writing) were all adroitly handled in this book. Sara did come alive, more so than the other characters. However, this did not hinder the story for me because I felt like this was truly Sara's struggle and I didn't really want anyone else getting in the way.

The steps and leaps of ballet work really well with this book. I'm not all that familiar with ballet though I do recognize some of the positions and I really liked how Stasia Ward Kehoe used those positions in the poetry, lending it a fluidity and grace that I expect from ballerinas, but with the backbone of hard work, muscle strain, and short tempers that I would also expect to see. This was an incredibly readable story, one I would hand to people that also tend to dislike novels in verse. I'm not their biggest fan and I actually think Ellen Hopkins ruined the form for me, but in the case of Audition, this book worked. I was incredibly engrossed and the pages just flew.

And hey, it's the first book I've read in awhile that has a Sara (without an H, totally the wrong way to spell it, but whatever :) ) as the main character that I didn't hate! Usually I end up despising Sara's because they are awful people. Seriously, it's the rare "Sara" that I've met who I actually like. Yes, this has nothing to do with the book but I figure it's crucial to point out nonetheless.

Also, as a romance fan, the romance angle was incredibly forgettable except for the fact that I liked how it gave Sara new ways to explore herself and her life. Sex in this case was truly a door opening to her, letting her feel new things, test herself, and realize that she has more power than she thinks. This is in some ways an audition for Sara to get to know herself and in that metaphor I thought she excelled tremendously.

Other reviews:
Good Books and Good Wine reviews Audition
The Hiding Spot reviews Audition
Good Choice Reading reviews Audition

Reviewed from library copy.

Romance Roundup: December 2011

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here are the romance books I reviewed that came out this month:

Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins
Yankee Doodle Dixie by Lisa Patton
The Christmas Gift by Darlene Gardner
To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries

Did you read any romance titles in November that you'd like to rave about? Please feel free to share!

Blogging and Reading Goals, 2012

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

From my point of view, 2011 has been a successful blogging year. I think my followship has grown and even if I don't get comments on every entry, I believe my reviews are still getting out there into the community. Nonetheless, blogging will always be a work in progress. I have some goals for 2012 I want to see fully developed on my blog with the great hope that it will continue to grow my blog readership, my own views of the blogging and reading community, and to continue to develop my discerning reading skills (and my writing which is still just so-so). So with that in mind, here are some goals I hope to accomplish in 2012 in regards to my blog.

1. Read more from my backlist book. My hope is that once a month I can read and review a backlist title, something that was published in 2010 or earlier. I do this very little on the blog and there are so many "older" titles that still deserve a readership. I figure even I can accomplish one backlist title a month.

2. Read something outside my comfort zone. To be a better librarian and frankly, a more well-read citizen, I really need to read something outside my comfort zone (which would be YA contemps, romance, and some YA dystopians and historicals). I'm not sure exactly what form this will take. I know I've started listening to audio books again which was definitely outside my norm for several years. But I hope to try to read light fantasy or sci-fi, something that I can use to help my career also, to better serve the kids and teens that walk into my library. I hope to do this once per month also.

3. Stop reading a book when it doesn't work for me! I know a lot of readers have 50-100 page limits. Not me, even when a book is absolutely terrible, I keep reading. It's just been a habit I've gotten myself into, and not necessarily a healthy reading habit. Many of the blogs I admire (Dear Author, The Book Smugglers) have DNF categories. This is something I need to become more accustomed to. I have so many books to read that I should not be wasting what precious little free time I have on books that aren't working for me.

4. Just say no to ARCs! This really relates more to the fact that I have such a backlog of books to get through than anything else. I have not even read half of the galley copies I got from BEA and ALA back in May and June. But yet I spent all this money mailing them home, only to have to then move them from Colorado to Minnesota, and still they sit there. I'm not doing that again. While I do have plans to attend ALA in June, I won't be going galley crazy. If there is something I really want, I won't stop myself from getting it but I cannot keep picking up so much. This goes for publicity companies sending me books too. Just say no. It works for drugs it will now work for books for me.

5. Try to develop an original feature. I really don't have many original features on my blog. I mostly do reviews with a smattering of library talk thrown in for good measure. I don't really participate in too many memes either so there isn't a whole lot of content outside of reviews. I keep hoping a great idea will strike me but I'm happy to collaborate on a new feature with another blogger if anyone has any ideas. I realize how important other content is (outside of interviews and guest posts even) so I really hope to develop something in 2012 that can be a new reason for visitors to come to this blog. I want to become more of a presence in the blogging community and I'm hoping a better developed feature will lead to that goal.

6. Read so much more! In general, I just want to read more and not stress about the blog so much. So what if I don't have new content every day? I'm only one person. I'm sorry but it's just not feasible for me to always have something on the blog, much as I strive to. And next year, working on a new YALSA committee will also take up more of my time so there is a chance blogging may be a little less prolific.

7. Comment more! Yep, it's that goal every blogger sets. But my hope is that I can leave one comment per day on a blog. More would be wonderful! I hope to reach outside the blogs I already do comment to and make connections with blogs I've always admired. There are so many great blogs out there and I know how happy I feel when I get new comments, I definitely want to share that feeling with other bloggers.

8. Read 200 books! Yes, that was my goal THIS year but I'm still about 28 books short and I doubt I'm going to read that many before January 1 rolls around. I will do it next year, I will! (I think I can, I think I can!).

As of now, those are my seven main goals. I don't want to go too crazy and have so many goals that I can't accomplish any of them. I think these are worthwhile goals to pursue. And hopefully I can say at the end of 2012 that I accomplished all of them.

In the mean time, here's Stella wishing you a happy holidays! Look for some best of lists in the reminder of the year, best of Sarah lists I mean.

Review: Wolves, Boys, & Other Things that Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

After reading Kristen Chandler's second book, Girls Don't Fly, I was really interested in getting my hands on her first book. So, after a little ILL magic, I had Wolves, Boys, & Other Things That Might Kill Me in my hands.

I remember when this book came out last year. I was convinced for some reason (maybe the cover) that it was going to be yet another paranormal story and I totally passed it by. Then, I saw the paperback cover copy and something just clicked for me. This was no paranormal romance. This book has a lot of good going for it, but like every book, it's not perfect and it falls into a few issues which I will relate.

Synopsis: It's K.J.'s junior year in the small town of West End, Montana, and whether she likes it or not, things are different this year. Over the summer, she turned from the blah daughter of a hunting and fishing guide into a noticeably cuter version of the outdoor loner. Normally, K.J. wouldn't care less, but then she meets Virgil, whose mom is studying the controversial wolf packs in nearby Yellowstone Park. And from the moment Virgil casts a glance at her from under his shaggy blond hair, K.J. is uncharacteristically smitten. Soon, both K.J. and Virgil are spending a lot of their time watching the wolves (and each other), and K.J. begins to see herself and her town in a whole new light. (Goodreads.com)

First, I totally loved how much of an impact KJ makes on her community, even when she isn't necessarily trying at first. And then she is, and she takes the right steps! This is a girl who is very environmentally aware of the world around her and when it starts to get chaotic, she tries to take the steps to correct that as much as possible. Yes, perhaps the ease with which she got Washington, DC, lawmakers out to her small town in Montana is a bit unrealistic but I appreciated the initiative she put in. I think her actions throughout the book in general when it comes to the wolves is something any environmentally or animal conscious teen is going to appreciate.

I also felt the small town atmosphere of West End was very realistically portrayed. The gun fanatics, the kids who have gone to school with each other since they were in diapers and knew all of each other's embarrassments, the intractable minds in town. All of that rang very true for me, coming from a small Minnesota town myself. You can't change someone who is set in his ways and has no desire to open his or her mind. But KJ tries, along with her new friend and crush, Virgil. They try to make a difference for the wolves and they also try to understand the other side, those of the ranchers and hunters who make up so much of the community.

That being said, while sometimes all the wolf information was a bit like info dumping, overall I think Chandler worked the wolf storyline in very well into the story. KJ became the vessel for research, as it were, and she took her job seriously. Fortunately, she had the wonder of Yellowstone to observe the wolves and it made for some very intriguing passages in the book.

I also liked, for the most part anyway, KJ's relationship with her dad. I guess I kept expecting more of a deeper breakthrough to occur for them but it didn't, at least not in the way I expected. I think, even at the end, KJ had a lot of doubts about her dad and his feelings for her and her actions. But they had also put some of their distrust to rest and to better understand a peek into each other's world.

However, this book was just too dang long, with portions that had remarkably little action which made it just slow at times. At 371 pages, it just kept going. The first half was much tighter and just the stronger half of the story, but at a certain point, things slowed down and I felt like I had to slog through portions of the book. The drama surrounding KJ and Virgil, will they or won't they, felt way too drawn out and became rather annoying.

Additionally, there is a big character twist that didn't feel wholly authentic. It kind of came out of left field and was overly melodramatic and didn't fit the rest of the book very well. Seriously, it felt like some odd romantic suspense ending had been inserted into what had been just a nice ordinary story of a girl hoping to at least calm down her town. She didn't have grand ambitions of changing anyone's minds permanently, she just wanted to keep the wolves safe. And then, WHAM, there's someone with a diabolical plot and what should have read as "maniacal laugh, maniacal laugh" (Muppets reference, sorry, couldn't help it!). It just threw me for a loop in the story and definitely weakened the ending.

That being said, I think this could be paired very nicely with something like Hoot (yes, even though it's a bit younger) or of course, Chandler's new book, which also focuses on endangered species. It may also work well for all those dystopians which show the after effects of an apocalypse and then you have something like this book, which shows right now how not having a certain animal in the wild can change the environment dramatically.

Wolves, Boys, & Other Things that Might Kill Me has some ups and downs but mostly, I got a lot of enjoyment out of it. I like KJ's sense of humor and her passion and those elements kept me reading. I do wish Kristen Chandler was getting a bit more recognition in the YA fiction world because she writes stellar stories that are well researched with smart characters. Sometimes those elements are lacking in other stories but Chandler has these great storytelling elements down and I think a lot of readers could appreciate her stories.

Other reviews:
Melissa Walker's Cover Story about the changes in the cover
The Compulsive Reader reviews Wolves, Boys, & Other Things that Might Kill Me
Frenetic Reader reviews Wolves, Boys, & Other Things that Might Kill Me

Book Blogger Holiday Swap!

2011-12-06T12:00:00.000-06:00

Remember when I signed up for the Book Blogger Holiday Swap??

I finally got my package in the mail yesterday (sorry person I'm sending it too, but it shouldn't take too long to arrive). AND, the same day I sent my package out, my Secret Santa gift arrived!

Look how pretty it is, all wrapped up, such a great mystery!

Well, when I took this picture it was actually the right way but Blogger won't upload it properly so there you go. But it's Wildwood and a Harry Potter Sweet Shoppe Kit!! I also got some great cupcake liners which will be perfect for my upcoming work holiday party and some candy, all courtesy of Heidi at YA Bibliophile!.

It was so great because this is the first year I've participated and it was actually a gift from a blogger I know! It made it that much more fun for me.

So, many, many thanks to Heidi! I love my gift.

Review: Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard

2011-12-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

Try Not To Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard is an intense look at what it means to try to commit suicide, fail (or really, succeed through failure?), and come out the other side. This book has a lot of positive elements that worked for me, and several elements that didn't.

Synopsis: Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his mother’s anxious hovering and the rumors at school, he’s trying to forget the darkness from which he has escaped. But it doesn’t help that he’s still hiding guilty secrets, or that he longs for a girl who may not return his feelings. Then he befriends Nicki, who is using psychics to seek contact with her dead father. This unlikely friendship thaws Ryan to the point where he can face the worst in himself. He and Nicki confide in one another the things they never thought they’d tell anyone—but their confessions are trickier than they seem, and the fallout tests the bound of friendship and forgiveness. (Goodreads.com)

What I liked best about this book and what felt like the strongest part of this story is the discussion that revolves around depression. Ryan Turner is sixteen. He's rather invisible at school unfortunately, since he got mono and couldn't try out for baseball, one of his interests. He has a good enough home life and there is no doubt there is money in his family. But something just wasn't right for him. I think for me, this book positively portrayed that no matter what kind of background you have, no matter how many friends or even no friends, no matter what may be going on in one's life, depression can hit anyone. This is an illness that does not discriminate between rich, poor, white, black, red or purple. Jennifer Hubbard explores how Ryan and his parents cope with what has happened. Ryan's mom does not understand why he was suicidal, at all, and Ryan is still finding the words to explore how to tell her, how to give her some modicum of explanation. For me, this aspect of the book, the exploration of the possible causes of depression and how it's handled in the struggling aftermath was really done.

I was not however sold on Nicki, Ryan's friend who presses him for details about his suicide attempt. There was something incredibly desperate about her as a character, something that for me, made her rather unlikeable and frustrating. I knew there was more to her story than she let on with Ryan and I just wanted to shake him and get him to wake up. I think I was supposed to sympathize with her quest to connect with her dad, but rather I felt like she was rubbing Ryan's face in his depression. I felt this rather cruel edge about her that was not attractive at all. I realize she was a very mixed up young girl but I just could not warm up to her.

There is a mild attraction between them that leads to quite a bit of making out, which I think is one way to try to feel something again. I did not really believe that this theirs was a romance at all, but rather the desperate ways to people try to connect. I would have been much happier if this element of their friendship had not appeared at all, truth be told.

I feel like Jennifer R. Hubbard did a good job of exploring the tension, the tears, and the unsaid feelings between Ryan and his parents after the suicide attempt. They obviously care about him and want him to get better, or at least to a place where Ryan feels better about himself again but they do not always know how to express their feelings, but then, neither does Ryan. There is so much awkward tension in their scenes together that feels like a true reflection of what could possibly happen after an event like this. There are no easy answers here and the book reflects that. The ending also reflects this, much to my satisfaction.

This book isn't overtly impressive but it has a quiet strength that does manifest itself in the character of Ryan. It is an interesting exploration of suicide and depression and how all consuming these things can be in life. One doesn't just get over being depressed, as Ryan tries to explain to his parents. It's a lifelong process and I think Ryan has the means of overcoming a lot in his future.

Try Not To Breathe comes out on January 19, 2012, from Viking.

ARC provided by Around the World Tours.

Review: The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker is a January 2012 debut. It is a likeable story with some moments that are a bit over the top. But it is highly readable and more rural set books are always needed, at least at my library, and I think this book is a welcome addition.

Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would prefer to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school. She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table. She's on top of the world, even though her best friend and the boy next door Luke says he misses "plain old Ricki Jo." Caught between being a country girl and wannabe country club girl, Ricki Jo begins to forget who she truly is: someone who doesn't care what people think and who wouldn't let a good-looking guy walk all over her. It takes a serious incident out on Luke's farm for Ricki Jo to realize that being a true friend is more important than being popular. (Goodreads.com)

What this book does well is explore how teens want to change, want to fit in, and want to shed their old image. Ericka wants to shed her Ricki Jo personality, even though Ricki Jo is nice, fun, and kind. She longs to be one of the popular kids and unfortunately, she gets her wish, sort of. She is more on the fringes of popularity and it shows because she's not invited everywhere and she is still teased about how she lives on a farm. Being popular is not as easy as Ricki Jo thought it would be, particularly since she seems to be losing her best friend, Luke, in the process. Luke is going through some very bad stuff at home, dealing with an abusive father, and Ricki Jo doesn't know how to help. She wants to be there for him but she also wants to catch the eye of the popular guy at school, David "Wolf" Wolfenbaker, who is always teasing her. Unfortunately, this little romance leads to a lot of cliches and Ricki Jo making some very bad decisions. Wolf is clearly a jerk, but he is a typical high school boy in so many ways.

Ricki Jo is not the most mature character ever but I feel like she's still a girl other teens will relate to. She is just trying to find her place, even if she does make some silly and mean decisions along the way. The allure of popularity has spawned many YA novels and this book is no different. I do like that she is close to her family though. They all have a very strong connection and it shows, even when Ricki Jo behaves not quite so well.

Unfortunately, it took to nearly the last ten pages or so of the book before Ricki Jo truly had any modicum of character growth, when she finally realized her new BFFs were not what they were cracked up to be. Throughout the story she vacillated back and forth about whether she really liked her friends or not, whether she wanted to be friends with them. There was more of a "frenemy" vibe to this group than true friendship, but I think, like finding a Prince Charming, sometimes you have to go through several toads to find true friends too.

There is a sweetness to this story that occasionally bordered on nauseating but was mostly just plain likeable. This book has a few issues that kept me from truly enjoying it but it's a nice lighthearted story that teens will enjoy. The issues mostly stay on the surface, even with Luke's abusive family, so I would definitely not categorize this as an "issues" book. This is more of a fluff read, a bit shallow and engaged only in the pretty trappings, but fun nonetheless to read. Alecia Whitaker has a very engaging writing style that kept me hooked even when I was getting fed up with Ricki Jo constantly feeding into the popular kids' inane antics.

The Queen of Kentucky is overall a very pleasing story. Don't expect much depth, but do expect a little sugary goodness.

Other reviews:
The Ninja Librarian reviews The Queen of Kentucky

ARC from ALA 2011.

Sarah the TV Nerd Strikes Again!

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

As I'm sure you are well aware by now, if you are at all a somewhat reader of this blog, I love TV. Besides books and reading, it's what I use for down time. I love comedy shows and great dramas. I'm not one for criminal procedural shows or medical shows (though I was a fan of ER) but that doesn't matter because there is so much on TV that I love to watch.

This post is dedicated to all the great shows that I love, and their bookish counterparts. That is, books that I think you'll like if you happen to like some of my favorite TV shows. These are obviously extremely subjective but may be it will give you something new to read (or a new TV show to watch??).

One of my new favorite shows is ABC's Once Upon a Time. I love seeing the fairy tale characters come to life, even if I wish they would deviate from the Disney versions a bit more. (But given ABC and Disney's relationship that probably will not happen). There are of course a plethora of fairy tale books being published all the time, but here are some of my favorites and why I think they go so well with this show. Heather Dixon's recent book, Entwined, with its gorgeous cover, just speaks to the beautiful costumes that have shown up on Once. It's a based on the Grimm fairy tale of the The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but with its own twists. This book is well written and quite engrossing. There is also the recent book, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherine Valente which features an enchanted wood, a talisman, and a protagonist about to have the adventure of a life time. Elizabeth C. Bunce tackles one of my favorite fairy tales (and favorite characters on Once!) in her book, A Curse as Dark as Gold. It is a Morris award winner for a reason and it gives its own eerie feeling to the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. There is also Gail Carson Levine who has written numerous fairy tale inspired stories, including the wonderful Ella Enchanted. If you haven't read it yet, don't delay! I also think Karsten Knight's Wildefire has appeal to Once Upon a Time fans. These teens have other lives as gods. Yes, it's not quite the same as the fairy tale characters, but there are enough similarities that it may make for a good suggestion for anyone interested in dual lives as someone potentially infamous.

I love Parks and Recreation with the burning passion of a thousand suns. And while there is no real YA equivalent book, there are books that feature quirky characters and plenty of humor, enough for me to make them suggestions for the love that is Parks & Rec! I think Leila Sales' recent book, Past Perfect, is a great example of humor and quirky antics that I have no doubt that the characters of P&R would get into. Leslie loves history and well, what is better than a historical village with fights and secret sabotage?? This is a great recommendation for the P&R fans in your life. Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicolson series may also work. Yes, it may be British humor but you cannot deny that Georgia gets herself into some hilarious situations that I can easily see Leslie and Ann replicating, sans British accent of course. I even think Kristen Chandler's new book, Girls Don't Fly, could fit this category because Leslie is definitely about seeing female leaders come into power and of going the extra mile, which the main character of this book has to learn about, to be sure, but eventually she realizes she has some pretty awesome goals and dreams of her own.

Veronica Mars may be off the air but it is still one of my favorite shows. I love rewatching it and I think there is plenty of potential for YA cross over appeal into books. My first suggestion would be Clarity by Kim Harrington, which seems like an obvious match. Fern is a great little detective, she has a quirky family all her own, and though she knows when to toe the line, she is also unafraid to venture into unknown situations, particularly if it will help her brother. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King has one of the best father/daughter relationships I've read about in years. I loved Ken and Vera's story so much and I think it would make a great YA read-alike for Veronica Mars fans. Finally, Anna Jarzab's All Unquiet Things has the masterful suspense and mystery piece that Veronica Mars was so known for. Even though I didn't like the characters in this book all that much, I did find it quite disquieting, just like S1 of Veronica Mars.

I've become quite a fan of ABC's Suburgatory, starring Jane Levy and Jeremy Sisto (CLUELESS LOVE!). Dahlia, one of the characters in the show pictured to the right, is equally hilarious and has some fantastic dead-pan one-liners. I think Erin Dionne's Notes from an Accidental Band Geek could be a great fit for this book. In that book, the main character is trying to find her place in high school and as the story goes on, she starts to appreciate marching band way more than expected. It reminds me how Tessa is slowly starting to appreciate some things about suburbia, and making some fun friends along the way. Then there is Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell. Another story where a girl has to figure out where she fits into suburbia. The main character still lives on a farm but she sees only the negatives to that when all her friends live closer to town and get to enjoy the more "normal" teenage experiences. Then there is So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti. That is a book all about appreciating New York City and if there is one thing Tessa reiterates over and over, it's how much she misses New York. I'd definitely hand that book to her (if she was, you know, real) though it might be like rubbing it in as to all that she is missing.

This is just a small sampling of TV to book comparisons! I'll have more suggestions next week, in part II of this post. In the mean time, I'd love to hear YOUR suggestions.

What are some great readalikes for fans of these TV shows? Do you disagree with the choices (that's fine!). Please share your own thoughts!

Month in review: November 2011

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here's what I read in November 2011:

154. Heart Strings and Diamond Rings by Jane Graves (11/4/11)
155. Pie by Sarah Weeks (11/5/11)
156. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (11/8/11)
157. Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins (11/10/11)
158. Fever by Lauren DeStefano (11/12/11)
159. Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur (11/13/11) (Audio)
160. Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick (11/15/11)
161. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling (11/18/11)
162. The List by Siobhan Vivian (11/19/11)
163. Lie by Caroline Bock (11/20/11)
164. Girls Don't Fly by Kristen Chandler (11/21/11)
165. Radiate by Marley Gibson (11/25/11)
166. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood (11/27/11) (Audio)
167. Saving June by Hannah Harrington (11/28/11)
168. The French Maid by Sabrina Jeffries (11/29/11)

Total books read: 13
Books listened to: 2
Total: 15

Favorite book: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Most disappointing book: Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur and Radiate by Marley Gibson

I had a really good month in November, in terms of titles I really liked. Just about every book on my list I enjoyed thoroughly. Lots of good reads this month makes me happy!

In November 2010 I read 17 books total, so I am down slightly. And though I'm off track of reaching 200 books this year, I think I'll at least reach last year's total, which was 180. I hope anyway!

What were some of your favorite books read in November? Most disappointing? Something you just want to rave about??

Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

Saving June by Hannah Harrington is a book that will pull you through the proverbial emotional ringer. I was left feeling heart sore but also hopeful for these characters and their journeys.

Synopsis: Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again. (Goodreads.com)

Harper is a sarcastic, disdainful, but truly hurting young woman who just cannot comprehend that the perfect June, her older sister, has committed suicide. The thought remains incredibly unbelievable, even at June's wake, the book's opening scene. While Harper is not numb, she is also not totally feeling what it means to have lost her sister. It is Harper's struggle to come to terms with the fact that she will never have the answers she searches for that makes this book so engrossing.

Harper is a good sister. She loved June, and June loved Harper. That much is clear. Sure, they had their spats as siblings are prone to do but she is so freaked out by the fact that there is so much about June that she did not know, starting with Jake Tolan and his mix CD. This CD, and this boy, leads to a road trip across the United States to California, the place June most loved, though she had never been there. It's the kind of love you have for a very engrossing dream, a goal, and a hope. Harper wants to complete that dream for June so she takes her ashes, leaves her mom grieving, her aunt whining, and heads west.

The banter between Harper and Jake is wonderful, humorous and just the perfect amount of sarcastic. It's obvious there is chemistry between them but there are also a myriad of secrets and emotions, all relating to June, that have to be worked out way before anything could happen. Then of course, something pretty darn powerful does happen.

I do not think I'm articulating very well just how much I liked this book, just how very much I was devastated by the loss of June even though she only appears in a few flashbacks. I felt for Harper so very, very much. Harper is a character that I think can be universally empathized with because she is going through a loss so very heartbreaking that it does in fact lift itself off of the pages, straight into the reader's emotional stratosphere.

I really enjoyed the road trip aspect of this book. It started out as somewhat bittersweet but I think Harper eventually got into the spirit of it, enjoying her time with Jake, and her best friend, Laney. They stop at not only notable tourist locations but they go to some pretty darn unusual spots too. I am a fan of road trip books so this particular theme works well for me. I thought it was a fitting end for June, a girl who never had the chance to experience anything outside her small Michigan town.

Music is an important part of this book but I was so, so happy that it was not a book littered with lyrics. I kind of hate that and I think it takes away from the power of the writer. While there were a few lyrics quoted here and there, they did not make up the bulk of the text and in fact, not having them made me enjoy the music aspect of this story more because I could connect with WHY Jake was so passionate about music, what he had to say about music. And the fact that he loves ABBA AND Johnny Cash (who is mentioned twice in this book, YAY!) shows what great taste in music he had. (I am a huge fan of both.)

There is one element of this story that did not work for me and it was the story line Laney, Harper's best friend, went through. It was given short-shrift in this story and was not fully fleshed out, making it this dangling plot line that only took away the focus from Harper's journey. If it had been a stronger element of the story, I think it would have worked a lot better. I really liked Laney as a character and as a support system for Harper, but I think the author was trying to bring her into her own spotlight but there just wasn't enough time in the story to do that, so her big moment felt very abbreviated to me.

However, on the whole, this is a thoroughly engrossing read. I think it would make a great companion novel to Courtney Summers' Fall For Anything. This is Hannah Harrington's first book and I was very impressed with its quality and storytelling. There is a lot to discuss and think about and on top of that, it's just a great emotional story with depth and weight. There are no real answers for Harper but there is some resolution, a chance to go forward with her life without constantly wondering. And on top of that, there is a great romance that blossoms between Jake and Harper. It's not the focus of the story, but rather a great bonus.

Saving June is available now from Harlequin Teen.

Other reviews:
Consumed By Books reviews Saving June
Dear Author reviews Saving June

ARC provided by Netgalley.

Looking for some adult laughs...

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

I recently finished reading Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, perhaps even more than Tina Fey's Bossypants. Mindy is closer to my age and we had similar experiences that made for lots of laughs for me.

I don't in general read all that many adult books, and hardly any memoirs/biographies, or whatever type of book one would categorize Kaling's book. I would love to read more books like Kaling's however. The humor was spot-on for me and it was a very easy, breezy read. As much as I love YA books, sometimes it is nice to delve back into the world of adults and what they are going through since I am usually going through the same dramas myself.

Last year, I read Sleepwalk with Me: and Other Painfully True Stories by Mike Birbiglia which I also really enjoyed. Again, short humorous vignettes from his childhood and his adulthood thus far. It was funny and enjoyable. The only other book I can think of that is similar to these titles is Sh*t My Dad Says which I am not interested in reading.

The authors don't have to be celebrities by any means, though I do love Kaling. I know Chelsea Handler has some books that may be somewhat similar but again, just not all that interested in reading about her. So, basically what I'm looking for is something along the lines of Mindy Kaling's book. If you have any suggestions, of stories you've personally read and enjoyed, please let me know. I realize I can just Google or Goodreads titles but that doesn't always tell me the full story and I like to hear from actual readers. So, if you have any great suggestions, please let me know. It'd help my mom too, lol, who is looking for Christmas gift ideas for me.

Now if only Amy Poehler would come out with a book, I'd be reading that in a snap!

Review: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place--The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

This book is an ABSOLUTE JOY to listen to, right on par with my favorite audiobook experience, Jim Dale's reading of the Harry Potter series. I didn't want to arrive at my destination this Thanksgiving weekend, I just wanted to keep listening. I'm just getting back into audiobooks this year, after several years hiatus, and while I've liked the few books I've listened to so far, this experience was amazing.

Synopsis: Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age somewhere-in-the-middle, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.

Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen years old and a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must help them overcome their canine tendencies.

But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures, and how did they come to live in the vast forests of the estate? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to teach the Incorrigibles table manners and socially useful phrases in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische? (Goodreads.com)

I have heard nothing but rave reviews for audiobook reader Katherine Kellgren and I have to say, she has another fan. She went all out with this book. Howling, barking, and invoking the wild nature of the children perfectly. She has also Miss Lumley's kind and generous spirit down perfectly. I was laughing and smiling throughout this entire experience. When listening, I was wondering if Ms. Kellgren was British herself but from what I've found online she was actually born in New York though she has trained extensively in London and it shows.

I have to say, my favorite voice was actually that of Lady Constance, the mistress of Ashton Place. Her upper crust, nasally tones, were perfection in this book, as was her constant need to cry or whine. It could have been grating I think but instead, there was a good balance of whining and just bringing Constance alive. She was a fretful, nervous, annoying woman but she had moments of sympathy too and I can't say I would have felt that sympathy if I had just been reading this book. This is truly a story where the audio made it even better.

I really did enjoy the actual plot though. I found the three Incorrigible children, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia, to be great characters. Though they had been raised by wolves their childlike nature definitely came through too and it was hard not to feel bad for them, particularly when it becomes clear that Frederick Ashton has his own agenda when it comes to the kids. This was a fun story and I can see why it's so popular at my library. It's an engrossing story but I truly think it became something spectacular in the audio version. I know I'm going to get the second book on audio, rather than just read it. I want to hear the characters come to life again.

The Mysterious Howling is a great listen for family vacations, for alone car time, or for really any listening situation. It has a compelling mystery, lively and engaging characters, and there is a nice layer of irony and sarcasm reminiscent of Lemony Snicket that adds some great humor to the story. This is a must-listen story. You'll have a great reading experience with it to be sure but I think the audio elevates it from good to spectacular!

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 1: The Mysterious Howling is written by Maryrose Wood, read by Katherine Kellgren. It is a Listening Library production, with five discs totaling 5 hours, 28 minutes. Believe me when I say, this will be five hours well worth spent.

Audio version borrowed from my local library.

Picture Book Saturday (03)

2011-11-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

Well, it appears winter is making its debut, at least here in Minnesota. It snowed last weekend and even though the temps have gone back into the forties, I'm thinking this is only a slight reprieve. Since I enjoy winter immensely, I don't mind. And with winter comes fun winter inspired picture books. Here are two to consider.

No Two Alike by Keith Baker. This beautifully illustrated winter picture book describes how no two items (snowflakes, nests, even roads) are totally alike. It is a good lesson in comparison and contrast, particularly for one-on-one reading sessions. Kids will be able to pick out the noticeable differences while also catching on to some of the differences that aren't apparent to the naked eye right away. The illustrations are soft and convey all the wonderment of a snow-filled day that is best enjoyed at home with a cup of hot chocolate. Plus, the "main characters" of the book, two little red cardinals, stand out very nicely on the soft looking pages. They are the splash of bright color all winter needs.

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner, with art by Christopher Silas Neal. This is a great examination of what animals are doing during winter, particularly while humans are still out and about. It reminded me of field trips during elementary school, where we had the chance to examine little burrows and other hidden snow homes. The illustrations in Over and Under the Snow are fabulous and give winter a serene, sleepy feel which pairs nicely with several of the animals hibernating. You can see some inside illustrations here at Christopher Silas Neal's website. This is a great book which could be used very nicely with nonfiction books about hibernating or winter animals and this is actually a great pairing with No Two Alike. Yes, they both share winter as a theme but they do highlight some similar concepts.

Two fabulous new winter themed books to consider. These aren't really great for big groups of story time kids but would make great at-home books examining winter. There are small, delicate details in both book that necessitate a closer viewing.

Picture Book Saturday is the creation of Amanda at A Patchwork of Books so be sure to check out which picture books she is highlighting today!

A Happy Bookish Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-06:00


Parents.com

I love Thanksgiving, it is one of my favorite holidays. This year in particular I have so much to be thankful for. 2011 has been a really good year for me and I'm so thankful that I will be able to spend the holiday with my family for the first time in two years. There are a lot of book related things I am thankful for this year too. Here is only a small sampling.

1. Attending my very first ALA conference, with the help of YALSA and Baker and Taylor! There's still time to apply too, if you've never been able to attend an ALA conference, there is a great grant opportunity that closes on December 1.

2. Attending Book Expo America in NYC, one of my very favorite places in the world.

3. Meeting so many awesome blogging and librarian people including Pop Culture Junkie, Gail from Ticket to Anywhere, the amazing and oh so kind Tiff, Abby the Librarian, two awesome LJ friends, Maureen and Rachel, and so many more! Bookish people are what makes these events so much fun.

4. Seeing How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying with DAN RADCLIFFE (AKA HARRY POTTER!). My Dan Rad love is still very strong.

5. Meeting authors and getting the chance to express to them how much joy they bring into my life with their stories.

6. A new job! It brought me back to Minnesota, closer to my family, and it gave me new opportunities to expand my work horizons. It's been a great challenge and while I miss my Colorado library a lot, to this very day, I can't say I regret accepting this opportunity.

7. Presenting at the ALA Annual conference! Thanks to all those wonderful people who came out and supported this presentation.

8. Being invited to be a member of the 2012-2013 YALSA Popular Paperbacks Committee (which means I get to go back to ALA next summer!). I can't wait to get started on this committee.

9. The final Harry Potter movie. It's the end of an era for Harry Potter but fortunately I have the books to read over and over again.

10. So many excellent books! I've read several books in 2011 that have really stuck with me this year. I feel so lucky to be able to read all these amazing books on the market and to be able to connect with authors and readers via Twitter, Goodreads, or email. I'm one lucky reader!

That's just some of the great things I've been thankful for this year. There is no doubt that 2011 has been a fabulous book related year for me!

Review: Girls Don't Fly by Kristen Chandler

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Kristen Chandler's Girls Don't Fly is a book that drove me incredibly neurotic but yet I could not put it down. The voice of Myra is incredibly readable, if not always likeable, but always readable.

Synopsis: Myra is used to keeping her feet firmly on the ground. She's got four younger brothers, overworked parents, and a pregnant older sister, and if Myra wasn't there to take care of everyone, they'd probably fall apart. But when her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her, Myra feels like she's lost her footing. Suddenly she's doing things she never would've a few months earlier: quitting her job, applying for a scholarship to study birds in the Galapogos, and falling for a guy who's encouraging her to leap from her old life . . . and fly. (Goodreads.com)

I'm not a huge fan of girls who cannot stand on their own two feet, who have to rely on a boy to find their self-worth. There are times in this book where Myra falls into both of these categories but there are also times where she is incredibly capable at everything she does, even dancing in a ugly, old, germ-filled chicken suit.

I think there is a lot to be said for how appealing Myra as a character is. She does not have this "shiny, happy, amazing" life that is all too often depicted in teen novels. In fact, Myra is kind of like her family's housemaid, but in a more lovable way. It's clear that, for all the complaining she does about her family, her four younger brothers and her older sister, Melyssa, even her parents, Myra loves them. She just has to learn how to balance her own plans and goals with the realities of her family. Her family is not rich by any means. While her dad has a decent job, her mother cleans office buildings at night, in order to be home with her youngest son during the day. This is not a family with a lot of money or material gains. There house is cluttered and their mom is harried. Myra has to find a way to pay for dental assistant school. I think, particularly in today's economic climate, this is a situation teens are going to relate to.

Then, this scholarship opportunity to the Galapagos Islands arrives and Myra is hooked. Part of it is she wants to beat her ex-boyfriend, Erik, who is a downright jerk. But another part of her just wants to do this because she wants to. Yes, she wants escape but she is also looking for a way to learn and grow with her own interests. The problem is, she has to raise $1,000 of her own money first, which, when you just quit your ice cream job, well that's going to be hard to do. But Myra is not a quitter.

Unfortunately, like many teen girls, she does fall into the trap of wanting her ex-boyfriend back. She remembers the good times with him and wants to be part of that again, even when it becomes clear that this guy is no prince in shining armor. He's a toad. I honestly could not ever quite see why Myra was so enamored with him. From the moment he broke up with her, to how he tried to use her for her intelligence, to how he tries to force her into sex, he is the personification of everything wrong with YA boyfriends. He is a mean, controlling asshole who has the potential to be a rapist in the future if he doesn't get his way. He is scary and pathetic. So, like I said, I did have a hard time in truly empathizing with Myra when it came to Erik.

But there was so much else about this book I did like. I loved seeing Myra tell stories with her young brothers. Literally sitting down and creating a story to share. It's an old-fashioned past time that needs to come back into vogue. I liked Myra's germaphobe tendencies because I could relate to them all too easily. I even liked her growing romance with Pete Tree, the grad student who was leading the scholarship program. I think that sentence sounds bad but there is not quite as much conflict of interest as it appears. I liked Myra's family. They were down to earth, critical, but also supportive. And perhaps most importantly, I liked seeing Myra discover that there are opportunities waiting for her if she only has the guts to pursue them. And yeah, she didn't always have the guts and the drive, but she's finding her way to it and making those opportunities work.

I couldn't read this book quickly enough. I'm not sure what it is but for me, it had a magic quality that compelled me to read it, and fast. Myra's voice just stood out to me as something special. Girls Don't Fly is not without its problems but for me, this book turned into something special and wonderful. Myra is a character who left a mark on me.

Girls Don't Fly is available now.

Other reviews:
A Cupcake and a Latte reviews Girls Don't Fly
Crowding the Book Truck reviews Girls Don't Fly

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Are you reading Meljean Brook's Iron Seas stories yet?? Last year I posted about one of my favorite books of the year, The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook. Recently, the second book in the series was released. Heart of Steel was a wonderful follow-up and has me excited to read what comes next in this world. Meljean Brook is the only author I am willing to read zombies for. No one else will do. I know I don't usually post too many romance reviews on this blog but I have to give you a little glimpse into why this book is so good and why you should give this series a try.

Synopsis: Growing up in the dangerous world of the Iron Seas, the mercenary captain of the airship Lady Corsair, Yasmeen, has learned to keep her heart hard as steel. Ruthless and cunning, her only loyalty is to her ship and her crew-until one man comes along and changes everything...Treasure hunter Archimedes Fox isn't interested in the Lady Corsair-just the captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. When it attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco- and straight into enemy hands. (Goodreads.com)

Reason #1 you should be reading this series, and this book in particular. Yasmeen is an amazing character. A female character who kicks-butt on every level. She is strong and not afraid to use violence, at all. She seems invulnerable but part of her appeal is that she is vulnerable, that she has to learn to let herself show her emotions around the male protagonist, Archimedes Fox (AMAZING name, am I right?). Yasmeen is what I want to strive to be as a woman. She seems fearless and is ready to take risks. She cares for her crew and is out for vengeance. She is incredibly intelligent and knows when a risk is worth taking. And she's funny, particularly when it involves Archimedes.

Then there is Archimedes. He is as different as you can get from the "hero" of The Iron Duke but that doesn't make him less by any means. He wears his heart on his sleeve for Yasmeen. But he also carries a burden that drives him to go on adventure after dangerous adventure. Zombies in Venice, flying machines, enemies out to hurt him. He's not the most popular guy necessarily, at least when it comes to his fellow treasure hunters, but he is a great guy. He has this adorable sense of humor that is simply cheeky. He is basically an extremely likeable fellow.

Then there is the fact this book is an exhilarating adventure! Airships, zombies (yep, the only author I'll read zombies for), famous da Vinci sketches, and a little flying contraption that is the height of awesome. There is a lot of action in this book, but it is tempered with excellent dialogue, robust characters that make these adventures more than just jaunts across Europe avoiding the Horde and its many enemies. There is a depth of humanity in these characters that make this more than just another steampunk romance on the market. Meljean Brook is a very talented writer and it shows in how she writes her characters, how she brings them alive. I do not really consider myself a major reader of steampunk but there are a few authors (Scott Westerfeld and Meljean Brook being my faves) who make these adventures something special.

So, have I convinced you? Maybe add this series to your Christmas wishlist! You will not regret it. I think there is great crossover appeal for adult YA readers and this series. There is romance yes, but there is also strong writing, exciting plots, and settings that come alive. YA readers love those things, right? There is of course sex, so I don't necessarily recommend these books for teen readers, unless you know them and that they are comfortable with sex scenes in their books. I started reading romance at age fourteen so I would have had no problem with these books.

Meljean Brook has all kinds of great background information on her website to help ease you into the world of the Iron Seas, including this handy map she created, which gives you a nice layout of the world in her series.

I'd love to know if you decide to give Heart of Steel a chance. Let me know what you think!

EVE Contest Winner!

2011-11-21T09:10:00.001-06:00

Inspired Kathy!

You have won a copy of Anna Carey's new book, Eve!

Review: Lie by Caroline Bock

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Caroline Bock's Lie is the kind of story that sticks, and sticks hard. It is a fabulously written glimpse into the racism and violence that still exists so broadly in U.S. culture.

Synopsis:
Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . . .
Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up?
But Jimmy was her savior. . . .
When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.
The truth must be told. . . .
Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place. (Goodreads.com)

There are some very painful truths and realities examined in this book, along with some very painful questions that can never be easily answered. When Jimmy Seeger attacks two people, it is hushed up. However, these were not just two random people. They were two brothers of El Salvadoran descent and the attack was racially motivated. That much is painfully clear from the very outset. I never had any doubt of what happened but the real pain and power in this book comes from watching the characters, particularly Skylar, Jimmy's girlfriend, come to terms that the boy she loves could do something this horrendous, this evil.

This novel kind of meanders around. It is not a straight narrative by any means. With multiple viewpoints (Skylar, her father, the mother of the two kids who were attacked, Jimmy's father, Jimmy's coach, and more) there are definitely multiple factors to consider. Will Skylar find the strength to turn in her boyfriend? Will Arturo get justice? Is there hope for this community that never expected to have to deal with this blatant racism? Skylar in particular wings from one thought to another. She is a very fractured character. Jimmy came into her life shortly after mother's death, when Skylar was very fragile. He was her protector, the person she could turn to when she needed comfort. He obviously holds a very dear spot in her heart. But like an injured bird, she has to wonder if she is more his pet than a girlfriend, than an equal to him.

The narrative relies on two wholly unreliable characters: Skylar, and Sean, Jimmy's best friend, who was with him the night of the attack. Everybody knows but nobody is talking is the mantra that is repeated throughout their little group but these two have guilt weighing heavily on them. Guilt, fear for their futures, and just plain questions. How could Jimmy do this? How could Sean be complicit in something like when he never intended to hurt anyone?

There is a lot to think about when reading this book and it definitely stays with you as you finish. It is a slim novel that makes you consider your own actions, what you overhear at school or work or just in your community. Rumors and innuendos always have an edge of truth to them after all. This book managed to surprise me also which I cannot say happens to often when I read anymore.

I have a very minor complaint, something perhaps I'm the only one who noticed for whatever reason but when I first started this book, I could not place it, time wise. It did not read like a contemporary, set-in-the present story for a long time. It was not until there was a blatant mention of 9/11 that I for sure knew it was set in today's world and not the 1950's or something. Even the name Jimmy and Sean confused me. They read as more old fashioned than some of the more recent YA books I have read, as does Lisa Marie. In some ways, this worked in the book's favor because I think it sends a clear message that racism is an ever present part of our society and is just as prevalent and scary as it was in the past. But the whole past/present setting made it difficult for me to always wrap my mind around the fact that this story was truly taking place in the now. And the fact that it is, that these acts are still occurring, is a powerful message that needed more oomph to me.

That being said, Lie is an incredibly approachable and realistic book on the topic of hate crimes. The discussion opportunities are endless and this book can be paired with other books to create dialogue and perhaps ideas on how to combat hate crimes in the future.

Hate is not always ingrained from parents or friends. Sometimes it's just complacency, the need to fit in, that drives these crimes. I would not say any of the characters (with the exception of Jimmy who I intensely disliked) were "bad" kids. They just did not think, they followed peer pressure, and they went too far and then did not want to deal with consequences. These actions have real life realities and it is in the voices of Carlos, the brother to Arturo, in Arturo's mother, in Skylar and Sean, that these realities have true bearing on lives.

Other reviews:
YA Book Shelf reviews Lie
Turn the Page reviews Lie
Stacked reviews Lie

Reviewed from library copy.