Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Wrapping it up

It’s the end of the month, so I’m wrapping up some loose ends. I realized that I mentioned a few books that I had started, or that I was in the middle of, but I never talked about finishing them. Silly me, here we go! I did finish The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy. It was excellent, but not an easy read. Again, I would recommend it to older teen readers that have an interest in the Military. 

I also finished Lemonade Mouth, and I loved it! It’s definitely a book I can highly recommend to almost anyone. It was reminiscent of E.L. Konigsburg’s The View from Saturday, which incidentally, I also loved. There’s just something about misfits and outcasts banding together to create something greater than themselves and unite a whole school. Lemonade Mouth specifically focuses on five freshmen who form a band, so if you like music, you’ll definitely like this book. And, it’s set in Rhode Island. Yes, my home state!! 


And rounding out the month, I finished Hourglass by Claudia Gray. Yup. Thought I was done with the series. Silly me, there are going to be four! What do I have to say to that? Vampires, and Wraiths, and Zombies, oh my! Oh wait…there are no Zombies…yet! What will you do next Ms. Gray? Shall we meet some Werewolves, Fairies, or Zombies, or will it be a fight to the finish Vampires vs. Wraiths? For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, go read the series! 

See you in April! 


March 25, 2010

Zombies, Frozen Lemonade, the Wild West & another opinion…

OK, here we go. I finished In the Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan Sunday night and to be totally honest, I’m not exactly sure what I think. First things first; it did keep my attention, in several spots I could feel myself almost rushing to read faster because I wanted to know what would happen. There were definitely some fantastic action scenes, and suspenseful moments. I also really liked the main character, Mary, but at times, her strength and determination to reach the fabled ocean seemed selfish. However, the author did a good job infusing the plot and action with some romance, and traditional teenage angst. Oh, and one more interesting note, the word “zombies” is never mentioned in the book. The “creatures” are called Unconsecrated, and then at the end, referred to as Mudo. Overall, this is a very readable book, and definitely makes you think. It doesn’t give all the answers, which I like. And of course, in keeping with the sequels theme of March, this is the first in the series. The second book, The Dead-Tossed Waves was just released on March 9th. Yup, another book to add to the list!

I just started Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes. Mark is actually coming to the library this Saturday to give a presentation, and sign books. (If you’re around, you should definitely plan to come! Check out our calendar of events for more information.) Now, let’s get back to the books. Mark has also written a book called, I am the Wallpaper, which I read and loved several years ago, and I am so excited to see him talk. I figured I should try to read Lemonade Mouth before he gets here on Saturday! Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that the book was set in Rhode Island, because I grew up there. Lemonade Mouth is about a group of five high-schoolers who find themselves on the fringe of the social scene, that come together to form a band. So far, it is really enjoyable, and Mark Peter Hughes describes High School life with such accuracy, it’s uncomfortable at times! Let’s just say the book has quite the opening, and only gets better from there. 

I also picked up a book called Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, and illustrated by Nathan Hale. Why is it a little odd that I picked this particular book up? Because it’s a Graphic Novel. Now, I have nothing against Graphic Novels, in fact, I know they are becoming extremely popular and many of them are high quality in both illustration and reading content. But, I never really got into comics, so it’s a little awkward for me to read in that format. However, this was a great first foray into the genre. Another strong female protagonist (sensing another theme here…well, it is Women’s History Month!), superb artwork and a super creative story. If you’ve always wanted to read a graphic novel, but weren’t sure where to start, give this one a try! And of course, they have come out with a sequel/companion book, Calamity Jack (and of course I’ll read it). 

And before I sign off, we have another comment; 

“I would like to share my thoughts on the Uglies series. Amanda, I definitely agree that the second one in the series was not very good. However, I think it is worth it to continue and finish the series. The third is a real improvement from the second and the fourth and final is amazing---- it introduces totally new and fresh characters and ties in the best aspects of the former three to create a really satisfying reading experience. Reba, I recommend it =). And don't give up during the second one if you can help it!
- Lucky 13

Alright Lucky 13, I promise, if I don’t get to the series before then, I will definitely read them this summer! 

Don’t forget, Mark Peter Hughes, live and in person this Saturday 3/27 at 2:00pm. See you there!! 

Thursday, March 18, 2010 

So, I’m currently reading Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy. This is not a Young Adult book, but it can be read and appreciated by teens, especially those who have an interest in the military, a military education, or even the military history of the United States. I will caution readers, that there is a lot of strong language and some disturbing content in this book, especially when the author describes the plebe system, and the initiation the freshman cadets go through. It is also set in the 1960s, and reflects a lot of the language and attitudes of that time period. I’ll keep you posted on my progress with it and let you know what I think. In the meantime…



…back to Sequels…they just never end! (Pun kind of intended.) For example, even though I need to start In the Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, not to mention finish Lords of Discipline, what did I just do? That’s right. Checked out a stack of books. Like, Hourglass by Claudia Gray, the third book in the Evernight series, and Captivate, the sequel to Need by Carrie Jones. I also grabbed The Hate List by Jennifer Brown. No, it’s not a series, or a sequel book, but another teen librarian told me it’s excellent and I have to read it. I’m in way over my head! Hopefully I can make some good progress this weekend. Anyway, I had a comment on sequels, here it is;

Dear Reba,
My name is Amanda. You said you want to read the Uglies series. My advice, don’t!!! The first is good, the second one is OK, but I didn’t even finish it because I just couldn’t get through it. All the people I know who were reading them stopped because they were so bad. I read the first House of Night book. It was also really good. I read half of the second book, Betrayed but then I stopped. It was good, and I don’t even remember why I stopped, I have to finish them though!!
-Amanda

Thanks Amanda! Your advice definitely helps. Now, I don’t feel as guilty about holding off on reading the Uglies series. I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually, but I’m in no rush! Anyone else there agree or disagree with Amanda? Let me know! Until next time, I’ll be feverishly reading. Reba 

March 15, 2010

Sequels 

One thing I love and hate about YA literature is the amount of sequels that exist. There are several excellent stand-alone books out there, but I feel like I always run into books that are part of a series. There are so many books where I have read the first, or the first two, but have not gotten to the rest.

Case in point, the Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare. I read City of Bones feverishly, I couldn’t put it down. I was both fascinated (and slightly repelled) by the story. For those of you who have read any part of this series, you understand which part repelled me. At the same time, I HAD to know! I wanted, no I needed, answers. So, of course, I read City of Ashes as soon as I could get my hands on it. A few more answers came my way, but not enough. Then, the final volume in the trilogy came out, City of Glass. And what did I do? Well, I checked it out…but I never read it! I don’t know what made me hesitate. Maybe I didn’t want the story to end, maybe I was a little worried about how it would end. Maybe I just got so caught up in other books. Regardless of the reason, this weekend, I did it. I finally finished the series by reading City of Glass. It was so good, excellent even. This series is definitely a must read. Cassandra Clare is releasing the first book in a new trilogy, the Infernal Devices series, which is also about Shadowhunters, but set over 100 years ago, in 1878. It is already on my to-read list!

So, other series and/or trilogies that I have part of but not all; The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray, Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard, Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz, Bloody Jack Adventures by L.A. Meyer, Echo Falls Mysteries Peter Abrahams, Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, Secrets of my Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.    

Series that I’m currently caught up on, and just waiting for the next book to be released, Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Evernight by Claudia Gray, A-List by Zoey Dean, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, and Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison  

Series that I have not read any books of yet, but I want to; Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz, Maximum Ride by James Patterson, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Gone by Michael Grant, Cat Royal Adventures by Julia Golding, House of Night by P.C. Cast, and Young Bond by Charles Higson.

 What about you? Any series to recommend or comment on?

March 8, 2010

Finished Graceling yesterday. It was excellent. Every good thing that I had heard about it was true; a strong, courageous heroine, a great plot and fast-paced action, complete with a fantastic setting. Fabulous! I think Kristen Cashore did such a great job creating a world, The Seven Kingdoms. I’m always impressed by fantasy novelists that create worlds. Half the time, even looking at the maps, I have no idea what they’re talking about, but this time, it made sense! I have already put Fire on hold. Fire isn’t necessarily a prequel to Graceling, they can be read independently, but they both take place in The Seven Kingdoms, and they do have at least one character in common. Has anyone out there read Graceling and/or Fire? Let me know what you thought!

March 6, 2010

Your recommendations and comments are coming fast and furious! I can barely keep up. But, I’m so glad that people are reading and responding to my posts, that I can’t complain. Here is a recent recommendation 

“I finished A Child Called It!!! Very sad and cruel but luckily, no tears, I didn’t cry.” – Shannon 

Shannon, if I had a dollar for every time someone recommended this book to me, I could retire! I can’t believe I have still never read this book. I know, what am I waiting for? I promise, I will add it to my list ASAP. However, like I said, a lot of people have talked to me about this book, and many of them also read They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings Michael Burch. It is another true story about a young boy facing abuse and abandonment. Dave Pelzer, the author of A Child Called It has also written The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family, and A Man Named Dave: A Story of Triumph and Forgiveness. 

I started Graceling Wednesday night, and it has been so hard to put down. I’m really liking it, so far it’s living up to the hype! 


March 1, 2010

OK, I’m torn. I finished Rampant by Diana Peterfreund. I loved the idea of this book. As I wrote in an earlier posting, I loved the originality, and the whole world that this author had created. Yet, I ended up not loving the book. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, and I would recommend it, but not highly. Parts of it were very good, others not so much. It just fell flat for me. I would have liked more character development with some of the girls; I think a lot of the warriors could have been more fully fleshed out. At times, I was supremely annoyed by the actions and immaturity of Astrid, Phil, and some of the other girls. Phil especially seemed like a selfish character, and Astrid more often than not just seemed to go along with whoever felt like bossing her around at the moment, whether it be her mom, Phil, or Cory. I didn’t expect the characters to be perfect or flawless, but towards the end they were kind of getting on my nerves. There were several inconsistencies, with both the plot and characters, and the ending felt rushed. I’m not sure why, since I’m pretty sure this book is the first in a projected series. But, with all that being said, I’d be willing to give the next book in the series another try. I just hope there is more character and plot development. 

My next book? I’m going to read Graceling by Kristen Cashore. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this book. And, it has a strong, female main character. So, in honor of Women’s History Month, I will start it ASAP! 

And, I had a comment e-mailed to me about the movie version of The Lightning Thief. 

“The lightening thief was a very good movie! However, I was with someone who had read the book who said there were a lot of differences. Luckily, she still liked the movie! And honestly, the movie is hardly ever as good as the book.” – Lucky 13

Thanks for the comment Lucky 13, I still haven’t gotten around to watching the movie, but I did see The Blindside this weekend. I had read the book, which was written by Michael Lewis, and it was amazing. If anyone out there is looking for a great book to read with a sports theme, this is it! Even cooler, Michael Oher is currently playing for the NFL, so it’s really neat to be able to follow his career in real time.