BOOKENDS
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
I'm sure, if you're a Twilight fan, you've already gobbled your way through Stephenie Meyer's newest in the series, Breaking Dawn. And if you haven't read it, you're probably on the waiting list for it at the library. But have you read the sci-fi piece Meyer wrote for adults? I read it this weekend, and truth be told, I think teens are a perfect audience for it. However, don't expect another Twilight.
The Host recounts the story of an alien that has been implanted into a teenage girl's body -- part of a movement to take over the human population by these parasitic beings that have conquered many worlds before. And usually they have very little trouble when they conquer new worlds -- but Wanderer has trouble overcoming her host body and mind, Melanie. Her Comforter and Healer cannot help her and Melanie will not disappear -- she continues to bother Wanderer until Wanderer is persuaded to help Melanie seek out her brother and her boyfriend in the depths of the desert. They almost die in pursuit of Melanie's dream, but are found and rescued by her uncle who takes her to an underground mansion of caverns where he is hiding with dozens of other humans who have escaped implanting -- dozens of others, including Melanie's brother and boyfriend. However, trust is difficult, and Melanie and Wanderer are considered dangerous and almost killed a number of times before they begin to be accepted by the group. But greater dangers erupt, putting the whole group at risk, and Melanie and Wanderer face a question of huge importance to themselves and to the others in the caverns -- if they stay, will they bring more danger to the ones they love, or should they go and let everyone forget their existence? Melanie has one answer, Wanderer has another.
This was a surprising read for me. I wasn't sure I would like this new Meyer book, having received mixed reviews about it from other readers. It moves Meyer away from vampire teen fantasy fiction into science fiction, but it continues her themes of impossible love made possible and also reminds us that the individuality of humanity is important and powerful. My verdict? I liked it and I dare you to read it.
FICTION Meyer

Labels: book review, good books, science fiction

~emily - 4:26 PM~
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READING NOTES
Just a couple of notes on a few things I've read recently.

I took a summer vacation last week, and what better to read than a mystery! I read Dead Days of Summer by Carolyn G Hart -- a Death on Demand mystery. I started reading Death on Demand mysteries way back when Hart started writing them, and I've been enjoying them ever since. I'm a little behind on the series, but that's OK. The series centers around a mystery bookstore on an island, and the owner-turned-sometime-sleuth, Annie Darling (though she doesn't start out as darling). There's mystery, death, books, and a bit of romance in these enjoyable mysteries; I definitely recommend them!

Next on my vacation reading list was Moonheart by Charles de Lint -- a fine modern fantasy combining the world of Ottawa, Canada with the Otherworld and time travel, and including wonderful interpretations of myth and legend. The perfect reading-in-the-woods-while-camping book, this is truly a magical title superbly written. An excellent advanced fantasy.

And last night I finished off by reading the newest Minx book, Water Baby. Up until now I have liked the Minx books for the most part, but this one didn't thrill me. It's a realistic fiction piece about a girl who gets her leg bitten off by a shark and is learning to cope with the adjustment. It's also about friendship and relationships. I was hoping to like it, but it left me feeling dull and empty.

Labels: book review, booklists, fantasy books, good books, graphic novels, mysteries

~emily - 1:18 PM~
0 comments

SUMMER MYSTERY
If you're looking for a summer beach mystery to take with you on your next trip to the shore, take a look at Death by Bikini by Linda Gerber. It's an entertaining murder mystery complete with a secluded island, a past-prime rock star, poison, spies, parents who don't understand, and a sprinkling of romance.
And if you like this one, there's a second coming out in September: Death by Latte (it's been ordered).

Labels: book review, chick lit, mysteries

~emily - 4:46 PM~
0 comments

BOOKENDS: Saga
Saga by Conor Kostick
To those on New Earth, Saga is another virtual reality role-playing game, like their Epic was. But they are becoming addicted, and many of the players can't pull themselves away from the game even to eat or sleep or brush their teeth. Within Saga, the characters are part of a real world ruled over by the Dark Queen. They have strict social class enforced by armed guards and electronics systems -- for most of the citizens, it is not a happy life. When players from New Earth discover that the citizens of Saga are real and that the Dark Queen is a threat to them all, they begin a revolution together, assisted by Michelotto (the Queen's assassin) and Ghost (a young girl with extraordinary talents and skills who has no knowledge of who she is). If they don't succeed in this revolution, thousands of lives will be lost to the Dark Queen's Saga.

As much as I loved Epic, I found this book a little difficult to get into. Narrators vary by chapter, and are difficult to follow in the beginning (the Dark Queen narration I particularly had problems with). The plot also starts off a little hazy and undefined. However, as the story starts to flow, things pick up and it soon becomes an enjoyable piece to read, full of social consciousness, implications of a greedy ruling class, the power of rebellion.

Y SCIENCE FICTION Kostick

Labels: book review, science fiction

~emily - 9:34 AM~
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BOOKENDS
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
Heads or tales. A simple coin toss and Naomi is off to retrieve the $3000 camera recently purchased for the yearbook staff -- and that's OK b/c she's co-editor of the yearbook this year. But on her way up the stairs of the school, she trips and falls and hits her head, clutching the camera in safety. The next thing she knows, she's being dashed off to the hospital in an ambulance with someone who says he's her boyfriend. But she doesn't remember him. She remembers her name, but she doesn't remember the year -- or her parents' divorce, or her best friend, or even why she was co-editor of the yearbook. With a simple conk of the head, Naomi has lost four years of her life; now she must set about rebuilding them, or remembering them, or reshaping them -- or whatever an amnesiac does.
What a great book. I've been wanting to pick it up since we got it, but it seems to be out all the time (which is a good thing). So I finally picked it up, on a weekend I was sick, and read through the whole thing quite quickly. Can you imagine, being an amnesiac in high school? Not remembering your classes or your friends or your clubs? School is crazy enough without all those other factors playing in. So to make it short, I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it.
Does mention sex and birth control.
Y FICTION Zevin

Labels: book review, good books, teen issues

~emily - 5:33 PM~
0 comments

BEING A FAN OF COURTNEY
I don't know which Courtney you're thinking of, but the Courtney I mean is Courtney Crumrin of the graphic novels by Ted Naifeh. We just received Courtney Crumrin and the Fire Thief's Tale, and I had the pleasure of reading through it over lunch on the lawn. A delightful tale of werewolves, magic, faith, and love. It's a simple story told in black & white, but full of things to make you think just a little, if you want to.
I'll take more Courtney Crumrin any day of the week.

Labels: book review, fantasy books, good books, graphic novels

~emily - 1:56 PM~
0 comments

COMMENTS ON RUMORS
Rumors: A Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen
I reviewed the first in this series not long ago. I would say that this one held up to The Luxe without any problems -- still a society story full of betrayals and secrets and lies and passions and dashed dreams and love and pride and gossip and sad endings. A just-right continuation of the first book in this series.

And don't forget, if you decide to read this book during the summer -- or any other book, for that matter -- that you can pick up a 10-hour reading paper and earn yourself a new book and an entry into our end-of-summer prize drawing. This year, we're giving out gift certificates to Newbury Comics and Best Buy.
You can track your reading online and share reviews by clicking on the Teen Summer Reading link on the left.

Labels: book review, books for girls, chick lit, historical teens, summer reading

~emily - 10:12 AM~
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BOOK: THE HUNGER GAMES
On Monday I finished reading a preview copy of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (author of the Gregor the Overlander series) -- and what a read it was!
In a future North America, the Capitol rules harshly over what was once 13, now 12, outlying districts. Every year, in order to remind the citizens of its power, the Capitol requires each district to send one boy and one girl as tributes to participate in a nationally televised reality show -- the Hunger Games -- in which 24 teenagers are trapped in a remote environment and forced to fight to the death on live TV. The last one alive brings wealth and glory to their district. When her younger sister is chosen as a tribute, Katniss volunteers in her place, knowing that she will probably not survive. But once the Hunger Games begin, she becomes a real contender, struggling to survive and win while retaining her humanity and stick it to the system.
My first reaction to this book was that it's harsh! My second was that it was similar in content to many stories that I enjoy reading about the end of our world as we know it -- all those futuristic dystopia tales of hardship and struggle and a controlling centralized government. So despite the difficult premise and the hanging ending (this is the first book in a trilogy), I liked it; read it in about a day. Not for the faint-hearted, however -- there's blood and death and weapons -- but there's also love and redemption.
We don't actually own it yet -- it doesn't get published until October, but be looking for it then!
Until then, try reading the Longlight Legacy trilogy by Dennis Foon.

Labels: book news, book review, good books, new books, teen issues

~emily - 12:53 PM~
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BOOKENDS
Airhead by Meg Cabot
Airhead, audio version
Meet Emerson Watts, Em for short. She pays more attention to school than to what she wears there, appreciates the computer game JourneyQuest more than the scads of fashion magazines her sister reads, and believes more in supporting small local stores than the new superstore opening close by. Coerced into accompanying her younger sister to the opening of the Stark Megastore (where there are all kinds of pop stars, models, etc), Em is gravely wounded when a giant plasma-screen TV falls from the ceiling and lands on her. The next thing she knows, she's in the hospital, a month later, hooked up to wires and machines all monitoring her bodily functions. Except that her body wasn't her body. All of a sudden, she has the body of a super model -- the super model, complete with contracts, BFFs, and everything. And she doesn't want it, doesn't want to be one of the so-called "walking dead."
I started this book by listening to it in my car, but then the hardcover finally arrived for me and I started reading and listening. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to finish it. And I enjoyed it; it was entertaining and took a good look at actually getting what many people think they want -- but not having a choice about it. Imagine having the regular life of a regular, nothing-too-special girl and then suddenly waking up in the hospital with a body to die for, except that it's not yours and you didn't have a choice about it and now you have to give up your whole previous life.... Definitely tough.
A reasonably interesting read; my biggest disappointment being that there was no resolution at the end -- just a first chapter of the next book. Whether this will be a long-running series like the Princess Diaries, I couldn't tell you, but I would have been happy to have Airhead finish up in one read. Guess I'll be waiting for the sequel.
Y FICTION Cabot

Labels: audiobooks, book review, books for girls, chick lit

~emily - 11:41 AM~
0 comments

FROM THE INTERN #5
Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
14-year-old Peewee and big brother Jake try to make their living fixin’ up automobiles in 1914 rural Indiana. Their lives are turned upside down first by a twister that tears up the local graveyard, and then by the arrival of beautiful Irene Ridpath and her charming gal friends who aim to reopen the long-closed, one-room library. Peewee and Jake have their adventures- a neighbor who thinks he still in the civil war, and an auto race at the County Fair. It’s a summer like Peewee has never had before. But the biggest surprise in the book comes at the end of chapter two!
Richard Peck is a really terrific author who has written many books. He often writes stories about teens from a long time ago, and his stories are often quirky and quite funny. He also wrote The Teacher’s Funeral, which is on the middle school summer reading Long List.

~From Erin

Labels: book review, intern, summer reading

~emily - 4:10 PM~
0 comments

FROM THE INTERN #3
A Stone in My Hand by Cathryn Clinton
Malaak is 11 years old. Her father is missing, her brother is rebellious and her country is at war. Every day Malaak sits with her companion- a bird named Abdo- on the roof of her house, waiting for her father to return and trying to stop her brother from joining the war. A Stone in My Hand is a story about the conflict in Gaza between the Israelis and the Palestinians, told from the point of view of a young person caught in the middle of it. It’s a terrific read, and it gave me a better understanding of a part of what is going on in the Middle East.
~Erin, YA Intern

Labels: book review

~emily - 1:33 PM~
0 comments

FROM THE INTERN #2
Breakfast at Sadie’s by Lee Weatherly
Sadie’s life is suddenly turned upside-down when her mother becomes ill and ends up in the hospital. It was bad enough before when Sadie was struggling in school, but now she also has to run her mother’s B&B on top of it! When her irresponsible Aunt Leona up and leaves to go on vacation, Sadie doesn’t think she’ll be able to manage on her own, but she doesn’t really have a choice: if she can’t run the B&B, her mother’s business will be ruined…

From the cover, I thought this was going to be some silly British chic-lit novel, but actually it’s a girl-power story. Sadie must learn to overcome her self-doubt and begin to believe in herself in order to make things work out. Breakfast at Sadie’s (nothing to do with Breakfast at Tiffany’s) is a fairly quick read and by the end you’ll be rooting for Sadie. Look for it in the new YA paperbacks.
~Erin

Labels: book review, books for girls, intern

~emily - 11:52 AM~
1 comments

BOOKENDS
Sure Fire by Jack Higgins & Justin Richards
Rich and Jade are 15 yr-old twins whose mother just died. Their father, whom they have never met, appears at the funeral and takes them back to his apartment. Shocked at the turn of events, Rich and Jade are suspicious and distrustful of their newfound father, especially when he starts talking about splitting them up to send to boarding schools. But when they follow him out of the house one day and see him beat up and kidnapped, they know there are problems afoot. And when a man, shot and dying, shows up at the apartment to ask for a sample of liquid their father supposedly has, the mystery only increases. Approached by strangers brandishing guns and unsure of whom to trust, the twins soon find themselves in the middle of an international incident, with their father at the middle.
Adult author Higgins teams up with the author of The Death Collector to present a book of action, danger, and mystery. The story moves right along, and there's not much depth to slow it down. A good quick read for the adventuresome.
Y FICTION Higgins

Labels: book review, books for boys

~emily - 10:36 AM~
0 comments

BOOKENDS
Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman
It's a high rolling bet -- that Max and Eric can't hack a deadbeat high school student into Harvard admissions without getting caught. It will take all the skills of their 3-man team to beat the Harvard system -- and what they don't know is that someone is working against them -- and the stakes are higher than they know. That's the premise of the story. Max, Eric, and Schwarz are assigned to turn Clay, a bully, irresponsible and uncaring, into the perfect Harvard candidate and get him accepted to the prestigious school. They must beat the SATs, ace the application essays, excel at the personal interview with an admissions officer, and join clubs and committees galore (real and fake) all in the name of Clay. It's dangerous and illegal, but they're determined to make it work, despite the odds... and the comptetition.
A fun story that may be interesting to those planning to attend college soon, or those who are interested in pranks and hacks, or those who enjoy a tale of friends and enemies and changing relationships. There's tension in the hack, stress between the team, money and futures at stake, and a few budding relationships that prove slightly dangerous.
Y FICTION Wasserman

Labels: book review, books for boys, books for girls

~emily - 10:05 AM~
0 comments

FROM THE INTERN
Hi everyone, I’m the new intern in the Teen section at the library. I’ll be here this summer doing… well, pretty much whatever Emily asks me to do! If I can help you with anything while I’m around, please let me know!

I just read Heaven by Angela Johnson. It's the story of 14-year-old Marley (a girl) who lives in the tiny town of Heaven, Ohio. Her life is pretty decent until the day her parents receive a letter addressed to Monna Floyd. Marley has no idea who Monna Floyd is, but the letter changes her life and makes her question everything she knows about her family. The story starts out a little slow, but it gets really interesting. Heaven is on the 6th grade summer reading list, and is pretty short, so you might want to check it out. By the way, Angela Johnson also wrote a book called The First Part Last, which is a spin-off novel (about one of Marley’s friends) and is also really good.

~Erin

*A note from Emily: The First Part Last is also on the summer reading list -- for 9th grade.

Labels: book review, intern, summer reading

~emily - 11:24 AM~
0 comments

BOOKENDS: 2 BOOKS
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Elizabeth Holland is one of the social ruling class of Manhattan in 1899. She is well-mannered, rich, from an important family, and of course, very beautiful. Her best friend is her greatest rival, her personal maid is jealous and vindictive, her sister finds her bland and weak-willed. When her mother tells her that their family has been left with heavy debts after the death of Elizabeth's father, it becomes Elizabeth's responsibility to save the family from poverty by marrying a young man of high social status and wealth -- a cad who has his own reasons for marrying her. But Elizabeth has a secret, a dangerous secret that could turn her family to ruin and must make her decide between true love and family responsibility. As events start turning, rumours, misunderstandings, and small tragedies abound, all leading up to the fateful day that was to be her wedding day....
If you like prince-to-pauper stories of social status, gossip, passion, mystery, tragedy, love, infatuation, pettiness, and wealth, this will be just the book for you. Set in Manhattan at the turn of the last century, it blends historical fiction with the difficult life of a teen socialite with heavy responsibilities and her own dreams for happiness. Each chapter is headed with a newspaper clipping or quotation from a magazine, and each chapter is told from a different viewpoint. It's a fun read that sweeps the reader along, almost like reading a gossip column or a tabloid.
The few sexual encounters are quickly glossed over and left fairly vague.
Y FICTION Godberson


Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Terrorists have attacked San Francisco, blowing up the Bay Bridge. Marcus and his friends, skipping school in favour of playing a game, are picked up by the Department of Homeland Security and taken to a prison where they are questioned and threatened. When all but one of them are let out and they find that their hometown has turned into a police state with every move of every person monitored every day, Marcus is determined to do something -- he wants to get back at the DHS for kidnapping his friends and torturing them. He believes that the government has overstepped its bounds of authority in taking away his freedoms and the freedoms of everyone else in San Francisco. So he starts his own private war, setting up an untapped internet and starting a movement that soon builds a life of its own.
A fascinating look at terrorism, technology, government policies and practices, and the rights of American citizens. The pacing was good, the story was good, and overall, it was mostly believable -- it reads like something that could happen today, tomorrow, or next year. I found it a hard book to put down and was even interested in the short technological tangents about hacking and software and gaming and such. A great book for techno-geeks, free spirits and freedom lovers, and fans of books like 1984 and Animal Farm. Of course, others will like it a lot, too. Recommended.
Sexual scenes and conversations included.
Y FICTION Doctorow
(For more on Little Brother, or for the audio download, see previous posts.)

Labels: book review, books for boys, books for girls, chick lit, friends, good books, historical teens, mysteries, new books

~emily - 9:08 AM~
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A COUPLE OF BOOKS
I took this past week to read some books from the Adult (!) section of the library, and in my previous post, I promised to share a couple of them with you today. (Sorry guys -- they're both kind of girly books.)

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen: a tree that tosses charmed apples, the herbs and flowers that have mysterious qualities growing in the same garden, an enchanted family of sisters and daughters and aunts and grandmothers, a prodigal sister returning home after running away from her abusive boyfriend, and a handsome new neighbour next door ferociously attracted to the other sister -- a recipe for a magical tale (think Practical Magic).

The Boy Next Door by Meggin Cabot: a light-weight chick-lit from the current queen of chick-lit -- attempted murder, the neighbour's very large dog, a girl who works as a gossip columnist, an ex-boyfriend, an irresponsible and angry nephew, a friend who owes a favour, New York sinkholes, and a case of mistaken identity; oh yeah, and did I mention the charming adorable perfect guy who also plays a main part? and it's told entirely in emails!

Both of these books were entirely fun and enjoyable, and I recommend them.

Labels: book review, books for girls, chick lit, fantasy books

~emily - 9:03 AM~
0 comments

BOOKENDS
The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose by Mary Hooper
When Eliza is kicked out of her home by her step-mother, she journeys to London to seek out her father, who has gone to the city to find work. But life on your own in London is difficult and she soon ends up in Clink Prison for stealing a bit of bread. Bought out of prison by Ma Gwyn, Eliza finds herself the embarrassed and reluctant beauty of a brothel house until Ma's daughter Nell rescues her. Nell is a star of the stage and a mistress to the king and introduces Nell to a life of glamour, politics, court, love, and money. But when her father tells her he's not really her father, and her aunt can't tell her of her parentage, Eliza feels lost and worried. Dependent on friends and strangers, with no family and no real home, Eliza wonders of she will ever discover where she fits.
I'm not generally one who's a great fan of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed this book. The writing is quite good, the setting is realistic, and the addition of actual characters and locations of the time give it an authentic feel. Eliza is endearing -- a true friend with concerns and worries and hopes -- easy to relate to. This is a book I definitely recommend.
Y FICTION Hooper

Labels: book review, books for girls, historical teens

~emily - 10:26 AM~
0 comments

BOOKENDS: Unwind
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
After the second Civil War, the Bill of Life was created, making it possible and legal for guardians to give up their child of 13-17 years for unwinding -- that is, the bodies of troublesome or unwanted teens could be harvested for parts, legally and lawfully. Connor, Risa, and Lev are three of these teens -- and they become unlikely companions when two of them try to escape their unwinding. Together they run from the authorities and discover the Graveyard, but not before their group is torn apart by betrayal.
The premise and plot of this book are wonderful -- gripping, thrilling, intriguing. Begs the question "How would I feel if my parents authorized my unwinding?" And I enjoyed the book -- I was definitely kept interested. The style of the telling I found a little difficult to handle -- every couple pages the point of view changes between characters, and not just the main characters, which is good and bad. Also, a number of typos distracted. Overall, however, a great futuristic thriller adventure.
Y FICTION Shusterman

Labels: book review, books for boys, books for girls, new books, teen issues

~emily - 4:33 PM~
0 comments

BOOKENDS: Standard Hero Behavior
Standard Hero Behavior by John David Anderson
The town of Darlington, long protected by Duke Darlinger from the ogres, orcs, witches, dragons, trolls, and other dangerous creatures that inhabit the woods surrounding the town, is now in very big trouble -- and the duke can't fix it this time. Unfortunately Mason, the young town bard, is the only one who knows about the real trouble. Since all of the town's heroes moved out and have been away for over 10 years, Mason and his friend Cowel head out onto the open road with a bag of gold coins in the hope that they can find a hero for hire. Along the way they run into an orange-haired witch, a bootmaker who killed off one of their heroes, a cross-dressing giant, an army of pixies, and more.
Two unlikely heroes off to save their families and the town they love and face multiple dangers along the way, eventually finding things they weren't expecting. This is quite an adventure for two friends to go on -- danger and comedy lurk together, and it has flavors of Will Allen's Swords for Hire. I enjoyed it and say it's a good middle-school book.
Y FICTION Anderson

Labels: book review, books for boys, books for girls, fantasy books, friends

~emily - 9:38 AM~
0 comments