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~
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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~
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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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MYSTERIES & SHERLOCK HOLMES
Are you a Sherlock Holmes fan?
Do you love a good mystery?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, the new book Eye of the Crow may be just the book you've been waiting for. Author Shane Peacock tells the story of Sherlock's first case, while weaving the history of his young life.
A quick summary of the book?: A woman is found stabbed to death in London; the young Sherlock Holmes is drawn to the scenes and investigates the murder -- then he becomes a suspect himself.
Looking for another spinoff book? Orson Scott Card has written another Ender book. Find out about it here.

Labels: mysteries, new books

~emily - 2:06 PM~
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JOHN FEINSTEIN & SPORTS
I've been listening to NPR on my way to work in the mornings to help pass the time when all the songs on the radio and my iPod start sounding the same. However, since this is an irregular and recent thing, I was pleased when I heard John Feinstein give his reviews on the weekly sports. He's been on every week since 1988. Now, one may wonder why I was pleased to hear him -- but it's because one of my recent purchases in the YA department was his newest book Cover-up: Mystery at the Super Bowl, which joins a couple of his other sports mysteries -- Last Shot: a Final Four Mystery and Vanishing Act: Mystery at the US Open.

It's fun to have someone with such a sports pedigree writing these fun sports mysteries for teens -- if you're a sports fanatic, you can be assured that this author knows what he's writing about!

Labels: author news, booklists, links, mysteries

~emily - 10:46 AM~
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GET BOURNE!
The Bourne Ultimatum opens this Friday -- and what better way to celebrate and prepare than to watch the first two Bourne films on the BIG SCREEN!
We'll be starting the action at 1pm on Thursday August 2 and follow straight through. Come with friends, bring pillows or blankets, and let the chase begin!
It's free and open to all teens entering grades 6-12!

Come to the library and get on the trail of the one who doesn't want to be found!

Labels: friends, movies, mysteries

~emily - 3:09 PM~
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MYSTERIES LIST
Get a clue -- read a mystery!
The Teen Spies & Detectives quicklist has been updated on the FPL teen reads website. A few new series have been added (like C.H.E.R.U.B. and Traces) and a couple new titles. Take a look if you're in the mood.

We also still have our mysteries on display behind the new books featuring selections like:
Ruby In the Smoke
The Callender Papers
Last Shot
SilverFin
Black Mirror

Find all kinds of mysteries in the YA area by clicking here or here.

Labels: booklists, catalog, mysteries

~emily - 11:22 AM~
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