St. Charles City - County Library District is ready to Conquer the MO Book Challenge!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Peach Keeper / Sarah Addison Allen / 387 pp
I would never have read a book by Sarah Allen if not for a friends recommendation of GARDEN SPELLS. I am eternally grateful that she did because I would have steadfastly passed by what Novelist classifies as MAGIC REALIST genre. Each of her books is a gem that stands alone for a unique read.
Roast mortem / Cleo Coyle / 350 pp
Silent Mercy / Linda Fairstein / 387 pp
Mystery / Jonathan Kellerman / 320 pp
Live Wire / Harlan Coben / 371 pp
Pat
The Land of the Painted Caves / Jean Auel / 757pp
Pat
The Fifth Witness / Michael Connelly / 421 pages
Fruits Basket Vols. 22 & 23 / Natsuki Takaya / 380 pgs.
I really enjoyed this series as all of the characters are nice to each other and they care about each other like a big family. Throughout the series, the characters will say something about how they view life and growing up, which at times gives the reader something to think about. I would recommend this series to any teen reader.
Fruits Basket Vols. 19 - 21 / Natsuki Takaya / 584 pgs.
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Potato Chip Puzzles/Eric Berlin/244 pgs.
Trouble / Gary Schmidt / 297 pages
Great read! Prejudice, forgiveness, and family themes permeate.
Shiloh / Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 144 p.
Newbery Medal
Movie
Death Note Vol. 4 / Tsugumi Ohba / 203 pgs.
Fruits Basket vol. 18 / Natsuki Takaya / 196 pgs.
The Inheritance/ Simon Tolkien/ 325 pages
11 Birthdays / Wendy Mass 267 p.
Mark Twain nominee
Emma and I / Sheila Hocken 67 p.
Devil’s Alternative / Frederick Forsyth 204 p.
Capricorn Stone / Madeleine Brent 173 p.
Flood / Richard Martin Stern 134 p.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
The Postmistress/ Sarah Blake/ 326 pp
In the midst of war, it's hard to believe that life goes on for others. This book examines those parallel realities -- the atrocity of war and normal life both occurring at the same time.
Marrying Daisy Bellamy/ Susan Wiggs/ 428 pp
Fruits Basket Vol. 17 / Natsuki Takaya / 188 pgs.
Light of the Moon / LouAnn Rice / 386 pages
Angels Fall/Nora Roberts/439 pgs
Reece Gilmore is a chef from Boston who is the only survivor of a massacre at the restaurant she worked at. She has left all that behind and is trying to settle down at least for a while in Angel's Fist Wyoming as a cook in the local diner. She is still haunted by what she has witnessed. One day while hiking in the mountains, she witnesses a woman being murdered. When she reports this to the local police, no one believes her because no evidence is found and due to her past mental health. One who does believe her is Brody, a mystery writer and romance of course ensues. This book was made into a TV movie and was an enjoyable read. Had my idea about who the guilty party was but Nora Roberts does keep you wondering who really did it.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Fruits Basket vol. 16 / Natsuki Takaya / 190 pgs.
Fruits Basket vol. 15 / Natsuki Takaya / 194 pgs.
Breaking the Rules/Suzanne Brockmann/507 pgs.
The Land of Painted Caves/Jean Auel/1248p(LP)
Pink Boots and a Machete:my journey from NFL cheerleader to National Geographic explorer/Mireya Mayor/301 pgs
This is a book about a girly girl raised by her Cuban mother, grandmother and aunt in Little Havana who grows up to be a National Geographic explorer. She was a cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins in college but fell in love with the thought of becoming a primatologist. She achieved her dream and the book is mainly about her explorations. The chapters are fairly short - each dealing mainly with one of her trips and there is tragedy but also some comedy. It was an enjoyable read about a girl who packs a little black dress along with her pink boots for each exploration - not your typical explorer.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Rin-ne vols 2 & 3/ Rumiko Takahashi/ 384 pages (2 books)
I love these books. It's like watching episodes from a tv show. They are funny & interesting.
I Am Number Four / Pittacus Lore / 440 pages
Matched / Ally Condie / 366 pages
YA
Seer of Shadows/ Avi / 202 p. / 2010 - 2011 Mark Twain Nominee
Fruits Basket vol. 14 / Natsuki Takaya / 195 pgs.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Mystery / Jonathan Kellerman / 320 pages
The Peach Keeper / Sarah Addison Allen / 273 pages
The Dawn of a Dream/ Ann Shorey/ 340 pp
The Promise of Morning/ Ann Shorey/ 322 pp
The Edge of Light/Ann Shorey/ 316 pp
Her Mothers Hope Francine Rivers/498 p.
The Perfect Match/ Susan May Warren/ 327 pp
Matched/Allyson Condie/366 pgs.
Tying the Knot/ Susan May Warren/ 343pp
Happily Ever After/ Susan May Warren/ 343 pp
Letters from Home/Kristina McMorris/ 357 pp
Shiver/Maggie Stiefvater/392 pgs
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Confessions of a Shopaholic/Sophie Kinsella/350 Pages
This book was pretty good, and very easy to read. I was done reading it before I knew it. It was a nice story, and had several humorous spots throughout. The characters weren't developed as well as they could have been, and considering the movie was rated PG, I was not expecting there to be so much language in it. The ending was OK, but kind of left you hanging, but there's several sequels, so I'm sure that will be taken cake of in the next book. I saw the movie first, and the movie doesn't follow the book much at all, really, except that the main characters have the same names and she has a shopping addiction, debt, and works as a financial journalist. That was a bit disappointing, because I actually liked the way the movie went with the storyline. But overall it was a nice book and I enjoyed reading it.
Moonflower Vine/Jetta Carlson/352pages
a farm near Renfro Missouri in the early days of the twentieth century. They bring
up four very different daughters during this time and each family member has
their own secrets and story to tell. The end of the book really stunned many of our book club members as it was a true surprise. If you like this book you would probably love to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, unfortunately this was the only novel ever written by Jetta Carlson.
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Dive from Clausen's Pier / Ann Packer / 370 pages
Blue Moon / Alyson Noel / 289 pages
Fat Cat / Robin Brande 330 p
Gateway Readers nominee
Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have / Allen Zadoff 311 p
Gateway Readers nominee
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon/Mark Di Vincenzo/144 pages
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Peace and Plenty/Sarah Ban Breathnach/412p.
Dogs & the Women Who Love Them/Allen & Linda Anderson/233 pgs
A Quiet Flame / Philip Kerr / 389 pages
Closed for the Season / Mary Downing Hahn / 182 pages
Shiver / Maggie Stiefvater 392 p.
Gateway Readers Award nominee
If I Stay/Forman, Gayle/259 pgs
Physics of the future/Michio Kaku/368p.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
A Red Herring without Mustard / C. Alan Bradley / 391 pages
Rin-ne vol. 1/ Rumiko Takahashi/ 180 pages
The Secret of Zoom/Lynne Jonell/ 291 pp
Mark Twain Award Nominee 2011-2012
Fat Cat/Brande, Robin/330 pgs
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Knitting Diaries/Debbie Macomber,Susan Mallery, Christina Skye/347 pgs.
The Last Chinese Chef/Nicole Mones/278 pgs.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother/Amy Chua/230 pages
Chua knows her methods are hard for Western parents to accept or even read. She does a good job of explaining the difference in the cultures. She assumes her way is better and produces less troubled children until her second child rebels against her. She learns to adjust as best she can. Since I am considered the "strict mom" in my children's group of friends, it was a delight to read what a truly crazed strict mom really is. Many of the passage are funny, but a fair number of them left me shaking my head.
Georgia Bottoms/Mark Childress/278 pages
This book was mildly entertaining but left me wondering "what was the point?" The style and storytelling strength of the author does make me want to look for his other books.
Heartsick / Chelsea Cain / 326 pages
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Tiger's Curse / Colleen Houck / 403 pages
Fallout/ Ellen Hopkins/ 665 pages
Friday, April 15, 2011
Blue Heaven / C. J. Box / 344 pages
The Wolf and the Buffalo / Elmer Kelton 149 p.
Bess and Harry : an American love story / Jhan Robbins 92 p.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
2011-2012 Gateway Reader Award Nominees
2011-12 Mark Twain Award Nominees
Out of Range / C. J. Box / 308 pages
Shaken / J. A. Konrath / 262 pages
Nowhere to Run / C. J. Box / 356 pages
Blood Trail / C. J. Box / 301 pages
As always, Mr. Box has written a page-turner!
Below Zero / C. J. Box / 342 pages
Great read!
Betrayal of the Blood Lily / Lauren Willig 401 p.
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June / Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 280 p.
Mark Twain 2011-2012 nominee
Prudent Advice: lessons for my baby daughter (a life list for every woman)/Jaime Morrison Curtis/197pgs
Fairy Tale Weddings/Macomber, Debbie/329 pgs
This is a book of two stories based on fairy tales - one is "Cindy and her Prince" ("Cinderella") and the other is "Some Kind of Wonderful" ("Beauty and the Beast"). Cindy is a cleaning person in a office building and is challenged to crash the Christmas party and meet her "Prince" - Thorndike Prince, the VP of the company. Of course they fall in love that night but he doesn't know who she is. In "Some Kind of Wonderful", Judy goes to live on a Caribbean island to help save her father's company from John McFarland who her father said is a Beast. Of course by the end of the stories, they all live happily ever after just like any good fairy tale. They were both very enjoyable stories - a good happy ending and who doesn't need that every once in a while.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
A Passion Denied/ Julie Lessman/ 475 pp
A Passioned Redeemed/Julie Lessman/ 479 pp
A Passion Most Pure/ Julie Lessman/ 477 pp
How it ends/Chris Impey/299p
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The City of Ember/ Jeanne DuPrau/ 270 pages
Monday, April 11, 2011
Fruits Basket / Natsuki Takaya / Vols. 9-13: 976 pgs.
Sarah's Key/Tatiana de Rosnay/ p 294
The Dark and Hollow Places / Carrie Ryan / 376p.
In this third and final book in the Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy Ryan, once again, creates a love story in the middle of terrible circumstances. If you liked The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves then you should eat this title up as well. As annoying as it is when authors turn a trilogy into more than three books, I would be willing to forgive in this instance - I am dying to know what happens next!
Freedom/Jonathan Franzen/ 562 p
Trash / Andy Mulligan / 232p.
I remember ordering this title because it had such good reviews but the topic (and, let's be real here, the cover art) did not appeal to me. The only reason I picked it up was because of the rave reviews during School Library Journal's Battle of the Books (it beat one of my favorites in the first round...). A quick and straight forward read, this book is a mystery about political corruption. While reading it, I was reminded of the movie City of God - mostly because it's about kids living in poverty in Brazil but also because that movie was something I wasn't excited about watching before I started it, but was very happy I did afterwards. I think if you can talk teens into reading it (tell them to overlook the cover) they should enjoy it.
Runaway Twin / Peg Kehret/ 197 pages/ Mark Twain Nominee 2011-2012
Halt's Peril/ John Flanagan / 386 pages
Secrets To the Grave/Tami Hoag/449 pgs.
Fatal Judgment/Irene Hannon/328 pgs.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Alexander McCall Smith / Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party / 213 pages
Friday, April 8, 2011
Ever After/Roberts, Nora/120 pgs
I Beat the Odds/Oher, Michael/250 pgs
Matched / Ally Condie / 369p.
I listened to this title on audiobook, read by Kate Simses, and it was really quite good. My one line sell of Matched by Ally Condie is: "Lois Lowry's The Giver but with the love triangle of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games." And if that doesn't make most teenage girls want to read it then I don't know what will!
Hate List / Jennifer Brown / 408p / Gateway Nominee!
Sapphique / Catherine Fisher / 462 p.
The overlong book, is at times confusing and tiring. So many action sequences are crammed into the book you start to wonder, "how many times are the characters going to be attacked?" The story wraps up quickly which (annoyingly) leaves some things unanswered and leaves out some events that would have made a better story than what was in this leisurely paced book.
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother/Amy Chua/229p
The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady/ Elizabeth Stuckey-French/ 334 pages
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The Wilder Life: My adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
This is an ARC book being released April 14th. It is for all the Laura fans. It is full of funny, interesting stories and Laura trivia as you follow Wendy McClure on her journey to visit all the sites in Laura world. I could so relate to so much of the book. By Golly, I'm going to buy a sunbonnet next time I see one. ( Wendy has 16, I think).
Not really ever meeting other die-hard fans except one, this book was a real treat. Now I need to back to Pepin, Wisconsin since they've built a cabin replica. (Wasn't there when I was) Also Prairie Days in Independence, Kansas.
Wendy McClure is going to be at the Schlafley Branch of St. Louis Public Library on Monday, May 16. I think she'll be a good speaker.
I recommend this book if you have read any Laura Ingalls Wilder books. She also wrote The Princess and the Peanut Allergy for young children. Quite good with great pictures.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Live Wire / Harlan Coben / 371 pages
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Prisoners in the Palace/Michaela MacColl/367 Pages
I found it to be a fast, easy read with a good storyline. It was well-researched and tells a lot about the social classes in the England of that time period. The writing style was very nice, and switched between narrative and journal entries in a way that wasn't confusing to the reader. This was the author's first novel, and if she writes another book I will be sure to read it.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Call Me Irresistible / Susan Elizabeth Phillips / 387 pages
Minding Frankie/Maeve Binchy/383 pages
Book of a Thousand Days/Hale, Shannon/305 pgs
The Weird Sisters/Brown, Eleanor/320 pgs
This book is about 3 sisters who are all named after Shakespeare characters - their father is a professor who specializes in Shakespeare (that's why the title - the three witches from Macbeth). It starts out kind of slow but by the end it does get better. The sisters did not really get along but learn to appreciate their differences.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Free Fire / C. J. Box / 352 pages
Another great Joe Pickett mystery. Great information on Yellowstone!!
In Plain Sight / C. J. Box / 305 pages
Great adventure/mystery story!
Friday, April 1, 2011
APRIL IS HERE!!!
I hope you are all enjoying the warm weather outside and with a good book! This is just a quick note to let you all know that the April Reading Challenge is posted. Check the "Bonus Points" Tab.