Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Clara and Mr. Tiffany/ by Susan Vreeland/ 405 p

This is the fictionalized account of the genesis of the famed Tiffany Lamp. Louis Comfort Tiffany longs to live up to his father's expectations while staying true to his own love of art and beauty. Clara Driscoll works for Tiffany's in the women's division. She conceives the idea of taking the award winning stained glass window and making them into lamp shades. This book follows Clara's struggles -- for recognition, for women's rights, for love.

Lost in Shangri-la : a true story of survival, adventure, and the most incredible rescue mission of World War II /by Mitchell Zuckoff/384 p

During the last days of World War II a plane crashed on a South Pacific island where white men had rarely been. Sightseeing trips over "Shangri-La" were a way to reward military personnel and relieve boredom. The plane crashed leaving three survivors fighting to stay alive in the unforgiving jungle. The book introduces us to the two men and one woman who overcame the odds to be rescued. Along the way, they run into primitive tribes who by dumb luck decide not kill them. Although luck does play a part, mostly their tenacity and bravery keep them alive long enough for the odds defying rescue mounted by the military. There's action, sexual tension and intense emotion --I can see this book becoming a great movie.

Save Me/ Lisa Scottoline/ 370 p

Susan Pressman is volunteering at her daughter's school when an explosion occurs. Suddenly she is faced with a decision, save her daughter's bullies or go searching for her daughter who had just run from their relentless teasing. Susan's decision results in one child saved and the other in serious condition. Guilt from Susan's past pushes her to find out what caused the accident. Her amateur sleuthing turns life threatening when she uncovers more than she should.

I found the plot of the story to stretch the realms of credibility but it was an entertaining read.

Tea for Two/ Trish Perry / 238 p

Milly's Tea Shop is the backdrop of this sweet romance. Tina Milano is a counselor who facilitates a discussion group at the shop. Zack Cooper is a local farmer and single dad who delivers fresh produce to the shop. When Zack shares with Milly the difficulty he is having with his two teenagers, Milly suggests that Tina might be able to help. Soon an attraction develops between them. But difficulties from their pasts threaten the budding relationship.

Heaven is for real : a little boy's astounding story of his trip to heaven and back / Burpo, Todd. / 163 p.

Cute Kid by the way.
A very quick read, most people could get through this book in less than 2 hours.  This non-fiction book is written in first person as a Father (Todd Burpo) describes the harrowing account of almost losing his 4 year old Son due to a sudden illness.  The little boy recovered, but soon after started telling his parents that while he was being operated on at the hospital that he left his body and went to heaven and meet God, Jesus, John the Baptist, Mary, his Grandfather and other.  Over time more and more pieces of the story of his trip to heaven is told to his parents and recounted in this book.  Setting my personal opinions and feelings aside; I think the father does a good job trying to recount exactly what he said & asked his son about the trip to Heaven.  He also tries to just state the facts as he sees them without trying to put his influence on them.  And even though Mr. Burpo is a pastor by profession, I was very glad to see that the book wasn't overly preachy       

A Turn in the Road/Debbie Macomber/333 pages

Bethanne Hamlin's husband left her to marry a younger woman. That marriage didn't work, and now her ex-husband realizes what he lost and wants to reconcile with Bethanne and their children. As she travels cross-country with her ex-mother-in-law and her daughter, they hit a few bumps in the road. Each of the women contemplate taking different paths in their romantic lives.
Usually this author follows several families in her books. This book only followed one family. A little repetitive but kept me guessing all the way to the end.

Monday, May 30, 2011

How to Marry a Duke/Vicky Dreiling/413 pgs.

Vicky Dreiling's debut regency novel is very entertaining. Matchmaker Tessa Mansfield has taken up the challenge of providing a match for Tristan, the Duke of Shelbourne. It's not an uncommon regency romance plot, but there is a depth to the characters that isn't always present in this genre. There is, in addition to romance, blackmail, secrets, and humor. There is a preview of the author's next book which looks as entertaining as this one was.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Demonglass (Hex Hall Series #2) / Rachel Hawkins / 359 p.

After learning that she is capable of dangerous magic, Sophie Mercer goes to England with her father, friend Jenna, and Cal hoping to have her powers removed.  In England, she learns more about her family's history and about the world of Witches, Demons, and other magical creatures.  However, Sophie quickly learns that the Secret Society called "The Eye" is out to destroy her to protect humanity, and they are closing in on her.  Sophie also runs into her crush/ex-boyfriend Archer Cross who is now working for The Eye full time.  

This book has a lot more action than the first one and is less Harry Potter-ish.  Sophie is extremely sarcastic which makes for some pretty good comebacks and remarks.  I would say this series is a fun, light read.

Lucky Stiff/Deborah Coonts/364 pgs,

This is the second Lucky O'Toole series entry. It stands on its own merits, but one should really read the first one in the series, Wanna Get Lucky? to get the full feel of the characters and their relationships. Lucky O'Toole, the main character in the series is the head of Customer Relations for a premier resort, the Babylon, in Las Vegas. However, she always manages to get involved in a murder mystery. There is suspense, humor, romance--all the ingredients for a fast and entertaining read. I can't wait for the next entry!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Anna and the French Kiss / Stephanie Perkins / 372 p.

Anna is sent to an American boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school.  She is angry that she has to leave her best friend and almost boyfriend and move half way around the world.  Luckily, she immediately makes new friends, including a gorgeous French/American boy with a British accent named Etienne St. Clair.  The rest of the story is about the developing relationship between Anna and St. Clair.  The author also does a great job of describing Paris and its sights and sounds.  I've never been to France, but after reading this book I really want to go and see the landmarks that are described in the book.  I think teen girls who enjoy Romances would love this book.  The book is clean, so I would have no reservations in recommending it.   

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Love, Aubrey/ Suzanne LaFleur/ 262 p.

Mark Twain Nominee


This story is about a girl struggling to get on with life after her father and sister are killed in a car accident and her mother, who is totally depressed, abandoned her at home.


Did you guess? It's a Mark Twain book.




It is well written and really hits a lot of points about depression, grief, and how difficult it is to move on. Life doesn't always turn out the way people wish, but Aubrey learns to cope. A little too easy is a ready-made best friend living next door to grandma who is generally amazingly understanding. Other than that, the story moves along with just enough detail and scenes and doesn't get preachy.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Live Wire/Harlan Coben/371 pages

Myron Bolitar is back in a new adventure. He has developed quite an edge from the early novels that featured him. Harlan Coben never disappoints, and this story is no exception. Coben is known for twist endings. While Live Wire isn't completely surprising, it does have a few twists. Myron must unravel several different stories and lies that affect him on a very personal level. Finding the answers and solving the problems lead to some major changes in his life. It may be a while before we have another Myron Bolitar novel. But, his nephew Mickey (short for Myron) will be featured in a Young Adult novel in the fall.

The Goodbye Quilt/Susan Wiggs/224 pages

Linda Davis has spent her life raising her daughter and preparing her to leave the nest. Now that it's time, she wonders what she will do with her life. This story shows Linda's ambivalence (and eventually Molly's too) about Molly's leaving home to pursue a dream while being so far from her family and friends. Linda creates a patchwork quilt for her daughter, using items from her daughter's childhood, as she and her daughter Molly travel cross-country to deliver Molly to college. She discovers things about her own life as well as Molly's which help her to resolve her situation. Anyone who has sent a child off on their own will be able to identify with the Linda's feelings.

44 Charles Street/Danielle Steel/319 pages

Due to changes in her personal life, Francesca Thayer is forced to seek boarders in order to keep the home she loves. She is very selective in her choices and finds an eclectic group living with her. This story tells of the interaction of this group. Like most of Danielle Steel’s novels, this story contains mild drama, friendship, romance, and heartbreak.
Usually her books bore me because she repeats so much in the initial setting of the plot, however this book moved along more smoothly. It also had a predictable ending.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Farwalker's Quest / Joni Sensel / 372 pages

War ended civilization as weapons caused blindness and nearly everyone died.   Ariel and Zeke are ready for Namingfest where they will discover which trade they will apprentice to.  Zeke and Ariel discover a message dart in Zeke's tree.  The storian interprets it and keeps it.  Zeke's passes his Naming Test and becomes a tree singer, but Ariel fails her test as healer when she brings one deadly herb back.  She is kidnapped by two finders, Elbert and Scarl.  Her mother is killed by Elbert.  Ariel is slung over a horse inside a bag and kept tied until Zeke comes to her rescue.  Discovering Zeke is a stone singer and Ariel is a farwalker, they attempt to avoid Elbert and his companions and go on a quest that results in more bloodletting, but nofinal resolution.  The vault they seek is on the reverse side of flagstones in Tree Abbey.  Book 2, The Horn of Moran, promises to complete the story.

Great adventure story, but definitely a YA book!

2011 Truman Award Nominee

With this book I have read the entire list of 2011-2012 Truman Award Nominees!

PINOCCHIO, VAMPIRE SLAYER by Van Jensen & Dusty Higgins - 128 pages

First there was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies followed by Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters which led to an increasing number of books pitting real historical figures (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter; Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter) & other well-known fictional characters (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Undead; Little Women and Werewolves) against supernatural creatures. When I saw the black, red, & white cover of this book I simply HAD to read it just to find out WHAT IN THE WORLD they were doing with Pinocchio!!

The basis for this graphic novel is the original Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, NOT the Disney version of the story - far from it! Poor Pinocchio, he's still a wooden puppet and still has that little problem with lying & a nose which grows every time he does. But that wooden nose is coming in quite handy these days... Geppetto, his beloved father, has been killed by vampires which are overrunning Pinocchio's home village of Nasolungo. And our little wooden boy has developed quite a chip on his shoulder because no one believes him when he tells them about fighting with vampires (despite the fact that his nose doesn't grow when he relates the tale) and things are getting worse every night.

The interior artwork is strictly black & white but well-suited to the subject matter with dark images and the violence involved in destroying vampires. The mood is somber but there is humor too and even a slight touch of romance plus a 2nd volume was published in 2010: Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer: the Great Puppet Theater. If you just can't get enough of classic literature and the supernatural, then this may just be a book for you to check out. :-)

And to tease you some more, click on the following link to learn about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer (the movie) -- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1611224/

Monday, May 23, 2011

The Cardturner / Louis Sachar / 336 pages

Get the Book on CD and listen to this! You won't be sorry. It's read by the author and he does an amazing job of channeling the 17 year old boy who is the main character. This book has been highly recommended but I had absolutely no desire to ever read it because the story revolves around the game of Bridge..ugh. Instead, I am totally won over by the book which is the awesome story of Alton Richards who is the cardturner for his bridge-playing Uncle who has lost his vision due to diabetes. Alton learns a lot about the game of Bridge but more importantly, the game of life from his crusty, old rich Uncle Lester Trapp. The author does a good job of making Bridge seem like a game of solving puzzles and skillful play that you and your partner must use to score more points than your opponents.

Hiss of Death: a Mrs. Murphy Mystery / Rita Mae Brown / 217 pages

Anyone who likes animals would like these cozy mysteries starring two cats (Mrs. Murphy & the cantakerous Pewter) and a Corgi dog (Tucker). All are pets of the very curious and fiscally conservative farmer, Mary Minor Hairsteen, who gets herself involved in all sorts of murder and mayhem. The pets solve the mysteries and protect their owner. Really, if only we knew what animals were saying, we'd be much better off! This title focuses a lot on breast cancer and the experience of going through treatment. All of the books take place in the horse country of Virginia, have the same small town characters, and include humor as well as the elements of mystery. The animals are constantly amazed at human nature; everything would be much simpler if we thought like animals!

Vision in White/Nora Roberts/343 pgs




This title is book 1 of the Bride Quartet. It is the story of Mackensie (Mac) Elliot, the wedding photographer for Vows. Vows is a wedding planning group which is owned by Mac and her 3 friends; Parker, Emma and Laurel. Mac is the daughter of divorced and very much remarried parents and does not believe in forever after in her case. Then she meets Carter - the brother of a client and well you can pretty much guess the rest. The story is very enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next title - "Bed of Roses" - Emma's story.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

It Happened One Season/Stephanie Laurens et al/420 pgs.

Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D'Alessandro, and Candice Hern have each written stories containing the following elements: a hero returning from war and reentering society; a heroine who has been unsuccessful in society (close to being "on the shelf"); and the hero's older brother has only sired daughters, so the hero must marry with the hopes of producing a male heir. It's an enjoyable read seeing how each author weaves these elements into a regency romance.

Eve/Iris Johansen/378 pgs.

If you have never read the Iris Johansen "Eve Duncan" series, this isn't the book to begin with. Although it is the first book in the the Eve, Quinn, Bonnie trilogy, it is most likely the beginning to bringing a conclusion to what has escaped Eve Duncan in the previous books in the series. For the first time, the reader finds out the name of the likely murderer of Eve's daughter, Bonnie. As with all of the books in this series, Johansen leads the reader through plot twists and turns, with varying degrees of suspense--I love this series, and can't wait for Quinn's story!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Bull Rider / Suzanne Morgan Williams / 241 pages

Cam O'Mara is a skateboarder who has no desire to be a bull rider, even though his Grandpa and his brother, Ben, are champions. Ben, a Marine, was "blown up" by an IED in Iraq.  He has brain trauma, has lost a portion of his left arm, and is paralyzed.  Cam loses a bet with Darrel.  Darrel beats him at skateboarding so Cam has to ride a bull.  He discovers that he like it.  The O'Mara family has to deal with Ben's recovery.  Grandma Jean, his Mom's mother, comes and involves Cam in various hi jinks.  His Grandpa Roy refuses to sell calves.  He doesn't want to jeopardize the future for the present.  Cam's mother quits her job to be present for Ben.  Cam is grounded for bad grades and for riding bulls.  Cam rides Ugly and wins a bet with Ben to keep trying.  Bull Rider is a great book about family dynamics, the heartbreak of war-related injury, determination, and the meaning of integrity.

2011 Truman Award Nominee

The Cupcake Queen / Heather Hepler / 242 pages

Penny Lane was so named because her father loved the Beatles.  He and her Mom have separated and she has had to leave New York City to live in Hog's Hollow, which she hates, especially when she discovers that she will be going to school there.  Her Mom operates a bakery named The Cupcake Queen.  Penny designs and decorates cupcakes and wishes that her Mom would talk to her about the separation.  After a disaster at Charity's birthday party, Charity becomes Penny's sworn enemy and instigates cruel locker pranks and gossip.  Penny is befriended by Tally, Blake, and Marcus.  Both Tally's Mom and Dad have abandoned her and she lives with her artistic Aunt Poppy.  Marcus's Mom died in a boating accident and Penny meets him and Sam, his dog, while walking the beach.  Marcus's Dad, Mr. Fish, was lost after the death of his wife, but is starting to find himself as he creates the solar system to honor his dead wife.  Penny decides to live with her Mom in Hog's Hollow and wins the contest to design the float.

2011 Truman Award Nominee

Pop / Gordon Korman / 260 pages

Marcus Jordan has just moved to a small town in New York from Kansas so that his newly divorced Mom can take photographs for a book she is writing.  He moves with mixed feelings.  He is glad to get away from his Dad, a control freak, whom he called Comrad Stalin.  Marcus loves football and hopes to play varsity.  While practicing in the park, he is joined by a 50-something athletic man who teaches him excellent technique, including how to "pop" tackle.  They also break a window, vandalize a bug store, and TP the same store - at least Charlie does, and Marcus, whom Charlie calls Mac, is blamed and is facing trail.  He has discovered that his mentor is an NFL football great and refuses to name him and divulge his Alzheimer's.  Alyssa, the head cheerleader, makes a play for Marcus to make the quarterback, Troy, Charlie's son, jealous.  Marcus finds Mac and they take Charlie to Homecoming.  All does not end well.

2011 Truman Award Nominee

Peter Pan / J. M. Barrie 234 p.

This classic tells the story of the Darling children as they follow Peter Pan to Neverland—a magical world where fairies live and children fly and, where the Indians, Hook and the crocodile are ever in pursuit. I was surprised when Tinker Bell is saved by the audience just like as in the movie. I didn’t remember that Peter comes back into Wendy’s life when she is a mother and her daughter Margaret flies away for spring cleaning as will Margaret’s daughter in time. A fun fact: Tinker Bell makes an appearance in Inkheart--another book I reading.

Movie

The Potato Chip Puzzle / Eric Berlin 244 p.

Winston Breen is addicted to puzzles—all kinds of puzzles: word puzzles, number puzzles, crossword puzzles—give him a puzzle and he is happy. Winston and his pals are on the team when he solves the entry puzzle from Simon’s Snack Foods. The junior high school team that solves all the puzzles first wins the big prize--$50,000. The cheater adds the mystery. The book is packed with puzzles which may be downloaded from: www.winstonbreen.com I liked doing the puzzles. I just had to do them before I moved on in the story. What fun.

Mark Twain nominee

Toys/James Patterson/364 pgs




I love James Patterson's books but that being said this is not one that I would suggest reading. It has his signature short chapters but it starts out very slow. I almost gave up reading it after about 20 chapters but kept on trying to get thru it. I am glad I did - it did start to pick up but the whole idea of the story just didn't appeal. It takes place in the future and the country is being run by Elites which are hybrids of humans and machines. Humans are called skunks and treated very badly. The main character, Hays Baker, is supposed to be an Elite but he does find out that he really isn't. The way this end it could become a series but I will not be reading anymore of them.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Diary of a Wimpy Kid / Jeff Kinney 217 p.

Greg Heffley keeps a journal NOT a diary during 6th grade. He wants to be popular…he can’t make best dressed, loses his race for school treasurer, and gets the school cartoonist job. The cartoonist job is a wash because the teacher edits his stuff beyond recognition yet uses his friend’s. Kinney ably portrays young male adolescents in all their travails of middle school all the while making me laugh out loud. Check out the cartoons.

Movie

Orphan Train / James Magnuson and Dorothea G. Petrie 201 p.

In 1853, Emma Symns of the Children’s Aid Society is mildly courted by daguerreotypist Frank Carlin while transporting the orphans to rural Illinois. There are lots of happenings: hoedown, Uncle Tom’s Cabin play, death, runaway slave. All in all rather insipid telling of the orphans trains.

Nanny Diaries / Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus 305 p.

It’s Manhattan, Park Avenue, where NYC senior works as a nanny. Nan signs on with Mrs. X to provide 12 hrs. /week of child care for 4 yr. old Grayer. Demanding, manipulative Mrs. X morphs the job into Nanny doing everything for her son plus being her personal assistant. The story is fast-paced and told with a satirical wit. I enjoyed how Nanny would spout a wonderful answer while mentally muttering under her breath.

SCCCLD has this as an offering Book Club to Go section.
Movie

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Sugar Plum Ballerinas Plum Fantastic/ Whoopi Goldberg/ 151 p





I couldn't believe that Whoopi Goldberg would write a book about ballet. Wow. She did. and it's really interesting. She did write the book with author Deborah Underwood, but it's still a fun book, and first in a series.


It is well written about a girl who would rather be a speed skater than a ballet dancer and her move to Harlem in NYC. It's a friendship book, a problem-solving book, and an all around good book. The girls happen to be black, but it is secondary to the plot. There is no preachiness, just good writing and creative ending. I am reserving the next one.


White Cat/ Holly Black/ 310 pages

White Cat is the first book in the Curse Workers series. I really liked the book, after I made it 1/2 way through. The first half of the book was kind of confusing, but I think that it was really setting up the whole series. And the book is told in first person and poor Cassel doesn't know what's happening to him either, so I suppose that helps to give you a better sense of how confusing all this curse worker stuff is to him too. This is a modern day society in america, but everyone wears gloves on the off chance that they are a "worker" or someone with the ability to curse others. But, cursing has backlash and of course not everyone uses their abilities for good.

Rin-ne Vol 5/ Rumiko Takahashi/ 188 pages

In this volume, Rin-ne has further dealings with his father, who he is working against to save souls from passing on before they are ready. Sakura & Ageha struggle with their feelings towards Rin-ne. And Rin-ne pines for Sakura. I'm ready for vol 6, but it's on order, so now I wait...

The Longevity Project/Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin/222 p



This book presents and interprets the findings from the famous 80 year Terman study of longevity. The study itself followed 1500 school age children in California from 1921 until around 2001. Most of the subjects had been born in 1910 and most would have been considered to be from"middle-class" backgrounds. Factors contributing to long life and shortened life are covered in some detail. Many of these factors are intuitive and logical conclusions, but there were a few surprises; mostly to do with gender differences. Included in each chapter are short quizzes, so you can self-score your potential long life. Examples are "Life Satisfaction" (important) and "Physical Activity" (not as important as you might think, at least not vigorous exercise). Interesting read.

Save Me / Lisa Scottoline / 373 pages

The author poses an ethical dilemma. If there is a life or death crisis, do you save your own child or the children at hand? She explores the depth and character of a mother's love. She also addresses our litigious society and how legal advice influences our desire to do the right thing. Scottoline throws in how our past can haunt us until we resolve those issues. Then there's the international company (& a US Senator) that looks at the bottomline instead taking appropriate action. There's an awful lot in this book that the author somehow pulls together into a suspenseful plot. It's a quick read with a lot to think about. I thought it was more about the issues than the story though and the plot was driven by having everything turn out the right way.

The Scarlet Pimpernel / Emmuska Orczy / 267 pages / Adapted Into Movie

Romance, adventure, intrigue, history.  This book has been my favorite for a few years now.

A daring emglishman, known only as the Scarlet Pimpernel, has been rescuing French Aristocrats headed for the guillotine and bringing them safely across the channel to England.  He is nearly worshiped in English society, but is hated by the French.

The beautiful Marguerite Blakeney, the French wife of the very handsome, very rich, but very stupid Percy Blakeney, has been approached by a leader of the French government with an either-or choice that will decide the lives of those that she loves the most:  Give up the location of the Scarlet Pimpernel, or her dear brother will die.

After fearing that she has betrayed her husband, she sneaks over to France to try to save him and her brother from certain death.

The book has well-created characters and lots of background information and details to give the story move believability and spice.  It has been adapted into at least two movies and a musical, and a newer book series by Lauren Willig is also based loosely on the original book.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Linger/Maggie Stiefvater/360 pgs




This is book 2 of the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. Sam is trying to get used to the idea that he will no longer change into a wolf and Grace is hiding her love for Sam from her parents plus she is feeling ill and afraid she may be going to become a wolf. We learn more about the new wolves, Cole & Victor and Isabel is falling for Cole. This was a good book and I can't wait for the conclusion, "Forever" to be published in July.

A Bittersweet Season/Jane Gross/322 p



This book is a compilation of the reporter/author's blog for the New York Times detailing her experience in caring for her declining elderly mother. And she spares few unpleasant details. Informative and a little unsettling for anyone at this time in their life. The author is a bit unique in that she is unmarried and has no children, so she and her brother have to deal with every aspect of their mother's care between them, including the decision that their mother needed to be in a nursing home. To which their mother, cognitively intact but physically declining, agreed. The author gives some good advice (keep the elderly out of emergency rooms at all costs) and strikes a chord with her insights ("...the traffic jam of ambulances outside assisted living facilities everywhere and, in the parking lots, the daughters slumped, weeping, in their cars.") Well worth reading.

Brother Odd/Dean Koontz/364 pgs



This is title number 3 in the "Odd Thomas" series. It was probably the most supernatural of the series so far. Odd is now living in a monastery hoping to get some peace in his life but now strange things are happening there. One of the monks is missing and feared dead and Odd is seeing strange creatures that he has a very bad feeling about. This is truly a book about good vs evil.

Where She Went/Gayle Forman/264 pgs




This title is the sequel to "If I Stay". It is now 3 years after Mia's family was killed in the car accident and she is living in New York City. Adam is now a rock star living in LA with a movie star, but his life is falling apart. He is in New York City for one night before he starts a European tour and ends up going to a concert that Mia is having. They get back together to talk and well you have to read the rest of the book to find out what happens. This title is told for Adam's perspective and this one was also a very good book.

The Other Life/Ellen Meister/312 pages

What if you could return to the road not taken? Would you and would you choose to stay there or come back? Those are the questions that Quinn must answer. Since she was a child, she has been aware of portals around her that would take her to her "other life." Only once did she start to make the journey only to change her mind. Now she's faced with a terrible choice and the "other life" is beckoning to her. Good story that pulls you in.

Ain’t she sweet / Susan Elizabeth Phillips 400 p.

Sugar Beth Carey returns to Parrish Mississippi where as a teenager she ruled the town. As leader of the Seawillows she decided what was cool and what was not. She terrorized her illegitimate half-sister Winnie Davis. Her tale of misconduct gets her new teacher Englishman Colin Byrne fired—unjustly. Broke, she returns to find her aunt’s legacy-- a valuable painting. The tables have turned: Winnie has married Sugar Beth’s former boyfriend and is head of the Seawillows; Colin, a successful writer, owns the Carey’s mansion. All the stored up hurts are ammunition to hurt Sugar Beth. This showcases Phillips talent with dialogue and characters.

Boy in the Striped Pajamas / John Boyne 216 p.

In 1942, nine year old Bruno moves from Berlin to ‘Out-With’ where his father is the new Commandant. He longs for Berlin where his grandparents and three best friends live. In ‘Out-With’, without anyone with which to play, he entertains himself with exploring. He meets a boy his own age who shares his birth date. Bruno finally has a friend – a friend in striped pajamas who lives on the other side of the fence. Bruno even in his naivety instinctively elects to keep Shmuel a secret. They never play together or even touch until Bruno’s last day at ‘Out-With’. This shows how Bruno and even his father following the ‘rules’ lead to a sad conclusion. Use with bullying and fearfulness to stact discussions. For readers years older than 9.

Movie

Monday, May 16, 2011

13 Little Blue Envelopes / Maureen Johnson / 321 pages

Ginny's Aunt Peg was a free spirit, passing up a full college scholarship, she worked a year, went to a small college in Vermont, then moved to New York, living above a Chinese restaurant.  Ginny had visited her there as Peg worked a variety of jobs.  They often played the "today I live in...game".  It had been a while since Ginny and her Mom had heard from Peg.  Her phone had been shut off due to unpaid bills.  They went to New York to check on her only to discover that she had gone to Europe where she died of cancer at 35.  Now, through 13 little blue envelopes, she has sent Ginny on a real life "today I live in ...game. Ginny follows the instructions in the envelopes and embarks on an unusual European pilgrimage.

"Talent alone doesn't make an artist.  You need a little serendipity, a little luck, and a little boost."

Best Book 2006

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Adventurers Wanted: Slathbog's Gold / M. L. Foreman / 387 pages

Alex Taylor lives with his stepfather and stepbrother in a modern world with cars, etc.  His stepfather screams a lot.  Alex escapes one day to walk the town as he has broken glasses and needs to cool off.  He sees a sign in a shop window that says "Adventurers Wanted."  It is a magic sign and can only be seen by true adventurers.  Alex agrees to go on an adventure to kill the dragon Slathbog and claim his treasure horde.  He acquires a magic bag which has rooms and holds everything he needs.  He also goes to get a weapon and discovers that he is a wizard and a warrior.  Alex discovers on his return that his father and stepfather were also adventurers.  He receives his father's bag, learns that his stepfather was pretending to be something he wasn't.  Alex's quest is not over.  In book two, he must return the bags reclaimed to their owners.

This fantasy adventure deals with honesty, integrity, courage, and friendship.

2011 Truman Award Nominee

Double Eagle / Sneed B. Collard III / 245 pages

Thirteen year old Mike spends summers with his Dad in Florida and the rest of the year with his Mom and stepdad in California.  He runs cross country and track.  This summer his Dad is teaching Marine Biology on Shipwreck Island, a Gulf Coast barrier island.  Mike and Kyle find a Double Eagle gold coin inside a forbidden area of Fort Henry.  They sift the sand and explore the cisterns in search of more gold.  The search is not an easy one - others are searching, too, but they are helped by Mr. DuBois and his grandmother's diary.  This is a great suspense story made better by a rich sprinkling of history.

2011 Truman Award Nominee

The Devil in the White City.../ Erik Larson / 447

Two stories, dramatically linked, are included in this one riveting book.  In hard to put down prose, Mr. Larson recounts the planning and building of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 - the World's Columbian Exposition.  Celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus's famous voyage, this fair was determined to beat the Paris World's Fair and its Eiffel Tower.  Described as "Frozen Music", the fair accomplished it goal and featured the world's first Ferris Wheel.  Unfortunately, a serial killer, a man calling himself H. H. Holmes, was committing unspeakable acts of terror in close proximity to the Fair.  Well researched and pleasantly presented, this book if too good to miss.

National Book Award Finalist
Edgar Award Winner

Toys / James Patterson & Neil McMahon / 364 pages

Okay, I am embarrassed to say I read this book but since it's a book challenge, I gotta count the pages. Competition for SCCCLD overrules pride. In Toys Patterson and McMahon try science fiction. The message is sooooo heavy-handed, the characters so stereotypical, the action so unbelievable I feel like I totally wasted a good two hours of my life. At least there's flying cars and robot servants just like the Jetsons. Oh yeah, disposable clones too. I like the Patterson books with Alex Cross. I like the Patterson books that have disquieting evil characters. I like the Patterson books with the Girls Club. I didn't like this one. Patterson readers, you know that big photo of the author on the back of all his books? I'm thinking that little smile of his means, Gotcha! Thanks for the $27.99. Readers deserve more than a book-writing machine.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Love and Summer/William Trevor/211 pgs.

This was the book club selection for this month. That being said, it was not a book I would have chosen, on my own, to read. It moves slowly, but the writing is such that you can visualize exactly what the author is describing. The plot revolves around one summer and the relationship that develops between Ellie Dillahan and Florian Kilderry. There is a feeling of melancholy throughout the book, but again, I'm glad I read it.

Friday, May 13, 2011

The Shifter / Janice Hardy / 370 pages

Nya and her sister, Tali, are orphans on the island of Geveg.  Geveg is occupied by forces of the Duke who has driven native Gevegs form their homes and given positions of responsibility to his own people.  Nya's father, mother, and Granny Ma all died in the conflict to keep Geveg free.  Granny Ma was the luminary and often quoted proverbs from the mountains.  Tali is a healer, removing pain and pouring it in Pynvium, a lustrous blue metal.  Nya is a taker and cannot dump the pain but must shift it.  She shifts a father's pain to his children at their request, including Danello who has been following her.  Apprentice healers are disappearing and Nya must make deals with Zertanik to help her sister.  Nya heals all the apprentices, helps them to escape, kills the luminary and Zertanik, heals all she has shifted, and declares war on the Duke.

The Healing Wars Book 1

2011-Truman Award Nominee

Shadowland / Alyson Noel / 339 pages

Roman tricked Ever into adding her own blood to the antidote to save Damon's life.  Unfortunately, although the desired result was achieved, Ever's direct contact with Damon will now kill him.  Ever avoids this at all costs while seeking an antidote to the antidote.  Haven takes up with Roman; Miles is off to Italy; and Jude hires Ever to work in his shop so that he can surf.  Ever discovers, however, that Jude is much more than he seems.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Ironman / Chris Crutcher / 181 pages

Beauregard Brewster is training for a triathlon.  He is undersized and has anger management issues. One of his teachers, Mr. Redmond, has it in for Bo because he quit the football team after Redmond humiliated him at practice in front of the entire squad.  Bo is trying to come to terms with his relationahip with his Dad, his relationship with Shelly-a would-be female gladiator, and his friendship with Lionel Serbousek, his Jouranlism teacher and mentor.  The story alternates narrative and letters written to Larry King by the protagonist.  Homosexuality issues are discussed in this book.

"Secrets are the very worst thing you can have in your life."
"It's smart to keep up to speed with those you consider important...Look past  the current war to find out what you are to each other."


ALA Best Book for Young Adults

The Eagle of the Ninth / Rosemary Sutcliff / 210 pages

Thank heavens for books made into movies because a lot of new readers found this wonderful book on which the movie The Eagle is based. The Eagle of the Ninth is book one of the Roman Britain trilogy and a fascinating look at the Roman occupation of Britain about 127 AD. Marcus, a young Centurion, is injured during his first stint as Cohort Commander in a battle against the Britons in an outpost of the Roman Empire. The story centers on his quest to find out what happened to his father, the Cohort Commander of the Ninth Legion that disappeared into the mists of Caldedonia and never returned. Rich historical background, courageous interesting characters, vibrant descriptions, and a mystery make the book intriguing. It is not a particularly "easy" read because of the Latin terms and names but it is well worth the effort. There's much food for thought too when it comes to considering what it is like to be a conqueror, an occupied country, and the resulting blending of cultures. Recommended for grades 5 & up.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Bossypants/Tina Fay/277 pgs

This is a great book - I love a story where you can really tell that it was written by the person telling it. If you have ever seen Tina Fey on SNL or 30 Rock, you know that she is the author of the book without seeing her name on it. It is a very quick read - short chapters about her life, starting with childhood and up to SNL, 30 Rock and motherhood.



Nubs: the true story of a mutt, a Marine & a miracle/Brian Dennis/48 pgs

This is one of the Show Me Readers nominee and was a very enjoyable book. It is the story of a dog in Iraq who adopts a Marine major - Brian Dennis. He decides to follow him back to his base - over 70 miles away through the desert. Once there, the marines have to give him up after they are reported for having a pet - not allowed. So Brian decides to raise money and send Nubs to San Diego.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Rin-ne vol 4/ Rumiko Takahashi/ 187 pages

In this volume of Rin-ne, we meet Rinne's father. A Dashigami--in other words, Rinne's enemy. Not only is he a Dashigami--someone trying to escort spirits to the afterlife before their time, but he is the President of the Dashigami. We also meet, Ageha, a Shinigami (someone who helps spirits find their way) who is hunting down Dashigami. It sounds confusing here, but it's a great and funny series!

Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie/ Jordan Sonnenblick/ 273 pages

Steven thinks just about the worst thing in the world is having a brother 8 years younger than him. That is until his little brother gets sick. This is a heartwarming story of a young teen coming to terms with his brothers illness. It was touching and funny and made me tear up. There was only one slightly unbelievable part that I would have edited. :)

The Maze Runner / James Dashner / 375 pages

Thomas wakes up in a metal box, an elevator of sorts.  The only thing he remembers of his past is his name.  The elevator takes him to The Glade and a group of fifty to sixty boys.  Thomas and the boys attempt to escape the maze, but the grievers make this almost impossible.  How did the maze come to be?  Can the boys escape?  If escape is possible, what then?  This book is a real page-turner, filled with suspense, adventure, violence, and some bad language.

2011 Truman Award Nominee

The Last Thing I Remember / Andrew Klavan / 346 pages

This is the first book in The Homelanders series.  Charlie gets good grades, is a black belt in karate, and plans to become an Air Force pilot.  After he gives an amazing karate demonstration at his high school, his ex-best friend's girlfriend congratulates him and he asks her out.  Alex's (his ex-best friend's) family has broken and his Mom had to move to a small apartment and Alex had to change schools.  He falls in with the wrong crowd.  He shows up at Charlie's car after karate class with some punks and threatens Charlie over Beth.  Alex and Charlie take a ride alone and Charlie offers Alex friendship and understanding.  Alex goes stomping through the park after a loud argument.  Charlie wakes up one year later being strapped to a chair and tortured.  He is about to be killed with intravenous acid when he escapes and discovers that he has been convicted of murdering Alex.  He has been on the run for 3 months.  He manages to save the life of the director of Homeland Security.  Charlie is on the run again.  His parents have moved and changed their phone number.

"There may come a time when even the most peaceful man alive has to fight or else something truly evil will happen."

"You can't be anything you want to be.  All that talk is garbage...But...If you try your best and better than your best and work and push yourself until you can't go on and then push yourself some more - then- if you have a little luck on your side - then you can be all the good things God made you to be."

2011 Truman Award Nominee

Jane in Bloom / Deborah Lytton / 182 pages

Jane is celebrating her twelfth birthday and is finally old enough to have her ears pierced.  She is a green-eyed, freckled red head in a family of blue-eyed blonds.  Her family is Presbyterian..".not religious enough to give me answers to all this.  Just enough to confuse me.  Like what kind of God allows a beautiful teenager to die..."  Jane's 12th birthday is overshadowed by her 16 year old sister's emergency room visit.  She is anorexic and bulimic.  Lizzie was perfect.  Jane is a shadow.

"I don't know that to do with the large open space where my heart used to be."
"Heaven is a place where you get to be in your favorite moment for eternity."

2011 Truman Award Nominee

Torn (The Missing Book IV) / Margaret Peterson Haddix / 345 pages

Although this book does not go on sale until 8/23/11, ARC's are available for reading and reviewing.  Jonah and Katharine are sent to 1611 to witness the mutiny on board the Discovery, Henry Hudson's ship.  As they are subjected to frozen seas and brutal conditions, they attempt to stop the time/history damage caused by Second's interference in the events of 1600 Roanoke.  Jonah is still wishing that he had paid better attention in fifth grade social studies so that he would be as knowledgeable as Katherine about history and the situations in which they find themselves.

"Sometimes silence is the greatest sign of power."

Crossing the Tracks / Barbara Stuber / 258 pages

Mrs. Nesbit is devastated by the death of her son, Morris, after he was lost at sea, victim of a German u-boat.  Her son, Avery, a doctor, finally wrote a prescription for her - a folk remedy - a person not a pill.  Iris is that person.  Her father sends her to rural Missouri, without even informing her, to act as companion to Mrs. Nesbit.  He is too busy for her with his new shoe store in Kansas City and his new fiance.  Her mother had died of tuberculosis when Iris was only 6.  Mrs. Nesbit tells Iris that we are all hobos - homeward bound.  She and Iris "dust" often.  "It's not about dirt.  It's finding what you thought you lost, making up what you never had."

"Dead and gone versus spirit - there is a difference.  It's a choice we make with love ones who've passed away."

"When you truly belong somewhere, there's always more to do."

2011 Teen Best of the Best

The Prince of Mist / Carlos Ruiz Zafron / 214 pages

Cain,called Prince of the Mist, "always appeared out of a thick haze that covered the streets and alleyways at night, and before dawn he disappeared into the shadows again."  He "was one of the greatest cheaters that have ever set foot on this earth."  He crossed paths with Victor Kray - sole survivor of a shipwreck, light house builder and keeper, and adoptive grandfather of Roland, when Victor was the same age of Max, Alicia, and Roland.  Cain  would gather the local youngsters together and grant wishes in exchange for complete loyalty.  A childhood friend of Victor's was turned into a grotesque statue of smoking blue ice marked with a 6-pointed star within a circle after refusing to set fire to a neighbor's store.  What happened that night was only the beginning...Great adventure story set amid the rumblings of World War II.

"Amusement is like laudanum.  It takes away all the misery and pain, even if only for a short time."
"Nothing is as powerful as a promise."  " A hunch is your brain's way of taking a shortcut to the truth."  " The more you try to hide from the truth, the quicker it finds you."  "In small towns news travels at the speed of boredom."

2011 Teen Best of the Best

Quicksilver/Amanda Quick/327 pgs.

This is book 2 in the "Looking Glass Trilogy," with Virginia Dean and Owen Sweetwater as the main characters. Owen is seeking the murderer of "glass reader" talents. He rescues Virginia, a high level glass reader talent, from a compromising situation. They join forces to bring down the murderer. There is mystery, suspense, and romance, which makes for a fast and enjoyable read.

My Life in Dog Years/Gary Paulsen/137 pgs



This title is about the different dogs that Gary Paulsen has either owned or encountered in his life, except for his sled dogs. Each dog gets their own chapter and starts when he is 7 living in the Philippines with his first dog, Snowball. The dogs include Cookie, the only sled dog in the book, who saved his life and Dirk, a stray who protected him from bullies. It is a short story and the audio is narrated by the author.






Museum of Thieves / Lian Tanner / 312 pages

This would be an awesome book to use in a book discussion group of either parents & kids or older elementary through middle school kids. Tanner has created a world where safety is the primary concern and safety of children has the highest priority. Children are chained to Blessed Guardians during the day and parents at night and never allowed to explore, experiment, act independently or grow up. The book raises the question of what happens in a society that is so controlled. The museum featured in the book is the respository of all the bad things from history (war, plague , dogs, etc.) and its rooms keep changing. The keepers of the museum play an important role in saving the city of Jewel from an even more tyrannical fate. The book ends with a cliffhanger and I am looking forward to reading about what happens next. I listened to this title and the recording was excellent; however, I think I would have gotten even more out of the book by reading it first.

The Fast and the Furriest/Andy Behrens/247 pgs



This is about a young boy, Kevin and his beagle, Cromwell. They are both serious couch potatoes until one day while watching the Animal Planet. The show that is on is the Purina Incredible Animal challenge and they are showing the Dog Agility. All of a sudden Cromwell is moving around and all excited. He is running around the basement and jumping thru tire swings in the yard. So Kevin decides to sign up for agility classes but his dad won't allow it - his dad is a former football star and the only real sports to him have a ball in them. So he makes Kevin go to football camp which Kevin hates. He gets thrown out of camp and starts taking agility classes behind his father's back with the financial help of his best friend. I listened to the audio version of this title and was laughing to myself throughout the book.

Monday, May 9, 2011

The Cupcake Queen / Heather Hepler / 242 pages / Truman Readers Award Nominee

This story follows 14 year-old Penny who is forced to move with her newly-separated mother from Manhattan to the small town of Hog’s Hollow – population 5,134 – and become the dreaded new girl in school. Penny and her mother open a bakery called “The Cupcake Queen” and Penny’s uses her artistic abilities to decorate the popular little cakes.
When the school year begins, Penny must adjust to small-town life, different courses – they only teach French, not Spanish – and to the student body, including the resident mean girl and her groupies. With the help of a few new friends, her life becomes enjoyable. This is a sweet, simple read which evoked fond memories of books I read when I was fourteen.

A Secret Gift / Ted Gup / 355 pages

In painstaking research, investigative reporter Ted Gup recreates the Christmas of 1933 in Canton, Ohio when unbeknown to Ted or anyone else in town, his beloved grandfather Sam Stone anonymously provided a small gift of $5 to families in the direst of straits. That small gift gave many a bit of hope and a chance to unburden themselves of shame and fear. Gup discovers what his grandfather did when his mother bestows upon him a suitcase full of letters. In the process of researching the families and circumstances of those who wrote letters, Gup was also able to solve a mystery about his grandfather's past, a mystery that haunted Sam Stone throughout his entire life. More than the stories of the unbelievable poverty and the spirit of the people who lived through the Depression, readers learn about the beliefs and attitudes of the 30's that gave us the greatest generation and how the make do experiences of the Depression live on in succeeding generations. The story is captivating but most readers will also wonder, could I have made it through the Depression?

Chasing the Night/Iris Johansen/362 pgs.

Readers either love or hate Iris Johansen's "Eve Duncan" books--I'm in the former category. Eve is a forensic sculptor usually working to identify the missing dead. In this book, however, her talents are used to try to locate a child who is possibly still alive--but who has been missing for 9 years. As with all of the Eve Duncan books, this one is suspenseful and fast moving. To get the true feel of Eve Duncan's personality, the reader should read the earlier Eve Duncan books--her character has evolved through the years.

Forever Odd/Dean Koontz/334 pgs




This is the second title in the "Odd Thomas" series and it is very enjoyable and a very quick read. Odd is still trying to get over the loss of his soul mate, Stormy when he is visited by the ghost of his best friend's father. Seems that the father has been murdered and his friend is missing. Odd decides that he needs to find his friend all on his own - his friend has brittle bone disease and Odd is not sure how long he will last. His search leads him to one of his toughest opponents. I have very much enjoyed this series - they deal with the supernatural but in a way that is not horrific and is believable.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Airhead / Meg Cabot / 240 pgs ; Being Nikki / Meg Cabot / 336 pgs ; Runaway / Meg Cabot / 310 pgs



Not sure if it's okay to post three books at once, but it's a trilogy, so I'm hoping so...

This series by Meg Cabot tells the story of tomboy high school student Emerson (Em) Watts, who has an unfortunate accident and wakes up in the body of world famous teen supermodel Nikki Howard. It seems that Nikki had a medical emergency at the exact same time, and Em has been the recipient of a "whole body transplant." The three books start out telling the story of Em transitioning into life as a world-famous model, but swiftly turn suspenseful as she begins uncovering the nefarious plots of the Stark Corporation - a WalMart-like corporation that paid for the operation and holds Nikki Howard's modeling contract. These three books were quick and fun reads, with a good blend of suspense, romance and a little bit of "Freaky Friday"-esque comedy in the mix.

Ireland / Frank Delaney / 559 pgs



Whenever I go on vacation (not nearly enough), I take a book that is set in my vacation destination. In March, I went to Ireland and took along the audiobook of "Ireland." It turned out to be the perfect traveling companion. Delaney's near-epic coming-of-age story tells of a young man's quest to find the spellbinding storyteller that paid a life-changing visit to his childhood home. As the young man seeks the storyteller over the course of the book, he hears and collects the storyteller's stories, which cover the entirety of Ireland's history, from prehistoric times through the Easter Rising in 1916. Ireland is a land of storytellers, and what better way to learn its history? I enjoyed this book thoroughly....and I highly recommend listening to it as opposed to reading it - there is no substitute for hearing these tales told with a proper Irish accent!

After / Amy Efaw / 350 pgs. / 2011 Gateway Reader Nominee

In complete denial that she is pregnant, straight-A student and star athlete Devon Davenport leaves her baby in the trash to die, and after the baby is discovered, Devon is accused of attempted murder.

This book would be a great recommendation for anybody that likes to read Jodi Picoult.  Like Picoult, the book covers a hot social topic and goes back and forth between the courtroom drama and the main character's memories. 

Aunt Dimity & the Family Tree / Nancy Atherton / 229 pages

For those of you who like cozy mysteries, you can't go wrong with the Aunt Dimity books. There look to be about 16 titles in the series now. All of the stories are centered around Lori Willis, transplanted American who lives in the tiny English village of Finch with her lawyer husband and rambunctious twins. Her mentor, Aunt Dimity, is a long-deceased friend of her mother who communicates with Lori via a journal. The mysteries are mild. It's the characters of the village and the village life that are so enchanting. If there is such a thing as a feel good mystery, then these qualify!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

The Surgeon/Tess Gerritsen/359 pgs


This title is the first of the Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles series. It is about a surgeon who was attacked and shot by a serial rapist during her internship and is now being terrorized by another serial killer. This title introduces the Jane Rizzoli character. So far I don't think this is of the same caliber as the Women's Murder Club by James Patterson but I will try the next title to see if I change my mind. It was pretty predictable - I had figured out the killer long before the story told you but I will give the series another chance.

Dancing Lessons/Cheryl Burke/237pgs



Another celebrity memoir, this one from Cheryl Burke, a professional ballroom dancer on the show "Dancing With The Stars." (This show is a guilty pleasure of mine; I watch it religiously. If you haven't seen it, here are a couple of reasons to give it a try: Max and Dmitry! ...But I digress.) If you don't watch the show, you won't get much out of the book. Follows her career, details her future aspirations, and lists what she's learned from each of her celebrity partners. Read it in an afternoon.

Angels at Christmas/ Debbie Macomber/595 pgs

This is an audio version of two Debbie Macomber titles starring my favorite angels - the prayer ambassadors - Shirley, Goodness and Mercy. In the first title, "Those Christmas Angels", they help make a woman's prayer come true for her son, who has become bitter after his parent's divorce and the betrayal of his girlfriend, to meet someone and marry. In the second title, "Where Angels Go", the trio are helping on three different prayers, one is an elderly man who doesn't have much time and wants to make sure that his wife will be taken care of after he is gone. The second prayer is from a young boy and his only wish is for a dog for Christmas. The last prayer is from a mother who wishes her divorced daughter would find someone and stop spending all her time online playing computer games. They are both very light reads and the antics of Goodness, Mercy and Shirley are always good for a laugh.



Wednesday, May 4, 2011

If the Witness Lied / Caroline B. Cooney / 213 pages

Jack is upset when he discovers Cheryl has invited Angus and his movie crew to film his family for a reality show on dysfunctional families.  She was "witness" to his Dad's accident and blamed Tris, who was two years old at the time, as his murderer.  She also blames Tris for the death of Jack's mother as she chose death by liver cancer over chemo that would have killed her baby (Tris).  Jack has withdrawn from school activities to care for Tris while Cheryl redoes the house and watches TV.  Jack discovers pictures on his Dad's cell phone that cause him to doubt everything Cheryl has said.  This book is real page-turner!!

2011-2012 Truman Award Nominee

Glimpse / Carol Lynch Williams / 484 pages

Liz and Hope Chapman are as close as sisters can be.  Only a year apart in age, they share a room and comfort each other after their Dad's death in an accident and their mother's frequent "visitors".  Hope prevents her sister's suicide by shotgun and this novel in verse recounts Hope's discovery of the terrible secret that led to the attempted suicide.  Although this book is 484 pages long, you can read it in one sitting.  You'll want to!

Teen Best of the Best List

Sabotaged / Margaret Peterson Haddix / 377 pages

In this third book in The Missing series, Jonah and his sister, Katherine, accompany Virginia Dare - the first English person born in the New World, back in time to correct ramifications of being kidnapped out of time.  Andrea (Virginia) has recently lost her adoptive parents and has no reason to return to the 21st century.  Instead she makes a deal with Second to enable her to return to history, meet her grandfather, and remain there.  Unfortunately, Second has not anticipated how this might change the present and the future.  There is a great afterword by the author giving facts about the Lost Colony of Roanoke.

"We never know all the consequences of any action."
"It gets harder and harder to care about abstract issues like history when you get to know the people involved."

Itsy Bitsy and Teeny Weeny / Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen / 32 pages

One spring triplets are born to an old ewe on Hazel Ridge Rescue Farm.  The ewe rejects the smallest, weakest lamb and Robbyn realizes she will have to care for the baby herself if she is to survive.  A farmer brings her a fawn that was nearly run over.  Both are kept inside the house and given bottles until their antics prove they are ready to return outdoors.  A mishap with a fence reminds Robbyn that wild animals are meant to be free.

2011-2012 Show Me Reader Award Nominee

Desert Rose and Her Highfalutin Hog / Alison Jackson / 32 pages

After finding a gold nugget just a-lyin' in the mud in the pig stalls, Desert Rose buys the biggest, fattest hog in Texas and decides to take him to the state fair in Laredo.  Unfortunately, hog refuses to drink up all the water in a bubbling creek so they can walk across.  In a cumulative fashion she encounters various animals whose help she seeks, endures their rejection, and exclaims alliteratively about their failure to perform.  Rose discovers that greed is the key and that short cuts should sometimes be avoided.

2011-2012 Show Me Reader Award Nominee

Finding Lincoln / Ann Malspina / 32 pages

"President Lincoln did what he thought was right, even when it shook people up," Louis said.  "Just like you,"  his Mama responded.  Just like the librarian who risked her job to allow Louis to enter the "White Only" library in 1951 Alabama.  Beautiful illustrations by Colin Bootman accompany this story filled with facts about young Abe Lincoln and a young man's perseverance despite prejudice and injustice.

2011-2012 Show Reader Award Nominee

Nubs, the True Story of a Mutt, a Marine, and a Miracle / Major Brian Dennis.../ 32 pages

Marine Major Brian Dennis meets and becomes attached to a wild dog he named Nubs because of his shortened ears.  Marines in Iraq are not allowed pets so Brian had to leave Nubs on several occasions.  Nubs traveled over 70 miles to find Brian at his new post.  He could once again walk guard duty with his buddy.  Although the story does end happily, it does end here.  Excerpts from Major Dennis's log book and photographs accompany this heart-warming story.

2011-2012 Show Me Reader Award

Peace Week in Miss Fox's Class / Eileen Spinelli / 32 pages

"Let's make every week Peace Week!"  is excellent advice from the students in Miss Fox's class.  After an especially unruly day, Miss Fox suggests a Peace Week and asks for her students ideas for implementation.  It isn't easy, but all think before acting, hold their tongues, say nice things, ...and...one throws marshmallows...which is better than nuts.  The kids will love this one!!

2011-2012 Show Me Reader Award Nominee

Locke & Key: Welcome to LoveCraft / Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriquez / 158 pgs

After the murder of their father, Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke relocate with their mother to the family estate of Keyhouse, located in Lovecraft, Massachusetts.  The house is very creepy with many doors.  Bode, the youngest of the family, finds a door, which separates his spirit from his body.  Sam Lesser, one of the teens who murdered Mr. Locke, is in a juvenile detention center and, by gazing in water, communicates with a supernatural force that promises to free him.

This horror comic is written by Joe Hill who is the son of Stephen King.  It does depict some acts of violence with lots of blood.  Nothing is exaggerated, but putting the violence in a realistic context does land this graphic novel a place on the Adult bookshelf instead of YA.

*This graphic novel series is being made into a TV series! check it out: http://splashpage.mtv.com/2011/03/01/locke-key-tv-series-cast-comic-book-interview/#more-48837

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Jungle / Clive Cussler / 406 pages

If you are looking for action, adventure, good guys winning, and unbelievable feats of bravery, then look no farther than Clive Cussler. The Jungle features the "Chairman" Juan Cabrillo. He's ex-CIA and travels the globe in his high tech, specially outfitted cargo ship The Oregon rescuing damsels in distress, foiling the bad guys, and enjoying the camaraderie of his crew. This time he saves the world from a very rich and very clever terrorist. Cussler always throws in a dollop of history...this time discoveries of Marco Polo on his trip through China. You have to chuckle to see the fixes Juan manages to escape with his sharp thinking, prosthetic leg, and fierce determination. Really, he's James Bond and Indiana Jones all rolled into one. A really fast page turner that is as fun as and lasts about as long as a 4th of July sparkler.

Bossypants/Tina Fey/275 pgs.




I don't watch 30 Rock, and rarely see Saturday Night Live, but I really enjoyed this short memoir from Tina Fey. She shares with us unflattering anecdotes and a hilarious grade school photo, among other things, and just seems so ...normal. If you find her funny at all, you'll enjoy this quick read.

Sarah, Plain and Tall/Patricia MacLachlan/64 Pages

I have always enjoyed this book, as well as the movie that was made along the same storyline.  It's a fast book to read, and will keep a child's attention.  It's the story of a mail-order bride who moves far away from the ocean to be a mother and wife for a family who has seen tragedy.  With her in their life, they're able to move forward.

Adapted into a movie, it is also the winner of a Newbery Award.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior / Kresley Cole / 515 pgs.

"He vowed he'd come for her...Murdered before he could wed Regin the Radiant, warlord Aidan the Fierce seeks his beloved through eternity, reborn again and again into new identities, yet with no memory of his past lives. When Regin encounters Declan Chase, a brutal Celtic soldier, she recognizes her proud warlord reincarnated. But Declan takes her captive, intending retribution against all immortals--unaware that he belongs to their world..."--P. [4] of cover.

This book is not for the faint of heart, as it contains torture and lots of gore.  Then again, if you are a reader of Paranormal Romance (a la Laurell K Hamilton) then you pretty much know what you are in for. 

Loose Ends/Tara Janzen/389 pgs.

This is another entry in the "Steele Street" series, and clears up the mystery of J.T. Chronopolous' "death" years ago. Due to amnesia and performance enhancing drugs, J.T. has recreated himself as Conroy Farrel. The Steele Street "gang" wants him back so that they can return him to his former identity. There is plenty of action, suspense, and yes, sex, to keep the reader entertained. If you like this book, you'll want to read the others in the series!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Red Glove / Holly Black / 325p

In this sequel to White Cat, Cassel now knows that he is the rarest and most powerful of curse workers: a transformation worker.  He also knows that his mother, an emotion worker, has cursed his friend Lila to make her fall madly in love with him.  Cassel is trying his best to keep his worker gift a secret, avoid Lila until the curse wears off, solve his brother's recent murder, and decide if he wants to be a good guy or a bad guy. 

The story moves along at a quick pace with a fantastic mix of mystery, fantasy, and romance.  If you enjoyed White Cat, you will enjoy this one as well.  For fans of Maggie Stiefvater, Cassandra Clare, and Kelley Armstrong.

Invisible Lines / Mary Amato / 319 pages

Trevor is good at drawing... and distracting his younger brother, Michael, and his younger sister, Trish, the day they move into their new apartment and a baby is found in a dumpster.  He is accidentally placed in the Summit Science class - an advanced class.  He know this is a mistake, but he loves Mr. Ferguson and his affinity for mushrooms and his teaching style.  He is befriended by Langley and Xander - stand out soccer players on an elite team.  Xander begins to dislike Trevor when he beats him in soccer.  He frames Trevor for stealing his cell phone.  Trevor rescues Diamond, a fellow resident of Hedly Gardens, from her abusive step-dad after accusing her of stealing the cell phone. 
This book is a great read with excellent artwork.Too good to miss!!

2011-2012 Truman Award Nominee

Minnow and Rose: an Oregon Trail Story / Judy Young / 32 pages

Minnow and Rose shows a glimpse of life on the Oregon Trail and the positive relationships that often existed between the pioneers and the Native Americans.  It reminds us that "children are children no matter what cultures they come from.  Children are universally inquisitive about others and curious about their differences, but overall they want to make friends and be accepted."  Minnow, a Native American, saves red-headed Rose as she falls into rapidly moving waters while sitting atop her lashed wheel-less wagon as it is towed across the river by Minnow's people.  The girls share heartfelt gifts of appreciation and...berry cobbler.

2011-2012 Show Me Reader Award Nominee

Twist of Fate: The Miracle Colt and His Friends / Chris Stuckenschneider / 32 pages

This is the true story of the accident that occurred on I-44 in rural Missouri on September 27, 2006 when a truck bearing 42 horses to a meat-packing plant in Illinois crashed into a tractor-trailer.  The truck landed on its side, trapping the animals.  Twist of Fate tells of the accident's survivors, including Twist of Fate, the miracle colt born on April 18, 2007.

2011-2012 Show Me Reader Award Nominee

Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson / Sharon Robinson / 32 pages

Beautifully illustrated by Kadir Nelson, Testing the Ice portrays Jackie Robinson as a brave pioneer.  Sacrificing complacency for daring, he joined the Big Leagues and withstood taunts and jeers to pave the way and improve the lot of African-American baseball players.  Written by Jackie's daughter, Sharon, we learn that her Dad could not swim but fearlessly walked across the ice to test its safety, and was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. Martin Luther King.

2011-2012 Show Me Reader Award Nominee

Stars Above Us / Geoffrey Norman / 32 pages

"Wonderful fun things live in the dark."  So says a father to his young daughter on the eve of his departure for deployment.  She is afraid of the dark and he eases her mind by calling her attention to all the wonderful things found in the night - including the North Star.  He tells her to look for the North Star every night and as they each look upon it they will draw comfort from this shared experience.

2011-2012 Show Me Reader Award Nominee

Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library / Vicki Myron & Bret Witter / 32 pages

Dewey Readmore Books was deposited in the night book return of the public library in Spencer, Iowa.  Immediately loved by the librarian, Vicki Myron, he becomes the library cat realizing that it is helping others that he finds happiness.

2011-2012 Show Me Reader Award Nominee

Chinese Handcuffs / Chris Crutcher / 202 pages

Dillon Hemingway has the weight of the world on his shoulders.  He has recently witnessed his older/smaller brother, Preston, shoot himself to death.  Preston had been despondent over losing both legs in a motorcycle accident and had turned to drugs.  Dillon discovers that his brother's girlfriend has secretly had his baby and had told him of her pregnancy the day before his suicide...And...His best friend, Jennifer, star of the high school basketball team for which he is trainer, is being sexually abused by her stepfather, who has threatened to kill her sister and her mother if she tells anyone.  While attempting to deal with all this, Dillon has running confrontations with his principal, Mr. Caldwell, who hates the fact that Dillon will not go out for high school sports but is a top triathlete.

Great read with some bad language, dealing with some very heavy issues.

"Kids have an inalienable right to unconditional care, and parents who don't give it are breaking a spiritual law."

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Odd Thomas/Dean Koontz/399 pgs



As I have posted before, I don't normally read Dean Koontz's books but I did see this series and thought I would give them a try. I am very glad I did. It is not your typical supernatural sort of story - Odd sees dead people and has a few other powers which helps him to bring bad people to justice. There are very few people who know about his abilities - the police chief, his boss and his girlfriend & soul mate. In this book, the town in which he lives is about to experience a major evil event and Odd makes it his job to stop it. It was a very quick read and I am looking forward to reading the second one in the series.

A Heartbeat Away/Michael Palmer/404 pgs




This was an excellent book. The president's State of the Union address is the scene of an attack by a biological weapon. All the members of the cabinet and those in line for the presidency except for one are in attendance. And of course there is only one person who can save them and he is in prison as a terrorist. That all being said this was a great read and goes pretty fast - one because of the short chapters and two because you really want to know what is going to happen next.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Kingdom Keeper IV: Power Play / Ridley Pearson / 433 pages

The Kingdom Keepers once again set out to save the Magic Kingdom from the Overtakers.  The setting has expanded to include Downtown Disney and the Keepers must thwart spells cast by the Evil Queen with Cruella Deville as an accomplice.  They must also discover and prevent a plot to spring Maleficent and Chernaborg who were imprisoned in previous Kingdom Keepers books.  The setting is set for Kingdom Keepers V when the Kingdom Keepers must save the magic - The Magic, a Disney cruise ship.

Great adventure, technological behind the scenes look at the world of Disney, and  themes of dedication and self-sacrifice demonstrated through true friendship.