Monday, October 31, 2011

Y: The Last Man - Cycles / Brian K. Vaughan / 118 pgs.

Yorick, Agent 355, and Dr. Mann are traveling cross country to get to Dr. Mann's backup genetics lab.  The group runs into trouble in Ohio and have to come face to face with the feminist extremist group "The Daughters of the Amazon" and Yorick's sister Hero.

Born In Ice/Nora Roberts/371 pgs




This is the second title in the Concannon Sisters trilogy and is Brianna Concannon's story. She has made the family home into a bed and breakfast and is quite happy with her life now that her mother has a place of her own. Most winters she is alone but enjoys it. But this winter is different she has a guest, mystery writer Grayson Thane from America, who is working on a new book and Brianna is becoming his inspiration.

The Puppy Diaries/Jill Abramson/242 pgs




"The Puppy Diaries: Raising a Dog Named Scout" is a very enjoyable book. Jill Abramson is an editor at the New York Times. She had lost a very much loved dog 2 years earlier but her husband thinks it is time for a new dog. They decide on an English Golden Retriever, who they name Scout. The book is about their life with Scout until she turns 1. It will appeal to anyone who has ever had a puppy and knows the trials you must go thru.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Girl Who Disappeared Twice/Andrea Kane/289 pages

Forensic Instincts, headed by Casey Woods, is a company of specialized private investigators who have the luxury of not having to follow the rules of law enforcement. The team is called in to work with the FBI when the young daughter of a judge and high profile lawyer is kidnapped from school. Judge Hope Willis has lived through this nightmare before. Her twin was kidnapped from their home when she was six. Is this kidnapping an unhappy coincidence or part of an ongoing plot?

This is the first book I've read by this author, but I'll read her previous ones (when I can work them in) and be on the lookout for any new ones.

Unearthly Asylum / P.J. Bracegirdle / 298 pages / Horror

"There was apparently a limit to pleasant decrepitude beyond which complete and utter devastation licked its frothing chops."  Joy Wells is concerned about the increasingly rundown appearance of Spooking.  She decides to spearhead a drive to revamp the town as the home and workplace of her favorite author, E. A. Peugot, attracting tourists and saving the town.  The author himself vanished under mysterious circumstances after writing many stories featuring creatures and monsters, festering bogs, sprawling cemeteries, menacing mansions, and a dreadful asylum.  All had counterparts in Spooking, and Joy believed her town was, in fact, the setting for his tales of terror.  Meanwhile, the mayor's assistant, Mr. Octavio Phipps, has set his sinister sights on the Spooking Mental Asylum.  He wants to turn it into a luxury spa.  He causes his cousin, Felix, to be committed there to discover its secrets.  Would Joy have to tell her friend Polly's parents "that foul creatures from the pages of classic horror fiction had risen out of the earth, snatching their daughter as part of their evil bounty"? 

"Endurance of risk and the delight of rewards was what life was all about."

Horror

Blue Noon / Scott Westerfeld / 378 pages / Horror

Five Midnighters live in Bixby.  They have each been born at midnight and possess special powers - mindreading/manipulation, flame-throwing, antigravity, mathematical proficiency, etc.  They can only use these powers at the midnight hour...until time begins to quake during the day and a blue noon situation occurs.  Normal humans are frozen during this time, but the midnighters get extra opportunities to use their gifts.  They use their powers to keep slithers and darklings at bay.  Unfortunately, they discover a rip in the fabric of time and realize that on Samhaim, or Halloween, all the evil Old Ones are planning to attack and feed on humans in their pat...and their path could extend to the whole world.  The midnighters develop an elaborate plan to stop this rip.  This book is part of a series, so if you haven't read the book before this one, you may feel a little lost at times.  You will definitely feel frightened of the giant tarantulas, slithers, darklings, etc.

Horror YA

Beyond the Grave / Jude Watson / 190 pages

This is the 4th book in the 39 Clues series. This time we find Amy and Dan heading to Egypt to find the next clue. I listened to the audio version and David Pittu does a great job with the book. These books are winners because of the puzzles, mystery, villains and heroes but also because of the growing and changing relationship between the two siblings. The author combines just the right amount of history, geography, mystery, trust & mistrust, humor, and adventure to engage readers and leave them running to get the next title. Recommended for all readers (especially boys) in late elementary and middle school.

Darke / Angie Sage / 641 pages

Sixth book in the Septimus Heap series, and this one is just as riveting as previous titles in the series. In Darke, we are on the edge of our seats as Septimus, his friend princess-to-be Jenna, his mentor the alchemist Marcellous, his friend Beetle, his boss Marcia the extra-ordinary wizard, the ghost Alther, and his estranged brother Simon must battle the Darke to save the people of the Castle. Highly recommended for all upper elementary to middle school readers of fantasy. The series is fantastic and even more so because of the excellent covers and spot character and place illustrations by Mark Zug.

Only His/Susan Mallery/344 pgs.

Another Fool's Gold romance. This go around it's Nevada Hendrix' story; she's the third triplet, with Montana and Dakota as the other two sisters whose stories have already been told. I like Mallery's characters, and the town of Fool's Gold that she has created. Nice escapism.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Interesting Factoid

Did you know that author Peg Kehret actually blogged about our Competition?  Check it out: http://www.pegkehret.com/wordpress/?p=386 . 

It's pretty cool that we show up on google alerts!  And that Ms. Kehret is concerned about censorship and book challenges. 

Also, don't forget Ms. Kehret's book "Runaway Twin" is a 2011 -2012 Mark Twain Nominee book you get an extra Bonus point for reading it!  Which I highly recommend!

Y: The Last Man - Unmanned / Brian K. Vaughan / 127 pgs.

I really liked this series, but I never finished it.  I read it so long ago that I don't remember many of the details, so I decided to start over. 

In the summer of 2002, a plague of unknown origin destroyed every last sperm, fetus, and fully developed mammal with a Y chromosome-with the apparent exception of one young man and his male pet. This "gendercide" instantaneously exterminated 48% of the global population, or approximately 2.9 billion men. Now, aided by the mysterious Agent 355, the last human male Yorick Brown (and his male pet monkey, Ampersand)  must contend with dangerous extremists, a hoped-for reunion with a girlfriend on the other side of the globe, and the search for exactly why he's the only man to survive.

Intelligent, gritty, and who knew women could get so crazy?!

Walking with the Dead / L. M. Falcone / 196 pages / Horror

This is a delightfully humorous, though at times scary, book.  Twelve-year-old Alex's father decides to reopen his Oddities shop located on the lower level of their house.  He has recently obtained an ancient Greek corpse inside a coffin.  In doing research, Alex and his dad discover that gold coins were placed inside the mouths of ancient Greek corpses to pay Charon for crossing the river Styx.  Their corpse has no coin so he is unable to journey on to the afterlife.  Alex has volunteered at the local senior center to be close to Rosalie, the smartest and prettiest girl in class.  One of the residents, Mr. Lucas, has a coin collection and gives Alex a gold coin for the corpse.  Alex is struck by lightning and zaps metal that he touches.  Accidentally falling into the coffin, he zaps the corpse, bringing him to life.  Alex and his cousin, Freddie, decide to help the 2000 year old Greek find his way home.  They must walk amid the dead, face frightening challenges and personages, and use quick thinking and grim determination to do the right thing.

Horror

Chasing Brooklyn / Lisa Schroeder / 412 pages / Horror

Mountain View High has made national news.  Three deaths have occurred.  Is the school cursed?  "Ghosts are only in movies.  Aren't they?"  Brooklyn's boyfriend and Nico's brother, Lucca, was killed in a car accident while his friend Gabe was driving.  One year later Gabe dies of a drug overdose.  Jackson died six months before Lucca.  Now Brooklyn is having nightmares of Gabe chasing her, and Nico is having visitations from his brother telling him to make sure Brooklyn is alright.  Now he is chasing Brooklyn instead of running like he usually does to deal with the pain of his brother's death.  Written in free verse, and told in alternating voices ( Brooklyn & Nico), Chasing Brooklyn is a haunting tale of grief, fear, love...and superheroes.  "It's not just superheroes who can choose to use their powers for the good of mankind."  This book is awesome!

"Love is the answer.  Not fear."
"Music can be like a time machine.  One song - the lyrics, the melody, the mood - can take you back to a moment in time like nothing else can."

Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13
Horror

Word for Word / Andy A. Rooney 287 p.

Andy Rooney of CBS 60 Minutes fame gives his perspective on any number of topics which become more interesting when you read his point of view. He tackles Fear of Doctors, Waiting Rooms, Thin for Christmas, How to Put Off Doing the Job, and E.B. White. Here is a few of his more choice musings.

Computers: “Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don’t need to be done.”

Dress Shoes: “I know that the farther a shoe gets from the actual shape of the foot it was designed to cover, the more fashionable it’s considered to be, but does this make any sense?”

He makes you laugh, think, and cry and sometimes all in the same vignette.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

It Had To Be You / Susan Elizabeth Phillips 376 p.

First in Phillips series about the Chicago Stars football team and management. Phoebe Somerville has been masquerading as a bimbo for years. Former gridiron legend Dan Calebow is set to take this team to the top. He clashes with Phoebe she she becomes the owner--permanent if the Chicago Stars win the AFC (strings in her father's will. Dan is drawn to her even though she's everything he not interested in. And Phoebe fights her attraction to Dan as they spar of how to bring the Stars out of the doldrums. Tess Somerville, Phoebe's 15-yr. old sister, is introduced. Tess' story is told in This Heart of Mine. Fast-paced, humorous, plot twists, intrigue, and sexy --it's all here. Readers of humorous contemporary romances like Jayne Ann Krentz and Jennifer Crusie may enjoy this work.

Check the library catalog.

Lola and the Boy Next Door / Stephanie Perkins / 338 p.

Lola lives in the Castro District in San Francisco with her two dads.  She is a good teenager, she wants her parents to be happy and approve of her, her grades are good, she is very into fashion and wears elaborate costume-like clothes and wigs.  She has a rocker boyfriend who is 22 (she is 17), whom her parents do not approve of.  Otherwise life is pretty good for Lola, until her nemesis, perfect Calliope Bell, and her twin brother Cricket move back into the house next door. 

I loved Perkins' first book "Anna and the French Kiss" and this book is just as sweet.  The main guys in the books are always so Nice and totally dedicated to their girlfriends.  I hope my daughters will read these books and aspire to have the kind of respectful and loving relationships that the characters in these books end up with. 

I would recommend this book to any teen girl.  The only warning with this book is that Lola is in a sexual relationship with her much older boyfriend and drinking and drugs (marijuana) is mentioned.  The sex is only mentioned and I liked that Lola reflects on it later in the story as events change.

The Most Dangerous Thing / Laura Lippman / 344 p.

Once the best of friends until a terrible secret tore them apart, a group of friends are suddenly brought back together under tragic circumstances and wonder if their long-ago lie is the reason for their troubles today and if someone is out to destroy them.

Sigh, where to begin...  There is a mystery in this novel (ie. "the terrible secret"), but the book is more of a character study of the five friends and their parents.  The novel is compelling and the characters are believable and complex, and following their life stories and changes was interesting and made me reflect on my own life's turning points. 

HOWEVER, there was not one single decent character out of the entire lot!!  I kept thinking, "what a bunch of pretentious, whiny, self absorbed yuppies" !!  Everybody has defining moments or tragedies happen in their lives, and yes some move on a deal with it better than others.  It seemed to me that these characters spend the rest of the miserable lives blaming all their disappointments and failures on this one event.  I was pretty sick of this group by the time the book was over. 

Final verdict: The author's style is literary, plot line is compelling; but I would rather reread "Where the Heart is" by Billie Letts if I want to read a story with well developed characters.  In Letts' story the characters have their faults, but I felt they were good, wonderful people inside.  Not the dead, beaten down, selfish characters in "The most dangerous thing".  

City of Bones (Mortal Instruments) / Cassandra Clare / 485 p.

I really enjoyed reading this book.  I had put it off for awhile since YA fiction is flooded with Demon/Vampire/Werewolf/etc stories.  In a way this book is just like all the rest of the YA supernatural books:
  • Main Character, Clary, has very powerful magic powers that she did not know about until now - Check!
  • Main Character falls in love with the Stand-offish, but strong and gorgeous secondary character - Check!
  • The Main Character has a nerdy sidekick buddy to help her muddle through her adventures - Check!
  • The human world is in peril, but is unaware and only the main character and her band of magical friends can save it  - Check!
  • and so on...
As cliche as the storyline goes; it was still fun to read.  The author creates a fantasy world with its own rules, creatures and magical tools (sort of like Harry Potter), but doesn't spend tons of time delving into the details.  There is plenty of gore and action for those reluctant readers; and a touch of romance for those soft at heart.  I think teens will eat this book up; and they are making this into a movie due out next summer: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1538403/ .

The Christmas Wedding/James Patterson/266 pgs



I have always enjoyed a James Patterson romance - actually that is how I first starting reading his novels and this one is does not disappoint. Gaby Summerhill has been widowed for 3 years and she has just sent her children a video stating that she is going to be married on Christmas Day and they must all come to the farm for the day. She also tells them that she has 3 suitors and she is not telling anyone who is the lucky man - not even them. It is a great story about families and love. I really enjoyed it.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Claire de Lune / Christine Johnson / 336 pages / Horror

"Friends weren't supposed to lie to each other, but what other choice did she have."  Sixteen year old Claire just discovered that she, and her mother, are werewolves!  This is a secret which must be kept at all costs.  Recently several humans have been killed by werewolves and Matthew's dad, Dr. Engle - who's dying to get into Lycanthropy Researchers International, is a member of the Federal Human Protection Agency, and has developed a vacine that supposedly kills the virus that causes werewolves - has been investigating the murders.  He believes all werewolves are dangerous and should be eradicated.  Matthew disagrees.  He is drawn to Claire.  Claire meets her mother's pack, receives secret instructions from Zahlia, hides the secret from her au pair, Lisbeth, and commiserates with her best friend, Emily, as her parents are determined to send her to her aunt's farm to keep her safe from the werewolves.  I know...another paranormal book, right, featuring werewolves.  It is actually quite good!!

Horror
Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

Candles Burning / Tabitha King and Micheal McDowell / 423 pages / Horror

Tabitha King (Stephen King's wife) finished an incomplete manuscript left behind by author Michael McDowell upon his death in 1999.  This Southern Gothic novel fashioned from a fabric of murder, guilt, innocence, corruption, and survival is told in the voices of the living and the dead.  Seven year old Calley Dakin's daddy is tortured and murdered by two employees of the New Orleans hotel where the Dakin family is staying for a Ford Motor Company convention.  Notes are left signed by the murderers but the authorities totally discount them.  Why was Daddy murdered?  Exactly who...and what...is Daddy's girl, Calley Dakin?  This is a great audio book.  The reader's southern drawl puts you in the middle of the story.

Horror

Scary Mary / S. A. Hunter / 257 pages / Horror

The dead speak to Mary Hellick and she wishes they'd shut up.  She is an outcast at Eastern Snyder High School and is often called Freak, Witch, etc.  She has a weekly appointment with the school counselor, Mr. Landa, whose desk is haunted by Mrs. Brown, a former librarian at the school.  She has only 1 friend, Rachel, a Goth whose father is an attorney.  When a new boy, Cyrus Asher, comes to the high school, he befriends Mary despite cheerleader Vicky Butler's objections.  Cyrus invites Mary to his home to watch movies and Mary discovers it is haunted by a malevolent ghost named Ricky.  When Vicky convinces Cyrus that Mary is weird and Cyrus avoids her, Mary decides to use her clairaudience to rid his house of the ghost guilty of murder, suicide, and disfigurement by explosion.  Great page-turner featuring friendly, helpful ghosts, as well murderous ones...and an energetic ghost terrier who proves to be instrumental in destroying the ghost's anchor...in the microwave.

Horror

Darkness Under the Sun / Dean Koontz / 61 pages / Horror

Master suspense novelist Dean Koontz has once again written a story, a novella,  that send shivers up your spine and makes you fear the bogeyman.  Eleven year old Howie Dugley has met him - twice.  His own father tried to kill him and  Howie has burns to remind him.  He encounters his second bogeyman, Alton Turner Blackwood, on the roof of the Boswell Building.  Blackwood sends young Howie for sandwiches, strikes up a friendship, and asks for pictures of his mother and sister.  Blackwood tells Howie that he will teach Bleeker, a bully who has been bothering Howie, a lesson.  When Howie discovers the boy stabbed and attached to the wall in the abandoned building and finds newspaper articles relating rapes and murder among Mr. B's possessions, he takes his pictures back and hold vigil to keep his family safe.  Years later , John Calvino, a detective on the Blackwood case says ..."Good usually triumphs, but I've also seen that evil never dies.  It's always wise to remain vigilant."

Horror

The Mark / Jen Nadol / 228 pages / Horror

The Mark is an awful thing.  Or maybe it's a good thing and Cassandra Renfield just doesn't know how to use it.  She sees a glow around people who will die in the next 24 hours.  When she sees it around her Gran, who has been hospitalized for diabetes, she acts on it, to no avail.  She tells her grandmother that death is imminent and her grandmother says that she is ready to move on.  Upon her Gran's death, she learns that she must leave her home in Pennsylvania and live with her aunt in Kansas to qualify for her Gran's quarter million dollar inheritance.  (Cassandra believes that her parents were killed in car accident when she was two.)  In Kansas she meets Lucas in a coffee shop where she works.  He is a TA at nearby Lennox University.  She enrolls in his philosophy class and they become intimately involved.  He insists that she use her gift to save lives...with disastrous results.  This is great YA read, but 16-year-old premarital intimate relations are included.

"Fear isn't always rational."
"If you don't like the view, change the scenery."
"Everything we do has an end goal of happiness."  Aristotle
"We are what we repeatedly do." 
"We are, each of us, responsible for our own happiness."  Socrates

Gateway Award Preliminary Award 2012-13

House / Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker / 376 pages / Horror

Non-stop scary suspense marks this horror genre thriller.  Jack and Stephanie, bound for divorce, are followed, almost rear-ended, and pulled over by a rural cop along a deserted Alabama road.  The officer advises them of a detour ahead and cautions them about dangerous locals.  After running over something in the road which flattened all four tires, they walk to a local inn.  Upon entering, they find Randy and Leslie who report having arrived at the hotel under similar circumstances and, finding no one in attendance,  made themselves at home.  They discover that the hotel is home to a very creepy, violent family - Stuart, Betty, and Pete.  A killer runs his truck through the front door of the house demanding one dead body.  The writer, the songstress, the hotel magnate, and the psychologist battle the family, the killer, and fear itself.

Horror

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Pack: A Novel/Jason Starr/341 pgs

In honor of Halloween, I decided to read one of the newest horror books. I had read some of the advance publicity and fell for it. I have a soft spot for werewolves: a result of the black and white films from the 1940's. We meet Simon Burns on the day he is fired from his prestigious job at an advertising agency. He is shocked and angry at the way he was treated and his strained relationship with his wife is further rocked. As Simon adjusts to being a stay-at-home Dad, he meets a group of single men at a playground that welcome him with open arms. They seem more at ease with their lives and invite him to a group gathering. Simon agrees to go over his wife's objections. Something happens that night and Simon isn't sure what was real or a dream. He begins to see some changes in his body and is at first thrilled. But when his wife starts to demand answers, Simon isn't sure where to start. I couldn't put this book down. I wanted to read it in an entire sitting. The pacing was perfect with the right amount of detail and vague suggestions. You really feel for Simon who is trying to figure out what is happening. This has a hint of a sequel in the ending. We shall see what next year brings.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter/Tom Franklin/272 pages

Larry Ott was the only suspect in the case of a missing girl years ago. No charges were ever filed, but his life was affected by the accusation nonetheless. A new missing girl case and a secret friend from the past come together to make a very intriguing story. The story has a slow start but picks up quickly. I was holding my breath a few times. A very satisfying ending.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Rules to Rock By / Josh Farrar / 244 pages

"I missed that feeling, that incredible sense of being a part of something bigger than myself." So says Annabelle Cabrera, ex-rock star. She had to leave her band, Egg Mountain, in Brooklyn, N. Y. when her parents decided to move to Providence, Rhode Island.  She is determined to form a new band at Federal Hill Middle School.  Her parents are focused on their own recording studio and have little time left for parenting.  Annabelle missed her abuela and how she used to take care of the entire family when they lived with her.  She also misses Ronaldo of her last band, and emails him for advice and support.  Federal Hill has a serious bully problem and the problem seems to originate with a local rock band.  Finding unusual  members and utilizing unorthodox methods, Belle succeeds in unanticipated ways.

"Writing is a simple but elusive art.  To write is to describe.  Describe accurately and respectfully.  And perhaps passionately."  Mr. V
"Craziness is defined as doing the same thing or seeing the same thing again and again and expecting something different to happen."

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

Blood Ties / Lori G. Armstrong / 253 pages / Horror

Julie Collins is stuck in a dead-end secretarial job with the Bear Butte County sheriff's department.  She is grieving over the unsolved murder of her Lakota half-brother and her mother's death in a car accident caused by a drunken motorist.  Recently several other Lakotas have been found drowned.  Who, or what, killed them?  Julie is incensed that there is no public outcry to discover the cause of the deaths.  Julie works part-time as a private investigator's assistant to Kevin, whom she has known since seventh grade.  A girl has gone missing and they are hired to find her.  When she is found dead, they are instructed to find out where she
had been during her missing weeks.  Their investigations unearth secrets and violence, a budding romance, cancer, and commitment.  "...a fascinating tale of intrigue that will sweep you into a world of horror and suspense."  Clive Cussler

Horror

Tanglewood Terror / Kurtis Scaletta / 264 pages / Horror

Thirteen year old Eric Parrish comes across glowing mushrooms in the woods behind his house.  His is intrigued by them, decides to use them for his science report, and begins studying them.  Eric loves football in general, and the Patriot in particular.  He has a falling out with his football team over a pig he is taking care of.  Eric meets and becomes friends with a Mandy, a runaway from his mom's school.  Mandy thinks the mushrooms are more than just a topic for scientific research.  She thinks they are dangerous, and, in fact, destroyed the town 200 years ago, except for the Meeting House.  Eric, Mandy, and Eric's younger brother, Bryan, use scientific research, the manuscript of a  well-known writer, and sheer determination to stop the spread of the killer fungi.

Horror

Canyons of Night/Jayne Castle/325 pgs.

This is the 3rd book in the "Looking Glass Trilogy," by Jayne Ann Krentz, a.k.a. Jayne Castle. It is also an "Arcane Society Novel," with the action occurring in the future. The main characters are Charlotte Enright, an "aura reading," and Slade Attridge, Rainshadow's Chief of Police. There is mystery and romance--an enjoyable read!

After Glow/Jayne Castle/343 pgs





This is the fourth title in the Planet Harmony series and is the continuation of "After Dark". Lydia Smith is still with Emmett London. Emmett is now temporary Guild Boss after Wyatt is shot. Lydia is still working at Shrimpton's and starting her consulting business. They have decided to marry - a marriage of convenience - good for 1 year. Lydia is still trying to find out what happened during her missing time in the catacombs. Another good story

Sex, Mom, & God / Frank Schaeffer / 281



I checked this book out because of the title. It turned out to be a very informative book. I did not read the chapters in order. I started with a very funny one (to me) as I was paging through the book. As I found out who Frank Schaeffer was, I began reading the entire book.


Frank Schaeffer is one of the founders of the Religious Right political movement and did most of his work in the '80's. He made the anti-abortion films that started the politicizing of religion. He has now come 180 and is no longer affiliated with the right wing Christians and thinks things in this country have definitely gone awry with all the hate talk and no ability for anyone to compromise on any issue.


His parents were missionaries to the rich tourists in l'abri in Switzerland near a ski resort. Apparently his father was well-known. Francis Schaeffer, the father, was also one of the prime movers of the religious right movement. The author's parents' lives were quite disfunctional. His mother continually talked about sex, his father was abusive, he was home-schooled, but not in the traditional things one learns. He is quite open about his family life and has photos of his mother in the book. Hopefully she hasn't read the book or his other book. She should be mortified (or maybe in her case; not)


It is a fascinating, no holds barred, examination of his life, the religious right, and the climate in this country. It is great in that he actually knows the people whose names he is dropping. Colson, Billy Graham, Frank Graham, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, and many others. I just loved his descriptions of them.

Crossed / Ally Condie / 367p

 In this sequel to Matched, we find Ky fighting and Cassia farming in different areas of the Outer Provinces.  Ky is just trying to survive while Cassia is biding her time to escape and look for Ky.  Cassia and Ky both make a run for it (both with a new friend in tow) and eventually meet up.  But are Ky's and Cassia's plans the same?  And what is the secret about Xander that only Ky knows?  An excellent follow up to the original story - it keeps you on the edge of your seat just like the first and will make you anxiously await the third installment!  Give to fans of, of course, Matched.  But introduce the series to fans of any dystopian literature.  (It's like a less violent Hunger Games.)

Hold Still / Nina LaCour / 229p

 Caitlin's best and only friend, Ingrid, has just committed suicide.  How does Caitlin deal with such a loss?  How can she not blame herself for not seeing the signs?  How can she read the diary that Ingrid hid in Caitlin's bedroom the night before she died?  How does life go on?

Both sad and uplifting, this story gives a personal and realistic view of the struggles of both mental illness and  the loss of a friend to suicide.  A Gateway Award nominee this book is more for older teens - grade 8 and up.  Heavy, but will definitely keep their interest.  Give to fans of 13 Reasons Why, Hate List, and/or If I Stay.

Kill Me if You Can/James Patterson/361 pgs




This is one of the better collaborations that James Patterson has written in a while. This is a very good story. Matthew Bannon is a art student in New York who happens upon a murder and finds about $13 million in diamonds. He takes the diamonds and then finds himself the target of 2 assassins. He runs to Paris with his teacher/girlfriend and that is when it really gets good. There is a twist you really don't see coming about halfway through the story.

Undead and Unemployed/MaryJanice Davidson/294 pgs




The second book in the Undead series is very good and a quick read. Betsy is still trying to come to terms with 1 - being dead and a vampire, 2 - being Queen of the Vampires and 3 - being unemployed. She really can't do too much about the first 2 but she does find a job - her dream job - Macy's in the shoe department. Unfortunately, someone is killing vampires and as she is Queen of the Vampires, Betsy is informed that it is her responsibility to find out who and to stop it. Also her house has termites so they need to move. They do find a new home complete with a ghost, but meanwhile Betsy is dealing with Sinclair and other vampires, both good and bad.

The Face of Deception/Iris Johanson/354 pgs




This is the first title in the Eve Duncan series and is a very good book. Eve is a forensic sculptor and has been asked to help a wealthy businessman, John Logan with a job. He has a skull that he has been told about and he wants her to identify who the skull belongs to. There are of course people who are trying to stop them from finding the skull and identifying who it really is. Also Eve is trying to come to terms with the death of her daughter, Bonnie and the fact that the body has never been found. A very good read - I am looking forward to the next in the series.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Ninth Ward / Jewell Parker Rhodes / 217 pages

This is a wonderful book. This book is about surviving. It's about surviving when your mother dies at birth and your family doesn't want you, it's about surviving when you're 12 years old and you are different from the other kids at school, it's about surviving when you are underprivileged and your future is uncertain. Sounds depressing but it isn't! Lanesha is raised by a wonderful, loving woman who teaches her that love is about doing not saying and that you are never alone and whatever life throws at you, you can keep going. Throw in a good description of what it's like to be in Hurricane Katrina, survive the aftermath of the flood and seeing ghosts and you have a winner. This book would make a great book discussion title for kids or adult/child groups.

No More Dead Dogs / Gordon Korman / 180 pages

Funny and a great book for boys. Wallace Wallace can only tell the truth and boy does it get him in trouble. Great middle school or upper elementary read that will have kids laughing and thinking about kids in different groups and what it really means to be a friend. Sort of a heads up about how kids might feel about books that receive adult-selected awards as well.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Three Quarters Dead / Richard Peck / 193 pages / Horror

Described by the Washington Post as "America's best living author for Young Adults," Richard Peck is the first children's book writer ever to have been awarded a National Humanities Medal.  He has won a Newbery, an Edgar Award, a Scott O'Dell Award, a Christopher Award, and a Margaret K. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in YA literature.  Three Quarters Dead was disappointing to say the least, especially compared to some of his other award-winning books.  Sophomore, Kerry Wiliamson, is accepted into the inner circle of the coolest girls in school - Natalie, Makenzie, and Tanya.  She enjoys extended lunch periods basking in their popularity.  She is involved in a Halloween plot to frighten Alyssa Stark and is instrumental in their after life attack on Spence Myers.

"If there weren't any followers, where would the leaders be?"
"People would rather be ruled than by alone."
"People will their souls if you do their thinking for them."

Horror

Blood Noir / Laura K. Hamilton / 323 pages / Horror

Whoa!!  Forty pages of explicit sex was way too much...
Jason's father is dying.  Jason is a werewolf and has been estranged from his father his entire life.  His father believes him to by gay and, because of his resemblance  to the Sommerland family, to be someone else's son.  Jason dreads going home to face his father alone, so Anita Blake - necromancer, vampire slayer, and shapeshifter, agrees to go with him.  Jason is immediately mistaken for Keith Sommerland, soon-to-be-married, philandering son of a man desiring to be governor.  While being protected from perceived threats against Sommerland, Anita is attacked by Marmee Noir, the oldest vampire and Mother of Darkness. 

"Silence can be a greater asset than a question."

Horror

A Discovery of Witches/ Deborah Harkness/ 579 pages

Loved this book. It's got vampires, witches, dameons... It's a mystery revolving around Diana and her witch powers that she's trying to deny, when she crosses paths with the dashing vampire, Matthew. The only bad thing about this book is that given it's length you would think more of the mystery would be solved at the end, but it only leaves you wanting to read more! So, now, I wait for the next one to come out...

The Midnight Curse / L. M. Falcone / 208 pages / Horror

Charlie, his fraternal twin sister Lacey, and their mom fly to England for the reading of Great-great Uncle Jonathan's will.  They are so poor that their mother sells their living room furniture every few years.  Their father died in a car accident a few years ago.   Upon arriving in England, the twins become embroiled with ghosts and a century old curse.  Uncle Jonathan had falsely accused his best friend, Robert, causing his death at the gallows.  Robert cursed him.  The curse has been handed down to Charlie and he must sleep in water every night or he will blacken and shrivel.  A happy ending and many humorous events make this horror novel more entertaining than frightening.

Horror

Key of Light/Nora Roberts/342 pgs





This is the first title of the Key trilogy. Three women - all strangers - are invited to a party being held by a mysterious man & woman at a spooky old mansion and once there they are given a task - to locate 3 keys. The keys are for the locks on a glass box which are said to hold the souls of 3 demigoddesses. The keys must be found one at a time and within 28 days and they will each get 1 million dollars if each key is found. The first key is to be found by Mallory, a art gallery manager, who has recently lost her job. The story is very good, deals with Celtic mythology. Of course there is romance - Mallory falls in love with Flynn, the brother of one of the other girls, Dana.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Son of Stone/Stuart Woods/303 pages

Stone has a son. Pebble, er I mean Peter, was raised as Vance and Arrington's son, but now Arrington (what an unlikely name) has come clean. Peter is handsome and talented and brilliant, of course. He's 16 but wants to be 18, so a couple of calls from Stone makes it happen. Stone and Arrington get married. But wait, doesn't that make her Arrington Barrington??? And it just keeps going on and on like that.

First, Woods obviously has never been a hands-on parent or he wouldn't be able to write Peter the way he does with a straight face. Second, he hasn't listened to the way teenagers talk or he just can't write it. Third, after every Stone novel I ask myself why I keep reading this series. The answer is because they are FREE! I wouldn't spend a dime on them!

This series is strictly over the top. Campy.

Aliens on vacation/ Clete Barrett Smith/ 272 pages



This is a totally new book that hasn't even reached the library yet in hard copy. I had to listen to it. It is by Disney so expect a movie. There is also a sequel in the works.

David "Scrub" Elliot has to spend his summer vacation before 7th grade at his grandmother's bed & breakfast in Washington State instead of chilling at home around the pool and playing basketball in Tampa, Florida. The plot revolves around the strange clientelle of the bed & breakfast which all happen to be aliens. The aliens are closer to the kind in "Men in Black" than realistic sited aliens so it makes for a wacky story since the aliens are on Earth for vacation and must be disguised. There's an obnoxious stereotypic sheriff, some punk high school kids, and the girl love interest. There's also, my favorite, grandma. She's a new age, galactic hippie - very cool.

I can buy the whole alien culture and alien vacations and everything else in the book. What I couldn't buy into was that David could make an entire alien costume complete with paper mache and paint in less than an hour. I guess the author didn't either because he hedges and puts in a lame bit about using 2 hair dryers and "not that much paper mache". Sure. I believe in the reality of aliens more than I believe paper mache could dry in 20 minutes. Other than that, it was an entertaining book even if it wasn't quite what I was hoping for.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Following Atticus : forty-eight high peaks, one little dog, and an extraordinary friendship/Tom Ryan/276 pgs

I had heard about this story and wanted to read the book and am very glad I did. This is a very good book. It is the true story of an amazing dog and his owner. It takes place in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Tom Ryan gets a puppy and they discover a love of the mountains and hiking. When a friend is diagnosed with cancer, Tom decides that they are going to hike all 48 4000 ft plus peaks twice during the winter. I have hiked some of those mountains in the summer and cannot imagine trying to do it in the winter forget about trying to do it twice.

Dance Upon the Air/Nora Roberts/386 pgs




This is the first title in the "Three Sisters Island" trilogy and is Nell Channing's story. Three Sisters Island according to legend was formed by three witches during the time of the Salem Witch trials and according to the legend three descendants of the original three witches will come together on the island. The trilogy is about those three women - Mia, Ripley & Nell. Nell has come to the island to escape an abusive husband - she faked her own death and goes to work for Mia in the bookstore/cafe. She doesn't know that she is a witch but has always been drawn to the island. Was a good story and hopefully is considered a horror story because of the witch aspect of it.

Mid-October Winner

Congratulations MaryAnne (SP)!  She is our Mid-Month Winner.  She will be giving out Halloween Candy with her spooky new candy box that makes cackling and other haunted nosies!

Happy Trick-Or-Treating AND Happy Halloween!!!!!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Sword Thief / Peter Lerangis / 156 pages

Book 3 of the 39 clues series. Dan & Amy travel to Japan & Korea. Great combination of history, geography, puzzles and adventure/suspense. Listened to book on CD narrated by David Pittu who does a great job. Gotta boy who won't read...hand them a 39 clues book. Problem solved.

Caleb's Crossing / Geraldine Brooks / 306 pages

Fantastic historical fiction novel that will make you feel as though you are a young woman living in the mid 1600's in Martha's Vineyard and Boston. Fascinating look at Harvard in the early days where students mostly became ministers and had to know Latin, Greek and Hebrew before entering the college. Painful revelation of what the early settlers did in the name of God to other cultures and what happened to those who crossed from one culture to another. Beautifully written story of the first Native American graduate from Harvard told through the eyes of a young girl and woman whose family befriended Caleb.

The Most Dangerous Thing/Laura Lippman/342 pages

Five friends, three of them brothers and two unrelated girls, spend one summer exploring the woods by their homes. They stumble upon a cabin inhabited by a homeless man who plays the guitar and disappears from time to time. As the kids' relationships change, one fateful night will define them and their parents forever.

Definitely a page turner. I read this in less than two days. Of course, being on vacation helped!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Mister B. Gone / Clive Barker / 248 pages / Horror

This is most unusual book!!  It is told first person by a demon!!  He begins by asking the reader to burn the book.  He apparently is possessing the book - in fact, it embodies him.  If the reader does as he asks and burns the book, he will be set free.  He tells the story of how he escaped from hell and the abuse of his father, ran rampant upon the earth killing humans when necessary, was involved with the invention of the printing press, and calling into question all that is holy.  He frequently addresses the reader directly as if he can actually see him/her reading the book.  I am amazed that horror literature seems to contain so much humor.  Perhaps it is necessary to dull the impact of the violence and the weight of the themes.

Ratfink / Marcia Thornton Jones / 216 pages

A naked grandfather - in the garden, picking the neighbor's flowers - was not something a ten-year-old should have to deal with on his very own birthday.  Charles Logan Malone has decided to reform.  This new 5th grade year at Dooley Elementary will be nothing like the last.  He will become teacher's pet so that the year will be smooth sailing and he will not constantly be in trouble.  After the principal invites him into her office and asks him to escort the new girl, Emily "the Snot" Scott, to class, he resorts to what he does best.  "[He] calls it fiction; [His] parents call it lying.  Whatever it was he was good at it."  His prevaricating earns him the title "ratfink" from an essay written by Emily.  She has accused him of revealing the secrets of his best friend's (Malik's) book bag.  Logan denies it but the tide turns against him - including Malik.  Logan donates all his birthday  money to buy his grandfather a camera to aid his failing memory. He provides an excellent suggestion for their classes booth at the carnival, and then proceeds to ruin the carnival.  This is excllent story about trust, commitment,  loyalty, and mistaken blame.

"There are worse things than being laughed at."
"Chocolate can cure a lot of things."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

Guilty Pleasures / Laura K. Hamilton / 285 pages / Horror

Guilty Pleasures is the name of the bar featuring stripper vampires.  Anita Blake is designated driver for her best friend's (Catherine) bachelorette party.  Monica has chosen Guilty Pleasures as its venue.  Anita is an animator.  She brings dead people back to life - say to settle a contested will.  She works closely with the police department as their vampire expert.  Vampirism has recently been legalized in the U.S., and the country is inundated with refugees from other countries.  Guilty Pleasures is a "hard-boiled detective mystery.  It is also a dark fantasy, or horror novel, because it has vampires, zombies, ghouls, werewolves, and a few other shapeshifters."  Ms. Hamilton's heroine is a Dr. Seuss quoting vampire slayer tougher than most men.  The novel is set in St. Louis/St. Charles.

Horror

Undead and Unwed/MaryJanice Davidson/277 pgs




This is the first title in the "Undead" series. Betsy Taylor has been laid off and run over by a car. She finds herself in a coffin in cheap knockoff shoes - her stepmother has stolen all her designer shoes. She soon realizes that she is one of the undead - a vampire. She then finds herself kidnapped by Nostro, a 500 year old very bad vampire and finds out that she is not your everyday vampire. Sunlight doesn't burn her and she can wear crosses. She joins forces with Eric Sinclair, another vampire who she is not too crazy about, to defeat Nostro and to reach her true job as "Queen of the Vampires". Very funny book for a horror story.

Driftwood Cottage/Sherryl Woods/376 pgs




This is Connor O'Brien's story. He is a divorce lawyer who due to his parent's divorce and his job does not believe in marriage. Heather Donovan is his former girlfriend and mother of his little boy, Mick. She wants to marry Connor but knowing that he will never do so, she has left him and moved to Chesapeake Shores and is opening up a quilt shop. Connor is now spending more time in town with his family and his son. Will Heather and Connor's family be able to change his mind about love and marriage?

Can't Hurry Love/Christie Ridgway/294 pgs.

This is the third of the Baci sisters' stories. Giuliana"Jules" is the oldest of the Baci sisters, and as a result has carried the responsibility and "parenting" of her two sisters after her parents had passed away. The three of them have been trying to make a go of the family vineyards. Secrets are unveiled, and there is the typical happy-ever-after-ending. A quick, chick-lit read!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

The End of Everything/Megan Abbott/246 pages

Evie and Lizzie are best friends and next door neighbors. When Evie goes missing and is presumed to be kidnapped, Lizzie does what she can to help bring her back. An unsettling book.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

How to Bake a Perfect Life/Barbara O'Neal/390 pages

Ramona Gallagher owns a struggling bakery or boulangerie. Her daughter, Sophia, has just received word that her soldier husband has been wounded and she needs to go to Germany ASAP. Her husband's ex-wife has been sent to rehab again, so his daughter needs to stay with Sophia, but she has to leave before Katie can get to Colorado Springs. Katie stays with Ramona while Sophia waits for her husband to wake up from his traumatic injuries.

This is a story of the relationships between many generations of women in the Gallagher family starting with Adelaide (Ramona's deceased grandmother) and going down to Katie. There are men in the story but for the most part they play a secondary role. O'Neal includes many bread recipes, so if you a baker, you get a bonus.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Neverwhere / Neil Gaiman / 337 pages / Horror

"Have you ever got what you wanted and then realized it's not what you wanted after all?" Richard Mahew asks after he is miraculously returned to his former life in London.  His engagement to Jessica was broken when he was determined to aid bloody Dora.  Following her to lower London, he helps to avenge her family's deaths, visits a clan of talking rats, an angel, and mythical monster.  Escaping from two hired assassins who have caused havoc throughout history, he think he will be happy to have his old life back.  After all this, however, his former life appears staid and boring.

Horror

Leaving Gee's Bend / Irene Latham / 230 pages

"I reckon it takes leaving to appreciate all the things about [a] place that make it special."  This important lesson is learned by Ludelphia Bennett when she sets off from Gee's Bend to Camden to fetch Dr. Nelson for her sick mother.  Her mother has just delivered a new baby girl after delivering two stillborn babies.  She has pneumonia and possible influenza.  The ferry breaks loose and Lu is thrown into the river.  Finally making it ashore, she spends the night in Mrs. Cobb's barn.  Mrs. Cobb, a recent widow, pulls a shotgun on her and is determined to collect past due debts and all possessions from the residents of Gee's Bend (1932), Alabama.  Lu's note to the Red Cross brings sorely needed food and supplies to the poverty-ridden community.

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

The Familiars / Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobsen / 360 pages

I listened to the audio version of this book and it was great, but please be sure not to miss the print version and its illustrations.  Three familiars - magician's companion animals, carry on the quest undertaken by their masters when the young wizards are captured by the evil queen of Vastia.  Gilbert (frog), Skylar (blue jay), and Aldwyn (alley cat) are reminiscent of Harry Potter.  Like Harry, Aldwyn is an orphan and knows nothing of magic.  Gilbert reminds me of Ron with his bumbling ineptitude, and Skylark is Hermione with her studious command and knowledge of magic, spells, etc. gained through studious reading.  "Their magic adventure - an irresistible blend of real heart, edge-of-your-seat action, and laugh-out-loud humor - is an unforgettable celebration of fantasy and friendship.

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

After Ever After / Jordan Sonnenblick / 263 pages

Jeff and Tad, eighth cancer survivors, are in Miss Palma's English class studying "Cyrano de Bergerac".  They decide, like Cyrano, to make a beau geste.  Jeff will try to pass the state math test, although methotrexate he has taken for cancer has caused brain damage making math extraordinarily difficult for him.  If he does not pass the test, he will fail 8th grade.  Tad will be his tutor and accomplish the seemingly impossible.  Jeff is helping Tad to work out so that he will be able to walk across the stage at 8th grade graduation.  (He is wheel chair bound.)  Lindsey, a new girl from California, takes a liking to Jeff and assists Tad in a plot to subvert the testing.  Jeff's brother, who has fled to Africa to study drumming and to find himself, decides t return when his ex-girlfriend, Annette, sends him a MeTube  video of the walk out. 

"It's amazing what a little fame and a fatal disease will do for a guy's popularity rating."
"A big part of why we're here is support the people around us."

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

Dream of Night / Heather Henson / 218 pages

'I think 'norma' is overrated.  I think it's okay to be a little different."
Jessalyn DiLima is a life-saver.  She rescues horses and children.  She has lost her only daughter, Maddie, years ago and has never recovered from the loss.  Shiloh comes to her on the day she rescues Dream of Night, an abused renegade thoroughbred.  Shiloh has been abandoned by her mother and her mother's abusive boyfriend, Slade.  She receives one silent phone call each year on her birthday.  Shiloh is destined for a juvenile residential facility and has shut herself off to avoid more hurt from the foster care system.  Jess is feeling her age, and although she feels compelled to help Shiloh, Shiloh rejects her advances.  Dream of Night, however, responds to Shiloh and she to him.  Both hearts are softened and the seemingly impossible occurs with a deservedly happily ever after ending.

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

The Hope of Refuge / Cindy Woodsmall / 341 pages / Christy Award

Inspiring tale filled with romance and many interesting facts about Amish life and beliefs.  Cara Moore is a single mother from New York who flees with her daughter, Laurie, to escape a stalker.  Destitute, she follows memories and her mother's journal to travel to Dry Lake, Pennsylvania where she hides in a barn and "borrows" necessities.  Unfortunately, when she moves into Ephraim Mast's house with Laurie and he moves into his workshop, the community is incensed and Ephraim is shunned.  Ephraim dares to live by God's command to "Be Me to her."  Cara is drawn to the comfort found in the Bible and Ephraim.  Ephraim's sister, Deborah, is also undergoing strife as her fiance, Mahlon Stolzfus, decides to leave the Amish community.  His experience in New York during 9/11 makes it difficult for him to continue its separatist views.  Excellent story of faith, determination, being true to one's inner self, and the importance and impact of family and community.

Christy Award Nominee 2011

The City and The City / China Mieville / 320 pages / Hugo Award 2011

Inspector Tyador Borlu is a detective in the Extreme Crime Squad in Beszel.  He is called to investigate a murder.  A woman's body was found by some skateboarders.  It is first believed that she is a prostitute, but investigations reveal that she is a PH D student working at a nearby archaeological dig.  Evidence reveals that she was killed in one city and transported to another.  The cities exist in close proximity, and, where crosshatching occurs, sometimes simultaneously.  Residents of both cities are trained to "unsee" buildings and residents of the other.  Failure to do so is breach.  Excellent vocabulary marks this international sci fi spy thriller.

Hugo Award Nominee 2011

Bamboo People / Mitali Perkins / 272 pages

This is by far one of the best books I've read in a long time!!  Telling the story from two points of view, Mitali Perkins relates the strife occurring in modern Burma.  Chiko's father, a doctor, has been arrested because of his criticism of the government.  Chiko goes to town to apply for a teaching position to help support his family.  Instead he is conscripted into the army with Tai, a street urchin.  Tai helps him to survive in the army camp, and Chiko volunteers to go on a mission in Tai's place.  Chiko is injured by a mine and is rescued by Tu Reh, a Kareeni - the enemy.  "Extreme circumstances and unlikely friendships force each boy to confront what it means to be a man of his people...Mitali Perkins explores the power of courage and compassion to overcome violence and prejudice." 

"Read widely...Great doctors must understand human nature in order to heal."
Chiko's mantra "One day at a time.  Mind your own business.  Stay out of trouble."
"Revenge makes you a prisoner."
"No hero comes back unscarred."

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

After Dark/Jayne Castle/332 pgs

This is the book two of the "Planet Harmony" series. These stories take place on Harmony in the future. Lydia Smith is a para-archaeologist and after being caught in an illusion trap, she is now working at the Shrimpton's House of Ancient Horrors and trying to start a private consulting firm. Her first client, Emmett London, shows up just as she discovers the body of a somewhat friend and she is a suspect in his murder. They end up joining forces to find out who killed the friend and to locate Emmett's ancient family heirloom which was stolen.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

The Book Thief/Markus Zusak/552 pgs.

I can't tell you how much I was impacted by this book. Both of my daughters had read it awhile ago, and kept asking me if I had read it yet--there was always another book I was reading. I should have read it sooner! It's a fictionalized account of Nazi Germany, with Death as the narrator. That's all I'm going to say, because anything else I say wouldn't do it justice. It would be a great book discussion pick.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

1105 Yakima Street/Debbie Macomber/366 pages

Another of Debbie Macomber's "Cedar Cove" novels. (And at the end of the book, the author announces that there will only be one more title included in this series). This book follows the conflict between Bruce and Rachel Peyton. Of course as with all of the "Cedar Cove" novels, there are many other families' stories also. With the many different stories involved, this is a quick read.

Mudbound/Hilary Jordan/328p


This book was recommended to me by a member of my book club.
After being cheated out of farm that they put money down on Jim and Laura McAllan find themselves living with no electricity, no running water and very little privacy. Along with Jim's cantankerous father and two young girls, they start out farming life on shakey ground. The neighbors and sharecroppers, the Jacksons help them as best they can but the eldest McAllan man is not too friendly and treats them more like slaves. Taking place during the late 1940's both families have men returning from military duty after World War II. The tension between Ronsel Jackson and the towns folk brings the two families against each other. Although Laura's younger and very hospitable brother in law, Jamie seems to share a bond with Ronsel the pair of them find themselves a target of the local Klan. This was very hard to put down and I enjoyed how the chapters rotated between the characters. Hilary Jordan has a new book coming out called "When she woke" which I am looking forward to as well.

Tombstone Courage/J.A. Jance/300 pgs




This is the second title in the Joanna Brady series. Joanna has run for sheriff of Cochise County - the office her husband was running for when he was murdered and she won. On her first day, she is faced with trying to find out what happened when 2 bodies are found - one new and one very old. She is having to deal with the "good old boys" in the sheriff's office and the receptionist who has an attitude. Plus her daughter is afraid she will lose another parent. It was a good story and didn't really see who did it until the end.

Gordon Korman / Framed / 234 pages

Griffin Bing, the Man with the Plan, must rely on his friends to help him get out of his latest dilemma...being accused of stealing a Super Bowl ring on display at his middle school. This book has it all: humor, a puzzle, mystery, evil adults, bad kid goes good, technology, etc. Great selection for guy readers. Third in the series of stories featuring Griffin and his friends. Other titles include Swindle & Zoobreak. PS The dog Luthor is quite adorable...for a huge slobbery doberman. Recommended for upper elementary and middle school.

Match Me If You Can / Susan Elizabeth Phillips 386

Sixth in the Chicago Stars series, pits the "Python" against the matchmaker when Heath Champion decides it is time to marry. Annabelle Granger lands him as her first client through an introduction wangled by friends from the Chicago Stars football team. Annabelle immediately sees why this workaholic, driven, brash, successful sports agent can't finding a wife. Intrigued he signs on despite that he is already using the matchmaking services of the poised, polished Portia Powers of PowerMatches. Others from the Chicago Stars enter the story. An secondary love story between Portia and Brody, Heath's associate adds to the mix. Phillips' characters display wit and sauciness and romance.

Check the library catalog.

Forever / Maggie Stiefvater 390 p.

In this third in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series for teens, suspicion falls on Sam when Grace runs away as a wolf. Their sweet love story is counterbalanced by the edginess and less sure one of Cole St. Clair, mega rock star and Isabel Culpepper, Grace's friend and confidant. The cure sought by Cole can't come fast enough as Isabel's father bulldozes his plan of killing all the wolves into reality when werewolf Olivia is killed by wolves.

Check the library catalog.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Borrower of the Night / Elizabeth Peters / p244

A Vicky Bliss mystery. Vicky and her "friends" travel to Germany to try and uncover a long lost shrine by a famous sculptor (for the life of me I cannot remember his name) with some very valuable stones embedded in it. They are historians and have gotten clues from letters from the very ancient past. Throughout their search they encounter mysterious happenings, apparitions, tombs, grave robbers, seances, etc.

I wouldn't call this a horror book but it certainly had shades of the darkness to it. Maybe, just maybe Laurie will count it as horror for the points. How 'bout it Laurie???

The Heart and the Fist / Eric Greitens / p309

The author describes how, after working as a humanitarian around the world, he realized that he could do nothing to stop violence or prevent people from becoming refugees and soon joined the elite Navy SEALs, where he drew on his humanitarian training as he battled injustice.

I actually listened to this, with Eric as the narrator. If only all our armed forces personnel and politicians could work in the world as humanitarians first. The two go hand in hand. I know this young man was here for a program in our library, I'm sorry I missed it!

Neon Rain / James Lee Burke / p248

This novel pits a New Orleans homicide detective Dave Robichaux against the mob, the contras, the Feds and just about all the other cops. Tough cop, good cop. I'd never read anything by this author before but the book happened to be available so I picked it up and then wouldn't put it down. I'm not normally fond of main characters who are drawn to violence but this Dave character is really the good guy. I even put The Glass Rainbow on reserve......another Dave Robichaux novel.

Night Road / Kristin Hannah / p385

A story of friendship, social pressures, love and forgiveness. Lexi and her friends make a bad choice one night and one of them pays with their life. The story was an easy read. I think it would make a good after-school special for young teens coming into the age where the decisions they make are their own. And they have to learn to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives. Possibly a good future Book Club to Go title.

Serendipity/Carly Phillips/300 pgs.

Chick lit at its best. Faith Harrington returns to her hometown, Serendipity, hoping for a new start. Years ago her father had betrayed the towns people by running a Ponzi scheme. Ethan Barron, the "bad boy" of years past has purchased the Harrington mansion. There is romance, family conflict, etc. A nice, light, read!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Kyle's Island / Sally Derby / 191 pages

Kyle is eager to begin their annual trip to the lake cottage. He knows it will be different this year. His grandmother,who owned the cottage, has died, and his dad left the family this past Valentine's Day. Kyle has not spoken to him since and resents his compulsion to write the great American novel and "find himself". Kyle plans to explore the mysterious island in the middle of the lake - especially when he learns his mom is trying to sell the cottage to pay bills. This is a heartwarming story about close family ties, looking beyond appearances, hope, and second chances. Bit of bad language.

"You can control your temper or let it control you."
"Lots of people have been talked into things they regret by someone who said 'Just this once' to them."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

Autumn Street / Lois Lowry / 188 pages

This is one of Lois Lowry's earlier books and it is very moving and thought-provoking. Lots to think about and talk about in this story of a family who move in with grandpa and grandma when dad goes off to WWII. Elizabeth's, the young narrator, perceptions of war, race issues, inter-generational relations, friendships, sibling issues etc are all brilliantly related. Characters are skillfully drawn. This is a good one to read to comprehend how children perceive war and some of the other things they are told or overhear adults say every single day. It's a difficult book in more ways than one. It's a book that will stick in your head. Read it and let me know what you think.

Born In Fire/Nora Roberts/405 pgs



"Born In Fire" is the first title in the "Concannon Sisters" trilogy. It is the story of Margaret Concannon. She is a glass blower and has come to the attention of an art gallery owner - Rogan Sweeney. He wants to manage her and she is not sure that is what she wants. She just wants to be left alone. But she is attracted to him and decides to let him show her artwork. They fall in love and help to heal Maggie's heart.

October Challenge

Hi ALL!  Sorry I am so late updating the blog this month.  I work at Spencer so 'nuff said.  I LOVE October and Halloween is my FAVORITE Holiday!!  So this month the challenge is to read as many scary stories as possible!!!  Check out the Bonus Points Challenge page for more Details.  PLUS!  there is going to be a special drawing this month on OCT. 17th for anyone who has posted this month so far!  So get reading and posting!  Thanks!

Poop Happened / Sarah Albee / 164 pages




What can you say in 164 pages about poop? A bunch! That's right. An entire history of how people have dealt with the overwhelming problem of what to do with all that stuff. Mostly, it went into the streets and into the water. It would not have been pleasant to sniff the air back in the day.




It is a wonderful look at history and culture of the times as well as the chronicle of waste. Albee also goes into the history of disease theory and how it changed over time. All this in a very entertaining children's book!


Kids can inadvertently learn some history while they are gleefully reading about poop.




Clearly, there is still work to be done as we are still polluting the planet. There is a possible sewage-based battery in the works. I hope it happens. By the way, I no longer eat gummy candy. See he book for why.

1105 Yakima Street/Debbie Macomber/366 pgs




This is the next to last title in the "Cedar Cove" series and this is Bruce & Rachel Peyton's story. Rachel is pregnant but has left Bruce because of conflicts with her stepdaughter Jolene. The stress of living with a girl who is jealous of the attention her father is giving to his new wife and the baby on the way is endangering the pregnancy. She has moved and found a new job and is trying to get on with her life but Bruce wants her back. There is also updates on other residents of Cedar Cove in preparation for the last title "1225 Christmas Tree Lane".

Heat Rises/Richard Castle/305 pgs




This is the third Nikki Heat title written by Richard Castle - based on the ABC series "Castle". This one is the best one yet I think. Nikki is suspended from the force in the middle of the investigation into a murder of a priest at a New York bondage club. She knows that there is a cover up and knows she can only trust one person - Jameson Rook - the investigative reporter that she is in love with but who has been gone for a month. If you enjoy the TV show like I do, you will enjoy the books.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Split / Swati Avasthi / 282 pages

"It is four times likely equal to inevitable." Jace Witherspoon wonders if he is doomed to become his father. His brother, Christian, left home years ago to escape the intense abuse meted out by his father. He had often stepped in to deflect the violence directed at his mom. Now Jace, too, has runaway for the same reasons. He, however, had fought back, and unfortunately has pbysically lashed out at his girlfriend, Lauren. Driving from Chicago to Albuquerque, he reconnects with Christian and begins to fight his demons. He has begun developing "calmology lessons: #1: Run every day, #2: Speak if you have something to say, #3: Fix what you can, and accept what you can't."

"I am defined by what I've done, not by what's been done to me."
"We all screw up. We all wish we were stronger than we are, and not one of us get through this life without regret."
"Sometimes I wonder why words can't actually make us bleed."

Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Heaven is for Real/ Todd Burpo/ 163 pages



I listened to this on CD as it would take to long to wait for the book. It must be fairly short as almost the entire first cd was an interview with Todd Burpo. He is the father of Colton and a pastor of a church in Nebraska.

The story is about Colton and his experience in the hospital where he spent 15 days with a ruptured appendicitis and complications that led to his near death experience and subsequent stories about his visit to heaven where he saw Jesus. The book is not well-written which makes it all the more believable since it is published by Thomas Nelson, a major religious publisher. He repeats himself and goes back and forth over his son's statements about heaven. Then, it also seems too advanced for an actual experience since Colton has details that his father is sure referred to Revelations. I actually have trouble with the picture on the front of the book. Who, in the 2000's would give their kid a classic 50's crewcut and dress them in a giant sweater vest? I questioned that picture, but current pictures of Colton (he's 11 now) look like he could be that child.

There are websites devoted to saying that the book is a fraud, but the book is published by Thomas Nelson so someone there believed in the Burpo's story. Many people have near-death experiences (some even experienced Hell), and it would be difficult to coach a four year old on what they saw. It could be over-interpreted, but the initial statements by Colton would be authentic. Interesting book, but open to discussion. I will next read "The Boy who came back from Heaven" by someone named Malarkey. That book has photos so despite my skepticism about the name "Malarkey", I will try to keep an open mind.

Against All Enemies / Tom Clancy / 756 pages

This time Clancy, with the help of Peter Telep, creates an unholy alliance with the Mexican Drug Cartels and Taliban terrorists to create a spine tingling worst possible nightmare scenario...drug cartels helping terrorists to cross the border and bring down commercial jetliners with heat-seeking missiles. Bring on the good guys who are courageous characters including a Navy Seal, DEA agent, FBI agent, CIA and all the other alphabets seeking to protect the naive citizenry. Clancy can take what's in the news (including the brutal drug wars and corruption in Mexico) and make it all too real. Makes you wonder how safe our cosseted lives really are and appreciate the men and women who sacrifice to protect us. Of course, with Clancy, you know you are going to get the right wing, most conservative approach still it's fast-paced action and adventure for those who prefer the safety of our armchairs.

State of Wonder / Ann Patchett / 353 pages



This was a fascinating book about a pharmaceutical researcher who goes to Brazil to find out what happened to her work partner and to find the location of the drug researcher Dr. Swensen.


She leaves her comfort zone in Minneapolis for first, Menaus, capital of Amazonas, and then for the interior rain forest. She encounters the tribe of Lakoshi, the research doctor, the surprising research, an anoconda, and many other cool things. It is a continually interesting book that caused me extra miles as I had to keep driving to hear "just a little more".


It would also make a good book discussion choice for the issues raised in the book such as the ethics of testing medicines on indiginous people who cannot really give informed consent, how much is too much interference in a culture before it destroys a culture, how to protect an environment where potential medicines could be produced, and what is right or wrong in a world of conflicting shades of gray. I wasn't totally satisfied with the ending. I wanted more. Maybe she could write a sequel.

Last Letter from your Lover/Jojo Moyes/390 pages

Think Love Affair mixed with Tess of the D'ubervilles and you've got the main plot devices for this book. Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital after a terrible accident. She doesn't remember the accident or much about her life (another head injury memory novel.) Eventually she discovers where she was going on the day of her accident. The first two parts of the novel is sent in the 60s, but the final section is sent in 2003 when a reporter discovers letters and tries to put together the pieces of a puzzle that may also help her put her life back on track.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Rot and Ruin / Jonathan Maberry / 458 pages / Horror

Zombies?...Really?...
This is a pleasantly predictable post-apocalyptic novel.  Something has caused the dead to reanimate as zombies - zombies who feed on humans, turning them, in turn, into zombies.  Humans have barricaded themselves into a safe town without electricity and its comforts.  Guards are stationed to turn back occasional zombie attacks.  Bounty hunters frequently make excursions into the Rot & Ruin to capture and kill zombies.  Benny Imura's brother, Tom, is a bounty hunter, but a different breed.  He provides closure to zombie families by ending the life of zombie with respect and compassion.  Tom & Benny chase bounty hunters into the wild who have killed humans in the town.  They find the Lost Girl, foil a plot to staff Gameland, see a jet (!?)....

Great adventure story, even with the zombies...Great themes...Some questionable language.

Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

Bubba and the Dead Woman / C. L. Bevill / 528 pages

This is humorous tongue-in-cheek murder mystery.  Bubba Snoddy is accused of murdering his ex-fiancee whom he found in bed with another man.  This infidelity occurred years ago.  Melissa is shot in the back on the Snoddy estate.  The murder weapon was found hidden near Bubba's carriage house and it is clear to Bubba that he has been framed for the murder and begins to investigate to clear his name.  Bevill presents us with missing Confederate gold, a "respectable" bordello turned B & B with fringe benefits, a chocolate pudding fantasy, and the fun goes on and on....

Thursday, October 6, 2011

The Deadly Sister / Eliot Schrefer / 310 pages

Abby Goodwin is the dependable, straight-A student, while her sister, Maya is heavily into tattoos, piercings, and drugs.  Because she is doing so poorly in school, her parents hire a tutor for her, Jefferson Andrews.  Although Jeff's family is not nearly as well-to-do as the Goodwins, he is the golden boy at high school and valedictorian of his class.  Unfortunately, he is also a drug-dealer and a gigolo.  When Abby goes running one morning, she discovers Jeff's lifeless body in a ravine.  He looks like he has been murdered and Abby is afraid Maya did it.  Abby has covered for Maya her entire life so it is natural for her to spirit her sister away and begin an investigation into the murder.  This preliminary nominee for the Gateway Award is a page-turner with several interesting plot twists and a surprise ending.

Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13

Vanish/Tess Gerritsen/336 pgs





This is the fifth title in the "Rizzoli & Isles" series and this one focuses on Jane Rizzoli. She has gone to the hospital for a routine exam - she is 9 months pregnant and the baby is now late - when a woman takes hostages and Rizzoli is one of them. But before they can find out why, the feds have taken over the crime scene and the woman and her partner are killed. But before she dies, she gives Jane a message. Now Jane, who has delivered a baby girl, and her husband Gabriel are trying to find out what happened and why. Great story - deals with the trade in women for forced prostitution.

Quicksilver/Amanda Quick/342 pgs




This is the second title in the "Looking Glass" trilogy and book 11 in the Arcane Society series. Once again, it is the Victorian period and glass readers are being murdered. Owen Sweetwater has been hired by Caleb Jones to find out who is the murderer. Virginia Dean wakes up next to a dead body with the knife by her and doesn't know what happened. Owen has been watching her because she is a glass reader of considerable power and he is afraid she is in danger. He saves her life and her his. Another good story and only one more left - the latest in the series "Canyons of Night".

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Impatient With Desire/ Gabrielle Burton/ 248 pages

On the way to California, Tamsen Donner and her travelling party are trapped in the mountains for the winter. As she waits out her days until the party can carry on, Tamsen reflects on her past experiences while describing her dreary present - a makeshift underground shelter. Tamsen tenderly reminisces on her extraordinary life before she emigrated west; she recalls her childhood in Massachusetts, her first marriage in North Carolina, and her blissful second marriage to George Donner that brought her to the California trail. Tamsen chronicles the endless struggles of life in the mountains in her journal and in letters to her sister, depicting the ultimate sacrifices that everyone makes to survive. Quiet and deliberate in tone, Tamsen's story draws the reader in to the story and will leave the reader with a desire to learn more about Tamsen and the tragic Donner party.

Anya's Ghost/ Vera Brosgol/ 221 pages

I think I read this page-turning graphic novel in one sitting. It was a great story that I thought was just going to be a cute girl falls down the well and now has a ghost friend story. But, there was a little bit more to it than that. Anya is a self-conscious Russian immigrant, but when she makes friends with a ghost, she starts to see herself a little differently and realizes some things about herself as she researches the truth behind her ghost's demise. Anya is very likeable and I like the twist that the story takes. And the pictures were a great way to tell this story. I can't imagine not seeing the ghost and seeing the changes that Anya notices too.

Paper Towns/ John Green/ 305 pages

Loved this book. Quentin goes on a crazy adventure one night with his next door neighbor, who is seeking revenge on those who have betrayed her. Of course, he goes, he's had a crush on her since they were little. But, the next day she disappears and leaves clues for him to follow. It was so fun to see where the clues led. And I like that Q, while not part of the cool crowd, like Margo was, has awesome and reliable and realistic friends. It was fun to watch them go on their adventure and to see if they could find Margo before it was possibily too late. I'd tried reading "Finding Alaska" before, which is a very popular book by Green and did not care for it. But, this was really good, and fun and now I need to read more by him.