Bound Treasures

To Timbuktu

2011-12-20T11:48:00.001-08:00

To Timbuktu: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story by Casey Scieszka

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this! This year has kinda been the year of non-fiction for me. I usually hate to read non-fiction, but this year the books have been so amazing that they surpass any disinterest I have in the subject.

Ok, so this particular non-fiction book had a leg up in that area since I am interested in traveling and life in other coutries. Casey and Steven work together to tell the story of thier time together in nine different countries the year after they graduate from college. Casey tells the story in words, clearly a talent that she inherited/learned from dad (Jon Scieszka), but her words are highlighted humerously with Steven's illustraions.

I'm not even all the way through this book and I feel like I know both of them. It would feel wierd to write this review refering to Casey as Scieszka as I might for fiction authors, because I've read about her nervous first day jitters before teaching, her disgust as finding a mystery turd in the bathtub, and her love of Paris.

Whether your an artist, linguist, wanna be traveler, or world traveler....or really anyone. You will find plenty of laughs and information in this book.

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A little envious of Austrailian readers

2011-12-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.melinamarchetta.com.au/

Check out Melina Marchella's blog for a sneak peek at Froi of the Exiles because that's all we're getting in the US for awhile. I can only hope that an ARC will find it's way into my hands or practice my patience until it is released in March.

I loved Finnikan of the Rock. If you have not read it, go find a copy at your local library and read it. Yes, it's a fantasy novel and many of my friend whined when I asked them to read another fantasy novel. Know what though? Most of them came back to tell me how much they loved it and about the themes of culture and language and refugees that flow through this fantasy world.

Girl with a Dragon tattoo

2010-09-07T08:03:00.001-07:00

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I know this book was HUGE. Everyone has been reading it and recommending it. So much so that I took a break from reading all the teen book I have for work. It was something different.

I will say the mystery element had me second guessing myself all the way through the book. I read quite a few and usually guess the bad guy or the twist. While I did suspect parts of this plot early in the book, the author had be second guessing myself so much that I was loath to put the book down even when I was sure I didn't like the book.

While I loved the mystery element, I was annoyed by the ending of the personal part of the story. It just felt unnecessarily bleak to me. Overall, a good read though many American readers may find the style a bit formal and the start a bit slow. It's a style that I seem to see in more European books....though I will admit that I tend not to read much literary fiction for adults from American authors.

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Clementine by Pennypacker

2010-09-03T22:29:00.001-07:00

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these books! If you have a child making the jump from readers to chapter books these are great. It's hard to find cute, fun, stories for this skill level. There is tons of junk, but not a ton of good stories with realistic kids who find solutions to problems on their own with guidance from adults (who are there and NOT the enemy).

My only problem? There aren't more of them. So Sara please keep writing them!

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Rise of Renegade X

2010-09-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. I've seen a few kids as superheros and liked a few but thought most were kind of cheesy. By casting the main character as a villain, he is free not to be perfect from the start and I have to say even though I love the teens at my library, it's A LOT easier seeing them as super villains than heroes.

Some of the characters are rather flat and stereotypes, but it seems more intentional than a weakness in the book. I'd pair this with maybe Hero by Moore. Give to fans of the movies Sky High, KickAss, or Scott Pilgrim.

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Reaching for the Sun

2010-08-26T09:58:00.001-07:00

Reaching for Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this a couple years ago when it first came out. I loved it. There are lines from this book which I can still remember clearly even years after reading it.

This one is great for readers who like a more thoughtful read.

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10 Books everyone should read in thier life. (YA books)

2010-04-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

Recently on the YALSA - Young Adult Library Services Association - listerv someone asked about the top 10 (ya) books the librarians on the list thought everyone should read (Ie the Top Ten Teen Books ever).

As you will see in the list below there is a WIDE range of views on the topic and this list is very definitely slanted toward current/modern books. Some people selected by literary merit, some on cultural impact, and others on how the books moved them personally. While I LOVE top ten lists, I don't think there is such a thing as 10 books that are best for ALL teens. I will say that all the books listed here are worthy of a look.

There are some that I like more than others. If this survey was done again in 3-5 yrs, there are some books even in the top 10 which would not even get a mention I think. Chiefly among those I believe would be Twilight. I applaud it for the interest it's brought to books and the number of teens it got reading, but I don't think it has the staying power that books like Book Thief or The Giver have.

Top 10 teen books of all time

1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (6 votes)

2. 13 Reasons Why By Jay Asher (4 votes)

3. Book Thief by Markus Zusak (4 votes)

4. Giver by Lois Lowry (4 votes)

5. Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling (4 votes)

6. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (4 votes)

7. Feed by Anderson (3 votes)

8. Monster by Walter Dean Myers (3 votes)

9. Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (3 votes)

10. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (3 votes)

Results from everyone who gave answers

13 Reasons Why By Jay Asher (4 votes)

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (2 votes)

Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2 votes)

Acceleration- Graham McNamee

After by Amy Efaw

American Born Chinese,

Are you there, God, It's me,

Bloom-Elizabeth Scott

Book Thief by Markus Zusak (4 votes)

Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Boy Meets Boy by Levithan

Bridge To Terabithia

Call of the Wild by Jack London

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Feed by Anderson (3 votes)

Forever,

Giver by Lois Lowry (4 votes)

Go Ask Alice

Graceling by cashore

Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling (4 votes)

Hit and Run-Lurlene McDaniel

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (4 votes)

Hunt for the Seventh by Christine Morton-Shaw

I am the Cheese,

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Just as Long as We're Together by Judy Blume

Just Listen-Sarah Dessen

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Looking for Alaska by John Green (2 votes)

Loser (Jerry Spinelli)

Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Monster by Walter Dean Myers (3 votes)

One of Those Hideous Books where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (3 votes)

Pride and Prejudice-Jane Austen

Rest are in alphabetical order by title:

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (6 votes)

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

That was Then, This is Now and a Judy Blume title

Tiger Eyes

To Kill a Mockingbird

Tuck Everlasting

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (3 votes)

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963

Wednesday Wars

Whale Talk-Chris Crutcher

Yellow Star by Jennifer Rozines Roy (2 votes)

Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

2010-04-21T14:07:00.000-07:00

Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

Publication May 2010
From Penguin Group
ISBN 978-0-399-15635-9

The Ultimate Secret.

The Ultimate Agent.

The President's Vampire.

Reads the cover of my review copy, picked up at PLA 2010 in Portland a few weeks ago. We're all told don't judge a book by it's cover, but COME ON! Those lines in red on a black cover above a presidential seal with the eagle turned into a bat. It looked like a movie poster....a poster for a movie I WANTED to see.

My husband claimed the book while I was busy reading the newest Kim Harrison book and promptly started to groan about all the one liners, cool action, and weird alternative history found in the headers to each chapter which he wanted to tell me about but I refused to listen to because I wanted to read the book for myself. After about a week he gave up, he handed me Blood Oath when I was between books so I could read it while he read the newest Dresden book. He figured that I'd whip through it and then he could have fun telling me the one liners and the great tidbits that he found in the novel since I had already finished it.

So glad he did! Once I picked up this book, I had trouble putting it down. Red lights on the way to/from work....never mind texting while you drive, I was reading. I promise it was only at lights. The 2 AM reminder that I had to get up and work in the morning. Yeah, this book delivered everything the cover promised and more.

Farnsworth is a scriptwriter and journalist who lives in LA. I'm not sure if it's the script writing or the journalism experience, but Farnsworth is excellent at painting a vivid picture of action with an economic use of words. His dialog is snappy and his characters may look stock when you start the novel, but as you read and get to see beneath their surface become three dimensional and more complex.

The premise: Shortly after Lincoln's assassination, a boat comes into port with a newly turned vampire, Cade, and a bunch of dead bodies. Johnson gets his hands on him and has a Vodoo priestess bind him in a blood oath to serve and protect the President of the United States. Blood Oath bounces back and forth between the present and various times in history. The book is written in third person and bounced between the present and various times in history. As Cade and Zach, his new human handler, rush to figure out a current threat to the President and to stop it, the jumps through history give the reader Cade's back story and history with the big baddie.

This book was great fun. I loved it and hope that Farnsworth will be writing more whether the more is another advanture with Cade and Zach (which the end left open to happening even while wrapping up the loose ends of this story!) or a totally new set of characters.

Happy Face by Stephen Emond

2010-04-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

Finally got a chance to read it through.

It still reminds me of Diary of a Wimpy kid, but in a good way not in the "oh that made a ton of money let me copy it way"

Emond blends the sketch book style with diary entries that carry an authentic voice and tell a good story. The middle did tend to drag a bit for me, but I think the whole was worth it. Since it was a private diary it brings up great questions about denying the truth to yourself vs. keeping secrets from others. Don't knwo if it will stand up to the books that come out through the rest of the year, but I would expect this to be on many lists come the end of the year...especially reluctant readers.

Ostridge Boys by Keith Gray

2010-04-10T07:40:00.001-07:00

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray

ISBN:978-0-375-85843-7

This British import might sound like a stock novel if you just look at the quick summary. Boy is bullied, ends up dead, his friends are working through thier grief and trying to understand what happened. But if you pass up the experience of reading this book you'll be missing some laugh out loud moments of teen boys doing what they do best; getting into trouble, hanging out, and being friends.

Blake, Kenny, and Sim have all been friends with Ross for years. Kenny since they were tots, Sim since primary, and Blake since he and his mom moved into town years ago. So when Ross is killed in a car accident and some of the people who made his last weeks alive miserable show up at his funeral, the three of them decide to take revenge and to give Ross the funeral he deserved. The one they think he'd have wanted.

This kicks off an insane weekend where the boys bond with each other, fight with each other, break friendship and strengthen it. By the end, the three friends learn that they didn't know everything they thought they did when the whole thing started and that though they understand alot, there is just as much they won't understand any time soon. The ending is a bit abrupt, but it also suits the story in an odd way.

This book isn't a serious dramatic lesson on bullying. It isn't a funny road trip book. It somehow manages to be both and neither at the same time. Expect to laugh out loud at some of the images, or maybe that's just my twisted sense of humor. Expect it to make you think when the guys joking suddenly turns into some fairly philosophical discussions of friendship, death, and afterlife.

Dreamdark: Silksinger

2009-06-20T06:09:00.000-07:00

Dreamdark: Silksing by Laini Taylor
September 2009
Putnam

I was so excited when I open the package with this ARC inside. It was made all the better because I wasn't expecting it. A friend who reviews for an industry magazine as well as reads for various committees of ALA got a copy of the trade paper of Dreamdark: Blackbringer and the ARC of Silksinger. She never mentioned it, but passed them on to me because she remembered I was such a fan of the first book.

There was a tiny part of me that was worried about the second book. So many fantasy series have great first books, but the second book falls flat or is used to simply set up the grad ending in the third book of a trilogy. Taylor didn't fall into that trap! Silksinger is just as rich and detailed as Blackbringer, maybe more so. Her skill at world-building is astounding. Maybe it's because she's also a visual artist, but the world she created for Faeries of Dreamdark (or as the publisher seems to be calling the series now Dreamdark) feels like a place you could visit.

The characters don't play second fiddle to the world though. Taylor's characters, both 'good' and 'bad', feel real. They are multifaceted and unlike many books which jump viewpoints, the Dreamdark books don't feel choppy. Getting a peek inside the different characters' heads makes them more real and more sympathetic. This is a young adult book and I really felt that the characters, who are mostly the faerie equal to teens/twenties, acted and reacted in ways that teens will relate to and understand. I loved the fact that though the big bad guy is undeniably bad (and I'm consciously using the word bad and not evil), he does have an element of sympathy and motivation beyond just 'I was power' or 'I want money'.

Earlier I mentioned that Taylor didn't use Silksing to just set up the next book in her series, Silksinger is a full and complete story. It might be a bit difficult to just pick it up and read if you have not read Blackbringer, but it wouldn't be impossible. Silksinger picks up where Blackbringer left off for Magpie and her friends, but it also starts the story of Hirik and Whisper. Like Blackbringer, the stories pick up in progress so if you like a slow building and lots of explanation, these aren't the books for you. That being said, there was never a time I really felt that I didn't know what was going on. Taylor has a knack for explaining the history and other background of the world within the action of the story or the dialog of the characters. So most of the time there is no need for lengthy passages which explain how magic works in this world or why one clan hates another. There are a few times where this does happen, but they don't distract from the story.

I've heard critics of fantasy (of all genre's really) say that current authors depend on cliched archetypes and that nothing reads as original any more. I'd love to give them the Blackbringer books. Taylor does use fantasy archetypes. There is the quest to save the world, the poor orphan alone in the world, the young man out to regain family honor, and others. You know what, that's OK! For each of those elements, they are twists that make them fresh and new to these stories. The orphan for instance, doesn't start the book that way. The readers get to see her lose the last few members of her family and that draws them into her pain and confusion.

Though I've said Silksing is a full and complete story on it's own, it does also set up further books in the Dreamdark series. I'll be eagerly waiting to read the further adventures of Magpie, Talon and their crow family. I'm still hoping for a chance to meet Magpie's family. So it was said about Blackbringer that if you read one fantasy that year, make that the one. I'd second that for Silksinger. If you read one fantasy....if you even read one sequel, make it Silksinger and you won't be sorry!

Need by Carrue Jones

2009-05-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

I put off reading Need by Carrie Jones for months. Even though it was recommended by a number of people. It's got a better cover than Twilight and I think maybe I was afraid that was the only think better than Twilight. I'm glad teens are reading Stephanie Meyers, but I'm not a huge fan and so I've been a bit suspicious of the newer supernatural romances.

I'm glad I finally picked the book up though. Jones does have a certain Twilight-esque feel to it. There is a girl who always seems to need to be rescued, there's a guy with a protector complex, and a semi-secret supernatural world. The differences are what make Need a much better story to me.

Zara (the damsel in distress) isn't blindly falling into traps and problems, but usually actively trying to help others and stand on her own two feet. Nick, the hero, may be stubborn and wish he could wrap Zara in cotton to protect her, but also realises that she's a person who will ultimatly do as she chooses. Even when time proves him right on more than one of his warnings to her, Nick seldome says "I told you so" or takes an additude of "Can't you see how much smarter and more capable I am than you....just do as I say" which I found quite common in many other supernatural teen romances. Maybe the difference is that Nick isn't a 100 yr old Vampire. No matter the beyond human part of the story, he's still a teenager.

Jones also did an interesting job with the mythos of her supernaturals. No happy peaceful elves who only want to protect nature, she's brought back a more traditional version, Pixies. And these Pixies arn't evil or good, they are somewhere inbetween. I could wish that we saw more of the Pixies and got more character development out of them, but what she showed was promising. No cookie cutter monster with no feelings and no morals, instead one caught in the trap fighting what he is and a girl who firmly believes that no matter who you are you can decide what and who you become. I hope this isn't the last I see of Jones and her Pixies.

Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman

2009-03-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

I'm so in love. I've always liked Neil Gaiman. I liked Coroline and have been not to patiently waiting for my libraries copy of Graveyard Book to come back so I can read it again at a more relaxed pace. When the new picture book, Blueberry Girl came in I knew I'd want to read it, but it didn't really sound like Gaiman's normal and I usually hate pictures books written as a ode to my child. Books like Billy's Crystal's which basically would be a vanity press book if he weren't famous and says nothing but "Oh Boy I'm glad I'm going to be a Grampa!"

There is nothing wrong with being happy your going to be a grandparent (or parent) but don't crank out a sappy dumb picture book...trust me there are enough of them out there. And just so Billy Crystal fans out there don't think I'm picking on him....the same goes for Madonna's picture books which are slightly better and try to have a story, but are heavy handed with their message and some have messages way above a picture book audiences' age level and the same also goes for Jamie Lee Curtis' books, which I know some parents love, but leave me cold.

So I was a little leery of Blueberry Girl, after all it promised to be Niel Gaiman's version of a aren't babies great book. He wrote it as a blessing for a friend who was about to become a mom of a little girl. By the second page.....not even by the time I opened the book, I was in love. I don't know how I could have doubted Gaiman....his wishes for the little girl are eloquent and heartfelt and perfect. It's spiritual without being heavy handed about it...though to be fair I guess it leans more toward a goddess centered view. Gaiman's wishes for the girl do not end with a healthy and happy childhood, but stretch into her maturing into a strong and independent woman who is curious enough to explore and wise enough to solve life's problems (or deal with them).

Vess' artwork is in no small part why this book is so great. I didn't recognise his name, but now I'm going to go looking for more of his work. I love love love the illustrations in Blueberry Girl. The fanciful watercolors (?? I think they are watercolors anyway) are just insanely perfect with Gaiman's words. The girls in the pictures range in ages from baby through young adult and their skin tone range from pale peach to deep mocha leaving the book open for children and mothers of all ethnic backgrounds to connect with it. The illustrations also use nature as a backdrop, but there are touches of a suburban window here and a city wall there again leaving the book wide open to all who will read it.

And if all this wasn't enough for me to love the book, on the end flap there is an adorable drawling of Neil and Charles done by Vess which is probably my favorite author picture/photo of at least the last year if not ever. If there is a new mother of a baby girl or an expectant mother of a girl in your life, get her this book!

Some Fantasy I've been reading

2009-02-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

Like the last post this list will be mostly paperbacks, some are new and some are older ones which have been on my reading list but I didn't have time to read until recently.....some I don't even really count as fantasy, but that's where you will find them in the book store.

Temping Fate by Ester Friesner
Ilana is relieved to get a summer job, but she wonders if she's made the right choice when the Divine Relief Temp Agency sends her to Tabby Fabricant Textiles. When she is given an unusual typing assignment, Ilana wonders aloud why a textile business would be issuing death certificates. Georgette calmly replies, "They're not death certificates, dear....They're death receipts. We're the Fates. It's what we do." Soon Ilana discovers that everyone employed by the agency works for the gods or the heroes. A must read for myth buffs and those who remember odd summer jobs.
Friesner also wrote stories for the Chicks in Chain mail anthologies. That's where I first found her and I often seek out her books and stories when I want a slightly twisted look at things. In Temping Fate, I had a blast trying to spot all the gods, goddesses, and mythical creatures before Ilana caught on to who and what they were. Very light, lots of fun.

Second Sight by Amanda Quick
The first of Quick/Krentz's Arcane Society series, Second Sight draws readers into the romance of the Victorian age and the paranormal secrets of the Arcane Society. Twenty-year-old Venetia Milton, finding herself with no prospects of marriage since she is the sole support of her siblings and maiden aunt, decides to take matters into her own hands. She sets out to seduce the handsome Gabriel Jones - but Gabriel is the descendant of Sylvester the Alchemist and heir to the Arcane Society, a clandestine association of alchemists, scientists, and dabblers in psychic phenomena. Secrets abound in this suspenseful romance.
I'm not usually a fan of books set in Victorian England, but I did like this one. It is a romance more than a fantasy and most of the mystery/suspense plot takes a backseat to the romantic action. Again light and a quick read.

Hell to Pay by Simon Green
John Taylor is back in (not quite the latest) Nightside book. I love, love, love, love, LOVE this series. It's one of the series that brought me back to mysteries and John Taylor has become one of my favorite private eyes. In this installment, Nightside is still recovering from the Lillith Wars and John is not always the most popular guy to have around, but since the Wars his reputation has gotten even scarier. One of Nightside's richest residents calls in John to find his granddaughter. Not a problem for Nightside's first private dick with a knack for finding things, but one problem....a BIG one! Someone, or something, POWERFUL is blocking John's gift. So he has to resort to finding the girl the hard way. Along the way, he learns maybe more than he wanted to about the immortal Griffons. Can John find the girl and save the day...and make a ton of cash? Of course and as always with style....but you'll have to go find this paperback to get the details!

Some New (to me) Mysteries

2009-02-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

I've been cycled off my library system's Youth Service Committee for a year or two. This means that this year I will have a bit more time to read more books of my choice since I won't have a Mock Newbery or a Mock Printz list to read for officially.In the past two months or so, I've used this extra time to hunt up some new series, authors, and to catch up on some I found while working on adult book lists for our BCCLS Visor site. In that time, I've also neglected to post any blogs about books (or anything else).

This will be the first of a series of posts about some of the new authors, series, and books I've read.I tend to read mostly science fiction, fantasy, horror, and romance for my own light reading, but recently I've found my way back to mysteries. In part, this is thanks to series like Vampire Files, Dresden, and even Anita Blake. While I picked them up for their humor, monsters, or fantasy aspects, I was reminded of how much I enjoy a good mystery. Here are some of my discoveries which are new or at least new to me.

Goldy Culinary Mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson
Sweet Revenge
This actually was a series I was catching up on. I first read Davidson a few years ago when I saw drawn in by the title Dying for Chocolate and the awesome cover art on the paperback. If you haven't seen it, her covers often look like yummy food at first glance, then you look again and see the dead body shaped cookie cutter, or skull in the dripping sauce. Reading Sweet Revenge was like catching up with old friends. Goldy's now married to a detective she'd met while solving some previous murders and her son is now well into his teen years plus this mystery starts with a murder in the library. I give Davidson huge kudos for actually advancing her character's stories. Often in mystery series especially, the life of the main sleuth doesn't change much, after all an author might hesitate to have the sleuth get married because some romantic tension would be lost or have a child because said child must age and what was cute and comic relief in a 9 or 10 yr old is just bratty or silly in a 14 or 15 yr old. I do start to wonder why everyone is still so shocked at murders though after all they seem to happen so often. As always the mystery is served up with a set of recipes for the not so beginner chiefs. I'd recommend these mysteries for the cold winter days when you want to curl up in your window seat or for a lazy read on the beach, but be prepared to get hungry just from reading her descriptions of food!

Sophie Metropolis Mysteries by Tori Carrington
I picked up Dirty Laundry and fell in love with Sophie Metropolis' voice. Sophie is a Greek-America from Queens who works for her Uncle as a private investigator, much to the embarrassment of her mother. While working on some mundane cases for her uncle, Sophie always seems to get involved in something more series. In Dirty Laundry, her mother who hates Sophie's job but isn't above asking Sophie to help find Uncle Tolly (Apostolis Pappas) the local dry cleaner and husband of a friend when he goes missing. There is action, some romantic tension with the hot and mysterious Jake, and of course tons of comedy with Sophie's lovable and interfering Greek-American family. I'd recommend this series for fans of Stephanie Plum mysteries or for fans of movies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The mystery takes center stage, but it's the multiple (sometimes confusing to by Sophie & Readers) story lines, the family & friends who surround Sophie, and Sophie's own humor which makes the books! As soon as I finished Dirty Laundry, I went looking for Working Stiff and Foul Play. I had to hunt much hard for the first book of the series, Sophie Metropolis.

Chocoholics Mysteries -
Chocolate Puppy Puzzle by Joann Carl -
I pick this one up with high hopes. Again, I was sucked in by adorable cover art and some really cute titles...Plus CHOCOLATE how can you go wrong writing about a chocolate shop! You can. I read a couple of this series actually before I gave up, I was just so sure that I would love the characters in time, but I just never was able to connect. I was also hoping for chocolate recipes as I had gotten cookie recipes in the Hannah Swenson books and food recipes in the Goldy books. Carl did include some chocolate tips and trivia, but nothing new for me..:( I'd pass on these books unless your all out of stuff to read and need to feed your addiction whether it be for chocolate or mysteries or books in general.

Hannah Swenson Mysteries -
Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke
Technically I have not yet read this book, but I've read everything in the series up to this point. Cream Puff Murder is the 11th book about Hannah and her friends & family who live in small town Minnesota. Another culinary mystery series...Fluke's recipes are almost exclusively cookies/desserts. Hannah owns a cookie shop and for various reasons gets dragged into murder investigations. While she's a bit unwilling the first couple times, her success and her curiosity make her more bold as the series continues. Fluke, like Davidson, does advance Hannah's story and that of her other secondary characters. My one complain would be in the romance department. At this point in the stories, Hannah's been 'dating'/'seeing' whatever you want to call it, both men in her life for a long while. I don't know about them, but I'd be pretty annoyed by this time if I were them. Maybe in this book it will happen, maybe not...either way I'm looking forward to reading about the latest murder and the cookies involved! This is a great series for the baker in your life....WARNING detrimental to your diet! Every time I've tried her recipes they have come out perfect.

It Happened One Knife by Jeffrey Cohen
Set in NJ, already a plus. Punny titles...another plus. It Happened One Knife is the second book about Elliot, a all-comedy theater owner. The first Some like it Hot Buttered, I found while browsing the paperback in my library. It was a cute mystery with an unusual narrator. The mysteries in the two books are different. The first begins with a man found dead in the theater after the movie is over. While searching the place, the police find pirated DVDs and Elliot's projectionist goes missing. The second mystery begins because Elliot gets to meet one of his heroes of comedy and said hero tells him that his former partner murdered his wife and burned the house to hide the crime 50 yrs ago. Lots of snippets of NJ scenery, film trivia, and movie trivia too. I was more impressed with the first and was looking forward to the second, but am finding myself slogging through it a bit. These are definitely worth the read if your a NJ fan or a comedy fan, but if your not...maybe pass on these until you have surplus free time.

That's all for my recently found mysteries....

Paper Towns by John Green

2008-10-23T12:05:00.002-07:00

Paper towns by John Green
ISBN: 9780525478188
Dutton

Plot: The book opens as nine year old Quentin and Margo Roth Spiegelman (one of those names you say all in one breath) find a dead body in the park. Then jumps to senior year of high school, where Quentin, now called Q, is still enthralled by Margo Roth Spiegelman, who has become one of the 'in' crowd. She dates the right guy, hangs out with the right people, and doesn't speak to Q, though he suspects that she's the one who keeps the bullies from leaning too hard on him and his band geek friends. Then one night about a month before graduation Margo show up outside Q's window and leads him on a night full of pranks before disappearing and leaving only a few mysterious clues, an upset best friend, and angry parents who seem just as happy she's gone.
Q with the help of his two best friends and Margo's best friend follow the clues a bit farther than Margo expected and skip graduation for a wild road trip from central FL to central NY state in just a little over a day.

Thoughts: I wasn't a huge fan of Green's before reading this. I admired what he did in Katherine's and in Looking for Alaska, but they were by no means favorites of mine. I've read reviews and comments where readers (both professional and teen) ask why Green keeps writing books about the 'ideal' girl who teaches the boy something and if all the books aren't just rifts on the same story. I don't get how they can say that after reading _Paper towns_ though. I would argue that Margo doesn't teach Q a thing. Oh, yeah she takes him out and gets him to loosen up on their night of pranks and he feel drawn to the clues she left, but he learns so much more once she's gone. He learns it from the journey, from looking into the clue, from the process of learning that the Margo he saw wasn't real. Ultimately, he learns about himself from himself and his friends NOT Margo. And Margo, as little as you see her, learns from Quentin. The reader doesn't find this out until the end of the novel, but Margo learns that the person she thought of as weak and cowardly, was probably the bravest and most daring person she never knew.
This novel is at turns serious and thoughtful and at others it's hilariously funny. In the end, these two teenagers learn that people who were the corner stone of their lives and definition of themselves are real people and had very little in common with who they thought they were.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

2008-10-23T12:05:00.001-07:00

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3931-0
Candlewick Press

Plot:
Todd Hewitt is the last boy is Prentisstown. All the men in Prentisstown can hear the thoughts of other men and animals. These thoughts are called Noise. As Todd nears his 13th birthday, he learns that even when you can hear other men's thoughts that there can be secrets. His adopted fathers send him running for his life from power-hungry Prentiss and his men. Once he's on the run, Todd finds the first girl he's ever seen, Viola. Viola crashed in a nearby swamp and join Todd on the run from the men of Prentisstown. On their travels Todd learns that everything he knew was a lie and now he and Viola are racing to warn the new settlers of the dangers that lurk on New World.

Thoughts:
If your looking for a fantasy where the main character speaks with intelligent animals and good always wins, don't look here! Ness begins the book by slapping the reader in the face with the reality of hearing a dog talk and that's about the nicest reality check you get. That's not to say there are not good people or good moments in this book, but it is stark cold reality with no punches held back. The reality is not ours obviously, but it sucks the reader in and doesn't let go.
When Viola enters the story, she is the first silence that Todd has ever known. To extend that to the readers, she doesn't speak and so she remains as silent a blank to the read as she does to Todd. As Todd slowly gets used to reading her face and body language, she slowly begins to speak more opening herself as slowly to the reader as she does to Todd. Ness, also, strategically keeps ideas and images which Todd doesn't want to believe from the reader so that even in a first person narrative there are secrets as there were secrets even though everyone could read other's Noise. At times this drove me nuts, because I wanted him to give up the good and let the 'sad history' of Prentisstown out into the light, but overall that's a minor quibble with a very well written opening to what I'm guessing will be a trilogy and an excellent coming of age story.

Wake

2008-10-03T07:39:00.001-07:00

Mock Printz: Wake
Title: Wake
Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5357-9
Review - Nominated for BBYA 2009

Plot: Ever since she was eight years old, high school student Janie Hannagan has been uncontrollably drawn into other people's dreams, but it is not until she befriends an elderly nursing home patient and becomes involved with an enigmatic fellow-student that she discovers her true power. Working in the nursing home is a way for Janie to save for college, but sometimes it's torture when the residents pull her into dreams of wartime and it's getting worse. School isn't any better, when classmates regularly nod off in class or in study hall and drag Janie with them. You see Janie can't escape the dreams and when she's dragged in she often passes out or appears to be having a seizure. After one incident at work, she's forced to go to a doctor and he begs her not to drive. She, of course, ignores him and buys a car. On the way home one night, she's dragged into a boy's nightmare and in time she find out it's the cute skater guy who came to her rescue the spring before. As he and Janie become friends and more the lies and complications mount until it climaxes in an unbelievable, but happy ending for the main characters.

Thoughts:
This book was much deeper than I thought it was going to be. Not mentioned in the cover flap info is the alcoholic mother (Janie's), the dead brother (her best friend's), the abusive father (the boy's) and the drug dealing at parties. It mixes fantasy, teen romance, and police drama complete with rich bad girls and teen drama. Sex is talked about but there is nothing explicit and while some of the secrets and consistences just seem too unreal the story was a much better read than anticipated. From the ending of this book, I'm betting that it's the start of a series. And I can't wait to read the next installment.

Lock and Key

2008-10-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

Mock Printz: Lock and Key by Dessen
Title: Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking, 2008

Plot: Ruby is 'rescued' from living by herself after her mother takes off. At first Ruby resents being told she can't live on her own and believes that she doesn't need anyone, especially not the sister who left for school 10 yrs ago and didn't want Ruby or her mom in her life anymore. But with time Ruby comes to realize that not everything in the past is what she thought it was and that having ties to people who care about you isn't the worst thing in the world. Just about when she's figuring this our she discovers one of her new found friends has a dangerous secret. Ruby has to decide if she wants to get involved or stay separate.

Thoughts:
In this coming of age story, Ruby doesn't have to battle to survive in the wilderness or confront a horrible secret in her part, her coming of age is much quieter. Ruby has to admit at least to herself that she DID need rescuing and that her mother had lied to her about many different things. Her moment of truth is when she decides to get involved in other people's lives, but this doesn't happen in one crystal clear shining moment. It happens slowly as different people in her life begin to matter to her. It also isn't smooth sailing, Ruby makes mistakes though the one time her sister and brother-in-law tell her she has to deal with the consequences it doesn't really happen. They ground her and put on restrictions, however as the story continues she doesn't seem all that restricted. She still hangs with her friends and going with her friend/romantic interest while he runs errands for his father's business. So I'm not sure you can say she lives with the consequences of her mistakes.
Overall, I really liked the book with just a few minor points that I thought wrapped up too easily.

Eleven

2008-10-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

Title: eleven
Author: Patricia Reilly Giff
Publisher: Random House, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-385-73069-3
Star - Nominated for BBYA 2009

Plot:
It's Sam's eleventh birthday and for some reason he's afraid of eleven. Sam lives with his grandfather above their woodworking shop in a large building which also houses a deli and restaurant both owned by friends of his grandfather. Together the residents of the building have formed a small family. At the start of the story Sam finds an odd locked chest in the attic when he goes searching for his birthday presents. Sticking out of the chest is an old newspaper article with the word missing and a picture of Sam, but the problem is that Sam has trouble reading and can't figure out the rest of the article. A new girl at school and a great teacher, who understands that different kids have different talents, enable Sam to get help. The new girl - Caroline- becomes Sam's best friend and together they work on a school project and solve the mystery of Sam's article.

Thoughts:
This book was nominated for best books for teens, but I think it firmly belongs in the younger section. The main characters are just turning eleven and though the mystery starts as interesting, it pretty quickly dissolves into something that could have been solved if either of the kids had thought to say, "Hey, lets ask any one of the adults involved what happened."
I liked the fact that the teachers in the story were good teachers and that Sam's reading problems were written about without tossing out a name or label (dyslexia - usually) and then dismissed as easily overcome, but that's probably the most interesting and worthy thing in the book. It was a good story and a pleasant mystery for kids who don't like anything too scary, but for your die hard mystery fans? They will be disappointed with such an easy non-mystery ending I think.

Bret McCarthy: Work in Progress

2008-10-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

Mock Printz: Bret McCarthy: Work in Progress
Title: Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress
Author: Maria Padin
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
ISBN: 978-0-375-84675-5
*Star Review in PW*

The Plot:
Brett McCarthy is a fairly normal eighth-grader. She's on the soccer team (and the basketball team) with two close friends and 'the intruder'. Life is going along fine until the prank. A fouled phone prank turns Brett's comfortable life upside down. Suddenly everyone at school hates her (at least SHE thinks so), she's got a permanent lunch date with the principal, and somethings up with her Nonna that no one wants to explain to her. Brett works her way through losing a close friendship, finding new friends, and her Nonna's sickness as well as 8th grade.

Thoughts - including some spoilers!
This book wasn't bad....and when a commentary starts like that you know it's never good! Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress was a decent book. While there were a great many young YA/girl book cliches here, there was also some warm and funny characters which many readers will connect with. One of the cliche elements was a best friend that is growing away from the main character. This often happens in books, because it happens in real life! What I hate is that the friend who chooses the cheerleaders/popular crowd/etc is usually written as a mean, hateful, or snobby character and a lousy friend. Padian takes the cliche and adds something to it. Brett is the one who is not the best friend, but then what 8th grade girl is? Even at the end of the book, the girls are still not friends, but they do reconnect and Diane stands up for her choices. I liked that, just wish that Diane was more of a real character in the beginning of the book.
Another cliche is the sick mother/grandmother/close relative of choice. In this, Padian didn't do so well in my opinion. I loved Nonna as a character. She was great and interesting and fun. I liked her birthday party and the lighthouse, but as soon as doctor visits were mentioned I knew she was doomed. Worse, I didn't see Brett dealing with it. It was like, I'm going to ignore it and just deal day to day then poof, Nonna's accepted she's dying and so I'll accept it too. The parents seemed to do more grieving and dealing with the issue than Brett did.
I applaud the author for resisting the cliche of having the girl realise that her geeky long time male friend is really cute and the perfect boyfriend. Even though I loved Michael and rejoiced when he stood up and told Brett how much her casual teasing about being a nerd, geek, or Einstein bothered him, I would have booed if they had coupled off in the end. I thought it was great when Brett stood up for not only him but all of the gifted students and it was equally great when he came to her rescue at the climax, but it was nice to see a time when a boy and a girl can be friends with out thinking they are 'in love'.

So in the end, this is a book I will give my tween readers who want a taste of those teen book. Where the drama here is phone pranks and the most violence that happens is a punch in the nose. It's a bit melodramatic for me, but I know many who will adore it.

The Fold

2008-10-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

Mock Printz: The Fold by An Na
Title: The Fold
Author: An Na
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-399-24276-2

Plot:
A Korean American teen, Joyce, is offered plastic surgery on her eyes by an Aunt who has come into some lottery money. Joyce has always been the plain sister and is tempted by the surgery which would give her eyes 'the fold'. Joyce debates the idea of getting the surgery with her best friend, Sam (a boy who lives in her apartment building who struggles with severe acne), and her older sister who has always been the pretty and smart one.
Joyce's aunt railroads her a bit and makes appointments with a plastic surgeon before Joyce has made up her mind. Her sister thinks she's insane to even consider it, her best friend thinks that she is insane NOT to do it, and Sam won't weigh in - but it's clear he's been crushing on Joyce. At the surgeon's office, Joyce gets some much needed impartial information and gets to see what a difference the surgery will make. The doctor glues her eyelids into place as they would look after the surgery.
The normal teen dramas happen: Joyce's new eyes are a hit and she's rocketed to the in crowd for an afternoon at the beach and her best friend feels left out, she disses Sam, realizes that the 'in' group isn't all it's cracked up to be, learns there is more to her sister than pretty, and eventually makes up with her friend and Sam and her sister.

Thoughts:
Even now after at least a week of thinking about this book I am still unsure of it. There are times in this book that the stereotypes drove me nuts. But as soon as I was about to be truly fed up, Na would lift the curtain and give a peek behind the curtain. Whether it was the pretty and perfect sister who was studying to be a doctor (though it sounded from the text more like a therapist than a doctor), who was hiding the fact that she was 'in love' with her best friend and that she was afraid to come out of the close because she would embarrass the family, or the bossy aunt who everyone thinks is addicted to plastic surgery because she's vain and has had many American husbands, who reveals to Joyce what happened when her first husband brought her to America and how she was treated. The biggest twist was at the end....

SPOILER - for any who care

Joyce decides at the very last second not to do the surgery, but she keeps the glue the doctor gives her because sometimes she might want an adventure. She asks her aunt to give the money to her friend to help her get clear braces instead of regular metal ones. So does substance win over beauty? A very intriguing book which will definitely get readers talking about issues of beauty, family, stereotypes, and lots more.

King of Attolia

2006-09-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

King of Attolia
Turner, Megan
Greenwillow Books
006083577X
Booklist 1/06
I finished this one awhile ago. I loved it and was so happy because I really didn't like The Queen of Attolia, but now I might have to go back and reread both The Thief and The Queen of Attolia. After reading the third, I think I might end up liking the second a bit more. I'm not so sure that this book will stand as a read alone. If anyone has read this, or is planning to, but hasn't read the first two yet, I'd love to hear what you think of it as a stand alone. There is a whole subtleness to how Gen acts that readers familiar with the first two books get that I'm not sure will come through to a reader introduced to King of Attolia first.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

2006-09-15T13:41:00.001-07:00

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Di Camillo, Kate
Candlewick Press
0763625892
Kirkus 1/15
This book seems to draw strong opinions no matter if you like it or hate it. I found it…..pleasant. I didn't like Edward. Even in the end I didn't find him particularly sympathetic or likeable. I did like the Hobo and Lucy and I found the story well written. It had both a sophisticated style and yet was still very child friendly. I don't think it lives up to the hype at all. It will probably make most mock newbery list and I'm sure it will be discussed for the award.

Here lies the Librarian

2006-09-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Here Lies the Librarian
Peck, Richard
Dial Books
0803730802
Kirkus 3/1
As usual Peck's writing was excellent. Peewee, Peck's charming narrator, draws the reader easily into her 1914 small town life and the excitement of the summer when their town was invaded by four young librarians. Add to Peck's usual charm and witt, a cast of very strong female characters who manage to balance being lady-like (or in Peewee's case learning to be lady-like) with being independant and resourceful, forging thier own future in a time when women were expected to depend on men. There were some parts which were unrealistic, but nothing that was so jarring that it broke through the spell the story wove for me at least.

The Quail Club

2006-09-15T13:40:00.001-07:00

The Quail Club
Marsden, Carolyn
Candlewick
076362635X
Kirkus 3/15
A companion to the Gold-Threaded Dress, but I would not call it a sequal. I never got around to reading Gold-Threaded Dress and had no problem sinking right into Quail Club. It's set two years after Gold-threaded Dress and Oy is in 5th grade. She and three other girls have formed a club which watches a clutch of quail eggs waiting for them to hatch. When Oy hears about the 5th grade talent show, she wants to do a traditional Thai dance, but one of her friends wants to do an american dance together. Oy is worried that if she doesn't dance with her friend she will lose her friend and her place in the quail club. With advice from her mother, Oy comes up with a compromise for her friend. The book addresses a prolem many children of Asian/American families have of holding on to thier asian culture while fitting into american culture. Marsden does a great job of presenting a realistic problem and solving the problem witha realistic solution that doesn't feel forced or preachy.

Ivy and Bean

2006-09-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

Ivy and Bean

Chronicle Books
0811849031
Kirkus 5/1/06
Very cute, but very simple and young. A great book for the young elementary crowd, but not complex enough for Newbery consideration.

Homework Machine

2006-09-15T13:39:00.002-07:00

Homework Machine
Gutman, Dan
Simon & Schuster
0689876785
Kirkus 2/1
Four fifth-grade students--a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a slacker -- is how the annotation for the book starts and it's one of the problems I have with this book. The four kids who are the main characters of this book are all stereotypes and nothing but stereotypes. Add to that loose ends all over the place at the end of the book and a concept that kids might love, but isn't at all realistic. I'm all for fantasy, but this book didn't fit that either. The idea was interesting and I'm sure that it will be a fast, popular read with kids, but so are Animorphs and Babysitter's Club books.

Warrior Heir

2006-09-15T13:39:00.001-07:00

Warrior Heir
Chima, Cinda Williams
Hyperion
0786839163
Kirkus 4/1
This book had such a promising idea. A hidden race of magical beings: Wizards, Enchanters, Warriors, Sorcerers, and Soothsayers. A complex political struggle and an ancient pact which rules them. It had all the elements fo a fantastic epic fantasy, but somewhere it fell flat for me. It started with flashes of history before zooming to modern day Ohio. From there the plot advanced quickly at first and was interesting. Maybe not totally unique, but clearly a new mix of ideas by a skilled author. However, just after the main character find out he's not 'normal' his aunt drags him off on a sudden hunt which seems abrupt. He and two friends confront wizards, dig up an ancestrial sword, and then go back to school on Monday as if nothing changed....except now there war Warrior lessons for Jack. From there the plot slows even more. I just couldn't seem to get on track with this book. Each time I would start to get into the story, it would bog down and just when I was about to give up something interesting would convince me to try one more chapter. I ended up giving up around the middle and jumping to the last 2-3 chapters. The ended was really good and I liked how most of the history now made sense and losse ends were tied, but I still couldn't face going back and reading the 2nd half.

Gossamer

2006-09-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

Gossamer
Lowry
Houghton Mifflin
0618685502
Kirkus 3/1
Littest, a young dream-giver, tries to learn how to give dreams while helping young boy deal with the after effects of an abusive home. I found the whole book very unique. The idea of dream-givers or beings that protect one's dreams isn't all that new, but I have never read it presented in such a way. I really liked this book and it made me think about many things some more obvious than others. It's a very unique coming of age story where instead of a boy becoming a man or a girl becoming a woman, it was Littest becoming Gossamer.

Jumping the Scratch

2006-09-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Jumping the Scratch
Weeks, Sarah
Harper Collins
0060541091
Kirkus 4/15
Jamie thought that bad things happened in threes and once his cat died, his father left him and his mom, and his aunt had a freak accident which forced he and his mom to move in with her that the worst was over. Moving in with his aunt meant changing schools in the middle of the year and his mom working nights for extra money. Unfortunatly for Jamie, he found out that not being able to forget is sometimes worse than not being able to remember. The characters were interesting and the plot with just a touch of mystery was interesting enough. Even most young readers will guess Jamie's secret fairly early though and everything in the end almost seems to wrap up too neatly and too quickly. A good fast read.

Book survey from Angicub (LJ)

2006-09-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

BOOKS!
Stolen (absolutely shamelessly) from anglicub (LiveJournal) -

A book that made you cry: Arrows fall by Mercedes Lackey (I usually start crying 2-3 chapters before the scene happens because I know it's coming, but I love the series and world so much I keep going back and re-reading it)

A book that scared you: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (it's a great one to make you hear a 'bump' in the night)

A book that made you laugh: Dead in Dixie by Charlene Harris - actually this is the first 3 books of her Southern Vamps series and they all make me laugh. (People often look at me oddly as a sit quietly laughing, ok not so quietly laughing, to myself over a book)

A book in High School that you loved: Henry V by Shakespeare - sue me I'm a sucker for Shakespeare

A book in High School that you hated: Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare - Not that much of a sucker....Way too much stupidity of humans in it for me.

A book that challenged your imagination: Beowulf - Medieval Folklore - the challenge was more dissecting it with one of my absolute favorite college professors, who ironically enough wasn't a full professor yet, though he taught me probably more than most others.

A book that challenged your morals: Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold

A book that challenged your identity: I honestly can't answer this one....Many have made me think, but I don't think I can say any CHALLENGED my identity. Not sure if that says that I have a good grip on who and what I am or no grip at all....

A book series that you love: So many to choose from Garret Files by Glen Cook, LKH's Anita Blake books and her Merry Gentry books, Hollows by Kim Harrison, Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon, All of Eddings books....Never ask a Librarian to choose.

Your favorite Horror Novel: Cheating again....Poe's short stories, especially The tell-tale heart

Your favorite Science Fiction Novel: Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury, Yes it qualifies as SciFI even if it's not in space!

Your favorite Fantasy Novel: I'll limit myself to two: Green Rider by Britian and Dragon Singer by Anne McCaffrey

Your favorite Romance Novel: Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon, at present at least, but this changes periodically.

Your favorite "Coming-of-Age" Novel: Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

Your favorite book not listed previously: Muhahah...since I've only seen Anglicub's my choices are wide open..... Show Way

(added by me)Your favorite worst book: Night Bites by Nina Bangs - yes, it is as bad as it sounds and includes an orgazmic rug, a set of cosmic trouble makers, vampires, and of course the Jersey Devil.

Books that shook your world (not necessarily your Favs): Catch - 22 by Heller, Hobbit by Tolkien, The Lottery (sorry I don't know the author, but it was a fantastic and horrifying short story), the last 2 I don't even remember the titles, but the stories stay with me to this day....One was of an amusement Park that only a select few got tickets for every decade or so, the catch was that a % of the people who went in would die on the rides, everyone knew this going in, but they still rode the ride for the thrill....The other was a story about America after a HUGE population explosion called the Crush. Supposedly the streets were so crowded that if you went out you might never find your way back to your house so food was delivered by a vending machine type system hooked up in your house and everyone got all their information from the TV. The main character was a boy who fell in love with the actress on one show. He decided to 'break' out of the house and find her. When he did he found deserted streets and when he finally found his way to the TV station he found her, now an old woman. He tried to tell people that the Crush was over, but people were used to hiding inside now and he ended up staying at the station and keeping it running after the actress died.

Book Reviews

2006-07-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

This Blog will mainly be used to post book reviews by me or by the kids at my library in Tenafly NJ.

If your a student K - 8th and want to post a book review here, email it to me at Tenfjuv@bccls.org.