Book Trailers From 12-17

Here's a link to my prezi of the book trailers we talked about in class.  To read more about each book we discussed in class, click on the titles below:

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle I), by Maggie Stiefvater & 13 Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson
Scarlet (Scarlet #1), by A.C. Guaghen & The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner
Prisoner B-3087, by Alan Gratz

Scarlet & The Thief

I've read a couple of books that I've really enjoyed recently.  First up, my favorite of the two, Scarlet, by A.C. Gaughen.  This is the first in a series that follows "Will" Scarlet, one of Robin Hood's band of merry men.  Scarlet is an expert thief and has superior knife skills, which comes in very handy with defending the poor from the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and robbing those who are rich to give to the poor.  What most people don't know is that Scarlet is actually a girl.  She's been on the run for the last several years, but now her past has come back to haunt her and she has to figure out how to help Robin and keep herself safe.  The question is, can she do both?



In The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner is the story of Gen, who is the self-proclaimed best thief in the kingdom.  What's not so good - bragging on yourself, which causes you to get caught & thrown into the king's prison.  The king's magus (scholar) comes to Gen with a deal - if Gen will help the magus steal an ancient treasure for the king, then he'll be released from prison early.  Gen decides to take the deal, but encounters a lot of obstacles along the way, including the magus' hidden agenda.  But...Gen just might have a hidden agenda of his own.

100 Best-Ever Teen Novels

Do you want a big list of books to read?  Check out NPR's 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels list by clicking here. You can click on the titles you've read & it will total it for you.  I've read 38 of the titles and several are on my to-read list.  Check it out!

Book Trailers from November 7

If you're interested in watching the book trailers we discussed in class on Thursday, you can access my Prezi with the trailers embedded here.

I've already posted summaries of each of the books on this blog, so if you want a refresher, click on the titles below and it will take you to those posts.  Happy reading!

A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness AND Cinder, by Marissa Meyer
The Hypnotists, by Gordon Korman AND The Distance Between Us, by Kasie West

For those who have read Allegiant...

You should read Veronica Roth's blog on why she ended the Divergent series in the way she did.  If you have not read Allegiant, but you plan to...DON'T go read the blog.  The spoilers there would ruin it for you.  If you have read it, you might have traipsed around in a funk for a few hours like I did when I finished in on Sunday.  But after processing it for about 24 hours and then reading the blog, it made more sense and I felt a little better about it.  If you're interested in reading the author's personal thoughts on the ending, click here!

Lots to Catch up On

I promised myself today while we were in the library that I would a) update this blog & b) get some book trailers ready for sometime next week.  I haven't been very good about either lately, have I?  I also wanted to post a link to the blog that Mrs. Gehrt shared today while we were in the library.  It's called Sparkles and Lightning and I just spent a little bit of time exploring this incredibly extensive Young Adult book blog.  It's awesome!  I encourage you to check it out.

I've really been catching up on #2's & #3's in series, so I haven't had  a lot to share, but over the last couple of weeks, I've ready some new books that I can recommend.

Let's start with 13 Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson.  This was a fun story about Ginny, who receives a box from her favorite aunt one year after her aunt's death from brain cancer.  In the box are 13 blue envelopes that take Ginny on a road trip across Europe over the summer.  Each envelope gives Ginny a destination and an assignment, and once she completes each assignment, she can open the next envelope. Ginny hopes to connect with the aunt she lost, but ends up learning a lot about herself along the way.  Maureen Johnson is also the author of the Shades of London series, which includes The Name of the Star, one of our Truman nominees for this year.  This book is very different, but still very good!

Last spring I read a book called The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater and I recently read the 2nd book in The Raven Cycle series, called The Dream Thieves and realized I hadn't ever blogged about the series.  In The Raven Boys, we meet Blue Sargent, who lives in a house with her psychic mother and aunts and various other relatives.  On St. Mark's Eve, Blue is at a graveyard with her mother waiting for the spirits of the soon-to-be-dead to walk by.  Blue encounters a spirit named Gansey, and her because she herself has no psychic powers is told that she saw this spirit because she is either his true love...or she killed him.  Blue later on
actually meets Gansey and his friends from the exclusive Aglionby School in her town.  She befriends the group and helps them in Gansey's quest to find a mythical king named Glendower.  This is a real paranormal/fantastical type of story and I really enjoyed it.  In the 2nd book, The Dream Thieves, Ronan (one of Gansey's friends) has revealed that he can bring items out of his dreams...and the quest for Glendower continues.  It's a very interesting & different series, but I enjoyed both books.

Over the weekend, I read Shipbreaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi, which I have been meaning to read for forever.  I'm glad I finally got to it, because it was really good.  It was an action-packed adventure that takes place in the future along the coast of what once was Louisiana.  We meet Nailer, who works "light crew" for companies that tear apart old oil tankers and cargo ships.  Part of Nailer's work is to crawl through dark ducts in search of copper wire to retrieve, so it can be recycled.  It's horrible and extremely demanding and on top of that, his dad is a drug addict who is both verbally and physically abusive.  All shipbreakers hope that one day they'll have a "Lucky Strike" and discover a pocket of oil or some good scavenge that will allow them to be on their own.  After a destructive hurricane, Nailer and his crew boss/friend, Pima, discover a wrecked clipper full of riches that they hope to scavenge, until they discover that one passenger, the owner of the clipper and also the heir to a huge company, Nita survived.  When Nailer's dad finds the wreckage, he lays claim to the scavenge and is determined to "sell" Nita back to her family.  Nailer has to decide whether to work with his father or with Nita.  This was a terrifically exciting story and I loved every minute of it!

And finally, a mushy girly novel for you.  Yesterday, I read Belles, by Jen Calonita.  Last year I praised Ms. Calonita's Secrets of My Hollywood Life series & her new Belles series did not disappoint.  In Belles, we meet Isabelle  ("Izzy") - and Mirabelle ("Mira"), who are from 2 totally different worlds, but get thrown together unexpectedly.  Izzy's mom died 5 years ago in a car accident and her grandma is now in bad shape due to Alzheimer's, so it's no surprise when Izzy's social worker tells her that her grandma can no longer be her caretaker.  However, it is a surprise when her social worker reveals that Izzy won't be going into a foster system, but that her grandma located a long-lost uncle, who has agreed to take Izzy into his family.  Izzy's uncle is a former major-league baseball player, who is now a North Carolina state senator and who is looking to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.  And, he is LOADED.  Mira is his daughter, along with his other 2 children, Hayden and Connor.  Mira and Izzy are the same age, but struggle to see eye-to-eye since they come from two very different lives.  I absolutely loved this book, but I'm a sucker for some good chick lit!

So, there you have it.  Now, I'll get to work on some book trailers for next week!

Book Trailers & Summaries, 9-20-13

Here is a link to the book trailers we saw today in class.  Some classes didn't get to the last one (or two in 8th hour's case).  You can view them through the link provided here.  I am linking the summaries I've already posted below, so you can read more about my thoughts on these books (just click on the titles):

The Raft - apparently, I didn't blog about this one.  I will...soon!

Uglies & Wonder

Dark Life

Entwined

I have a copy of The Raft, Uglies, & Entwined - let me know if you'd like to read any of those titles & I'll put you on the waiting lists!  Have a great weekend all!

It's Been Awhile!

Sorry I have been lax on posting to the book blog, but with school starting, I just haven't quite had as much time to read as I did during the summer.  However, I have recently finished these two gems and had to be sure to recommend them to you.

First up, The Hypnotists, by Gordon Korman.  This is his latest book and is the first in a series, though I'm not sure how many books the series will contain.  The main character, Jackson (Jax) Opus has always seemed to get by in life easily, but it wasn't something he's ever noticed much.  His best friend, Tommy, is the only one who seems to be immune, but doesn't miss how other people treat Jax.  At the boys' championship basketball game, Jax starts seeing strange things and the best basketball player in the city, whom he happens to be guarding, is having the worst game of his life.  Eventually, Jax is "discovered" by a renowned institute in the city - the Sentia Institute - and its highly-esteemed head, Dr. Elias Mako.  When he joins the institute, Jax discovers that he comes from a powerful bloodline of hypnotists and with training, he could be the most powerful hypnotist of all time.  But when Jax discovers that Dr. Mako may not be using hypnotism for good purposes, he has to decide whether to go along or to find a way out.  I put this book on hold after I read Korman's Ungifted, and it did not disappoint.  The writing was funny and the storyline was very entertaining.  It leaves you with a cliffhanger wondering what will happen with Jax next.

This one is for the girls - The Distance Between Us, by Kasie West.  This title popped up in a goodreads.com newsletter I got this summer and I tucked it away to read at some point.  I rediscovered the title & lo and behold, it was available through Overdrive (Mid-Continent's e-book source), so I downloaded it onto my Kindle and loved every bit of it.  Caymen is 17 and doing her very best to help her struggling single mom with her business, a doll store.  It's not Caymen's dream, but she feels like her mom has given up everything for her, so she's willing to do the same. One afternoon, a boy comes into the doll shop and everything changes.  He's the grandson of a regular client named Xander and he is interested in Caymen.  The only problem - he's completely and totally rich.  Why is this a problem, you ask?  Because Caymen's dad was a rich guy who left her mom with a baby and never helped her out again, and she's never gotten over it.  Caymen thinks she really likes Xander, but she's not sure how to please her mom and go after something she wants that she knows her mom will hate.  The story is a little predictable, but what really made this story for me was Caymen's "voice" telling the story.  She was so sarcastic and funny throughout that I found myself laughing out loud many times at her sense of humor.  I'm a sucker for a love story too, so it was an all around winner for me!

And finally, here's  a link to the Prezi of book trailers we looked at a couple of weeks ago in class.  There aren't summaries in the Prezi with the trailers, but I have written about most of them on this blog if you want more information.  Click here for Beastly and The Scorpio Races. Click here for Flesh & Blood So Cheap - The Triangle Fire & Its Legacy.  Click here for Ungifted.  And finally, click here for Mind Games. Or - just ask me about them in class...speaking of which...LIBRARY DAY TOMORROW!  Woohoo!  I love taking a trip to the library. :)

Books for all Kinds

I've got 4 book recommendations for you today.  Two are historical fiction, one is a futuristic fairy tale re-make, and one is heart-wrenching fantasy.

Let's start with the heart-wrenching fantasy.  If your remember, last year I raved about Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking series (The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask & the Answer, & Monsters of Men).  It was a no brainer that I wanted to read A Monster Calls, a stand alone title about a British boy named Conor.  Conor has a terrible nightmare many nights about a horrible monster, and one night a monster comes to his room.  This isn't the same monster from his nightmare, but he says Conor has called him.  The monster will tell Conor three stories, then Conor must tell the monster his story.  In the meantime, Conor's life is in turmoil.  His mom is going through cancer treatments, his dad is in America with a new family, and he is forced to move in with his grandma.  This story was not what I expected - I expected horror, blood, & guts. And though it wasn't what I expected, I was not disappointed.  It turned out to be a story that pulls on your emotions and makes you feel the hurt that Conor is experiencing.  This was a fantastic story & I highly recommend it!

I read 2 historical fiction books from my shelf at school.  If you want to be on the list to borrow either one, let me know!  First, I read Jefferson's Sons, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.  This story was fascinating and inspired me look into the historical facts of the story after I read it.  The story is completely made up, but based on events that are believed to be true.  It is the story of Thomas Jefferson's illegitimate children that he had with his slave, Sally Hemings.  The four children, Beverly, Harriet, Madison, & Eston lived as slaves on Jefferson's estate (this is documented as true) and this story tells what life might have been like for these children growing up.  They were all eventually freed by their father, though not formally acknowledged as his children.  This story takes you through life in the early 1800's through the eyes of the children.

I also finally read Prisoner B-3087, by Alan Gratz.  This is again historical fiction, but based on true events that occurred in the life of Jack Gruener from the years of 1939-1945.  Young Jack, or Yanek, as he was known at the time, was a Jewish boy living in Poland when Hitler invaded his country.  It tells his story of living in the ghetto of his city to the 10 different concentration camps he survived.  The basic events are true, but the story has been fictionalized and embellished by the author.  This was a hard book to put down.  I find reading about the Holocaust to always be fascinating.  This year, we'll read Night, by Elie Wiesel, which is a Holocaust memoir.  I think reading anything you can about the Holocaust will give you some great background before we study it in more detail this year.

I just finished reading Cinder, by Marissa Meyer this morning.  This is another one I pulled off my shelf from school.  This is the first book of the Lunar Chronicles series and I'm already itching to read the second book, Scarlet.  Cinder is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella.  The main character, whose name is Cinder, is a cyborg (she's human, but after a horrible accident was rebuilt with mechanical parts) mechanic living in New Beijing somewhere in the future.  She was adopted by a man, who died shortly after adopting her, leaving her with his wife and 2 daughters.  With the exception of the youngest sister, the family wants nothing to do with Cinder and use her job as a mechanic to support their family.  Right before the annual ball, a couple of important things happen, Prince Kai seeks her help as a mechanic to repair an android from the palace, and Cinder's younger step-sister Peony contracts Letumosis, a plague that has no cure.  In trying to help find a cure for Peony, Cinder discovers that she is immune to the plague and there is a lot about herself that she did not know.  There is also the threat of a war with the people of Luna, who live on the moon and whose queen wants to take over the earth.  There's a lot going on in this story and it keeps you interested from start to finish.  If you like futuristic, science-fiction type stories and don't mind the fairy tale twist, you'll definitely want to borrow Cinder from me.

So, are you counting down the days until school starts?  I hope to see many of you on Thursday at registration!  This may be my last post before you start school...we'll see how much I get to read between now and then.  See you all soon!

A Little of This, A Little of That

Good Sunday afternoon my En Fuego readers.  Is anyone else totally loving this cooler weather at the end of July?  I guess it's not pool weather, but I do like enjoying the fresh air with my windows open!  The weather does not keep me from reading, though...hot, cold, whatever, you'll find me with a book in my hand about half of every day (or more if I'm lucky!).  Here's what I've been reading.

Ms. Scearcy mentioned this book to me and it's been on my to-read list for a bit.  I finally got a chance to read it and WOW.  So. Very. Good.  Wonder, by R.J. Palacio is about August Pullman.  August was born with severe facial deformities and has been protected and coddled his whole life.  Until suddenly, he learns that his parents think he may need to go to a real school instead of being homeschooled.  August really isn't sure about this, but after a visit to the school they have in mind, he decides to give it a try.  He is used to the shock, the stares, the horror that many people experience upon seeing him for the first time, but it's the first time he's every truly put himself out in the world.  He makes a couple of friends and is betrayed by one, but discovers an inner strength he didn't know he had and doesn't give up.  The story is told mostly through August's perspective, but a few other perspectives, as well and comes together as one of the most touching and heartwarming stories I've ever read.  I'm not going to lie, I cried a few tears at multiple points in this story, but if left my heart warm and fuzzy at the end.

Let's mix it up with a little non-fiction too.  I've been wanting to read Chasing Lincoln's Killer, by James Swanson since I got it from Scholastic last year.  Earlier in the summer, I read Bloody Times, which was also by this author.  This was a fascinating look at how President Lincoln's assassination came about and the hunt for John Wilkes Booth and those who conspired with him to murder the nation's 16th president.  I just love books that are full of historical facts, but read like a fictional story.  This also had lots of pictures of items and places from that time that helped you to picture all the who, what, when, & where details.  If you like nonfiction - pick up this book.

I also finally got around to reading Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld.  This has been on my to-read list probably for a year.  This is part of a dystopian trilogy about a society where people who are normal-looking are considered to be ugly.  At the age of 16, everyone gets an operation that turns them pretty - they're given features that are attractive and those features that aren't so attractive, like that big nose or eyes that are too close together or to far apart, are changed.  Once you turn pretty, you have no worries, you get to party all the time, and live a wonderful life.  Tally can't wait to turn 16 and get her operation.  All her friends have already had the operation and she looks forward to joining them.  But as she waits, she meets a new friend, Shay, who doesn't want to turn pretty and tells her about a place, called "The Smoke", where they can go to escape the operation.  Tally doesn't want to go, but a week before their birthdays, Shay leaves, but leaves Tally directions for how to find her.  When Tally goes in for her operation, she is told that unless she finds Shay and the Smoke for them, she will be ugly for the rest of her life.  Tally goes along, but once she gets to the Smoke, she realizes that becoming pretty has a steep price tag...should she expose her new friends and go back and live the life she always wanted or stay where she is and live a life different from anything she ever expected?  She may not have a choice.  This is a very fast-paced and exciting read.  There is quite a twist at the end that will make you want to rush out & read the next book in the series, Pretties!

So has anyone else looked at the calendar & realized we'll be seeing one another really soon?  I was at school last week starting to get things ready.  The supply list you need is on our facebook page and is also linked on the Congress webpage.  If you need a copy, let me know, I'll e-mail you one.  I hope you're enjoying these last few days of summer...with a good book, of course!

Fairytale, Thriller, & Dystopia...

Good morning En Fuego readers!  My summer book total is up to 40...my goal for the summer was to read 60 books.  Since I head back to school in 17 days, I'm not sure I'm going to get there, but I'm going to keep trying!  Let me tell you about 3 books I've read in the last week.

I'll start with Entwined, by Heather Dixon.  This is one I pulled off my shelf at school and brought home with me for the summer.  I picked it out completely for it's gorgeous cover (how superficial, I know!), but it turned out to be a fun read.  It was totally not what I expected.  Entwined is a retelling of the fairytale of the twelve princesses who love to dance.  In this book, Azalea is the oldest sister, who is left in charge of all her other sisters when their mother dies.  Their father goes off to war, but insists that they spend a period of a year in mourning for their mother, which means the princesses cannot dance, which is their passion passed on to them from their mother.  Azalea discovers a magical passage in their castle and the Keeper of this passage invites Azalea and her sisters to come every night and dance there, where they'll never be caught.  However, over time, it seems that the Keeper wants something from Azalea and the princesses in return and it could cost their father his life.  This was a fun story & I highly recommend it!

After reading last year's Truman winner, Girl Stolen, I put April Henry's newest book, The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die on hold at the library.  This was another thriller that you won't want to put down.  In this story, our main character wakes up and has no idea who she is or where she is, but she overhears a conversation between two men where one says to "take care of her" because she doesn't know anything.  She knows her life is in danger and that she must escape and not only that figure out who she is and why people are trying to kill her.  This is a short, fast-paced read.  If you like mystery and suspense, this is a book for you!

Finally, I've been wanting to read the Bar Code Tattoo, by Suzanne Weyn, so I also brought this one home from my school bookshelf.  In this futuristic story, everyone is getting a bar code tattooed onto their arms to make life easier.  This bar code is identification, contains their medical information, is like a bank card, and many other things.  Everyone is getting them & eventually it becomes the law to get one.  Kayla saw what getting the bar code tattoo did to her father.  Once he got it, things started falling apart in his life until he eventually committed suicide.  She doesn't know or understand what the bar code tattoo had to do with it, but she knows that it is at the root of the problem.  Kayla eventually has to go on the run to try to join the resistance against the tattoos and what they mean for the future of their society.  This is another thrilling and fast-paced story.  

In other news, your schedules for the year were mailed home last week.  Hopefully, yours has arrived.  If it hasn't, or there are any problems with it, contact one of your teachers and we'll help you get it straightened out.  Registration is coming up on August 8!  Enjoy what's left of the summer...and don't forget to do some reading!

Dark Life

Dark Life, by Kat Falls was one of the 2012-13 Truman nominees that I just didn't get around to during the school year, but really wanted to read.  I was at Mid-Continent & saw it sitting on the shelf and knew it was time I brought this one home.  Dark Life follows Gemma and Ty in a new under-sea society.  Gemma comes from "above" in search of her brother, whom she believes is prospecting in the depths of the ocean.  She meets Ty, who lives, and was in fact the first baby ever born under the sea.  The picture on the front cover is what his house looks like - a giant jellyfish!  There are rumors that kids who live in the depths have developed "dark gifts" due to the immense pressure of the ocean when living so deep, but Ty tries to convince Gemma it isn't true.  There are undersea bandits who are trying to tear apart the delicate society that has been built under the sea and Ty knows that he is the person who has to stop it.  This is a terrific fantasy and adventure novel about what life might be like if we had to live under the sea.  There is a 2nd book in this series called Rip Tide and I'm definitely planning to pick it up sometime soon!

Confessions of the Ungifted...

So far this summer, I've read 28 books!  How many have you read?  The most recent two books I've read are Ungifted, by Gordon Korman and In Front of God and Everybody: Confessions of April Grace.

Ungifted follows Donovan Curtis who is always in trouble.  If he sees something that looks like fun, he goes for it without thinking of it and it usually lands him in a world of trouble.  For instance, when he decides to hit a statue holding a globe near his school in the backside and the globe, which is held by only one rusty bolt, gets loose and rolls into your high schools gym, destroying the floor.  Oops.  Caught by the superintendent of his school district, Donovan knows he is going to be in big trouble, but the superintendent accidentally places his name on a list of students who are going to be assigned for the district's school for gifted students.  Donovan knows he is not gifted, but decides to go and hide out there until the superintendent (hopefully) forgets all about him.  Donovan somehow manages to befriend the gifted kids, who see him as the only "normal" student in their school and he joins their robotics club.  Donovan learns how to control some of his impulses and starts to learn more about what it means to truly be a friend.  This was a fun and funny story.  I highly recommend it!

I also just finished In Front of God & Everyone...  I picked it up at the library because I liked the cover.  After I got it home, I realized it was a Mark Twain Award nominee for this year, so I knew it must be pretty good.  April Grace lives in the country outside a small town in the Ozarks of Arkansas.  She lives with her parents and older sister, and her Grandma Grace lives right next door and is at April Grace's house more often than not.  It's summer vacation and new neighbors from San Francisco, California move in, or try to, next door.  The place is so run-down, though, that April Grace's parents invite them to move in until it can be fixed up.  Now these folks are snooty and look down on April Grace and her "hillbilly" family.  There is also Mr. Rance, who is trying to romance April Grace's grandma, but April Grace has her suspicions that he is up to no good.  This is a humorous account of how April Grace deals with her parent's guests and the over-the-top gentleman who is going after her Grandma.  This was a quick and very entertaining read.  April Grace is quite the funny narrator and I found myself laughing out loud at her use of grammar and colloquial sayings (file that away - we'll talk about what that means next year).  I loved this book!

We're about halfway through the summer.  My goal is to read 60 books and I'm not quite halfway there, so I'd better get moving if I'm going to reach it.  If you want, comment below & tell me what you've been reading this summer!

The Final Truman Nominees

I have now officially read all the Truman nominees for this school year and these last 2 were excellent.  I did not want to put either of these down.  The great news is that both are the first books in a series, so I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment of both.

First, I read The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson.  This is the first book in the Shades of London series.  The main character is Rory Deveaux, who is from near New Orleans, but heads to London for her final year of school before college. Her parents are college professors and are teaching for a year in Bristol, England and Rory wants an adventure too.  Shortly after Rory begins her school year, murders are committed on the same dates and in the same manner as those of Jack the Ripper.  The crimes of today are eerily similar to those that occurred in 1888 and all of London is feeling alternately terrorized and excited by these crimes that are occurring.  On the night of one of the murders, Rory and her roommate Jazza sneak out of their room and when they're sneaking back in Rory sees a mysterious stranger who stops and talks to her.  The next day, Rory realizes that the man must have been the new "Jack".  Rory makes some incredible discoveries about the murderer and some special abilities she has that allowed her to see him when others can't.  Can she stop the murderer before he commits his final and most devastating crime?  Read it & find out.  This was a great non-stop, paranormal adventure.  I can't wait to see what Rory does next in the second book in the series, The Madness Underneath. 

The final Truman nominee I had to read was The Girl of Fire and Thorns.  I loved this book, but I don't think it will be a book that everyone would like.  It was a historical fantasy type story of kings and queens and fights for kingdoms.  Our heroine is 16 year old Princess Elisa, the overweight second daughter of the king of Oravalle.  We meet her on her wedding day as she prepares to marry the king of a nearby country of Joya.  She's not really excited about it, because she hasn't ever met this guy.  Elisa is also unique in that she is the bearer of the "Godstone" - a jewel that was placed in her navel shortly after her birth.  This happens only once each century to one who is "chosen by God".  Elisa doesn't really know all that being the bearer of the Godstone entails until she enters her husband's country and is kidnapped because of it.  She learns about her destiny and has to pull it together and become a leader in order to save her husband's country and herself from ruthless invaders who are trying to overtake them.  This was a great adventure and also coming of age story for Elisa who really grows and develops from a not very likable character to one who you admire and root for to win.  

I've blogged about all the Truman nominees except for the ones I already talked to you about in class: Legend and The Eleventh Plague.  I definitely have my favorites and I think I know what my top pick would be, but I'm going to keep that to myself.  Remember - in order to be able to vote for the Truman winner, you must read at least 4 of the titles.  These are some really good books.  Mid-Continent has lots of copies available, so if it's too hot to be outside...head to the library and pick up one of these!

Two Nonfiction Titles

I know that not everyone loves fiction best like me, so I'm working on reading some nonfiction titles for those of you who like to keep it real.  In many of the Scholastic orders last year, I kept seeing the title Bloody Times: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Manhunt for Jefferson Davis in the catalogs, so when I saw MCPL had it available through their Overdrive E-book checkout system, I knew I wanted to read it.  In this book, James L. Swanson takes us through Lincoln's last days and the end of the Civil War.  It was fascinating to learn facts I never really knew about President Lincoln's funeral and what happened to Jefferson Davis (the president of the Confederacy) after the war.  If the Civil War is a topic that interests you, I would highly recommend reading more about it.  James Swanson also wrote Chasing Lincoln's Killer, which is currently sitting on my shelf waiting for me to get to it.  I'll let you know more about that one once I get to it.

When I was looking on the Overdrive system at their nonfiction titles for checkout, this next title & cover caught my eye:  Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy.  I had never heard of the Triangle Fire and wanted to know more about it.  This was a devastating fire in a clothing manufacturing factory that took place in 1911.  It was the most disastrous workplace disaster in lives lost in New York until the 9/11 tragedy in 2001.  This book gives an incredible history of immigration into the United States, particularly that of Southern Italians and Russian Jews in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  It gives an incredible history of the fight for safety in the workplace.  It was a short read, but was packed full of fascinating historical details.  I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a nonfiction title to read.

If you didn't see the update on our En Fuego Facebook page, I have a new puppy at my house.  She is keeping me from doing quite as much reading, and hopefully explains the time lapse between posts about what I have managed to read.  I'm trying to teach her to be a reader too, but so far she just wants to chew up whatever I'm reading and we can't have that!  Meet Gracie.  I'll make a reader out of her yet - or at least a dog who sits quietly on my lap while I do my reading!  Until next time...keep reading!

Mind Games & The Emerald Atlas

I loved Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series, so when I saw that she had a new book, Mind Games, I was excited to read it.  If you read the Paranormalcy trilogy, you'll know that Ms. White is a humorous author...so I was expecting the same in Mind Games.  I did not get what I expected.  This book was much darker and more mysterious than the previous trilogy.  In Mind Games, two sisters, Fia (short for Sophia) and Annie are put in a special school shortly after their parents are killed in a car accident.  Annie is blind, but has the ability to see the future.  Their aunt no longer wanted to care for them and the school promised that it would provide an individualized education that would more than meet Annie's special needs and they would allow for Fia to come along, as well.  From the very first time there, Fia knew that the school was not right - that it was a very bad place.  The school takes in special girls like Annie - those who can see the future (seers), those who can feel the emotions that others are feeling (feelers), and scariest of all, those who can read minds (readers).  Fia doesn't have any of those abilities, but what the school discovers is that she has perfect instincts - she can make the best choice in every situation, whether it be a stock market pick or a dangerous situation.  So Fia is trained to be an assassin.  The school threatens Annie's life if Fia does not go along with them.  The story unfolds as we see how the past and present come together for these sisters and how they try to figure out a way to escape the life they've become trapped in.  This was a very exciting read, but you really feel bad for the sisters and the deep emotional pain they experience because of what the school has done to them.  There will be at least one more book that will continue Fia's & Annie's story.  Check out Mind Games if you're looking for an action-packed thriller.

The Emerald Atlas, by John Stephens is another Truman Nominee.  I don't know why, but I wasn't really that excited about reading this book, but my goal has been to read all the Truman nominees, so I jumped in.  Boy, did this story surprise me.  I ended up loving it and want to read the 2nd book in the series (The Fire Chronicles).  In this story, we meet Kate, Michael, and Emma who aren't exactly orphans, but have spent most of their lives in an orphanage.  Eleven years ago, their parents sent them off in the middle of the night to an orphanage, promising Kate they'd be together again someday, but haven't been seen since.  The kids have gone from orphanage to orphanage, each one worse than the last, when they finally end up in a strange place called Cambridge Falls in an orphanage run by a man named Mr. Pym.  The interesting thing is that they are the only orphans in the place.  One day, while exploring the strange mansion where they're staying, they discover a book.  When they open the book and place a photograph from the past in it, they are instantly taken back to the  moment that picture was taken.  They meet an evil witch, Mr. Pym turns out to be not quite what they expected, and they discover that they have a connection to this amazing and magical book.  This story is a fantastical adventure from start to finish and I can't wait to find out what happens next to Kate, Michael, and Emma in the 2nd book.  There will be a 3rd book as well, but I don't see a title or publication date out there yet.  It will be something to look forward to!

Two More Trumans

I mentioned in my last post that I was reading Lost in the River of Grass, by Ginny Rorby.  LitRoG (because who wants to keep writing out that long title?) is about a ninth grader, Sarah Emerson, who goes on a field trip to the Everglades with a few of her classmates and her favorite teacher.  Sarah is a scholarship student at her school, where her mom works in the cafeteria, and she doesn't really fit in.  She's hoping that this field trip might give her the opportunity to make some friends, but it doesn't really work out that way upon arriving in the Everglades.  She decides to skip on the scheduled morning's activities in order to take an airboat ride in the swamp with a local boy, which turns out to be a VERY bad decision.  Disaster occurs and Sarah and Andy are 10 miles into the Everglades with no way out and barely any food or water.  They decide their best bet is to try to hike out of the swamp, because no one has any idea where they are.  The story covers days of slogging through dangerous waters, where snakes and alligators and other scary creatures lurk.  Will Sarah & Andy survive?  Read Lost in the River of Grass and find out!

I also finished up Variant, by Robison Wells.  This is the first in a 2-book series.  The second is called Feedback, but I haven't read it yet...and I will, but I won't tell you about it, so I don't give anything away about Variant.   Benson Fisher is a foster kid - has been since he was five years old and he's sick of moving from one place to another.  On a whim, he decides to apply at a private school, called the Maxfield Academy, and much to his surprise, he's accepted and provided a full scholarship.  He's a few months from turning 18, so he figures he can go to Maxfield, finish his education, then he'll be free of the foster care system.  Much to his surprise, though, when he arrives at Maxfield, he discovers there are no adults - no teachers, no supervisors - only other students.  The students have broken themselves into 3 different groups and perform all the functions needed in a school, but they are constantly watched by cameras and given a daily schedule they must follow.  There are only 4 main rules - but the punishment for breaking those rules is deadly.  Can Benson find a way out of this school-turned-prison?  Variant is definitely a page-turner that you won't want to put down!

All right - I've read 9 of the 12 Truman nominees and I definitely have some favorites picked already.  Have you read any of the Truman nominees yet?  You can comment below & let me know!  

Five New Titles

I've been on vacation...so sorry for the break between updates, but I'll make it up to you with 5 new recommendations. :)  Three of the five are Truman nominees for this coming school year...let's commence with the recommending!

I'll start with Beastly and Cloaked, by Alex Flinn.  Cloaked is one of the Truman nominees for this year and when I looked at it on goodreads.com or somewhere of the like, it said it was Beastly #2, so I decided I had better read Beastly first.  Well, wherever I saw it was Beastly #2 was untrue - the two books are not related whatsoever, except in the fact that they are new versions of different fairy tales and both very fun summer reads.  In Beastly, Kyle Kingsbury is a very popular, but self-centered freshman in high school.  He's rich, has a lot of friends, and can get any girl he wants.  One day, Kyle decides to ask a not-so-pretty or popular girl to the upcoming dance as a joke...you see, he's really going with totally pretty & popular Sloane, and he's going to ditch this other girl, Kendra at the door.  What a nice guy, right?  Well, it turns out Kendra is a witch, who casts a spell on Kyle, turning him into an awful beast.  She gives him 2 years to get a girl to fall in love with him for him - not for his looks or money.  Only then, can the spell be reversed.  This is a modern-day retelling of Beauty & the Beast.  The book was funny and has a great message about the fact that maybe we shouldn't judge others solely on how they look.  Cloaked is not just based on one fairy tale, but is a mash-up of several different tales.  In Cloaked, Johnny is a poor, 17-year old shoe repairman who is trying to help his mom make ends meet.  One day, a princess stays in the hotel where his shoe shop is located and asks him to complete a quest of her - find her brother who has been turned into a frog by an evil witch.  She gives him a magical cloak that can transport him to wherever he wishes and a magical earpiece that allows him to talk to any animal that was once human to help him.  In return, she'll marry him and he'll have all the money he's ever wanted.  His best friend Meg ends up helping him out in this quest.  The story has a lot of twists and turns and will introduce you to some fairy tales you might not have heard of before.  If you are a lover of fairy tales, these 2 books will be just right for you!

The Running Dream, by Wendelin Van Draanen, was an incredible story of overcoming what seems to be impossible.  Jessica is a runner...it is her passion and her life, but on her way home from a track meet, her bus is in an accident.  Another student is killed and Jessica's foot is crushed beyond repair and must be amputated.  This story is Jessica's journey of learning how to deal with the loss of not just her foot, but her ability to do the thing she loves the most...to run.  I. Absolutely. Loved. This. Book.  I think this one is a strong contender for winning the Truman Award this year.  Be inspired by Jessica & read her story!

If you were paying attention when we were in the library this year, Mrs. Gehrt and Erin from Mid-Continent both spent time talking about the book The Death Catchers, by Jennifer Anne Kogler.  This book is another favorite Truman Nominee of mine.  The story is told by Lizzy in a letter she is writing to her English teacher in hopes that she will pass her English class despite not turning in a really important project.  The letter shows her teacher her understanding of all the literary techniques & elements learned over the year (is it any wonder your TEACHER loved this book?).  Lizzy tells the story of how she saw her first "death specter" - or prediction of the death of someone close to her.  Her grandmother, Bizzy, shares with her, their family legacy of being "death catchers" - ones who learn of the untimely deaths of those close to them and have the opportunity to stop that event from happening.  This gift dates back to the time of King Arthur's court and is a job that must be taken seriously, because there can be bad consequences if you handle it in the wrong way.  Lizzy learns of a plot for "doomsday" and she, Bizzy, and her best friend Jodi, must do all they can to keep doomsday from happening.  This is an exciting, action-packed, funny adventure and I highly recommend it!

And finally, let me tell you about The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater.  If you were paying attention in class, you know this is a title I added to my bookshelf a couple of months ago.  I said I hadn't read it, but really wanted to, because I had heard good things about it.  Well, I finally got to it, and it did not disappoint. In the story, Puck (Kate) Connolly and Sean Kendrick live on the island of Thisby where every October, something magical and mystical occurs - water horses come out from the sea, but these aren't any kind of horse you'd really want to be around - they're flesh-eating and violent horses.  But the people of Thisby have a tradition of racing the water horses on November 1 every year, so many young men catch the horses and attempt to train them and race them without being injured of losing their lives.  Sean Kingston has won the Scorpio Races four times and has a way with the water horses that keeps him in demand in the island.  Puck has just learned that her oldest brother is leaving the island for the mainland, and since their parents died 18 months ago, she doesn't know how she is going to support herself and her younger brother, so she decides to do the unthinkable - enter the Scorpio Races and race on her own regular horse, Dove.  Sean and Puck strike up an unusual friendship when many on the island don't want to see a) a girl & b) a regular horse in the race.  Can Puck win or will Sean win for a 5th time.  This is an adventure you don't want to miss.  I loved it!

And that is that for now.  I'm currently reading Lost in the River of Grass - another Truman nominee.  Stay tuned for more about this one later in the week!  I hope you're all enjoying your summer!

Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25

I also read Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans over Memorial Day weekend.  This was a pretty non-stop action book.  Michael Vey has known for his whole life that he has a special power.  He can shock people with electricity when he touches them if he wants to do so.  He and his mom moved to Idaho to hide away and try to keep a low profile.  They don't want anyone to know about his special power.  However, one day when Michael is being picked on, he can't take it anymore and shocks the kids who are bullying him.  Unbeknownst to him, popular cheerleader Taylor Ridley observes this and wants to talk to Michael about it.  She reveals that she has a special power too...she can read people's minds and change how they feel through electricity.  As Michael and Taylor (and Michael's best friend Ostin) begin to investigate the source of their powers, Taylor and Michael's mom get kidnapped by those responsible.  Michael has to decide - should he go on the run and save himself or risk being captured in order to save Taylor and his mom.  This book is a series.  I haven't read the second one yet, but it is called The Rise of Elgen and the third book is coming out later this year.  Happy reading!

Silhouetted by the Blue

Over Memorial Day weekend, I read 2 of the 2013-14 Truman nominees.  Silhouetted by the Blue, by Traci L. Jones is a story about 7th grader Serena Shaw.  Her mom died in a car accident 18 months ago and Serena's father becomes gripped with depression.  When her mother was alive, she would call these periods her dad went through "the blue".  Serena's dad becomes so deep in the blue that it becomes Serena's responsibility to run her household and take care of her 8 year old brother, Henry.  With school and the lead role in the middle school musical, life becomes nearly impossible for Serena to juggle it all.  She has to figure out how to ask for help and get her family through a really tough situation.

2013-14 Truman Nominee Titles

You can get an early start on the Truman Nominees for 2013-14.  Mid-Continent has tons of copies of these titles on hand already.  Here are the nominees:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns, by Rae Carson
Cloaked, by Alex Flinn
The Eleventh Plague, by Jeff Hirsch
The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson
Silhouetted by the Blue, by Traci L. Jones
The Death Catchers, by Jennifer Anne Kogler
Legend, by Marie Lu
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25, by Richard Paul Evans
Lost in the River of Grass, by Ginny Rorby
The Emerald Atlas, by John Stephens
The Running Dream, by Wendelin Van Draanen
Variant, by Robison E. Wells

Books I've Recommended This Year

If you're looking for something to read this summer, start by going through this list of books I've recommended to you throughout the school year.  You can also keep up with what I'm reading this summer.  I'll post recommendations for you all summer long. 

Let's start with the 2012-13 Truman Nominee Books:

I've read & recommend these:
After Ever After, by Jordan Sonnenblick (I also recommend the companion book Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie)
Bruiser, by Neal Shusterman
Girl Stolen, by April Henry (This was the winning book!)
Heist Society (Heist Society #1), by Ally Carter (I also recommend Uncommon Criminals, #2 & Perfect Scoundrels, #3)
Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy #1), by Kiersten White (I also recommend Supernaturally, #2 & Endlessly, #3)
The Gardener, by S.A. Bodeen
The Grimm Legacy, by Polly Shulman
Virals (Virals #1), by Kathy Reichs (I also recommend Seizure, #2 & Code, #3)

The other Truman Nominees that I just didn't get around to reading are:
Scrawl, by Mark Shulman
Soccerland, by Beth Choat
The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan

Series of books I've recommended this year:

Divergent:  Divergent (#1), Insurgent (#2), & Allegiant (#3 - will be released on 10/22/13) - by Veronica Roth
The Maze Runner:  Maze Runner (#1), The Scorch Trials (#2), The Death Cure (#3), & The Kill Order (Prequel) - by James Dashner
Chaos Walking: The Knife of Never Letting Go (#1), The Ask & the Answer (#2), & Monsters of Men (#3) - by Patrick Ness
The Selection: The Selection (#1), The Elite (#2), The One (#3 - will be released on 5-6-14), & The Prince (a short story told from a different perspective during the same time period as #1) - by Kiera Cass
Legend: Legend (#1), Prodigy (#2), Champion (#3 - will be released November 5, 2013) - by Marie Lu
Matched: Matched (#1), Crossed (#2), & Reached (#3) - by Allie Condie
Delirium: Delirium (#2), Pandemonium (#2), & Requiem (#3) - by Lauren Oliver
The Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones (#1), City of Ashes (#2), City of Glass (#3), City of Fallen Angels (#4), City of Lost Souls (#5), & City of Heavenly Fire (#6 - release date is spring of 2014) - by Cassandra Clare
The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel (#1), Clockwork Prince (#2), & Clockwork Princess (#3) - by Cassandra Clare
The Iron Fey: The Iron King (#1), The Iron Daughter (#2), The Iron Queen (#3), & The Iron Knight (#4) - by Julie Kagawa
Blood of Eden: The Immortal Rules (#1) & The Eternity Cure (#2) - and more eventually, I'm sure - by Julie Kagawa
Last Survivors:  Life As We Knew It (#1), The Dead & the Gone (#2), This World We Live In (#3) - by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Gallagher Girls: I'd Tell You I Loved You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You (#1), Cross My Heart & Hope to Spy (#2), Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover (#3), Only the Good Spy Young (#4), Out of Sight, Out of Time (#5), & United We Spy (#6 - coming in September 2013) - by Ally Carter
Gone: Gone (#1), Hunger (#2), Lies (#3), Plague (#4), Fear (#5), & Light (#6) - by Michael Grant
Book of Ember: The City of Ember (#1), The People of Sparks (#2), The Prophet of Yonwood (#3), & The Diamond of Darkhold (#4) - by Jeanne Dupree
Dog's Purpose: A Dog's Purpose (#1) & A Dog's Journey (#2) - by W. Bruce Cameron
Incarceron: Incarceron (#1) & Sapphique (#2) - by Catherine Fisher
The Fox Chronicles: The Adoration of Jenna Fox (#1), The Fox Inheritance (#2), & Fox Forever (#3) - by Mary A. Pearson
The Ascendance Trilogy: The False Prince (#1), The Runaway King (#2), & Untitled (#3 - due out in 2014) - by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Secrets of My Hollywood Life: Secrets of My Hollywood Life (#1), On Location (#2), Family Affairs (#3), Paparazzi Princess (#4), Broadway Lights (#5), & There's No Place Like Home (#6) - by Jen Calonita
Lorien Legacies: I Am Number Four (#1), The Power of Six (#2), & The Rise of Nine (#3) - by Pittacus Lore
Breathe: Breathe (#1), Resist (#2 - coming October 8, 2013)
Slated: Slated (#1), Fractured (#2 - coming in September 2013)
Caster Chronicles: Beautiful Creatures (#1), Beautiful Darkness (#2), Beautiful Chaos (#3), & Beautiful Redemption (#4) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Skinjacker Trilogy: Everlost (#1), Everwild (#2), & Everfound (#3) - by Neal Shusterman
Dark Divine: The Dark Divine (#1), The Lost Saint (#2), & The Savage Grace (#3) - by Bree Despain
Malice: Malice (#1) & Havoc (#2) - by Chris Wooding

Other Stand-alone titles I've recommended this year:
Five Flavors of Dumb, by Antony John
The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen
Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen
Lock & Key, by Sarah Dessen
The Compound, by S.A. Bodeen
The Eleventh Plague, by Jeff Hirsch
Magisterium, by Jeff Hirsch
Between the Lines, by Jodi Picoult & Samantha VanLeer
The Treachery of Beautiful Things, by Ruth Francis Long
Nobody, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Okay for Now, by Gary D. Schmidt
Girl in the Arena, by Lisa Haines
The Brooklyn Nine, by Alan Gratz
Discovering Wes Moore, by Wes Moore
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Between Shades of Grey, by Ruta Sepetys
The Devil's Arithmetic, by Jane Yolen

 Happy reading!