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!