Who wants to do some summer reading?

So...we've been out of school for a month today and I've been reading like crazy, but clearly have not been telling you about what I've been reading.  Sorry about that!  So far I've read 28 books this summer!  My goal is to read 65 before I go back to school in August.  I think I'm well on my way.  My other reading goal was to read some "classics" that I've never read.  I started with Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen.  It was good, but I've got to tell you, I had to think really hard as I read that one - reading and interpreting English as it was spoken in the 1800's when the book was written required a lot of focus, so it took me longer to read it than I expected.  I really wasn't sure I liked it at first, but once I got used to the "fancy" language, I really liked it.  It was actually fairly sarcastic and funny.  I'm planning to finish up The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger tonight.  It is not quite what I expected, but it's pretty funny too.  The narrator, Holden Caulfield, definitely doesn't hold back about saying what he thinks.  I hope to read a few other classics before summer's end, as well.  But for now...let me fill you in on a few titles I've read that you might like.

I'll start with 2 different books by the same author.  The first is called Boy21, by Matthew Quick.  Boy21 is told to us by Finley, a boy who's life revolves around basketball.  He's about to start his senior year in high school when his coach asks him for a favor.  A good friend of his coach was murdered, along with the friend's wife, but their son has moved to the area with his grandparents and is going to go to Finley's school.  Finley's coach wants him to befriend the son, Russ, and help him to adjust to the new school.  The only problem is that since his parents' murder, Russ is calling himself Boy21 and says that is from outer space and he's waiting for his parents to come back from outer space to get him.  This story is incredibly quirky and funny, but also moving and emotional, like most of Matthew Quick's stories.  I checked this book out through MCPL's Overdrive, but they also have copies on their shelves if you're interested.

Another Matthew Quick book that I love is Sorta Like a Rock Star.  I read this book 3 years ago, but I loved it so much, I insisted that this be one of the audiobooks my husband and I listened to on our road trip to Phoenix a couple weeks ago.  My husband ( who is not really a reader, but does enjoy a good story) loved this book too.  Sorta Like a Rock Star is about Amber Appleton, a young girl who is living on the school bus her mother drives with her mother.  Her life is far from easy or perfect, but Amber considers herself the princess of hope - she always sees the glass as half full.  Until...tragedy strikes Amber's life and she doesn't think she can find any hope left in the world.  Can she find her way back to her hopeful state of mind?  You'll have to read the book to find out!  This book can also be checked out through MCPL's overdrive or off their shelves.

If you're looking more for a fantasy/dystopian type book, then you might like An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir.  This story is told from 2 different perspectives - Elias, who has been raised to be a soldier from the age of 6 and Laia, a girl who was poor and free, but became a slave to try to help her people.  Elias is a Martial.  His people rule his society.  He's been training as a solder at Black Cliff since he was a child and is planning to run away as soon as he graduates until unforeseen circumstances keep him from doing so.  Laia's brother is arrested and her grandparents are murdered, but she escapes.  She'll do anything to help her brother, including joining the resistance movement and becoming a slave at Black Cliff.  When Laia's and Elias' paths cross sparks fly & adventure ensues.  If you want a book with lots of action and suspense, you'll like this one.  I also checked this one out through MCPL's Overdrive, but you can find it on their shelves, as well.

I finally got around to reading The Heir, by Kiera Cass.  If you thought The Selection series was over with The One like I did, you were wrong.  The Heir jumps about 30-ish years into the future where we meet Eadlyn, Maxon & America's oldest daughter, who is first in line for the throne of Ilea.  Even though things have been better in Ilea since Maxon became king, there has lately been some unrest and dissatisfaction, so to fix that, King Maxon and Queen America decide that Eadlyn needs to have a selection of her own to distract the country from its troubles.  Eadlyn, however, is not really too excited about the prospect of a selection and is determined that she's going to make her suitors squirm.  She definitely does just that...and more.  There will be at least one more book in this series to continue Eadlyn's story and her selection.  I'm interested to see how it turns out.  Again - this book is available through MCPL's Overdrive & on their shelves.  I don't have any doubts that it will eventually find it's way to our Congress Media Center's shelves this fall as well!

Since I'm on a girly-book roll, let me tell you about Kasie West's newest book, The Fill-in Boyfriend.  Swoon...I love Kasie West.  Gia's boyfriend Bradley dumps her on the way into her prom.  None of her friends had ever met Bradley, who is in college, and one friend (or not-so-much-friend) in particular has been dropping hints that she doesn't believe he's even real.  Gia has no idea what she's going to do when she spots a boy just sitting in a car reading a book.  She decides that she has nothing to lose and asks him if he'll pretend to be Bradley for the evening.  This boy decided to go along with her and really impresses her friends as Bradley.  He impresses Gia too...she really wishes she knew his real name and how to get back in touch with him.  When circumstances lead to her returning the favor for him, Gia starts to really fall for fake Bradley (whose name shall remain secret until you read the book yourself).  This was a fun, feel-good read.  I loved it.  I checked it out from MCPL, but it's now also available on Overdrive.

Finally, I'll leave you with another fun book called Geek Girl, by Holly Smale. Harriet Manners, our main character, knows many things.  One thing she knows is that she is a geek.  She can't help it, it is just who she is.  When her best friend asks her to go to a fashion show, Harriet doesn't want to go, but does anyway.  Once there, she realizes that her friend is hoping to get discovered as a model...but much to Harriet's surprise, SHE is the one who is discovered and a secret modeling career is launched.  If you like a book with a funny main character who experiences lots of misadventure, you'll probably like Geek Girl.  You can get this book through MCPL's Overdrive or find it on their shelves.

That's it for now.  I will do my best to update a little more often than I have been doing.  I hope you're all having a fabulous summer!

Start that Summer Reading List!

Summer is just around the corner, and you know what that means, right?  More time to read!  I know I'm not the only one excited about that, right?  If you're already looking for titles to read, let me recommend a few books I've read recently.

I'll start with a book called 5 to 1,  by Holly Bodger.  I got to read this book thanks to NetGalley.  It's publishing date is actually tomorrow, 5/12.  This was a really fascinating read that turns the idea of gender inequality on its ear.  The setting of the story is India in the year 2054.  Because of laws prohibiting families from having more than one child...and many families wanting only boy children, the ratio of boys to girls is now 5 to 1.  Girls became a valuable commodity and were being sold to the highest bidder.  But a group of women rebelled and formed the country of Koyanagar, closed the gates to all outsiders, and now men must compete in tests to in order to win a wife.  Any boy can compete, but those not chosen are sent to guard the wall that surrounds their country - most likely to their death.  This story is told from two points of view - Sudasa, a young girl who must choose her husband through the tests even though she doesn't want to, and Kiran - a boy competing in the tests who doesn't want to win, and has plans of his own.  This was an incredibly fascinating story.  If you want to read something thought-provoking, you should try 5 to 1.  MCPL has this on order, so you can put it on hold if you're interested!

If you're more up for a story loosely based on the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone (God of the Underworld lures girl to Underworld, she ends up having to live six months of every year there), you might like the story, Everneath, by Brodi Ashton.  Six months ago Nikki Beckett vanished...she'd been lured to the "Everneath" by Cole, and Everliving who promised her an end to the pain of living after her mother's death.  When Nikki returns to her old life and has only 6 months to live it before she's pulled back into the Everneath for eternity, she only wants to make things right with her family and her old boyfriend, Jack.  Cole wants her to return to the Everneath with him and to use her to help take over the throne, but Nikki doesn't know what she wants, other than finding a way to stay in the real world and never have to go to the Everneath again.  This is the first in a series...if you like it, you'll find a novella, Neverfall, and two more novels, Everbound and Evertrue.  All 3 novels are available at MCPL.  You can find the first 2 books and the novella on MCPL's Overdrive, as well.

If you like stories that involve lots of action and espionage, you might like Julie Kagawa's Talon series.  In book 1, Talon, you meet Ember Hill, someone who appears to be a normal teenage girl, but who is actually...a dragon.   At one point, dragons were nearly extinct after being hunted by the lethal Order of Saint George - soldiers who swore to kill all dragons.  They've been hiding and biding their time, forming an organization called Talon, and their goal is to take over the world.  Ember is a member of Talon.  She's been trained to fit in with human society and she and her twin brother Dante get one last summer to train in a beach town in California before they accept their roles as agents of Talon.  Ember just wants to relax and get to enjoy what a normal human life might be like.  Garrett Sebastian is a soldier of St. George.  He and his partner have been sent to the small California town where Ember and her brother are staying in order to find hidden dragon agents - in other words - Ember and Dante.  But when Ember and Garret meet, they become friends and maybe even something more...until they discover the truth about one another.  If you like Talon, you'll be itching to read the 2nd book in the series, Rogue, which just came out on April 28th.  I got to read my copy of Rogue from NetGalley, but you can find both books at MCPL.  Talon is also available through MCPL's Overdrive.

Another book I've read recently is The Winner's Crime (Winner's Curse #2), by Marie Rutkoski.  This story continues Kestrel and Arin's story as they try to find a way to save their countries.  You can read more about book one here.  I don't want to give too much away, but at the end of the first book, Kestrel does something bit in order to save Arin...and in this book she has to learn to live with that choice...or does she?  This series is so beautifully written, but it's definitely full of drama.  If you haven't read the first book, add both it and this 2nd novel to your list of to-reads!  You can find both books at MCPL.  You can find book 2 through MCPL's Overdrive, as well.

Skandal, by Lindsay Smith is another book 2 I've read recently - it's the follow up to Sekret, which you can read about here.   Again, I don't want to give too much away, but Yulia is now in the U.S. working for the CIA trying to find a way to save her mother.  Figuring out a new culture is only the beginning of Yulia's problems as she works to try to bring down the man who has caused all her family's troubles.  You can find both books at MCPL and Skandal is available through MCPL's overdrive.

My final recommendation is for a series I've just finished.  The 3rd and final book is Lion Heart, by A.C. Gaughen, which concludes her Scarlet series (you can read more about book 1 here).  I got to read Lion Heart early, thanks to NetGalley - it will be published next week on May 19th if you're interested.  This third and final book finds Scarlet imprisoned by Prince John, unsure if she will ever find a way back to Robin Hood.  Once again, I'm not going to give anything away, but this was an awesome conclusion to a really great series.  I absolutely loved this twist on the Robin Hood story and am sad that it has come to an end!  You can find both the first 2 books at MCPL and through their Overdrive system.  Book 3 is on order, so you can go ahead & put it on hold if you're interested!  

Finally - who's up for a challenge?  Some of you have said you'd like to challenge to read more than me over the summer.  If you want to challenge me, you can find the access to the link on my Reading page on the team website (scroll down below current class info).  There is also a link to the form where I'll ask you to log your books as you read them.  And if that's not enough, there is also a link for those interested in joining me in reading some classics this summer.  My goal is to read several "classics" that I've never read before, so I hope some of you will join me in that!  

New & Upcoming Titles

I am eagerly waiting for tomorrow when I get to share with you about the book choices you'll have for our final book club of the year.  I always love to see which books everyone wants to read.  I really hope that you'll get your first choice!  I have several other titles to recommend to you today, though, that are purely for fun.

First up, is The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander.  If the cover gives you a clue, this story has everything to do with basketball.  Told from the point of view of Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell, this story captured my attention from the first page.  Josh tells his story in prose...sometimes it rhymes, sometimes it just flows, but we learn about his struggles as a 12-year old prodigy basketball player when things at home don't go the way he wants them to.  His twin brother, Jordan, is growing up and away from him.  His father is denial of aging and the health problems he might be facing.  His mom is the school principal, which just makes everything harder.  If you want a quick-moving story that will pull on your emotions, you'll love The Crossover.  I read my copy through MCPL's Overdrive, but you can also find it on their shelves.  Our Congress library also has a copy.  It might be a good one to pick up before MAP testing in a couple weeks!

If you like fairy tale retellings, you might like the book I just finished earlier today - Neverland, by Shari Arnold.  I have a feeling that this is going to be a book that I'm thinking about for days to come...I loved it that much.  In this story, we meet Livy, who is still trying to deal with the death of her 6-year old sister, Jenna, who had leukemia.  Livy deals with missing Jenna by volunteering at the children's hospital where Jenna had been a patient, reading the sick kids stories every day.  It's there that she meets a mysterious boy named Meyer, who tries to help Livy move beyond her fear and sadness by having adventures.  If you haven't guessed from the title, this is a retelling of Peter Pan, and I don't really want to say much else about it, because I don't want to give all the good stuff away.  I got to read an advanced reader copy thanks to NetGalley, but the good news for you is that this title was just published on April 7th, The bad news is that I don't see it at MCPL, but I'm going to recommend to Mrs. Gehrt that she purchase this title, so hopefully, we can find it in our Congress library really soon!

If you're feeling more like historical fiction, you might enjoy Under a Painted Sky, by Stacey Lee.  This is another story that I absolutely loved about Samantha, a young Chinese girl living in none other than St. Joe, Missouri around the year 1850.  Her father owns a general store and Sammy helps out at the store and gives violin lessons to children around town.  When her father's general store burns to the ground, along with him in it, Sammy is at a loss for what to do.  Her landlord seems like he's going to help her out, but when his sinister plans for her are revealed and he attacks her, she hits him over the head with a scrub brush, and he falls, hitting his head, and dies.  Now, what is a helpless young Chinese girl who has just killed someone to do in a situation like this?  With the help of a young slave girl, Annamae, she takes off on the run out onto the frontier, heading west to California.  Sammy and Annamae disguise themselves as boys, "Sam" & "Andy" and join with a group of young cowboys heading in the same direction.  Can the two outrun the law and manage to find their way to California?  You'll have to read Under a Painted Sky  to find out.  You can find this title at MCPL.

Now, let me tell you about some titles that aren't released yet, but that I was able to preview thanks to NetGalley.  

First up is Fury, by Steven James.  This is the 2nd book in James' Blur Trilogy.  If you don't remember my recommendation of Blur (book #1), you can check it out here.  Fury continues Daniel's story.  It's been a few months since he's experienced his last blur, and Daniel has been seeing a therapist, but decides he's not willing to take his medication.  Not sure whether or not he's really going crazy, or if the blurs are beginning again, Daniel is drawn into two different mysteries - one involving wolves that are being murdered in the area, and another involving the death of another young girl that ties directly into his own history.  Can Daniel use his blurs to solve another mystery, or will his blurs get the best of him?  You'll have to read Fury to find out!  This title will be released on April 28th.  I don't see it on MCPL's site yet, but they do have Blur, so I'm confident they'll be picking Fury up as well.

Another title that is being released on April 28th is The Girl at Midnight, by Melissa Grey.  This is the first book in a new series by Grey, and it is full of magic and adventure.  Echo was an orphan, living in the New York Public Library when she is taken in by the Avicen, an ancient group of magical bird-like people who live underneath New York City.  Echo becomes a thief, who is able to get things for the Avicen.  When she is asked to find the firebird, which will supposedly bring about peace between the Avicen and their enemies, the Drakharin people.  When Echo's best friend is captured by the Drakharin, Echo knows she has to try to save her, but in doing so has to form a dangerous partnership with the Drakharin prince.  Can Echo find the firebird and save the Avicen who saved her?  You'll have to pick up The Girl at Midnight and find out!  MCPL has copies of this title on order, so you can go ahead and put it on hold if you're interested.

Finally, I'll end with Saint Anything, by Sarah Dessen.  I have long been a fan of Ms. Dessen and her books, and Saint Anything did not disappoint.  Sydney feels like she is constantly walking on eggshells in her life.  She lives in the shadow of her older brother, Peyton, who's string of bad choices has recently led to a drunk driving conviction and a jail sentence.  Sydney wants to be the opposite of her brother, and to help out with her family's recent financial struggles, she leaves her private school for the local public school.  As she starts at her new school, Sydney meets the Chatham family and soon has a new best friend and a boy she can't help but be interested in.  But, will Sydney's parents trust her enough to let her make her own choices, and will Sydney choose to step out of her brother's shadow and be her own person?
For a book that is all about friendship, family, and a little romance thrown in, you won't be disappointed by Saint Anything.  This book is being released on May 5th, and I'm sure you'll be able to find a copy of it at MCPL after it's release.  I wouldn't be surprised to find it on our Congress shelves when we return to school in next fall, as well!

Those are all the recommendations I have for now.  It's not too early to start making your list for summer reading...hopefully one or more of these might find their way onto your list!

Train Heists, Murder, and General Mayhem

It's been awhile since I've blogged and my list of books to recommend keeps getting longer and longer...so I'd better update this before my list gets too out of hand!

Let's start with The Boundless, by Kenneth Oppel.  In this story, we meet Will, who starts the story as a poor boy whose father is working on the trans-continental railroad in Canada.  When Will and his father save the life of the owner of the railroad company, his father is promoted and when we pick up with the story a few years later, things are going much better for the family.  In fact, Will and his father are about to embark on the first journey of a new train called the Boundless...the longest train every built in history.  But...when Will comes upon a plot to rob the train of a treasure it carries, he must hide among a circus that is traveling on the train.  Can Will and his friends from the circus foil the plot of the bad guys?  Read The Boundless to find out.  I had a lot of fun reading this one!  I recently got a copy of this, so if you're interested, ask me about checking it out from my library.  You can also find it at MCPL or through MCPL's Overdrive.

If you're not in the mood for a train caper, but instead are looking for a little romance, you might want to check out The Start of Me and You, by Emery Lord.  In this story we meet Paige, who is known by everyone in her school and town as the girl who's boyfriend died in an accident by drowning.  She and Aaron only dated 2 months, but now, over a year after his death, people still give her "the look" - one of pity and sadness.  Paige is ready to move one, but she's not sure how.  Before her junior year begins, she decides to try new things and makes a list of things she wants to set out to accomplish in the coming year, including dating her long-time crush, Ryan Chase.  But sometimes with new beginnings, the unexpected occurs...and sometimes the unexpected is better than anything you could have planned for.  I absolutely loved this one...but I'm a sucker for a good "chick-lit" story.  If you're a fan of Jennifer E. Smith (This is What Happy Looks Like, The Geography of You & Me, etc), you would probably like this book.  I checked my copy out through MCPL's Overdrive.  I'm sure you can find it on their shelves, as well.

If you're more into historical fiction, you might like Prisoner of Night and Fog, by Anne Blankman.  This is the first book in a new series about Gretchen Muller, who is living in 1930's Munich, Germany.  She's always been a favorite of her family friend, "Uncle Dolf"...Adolf Hitler...after her father lost his life protecting Hitler.  Gretchen has always been shielded from reality and has believed the propaganda that told her that Jewish people were subhuman.  But circumstances in her life, and meeting a new friend, Jewish journalist Daniel Cohen, start to convince her that things are rotten in Germany.  Can she stand up against Hitler and go against her families beliefs?  This was a really interesting fictional story based on real events that were occurring in Germany in the early 1930's.  I look forward to reading more in this series - the 2nd book, Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke comes out on April 21st!  I have a copy of this book, so see me if you're interested.  You can also find it at MCPL.

Another great historical fiction book is Countdown, by Deborah Wiles.  I talked about this one in class recently, but in case you've forgotten, let me tell you about it again.  In Countdown, Franny Chapman is just trying to live a normal life, but circumstances keep getting in the way.  First, her best friend isn't acting like her best friend anymore.  Her older sister is acting really mysterious and is never home anymore.  On top of all that, her elderly uncle who lives with her family is acting crazy and it's embarrassing.  And all the while this is going on in Franny's life, she also has to worry about the possibility of nuclear war with Russia, because this story takes place during the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962.  This book, like Revolution, which I recommended in a previous blog, includes lots of actual historical pictures and documents from the time.  Seeing the real story against the backdrop of a fictional one makes for a fascinating read, in my opinion.  You can borrow a copy of Countdown from me.  You can also find it in our Congress library, as well as MCPL.

If you're more into a good murder mystery, you might want to check out April Henry's latest, The Body in the Woods.  This is the first book in Henry's new Point Last Seen series.  In this story, Alexis, Ruby, and Nick are all teen volunteers for a Search and Rescue group in Portland.  When out in the woods searching for a lost man, they instead stumble upon the body of a dead girl...and she's clearly been murdered.  When they think the police are looking at the wrong suspect, they decide to take matters into their own hands and try to solve the murder themselves.  Of course, this puts them square in the sites of the killer.  Can they solve the mystery before the murderer gets them?  You'll have to read The Body in the Woods to find out!  I have a copy of this book if you're interested in reading it.  You can also find this book at MCPL.

For those of you who are reading the Shades of London series by Maureen Johnson (The Name of the Star (#1) & The Madness Underneath {#2}), you will want to check out book #3, The Shadow Cabinet.  I was under the mistaken impression that this was the last book in the series, but much to my surprise, that's not true!  I don't want to give too much away, because if you haven't made it to book #2 yet, there is a HUGE plot twist at the end.  What I will say is that Rory and the Shades have a big plot to uncover before the ghosts haunting London try to take things over.  It was a great read!  You can check this out through MCPL's Overdrive or find it on their shelves.

And finally, I'll leave you with Fairest, by Marissa Meyer.  This is book 3.5 in the Cinder series.  If you're reading the Cinder series and you've wondered what has made the Lunar queen, Levana, such a horrible horrible person, you'll want to pick this story up.  We meet Levana as  a young princess, who eventually becomes the queen.  You also get a glimpse at the early life of the protagonist of book #4...Winter...who's book, Winter will hit shelves this fall.  I have a copy of this book, so if you're a Cinder fan, come see me and I'll hook you up with my copy.  You can also find a copy at MCPL or check it out through MCPL's Overdrive.

I'm going to end on that note.  I actually have 2 more books to recommend, but they aren't actually released yet, so I'll wait until closer to their release dates to tell you about them.  Until then...keep reading!

Ghost Stories, Time Travel, and More!

I hope this finds everyone enjoying their spring break.  I know I am...I've read 6 books so far and am in the middle of a 7th.  I love all this free reading time!  Let me tell you about some good ones I've been reading.

First up is a great ghost story.  The Haunting of Sunshine Girl, by Paige McKenzie and Alyssa B. Sheinmel is based on McKenzie's YouTube Channel.  Apparently, it's wildly popular, so Ms. McKenzie decided to write a book.  I got to read The Haunting of Sunshine Girl thanks to NetGalley, because it is not yet published, but don't fear, it is released next Tuesday, so you can get your hands on a copy before you know it!  In this story, our main character, Sunshine, has just moved to Ridgemont, Washington with her mom.  From the very first night, Sunshine hears and sees strange things in their new home, but her mom thinks she's crazy...until they both here the sounds of someone being murdered in their bathroom.  The next morning, Sunshine's mom remembers none of what happened the night before...and that's just the beginning of Sunshine's problems.  The best thing about this book was the fact that it was both creepy, yet very funny to break up the tension.  The story ends with a cliffhanger that will hopefully lead to a second book!  If you're interested in seeing the book trailer, click here!

If you want another fun ghost story, you might enjoy The Screaming Staircase, book 1 of the Lockwood & Co. series by Jonathan Stroud.  In this story, we meet Lucy, Lockwood, and George who make up Lockwood and Co., a small company in London that helps people take care of their ghost problems.  Around 60 years ago, the "Problem" occurred and now England is experiencing way more hauntings than ever before.  The ghosts can cause problems for all, but only kids have the ability to truly see and sense them and find and destroy the sources of their hauntings.  When Lockwood's business is threatened because of a simple mistake, the crew takes on a job that many have failed at and died doing so.  Can they save their company and survive the worst haunting they've ever seen?  You'll have to read The Screaming Staircase to find out!  This book was also a lot of fun.  It was a page turner from the very beginning.  I highly recommend it.  I got a copy from MCPL and you can also find a copy in our CMS library.

I've also recently read some books that take on time travel.  First up, let me tell you about Ruby Red, by Kerstin Gier.  This is the first book in the Ruby Red Trilogy.  In this story, we meet Gwyneth, who was born to a family of time travelers, but only certain members inherit the gene that allows them to time travel.  Gwyneth and her family are anxiously awaiting her cousin Charlotte's transition into being able to travel, but to the shock of everyone, especially Gwyneth, Charlotte doesn't have the gene...Gwyneth does.  Now, without any training, she has to join Gideon de Villiers to help the secret society of time travelers to which she now belongs.  This was a fun story, but it definitely leaves you ready for the next book in the series, Sapphire Blue.  I checked out a copy through MCPL's Overdrive, but you could find copy's at your MCPL branch or in our CMS library.

Another time travel book I read was called The Glass Sentence, by S.E. Grove. Around a hundred years ago, the world was changed when "The Great Disruption" occurred, breaking the world apart and tossing every continent into different time periods from the distant past to the distant future.  Sophia Tims lives in 1891 Boston with her uncle, who is known as the greatest cartologer (mapmaker) of all time.  Her parents were explorers who disappeared several years ago, but Sophia has never lost hope that they might make it back home someday.  Just before she and her uncle decide to embark on a trip to find her parents, her uncle is kidnapped and Sophia knows she is the only one who may be able to find him.  With the help of her new friend Theo, Sophia leaves to travel to new lands - and new times - to try to rescue her uncle and solve the mystery of the disappearance of her parents.  This is another first in a series, so if you like it, there will be more to read in the future!  I checked out a copy through MCPL.

Finally, I just finished the third book in Gail Carriger's Finishing School series - Waistcoats & Weaponry.  This story continues Sophronia Temminick's education in the finer points of espionage among other things.  In this story, Sophronia's good friend, Sidheag, runs into some troubles and Sophronia sets out to help her, and in doing so uncovers a plot that could threaten her whole country. If you haven't read any books in the Finishing School series, I recommend them all!  I read my copy courtesy of NetGalley, but you can find all three books at MCPL or through MCPL's Overdrive.  Our Congress library has the first two books in the series, and I have a copy of the first book, as well.  


It's a rainy day - you may as well curl up with a good book.  That's what I'll be doing today!  Happy reading!

Spring Break Recommendations

Spring break is coming...and you've probably already started making lists of the things you want to read, right?  Surely that's not just me! ;)  If you are looking for some new titles to read, you might want to check out some of the books I've read recently.

First up, I'll review a couple of recommendations I made in class.  I recently recommended Ally Carter's newest title, All Fall Down, which is book 1 of her new Embassy Row series.  If you haven't read anything by Ally Carter, you're missing out.  Her Gallagher Girls and Heist Society  series are both excellent and fun reads.  All Fall Down is a little darker than the other two series, but it was also very good.  In this story, Grace returns to the Embassy in a fictional European country where her grandfather is an ambassador.  She once visited and stayed on Embassy Row every summer, but she hasn't been there for 3 years...since the death of her mother.  Grace is convinced her mother was murdered, but no one seems to believe her.  In fact, they think she's downright crazy - and sometimes Grace thinks their right.  However, when she sees the man she knows murdered her mother at an event, she knows it's up to her to finally solve the mystery of her mother's death.  Can Grace solve the puzzle that has been locked inside her for the past 3 years?  You'll have to read All Fall Down to find out.  You can pick up a copy at MCPL or see me to get on the list for my copy.  If you like audiobooks, it's available in that form from MCPL's Overdrive.

I also recently recommended Jennifer Nielsen's newest book, Mark of the Thief, which is the first book in her new series by the same name.  If you haven't read Nielsen's False Prince series, that's another one you need to check out.  The False Prince is one of this year's Truman Nominees and is one of my two favorites in this year's bunch.  Mark of the Thief takes place during the Roman Empire.  Nic is a slave of the empire and has been working in the mines.  One day, it is believed that the lost treasure of Emperor Julius Caesar has been found and Nic is forced to go into the cavern where the treasure supposedly is, despite the fact that the previous people who went there are either dead or now crazy.  What Nic finds is something called a bulla that bonds to him and gives him magic.  Now that he possesses magic, everyone wants to use him.  This is an action-packed story that goes from the mines to gladiator events in the Coliseum.  You won't want to put it down!  You can either borrow this one from me or from MCPL.  I think we'll have it in our Congress library soon, but it's not there yet.

If you're not looking for an action story, but something more emotionally gripping, you might want to read Makiia Lucier's A Death-Struck Year.  I love historical fiction and this book did not disappoint.  It's 1918 and Cleo Berry is a 17-year old trying to figure out what she wants to do with her future as she finishes her last year of school.  The Spanish Influenza epidemic is racing across the Eastern U.S. and no one expects it to make it all the way to the West Coast, but of course, it does.  Cleo's only family, her brother and his wife, are in San Francisco when the epidemic reaches Portland and Cleo doesn't want to stay at her boarding school with people getting sick.  She returns to her home and realizes that she needs to do something, so she joins the Red Cross efforts to help find infected people and get them medical care despite the dangers of catching the Spanish Influenza herself.  This was a fascinating look at a time that many of us don't really know a whole lot about.  I highly recommend this title.  You can find it at MCPL or through MCPL's Overdrive.

Just published today was Dead to Me, by Mary McCoy.  This story takes place in 1950 during the "Golden Age" of Hollywood.  When Alice's sister Annie disappeared 4 years ago when Alice was 12, Annie's last words to her were "Don't believe anything they say."  Four years have passed by without any word from Annie when Alice receives a call that Annie is unconscious in the hospital after being badly beaten.  Alice goes on a journey to uncover the clues in the dark side of show business to find out what happened to Annie, but it's not an easy thing to figure out when the clues are few and far between and you have no idea who you can trust.  This was a really different mystery since we have a very inexperienced "detective" in Alice, and the setting of old-time Hollywood made for a fascinating story.  I received an advanced copy of this book thanks to Net Galley, but MCPL has it on order, so you can get this title from them in the near future.

If you're looking for an adventure-mystery, you might like Greenglass House, by Kate Milford.  In this story, the protagonist, Milo lives with his parents in a smuggler's inn.  All the smugglers traveling through the area stay with Milo's family in their inn where they promise to keep their guests' secrets.  Milo is looking forward to a period of quiet over his Christmas vacation, because they normally don't have a lot of boarders at that time, but on his first night of vacation, the bell that announces a visitor rings...and then rings again...and again.  Guest after guest arrive and it's clear to Milo from the start that these guests have more on their agenda than a nice get-away.  Milo and the cook's daughter, Meddy are determined to figure out the guests' secrets and uncover the mystery that surrounds Greenglass House.  This story will keep you guessing throughout the whole story and is a lot of fun to read.  You can get a copy at MCPL or the e-book through MCPL's Overdrive if you're interested in this one.

Another historical fiction book I recently enjoyed was Revolution, by Deborah Wiles.  This is the second book in Wiles' Sixties Trilogy.  Don't worry, though, because these books don't need to be read in order.  They have a different cast of characters in the backdrop of big happenings from the 1960's.  Countdown, which is book #1 in the series is currently on my shelf and I'll update you when I've read that one.  In Revolution, the backdrop of the story is "Freedom Summer" in 1964.  College students, both white and black, from the North came down to the South to help register the black community to vote.  Sunny is a white girl in the midst of a very racist community and she starts to see the ugliness of racism unfold over the course of the summer.  One thing that made this book really interesting is that the author includes lots of historical documents and true information from freedom summer and 1964 in the town where the book takes place and in the U.S. in general.  If you're interested in learning more about the Civil Rights Movement, this might be a book for you.  I got a copy from MCPL, and I also have a copy on my shelf you're welcome to borrow.  It's in our Congress library, as well.  If you like audiobooks, MCPL has a copy through their Overdrive system, but I think you'd miss out by not seeing the pictures and other historical documents included in the written work.

If you want a murder mystery with a lot of sarcasm and dry humor, you might enjoy Buzz Kill, by Beth Fantaskey.  In this story, Millie finds the dead body of much-disliked Coach Hank Kildare.  She decides that she needs to try to uncover the mystery of who killed the coach, especially when it becomes clear that her father is the main suspect in the murder.  This puts her on the trail of mysterious Chase Albright, whom she discovers had a bigger connection to the late coach than anyone ever suspected.  The only problem is that she is starting to develop quite the crush on the seemingly-perfect-yet-suspicious Chase.  This book was a lot of fun to read.  It had a lot of funny parts, and honestly, I had predicted who the killer was at the beginning of the story, but I enjoy a good predictable story every once in awhile if it proves to be entertaining, and Buzz Kill definitely was that.  I got  a copy of this book from MCPL.

I will finally leave you with a recommendation to all my Wonder readers.  I know most of you really enjoyed that book, and if that is you, you might want to check out The Julian Chapter.  Nowhere in Wonder do we get Julian's perspective on what was going on.  Now you find out what Julian was thinking in this novella by R.J. Palacio.  It is only available in e-book form, but you can find it on both MCPL's and Park Hill's Overdrive.  Also be on the lookout for Pluto, another novella just released a couple weeks ago that tells about Auggie before he ever attended Beecher Prep through the eyes of his friend Christopher, who moved away before the story of Wonder ever began.

That's it for now.  Hopefully, you can find something truly wonderful to read over spring break.  I know I can't wait to spend my days reading! :)

A Much Needed Update

Now that we've begun book clubs in class, I try to spend time reading along with you.  That has allowed me to read several good books recently.  I've got a wide variety of types of books to recommend to you.

Let's start with a nonfiction title.  Admittedly, I don't read lots and lots of nonfiction, but I do try to read a few nonfiction titles a year.  I recently read I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb.  I'd been seeing it on a lot of book lists and was intrigued by Malala's story.  Malala tells the story of growing up in Pakistan and the hold the Taliban took of her area of the country and the changes that brought about.  Malala was the daughter of an educator and her education was the most important thing in her life, but when the Taliban banned girls from going to school, she stood up for her right to an education in very public ways.  As the title states, she was shot by the Taliban - in the face - and survived to tell the story and to continue to speak for the rights of girls in her country.  This is an incredibly eye-opening story.  We in this country take for granted the rights and responsibilities we've been given.  I hope if you read this story, you will recognize the advantages we have living in a country that offers us incredible freedoms.  I checked this title out through MCPL's Overdrive and read it on my Kindle, and they also have this in regular book form if you're interested.

On to a totally different genre, I recently read John Flanagan's The Outcasts, Book 1 of the Brotherband Chronicles.  I've had several students who love Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, so I decided to try out his newest series, which is a spin-off of the RA series.  This is a fantasy/action-adventure type story and I really enjoyed it.  The story follows Hal, who's father was killed on a raid when he was a baby.  Hal is nearly 16, the age when boys go to Brotherband training.  Hal, though, is an outcast (hence the title) whose mother is a foreigner, so he's never been accepted by the boys in his town.  When he begins brotherband training, he and seven other "outcasts" are joined together and are the underdogs in the competitions.  Can Hal pull this group of oddballs together and make them into a winning team?  You'll have to read The Outcasts to find out.  If you like the book, there are 4 more books in this series currently.  I expect there will be more beyond that, as well.  I checked this title out through MCPL's Overdrive, but it's also available in book form and is in our Congress Library, as well.

If you're more into realistic fiction, you might like Morgan Matson's Since You've Been Gone.  In this story, Emily has always been the quiet one...her best friend Sloane was the one everybody noticed.  But Sloane and her family disappear right at the beginning of the summer before their senior year.  She doesn't return Emily's calls or texts, and Emily has no idea where she's gone.  A few days after Sloane disappears, Emily gets a letter from her in the mail.  Actually, it's a list...things Sloane wants Emily to do over the summer.  Things like "Go apple-picking at night" and "Dance until dawn".  Emily decides that no matter how uncomfortable it makes her, she's going to complete everything on Sloane's list...and maybe if she does, she might just find her way to wherever Sloane is.  I absolutely loved this title...it was  a fun read!  I again checked this one out through MCPL's Overdrive, but you can find it on their shelves too.

I talked about this next title in class earlier this week, but I'll mention it again here.  In Jackaby, by
William Ritter, we meet detective R.F. Jackaby through the main character, Abigail Rook.  Abigail has just arrived in the fictional New England town of New Fiddleham after a brutal murder has taken place.  She signs on as Jackaby's assistant and watches the quirky investigator go to work.  He doesn't work for the police - he's more of a private detective, and he sees more than just what the human eye sees...he also sees the paranormal, which makes most people think he's crazy.  This is a fun fantasy/mystery to read.  I checked out my copy (again) through MCPL's Overdrive, but they have copies on their shelves, and I have a copy of this one as well, if you're interested.

Finally, let me recommend Rachel Hawkin's Rebel Belle.  This is the first book in a new series, and it is action-packed.  The ending will leave you wishing for the next in the series!  In this story we meet Harper Price, who is about to be crowned Homecoming Queen.  But when she detours to the bathroom to put on a little lip gloss, something crazy happens.  The school janitor comes into the bathroom - he's been stabbed and is dying.  When Harper tries to help him, he grabs her and kisses her - well, not exactly kisses - he breathes something into her.  All of a sudden, Harper has supernatural, super-hero like abilities she never had before and she discovers that the janitor passed on his Paladin skills to her and she must protect someone at all costs.  Whom must she protect?  David Stark, her life-long competitor and enemy.  Chaos and adventure ensues...and of course, maybe Harper and David don't hate each other as much as they thought they did. :)  I checked out a copy of this title from MCPL - yes, I actually read it in book form!

Hopefully, that gives you some ideas of titles you'd like to look for next time you're at Mid-Continent.