North Shelby Library Ramblings

Read It Before You Watch It

2012-01-20T11:56:00.000-06:00

We all know the book is always better than the movie. Make sure you stop by North Shelby and pick up a copy before these movies hit the theaters.

Here is a list of 2012 movies adapted from books being released in the first half of the year.

Adult

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (Release Date: Jan 20)

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (Release Date: Jan 27)

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (Release Date: Feb 10)

John Carter based on John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Release Date: March 9)

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks (Release Date: April 20)

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (Release Date: June 22)

Teen

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Release Date: March 2)

Children

The Secret World of Arrietty based on The Borrowers by Mary Norton (Release Date: Feb 17)

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (Release Date: March 2)

Resource of the Week - AML

2012-01-09T16:12:00.000-06:00

Students! Scholars!

Don't feel like coming into the library? Last minute research paper due and you need a credible and authoritative source?

Download the AccessMyLibrary App from the iTunes App Store or Android Market and gain access to the information you need. AccessMyLibrary Public Edition uses GPS to find public libraries within a 10-mile radius of the user's location.

Gain access to books, journal articles, news reports and more from the following categories: Business, Education, General Reference, Health, Law, Literature, Mulitcultural, news and even access information in Spanish. That's right it's pretty amazing.

Feel free to email us at northshelbylibrary@yahoo.com for more information or questions.

What We Read in 2011: Staff Recommendations

2012-01-05T13:59:00.011-06:00

Cecelia ~ Children’s Dept

Picture Books:

Where’s Walrus by Stephen A. Savage

Blackout by John Rocco

Chapter Books for Juvenile Readers:

Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Young Adult:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Sherri ~ Circulation

Fiction:

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Nonfiction:

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond

Morgan ~ Children’s Dept

Picture Books:

A Few Blocks by Cybéle Young

Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator by Mo Willems

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Chapter Books for Juvenile Readers:

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznik

Young Adult :

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Where She Went by Gayle Foreman

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Adult Fiction:

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Dee ~ Circulation

Fiction:

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Yankee Doodle Dixie by Lisa Patton

Nonfiction:

Spoken From the Heart by Laura Bush

Chrissie ~ Circulation

Young Adult:

Switched by Amanda Hocking

Fiction:

The Alchemaster's Apprentice by Walter Moers

Ghost of a Chance by Simon R. Green

Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez
The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde

Nonfiction:

Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian by Scott Douglas

Eric ~ Circulation
Fiction:
The Ambition by Lee Stroebel
Deadline by Randy Alcorn
The Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker

Daniel ~ Young Adult
Young Adult Fiction:
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Adult Fiction:
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin

B'Tween the Pages Book Club reads Award Winners for January

2012-01-02T15:27:00.002-06:00

Meeting Details

When: Thursday, Jan 26^th @ 4:00 pm

Where: North Shelby Library (Room TBD)

What: We’ll discuss our favorite award winning books and what we think of the new winners announced on Jan 23^rd.
B'Tween the Pages is open to all readers between the ages of 8-12.

Please register on the online calendar of events or RSVP to a librarian at 205-439-5504.

For the month of January the B’Tween the Pages book club is reading Award Winners. Any award will do! And there are plenty of lists to read from.

Here are links to just a few examples:

Newbery Medal

Batchelder Award

Pura Belpré Medal

Sibert Informational Book Medal

Coretta Scott King Book Awards

Schneider Family Book Award

2011 Notable Children's Books

AlabamaCamellia Children's Choice Book

For help picking a title or other award list suggestions stop by the children’s department and speak with a librarian.

Make Your Voice Heard

2012-01-02T13:48:00.004-06:00

It’s award season in the literary world!

Every January the American Library Association announces their awards for the best books of 2011. In honor of the occasion we’re having our own mock awards competition. During the month of January, stop by the children’s department to vote on the Caldecott and Newbery awards. Check out the “Cast Your Vote” bulletin board for more information about each award.

If your pick is awarded the medal, you will get a special surprise!

Entries must be in by January 21^st.

Taste of 2011- from Adult Services

2011-12-29T15:26:00.013-06:00

As you can imagine, we read a lot. The following are just a few of the books we've read and really enjoyed in the last year and highly recommend for reading consumption.

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
A dark and quiet book with lots to talk about in a discussion.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
Uplifting immigrant story filled with the trials of being a poor immigrant, school

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Devoured this book. It's the first book in what will be a trilogy and is full of action, suspense, love and the powerful Sidhe or “faeries”.

Outliers: the Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
The factors that contribute to certain people's success in life. Right place, right time and hard work. Very interesting stories including the Beatles and Bill Gates. Also if you haven't anything else by Gladwell you should definitely check out The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and Blink.

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning
The finale of this beloved series. If you haven't read the series DO NOT start with this one. Go back and enjoy. The first one is Darkfever.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Loved this Young Adult novel. It's the classic story about a guy from the wrong side of town and the rich girl from the right side of town who, despite all obstacles against them, fall in love. Think West Side Story, Grease, Valley Girl etc.

New Arrivals in the Kid's Dept

2011-12-28T13:47:00.000-06:00

We're always getting in new books at North Shelby. Stop by the library and check out some of the new arrivalsin the Kid’s Dept. We've got something for everyone!

1^st and 10: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Football by SportsIllustrated Kids

Who was the greatest passer in NFL history? Who engineeredthe greatest team comeback? Who benefited from the strangest plays? These andother categories pop up in a Sports Illustrated Kids edition of Top 10 liststhat is guaranteed to perk your interest and astonish your friends.

Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Frozen Hearts by Emma Kennedy

Wilma Tenderfoot, a small but determined ten-year-oldorphan, dreams of becoming a world-famous detective so she can find out who herparents are. She is very good atfinding clues and making deductions, especially with the help of her dog, Pickle.

Luckily, Wilma discovers that her new neighbor is the legendarydetective Theodore P. Goodman, and hehas a new case. The priceless Katzin Stone has been stolen, and anyone with aconnection to the stone seems to end up with a frozen heart (gasp!). Wilma’s sure she can solve the mystery - assoon as Theodore makes her his apprentice…and Pickle stops eating all theclues.

With wicked humor, dastardly villains, red herrings, and asetting that would make Sherlock Holmes proud, this adventure is funny, feisty,cheeky, and charming – just like Wilma.

For readers who enjoy Wimpy Kid and Big Nate:

Wonkenstein:the Creature from My Closet by Obert Skye

Twelve-year-old underachiever Rob has better things to dothan read. His parents give him lots of books but most of them just end up inthe messy pile of junk he keeps locked in his closet that once doubled as amakeshift science laboratory. One day, Rob hears weird sounds coming frombehind his closet door and discovers a funny little creature that seems to be across between two characters from books he’s tried to ignore. He names himWonkenstein.

Keeping track of “Wonk” is hard work. But with help fromfriends and a little off-the-wall magic, Rob and Wonkenstein’s crazy adventuresset the stage for great laughs . . . and Rob might even read some good booksalong the way.

The latest book in the 39 Clues series!

Cahills vs. Vespers #2: A King’s Ransom by Jude Watson

Amy and Dan are in a race for their lives . . . and theenemy may be even closer than they think. When seven members of their familywere kidnapped by a sinister organization known as the Vespers,thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, vowed they'd stop atnothing to bring the hostages home. But then the ransom comes in and the Vespersdemand the impossible. Amy and Dan have just days to track down and steal anancient map. The only catch? No one has seen the map for half a century.

Now Amy and Dan are on a desperate search that will leadthem to the Nazis, spies, a mad king and some of history's dirtiest secrets.It's the race of their lives . . . and one misstep will mean certain death forthe hostages.

Alphabet Book Collection (see what I did there?)

2011-12-27T15:59:00.003-06:00

The beginning of a new year is a great time to get back to basics. In that spirit, here are a few of the Children’s Department’s favorite alphabet books including cherished classics and brand new releases.

Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray: When an apple pie arrives piping hot on the kitchen table, a little pup does everything from A to Z to get his paws on it. He Ogles it. He Pines for it. But will his ABC antics land him a slice? Apple Pie ABC is a delicious twist on traditional verse brought to life by Alison Murray’s simple words and whimsical illustrations. Sure to delight readers of all ages, it’s a book to savor again and again.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault, Lois Ehlert: “A told B and B told C, I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree.” In this lively alphabet rhyme, all the letters of the alphabet race each other up the coconut tree. Will there be enough room? Oh, no – Chicka Chicka Boom! Boom! Now a modern classic, this rhythmic alphabet chant rolls along on waves of fun. Lois Ehlert’s rainbow of bright, bold, cheerful colors makes the merry parade of letters unforgettable.

Dr. Seuss’s ABC by Dr. Seuss: With Dr. Seuss as your guide, learning the alphabet is as easy as A, B, C. An alphabet book with zany drawings and nonsensical verse provides an entertaining way for small children to learn the letters and their sounds.

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel: The riotous story of a cat gone berserk -- four times over an in alphabetical order each time. Kitty is not happy when she's told that her favorite foods are all gone and all that's left are Asparagus, Beets, Cauliflower, Dill...and 22 other equally unappealing vegetables. So she: Ate my homework, Bit grandma, Clawed the curtains, Damaged the dishes, and so on, through Z. Only when tastier things arrive (An Assortment of Anchovies, Buffalo Burritos, Chicken Cheesecake...) does she Apologize to Grandma.

Alpha Oops: The Day Z Went First by Alethea Kontis: Z is tired of always having to be last when the alphabet family lines up. He is demanding fair and equal treatment! The letters (more or less) agree to go backwards, but it's not long before P has some ideas of his own. And so does H, for that matter. In fact, it seems as if almost every letter has a different opinion about how the alphabet should be arranged. It's chaos! It's pandemonium! And it's definitely not as easy as A-B-C! Filled with visually humorous details, Bob Kolar's colorful illustrations are the perfect foil for Alethea Kontis's snappy story about the comic confusion that comes when the letters of the alphabet, like a class of unruly children, step out of order and show that each one has a mind of its own.

Other titles to check out include:

Alligators All Around by Maurice Sendak
Click Clack, Quackity-Quack: An Alphabetical Adventure by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin
Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming
Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson
E-mergency! by Tom Lichtenheld
LMNO Peas by Keith Baker
Z was Zapped: A Play in Twenty-Six Acts by Chris Van Allsburg
Animalia by Graeme Base
Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald

Teen Book Club

2011-09-19T16:51:00.002-05:00

Monday, September 19 @ 6pm

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield

The Teen Book Club will meet to discuss Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld: “In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.” Be sure to stop by and let us know your opinion! To participate grab a book and start reading! Snacks Served. Call or email Kate or Daniel at 439-5512 or nsyouth@shelbycounty-al.com for more information

Lego Club

2011-09-13T11:35:00.001-05:00

Lego Club, a set on Flickr.

Check out some of the creations from our first Lego Club meeting this past Saturday. This will be a monthly meeting. Go to the Childrens page to check on dates.
http://www.northshelbylibrary.org/children.html

Teen Authors

2011-09-08T11:10:00.010-05:00

Need inspiration. Check out the following titles that were written when the authors were only teenagers. That's right. Teenagers. If only I had spent less time reading and being typically angsty and instead written a book whilst still young enough that had it not been a raving success I would have by now written several more and could, quite possibly be, a best selling author. Okay, enough fantasy. Enjoy the following;

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes - In the Forests of the Night
YA AtwA
Amelia lives in Concord, MA with her family. She was born in 1984 and her first novel, In The Forests of the Night, she wrote when she was 13. Her second novel, Demon in my Eyes, became an ALA Quick Pick. She was named one to the 20 Teens Who Will Change the World by Teen People magazine.

Walter Farley - The Black Stallion
JF FARW
Farley began his first book The Black Stallion when he was in high school although it was not published until he was twenty-six years old. The Black Stallion was so popular he was encouraged to continue writing, however WWII started and Walter Farleys writing was postponed. After the war he continued to write many more books on his favorite subject.

Christopher Paolini - Eragon
YA PaoC
Paolini lives with his family in Paradise Valley, MT. He began writing Eragon when he graduated from high school at the age of 15. He roughed out the main history of Alagaesia before beginning Eragon and wrote the details as he needed them. Picking the right names for characters and places in the book took him days, weeks, and even years. He is currently working on the fourth book in the saga.

Flavia Bujor - The Prophecy of the Stones
YA BujF
Bujor was born in 1988 and began writing her first novel, The Prophecy of the Stones, at the age of twelve. She published the work in French at fourteen years of age. The novel reached instant success and was translated into twenty-three different languages. She is currently working on her second novel in Paris, where she lives with her family.

S.E. Hinton - The Outsiders
YA HinS
Susan Eloise Hinton, was born in Tulsa, OK in 1951. She wrote her first book, The Outsiders, at age 16. The Outsiders was so widely acclaimed that S.E. Hinton was called "The Voice of the Youth." This pressure and publicity gave her writers block for three years. She has gone on to write many great books for young adults.

Anne Frank - The Diary of a Young Girl
YB Frank FraA
Anne was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1929 and she was of the Jewish faith. She wanted to become either an author or journalist and for her 13th birthday received a diary. A few weeks later her family went into hiding from the Nazi's. They lived in hiding for two years before a Dutch nazi collaborator betrayed them. She died at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp only a few weeks before it was liberated. Her father, the sole survivor of the family, later published her diary.

Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
YA 823 SheM
Shelley was born in England in 1917, and by the time she was 19 years old, had written Frankenstein. She had two other works published before Frankenstein. Speculation is that grief over the death of her first child had a direct influence on the plot of Frankenstein, a novel which has stood the test of time and is still being performed onstage.

Kody Keplinger - The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
YA KepK
Kody was born in rural Kentucky in 1992. She published her debut novel, The Duff, at the age of seventeen. Her experiences in high school being the a so called “DUFF” inspired her to write her story, concentrating on the labels that are placed upon teenage girls. Her second novel, Shut Out, is set to be released in September 2011.

Book Review: Lover Unleashed

2011-08-19T10:55:00.005-05:00

I’ve been a fan since the beginning and over the years this series’ style has developed from paranormal romance to urban fantasy. For me, this is the best one in the series in a long while. Since moving into urban fantasy, Ward has focused on several different story lines in addition to the main one, which is fine, but the transitions in the books were a little too choppy. This one had no such problems.

I loved how Manny could really hold his own with the vampires and how surprisingly sweet, yet fearsome Payne was. I really, really enjoyed the amount of Vishous is in the book and you’ll see that everything is not perfect in his world and even vampires with their “shellans” can have issues. And of course you’ll see more of the Qhuinn, Blaylock saga. They’re both very stubborn, neither willing to give in to their feelings; Qhuinn because he feels he’s not worthy and Blay because he’s already put himself out there twice and been crushed, so he’s done w/Qhuinn. Or is he?

Then there’s the promise of some new conflict w/ a band of warriors from the Old Country who’ve come to America seeking vengeance, Lessers, and Wrath’s throne. Next up is Tohr’s book in April of 2012. Interested to see where she takes us w/ him. I also read that there may be a Wrath and Beth novella in the fall of 2012. I'll cross my fingers:)
Michelyn
Reference Librarian

Steampunk Keychain Craft

2011-07-30T14:37:00.001-05:00

Steampunk Craft, a set on Flickr.

Part of Teen Summer Reading 2011. The teens created some gorgeous keychains inspired by Steampunk.

Starshine Faces

2011-07-30T13:19:00.001-05:00

nslib's photostream on Flickr.

StarShine Faces is always a popular event at the library, because every child loves face painting!

Lego Contest 2011

2011-07-30T12:28:00.001-05:00

Lego Contest 2011, a set on Flickr.

Check out the photos from our Summer Reading Lego Contest, in which we had over 50 applicants.

Adult Summer Reading winners so far...

2011-07-02T13:16:00.007-05:00

We are 4 weeks into Adult Summer Reading and it's going along wonderfully. There are over 100 registered participants (and counting) with hundreds of books read and submitted for the weekly drawings. The following are the winning drawings and the book descriptions:

Winner Week 1
Peggy Spain won for Homecoming Harmony by Orson Scott Card. She gave a review of Bravo!

Winner Week 2
Karen Smith won for Text Order Bride by Kirsten Osbourne. She gave a review of Bravo!

Click here to put it on hold.

Winner Week 3
Rebecca Kurland won for Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. She gave it a review of Bravo! with an added note of "Good Read."
Click here to place a hold.

This title is also available for download.

Winner Week 4
Susan Enns won for Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich. She gave a review of Bravo!
Click here to place a hold.

This title is also available for download.

So congratulations to the winners and thank you for all the reading submissions. Keep them coming.

Teen Book Reviews

2011-06-15T13:03:00.003-05:00

As part of Teen Summer Reading, participants are encouraged to submit book reviews. Submitting these reviews will earn the reviewer extra points for their Battle of the Books team.

Here are 2 new ones from Patricia

Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel
Reviewed by Patricia
Saving Zoe is about a girl named echo and her sister Zoe. the year
before Zoe was brutally murdered while trying to become famous .
In the book Echo gets her sister's old boyfriend. In the diary Echo
really finds out who her sister really was.
saving Zoe taught me even thought someone very close to you passes
away you can still go on with life.
What I liked about the book is that it is related to people of all
ages but some parts are inappropriate so you should be at least twelve
before you read it. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for
a good summer read!
Alyson Noel has written amazing books you should read them!

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
Reviewed by Patricia
Keeping the moon is about a girl named Nicole aka Colie.
she and her mom were overweight and they both lost a lot of weight.
Colie still thought of herself as overweight.
her mom had to go on a exercise tour and had to send her to Colby to
live with her aunt Mira.
keeping the moon is about how Colie meets to people and is finally
able to accept herself
I liked this book because it taught me if you think you are beautiful you are .
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good summer book.

Nook vs. Kindle

2011-06-04T09:46:00.003-05:00

Thought this was a good article for anyone exploring the idea of an ereader. I have a Kindle, which I will be able to use with our Downloadable books by the end of this year. Yeah! The Nook is already available for library lending and the new Nook Simple Touch seems so cool that we're giving it away as our grand prize for Adult Summer Reading.

So if you'd like the opportunity to win a Nook, sign up for Summer Reading at the Reference Desk upstairs. If you don't want to chance it, read the article below and decide for yourself.

Nook vs Kindle: features

Michelyn

YALSA names North Shelby Library winner of a YALSA/Dollar General Summer Reading Program Grant

2011-05-31T21:43:00.002-05:00

BIRMINGHAM — The North Shelby Library has been named a recipient of one of the Young Adult Library Services Association’s (YALSA) twenty Summer Reading Program Grants. The grants give each winning library $1,000 to offer inventive summer reading programs to the teens in their community. The grants are funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.
The YALSA/Dollar General grant will allow us to continue to offer the quality programming that area teens have come to expect from our library,” said Katie Guerin, Director.

The North Shelby Library plans to use the mini grant to support the many programs offered to teens during June and July. These events include a cooking demonstration by local chef Angela Schmidt, a live music show by Harry Potter tribute bands, a visit from Kingdom Comics, the Battle of the Books competition, a Hunger Games simulation game and weekly movies.
For more information about North Shelby Library’s teen summer reading program, contact the Teen Department at 205-439-5512 or nsyouth@shelbycounty-al.org. Registration for the teen summer reading program will begin May 16.

About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
Since its founding, Dollar General has been committed to supporting literacy and education. The company founded the Dollar General Literacy Foundation in 1993 to improve the functional literacy of adults, families and youth by providing grants to nonprofit organizations dedicated to the advancement of literacy. To learn more visit www.dollargeneral.com/dgliteracy/Pages/landing.aspx

About YALSA
For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.

Backyard Poultry Workshops

2011-05-16T10:15:00.004-05:00

There is a rise in the popularity of urban farming/urban agriculture and what some simply call self-sufficiency. Included in urban agriculture is the idea of backyard chickens. If I could have chickens in my neighborhood I would find the following workshop very helpful.

Backyard Poultry Workshop
Presented by the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service

May 19
1:30-3:30
North Shelby Library

This workshop is for beginners who either have a few chickens and want to learn more, or those who have considered raising a few chickens and want help getting started. It will cover: general backyard issues, including housing and breed types; feeding and managing the flock; disease issues and biosecurity. For further questions contact Nelson Wynn @ 669.6763 or wynnel@aces.edu. Or Sallie Lee @ 879-6964 x11 or leesall@aces.edu.

Fee of $5.00 can be paid day of event, please register by Monday May 16th.

Of further interest, take a look at a couple of the books we have in the library to check out.

Learn another Language with your Library Card!

2011-04-22T11:34:00.003-05:00

If you have a Shelby County Library card (in good standing) you can use the library's new language- learning program, Rocket Languages. Rocket offers 11 courses, including American Sign Language — and the ability to download lessons to a mobile device. Lessons are self-paced, interactive and easy to use.

Just click on the link on our library homepage: www.northshelbylibrary.org
OR click here to get started. You will need your 14 digit library card number located on the back of your library card.

Book Review: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

2011-02-28T12:34:00.003-06:00

Malcolm Gladwell asks this question in Outliers: Why do some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential? Gladwell applies logic to define why certain people succeed in their field, such as: birthdays, hours of practice, cultural background, correlation between agriculture and academic schedule and more.

Gladwell redefines ‘self-made’ by saying that no one comes from nowhere to succeed; that person had many factors that helped s/he reach their goals: equipment available, hours of practice, connections, and birthdays. However, I disagree with his definition of a self-made person. Someone could have every advantage, something they’re interested in freely available and not be motivated enough to pursue or practice something in order to be successful.

The end of the book was a nice surprise because it was about the success of his own family and eventually his own journey of success from rural Ontario to New York Times Best Selling author.

Outliers was a fantastic read that makes you think about success in a deeper, analytical way. My fingers are still crossed that my sons have the potential to be in MLB despite their birthdays;)

Check it out here

Book Review:Surrender by Pamela Clare

2011-02-22T10:54:00.002-06:00

Surrender by Pamela Clare

**Don't be put off by the cover! It's not cheesy. Promise**

I'm a big fan of Pamela Clare's I-Team series and was hesitant to read a historical. Sometimes authors are better in one genre than another. I should NOT have hesitated. Haven't read a historical romance in forever and this was better than most historical romances that I've read. The characters were well formed and I really believed in the story and felt the emotion. The love scenes can get a wee bit steamy, so it is not for those that prefer a more gentle romance. Pamela Clare did quite a bit of research to accurately portray this time in history. I highly recommend. Now I'm on the the sequel: Untamed.

Happy Reading!
Michelyn

Dee's Dee-va Dish

2010-12-13T13:32:00.006-06:00

This week Dee would like to recommend:
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah/Click here to request.
Killing Floor by Lee Child/Click here to request

Watch Dee-va Dish below to hear her review:

Excellent Teen Reads

2010-12-13T12:51:00.008-06:00

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

“Benny Imura couldn’t hold a job, so he took to killing.” So begins what on the surface is yet another post-apocalyptic zombie book, but in reality is much more. Kids today only remember life after First Night, when the dead rose from their graves and the world became overrun with zombies. In the fortified town of Mountainside, California, Benny has just turned fifteen, the age where you either get a job or your rations are cut in half. He agrees to apprentice with Tom, his bounty hunter brother, and reluctantly follows him into the rot and ruin of the world outside of the fences. Maberry takes classic elements of the horror genre and bends them into a coming of age story about truth, honor, love, and the ethics of zombie hunting. The emotional revelations and Benny’s introspective examination of what truly makes a monster are balanced by heart pounding action sequences throughout the novel. The zombie trading card illustrations found on the endpapers will be a special treat for teens. Highly recommended for fans of Rick Yancey’s Monstromologist series and Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth. This book will transform how readers feel about the walking dead.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

On the American Gulf Coast in a future that probably isn’t too far from now, the space between the haves and the have-nots has never been wider. The only way to bridge that gap and escape a life of backbreaking labor is a lucky strike, a stroke of extreme good luck. Nailer is a ship breaker, scavenging copper and other metals from the skeletons of former oil tankers washed up on shore. When a hurricane beaches a luxury yacht filled with valuables, Nailer knows this is his once in a lifetime opportunity to make a better life for himself. However, fate has other plans for Nailer and he is forced to choose between stripping the boat and saving its lone survivor. Bacigalupi vividly draws a world where the polar ice caps have melted and the seas have risen, where your crew is your family and the line between right and the power of might is razor thin. This will be a great addition to any young adult or science fiction collection. Recommended for readers who enjoyed Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy and James Dashner’s The Maze Runner.

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

James Choke and James Bond share a first name and a profession, but that is where all similarity ends. There are no unbelievable high tech gadgets or daring down to the last second bomb defusions to be found in this first installment of the Cherub series. James is a troubled kid set on a course that will probably end with him serving jail time. Cherub, a fictional division of the British government that trains kids to be spies, plucks James from social services and offers him the opportunity to change his destiny. Readers follow James through basic training (envision Navy Seal training for twelve-year-olds), and through the completion of his first mission. The villains are not criminal masterminds with plots to take over the world but eco-terrorists wanting to stop the destruction of oil corporations and James discovers that good people get hurt in the name of justice. While James is a deeply flawed protagonist and his character development is superficial, boys will connect with his desire to be tough and save face in front of peers. Those who enjoy Anthony Horowitz’s teen spy Alex Rider will find James to be his gritty and more abrasive cousin.

Stop by the teen department to pick up any of these page turning reads!

Dee-va Dish

2010-12-13T12:43:00.007-06:00

Dee-va Dish

Dee recommends Hot Flash Holidays by Nancy Thayer.

Request a copy now.

Adult Paranormal Book Reviews

2010-10-22T12:33:00.005-05:00

Playing with Fire: Tales of an Extraordinary Girl, Bk 1 Twice as Hot: Tales of an Extraordinary Girl, Bk 2

I recently had a lot of time on my hands to catch up on recreational reading. Unfortunately, not a whole lot caught my attention. One book that caught my eye had been lying on my bookshelf forever, just waiting for me to be in the right mood to truly enjoy the world that the author created. I picked it up and was hooked from the first page. Playing with Fire has an incredible heroine that is just an average girl, who is scrabbling like crazy to keep any job she can to pay for her father's retirement home and heart medicine. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a great track record with actually keeping the jobs, but things were rolling along great until a scientist dumped a formula into her grand mocha latte that just happened to change everything! She wakes up with the power to control the four elements (not very well, but that's another story) and a super hot government agent that is there to "neutralize" her. Oh, and there are the bad guys that want to make her do their evil bidding or experiment on her until they can create another just like her. To say the least, she is not happy!!!

This book was great!!! There are tons of scenes that made me laugh out loud, but I kept a genuine concern about Belle, the heroine, and the uncertainty of the relationship that was developing with Rome, the super hot government agent. As soon as I finished this book, I devoured the sequel, Twice as Hot, which was equally entertaining. I would recommend this series for anyone that enjoys the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris and the Jane Jamison series by Molly Harper. These books are a bit sexier than those, but fans will love the action and characters.

Playing with Fire: Tales of an Extraordinary Girl, Bk 1
Product Description:
Twenty-four-year-old barista Belle Jamison dreams of a better job and a decent love life. Until a crazy scientist spikes her mocha latte! Suddenly Belle can wield the four elements—earth, wind, fire and water—with only a thought. Coffee too hot? No problem. Hair in need of a blow-dry? Done.

Gorgeous government agent Rome Masters has been sent to neutralize Belle. But he's not the only one after her. Together they must outrun the rogue agents on their trail and find a way to control her powers. There's just one problem: the sparks Belle and Rome generate are even hotter than the ones flying from her eyes—and with her future on the line, now is the worst possible time to fall in love….

Twice as Hot: Tales of an Extraordinary Girl, Bk 2
Product Description:
Belle Jamison is finally starting to feel like a normal girl again. Her job as a paranormal investigator is going well, she's learned to control her supernatural abilities (mostly) and she's just gotten engaged to Rome Masters, the ultra-sexy operative who once tried to neutralize her!

But planning a wedding is never easy, especially when the bride keeps accidentally torching her dress, the groom returns from a dangerous mission with selective memory loss and the man responsible now wants Belle for himself. With Rome's ex determined to win him back and a new band of supervillains on the horizon, it will take all Belle's powers—plus a little help from her trusty empath sidekick—to save the day, salvage the wedding and prove that true love really does conquer all.

White Cat by Holly Black

2010-10-09T12:08:00.000-05:00

Holly Black has crafted an intricate and terrifying world that I wouldn't want to live in but I sure love reading about. The character of Cassel is clever, and self-deprecating; you can't help but root for him (even when you think he is a killer). The plot was truly suspenseful and surprising. I was on the edge of my seat as Cassel discovers the truth about his life and the people around him.
Incredibly well written!
This book is a perfect example of why I need to wait until a series is finished before reading. I so desperately want the next book in the series but will have to wait until Red Glove is published in April 2011. I listened to this book on audio and loved the reader. Jesse Eisenberg did a great job.

You can find North Shelby's copy of White Cat in the Young Adult Department on the 2nd Floor.

From the product description:

"Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love -- or death -- and your dreams might be more real than your memories."

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read!

2010-09-25T10:41:00.000-05:00

From the Banned Books Week website:

"Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982. The challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities. Click here to see a map of book bans and challenges in the US from 2007 to 2009.

People challenge books that they say are too sexual or too violent. They object to profanity and slang, and they protest against offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups--or positive portrayals of homosexuals. Their targets range from books that explore contemporary issues and controversies to classic and beloved works of American literature."

During the last week of September every year, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events.
Stop by the Young Adult Department to see our display for Banned Books Week!

The 2010 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 25 through October 2.

New Books in the Teen Dept.

2010-09-20T13:49:00.000-05:00

Stop by and check out these new titles in the Teen Department:

Radiance by Alyson Noel
The Candidates by Inara Scott
Unraveled by Gena Showalter
The Sorcerer of Sainte Felice by Ann Finnin
The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller
Thicker Than Water by Carla Jablonski
This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas
Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
Finding My Place by Traci L. Jones
One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt
The Poison Apples by Lily Archer
Watch Me by Lauren Barnholdt
Lost For Words by Alice Kuipers
The Fallen Vol. 1 by Thomas E. Sneigoski
The Fallen Vol. 2 by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison
By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters
Betrayal by Gillian Shields
Look For Me By Moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn
Between Mom and Jo by Julie Anne Peters
The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell
Diamonds of the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney

What the Staff is Currently Reading...

2010-08-26T16:45:00.013-05:00

Michelyn, from Reference Dept.:
Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
"It makes everyday economics interesting, even if you don't care about money and shows how the world really works based on economics. Start with the first one, Freakanomics: a Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by the same authors."

Amber, from Reference Dept.:
Rain of Gold by Victor E. Villasenor
"This is the true story of two early 20th century Mexican families that immigrated to America. It's a beautiful love story between husband and wife and, also, a son and his parents."

Katie, Director of Library Services:
I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne and Chris Ayres (audio version)
"A fascinating behind the scenes glance at one of rock and roll's most notorious figures."

This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett
"An intimate and often hilarious combination of stories and anecdotes along with a poignant look at the death of Burnett's daughter (tearjerker)."

Kate, from Children's Dept.:
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
"A little predictable but a fun, quick read."

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
"A great combination of alternate history, steampunk, and coming-of-age with lots of danger and fantastic technology. I am looking forward to the next in the series."

Dark Life by Kat Falls
"The surface of the world has changed drastically, the people haven't. Outlaws, unhelpful bureaucrats, and little sisters are no easier to deal with just because you live at the bottom of the ocean. Amusing and slightly scary."

Lori, from Young Adult Dept.:
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
"This is a fantastic sequel to The Iron King. This book was just as action packed as the first and the romantic complications increase, as well. I can't wait for the third, The Iron Queen, due to be released in February of 2011."

The Devil Wears Plaid by Teresa Medieros
"I'm incredibly excited to read this book, partly because I follow the author on facebook and have been hearing about the characters for a while. I've just started and it definitely has me hooked with a great first meeting between the hero and heroine - who doesn't love a historical romance where the bride is stolen at the altar!"

Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, Now Available

2010-08-24T12:40:00.004-05:00

The day so many people have been waiting for has arrived...Mockingjay, the final installment in The Hunger Games trilogy, is now available!!! If you aren't familiar with this phenomenon that is sweeping teens and adults, check out the following synopsis (descriptions of the second and third books may contain spoilers).

Oh, and be sure to put your copies on hold now!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
From School Library Journal:
In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like "Survivor" and "American Gladiator." Book one of a planned trilogy.Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
From School Library Journal:
Every year in Panem, the dystopic nation that exists where the U.S. used to be, the Capitol holds a televised tournament in which two teen "tributes" from each of the surrounding districts fight a gruesome battle to the death. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from impoverished District Twelve, thwarted the Gamemakers, forcing them to let both teens survive. In this rabidly anticipated sequel, Katniss, again the narrator, returns home to find herself more the center of attention than ever. The sinister President Snow surprises her with a visit, and Katniss’s fear when Snow meets with her alone is both palpable and justified. Catching Fire is divided into three parts: Katniss and Peeta’s mandatory Victory Tour through the districts, preparations for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, and a truncated version of the Games themselves. Slower paced than its predecessor, this sequel explores the nation of Panem: its power structure, rumors of a secret district, and a spreading rebellion, ignited by Katniss and Peeta’s subversive victory. Katniss also deepens as a character. Though initially bewildered by the attention paid to her, she comes almost to embrace her status as the rebels’ symbolic leader. Though more of the story takes place outside the arena than within, this sequel has enough action to please Hunger Games fans and leaves enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next installment.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Product Description:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

Book Review: Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie

2010-08-23T10:57:00.003-05:00

This was an absolutely delightful book! It only took of a couple of hours to read and it had several laugh out loud moments (but none that I would consider cheesy). The premise of the book is that Lucy Savage Porter is finally getting rid of her husband Bradley Porter. The book opens on the day that the divorce is final and starts with a bang! Lucy is accosted at the diner where Bradley asked her to meet him by a disreputable looking guy, who happens to be a detective with the local police department. After beaning him silly with her massive handbag, she learns that he thinks her life is at risk and personally takes on the job of protecting her.

This was an exceptionally funny light summer read for me (She has green hair at one point in the book, every woman's nightmare)! The character development was perfect for the plot and length of the book. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a romance with a solid plot and lots of laughter. This was the first solo work that I've read by Crusie, but I will definitely be checking out more!

Product Description:

Lucy Savage is not having a good week. Her cheating husband, Bradley, lobbed the final insult when he stood her up in divorce court. A dye job gone wrong has left her hair green. And someone is trying to kill her. To top it off, sexy cop Zack Warren is certain that the very same man Lucy is trying to wash right out of her hair is the same Bradley he wants to arrest for embezzlement.

When someone shoots at her and then her car blows up, Zack decides she needs twenty-four-hour police protection. Next thing Lucy knows, Zack has moved in to her big Victorian house, making them both sleepless - and not just from things that go bump in the night!

Book Review - Veil of Night by Linda Howard

2010-08-16T12:05:00.006-05:00

I'm a huge fan of Linda Howard's work and I was really excited to read her newest book, Veil of Night. This book was vintage Linda Howard to me. I had concerns about plot similarities to To Die For, which I enjoyed, but this book was completely fresh. The main characters were likable and had definite chemistry, the details surrounding the plot were realistic and there was just the right amount of humor thrown in (with weddings featuring a football theme and a barn, how could there not be a couple of laughs?!?!). This is a great book for anyone who enjoys romantic suspense and this would also be a great introduction to Ms. Howard if you have not read any of her previous books.

Product Description: Jaclyn Wilde is a wedding planner who loves her job—usually. But helping Carrie Edwards with her Big Day has been an unrelenting nightmare. Carrie is a bridezilla of mythic nastiness, a diva whose tantrums are just about as crazy as her demands. But the unpleasant task at hand turns seriously criminal when Carrie is brutally murdered and everyone involved with the ceremony is accusing one another of doing the deed. The problem is, most everyone—from the cake maker and the florist to the wedding-gown retailer and the bridesmaids’ dressmaker—had his or her own reason for wanting the bride dead, including Jaclyn. And while those who felt Carrie’s wrath are now smiling at her demise, Jaclyn refuses to celebrate tragedy, especially since she finds herself in the shadow of suspicion. Assigned to the case, Detective Eric Wilder finds that there’s too much evidence pointing toward too many suspects. Compounding his problems is Jaclyn, with whom he shared one deeply passionate night before Carrie’s death. Being a prime suspect means that Jaclyn is hands-off just when Eric would rather be hands-on. As the heat intensifies between Eric and Jaclyn, a cold-blooded murderer moves dangerously close. And this time the target is not a bride but one particularly irresistible wedding planner, unaware of a killer’s vow.

Audio Book Review - American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson

2010-08-16T11:17:00.004-05:00

The first thing that I need to say is that I went into the book adoring Craig Ferguson, so there, I'm admitting my bias up front.

Now on to the review, this is an audio book that both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to on a recent road trip. Someone had the brilliant idea to let Craig Ferguson read his own memoir and the effect is absolutely perfect, you feel like you are on the journey with him. There were moments when we laughed, he is a terrific comedian, moments when we cheered him on and moments that had me near tears as he talked about his parents and the life that he led while falling deeper into alcoholism. The book is unflinching - it deals with the cliches: sex, drugs (alcohol, as well) and rock' n' roll, as well as the emotional cost of life decisions both good and bad. But, let me remind you, there are tons of moments that will make you laugh out loud (not at him, but with him). My husband and I have had a few discussions about things that this book made us consider in depth. We luckily don't have personal experiences with alcoholism or family members with the disease, but we do feel like it made us better understand some of the obstacles that people who battle with the disease face before they take the steps toward recovery.

In conclusion, I still adore Craig Ferguson (even more, if possible) and I would recommend this book to those who enjoy memoirs, and anyone who likes comedy with heart - this book has it in spades.

Product Description:

In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson delivers a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland, to the comedic promised land of Hollywood. Along the way he stumbles through several attempts to make his mark—as a punk rock musician, a construction worker, a bouncer, and, tragically, a modern dancer.

To numb the pain of failure, Ferguson found comfort in drugs and alcohol, addictions that eventually led to an aborted suicide attempt. (He forgot to do it when someone offered him a glass of sherry.) But his story has a happy ending: success on the hit sitcom The Drew Carey Show, and later as the host of CBS's Late Late Show. By far Ferguson's greatest triumph was his decision to become a U.S. citizen, a milestone he achieved in early 2008.

In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.

Book Review - Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

2010-08-08T14:16:00.003-05:00

The Mt Laurel Book Club discussed Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin on August 5th.This book sparked intense, but always friendly, discussion among our members. The premise of the book is engaging. By using factual information about the lives of Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) and Alice Liddell, the author has created a fictional account of the life of Alice Liddell. Alice Liddell, as many of you will know, is the acknowledged inspiration for Dodgson's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The book's focus is on three eras of Alice's life: her childhood with Dodgson, her purported relationship with Prince Leopold in her twenties, and her life as a mother and wife. The author, Melanie Benjamin, does a wonderful job of giving Alice a distinct voice for each of the three ages covered in the book. This was a book that I enjoyed reading and have continued to discuss with friends. It has also kept me on the lookout for more information about these people and the events of their lives.

From Product Description:

Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole–and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.

But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful?

Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.

That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war.

For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.

A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire.

New Audio Cds in the Young Adult Department!!!

2010-08-03T14:00:00.002-05:00

We are now offering Audio CDs in the Young Adult (YA) Department. The following titles are now available:

Demi Lovato: Here We Go Again
Miley Cyrus: Can't Be Tamed
Justin Bieber: My World 2.0
Rihanna: Rated R
Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
New Moon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Eclipse: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Glee: The Music, Season One, Volume Two

If you liked The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins...

2010-07-30T12:56:00.002-05:00

We have all loved The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and based on how often we get requests for books that are similar, we're guessing that most of you are fans or have one in your household! Hopefully, you'll find a few books that will help you pass the time as you wait for the final installment, Mockingjay, to be released on August 24th. This list incorporates a ton of books that are on different reading levels. All books share a theme or characteristic with Ms. Collins wonderful series. If you have questions about these books (or any others), stop by the YA (young adult) department and ask -- we love to talk about books! :-)

Read-a-likes for The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Taken by Edward Bloor
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
The White Mountains by John Christopher
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
Gone by Michael Grant
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam
Worldshaker by Richard Harland
Epic by Conor Kostick
The Giver by Lois Lowery
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Z is for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
The Storm Thief by Chris Wooding
The Last Book in the Universe by W.R. Philbrick

*This list was adapted from http://www.provolibrary.com/booklists.

NSL Teen Contributed Book Review - Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

2010-07-12T17:31:00.002-05:00

Review contributed by Alexis K.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is one of the most moving and empowering novels I have ever read. The main character, Melinda, is a not quite popular soon-to-be freshman who decides to attend a party that irrevocably changes her life. At that party, she is raped by a popular senior after becoming drunk, and spends the entire school year trying to hide that fact, while become a social and academic failure. The pain and fear is only made worse when her best friend begins to date that senior. Everything finally culminates when he tried to rape Melinda again, but this time her screams are heard.

This book should be read by all teenagers, especially females, over the age of 13. It will no doubt change your perspective on life, love, and friendship. The obvious pain of Melinda can make this book seem almost depressing, and much of the content necessitates a more mature audience. I can imagine anyone affected in any way by sexual abuse will be able to connect with the novel on a even deeper level.

Help Clean Marine Mammals in Gulf

2010-07-08T14:17:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, July 13th
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Meeting Room
Ages 10 and Up
Registration Required

The North Shelby Library is participating as part of Craft Hope’s Project 8: Gulf Coast Oil Spill. Craft Hope have partnered with The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, the Audubon Nature Institute, and the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge to assist them in their efforts in caring for and cleaning oiled marine mammals, mostly dolphins, other marine mammals, birds, and sea turtles. They are asking for people who can sew, knit, or crochet to create sets of hand towels and/or wash rags to send. Please join us as we knit some rags to send to the gulf to help.

For more on Craft Hope go to http://crafthope.com

Note: You do not need to know how to knit. We will be using a Knitting Loom with help from an instructor if you don’t already know how.

Also, if you can’t make it, we will be taking donations of rags and washcloths to send to the gulf

The Final Diagnosis Book Talk

2010-06-16T15:16:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful program here at the North Shelby Library today. Pathologist, Dr. Boris Datnow spoke about his book, The Final Diagnosis: What Autopsies Reveal About Life and Death. This book is a collection of many stories written in an entertaining style for any reader.

During Dr. Datnow's talk he explained various reasons why someone would want to have an autopsy. We often think of autopsy in relation to crime shows where a forensic pathologist has to do an autopsy to find out the cause of death in order to help solve the crime. What about with "natural" death? Sometimes people want closure, someone to blame, or even to find out parentage. It was fascinating. Dr. Datnow also teased us with some of the stories from the book, but refused to tell us the ending. We have to read the book of course. Check out photos from the event here.

We also met another doctor turned writer, Dr. Joseph Lewis, who has just published a book, What Killed the Great and Not So Great Composers. The following is a description from the book:
From a personally assembled database of 13,859 classical musicians, What Killed the Great and not so Great Composers delves into the medical histories of a wide variety of composers from both a musical and medical standpoint. Biographies of musicians from Johann Sebastian Bach of the Baroque period to Benjamin Britten of the Modern era explore in depth their illnesses and the impact their diseases had on musical productivity. Other chapters referenced to specific composers are devoted to such diverse ailments as deafness, mental disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, surgery and war injuries, to name a few. A unique section of statistics and demographics analyzes various aspects of composers’ lives such as their longevity related to contemporaneous nonmusical populations, the incidence of various illnesses they experienced over the centuries and the type of medical problems suffered by the so-called top 100 classical musicians. Although a precise and complete accounting of the great composers’ ailments may never be possible, a general understanding of the medical problems experienced by these unique individuals, nevertheless, can heighten one’s appreciation of their creative processes despite the hardships imposed by their physical and mental illnesses. Although some individuals surrendered to their disabilities for a variety of reasons, others were able to rise above their infirmities and produce the wonderful music mankind has enjoyed through the centuries.

Can't always judge a book by its cover

2010-06-15T10:10:00.006-05:00

I think we all judge a book by its cover when browsing a bookshelf. But the saying goes that one "can't judge a book by its cover" and with this book it's completely true. The copyright on this book is 1993, but it looks older than that and it consistently circulates. Apparently the content is good information. some of the section titles are: Sew an Heirloom, Quilted Fashions & More, Luxurious Lingerie, Speed Tailoring, Designer Touches, and Sewing Basics. Check here to see if it's in.

Prince of Persia : the graphic novel

2010-06-05T13:33:00.002-05:00

Edward wants to be sure you know that his buddy, Prince of Persia, also has a Graphic Novel in the YA department in addition to being in a movie and a video game. Pretty sweet. Check the availability of it here

New Books in the YA Dept

2010-05-16T16:31:00.003-05:00

Looking for more books to add to your summer reading list? Make sure to check out the new books in the YA department.
Here are just a few of the titles to whet your appetite:

Heist Society by Ally Carter
Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Captivate by Carrie Jones
A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee
Ash by Malinda Lo
The Long Way Home by Andrew Klavan
Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
Smudge Marks by Claudia Osmond
Epitaph Road by David Patneaude
I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder
The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade
Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

...and many more!

Book Review - Thirteen Reasons Why

2010-05-16T15:14:00.004-05:00

Thirteen Reason’s Why has been on my “to read” list for a long time. But the truth is I kept putting it off and finding other books to read first. Why? I knew the subject matter was going to be pretty grim. Asher’s debut novel centers around Clay Jensen, a high school student who just received a mysterious package with no return address. Inside Clay finds 7 cassette tapes and when he plays them he hears the voice of Hannah, a girl from school who committed suicide. “I hope you’re ready, because I’m about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you’re listening to these tapes, you’re one of the reasons why…” As Clay spends an agonizing evening listening to Hannah’s last words and discovering his place in her tale the reader is enveloped in Asher’s vividly drawn world. This incredibly moving story exposes how connected our lives are to one another and sheds a light on the harsh realities of high school, gossip, and the lasting effects of suicide on those left behind. I wish I had read this book sooner, that I hadn’t put it off. I could have been recommending this book to people months ago. I hope Thirteen Reasons Why finds its way on to the required reading list of every high school. This is a book that needs to be read.

For more information visit the book's official website.

From product description:
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

May Mt Laurel Book Club Meeting

2010-05-12T11:42:00.003-05:00

The Mt Laurel Book Club met Thursday to discuss Gilead by Marilynne Robinson at the new Mt Laurel Public Library. The book was well liked by the group. We all felt like it was beautifully written in a way that evoked intense responses upon reflection. This book was described during the meeting as a soothing and peaceful read due to the writing style of the author, which earned the book the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
I personally loved the book. Many times when I read a book that has been lauded as "the book," I don't always agree. This one, however, lives up to all of the hype. This book is written in the format of a pastor writing a letter to his young son as he approaches his death. The letter is to provide his son with a connection to his past and guidance for him as he becomes a man. This letter leads the pastor to examine events in his life and provide clarity into larger life issues such as forgiveness and his vocation as a pastor. Again, I have to say this is a very beautiful book. I had an emotional response to Gilead while reading in the sense that it made me think of my grandfather and the life he led before I ever knew him. So often, I think of my family in the only context that I know them, such as mother or father. In that context, it is hard to see them as "real" people who struggle with issues of faith, career vocations and problems with their own parents or siblings. I would not call this book an "easy read" but I would recommend it to someone who is looking for depth and a sense of introspection that will linger past the last page.
From Publishers Weekly: Fans of Robinson's acclaimed debut Housekeeping (1981) will find that the long wait has been worth it. From the first page of her second novel, the voice of Rev. John Ames mesmerizes with his account of his life—and that of his father and grandfather. Ames is 77 years old in 1956, in failing health, with a much younger wife and six-year-old son; as a preacher in the small Iowa town where he spent his entire life, he has produced volumes and volumes of sermons and prayers, "[t]rying to say what was true." But it is in this mesmerizing account—in the form of a letter to his young son, who he imagines reading it when he is grown—that his meditations on creation and existence are fully illumined. Ames details the often harsh conditions of perishing Midwestern prairie towns, the Spanish influenza and two world wars. He relates the death of his first wife and child, and his long years alone attempting to live up to the legacy of his fiery grandfather, a man who saw visions of Christ and became a controversial figure in the Kansas abolitionist movement, and his own father's embittered pacifism. During the course of Ames's writing, he is confronted with one of his most difficult and long-simmering crises of personal resentment when John Ames Boughton (his namesake and son of his best friend) returns to his hometown, trailing with him the actions of a callous past and precarious future. In attempting to find a way to comprehend and forgive, Ames finds that he must face a final comprehension of self—as well as the worth of his life's reflections. Robinson's prose is beautiful, shimmering and precise; the revelations are subtle but never muted when they come, and the careful telling carries the breath of suspense. There is no simple redemption here; despite the meditations on faith, even readers with no religious inclinations will be captivated. Many writers try to capture life's universals of strength, struggle, joy and forgiveness—but Robinson truly succeeds in what is destined to become her second classic.

Book Review - Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

2010-04-27T12:16:00.003-05:00

This is a great debut novel by an Alabama author! Sophie Mercer is a sixteen year old witch, by birth, that came into her powers three years earlier. Having never met her warlock father, Sophie has been raised by her all too human mother who hasn't exactly been able to guide Sophie through the process of "honing her skills." So, after her latest mishap, a love spell gone disastrously wrong, Sophie is sentenced to Hecate Hall until her eighteenth birthday. Commonly known as Hex Hall, it's a boarding school for delinquent Prodigium, you know - witches, shifters, vampires, fairies and werewolves. Sophie is delightfully real as she tries to navigate her way through the new world she's suddenly inhabiting. The characters are well developed and there were several scenes that made me laugh out loud while I was reading the book (Think about your own high school experiences, then throw in the complication of magic). You get a complete story with the first book, but you will definitely be marking your calendar (potentially March 1, 2011) for the second installment in this series! I highly recommend visiting Rachel Hawkins website, it's very entertaining and you can learn all sorts of "behind the cover" info.

From Product Description:
Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tag along ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Tons of New Books in the YA Dept.!!!!

2010-04-27T11:50:00.003-05:00

You know that I'm always excited when we receive our shipment of new books in the Young Adult Dept...so I have been super excited this month! We were extremely fortunate to be the recipient of a Shelby County Quality of Life Grant that enabled us to expand our Children and Young Adult collections. What this means for you is that we were able to complete popular series in our collection and add titles that you've been requesting! (As you can tell, I'm really excited about this growth). We've been adding titles all month and still have quite a few making their way to the shelves...

Just a few new titles that you may want to check out...

Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine
Cirque du Freak Series by Darren Shan
Demonata Series by Darren Shan
Nannies Series by Melody Mayer
Au Pairs Series by Melissa de la Cruz
Wonderous Strange Series by Lesley Livingston
Dark Guardian Series by Rachel Hawthorne
Christie Miller Series by Robin Jones Gunn
Katie Weldon Series by Robin Jones Gunn

... and lots of other great books!

Book Review - Intertwined by Gena Showalter

2010-04-21T10:35:00.003-05:00

I'm one of those people that can't really sleep when I stay in a hotel, so I always take a stack of books to keep me company. Last week, I was in Huntsville for the ALLA (Alabama Library Association) Convention - which was awesome - and was able to read a couple of books that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I had previously been unfamiliar with Gena Showalter's work, which includes both adult and young adult audiences and is well know for her action packed paranormal romances. I have to say that I am now a fan after reading Intertwined. The book was such a treat! This book starts with a bang as you immediately meet one of the central characters, sixteen year old Aden Stone, and the other souls living in his head as he has inadvertently entered a cemetery. Which is a major "Oops" due to his ability to raise the dead by simply being around them. I felt a connection with each of the characters that truly made me care about what happened to each one and how each will resolve their problems. This book is the first in a series and the second, Unraveled, will be hitting the shelves August 31st! For more information visit Gena Showalter's website.

From School Library Journal:
Grade 8 Up—Aden Stone is not your typical 16-year-old. Since birth he has had four souls trapped within him that possess special powers: the ability to time travel, raise the dead, possess a body, and predict the future. As a result, he has spent his whole life in and out of mental institutions diagnosed as a violent schizophrenic. Now able to control the voices in his head, Aden has moved to Crossroads, OK, to live in a halfway house for delinquent boys. His goal in life is to find a means to free these souls and at last be at peace. When he meets Mary Ann Gray, she miraculously acts as a neutralizer, and for the first time in his life, he truly feels normal. The two become fast friends, establishing a sibling-type bond. Little do they realize that when they first met, their connection sent a power surge throughout the world drawing every paranormal creature from fairies to vampires to Crossroads on a quest for power. To complicate matters, Aden becomes romantically involved with a vampire princess and Mary Ann with her werewolf bodyguard. Together the teens must figure out a way to protect themselves, and all of humanity. This fast-paced, action-driven plot has many unexpected twists and turns. Well written, with a unique story line and strong characters, Intertwined is fresh and original at a time when there is an overload of paranormal romances on the market.—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

2010-04-15T13:14:00.001-05:00

Our book-club book this month was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. We read it as part of the Alabama Reads campaign to encourage literacy and library usage in the state of Alabama. Some of the members had read it before and others had not. We all found ourselves loving the book. The storytelling is marvelous (I know for those of you already familiar you’re thinking “Duh!”) and the characters are endearing and who doesn’t love a bad-boy with a heart of gold. I’m even contemplating naming my 3rd child Sawyer.

It’s a book full of adventure, friendship, imagination, truth and lies and told in 3rd person from a child’s view of the world. My favorite quote comes from the scene in which Tom traded his way, through savvy manipulations, to get the free bible but didn’t know any scripture verses when asked to recite. The book concludes this vignette with the following: “Let us draw the curtain of charity over the rest of the scene.” Love it!
Huckleberry Finn being described as the “juvenile pariah of the Village”, “cordially hated and dreaded by all the mother of St. Petersburg and secretly admired by their children”, and “idle and lawless and vulgar and bad”. Whew, those are some harsh statements.

I hope all families read it. For children the language may seem awkward and of course, dated, but they’ll enjoy the hijinks of the kids and the adventure. Gotta go now and start Huckleberry Finn:)

Michelyn

The Creepiest Children's Book Ever

2010-04-12T15:15:00.002-05:00

I've worked in libraries for quite awhile now and thought I'd seen every funny title, outdated cover art, but no...I had not. Follow this link: Creepy Children books

michelyn

Libraries come in all sizes

2010-04-12T14:58:00.001-05:00

This made me smile. So next time I'm in Somerset...
World's smallest library

Book Review: Winter Garden by Kristin Hanna

2010-04-10T13:15:00.003-05:00

I had several patrons tell me that this was a must read. They kept saying how great it was, so I had to read it. Well let me tell you I was not disappointed. From the very first page I loved this family even though they did not get along and were not close. After the death of the two sisters' father, the mother starts telling a story. Through this story you will be transported to WWII Leningrad. Kristin Hannah makes the place and the people come to life. You will feel like you know each one of these characters. You will feel all of the pain and eventually all of the joy. Check our catalog to reserve a copy.

Dee

Cooking with Kids

2010-03-29T11:00:00.022-05:00

Before the weekend I checked out Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunch-Box Set from the library. I have plenty of "kid" cookbooks, but those still require me to read off the ingredients and a lot of them make food into happy faces or other objects and this has never impressed my kids. A vegetable is still a vegetable.

The thing I loved about this book were the pictures of the ingredients. This one thing made it more fun and easy for my 4 year old to find the items in the pantry that we needed and then we started cooking. The book is divided up into events that one might have over a school year-a sleepover, a boke sale, lunch, family cooking night etc. The one we chose was under Lunch. We made a Cheeseburger Casserole. We got all the ingredients and pans out first and then I instructed him from there.

Here's a pick of the finished product. It was yummy and definitely a comfort food.

Here's a link to the catalog to check this book out.

Michelyn

Adult Book Review - Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill

2010-03-15T13:55:00.003-05:00

Review Contributed by Brent C.

It's hard to avoid comparing the son to the father, but if a comparison must be made, let it be done with the best of intentions.

This book has a voice of it's own, that has the accent of his father's best works. CREEPY, with characters the reader immediately feels a connection to, in a world like ours as seen through a wavy glass window.

One of the most satisfying endings to a suspense/supernatural thriller that I've read in years.

(From Publisher Weekly):
Starred Review. Stoker-winner Hill features a particularly merciless ghost in his powerful first novel. Middle-aged rock star Judas Coyne collects morbid curios for fun, so doesn't think twice about buying a suit advertised at an online auction site as haunted by its dead owner's ghost. Only after it arrives does Judas discover that the suit belonged to Craddock McDermott, the stepfather of one of Coyne's discarded groupies, and that the old man's ghost is a malignant spirit determined to kill Judas in revenge for his stepdaughter's suicide. Judas isn't quite the cad or Craddock the avenging angel this scenario makes them at first, but their true motivations reveal themselves only gradually in a fast-paced plot that crackles with expertly planted surprises and revelations. Hill (20th Century Ghosts) gives his characters believably complex emotional lives that help to anchor the supernatural in psychological reality and prove that (as one character observes) "horror was rooted in sympathy." His subtle and skillful treatment of horrors that could easily have exploded over the top and out of control helps make this a truly memorable debut. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Book Review: Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

2010-03-10T11:07:00.003-06:00

I just read Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and I must say I soooo loved this book. I'm not sure if it is because I'm from a small town in Mississippi or what, but I so knew some of these characters. I was in a group like the Seawillows and I must admit I did one or two of the rituals, I will not say which one but oh did we have fun. It also made me remember what great friendships we had and some of us still have today. If you are in the mood for small town living and great fun this is a must read.
Dee

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Review

2010-03-09T11:05:00.003-06:00

Review contributed by Brent C.

This book is quite deceptive, it starts slow and centers on characters whom you really don't care about nor have any emotion invested in. You keep expecting the 'whammo' from the Holocaust to hit you over the head just as you're internally wincing over the sure-to-come descriptions of how stark, colorless and horrible those days in Germany were.

Not to say those things aren't present, not at all. But the realization comes without warning or preamble that you DO care about the characters and as the pages come to an end you want to hear more about that stark, colorless, horrible world.

The narration winds it's way around the prose in a beautiful way, the author has a voice that's at once soothing and horrifying. There's a beauty in the author's choice of words here, although it's hard to explain I want more of it.

The story itself is beautiful and simple. It's simply about a small girl and her adopted family and how they come to terms with their lives and how they impact others in Nazi Germany.

We may haunt the narrator, but his story will haunt me for a long time to come.

(From Product Description):
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

New Books in YA!!!!

2010-03-02T16:03:00.009-06:00

Announcing a shipment of new books in the YA/Teen Department!!!

I admit that it's always one of my most favorite days in the library when I have a cart full of brand new books to put on the shelf. It's a complete experience for me: I like the way they feel (the pages are all crisp), the way they smell (like fresh ink) and how gorgeous the covers look!!! Here's a short list of a few new things on the shelf - be sure to check one out so you can have the new book "experience."

Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers
Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
Dirty Little Secrets by C. J. Omololu
Little Miss Red by Robin Palmer
Albatross by Josie Blott
A Star on the Hollywood Wald of Fame by Brenda Woods
Token of Darkness by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
My Boyfriend's Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall
A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck
Riker's High by Paul Volponi

Book Review - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

2010-02-04T13:54:00.005-06:00

I have a confession to make - I tend not to read the books that are SUPER popular. I have no idea what has caused me to develop this particular character flaw, but I have muddled along without really having reason to reexamine my world view in relation to SUPER popular books. Until now. I had not planned to read this book until it was selected by our book club and for the first hundred pages or so, I felt like I would have been totally fine with never picking the book up. Then it happened...all the strings came together and I could not put this book down (seriously - I read 400 pages in one night)!!! The two main characters are a contrast that work well together. Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist picking up the pieces after a libel suit, and Lisbeth Salander, a young tattooed brilliant computer hacker - who was inspired by the authors musings on what would have happened to Pippi Longstockings as she became an adult, become entwined in resolving the decades old disappearance of a girl from a prominent family.

(From Publishers Weekly)
Starred Review. Cases rarely come much colder than the decades-old disappearance of teen heiress Harriet Vanger from her family's remote island retreat north of Stockholm, nor do fiction debuts hotter than this European bestseller by muckraking Swedish journalist Larsson. At once a strikingly original thriller and a vivisection of Sweden's dirty not-so-little secrets (as suggested by its original title, Men Who Hate Women), this first of a trilogy introduces a provocatively odd couple: disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist, freshly sentenced to jail for libeling a shady businessman, and the multipierced and tattooed Lisbeth Salander, a feral but vulnerable superhacker. Hired by octogenarian industrialist Henrik Vanger, who wants to find out what happened to his beloved great-niece before he dies, the duo gradually uncover a festering morass of familial corruption—at the same time, Larsson skillfully bares some of the similar horrors that have left Salander such a marked woman. Larsson died in 2004, shortly after handing in the manuscripts for what will be his legacy.

One Good Dog by Susan Wilson - Book Review

2010-02-01T11:32:00.003-06:00

Submitted by Kathy E.

Available March 2, 2010!!!

LOVED IT! i like that the guy had the business world by the tail, but no intact personal relationships.
i hated that the dog was born into a life of illegal dog fighting.
i LOVED that these two "losers" in life found each other when they didn't know what they really needed!
man meets dog, dog meets man and i won't tell you the rest of the story, read it, it is great!

From Publisher's Website:

“One Good Dog is a wonderful novel: a moving, tender, and brilliantly crafted story about two fighters—one a man, one a dog— hoping to leave the fight behind, who ultimately find their salvation in each other. Susan Wilson’s clear and unflinching style is perfectly suited for her story that strips away the trappings and toys we all hide behind, and exposes our essential need to give and accept love in order to thrive.”—Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

Adam March is a self-made “Master of the Universe.” He has it all: the beautiful wife, the high-powered job, the glittering circle of friends. But there is a price to be paid for all these trappings, and the pressure is mounting—until the day Adam makes a fatal mistake. His assistant leaves him a message with three words: your sister called. What no one knows is that Adam’s sister has been missing for decades. That she represents the excruciatingly painful past he has left behind. And that her absence has secretly tormented him all these years. When his assistant brushes off his request for an explanation in favor of her more pressing personal call, Adam loses it. And all hell breaks loose.

Adam is escorted from the building. He loses his job. He loses his wife. He loses the life he’s worked so hard to achieve. He doesn’t believe it is possible to sink any lower when he is assigned to work in a soup kitchen as a form of community service. But unbeknownst to Adam, this is where his life will intersect with Chance.

Chance is a mixed breed Pit Bull. He’s been born and raised to fight and seldom leaves the dirty basement where he is kept between fights. But Chance is not a victim or a monster. It is Chance’s unique spirit that helps him escape and puts him in the path of Adam.

What transpires is the story of one man, one dog, and how they save each other—in ways they never could have expected.

R.I.P Robert B. Parker

2010-01-20T15:01:00.003-06:00

Prolific crime novelist, Robert B. Parker(September 17, 1932 – January 18, 2010) died Monday, January 18th. It seems fitting that he died at his desk, working. He is best known for his Spenser series, featuring a Boston detective. The popular television show Spenser for Hire was based on this series. He has written over 60 novels, which include 3 different series. He is survived by his wife Joan and their 2 sons. Parker's books remain popular here at the library and are located upstairs in Fiction and in Paperback Fiction downstairs.

Book Review: The Madness of Lord Ian by Jennifer Ashley

2010-01-14T16:02:00.005-06:00

This is the first historical romance that has appealed to me in ages.
I LOVED this book. Why? It was different. There’s a wounded hero, a sharp likeable heroine, misunderstandings, dark family secrets, murders, and yes, love. I truly cared about these characters and can’t wait for the next one in the series.

The tortured hero, Lord Ian, is autistic (or at least mildly so). He was put into an asylum for most of his young life, until his oldest brother, Hart, became Duke and got him out. The leading lady is Beth Ackerley, a wealthy widow whose upbringing is a little shady. When her vicar husband died, she became a companion to a wealthy woman, a Ms. Barrington, who left her fortune with Ms. Ackerley when she died. She is now a woman of means and can do as she wishes.

At the beginning of the story, Beth is engaged to be married until Lord Ian comes into the picture. She breaks it off with her fiancé when warned by Ian of his true character. She then takes off for Paris to see the sights. Ian finds out where Beth has gone and because he was so taken with her decides to go to Paris as well. While Beth is there she befriends a woman, Isabella, who happens to Ian’s sister-in-law. Isabella is the estranged wife of Mac Mackenzie, the second youngest of the family, an artist currently residing in Paris. Beth is smart, beautiful, compassionate and unashamed when questioned about her past, which she is when Inspector Fellows begins asking her questions about Ian Mackenzie and a murdered woman. The story ends up being a murder mystery with a few other surprises thrown in that you didn’t see coming, including the “real” reason Ian was put into an asylum. You also get to meet, Hart, the oldest Mackenzie brother and the Duke. He is not a little scary. Cameron is the 2nd oldest and is described as the black sheep of the family who is a skilled horseman and a little rough around the edges.

The next book in the series will be Isabella’s story with Mac.

Go to the Mackenzie home to learn more.

Michelyn

Teen Book Review - Devoured by Amanda Marrone

2010-01-05T12:23:00.003-06:00

Devoured by Amanda Marrone
Devoured is a continuation of the classic fairy-tale of Snow White, with a twist of course. The tone is distinctly more like that of the Grimm Brothers versus the prevalent Disney version. I definitely enjoyed the book, but I found it to be creepier than I had expected. The premise is that Megan, our heroine, was in a horrible accident with her twin sister, Remy, and father when she was seven. Her father remains in a coma and her sister passed away, but her presence remains. When Megan accepts a job at the Land of Enchantment amusement park to keep an eye on her boyfriend and his girl-next door bff, the apparition of her sister begins to show herself with more frequency and behave in a more volatile manner, complete with visions of bloody violence. Luke, a talented painter that works at the amusement park shows up during one of Remy's tantrums and Megan is surprised to learn that he can also see Remy. Together, they try to find a way to help Remy move on, but become embroiled in something much more sinister. As with all paranormal fiction, if you suspend disbelief you will have a quick entertaining read with Amanda Marrone's Devoured.

From School Library Journal:
Gr 8 Up—Ever since the car accident nine years ago, life for 16-year-old Megan has never been the same. Her father lies in a coma at the nursing home; her twin sister, Remy, who died in the accident, continues to haunt her; and her mom only seems to care about winning dog competitions with their purebred Fergus. Events become even more complicated when Megan decides to take a job working at the Land of Enchantment in order to keep an eye on her boyfriend, Ryan, and his "best friend," Samantha. There she meets Luke, who is psychic and, to Megan's relief, can also see and communicate with Remy. Megan is concerned because Remy's behavior is becoming violent. The natural attraction between Megan and Luke quickly becomes a problem for Ari Roy, whose family owns the Land of Enchantment. Ari feels that Luke is hers, and she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Devoured is a murder mystery and a ghost story with a modern-day "Snow White" twist. The plot is fast-paced and full of suspense, gripping readers right from the start. Megan and Luke are well developed, but the ending, in which everything happens too quickly, can be a bit confusing. Still, the book will be devoured by fans of the supernatural.—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

Did you miss Breakfast with Santa??

2009-12-07T13:02:00.000-06:00

Check out the pics below.

Teen Poetry from our Writer's Club

2009-12-02T16:14:00.005-06:00

Our Teen Advisory Group and Writer's Club met this past Monday. We have a couple of new members and some familiar faces! The teens wrapped our Salvation Army Donation Box and talked about their writing projects. One of our teens brought a sample of their work for us to share with you via our blog:

(Through) Me You Him (Soon)
Blair O. Steels

Bernita!
So woven to time, why won't
The wind howl its cry
--I've sat still, for long enough!
The stuff of my heart won't combust.

Firecracker, dream-stricken
Undercover
Thraveling with the words of your tongue
Speak to me slow
Now, with gravity tilting, now.

"..and if I stretched my arms wider than i thought, stretching them to hold you, but they broke, then i would say hi, just explaning the crumbling villages...

but you (like me) have seen these and barbecued hearts just hung up like ornaments; we're so sick of the dried blood we pick off.

O love, couldn't we cast away in the half-lit forest? So evey-watering is the moonlight, and once wiped off, we smear into small-sight. Underneath this microscope...God might be watching."

--From The November Diaries

What the staff is reading...

2009-11-30T15:19:00.004-06:00

Me, Michelyn in Adult - reading Fire and Ice by Anne Stuart. The last one in her Ice series that I have not read. I'm enjoying it, but the romance is still not as believable as Bastien and Chloe's in Black Ice.

Kate in the Children's Dept - Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Lori in Teens - reading People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks for the Mt. Laurel Book Club

Katie, Director - reading Ice by Linda Howard. "It was a fairly enjoyable read, but it ended too quickly and it was a bit abrupt. The action and adventure in the novel was fast paced and overall a good way to pass an afternoon. Not her best work, but certainly not her worst."

Dee in Circulation is reading Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married by Marian Keyes

Brent Watson to Sign Books at Heardmont Senior Center

2009-11-16T11:59:00.002-06:00

Author, sports column writer and business owner Brent Watson will be at the Heardmont Senior Center (catty-corner from the library across 119) on Thursday, November 19th at 11:00am. He will be discussing his business, Comfort Keepers, a company that provides help with meals, housework, transportation and respite care to disabled or handicapped persons. He will also talk about his autobiography, Come Take a Walk With Me, a book that follows Brent through his childhood years and the events surrounding a terrible car crash that took the life of his brother and left him paralyzed from the waist down.

For more information on this event, please contact Theresa Green, director of the Senior Center at 205.991.5657

Book Review of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

2009-11-16T11:36:00.002-06:00

Last week I read Becca Fitzpatrick's debut novel, Hush, Hush. I have to say that I really, really enjoyed this book. It's a young adult paranormal, yet it manages to stand out from the pack. Now, having said that: I kept having to remind myself that the characters were teenagers. I was sucked into this story from the beginning and stayed up to finish the book in one night. It's edgier than Twilight and goes in a different direction with the paranormal aspect. There are definite dark and dangerous undertones througout the novel. The main characters, Patch and Nora, were well developed, although Patch is more in line with a typical Anne Stuart hero or "gamma hero." I'm still not exactly sure where he falls in the good/evil spectrum... The action was constant, and although I took issue with some of the choices that Nora made --- it made for a fabulous story!!! Seriously, if you are looking for a fun escapist read - this is the book for you!

From Product Description:

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Ice Storm by Anne Stuart - Review

2009-11-11T12:09:00.004-06:00

I reviewed Black Ice by Anne Stuart earlier this year and since then I've read 2 more in the Ice series, Cold as Ice and I just finished Ice Storm. I have 2 more in the series to go before I finish. Again, I can't believe I have missed this author. Apparently I need to branch out from my usual romantic suspense authors.

I loved Ice Storm. It was as good as Bastien's story in Black Ice. This book focuses on the head of the mysterious "Committee", Isobel Lambert. I was reluctant to read this at first because I'm not fond of seemingly invincible women w/ little or no emotion. Perhaps it's b/c I can't relate, I don't know, but anyway Isobel is not all powerful and we learn her back story and how she came to be the ageless "ice queen". Of course there is a hero, who is very bad...or is he? Like Bastien, the "hero" in Ice Storm is not the typical alpha male (hard manly-man but putty in the hands of his woman), no he is an anti-hero. You dislike him most of the book, but he is also intriguing and you secretly want him to win. i hope everyone checks this series out.

Ice Series
1. Black Ice (2005)
2. Cold as Ice (2006)
3. Ice Blue (2007)
4. Ice Storm (2007)
5. Fire and Ice (2008)

Product Description of Ice Storm:
Behind her mask is a deadly secret . . .

The powerful head of the covert mercenary organization The Committee, Isobel Lambert is a sleek, sophisticated professional who comes into contact with some of the most dangerous people in the world. But beneath Isobel's cool exterior a ghost exists, haunting her with memories of another life . . . a life that ended long ago.

But Isobel's past and present are about to collide when Serafin, mercenary, assassin and the most dangerous man in the world, makes a deal with The Committee. Seventeen years ago Isobel shot him and left him for dead. Now it looks as if he's tracked her down for revenge. But Isobel knows all too well that looks can be deceiving . . . and that's what she's counting on to keep her cover in this international masquerade of murder.

Michelyn

'Outlander' author Diana Gabaldon by numbers

2009-11-09T12:07:00.004-06:00

My favorite author Diana Gabaldon's career done by numbers in USA Today

If you haven't read 'Outlander' yet, shame on you, just kidding, but it's one of the best epic romantic sagas ever written. I've lost months of my life to that series. I still haven't read the latest one, Echo in the Bone, but at some point I'm going to have to squeeze it in.

Michelyn

Mike Huckabee Book Signing

2009-11-09T11:52:00.003-06:00

Governor Mike Huckabee has a new book out titled: A Simple Christmas: 12 Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit. In this book Huckabee recounts twelve Christmas memories--often funny, sometimes deeply moving--that range from his childhood in Arkansas to his years as a young husband and father to his time as a governor and then a presidential candidate. These true stories will help you smile, take a deep breath, and maybe slow down your own holiday treadmill. For instance: As kids, Mike and his sister would sneak open their gifts before Christmas, play with them, then rewrap them so their parents wouldn't notice. The plan worked great for several years until one Christmas morning when young Mike unwrapped a brand-new football...that was covered in mud. That led to a powerful lesson about patience. Description from book jacket.

Get a copy signed when Gov. Huckabee comes to the Books A Million at Brookwood Village on Sunday November 22nd from 3-4. You may have to get a ticket the day before so call the store to find out at (205)870-0213.

For more about Governor Huckabee go to his website, www.mikehuckabee.com

Mt Laurel Book Club Review for South of Broad

2009-11-09T11:26:00.004-06:00

The Mt Laurel Book Club met Thursday evening at Chuck and Gwynne Sams home to discuss Pat Conroy's South of Broad. The book, which has been considered to be the publishing event of the year, was liked by everyone and many members had already recommended the book to others to read. We had a great discussion due to the dynamic characters and situations that our hero, Leopold Bloom King, faced throughout the novel. The novel follows Leo King and the group of friends that he makes one summer for the next twenty years of their lives. It's a heavy book that deals with abuse, the 80's AIDS epidemic and other serious topics, but there were definite moments of humor. (I think we decided during the meeting that the novel covered every type of prejudice that we could think of that fit the scope of the novel's characters). Charleston was vividly portrayed in the novel - it could easily be said that Charleston was as much a character as the people in the book. Check this one out if you are looking for a thought-provoking read!!!

From Booklist
An unlikely group of Charlestonian teens forms a friendship in 1969, just as the certainties and verities of southern society are quaked by the social and political forces unleashed earlier in the decade. They come from all walks of life, from the privileged homes of the aristocracy, from an orphanage, from a broken home where an alcoholic mother and her twins live in fear of a murderous father, from the home of public high school’s first black football coach, and from the home of the same school’s principal. The group’s fulcrum, Leopold Bloom King, second son of an ex-nun Joyce scholar, who is also the school’s principal, and a science-teacher father, is just climbing out of childhood mental illness after having discovered his handsome, popular, athletic, scholarly older brother dead from suicide. Over the next two decades, these friends find success in journalism, the bar, law enforcement, music, and Hollywood. Echoing some themes from his earlier novels, Conroy fleshes out the almost impossibly dramatic details of each of the friends’ lives in this vast, intricate story, and he reveals truths about love, lust, classism, racism, religion, and what it means to be shaped by a particular place, be it Charleston, South Carolina, or anywhere else in the U.S. --Mark Knoblauch

Book Review - The Care and Taming of a Rogue

2009-11-03T10:50:00.003-06:00

So thanks to the wonder of social media, Facebook to be exact, I was made aware of a new release by bestselling author, Suzanne Enoch. I picked The Care and Taming of a Rogue up over the weekend and was thoroughly entertained. (Any book that features a dashing hero with a pet monkey for a sidekick has me enthralled from page one!) The premise is that Captain Bennett Wolfe (afore mentioned dashing hero) has arrived back in London after a three year expedition in Africa to discover that he has been declared dead and his meticulous work attributed to someone else. So, what's a barely civilized man to do? Get even, of course. Then he meets the bookish Lady Phillipa Eddington and his straight forward plan of revenge becomes sidetracked as he tries to learn the most savage environment of all, courtship! I truly enjoyed this book, the plot moved along with enough twists for me to stay engaged and the character development was perfect. So, if you are a fan of the romance genre, be sure to pick this one up...

From product description:

How to tell if a man is an unrepentant rogue:
1. He has no patience for frivolous debutantes

2. He kisses you after a single dance

3. He makes you forget yourself and kiss him back . . .
After years away from London, Captain Bennett Wolfe is back—and alive, much to Society's surprise. Having been presumed dead, this rugged adventurer is now much sought after by every marriage-minded young woman . . . but Bennett only has eyes for the intriguing Lady Phillipa Eddison.
Phillipa would rather read than flirt, but she does know a thing or two about proper courtship rituals. A gentleman does not kiss a lady senseless, and he certainly does not bring his pet monkey when he comes calling. Lady Phillipa's ever been so scandalized . . . or tempted. She simply must teach Bennett some manners—before she succumbs to temptation as wild as the man who offers it.

Mt. Laurel Book Club Meeting This Thursday!

2009-11-02T10:47:00.004-06:00

The Mt. Laurel Book Club will be meeting this Thursday at 7 pm to discuss South of Broad by Pat Conroy. Call Lori at 439-5512 for meeting location and additional details!

From Booklist:

An unlikely group of Charlestonian teens forms a friendship in 1969, just as the certainties and verities of southern society are quaked by the social and political forces unleashed earlier in the decade. They come from all walks of life, from the privileged homes of the aristocracy, from an orphanage, from a broken home where an alcoholic mother and her twins live in fear of a murderous father, from the home of public high school’s first black football coach, and from the home of the same school’s principal. The group’s fulcrum, Leopold Bloom King, second son of an ex-nun Joyce scholar, who is also the school’s principal, and a science-teacher father, is just climbing out of childhood mental illness after having discovered his handsome, popular, athletic, scholarly older brother dead from suicide. Over the next two decades, these friends find success in journalism, the bar, law enforcement, music, and Hollywood. Echoing some themes from his earlier novels, Conroy fleshes out the almost impossibly dramatic details of each of the friends’ lives in this vast, intricate story, and he reveals truths about love, lust, classism, racism, religion, and what it means to be shaped by a particular place, be it Charleston, South Carolina, or anywhere else in the U.S. --Mark Knoblauch

Polaroid is Back!!

2009-10-26T11:41:00.004-05:00

I was soooo excited to find out that Polaroid is Back!

I loved playing with my polaroid. At one point my refrigerator was covered with pictures of friends, dogs and other random things. Nowadays when one is feeling goofy or want to instantly capture a moment we take out our phones. Then we pass it around and giggle at the photos, but rarely does it ever get printed out (and if it's really bad or inappropriate perhaps we should be glad). But if you're nostalgic for the look of the polaroid or are trying it out for the first time now's your chance.

"After all the difficulties and changes of ownership during the last years, the new management of Polaroid now understands the source of the brand's attraction - which is surprisingly not based in digital cameras but in Dr. Edwin Land's groundbreaking 1948 invention of Instant Photography, which he ingeniously devised and passionately developed with a lot of care and devotion… we grabbed the chance to take over the last factory producing Instant films from the old Polaroid management and to start The Impossible Project in 2008. Re-inventing a new analog integral film, we are now preparing, supporting and managing the comeback of Instant Photography…
Polaroid will re-launch the legendary Polaroid One Step Camera and is therefore commissioning The Impossible Project to develop and produce a limited edition of Polaroid® branded Instant Films in the middle of 2010." Polapremium

Feeling Crafty???

2009-10-26T11:24:00.004-05:00

This is for all of you expert gift wrappers out there. Me, I'm usually hurriedly wrapping at the last minute just to get it covered. If you take the time to make the wrapping almost like a gift itself check out how to make unique bows using recycled papers and maps.

Recycled Magazine Gift Bows - CraftStylish

Posted using ShareThis

NSL Bluestockings Oct Meeting

2009-10-15T13:15:00.003-05:00

Drood by Dan Simmons

Half of us finished it, and half couldn't get through it. The characters were pretty unlikeable, we thought it was written well, but could have been more succint in areas. We got tired of the opium dens. This led us into a discussion of how it seems some authors do a lot of research and then feel it necessary to include ALL that they have found in their book just because they've done the research. We discussed the relationship between Dickens and Collins as being simliar to Mozart and Salieri. Salieri wrote music and was successful, but he would never be as successful or as influential as his peer, Mozart. That was Mr. Collins.

We discussed the idea that Mr. Collins might have been schizophrenic as well as addicted to laudanum and that Dickens took advantage of this by "mesmerizing" Collins into believing the fictional character of Drood. all for inspiration for the book he was writing.

Only one person would read it again. It did make us more interested in Charles Dickens and several of us may revisit his work.

We gave this 2.5 stockings out of 5.

Michelyn

The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips

2009-09-01T12:27:00.002-05:00

The Mt. Laurel Book Club will be meeting Sept. 3rd to discuss Gin Phillips' debut novel, The Well and the Mine. If you are interested in attending contact Lori Skinner at (205)439-5512 or skinner.lori@yahoo.com. This is a great book set in Carbon Hill, Alabama written by an Alabama native. Check out the interview provided by Barnes and Nobel below:

Johnny Cash to Appear in Guitar Hero

2009-08-14T10:54:00.002-05:00

Shut the front door!!! Game Guru reports and the "Guitar Hero" website confirms, Johnny Cash will be a character in the forthcoming "Guitar Hero 5". Cash will be an unlockable character in the game, which feature's Cash's song "Ring of Fire". Carlos Santana and Garbage's Shirley Manson will also be featured in the game.

We have Guitar Hero here in the Young Adult department for the young peeps to play and we're always adding to the collection sooo....Katie(NSL Director) if your listening.

Michelyn

City of Bones Book Trailer

2009-08-13T15:56:00.003-05:00

Nothing really new here unless you haven't read City of Bones, in which case you definitely need to watch the trailer below and then come and check it out.I love book trailers and I ran across this one while searching for another one. This is for the first book (City of Bones) in the trilogy 'Mortal Instruments' by Cassandra Clare. It's longer than most, but it's worth it. I thought it was pretty well cast. Enjoy.

Michelyn

Terrible Yellow Eyes

2009-08-12T10:21:00.004-05:00

Check out this blog dedicated to artwork inspired by "Where the Wild Things Are"
Also be looking for the movie out Oct 16th. I don't know how I feel about this classic being made into a movie-we'll see. In the meantime enjoy the wonderful artwork on www.terribleyelloweyes.com.

Michelyn

Director John Hughes dies

2009-08-07T11:06:00.006-05:00

The voice of a generation or the "philosopher of adolescence" as Roger Ebert put it died Thursday in Manhattan of a heart attack while on a walk. He was 59 years young.
John Hughes was the writer-director of a string of hits like 'Vacation', 'Sixteen Candles', 'Breakfast Club', 'Home Alone', my personal favorite - 'Pretty in Pink' and many others. Just last week I saw a tween-aged girl with an "I love Jake Ryan" t-shirt on and it made me smile. I'm glad he's still reaching the youth of today. I think this weekend calls for a John Hughes marathon.

For articles about John Hughes:
Variety
LA Times
Movies

Michelyn

Teen Summer Reading Grade Level Winners!!!

2009-08-04T16:46:00.003-05:00

The following participants read the highest number of books in their grade:

6th - Sarah Resha

7th - Jordan Cotney

8th - Tom Speers

9th - Ashley Stiefel/Emma Otwell

10th - Andrea Alexander

11th - Jack Speers

12th - Kayla Carlisle

A huge congratulations to all of our winners!!!

Teen Book Review by Nikki S.

2009-07-28T12:52:00.002-05:00

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

I read My Side of the Mountain. I thought it was a pretty good book, and I don't typically like the whole "wilderness survival" theme, but I thought this book was somehow interesting. It is about a boy named Sam who runs away from home and lives in the wilderness for a whole year! I would recommend this book.

Teen Book Review by Nikki S.

2009-07-28T12:44:00.002-05:00

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book is about an orphan named Nobody ("Bod") who lives in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts. I thought this was an okay book. I didn't really like or dislike it. It could get kind of boring when he is just learning different things, but it could get kind of exciting when the cause of him being an orphan is involved. I don't think I would recommend this book.

Teen Book Review from Nikki S.

2009-07-28T12:41:00.002-05:00

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

I read the book, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. This book is about a boy named Nat who dreams of going to Harvard, but is indentured. He becomes a sailor, and that is all the book is about! It was extremely boring! It was just he sails, he comes back, someone dies. He sails. He comes back. Someone dies... I do not recommend this book. I thought it was a waste of time to read.

Teen Book Review by Nikki S.

2009-07-24T15:58:00.002-05:00

The Report Card by Andrew Clements

This book is about a girl named Nora Rowley who is a genius, but keeps it a secret! She has fooled everyone into thinking she is an "average student" by purposely missing questions on tests. She does this because she doesn't want special treatment, or for other kids to feel like they're below her. She is getting very frustrated at how everyone acts like grades are so important, and how much pressure this is putting on her best friend, Stephen. I really enjoyed reading this book. I have read it several times, and I still enjoy reading it. I highly recommend this book.

Teen Book Review by Nikki S.

2009-07-24T15:53:00.002-05:00

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

This book is about a girl named Lina Mayfleet who wants to be a messenger, but is forced to be a Pipeworks laborer. It is also about a boy named Doon Harrow, who draws messenger, but wants to trade with Lina! Doon wants to work underground because the generator is breaking, and he wants to try and fix it. These children live in an underground city called Ember, that is in severe danger, and they discover it is up to them to save it! I thought it was a pretty good book. The ending is disappointing, though. I do recommend this book to others.

Teen Book Review by Nikki S.

2009-07-24T15:47:00.003-05:00

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

I'm sure everyone has already seen the movie, but the book is way more descriptive and interesting. Just in case you haven't seen the movie, this book is about a very poor boy named Charlie Bucket who finds a golden ticket inside a chocolate bar, and wins a day inside Willy Wonka's wonderful chocolate factory! I loved this book. I thought it was very unique and funny. I highly recommend this book.

Teen Book Review by Nikki S.

2009-07-24T14:53:00.003-05:00

The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

This book is about a girl named Emily Windsnap who discovers that she is a mermaid. She also discovers the secrets of her single mother's past, which leads her on an adventure to save her dad from an underwater prison. I absolutely loved this book! It will always be one of my favorites! It's like a fantasy, mystery, and romance book all in one!

Teen Book Review by Christian S.

2009-07-22T12:42:00.002-05:00

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

Although this book is written about a false time, it is very captivating. It kept me reading hours and hours into the night, trying to figure out what's going to happen next. It starts off with Florence Wechek, a citizen of Fort Repose. She is living her everyday lief, no different. Then it goes on the descibe Randy Bragg, her next door neighbor, doing the same. Then, on the same day, Randy gets a telegram that says the words "Alas, Babylon." This book is truly a work of art. I hope you have a chance to check it out!

Teen Book Review by Christian S.

2009-07-22T12:34:00.003-05:00

Chat Room Chatter by Justin Lookadoo

I'm sure there is a lot that went into this book. It is very informative in the ways of both boys and girls. It tells you things you already know, things you wanted to know, and also things you never even thought about. I would recommend it to any teen who is seeking godly ways about going through life. The author is really strong about what he believes, and you can see this in what he writes. God has really worked tremendously in this man's life to allow him to accomplish these things that he has done. This book is really inspirational and I hope you have a chance to go read it!

Teen Book Review by Kayla C.

2009-07-20T12:52:00.003-05:00

Nancy Drew: The Secret at Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene

Nancy's at it again. In this mystery Nancy meets a girl on a train who becomes ill and decides to help her. Nancy soon discovers that Jo is looking for work to help her grandmother keep the farm. A lot of strange things happen in this mystery from meeting a strange guy on the train that thought Nancy was someone else, a woman that refuses to sell a certain perfume to Bess, Nancy's friend, but buys it for $20 because the woman raised the price. Nancy's always somewhere there is a mystery and she is making this mystery a number one priority to solve. She and her friends, Bess and George, decide to stay at the farm and try to get an even closer look at what's going on. This mystery will keep you guessing til the end. There is a lot of excitement and mysterious things that happen. Can you figure out what's going on? Who behind all that's going on?

Teen Book Review by Kayla C.

2009-07-20T12:33:00.002-05:00

Nancy Drew: The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene

In this mystery, Nancy and her two friends, Bess and George, drive by a house that explodes. Nancy pulls over and goes to the house to see if there is anyone inside, but the smoke is too heavy in the front of the house so she runs to the back and finds a man leaving the scene. This is where the mystery begins. Nancy and her friends meet a mother and daughter and somehow they are connected with the mystery. Nancy has to find out why the mother and daughter haven't heard from the dad and takes matters into her own hands. Along the way she has to find a missing man who is rich, but not liked, and why he has taken advantage of inventors and not paid them like he promised. This mystery will keep you interested and you won't want to quit reading.

Teen Book Review by Molly L.

2009-07-16T12:35:00.003-05:00

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is full of great characters, true friendship and history. This Newberry book is about Nat Bowditch, a boy who is smart enough to teach at Harvard but can't attend school because he must work. As Nat becomes older he becomes a sailor. Even though life at sea is tough he is still able to accomplish great things. I really enjoyed this book. It was well written, descriptive, and easy to read. I would recommend Carry On, Mr. Bowditch to any boy or girl who likes adventure and history.

Teen Book Review by Molly L.

2009-07-16T12:26:00.002-05:00

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Chains is a wonderful historical fiction book. It is about Isabel, a young slave girl growing up during the Revolutionary War. When she is sold to a loyalist in New York she is asked to spy on her master. When Isabel becomes involved in a rebel plot, she must get away from New York. I thought Laurie Halse Anderson has written an amazing story. Chains was a hard book to put down. I would recommend this book to any teen who loves historical fiction.

Teen Book Review by Kayla C.

2009-07-13T14:13:00.003-05:00

Nancy Drew: The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene

In this mystery Nancy and her friend Helen go to visit their friend Emily at The Lilac Inn. Emily and her fiance bought the inn and are trying to fix it up so that they can get it up and running. Upon Nancy and Helen's arrival the mysteries begin. While at the Inn the two friends come upon some danger, strange happenings, and even an impersonator. It is a task that Nancy chose to accept and try to solve. There are some mysteries that Nancy stumbles upon that she can't seem to add up as she sleuths to try and catch the thief or thieves that are haunting the Inn, stealing the gardening tools and stole Emily's diamonds that her mother left after she died. This mystery will keep you guessing!! I love the Nancy Drew series!! Reading takes you on a new adventure.

The Demon's Lexicon - Not Your Typical YA Urban Fantasy

2009-07-13T12:54:00.005-05:00

So, I just finished reading The Demon's Lexicon, by Sarah Rees Brennan, and I have to say that I was super impressed. The plot has definite substance and the main character, Nick, is not the typical hero that has been evident in the current trend with young adult urban fantasy fiction. There are a couple of themes with this book, good vs. evil and light romance, but the dominant theme is the evolution of the brother's relationship as events unfold around them. According to the author's website, this is the first in a trilogy that will publish annually. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy fiction, especially if you are a fan of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments Trilogy or the television show Supernatural.

From the book jacket:

Nick Ryves knows that demons are real. Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick's mother stole - a charm that keeps her alive - and they want it badly enough to kill again. Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long. Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magician's Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.

The Romance Genre - An Interesting Look

2009-07-07T12:46:00.003-05:00

I admit it, I love romance novels! For pure escapism, they're hard to beat. This article gives great props to the scholarly authors that have provided great books through the years. (I would personally recommend basically everything by Julia Quinn, I tend to laugh out loud when reading anything of hers!).

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2009-07-06-romance-novels_N.htm

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol Gets Extra Hype from Puzzles on Web Site

2009-06-30T12:33:00.001-05:00

Random House has plans for “codes, cryptic trivia, puzzles, secret history, biblical references, maps, ambigrams, aphorisms, ciphers, arcane knowledge, and more” between now and the September 15 release.