Neal Shusterman. UNWHOLLY

“Does a sick society get so used to its illness that it can’t remember being well? What if the memory is too dangerous for the people who like things the way they are?”

UNWHOLLY is the sequel to the remarkably original UNWIND by Neal Shusterman. If you haven't read it yet, you really need to get on that! He's a wonderful writer and this is really one of the more unique dystopians out there today. By the way, I also love Shusterman's THE SCHWA WAS HERE and its sequel. Very different from UNWIND, but quite clever and enjoyable.

Now back to UNWHOLLY. This installment of the trilogy continues with the characters we love (Connor, Lev and Risa), but also introduces new characters. Shusterman has explored even more ways that unwinding would affect teens and adult.

Starkey is a stork AWOL, and he champions the cause for all storks. Nelson is a parts pirate making a living in a unimaginable way. Cam is completely new person who makes people question the very definition of what it is to be human. Risa is dealing with the decision not to have a new spinal cord transplant. Connor, as the leader of the airplane graveyard, has grown but also has a new set of frustrations and challenges.

If you loved UNWIND, you will devour this one too. With the additional characters and deeper plot development, Shusterman has written one of the best dystopian trilogies out there!

Check out the creepy trailer!

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

EasyBib Extension for Chrome!

Wow, check it out! EasyBib now has an extension to make citing directly from your browser super simple!

If you use Chrome, you can install this extension, so when you're ready to cite a webpage, you just click it to cite. EasyBib says they have a Firefox extension on the way.
Give it a whirl. You'll love it! 

Announcing EasyBib’s Chrome Toolbar Extension « EasyBib via kwout

Diana Renn. TOKYO HEIST

Violet is staying with her artist father when her dream of visiting Japan comes true. Her father has been commissioned to paint a mural in the Japan office building of a prominent Yamada family.

A mystery begins in Seattle when a few Van Gogh sketches are stolen from the Yamada's Seattle mansion.  It continues in Japan and involves a ransom note, Japanese gangsters and an unexplained suicide.

TOKYO HEIST packs art, action, anime and Japanese culture into an intriguing mystery. It's brimming with lively characters and an engaging plot that will keep you reading long into the night.

I really adore this book! Violet is a smart and interesting character. She draws manga, so she has an artist perspective, like her father. The author has brilliantly integrated a mini manga story drawn by Violet into the the plot. It doesn't take over. It's just the right amount to make it intriguing.

Also, I love the way the author has sprinkled Japanese culture and vocabulary throughout the book. It fits nicely, without being too much for the reader to comprehend.

Overall, this is brilliant novel with lots of energy and excitement. I'm shocked to see that this is the Diana Renn's first book! I eagerly await her next one.

Find out more about the author at her amazing website here. And check out the trailer below:

Celebrating Banned Books Week with a Forbidden display!

Don't forget to browse our Banned Books Week Display.

 (You're free to check out any of the banned books!)

For more information about Banned Books Week, click below the graphic:

Banned Books Week | Celebrating the Freedom to Read: Sept. 30 - Oct. 6, 2012 via kwout

2013 Montgomery County Book Festival

Big news about the Montgomery County Book Festival! The location has changed from College Park High School to Lone Star College, which means we have more room to have more events and authors! We will have approximately 40 authors! Stay tuned by visiting our blog. We'll be announcing the author lineup beginning today. Every few days, more authors will be announced. We'll also post interviews with the authors. Stay tuned!