Gingerbread House Contest in the Library!

It's that time of year again...Gingerbread House Contest. We have more houses than last year! Take a look:

Veronica Roth's ALLEGIANT, an Action-Packed Conclusion to the Most Anticipated Finale of the Year

Everyone I know who reads YA has been anticipating this one. When DIVERGENT first came out, I remember telling students that I liked it better than HUNGER GAMES, and that's saying a lot. If you haven't read DIVERGENT, you need to just go do that right now. The rest of you, keep on reading.

Here's your quickie synopsis - The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered--fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready.

Many, many secrets are revealed in this finale. We learn the story behind the creation of the factions, how Tris and her family are involved, as well as what is beyond the walls of the city. The "why" of the factions is the biggest discovery of the book. I think the seed there is enough to begin a whole new book. But anyway, it creates some tension between Tris and Four. They all must continue to make difficult choices, as the uprisings from the second book continue.

Overall, I do believe it's a worthy ending to the series. But, I'm still digesting the ending. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. The writing is wonderful, and the action kept me turning the pages. The best part about reading the finale in a popular series is talking about it with others. So, I'm off to do that now. (And to anticipate the DIVERGENT movie, of course.)

Enjoy this interview with Veronica Roth about the writing of ALLEGIANT, as well as a few tidbits about the movie!

Kick Back and Enjoy a Rollicking Good Time in WHAT I REMEMBER by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

Kylie wakes up in Mexico the morning of graduation, miles away from home where she is scheduled to give the valedictorian speech later that day. As Kylie remembers the previous 24 hours, she learns more about life and herself than the last four years at school taught her.

Here's your quickie synopsis: Just before her graduation from La Jolla's exclusive Freiburg Academy, valedictorian and scholarship student Kylie Flores inadvertently ends up in Ensenada, Mexico, with Max, one of the most popular boys in school, where, in twenty-four jam-packed hours, their lives dramatically change.

At first glance, you may think this is a stereotypical "last day of school" type of book. But the authors bring a lot more than that to the table. First of all, The alternating points of view gave the story more depth. There were some characters that I wouldn't have liked at face value. But, seeing their point of view helped me to sympathize with, or at least understand them, and grow to like them. Mostly, though, the characters were all interesting and fully formed, not stock characters. Kylie is an unexpected feisty little firecracker. Max is also deeper than you would expect, with issues of his own, even with being the most popular senior in school.

In addition to the fun, realistic characters, the action kept me laughing all the way through. It reads very much like an action movie, which is funny, since Kylie is an action movie screenwriter. And she makes blatant references to it, while the action is happening. You'd think that wouldn't work, but it actually does. As Kylie and Max get deeper and deeper into their predicament, the more fun I had being immersed in it. I feel like I was trapped in Ensendad, Mexico for a few days!

I had a great time. FROM WHAT I REMEMBER brought back all the fun times from my own high school days. (Okay, so maybe not the kidnapping or the armed criminals, but you know, lots of other stuff...)

You'll get a kick out of it too, trust me!

I'm so sad that I can't post a trailer for you, but I couldn't find one. :( The only one I found was posted by a student for English class, and I sometimes will post those, but this one had the cast from That 70's Show in it and I didn't like it.) Sorry! Check out the authors' website here.

Gripping Action with Beautiful Storytelling in HOSTAGE THREE by Nick Lake

When a book starts with, "There is a gun pointing right at my head" it's certain to grab my attention. But lately, I've been kinda ADD with books. I've started several and put them down after a few chapters, so keeping my interest has been a mighty task.

This one kept my interest. In fact, I read it mostly in one afternoon.

Here's the synopsis:

As Amy sets out to sea with her family on a yacht, she's only thinking about the peaceful waters and the warm sun. But she doesn't get either after a group of pirates seize the boat and its human cargo, and the family becomes a commodity in a highly sophisticated transaction. Hostage One is Amy's father--the most valuable. Hostage Three is Amy, who can't believe the nightmare she's in. But something even stranger happens as she builds a bond with one of her captors, making it brutally clear that the price of life and its value are two very different things.

There is a lot to love about this book. It has suspenseful - edge of your seat action, along with some deep meaningful storytelling. And I'm not spoiling anything here by saying this (see above), Amy forms a bond with one of the captors and learns about his life back in Somalia. The striking difference between her very wealthy life and his starving family is startling to her. You begin to understand, if not sympathize with, the pirates. There are some gruesome moments. There are many more meaningful and enlightening moments. All the way around, I highly recommend this beautiful book. 

I do want to address something unusual about the writing style. The author does not use quotation marks, but uses dashes/hyphens for dialogue. This was confusing at first. Sometimes you aren't sure if the latter part of the section is still dialogue or internal monologue. SEE:

I was so annoyed at first, that I stopped reading it. Then I thought, oh this is an ARC, so maybe it's just something in the manuscript. So I bought a copy and...it was the same. I finally realized that I was being childish, got over it, and read the book. I totally got used to it after a while. I'm glad I did - it was worth it. But I did want to point that, so you aren't surprised when you see it. 

By the way, if the author is familiar, you may remember that his book IN DARKNESS just won the Printz award this year. (And I checked. Yes, he employs the same dialogue method in that book.)

It was released in the UK in January, but isn't releasing here in Hardback until November. You can buy the ebook now, though. Enjoy!

New Full Cast Audio Play of ENDER'S GAME

Just in time for the movie release, Skyboat Media has released a new full cast audio play of Ender's Game called ENDER'S GAME ALIVE. Check out the video below of OSC explaining how he likes this version of his iconic story better than any others. It sounds like he wrote a new screenplay for this production.

And by full cast, we mean full cast including: Kirby Heyborne, Stefan Rudnicki, Theodore Bikel, Scott Brick, Samantha Eggar, Harlan Ellison, Susan Hanfield, Roxanne Hernandez, Janis Ian, Rex Linn, Richard McGonagle, Jim Meskimen, Emily Rankin, John Rubinstein, Christian Rummel, and a full cast.

Did you notice Harlan Ellsion in there? Yep, he narrated the original Ender's Game audiobook too, as well as books for other authors such as Arthur C. Clark and Terry Pratchett. Cool.

There's even an original score. Can't wait to hear it!


Orson Scott Card - Author of Ender's Game Alive from Skyboat Media on Vimeo.

For more about the production of the audioplay, go here.

BITTERSWEET by Sarah Ockler, Cupcakes and Hockey Make a Delicious Combination

One thing I'm certain about when I pick up a Sarah Ockler novel is that the writing will be beautiful. I adored her book Twenty Boy Summer, so I knew I'd like this one too. She paints a scene like nobody else. She sets the atmosphere so well in this wintry setting that I could almost feel the snow falling on my face.

Here's your quickie synopsis: Hudson Avery gave up a promising competitive ice skating career after her parents divorced when she was fourteen years old and now spends her time baking cupcakes and helping out in her mother's upstate New York diner, but when she gets a chance at a scholarship and starts coaching the boys' hockey team, she realizes that she is not through with ice skating after all.

I really enjoyed this one! Hudson is a spunky girl who makes the best of the difficult situation their father created after leaving. The way she takes on the hockey players is hilarious and bold. The relationship between Hudson and her little brother, Bug, is one of the best parts of the entire book.  As I said earlier, the writing is fabulous! The dialogue is witty and the characters are well developed and memorable. Another satisfying story from Sarah Ockler!

Check out Sarah Ockler's other titles here. Watch the trailer below:

TEMPEST by Julie Cross, Fasten Your Seatbelts For This Time Travel Adventure, No DeLorean Necessary

This caught my eye because - time travel, obviously. But what kept me intrigued was how it was different from your typical run-of-the-mill time travel stories where you have to worry about changing things. In fact, it kind of reminded me of FRINGE in some aspects, because there are multiple timelines. Before I get to far into it, here:

Your Quickie Synopsis:  Nineteen-year-old Jackson uses his ability to travel through time after his girlfriend, Holly, is fatally shot during a violent struggle, but his journey two years into the past leads him to make a startling discovery about his father and the powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to recruit him for their own purposes.

Jackson finds out that his father is involved in a secret society that fights against another organization filled with time travelers trying to wreck havoc on the planet. Or maybe they're trying to save the world. It's not really clear in the beginning. In fact, the more you read, the more questions pop up. But, it's an adventurous story with a lot of puzzles. The relationship between Jackson and Holly is well developed, as is the complicated relationship between Jackson and his father.

Fair warning though, don't take three weeks to read it, like I did. Read it quickly, because if you don't you'll get confused with all the different time periods Jackson ends up in. I had to re-read a lot.

Bottom line: It's a fast paced adventure with good characters. If you like time-travel, you'll enjoy it. Also, it sets itself up to be a great trilogy. The second book, VORTEX, is out now, and the third will follow in January. Check out the author's website here.

Jessica Warman. BEAUTIFUL LIES

WOW! This one blew me away! It completely grabbed me at the first few pages and did not let go. In fact, I'm still baffled by it now - in a good way.

Your quickie synopsis: 
Eighteen-year-old identical twins Alice and Rachel have always shared a very special bond, so when one is abducted the other uses their connection to try to locate her.

You've heard about identical twins having a special bond, right? Well these twins have an even closer bond than your typical twins. They are monoamniotic-monochorionic, meaning that they shared the same amniotic sac and placenta in their mom's uterus. This is extremely rare, occurring in about 1% of twins. Bottom line - they share a unique bond.

The story begins with the twins, Alice and Rachel, meeting friends at the local fair. Alice abruptly decides to leave the group to hunt down a candy apple. A few mintues later, Rachel cannot find Alice anywhere. Her friends dismiss her worry, because Alice runs off on a routine basis. But Rachel can feel that something is seriously wrong. Alice did not just run off. This time, it's serious. She knows because strange clues begin showing up that prove Alice is in danger.

There are so many aspects to love about this book. From the third page, I was completely fascinated by the world the author created. The language is so descriptive and alive with sights, sounds, and smells. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing. But the gripping plot kept me going too. Wow, you have to be on your toes with this plot. Read carefully and pay attention. That's about all I can say without giving away spoilers. These spoilers are way too juicy and meant to be discovered on your own.

Check out the trailer below and the author's website here.

Joe Schreiber. AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK

Okay, I admit it. I picked this one up because of the title. Pretty catchy, right?

Your quickie synopsis: 
Perry's parents insist that he take Gobi, their quiet, Lithuanian exchange student, to senior prom, but after an incident at the dance he learns that Gobi is actually a trained assassin who needs him as a henchman, behind the wheel of his father's precious Jaguar, on a mission in Manhattan.


So the publisher dubs this a cross between FERRIS BUELLER and LA FEMME NIKITA. And that's pretty much correct. It's funny, but also a little crazy and violent. It's a rip-roaring good time! I enjoyed it thoroughly and can visualize this one being adapted to the big screen. In fact, it read like a movie, if that makes any sense.

It left me hanging at the end, so I went looking and found out that, yep, there's a sequel called PERRY'S KILLER PLAYLIST. If you like action sprinkled with witty sarcasm and humor, you'll love this one!

Check out the trailer below.

P.J. Hoover. SOLSTICE

I was familiar with PJ Hoover, because she's from a city close to me, Austin, Texas. But I hadn't read any of her books, until now.

Your quickie synopsis:
Eighteen-year-old Piper lives with her controlling mother amid a Global Heating Crisis, but when she gets her first taste of freedom she discovers a universe of gods and monsters where her true identity, kept secret from her birth, could make all the difference in the world.

So, as you can see, SOLSTICE begins as a dystopian book along the lines of ASHFALL and LIFE AS WE KNEW IT where the major problem is weather and/or planet disruption. A Global Heating Crisis has set in and causes temperatures to hover over 100.

Piper's mother has been super controlling all of her life. She hardly lets her out of her sight, except for school. So when her mom goes out of town for several days and leaves Piper alone on her own, Piper is intrigued, but excited. She ends up spending time with two different guys she just met, which is totally unlike her. But she's attracted to both of them for different reasons. One of them introduces her to a whole new world, the Underworld. He's a god. A Greek god. Piper realizes what her mom's been hiding from her.

What I enjoyed:
At first, I was a little confused by the mythology, because I thought I was reading a dystopian (I didn't read the book jacket - I like surprises). But as I kept reading, the story became richer and more intriguing. The characters were cleverly chosen and the setting was fascinating. Watching the way the gods inserted themselves into the human world to get what they want in their world was fun. I really enjoyed spending time in this world. I was sad to see it end. I'm hoping for a sequel!

Highly recommended for fans of Greek mythology!

Lisa McMann CRASH

I've read several other books by Lisa McMann, so this was an easy selection. I knew I'd love it. And I did. You can read my previous reviews here.

CRASH is the beginning of a new series. Here is your quickie synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Jules, whose family owns an Italian restaurant and has a history of mental illness, starts seeing a recurring vision about a rival restaurant, a truck crash, and forbidden love.

What I enjoyed:
I was intrigued at the beginning, but it didn't really grab me until mid-way through when it sucked me right in. The suspense was relentless from that point on. I began staying up way too late to find out what would happen next. The sense of urgency forced me to read the second half all in one sitting.

Another highlight of the book is the relationship between Jules and her brother. Trey is her rock and helps her throughout the book. Plus he's just a really fun, witty character. You will adore him! Her sister Rowan is also an important part of the family. I'm looking forward to seeing these relationships build in the next installment. Of course, there is another relationship that I'm sure everyone is eager to see develop, but I won't divulge any spoilers here.

Anyway, if you like suspense with a little physic visions thrown it, this one's for you!

Author Tidbit: Lisa McMann was a featured author at the Montgomery County Book Festival in January. As the official blogger for the festival, I was able to snag an interview. Click below to go straight to the interview.

Maria Semple. WHERE'D YOU GO BERNADETTE

I ADORED this book! It's wickedly funny. First of all, here is your quickie synopsis:

When Bee aces her report card she claims her reward, which is a trip to Antarctica, but her mother, Bernadette, disappears due to her intensifying allergy to Seattle and people in general, which has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands and Bee uses emails, invoices, school memos, private correspondence, and other evidence to try and understand why her mother has left.

The format is unique and captured my interest right away. It begins with Bea describing how she got her parents to agree to a family vacation in Antartica, then it jumps write into an email from Bernadette to her virtual assistant in India. Of course, you don't know this at first, so it's a bit curious. You think that maybe it's her actual secretary, in real life. Anyway, right away, you know this book was different because this is when you begin to glean the crazy-goodness that is Bernadette.

The book continues in emails and letters from various people to various other people like Bernadette's neighbor, a parent-teacher organization guru, police reports, hospital bills, etc. There is crazy-goodness from all directions! Really the only pretty normal characters are Bee and her father. But they are fabulous, rich characters too.

I adored this book because it is so uniquely funny and moving. There is so much more than I can describe here. If you like satire and wickedness sprinkled with a little unexpected warmth and truth, you'll love this!

In closing, the author's website is a sight to behold. For real. You must check it out for it's unique-ness. I promise, you've never seen anything else like it, ever. Go HERE.

This book is an Alex Award winner for 2013, meaning it's an adult book that has special appeal for teens.

Cassandra Clare. CITY OF BONES

This one has been on my "to read" list for ages! I finally got to it, and boy am I glad I did!

Here's your brief synopsis:

Suddenly able to see demons and the Darkhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.

Here's what I loved about it:

The writing, the characters, the humor, and the writing. Oh, and did I say writing? Cassandra Clare is a brilliant writer. Her descriptions are so vivid. I get a vibrant, clear image of everything she describes, including the action scenes, which can be tricky. Wow, I really loved it from the first page.

Also, the witty dialogue, particularly between Clary and Jace is fabulous! I'm always a sucker for funny action whether it's in books or movies. It's a great combination. The characters are rich and well developed. This installment definitely sets up an awesome series. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next one.

Every great YA book deserves a great movie, which brings me to the movie. I really, really hope it's good. The trailer looks promising. I notice right away some differences from the book, but that's to be expected. I'm super curious about one particular surprise near the end of the book. I wonder how the screenwriter handled it in the movie. Well, I guess we'll have to wait until August 21st to find out. Can't wait!

If you were like me and were putting off reading this one, get right on it! You won't regret it.

Check out Cassandra Clare's website HERE
The movie website is HERE
Check out the trailer here:

Maureen Johnson. THE MADNESS UNDERNEATH

This is the sequel to THE NAME OF THE STAR, which I loved and reviewed here. MADNESS begins shortly after the near death events from the first book. Rory is recovering at her parent's house in Bristol. But she simply wants to get on with her life. She can't talk to anyone about the actual events that led up to the stabbing, since they involve the secret ghost-fighting society, in which she's a quasi-member.So she'd like to just go back to Wexford and continue school.

Rory finally convinces her parents that she's ready to go back to school, and she heads back to try to catch up on all that she's missed. but just as she's settling back in, she gets caught up in a murder that she swears was committed by a ghost. She gets Stephen, Callum and Boo involved and realizes that she may never be just a "normal" high school student anymore.

This one took a while to really get going. There was a point when I began to wonder if I wanted to finish it. It was really slow. It had the wonderful characters, sense of humor and quirkiness that I expect from Maureen Johnson. But there just wasn't a lot going on until about half-way through. Then some really interesting characters were introduced, along with some cool historical aspects that I enjoyed. But the last few chapters really stood out and the book finished up with a shocking ending. So, of course, I'm going to be excited when the next book comes out.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you'll want to read this one too. And if you've been living under a rock all these years and haven't read anything by Maureen Johnson, by all means get right on that! My favorite is SUITE SCARLETT. Check out the other books I've reviewed by her here. You will LOVE any of them. Her characters and memorable settings are fabulous!

In closing, the trailer:

Michelle Gagnon. DON'T TURN AROUND

Noa wakes up on an operating table in a dark, mysterious place that is most definitely not a hospital. She narrowly escapes and ends up on the run. After getting her hands on a computer, she begins to get small shreds of clues to what happened to her.

She is able to hook up with Peter, the head of an underground hacktivist group called the ALLIANCE who is also on the run. After digging around in his father's files, Peter angered the wrong people.

Noa and Peter seem to have the same dangerous men trying to hunt them down and kill them. Together the try to piece together the huge mystery behind Noa's mysterious operation and Peter's dad's affiliation with these men out to kill them.

I loved this! It had non-stop action, an exciting plot, and wonderful characters. I really enjoyed all of the computer stuff. Obviously, they made it seem so easy to hack into large corporations. I'm sure it's more difficult in real life. But it was super fun reading about it, nonetheless. Gagnon is a wonderful writer. This will leave you on the edge of your seat. Seriously, you'll be begging for the sequel. I have no idea when it's coming. But I know this will be a trilogy.

For more, check out the author's website here.
Also, enjoy the short, but creepy trailer:

Rainbow Rowell. ELEANOR & PARK

“Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book.” — John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, for The New York Times Book Review

Yeah, that's all it took to pique my interest in this one. I'm sure that's all you need too. But...I'll give you a little more anyway.

The next thing that got me was that the book is set in the 80's and features some of my favorite music from that time period. But the beautiful writing and memorable characters kept me cherishing each page. I ADORE this book!

Eleanor and Park met on the bus. She was a new girl with no place to sit. She seemed to draw negative attention with her bright red hair and quirky clothes. She walked straight down the aisle, looking for a seat. She kept going, seeing none. Park grumbled at her to sit by him. He couldn't bear to see her continue walking right into the merciless teens that held court in the back. Eleanor and Park didn't speak. In fact, they seemed downright angry with each other for weeks. But over time, their relationship bloomed over comic books, cassette tapes, and secrets. 

The story is told in alternating points of view. It's enjoyable to see the romance bloom from both points of view. Plus, both characters are so vividly drawn that you want to feel the story from both of them. Also, the writing! Wow, the writing is brilliant. There is meaningful and witty dialogue aplenty! 

I couldn't find a trailer I liked, so check out the author's website instead. It's super, funky cool!

Ender's Game movie trailer!!

OMG!! It's here! The official trailer for ENDER'S GAME due out in November:

Also, check out this awesome interview with OSC where he gives his thoughts about the movie, describes his visit to the movie set, and talks about his brief voice cameo.

 

Jennifer Roy. MINDBLIND

Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel Clark, who has Asperger's Syndrome, tries to prove that he is a genius by writing songs for his rock band so that he can become a member of the prestigious Aldus Institute, the premier organization for the profoundly gifted.

I was drawn to this book, because I was curious to view the world through a character with Asperger's. I enjoyed Nathaniel's journey to become a "true" genius, but I enjoyed even more his quest to relate to people in social situations. He has trouble reading people and their emotions. It was humorous when he spouted off facts in a situation when the person really just wanted a little sympathy. This gives you a glimpse into the minds of people with Asperger's or Austism and how difficult it must be for them. Most of us take for granted the ability to read people and judge situations based on nonverbal clues and facial expressions. But there many people who don't have this luxury. Life is very different for them.

What I really loved most was how his mother supported him. She deserves mother of the year for her fierce loyalty and creative ways of supporting Nathaniel. I also appreciated Nathaniel's friends for accepting him with all of his quirks. Great characters all around!!

Check out the author's website for more. You'll find out that she writes with authority and experience in regards to Asperger's.

C. K. Kelly Martin. YESTERDAY

In 2063, Freya and her mother are captured and taken away. When she wakes up, she doesn't remember anything and....it's 1985. This is weird for us, but not for Freya, because she doesn't remember anything, at first. But she slowly begins to feel like she doesn't belong. She begins having nagging feelings that she can't explain. She even runs into a guy that she feels she's met before, although he doesn't remember her. The circumstances around her father's death are also sketchy. She begins investigating the few details she has about his death and her past.

This is an ambitious book. The author takes on time travel, dystopia, global warming, ESP, the 80's, as well as robots. For the most part she succeeds. I began to care about the characters, and that usually is the saving grace for me. If I can't care about the characters, then it's downhill with no going back on my part.

I enjoyed the time spent in 1985, but I felt the author was a little heavy handed with the 80's details. Maybe it was because I recognized them and felt they were gratuitous  Maybe I wouldn't have noticed it so much if it had been a time period I wasn't familiar with? I don't know. I'll be interested to see if other readers felt that way too.

One other aspect that I want to comment on was the chapter long exposition that took place in the middle of the book. It couldn't be helped. But it was still jarring. Since the main character left 2063 so quickly at the beginning of the book for the mystery to begin, the reader didn't know anything about her world. So, this forced the author to tell us all about it in the middle of the book. I'm not sure she had any other way to go about this large task. Nevertheless, it interrupted the flow of the book.

There were many other aspects that I did enjoy. Again, I loved the two main characters, and the relationship they formed. I liked the way the clues seeped into Freya's life in interesting ways to help her figure out the mystery. Finally, I was intrigued by the future society that Freya lived in. I was interested enough to want to read more about that, even if I was troubled by the premise of how the society ended up the way it did.

If you're intrigued by the idea of someone being thrown into the past, without any clear idea why, you'll love this. Read more about the book and the author at her nifty website below:

Mary Amato. GUITAR NOTES

Tripp and Lyla have nothing in common, except that they use the same practice room in the orchestra hall. Tripp uses it on odd days; Lyla on even days. At first, they begin leaving each other snarky notes displaying their prejudgement of each other. But as they keep writing, they begin to see that they have more in common than they realized.

Tripp's mom doesn't understand his love for playing the guitar. She thinks it absorbs too much of his time. She feels he should be spending his time making friends and doing "normal" things. Lyla's dad thinks she should continue to spend all of her time on her Cello and preparing for her blossoming career.

Both love music. Both are miserable because of it. As they continue writing to each other, they discover that together they may be able to improve both of their situations.

I adored this book! You can tell that the author is a talented musician, because she makes the songwriting process seem so enjoyable and much easier than I'm sure it is in real life. I could relate to both Tripp and Lyla's passion for music. Even though I'm not a music creator like them, I'm a huge music consumer. Music accompanies me throughout most of my day.  I loved the way the author wove the characters, the music, the writing, and the science of sound all into this wonderful story of joy. It made my heart sing!

If you are interested in the songs or songwriting in general, you must check out the book's website: www.thrumsociety.com You can hear all of the songs in the book and learn a lot more. But read the book first! You don't want to read any spoilers. You want to experience the book fresh. But you can certainly check out the trailer now. There are no spoilers. Enjoy!

NEW BOOKS!

We have a whole cornucopia of new books! Among them, as expected, are some new dystopians. Be sure to check out the display in the front of the library:

Also, see directions below for using the list feature in Destiny to see view our newest book lists:  Dystopians and New Books.  Use the lists to find a new and exciting book to check out!

Enjoy!

DIVERGENT & THE FAULT IN OUR STARS Movie News

There's been a lot of DIVERGENT casting news lately!
Kate Winslet has been cast as Erudite leader Jeanine Mathews. All of the other main characters are listed on IMDB, so go there to check them out. Also, check out the author's blog for news as it develops:

Veronica Roth via kwout

In other movie news, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS looks to be in pre-production, which means that we don't know exactly for sure when it will be made. However, it's an interesting coincidence that Shailene Woodley has been cast as Tris in DIVERGENT and Hazel in THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. Hopefully we'll know more in the coming months.

Kat Zhang. WHAT'S LEFT OF ME

"I shouldn't exist, but I do."

With a tag line like that, how could I resist picking this one up?

Addie and Eva live in a world were two souls are born into one body. Typically, by the age of ten or so, one of the souls becomes dominant, while the other fades away. It's called "settling." If a person doesn't "settle" then both souls remain and you're called a hybrid. It's evil and dangerous to be a hybrid in this society, for some unspecified reasons.

Addie and Eva are one of these hybrids. But they hide it from everyone, including their parents. Addie is known as the dominant soul. Eva remains a secret to everyone except, of course, Addie. Addie meets two other hybrids and is unable to keep the secret any longer. After some suspicious behavior  doctors from the government come and take all three of them away to a hospital to "cure" them.

I liked the book. It became suspenseful throughout the second half. This is an intriguing idea and brings up a lot of ethical questions, especially when you find out what is going on in the hospital. If you like dystopians, you'll enjoy this.

It's called THE HYBRID CHRONICLES, so expect a few more. I'm guessing it will be a trilogy, like all YA books nowadays. ;) Check out the awesome trailer!

Nicholas Sparks. SAFE HAVEN

Katie moves to the small southern town of Southport, North Carolina with the goal of making a fresh start. Alex, owner of the general store, notices Katie seems quiet and scared when she comes in to purchase her few essential items every week. She's obviously been through sometime traumatic and seems to be hiding. Katie warms up to Alex's acts of kindness towards her, but is still nervous to get too close.

Katie begins to love her new life in Southport. But as she grows to love Alex, she must decide whether or not to let Alex completely into her life or to keep the dark secrets hidden and risk losing him forever.


If you've read a Nicholas Sparks book before, you know that it typically involves romance and tears. This does both, although I was pleasantly surprised that it also included a good amount of suspense in the second half. Additionally, I loved the way he shifts points of view throughout the main characters, so you really get into their head. It kept me anxiously flipping through the pages to get to the end.

A good storyteller creates characters you care about enough to continue reading. Sparks does that here. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. He definitely pulls the heartstrings, as he usually does.

Hamburguering in the Library 2013

Featured below are a few pictures of the Hamburguering in the library this year. 

Click here for videos of full-length scenes from Hamlet Day 2013.

Bibliophiles - Next Read SAFE HAVEN

The next book for book club is SAFE HAVEN by Nicholas Sparks. The meeting is March 8th! See ya there!

We have it on the Nooks, so come check one out, if you need it.

Click here for a preview of the book. (The first 15 pages).