Ama Reads

Tempted

2012-01-30T00:19:00.000-05:00

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Tempted by Virginia Henley

As a way to bring peace and harmony, the King declares that several clans must arrange marriages between them. As Valentina is already spoken for, her younger sister is betrothed to Ram, but due to some conniving women, Valentina’s betrothal is broken. Her mom is not willing to sacrifice the younger sister so she manages to convince her husband to offer Valentina instead.

But Valentina is not ready to submit to Ram, and both are very hot headed and determined. This leads to many clashes between the two of them as well as mis-understandings. We see how this couple deals with many conflicts and how it impacts their relationship for the better or for the worse.

Likes

A believable story

Characters are likeable and you are there hoping and wishing for them

Per the authors note at the end of the book, there are many elements of truth in the story

Dislikes

Language – The brogue of Scotland is used and sometimes it is hard to understand but is mostly necessary for the story. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book.

i know something you don't know...

2012-01-22T00:07:00.000-05:00

...and you will just have to wait until Monday to find out!

(Unless you are on the 2012 Morris award committee.)

If at first you don’t succeed, find out if there’s a prize for the loser. ~ Author Unknown

2012-01-19T19:52:00.002-05:00

Prized by Caragh M. O’Brien

Sixteen-year-old Gaia and her newborn sister, Maya, have escaped from the Enclave. When they are found in the Wastelands by Peter, Maya is barely alive. With his help, they arrive at their destination – Sylum – a place about which Gaia had only heard vague rumors.

Sylum is different than expected. For an unknown reason, the vast majority of the population is male, many who are infertile. The few hundred women there make up the ruling class of this city whose population is quickly dwindling. In order to survive – and to see her sister – Gaia must conform to Sylum’s oppressive rules. It isn’t just the laws of the land that are vastly unfamiliar to Gaia. For the first time, she is an object of affection. Even more surprising to Gaia is that she is desired by more than one man. When someone from her past arrives in Sylum, Gaia is even more torn by what she feels is the right thing to do and what the ruler of Sylum wants her to do.

Likes

Once the story got going, I was sucked in. I couldn’t wait to get back to reading. In fact, I stayed up much too late finishing the book and now wish the third book was available.

Gaia isn’t perfect. It is more than just her scar. She has personality flaws that make her human, and I adore her more for it.

Dislikes

At times the story seemed rushed or that the timing was off.

Leon’s behavior. I wanted to smack him.

The ending. It didn’t seem plausible. I could go into it more, but then I would give it away!

Other

I didn’t recall much from the previous book other than the very basics: Gaia was scarred on her face, she was a midwife like her mother and she escaped the dystopian city that she had lived in (or rather, just outside of) all of her life. Because of this, it took a while for me to get into the book.

Sequel to Birthmarked.

ALA Youth Media Awards 2012 Jan. 23

2012-01-17T13:59:00.001-05:00

Oh, no, they say he's got to go. Go go, Punkzilla!

2012-01-16T16:11:00.004-05:00

Punkzilla by Adam Rapp

After going AWOL from military school, Jaime, aka Punkzilla, travels north ending up in Portland, Oregon. Once there he makes a life stealing iPods, scamming people and hanging around other street kids. When the fourteen-year-old learns that his older brother, Peter, has cancer, he makes the trip to Memphis, Tennessee to see him – hoping to arrive before Peter takes his last breath. Heading across the country on his purposeful road trip full of unusual twists in turns, he meets an exceptionally interesting cast of characters and chronicles the trip and other events in his life in animated, rambling letters to Peter.

Likes

With his moral ambiguity, you wouldn’t think that Jaime is a character that one could like, yet, somewhere in his rambling writing style you find the good in him – and the troubled child that he still is, despite his “I’m grown up” demeanor. Along the journey, I found myself hoping that he would make it to Memphis in time.

Dislikes

At times the writing was so rambling that I started to get lost - but not very often. Plus, I could understand why it was written in such a way - that is how Jaime thinks (when he hasn’t been on his meds).

Other

2010 Printz Honor

I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything.

2012-01-13T14:22:00.001-05:00

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Sixteen-year-old Steve has been accused of aiding in a convenience store robbery that ended in murder. The prosecutor calls him a monster; his parents can barely look at him, and when they do, he can see their doubt. Every night is filled with cries of other inmates being beaten and abused by others, and Steve begins to spiral deeper into depression. To cope with the stress of being in jail and being on trial for murder, he composes a movie of his life during the traumatic period. Through the script and the interludes of Steve’s thoughts, the reader can decide: Was Steve involved in the crime, or was he in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Likes

Writing style. The majority of the book is written as a movie script, which is unusual in novels and gives a different viewpoint of the story.

Dislikes

Writing style. Because the book is written as a movie script, there are some terms and acronyms that were unfamiliar. A glossary would have been helpful.

Other

2000 Printz winner (first winner of this award)

It was a dark and stormy night...(in other words, I MUST HAVE THIS!)

2012-01-12T01:21:00.000-05:00

This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of my all-time favorite books: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. When I was a child I read this book over and over. Long ago I lost the tattered paperback copy that enjoyed so many times in my youth. I do have a paperback copy on one of my bookshelves at home – one that I purchased while a college student after seeing the series available from one book club or another.

On January 31 the 50th anniversary edition will be released. Here is the cover (as shown on the book’s facebook page).

On the left - the book jacket. Once removed, the book's actual cover is the original cover art. <3 Love it! I know what I will be buying very soon!!

The Joy of Books

2012-01-11T00:13:00.001-05:00

A pearl of a girl

2012-01-05T19:18:00.001-05:00

Pearl by Jo Knowles

Pearl (also known as Bean) has always been an outcast. As long as she has her best friend, Henry, and her grandfather, Gus, on her side, she can take on the world – and Lexie, her alcoholic, often absent mother. When Gus unexpectedly passes away, secrets are uncovered that completely change the relationships between Bean and those who surround her.

Likes

Mostly realistic characters and relationships.

Ends on a positive, yet realistic note.

Dislikes

Lexie’s transformation after Gus’ death. Seemed too quick and out of character.

Other

At only 216 pages and with fast paced prose, this is a quick read. The narration is first person from Bean’s viewpoint. There were a few things that I figured out before she did, but overall the mysteries are not revealed until Bean tells them to the reader.

This was the last book I finished reading in 2011.

Printz I have known…

2012-01-04T19:51:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned before, I want to read more of the Printz winners and honors. The first Printz award was given in 2000, so there aren’t nearly as many books on the list as there are for Newbery. As I also already mentioned, I’ve read seventeen of the books. They are listed below:

2001 Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison, Honor
2001 Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman, Honor
2002 A Step from Heaven by An Na, Winner
2003 The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, Honor
2004 The First Part Last by Angela Johnson, Winner
2004 The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler, Honor
2005 Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt, Honor
2006 Looking for Alaska by John Green, Winner
2007 American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, Winner
2007 An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, Honor
2007 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Honor
2008 Repossessed by A. M. Jenkins. Honor
2009 The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, Honor
2009 Nation by Terry Pratchett. Honor
2010 Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman, Honor
2010 Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973 by John Barnes, Honor
2011 Stolen by Lucy Christopher, Honor

Since the only year I am missing is 2000, I am going to start with the winner from that year: Monster by Walter Dean Myers.

In other news, I am trying out Pinterest. So far I am just using it for library/reading themed links. Click the link to check out my boards.

1. Make a list of things to do. 2. Do the things on the list. 3. Call it a day.

2012-01-01T01:00:00.021-05:00

With the new year beginning, I've been thinking about goals. Isn't everyone? We make resolutions. We break resolutions. We say we don't believe in resolutions. blah. blah. blah. So, of course, they are on my mind. With that being said, I came up with a list of Reading Resolutions for 2012.

2012 Reading Resolutions

Reinstate the Newbery Challenge – A couple of years ago I challenged myself to read more Newbery winners and honors, including at least one from each decade of the award’s existence. I want to challenge myself again to read more of the Newbery winners and honors. The goal? To read twelve Newbery books this year.

Read more Printz winners and honors. Granted, this is an easier goal to achieve, since the Printz award is much younger in comparison to the Newbery. There are 57 winners/honors since the award was first given in 2000. As of today I have read 17. There are three more titles that I started and didn’t finish. The goal? To read twelve Printz books this year.

Once upon a time I belonged to two different book discussion groups. One focused solely on YA/Teen literature. The other focused on all youth literature. Due to scheduling conflicts (for the first group) and later increased hours of operation at our library (for the second group), I’m no longer involved in either one. In fact, the second group doesn’t meet at all anymore. This makes me sad. The goal? Join or start a new youth literature discussion group. I would prefer for the group to meet face to face, but if it must be online, then that will do for now.

Using several methods, I keep track of the books I read. I don’t, however, do a good job of keeping track of the picture books I read. The goal? Keep track of picture books read! Add them to GoodReads.com. Write about them on the book blog. Put the titles on the Books Read word document.

Social Media is, obviously, very popular. I blog and tweet (and have both post to Facebook) about books and reading. But do I blog and tweet enough? What else can I be doing? The goal? Up my social media usage (in regards to books).

Every time I see that the 48-hour Reading Challenge is going to happen, I think, “This time I am going to participate.” Then I promptly forget or end up too busy to devote that weekend to reading. The goal? Participate in at least one official 48-hour Reading Challenge in 2012.

Keep up with the buzz in the business. I subscribe to a bunch of blogs. Do I actually read them? Not nearly as much as I once did. The same goes with trade journals. The goal? Take the time to read the blogs, journals, and other news sources to keep up with libraryland.

In summary, these are my Reading Resolutions for 2012:

Read twelve Newbery books this year
Read twelve Printz books this year
Join or start a new youth literature discussion group
Keep track of picture books read
Up my social media usage (in regards to books)
Participate in at least one official 48-hour Reading Challenge in 2012
Take the time to read the blogs, journals, and other news sources to keep up with libraryland

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2011-12-31T19:13:00.001-05:00

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book is about the black maids in small town in Mississippi and their stories. It takes place in the 1960’s and the maids as well as the writer have to sneak around in order to tell the stories. They go through the whole process not knowing if the book will actually be published.

Likes

Seeing a different side of things

Seeing Skeeter, the writer, growing and learning as the project progresses.

Dislikes

The nasty clique – but I think you need it to see how bad the situation is.

Along Came Zoe by Janice Macdonald

2011-12-30T14:22:00.001-05:00

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Along Came Zoe by Janice Macdonald

Zoe decides to start a crusade to get the neurosurgeon to resume emergency on call services after her best friend’s daughter dies. But she does not count on feeling something for the neurosurgeon. It turns out that they knew each other when they were younger but he had thought that she was a boy. He quickly learns that she is all woman.

Like

There is more of a storyline than a regular Harlequin novel

Braaaaaiiiiinnnssss nom nom nom

2011-12-29T18:03:00.002-05:00

I still haven’t read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Perhaps one day I will pick it up to read. I have, however, read the zombiefied version and, recently, watched the BBC production of the book. The movie – while long – was fantastic; however, I kept expecting zombies to shuffle on the screen and the Bennet sisters to prove their warrior status by kicking some undead ass (Or head. Whichever the case may be).

With the increasing popularity of zombies in the various entertainment venues, is it too much to hope for a movie adaptation of this series? I’d love to see the Bennet sisters practice the deadly arts against hordes of undead being projected onto the big screen. Someone make it happen for me, umkay?

Liar, Liar, pants on fire

2011-12-28T19:29:00.003-05:00

Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Now back in her home city, Digger finds herself drawn into the troubles of nobles once again. After learning that Durrel – the young nob who once saved her from the Greenmen – has been imprisoned for the murder of his much older wife, Digger begins to investigate the case. Soon she uncovers the threads of a plot that goes much deeper than the murder of one person.

Likes

Digger is a strong female character – but not without flaws. This just makes her feel more real.

The twist at the very end. There MUST be another book coming.

Dislikes

It took some time before I got hooked on the story. In fact, I almost returned it to work before finishing.

Other

Sequel to StarCrossed.

just a list

2011-12-28T19:25:00.001-05:00

So...I just found this post that I started way back on October 31. Yes...nearly two months ago. Holy. I'm just going to post it now as it.

Due to lack of time lately, here is a list of what I’ve been reading – complete with very sparse notes.

The art of seducing a naked werewolf by Molly Harper. – Adult supernatural romance. #2 in the series.
Nice girls don't live forever by Molly Harper. – Adult supernatural romance. #3 in the series. Can’t wait for #4 – due out next spring!
Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi – teen debut
Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper – Adult supernatural romance. #2 in the series
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett - #4 in the Tiffany Aching/Wee Free Men subseries.
How to flirt with a naked werewolf by Molly Harper. – Adult supernatural romance. #1 in the series
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall – teen debut. Made me cry.
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson – teen debut
Nice girls don't have fangs by Molly Harper – Adult supernatural romance. #1 in the series. LOVE IT!
The mark of the golden dragon: being an account of the further adventures of Jacky Faber, jewel of the East, vexation of the West, and pearl of the South China Sea by L.A. Meyer – #9 in the series. Not the best of it. Felt it was lacking in comparison to others in the series. Teen
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld – final in trilogy. Great series. Ending was meh. Tween/teen
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi – teen debut
Witchlanders by Lena Coakley – teen debut
Moonglass by Jessi Kirby – teen debut

long overdue

2011-12-27T12:38:00.001-05:00

Um….Hi? It’s been a while. I haven’t forgotten about you. Truly, I haven’t. I’ve just been busy reading and working and getting ready for Christmas. Perhaps I need to make a New Year’s resolution to blog more frequently.

I haven’t been listening to many audiobooks the past couple of months. I attempted a few, but they just didn’t catch my interest. The audiobook slump will hopefully be ending, as I have found something fun to listen to during my daily commute. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith; read by Katherine Kellgren. Katherine Kellgren is on my short list of favorite narrators. So far her narration skills have not disappointed.

I’ve been reading a lot as well. I’m not going to do a full review of each book completed over the past couple of months, but will give a short rundown of the titles.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu – Hazel and Jack have always been best friends, but then something happens that changes their friendship. When Jack disappears into the woods, Hazel is determined to save him. With nods and references to many other beloved children’s stories (Harry Potter, A Wrinkle in Time, When You Reach Me, Andersen’s fairy tales and many more), this is a wonderful story that fantasy book lovers will enjoy.
Bonk by Mary Roach – Definitely in the adult category, this non-fiction title discusses the science of sex. Often enlightening and humorous (and sometimes a bit painful to read).
Bunheads by Sophie Flack – Hannah has been living the dream for several years, but being a ballet dancer with the Manhattan Ballet Company isn’t fun and games. Sure there are parties to attend and beautiful outfits to don. There is also a lot of pain and very hard work – and no real social life. This is a great look behind the scenes of what seems to be a glamorous life.
Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wonder – Debut. Seventeen-year-old Cam has been fighting cancer. The latest news is not good. Hoping for a miracle – something Cam doesn’t believe in – her mother packs up Cam and her younger sister and heads from Orlando to a small town in Maine rumored to be magical.
Darth Paper Strikes Back: an Origami Yoda book by Tom Angleberger – As the new school year begins Origami Yoda finds a strong foe in newcomer Darth Paper. When his creator, Dwight, is kicked out of school for being a “troublemaker”, Origami Yoda asks Tommy to make a new case file proving that Dwight is not to blame for all his mishaps.
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai – 2011 National Book Award Young People’s Literature winner. At the end of the Vietnam War, Ha and her family barely escape their native land. They end up in Alabama. There are times when Ha fondly dreams of being in war torn Vietnam – instead of being in a country where she is such an outsider. Told as a novel in verse, this is the story of one family becoming accustomed to their new country – and their neighbors becoming acclimated to them.
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan – The second book the Heroes of Olympus series (a spinoff of the Percy Jackson books), this time the hero with memory loss is Percy Jackson. Finding himself in a camp for Roman demigods, Percy must prove that he deserves to be there – while figuring out who he is. When his new friend is chosen for a quest, Percy joins the trip to the land beyond the gods – Alaska.

Audiobooks (I listened to these ages ago):

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney – As preparation for an upcoming program, I attempted to listen to all of the Wimpy Kid books. I had previously listened to the first in the series. I didn’t get too far. I can’t stand the main character. What a brat and a horrible friend. Ugh!
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond – if I had ever read this book as a child, I don’t recall. What a sweet and fun story!
Bossypants by Tina Fey – Narrated by Tina Fey, this is a great book. There are some parts, however, that she speaks more softly – in a kind of aside type of tone – that made listening to the audiobook a bit difficult. I was disappointed in the photographs in the book (I looked at them after listening to it). Overall, though, great read!

In other news:

As some may know, I am on YALSA’s 2012 Morris committee. Earlier this month we released a shortlist. On the morning of January 23, we will announce which of the five books on the list is the winner. The shortlist includes – in alphabetical order:

"Between Shades of Gray" written by Ruta Sepetys, published by Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group USA.
"The Girl of Fire and Thorns" written by Rae Carson, published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
"Paper Covers Rock" written by Jenny Hubbard, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books.
"Under the Mesquite" written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, published by Lee and Low Books.
"Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

What does this mean? The next few weeks will be spent rereading – again – the list of finalists. Then, after January 23 I can devote my time to pleasure reading once again.

Prince of Dorkness

2011-10-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Melanie.

Prince of Dorkness by Tim Collins

Nigel, last seen in the first book of this series Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire, has been dating Chloe for a while now. Nigel appears to be a 15 year old high school sophomore, but he’s really a vampire over 100 years old and Chloe is his human high school girlfriend. He loves her, but she breaks up with him. As if this wasn’t enough “Grandpa” moves in with Nigel’s family. Grandpa doesn’t do any work around the house but he does help himself to the family’s blood supply. No one in Nigel’s family understands the pain Nigel is going through and that includes Nigel losing his vampire powers. Now he’s back to being a lame vampire. But this isn’t the worst of it...Jason, the new guy is school, is a werewolf, and he’s dating Chloe. Nigel’s figures this out, but will Chloe realize it before it’s too late? The drama in Nigel’s life takes its toll on him, but the book ends with the hope of a third installment in the series.

Likes: I am not into the vampire genre at all, but this book hooked me from the first few pages. It’s a very smart book with respect to how it takes a lot of popular elements of the Twilight books and movies and weaves them into the story. Nigel’s voice is very similar to that of Greg Heffley and the style of writing in the book even including the mock notebook pages make this very similar to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. It is a very quick, fluffy read with enough teen angst to make it laugh-out-loud funny at times.

Dislikes: On more than one occasion the parents “drink too much blood,” and this is very clearly meant to parallel people drinking too much alcohol. Also when Nigel describes drinking Chloe’s blood for the first time it doesn’t take too much imagination to translate it to losing one’s virginity. While these elements are integral to the quality and enjoyment of the story, I would recommend this book to middle school kids and not upper elementary kids even though the style is so similar to other books they read and enjoy. Sadly these elements could make this book difficult to booktalk in schools depending on the make-up and tolerances of the community.

more quick and dirty

2011-10-14T12:54:00.004-04:00

Last week I was lucky enough to be on vacation. Much of that time was spent fairly disconnected from the internet - and at times - cell phones. It was a wonderfully relaxing time; however, it did absolutely nothing to get me caught up on this blog! So...here are some more "quick and dirty" reviews.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young– debut book.

In an post apocalyptic world, Saba and her siblings have spent their whole lives in seclusion, sporadically seeing a few neighbors. For years it has been only Saba, her beloved twin Lugh, their younger sister Emmi and their father. When Lugh is captured by mysterious riders, Saba is determined to rescue him despite the great trials she must face. Along the way she realizes that with the power of friendship she is stronger. (Teen)

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy– debut book.

Modern day Afghanistan. A young Afghani teen must live with the horrible facial defect with which she was born. This is compounded by gender issues that are traditional to her society and the lingering effects of the Taliban’s rule. When American soldiers come to their village, the culture clash brings fear, anger, and – most importantly – hope.(Teen/Tween)

Sister Mischief by Laura Goode– debut book.

Proving that hip hop culture transcends socio-economic and racial boundaries, suburban high schoolers and close friends Esme, Rowie, Marcy and Tess let the rhymes fly. When their school opposes hip hop to the point of writing a policy against the music and its culture, the foursome develop a student group to discuss the movement and how it corresponds with reality. Along the way there is first love, finding of one’s self, and the realization of true friendship. (Teen)

Three down...several more to go.

Prisoner of My Desire by Johanna Lindsey

2011-10-08T17:48:00.000-04:00

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Prisoner of My Desire by Johanna Lindsey

Rowena has an ambitious stepbrother who has plans to advance his place in life, but he needs Rowena to marry well and have a child. He marries her off to an old man who ends up passing away on their wedding night so he commands his henchmen to go kidnap a serf who resembles the husband to service her and get her pregnant.

But things do not go the way he plans, and prisoner escapes before success can be confirmed. And it turns out that they kidnapped a knight who has a lot of power.

Likes

Something about stories that take place in the past intrigues me.

What Rowena caused the knight to suffer, he does back to her – originally as revenge but he quickly realizes that there is more to it than getting back at her.

Dislikes

I found the book a confusing for the first while due to the different titles of everyone.

Kaleidoscope by Danielle Steel

2011-10-02T17:45:00.002-04:00

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Kaleidoscope by Danielle Steel

This book starts out in 1943 during the war. We have two characters, Sam and Arthur who are on leave in Paris and Sam meets a woman and falls in love with her. He manages to convince her to marry him and come back to America. While their marriage seems ideal, Sam cheats on his wife and when she threatens to leave him, he ends up beating her up and killing her. Sam goes to jail but ends up committing suicide with no arrangements made to take care of his three young daughters.

Arthur is able to arrange adoptions for the two youngest, but Hilary ends up in foster car. The book follows her struggles through life until she is of age and able to take care of herself. She then confronts Arthur and has to deal with some of her hopes being dashed and finding a way to continue with her life.

Likes

It is a good story, but some parts are a shock which adds to the story in a good and bad way.

Dislikes

The story is sad – Hilary goes through several homes, none of which really care or try to help her.

Paradise by Judith McNaught

2011-09-29T13:27:00.003-04:00

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Paradise by Judith McNaught

This is a story of a sheltered rich girl, Meredith, who rebels at 16 by taking home a guy who she is attracted to but she ends up getting pregnant. She shows up on his door step and he marries her. But her dad is not happy about the situation and tries to buy the guy off. He refuses as he truly wants to be with the girl. She ends up having a miscarriage though, and due to circumstances, they end up splitting up.

The story then moves forward 10+ years, and both of them are living the lives that they wanted. But in preparing to marry her fiancé, Meredith finds out that she is still married and has to turn to her husband for a divorce. But things are not that simple.

Likes

The story is intriguing and keeps you interested.

It is not a typical romance but definitely has some romantic elements.

Dislikes

I found the story a bit long and cumbersome at 700 pages.

quick and dirty - but at least they are done

2011-09-28T18:19:00.007-04:00

In the interest of getting caught up, I've decided to post a series of mini-reviews. These are all books I have read over the past couple of months but just haven't had the chance to write a proper review.

Love times three: our true story of a polygamous marriage by Joe, Alina, Vicki and Valerie Darger with Brooke Adams. – Adult non-fiction. In some ways fascinating, though I wasn’t overly impressed by the actual writing. The title pretty much tells you what the book is about.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab – debut book. Set during an unspecified time period (the far past?) in an unspecified English speaking place (the main character mentions that she speaks English). When a stranger comes to Near, young children turn up missing. Could the two be related or is it the work of the fabled Near Witch? Realistic supernatural fiction. An intriguing read.

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay– debut book. Two half- siblings. One lives in London with their mother and her father, waiting for the day when her older brother can be with them. The other lives in the Philippines with their aunt and her family, growing taller and taller as he waits for the approval to immigrate to the UK. When he finally arrives, nothing is as expected. Told in alternating voices, this is a wonderful debut. I’m just not 100% sure who its audience is, feeling that it is more of a tween book than anything else.

Madapple by Christina Meldrum– debut book. Previous Morris finalist. Charged with the murder of her aunt and her cousin, Aslaug is on trial. What unfolds is an often confusing story of true reality versus perceived reality, interspersed with religion and science. While a solid novel, it reads more like a book written for adults than a teen novel.

Penguin Party

2011-09-16T12:46:00.001-04:00

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

From late spring through early fall, Mr. Popper paints houses. The rest of the year he sits at home, continually getting in Mrs. Popper’s way. All year round, however, Mr. Popper loves to read books and watch movies about the exploration of the North and South Poles.

After sending a letter to famous explorer Admiral Drake, Mr. Popper receives a surprise present – a penguin straight from the South Pole! In order to keep their new pet, named Captain Cook, from wilting away in loneliness, the family soon acquires a second penguin. When eggs are laid and subsequently hatched, two penguins soon become twelve. Feeding the flock increases the Popper family’s bills much beyond their means, something soon resolved by training the birds to perform as Popper's Performing Penguins. Soon the family – both human and birds – are traveling the country and entertaining thousands…but not without many humorous mishaps along the way!

Likes

The penguin’s antics are very enjoyable. I loved listening to the reactions of others upon seeing the penguins for the first time.

Other

Newbery Honor Award in 1939

Read for the Record 2011

2011-09-15T17:51:00.002-04:00

Mark your calendars! Jumpstart's Read for the Record is scheduled for October 6. The book chosen for this even is Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney.

What is Read for the Record? From the website:

Each year, millions of adults and children gather on a single day to set a new reading record and to show their support for early literacy by joining Jumpstart's Read for the Record.

So, on October 6, cuddle up with a little one and support literacy by reading Llama Llama Red Pajama.