Saturday, May 17, 2014

Some new books!

I had been doing so well. Then a post I tried to write got deleted and other stuff happened, and now it's already the end of the year. We'll, I'll throw out a couple of suggestions for summer reading at least! First we have Girl Parts, an interesting scifi story where all of our technology has led to the invention of lifelike robots  to help people learn to socialize. So sad. But it's a bit intriguing as the dissociated people are teenage boys and the robots are all female companions. The guys can't even touch a girl robot whom he hasn't spent enough time with to know without getting a shock. Doggie training for boys:)
Counting by 7s is one of this year's Bluebonnet titles that might intimidate some readers with its size and others with a blasé cover. But the story is a great tale of loss and love. The characters are quite the unique assortment that readers will remember long after. Very satisfying read.
Tabula Rasa was a cpid- can't put it down. I read it in three days- which is really fast for me! Imagine an experimental hospital where people are given a second chance at redeeming their lives by having some of their memories removed. Yes, it requires brain surgery.... And then there's a power outage, strange findings, people attacking, escaping, remembering, and then realizing you have to go back for one pill or you'll never get fixed. Boy do I see a movie being made out of this one!
Last but not least, who doesn't love Kate DiCamillo? Especially when her book won the Newbery? Flora and Ulysses is also on the Bluebonnet list and is full of amusing illustrations to add to its charm. Ulysses, the squirrel who types out poetry after a vacuum incident, steals the show. Again, a cast of characters to remember!




Thursday, February 6, 2014

Printz winner Midwinterblood


Since seven is a number of completeness, it is fitting that Sedgwick chose to divide this novel into that many stories. Each takes place in different time, but on the same island and with unnervingly similar characters. You'd think we'd start at the beginning and work our way into the present, but instead, the tale of these interwoven fates begins in the future and extends back into a time unknown. The major players are a man who in the present is named Eric Seven and a woman named Merle, although names frequently change to fit the time. Eric did not even live on the island in several vingnettes, but was sometimes visiting or stranded there. He was always in love with Merle, although sometimes she was of a different age, and at times his daughter, mother or sister. Each story is hauntingly beautiful, with symbols and phrases tying together the tales in unexpected ways. But the completeness comes from the connection that ties one story to another, such as how the bones of 2 people became intertwined that is an archaeologists' greatest discovery. Quite a worthy Printz award recipient.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

New mythology fiction

A new novel I just read is Solstice, by Tricia Hoover. We are lucky to have this author come for a visit to our middle schools next week. For all those fans of Percy Jackson, I think this will be a great suggestion. It is full of characters from Greek mythology who happen to be living in Austin, Texas. The main character is a girl named Piper, who is turning 18. Her world suffers from global warming so out of control the city has built glass domes that can protect its citizens when temperatures soar. But the weather is behaving unpredictably, producing ice storms, fierce winds and thunderstorms. In the midst of the chaos, Piper appears to be the single most eligible bachelorette in town. Men materialize out of thin air to woo her. The obstacle to her fairy tale romances is her mother, overprotective with a capital o. There's a history there... And you mythology buffs might know it! Check out Solstice!

Friday, December 6, 2013

Ice days

What a great time to share with you my list of books that have to do with snow and ice, right? Unfortunately, it's at school on my desk and i'm at home in bed... Such is life. Let's see what my brain can remember anyway! 
If I Stay
Trapped
Bonechiller
Devouring
Merrilee Marvelous
Confessions of an Ice Princess
Peak
Shackleton's Stowaway
Cry of the Icemark
The Arctic Incident
Blackwater
After the Snow
How to Save a Life
Wicked Lovely
Before I Fall
Blizzards wake
Diamond Willow
Far From You
Frost
Cold Spell
So, let's go see what's cheap on Amazon and curl up with a good book!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Catching fire read alikes

I got to see an early preview of Catching Fire last night-woo woo! And i just did booktalks for a bunch of dystopias a lot like it. So, if you're looking for something that will get your blood going like The Hunger Games, here's a list of similar titles you can check out:
Legend
Divergent
Matched
Uglies
Girl in the Arena
Blood Red Road
Under the Never Sky
Gone
City of Ember
Delirium
Fever Crumb
Epic
The Sky Inside
The Selection
The Maze Runner
Insignia
Unwind
Among the Hidden
Incarceron
Feed
The Giver
Diary of Pelly D
Cinder