tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39342869554455715942012-02-14T05:25:07.972-08:00Blogging adventures with the book.bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-39444076847822920342012-02-13T12:37:00.000-08:002012-02-14T05:04:03.957-08:00

I will admit that I read the novel Chime less because it was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature than because it was part of this year's controversy surrounding the award. And though I'm sad that its author Franny Billingsley was dragged through an ugly mess that should never have happened, I'm so glad the turmoil put the book on my radar. This inventive tale

Emily Colpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00534398207663813296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-35802007320152041532011-09-28T06:18:00.000-07:002011-09-28T06:18:40.157-07:00

If I could have coffee with any writer living or dead, high on my list of picks would be Libba Bray. Even if she didn't write witty, irreverant, and often intensely personal blogs and tweets (which she does), I would find her diverse range of characters and unorthodox plots irresistable . As we sat down for lattes, I'd ask her things like: "Libba, you describe A Great and Terrible Beauty as 'a

Emily Colpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00534398207663813296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-3009475970688185852011-06-06T11:29:00.000-07:002011-06-06T11:30:49.110-07:00

From the wonder twin power team of David Levithan and Rachel Cohn comes another hip New York novel about teenagers who are intelligent, witty, and interesting while searching for love and finding themselves. For the audacity to believe that teens can not only can be this but might want to read about this, I commend the authors heartily. Our two main characters are ostensibly polar opposites.

Emily Colpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00534398207663813296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-91916803486117054982011-04-21T10:13:00.000-07:002011-05-27T11:35:58.092-07:00

I find the nature of friendship fascinating--not unlike new love. There's the giddy beginnings when all the things you have in common with another seem an endless discovery and you want to spend every waking minute getting to know the other as you would yourself. There's the supremely delicate moments a friendship balances on, the ones you don't recognize while they're happening, but that will

Emily Colpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00534398207663813296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-30859549345358408972011-04-08T10:00:00.000-07:002011-04-08T10:00:52.452-07:00

Andrew Zansky is a big guy. At fifteen years old, he weighs 306.4 pounds. And unfortunately, this is all anybody seems to see in Andrew. Nobody cares that he is funny and smart, and nobody notices that he is a good writer or that he is devasted by his dad's decision to leave his mom. That's what it is to be big in this society. Every moment of every day, Andrew thinks about his weight--whether

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-69888775375224418972011-03-10T06:32:00.000-08:002011-03-23T10:34:24.594-07:00

Ahh...once again I have been sucked in by cover art.It's sort of new age Wizard of Oz, right? Well, while the book has little in common with the Wizard of Oz, I'm pleased to say it is wonderful novel. Matched takes place in a future where a nonspecific global disaster has caused most humans to give up their personal freedoms to "the Society" in exchange for health, security, and stability. The

Emily Colpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00534398207663813296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-7326771819635187252011-01-19T08:03:00.000-08:002011-01-27T06:27:56.916-08:00

I have never been what one would call picky when it comes to reading. I'm more of your all-you-can-eat buffet type of girl--a little of this, a little of that, a side of this.... I find that this is especially true when it comes to downloadable audiobooks, where I'm less impacted by the cover art, less likely to browse by genre, and more likely to pick based on what's available at the library

Emily Colpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00534398207663813296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-58682809202710478042010-10-17T17:52:00.000-07:002010-10-17T17:52:30.267-07:00

As a librarian, I am regularly asked "What is your favorite book." I never have an answer for this. I have many "favorites" depending on my mood and what I need from a book at the moment. However, I will admit to a soft spot for the fantasy genre. I know, I know...it's not for everyone, but the thing is, there's a reason why so many books with cult followings are fantasy. Fantasy like the Lord of

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-23434736390634655202010-09-23T12:31:00.000-07:002010-09-23T12:37:27.277-07:00

Green Angel is a brief, haunting, modern fairy tale by prolific novelist Alice Hoffman. The protagonist, Green, lives with her parents and younger sister on a farm outside an unnamed city where they sell their produce. Always considered the quiet one with the knack for gardening, Green is left behind to tend the crops on one trip. Resentful, Green climbs the hill on the farm overlooking the city

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-43914603067161863132010-09-21T12:22:00.000-07:002010-09-21T12:35:52.641-07:00

Shiver, a novel by Maggie Stiefvater, reminded me once again that you can’t judge a book by its cover, especially in recent times as publishers have ventured into more sophisticated covers for all manner of young adult books. In the case of Shiver, once glance at the artsy, bi-tonal print on the jacket and I assumed it was a more contemporary, realistic novel. Color me surprised to find it was in

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-39918431120257930112010-08-20T11:32:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:47:33.964-07:00

Gone by Lisa McMann is the third and final installment of the creepy, minimalist Wake trilogy. If you haven't read the first two, start there, as this review has spoilers. Main character Janie has the ability, or really, is compelled to enter other people's dreams. In the previous two books, Janie discovers she is not alone in this power and that being able to enter people's dreams has its

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-63635811372500223962010-02-07T21:41:00.000-08:002010-08-20T11:40:32.762-07:00

I'm a big fan of the stylistic device known as the "unreliable narrator," especially when employed by an author who knows what he or she is about. And judging by her latest book, Liar, Justine Larbalestier clearly knows what she is about. The narrator Micah introduces herself as a compulsive liar who this time indends to tell the truth: "No lies, no omissions." We learn early on of the death of

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-82904471868008769812009-10-26T01:54:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:41:19.493-07:00

For shame, Madam Librarian. You of all people, should not have been lured in by slick marketing and a cool cover...but, I must admit that I bought into the hype surrounding The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. The book was getting rave reviews from bloggers, the Amazon book trailer was cool, the blurbs on the back cover were wildly complimentary kudos from authors I like. I was fully

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-29943752085342103162009-09-15T00:23:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:46:18.021-07:00

I'm back from a loooong break and rarin' to go. For my first review of the year, I snagged Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd, a collection of short stories edited by well-known authors (and good friends) Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci. If you haven't noticed, we're currently in the middle of a Geek-Chic Phenomenon wherein, geekiness, nerdiness, dorkdome, etc. have come in to their own and

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-4595387064880193922009-03-19T11:37:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:45:59.723-07:00

It's been awhile since I've been this enraptured by a book, and truly, I love Graceling. Kristin Cashore has opened a rich world of seven kingdoms with "seven thoroughly unpredictable kings." In these lands where the kings tend toward tyranny over the people, some individuals are graced with special abilities--some are amazing cooks, others can foretell the future, and some, like Katsa, niece of

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-91955355794925967002009-03-06T03:27:00.000-08:002010-08-20T11:45:59.726-07:00

In this, the third and final book of the Peaches series, author Jodi Lynn Anderson brings Murphy, Leeda, and Birdie back to the Darlington Orchard for one more summer of exploration, adventure, and romance before bringing their stories to a close. Wild Murphy cut all ties with Bridgewater, Georgia when she moved to New York City after high school, including those with boyfriend and all-around

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-41113748755931944842009-03-01T23:03:00.000-08:002010-08-20T11:45:59.728-07:00

Madapple, also known as "rank-smelling, rash-causing, poisonous jimsonweed...green dragon and stinkwort and angel's-trumpet" is also the title of the strange and intriguing first novel by Christina Meldrum. Meldrum took to the old addage to "write what you know," spinning a tale that taps her knowledge and interest in nature and religion and her experience with the juidicial system. It is the

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-2333135719065105142009-02-18T03:20:00.000-08:002010-08-20T11:46:18.023-07:00

"When Alice fell down the rabbit hole, she fell slow. She had time to notice things on her way down--Oh, there's a teacup! There's a table! So things seemed normal to her while she was falling. Then she bumped down and rolled into Wonderland, and all hell broke loose."I love this quote from the opening chapter of What I Saw and How I Lied, not only for its imagery but also for the way it tries to

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-38431755342113052902009-02-11T03:19:00.000-08:002010-02-25T08:49:02.654-08:00

Not gonna lie to you, reading The Possibilities of Sainthood felt cleansing after the last two uber-dark books I posted on. First time author Donna Freitas brings us the story Antonia Lucia Labella, a 15-year old Catholic school girl who's never been kissed. Antonia lives with her very strict, very Catholic, very Italian mother and grandmother above their speciality food store in Rhode Island.

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-86758423380484792272009-02-05T22:37:00.000-08:002010-02-25T08:49:02.656-08:00

I seem to be reading thematically of late because the book for this post, like the last one, deals with dark, emotionally disturbing subject matter. However, unlike Living Dead Girl with its chilling realism, Tender Morsels uses fantasy and fairy tale to explore issues like abuse and violence.This Printz Award Honor winner by Australian writer Margo Lanagan is a compelling revamping of the fairy

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-88107513516097628082009-01-26T03:43:00.000-08:002010-08-20T11:46:18.026-07:00

I write this post still feeling emotionally devastated by the experience of reading Elizabeth Scott's Living Dead Girl. This terrifying novel is the account of 15-year old "Alice," a young woman who has been in the clutches of a sexual predator since he kidnapped her at age 10. Ray has named her Alice...the same name he gave his last victim. Now Alice is nearing the age when Ray tired of the

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-14611719603592252542009-01-15T02:12:00.000-08:002010-08-20T11:45:59.733-07:00

If you're looking at trends in teen literature of the last few years, you can't deny that fairies/faeries/faerys are BIG. They come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities--flawed and humanesque in the works of Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange), good versus evil faeries in Herbie Brennan's Faerie Wars, dark and wild in Holly Black's realm (Tithe, Valiant, Ironside), and fluffy and

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-79065276321674143482009-01-07T02:18:00.000-08:002010-02-25T08:49:02.663-08:00

While I am a very loyal and enthusiastic Harry Potter devotee today, I do feel a bit of a fraud because I came to the series so late in the game. My husband, my mom, and my sister were all on board from the first book, but I just never got around to starting. Talk about humiliating for a librarian! Anyway, around the time the first movie came out, I finally got hooked (I have a firm policy

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-45698449242726883642008-11-20T23:40:00.000-08:002010-08-20T11:45:59.735-07:00

Anne Green wakes to pitch blackness. She can't move or speak or even open her eyes. The last thing she can remember is walking up to a scaffold to be hanged for the murder of her baby. Is she in purgatory? Or has she been buried alive?So begins this chilling and fascinating tale based on the real-life story of a British serving maid convincted and hung for infanticide in 1650. The story begins

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-6618888200480956302008-11-04T01:36:00.000-08:002010-08-20T11:45:59.737-07:00

Setting: Gracetown, North Carolina; Christmas; massive snow storm. Three popular young adult authors write three separate but interconnected romances. In the first, Maureen Johnson tells the story of Jubilee Dougal stuck on a train to Florida and her grandparents because her parents have been arrested as part of a riot over collectible Christmas decorations. Parted from her perfect boyfriend,

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-17952152120556810062008-10-20T23:05:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:45:59.739-07:00

Think you know the story of Alice in Wonderland? Not even close, according to Frank Beddor's new Looking Glass trilogy. First off, Alice is actually Princess Alyss of Wonderland, whose evil Aunt Redd's invasion has forced Alyss, the heir to the throne, to flee. With the aid of her trusted bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, she escapes through the Pool of Tears and finds herself in another world, namely,

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-46605855944890247352008-10-13T22:32:00.000-07:002010-02-25T08:49:02.669-08:00

Have you ever had a dream so powerful you found it hard to wake from? Janie has...in fact Janie does, quite frequently, only the dreams are not her own. Since Janie was 8 years old she has been pulled into the dreams of people who sleep in close proximity to her. She simply falls asleep in the midst of what she is doing and watches the dreams--the secret dreams of the girl at the sleepover, the

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-47547650556935542008-10-03T02:02:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:45:59.742-07:00

The wait is almost over loyal (and it must be said of some of you, rabid) John Green fans. Green's latest literary contribution drops October 16, but here at MHS Library, we were lucky enough to get an advanced copy (woo-hoo!). Here's what I can say without giving away too much:As in Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines the narrator of Paper Towns is a guy who is witty and funny,

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-35208215682352920212008-09-19T03:12:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:45:59.744-07:00

Ten Cents a Dance, the second novel from Christine Fletcher, is a riveting tale about a 15-year old girl living near the slaughter yards in 1940s Chicago. When her Polish-American father died, her Irish-American mother went to work for a meat-packing house, doing dangerous, thankless work for very little pay to support her daughters. When she is nearly crippled with rheumatoid arthritis, it is up

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-39658113331486645282008-09-09T01:19:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:44:17.705-07:00

From the always funny E. Lockhart comes her latest novel The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. The title character is one of those smart, sassy heroines you often find in YA novels, who are identifiable, and sort of remind you of a cooler version of yourself. Frankie, at age 14, was a gangly, kinda geeky-but-not-a-social-outcast girl attending the private boarding school her father

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-44525611554173051812008-09-09T00:11:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:44:55.155-07:00

When Scarlett Martin turns 15, she is given the key to her very own hotel suite...to take care of. You see, Scarlett's family owns a hotel in New York City, which sounds very glamorous, but is actually hard work...and not a very financially successful enterprise as of late. The tradition is to give each of their children a hotel suite to be responsible for when they reach 15, and when Scarlett is

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-41774971828941265622008-05-27T02:05:00.000-07:002010-02-25T08:49:02.676-08:00

While the book Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox is not a perfect book, it did get me so wrapped up in its world that I was dying to find out what happens in Book Two--Dreamquake. Lucky for me it is already out (the benefit of starting a series of books that is already published) and even better than Book One. Dreamquake picks up with the final scene of Dreamhunter and tells it from an alternative

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-50377316412061107872008-05-13T22:18:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:45:59.746-07:00

Enter a world very like our own around the turn of the century (1900, not 2000). It is a world where automobiles are still newfangled toys for the rich, where ladies still wear long dresses, and where wealthy young girls attend finishing schools to prepare them for coming out into society. Laura and Rose are cousins living in this world of privilege each with one parent who is of high society and

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-50185898786767645032008-05-02T00:14:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:45:59.749-07:00

Each year the American Library Association gives out the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature and awards "Honor" status (like an honorable mention) to 3 or 4 other finalists for the award. I often feel conflicted about the books that get chosen and 2008's selections are no exception. One of the honor books is Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins. It is the story of a demon (

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-76618565717817541212008-04-22T21:52:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:45:59.751-07:00

This latest novel by Peter Cameron pulls off the difficult task of making a difficult, troubled, antisocial narrator completely sympathetic and lovable. James Sveck, an eighteen year-old outsider is intelligent, philosophical, and yes, even "charming" (as the front cover suggests) but he has problems showing all this to the outside world. James has been accepted to prestigious Brown College, but

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-32405145231252556042008-04-15T02:31:00.000-07:002010-02-25T09:10:46.982-08:00

First off, for those of you science fiction fans unfamiliar with Octavia Butler, add her to your list right now. Octavia Butler is one of most respected and beloved writers of the genre, a great talent whose life was cut short in 2006. Fledglingwas her final book and her first "vampire romance," a subgenre she had recently stumbled on and had grown to enjoy.Despite the inspiration, Butler's

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-9823108443892115772008-04-15T00:23:00.000-07:002010-02-25T09:10:46.984-08:00

Just when you were asking yourself, "why aren't there more teen books about roller derby?" along comes Derby Girl by Shauna Cross. The novel's main character Bliss Cavendar, an "indie-rock-loving misfit" feels like she must be adopted. Her mother is a beauty-pageant loving former Miss Blubonnet with visions of a family dynasty. Her father is a quiet, football-loving man who does anything Bliss's

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-62203682995024760722008-03-18T23:28:00.000-07:002010-02-25T09:10:46.985-08:00

Sara Zarr's debut novel is an emotional and realistic book about a girl whose life is not what she planned. In the novel's opening lines, Deanna, the narrator, tells us: "I was thirteen when my dad caught me with Tommy Webber in the back of Tommy's Buick, parked next to the old Chart House down in Montara at eleven o'clock on a Tuesday night. Tommy was seventeen and the supposed friend of my

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-24560902175553455992008-02-26T11:49:00.000-08:002010-02-25T09:10:46.986-08:00

I read this book because I'm a Nerdfighter, and the Nerdfighters have started a Blurbing Book Club where we are to come up with a blurb for the book in 10 words or less--the winners will get prizes--yay prizes!Maureen Johnson has actually written a lot of books for young adults (including the awesome Keys to the Golden Firebird) and this is one of her strongest. The main character is Ginny, a 17-

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-82265617494774142622008-02-25T02:29:00.000-08:002010-02-25T09:10:46.988-08:00

On a recent road trip to Chicago, I read Sherman Alexie's National Book Award-winning The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian. As my husband can attest, I laughed out loud throughout the book, frequently turning off his book-on-CD to make him listen to particularly funny passages. But this is not the stupid-funny, throw away-funny that rules in our modern culture. Like Alexie's previous

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934286955445571594.post-67243818827535586092008-02-07T12:13:00.000-08:002010-08-20T11:45:59.753-07:00

If you'd told me 5 years ago that I'd be reading a YA book that included graphs, footnotes, mathematical equations, and anagrams galore, AND that I'd LOVE it, I'd have understandably said...well that's crazy talk. Nonetheless, here I am, telling you I love An Abundance of Katherines by John Greene, of Brotherhood 2.0 and Nerdfighter fame.If you like your characters funny and smart, you're gonna

bookwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07352453223240051255noreply@blogger.com1