Monday, March 17, 2008

The Library's Got New Books!






Thanks so much to Nathan and Anthony for helping me when doing some end-of-the-year purchasing at Barnes and Noble last week! We've got about eighty new titles that should be on the shelves just before Spring Break.

Here's a few you might want to try:

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray: This book ends the series begun in A Great and Terrible Beauty, the story of Victorian heroine Gemma Doyle and her growth to leadership and mastery in the secret and magic realm that is her birthright. While I haven't read this book yet, it's not for lack of pressure -- everyone who's read it wants everyone else to finish as soon as possible so they can discuss it.

How NOT to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler: Sugar Magnolia - or Maggie, as she prefers - used to love her parents' rootless hippie lifestyle, and their habit of moving across the c
ountry from year to year. But as the new school year begins, she's leaving behind a best friend, a social life, even a boyfriend she was really serious about back in Portland. Brokenhearted, Maggie Dempsey decides that in Austin, her family's new destination, rather than open herself up to further pain by connecting with people, she is going to do everything she can NOT to be popular. Whatever it takes, even if that means wearing flowered plastic swim caps and Star Trek uniforms, hanging out with do-gooding losers, and turning down the hot guy who just won't leave her alone. So begins this book's comedy-movie premise, and it's a winner. Many of you were not fans of Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Maggie shares some of Stargirl's tactics for not fitting in, but I found it a lot easier to cheer for her than the somewhat preachy Stargirl. The reader is given plenty of reason to empathize with Maggie, and her reasons for her weirdness are much clearer and less idealized. Funny stuff, and for our male readers who might hesitate -- it's more comic than girly.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman: Gaiman may be best known to readers of this blog as 'the fella who wrote Stardust', or for the more savvy, 'the mind behind the Sandman comics'. This is perhaps his best-received book, the story of a drifter hired by a man who may or may not be Odin to participate in a war brewing between all the gods of the old world who migrated to America with their believers. It's a story that's sort of like the big brother to the Percy Jackson books, and easily one of the best fantasy novels of the last ten years. Gaiman is almost always worth a look if fantasy's your pick.

Speaking of graphic novels, both Flight and Fables are great places to start if you haven't read much in comics but would like to start. We now have both of the starting volumes of Fables, Bill Willingham's fantasy comic of displaced fairy tales living in America as refugees after a faceless Adversary drove them from the Homelands they remember. A tough (and divorced) Snow White leads Fabletown with the assistance of one Bigby Wolf (get it?), but her ex-husband Prince Charming, troublemaker Jack, and her bitter younger sister Rose Red all pose problems within the Fable community hidden just out of sight of 'Mundy' eyes. It's a story that's more Grimm Brothers than Disney - the second volume has plenty of violence, and takes its name from Orwell, after all. Flight, on the other hand, is a multi-story volume from some of the hottest new names in comics, all about different kinds of flight - from planes to rockets to kites in the sky, to the funny story of a girl who wakes up one day with wings. I've got a personal commission from one of the artists, Bill Mudron, and let me tell you - he's one of the many huge talents in this book, which is worth it just for the beautiful art alone.

Take a look!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Stephenie Meyer TOUR!

Stephenie Meyer is touring for her new science fiction book The Host -- and she's coming to our area!

Her tour begins at none other than the Mall of America starting on Tuesday, May 6th. Logistics for attending are a bit difficult -- see Stephenie's website for details for wristbands for the signing -- but for those of you who are wild about her work, the information on how to attend can be found there.

Friday, March 07, 2008

Another contest!

Author S. A. Harazin, whose debut novel Blood Brothers has received a great deal of attention and acclaim - including, most recently, an Edgar nomination for best YA mystery fiction of 2007 - gives an interview on Jessica Burkhart's blog. Those who comment to the blog will be entered in a contest to win copies of this book!

Ms. Harazin's a neat lady, and I've talked with her before about doing a blog-interview of our own for HHS Reads. In point of fact, there's at least four to six different authors who would be willing to do Q&A here on our very own book blog, whose books you will be seeing more of this spring and next fall in the library. Is there interest in an event like this? Would you all be interested in reading the work of various authors and getting to do more author-contact and questions?

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Blog For Books, Win Fabulous Prizes--

Hi everybody,

Since we'd like to see you use the blog more often, both for book club and for your own use relating to discussion of books you enjoy and would recommend to others, we're going to try out a new promotion here on the HHS Reads blog.

Many of you already participate in our monthly Reading Incentive drawing for the prizes found in our back room, including Barnes and Noble gift certificates, books, t-shirts, and other swag. For every three posts and/or comments you make to the HHS Reads blog, you will receive a stamp to your card, the same as if you had read 100 pages. A little regular participation in talking about the same books you read could net you twice as many opportunities to win in the drawing!

Speaking of neat prizes, consider taking a look at
the TeenReadsToo Contests Page for March -- they're giving away over 100 different prizes this month! Included in this giveaway are fifteen (!) copies of Sarah Dessen's newest, Lock and Key, as well as other great authors such as Carrie Jones and Edward Bloor. To enter, send ONE email to their contest email address found on their webpage, and be entered in their drawings for ALL their prizes -- how easy is that?

As proof that contests online for books can get you some amazing opportunities, I present the contest for
Jim C. Hines's Goblin Quest Trilogy held by the author and DAW Fantasy Books recently -- my entry on behalf of Holmen High was selected, and Jim is sending us a signed set of his trilogy for the library!

Jodi Picoult Appearances!

Popular author Jodi Picoult (late of our HHS Reads selection The Tenth Circle fame) is appearing in Wisconsin and Minnesota next week to promote her latest book, Change of Heart!

Jodi is appearing:

Thursday March 13 MADISON, WI 7 PM at Borders Books, 3750
University Avenue, 630-574-0800

Friday March 14 EDINA, MN 7:30 PM at Barnes & Noble, 3225
W 69th Street, 952-920-0633