What are you reading now that we're heading into summer?

I'm working on a re-read of Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why, recently acquired by the library in the new-books pile. This was one of the YA books I read off the shelf and had to buy for myself; I think its premise (a girl who commits suicide sends a collection of audio tapes in lieu of a note to the thirteen people she thinks could have made a difference) is a real original, and it's both familiar and unforgettable. This was one of my must-reads this year, and you should check it out.

I just finished The Market by J.M. Steele, and despite a few bumpy moments -- there were a few instances of sloppy writing habits that made me want to play editor -- it's a really fascinating look at popularity through the lens of a mock-internet stock market of girls at a particular school. The twists were both well foreshadowed and really surprising, and the viewpoint character is incredibly engaging, even as she succumbs to less-than-perfect behavior.

I tried the new Meg Cabot, Airhead -- and despite glowing reviews around, I was less than enthused. I LOVE the premise -- it's one of the best don't-spoil-this twists in awhile -- and yet...

There was just something missing there. I think it's the part where we don't get to really get a good handle on the character the narrator is crushing on, so her crush on him is virtually the only reason we care. There's also no real resolution, as Cabot is looking to make a series of these books. That's all well and good, but I expect more from the mistress of serial fiction that way.

PERCY JACKSON 4.

It's hard to type out squealing noises. Book 5 can't come fast enough. This was the book that finally decided it for me: I DO love the Percy Jackson books more than Harry Potter. Battle for the Labyrinth was yet another stellar entry into this series. I was thrilled to see Tyson's return, and the dimensions revealed behind other familiar faces - from Annabelle to Clarisse to Nico to, of all people, the briefly mentioned Rachel Elizabeth Dare, here a fascinating new force in the Olympian world even as a mortal girl. There's a ton of subtle foreshadowing for the climax to come - ranging from the progress of BFF Grover's quest to find the great god Pan to discussions of the nature of the combat between the Olympian gods and their older counterparts the Titans, and who takes which sides in that conflict and their reasons for so doing. Percy's mom remains one of the coolest parents in literature, and it's nice to see Riordan's great handling of the mortal sides of Percy's relationships. I laughed! I cried! I want book 5.

I've recently finished Barry Lyga's Cybil-winning Boy Toy, and I hardly know where to begin with this book. It's a difficult topic; it examines the emotions of an eighteen-year-old male high school baseball star who, at age thirteen, was molested by his female teacher, and whose life was turned upside-down for years to come by the subsequent trial and reputation thus acquired. This is, as you probably can guess, NOT an easy read, and not for everybody, but it's unquestionably well done. I don't know if I've read many more powerful books this year, and Lyga handles character like almost nobody else. If you like difficult realistic fiction, this is worth a look.

That's my recent reading list (ie, just this last week). What are you reading as summer winds down?

PS: Little Brother fanatics -- I know where Cory Doctorow stores his how-to-be-an-awesome-hacker instruction starters!

Battle of the Books 2007-2008

It is official this is the list...it looks like a promising list.

• Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos
• The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: A Fable by John Boyne
• Copper Sun by Sharon Draper
• Eagle Blue: A Team, A Tribe, and a High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska by Michael D'Orso
• Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman
• Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
• Firestorm: The Caretaker Trilogy: Book 1 by David Klass
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling and Mary GrandPre'
• Heat by Mike Lupica
• Invisible by Pete Hautman
• Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein
• My Sister's Keeper: A Novel by Jodi Picoult
• New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
• The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
• Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh
• The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
• The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

I know a lot of you have already read some of these and if you haven't there looks like some really good ones here. If you haven't participated in Battle of the Books before you should start this year. The idea is for a team to read all of these book (that doesn't mean everyone has to read all the books, but that isn't a bad idea) and know them inside and out before February when the state competition is. The more you know about the books the better chances you will have of answering the questions. You may start reading these books right now and watch for more information here and at school when you come back in the fall.

TTT 2007

Start Reading Now so you can VOTE for Teen Top Ten 2007
The nominations are:
Firegirl by Tony Abbott
Clay by David Almond
Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
Secrets of My Hollywood Life: On Location by Jen Calonita
The Loud silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles
In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth
The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson
What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles
Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie
River Secrets by Shannon Hale
Shock Point by April Henry
Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe
Born to Rock by Gordon Korman
New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Kiki Strike:Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller
Prom Anonymous by Blake Nelson
Maxium Ride:School's Out--Forever by James Patterson
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Penelope Bailey Takes the Stage by Lusanna Reich
All Hallows Eve by Vivian Vande Velde
Skin by Adrienne M Vrettos
The Unresolved by T.K. Welsh
Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce


Remember to read as many of these as possible, so you can make an informed choice in the fall

Happy Reading!!!!!

Reading Rants

Reading Rants

This is a cool website created by a middle school librarian, Jennifer Hubert, she creates unique reading lists for young adults. There are a few that I thought you would be especially interested in...

Just "Fanging" Around
Nail Biters
Graphic Fantastic