We Were Liars

by E. Lockhart

A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island.A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret.Lies upon lies.True love.The truth. We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. Read it.And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

This book most certainly did not make me happy, but it helped wake me up. For anyone who gets stuck in a rut of habit or routine and you feel you need a good shock to the system, this book will not disappoint. It was so intense and so easy to get sucked into. Sometimes we don't need stuff that makes us feel happy, sometimes we need something that helps us simply feel.

Wonder Show

by Hannah Barnaby

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step inside Mosco’s Traveling Wonder Show, a menagerie of human curiosities and misfits guaranteed to astound and amaze! 

But perhaps the strangest act of Mosco’s display is Portia Remini, a normal among the freaks, on the run from McGreavy’s Home for Wayward Girls, where Mister watches and waits. He said he would always find Portia, that she could never leave. Free at last, Portia begins a new life on the bally, seeking answers about her father’s disappearance. 

Will she find him before Mister finds her? It’s a story for the ages, and like everyone who enters the Wonder Show, Portia will never be the same.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I'm not entirely sure what's drawn me to stories whose setting is a circus, wonder show, something with a big old tent and folks on the fringe. This story was exactly what I needed for the mood I was in. I loved Portia, she was such a strong character, I even liked her flaws because she really owned them. A good read, also, for anyone looking for character-driven historical fiction.

Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3)

by Robin LaFevers

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

The third book is finally out! I haven't gotten my hands on a copy yet, but I'm excited to the extreme! The first two books are on the short list of books that changed my life. Grave Mercy (#1) introduces the readers to France in the 1480's to the convent of St. Mortain, with main characters Ismae, Sybella, and Annith. Each book in the trilogy (in that order) tells the story from their points of view. Dark Triumph (#2) which is Sybella's story is one of the most powerful stories I've ever read. She is so strong and so unapologetic about her strength. Truly a rare trait that not many female characters share. Completely and utterly worth the 1,398* page journey.
*(total over all three books).

Mort (Discworld #4)

In this Discworld installment, Death comes to Mort with an offer he can't refuse -- especially since being, well, dead isn't compulsory. As Death's apprentice, he'll have free board and lodging, use of the company horse, and he won't need time off for family funerals. The position is everything Mort thought he'd ever wanted, until he discovers that this perfect job can be a killer on his love life.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

Another magnificent snapshot of life (and afterlife) on the Disc. This was also adapted as a radio series on BBC Radio 4 Extra which was incredibly fun. Dive in and enjoy.

Mary Poppins

By P.L. Travers, the author featured in the upcoming movie Saving Mr. Banks.   From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed.

It all starts when Mary Poppins is blown by the east wind onto the doorstep of the Banks house. She becomes a most unusual nanny to Jane, Michael, and the twins. Who else but Mary Poppins can slide up banisters, pull an entire armchair out of an empty carpetbag, and make a dose of medicine taste like delicious lime-juice cordial? A day with Mary Poppins is a day of magic and make-believe come to life!
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

The stuff of every child's (and adults') dreams. The book is even better than the movie but doing library/family program with a combo of the two can be fun too. Happy reading y'all.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1)

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers
who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I picked this book up from the sidewalk because I judged it by it's cover. I'm nearly done with the book and I love it. Taylor developed strong female characters and a great narrative in Prague. I would recommend this book to everyone.

In Honor of Banned Books Week

#3 Challenged Book of 2013

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie, Ellen Forney (Illustrator)

In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

If ever you, jaded humans, need a slap in the face of perspective, this book would be a good place to start. An absolutely beautiful tragic story. Full of love and loss and life and cold hard reality, this is an important book for teens and adults alike. Junior is such a great character and it was great to see his development and how he handled incredibly challenging situations.

This book’s most frequent challenge was because of “Drugs/alcohol/smoking”. Alexie wrote about drugs and drinking. And his book was challenged. Because nobody drinks excessively or does drugs, so teens don’t need to know about their devastating and deadly consequences, right? This isn’t Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, there is no glory bestowed on the consumption of illegal substances. Characters that the main character Junior loves are taken away from him because other characters made incredibly poor choices. Choices teens can learn about in order to avoid repeating themselves.

In Honor of Banned Books Week

#1 Challenged Book of 2013

The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Captain Underpants #1)
by Dav Pilkey

Pilkey plays with words and pictures, providing great entertainment. The story is immediately engaging - two fourth-grade boys who write comic books and love to pull pranks find themselves in big trouble. Mean Mr. Krupp, their principal, videotapes George and Harold setting up their stunts and threatens to expose them. The boys' luck changes when they send for a 3-D Hypno-Ring and hypnotize Krupp, turning him into Captain Underpants, their own superhero creation. Later, Pilkey includes several pages of flip-o-ramas that animate the action. The simple black-and-white illustrations on every page furnish comic-strip appeal. The cover features Captain Underpants, resplendent in white briefs, on top of a tall building. This book will fly off the shelves.

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I’ve read about half of the Captain Underpants series—out loud to a child—and loved them almost as much, if not more, than he did. The illustrations are a great complement to the story, which in itself is downright hilarious. This series is perfect for reluctant readers. It will show them that reading can be fun while still helping them develop the habit of reading sequentially from left to right with very manageable—and did I mention hilarious?!—text.

This book was challenged not because it was “unsuited for age group” but because Pilkey dared to have the two student protagonist challenge authority and because he portrayed school personnel in the way in which he experienced them himself; detached, indifferent, of often unkind. Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world, they teach our children, but being over-worked, under-paid and under-appreciated has led many to simply not give a damn anymore. Parents, don’t blame the graphic novel, blame the fractured system. Them stop blaming it and do something about it.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson was born in the middle of the American century-1951-in the middle of the United States-Des Moines, Iowa-in the middle of the largest generation in American history-the baby boomers.As one of the best and funniest writers alive, he is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24-carat memoir gold.

Like millions of his generational peers, Bill Bryson grew up with a rich fantasy life as a superhero. In his case, he ran around his house and neighborhood with an old football jersey with a thunderbolt on it and a towel about his neck that served as his cape, leaping tall buildings in a single bound and vanquishing awful evildoers (and morons)-in his head-as "The Thunderbolt Kid." Using this persona as a springboard, Bill Bryson re-creates the life of his family and his native city in the 1950s in all its transcendent normality-a life at once completely familiar to us all and as far away and unreachable as another galaxy.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I love everything Bill Bryson writes, his style fits my personality perfectly. With my heads nearly permanently in the clouds, it can be difficult for me to read non-fiction, but all of Bryson's books are told with such a brilliant narrative voice that it's easy for me to get lost in his life. Fantastic books, all of them.

I Am the Messenger

by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author)

protect the diamonds
survive the clubs
dig deep through the spades
feel the hearts

Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.

That's when the first ace arrives in the mail.

That's when Ed becomes the messenger.

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?

This goes on the shortlist of books that not only will stay with me forever, but had a huge impact on my life. This story fell into my lap when I needed it the most, it should be required reading for humanity. The characters were completely genuine and well-developed. The story was an unbelievable balance of sweet and brutal, kind and ruthless. Zusak is an absolutely masterful storyteller. Read everything he's ever written. Your heart will be torn apart, but you'll thank him for it.

The Little White Horse

by Elizabeth Goudge

A new-fashioned story that is as wonderful as the best fairy tales.

When orphaned young Maria Merryweather arrives at Moonacre Manor, she feels as if she’s entered Paradise. Her new guardian, her uncle Sir Benjamin, is kind and funny; the Manor itself feels like home right away; and every person and animal she meets is like an old friend. But there is something incredibly sad beneath all of this beauty and comfort—a tragedy that happened years ago, shadowing Moonacre Manor and the town around it—and Maria is determined to learn about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending. But what can one solitary girl do?
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This is one of the few books whose movie adaptation was thoroughly enjoyable. I saw the movie before I learned it was a book first and then was able to track it down a few days later at the library. If you just want a good old-fashioned wholesome story, this is it. It was written in 1946 and has a post-war feel to it. Fun adventure with great characters and a strong female lead.

The View from Saturday

by E.L. Konigsburg

Mrs. Olinski, paralyzed in a car crash ten years ago, returns to teaching and chooses four unlikely sixth-grade Academic Bowl team, who become unlikelier champions, in more than the state competition. Julian, the strangest one on the school bus, invites Noah, red-haired Nadia, and silent Ethan, to tea.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This book stood out to me when I read it as a tween, but it meant even more to me when I reread it as an "adult" two years ago. I wish I could have been as thoughful and introspective as the characters in this book when I was their age. I loved that, at age approximately 11, these characters were able to make such deep meaningful friendships with each other, find beauty and patience in the ugly and hectic, and give hope to so many younger folks at a challenging transition--socially and developmentally--in their lives. A must for children and inner-children alike.

Banned Books Week September 21-28

A few words about censorship:

Plain and simple, people try to ban books because they're scared. On the surface they might be trying to "help" or "protect our nation's youth" and their hearts might genuinely be in the right place, but under it all, they are scared.
I even understand their fear, there are books that I might not want a future child of mine to navigate until a certain age, but that should be a discussion between myself and my child. Talk to your children, tell them what you are uncomfortable with and create a dialogue. Let me do the same.
If a book is inaccurate, by all means challenge it, fix it, and republish it. But if you object to an author talking candidly about sex, violence, strong language, drugs, masturbation, or any number of topics that tends to set people off, remember you have the choice not to read it. You have the choice to ask your child/children not to read it. You do not have the right to prevent me from reading it.
Young adult fiction saves lives. Literally. Don't take that away from anyone.

Books, all books, are tools we use to understand ourselves, each other, learn about the past, and nurture hope for the future. They help us defend ourselves and stand up for what's right. They show us we are never alone.

Pick up a banned book. Show the close-minded self-righteous people that you are not afraid. You are fierce and your right to read will not be hampered by their ignorance.

I will leave you with a quote from the inimitable Ray Bradbury: "For it is a mad world and it will get madder if we allow the minorities, be they dwarf or giant, orangutan or dolphin, nuclear-head or water-conversationalist, pro-computerologist or Neo-Luddite, simpleton or sage, to interfere with aesthetics. The real world is the playing ground for each and every group, to make or unmake laws. But the tip of the nose of my book or stories or poems is where their rights and my territorial imperatives begin, run and rule. If Mormons do not like my plays, let them write their own. If the Irish hate my Dublin stories, let them rent typewriters. If teachers and grammar school editors find my jawbreaker sentences shatter their mushmild teeth, let them eat stale cake dunked in weak tea of their own ungodly manufacture. If the Chicano intellectuals wish to re-cut my "Wonderful Ice Cream Suit" so it shapes "Zoot," may the belt unravel and the pants fall. For, let's face it, digression is the soul of wit. Take the philosophic asides away from Dante, Milton or Hamlet's father's ghost and what stays is dry bones. Laurence Sterne said it once: Digressions, incontestably, are the sunshine, the life, the soul of reading!"

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)

by Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads Author)

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without.

Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This book felt like a song to me. There was music, art, reading, love, struggle, and it all tied together into a perfectly balanced song. I thoroughly enjoyed this whole series. The author is clearly extremely well-read and passes that passion to literary exploration to the reader. The characters, aside from the supernatural difficulties, actually have a very healthy teen relationship. Something I value and do not get to see too often. This series made me dread the winter just a little bit less.

Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods #1)

by Melissa de la Cruz (Goodreads Author)

When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society.

The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out.

(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

Being the unobservant teen that I was, I didn’t notice the obvious bite marks as part of the cover art. The vampiric theme, therefore, was a pleasant surprise to me as the story developed. This is an interesting new take on a familiar supernatural being. Fun and thrilling at the same time.

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)

by Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I'm usually a little wary of trending/popular titles that I didn't realize existed until a year after they came out--because I do live under a rock some days. The biggest question in my mind is: How could they live up to the hype? I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was gripping and fun and a pretty easy read. For young adults who just want a good story, or even for reluctant readers, this series is great.

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes

by Kazu Kibuishi  (Editor)

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?

Find out in these seven clever stories by eight incredible comics creators!

Under the Floorboards by Emily Carroll
A box, a doll...but it's no ordinary plaything!

Spring Cleaning by Dave Roman & Raina Telgemeier
There really is mystery in the back of a messy closet!

The Keeper's Treasure by Jason Caffoe
A treasure inside a labyrinth inside a temple which way to turn now?

The Butter Thief by Rad Sechrist
There's more than one way to trap a house spirit!

The Soldier's Daughter by Stuart Livingston
There are mysteries of life and death--and beyond.

Whatzit by Johane Matte
Oh no, not that box! Watch out, little alien!

The Escape Option by Kazu Kibuishi
A strange, meteoric box and an otherworldly choice.
(retrieved from goodreads.com)

Creative stories and beautiful illustrations. This is a great collection of tales for all ages.

Hoot

by Carl Hiaasen

The site of Coconut Cove's future Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House is experiencing a slight problem: survey stakes removed, alligators in the port-a-potties, and painted-over patrol cars. But who's behind the clever vandalism and pranks? New Florida resident Roy Eberhardt isn't aware of these goings-on, but he has often noticed a barefoot boy running down the street faster than anything. His curiosity piqued, Roy starts to inquire around and even follows the boy once, only to be told by Beatrice Leep, a.k.a. Beatrice the Bear, to mind his own business. Despite Beatrice's warning and plenty of bullying from the lunkheaded Dana Matherson, Roy follows the boy, whose name is Mullet Fingers, one day and winds up in the middle of an ecological mission to save a parliament of burrowing owls from being bulldozed.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I've always loved Hiassen's book for adults, but--unless I'm mistaken--this was his first aimed at a younger audience. I loved this one too. It's a great story on its own, but it also raised awareness about many environmental issues in Florida, especially concerning wildlife and the Everglades. Happy reading :)

Bluffton

by Matt Phelan

Matt Phelan, graphic novelist extraordinaire, presents a rollicking tribute to vaudeville, small-town dreams, and Buster Keaton as a boy.

In the summer of 1908, in Muskegon, Michigan, a visiting troupe of vaudeville performers is about the most exciting thing since baseball. They’re summering in nearby Bluffton, so Henry has a few months to ogle the elephant and the zebra, the tightrope walkers and — lo and behold — a slapstick actor his own age named Buster Keaton. The show folk say Buster is indestructible; his father throws him around as part of the act and the audience roars, while Buster never cracks a smile. Henry longs to learn to take a fall like Buster, "the human mop," but Buster just wants to play ball with Henry and his friends. With signature nostalgia, Scott O’Dell Award–winning graphic novelist Matt Phelan visualizes a bygone era with lustrous color, dynamic lines, and flawless dramatic pacing.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

Looking after children is really difficult, but it's books like this that make keeping a child entertained both easy and a pleasure. Especially since it is great for the reader as well. The illustrations are stunning and the story has a great combo of themes including history, friendship, childhood summer magic, the circus, and young love.

White Oleander

by Janet Fitch

When Astrid's mother [Ingrid], a beautiful, headstrong poet, murders a former lover and is imprisoned for life, Astrid becomes one of the thousands of foster children in Los Angeles. As she navigates this new reality, Astrid finds strength in her unshakable certainty of her own worth and her unfettered sense of the absurd.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This book reads like a poem. It's hard to write anything about this book without being afraid one sounds simplistic and banal; afraid Ingrid would roll her eyes and dismiss me as trite. Simply put, I'd been waiting so long for this story without even knowing it. I love the fierce unapologetic women and the magnificent sense of perspective they offer. Definitely falls into the "Just Read It" category.