10 Minutes till Bedtime

Title:10 Minutes Till Bedtime

Author: Peggy Rathmann

Reading Level: Juvenile Easy

Location: JE Rathman

This wonderful book has very few words, which makes it all the easier for it to capture your imagination. Peggy Rathmann is also the author of Caldecott Medal winner Officer Buckle and Gloria. The story begins with a father telling his son he has 10 minutes till bedtime. The oblivious man doesn't notice the parade of tourist hamsters coming to visit his house. The hamsters' antics with the boy are adorable. Young children will enjoy trying to find all the hamsters while older ones will catch the humor and enjoy spending time with the pictures.

The Bottom Line: This is one of my favorite childrens' books. It is available as a picture or board book, but it is adaptable to most ages and makes a great bedtime story. I still find new funny things each time I look at it. Highly recommended!

Hunger

Title: Hunger
Author: Jackie Morse Kessler
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Kessler (once it comes in)

Lisabeth Lewis is having a tough few weeks. She refuses to speak to her best friend after they had a big fight over Lisabeth's supposed eating disorder. Her boyfriend is going to eventually leave her because she is getting so fat. Then some guy shows up at her door and drops off a package with old fashioned scales and the message "Thou art famine!" Now Lisa has a black steed to ride around the world and a new job as one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Lisa loves the freedom of her new job, but will she be able to inflict the pain of hunger on others as easily as she does herself?

After reading the plot summary for Hunger, I was not very interested in reading it. I love fantasy, but this just sounded absurd. I am so glad that I took the time to read this amazing, short novel! Lisa's voice is so genuine as a teen who is intelligent and witty but suffering from an eating disorder. At times her narration had me smiling, and other moments I found myself crying for her. The secondary characters, like the boyfriend and the best friend, played small roles in the book and existed primarily to highlight Lisa's internal problems. The only other character I found extremely intriquing was Death; hopefully we will hear more from him in later books. The fantasy element is obviously quite prevalent in this novel and utterly enjoyable, but I felt that the realistic portrayal of a girl suffering from anorexia made this book memorable for me. I appluad the author for this extremely inventive mash-up of fantasy and realism and I can't wait for her next book, due out next year.

The Bottom Line: Hunger was a terrific, short read that tackles a difficult subject with an inventive fantasy plotline. Even though there will be more books about the other horsemen, this is a stand-alone novel. No cliffhangers! If you enjoy fantasy or quick reads you should definitely pick this one up. Fans of realistic fiction who don't mind a little fantasy should give this one a try as well.

The publisher provided me with an advanced reader's copy of the book for this review. Hunger has an expected release date of October 18, 2010. The library should have a copy as quickly as possible.

Immortal Beloved

Title: Immortal Beloved
Author: Cate Tiernan
Location: YA Tiernan
Reading Level: Young Adult

Nastaysa (Nasty for short), an immortal human, has been content with drowning her past and memories in parties, drugs and alcohol for hundreds of years. She has never cared about those she hurts by her actions, even when her choices lead to the death of innocent people. Until one night, she watches as her best friend Incy, another immortal, mercilessly breaks the spine of a London cabbie, causing Nasty to reevaluate her own actions. Nasty flees London and her current friends for America and a rehab house for disillusioned immortals. At first Nasty has a tough time adjusting to their organic farm, green way of living, and endless chores. It doesn't help that the gorgeous "viking god," Reyn, inexplicably treats her with barely veiled contempt every time he interacts with her. But as she begins to adapt to her situation, memories that were seemingly crushed forever start coming to the surface forcing her to deal with her painful past. Will Nasty be able to confront her issues and become a functioning member of the house? Can she discover the cause of Reyn's disdain for her?

I think this was a great first book with an engaging main character to start out a new trilogy. Nasty's authentic voice with its sarcastic wit and jaded sensibility is perfect for an indifferent immortal who has lived through too many lifetimes of pain and disappointment. The multiple flashbacks to her past kept the story from dragging and added interest to Nasty as a character. She is certainly not perfect but is still a very sympathetic, relatable female character so I was cheering for her the whole time. My only complaint with this novel was the romance aspect. Reyn is quite mean to her and treats her pretty badly throughout much of the book. The only thing that made her attraction to him bearable, in my mind, is that she acknowledges the inexplicable nature of her feelings for him. However, I do feel that the author will explore their relationship in future installments so I think the romance will really improve. Other than his actions toward Nasty, Reyn has potential to be an intriguing character so I'm hoping the author will do a little more with him in the next book. I also thought the magick aspect of the immortals was imaginative and well done. Even though we did not get to see much of it in this first book, I feel like it will take center stage in the next two books.

The Bottom Line: Immortal Beloved was a great first book in the Cloth trilogy. Nastaysa is an awesome character. Even though some aspects of this book, like the romance, and magick could have been fleshed out more, it was still an interesting story. Bonus... it doesn't end on a cliffhanger! If you enjoy fantasy, fantasy/romance or historical fantasy, you should like this book.

rainforest

Title: rainforest
Author: Thomas Marent
Location: 577.34 MAR 2010 (in the adult area)
Level: adult


rainforest is a DK book that was reviewed in the Oprah magazine O. As with any DK book the pictures are very important and these are great pictures! The pictures start with a few panoramic views. You'll see animals you recognize and some you don't. In the Arms and Armor section you might be left asking, "What's that?" See if you can find all the critters hiding in the Deception section. There are a few pictures of creatures being eaten by another and mating, but none are graphic in any way. Lots of colorful frogs, snakes and butterflies. Also a full spread sequence series of a cicada coming out of it's shell. Check out the bats living inside a leaf on page 323,or the fantastic shot of a strangler fig on page 160 (Guess how it got that name.) or maybe say eehhh when you see the millipede on page 344. This photographer definitely spent numerous hours in the rainforest. Wonder how many mosquito bites he has? Just check out the pictures of other animals that have to endure mosquitoes too.

Bottom Line: This book has amazing pictures of all kinds of rainforest animals and plants (mostly animals) with just a few sentences about each picture. There is a page or two of text at the beginning of each section. Read it if you want to learn more or just skip it and read the captions as you enjoy the pictures. This book is worth the trouble of placing a hold to see it. You'll want to share it with friends or family so you can eeww and wow together. And yes parents this adult book really is ok for children of all ages.

Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Collins

This review contains no spoilers for Mockingjay but may contain details from the two previous books in the Hunger Games series. If you have not yet read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, skip ahead to The Bottom Line.

Mockingjay picks up about one month after the events of Catching Fire. With her home destroyed, Katniss resides in District 13 with the few refugees that survived the Capitol's bombing of District 12. President Coin and the rest of the leaders of District 13 are managing the rebellion and need Katniss to be their Mockingjay, the symbol and hope of the rebellion. Unfortunately, the physical and emotional damage Katniss suffered in the arena coupled with her guilt over the fate of Peeta has left her emotionally unstable and unwilling to be used as a pawn for yet another cause, however noble. As the rebellion takes hold in more districts and her fellow citizens fight and die brutal deaths in massive numbers, will Katniss give them the strength they need to continue their struggle? Or will she retreat from the spotlight, unwilling to be the cause of more death and destruction?

I find it difficult to discuss this book, not only for fear of giving away any of the major spoilers, but also because reading this book was so emotionally draining. While the first two books set up the country of Panem, its controlling government and the brutality of the games, Mockingjay introduces the reader to the horrors of war and the atrocities both sides, of any war, are willing to commit. Make no mistake, the blood runs freely in Mockingjay. Even the characters that are spared remain forever altered by the experience. The book has a lot of action and many characters die making it impossible to put down but difficult to read at times.

I've heard a few complaints about Katniss in this book but I thought her character was written perfectly. I got frustrated with her at times, but her actions are consistent and understandable in the face of all the ruthless brutality she encounters. The other characters, both from the first two books, and the new ones introduced in this installment, added a lot of interest to the story. I enjoyed seeing how their stories all played out, even if I was upset about some of their fates. I particularly loved getting a different perspective on Finnick and Prim; I just fell in love with both of them in this book.

The Bottom Line: This was a great ending to a unique and amazing series! Even though Mockingjay was extremely bloody and depressingly sad it was a magnificent ending to the series. I think fans will love it! If you have not yet read the Hunger Games trilogy, it is truly one of the best for both teens and adults, so give it a try!

Maze Runner

Title: Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Location: YA Dashner
Age: Young Adult

Thomas, with no memories of anything, is delivered to a controlled guarded place called the Glade. The only residents are teenage boys. Everyday these boys are trying to stay alive, with the supplies given weekly, as they attempt to solve the massive maze. Thomas soon becomes a runner for the maze and things start happening - including a mysterious girl being delivered with a message that she's triggered the "end".

Bottomline: This was an excellent story that kept me on edge! It has a slow start as Thomas tries to get his bearings, and figures out who is friend or foe. But, once the climax started, I couldn't put it down! I'm anxious to read the sequel because the book definitely leaves you hanging!

Here is the book trailer:

Evil?

Title: Evil?

Author: Timothy Carter

Reading Level: Young Adult

Location: YA Carter

Stuart is a gay teen who lives in a small, conservative town and attends church every Sunday with his mom, older sister, and younger brother. No one had any problem when Stuart came out a few years prior so he is surprised one afternoon when his brother walks in on him in the shower committing the biblical "Sin of Onan" (err.......having a good time by himself) and all hell breaks loose. Now the town, fueled into a frenzy by some seriously misdirected fallen angels, is out for Stuart's blood and will stop at nothing to ensure that Stuart and other "spillers" never committ their sin again. Stuart teams up with the local priest, Father Reedy, his dimwitted friend (and current crush), Chester, and the demon Fon Pyre to break the angel's hold over the people and make the town safe for "spillers" and all other people everywhere.

As you can probably tell from the description above, this is meant to be an amusing, farcical fantasy tale. Although it can be quite clever at times, the writing is not amazing and the storyline fairly predictable. Stuart shows a little growth throughout the story, but he is relatively flat and one-dimensional. The primary purpose of this book is to entertain and to make you laugh, and it accomplishes this goal very well! I laughed out loud throughout much of the book. Stuart has an authentically sarcastic, teen voice that successfully kept various situations comical when they would have otherwise been a little dark. Althought the supporting characters were all fairly undeveloped, they succeed in adding interest to the storyline. I, personally, was a big fan of Fon Pyre.

The Bottom Line: I'm a little ashamed to say it, due to the lack of good writing, but I really enjoyed this book! Everyone loves to have a good laugh and this book definitely accomplished that. With it's humor and short length, it is perfect for reluctant readers, particularly boys. Even though Stuart's sexual preference is never really an issue in the book, teens who want a good GLBTQ read or a different take on the typical fantasy novel should check this one out.

Lunch Lady and the summer camp shakedown

Title: Lunch Lady and the summer camp shakedown

Author: Jarret Krosoczka

Level: J

Location: graphic novel J Krosocczka vol.4

The Breakfast Bunch kids are on their way to their first sleep away summer camp ( with no technology). Guess who they run into as they get off the bus - the Lunch Ladies! The camp legend of a swamp monster seems to have come true. Everytime the swamp monster shows up another activity is cancelled. Can camp get any worse? Can the Lunch Lady figure out who is behind the swamp monster in time for some fun?

Bottome Line: Cool gadgets that remind me of Inspector gadget. I read this book to a group of 5-8 year olds who voted it their favorite of everything I read. Several boys wanted to know if there were more books. Definitely some humor. I heard snickers as I was reading.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA MEYER

In this short story, we are given a closer look into the brief life of Bree Tanner and the events surrounding the creation of the vampire army from Eclipse.  Stephanie Meyer fleshes out the characters of the vampire army, including Bree Tanner.  This story opens up with Riley creating his vampire army of newborns and concludes with the aftermath of the battle between the Cullens and Victoria.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a quick, enjoyable read.  The tone and rhythm of the text is similar to the Twilight series.  My main issue is that there was no break in the text.  It was difficult to be able to find a place to stop for a break.

The Bottom Line:  This is a nice supplement to Eclipse.  If you enjoy Stephenie Meyer's writing style and are looking for a more in depth look into the world of Twilight, then I would definitely check it out from the library.

The Fool's Girl

Title: The Fool's Girl

Author: Celia Rees

Reading Level: Young Adult

Location: YA Rees (not released yet)

Violetta is the exiled daughter of the former Duke of Illyria. During the violent overthrow of the country that is rightfully hers, she lost everything of value including her family, the man she loves, Stephano, and a holy relic that brought good fortune upon her small country. With the help of her faithful clown, Feste, she tracked the stolen relic to Elizabethan England and the villain Malvolio who holds an ancient grudge against her family and Feste. To win back the relic and regain the throne of Illyria, Violetta and Feste concoct a dangerous plan and bargain for assistance from playwright William Shakespeare, in exchange for the right to tell their extraordinary story. Will Violetta and Feste succeed in their quest? Read the book to find out!

Based loosely on the characters in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, The Fool’s Girl has an entertaining storyline that unfortunately, starts to really drag in the middle of the book. I wanted to love this book because I am a huge fan of Shakespeare, but the character development and the plot did not live up to the suspense and romance that the interesting concept promised. Unfortunately, the action in the book stalls after Violetta narrates her background story to Will Shakespeare. Violetta’s background is richly detailed and entirely gripping. However, after that point, Rees creates the majority of the remaining suspense in the storyline by having Violetta get repeatedly abducted and rescued at random points throughout the rest of the book.

Since the novel lacks in the action department, I expected some serious character development while the rest of the story played out. However, Rees only comes on the verge of truly fleshing out her characters, particularly Violetta. The book is narrated by a few different characters including Feste, Will Shakespeare, and Violetta. I felt that the book, and the character of Violetta herself would have been much better had Violetta had more of a narrative voice. Even though she had all the makings of a memorable heroine, strong and passionate, I never truly connected to her. This made the romance between Violetta and Stephano seem stale and contrived. The scenes with the two of them lacked any spark or passion. Once the suspense let up in the middle, Violetta’s seemingly hollow actions, and her half-hearted romance with Stephano made the rest of the story a chore to finish.

I will say that it is obvious Rees spent a lot of time researching Elizabethan England. She expertly details the city of London, its cultural and political atmosphere as well as a few of the historical figures of the time period. She also thoroughly describes the fictional city of Illyria to such an extent that the reader can easily immerse themselves in this picturesque country by the sea.

The Bottom Line: I was definitely not a big fan of this book. It has its strong points, but I never really connected to the characters and the story fell flat for me in the middle. If you enjoyed Celia Rees’ previous books, you may really like The Fool’s Girl, so I would suggest giving it a chance. If you like Shakespeare, definitely give it a try, but I would suggest checking it out from the library.

The publisher of this book sent me an advance readers copy for this review. The Fool's Girl will be released in the U.S. on July 20, 2010.