Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Spectrum by Alan Jacobson

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Spectrum
by Alan Jacobson

Spectrum is told in two stories.  The first story is of immigrant families, Greeks, who have come to this country for better lives.  These families work hard to provide for the American Dream.  But one event changes their lives forever.

The second story is of rookie cop, Karen Vail.  Taken in by veteran cop Carmine Russo, her first day on the job is the scene of a murder that will haunt her for the next 20 years.

The two stories eventually combine to form a plot twist that most readers will see coming, but will have you on the edge of your seat anyway.  Spectrum is a quick paced read that will have you up all night reading - with the lights on if you are anything like me!


Monday, September 22, 2014

I am the Mission by Allen Zadoff

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I am the Mission
by Allen Zadoff
 
 
I am the Mission is the second book in the Unknown Assassin series by Allen Zadoff.  Usually I hesitate to read a book in a series when I haven't started from the beginning, but I thought that my students might like this one, and I'm glad I did! 
 
Zadoff gives us enough information in book two to be able to keep up with the plot.  What we know:  Daniel is an agent working for "The Program."  He has just come off an assignment where the girl that he loves has dies.  He tries to take some time off, to get his thoughts in order when The Programs comes looking for him.  He is given a new assignment:
 
His new assignment is to infiltrate a youth camp run by a man named Eugene Moore.  Moore has been designated as a risk to National security by The Program.  Zach's assignment - become Daniel Martin, gain access to Moore and eliminate the threat.
 
I am the Mission has more twists and turns than the castle at Hogwarts!  The plot is engaging, the characters enticing and the action non-stop.  The end will leave you marking your calendar for the next book to come out!  I recommend I am the Mission to anyone who loves a good adventure, mystery buffs and anyone who just likes a good story! 

Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee

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The Midnight Dress
by Karen Foxlee

Don't be deceived by the title of this book, it is much more than a story about a girl and a dress!  Rose and her father have just run out of gas in a small coastal town.  Much to Rose's mounting disappointment, she must attend school.  What she doesn't predict is that she will make a friend.

Pearl seems perfect to Rose; she's beautiful, popular and a great friend.  As their friendship grows, the time of the Harvest Parade and dance grows near as well.  All the girls plan their dresses, hair and make-up months prior to the event.  A desperate Rose goes to see the town 'witch', Edie, to see if she can make the dress.

Together Rose and Edie do make a dress, a beautiful midnight blue dress.  Does the dress hold a special magic?  What will happen when Rose wears it?  The Midnight Dress is a story of friendship, family and love.  I would recommend this book for middle to high school students.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

One of Us by Tawni O'Dell

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One of Us
by Tawni O'Dell

When Danny visits his home town of Lost Creek, he is just as lost as the name of his hometown implies.  He comes to check on his grandfather, who at 96, is in much better shape than his other family members.  His father has always been abusive and distant, and his mother has struggled with mental illness as long as he can remember.  When a local business man is found dead at the infamous town gallows, Danny is forced to confront his demons in both psychological and physical ways.  

Lost Creek is a mining town and is and always has been, controlled by the one family that owns the mine.  Danny is a small-town boy made good by becoming a successful psychologist and author.  Perhaps his experience in solving crimes can help solve the death at the gallows and the haunting events that lead to the gallows being built; the execution of several young men for defying the coal boss.

O'Dell deftly describes life in a coal mining town both at its peak and in its wane; you can almost feel the coal dust settle on the pages as you read.  The dichotomy between Danny's city life and the one he has left behind is almost a character in and of itself.  Each character is drawn out until you feel as if you have known them just as well as Danny has.

One of Us is as much a drama as it is a well-told thriller.  The pacing creates the feeling of living in a small town, without ever being too slow.  Flashbacks of the town in the crux of the mining boom help to add details to the town's complicated existence.  I would recommend On of Us to those who like an engaging story with meaty characters.  I'm almost jealous that you'll get the experience of reading this book for the first time!










Thursday, August 14, 2014

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson

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Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)
by Jenny Lawson

Since reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened, I feel like I can now call Ms. Lawson, Jenny; I'm sure she feels the same way.  It's as if we've been friends for years, I mean if we haven't, why would she share all her business with me?  And I must say, I'm a good friend, I have broad shoulders to cry on - through the thick and the thin!

This memoir is both hilarious and heart-breaking.  Throughout all Jenny's escapades - a crazy-ass upbringing, her chance romantic encounter in a book store, the struggles of fertility and her battle with both physical and mental health - she tackles them all with wit and bravery.  I immediately thought of one of my other BFFs, Jimmy Buffet, whose words of wisdom ring true:  "if we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane."

Some highlights.  One of my favorite lines stems from an eternal debate that rages in the Haas house; is crap a curse word?  Well of course it is!  I mean, it's what I promptly yell when I stub my toe!  And would you say it to the Queen?  No, of course you wouldn't!  Anyway, Jenny has introduced me to my new favorite swear phrase - "crap on a crap cracker,"  now doesn't that just sum it all up?

Another favorite is that if you are gay and living in Texas, you own a gun armoire, not a gun cabinet!  This reminds me of the time that the Haases were vacationing with my gay Dad and realized that we had forgotten our son's special soap for his eczema.  My Dad announced that he had some French-milled soap!  What?!

But I think that what touched me the most was Jenny's honest and brutal description of her battle with anxiety and depression.  On the heels of the death of Robin Williams and having experienced some of the same blue spells, I can appreciate the vulnerability that it must have taken to share those moments with a bunch of folks that aren't her BFFs!

If you don't mind cursing (and I'm talking more than crap here!) you should most definitely read Let's Pretend This Never Happened!  You're going to want some post-it notes and make sure to have a box of tissues on the ready, and just maybe a box of wine!




Thursday, July 31, 2014

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

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Steelheart
by Brandon Sanderson

Calamity has hit.  Calamity was an explosion in the sky that gave certain people special powers and turned them into Epics.  Epics rule the country without any trace of benevolence.  In Newcago, residents have it a little easier; they have food, electricity and jobs.  However, Newcago is controlled by Steelheart, a vicious High Epic who is protected by other powerful Epics under his rule.

David has been studying Epics ever since he witnessed his father being slayed by Steelheart.  His father had believed that there were Epics that were good and would stand against those who used their powers to intimidate and terrorize people.  David has witnessed one other thing:  he has seen Steelheart bleed.

David joins forces with a group of vigilantes called the Reckoners.  The Reckoners are dedicated to ridding the Fractured States of Epics.  But so far they have only managed to eliminate Epics that don't have much power.  How will they make a difference if they can't go up against the most powerful Epics?  Every Epic has a weakness.  It is up the David and the other Reckoners to find Steelheart's weakness and bring him to his knees.

Steelheart is a faced-paced thriller that combines human ingenuity with a well thought out fantasy world.  Many teens and adults alike will lose themselves in Sanderson's post apocalyptic Fractured States.  I highly recommend Steelheart to students in upper elementary school through high school.  And speaking for at least one adult, I can barely wait for book two of this series!

Words and Their Meanings by Kate Bassett

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Words and Their Meanings
by Kate Bassett

Anna is fractured.  She has lost her "bruncle", her uncle who has been raised by her parents as her brother.  Her parents have separated, her father's new girlfriend is having a baby, her baby sister has taken to hiding to deal with her pain, and she is slipping away from her best friend Nat.  When her Gramps gets sick, she loses all hope.

To deal with the death of her "bruncle" Joe, Anna has channeled Patti Smith; she has slashed her hair and dyed it black, she wears tattered clothing and she writes a daily Patti Smith quote on her arm for inspiration.   She believes that Joe's death is her fault and she does everything that she can to ward off the pain.

Then Anna meets Mateo.  He is handsome, exotic and all of the other girls are vying for his attention.  But for reasons that Anna doesn't comprehend, he picks her.  Anna used to consider herself a writer, and artist, but that all changes when she loses Joe.  Mateo is himself an artist.  Can Mateo help Anna connect to her art again?  Can he help heal a girl who is so fractured?  What secrets was Joe hiding?  

Words and Their Meanings is a cathartic story about the power of art, the hope of family and the gift of forgiveness.  I would recommend this book for high school libraries and could easily see pairing it with a collaborative project with the art department.

Warning:  I read the last 30 pages of this book through tears!!

Monday, July 14, 2014

The Great Trouble by Deborah Hopkinson

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The Great Trouble 
by Deborah Hopkinson

Eel is almost 13 and orphaned in London in 1854.  A bright boy, he has managed to fend for himself and even taken on a position that allows him room, board and clean water.  It's the clean water that allows Eel to live long enough to tell his story.

Part historical fiction, part memoir, The Great Trouble chronicles the real events of the Broad Street pump in 1854 when cholera breaks out.  Based on primary source documents, the story is told through Eel's perspective and we meet the historical figure, Dr. Snow, who was famous for dispelling the myth that cholera was spread through the air.

Eel and Dr. Snow work tirelessly and quickly to convince the people who use the Broad Street pump that cholera is actually spread through a virus in the water - even if you can't see it.  Hopkinson does a great job of putting the reader in the middle of the epidemic, almost smelling the Thames and hearing the moans of those who have been stricken with the disease.

I think this book will appeal to students who enjoy historical fiction or younger readers - 5th and 6th graders.  An easy read, The Great Trouble would make an excellent companion novel to classes studying the cholera outbreak of 1854 or European history.

Cop Town by Karin Slaughter

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Cop Town
by Karin Slaughter

The year is 1974, I would have been eight.  My childhood was experienced through the lens of my parents' hippie glasses!  I had no idea that such racism, sexism and misogyny existed anywhere in the 70s; but in Slaughter's Cop Town this is par for the course.

Kate is new to the Atlanta police force.  All rookies face a certain 'initiation', but for women it's more of a hazing.  She's green,she's beautiful and of course, she's troubled.  She's lost her husband in the Vietnam war, she's living on her own and trying to convince her family (and herself) that she's strong enough.  And, she has a secret.

Haunting the police force are a string of cop murders.  Every cop on the force is investigating who the 'Shooter' might be.  Problem is, it just might be the girls on the force who are the better detectives - even though women are not promoted to that role.

Full of grit and self determination, Cop Town is a hard-edged detective novel that shines a light on what it was like to be a woman on the job in a male-dominated Southern city.  The story is fast- paced and has just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end as to 'who done it'.  This is most definitely an adult novel, as in my opinion, the sex is on the gratuitous side.  Kate is very likeable and Slaughter does a great job of letting us into the lives of her characters.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good crime drama!

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

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An Abundance of Katherines
by John Green

The Beginning:
Colin is quirky; a prodigy, but not yet a genius and the dumpee to 19 Katherines.  Having just graduated from high school and been dumped by Katherine XIX, he sets off on a road trip with his best (and only) friend, Hassan.

The Middle:
The Hearse (short for Satan's Hearse, Colin's gray, old Oldsmobile) finds it's way to the grave of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Gutshot, Tennessee.  Colin and Hassan end up working for the proprietor of the grave (and gift shop) interviewing the townspeople of Gutshot.  During their stay (at a pink mansion) they eat many Thickburgers, hunt for feral pigs and discover (SPOILER ALERT!) that it is not really Archduke Franz Ferdinand buried under the obelisk!  

The End:
Colin realizes through a mathematical theorem that you really can't predict the lifespan of a relationship, that he really can tell a story and that what really matters is the stories that we leave behind.

Despite the math, I found this story to be light-hearted and charming.  The characters are likable (okay, maybe not TOC, but all the others!), the angst is palpable and the journey was a perfect road trip (without leaving the couch)! An Abundance of Katherines just might be my favorite John Green book! 




Alliance by Mark Frost

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Alliance 
by Mark Frost

In Alliance, Frost continues the adventures of Will and his friends; Ajay, Nick, Elise and Brooke.  As the team discovers more about the Knights of Charlemagne, they also discover more about themselves and their special skills.  

Frost has us exploring the tunnels on the island, the crag and even the equipment room in the boys' locker room.  The suspense will have you hanging on until the last page.

What happened to Lyle?  Who were the Knights of Charlemagne?  Are they here to protect us from those who have come from the Never Was?  Or are they in cahoots with the grotesque creatures?  Who are Will's parents?  And what really happened to them?

Alliance is a quick read that ends abruptly, leaving the reader wanting more!  Number three in the Paladin Prophecy can't come soon enough.  Message to Mark Frost:  Dad's List of Rules to Live By #15; be quick but don't hurry!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

The Knock Out Games by G. Neri

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The Knock Out Games
by G. Neri
 
I was glad that I was approved to read this book.  Neri's book, Yummy, the Last Days of a Southside Shorty, got great reviews; but that wasn't the only reason.  The main reason that I wanted to read this book was that at our school we did a unit on the knock out games in our "Learning over Lunch" series with our resource officer.  I had never heard of the knock out games before, but after reading this book and the notes Neri wrote at the end, I'm adding The Knock Out Games to my Fall book order!
 
Erica's parents have split.  Her father has left them without resources, so her mother moves them from Little Rock to St. Louis and gets a job at a lab working the night shift.  Erica barely sees her mother as she tries to assimilate in a mostly black urban high school.  The only class that seems to spark her attention is art. 
 
As a parting gift, Erica's father has given her a video camera.  Her art teacher sees the potential in her and encourages her to express herself through video.  In what turns out to be a portent move, Erica ends up filming and editing a "knock out", and posts it to Face Book.  The video (and Erica) get the attention of the "Knock Out King" and events start to spiral out of control.
 
There is nothing soft or easy about this book.  Neri takes a close look at what many urban teens face on a day to day basis.  This is realistic fiction at it's realest!  Although hard to read, Erica's journey into the knock out world is touching and compelling.  Spoiler alert:  She's going to be okay, but it's going to be a long, long road.
 
Another thing that I thought was well done by Neri was that Erica isn't your typical ingénue; she's large and has flaming red hair.  She wears a hoodie so as not to draw attention to herself.  She has issues, none of which are packaged nicely at the end of the book.  Again, she is real.
 
Neri wrote this book in response to a school visit he made to St. Louis; The Knock Out Games comes ripped from the headlines.  I will most definitely put this book in my collection, and feel it will become an important read in libraries across the country.
 
 
 
 
 
 


Saturday, June 28, 2014

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

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The Here and Now
by Ann Brashares

Prenna isn't from around here, she's from the future.  And if she, and the others like her, are going to save the future world, they need to blend in, and not call attention to themselves.  There are twelve rules to follow, but how does one fit in when you are a teenager from the future who loves a boy who is a time native?

The Here and Now asks some serious questions about how our actions now can effect the future.  Brashares tells the story in a fast-paced and engaging way, but the bottom line is; how much are we willing to sacrifice to ensure a better tomorrow for generations ahead of us?

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Bystander by James Preller

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Bystander
by James Preller

In this quick-paced novel that is often assigned in classrooms, Eric is the new kid in town.  He is quickly involved in a complicated drama between the popular kids and "ketchup boy."

The popular kids are led by the charming Griff and Eric is flattered, if not a little suspicious, when Griff pays him some attention.  It doesn't take Eric long to figure out that Griff isn't as sweet as his outward appearance may seem.

What was interesting to me was the subplot of the fathers in this story.  Both Eric and Griff are keeping a secret about their fathers.  Are they the same?  Or does it just look like they share the same horrifying experience?   

Soon Eric has to decide if he is going to be a "bystander" or stand up for what he knows is right.  Preller has written a novel that will be familiar to many teens, and a good starting point for discussions on bullying.  I can see why so many educators choose this book for their students to read.  What would you do in this situation?

Monday, June 23, 2014

The Black House by Peter May

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The Black House
by Peter May
 
The Black House is just as dark as it's title suggests; I found myself craving videos of kittens playing with string between chapters.  The story takes place in the Outer Hebrides off the coast of Scotland, on a desolate and beautiful island called Isle of Lewis.  Being totally unfamiliar with the location, I looked up pictures of what the landscape looked like, some of which you will find below:
 
 
 
  
 
The landscape and climate in The Black House are as much characters in this story as is the protagonist, Fin MacLeod, a police officer who grew up on the island, but had thought he had escaped.  A murder on the island, similar to one he had investigated in Edinburgh, brings him home.  Both the weather and Fin are moody and depressed.  Fin has just lost his only child in a tragic accident and his marriage is on the rocks.  Rekindling past relationships as he investigates the murder of a childhood bully, does nothing to bring him closer to his wife or closure on the death of his son.
 
As Fin delves into the lives of both the bully and those who knew him, past events, friendships, alliances, enemies and the traditions of his people weave their way into the psyche of this detective.  Fin has to come to terms with the loss of his son, the end of his marriage, the loose ends of friendships from long ago and what really happened in the Black House.
 
So long as you have a cup of tea to cut the chill and plenty of kitten videos, you will find The Black House a complicated and well written tale of murder and revenge.  

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

The Second Deadly Sin by Asa Larsson

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The Second Deadly Sin
by Asa Larsson
 
 
I cannot tell you how close I was to putting this book down; and I am so glad that I didn't.  Once I got used to the pace and the Swedish names, the story was so engrossing that I couldn't put it down!
 
Rebecka Martinsson is a smart and beautiful (aren't they all?!) prosecutor who has moved back to her small town and gone to work for the local police department.  When she is kicked off a murder investigation, she does some digging on her own.  What she finds doesn't add up and she is determined to find some answers even if that means losing her job.
 
The story of the present murder is told amid flashbacks of another murder that happened at the turn of the 20th century, involving another smart and beautiful young lady.  Although the story told in flashback does not hold the same depth of character, each story unfolds in it's own time to come together at the end of the book.
 
In the end, what is lost in translation in this story is not as important as the actual story itself.  Although you will figure out part of the mystery before the last pages, there is enough left unsolved to keep you intrigued.  If you enjoy a good  mystery, you will find it in the pages of The Second Deadly Sin.


Sunday, June 1, 2014

The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier

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Sam is a young woman who has quit her day job to focus on her writing.  She has previously written two true crime novels and is in the process of writing the third.  This book that she is writing chronicles "the Butcher", a serial killer who preyed on young women in the Pacific Northwest.  But Sam has a personal interest in the Butcher, she believes that he killed her mother.

Matthew is Sam's boyfriend.  He is the brains and chef behind a very successful line of food trucks and a restaurant called Adobo.  Sam also has a personal connection to the Butcher, his grandfather was the police officer who shot and killed the man that was thought to be the Butcher, two years before Sam's mother was killed.  

They share one other detail, both their mothers died when they were young.  As Sam researches the Butcher and Matthew learns more about his family history, their stories intertwine in other ways as well.  

Hillier explores the nature vs. nurture question while simultaneously drawing the reader into a twisting look at whether your family history predetermines who you will be.  Hillier has created a suspenseful and well paced story that will surprise you in the end.  I highly recommend The Butcher to any reader who appreciates a good mystery!












Friday, May 30, 2014

The Forever Man by Pierre Ouellette

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The Forever Man is a frightening look at the future where youth is the prize and violence rules the streets.  What would you be willing to do to not just live forever, but be young forever?  The Anslow brothers have two distinct viewpoints on that question.  Lane, the contract cop, reminisces about the days of his youth; a cabin on the lake, a small rowboat, brotherhood.  Johnny, the brilliant scientist, on the other hand, has never grown up.  When Johnny goes missing, the older brother Lane will stop at nothing to get him back.  But does Johnny want to be found?  Is Lane willing to lose everything for a chance of reliving those sweet summers of his youth?  Read The Forever Man to find out!

Caged Warrior by Alan Lawrence Sitomer


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Caged Warrior is the kind of book that my students are going to line up to read! McCutcheon is a tough guy with a sensitive side. He's the man of the house and does what needs to be done to ensure that his sister Gemma has a coat on her back and food in her belly. Sometimes he doesn't like what has to be done. Under the watch of his abusive father, and the local gang that he belongs to, McCutcheon fights his way to the top of the circuit. Only there's a snag; his appropriately named science teacher, Mr. Freedman, realizes that McCutcheon has strength in intellect and not just his fists. The battle between brawn and brains that ensues is suspenseful and heart-wrenching, but it's the ending that will knock you out (pun intended!). I give Caged Warrior two thumbs up, especially for the urban teen-aged crowd.