The Fault in Our Stars

This is a SPOILER FREE review of the Fault in Our Stars by John Green except for the last paragraph (I have a warning before the spoiler)!

There are two things you should know about me at the outset:

1. I am not a very patient person

2. I do not like stories whose sole purpose seems to be to Make You Cry. For example- most stories involving animals & anything by Nicholas Sparks (full disclosure- I have never actually read a Nicholas Sparks book, but have several friends who have & who have cried every time and I have seen the Notebook. I bawled for ten minutes after that movie ended)

The first one is important because I was one of the Lucky (?) ones who got an early copy of John Green's new novel The Fault in Our Stars. When it came in I vowed to wait as long as I could to read it. I did, however, open it to see if my copy had been doodled in by John's brother or wife (I got a Hanklerfish!). My every intention was to wait until Jan 10, the official release date. I almost made it. I started Sunday & ended up staying up waaay past my bedtime to finish it.

On the second point- I know there are people who love those kinds of stories. I am not one of those people. I feel like a lot of those books are overly melodramatic just to get the tears flowing.

THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE BOOKS!

Sure, the characters have cancer and sure, there were a few tears, but it is handled with well and not in a stab-you-in-the-heart-and-twist kind of way.

The Fault in Our Stars is a story about Hazel. She has cancer and, as the book flap says, Hazel has been nothing but terminal. She meets a cute boy named Augustus at her Cancer Support Group & her outlook on life begins to change.

John Green has been one of my favorite authors since I read Looking for Alaska and discovered the VlogBrothers videos. Paper Towns ranks in my top ten favorite books of all time. Hazel & Augustus, like many of his characters, are people who I would have loved to have been friends with in high school (as a matter of fact, other than the cancer, I know people a lot like them). The quick wit, the humor, the heartbreak, are all great elements in this story. I laughed out loud quite a few times & teared up a few times as well. The way he handles these characters and the way they deal with their cancer, their families, and their friends is done with grace while allowing the them to be irreverent about their diagnoses. This irreverence was authentic to the characters.

When I finished the book I re read the last paragraph about five times because that is exactly how the story needed to have ended. This is one of the most beautiful stories I have read.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

I have to admit, when Hazel & Augustus talked about their favorite book -An Imperial Affliction & how it ended there was a small part of me that was afraid he might take that same route with this book.

Also I really loved the scene where Hazel & Isaac read their eulogies to Augustus. It was such a touching scene. My favorite part though is Augustus' letter about Hazel. So beautiful, so perfect.

After Obsession

After Obsession by Carrie Ryan & Steven E Wedel is a creepy supernatural story told from two perspectives. Aimee is a teenager who has the same psychic abilities of her late mother. Alan is part Navajo who is in tune with his mystic side. Alan moves to town with his mom to help out his cousin Courtney who happens to be Aimee's best friend. While they are drawn to each other, they also know they must work together to fight the River Man- an evil spirit who is responsible for deaths over the years & is taking over the town again.

I loved this book. The chapters switched between Aimee & Alan. Sometimes this can be distracting, but in this story it transitioned well. I cared what happened to these characters & would love to read more about them (maybe more mystical evil-spirit fighting!)

5 Stars!

2011-what I did & what I read

Every year I like to post a wrap up of my year- mostly so I can keep a record for myself.

2011 was a pretty good year overall I will have to say.

Theatre played a huge part in my year.

I was honored to play a role in two productions this year. The first was Bethel's production of All My Sons. That was possibly the best show I have been a part of. The cast, direction, set were all spot on. It was an intense story & I got to play a bitchy neighbor. :)

Probably the one of the biggest things for me this year was singing onstage in front of people I know. I have always loved acting in plays & one of my goals for a long time has been to be in a musical & be confident enough to do it with people I know in the audience. During the summer I was in a musical version of the Jungle Book. The show started with me onstage by myself.....singing in another language. I was so nervous, but I did it! I am so appreciative of the rest of the cast for being so supportive & encouraging, especially right before curtain that first night when I was about to have a heart attack.

One of my most memorable moments was the last night of dress rehearsal when I missed a cue & didn't come out during my song with Rene (the mother wolf). Thank goodness that was just dress rehearsal.

I also learned to knit this year. My friend Jessica showed me how to cast on (which I can never remember so I have to look up videos on it) & the knit stitch. I learned how to do other things by watching videos. My current project is a mini Ravenclaw house banner that I am double knitting (where the image shows on both sides, in contrasting colors). Knitting is something that I have been wanting to learn to do since I learned to crochet many years ago.

This year I was introduced to the roller derby. I love the Nashville Roller Girls & look forward to watching more games this coming season.

I saw only one show-Wicked- this year. I need to see more.

I made some new friends (mostly thanks to the theatre) who have become some of my favorite people on the planet.

I MET JOHN GREEN! One of the best things about the NCTE conference is being able to hob-nob with some of my favorite authors. John Green happens to be very close to the top of that list & I was excited to hear him speak & get my picture with him for my author wall at school.

Also at NCTE this year I rode in a limo to get real Chicago pizza. This was quite an exciting adventure for me & the other 11 teachers that crammed ourselves in that car.

I read 41 books this year, far less than my goal. I abandoned many books. I may pick some of them back up & give them another go, or I may not. We'll see. My to-read pile is quite huge at the moment.

Now, on to what I read in 2011. I have been in a reading funk the last year or so. I WANT to read, I just think I may be overwhelmed at all the good books to read I just don't know where to start ;)

January
Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness
Awakened ~ PC Cast & Kristin Cast

Old Habits: A Wicked Lovely Story ~ Melssa Marr

Zombiecorn~ John Green
Red Glove (Curse Workers #2)~ Holly Black
February
Bird in a Box ~ Andrea Davis Pinkney
Dead is Just a Rumor ~ Marlene Perez
Dead is Not an Option ~ Marlene Perez
Dead Tossed Waves~ Carrie Ryan
All My Sons~ Arthur Miller
The Dark & Hollow Places~ Carrie Ryan
March/April
Because of Winn-Dixie
The Last Little Blue Envelope ~ Maureen Johnson
Eighth Grade Bites ~ Heather Brewer
Hare Moon ~ Carrie Ryan
Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone ~ JK Rowling
May/June
Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets ~ JK Rowling
Wings ~ Aprilynne Pike
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ JK Rowling
Clockwork Angel ~ Cassandra Clare
Boy Meets Boy ~ David Levithan
Unwind ~ Neil Schusterman
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire ~ JK Rowling
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix ~JK Rowling
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince ~ JK Rowling
Forest of Hands & Teeth ~ Carrie Ryan
Evermore~ Alyson Noel
July
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk ~ David Sedaris
Forever ~ Maggie Stiefvater
Beauty Queens~ Libba Bray

Great & Terrible Beauty ~ Libba Bray
Daughter of Smoke & Bone~ Laini Taylor
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl (audiobook) ~ Barry Lyga
Dumpling Days~ Grace Lin
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows~ JK Rowling
The Name of the Star~ Maureen Johnson
Wake~ Lisa McMann
Black Heart ~ Holly Black
Every You, Every Me ~ David Levithan
Future of Us ~ Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Chime ~ Franny Billingsley

Mini book ornament how-to

Author Cheryl Rainfeld posted on her blog how she made book ornaments for her own books. This gave me the idea to make mini books of some of my favorite books to use as ornaments. My goal is to eventually have most of the ornaments on my tree be literature related.

After looking at several how-to blogs for making the mini books I decided to try my own way.

1. Scan the dust cover of your favorite book. I laid it out flat so that the front, spine & back are scanned at one time. If you have a paperback, you can open it & scan the whole cover that way.

Because the dust covers are sometimes longer than the scanner, some of the edges will be cut off.

2. Open the scanned images using a photo editing software (I use Photoshop Elements). Print on white cardstock at 2in x 4in.

3. Cut out the covers & fold into book form so that you can see the spine. Lay out flat & paint on a thin layer of ModPodge. This will help seal in the color & make them shine more.

4. For the inside pages I used a beat up extra copy of Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. (It almost killed me having to tear up a book, btw) Cut the edges off the sides using a paper cutter then fold the page in half twice. Cut these strips & fold them into thirds & cut. One page is enough for a mini book.

5. Once the modpodge is dry, squirt a layer of hot glue into the spine. Make sure all the pages are turned the same way and stick them in the book. Tap them in place to make sure all of the pages get in there.

6. Trim off any excess. Punch a small hole in the back. Tie a string through the hole & you have an ornament.

OF COURSE I had to make an entire Harry Potter collection.

In which I rave about Barry Lyga's books & give one away

I first picked up a copy of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga at a used book store because of the title (yes, I do sometimes judge a book by it's cover & title). It is told from Fanboy's point of view. Fanboy is a nickname given to him by Kyra, a Goth girl that befriends him at school after seeing a bully hit him in gym class. Fanboy tries to lay low in school. He's a smart, comic book nerd and that is a recipe for torment in most high schools. He is working on his own graphic novel & plans to show it to a big name comic book writer at the convention he is planning to attend.While Kyra encourages Fanboy on ways to improve his comic, she has her own issues. I loved this book when I read it and even more so listening to the audiobook. I was cackling out loud in the car when Fanboy sees a part of a certain female's body. Just the way that whole scene was written makes me laugh now thinking of it.

One of my favorite scenes (and probably the most heartbreaking to me) is when Fanboy is mentally beating himself up in the bathroom at the convention. I won't give anything thing away but I could relate to him.

I loved flawed Kyra and was quite excited when I found out that she got her own book. Goth Girl Rising is the follow up to The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl. It is told from Kyra's point of view & begins after she spends six months in a psychiatric hospital. She comes back to school expecting everything to be like it was only to find that Fanboy isn't quite the same nerdy guy she new. I know people like Kyra. People who jump to conclusions and think everyone is out to get them. You know Kyra is hurting but at the same time you just want to shake some sense into her.

Barry Lyga has created some wonderfully flawed characters here. Another of his books, Boy Toy, is one of my favorites. That story centers on a high school kid dealing with the aftermath of an affair with a teacher.

Barry also likes Book Bloggers & often gives books & things to bloggers to give away on our blogs. I have a *signed* copy of Goth Girl Rising that I am giving away RIGHT HERE! (For the record- it pains me to give this away! I love this book & I don't currently posses a signed copy of my own.) And since I love these books so much I am throwing in one of my copies (unsigned) of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl because you need to read it first.

Here's how you enter:

1. Leave a comment here telling me something you enjoy or enjoyed from high school (me- I was a band nerd. I loved going to competitions on Saturdays)

2. I will give you an extra entry if you post about this contest(facebook, twitter, your own blog, etc) Just let me know where you posted.

I will use an online Randomizer to choose the winner.

Good Luck & Happy Reading!

Contest ends on November 5.

WINNER! JESSICA MERRELL!

Thanks to all who entered :) Be watching for more contests soon.

The Name of the Star- Maureen Johnson

I always stay up way too late reading. Last night I finished Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star around 1:30. It is set in modern day London. Rory is an American girl attending a boarding school & copy cat Jack the Ripper murders start occurring. Also, Rory starts seeing ghosts & she gets mixed up with a secret government police force.

I love Maureen Johnson. I love her books, her tweets (seriously, follow her. She's is the funniest thing on Twitter), & her cat pictures. One of my all time favorite books is Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes by her & I've really liked everything else I've read that she's written. I knew this one would not disappoint. I was 50 pages from finishing and put off reading for a day because 1. I didn't this story to end and 2. it was INTENSE! I loved loved LOVED the ending & how it sets up perfectly for more.

This one gets my stamp of approval :)

(in a week or so I will be hosting a contest to win a signed copy of Barry Lyga's Goth Girl Rising. Be on the lookout!)

Red Glove by Holly Black

Oh that Holly Black is a tricky one. I almost think she is an emotion worker but has a way of working through her words. At the end of White Cat it was like she stuck a knife right into my heart and twisted it just a little, and, just when you think the worst is over and things might actually be looking up for Cassel in Red Glove, she punches you right in the gut.

I have never been one to watch mob-related movies. I have never seen the Godfather movies or Goodfellas (though I use to watch the cartoon Goodfeathers, if that counts for anything). So I wasn't sure how I would like the Curse Worker series. I knew I loved Holly's storytelling and White Cat probably had a CAT in it, so I figured this would be good. And let me tell ya- I LOVED IT. It was probably my favorite book that I read in 2010. I try to get everyone I can to read it. I was able to get my grubby hands on an advanced copy of Red Glove thanks to the kind publisher who loves teachers who ask nicely. I got this book Monday and while I whined about having yet another snow day that closed schools today (because I have A LOT left to cover before those tests, but I digress) I stayed bundled up in my house and finished it.

(Slight Spoilery)

In White Cat Cassel Sharpe comes from a family of curse workers and feels left out that he isn't one, only to discover that he was being worked himself and is one of the most dangerous ones. Red Cat picks up a few months later. Cassel is dealing with a work his mother had done that left him wondering if Lila's intentions are true, his brother Phillip is murdered and the Feds want him to help find the killer, he is being recruited by some of the top mob families, all the while trying to find a way to pass physics. He doesn't know who, if anyone, he can trust.

There are so many twists and turns and discoveries. I was so drawn into this story. On the one hand I wanted to slap Cassel around for continuing to put up with his family's deceit and betrayal, but on the other, I can see how deeply rooted he was and how much he felt he had no choice. It breaks my heart that he felt so bad and not worthy of something good. I had Jesse Eisenberg's voice in my head which helped. He did an amazing job reading White Cat and he has a way of making Cassel sound just vulnerable enough. Hopefully they will get him to read Red Glove.

If you have not read White Cat, don't hesitate! Red Glove comes out in April of this year. This series is awesome. There are so many books coming out this year that I am looking forward to. If the rest are anywhere near as good as this one, I am in for a great year of reading.

I can now carry around a library

So I finally did it....I bought a nook. A nook, for the unfamiliar, is an e-reader sold by Barnes & Noble. Amazon has a similar one called the Kindle and there are a few other brands I am not as familiar with. I have been going back and forth on whether or not to get one for a while.

On the one had you get to carry around a whole library where ever you go. There have been many occasions where I was made to wait and I didn't have a book with me. This was the selling feature.

But on the other I am a huge book nerd. I love the way books feel in my hands, I like the way the spine looks on a new book and how sometimes books keep that new-spine look even after multiple readings. I love meeting authors and getting books signed. I have almost three shelves filled with author-signed books. You can't get an e-copy signed.

But I broke down and got one. It came in this week and so far I am enjoying it. Because I have to be different and don't want just a plain ol' white one, I have a decal coming. There are so many cute decals on there it was hard to choose. I narrowed it down to the library & the book tree.

I have been on Barnes & Noble's site downloading free & cheap books. I will only download legal copies (read this if you are are thinking about downloading illegal copies of someone's books. Please don't). There is also a a website called READS where you can check out digital copies onto your e-reader for two weeks from the library system from your home (you can also borrow audiobook files).

I probably won't have the popular books on my nook, but that's ok. I will buy a physical copy. I can't spend $10 on a digital copy of a book when there are so many books my students at school want to read. I live in a fairly poor area. There are no bookstores around here unless you count Wal-Mart (and while I am glad WM carries books, they don't have a huge selection). Also, the county library is sorely lacking in the Young Adult section. So I feel like I am providing a service to the kids around here. And I like buying books. It's an addiction.

If you're thinking about buying an e-reader, weigh your options & check out the options on each.

What I loved and what I WANT!

These are my favorite books that I read this year, not that they necessarily were published this year. If you read nothing else from my 2010 book list, at least pick these up. Mockingjay is book 3 in the Hunger Games trilogy & Guardian of the Gate is book 2 in the Prophecy of the Sisters series.

In no particular order, these are MUST READS!!

White Cat by Holly Black (this might possibly be my fave of the year)

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Aaaaaaand, here is my list of books that are being released in 2011 that I am DYING to get my grubby little hands on. I can haz advanced copy plz?

Also, in no particular order, the GIMME GIMME list:

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Red Glove by Holly Black

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

The Dark & Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

Awakened by PC Cast

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

Lost in Time by Melissa de la Cruz

OMG I almost forgot! The 13th Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

No worries, my TO READ pile is huge and I will have plenty to keep myself occupied while I wait for these :)

What I read in 2010

Well, I didn't reach my goal of reading 100 books this year. There were a couple of months where I only read 3 and I got into a funk around September/October and it threw me off. I am determined to achieve it next year though!

Here is my list of what I did read. With the exception of Deathly Hallows and two books I read with my enrichment class, all books are first timers. I did listen to two audiobooks of books that I read this year and included them because I listened to them after I read the books (and it made them so much better!) I will post another blog of my favorites from this list later.

Total- 75 books- not too shabby.

2010 Book list

January

Pendragon:The Pilgrims of Rayne~ DJ MacHale (547 pages)

Dark Magic bk4~Cate Tiernan (186 pages.)

Pendragon bk 9: Raven Rise~DJ MacHale (544 pages.)

Awakening bk5~Cate Tiernan (188 pages)

Spellbound bk6~Cate Tiernan (190 pages)

The Calling bk 7~Cate Tiernan(189 pages)

Changeling bk8~Cate Tiernan (188 pages)

The Lightning Thief~Rick Riordan (375 pages)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid~Jeff Kinney (217 pages)

Strife bk9~Cate Tiernan (188 pages)

10 books, 2812 pages

February

Seeker bk 10~ Cate Tiernan (pages 172)

Origins bk 11~Cate Tiernan (pages 188)

Guardian of the Gate~Michelle Zink (340 pages)

Eclipse bk 12~Cate Tiernan (pages 184)

Reckoning bk13~Cate Tiernan (189 pages)

Full Circle bk 14~ Cate Tiernan (190 pages)

Night's Child bk 15~Cate Tiernan (318 pages)

7 books 1554 pages

cumulative- 17 books 4393 pages

March

Catching Fire ~Suzanne Collins (391 pages)

Shiver ~Maggie Stiefvater (390 pages)

Stop in the Name of Pants ~Louise Rennison (310 pages)

Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?~ Louise Rennsion (310 pages)

The Forest of Hands & Teeth ~Carrie Ryan (310 pages)

Lessons from a Dead Girl~ Jo Knowles (215 pages)

Living Dead Girl~ Elizabeth Scott (170 pages)

7 books 2096 pages

cumulative- 24 books 6489 pages

April

Prom ~Laurie Halse Anderson (215 pages)

Need~Carrie Jones (290 pages)

The Dead Tossed Waves~Carrie Ryan (407 pages)

Twilight The Graphic Novel vl 1~Stephenie Meyer/Young Kim (224 pages)

Captivate ~ Carrie Jones (258 pages)

Hero Type~ Barry Lyga (304 pages)

6 books 1698 pages

30 books 8187 pages

May

An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green (256 pages)

Linger~ Maggie Stiefvater (362 pages)

Radiant Shadows~ Melissa Marr (352 pages)

3 books 970 pages

33 books 9157 pages

June

Burned~PC Cast & Kristin Cast (323 pages)

Pendragon book 10:Soldiers of Halla~ DJ MacHale (594 pages)

The Dopple Ganger Chronicles: The First Escape ~ GP Taylor (280 pages)

Happy Birthday Bad Kitty ~Nick Bruel (159 pages)

Hate That Cat~ Sharon Creech (153 pages)

Sixth Grade Glommers, Norks, & Me ~ Lisa Papademetriou (217 pages)

Top Eight~ Katie Finn (308 pages)

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac~Gebrielle Zevin (284 pages)

The Summoning ~ Kelley Armstrong (390 pages)

The Awakening ~ Kelley Armstrong (360 pages)

Charlotte’s Web:a full length play ~ Joseph Robinette (adapted from EB White) (72 pages)

Second Short Life of Bree Tanner~Stephenie Meyer (192 pages)

12 books 3332 pages

45 books 12489 pages

July

Reckoning~Kelley Armstrong (391 pages)

Blue Bloods~Melissa De La Cruz (302 pages)

Masquerade ~Melissa De La Cruz (305 pages)

Revelations ~ Melissa De La Cruz (264 pages)

Van Alen Legacy ~ Melissa De La Cruz (369 pages)

The Book of Dreams~ O.R. Melling (698 pages)

Liar ~ Justine Larbalestier (376 pages)

Luv Ya Bunches~ Lauren Myracle (335 pages)

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows~ JK Rowling

9 books

55 books to-date

August

Soul Enchilada~ David MacInnis Gill

Dark Song ~Gail Giles 292 pages

Mockingjay ~ Suzanne Collins 398 pages

September- December

Witches’ Kitchen~

The Hollow~ Jessica Verday

Going Bovine~ Libba Bray

Misguided Angel~ Melissa de la Cruz

White Cat~ Holly Black

Gathering~ Kelley Armstrong

Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Life bk 1~ Bryan Lee O’ Malley

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World bk2~ Bryan Lee O’Malley

Middle School- The Worst Years of My Life

White Cat audiobook ~ Holly Black

Forest of Hands & Teeth audiobook~ Carrie Ryan

There’s a Wocket in my Pocket~ Dr. Seuss

Huntress~ Malinda Lo

Bloody Valentine~ Melissa de la Cruz

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland play adapted by Tim Kelly

Re-reads (with class)

Sisters Grimm- Fairy tale detectives~Michael Buckley

Wonderful Wizard of Oz ~ Frank L Baum

Archvillain by Barry Lyga CONTEST!

I have a SIGNED advanced copy of the middle grade novel ARCHVILLAIN by Barry Lyga that I am giving away. He is the author of Boy Toy, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl, Goth Girl Rising, and many more.

ARCHVILLAIN is the story of Kyle Camden, a middle school kid who just happened to be in a field when a plasma storm hit that gave him super human powers - and sent an alien to earth. An alien who looks just like a kid. Everyone thinks Mighty Mike, with his awesome powers, is wonderful. No one except Kyle knows the truth about his alienness and Kyle is on a mission to stop him, however misguided his attempts are.

Archvillain is the funny first book in a series for middle schoolers.

And I'm giving you the chance to win it. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me who your favorite fictional villain is.

You can also earn extra entries by promoting this contest. For every place that you post a link to this contest I will give you an extra entry. All you have to do is leave me a comment with the link.

If you haven't checked out any of Barry Lyga's books before, do it! They are some of my favorites.

(this contest is also being held on my Facebook page)

Top 100 YA Novels via Persnickety Snark's Poll

My friend Liz posted this on her blog and I am borrowing the idea.
From the PersnicketySnark blog. She took a poll of her readers earlier this year and came up with a list of the top 100 YA novels. Bolded novels are ones I have read

Top 100 YA Novels via Persnickety Snark's Poll
#100 The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (1985) 

#99 The Pigman by Paul Zindel (1969)
#98 Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (1987)
#97 Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (2010) 

#96 The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (2009) 

#95 Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols (2009)
#94 Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (2008) 

#93 Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher (2001)
#92 Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (1994) 

#91 The Astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party (2006)

#90 Glass Houses by Rachel Caine (2006) 

#89 A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle (1980) 

#88 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (2003) 

#87 An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (2006) 

#86 The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (1990)
#85 Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (2008)
#84 Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (2006)
#83 The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (2008) 

#82 Jacob I Have Loved by Katherine Paterson (1980)
#81 The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (2009)

#80 Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen (1998) 

#79 Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954) 

#78 Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (2006)
#77 Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (1971) 

#76 The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares (2001) 

#75 Feed by MT Anderson (2001)
#74 The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (1983) 

#73 Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley (1978)

#72 Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (2009)
#71 The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (2006)

#70 If I Stay by Gayle Forman (2009) 

#69 Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison (1999)

#68 Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (2008)
#67 Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen (1999) 

#66 City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (2009)
#65 How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (2004) 

#64 Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta (1992)

#63 The Diary of a Young Girl (1947)
#62 Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block (1989) 

#61 The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (1974) 



#60 Fire by Kristin Cashore (2009)

#59 Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (2006)

#58 Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (2007) 

#57 Dreamland by Sarah Dessen (2000)
#56 Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty (2003) 

#55 Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (2003) 

#54 Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (2009) 

#53 The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (1973)
#52 Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986)
#51 Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (2000)



#50 The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (2000)

#49 Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (1997)
#48 I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (1948) 

#47 Forever by Judy Blume (1975)
#46 Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margie Stohl (2009) 

#45 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (2003)
#44 Sabriel by Garth Nix (2003) 

#43 Evernight by Claudia Gray (2008) 

#42 The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (2000) 

#41 Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (2008)



#40 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2007) 

#39 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (1943) 

#38 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (2009)

#37 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (2000)

#36 Paper Towns by John Green (2008) 

#35 The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1978)
#34 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)
#33 The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (2008) 

#32 Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden (1995)
#31 A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (2003) 



#30 Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (2005)

#29 Harry and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling (2005) 

#28 Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (1985) 

#27 Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (1983)
#26 The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien (1954) 

#25 Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty (2001)
#24 Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (2007) 

#23 Graceling by Kristin Cashore (2008) 

#22 Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (2007) 

#21 Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (2009) 



#20 Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen 

#19 The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999) 

#18 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (1999) 

#17 Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (1951) 

#16 On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (2006) 

#15 City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (2005) 

#14 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868) 

#13 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (2007) 

#12 Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (2006) 

#11 Looking for Alaska by John Green (2005)

#10 This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (2002) 

#9 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (2005) 

#8 The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967) 

#7 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2006) 

#6 The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (2004) 

#5 Northern Lights [The Golden Compass] by Philip Pullman (1995) 

#4 Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (1996) 

#3 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960) 

#2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling (1996)

#1 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008)

I've read 42 of these. I own several more that are on this list and they are on my TO- READ list, which is really really long.
I love lists like this so I can see what other people are reading and see which of my favorites made the list.


How many have you read? What books are not included that you like?

The Witches' Kitchen

Little, Brown offered a few teachers the opportunity to provide middle school students with galley (or advanced reader copies) of some of their books in order to get feedback from the target group. The first book we received was The Witches's Kitchen by Allen Williams.

Toad wakes up and realizes she is dangling above a cauldron. She doesn't know how she got there, nor does she know if she was always a toad. She is able to get free and tries to find her way out. One problem though- the Kitchen is constantly moving and many things are lurking trying to sabotage her way and turn her over to the Witches. She meets a ragtag group of creatures that help her find a way out and to find out who she is.

The book started a little slow but the action did pick up. However, there were a few times that I felt the action was kind of repeating itself. I don't really feel that there was a lot of character development because while I was rooting for Toad, I didn't really feel like I knew a lot about her. I learned more about Jack and was disappointed in how his story worked out.

While I liked The Witches' Kitchen, I can only hope there is another book with these characters. I guess the ending was a let down considering how much time was spent getting there.



and SPOILER ALERT



I was REALLY hoping Jack would overcome his evil father and show back up with Toad.



This book was sent to me by the publisher. This has no influence on my review.

Mockingjay-no spoilers here!

The wait is over! Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy, is finally out!

For those new to the Hunger Games- these books are set in post- apocalyptic times and the US is now known as Panem and is divided into 13 districts. To remind the other 12 districts of the failed uprising attempt by District 13, each district must send two kids to fight to the death in the televised Hunger Games. The winner is set up for life and his or her family no longer has to worry about having enough food,etc. The story follows Katniss Everdeen and her battle to win the games.

Without spoiling- Mockingjay still follows Katniss and her battle against the Capitol. It is much more action packed and violent. There was one time that I gasped aloud because something so unexpected caught me off guard. But, as in the other books, the violence is not glamorized.

There was a lot of talk about Team Peeta or Team Gale as the series progressed. Honestly I couldn't tell you whose team I was on because I could see pros and cons of both choices and as I read Mockingjay I couldn't have told you who she was going to end up or if she was going to end up with anyone at all.

Suzanne Collins packs so much action in this book. One of the things I love about this series is that the main character is a girl who is not afraid to get in there and get dirty. Katniss doesn't sit back and let people fight for her, she's the one who steps up.

And I am going to let you in on a little secret- I DIDN'T PEEK AT THE END! I am terrible about that! But this book fell in with Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows & Breaking Dawn and I forced myself not to look (and it was hard not to!) because I wanted to experience the story as it unfolded. I am so glad I did.

For me this was a great ending to the series. I was not disappointed.

July Reads

I will be better at reviewing books on this blog! I haven't blogged in over a month. I got extremely lazy having more time off in July, but I am going to try to do better.

July
Reckoning~Kelley Armstrong (391 pages) the third book in the series. Has a little of everything-witches, werewolves, etc. good stuff.
Blue Bloods~Melissa De La Cruz (302 pages) This series follows kids who discover they are vampires at an elite private school.
Masquerade ~Melissa De La Cruz (305 pages)
Revelations ~ Melissa De La Cruz (264 pages)
Van Alen Legacy ~ Melissa De La Cruz (369 pages)
The Book of Dreams~ O.R. Melling (698 pages) The final book in the Chronicles of Faerie. It dragged a little in spots but worth it in the end
Liar ~ Justine Larbalestier (376 pages) main character is an habitual liar. I honestly didn't know if she was lying after I finished. I need someone else to read this book so we can discuss!!
Luv Ya Bunches~ Lauren Myracle (335 pages) follows a group of girls as they enter middle school. there was controversy about this book bc one of the girls has two moms *gasp* *rolleyes*
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows~ JK Rowling my favorite book of all time

previous reads

May & June reads

I forgot to post my list that I read in May so I'm doubling up. I got to catch up on my reading!


May
An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green (256 pages) (love John Green)
Linger~ Maggie Stiefvater (362 pages) (the thrilling sequel to Shiver that's not out until later this month. SO GOOD)
Radiant Shadows~ Melissa Marr (352 pages) (the latest book a series about faeries)

3 books 970 pages

33 books 9157 pages

June
Burned~PC Cast & Kristin Cast (323 pages) (Loved the story, but they went overboard w/ the language to the point of ridiculousness. and language does not offend me)
Pendragon book 10:Soldiers of Halla~ DJ MacHale (594 pages) (the final chapter in the Pendragon series)
The Dopple Ganger Chroicles:The First Escape ~ GP Taylor (280 pages) (this one alternates between mostly written and some graphic novel storytelling. can't wait for the next one)
Happy Birthday Bad Kitty ~Nick Bruel (159 pages) (a lower grade book about kitties. love it)
Hate That Cat~ Sharon Creech (153 pages) (by the author of love that dog. written poem style)
Sixth Grade Glommers, Norks, & Me ~ Lisa Papademetriou (217 pages) (cute middle grade book)
Top Eight~ Katie Finn (308 pages) (a girl's facebook-type social media is hacked and she has to clean up the mess)
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac~Gebrielle Zevin (284 pages) (a girl falls and loses her memory. Her journey back during her school year)
The Summoning ~ Kelley Armstrong (390 pages) (book 1. you have shapeshifters, witches, shamans, necromancers, sorcerers. good stuff!)
The Awakening ~ Kelley Armstrong (360 pages) (book 2)
Charlotte’s Web:a full length play ~ Joseph Robinette (adapted from EB White) (72 pages)
Second Short Life of Bree Tanner~Stephenie Meyer (192 pages) (an Eclipse novel focusing on a minor character but gives a lot of background info)

12 books 3332 pages

45 books 12489 pages


Previous reads

Heroes - and a book contest

I have a signed copy of Hero Type by Barry Lyga to give away. In thinking about how to do that, I got to thinking about what makes someone a hero. I remember several years ago filling out my Myspace profile page and putting that very question in the "heroes" section-what makes someone a hero?

Is a hero someone who saves a life? Someone who excels in sports? Someone who is in the military or on the fire department or a law enforcement officer? Someone who stands up for his or her beliefs?

What happens when our heroes do something to get themselves knocked off their hero pedestal? Golden boy Tiger Woods has been criticized recently for his behavior and one of the things people are saying is that as role model he should have known better. Was he a hero before this happened?

I want your thoughts. I have a signed copy of Hero Type to give away. I will randomly choose the winner using one of the randomizing websites. This contest will close on May 23 at 11:59pm central time. I also have post cards from The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl, Goth Girl Rising, & Boy Toy that I will include in this contest.


Here's how you can win and earn extra entries:
1. Comment on this blog post telling me what, in your opinion, makes someone a hero. You get one entry for your first comment only.

2. Post a link to this contest on your blog, facebook, twitter, etc. and send me the link (you can send me the link in comments, or send it to sandilu (at) hotmail (dot) com- please put "hero type contest" in the subject line.) You will get one entry for every place you post.

This is open to anyone. People outside the US are welcome to enter as well. I look forward to reading what you have to say!

COMMENTS NOW CLOSED!

April books

I didn't read nearly as many as I had wanted to, but summer break is only three weeks away so maybe I can get more read :)

April
Prom ~Laurie Halse Anderson (215 pages)
Need~Carrie Jones (290 pages)
The Dead Tossed Waves~Carrie Ryan (407 pages)
Twilight The Graphic Novel vl 1~Stephenie Meyer/Young Kim (224 pages)
Captivate ~ Carrie Jones (258 pages)
Hero Type~ Barry Lyga (304 pages)

6 books 1698 pages

cumulative 30 books 8187 pages

Prom is about a girl who has no intention of going to Prom but when the sponsoring teacher runs off with the prom money, Ashley is roped into helping. Along the way, she learns about herself.

Need & Captivate follow a girl who goes to live with her step-grandmother. She is being stalked by a man who turns out to be a pixie and discovers that a few other people in her town have secrets of their own. She becomes involved in a battle between the weres (as in werewolf, weretiger, etc) and the Pixies, and finds out her biological father is not human.

The Dead Tossed Waves is a follow up to the fabulous Forest of Hands and Teeth and picks up several years later. The story centers on Mary's daughter as she deals with the undead. I don't want to give too much away, but go read these two books! I cannot wait for the third installment.

Twilight the Graphic Novel - I am an unapologetic Twilight fan and I like graphic novels. The illustrations in this are well done and the story itself is preserved. My only complaint is that it is only the first half of Twilight and I didn't realize that until I had already bought it.

Hero Type is reviewed in the previous post. A boy goes from zero to hero after saving a classmates life then back to zero when he is seen throwing away some Support the Troops ribbons. A great story about standing up for your beliefs and thinking for yourself.

March books
February books
January books

Hero Type by Barry Lyga

Hero Type by Barry Lyga


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Kevin Ross saves a classmate from a serial killer and goes from a nobody to hero overnight. But his reasons for being in the right place at the right time are not exactly something he wants everyone to know and he doesn't exactly feel like a hero. His time at the top doesn't last long when he is seen removing some 'Support the Troops' ribbons from his car and he goes from hero back to zero. Suddenly, he is viewed as someone who doesn't support the troops and hates America.


My Thoughts:
I love Barry Lyga's writing style and characters. Hero Type takes place in the same school as Goth Girl Rising & Boy Toy and characters from those books make brief appearances.
One of the things I loved the most about this book is that I agree with Kevin and I love that he stands up for his beliefs. I think it is important for people to think for themselves. I support the troops and love America, but I don't have to have ribbons on my car or say the pledge at every gathering to prove it.

Like Kevin says, "I guess what I'm saying is that I wish people would think for themselves. Don't just do what everyone else does- use your own brain and figure things out for yourself. If you want to put a ribbon on your car because it's important to you, then great-just don't do it because everyone else is doing it or because you're afraid not to. Because freedom of speech is pretty pointless if everyone keeps saying the same thing." (Hero Type, pp 136-137)

View all my reviews >>

March books

March
Catching Fire ~Suzanne Collins (391 pgs)
Shiver ~Maggie Stiefvater (390 pgs)
Stop in the Name of Pants ~Louise Rennison (310 pgs)
Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?~ Louise Rennsion (310 pgs)
The Forest of Hands & Teeth ~Carrie Ryan (310 pgs)
Lessons from a Dead Girl~ Jo Knowles (215 pgs)
Living Dead Girl~ Elizabeth Scott (170 pgs)


7 books 2096 pgs

cumulative- 24 books 6489 pgs


Catching Fire is the follow up to Hunger Games. This continues the story of Katniss after the her participation in the Hunger Games. Her rebellious actions might during the games might have set some things in motion in the other areas. OMG this was action packed and a few twists and turns. and that ending! I cannot wait until August for the third book!

Shiver is a book for werewolf lovers. A teen was attacked my wolves as a child and has had a fascination with them ever since, especially one that watches her from the woods behind her house. There is more to this wolf than meets the eye.

Stop in the Name of Pants & Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? are the 9th & 10th books in the Georgia Nicholson series. They are written like a diary and are "vair vair" funny. Too bad this series is now over.

The Forrest of Hands & Teeth is one I have heard about but just recently bought and read. It is the story of Mary who lives in the US but after some event that has turned most of the population into zombies. Her community is surrounded by a fence to keep the zombies out and they live in fear everyday of infection. When an outsider gets in and just as suddenly disappears Mary knows something is not being told to the community. I loved the book, but had a few questions about what initially happened and what the Sisters knew. I look forward to reading the follow up.

Lessons from a Dead Girl is about a girl who was abused by her best friend when she was younger and tormented by her later on. It is a sad story about kids abusing kids.

Living Dead Girl is a story about a girl who was abducted then abused for five years. The story is written from her perspective and is a disturbing look at emotional, physical and sexual abuse.


To see what I've read previously, go here