Hazards of Working at a Bookstore May 2012

I haven't done one of these posts for a looooooooong time, it's not that I haven't found lots of books I want, I just haven't had the time to post the entries.  So I decided to do one today.  I also wanted to say that in the next couple weeks I may have a few posts that aren't book reviews, or contests, or memes.  When I go to BEA I may post some stuff about my experiences there.  So look for those in the next couple weeks.

Okay, I now have 3 books to talk about, ones that I would really like to have, but I just don't have the money right at the moment to spend on books like these.

First is one that really is cool.  When I got my tattoo, I had exactly what I wanted in mind, it had a meaning for something that was important for me, one of my favorite books.  I've always also thought it would be cool to have a dinosaur tattoo, as I'm a huge fan of dinosaurs too.  And this book has some people who do have them!  It is called Science Ink.  Here is the description from Goodreads.com:

If you have ever thought of having an image of the double helix imprinted on your forearm or buttocks, this is the book for you. We should note however that the science-minded men and women represented in this weirdly arresting illustrated book have tattoos that go far behind decorative DNA diagrams. Listen for example, as software designer Zermelo-Fraenkel talks about his arm-covering tat: "This tattoo is the Zermelo-Fraenkel with Choice axioms of set theory. From these nine axioms, one can derive all of mathematics."
















Second is another "science" related book.  It's about my favorite tv show, The Big Bang Theory.  Like a lot of other tv shows and movies, it now has its own book about the philosophy of the show.  See the description from Barnesandnoble.com:


A lighthearted meditation on the philosophical quandaries of the hit television show The Big Bang Theory

Ever wonder what Aristotle might say about the life Sheldon Cooper leads? Why Thomas Hobbes would applaud the roommate agreement? Who Immanuel Kant would treat with "haughty derision" for weaving "un-unravelable webs?" And—most importantly—whether Wil Wheaton is truly evil? Of course you have. Bazinga!

This book mines the deep thinking of some of history's most potent philosophical minds to explore your most pressing questions about The Big Bang Theory and its nerdy genius characters. You might find other philosophy books on science and cosmology, but only this one refers to Darth Vader Force-chokes, cloning Leonard Nimoy, and oompa-loompa-like engineers. Fo-shizzle.

• Gives you irresistibly geek-worthy insights on your favorite Big Bang Theory characters, story lines, and ideas
• Examines important themes involving ethics and virtue, science, semiotics, religion, and the human condition
• Brings the thinking of some of the world's greatest philosophers to bear on The Big Bang Theory, from Aristotle and Plato to Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Simone de Beauvoir, and more

Essential reading for every Big Bang Theory fan, this book explores whether comic-book-wielding geeks can lead the good life, and whether they can know enough science to "tear the mask off nature and stare at the face of God."

And finally, I really don't read too many books about dogs.  Like Marley and Me they are almost always going to have an ending that makes me cry almost uncontrollably.  There is not much that I love more than dogs.  And having had to make the decision to put two dogs to sleep on my own in the past 10 years, it really hits me hard.  I don't know for sure this book ends this way, but maybe I could read up until the end.  It is called Giant George, and here is the description from Goodreads.com:

With his big blue eyes and soulful expression, George was the irresistible runt of the litter. But Dave and Christie Nasser's "baby" ended up being almost five feet tall, seven feet long, and 245 pounds. Eager to play, and boisterous to the point of causing chaos, this big Great Dane was scared of water, scared of dogs a fraction of his size and, most of all, scared of being alone.

GIANT GEORGE is the charming story of how this precocious puppy won Dave and Christie's hearts and along the way became a doggie superstar. In 2010, George was named by Guinness World Records as the Tallest Dog in the World-ever. He appeared on Oprah, and even has his own global fan club. But to Dave and Christie, this extraordinary animal is still their beloved pet, the one who has made them laugh, made them cry, and continues to make them incredibly happy.

So, those are the 3 books I saw the past few weeks that I remembered to post about.  I'll try to do a posting each month maybe, if I don't end up with too many!  :-)

Tighter by Adele Griffin

Tighter by Adele Griffin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I borrowed this book from my friend Kim, who won it from a contest here on Goodreads. I actually saw this book before then on the shelf at the bookstore where I work, and blogged about it in one of my Hazards of Working at a Bookstore entries. So I was very excited she won it and I got to borrow it.

I'm going to start with what I didn't like. I didn't like the drugs part. I totally understand why the character was taking them, well, I understand based on what the author wrote it as. But I guess I'm just a goody-goody in that I don't like that she couldn't overcome the drugs even when things seemed to be looking up for her.

Okay, on to the good stuff. The main character is Jamie, and she is spending the summer as an au pair on this little island. She gets to go live in this huge house and take care of the little girl. She doesn't learn till she gets there that the au pair from the year before died tragically. She also doesn't know that the little girl's big brother will end up hanging out with them all summer. Weird things start to happen. Jamie also finds out that she looks eerily similar to the au pair from the year before, and as has become something that haunts her at home, she is seeing the girl's ghost, along with the boy that she died with. The story was really good, one I didn't want to put down while I was reading, and the twist at the end was so good, I needed to go back in the book and try to see why I hadn't figured it out earlier. Not a spooky ghost story to me, but an intriguing one.



View all my reviews

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 4.1

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I blogged! School is so busy, 3 jobs are crazy! I also am thinking I may not be able to read the nominees for next year's Gateway. I am going to get a friend, and maybe some students to help me. But I'm getting an opportunity to help someone who is opening a new publishing company, and that is really something that I think will be a help to me in the future, something to put on a resume, and something I really want to do. I've got a ton of books written for my hazards posts since I haven't done one since August. So, again, I'm going to divide them into different categories. Today's category is Teen and Young Adult, 3 books I'm going to share.
First is Following Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci. I read the first one a year or two ago, and really enjoyed it. I didn't know there was going to be a sequel until I saw it on the shelf at the store. In this story a body was found in Steepleton and the main character Torey posts it on his blog. A college reporter hops a plane to get there and try to get the story to launch his career, while Christopher's younger brother just wants to find some answers.

The 2nd book is The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch. This is kind of a futuristic/dystopian/science fiction story. There's been war after war in America. People not wiped out by that are dying from illnesses such as strains of the flu. The main character is 15 year old Stephen. He's traveling across America with his dad and ex-marine grandfather. His grandfather dies, and his father is in an accident and so he must find somewhere to go and he ends up in a town called Settler's Landing, a town that seems so perfect for this afterworld. He falls in love with the town outcast, and it turns out the "elders" of the town want to remake their town back to the way things were before the collapse.

Third is a book I've seen on the shelves for awhile, but haven't really picked it up until recently. And it sounds interesting. It's called Reckless by Cornelia Funke. The main character's name is Jacob Reckless. He is able to go to a hidden world through a portal in his father's study and has gone for years, finding lost items and solving quests. One day his younger brother follows him through the portal, and he is attacked and infected. When he comes back Jacob must figure out a way to save him before he becomes a monster from the other world.

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 3.3

Haven't done one of these in awhile, again, school really cuts back on time. Most of these are going to be adult novels, and I believe I'll have one with some more teen later this week.
First is Stories for Nightime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory. This book's title first caught my attention. When I picked it up to read the back, I saw that it sounded interesting. The author has created modern day fables. It's an interesting universe with televisions that talk, animals that live in apartments, and other absurd situations. It is one of the Discover Great New Writers picks at Barnes & Noble (the bookstore I work for) this fall.














Next is The Second Assistant by Clare Naylor. This has actually been on my TBR list for quite awhile. I think I first saw it as a bargain book at the store, and picked it up, but put it back down. It seems to fall into my chick lit category. The main character is Lizzie, and she has left Washington to work for a law firm in Hollywood. She wants to move up the ladder in Hollywood, and won't let anyone keep her from doing that.














Third is another chick lit book, The Waitress by Melissa Nathan. This looks pretty humorous. Main character is Katie, she has all kinds of ideas of what she wants her career to be. But for now, she is as the title says, a waitress. She's kind of waiting for Mr. Perfect to just show up out of the blue, although her dating track record doesn't suggest that any such think should happen. She ruins a chance with the perfect guy on the very first date. But soon he'll come back into her life along with other guys from the past.












Fourth is a book about one of my favorite tv shows: Supernatural. It is called The Mythology of Supernatural by Nathan Robert Brown. This book will explore the religious aspects, like the angels and demons, as well as the folk tales that many of the creatures and stories are based on.


















Fifth is Sweetly by Jacson Pearce. This is an updated retelling of Hansel and Gretel basically. It sound really great. The main characters are brother and sister Gretchen and Ansel. Gretchen's twin sister was kidnapped by a witch when they were younger, and their stepmother kicks them out when they are teenagers. They find their way to a small southern town where they are invited in by the owner of a sweet shop. It leaves you wondering if this Sophia is the witch, or is there someone else using her to get the children? I love the cover, can you see the witch's face on it?










Sixth is The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott. This is a book for people who are scared of clowns and enjoy reading books about clowns that really are evil. The cover is creepy enough. The main character is Jamie, who has just been told by a trio of psychotic clowns that he has 2 days to pass an audition to join the circus, whether he wants to or not. This circus is supposedly between heaven and hell and is where many of the world's most horrible things have happened. When Jamie becomes a clown, he becomes JJ, the most vicious clown of all. And JJ wants Jamie dead.










The final book I'm going to talk about is more of an activity book. It is called Zombigami by Duy Nguyen, and basically it is an origami book where you make zombies! Very cool. I can see a lot of my students having fun with this book!

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 3.2 Part 3

Okay, the last part of this volume of the books I see when I work at the store. Just in time too, as I work again tonight! And as it is a Tuesday and there will be new books out, I'm sure I'll find even more! These books are mostly adult fiction or maybe some nonfiction that I've seen and am interested in. So here goes.
First is called The First Days: As the World Dies by Rhiannon Frater. This is another zombie book, I can't believe how much I'm getting into these types of books. From what I read, these are already an internet sensation, I guess it will be a trilogy. The two main characters are Jenni and Katie, who become a zombie fighting team shortly after they get up the first morning in this book. They must rescue Jenni's stepson from a camp. They finally find refuge in a tiny Texas town, where both women find attraction to the leader. Should be an interesting read. The cover draws you in, and it is a pretty big book, so lots of detail I'm guessing.




Second is Heaven's Shadow by David S. Goyer and Michael Cassutt. This is a space sci-fi book. It's about a giant object heading towards our sun. Two spaceships are sent from Earth to try to reach it and explore it. Both want to reach it first, but when they do, they find it is from an intelligent race trying to communicate with Earth, and they need our help. I'm often hesitant about space sci-fi, due to the fact that I'm not a big Star Wars fan, it's okay, and I do like the first two series of Star Trek, but not all of them. I like it to be related to the Earth still, and this sounds as if it will be.





Third is Dark Rising by Greig Beck. I guess from what I find online, this is a second in a series, but as I read about the first, I don't know that I'm as interested in that storyline. It is also a sci-fi book. In this a large amount of gamma radiation is detected under Iran and everyone is worried it is a weapon. It turns out there is a lab beneath this area, but nothing in it, because there is now a black hole there. There's a creature in a dark cave, soldiers bodies are being drained of fluids, Iran is preparing for the return of a prophet, Israel is threatening nuclear war. Some good things and bad things in this.





Fourth is To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Sandra Byrd. I am, as I have said before, intrigued with the whole Anne Boleyn story, ever since the movie The Other Boleyn Sister came out and then I read the book, and then I watched the Tudors and was hooked. This is a novel, but historical fiction, so I enjoy reading that. It is actually the story of Meg Wyatt who is supposedly Anne's best friend since childhood. She of course follows Anne to the court and is one of her maids. Meg also in this story comes close to worrying about her life and her true love at Anne's downfall. The facts are that their families did grow up near by, and that Meg's brother did have a romance with Anne, and when Anne was executed, Meg and her sister did tend her, and Anne gave her jeweled prayer book to Meg.


Fifth is a book called My Boyfriend Wrote a Book About Me by Hilary Winston. Now, I feel like I've already wrote about this, but if I did, I didn't mark it in my notebook that I try to keep track of these books in. The author of this is actually a TV writer, and this is an autobiographical look at her dating life and other adventures. She finds out that her ex has written a novel based on their relationship where she is the "fat-assed girlfriend". This sounds like a really funny book, it is humor, not a novel, but a fun biography type book.






And finally is i am DACHSHUND by Mavis Duke Hinton. I think this is a print on demand book, not sure if it is a kid's book though. But it is a story about the dachshund. Which I love dachshunds as you can tell from the top of my blog page. Which reminds me, I need to add a picture of my new dachshund puppy somehow. This is the dachshund's story, his name is Shadow I think, and his point of view of the world around him. Sounds cute to me, but that's because I love all things dachshund.

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 3.2 Part 2

This is the 2nd part to my regular posts about the books I see when working at the bookstore that I want to read. As I said in part 1, this is actually a couple weeks' worth of books, so this part will be the 6 teen books on my lists.
First is Between by Jessica Warman. This is a ghost story, but with a realistic fiction slant of anorexia. The main character is Elizabeth, who is a popular girl. She wakes up after a party to find her body drowned in a swimming pool. She meets another ghost, a boy named Alex, who died in a hit and run accident. Together they try to figure out what happened to her, and they learn that no one in her group, including herself, can be called completely innocent in this death and situation.












Second is Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay. It turns out we have the whole story wrong. Juliet didn't kill herself, she was murdered by Romeo. He made her a sacrifice so that he could be immortal. But Juliet was granted immortality as well. She's spent the last 700 years fighting for true love against those that Romeo would destroy. Until, of course, she finds someone she wants to love, but can't, and now Romeo is working to destroy her love.














Third is Tankborn by Karen Sandler. Now I'm excited to say I was able to get this as an e-galley on Netgalley, so I will get to read it soon! It is a sci fi book, about genetics, which I am intrigued by. Kayla and Mishalla are best friends, they also are GENS, Genetically engineered non humans. They were gestated in a tank, then raised in slums, and at the age of 15 sent to work as slaves. They are the lowest of all beings. Kayla goes to work for a trueborn, or highest of all begins. Mishalla goes and works for children who are disappearing in the night. When they happen to meet up again, they decide they must figure out where these children are disappearing to because Mishalla has a feeling something horrible is happening to them.






Fourth is The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab. The Near Witch is an old story told to frighten children. Or at least that is what Lexi believes until a boy that no one knows shows up one night outside her home. Another saying the village has is that there are no strangers. The night after he shows up, children start disappearing. Sounds like a good mystery, and is described as part fairy tale, part love story. Another that I'm anxious to read!














Fifth is The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills by Joanna Pearson. The main character is Janice Wills, and she is really into anthropology. She figures you can learn a lot just by knowing basic anthropologic theories. Like how dancing can be a good mating ritual, if you're good at it. Janice is a smart girl, and so isn't used to hot guys talking to her, until it happens, and then she must become a part of the group of people that she's been making her observations about.














And finally, the last teen book for this post is The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. The main character is Lucy, and one day a woman shows up at her doorstep who is identical to her mother. Turns out her mother has an identical twin that she was separated from at birth, and both grew up in totally different environments. Lucy's mother decides to give her sister the life she didn't have growing up. But soon Lucy has trouble telling the two apart, and is unsure what exactly this twin is after.
Tomorrow, or later tonight maybe, I'll blog the 6 adult books on my list.

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 3.2 Part 1

So I'm waaaaaay behind on doing one of these. I have 16 books to talk about. So I'm going to do it in 3-5 parts. I've sorted the books out based on age first. Then within the teen books and adult books I have 6 or more in each category. So those two may get two of their own posts each. But for today I'm going to start with the children's level books.

First is a book that the title and premise just cracked me up! Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to NOT Reading by Tommy Greenwald. Charlie Joe Jackson is like many of my students, a VERY reluctant reader. He has gotten so far in life, all the way to middle school, not ever having to read a whole book, thanks to his best friend Timmy McGibney. But now, Timmy is tired of covering for Charlie Joe, and now Charlie Joe must figure out a way to pass class, and hopefully keep his record going of NOT reading a book.






Second is a book called The Wikkeling by Steven Arnston. The cover is what drew me in, it's kind of creepy, as the name might set you off. This seems to be a somewhat futuristic, maybe even dystopian type of book. The main character is named Henrietta. Everything in her world is computers and technology, all childredn are watched by cameras at all times of the day, to make sure they are SAFE. Henrietta goes to a very competitive school, and doesn't have a lot of friends until she meets Gary and Rose. All of them have these headaches with no cause they know of. Then Henrietta finds a wild cat in the attic above her bedroom, which leads to seeing another creature, with the long fingers you see on the cover, that calls itself a wikkeling. Of course the three must solve a mystery and try to beat this scary creature.

Third and final children's level book is called The Witches' Guide to Cooking With Children by Keith McGowan. First again, you have to love the title of this book! It's totally like a fairy tale told from the other side. Our main characters are Sol and Connie who have moved to a new town. The first person to really welcome them is an older lady and her dog, who carries a bone around in his mouth. Sol is a bright boy, and so knows that the bone is a human bone. And now they must determine what secrets are in this small town.

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 3.1 Part 2

Okay, part 2. I also realized I could do a part 3, as we had an upcoming catalog of YA title sitting in the breakroom at the bookstore where I work and I found 3 other books I wanted to read. But I'll post those another time. For today I'm going to just list the 4 books I saw actually sitting in the store the last two nights that I worked.
First is Lucy by Laurence Gonzales. Now, I think I've actually posted about this when it came out in hardcover, not sure. But I'm going to talk about it again just in case. It is now in paperback, and so I may have to buy it. Lucy is the story of what might happen if someone tried to breed an ape and a human. Lucy is a 14 year old daughter of a primatologist who has grown up only being around apes. She is rescued when her parent is killed in a civil war in the Congo and brought to Chicago to live. When they find out what she is, she must now prove that she has the right to continue to live her life as she has been. Sounds like a very intense book to me! And one that is right up my alley of what I like to read in adult fiction.



Second is Exes & Ohs: A Downtown Girl's (Mostly Awkward) Tales of Love, Lust, Revenge, and a Little Facebook Stalking by Shallon Lester. This is in the humor section of our store. It's a dating memoir of a person who has been a waitress, a gossip columnist, and an MTV reality tv star. Her stories include a new boyfriend finding a huge pile of Magnum condoms under her bed, getting caught stealing bacon at a grocery store, and being dumped two Valentine's Days in a row. I can't wait to read this one!






Third is My Boyfriend Wrote a Book About Me: And Other Stories I Shouldn't Share with Acquaintances, Co-workers, Taxi Drivers, Assistants, Job interviewers, Bikini ...And Ex/Current/Future Boyfriends But Have by Hilary Winston. Another hilarious sounding book to read about not being able to keep from saying things in work and the dating life. The author is a TV writer and things life is going well till she finds out an exboyfriend has written a novel about her where she is referred to as the fat-assed girlfriend. So she kind of strikes back with stories of her own.





And the fourth and final book I'm going to write about is This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel. I've never read any of Kenneth Oppel's books. But I've picked them up and read the blurbs before. This is the first that really caught my attention. I don't know that I've posted about it, but I already had it marked as to read on goodreads.com.








Again, tell me if you've read any of these so I know what to expect. I always like to see other people's views on books I'm going to read. Especially the awesome book bloggers that I follow!

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 3.1 Part 1

Okay, this is either going to be really long, or I'm going to split it into a few. This is a collection of papers from working 3 days last week and 2 this week. And at first I thought I didn't find many, but I did. I found 8 (edit, only 7, 2nd book I was going to list I didn't write an author, so not sure of it). So, I'm making an executive decision right now, this will be two separate posts.
First is Anno Dracula by Kim Newman. This is an adult fiction. It begins in England, 1888. In this retelling of Dracula, he is married to Queen Victoria and basically is ruling England, turning it into an undead country. There is also another race of vampires, and a detective from this group is trying to solve the Jack the Ripper murders. I like the themes of Jack the Ripper, that is a story that has fascinated me since the movie From Hell, and the book written by Patricia Cornwell. This sounds to be another story also where vampires are trying to live among the world, similar in a way to the Sookie Stackhouse series, just at a much earlier time in history.




Second is Original Sin by Lisa DesRochers, which I guess is second in the Personal Demons series. Don't remember the first one, but this is a story about a girl named Frannie, who is kind of a good Catholic girl until her senior year when a boy named Luc enrolls in her school. She's instantly attracted to him. But he's there on a mission to take her soul back to hell, all he has to do is get her to sin. Soon the angel Gabriel shows up to try to save her soul. Sounds like a love triangle to me. And I like the use of the angels' names in this.






Third is Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George, which after looking up on Goodreads I guess is 2nd in a series as well! I've got a lot to get caught up on! Anyway, it sounds like a retelling of a fairy tale in a way, and I've really been getting to where I enjoy these. I think my enjoyment started with Gregory Maguire's dark retelling of Cinderella and Wizard of Oz. But those were so involved that these are better in a way to me. This is another retelling of Cinderella with some changes. Looks like the 1st in this series was another take of the 12 Dancing Princesses, another fairy tale I really like.
That's all for this blog. Part 2 will have 4 books from this week. All these were from working last week.
Have you read any of these? Would you recommend I keep them on my TBR list?

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 2.9

Only two books this time. Even though I've worked 2 different times since my last post, the 2nd time I worked I was at the cash register the whole time, so only saw what other customers brought up, and nothing new was brought up. Okay, here are the two I saw that I think I'd like to read.

First is Lost Voices by Sarah Porter. It seems that mermaids are the new "it" fantasy stories to go to if you go by the number of them now popping up. Not sure if I will enjoy them, as I have yet to read any, but the last few I've seen have intrigued me by their description. This one is about a 14 year old girl named Luce who is attached outside her Alaskan fishing village and left to die. She falls into the water thinking that she is about to die. Instead she becomes a mermaid and joins a large group of mermaids. All these mermaids are like Luce in that they gave up their humanity when they were at the darkest moments in their life. This seems to be the perfect life until she finds out that they must lure sailors to their death. Luce is a great singer, so she is revered, but she doesn't want to become a murderer, so must decide what she will do.

The 2nd books is called Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruin Zafon. It is set in Calcutta in the 1960's, an English soldier fights to save two twin babies from weather and danger, losing his life in the process. It flashes forward to 16 years later, and the twins Ben and Sheere are once again confronted with this unthinkable threat. With their friends they must fight this monster, one more horrifying and unimaginable than any other. Sounds like a fun mystery, and one that teens would like, with a boy protagonist, it's possible it would be a good rec for boys.

And that's all for now! I work the next 3 days, so expect another post like this soon.

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 2.8

It feels like forever since I've blogged! But it's really only been 2 days. Silly me. Part of the reason is that I started re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to get ready for the movie, and so I haven't finished any new books to blog about in a few days. Plus, the egalley I was trying to read was so messed up, words repeated over and over, that I had to give up on it. So this entry is actually going to be a combo of the last two nights of work, and actually some of the ones I'm going to list aren't really ones I want to read, they were just amusing and I wanted to share them. And one of the books I'm not sure if I've posted about, since I just started keeping track of my posts a month ago. So here goes.

First is Eye of the Moon by Dianne Hofmeyr. I guess this is maybe a reprint, but it was on the new in paperback shelf in the Children's department at our store, so first time I've seen it. It's historical fiction, about ancient Egypt, one of my favorite time periods. The main character is the daughter of someone who assists at mummifications. When she goes with him to help with the mummification of a queen and her son, she finds the son is not dead, and so she helps him to escape. The prince is Tuthmosis, and they must avoid the High Priests who want to kill him, and find people to help get his throne back to him. Sounds like fun to me!




Second is Undertakers by Ty Drago. This is the one I feel like I've mentioned before, but am not sure. It is a zombie tale, but for young readers, well, grades 5 or 6 I would say. The main character is Will Ritter, and he must run away from home, where he joins a band of teenagers who call themselves the undertakers because they fight zombies. I think this is a great idea for the kids who have older brothers and sisters or parents who are reading older zombie books, because this can probably be for them. I haven't read yet, so don't know just how scary it is or is not, but it is on my list to read.





Third is what I thought was a really cute kid's picture book, until I got to the last page, and then, I realized, this is not a kid's book. It actually is in the humor section. But, other than the last page, I would LOVE to read this to the kids at the middle school level, or upper elementary. It is called It's a Book by Lane Smith. According to the author this is a book about a book loving monkey and a tech savvy jackass. And that last word is actually on the last page. I'll try to include a copy of the video that shows basically what the story is, without the controversial last page.


The next book is in the craft section. It is called Knit Your Own Wedding by Fiona Goble. And it is basically knitting all the main people in Prince William's wedding to Kate. It includes the Queen and a Corgi dog, and a cardboard background you can set up behind once you've knitted all the patterns. Crazy! But funny!








The last book is called Creepy-Ass Dolls by Stacey Brooks. This is a book full of pictures of dolls with creepy looks on their faces. Now, I have to admit, I was prepared to open this up and be creeped out. There are many, many creepy dolls out there. However, most of the pictures in this book were not that creepy to me. Some were, but not all. They have all been given some interesting names and funny little stories, so it is definitely worth a look through for some laughs.

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 2.7

As I was working yesterday, I was so busy at the beginning of the day, working on getting returns ready from the nonfiction part of the childrens section, that I didn't think I'd find any books to share or post about. But then, when it got busier and I had to spend more time helping customers, I found 5. So, another long post, but here we go.



First is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. The cover caught my eye right way. To me it is kind of creepy, the black and white, a little girl standing all by herself. Looks like the makings of a horror movie poster to me. It's about a boy who goes and explores the island this home is on after a family tragedy. His grandfather was actually once a child in this abandoned home. As Jacob goes searching he learns that the children kept here were more than just "different" there was really something wrong or dangerous with them. There are supposed to be lots of pictures spread throughout to help with the theme and setting. I think I read about this first in Shelf Awareness emails, but seeing it on the shelf at the store really caught my attention.




The 2nd book is Notes from the Blender by Brendan Halpin. The cover of this didn't quite draw me, but the name did. And then, the name of one of the characters. The boy who the boots belong to is named Declan, and when I hear that name, I think Ireland, and my huge love of an Irish accent. Yeah, I know, I can't hear an accent when I read a book in my head, but still, it made me interested enough to pick it up and read the synopsis. Basically Declan is kind of a freak at school, he dresses out there (see the boots in the picture), listens to strange music, but, he has always thought about the other main character, Neilly (how do you pronounce that?) He's watched her in classes and thought about bumping into her in the hall, basically fantasized about her. Neilly is one of the most popular girls at school, until she is dumped by her boyfriend, and betrayed by her BFF. To add insult to injury, she finds out that her dad is going to marry Declan's mom. So now they've got to live in the same house.

The 3rd book is Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper. This is a terrifying tale of being stuck in your body, unable to move or communicate, and everyone thinking you are dead. This is based on a true story back in the 1800's when many people were often buried but not really dead. Her name is Anne Green, she has been falsely accused of a crime and hung. When she is on the dissection table, a young medical student senses something wrong with this body. I guess she survives. This sounds like a really freaky tale, especially knowing that it is based on a true story.

I found the 4th book on my list as I was shelving a v-cart of teen books yesterday. That's why I love when I get to shelve teen books, finding the new things that I may not have heard of yet is great, although it does feed my book addiction. Anyway, the 4th book is The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride. The main characters are Tessa and Noelle. Noelle disappears at the start of 8th grade, and Tessa pulls back from everyone. It sounds like Noelle was kidnapped, and when she escapes her captivity two years later she comes back. Noelle is now going by Elle, and Tessa finds her to be a different girl, changed by her experience. The story is how people change and what that can do to a relationship.

The final book is called Time Riders by Alex Scarrow. I think what drew my eye to this was the book I finally gave up reading, an ARC of the book Map of Time by Felix Palma. But the main characters are kids who should have died at times in history, like on the Titanic. They are Liam, Maddy who should have died in a plane crash in 2010, and Sal who should have died in 2029. So we've got kids from a huge span of time. They have been recruited by a secret agency that is trying to save the world from people using time travel for selfish or evil reasons. Such as going back to make Hitler win World War II. I guess from what I read this is going to be a series, so it sounds like something that would be great to suggest to a lot of kids I know.

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 2.4 Part 3

Okay, third and final part. However, not sure when you'll see this as I'm still having trouble posting my blogs at home even though I can type them up and save them.

First is Are You Going to Kiss Me Now? by Sloane Tannen. This is a teen novel about a girl who is a writer and wins a trip to go interview a bunch of celebs. Her plan goes down on a desert island where she is now stranded with 5 stereotypical hollywood star types. Somehow she is able to post on her iPhone about their amusing adventures as they try to survive and hopefully get rescued. Sounds fun!




Second is One Second After by William R. Forstchen. This is a book I saw when straightening the fiction section at the store. Instead of nuclear war, the weapon of choice is an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP), and it defeats the United States. This weapon will take us back to the Dark Ages, before the invention of electricity. The reviews of this say that it is something that we might actually have to worry about, as our enemies may already have this. Again, a really interesting sounding storyline.









Third and the final for this volume is All the Lives He Led by Frederik Pohl. This is a science fiction book. In this, there is a theme park in 2079 at the site of Pompeii, 2000 years after it's last eruption. It is still unstable and could erupt at any time. A big celebration is planned in honor of the 2000 year anniversary, and there are terrorists who are thinking to use this to their advantage.