Gateway 13: hold still by Nina LaCour

I know, I've been so busy it's been a way long time since I've blogged. And in that time I have 3 books to blog about. Here is number 1.

As you can see it was on the Gateway nominee list. And while it was a good book, all I can say is WOW! These books are sooooo depressing and sad! I know that teens seem to like these books, but it's kind of bringing me down to read these. Anyway, here's the review.

Our main character is Caitlin. Her best friend Ingrid has committed suicide, and as you would expect, it has really messed up Caitlin. She didn't know her friend had emotional issues, and had suffered from them forever. We are with Caitlin through summer, as she spends most of the time in her car. When she goes back to school the next year, she makes a new friend, but then loses the new friend when she decides to pull back into her shell. She gets a boyfriend too. She has trouble in her once favorite class, photography, because she and Ingrid had been the best students in the class before, and now her teacher is treating her differently. And then, Caitlin finds Ingrid's journal stashed way underneath her bed. And as she reads through it, she goes through all kinds of emotion, guilt, anger, sadness, and finally coming to terms with what Ingrid has done in the best way she can.

So of course, a good, uplifting ending, just a really sad book to try to get through.

Gateway 12: Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff

This wasn't a bad story, don't get me wrong, it was just kind of predictable and eh. The main character is Andrew Zansky, who weighs over 300 pounds as a sophomore in high school. He met a girl the weekend before school started back up, and then she shows up at his school. She says she likes people for who they are, not for being popular, but then, her actions don't back up her words. So, Andrew goes out for the football team instead of doing model UN with his best friend as they'd planned all summer. All of a sudden he's popular, but the girl is also getting popular, and she's in love with the star QB, who Andrew is friends with and helping with school stuff.

We do have a bit of a twist in my opinion when we find out there was some planning and that Andrew joining the team was kind of a plan by the coach and others. And like many other books I've read, the parents are having problems and getting divorced. Yeah, yeah, I know, lots of kids deal with that, I'm the child of divorced parents myself. But it would be nice once in awhile to have some happy parents, even divorced and remarried they could be happy parents, like mine were.

So this won't be a very high recommendation from me for the Gateway nominees.

Gateway 11: The Morgue and Me by John C. Ford

This book was okay. The story was somewhat interesting. Obviously anyone who is interested in mysteries and detective stories will enjoy it. And I wanted to really like it for that reason alone. But all in all, it was kind of eh. I rated it lower because I didn't feel it was probably going to have that interesting of a story line for teenagers. I also don't like that the main characters, just graduated from high school, are drinking beer and going to a bar. Yeah, I know it's naive of me to think that teens don't drink. But I don't feel the blase way it was put out in this book is the best. So, it will be so far, the lowest of all the books I've rated for the Gateway possible nominees.

Gateway 10: Hate List by Jennifer Brown

This was a really good book. It really hit hard on the school shooting topic. It also focused in on the bullying issue. The main thing that I really liked about this book, is how it takes place from the point of view of the shooter's girlfriend. The person who actually started the "hate list". The story follows her, Valerie, through going back to school the year after it happens. We get flashbacks to each moment as it happened in May. But we also get to see how the other students are dealing with it. We see how her family, which was actually screwed up to begin with, and possibly part of the reason the hate list started, is completely finished by this. I think a good point is to think of how this shooter was thought of by his fellow students before all this happened. How people had no idea he was going to do it. And how the very day it happened, Valerie had been bullied by her biggest antagonizer. The ending is very touching. I also like that it looks at how the principal of the school tries to say that all the students have all changed and become like a family and that there is no more bullying or treating other students poorly. Which is wrong. I think schools often try to cover things, or at least I think I can totally see this happening. There are things that have happened in my district, that I wonder how they never made the news, when around the same time, you hear about the same type of issue happening in other districts on the news.

Anyway, I am going to hopefully have that as my next staff rec at the book store. I was also extremely interested to learn that the author is a good friend of a friend that I teach with. With some of the bullying issues going on at my school currently, it might be good to have her come in and speak to the kids. I wish I could read this book with my students, I think they could really learn from it. But I'm guessing a school shooting book would not be considered appropriate to read to 8th graders.

Gateway 9: Liar by Justine Larbalestier

All I can say about this book is WOW! It started out as what seemed to be a total realistic fiction type YA novel. Our main character Micah, is a liar, hence the title. She lied when she came to her new school, or just let a misconception spread without correcting it. And when that lie was found out and corrected, she changed it to something else. First she had a teacher call her a boy. Then when it was found out she was a girl, she told people she was born with parts for being a boy and a girl. Then she tells us that she was born covered with hair. The whole main part of the story is that a boy, Zach, has been found dead. It turns out that Micah was his girlfriend, on the side, anyway. He had a girlfriend at school that everyone knew about. We constantly learn about all the stuff she lies about, as she tells us lie after lie. And then, about halfway in, it turned into a fantasy book. Werewolves. And at the time you're wondering, is this another big lie, or is she actually telling the truth now? It's the truth, and the end of the book is very interesting. We never do find out for sure about what happens to her brother, at least I don't remember, so that is one question left open.

All in all it was a good read, kept me interested, etc. I think the kids will enjoy it.

Mini-Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella/Nook Review

This blog will serve as two reviews. Since I read Mini-Shopaholic while I was borrowing a Nook from the bookstore, I will review both at once.

Our main character Becky is back. This time she has a two year old daughter named Minnie, who seems to be a terror. She's gotten them kicked out of seeing Santa a couple times, and doesn't really help Becky with her shopaholic tendencies. In this book Becky decides she is going to throw her husband Luke a surprise birthday part for a reasonable price, and since her family and friends seem to assume she can't do it, she tries to do it on her own. She gets into the world of bartering, and of course that doesn't work out. And Luke thinks Minnie needs a super nanny to fix her. Which Becky of course doesn't think is necessary. They're living with Becky's parents due to some financial issues, as well as the houses they plan on buying keep falling through.

This book has the same funny issues with shopping that the others have, and some more stress as people getting older tend to deal with. I laughed out loud as normal with the shopaholic series, and so I will continue to wait and hope for more to be written as part of this series.

Nook review: Well, it was definitely fun to use. And I can see times it would be nice and convenient to have. But as I feel that having almost 300 books sitting in my house still NOT read, it is just not financially responsible to get one. I even considered asking for one for Christmas, but still, I would have to buy new books to put on it, so again, not financially responsible of me, unless I win Powerball! :-) But I definitely think it is a good piece of technology, and would recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a ton of books sitting around waiting to be read.

Gateway 8: North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

This was a really good book. The main character is Terra. Both she and her brothers are named after map related things because her father was a mapmaker. A humiliated mapmaker as he bought into a fake map supposedly from ancient China. Her brothers are both old enough that they are away at college or out on their own, and Terra is in high school. Her mom is overweight, and her dad is hateful and cruel to her and her mother. And Terra has one other strike against her, a huge port wine stain birthmark on her face. She's learned how to cover it with makeup as she's gotten older, in fact, she has a very hot boyfriend. Terra's outlet is art. She creates collages that represent people and things in her life. When a guest speaker at school gives Terra a suggestion of a new laser surgery that is supposed to fix this type of birthmark, Terra decides to try once more to get rid of this defect. On the way back home from the first treatment, it is a snowy, icy day, and they have an accident. The other car involved includes a Chinese boy named Jacob, and his adopted mom. Jacob looks like a goth, but Terra sees he has a cleft lip scar. This is why Jacob was probably given up in China as normally boys are not adopted.

Jacob and Terra connect, as do Jacob's mom and Terra's mom. After a bad holiday experience with her brothers, Terra's oldest brother invites her and her mom to visit him in China where he works. Jacob and his mom choose to go along, as they keep trying to visit the orphanage he came from, but keep hitting brick walls. The trip is a growing experience for all involved. And in a good way, they all come back changed. But Terra must decide if she wants to give up the "perfect" boyfriend that she doesn't "deserve" with her looks for someone like Jacob, who she has instantly connected with, as he just seems to "get" her.

Awesome, awesome story. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

This was another of the Penguin YA advanced readers books I got back in August. Wasn't sure if I'd like it. The cover is a little freaky for my taste. I know, I know, don't judge a book by its cover, but be honest, it's hard not to just a little. Anyway, this is another new take on werewolves and love triangles. Once I got into it, I really wanted to keep reading and finish it. Our main character is Calla. She is the alpha wolf of her pack, the nightshades. Since she was a baby she has been promised to marry Renier, the alpha male of another pack, the Wolfbanes. The plan is to combine the two packs into one in order to create a new young pack. In this case, the werewolves are guardians for the Keepers. They protect sacred sites from the Searchers.

The book begins with Calla saving a hiker from a grizzly bear. Something she shouldn't do. She even changes from a wolf to human form to save his life by giving him her blood. Now you might think this is how to create a new werewolf, but it is actually only part of it. They also have some incantation they must recite at the same time, so no, the hiker isn't changed. However, he soon shows up at the private school, in Vail, where Calla and Ren go to school. Turns out, his name is Shay, and he is the nephew of a big wig in the Keepers. And his uncle asks the young wolves to keep an eye out for him. Shay of course remembers what happened to him with Calla. And is intrigued by her. He also knows there are mysterious things going on in this school/town, and sets out to find out what is going on.

Calla is also intrigued by Shay. But one thing we can't tell for sure from this book is if she loves both Shay and Ren. It seems that she cares for both. And while she does tell Shay she loves him, she doesn't say it to Ren, but from her reactions to Ren's advances, it would seem she is interested in some way.

The end is quite a cliffhanger. It seems, as always, that the Keepers aren't quite the good guys that Calla was brought up to believe. And not only does it leave off at a cliff hanger, leading me to believe there is a sequel, when I typed the name in on Goodreads.com, there were sequels already listed, more than one. The fact that there are already this many planned sequels, makes me feel like I should give up my writing aspirations. I have story ideas in my head, but not enough to even finish or flesh out the story for one book, let alone a series. I guess I figure there are so many good authors out there, why should I bother throwing my crap out to be judged and rejected? So, currently debating whether to go ahead and do NaNoWriMo and write my stories just for me, like Stephenie Meyer said she does, instead of thinking what will be an actual published book. Or, to not waste my time. Thinking I'll have so much going on this November with my new online teaching job, that it might be a good idea not to worry about it this year.

Anyway, the book was good, and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel, which who knows how long till that comes out, because this is an advance readers copy of a book that doesn't come out till October.

Gateway 7: Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick

I think kids will enjoy this. And I do think it was an interesting look at the war from a young soldier's point of view. There are some obvious liberal, anti-war statements in the book. Which to me kind of make it so the book is not objective, giving kids a chance to make their own opinions. As I have not read any other books by this author, I wonder if her other books lean the same way. While I have wanted to read her other books, Sold, and Cut for sure, now I'm a bit turned off from just the little digs that were in this one. I will definitely check with friends I have who were over in the war to see if what was said is true.

Our main character is Matt. When we meet him he has just woken up in a military hospital in the Green Zone. The place where Saddam Hussein's palace was that has been taken over by the US military. Matt can't remember exactly what happened to lead up the time when he was injured by the explosion of an RPG. So we go with him as he heals, as he must tell the higher ups what happened, or as they tell him what happened. We get to be with him as he goes back to be with his unit. And what happens soon after he gets back is traumatic as well. I think a look into what life might be like inside this situation would be a good thing for teens to read.

The Icing on the Cake by Alison Kent

Yet another book I got through Shelf Awareness for free. This is supposedly a romance based on a real story through Match.com. As someone who has tried out Match.com, and knows it for what it is, something that still only works for the attractive people, just as in real life. I had to choke through those parts to get through. This is really just a very basic, simple, romance novel. The main characters are Michelle Snow and Todd Bracken. The other part I had an issue with was that after the first date they already were sad and depressed when the other was going out of town on a trip planned way before they even thought of each other. Insert gagging hand motion here.

Anyway, the main thing I did enjoy, was that Michelle's dream was to open a boutique cupcakery. I do love cupcakes. And at the beginning of each chapter it named one of the ideas, and told what it was made of. Here are some of the best sounding ones that make me want to rush out and buy a cupcake.

Ba-nilla: banana bottom with vanilla buttercream top

The "G" Man: gingerbread bottom with a lemon cream cheese buttercream top

Jackie-Oh!: chocolate bottom with almond buttercream top

Happy!: vanilla bottom with chocolate fudge top

Rediculous: red velvet bottom with vanilla cream cheese buttercream top

Whoopie Pie: chocolate bottom with whoopie cream filling & chocolate ganache top

Cookie MOMster: chocolate bottom with almond Oreo buttercream top

Campfire: graham cracker bottom with milk chocolate ganache & marshmallow top

Autumn Luv: spice bottom with almond buttercream top

Apple of My Pie: apple spice bottom with vanilla caramel buttercream top

Lemon Frost: lemon bottom with lemon buttercream top

Pumpkin Pie: pumpkin spice bottom with vanilla cream cheese buttercream top

Hungry yet? I'm wondering if this is a real bakery since this is supposed to be a reality based romance. It takes place in the DC area, which after visiting a couple years ago, I do think it is a neat area.

The 4400: Wet Work by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

This book is the one I kept in my car for those times when I was somewhere that I needed to read something and didn't remember to bring a book. So I started it quite a while ago.

The 4400 was a show I liked on tv that was cancelled after only a few years. It started out with a great premise, but as many of those types of shows tend to do, it got bogged down into what I call the "mythology" of the show.

This was a good representation of what an episode of the show could have been about. An internation assassin known as "the Wraith" was one of the people taken, she disappeared in 1992. One of our main characters, Tom Baldwin, was actually part of finding her on one of his first cases. When she comes back with the rest of the 4400, she immediately disappears. She had actually planned on that last kill to end her career anyway and retreat into oblivion with her girlfriend. When she comes back, it seems someone from the future, which is where the 4400 have been sent back from, has chosen her to be an assassin for them, to kill other 4400 members who might be messing up the plans. She of course has her own kill list, the people who assigned her all the jobs in the past, who she knew would want her back so that she couldn't incriminate them in these illegal political assassins assigned by the CIA.

As I read the end of the book about the authors, it was very interesting to note that they are both Kansas City residents, or were at the time of the book. I found that cool!

Gateway 6: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

I'd seen this book at the store. No idea what it was about, but the cover is very interesting. Even with such an interesting cover, and really a title that doesn't give much clear idea to what it is about, I can't believe I never picked it up to read what it would be about. Because I really, really, REALLY enjoyed this book. In a way, it reminds me of how much I enjoyed Twilight. I had to know what was going to happen so bad, that I almost skimmed through parts of it, not stopping to read all the details because what happened was more important than savoring. I have a feeling I'll eventually purchase this title, and it will be one I read again and again. Although there is a sequel I'll need to read soon as well.

Shiver is the story of Grace and Sam. Grace was attacked and bitten by a pack of wolves when she was a small child. She can remember one of them in particular, it had these stunning, unforgettable yellow eyes. It was almost as if he saved her, because once she saw him, the other wolves soon disappeared leaving her alone.

Sam is a werewolf, with yellow eyes. He has always felt a connection to Grace. Even when in his wolf state, when he can't quite remember who she is, he feels the pull to go to her house and watch her. And in the summers, when he is human, he hopes to see her.

You see, these wolves become wolves when it gets cold. And as the years pass, the time that they get to be human gets shorter, and shorter, until eventually they never change back and stay wolves forever.

When Sam and Grace finally meet as humans, it is love, as they'd always felt. But Sam is afraid this is his last year, in fact he didn't become human until late fall when he actually felt he had to save Grace.

A boy Grace goes to school with is killed by wolves, then his body disappears. This boy's sister, Isabel, has seen him, and knows he is not dead, and he tells Isabel that Grace knows a cure. Why else could she have been bitten, but not have changed?

The end is very dramatic, and sad, and makes me so happy that there is a sequel, so I can see what happens next. I will probably make this a staff rec as well at the bookstore.

Gateway 5 - Lost by Jacqueline Davies

I was so sure I'd love this. I have really enjoyed all the historical fiction I've been reading from going through this award nominee selection process the past 2 years. And while this was mostly interesting, I'm not sure it will really pull in the high school age. I think it might actually be more a book my middle school kids would enjoy. Now, the main character is Essie, and I think she's like 16? Not completely sure. Anyway, she is a Jewish girl who works in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. We begin the book with a flashback to her younger sister being born, and their mother not wanting to have anything to do with her, due to being so upset over the loss of their father. This is set shortly before the big fire that occurred in this building. There is something weird going on with the younger sister. You can kind of figure it out pretty quick, I think. There is a new girl who is very mysterious, and Essie follows her to her apartment, and then soon they become friends. Turns out her friend has a past, and Essie slowly pieces it together. There is a romance going on between Essie and a boy who lives nearby, Jimmy.

Anyway, we get a lot of the story told with what might be considered stereotypical "Jewish" sounding speaking. So we only get a little of the culture that way. Essie has a younger brother who is kind of a delinquent as well, and so the big turning point of the story comes when he gets arrested, and Essie must figure out how to get him out of jail. Jimmy, who is a law student, goes to the police station to help, and along with the errand Essie runs to her new friend Harriet to ask for the money she needs.

Shortly after this, she goes back to work at the factory one more time, the day of the big fire. Knowing this was going to happen, I was kind of looking for it throughout the whole book and it kind of made me maybe speed through the book to get to that. Not because I'm morbid, but because that is a big historical moment, and I wanted to see what the author did to bring it in, and how the main character would fare and what it would mean afterwards. The cover of the book also does nothing for it in my opinion. I understand what it means, because Essie makes hats, the type that were fashionable back then, but still kind of a boring cover.

Good book, but not sure it is appropriate for Gateway level readers. So I won't be rating it one of the highest I read for the year.

The Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt

This isn't a new book. In fact, this is a book I've owned for a long time, and read over, and over, and over. I got it one time when my Aunt Nancy was watching me for the day, and we went over to her in-laws for some reason or another. Anyone who knew me as a kid, knows that I was always looking for something to read. I picked up this book off a table or bookshelf or something while my aunt was doing whatever it was we were there for. And I was sucked in immediately. When we went to leave, I think it was my aunt's grandmother in law told me I was welcome to take the book with me and keep it. So I did.

Not sure if this is when my fascination with peacocks began, but peacocks are a big part of the story. And opals. Opal is my birthstone, so of course I've liked it for a long time. But this book introduced me to black opals, and made me search to find them. The main character is Jessica Clavering, or Opal Jessica Clavering which is her full name, although she is never called by Opal. She lives with her family in England in the Dower House of her family's estate that her father lost long ago when gambling. No one will really talk much about the time before. One day Jessica notices what looks like an unmarked grave and finds that it has her name on it. But still, no one will tell her anything about this. Soon the new owner of the former family estate, Ben Henniker is back. And while Jessica is out at her place she likes to sit, his wheelchair comes racing down hill out of control. When Jessica goes to save him, they soon become friends. And she begins sneaking over to visit him. This is where she learns about opals. Ben made his fortune hunting opals in Australia. This may be where I also began my fascination with Australia as well.

I won't go on to spoil much more, just know that Jessica ends up going to Australia and getting to work with opals, and falling in love, all with a mysterious, magnificent opal that is thought to be cursed, called the Green Flash at Sunset, in the background of all the drama. I don't know if you can even find this book anymore. I've looked in the catalog at my bookstore, thinking that one day I'll need a new copy of this when I wear this one out, but haven't been able to find it. And I do love the cover of it that I have, so I wouldn't want one of the others I saw that is really dorky looking in my opinion. While this is probably considered a romance novel, it isn't a trashy one. There is no sex in it. It is quite a bit of a mystery at the end as well. But it is romance, and again, one reason I love it is because of how I also have the insecurities dealing with how no one could possibly like/love me just like Jessica does when we get into the last half of the book where she is with Joss in Australia.

Gateway 4: Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas

I had seen this book at the store and thought it looked interesting. And it was good. I can see that teens would enjoy it, even if I was left somewhat just okay with it. This is the story of Anke and her family. Her father is abusive to her older brother and sister, but doesn't really do much to her, in fact, as the title says, it's like he doesn't even see her. And while she knows what he does to her siblings, sees the bruises, hears him in her sister's room at night, she sometimes feels this means he loves them and not her. She decides to try out and makes the school volleyball team, she's so tall, she's a shoe-in. Her father tells her competition is not good, but doesn't ever actually forbid her, and as always, doesn't turn on her and hurt her in any way for it. No one in the family says anything to try to end this. Until the day that her father does turn on her.

The book is written in poems, reminiscent of the Ellen Hopkins stories, Crank, Glass, etc. So I can see it being a very popular book with kids.

Gateway Nominee 3: Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Oh my gosh, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this book! Our main character is Fat Cat, or Catherine Locke. Cat is very smart, she is in THE science class, the one that can get you to the National Science competition, as well as scholarships to college. The way this class starts out, is that you pick, without looking, a picture that the teacher, Mr. Fizer, has cut out of a National Geographic at some point in the past. And based on that picture, you must come up with an individual research project to do for the year, that you will then enter in the school science fair at the end of the year. Cat has worked with insects at a lab all summer, and is really hoping to get some kind of picture that can somehow tie in with this so she can build on her summer work. But no, she gets a picture of Homo erectus, early hominins from 1.8 million years ago. She sees the woman in the picture, lean, muscular, tan, and wants to be her. Cat is overweight, and has been for quite awhile. So this leads to her idea of living like these hominins and seeing what it does for her life and health. Such an awesome project this turns out to be! Of course she has to make some exceptions, she can't use technology, they didn't have it, but she will have to use the computer for homework sometimes, and can only ride or drive a car at night, or for safety issues such as distance. So, she walks to school and work. Her diet gets as close as it can, these prehistoric humans ate rotten meat, yuck. She soon learns that not only in this case, but she must make some other exception in order to not get sick. n

Now, Cat has an archenemy, Matt. They used to be best friends, until something happened at a science fair when they were 13. We don't know for sure what happened till later in the book, but it is easy to guess. As Cat does her project, she loses weight, and starts looking and feeling great. And the boys do notice. Even Matt.

As I've said in many other blogs, I really do get into books where I feel a personal bond or connection with the main character. And I do, so much of how she feels is how I've felt in the past, or sadly, how I feel these days. Such a great, great book. Loved it!!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The 3rd and final installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy that I have been waiting on pins and needles for since last spring. Let's just say it was very intense. Didn't like it quite as much as the first two. Probably because what was so unique about the first two was the actual Hunger Games themselves. In this book, the rebels are at war with the Capitol. We've found out that District 13 wasn't destroyed in the original war as the Capitol led everyone to believe, they just moved underground. The Capitol left them there on their own because this was where the nuclear weapons had been made back then, and so they had their own way to fight back. Katniss has been rescued and brought back to District 13, along with as many people from District 12 that they could rescue before or after the Capitol bombed it and destroyed it. Peeta was not rescued, the Capitol is holding him, and we can only assume torturing him and using him to try to lure Katniss out so that she won't be the "Mockingjay" or face of the rebels. Katniss's mother and sister, as well as her friend Gale have all been rescued.

There have been Team Gale vs. Team Peeta factions since the last book. We really get into that whole thing in this book. In fact, there is even one scene very reminiscent of the tent scene between Edward and Jacob in Eclipse. Maybe it only was that way to me because I know the Twilight series inside and out, but still. How much influence does Twilight truly have on the YA authors of the future? I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just remarking on it.

I think I like the way it ended, not sure. I as usual was reading as quick as possible to find out what happened. I will have to go back and read again just to make sure. And I'm sure I will. I already need to go back and read Catching Fire again, because since I've only read it one time all the way through, there is stuff I forgot that I need to revisit, and maybe that will help me make sense, enjoy more, this final book.

So, I recommend it to all who have read the series for it's closure, but if this had been the first book in the series, it wouldn't probably be as popular as it is.

Sabotaged by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Well, I posted this as a Waiting on Wednesday, last week I think, and then it was actually already out I saw the next night when I went into work at the bookstore. So, I checked it out. In this storyline, we rejoin Jonah and Katherine, siblings, Jonah one of the kids that had been snatched from time. This time they are going to help Andrea, also one of the missing kids, go back to her own time. Andrea was Virginia Dare, said to be the first child born in America from an English colony. She was part of the Roanoke colony that disappeared. In the current time, Andrea's adoptive parents had died in a car accident. When we first begin the trip back in time, Andrea sabotages the Elucidator, the thing that helps them talk to their contact in the future. And now they're stuck in the past, with no way of contact as far as they know. And at the wrong time as far as they know. Turns out someone named Second, told Andrea she could go back and save her adoptive parents first. This Second person wants to change history for the better. So many things on this trip are based on what he has done. They do end up at the right time, to save Virginia's father and do what they want her to do. But what the character who ends up being Second does changes history, and sends ripples through time. While trying to come back to the present, Jonah and Katherine get stuck in 1611, where they can fix things hopefully, and that is where the story ends.

Again, I love the history in these books. The disappearance of the colony at Roanoke is a mystery, and an intriguing one. There is also the word Croatoan that was found at this empty village that has led many to come up with all kinds of crazy stories on what happened. I like at the end where the author talks about all the research and the theories she found that are so much more likely to be what has happened. Great book, and can't wait for the next one! Still wondering what famous child in history that we will find out Jonah is. I think it's so great I was introduced to this series through reading the Mark Twain nominees.

Waiting on Wednesday - Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for.

I was having trouble coming up with books for the Waiting on Wednesday post, so I decided to so some Strict on Sale book research at the bookstore last week and I was sooooo excited to see there is a new book in the Shopaholic series!

In this book Becky has now been a mother for a little while, and still enjoys shopping, for the baby now. They're still living with Becky's parents while they try to buy a house. The financial world is in a bad spot, which means Luke is not happy. Becky decides to throw a party, on a budget of course, and this is where the big drama is supposed to go in. Obviously, can she stay on a budget? And can she arrange a party, that isn't quite as crazy and extravagant as she is? And it seems her shopaholic ways have been passed on to the baby Minnnie, leading to another set of problems. I am so excited for this, it is supposed to be published September 21st.

Gateway 2: The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

This was the 2nd I chose to read from the Gateway nominees. And it was also a very good one.

Our main character is Kyra, a 13 year old girl who has grown up as part of a polygamist religious cult. Her father has 3 wives, and they live in homes that are in a circle. She has 20 brothers and sisters, and 2 of the mothers are pregnant. Their leader is called The Prophet, and he has some of the men who are his Apostles, all old men. Kyra is a bit rebellious, but in secret. She takes walks outside the isolated compound that the community lives in, and one day she came across a mobile library truck, and began checking books out. Now this is wonderful for Kyra, because at the time the current Prophet took over when his father died, he had all the books burned. Not only is she reading books she shouldn't be, books like Bridge to Terabithia, The Borrowers, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and Anne of Green Gables, she also has built up a friendship/crush on a boy her age in their community named Joshua. Joshua wants to choose her when they grow up, and she wants to marry him. They have met in secret, held hands, kissed, made plans. She's even taught him to play piano in an attempt to be with him without sneaking around.

When we begin, her father has heard that the Prophet has brought his name up, which means good things for his family could be coming. The Prophet and the Apostles have big homes, with fancy furniture and all they can use. It turns out this good news is that Kyra has been chosen for her Uncle Hyrum, her father's 60 year old brother, who already has 6 wives.

This is a community where women are treated as property, and punished with beatings. Escaping is almost impossible. Children who are not quite right, if it is noticed when they are babies, well, they may be killed. At least since the new Prophet has taken over. The punishment that both Kyra and one of her younger sisters go through in this book is horrifying. The books is an intense read, and I could barely put it down.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

This is one of the Penguin box of YA advanced readers copies I got last month. The cover as you can see is very creepy looking, almost just like Rosemary's Baby.

Basically the premise is that this is a town where babies disappear out of their cribs all the time, only to be replaced with something that's not quite right. Normally these replacements die young, as what they are cannot deal with things in the normal human world. They're allergic to iron and consecrated ground and blood.

Our main character is Mackie. Mackie is a replacement who has somehow lived to be a teenager. He is allergic to all these things, but his family has helped him to survive somehow. He must make sure though that he keeps a low profile, as the town has in the past killed one other of these replacements for the kidnapping of the babies. It turns out Mackie is needed by these creatures, but the town needs him too. It is time for a sacrifice, and it turns out that it may be Mackie's friend Tate's younger sister that is the sacrifice. Mackie must figure out how to save her, as well as keep his secret from the town, and try to live the life of a teenager.

It is sometimes hard for me to get into YA books that have a male protagonist, and it was a bit at first with this. But once I got into it, I didn't want to put it down. I'm sure this will be a popular book with kids into this sort of story.

Good Girls Gone Bad by Jillian Medoff

A bargain chick lit book. I have a whole big shopping bag full of them. Over the summer, I kept one in my master bath to read during bubble baths only. I'm thinking that will be over for awhile as I want to spend all my time reading the books for the Gateway List and other books, and just read them straight through not having 3 or more books going at one time.

Anyway, I wasn't sure when or if I would get into this for sure. I mean, they end up killing, by accident, Janey's ex-boyfriend, or at least that is what the premise of the story is. It's about a group of women who join group therapy to try to help their issues. Most of the women are pretty obnoxious. Janey is our main character, and of course there are lots of things about her I connect with.

Some things that stuck out to me are where she talks about being invisible to guys like her ex-boyfriend Tobias. She talks about guys who are interested in her are ones who believe in conspiracy theories and have large science fiction collections. Which isn't a big deal to me, as I'm into these guys, the problem is that most of them, at least th eones that like me are really overweight. And I know it sounds shallow, but as someone who is constantly working on my own weight, I just am not attracted to someone who doesn't care. I don't get the "cute" nerd's attention.

She also talks about how she'll fantasize while she's in line somewhere, and it is very elaborate scenarios that she concocts. I do the same. When I'm stuck somewhere, like the cashwrap, or even when I'm out walking, I tend to construct whole elaborate fantasies of meeting a guy, like David Cook, and our whole meeting, into a relationship, all the way down the line. So much like me.

Later in the story they convince Janey to go out with a guy she met through a personal ad. She says she doesn't know how to date, which again, that is me. She talks about how she will begin fantasizing about their life together, wedding, kids, divorce, all things my mind will do to me to as soon as I begin to like a guy.

Janey also fantasizes about suicide, because her mom committed suicide. I don't fantasize it, but her reasons for thinking about it, have popped into my head at moments of being really depressed. So I connected with her there as well.

It was better than I thought it would be. And there's a part at the end that I was so mad for what the girls did to Janey that I had tears. So this is not a "light" fluffy chick lit, but a more emotional, thinking one.

Gateway 1: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

This was my first read for the 2011-2012 Gateway Award Possible Nominees. The title didn't give me any idea what it was going to be about. However, I should have known from reading Speak by this same author that this would be a very deep story. This was a VERY hard book to read. Yes, when I was a teen I read books like Go Ask Alice about drug use, and I read a biography of Karen Carpenter and her eating disorder. However, as with Speak, I felt a very personal connection to this one, and I'm sure that's what made it so hard. In Speak, I also had an experience like the main character. In Wintergirls, many of our main character Lia's thoughts are ones I've had myself. Now, Lia has an eating disorder, she's anorexic, and she cuts. Neither of which are things I do. However, the body image, the hateful things she says about herself in her mind, those are things I do to myself. At one point, she says she wishes she could throw up. I admit, I've wished I could be bulimic, because they can eat whatever they want, but then get rid of it. Yeah, yeah, I know it's bad, and that's why I'd never do it, but the fact is that it has crossed my mind.

Lia's best friend growing up, Cassie, has just been found dead in a motel room by herself. Cassie and Lia had grown apart over the past few years. Cassie's parents felt that Lia wasn't a good role model after she'd been put into a clinic to help get over her past anorexic episodes. One of them was a car accident where Lia passed out from low blood sugar, and Cassie was in the car. We do learn that Cassie was bulimic, and into alcohol and drugs. So not quite the angel her parents believed.

We hear all of Lia's thoughts, we hear the ways she figures out to try to keep at the weight she wants instead of where her doctor wants her to be. Very hard read, but a good one.

Waiting on Wednesday - Sabotaged

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

Got to busy with back to school meetings last year and didn't get a blog for this done. But this week, I'm excited for another book that comes out next Tuesday, Sabotaged by Margaret Peterson Haddix, 3rd in the Missing Series. I read the first book in this series as part of the Mark Twain possible nominees last fall. It was about some adopted kids who all of a sudden seemed to be moving to the same town, where people were taking an interest in them, and weird things were happening. It turned out that they had all been kidnapped from the past, kids who would have died in history, saved at the last moment, so that it still seemed in the past they had died, but now they had another chance to live. And all our kids in this had been "famous" kids. In the first book we get transported back in time at the end of the story to save two 15th century English princes as they are about to be assassinated.

The 2nd book was about saving these boys, and putting them back in to the time record without messing their own futures up. And each book I believe will continue to go back in past to right these wrongs.

The 3rd book is going to take us to the Lost Colony of Roanoke to save a missing girl from that time.

Primal by Robin Baker

So, every time I was straightening the fiction section at the bookstore, this book caught my eye. Could be the eye on the cover, the title of the book, the description on the back, whatever, I wanted to read it. It sounded as if it would be similar to the tv show Lost, but with more sex. So I knew I had to get it. First I checked to see if it would ever be a strip cover return, but no, it would always be a whole copy return. So I knew I'd have to buy it. With one larger paycheck from the bookstore this summer, I went ahead and picked it up. And even though I have almost 300 books sitting in my office still needing to be read, I picked it up as soon as I finished another book.

Anyway, back to the book itself. It is about a group of graduate students and a renowned scientist who go on a field trip to an isolated island in the Pacific. It turns out this island is home to a population of chimpanzees, that were brought as sort of an experiment to see what happens when they're taken from all the other social groups and made to figure things out on their own. And it seems when disaster strikes the people, the boat sinks, their leader disappears, assumed dead on the boat, and all their clothes also are gone in a crazy wind storm, well now, they are left on their own, to see what people do when away from society. And they do turn primal. And this book has LOTS of sex, and not good sex. When going back to nature, the men become uncivilized, as do some of the women.

However it was a bit hard to get into the story. It's not told as a story really at first, but as the author trying to figure out what had happened to the survivors. We do get a tiny part that is like a story, but then that ends, and we're back to the author trying to piece the happenings together through evidence brought back. And then the very end we're in the story again, as the author travels back with some of the survivors to this island to try to tie up some loose ends. Not sure I'd recommend this, don't know if I'd ever want to read it again, but it wasn't a bad story, just hard to read.

Devilish by Maureen Johnson

If you'll remember from my review a while back on the book 13 Little Blue Envelopes, while I knew of this author from seeing her books at the bookstore I work at, I only decided to read her stuff after following her on Twitter for the past several months. She is so hilarious on there, that I thought her books would be awesome. Now, the first I read, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, was okay, but didn't quite excite me like I thought it would. I have to say that I enjoyed Devilish quite a bit more. I could see the author's humor quite a bit more in this book, and I'm sure that is part of what made me enjoy it so much. I don't remember seeing this book in our store, because I know the cupcake on the cover would have attracted me right away. :-)

Basically our main character is Jane, and she has a best friend named Allison that she kind of protects/supports in all her embarrassing moments. The past year there was a really bad thing that happened to Allison, and so starting senior year at their Catholic school, she's hoping to turn things around by getting a little sister. Only, when a girl finally comes up to her, she throws up on her, and makes things worse. However there is a girl who actually has decided to be Allison's little, and in turn she kind of gives her a makeover. Now Jane is kind of a tough girl, her hairstyle and attitude and rebellion at her Catholic school show that to the world. And Jane senses something weird is going on. All of a sudden not only has Allison changed, she's now not talking to Jane very much.

As the title of the book might give you some clues, there has been a deal made with a demon, and Jane and Allison must try to find their way out of it, or give their souls up. Funny, and another thing I loved, was that it wasn't predictable, lots of things happened that I just didn't see coming. And I do love when a book isn't just cookie cutter so I have to read on to see what happens because I have no idea. So looking forward to reading more of Maureen Johnson's books in the future.

And final note, I get to be a reader/selector for the Gateway list of possible nominees for the 2011-2012 year. I'm so excited! I'll chronicle them just like I did the Mark Twain and Truman nominees last year.

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

This is part of a boxed set that Penguin publisher sent to the bookstore. I actually received 2 of the other books singly through a Shelf Awareness giveaway, but when I saw that the store had all 5 they had advertised to give away that week, I took the whole box home. (After some convincing by Mary at the store) I chose to read them in order of when they are going to be published, and this one is supposed to be due out this August.

As I first began reading it, I was immediately reminded of a book by Suzanne Weyn that I purchased a recent book fair at the school I work at. It was called somewhat unoriginally titled Reincarnation. So I guess that gives you an idea what The Eternal Ones is about. In Reincarnation we go through several different times, cavemen, ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, World War II, Salem witch trials, all kinds of famous time periods. And some we barely touch on. Also the characters in this book sometimes change, like the girl is a guy sometimes and the guy is the girl. I did enjoy the history, and if you look back on my blog, I'm sure I reviewed this book at some point in the past year.

Unlike the Weyn book, Miller's book is much more detailed, and has actual evil involved. Our main character's name is Haven, in this life at least. Ever since she was a little girl Haven has been having visions, and talking about needing to find someone named Ethan. Her grandmother Imogene believes she has a demon and enlists the town preacher to help her. It seems Haven has been cured, the visions seem to stop, until Haven is a senior in high school and sees a young celebrity on the news who has been accused of murder. Haven knows/feels that this is the Ethan she has been looking for. He lives in New York though, and after Haven's latest vision, her grandmother has tightened back up Haven's life, and has now told her she may not go to college in the fall.

Haven's mother gives her a box of things her father had collected before he died in a car accident. Her father had contacted a society in New York called the Ouroboros Society, because he believed his daughter may have been reincarnated, and that was their specialty. In fact, I believe you can even go check out this group as part of the marketing campaign for the book at http://www.theouroborossociety.com/.

Once I got into this, I didn't want to put it down. I will definitely be handselling at the store, put it as my staff rec, as well as recommending it to students at school. I will also suggest my library media specialist look into purchasing it when she has funds. Another website to check if you're interested is http://www.theeteralones.com/.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus)

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

This week I am very eagerly awaiting the latest book by Rick Riordan about Percy Jackson and the other Camp Half-Blood characters we grew to love in The Lightning Thief and it's four sequels.

The info about this says it will pick up after Percy has defeated Kronos and goes back with his friends to rebuild Camp Half-Blood. Specifically we will be joining a new generation of demigods, but fortunately it says they will get a little help from our favorite demigods, which would be Percy, Anabeth, and hopefully Grover as well. This is currently set to be released in October 2010. At one time it was listed as October 22, which would have been my birthday, but since then Riordan tweeted that it was actually a week or so earlier.

Now, if only someone would go back and re-do the movie, which messed up soooooo much from the books, that anyone who had read them came out of the theater disappointed. Just ask my students that I read it with in our Greater Gator class. :-)

glee: The Beginning by Sophia Lowell

So, I was very excited to read the prequel to the TV show Glee. And I wasn't disappointed. The only thing I can say that is kind of disappointing is not enough Brittany, she is hilarious on the show, but of course doesn't get much time. Also missing is the sting of Sue Sylvester. Yes, she's in the book, doing the same thing, but it's not quite as good as when it is brought to life in the TV show. In fact, most of the adults are kind of on the sidelines for the book. In the book we see how Rachel gets started with Glee club, as well as many other things like that. We see Mercedes with her crush on her best friend Kurt. We see Finn and find out he is intrigued by Rachel. We also see what leads up to Quinn and her predicament that is on the show. I like that we get to meet Rachel's two dads in the book, and hope that we get to see them on the show this year. It's also nice to get a look into Mercedes's family life, as well as some more insight into Tina and Artie. I really recommend this as a quick, fun read for anyone who loves the show, or in other words, is a Gleek like I am.

Lobster Land by Susan Carlton

I wanted to like this book so much. The author was so nice when I emailed my request to get an advanced copy. She talked about how authors loved teachers and librarians. And when I got the book? I got an awesome little package of goodies wrapped in a pretty bow. Unfortunately, I can't give it my best review.

Sure, I can see how a teen would like it. It's got the angst, the romance, the wanting to get away from parents who just don't understand. But unfortunately it just wasn't my cup of tea. One thing that may have kind of flavored my mood as I read was at the beginning. Now, yes, I know this is from a teenager's point of view, but when Charlotte, our main character, calls John Walsh, the host of America's Most Wanted pathetic, and says he should basically "get over" his son's kidnapping and murder? I just really couldn't stand that. Maybe it's because I was a kid when all that happened and it was a horrible news story that I remember hearing about and feeling for that man and his family.

Some cute things about the story, the character is a "brain". I do like that part. And their parents named them all based on the book Charlotte's Web. Our main character Charlotte, her 4 year old sister is named Fern, and their 9 month old brother is E.B. or as Charlottle calls him, Eb. So that's pretty cute. I do also love hearing about the setting of the book, an island near Portland, Maine. I've never been to this part of the country, but I really would like to. So I enjoyed hearing about the ferry they had to take so they could go to school, and all that. Unfortunately this is definitely a teen book, the f-word is used a bit, and so I couldn't pass it on to my 8th graders in good consious. So, while I think teens might enjoy it, it just won't be one I pass on. And I have a cool, autographed copy too. Maybe I could donate it to a high school library.

Skinned by Robin Wasserman

I'm a bit ashamed to start this blog out by saying, I'd seen Robin Wasserman's books in our teen section for at least 4 or 5 years, yet I'd never read any till just now. I had picked up this very book, and read the back several times, so I was interested in it, just never got the commitment to reading it until I began following her on Twitter.

This was as good as I expected. It reminds me of one of my favorite series, the Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld, as well as a book I just read for the Truman nominees, The Adoration of Jenna Fox.

Our main character is Lia Khan, one of, or maybe "the" most popular girl. Lia has just been in a horrible car accident. Now this is a futuristic world, the cars drive themselves, so this should never have happened. Another thing is that it shouldn't even have been Lia, it should have been her younger sister Zo in the car. Lia should have died, but this is the future remember, they can download your brain and put you into a new body. It's a robot, but very lifelike. Normally, if you have time, you can get your new body to look just like you did. However, because of the abruptness of this accident, Lia's new body is only one that is similar in looks to her. Her family, her friends, many in the world, do not accept this. They are called, Skinners. One boy does stick up for her, Auden, a boy she would never have looked at before this happened. She also must go to support groups for other kids like her, where she soon meets people who take her to meet Jude. Another skinner. Only these skinners don't want to be integrated back into society, they want to be recognized for what they are.

Lia has to decide what she wants to be, who she wants to be. Along the way she learns some sad htings about her family and friends, and her boyfriend.

The ending is a cliffhanger, totally leaves you wanting more. So I was excited to see that the 2nd will come out in paperback in a month I think. I've got my copy ordered. :-)

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The latest vampire novel. A HUGE book. I kind of wished I had a Nook to read it on as big as it is. Once again the vampires are created by a virus, and in this case a military researched and modified virus. The program is being tested on criminals with no family who are on death row. They are told they are being given a chance to not be put to death if only they help out this project. We also get an idea where the virus comes from through email/letters at the beginning of the book. A young girl who gets dropped off at a convent, Amy, gets picked up to be part of this program. The agent who picks her up, has a past that makes him not sure about bringing this girl into the project. Things go wrong, of course, and the "vampires" escape into the world. Changing everything. At that point we go into a future world where people live in colonies, and as far as we know, this one colony is all that is probably left in the world.

In the end, Amy shows up and leads these people to where there are other survivors/colonies/armies fighting the vampires. I find it interesting where the story goes with how these vampires actually behave, and what happens with Amy. Not sure if it is really left open for a sequel. I suppose it is, but in the end, it'd be nice to just have one story.

It started slow, kind of slow in the middle, and then once the action picks up, the story does too. So I would recommend this if you are into a long read. It gets good if you just hang in there.

Pink Slip Party by Cara Lockwood

Now after reading Bride Needs Groom, I was thinking that most mass market size romance books are more the traditional "romance" style than the chick lit that I prefer. This was TOTALLY the kind of book I enjoy. It had some really goofy parts that made me laugh out loud, as well as the kind of "romance" that I like to read about. I think this is the first book by Cara Lockman that I've read, and I'm sure I only picked it up because it was a strip cover that sounded good, but she will now be added to my list of chick lit authors to check on new books, or past books going to bargain. :-) From the list of her books in the front, I think maybe she writes teen books as well, so I will check those out as well.

Anyway, as you might or might not get from the title, our main character, Jane, has just gotten laid off. So the book is all about her trying to deal with unemployment. She is an art major, so of course doesn't really have a lot of the qualifications needed for many jobs. Soon other people from where she works have been laid off and they come up with a revenge plot on the office supply company they worked for. Where, ironically, Jane used her art degree to design pink slips. Jane had also been dating one of her bosses, and he also dumps her the day she gets fired. Jane's adventures at the unemployment office, as well as with her stoner ex-boyfriend are so funny. And I love the response letters we get to read that are from companies that Jane has applied to, or else from her credit card company saying they won't accept her organs as payment. It reminds me quite a bit of shopaholic in that bit.

I did mark a few parts in this book.

1st she talks about having a crush on her brother's friend Kyle, and how sometimes it is just nice to have a crush and get to flirt, even if it's not going anywhere, although for Jane, it does. I feel the same way. Sometimes it is just nice to have a cute boy to crush on and flirt with, even if you know there is no way anything is ever going to happen, and I am completely okay with that.

However, later, this Kyle, who did kiss her, and she thought was flirting with her, brings to her family's house his ex-girlfriend. So now she wonders if he was really flirting with her or if she can't even read dating signals anymore. Again, something I've been dealing with too. I hate when I think someone is flirting with me, and they totally aren't. It sucks. Of course it has been so long since anyone I would want to flirt with me has flirted with me, that I am pretty much out of practice at those signals, so I was probably completely off track.

Towards the end, when things start to wrap up, she says something that I wonder if it is true and would work for me. She says she's learning to be less critical. That hating things is a lot easier than admitting to what you like. And that if you're critical of the whole world it means in most cases that you're being the most critical of yourself. That last part is totally true for me, I am so critical of myself it's not even funny. However she goes on to say that it's better to put yourself out there and get hurt than to never take the chance at all. And I'm not sure about that one. If every time you've ever put yourself out you've been hurt, when do you learn to stop? If you keep trying, isn't that the definition of insanity if you don't get any new results?

The last page I marked is actually in some questions with the author at the end of the book. When asked where does she get her inspiration for writing humor, the way she talks about her family totally reminds me of mine. She talks about how she and her brother would mimic Saturday Night Live skits long after they wore out their funniness. My family does that too. We have our own "inside" jokes that are often movie quotes, or even SNL skits.

I really enjoyed this book. Will probably loan it to my sister Anna first, as I think the art major thing, and the having trouble finding a job will really be easy for her to connect to.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Fall

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

As I get ready to blog about The Passage by Justin Cronin, I remember that I am waiting for the sequel to The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro called The Fall. In the strain, vampires are created by a virus. This is the 2nd installment in what is supposed to be a trilogy. New York city has been taken over by the virus, and soon it will overtake the country and the world. The master's plan to get new world and old world vampires into a war seems to be working. And it is up to our team from the CDC to fight this virus. Our team leader is Eph, who is also dealing with ex-wife, who has been turned, trying to turn their son. They are also relying on help from the holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian.

Since it's been awhile since I read The Strain, I'm hoping I'll be able to jump in pretty quickly and get back to speed when this comes out in September.

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern

Started this book, well, started by following this guy on Twitter because of how funny I'd heard it was, and it is. The book is funny, but has a bit more story to it than you'd think. It makes the quotes a little more heartwarming to read the stories that go with some of them. It's also interesting to hear that the dad is a doctor. You kind of might assume that he's more of a blue collar worker from some of the quotes, but not so. A fun read, I probably should have waited for paperback to purchase though.

Another short blog. Sorry, like I said in the last one, probably not a really good time for me to be doing this. Maybe I'll come back and revisit these another time.

Bride Needs Groom by Wendy Markham

Don't remember when I got this, I know it's mine, because it's stripped cover. My sister returned it to me just recently. I should know that normally mass market romance books are not really the ones I like, but it wasn't too bad. A lot of stereotypes of Italians in it, some fun, some annoying.

Not much to say. Fun, quick read. Not sure if I'll put Wendy Markham on my list of chick lit authors to check for new books by.

Could maybe be the wrong time to be blogging about romantic books as I'm currently feeling a little out of the loop on all this kind of stuff, the chick lit I'm reading right now is pretty funny, so hopefully I'll have a better review for it in a few days.

Adventures of an Ice Princess by Liz Maverick

My latest Chick Lit book. About a girl named Clarissa who gets dumped by her boyfriend, and her friends decide they should all pack up and join an expedition group to Antarctica. Clarissa and her friends Kate and Delilah get to this frozen camp and things don't quite turn out the way they thought. One of the main reasons for going is the old adage that the ratio of men to women is in the women's favor. And when they get down there, it is somewhat true. But the few women that are there are kind of scary as well. Their jobs aren't exactly what they were told they were be, and while Clarissa ends up with more responsibility than she expected, the other two in essence get demoted. But they choose to stick it out because they're trying to help Clarissa through her after break up time. And then once she starts to feel "in the groove", they want to quit, and it is her turn to talk them back into it.

A quick, fun read. And I did mark a part that really stood out to me. Early on in the book Clarissa has a thought that is my exact feelings on the same subject. She isn't a proactive person, I'm not really either. As she says, if everyone insists on leading, who is left to follow? That in essence she is being a good team player by contributing to group dynamics in this way. That's me! I think not everyone is or should be a leader, some of us can be very good, loyal followers.

Supernatural: Bone Key by Keith R.A. DeCandido

As the series is off for the summer, although the rumor I hear is good, that the show is going to be back next fall, I decided to pick up another of my Supernatural series. This is a book by an author who has written for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and so I know I enjoy his books.

In Bone Key, it takes place after Dean has given up all but one more year of his life to save Sam's soul. So of course Sam is doing all that he can to try to get Dean out of his deal, and this is all taking place before as we now know that Dean got dragged to hell by hell hounds and had to suffer, etc, etc. I won't go on about it as it's after this book, so not relevant as I read it. In this book there is an island down in the Florida Keys where a Native American tribe stood its last stand against the white man and their diseases. It is here they gave a sacrifice to give power to their ghosts so that some day they could come back and have vengeance. Of course at the time period of the Winchester boys story that we're at, Azazel has let loose a bunch of demons, some of which have moved down to the Key and are giving power to all the ghosts as they go through their own rituals, which in turn gives power to the ghosts of this Indian tribe. Sam and Dean go down over stories of a girl killed in what to them is an obvious demon ritual. Soon there are tales of a ghost doll killing two people, and Hemingway chasing visitors to his home out, as well as people seeing the ghost of President Truman playing cards.

It's a pretty good read. Not sure as much of Dean's humor is captured in this one as in the last one I read, but I still enjoy delving into this world. Oh, and I did love the bit where they kind of bashed Ryan Seacrest. I do like Ryan Seacrest, just enjoyed this rip on some current type things.

New Blog: Waiting on Wednesdays

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

In the spirit of just getting started with this meme, I will put up the one book that I am really, really eagerly waiting for. The 3rd installment in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay.

I have loved this series since I read it last fall when I was helping choose the current Truman book award nominees. I loved it so much, that when my Greater Gator class in the spring decided they didn't want me to read the Lightning Thief to them, I decided to go ahead and read the Hunger Games to them, and get them started on their Truman reading for the next year. They LOVED it! So many of them immediately checked the book out from the library, or purchased both it and it's sequel Catching Fire from the book fair so that they could read ahead as we only read it for 20 minutes 4 days a week.

In Mockingjay we should be catching up to Katniss Everdeen after she has miraculously survived the Hunger Games twice. Unfortunately, we already knew that Katniss was on thin ice from the message delivered to her by President Snow in the 2nd book. And it seems all that has happened this time around has led to unrest in the Districts against the Capitol. Unrest that was just below the surface, waiting for someone like Katniss to give it breath and life. But now all of Katniss's friends and family are in danger, and the Capitol which loved her, the girl on fire, is now not happy with what she stands for. This is what I'm most looking forward to at this time.