Posts Tagged 'Books'

Three Awesome Books

I know I promised to make more posts about all of the wonderful books I have been reading, but that hasn’t really happened.  I have been reading a lot this summer, but not very many of the books stood out as being great.  I read a lot of great sequels (Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, Skulduggery Pleasant Playing With Fire, Rumours: a Luxe Novel, etc…) but I didn’t really feel like posting about them.  I also re-read all of the Harry Potter books, which took a considerable amount of time.

Well, after a long drought, I have read three books recently that were all really amazing!  I am so excited about them that I literally attack everyone at work and talk about how great these are.  I am hoping that this is just the beginning and I keep finding fantastic books.  I have a lot of books in a pile on my kitchen table that look very promising………  So here are three great books if you need something to take your mind off work or school.

The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding is a British book that has actually been out forever in the UK.  There have already been three sequels published over there, but this one is just now available over here.  (The picture is actually the British cover because it is a whole lot more awesome then the American one.)  It’s about a girl named Cat Royal (which I always want to pronounce like Royale for some reason) who was left in front of the Royal Theater as a baby and has grown up in the theater.  It takes place in London in the late 1700s and the historical details are great.  Cat is loved by all the workers in the theater and spends her days roaming the streets and trying to avoid getting in scuffles with Billy “Boil” and his gang.  One night she accidently overhears the manager Mr. Sheridan talking about a diamond that he is hiding in the theater.  When he discovers her listening, she promises to help look after the diamond.  The story has lots of mystery and action as well as lots of great “Britishisms.”  I really liked Cat and couldn’t put the book down, so I really hope the other ones come out here soon.

I have been looking forward to reading The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester ever since I read a review of it months ago.  When I finally got my hands on it, I wasn’t disappointed.  The story begins on a small farm where Betty and Joe have lived a quiet life for their entire marriage.  Then Betty gets pregnant very late in life and they have Piper.  Piper is a wonderfully talkative child who happens to be able to float up near the ceiling.  Her parents keep her on the farm and don’t let her interact with other children because she is “unnatural.”  Eventually Piper harnesses her power and really learns how to fly.  She accidentally shows off her talent at the town picnic and then all heck breaks loose.  The best thing about this book was that I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next.  There was one part that was so suspenseful that I had to stop reading it at work and wait until I got home so I could scream and gasp without getting stared at.  I really loved this book a lot and I think everyone should read it!

My favorite book of all three is definitely The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante.  Not only does it have the most beautiful cover ever, it is one of those books that makes you mad, sad, horrified, and happy all in a matter of pages.  The book is told in alternating chapters between Agnes and Honey.  They both live in a religious commune that is run by a man named Emmanuel.  I don’t really want to say much more than that because it is so much better to discover what happens for yourself.  There were times when I was reading this book that I was yelling at Agnes because she made me so mad, but only because I cared about what happened to her.  The jacket flap says the story is based on the author’s own experiences, which makes it all the more terrifying and intriguing.

Well, hopefully I will keep posting about books every once in a while.  But apparently, I like to blog about cute boys and my cats a lot more.

Jen


If Only I Could Be This Funny…

I promise this is my last Twilight related post for a while, but I had to let everyone know about an extraordinarily hilarious take on “Breaking Dawn.”  I read it at work the other morning and was laughing so hard that all my co-workers had to come over and see what was wrong with me.  I don’t agree with some of her opinions (she does hate on the book a little bit) but it is so funny that I love it anyway.

Click here to discover the hilarity and make sure you are in a place where you can laugh loud and long without disturbing other people.

I discovered this little gem through Bookshelves of Doom which is one of the blogs that I read all the time at work.  The blogger is a truly cool librarian who always has something witty to say about what is going on in the world.

Okay, I am off to read a book that is not Harry Potter or Twilight related but very good all the same.

Jen

I Really Like to Take Pictures of Books

Today I went into work on my day off just so I could shop at the library book sale.  As an employee I get the privilege of shopping a day before the screaming masses descend upon the bargains.  It was kind of annoying because since I was in my “street clothes” people kept coming up to me and saying, “I’m sorry, the sale doesn’t start until tomorrow.”

But I did get 16 books and 4 videos for $16.25!!!  Not that I need to add to the massive amount of books I have to pack, but I simply could not pass up a library sale.

I am really pumped about “365 penguins” and the “Scary Stories” books.  I used to read the scary stories books and absolutely terrify myself.  Hopefully, since it is now seventeen years later, I can read them without having to sleep with the lights on.

But the best, best part was that I found four Babysitter’s Club videos!!!!  I used to check those out of the library in Scranton when I was little.  I think we checked out at least one every time we went to the library.  Yippee!!!

It has been a very good day!  And my mom is visiting this weekend and will get here later tonight!

Jen

P.S.  Here are some cute pictures of my cats, just cuz I can.

Stephenie Meyer’s “The Host”

Even though I was pretty far down on the holds list, apparently everybody is reading this book super fast because I was already able to pick it up at the library on Thursday. I was really intimidated by just how HUGE this book is. Maybe I am just so used to reading children’s books made for tiny hands, but I was actually worried I would injure myself while trying to hold this book and read. Not only is it over 600 pages, but it is also extremely TALL. Needless to say I finished it on Sunday night and I am going to be placing an order at the library today to get my own copy (if that says anything about how much I liked it).

For those of you who don’t know, this is Stephenie Meyer’s first book outside the “Twilight” universe and also her first book for adults. Aliens have invaded the earth and pretty much taken over the entire human population. They are silvery centipede like things that hook onto human brains and soak up all their memories. The invasion has been relatively peaceful except for a few human resistors. Melanie is one of those resistors who is finally captured. Wanderer is the “Soul” that is placed in Melanie’s body, but instead of just fading away, Melanie refuses to leave her body. Some of the best parts of the book are the ‘conversations’ that take place between Wanderer and Melanie as they try to figure out what to do with their situation. Through Melanie’s memories, Wanderer begins to love Mel’s brother Jamie and her boyfriend Jared. They decide to go and try to find out if Jamie and Jared are still alive and still human.

Even though this book is really long, it flies by so fast because you can’t put it down. I really enjoyed the characters in this book a lot. Especially Jeb, Jamie, Doc, and Ian. The story has lots of classic Stephenie Meyer elements: love triangles (or more like quadrangles), lots of good social/family interactions, and lots of cool alien lore (as opposed to vampires and werewolfs).

I did have one major problem with the book that bugged me the whole time I was reading it. Apparently Stephenie Meyer has a really hardcore “damsel in distress” complex where women must be physically or emotionally jerked around by guys. I did not appreciate the fact that Melanie/Wanderer gets beaten up by the men in her life on numerous occasions and then makes excuses for them. Granted, I know that it is because she’s an alien, but come on……….I just don’t like to read about the main character getting knocked around for the fifth time in sixty pages.

But aside from that, I did really love this book. I think I might have even liked it better than the Twlight books. Gasp! I know, I know….maybe not the first book, but definitely better than New Moon and Eclipse. So everybody who liked any of her previous books has to get their hands on this one because it is a fascinating read. Lindsay, this means you!!!! I don’t want to hear any excuses about a wedding.

I thought I would include this video because I loved the song before I read the book, but now it totally reminds me of “The Host.”

Jen

Favorite Books of 2008

I realized that even though I am a children’s librarian, I haven’t really posted all that much about the books that I am reading.  I have read lots and lots of good books this year (I don’t think a single one of them has been a real grown-up book) and I thought I might make a little top ten list of my favorites so far.  I was inspired to do this because I went to the Scholastic Warehouse sale yesterday and bought all of these lovely books for $19!!!!  (That is one of the great things about living in the big city, being in the same neighborhood as a Scholastic Warehouse!)

Now on to my favorites…………now I am not going to write full reviews or tell what ages of kids would like them because then it would just feel like I was working, and that is not what I want to do on the weekend.  So I will tell why I loved each book.  Oh, and they aren’t in any particular order.

Starcross by Philip Reeve is a sequel to the very funny sci-fi/fantasty epic Larklight.  I enjoyed Larklight but I LOVED Starcross!!  I don’t want to talk too much about the plot because it would give away things that happened in Larklight but let me just say that it involves lots of space-related adventures and some evil top hats.  It made me laugh out loud so many times because of all the absurd goings-on and also the fantastic illustrations by David Wyatt.  I also really love that it is a Victorian adventure set in outer space.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen has the most gorgeous cover I have ever seen.  That is why I picked it up and that is one of the reasons why I really love it.  It is like Gossip Girls but set at the turn of the century.  I would never willingly pick up a Gossip Girls book, but apparently all an author has to do is change the time period and make the clothes much more interesting and I am hooked.  The Luxe is about the lives of rich, jealous, lying, back-stabbing teens in New York City.  It is a totally fluffy, cheesy read that is just like reading a good romance novel, but with a much better cover.

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell was really really fun to read.  It is one of those books that you have absolutely no idea where the plot will go next because so many random and crazy things have already happened.  Poor Emmy thinks that everyone in her life is ignoring her (parents, teachers, classmates) and so the only friend she has is a rat that can apparently talk only to her.  This book made me actually want to go out and find my own pet rat (but I wouldn’t put him in a cage, because apparently they don’t like that).  Lots of shrinking occurs to many of the characters as well as some other unfortunate things, but everything turns out rosy in the end, which is the way I like it.

If anyone wants to work at my library, it is a requirement that you read Life as We Knew It.  I made it five months before I read it, which is probably more than most people.  This book is so haunting and depressing, but in the most fantastic way.  The moon gets hit by an asteroid that pushes it closer to the earth, which is fine until earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes start happening all over the world.  It is told through the diary of one teenage girl in Pennsylvania and how she and her family deal with the end of the world.  After reading this book, I ate salads for ten days straight even though I hate lettuce because in one part she mentions how much she misses fresh lettuce.  I still have at least one bag of lettuce in my fridge right now just so I won’t have to worry about not having it available.

This is another book that hooked me with the cover.  Isn’t it wonderful?!!  Shug by Jenny Han is an amazing book about a middle school girl who discovers she is in love with her best friend Mark.  That’s pretty much all you need to know right there.  This book totally has the “middle school” feeling down cold.  I felt like I was back in seventh grade, an insecure girl trying to figure out why my life was so hard all of a sudden.  I totally cried rivers of tears at the end (which is kind of weird because it isn’t really sad) but I can’t wait to read it again.  I am holding myself back from starting it again right away, but I probably can’t wait much longer.

Since this post is getting kind of long and I don’t want it to take up the whole site, I will hide the rest of my selections under a cut.  So if you really want to see the rest of my favorites, continue at your own risk.

Continue reading ‘Favorite Books of 2008′

Greatest (but possibly most dangerous) Architectural Design Ever

As a person who has problems going up and down normal stairs without tripping over my own feet, I find this rather scary, but so totally awesome at the same time:

What a perfect way to use a stairway, but my feet would have issues with the different sized steps. I definitely wouldn’t have problems filling up the shelves though.

To see the rest of the pics and the article about this innovative miracle of shelving go HERE.

Jen

1000 Days of Perfect

Today I got a wonderful surprise while I was slaving away at work……….two of my new favorite books won top honors at the Cybils.  The Cybils are Children’s/YA book awards nominated and voted on by bloggers.  I thought these awards did a much better job of picking books that kids would actually enjoy reading, which is something the Newbery committee is not really good at.

One of the books was “A Crooked Kind of Perfect” by Linda Urban which is a wonderful book in so many indescribable ways.  The main story involves an 11 year old girl who wants to play the piano, but ends up with an organ instead.  If I were to describe how I felt after reading it in five words it would be:  bubbly, elated, contented, warm, and fuzzy.  It is one of those books that has gotten a lot of acclaim, but isn’t filled with despair, tragedy, and loss.   I am so enamored with this book that I could ramble on forever.

Another winner was “Book of a Thousand Days” by Shannon Hale.  I worship Shannon Hale like Amber and Lindsay worship Meg Cabot.  I’ve read everything she’s written and loved every word.  From “The Goose Girl” and its sequels to “The Princess Academy” to the frothy delight of “Austenland,” she knows how to write a good story.  She also has a fun blog as well called Squeetus.  Book of a Thousand Days is about a princess locked in a tower for seven years because she refuses to marry a man she doesn’t love.  The book is the diary of her servant who is locked in the tower with her.  This is a fantastic book that has suspense, fantasy, and of course, romance.

Well, that was my nerdy librarian input for the day.  I am off to paint my nails.

Jen

Big Day!

I am really really really looking forward to tomorrow because I am doing something so exciting, so incredible, so awesome that I will probably have trouble sleeping tonight….

What could it possibly be that has set my heart aflutter??? Do I have a hot date? Am I headed off to Paris? Am I having dinner with the cast of “The Office?” Am I moving back to Iowa?

No, no this is much more exciting than any of those things (except maybe the last one)………

I am going to a Scholastic Customer Appreciation Warehouse Sale!!!!! I am going to be in a huge warehouse filled with nothing but dirt cheap children’s books…………and I just got paid today!!!!!!!!!! I might have to buy another bookcase.

I am pretty much the nerdiest person on the planet right now………I am just concentrating on trying not to squeal too much when I get there.

Jen

P.S. I am going to post this awesome video, even though it is already on every blog on the Internet. But I feel a close personal connection to it since I have actually touched Matt Damon.  (Even though it is bleeped, I wouldn’t advise watching this at work/class.)

FYI…

I am really super-duper excited for tomorrow night because “Ace of Cakes” is going to have an episode showing how they made the cake for the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix premiere party!!! I have only seen 2/3 of an “Ace of Cakes” episode, but I liked what I saw…………cake, Harry Potter…………how can it not be wonderful!!!

Jen

P.S. I am currently listening to “The Subtle Knife” audiobook and have come to the decision that the next cat I get is going to be named Serafina Pekkala because I think it is the most beautiful name I’ve ever heard. Is that too nerdy???


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