Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet
In Mumbai, India, arranged marriages are a way of life for many teen girls. Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet tells the story of three sisters and the marriages arranged for them. I found it interesting because it takes place today and even though arranged marriages are not as strict as they once were, they are still a part of the culture sometimes working out for the best and sometimes challenging or even dangerous. It is a quick and engaging book. Why not give it a try?
Mockingjay: The Hunger Games Trilogy Concludes!
is in our library now:
I read it in a day and a half! All I can say without spoilers is that it was somewhat different than I expected, but fantastic none the less. Katniss, Peeta and Gale all play a part in the conclusion of this trilogy. The tensions between the capitol and the districts continue to drive the plot forward. I think it deserves a re-read to really catch all the subtleties of the plot, but I’ll wait until all of you get a chance to finish.
Gone by Michael Grant
I knew I would get hooked on this series if I started it and, sure enough, I can’t wait to read more of the series. I know a lot of you are ahead of me and love these books. The author has planned a six book series, so there are more books to anticipate. I was expecting the drama that the author created based on the premise that everyone over 15 disappeared, but the story had lots of other great twists and turns. Highly recommended!
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Since I’m a librarian and a cat lover, I’m surprised it has taken this long for me to read Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. It was so much fun to read about Dewey, named for the wonderful Dewey Decimal System, a mainstay of the library. What amazed me the most about this story was the habits and people connections that Dewey had. My two cats are a lot more into each other than they seem to be in touch with us. This was a personal memoir of Dewey written by his primary care-giver, Vicki Myron, and it did read that way sometimes, but all in all, it was Dewey’s story and he really stole my heart!
The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted is about a time when girls were not allowed to get a formal education. Bet was adopted at an early age and grew up with Will, the son of her adoptive uncle. Will’s not crazy about school and wants to join the military, so with a Prince and the Pauper twist, they exchange places. It’s a well written story with some interesting twists and turns. It also has some connections to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. I’m eagerly awaiting the newest book by Celia Rees, The Fool’s Girl, which is also connected to that play.
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
Hope has lived her life traveling from place to place with her aunt who she has lived with most of her life. As she leaves each place, she leaves the words “Hope Was Here” to mark her time in each place and feel a bit more connection to her life of uprooting. I really enjoyed this book and it had a lot more substance than I was expecting when I picked it up. Hope works as a waitress and becomes in a campaign for a local man with leukemia who is fighting prejudice against the idea of putting someone with such a significant health problem in office. There’s a touch of romance, too and lots of encouraging positive outlooks toward living a full life.
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
Sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, an unusually talented weaver, must master her mysterious power and join a young wizard in stopping an imminent war in (her) land.
from Titlewave
Monsters of Men: The Chaos Walking Trilogy Concludes
If you haven’t been following Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking Trilogy, the time to start is now! Monsters of Men is coming out in the U. S. on September 28th, but I am such a fan of this series that I purchased a copy from England where Patrick Ness lives and has won multiple awards for this series. In this trilogy, people have been transported to a new planet and have encountered some unique problems. Men cannot hide their thoughts and everything is heard in their “noise”. It is a fascinating world with a spattering of science fiction, but mostly about human emotions and power. Monsters of Men was around 600 pages long, and I wanted more— read this series soon!
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater met every expectation I had of it! The only downside is that I now have to wait a long time before the third book will come out! There are so many twists explained that I don’t dare describe too much of the story, especially for any of you that may have missed Shiver. It is, again, a werewolf story like no other and both books are highly recommended! In this series, werewolves turn based on the heat or cold of the season of the year. In the cold of winter, the wolf takes over, but as summer arrives, the human form becomes theirs, so everything must be in place for those who turn to exist in both worlds. Not only is romance affected by these strange circumstances, but many of the little details of life that have to be dealt with must also be taken care of by the leader of the pack. You will fall in love with Grace and Sam all over again in Linger, and you might find some new characters to embrace, too. I know I did!
The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez is a well-told historical fiction version of post-revolution Cuba in 1961. The authenticity comes from the true story on which it is based, her parents journey to the U. S. during what was called Operation Pedro Pan, a rescue and relocation of children of those parents who did not support what was happening to Cuba under Castro. I think the book trailer gives a great preview of this book.
I was struck by how removed from these events many of us were as we were growing up in the 1960s. I was 7 years old, the exact age of Frankie, the younger brother in this story, and I can’t imagine being uprooted and sent to live in another country with another family in order to escape violence. The story here is gripping and hopeful at the same time. It is highly recommended!
We also have a new book of poetry by Cuban poets in English and Spanish, Burnt Sugar, which I won from the Poets of Color April Mini-Challenge.
Fall Seasonal Reading Challenge
Fall Reading
Non-Fiction Five Challenge
Classics Challenge
End of the World Challenge 2010
2010 What’s in a Name?
Twenty Ten Challenge
Take Another Chance
2010 Global Challenge
POC Challenge
South Asian Authors
Aussie Author Challenge
Typically British Challenge
2010 Historical Fiction
2010 Graphic Novels
2010 451 Challenge
Time Travel Challenge
2010 Speculative Fiction
2010 Neil Gaiman Challenge
Debut Authors Challenge
2010 GLBT Challenge
Short Story Challenge
2010 YA Reading Challenge
COMPLETED CHALLENGES
2010 EW Summer Books Challenge
Once Upon a Read-A-Thon
Spring Reading Thing 2010
Spring Into Short Stories Challenge
Start June Reading: Weekend Challenge
2010 Chain Challenge Completed
24 Hour Read-A-Thon! 4/10/2010 Completed!
Clean Away the Clutter Read-A-Thon Completed!
NaJuReMoNoMo: 9 Completed!
2010 Winter Challenge Completed!
Spring Break Challenge Completed!
Poets of Color April Mini-Challenge
