So, I’ve done some reading over the past couple of days after a busy week. None of them were especially “hot off the press” or “too hot to handle,” but they were definitely worth picking up. I seem to always subconsciously pick up books with similar themes and it was no different this weekend. I’ve read Julie Anne Peters’ Between Mom and Jo and Brent Hartinger’s Geography Club, both about GLBT teens. And both were great! I was hesitant to pick up Peters’ work since I’d had a fifty/fifty split with her last two: disliked Keeping You a Secret but loved Luna. But, this one was so heavy at times and heartbreaking, but truthful down to the core. What happens when gay couples decide to conceive or adopt, what happens to those kids? And Hartinger’s work was equally as important. One reason I especially liked Geography Club was the lack of parents, instead, it was about secrecy and acceptance in high school, among friends, whereas Between Mom and Jo was about parenting. And the third book to round out the weekend was the first of Darren Shan’s Cirque du Freak books, which I’ve been meaning to pick up for some time. Eh, I could take it or leave it, but I’ll probably, when I’m bored, pick up a second and third and fourth, just to say I’m keeping up with the series.
Seeing Sequels January 29, 2008
There’s nothing better than enjoying a good book, but there’s nothing better than that than discovering that the author wrote a sequel and it’s just as juicy. Alane Ferguson’s The Christopher Killer and The Angel of Death were great… I have to admit I actually read the sequel first, but that just goes to show that if the character is worth it, then it’s worth going back. I enjoy Cameryn as a character, she’s a super-sleuth and not only did I enjoy her, I enjoyed the forensics involved in solving the mysteries and crimes. Next, I have to mention, it was the best recommendation yet from my colleague who got me hooked! Enter Melissa De La Cruz’s Blue Bloods series (Masquerade being the second book). Like one of my students said about Twilight, those are sparkly vampires, then I replied, yeah, well, the Blue Bloods vampires are sexy vampires. Read it and see if you agree. I’ll say no more. And last, I read (again in reverse order) Fighting Ruben Wolfe and its sequel, Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak. I could give or take them, but they have value especially in respecting family and family ties, especially that of brotherhood. Think The Fight Club meets family dysfunction.
Nothing Earth-Shattering January 29, 2008
I’ve read a bunch, but nothing worth getting on to write about the second I put it down. So, here’s a run-down: Wait for Me by An Na, Incantation by Alice Hoffman, Theories of Relativity by Barbara Haworth-Attard, Rat Life by Tedd Arnold, The Seance by Joan Lowery Nixon, Thirsty by M.T. Anderson, and Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. I will say that many of these had something worth sticking it out for. For instance, Rat Life is a great way to discuss the issue of Vietnam in the likeness of In Country by Bobbi Ann Mason because it’s not really about the direct Vietnam War, but it’s after effects, plus the book is pretty cheeky. The Seance had a great ending (who would have guessed?!) and was pretty thoughtful, but still didn’t bring the scare-power. Incantation is another great history lesson– discussing how Jews were hiding as Christians in Spain and how one girl discovers her family’s true history. Theories of Relativity is much like Can’t Get There from Here by Strasser, but to me, Haworth-Attard pulled more heartstrings. So there’s the quick and dirty. Enjoy!
Love Lives On August 17, 2007
The much anticipated third novel in the Twilight series arrived on August 7th and it only took me a few days to get through the entire 600-pages, but Eclipse was well worth the wait! The saga was a little frustrating to read at times because of the wishy-washy antics of Bella, our all-American teenager who happens to be in love with a vampire and whose friend is a werewolf. But the history of their cultures and the backstories on many of the Cullen “children” made for a fascinating read. As I neared the end, I so desperately wanted one thing to happen… but we’ll just have to wait to see if it does in Breaking Dawn (with an anticipated releasen of fall 2008).
Top 5 July 11, 2007
I’ve waited long enough to truly announce THE most important book– it is truly sexy, mysterious, elusive, romantic, and dark book (can you believe that young adults are trying to keep it to themselves?) And of course, like Ellen Hopkins’ work, I can’t just choose one… it’s all three (and yes, I have pre-ordered Eclipse), so, you guessed it, Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight and New Moon.
