I am back...:)

I have really neglected my blog this semester. Life as a librarian is great and I have been reading a lot... just not taking the time to post reviews. I plan to do better in 2012!

Some of my favorite reads this fall are...

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The Sweetest Thing (from NetGalley) Loved this one!

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Stay by Deb Caletti

The Auslander Paul Dowswell

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

Timeless by Alexader Monir

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Sharks and Boys by Kristen Tracey

Shelter by Harlen Coben

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

For Keeps by Natasha Friends

The Lost Songs by Caroline Cooney

and I am currently reading Virals

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

What a great book-- I have to admit to being a little scared as I read this! I used this book to experiment on making my own book trailer using Animoto. Below is the official book trailer and then I posted the one I created. I used my video as a sample in a lesson where students created their own book trailers! It was a fun and successful project.

I recommend Cryer's Cross to anyone looking for a quick, and suspenseful read!


Official Book Trailer from SimonSchusterVideos



Mrs. Lively's Animoto book trailer

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly is one of the books I selected as a part of the Debut Author's Challenge I am participating in. The other day I had a student ask me if I had a copy of Unearthly and I pulled it out of my bag to show him that I had just started to read it. He then told me he is related to the author. How cool is that! I was so glad I already had a copy in the library. (I was actually pretty proud I did since this is a new release and had not been out long. Thank you Story Siren for running this challenge and making me aware of the debut YA books that are out!)

I just finished the book and I loved it, but at the same time I am disappointed that I am done. I would say this is the sign of a good book. I can't stop thinking of the characters and I want more! I found out from a little research that another book comes out next year- now I just have to find some patience.

Unearthly is the story of an angel-blood named Clara. Clara is only 1/4 angel and to most of the world just seems like a normal teenager. When Clara is 16 she starts have a recurring dream or vision of a forest fire and a boy that she has to save. She discovers that this is a part of her "purpose" as an angel and that her family must move to Wyomng for her to fulfill that purpose. In Wyoming she meets the boy from her visions as well as another guy- the brother of her best friend. As Clara learns more about both Christian, the boy from the visons, Tucker, the best friend's twin brother, and about the angel world, life gets more and more confusing for her.

This fantasy, romantic, thriller is a real page turner. I loved the characters and found them to be very real and believable. I enjoyed the angel story line that Cynthia Hand created and found it to be very plasuible within the story. My only disappointment with the book is that I am not ready to leave Clara, Christian, Tucker and Jeffrey, Clara's brother, behind. I hope that future books will continue the Clara story but focus more on Jeffrey and Clara's mother too.

I highly recommend Unearthly and look forward to booktalking this at school.



Official Trailer by Harper Teen

So Much Closer by Susanne Colasanti

Official Book Trailer from PenguinYoungReaders

Hold Still by Nina LeCour

Official Book Trailer by PenguinYoungReaders

After by Amy Efaw

Official Book Trailer from PenguinYoungReaders:

If I Stay by Gail Forman

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble

"You'll have no choice but to tear through this book!" Jay Asher, author of the New York Times bestseller Thirteen Reasons Why What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance.

Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death-and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

I did tear through this book and enjoyed seeing the ramifications of the different ways that Samantha spends her last day over and over again. I expected this to be a sad book and it really wasn't-- instead it made me think about how important the choices we make in life are.


Official Book Trailer by harperteen

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Official book trailer by harperteen:

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Five Flavors of Dumb

Title: Five Flavors of Dumb

Author: Antony John

Publisher: Dial

Publication Date:11-10-10

Pages: 352

Challenge:

Source: A-Z Challenge

 

From Good Reads:

 

The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.

The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.

The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?

Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.

 

My thoughts:

This is a truly great book.  I really enjoyed the references to real Seattle bands and found the characters to be very captivating.  I think Piper's family dynamics concerning the cochlear implant really added to the complexity of this story.  While this is an easy and fun read there is really a lot to think about and discuss in this story which really adds to its value.  I highly recommend this title.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly

Author: Cynthia Hand

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 435 pages

Publication Date: Jan. 4th 2011

Challenge: Debut Author

Source:  Library book

Unearthly is one of the books I selected as a part of the Debut Author's Challenge I am participating in.  The other day I had a student ask me if I had a copy of Unearthly and I pulled it out of my bag to show him that I had just started to read it.  He then told me he is related to the author.  How cool is that!  I was so glad I already had a copy in the library.  (I was actually pretty proud I did since this is a new release and had not been out long.  Thank you Story Siren for running this challenge and making me aware of the debut YA books that are out!)

I just finished the book and I loved it, but at the same time I am disappointed that I am done.  I would say this is the sign of a good book.  I can't stop thinking of the characters and I want more!  I found out from a little research that another book comes out next year- now I just have to find some patience.

Unearthly is the story of an angel-blood named Clara.  Clara is only 1/4 angel and to most of the world just seems like a normal teenager.  When Clara is 16 she starts have a recurring dream or vision of a forest fire and a boy that she has to save.  She discovers that this is a part of her "purpose" as an angel and that her family must move to Wyomng for her to fulfill that purpose.  In Wyoming she meets the boy from her visions as well as another guy- the brother of her best friend.  As Clara learns more about both Christian, the boy from the visons, Tucker, the best friend's twin brother, and about the angel world, life gets more and more confusing for her.

This fantasy, romantic, thriller is a real page turner.  I loved the characters and found them to be very real and believable.  I enjoyed the angel story line that Cynthia Hand created and found it to be very plasuible within the story.  My only disappointment with the book is that I am not ready to leave Clara, Christian, Tucker and Jeffrey, Clara's brother, behind.  I hope that future books will continue the Clara story but focus more on Jeffrey and Clara's mother too. 

I highly recommend Unearthly and look forward to booktalking this at school.

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Title: The Beginning of After
Author: Jennifer Castle
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: 9-6-2011
Pages: 432
Challenge: Debut Author's Challenge
Source: ARC EBook from NetGallery


Summary from Good Reads:
Sixteen-year-old Laurel's world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all, there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel's life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss, a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.

Fans of emotionally true and heartfelt stories, such as Sarah Dessen's THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER and IF I STAY by Gayle Forman, will fall in love with Jennifer Castle’s incandescent debut novel...a heart wrenching, surprisingly witty testament to how drastically life can change in the span of a single moment.

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this title and know it will be a hit with my students.  One of the books on our 2010 summer reading list was If I Stay and this book will appeal to students who enjoyed that title.  I liked that Laurel, the main character, is so realistic in how she handles her grief-- it seemed very realistic and is very moving.  I could not put this book down and read it very quickly-- always a good sign! 

This is Jennifer Castle's debut novel and I felt that she did a great job of hooking the reader emotionally.  So many YA books deal with death but this novel focuses mostly on how Laurel slowly begins to live in the after of such a life changing tragedy.  Laurel struggles with such normal things as college applications and her first prom as she struggles to define herself without her parents.  I also really liked how Castle handled the grandmother "Nana"/guardian in this novel.  While the novel does not focus on this adult character, the reader still glimpes how Nana is also grieving and making sacrifices for the sake of Laurel.

There is some romance in this novel as Laurel has two guys that are interested in her.  I like how Castle does not allow a guy to fix Laurel though.  I would like to have learned more about David, the son of the driver in the accident whose mother died.  He does not seem to have anywhere near the support that Laurel does and he ultimately reaches out to Laurel.

Overall this is a good read that I am sure will be popular.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books
Publication Year: 2011
Pages: 344
Challenge: Debut Author
Source: LBHS Library

Summary from Good Reads:
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously - and at great risk - documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

My Thoughts:

WOW- blown away!  This book by debut author Ruta Sepetys is incredible.  As a former history teacher I love historical fiction and this historical fiction title is well written and deals with WWII in a very different way then so many other stories. 
The main character is a Lithuanian girl who is deported by the Soviets during WWII.  It was very interested to think about how the various events of WWII, such as Hitler's invansion of the Soviet Union and the US and the Soviet Union becoming allies, affected people like Lina.  This story is horrifying and also inspirational.  I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys historical fiction and I can't wait to suggest it to World History II students and teachers. 
Check out the author's website:

http://www.betweenshadesofgray.com/

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

Title: Keeping the Moon
Author: Sarah Dessen
Published: 9-1-99
Source: LBHS Library

Summary from Good Reads: 
Colie expects the worst when she's sent to spend the summer with her eccentric aunt Mira while her mother, queen of the television infomercial, tours Europe. Always an outcast -- first for being fat and then for being "easy" -- Colie has no friends at home and doesn't expect to find any in Colby, North Carolina. But then she lands a job at the Last Chance Cafe and meets fellow waitresses Morgan and Isabel, best friends with a loving yet volatile relationship. Wacky yet wise, Morgan and Isabel help Colie see herself in a new way and realize the potential that has been there all along

My thoughts:
I have been on a Sarah Dessen kick this summer and I really love her books.  Keeping the Moon was written in 1999 and there are a few references in the book that show its age but the story is just as appealing as a book written in 2011.  Colie learns to like herself in this story and as a result she realizes that others like her too.  I really enjoy how Sarah Dessen's books take realistic teenage experiences and scenerios and built empowering stories around them. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to talking it up at school.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: May 3, 2011
Pages: 487
Format: Hardcover from my school library
Challenge: Debut Author

Summary from Good Reads:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance

My Thoughts:

I absolutely LOVED this book. I had read a lot of good reviews of Divergent on other blogs so I was already expecting to like it but it exceeded my expectations.  This disutopian thriller has it all-- action, suspense, mystery, romance and more.  I was really impressed that this is Veronica Roth's first novel and that she is only 22 years old.  I predict, as other bloggers have, that Divergent will be as popular or more than The Hunger Games.  I don't usually put a star rating on my reviews but this one gets a 5 of 5.  I can't wait to booktalk this one to my students.  If you haven't read it yet you HAVE to read this book asap!

Check out the book trailer and author interview below:





http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Title: The Day Before
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Pages: 320
Publication Date: June 28, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Ebook
Source: Simon and Schuster Galley Grab

Summary from Good Reads:
Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.
Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.
The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

My Thoughts:

What a great FAST read this book was!  This free verse novel was excellent-- it grabbed my attention in the first few pages and held it until the end.  I really liked the suspenseful way Lisa Schroeder revealed Amber and Cade's different issues.  Amber's story in particular was very captivating.  This novel uses a minimum amount of words to make the reader feel and think a lot about life, love, family, and relationships.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Series: Goddess Test
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge

Summary from Good Reads:

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.  Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book and want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin for letting me read the egalley.  This was the very first book I read on my new Nook Color, and I loved both the Nook Color and The Goddess Test!  The premise of the book is very cool-- it is a modern story about the Greek gods and goddess with a special focus on the  Hades-Persephone story.  The main character, Kate, is a very likeable and realistic high school character.  The story, obviously a fantasy, is pretty far fetched but very entertaining and full of cool plot twists.  I know that this book will circulate very well in my library.  I will enjoy book talking it and look forward to book two in the trilogy, Goddess Interrupted.

Cascade by Lisa Bergren

Title: Cascade

Author: Lisa Bergren

Series: The Rivers of Time Book #2

Format: Ebook on my Nook Color

Summary from Good Reads:

Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?”          

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever

My Thoughts:

Cascade is the second book in the River of Times series by Lisa Bergren and it is every bit as good as the first in the series, Waterfall.  Cascade is even more action packed as Gabi and Lia return to the 14th century, this time with their mother in tow!  Marcello and his best friend and protector Luca are thrilled to see Gabi and Lia again, but there is little time to relax as Marcello's world erupts into warfare with the girls caught up in the middle of the politics.  Once again this is a clean read with plenty of romance and action.  I really enjoyed the fast pace, the realistic plot twists, and the new direction the story takes at the end.... which left me anxiously awaiting the release of Torrent, the third book in the series.  Highly recommended.

Waterfall by Lisa Bergren

Title: Waterfall

Author: Lisa Bergren

Series: River of Time #1
Format: Paperback copy from author

Summary from Good Reads:
Lisa Tawn Bergren's new YA series, River of Time, is romantic, historical fiction in which the plucky heroine doesn't have to fear a vampire's bite but must still fight for her life.

In Waterfall, American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidently finds herself in Fourteenth-Century Italy . . . Knights. Swords. Horses. Armor. And Italian hotties. Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds... until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the Fourteenth Century and in the middle of a fierce battle between knights bent on killing one another.

My thoughts:

I really LOVED this book.  I received a copy of Waterfall from the author (thank you!) and I think it is the start to an action packed, exciting, and suspenseful series.  I also really liked that I can call this a "clean read" too with no bad language, etc.  The characters are very realistic and Gabi's voice is very contempory and funny- especially in light of the 14th century setting.  The budding romance between Gabi and Marcello is awesome and the search for Gabi's mother and sister,  and the tension and danger between rival factions in 14th century Italy create a fast paced and exciting story.  I highly recommend Waterfall and can't wait to read Cascade, the next book in the series, which I plan to purchase on my new Nook Color!  This is a series I expect to be a big hit with the students at my high school. 

Getting Started with my new blog name

Over the past several months I have posted information to a blog under the name livelyreads.  I decided that I really like the name "The Lively Reader" and I was lucky enough to get a gmail and blogger address with this name.  So..... I am going to start posting all of my blog posts here now.  School is just finishing up for the summer so I am excited to tackle a fun pile of reading.  I have also read a LOT of books that I have not reviewed so I plan to get started on that.  So, welcome to The Lively Reader blog!