Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

336 pages

Published: October 12th 2010 

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Format: Library copy

 Summary from Good Reads:

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising

My thoughts:

I waited a long time to read Please Ignore Vera Dietz but I am so glad I  finally gave it a try!  This mystery/supernatural/ and sorta realistic fiction novel is a quick and satisfying read.  Although Vera is the primary narrator, the alternating point of view between Vera, Charlie, Ken Dietz, and the Pagoda, is really cool.  Yes, that's right, a placed called the Pagoda  talks to us in this novel too!  I also liked the use of flashbacks that provide insight into the Vera-Charlie relationship.  

One  real strength of Please Ignore Vera Dietz is how author A.S. King says so much without a lot of description.  In an era where "too much information" is so common, I found the lack of detailed description of John and Charlie's relationship, for example, to be just as horrifying- maybe even more so because it was left to my imagination.  

The cover art of this book did not really appeal to me initially but I have to say that I like it now that I have read the book.  The lighter, the title, the to do list- they are all meaningful to the story and I found myself pondering the cover art long after finishing the book.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz was a Printz Honor Book for 2011 and a title that I highly recommend.

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
352 pages
Published May10, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA

Format: ebook from NetGalley

From Good Reads:

In the world of Sheridan Wells, life is perfect when she’s decorating a cake. Unfortunately, everything else is a complete mess: her mom ran off years ago, her dad is more interested in his restaurant, and the idea of a boyfriend is laughable. 
But Sheridan is convinced finding her mom will solve all her problems—only her dad’s about to get a cooking show in New York, which means her dream of a perfect family will be dashed. 

Using just the right amount of romance, family drama, and cute boys,The Sweetest Thing will entice fans with its perfect mixture of girl-friendly ingredients.


My thoughts:

What a sweet book! This realistic fiction title will do GREAT in my school's library where a good romantic novel is always a hit. I found The Sweetest Thing to not only be a romantic, fun story, but also well written with fully developed characters that I cared about. I liked the relationship between the different members of Sheridan's family- especially Sheridan's relationship with her grandmother. My heart ached for Sheridan as she tried to learn more about her mother, and I cheered for Sheridan for being such as rock star cake decorator. 

Sheridan's father is a bit of a rock star himself, as a chef in the resturarnt he owns. As his dream of moving to NY and starring in a reality cooking show begins to come true, Sheridan's dreams seem to be unraveling. As the story unfolds Sheridan and her father are forced to confront the past in order to reconnect and move forward.

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

From Good Reads: Fifteen-year-old Felton Reinstein has always been on the smallish side, but in his sophomore year he starts growing...and growing. During gym one day he smokes the football jocks in a 600-yard race. Felton has never been interested in sports, but there's no doubt-he is "stupid fast." As he juggles his newfound athletic prowess, his mom's sudden depression, an annoying little brother, and his first love, he discovers a shocking secret about his past which explains why he's turning out the way he is.

My thoughts: WOW! This is an incredible book! To start with, I love the title and the cover-- the football player in front of the bank of lockers is very appealing to guy readers, a demographic I am always happy to find a new title for. This is not just a football book though... this is a book about growing up physically and emotionally. Fifteen year old Felton has just gone through an amazing growth spurt. Seemly overnight Felton is over 6 feet tall and has become, as he puts it, "stupid fast". These physical changes bring positive and welcome opportunities to Felton in the form of sports, friends and a girlfriend. These same physical changes bring confusing and upsetting changes at home, however. As Felton grows up it seems his mother is changing too-- and in a way that makes Felton and his younger brother question her sanity. As Felton nears his 16th birthday it becomes clear that his family needs help and that he needs to learn more about his father, who committed suicide when Felton was only 5 years old. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a great realistic fiction story about family dynamics and coming of age. While this is a great sports book , it is also so much more! Run "stupid fast" to your library or bookstore to get a copy of this book- you won't be disappointed!

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Without Tess by Marcella Pixley

Without Tess by Marcella Pixley

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published October 11th 2011 

Summary from Good Reads:
Tess and Lizzie are sisters, sisters as close as can be, who share a secret world filled with selkies, flying horses, and a girl who can transform into a wolf  in the middle of the night. But when Lizzie is ready to grow up, Tess clings to their fantasies. As Tess sinks deeper and deeper into her delusions, she decides that she can’t live in the real world any longer and leaves Lizzie and her family forever. Now, years later, Lizzie is in high school and struggling to understand what happened to her sister. With the help of a school psychologist and Tess’s battered journal, Lizzie searches for a way to finally let Tess go.


My thoughts:
Great book! I enjoyed the suspensful element of wondering what happened to Tess. I also enjoyed how the author slowly made the reader aware of Tess's mental illness- it slowly dawned on me just as I imagine it slowly dawned on Tess's parents that she was not ok. The story is told from Tess's little sister's, Lizzie, point of view and it is clear that Tess's mental illness hurt Lizzie in many ways. 

Very thought provoking!

Happy New Year and Reading Resolutions! :)

Happy New Year!

This past year I participated in the 2011 Debut Author Challenge. I really enjoyed this challenge and read a LOT of debut books. I did not, however, review all of these debuts. :( I will try to do better this year.

This year I plan to complete, meaning read and review, at least the required books for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge. I also plan to participate in the Sophomore Reading Challenge. I read so many debuts this year that I see this challenge as a must do-- so I can follow up on so many good series I started!

For information about the Debut Author Challenge:

http://www.thestorysiren.com/

For information about the Sophomore Reading Challenge:

http://chickloveslit.com/2011/11/sophomore-reading-challenge.html

Here is my list for the Sophomore Reading Challenge:

1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
2. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
3. Timekeeper by Alexandra Monir
4. Perception by Kim Harrington
5. Fever by Lauren DeStefano
6. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
7. Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
8. In Honor by Jessica Kirby
9. Revived by Cat Patrick
10. Rebel Heart by Moira Young

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