My To Read List

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Frannie in Pieces by Delia Ephron
Something Rotten by Alan Gratz
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Best Foot Forward by Joan Bauer
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

What books that aren't on my list do you think I should add? Have you read any of the books on my list and think they are complete rubbish and a waste of time? Let me know!

Click: One Novel, Ten Authors

The idea behind Click is similar to that of Remembering Raquel. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character. Each chapter is also written by a different author. I was really looking forward to this book. I tend to like books that are kind of gimmicky like that, plus there are some really awesome authors on this project. Authors included Nick Hornby, Linda Sue Park, Eoin Colfer, and more. I read the first chapter and enjoyed that. However, the second chapter was not just from another point of view, it was almost completely unrelated. Then, in the third chapter, the characters changed ages and nationalities. This was too much for me. It really just seemed like the authors had written the individual chapters without consulting with one another at all. In the end it just didn't work for me.
A book with a similar idea that worked much better was Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. The book takes the form of letters between two cousins. The authors each pretended to be one of the cousins and actually wrote letters back and forth, without plotting what would happen first. I think this is really cool. This is the first in a series and one of my favorites.

Remembering Raquel

For something different and yet very good, try reading Vivian Vande Velde's new book, Remebering Raquel. This is a story written from several different perspectives- all people who knew Raquel. Yes, knew her- because at the beginning of the book you learn that she has died. There is no actual dialogue, just the private thoughts of people who knew this young woman. I really enjoyed this short read- I finished it in under 60 minutes. I also read that the author was inspired to write this novel after seeing several roadside memorials near her home in New York. She wanted to write a story about how someone is remembered after they're gone. Hope you give it a try!

Curling

I thought it might be interesting to give you some information about a different kind of winter sport: Curling. This sport is very popular in Canada. If you want some more information on this winter sport, here is a couple interesting websites to check out:
http://www.curling.com/ http://www.curling.ca/ http://www.usacurl.org/usacurl/index.php
Also, there are curling clubs in our area. Here is a couple websites to check out if you are interested. http://www.curlingchicago.org/ http://www.oakorthoarena.com/rock_star.htm

Cover-Up by John Feinstein

Cover-Up: the Mystery at the Super Bowl, is the third in the series of Susan Carol and Stevie Anderson. I actually liked this book best in the series so far, mostly because football is my favorite sport.
In this third series plot, Susan Carol and Stevie Anderson must find a way to prove that the Dreams, one of the Super Bowl teams, is cheating. Their team owner, Don Meeker, is behind the plot, hiding evidence that some of his players are using the HGH growth hormone. Will they be able to stop Meeker before it’s too late, and the Super Bowl is over?
If you haven’t read the other two mysteries by John Feinstein, you could still read Cover-Up. I always want to know this about a series. You should still read his other two books in the series, The Last Shot, which is about basketball, and Vanishing Act, which is about tennis. It is a fantastic series!

Skulduggery Pleasant

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy is about a walking, talking, well-dressed, and witty skeleton who is a detective. He was also the best friend of Stephanie's Uncle Gordon prior to Gordon's death. After Gordon's death, Stephanie quickly realizes that something odd is going on and Skulduggery knows what it is. Soon Stephanie finds herself acting as a sort of side-kick to Skulduggery and the two of them are embroiled in a magical war involving something known as the faceless ones. This is a very fun book to read and is both fantasy and mystery at the same time. A good read!

Alabama Moon

Did you like the book Hatchet? You probably had to read this book in 5th or 6th grade... it was about a young boy who found a way to survive alone in the Alaskan wilderness. Well, Alabama Moon has a similiar background, only this time the boy is named Moon, and he already lives off the land with his father in the Alabama backwoods. Because they avoid all contact with people and the outside world, Moon has no idea how to survive in the real world- the opposite of Hatchet. As a big fan of Hatchet, I was hooked on Alabama Moon right away. It had a few slow spots, but I really enjoyed the details and descriptions of the wilderness and how Moon uses everything in nature to live. I hope you give this a try... you also might want to read this because it is one of the 2009 Rebecca Caudill nominees.

More Gary Schmidt

Another title worth reading by this author is Straw into Gold. I read it quite a while ago, but I remember that it was really good too. Straw takes the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin and changes it up a bit. Now I guess I'll have to try more of his stuff- including Newbery Honor book, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. If you've read anything else by him, let me know.

The Wednesday Wars

For a book that started out slowly, The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt, sure turned in to a winner! Set in the late 1960's, Holling Hoodhood (I know, weird name for a boy), is stuck staying after school alone with his teacher. She decides to teach him Shakespeare and from then on, the book becomes great. There are some serious topics covered as well, but much of the book had me laughing out loud. Just ask my fellow librarians at the reference desk- I haven't stop talking about this one! Hope you give it a try.