Dystopian thriller

I know it might seem odd that once again I am writing about a dystopian novel that I love, but it is the trend these days.

The funniest aspect of all of this to me is, the one that started the ball rolling so to speak, Hunger Games is my least favorite of all of the ones I have read. 

The novel Pawn is right up there with my favorite, Cinder (the countdown for the third book in this series, Cress, is featured prominently on my blog, as you can see).  I will soon write about Independent Study, which is the second in another series I enjoyed more than Hunger Games.

But onto Pawn.  The novel takes place in an America where meritocracy rules.  At age 17 students take a test to see what path their lives will lead.  The rankings are essentially a caste system, and our hero, Kitty, ends up ranking quite low.  She has dyslexia which is an interesting premise to deal with in a society like this.

She ends up being the double for a member of the ruling family, and I can't even begin to describe all the plot points and twists and turns this novel takes.  It was all handled well, and kept me riveted.

I am looking forward to the second book in this series.

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I truly enjoyed this book, despite initially having a hard time jumping into it.  The premise was interesting, but the first couple of chapters didn't draw me in as quickly as most thrillers do, and I almost didn't continue.  I am glad I did.
The characters are well developed and drawn out. I cared for all of them, and as details were developed and added to the plot, my appreciation of the writer's ability to write a mystery rose.
I do hope this develops into a series.

The Naturals is centered on a group of teens with natural abilities (like discerning if someone is telling the truth) that the FBI finds, and essentially tries to groom into profilers. 

The teens have stories of their own, that complicate matters.  The tension throughout was well developed and realistic. A bit of romance is thrown in as well, that I feared would become somewhat routine/boring/expected, but it was all handled well.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, you should read this book.

Bookfair

I purchased 4 books from our December school book fair, and received two others from a very nice anonymous donor.
I have read two of the books so far, and enjoyed both.
Prior to starting the next, I am posting reviews.

The first one is In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth. I enjoyed the plot very much, and the writing style was engaging.  Essentially the narrative is written from the perspective of two young girls, one of whom is dying and needs a heart transplant. The other dies in an accident, and of course ends up donating her heart.
While it may seem smarmy, it is handled fairly well, with lots of information regarding transplants and a realistic portrayal of what someone receiving a heart might feel.

The second book, Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender, is a fun mystery.  A great ghost story involving Marie Antoinette as a vengeful ghost seeking out the families of those she feels betrayed her.  Somewhat obvious at times, it nonetheless was an engaging story to pass a couple of hours with. 

MS and HS students will enjoy both of these books, one light and one a tad heavier, they are both great additions to the YA genre.

New Thriller

Runner by Patrick Lee was an exciting read. The plot is wonderful and intriguing.  I enjoyed the main characters, Rachel and Sam a great deal. The author does an excellent job with character development and the build-up of the mystery regarding who Rachel is.
While it may seem like the typical trouble via the military industrial complex type of thriller, it goes beyond that basic concept, to create a plausible scenario, with characters you will care about.

This book will be published in February 2014. 

Three great titles

The first book I am reviewing is a new version of a  picture book that will be published in March.  A Kissing Hand for Chester Raccoon will finally be published in board book form, so younger children can enjoy this story.  This is a story that has been used for kindergartners for about 20 years...and it developed into a number of other stories featuring Chester.  I love the story, and think toddlers will enjoy the pictures, and hearing the story too.

The second book is by an author I have enjoyed.  Patrick Ness wrote A Monster Calls, which received rave reviews from me in a previous post.  His latest, More Than This, is pretty incredible.  A young man drowns, and ends up in a world that he tries to make sense of.  The beauty of this story is threefold.  It draws you in during the drowning scene..incredibly vivid....it then keeps you going as you try to figure out what is going on.  It ends in an interesting way, that some readers might object to, but I found particularly wonderful.  The writing is just wonderful. There wasn't any section that wasn't beautifully developed. Throughout various philosophical points are raised, in an interesting manner, about life, love, family, tragedy, and how we all handle our own life stories. It will be hard to stop reading, once you start this incredible book.

The third book is also by an author I have enjoyed. This is her second book, and it was amazing. She has some incredible tie ins, that make you think the characters are truly real.  The book is Night Film by Marisha Pessi.  A young woman commits suicide; she is the daughter of an infamous director, and a former journalist investigates the suicide.  He encounters two enjoyable side-kicks who help him for varied reasons.  I enjoyed the interactions between the main characters, and the suspense throughout was pretty tight.  The ending in this book received some complaints from other readers, but once again, I found the ending satisfying.  There were a couple of weak plot lines, where it isn't merely being led one way to find out something different occurred, but where I felt the path to the new conclusion didn't quite add up...but overall, it was a nicely developed story, that was truly presented in a very original manner.

Barclay does it again

It is often hard to read Linwood Barclay's books, because his characters are so universal. The dad you know, the brother you have, the son you worry about, the mom you are, the neighbor who you wonder about...all of his books center on very human characters.

Sometimes the grief and issues the characters are dealing with are so intense, so real, you have to put the book down for a bit.  For the most part his resolutions are realistic, and worthwhile. Sometimes they are heartbreaking, like life is.  So...you can't truly be dealing with whatever aspect the character is dealing with, when you read his books, or it would be in my opinion too overwhelming.

His latest, A Tap on the Window, is quite good.  I liked the characters, the plot was interesting, the dad in this case was trying to find out who gave his late son drugs.  He discovers there is more to the story than he thought, and in the process encounters a few other mysteries. 

The pacing was fine, the character development was believable, and all in all I was very satisfied.  I did have a couple of quibbles with the main bad characters, in terms of their logic and decisions, but putting that aside, all was very believable.

Utter Joy

I have always loved Stephen King, from the moment I picked up Carrie as a teenager, I was hooked on his stories. There have been a few duds, but for the most part his stories keep me enthralled, and usually quite scared.

The books I haven't read were the Dark Tower series, and perhaps I should give those a chance. One novel I loved was The Eyes of the Dragon, which falls into the YA category, but is a wonderful story if you haven't read it.

I just finished Joyland, and I have to say it was a true joy to read. I loved the characters; the protagonist, Jonesy, is a great lead, utterly believable, and his narration leads the story at the perfect pace. Bits of foreshadowing, expertly done, mark it as a novel by King.

It didn't scare me, nor is it meant to. It is a coming of age story...of a 21 year old, a love story, a ghost story, a human story. There are life lessons here, and some wonderful quotes about life as well.

They sell fun at Joyland, and sometimes fun is what is needed, particularly if you spend too much time immersed in the news, politics, tragedies, you need a bit of fun. Read Joyland, enjoy it, take a breath and revel in what many would say is a simple story, but it is one that leaves me feeling hopeful, and there are too many times when that concept is hard to hold on to.

Possible new venture

I have always wanted to own a bookstore. I have chatted about this for years, and soon I might just embark on this adventure. I plan on attending a weeklong workshop, in either Jan or May, 2014 to learn how to start an Indie YA bookstore, that I plan on calling YA Java :-)

I already have business cards, and changed the name of this blog to kind of jump start the process.

I will keep you apprised of my progress, as this daydream takes off.

Great new (for me) series.

I had downloaded a sample chapter of The Stranger You Seek, by Amanda Kyle Williams sometime ago, but never got around to reading it. I finally read it, and had to read the novel. At that point I was lucky because there was a special running, and I bought it for 99 cents...

Keye Street is the detective in this series, and she is a unique character who is well drawn out by Williams. The supporting cast is also nicely developed.

The crimes in this first novel, are a gruesome series of killings. I was guessing throughout who the killer might be, and was surprised when the identitiy was revealed. Keye's insights are interesting, her friendships are believable, and her experiences are all too real.

I will soon download the second book in the series, Stranger in the Room. I know Ms. Williams is working on the third novel, Don't Talk to Strangers, (due in Feb., 2014) because I follow her on Facebook.

If you enjoy Lescroart, for his engaging characters and friendhips, mixed with interesting cases, you should check out this series.

Great mystery and wonderful story

I admit I probably wouldn't have come across The Cuckoo's Calling on my own; another mystery writer whom I follow on Facebook mentioned she had heard about Rowling being the author at a thriller writer's convention in NYC, and I promptly bought it off of Amazon. Apparently I didn't hit buy soon enough, so with the huge rise in sales it took a bit longer than typical to arrive. Interesting that the cover now states Gabraith is a pseudonym. I thought that aspect might take a bit longer. So, enough of that, onto the review.

I truly loved it. The writing, the character development, the plot lines, the exposition, the resolution....all of it are simply excellent. I loved both Strike and Robin, as well as their budding friendship.

Just as in the Harry Potter series, I am looking forward to the next in this.

I happen to think Rowling is immeasurably talented...she writes extremely well, whether it is Harry Potter, this mystery, or the sadder, truly realistic portrayal, she created in The Casual Vacancy.

Too Long

I loved the premise of Ripped, by Shelley Dickson Carr, and I enjoyed all of the characters (though it was easy to guess who Jack The Ripper was in this novel).

It was fun to learn a bit about Cockney Slang, and to learn more about the Victorian age.
I also enjoyed picturing conversations between Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker.
Katie, Toby and Collin were interesting in both the Victorian era, and in the present day. Katie's desire to change the past, and perhaps to solve the Ripper murders is, again, an interesting premise.

I fear though the novel was much too long. The resolution could have drawn to a close at about 3/4 of the length of this novel or perhaps even half. Even my most avid YA readers would probably give up on this, due to its' length. Not because they don't enjoy long novels, but this one just doesn't develop...the middle of the book goes on and on and on, without truly adding to the issues of time-travel, the solution to the Ripper murders, or Katie learning more about how to fit in, in the Victorian era.

At times I also thought there were either some gaps, or some editing glitches with continuity...perhaps this was due to the novel's length and my despair at wanting the resolution to appear sooner than it did.

All of this being said, the author does have some talent, and I will give a second story a chance.

Try a Little Tenderness

Wow...so I could title this post, "Must Read"..the book is just that wonderful. Told in alternating chapters, by Mandy and Jill, it is story that deals with love, loss, hope, tragedy, evil, good...well...life.

Both Mandy and Jill are dealing with intense issues, and as they gradually come to understand each other, through their alternating chronicles, the reader falls in love with both of them; with their stories, with their perspectives. Caring about all of the characters in this novel, is one of its' draws. (well, truthfully, two characters are awful, but described in a manner that allows you to picture them in a holistic manner).

I titled the review, "Try a Little Tenderness" because it is a central theme to the book, and the song plays an important role in Jill's life. Whenever she and her late father were arguing, one would say to the other, "Try a Little Tenderness" and the fight would stop..wow, kind of a perfect sentiment, right?

So, with Otis singing in the background, I plowed through this book. Yes, crying at the end, but these were tears of joy.

Jill's mother states about life, "be prepared for detours"...and again, how true that is. Some detours we are happy to encounter, others are tragic and throw us for a loop. The death of Jill's dad, throws her family into turmoil, but the detour they ultimately take will have you too crying tears of joy.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. So...now that I have raved about it, I suppose I should state the title:

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Great Beach Read

I thoroughly enjoyed, The Bookstore. The plot is fairly tame, but the author's ear for dialog is wonderful. A young woman, working on her PhD at Columbia, finds out she is unexpectedly pregnant. Her decisions regarding this are nicely depicted and realistic.

Her relationship with the father of the baby, is very nicely drawn out. Their dialog and interactions are often very funny, and the subtle manner of depicting his manipulative (and condescending) attitude towards Esme are spot on.

Esme fortunately has friends that support her, and the title of the book references her part-time job, at a used bookstore. The supporting characters are all nicely developed, and it is easy to see how this beach read, could translate to a summer rom-com movie.

If you want a nice, light, funny, beach read, pick up The Bookstore, by Deborah Meyler.
*it will be released August 20th...

Class is over, summer reading has commenced.

I finished my class on Tuesday, and am starting to go through a physical pile of books, interspersed with a list on my Kindle.
The first one I read was The Kill Room by Jeffrey Deaver. This is one of his Lincoln Rhyme novels, and brings back the Deaver I have known and loved. Some of his works in recent years have just been so so.

The plot is quite timely (whistle blowing and Drone killings), the main characters remain true to themselves, and the criminal players are quiet interesting. While one character seems a bit over the top, to be head of a NSA type of agency, it still seemed kind of plausible that he was in charge.

The questions raised throughout the novel are thought provoking, and actually are sticking with me. If you enjoy thrillers, political novels, and keep up with our current issues, I am sure you too will enjoy, The Kill Room

The other book I read is a non-fiction one called, Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and The End of American Debate by Greg Lukianoff. Truly interesting, thought provoking and maddening. I have learned a great deal about college life since my sons entered their respective schools. One main issue has been how very different things are in innumerable ways since I attended college. Many of these differences are addressed in this book. Prior to sending your child to college, you should read the college student handbook and read this book. In addition, tell your child if they are ever brought before a student or administrative hearing, they do need to tell you..you should be there for them, regardless of what the college says.

Engaging narrator

The narrator of the young adult novel, Twerp, was very engaging, and believable. I enjoyed the plot as well, but did feel the character of Eduardo was at times unbelievable. He seemed much older than 5th grade, which was explained at one point (he is actually 14), but even at that he was still slightly too knowledgeable and "all knowing"

The premise, that the narrator is writing a book in lieu of studying assigned books in his English class, worked very well. The teacher is also hoping the narrator, will deal with a bad situation that he hasn't fully dealt with. The supporting characters are likeable and believable as well.

I will encourage my staff, and students to purchase this book.

Gifted story teller

And the Mountains Echoed once again proves Khaled Hosseini is a master story teller. This one is intriguing due to the set up, intertwining tales, whose characters revolve around each other, impacting some directly and others indirectly. It is not done in the fashion of Crash, or other such stories, rather it is done in a much more developed manner in my opinion.

At times we do wonder how a particular story or narrator is connected, and the years their stories are taking place make you wonder how as well, but the nuances are so subtle as to be extraordinary. This novel clearly shows how connected the world itself is, whether one is in a village in Afghanistan, Paris or LA. Wars' devastating impact is also clearly developed.

I loved all of the characters, but of course the two young children who start the story are the ones my heart longed for.

I took longer to finish this novel than most, simply because I had a variety of fears for the characters, wondering who would meet up, and when. I found the ending satisfying, very realistic, and well developed. Overall, this is somehow a charming novel, that demonstrates the craft of writing an excellent story.

My heart feels A Thousand Splendid Suns was his best, but all three of his novels are to be read and treasured.

Interesting ending

The Ophelia Cut by John Lescroart didn't quite have the energy that I have come to enjoy with the Dismas Hardy series. There were too few interactions between the main players, for my taste. I miss Glitsky's and Hardy's conversations...and though all of this is explained (Glitsky is pretty reticent to hang out with anyone that was involved in the shootout, depicted in an earlier book), I nevertheless miss that aspect of Lescroart's writing.

The plot of this story was somewhat predictable though it did have a very interesting legal dilemma, and court case. The resolutions were interesting...the court case decision and how that is resolved was thought provoking, what happens to a main character could be viewed as ironic, and some aspects the reader will have to infer, which in this case was okay. I tend to dislike some books that end in this manner, but it did truly work in Ophelia's Cut.

I will continue to read Lescroart, as I have truly enjoyed all of his books. This one, in my opinion, wasn't the best, but it was still definitely worth reading.

entertaining

I read Let Sleeping Dragons Lie, by Ty Burson primarily because the author is a fellow ACPS teacher, and I was impressed to hear he won a writing contest due to this novel.

It is an entertaining read, geared towards upper elementary. There were a few lines that seemed unrealistic for an 11 year old boy to say, one being when he compares a river's widening out to,"a beautiful woman's smile" but for the most part, the characters ran true to their age.

It is clearly a debut novel, but it is a worthwhile read. I think boys in 5th or 6th grade will particularly enjoy it.

Terrific Thriller

Accidents Happen by Louise Millar will be published June 25th, 2013.

The novel centers on a woman named Kate who deals with anxiety, brought on by various tragedies that have impacted her.

I truly enjoyed this thriller. I found the pacing to be excellent, as my anxiety increased with each chapter. I enjoyed the characters, and the plot was intriguing.

I thought the issues with Kate's anxiety were handled well, and were believable. The family members were portrayed nicely as well. Their interactions and concerns were believable.

The ending was satisfying, which was great as too often recently I have enjoyed thrillers right up to the end.

If you are looking for a decent thriller, with no large plot holes (or even small ones), then you should put this on your wish list.

Rick Yancey's latest

The 5th Wave is an exciting page turner. An alien invasion like no other, it pulls you in and doesn't let go. I liked the main characters, and I enjoyed the complexity building up to what is the 5th wave.

Of course it is part of a trilogy; hopefully the run of my favorite trilogy's will work out in a manner that while I am waiting for the next of one series, another one is available.

For me, the hardest series to wait for so far, has been the 3rd in the Lunar Chronicle series (Cress will be published in Feb., 2014..I am pretty much counting the days), so while I don't feel as intense about The 5th Wave, it is utterly enjoyable.

I highly recommend it, while you wait for Allegiant, the 3rd in the Divergent series :-).

Exciting debut

Wow...I am so excited by this series' debut: The Testing by Joelle Charbonmeau, which will be published June, 4th. The writing was compelling, and the suspense level was quite high. I was honestly nervous at various points.

While many dystopian novels are compared to The Hunger Games, I think in the future, they will be compared to The Testing.

I have read many of these series, and often feel they could have been better written if they had just remained a stand alone novel...that too many writers are creating trilogies where only one book is needed. Cinder and Divergent being the recent exceptions.

I don't feel that way about The Testing. I am so looking forward to reading the next book, and will re-read this one when I share it with my book club, colleagues and students.

The plot sounds trite, in a way...a young girl waits to see if she is chosen for...in this case, higher education in a bleak, war destroyed, future. However, Charbonneau ratchets up the tension via her writing style and plot points.

If you would like to read a prequel, here it is: http://www.hmhbooks.com/thetestingtrilogy/prequel.html

Reminds me of Pushing Daisies

I truly enjoyed, Remarkable, by Elizabeth Foley. The characters were interesting, charming and likeable.

The writing style was particularly reminiscent of the tv show, Pushing Daisies. I felt as if I could hear that narrator's voice as I was reading. Remarkable is a town where everyone, but the protagonist, Jane, is well... remarkable. She often feels left out, and rather average, but eventually through a series of events, secrets, and mysteries, she discovers she too is remarkable in her own, average way.

I plan on sharing this title with my colleagues, and my students.

Interesting Narrator

I am unfamiliar with Liz Jensen's work, but will now seek her novels out. The Uninvited was very interesting, primarily due to the narrator's viewpoint, and style. His distance from others (emotionally) actually made the novel more compelling than perhaps it would have been had the narrator been more emotionally involved with family members or friends (and others in the world).

The plot involves a corporate investigator (the narrator) who is currently investigating corporate sabotage. There is an increase in odd acts of sabotage by formerly loyal employees, and the suspects eventually commit suicide. In addition, there are odd outbreaks world wide, where children suddenly kill or maim their loved ones. These cases are eventually tied together. It is rather creepy at times, and it did keep me reading, not only because the writing style was decent, but because I was honestly trying to figure out what was causing all of these events.

The ending crept up on me, and initially I wasn't sure I liked the ending, but it kind of sits with you, and makes more and more sense.

If you enjoy zombie stories, you might enjoy this...I don't enjoy zombie stories, but felt this might appeal to those that do.

Highly enjoyable diversion

I am hesitant to embark on novels that allude to any of Dan Brown's novels. Not just because it seemed to start a fad, with some poor results, but because even Dan Brown didn't write as "well" as he did previously, once The Davinci Code took off.

However, once I started The Romanov Cross,by Robert Masello I couldn't put it down. The characters were very engaging, and well written. The plot was intriguing, and the premise for the spread of The Spanish Flu to the Inuits was actually plausible. I found myself searching for information on the Romanovs and Rasputin, at various points; I always enjoy a novel that encourages me to explore more about its content.

I highly recommend this novel.

The Paris Wife

I came across The Paris Wife by Paula McLain at my school's book fair. Parents of a student of mine bought it for my classroom, and I finally had a moment to read it.

I enjoyed this very much, and am planning on re-reading many of Hemingway's novels and short stories. Most of my Hemingway reading took place in school years ago, and this insight compels me to ponder his writing again.

McLain's portrayal is beautifully depicted, and despite being brought to tears with the inevitable outcome, the love they had for each other, was described so tenderly; at times I felt I was actually witnessing it.

Blahg :-)

I have neglected the blog; I am not neglecting it due to not reading, but rather due to not finding any terrific books to promote. I have been reading constantly, but nothing has intrigued me enough to pass the titles on. I truly dislike posting bad reviews, though occasionally I do write them. I decided recently that I will only write a blog entry when I can wholeheartedly recommend a title.

I have come across a number of "blah" books recently...no posts at all in February. Ironically, this is all due to a terrific book I read, and nothing else has passed muster.

Early on I read Cinder by Marissa Meyer, and loved it. I bought copies for my book club, and everyone else loved it as well. Scarlet, the second in the series, was published on Feb. 5th; from the moment I read the first sentence I was hooked. A great sequel, wonderful new characters, and great tie ins to characters that were introduced in Cinder. I only have two complaints; everything I have read since is simply blah, and I have to wait until Feb 2014 for the 3rd book! By the way, my students all love this series too :-)

I will state one other book I just finished is also decent. Thought provoking and satirical, it is kind of a must read for moms, and for anyone who misjudges situations and people (and don't we all?): Where'd You Go, Bernadette. If you read it, let me know what you think.

Refreshing and Useful

How to Teach a Love of Reading Without Getting Fired, by Mary Leonhardt is a book I came across while reading an education blog.

I read this at the start of the New Year, having made a resolution to do what students need, versus what the district states is important. Many points are made, to assist teachers with setting up student centered reading programs, but I am going to highlight two.

The first I have already used, to great success: If your administrator (principal or district level) complains that the students are, "just sitting around reading" ask if they'd object to kids sitting around, "just doing math"?

The other, to advocate for independent reading, is to point out it helps with all kinds of administrative headaches, such as inclusion for special ed, parents trying to censor books, and making accommodations for gifted kids.

This is a great read; both refreshing and useful for English teachers, reading specialists, and/or literacy teachers.