PCL YA BLOG

2010-06-16T13:14:00.002-06:00

Just finished The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer. I'm trying to figure out why- other than $- she wrote this short story. I have yet to come up with an answer. I read the book on my Barnes & Noble Nook- it's only 90-some pages long, so it didn't take long. Bree was such a non-character in Eclipse that I have a really hard time remembering her and will continue to have a hard time since the short story was not very enlightening, nor was it very well written or memorable. Although I enjoyed the Twilight saga, I don't think it was very well written, either- maybe Stephenie was just practicing some more. don't get me worng, though, I LOVE the fact that authors are writing things people want to read- that' SO important!

I also recently read the first Warrior book from Erin Hunter- Into the Wild, for a book discussion. It was OK- not my cup-of-tea, as they say. The next discussion book is Blood & Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klauss, which will be a re-read for me- I had to read it for my YA Lit class in library school several years ago. I remember liking it, althought that was in the days before vampires became so popular, and the literature, so over-saturated with them!

2010-04-23T15:59:00.007-06:00

I am currently reading Need by Carrie Jones. From B&N's website (http://www.bn.com/ )- Zara collects phobias the way other girls collect Facebook friends. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. The sequel, Captivate, is already out and it looks good, too!

I have also just downloaded Before I Die by Lauren Oliver to my Nook and will be reading it on vacation next week!

Beautiful, popular Samantha and her three best friends are the ruthless queen bees of their high school. But Samantha is living a nightmare: throughout the book, she relives the day of her death seven times, with some dramatic alterations and revelations depending on her choices- http://www.bn.com/ . There's a cool video intro @ http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Before-I-Fall/Lauren-Oliver/e/9780061726804/?cds2Pid=32024&inframe=y.

You can also checkout this great trailer for Beastly- originally the book Beastly by Alex Flinn- coming this July: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGGOfKS-ZKk

2010-04-14T02:34:00.004-06:00

I recently read Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern, which I enjoyed. When Jessie's two best friends turn punk on her, she is forced to discover her nerd-ness and learn to be OK with it- after all, isn't NERD just another label, not good or bad, just an identifyer? Jessie's relationship with her older brother seems a little unrealistic- how many older brothers look up to and are nice to their little sisters? Maybe more than I realize since I was the older sister to a younger brother!

I am currently reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I had heard all kinds of good recommendations for this title, but am finding it a little hard to get into- a whole new world, with new language and memory loss which has me scrambling to figure out what's going on. The big plus is that The Maze Runner is the first book I am reading on the Barnes & Noble ereader called The NOOK! http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp In addition to the strangeness of the story, I am experiencing the strangeness of reading a book in digital format on a device that doesn't feel like a book in my hands. I'm still not totally sold on ereaders and ebooks, but it IS kind of cool! The library invested in a Nook, a Kindle (Amazon's ereader) and Sony's Touch Reader so we could familiarize ourselves with this new and currently popular format. If you want to see what it's all about we're offering a ereader roundtable this Thursday at 5:30 pm at the Pitkin County Library- come check it out!

2010-03-24T13:51:00.005-06:00

I am currently reading Alice I have Been by Melanie Benjamin in honor of the new Alice in Wonderland movie, which I very much enjoyed. The book is a new fictionalized biography of Alice Liddell. Alice Liddell was the inspiration for the Alice of Wonderland, and the story tells of her relationship with Mr. Charles Dodgson, an Oxford Professor, aka. Lewis Carroll. Although the book is fiction, the author's note states that much of it is fact which makes it a little creepy as Charles Dodgson had an un-natural attachment to Alice and other young children.
I just finished reading By the Time You Read This I'll be Dead by Julie Anne Peters which was good, but now that i'm done I feel like I need a feel-good book. This story of a young girl who having been bullied all her young life for being fat, decides that taking her own life is the only way to stop the pain, is heartbreaking. However, her new friendship with Santana, a young boy battling cancer MAY alter her decision- the hardest part is that we'll never know. So, if you chose to believe, you can assume the positive and it becomes an uplifting story.
Presently on my bedside table- Neil Shusterman's Everwild and Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.

2010-02-13T17:08:00.003-07:00

I am currently reading and enjoying Wings by Aprilynne Pike. Laurel is new to her school and trying to fit in when she develops what looks like petals, on her back- turns out she's a faerie. Suddenly the adjustments Laurel needs to make are not so simple.

I also have The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks on my bedside table and am reading Diana Gabaldon's newest from the Outlander series- An Echo in the Bone on my iPod. I also just finished The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova- I like The Historian much better! I read The Swan Thieves at night in print-form and I was traveling, so I also had the playaway with me and listened while on airplanes- all I had to do was keep track of what chapter I was on.

2010-02-13T16:37:00.002-07:00

I was reading an article about connecting teens with books and I found two great sites I want to share with you:
Guys Lit Wire is a blog where teen boys can discover books- http://www.guyslitwire.blogspot.com/
AND
Readergirlz is a site (which includes a blog, too) where young adults can read book reviews, connect with authors and much more http://readergirlz.blogspot.com/

2010-01-20T19:09:00.014-07:00

The Michael L Printz award winners for 2010- announced this week!

WINNER: Going Bovine by Libba Bray

HONORS: Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
Punkzilla by Adam Rapp
Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973 by John Barnes

2010-01-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

Currently reading Wings by Aprilynne Pike.

2010-01-08T08:56:00.003-07:00

STEAMPUNK- ever heard of it? It seems that it's been around since the 80s- it is a newly popular, genre of fiction related to fantasy & science fiction. Steampunk stories are set in the Victorian era or times when steam power was widely used, and contain elements of fictional technology inventions- biological as well as mechanical- as is the case in Leviathan. Leviathan is Scott Westerfeld's newest, and a totally new direction from Uglies. It has historical elements as it takes place at the start of WWI. The central character, Alek, is the son of Franz Ferdinand whose murder in Sarajevo in 1914 set off the war. The story pits the 'Darwinists' against the 'Clankers' in the epic battle of good vs evil. It's REALLY GOOD and I highly recommend it. I have put together a Steampunk display at the library to give some other reading suggestions- Steampunk authors include Jules Verne, Ken Oppel, Eon Colfer, Jeanne DuPrau, Phillip Pullman and Philip Reeve.

2009-12-19T17:06:00.002-07:00

Currently reading Marked - the beginning of the House of Night series by PC Cast which has been very popular since Twilight. I'll be back to tell you more about it after the holidays- such a busy time of year!

2009-12-19T16:58:00.003-07:00

Decided to pick up The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan after seeing the preview for the movie- see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814255/.

I listenend to the book on a playaway- so cool and easy! Loved the story and how the author incorporates ancient Greek mythology and the god and goddesses- I remembered some from long ago lessons, and also learned something new. I've decided to split the Book Thieves book discussion group here at the library into middle and a high school groups who will meet every other month. January's book is Fire by Kristen Cashore (kind of HS but could be MS) and February's book will be The Lightning Thief for the MS group! Maybe we'll go see the movie together!

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (of which The Lightning Thief is #1) is now 5 books long- the latest published this year is entitled- The Last Olympian.

2009-12-03T09:15:00.001-07:00

Saw New Moon in theatres last week- so much fun! But what was really interesting was one of the previews- it seems that Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief is coming out in a movie this February and it looks REALLY GOOD!

2009-11-12T11:56:00.003-07:00

Wierd combination- I know, but I'm currently re-reading Persepolis: the story of a childhood, Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel autobiography, in preparation for a Book Thieves teen book discussion. We're going to watch the movie and discuss the book to film.

And for my own pleasure- I've started the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen- my daughter read them and liked them and I've been intrigued by the covers- OH! to have lived in the Victorian era and been filthy rich to boot!

2009-11-12T11:50:00.002-07:00

I finally read Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie- I'd been meaning to for over a year now as I had heard from all kinds of readers that they had loved it. I enjoyed it, too. I thought the way the author dealt with and communicated the plight of modern-day American Indians living on reservations was realistic and I championed Junior's hard work to break the mold. I also loved the drawings of Ellen Forney.

2009-10-31T17:39:00.002-06:00

Well I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Lost Symbol but didn't get to Shanghai Girls before I was tempted back to YA. I picked up After by Amy Efaw as they finished processing it and haven't been able to put it down. It's the story of a 15 year old girl who is accused of putting her newborn baby into the trash behind her apartment. Amy Efaw says she researched the juvenile facility where the story takes place and writes a very realistic interpretation of what we often hear in the news- stories of abandoned babies. A tough but good read.

2009-10-14T18:45:00.004-06:00

Although I LOVE reading YA, I have had several adult fiction titles on my to-read list lately. I just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer- a touching story of reaffirmation and survival post WWII on a little English island called Guernsey- off the coast of France. It was educational and sad to read about the ravages that the German occupation wrought on the small island and its people. This would be a great companion book to Goodnight Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian

I am currently reading Lost Symbol by Dan Brown- I enjoyed The DaVinci Code and loved Angels & Demons- high hopes for this new one!

Lots of new YA books arriving daily so I will continue reading them once I am done with the new Lisa See book- Shanghai Girls. Don't be afraid to read crossover books- they are great books that are perfectly well suited to young adults or adults and you're encouraged to read them no matter your age! I can recommend tons of adult book titles for young adults- the three here are perfect examples. There are also many that go the other way- YA for adult readers- The Hunger Games & Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, The Book Thief by Mark Zusak, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and I recently gave Graceling by Kristen Cashore to an adult who raved about it.

2009-10-14T18:10:00.002-06:00

I finished The Tear Collector by Patrick James. It was a very interesting twist on a vampire story- refreshing with all the other blood-sucking vampire stories out there. Instead of living off the blood of their victims, these 'vampires' collect tears without victimizing people- or do they? What would you call it when someone lures you in with sympathy and a shoulder to cry on, and it's YOUR tears they collect in order to survive- are you being hurt? Is this genuine sympathy or are they just helping to help themselves? Does it matter? Interesting questions and some very well developed characters that will draw you into the story.

2009-10-03T10:40:00.002-06:00

I have also finished listening to my playaway of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater which I enjoyed although I think the ending was too clean and neat. These days I almost assume and expect unhappy endings from YA novels. I thought the book was going to be more wherewolf/vampire themed, but was pleasantly surprised to find a very touching story about adaptation, choice, heartache and love. I recommend it.
I have since picked up The Tear Collector by Patrick James. This book got rave reviews before publication, so when it came in on a recent order I grabbed it before someone else could. So far so good- I just started it and will report back soon!

2009-10-03T10:19:00.003-06:00

Oh my- I didn't realize it has been 2 weeks since I posted- yikes! I've been busy reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and I am Scout by Charles Shields (a Nelle Harper Lee bio) in preparation for our Big Read discussions.
For those of you who may not know, The Big Read is an initiative developed by the National Endowment for the Arts- NEA http://www.neabigread.org/- in response to a study done in 2004 which showed that we were becoming an illiterate society and people were not reading anymore- called Reading at Risk http://www.nea.gov/news/news04/ReadingAtRisk.Html. At the time I begged to differ because the kids at my high school (I was a high school librarian then) were reading a lot. An updated study now shows that the greatest increase in reading in these past few years has been amongst the teen and young adult population- YEAH (I saw it coming!)- check out To Read or Not to Read http://www.arts.gov/research/ToRead_ExecSum.pdf
My opinion is that young people now see reading as a cool activity, respect those who read and have great choices in literature TO read- all starting with and thanks to JK (Harry Potter changed the face of reading and readers). There was a time when readers were concidered nerds & dweebs but not anymore- the knowledge that those who read, succeed, is now commonly accepted and embraced!

2009-09-15T17:53:00.002-06:00

I'm also reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee in preparation for The Big Read (check it out @ http://www.neabigread.org/communities/?community_id=1809). The event kicks-off on September 28th and goes through Halloween night. There will be a teen book discussion on October 21st so please plan on joining us!

2009-09-15T17:34:00.002-06:00

I am currently listening to Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater on a playaway (pre-loaded digital audiobook player- gotta try one!). This story alternates between chapters where Grace and Sam narrate. The chapters also tell you the temperature outside at the time of each chapter- why, you might ask? Well.. the lower the temperature, the more likely Sam will turn into his werewolf persona. Intrigued? the book is on the shelf as we speak- it was just published this month- and the playaway will be back soon- this one is a page-turner (or would be if I had pages to turn!).

2009-09-02T15:40:00.002-06:00

Catching Fire- the sequel to The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins published yesterday- YEAH! My Book Thieves book discussion copies are in the mail from Barnes & Noble and should arrive any day- I can hardly wait!
If you're interested in getting a copy, join Book Thieves by contacting me @ lisa.osur@co.pitkin.co.us.

In the meantime, however, I am enjoying the following interview from Borders with Suzanne Collins. The interview is followed by a discussion with the author and several teens which is very interesting. Please watch: http://www.bordersmedia.com/bookclub/collins

2009-08-21T09:08:00.002-06:00

Coming in September- Going Bovine by Libba Bray! You may have read her wonderful Great and Terrible Beauty series- but this one's different as you can see from the following book trailer - by Libba Bray, by the way! She's one crazy-lady (I can say that since I know her- and she really is- in a FUN way): http://shelf-life.ew.com/2009/08/19/libba-bray-going-bovine-trailer/
I have an ARC (advanced reader copy) of the book which I will be finished with soon- let me know if you want to read it!

2009-08-14T17:31:00.006-06:00

While in Chicago in July, I attended a meeting of the Best Books for Young Adults Committee (BBYA) and took notes on which books they agreed would make the next BBYA list. These three are MUST reads:
Leviathan is Scott Westerfeld's newest and very different from his Uglies and Midnighters series.
Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson is a horror-thriller.
Broken Soup, the new book by Jenny Valentine, author of Me, the Missing, and the Dead, is a life-affirming story of a young girl who has faced tragedy in her short life.
All three of these books are on my next-reads list!

2009-08-14T17:14:00.003-06:00

I once had Ellen Hopkins visit the school were I worked. We prepared the students for weeks before her visit by offering her books (Crank, Glass, Burned, Impulse- Identical wasn't published yet- once word got out we couldn't keep our 10 copies of EACH book in stock!), working with English teachers & classes on writing in verse, and offering speakers on counseling, health and safety issues for young adults. All this because, although I love Ellen's writing style and stories, the subjects are really tough- meth addiction, suicide, abuse, incest and now prostitution. The books are all written in a beautiful, verse-style and are very visual- in Burned she writes of a father's tears in the shapes of the teardrops on the page- it adds an element to the stories (although I hear they are wonderful in audio, I can't imagine reading them without the visual). Her first book and its sequel, Crank & Glass, are written from a very personal perspective- the main character in the story is based on her own daughter and her ongoing battle with meth addiction.
Tricks her newest book- available in stores August 25th-is five different stories in one- all five young people have ended up in the same place- selling themselves on the streets of Las Vegas. How did they all get there? What could have possibly happened in their pasts to lead them to such drastic means of survival? Will they survive? I have an ARC (advanced reader's copy) if anyone is interested in reading this before it publishes- let me know.

2009-08-12T20:54:00.001-06:00

Finished Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford last night- parts were so hilarious that I found myself laughing out loud, and some was so profoundly what is must be like to be a 14 year old boy who stutters, has ADD, is adjusting to high school, has an older sister he's scared of and is just trying to find his place and fit in. It has some raunchy language and parts, but overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend it for 8th & 9th grade kids.

2009-08-08T14:18:00.002-06:00

Having just finished reading Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga, with its references to Neil Gaiman's graphic novel, I finally decided to pick up the first Sandman- Preludes & Nocturnes. It has been on my list of things-to-read for a while now.
I have recently become an huge Neil Gaiman fan- loved The Graveyard Book which won this year's Newbery, and have enjoyed Stardust, Coraline, American Gods and Neverwhere- since I met him and heard him talk at ALA last month. My daughter has been telling to read Good Omens for several years now, but Lyga's book has led me to this graphic novel- plus I am trying to become more proficient in 'graphic novel' read and speak! Wish me luck...

2009-08-08T14:09:00.002-06:00

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford was recommended recently on my ya-book discussion listserve- and I trust these guys ( a whole lot of YA librarians from around the country and they know their stuff!).

It was on the shelf so I picked it up. I just started reading it last night. It is hilarious and spot-on teenage angst as they transition from middle school to high school. It's a great boy-book- I think many teenage guys will see themselves in the character of Carter. I'll let you know how it end up as this is on my pile of hammock reading for this weekend!

2009-08-07T12:55:00.003-06:00

I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from a friend at Houghton Mifflin Publishing CO. It is the sequel to Barry Lyga's The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl- Goth Girl Rising. I just finished it and I LOVED it!
I liked the first book- it's about a troubled girl named Kyra- her mother died of lung cancer and she's not dealing well- go figure. She becomes friends with a kid who is writing a graphic novel whom she calls Fanboy (Lyga himself is a comic book geek- he actually worked in the industry for 10 years). He seems to understand her, or at least they can be outacasts together.
In the sequel Kyra has been away for a while and she is angry about alot of things- why she went away, her friends, her dad, Fanboy. It's how she comes to terms with her troubles and anger- with the help of Neil Gaiman and his Sandman series and characters, that makes this story great. I simply could not put it down and would highly recommend it. The cover is good, but not what I expected-don't let it set you off the book.

2009-07-31T17:15:00.005-06:00

Ever since hearing the author of Tender Morsels, Margo Lanagan, speak while I was in Chicago, I have waited for time to read this book. I had heard mixed reviews, especially that the beginning of the story is controversial and hard to get through. I am on page 114, I think I got through the beginning since at 436 pages I am almost a third of the way through the book, but I am feeling that this is one of the very few books I have ever started that I will be unable to finish. The beginning was rough- it took me awhile to figure out what they were talking about- a 14 year old girl is being abused by her father and is forced to miscarry before she even realizes what is happening to her- but her circumstances change and the story just gets confusing. Part of me thinks I should battle through another 50 pages of so to see if things improve because this book was a runner up for the 2009 Printz Award (the best of YA literature), won an Honor and is on the Best Books for YA 2009 list.

I often have a hard time seeing what the committees see in some of the award-winning books. I did LOVE a few of the ones that won prizes recently: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (the Newbery winner)and Graceling by Kristen Cashore. But I had trouble with Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (the Printz winner), Ocatavian Nothing by MT Anderson, Nation by Terry Pratchett and Madapple by Christina Meldrum- these stories are very convoluted, intense and confusing- maybe its me and these just aren't my kind of stories. I'll keep trying!

2009-07-31T16:51:00.005-06:00

These are three of the most anticipated sequels being published this fall.

Fire (Oct. 09) by Kristen Cashore, is the sequel/prequel to Graceling which was runner-up for the Wm. Morris Award for best new YA author in 2009. If you haven't read Graceling, its a MUST READ! Fire can be read as an independent book- I was able to get an ARC (advanced reader copy) and thoroughly enjoyed it (by the way if anyone local wants to borrow it let me know).

Barry Lyga's Goth Girl Rising (Oct. 09) is the sequel to The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl which was hugely popular when it came out a few years ago. Lyga has been busy writing other YA novels- Boy Toy and Hero-Type- but we're glad he's back with this sequel! I have just received the ARC for Goth Girl Rising and will make it available, too, as soon as I've finished it!

And finally- but most important is Catching Fire (Sept. 09), the sequel to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is going to be THE BOOK OF THE YEAR! I tried really hard to get an ARC, but was unable to. I have heard from those who did that the book is fantastic- even better than The Hunger Games (which if you haven't read YOU MUST)- if that's possible! I cannot wait to read this one.

2009-07-31T16:36:00.003-06:00

I was recently in Chicago for the American Library Association's Annual Conference and while there, I sat in on a meeting of the Best Books for Young Adults Committee. As the committee voted on possible titles to put on the 2010 BBYA list, I made notes of the books I was unfamiliar with. When I returned to my library I found we owned most of them so I checked several out and have started reading them.

The first one- sure to make the list as everyone on the committee voted for it- is If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Mia is 17 when she is forced to make a very difficult decision- and she thought having to decide to leave her boyfriend, Adam, to sty the cello at Julliard was going to be hard- when her family is killed in a terrible car accident. Mia must chose between following her family, or "what if I stay?"

A few of the other titles I checked out which are bound for the BBYA list are:

Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine

The Comet's Curse by Dom Testa

Marcelo in the Real World by Fransisco Stork

Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson

Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial America by Sally Walker (nonfiction)

If you read any of these please share your thoughts with me.

2009-07-30T10:18:00.006-06:00

I've decided that I really enjoy reading graphic novels.

It took me a while to get comfortable with the genre- which bubbles to read when, looking at the pictures to fill-in-the-blanks in the text- and I find that I can appreciate the critical thinking involved in reading a graphic novel. I have a whole new appreciation for how these can be used as educational tools (a BIG topic of dicussion at a recent conference I attended).

Besides all that, however, the stories and characters are very engaging! Brian Vaughan has authored both Runaways (a YA series) and Y: The Last Man (an adult series- be advised there is adult content). I purchased 8 & 9 of Runaways in Chicago recently and I have asked our adult fiction book buyer to purchase 7-10 of Y: The Last Man which it seems no library in Colorado owns.

Runaways is the story of a group of kids who suspect their parents membership in the evil Pride. Are their parents really evil or were they just protecting their young?

Y: The Last Man is a futuristic story of a time when a plague of some sort has wiped out every Y chromosome on earth except for one man and one male monkey- interesting premise- I have yet to read vol. 7-10 but am looking forward to getting my hands on them!

2009-07-28T14:44:00.001-06:00

Check out this link to Simon & Schuster's Mortal Instruments series website. Cassandra Clare is offering links to her first 3 books until August 10th @ http://promo.simonandschuster.com/mortalinstruments/

2009-07-03T16:25:00.005-06:00

I was recently handed a new YA title from a local author famous for her children’s books, the Adventures of Fraser the Yellow Dog series. The Blue Bottle is Jill Sheeley’s first foray into the world of young adults, although she has one at home. Her daughter Courtney is one of the main characters in this new story. Local readers will recognize the mountains of Colorado while also traveling on an adventure in the Caribbean . The story is told in the voices of two 15 year-old girls’ journaling. The girls’ handwriting fonts differ, making the back and forth chapters easy to follow as their stories parallel. Throughout their stories, Courtney and Natalie grow and discover, not only the world around them, but themselves and their place with their families. Some travel, a few pirates, new found love and a sailboat help to move the stories along to their inevitable juncture. http://www.jillsheeleybooks.com/

2009-06-28T08:53:00.005-06:00

WOW! It's been a while since I've updated the blog- been busy with young adult summer reading programs and publicizing the children's programs (part of my job as well)- sorry.
Anyway, I asked a local graphic novel aficionado (he guides me in much of my graphic novel purchasing for the Pitkin County Library) to recommend something to me so I could begin to get more comfortable with the genre. His recommendation was Blankets by Craig Thompson- a classic. It's a big book but I was assured that graphic novels are pretty quick reads. I set myself up in my hammock (my favorite place in the whole wide world) last weekend and read beginning to end in 2 hours! A story of growing up, family & first love, I highly recommend it, too.
It has prompted me to read more and my daughter has suggested Y: The Last Man by Brian Vaughan. So, Y: The Last Man, vol 1-6 (we need to purchase 7-10 for the library as we do not presently own them) are this weekend's hammock-read. I am intrigued by the premise of the story- a global plague has wiped out every Y chromosome on earth except for one man and one monkey. I can't wait (to read the story, that is!).

2009-05-27T20:18:00.002-06:00

I just finished reading Evernight by Claudia Gray. In preperation for the Young Adult Summer Reading Program I have created many themed bookmarks with lots of summer reading suggestions- one is Twilight Readalikes and one of the titles on the list is Evernight. The story of one of the few born-vampires, Bianca, attends Evernight Academy, a private school for vampires, only to fall in love for the first time with Lucas- a vampire hunter. Not the best book I've read recently, but fun and a quick and easy read- after having read Fantaskey's Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side and the Twilight series (I also picked up Bram Stoker's Dracula and Kostova's The Historian- both of which I LOVE and highly recommend!)- I must admit I'm a little vampired-out. I just checked and it seems the sequel to Evernight, Stargazer, is in process here at the library and will be on the shelf any day now, but I think I'll move on- so many great YA books... so little time!

2009-05-22T12:11:00.002-06:00

Well- I finished Living Dead Girl: a novel by Elizabeth Scott last night. The book is only 170 pages so, although I started it at noon yesterday, it was not difficult to finish it in a day. I found it to be a very engrossing yet very disturbing- it still resonates with me today and I am feeling a little off. To think 'Alice's' story of abuse and neglect at the hands of a disturbed and evil pedophile could be true- it makes my stomach churn. An eye opener, but you might want to keep your eyes closed to this one- read at your own risk.

2009-05-21T14:18:00.002-06:00

I just started reading Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. I had heard of this book as it made the 2009 Best Book for Young Adults list. One of the hardest things about being a Young Adult Librarian is getting my hands on the books- because the YAs seem to know what's good and they're ususally checked out- but when I noticed this was on the to-be-shelved shelf, I grabbed it! I started reading it at lunch and am quite sure that I will finish it tonight. When a book pulls me in like this one, I am guaranteed a late night and tired tomorrow. I'll be back to let you know how it was....

2009-05-21T14:03:00.002-06:00

I just returned from a quick trip back to upstate New York where I lived until last year. I spent 25 years around the Finger Lakes- specifically Canandaigua Lake just south-east of Rochester. Brent Runyon's Surface Tension was the perfect book for me to be reading while I was there visiting. First of all- the book takes place on Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes, where Luke and his parents have a cottage where they spend 2 weeks each summer. Second- with summer fast approaching, I am always reminded of the wonderful, carefree summers 'at the lake' where we spent day after day doing nothing but sitting on the dock, swimming with the fishies and picnicing by the shore and this story brought ALL those memories of growing up at the lake, back to me. Over the course of 4 summers- ages 13-16- you follow Luke through physical, emotional and hormonal changes- through family dynamics, growing friendships and personal experiences- he grows up! A simple coming-of-age story. I highly recommend this book as a light, quick, summer read.

2009-05-21T13:59:00.002-06:00

I finally finished Girls Like Us! I was listening to it while I rode the bus to and from work and it took a long time to read. The book alternates between time periods from the early sixties and seventies, between the three women- Carly Simon, Carol King and Joannie Mitchell- and then wraps up neatly at the end with a to-date update on each of the singer/song writers. I very much enjoyed hearing about their pasts, the time periods and all the other musicians they came in contact with- it was a small world back them! I highly recommend this book to any aspiring musician or fan!

2009-04-24T12:31:00.004-06:00

I am currently reading/litening to the playaway of Girls Like Us: Carol King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon- and the Journey of a Generation by Sheila Weller.

Barnes & Noble synopsis (www.bn.com) - "Their stories trace the arc of the now mythic sixties generation — female version — but in a bracingly specific and deeply recalled way, far from cliché. The history of the women of that generation has never been written — until now, through their resonant lives and emblematic songs. "

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

2009-04-24T12:01:00.006-06:00

I had been anticipating the arrival of Laurie Halse Anderson's new book, Wintergirls, as I had read and liked Speak, Prom and Twisted, also noting that she had won the 2009 Edwards Award for significant and lasting contributions to young adult readers. I am also from Upstate New York where she lives and have been a fan for years.

I had a hard time reading this book- not because of writing, but the content. Wintergirls is the story of two young girls, Lia & Cassie, who make a pact while in middle school. Since they can't be the most popular, prettiest, smartest, they agree to be the skiniest.

Throughout the story Lia speaks in two tongues. Anderson uses a very effective literary tool of crossing out the text of what Lia really thinks and does, and then prints what Lia is expected to say and do- communicating the push-and-pull within Lia and helping the reader to better understand the thinking behind Lia's and other's disturbed minds.

You learn early on that Cassie has died and she begins to haunt Lia to join her. Lia counts calories obcessively, excercizes to exorcise Cassie, she binges and purges and cuts herself to escape... to sleep... to feel... Will Lia succumb? Is she stong enough to save herself as her weight plummets below 90 lbs.?

An important read for anyone who has, or knows someone who has, an eating disorder, or people just trying to understand how anyone could punish themsleves so.

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

2009-04-24T10:17:00.006-06:00

I stayed up until midnight finishing this book- I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed it so much that I was caught laughing on the bus! If you were a fan of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series- and you know you were!- you will love Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey.

Jessica seems like a normal girl starting her senior year at a rural Pennsylvania high school, but looks can be decieving. Although she knows she's adopted, Jessica knows nothing of her family's past. She soon discovers, with the help of one tall and gorgeous vampire named Lucius Vladescu, that her real name is Antanasia and that she is a vampire princess bethrothed to Lucius and in-line to save her vampire clan in Romania. WOW- that's alot to take in!

Lucius is part noramal teen and large-part terrifying vampire, but it's his correspondence with his Uncle Vasile back in Romania that begins to show the real Lucius and how he struggles with his responsibilities while trying to understand American teenage life. Lucisu is incredibly witty, loveable and troubled- poor vampire!

Can Jessica embrace her inner Antanasia and can Lucius survive his demons? I highly recommend this fun yet thoughtful read. AND if you're really into the Vampire-thing (which I will tell you I WAS NOT- never read any Anne Rice, but I've been intrigued since Twilight) I also recommend The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and the original- Dracula by Bram Stoker.

2009-04-16T15:19:00.005-06:00

As you can see from the image, this is a Playaway title. A Playaway is a pre-loaded audiobook- just plug in your own headphones. I've been enjoying this format as I commute to work and like listening to a book- especially nonfiction- this one can be found in the YA nonfiction collection at the Pitkin County Library. (This title is also available in print.)

As a journalist, Steve Almond, can certainly write, but it is his obsession with candy that makes him uniquely qualified to write a book called Candy Freak. As mentioned in the prologue “The author has eaten a piece of candy every single day of his entire life. The author thinks about candy at least once an hour. (and) The author has between three and seven pounds of candy in his house at all times.”

Part historical documentary, part travel log and no-small-part love story, Candy Freak is Steve Almond’s ode to his emotional bond with candy. As he travels the country visiting the small confectioners who, in some cases, are still struggling to produce their locally famous candies, he meets the people and visits the factories that keep the dreams alive. Has anyone out there ever tasted a Goo Goo Cluster, Five Star Bar, Peanut Chew or Twin Bing?

Our love affair with chocolate began in 1893 at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Before the Big 3 (you guess) bought everyone out and before it became impossible to get a candy bar on the check-out aisle at Wal-Mart without outrageous ‘slotting’ fees, small candy companies abounded. From Boston, Almond starts his cross-country travels from Philadelphia (Goldenberg Candy- Peanut Chews) to Hayward, California (Annabelle Candy- Rocky Road & Abba-Zaba) to rediscover a forgotten past. With a delightful use of language, Almond mixes literary wit with chocolate to produce an uproariously funny confection. I highly recommend it to anyone- its nostalgic and delicious!

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

2009-04-11T10:35:00.006-06:00

I stayed up late last night finishing What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell. This is a historical novel set in the post WWII era, but it's really a mystery and coming-of-age story of a young girl, Evie, caught up in her parents' lies. It is well writen and a page-turner- although I saw some of it coming- I still couldn't help myself from continuing until the end.
I give it a 4 out of 5 stars (I reserve the 5th star for the very best).

The book is a 2008 National Book Award winner and Judy Blundell has written for all age levels under several pseydonyms- she loves Star Wars (and writes as Jude Watson) and is writing The 39 Clues series which is so popular- http://www.judyblundell.com/.

Welcome

2009-04-11T08:54:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone- this is my new blog- actually this is my FIRST blog

(it seems like a great way to communicate about great YA materials).

I read a lot since I am the Young Adult Services Librarian at the Piktin County Library in Aspen, CO. Reading the reviews and purchasing the YA collections (fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, manga, games and magazines) I get excited about the new materials and, as our TS staff can atest, I haunt the incoming boxes and cataloging shelves to put my dibs on the newest YA items as they arrive!

I also read a lot of YA because I think it's good writing, the stories are intriguing, and they just seem to pull me in! I'm actually in the process of trying to get more adults to chose YA titles to read because they're SO good.

I will use this blog to talk about the materials I am reading- I say 'materials' because I am a strong believer that reading encompasses many different types of materials and formats- it's not just about books. For instance I listen to many audiobooks- on CD, downloaded on to my MP3 player, on my iPod and our newest format- playaways (LOVE THEM!)- since I ride the bus everyday. I also read articles and websites about YAs. I've read fanfiction (http://www.fanfiction.net/) and I read graphic novels and manga, as well as the bestselling, award-winning and newly released books from my favorite authors, as well as the new ones. There just isn't enough time to read it all- but I try!

So please join me here on the PCL YA Blog to talk about what you are reading.

WELCOME and ENJOY

You can also find me at http://www.pitcolib.org/.