Once upon a time, I thought I was rebellious. One might wonder what daring acts or special feats I accomplished to deserve this status... well, agonize no more, I'll tell you. I avoided popular books like the plague. So "in your face" to all those who tried to tell me what I should read! I wanted nothing to do with award winning books, classics, or anything else that was supported by masses of people. Why? I'll tell you that too... Because there is no way a bunch of stuffy old people sitting around in a room of dusty books handing out prizes willy nilly could possibly know what is "good." Don't get me wrong. I've always loved books, I just thought that I was a better judge of books than everyone else.
Hmpf.
Only thing is somewhere along the way I caved. Might be that it started with some of the most popular teen series in the last few years like Inkspell, Harry Potter, or even Twilight. But however it happened, I found myself joining the cult of readers who can acknowledge that when a book is hugely popular, hey, it just might be good.
That being said, recently Libba Bray's novel Going Bovine received the Michale L. Printz award for excellence in young adult literature. *Congratulations to Mrs. Bray* Well, naturally I hadn't read it yet as I'm still trying to overcome my rebellious nature. But, Internet stalker that I am, I was reading her blog with her story about when she first found out that her book had been selected for the award, and it was freaking hilarious. I seriously laughed out loud. If she's that funny on her blog, I thought, I can only imagine what her book must be like. Of course, I put in my request for it and now have it in my hands. I've made it through the first chapter, and I was already dying to tell you guys about it... I've already made Dave read the first few pages! I guess this is me officially throwing in the towel on my rebellious nature because I'm officially saying that maybe those old people sitting in a stuffy room somewhere actually know a thing or two about books.
This is my challenge to you... Give it a try! Go to the library and request a copy of Going Bovine and let me know what YOU think about it!
Oh, and don't worry. I'll provide an official review as soon as I'm done. :)
Until next time...
-Rachel
Hmpf.
Only thing is somewhere along the way I caved. Might be that it started with some of the most popular teen series in the last few years like Inkspell, Harry Potter, or even Twilight. But however it happened, I found myself joining the cult of readers who can acknowledge that when a book is hugely popular, hey, it just might be good.
That being said, recently Libba Bray's novel Going Bovine received the Michale L. Printz award for excellence in young adult literature. *Congratulations to Mrs. Bray* Well, naturally I hadn't read it yet as I'm still trying to overcome my rebellious nature. But, Internet stalker that I am, I was reading her blog with her story about when she first found out that her book had been selected for the award, and it was freaking hilarious. I seriously laughed out loud. If she's that funny on her blog, I thought, I can only imagine what her book must be like. Of course, I put in my request for it and now have it in my hands. I've made it through the first chapter, and I was already dying to tell you guys about it... I've already made Dave read the first few pages! I guess this is me officially throwing in the towel on my rebellious nature because I'm officially saying that maybe those old people sitting in a stuffy room somewhere actually know a thing or two about books.This is my challenge to you... Give it a try! Go to the library and request a copy of Going Bovine and let me know what YOU think about it!
Oh, and don't worry. I'll provide an official review as soon as I'm done. :)
Until next time...
-Rachel
This book begins with Finnikin as a young boy who is close friends with a prince and princess of Lumatere. At least he is close to them until one horrific night when assassins enter the kingdom murdering the entire royal family and seizing the throne. In the days to come (known as the five unspeakable days), a powerful priestess is blamed and is ordered to be burned alive by the imposter king. However, before she dies she places a curse on the kingdom which allows nothing to either escape the kingdom or enter it until a rightful king returns with the exiles to retake the kingdom.
For ten years Finnikin searches the land for exiles and for any sign that the prince may still be alive. Along the way he meets Evanjalin, a girl who claims that she walks the dreams of their people and can help lead them to the royal heir. However, her unpredictable behavior makes her nearly impossible to trust. She is obviously not all she appears to be, but the truth may be more than Finnikin can handle.
Overall, I really liked this book. The story was full of suspense and was very entertaining. One of my favorite authors, Kristin Cashore reviewed the book as well. Here's what she had to say: "The world of this book is dark and beautiful and utterly believable; and, as I've come to expect of Marchetta's work, the characters are wonderfully complex. Here is an author who writes fantasy as well as she writes realism -- and in the case of Melina Marchetta, that's high praise, indeed!"
This is the lesson the D.J. becomes very familiar with over the summer. Her family seems to be on the brink of falling apart: her mother is never home, her little brother refuses to talk, and no one has heard from her two older brothers since they moved out to go to college. D.J. has essentially taken over her family’s dairy farm since her father’s accident, so who has time to talk anyway. She milks cows, mucks the stalls, oh, and helps with football training for Brian. She loves training Brian, and the more she does it the more she enjoys both football and Brian himself. Just a few problems with that, like: 1.) her dad would flip if she tried out for the team and 2.) Brian Nelson is sooo out of her league.
Through the course of the summer D.J. tries to figure out who she really is, and if what she wants is really worth going after. It might cost her everything if she speaks up, but boy does she have a lot to say. Her story is one every girl should read. It’s hilarious, romantic, and daring all tied into one neat package.
Hello again lovely people!
It’s about that time, and I just wanted to remind you all that we will be having our TAG! meeting next Tuesday! That’s February 16th at 4:00 in the Lake Room (same room we were in last month). Please, please, please come if you can. Oh, and if you have a friend that might want to come, bring them too!
We’ll have snacks, show off some new books, and go over some of the ideas we discussed during the last meeting. Remember, if you are still interested in doing the Book Club, please bring the title of the book you think we should read. Other than that, just come hang out and have fun! Hope to see you then!
~Rachel Cox, your friendly neighborhood librarian
Okay, the internet stalker is back. I've been surfing the web looking ideas for our blog, and I stumbled across something that I really wanted to share. This is really for the people who are as obsessed as I am with the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's a post I found on another teen blog that discusses the Team Peeta vs. Team Gale controversy. Check it out here: The Eternal Debate.
WARNING: Do not visit this page if you have not finished reading both the Hunger Games and Catching Fire.
Other than that, enjoy! (For the record, I'm Team Peeta!)
-Rachel
Other than that, enjoy! (For the record, I'm Team Peeta!)
-Rachel
Wow... I'm not even sure where to begin with this one... Okay, so there's Hannah, who is totally bonkers. Like clinically. She been diagnosed with several disorders, she often hallucinates, and her aunt has threatened to throw her in a looney bin. She decides to run away, but not before bashing said aunt over the head with a table lamp. Eventually, she makes her way to her mother (who left after she was born) in Portero, Texas. Of course the mom is almost as crazy in her own unique way, and wants nothing to do with Hannah, who insists on staying. Fortunately, the monsters in Portero make Hannah's hallucinations look absolutely normal. Because she has dealt with her own monsters all her life, Hannah is not freaked out by the strange happenings that take place. As in any good book, Hannah finds a way to fit in and a boy who accepts her because his own life is almost as unbelievable. Bleeding Violet is definitely an interesting book, but will never make it into my top ten. I'd probably recommend this to teens who enjoy the paranormal and who don't mind a little dose of crazy now and then.
-Rachel
Okay, I officially love living in Bakersfield... Dave just told me (yes, Dave, the other totally cool teen librarian) that he saw signs for a concert that is going to take place at the Rabobank Arena. It's DAUGHTRY!!! Those of you who made it to the last TAG! meeting know that I like Daughtry (I had it playing in the background). So YAY! Oh, and Lifehouse will be there too! I'm so excited!!! You better believe that on May 4th I'm going to be standing around in my jeans waiting for the doors to open. Here's the link if you feel like coming out for the party: Daughtry with Lifehouse.
So here are a few a books that I'm really excited about. They are all coming out this year, AND they are all in our catalog right now. That means now is the time to get in your requests for them. (Then maybe you won't be number 287 in line when they finally get here.) Unlike, ahem, the request list for Breaking Dawn.
Burned (A House of Night Novel) by P.C. and Kristin Cast is next on my list (which is ordered by publication date NOT preference). Burned promises to pick up where Tempted (book 7) left off. Is Zoey Redbird, the future high priestess for Nyx, really dead? Will she survive the loss of one of the people she loves? All these questions left unanswered... It kills me!For those of you who haven't read the House of Night series yet, I definitely recommend getting caught up before Burned comes out in April (especially if you enjoy vampires and the paranormal).
For those of you who haven't read Hunger Games, it is a story set in a time when the United States has fallen apart and a new government has taken its place. The new government squashes rebellion by decimating an entire geographic area with the use of an atomic bomb. To keep the remaining citizens in check, they hold an event each year called the Hunger Games. Two children from twelve different districts are forced into an arena where the object of the game is simple: kill the other contestants and be the last one standing. Let's just say this is a great book for those of you who love suspense!
*Impatiently waiting*
Rachel
Labels:
Burned,
Finnikin of the Rock,
Hunger Games Book 3,
New Books,
Numbers,
Spirit Bound
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I'm so happy to announce that very soon (January 19th) we will be holding our first ever TAG! meeting. Basically, it's for teens in grades 7-12 that are interested in what goes on in the library. We want your help picking books, planning fun events, and entering crazy contests. So, if you are interested be sure to show up at the Beale Memorial Library on Truxtun Avenue on Tuesday, January 19th at 4:00.Hope to see you there!
-Rachel
Richelle Mead
Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a blog/facebook/myspace stalker. I love reading about what people are doing, and let me tell you sometimes authors come up with the coolest stuff. I know I mentioned Richelle Mead's blog in a post a few weeks ago, but everyone should check it out. She's the author of the popular Vampire Academy series, and today she held a live chat! You can see a transcript here.Richelle's blog is titled Even Redheads Get the Blues, and she keeps it pretty up to date. One of her recent posts details her recent trip to Forks, Washington (the setting of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga) complete with pictures and cool commentary. Anyway, if you're a blog stalker or you're just looking for a good way to kill some time, you should definitely take a look.
Cheers!
Rachel