Currently browsing Books
Fantastic YA Book Covers in 2010
Besides spending a lot of time reading YA books, I’m also a bit of a design and typography geek. While I’m mostly persuaded to read a book by reviews, I’m easily drawn toward titles with striking cover artwork. Here is a selection of covers that have stood out to me so far this year.
For these two, it’s all about the lovely script adorning the covers. (And am I the only one who keeps thinking Amy and Roger are facing away from the camera, when they’re actually facing towards it?)
I also love the type treatments on these two. Plus, Wildthorn has a killer corset.
I think I’m generally against real people on book covers, but all of these prove me wrong! So many striking images (I think it’s the eyes), but maybe I also have a fascination with dead girls?
These all win points for beautiful covers that don’t rely on realistic photos of pretty girls. I think the paperback cover of Tender Morsels may be my absolute favorite.
And finally, two covers that feature typography without any people! I cannot get over the gorgeous hand-lettering by Si Scott on the Beautiful Darkness cover.
August 26th, 2010 ♥ Books ♥ 1 Comment »
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
Jane Eagland weaves an engrossing tale about a teenaged girl who finds herself locked up in Wildthorn, a mental institution in Victorian England. Neither the protagonist, Louisa Cosgrove, nor the reader know why she was sent there, until clues are revealed in flashbacks interspersed with the narrative. Louisa must figure out the truth behind her situation, amidst the lies and abuse from the institution’s staff, aided by the kindness of Eliza, one of the assistant caregivers. Throughout the story, a lot is revealed about women in medicine, the wretched reality of patient care, and social customs of the time, which could provide good discussion points. While the plot gets wrapped up a little too nicely at the end, it’s still a captivating story that will especially appeal to historical fiction fans.
Wildthorn comes out on September 6!
Find in a library or on Amazon. Add to Goodreads.
Reviewed from a review copy received from the publisher on NetGalley.
August 23rd, 2010 ♥ Books, Reviews ♥ No Comments »
Everything You Need to Know about Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World opens this Friday, Aug. 13. The movie is based on the six-volume graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, though the plot will not follow the books exactly as the last volume was just released in July. So, what do you need to know about the movie and the books?
- Scott Pilgrim is an underachieving 23-year-old who lives with his gay best friend Wallace, plays bass in Sex Bob-omb, and is dating 17-year-old Knives Chau. But when he encounters the mysterious Ramona Flowers, first in his dreams, and then in real life, he ditches Knives for a shot with Ramona. The only catch? He has defeat her seven evil exes before they can date.
- It’s packed with video game references that will delight even the most casual gamer. See a comprehensive list at UGO.
- Music also plays a big part. Scott’s in a three-piece band, Sex Bob-omb, with Kim Pine and Stephen Stills, and several scenes take place at music clubs. Beck wrote the music for the band in the film and members of Broken Social Scene composed the songs for a rival band, Crash and the Boys.
- The series takes place in Toronto and features many local institutions. Several fans have tracked down the sites and the movie was shot on location.
- The Toronto Reference Library is featured in two scenes in the graphic novel. Scott first sees Ramona in real life there and Knives Chau fights Ramona in the library’s main room.
- According to WorldCat, 401 libraries have the first volume cataloged and 236 have the series cataloged. (Including the Toronto Public Library, natch)
- Director Edgar Wright is also responsible for Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and the British tv series Spaced (available on Hulu!).
- The movie’s groundbreaking interactive trailer is played like a video game and includes behind-the-scenes featurettes and other tidbits of information. You can also create your own avatar.
- The comics were also adapted into a downloadable video game for the PlayStation Network and XBox Live Arcade.
Have you read the books? Planning to see the movie? Let me know in the comments!
August 12th, 2010 ♥ Books, Movies ♥ No Comments »
YA Through the Decades: 1950s
For my YA Through the Decades challenge, I read Fifteen by Beverly Cleary for the 1950s. I seem to be reading contemporary realistic fiction for girls for each decade (Sue Barton, Seventeenth Summer) — I can’t decide if I want to continue that theme or not, but it is what I usually tend to read. I also hope to get a 1950s overview post up soon! So, what have you been reading for the challenge?
Check out Anne’s post on the challenge at My Head is Full of Books. She’s already finished! She read Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952) by C.S. Lewis for the 1950s.
Lindsey from Ten Stories Up read A Separate Peace (1959) by John Knowles.
¤¤¤
Beverly Cleary’s Fifteen, published in 1956, tells the story of a few months in the life of fifteen-year-old Jane Purdy. Jane considers herself an ordinary girl – she spends most of her free time babysitting, her parents are embarrassing, and she wants nothing more than a cute boyfriend with a car. Things start to look up when she meets Stan Crandall, the new boy in town, and he invites her to the movies. Jane really likes him, and thinks he likes her, but not everything goes as planned. He spends too much time talking to cool girl Marcy, their date to Chinatown involves eating bizarre foods, and he doesn’t invite her to the first school dance. Will things ever go Jane’s way?
Fifteen is a fun and pleasant read, but doesn’t offer much in the way of substance. Jane does learn to be herself and not worry what others think about her, but most of the book is concerned with whether or not Stan will call her after one seemingly embarrassing event or another. Still, Jane’s affability and naivete are endearing and the other characters, however briefly mentioned, are fun as well. Many of Jane’s concerns – embarrassing parents, what to wear, will he call? – still apply to today’s teens, even if they’re not worried about their mother not wearing stockings, wearing the same suit twice, and tying up the party phone line. I definitely found this more accessible than Seventeenth Summer, which has a similar storyline, but that probably has more to do with Cleary’s writing style than cultural differences due to time period. I could see tweens enjoying this, especially for those who are graduating from Cleary’s younger books.
Find in a library or on Amazon.
Covers Through the Decades:
August 10th, 2010 ♥ Books, Reviews, YA Decades Challenge ♥ No Comments »
Book Review: Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci
In her latest book, Cecil Castellucci makes a departure from her usual contemporary Los Angeles setting and takes her readers to 1980s New York City. The Cold War is at its height and our protagonist Rose lives next door to a Soviet family, including a girl her age, Yrena. Though Rose has been feeling “black” and friendless since choosing to attend the performing arts school for dance, she gets swept up into a night of parties, new friends, and self discovery when Yrena crawls into her window looking for a typical American experience. Castellucci makes the city and the era come alive at night as we see it through Rose and Yrena’s eyes — Rose, whose dispiritedness has made her take it for granted, and Yrena, who is seeing it wide-eyed for the first (and possibly last) time. Both are dancers and their new friends include a dancer, musicians, and actors, so it’s fun to see their passions on display. The book also touches on the issues of war and peace without being didactic about it, and while it’s historical fiction, the same concerns will still resonate with today’s readers. If anything, the book is too short at just under 200 pages. Some of the character development seemed rushed and could have benefited from longer scenes, despite the whole story taking place in one night. Overall, it’s a quick, fun read that can also open up a discussion about larger issues. Should be appropriate for grades 7 and up.
Rose Sees Red comes out on August 1!
Find in a library or on Amazon.
Add to Goodreads.
Other reviews:
Stacked
Abby (the) Librarian
Reviewed from an ARC received from the author.
July 19th, 2010 ♥ Books, Reviews ♥ No Comments »
Goodreads vs. Librarything vs. Shelfari
When it comes to social networking sites, book lovers have it made. There are several popular websites that allow readers to catalog their books, share reviews, and connect with like-minded bookworms. But with choice comes decision and selecting the best site for you can take a bit of research and experimentation. Like many readers and aspiring librarians, I used to track my reading using spreadsheets, so I was thrilled with the features offered by Goodreads, Librarything, and Shelfari, and have been compulsively recording the books I’ve read and want to read online since 2007. Online cataloging is also a lifesaver for librarians who are inundated with information about books and need a flexible, easy way to keep track of books they want to read, titles they want to eventually add to their libraries, and remember and categorize books they’ve read.
Overall, I like Goodreads for its social features, LibraryThing for its extensive cataloging features, and Shelfari for its community-added metadata like character lists and “ridiculously simple synopses”.
Find me on Goodreads or LibraryThing.
What site(s) do you use for personal or professional use?
Read on for in-depth looks at each site.
Read the rest of this entry »
July 8th, 2010 ♥ Books, Resource Spotlight ♥ 1 Comment »
Book Review: Middleworld by J&P Voelkel
Fourteen-year-old Max’s archaeologist parents have abandoned him yet again in favor of a Maya excavation. But his lazy summer gets cut short when he gets a mysterious ticket to join his parents in the Maya jungles of San Xavier. This city boy soon finds himself caught up in a fantastical world of artifact smugglers, ancient magic, and grand adventure accompanied by a headstrong Maya girl named Lola and her two howler monkeys. Can Max save his parents and the end of the world?
Authors Jon and Pamela Voelkel have created an action-packed adventure story filled with Maya history and culture. With the 2012 phenomenon, interest in the Maya is sure to be high and the book includes an informative glossary and explanation of the Maya calendar. While it’s not a groundbreaking work of children’s literature, the story is compelling, the characters are fun, and it sets the groundwork for an eventual trilogy. The history and magic make this a good choice for kids graduating from the Magic Tree House books, but it will also appeal to many young readers in the 8-12 age range.
Find in a library or on Amazon
Reviewed from an ARC received from the book’s publicist
July 3rd, 2010 ♥ Books, Reviews ♥ No Comments »
Audiobook Review: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
I got into audiobooks back when I was frequently driving 100 miles back and forth between San Diego and LA, but I rarely drive anymore, and hence don’t listen to many books. So I was excited when I recently had to make a 6-hour roundtrip drive, which is conveniently about the length of an average 300-page YA novel. I settled on Gabrielle Zevin’s Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, which I picked up as a free trial from eMusic’s audiobook service. It’s the story of high-school junior Naomi, who loses four years of her memory after falling down her school’s front steps. She doesn’t remember her best friend Will, her boyfriend Ace, or her parent’s divorce. Plus, she’s rescued by the mysterious new guy James, who makes her already confused life even more confusing. This unique premise gives Zevin plenty of room to examine the nature of identity. We see Naomi struggle to make sense of her relationships with not only her family, friends, and boyfriend, but also with herself. A lot happens in this not-very-long book, but none of it feels rushed and Zevin makes all of her characters likable despite their faults. Caitlin Greer deftly narrates the audiobook, giving life to each of the characters and keeping the listener’s attention throughout. Except for the memory loss, this is a fairly typical contemporary realistic YA book that should delight fans of the genre. It would also be a great book club selection, as the premise sets up some interesting questions for readers. Teenreads.com has a discussion guide.
Find in a library or on Amazon.
June 28th, 2010 ♥ Books, Reviews ♥ No Comments »
Book Review: The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June by Robin Benway
As if dealing with their parents’ divorce and moving to a new town weren’t enough, teenage sisters April, May, and June discover they have secret powers one afternoon on the way home from school. Eldest sister April can see the future, middle sister May can disappear, and youngest sister June can read minds. Told in alternating points of view, the three sisters learn to come to terms with their powers and their relationships with each other, all while navigating the usual stresses of high school.
Robin Benway ups the ante in her second novel, using a similar contemporary Southern California setting to her first book (the fabulous Audrey, Wait!), but throwing supernatural elements and multiple narrators into the mix. With so many elements, the story could have easily gotten bogged down with details, but Benway keeps the tone fresh and the narrative fast-paced with witty dialogue and fun and believable characters. Each of the sisters feels fully developed despite having only a third of the book to themselves and each is likable in her own way. While the mere existence of the superpowers is obviously far-fetched, I was happy to suspend some disbelief and go along with these characters on this fun, and often surprising, ride.
The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June comes out on August 3!
Find on Amazon.
Reviewed from an ARC received from the publisher at the ALA Midwinter Meeting.
June 22nd, 2010 ♥ Books, Reviews ♥ No Comments »
Book Reviews: May 2010
Fat Cat by Robin Brande
Overachieving high schooler Cat is determined to ace her science project and beat her ex-best friend Matt McKinney at the science fair. Since the competition is so intense, Cat knows she has to do something drastic — she will use herself as a test subject. She has always struggled with her weight, so decides to essentially live like a caveman by eating unprocessed foods and walking everywhere. What starts as an experiment changes Cat in unexpected ways and may just change her long-strained relationship with Matt. Cat’s transformation is inspiring, especially since it comes from a healthy relationship with food. The ending is fairly predictable, but the journey is fun and full of characters that you can’t help but love.
Gimme A Call by Sarah Mlynowski
High school senior Devi gets a surprise when she drops her cell phone in the mall fountain — she’s somehow able to call her 14-year-old self. She seizes this opportunity to shape her life, as the actions her past self takes immediately affect her present. And she especially wants to avoid ever dating her boyfriend of three years, who broke her heart right before prom. But not all of Devi’s past decisions have favorable outcomes and she starts to understand what’s really important in her life. Devi’s a likable character and it’s interesting to see the interactions between the past Devi and the present Devi. The unique time-bending nature of the story adds a fun level to this otherwise typical contemporary YA novel. The premise also lends itself to some fun discussion about what you would tell your past self and how little actions can have big consequences.
Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz
This slice of life story about a vinyl music loving 16-year-old brings Berkeley, CA to life and makes the reader want to haul out a record player and some classic LPs. The plot is fairly straightforward and predictable, but the characters and their passions shine through.
Follow the Youth Services Corner RSS Feed