Posted on July 31st, 2012 by Laura in Books
NPR is putting together a list of the best teen books of all time, and they need your help! Go vote for your ten favorites here – and believe me, it’s tough to pick just ten! You can find an list of all the finalists here to help you make your choices.
Can’t decide on your favorites? Maybe you could use one vote as a birthday present for a beloved character. Harry Potter is turning 32 years old today!
Posted on July 23rd, 2012 by Anna in Books, Reviews - Staff
Tags: Dean Koonts, Odd Hours, Odd Thomas, review, Summer Reading 2012
Odd Hours by Dean Koontz
Read by: Anna/Copley Teen Room
This is a continuation of Odd Thomas’s storywhich was started in the novel Odd Thomas. In this novel, Odd meets new friends and battles new enemies with the help of a ghost dog named Boo, the ghost of famous signer Frank Sinatra, and his own nearly psychic powers. Who’s to say which side of the law anyone is on, including the local church pastor and the Chief of Police when it comes down to a huge terrorist plot on California soil.
I have to admit, I enjoyed the first three Odd Thomas books much better than I did this one. Not to say that this novel wasn’t as well written as the others, because it certainly was. But there were a few bits dealing with the plot that didn’t work for me. One was the beginning where a few things didn’t seem very plausible. But, the part I really loved, was the scene where he had to pick on Frank Sinatra to anger him. He needed to turn the usually calm ghost into a poltergeist in order to help move the ghost on to the next world, and also to save himself from death. A fantastic scene if ever there was one.
Will my disapointments turn me away from the rest of this series? No way. Odd Appocolypse is coming out soon, and I definitely can’t wait to get my hands on it!
And with this novel done, I’ve only got four more on my summer reading list to go! Woot!
Posted on July 16th, 2012 by Anna in Books, Reviews - Staff
Tags: 2012, A Big Little Life, Dean Koontz, Summer Reading
A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog by Dean Koontz
Read by: Anna/Copley Teen Room
This is the story of Trixie Koontz, the beautiful, smart, funny, and generally awesome dog belonging to well known author, Dean Koontz. All these years, I’ve heard about Trixie, but I didn’t realize just how special she was until I read this book. That dog was great at calming other dogs down in the middle of a vet hospital visit. She refused to throw up on a hard-to-clean carpet. She was a perceptive dog who knew when on the tennis ball hunt that one had been left behind.
This was an amazing story of an amazing dog. I laughed out loud until I cried. And then I cried so hard I sobbed. A truly wonderful book that any dog lover should read. Even if you’re not a Dean Koontz fan, you’ll love this book, and you’ll hopefully come to realize (if you haven’t already) just how special dogs really are. Especially dogs like Trixie Koontz.
A final note, for those who are keeping track, this is the third book out of eight in my personal summer reading list. Wondering myself if I can make it to the eighth book by the end of August… crossing my fingers!
Posted on July 11th, 2012 by Anna in Books, Reviews - Staff
Tags: A Rumor of War, memoir, Philip Caputo, review, Summer Reading 2012
A Rumor Of War by Philip Caputo
Read by: Anna/Copley Teen Room
This was a fantastic book about one officer’s experience in the Vietnam war. Caputo pulls no punches when he talks about what happened. He lays it all out there and writes it as if you, the reader, are actually there. You feel like you’re in the trenches taking mortar rounds. You feel as if you’re struggling to climb a hill suddenly beseiged by Viet Cong who disappear as quickly as they’d arrived.
I had a hard time getting into this, but it wasn’t because the story was boring. It was anything but. However, once I was into it, I was into it and just like Caputo, I couldn’t wait for the Vietnam War to end. Such a truthful memoir. This is the realities of war. And that’s what I liked about it. He didn’t make it seem like some fantasy Hollywood blockbuster.
In short, if you’re interested in history, about past wars, or maybe you’re looking to join the military, this is definitely a book you should check out. Just don’t expect to read it in one day unless you skim it. I wouldn’t recommend skimming it because you’ll lose the full effect of the war that Caputo puts into his memoir.
Posted on July 10th, 2012 by Maggie in Reviews - Staff, Teen Services
As far as Alina Starkov knows, she’s a simple orphan, working as a map-maker for the army of her country, Ravka. Her only friend, Mal, fights in her battalion, working with her to cross the Fold, a blight of darkness expanding across the country, eating up land and people alike. They’re both peasants, lowest on the social totem, which is topped by Grisha, whose ability to do magic makes them the most revered members of society. The Grisha and their leader, the Darkling, are spear-heading the fight against the Fold and Ravka’s other enemies.
When their caravan is attacked by a pack of monstrous volcra, Alina is shocked to discover that she possesses stunning powers. Hustled away to the royal palace to study with the Grisha, she begins learning her potential to save her country from the threat of the Fold. But as she learns more about the hierarchies of magic, she begins to discover that enemies of Ravka may be more numerous than she believes.
This is Leigh Barduco’s first novel, but she immerses the reader into the culture of Ravka, a country parallel to Russia. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment.
