What Hannah's Been Reading: books to GIVEAWAY!

I've been reading furiously over the past few weeks. We've gotten some pre-published books in here at the library, so I've been trying to check them out and see which ones we might buy for the library. BUT we can't put the pre-pubs (see how cool I sound when I call them that?) into our teen collection here, so my plan is to give them away to one of you lucky lucky blog readers.
The first book I read is called Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell. She's an author of juvenile lit, but this is her first book for teens. The book is about Janie Gorman, who lives on a farm with her parents and little sister. Everyone else in her family is 100% into farm life, but starting high school with goat poop on her shoe is not what Janie had in mind. In her desire to fit in she tries joining a jam band, hanging out with senior citizens, and meeting a new friend named Monster.
If there was one word that I would use to describe Ten Miles Past Normal it would be Cute. With a capital C. It seemed to me like there was a lot going on in the book and that the characters could have used some further development. I feel like there were definitely some plot points that could have been developed more, but all that being said, the book was enjoyable, and it was cute, and it was a quick read, and PLUS, you'd get to read it before anyone else, because it isn't even being published until next month!

The other book I read is called Wither by Lauren DeStefano, who is another new teen author. This book is the first in a trilogy, and it is set in a future America where girls only live to 20, and men live until 25. Wealthy men marry early and have multiple wives, most of whom are kidnapped and forced into marriage, like the main character Rhine, who is taken from her home in New York and brought to Florida, where she forced into marriage with a wealthy young man. However it is one of the servants, Gabriel, who Rhine falls in love with as she also plots her escape.
I was surprised that I liked this book. I read it really quickly--it was one of those stay up late to finish it books. It reminded me of a lot of other teen books that are out right now, though. It was kind of Incarceron by Catherine Fisher + Twilight + Delirium by Lauren Oliver, though not quite as well done as any of those (except Twilight... don't get me started on Twilight). I'll be interested to see where the plot goes in the next two books though.

So, here's the giveaway part. Just enter your name and e-mail address here, and I will do a drawing for the winner on March 1, and just so you know, no one will be able to see your e-mail address, and it won't be used for anything other than me sending you an e-mail to tell you that you won.

Hannah Just Read: Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters

I have this thing that whenever I read a book (that I like) I automatically want to move to wherever the books is set. For example, when I read The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, I realized my desire to move to New England. When I read Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson I was overtaken with the uncontrollable urge to be a New Yorker. I read The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd last year. The book is set in a fictional city in the Midwest, and all of a sudden I thought to myself, "gee, I've always wanted to live in the Midwest." But that is so not true! I've NEVER wanted to live in the Midwest! I don't even LIKE the Midwest! They get tornadoes! You get the idea.

Anyway, the tradition was upheld as I read Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford last weekend. It is set in Baltimore, and now I am seriously considering moving... I mean, until I start a new book. But Confession of the Sullivan Sisters is told by Norrie, Jane, and Sassy, in letters to their grandmother, who has threatened the Sullivan family with dis-inheriting them unless the Sullivan who has offened her confesses to his or her transgression. The three sisters all have secrets to confess--big ones, and they are owning up to them now.

This book was a fun and quick read. I read it in just a few hours, and it was quite enjoyable, but definitely chicklit, even though the Sullivan sisters are smart and interesting, which not all girls in chicklit books are. I would recommend this book to anyone who just needs something fast and easy to read. It was like eating a fun-sized candy bar: sweet and delicious and just the right size.

Hannah Just Read: Road Trip Books- Two Way Street and Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

I know that Christmas is just over, and maybe I should be reading books about snow and Christmas miracles and such, but quite frankly, it is COLD out, and I do not need to be reminded of that fact. Consequently, I have been feasting on road trip books lately, and over Christmas break I read two of them. The first was:

Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt. I had been meaning to read this book since I first saw it go through the library more than a year ago. I finally got around to it, and I have to say I wasn't too impressed. I mean... it was good, but it wasn't great. If you're only going to read one road trip book, don't read this one. The two main characters, Jordan and Courtney, have just broken up, but they were planning on road tripping to college together. It is too late to change plans now, so they still set out to drive from Florida to Boston. The story is told from their alternating perspectives, which works sometimes, but in this case, the whole book was just kin of... lacking. I was mostly frustrated by this book and I really didn't like Courtney at all--she was really annoying. However, I also read:

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, which was excellent and funny and sweet and I loved it. This one is about Amy Curry, who has just lost her father, her brother is in rehab, and her mother moved across the country a month ago to start her new job and set up their house. Roger is a neighborhood kid (now a college student) whose mom has volunteered him to drive Amy to her new house. Amy's mom mapped out a very specific (and boring) route from California to Connecticut, but Amy and Roger decide to make up their own route. Like I said, I really liked this book. The story just seemed a lot fuller than Two Way Street, and, plus there were fun extras peppered throughout. I would definitely recommend this book.
So, now that I have done my road trip book study, I've noticed some similarities between road trip books. It seems like there is always a gender mix--it can't just be all girls or all boys, because without a mix there is less likelihood that hi-jinks will ensue. It is always summer in road trip books, too. It is either just after school lets out, or just before it starts again. Also there is usually a party pooper or someone who doesn't want to go or someone whose parents have forced them to go. This sets the characters up for self discovery which, too, is a quality of road trip books, which is expected, because a physical journey nicely sets up the ever present journey of self discovery. (I feel like journey of self discovery should be italicized or capitalized or something: Journey of Self Discovery; Journey of Self Discovery.) There is always a lot of terrible junk food involved, too, and, of course, an excellent playlist.
And here is a list of even MORE road trip/travel books if you, too, are feeling antsy cooped up inside.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Hannah Just Read: Twenty Boy Summer

I have to say, I was really kind of nervous about reading Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. I was under the assumption that it would be about girls who were acting stupid and running around trying to lure boys in with their feminine wiles and that I would hate it, because I hate stuff like that. But the book is on the 2010 Teens' Top Ten Nominations for the Young Adult Library Services Association and I've been trying to read all of them (and I'm failing miserably-- I still have 14 left and only like... 17 days left in the year). So anyway, I picked this one up and, as it turns out, I really enjoyed it a lot!
Anna and her best friend Frankie are going with Frankie's parent's to Zanzibar Bay in California for the A.B.S.E. (Absolute Best Summer Ever). They make a bet that they can meet twenty guys in the twenty days that they're there. Frankie wants to meet boys for herself, but she really wants Anna to have a summer fling. Anna, however, doesn't want to meet anyone. She's still mourning the death of Frankie's older brother, Matt, who died tragically the year before. He was Anna's first kiss and first romance, and Frankie has no idea.
What I really liked about this book was how thoughtful and mature Anna is. Sometimes maybe even a little bit too mature--way more mature and thoughtful than I ever was at 16, but it works for the context of the book. When Anna meets Sam, just boy number four into the twenty-boy summer, and starts to like him, she gives a lot of thought to what liking someone else means to her short relationship with Matt.
I would recommend this book very highly, but probably to high schoolers mostly. It can get pretty intense sometimes. Also, if you've read this one already and liked it, Sarah Ockler has a new book that just came out called Fixing Delilah. I told Mrs. G to order it, so hopefully it will be in in the new year!

What Hannah's Been Reading: Suite Scarlett

So, last weekend I went down to Washington, DC for the National Book Festival, (which was awesome. I saw Suzanne Collins, who was awesome) but I needed something to keep me occupied on the drive down, so I picked up Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson on MP3-CD, which I have to say, I wasn't all that excited about. I was sort of desperate for something to listen to, and this book isn't my usual style. It's the story of Scarlett Martin who lives in her family's hotel, the Hopewell, in New York City. It's summer, her friends are gone, and she's turning fifteen. Her birthday present is the care of a suite at the Hopewell, and along with the suite comes a guest-- Mrs. Amberson, who turns Scarlett's summer on its head. There's also a hot actor named Eric, a production of Hamlet, some tuna fish, and a lot of trickery.

I was really pleasantly surprised by Suite Scarlett. It was a lot of fun to listen to, and I was so into it that I had to pick up the paper copy when I got home so that I could finish it. I was worried that the plot was going to be predictable. I thought that I had it figured out about half way through, and I considered stopping the CD, but I'm glad that I didn't because I was completely wrong about what I thought was going to happen. The plot was fun and well thought out, even if it was a little repetitive. Scarlett is a pretty cool character. She is a smart and independent girl, which I think is really important in teen lit. She also has a cool older brother, and their relationship was my favorite.

I would recommend Suite Scarlett to anyone who has ever wished they lived in a hotel in New York. Also, if you've already read the book, or you're planning to, or you're going to now, here's a link to a Twitter discussion the blog readergirlz had with Maureen Johnson specifically about Suite Scarlett. Most of it is along the column on the right.

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - Shiver

Just finished Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver. I really liked this one! It's told in alternating points of view - that of Grace, a young girl who had been attacked by wolves six years earlier, and Sam, who was a member of the wolf pack that attacked Grace. Sam and the other members of his pack are actually werewolves. They live relatively normally during the summer months, but the cold weather brings about their change into wolves. They change for a number of years, but eventually reach a point where they remain wolves for the remainder of their lives. Grace has been fascinated by the wolves since her attack. Actually her attention is focused on Sam, who called the other wolves off of her during the attack, before she could be seriously injured. Sam and Grace have been watching each other for 6 years, and finally meet while Sam is in human form. Their bond has already been developing, and quickly becomes stronger. As they fall in love and winter approaches, Sam tries to avoid telling Grace that this will be his last summer in human form. This one was very well written. You really get inside the heads of the 2 main characters and connect with them. There's plenty of back story fleshed out, and some side stories about members of the pack, attacks on additional kids, Grace's dysfunctional family, some horrific events in Sam's young life, etc. to keep interest up. Some mature content, but nothing graphic or explicit, even with the wolf attacks. Highly recommended! Look for the sequel, Linger, coming soon.

Enjoy

What Mrs N's Been Reading - The Off Season

Just finished Catherine Gilbert Murdock's The Off Season. It's a sequel to Dairy Queen, which I hadn't read. Not having read the first had absolutely no effect on reading this one. It's about D.J., a high school junior who lives on a dairy farm in the midwest. D.J. narrates and it reads just like a friendly farm girl is sitting next to you telling you her story, like you're old friends. D.J. isn't the type of high school girl that books generally get written about. She has been a star basketball player, and is hoping for an athletic scholarship, because she's not going to get an academic one. She is also a starter on her high school football team, and a linebacker, no less! The book is about a month or 2 in D.J's life as her family faces a few crises, her love life is a roller coaster, she suffers an injury, and her best friend moves away after being thrown out of the house by her mother. I enjoyed it - mostly because I liked D.J., but also because, although you weren't really left hanging with any ofthe story lines at the end, you also didn't get an ending that was tied up in a pretty little bow with everything working out like a sitcom or a movie of the week. In other words, I thought it was pretty realistic. If you're a middle or high school girl, but not the girlie type that so many teen books seem to be written for, check this one out - you'll probably enjoy it.