If You Want a Good Cry on Valentine's Day

There are so many talented YA authors out right now and one of my favorites is Mr. John Green. Somehow he is able to capture the realism of teen life and emotions. I highly recommend his latest book "The Fault in Our Stars" and I think it would be a tremendously sad book to read just before Valentine's Day. I have to admit that from around chapter 24 and on I basically cried my eyes out while continuing to read and sob from time to time. This book is painfully sad and it pulls no punches in its terrible descriptions of late-stage cancer. At some points, readers may even wonder why, if pain and love are so inner connected that we should care to fall in love at all. However, the amazing John Green pulls it all together in the end and we realize that a person can learn so much from being in love, and that he or she will come out on the other side of a love experience a changed person.

Karmin - Brokenhearted a great song for Anti-Valentine's Day!

Karmin knows how heartbreak gets started...

An Anti-Valentine's Day Campaign

I'm finally going to do to be able to get creative with and let loose my true feelings for Valentine's Day! I'm on a month long campaign to prove that Valentine's Day does not have to be all about hearts, love, and flowers. I'm hosting two Anti-Valentine's Day parties for teens at two different libraries! Wow that double exposure to heartbreak, disillusion, and pain. I love it ♥ I'm an evil genius muhaaahhaaahaaa! Finally something to get excited about in the cold winter weather. Here's my intro to the party invitation and I will be posting for the next month with pictures, songs, and crafts for this anti-heart celebration!

Do candy hearts and chocolates make you feel ill?
Are you running from Cupid and his stupid arrow?
Are you planning your ♥ Day escape?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone!
You are invited to an
ANTI-Valentine Party!!

Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts (Official Music Video)

Ex Inc. will Fix U

Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus wrote this awesome book called Over You! I really liked it a lot and now want to read more of their books. The story is about a girl named Max who gets dumped by her boyfriend and tries like heck to get over him. She decides to use her pain and start her own business called Ex, Inc. She helps other girls get over their break ups and does such a fantastic job that she realizes she wants to study business at NYU. Naturally, things get complicated when Max's old boyfriend shows up. You have to read this book to find out what happens! I hope you get a chance to read this one it would be great one for an Anti-Valentine's day treat!

I heard Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts today and it totally reminded me of Max's plight. I posted the video so you can see it too!

Teens Top Ten - Did You Know???

Did you hear the news?? During Teen Read Week YALSA announced the Top Ten Teen winners!! Here is the list!

2012 Teens’ Top Ten

Divergent by Veronica Roth (HarperCollins)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Penguin)

Legend by Marie Lu (Penguin)

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Quirk Books)

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (Penguin)

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Penguin)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Macmillan)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic)

Where She Went by Gayle Forman (Penguin)

Abandon by Meg Cabot (Scholastic)

There are only two on this list that I didn't get a chance to read. They are the top one Divergent (it figures :) and the last one Abandon which I started and never finished. Ah the life of a busy librarian - well there is still time to keep reading!

Let me know if you read any of these books and which ones you loved the most! My favorite is Legend by Marie Lu.

Quote of the Week comes from Holly Black's "Red Glove"

Baby, she says in a harsh whisper, in this world, lots of people will try to grind you down. They need you to be small so they can be big. You let them think whatever they want, but you make sure you get yours. You get yours.

So true, So true indeed.

I've been wanting to read this book for months! "No Safety in Numbers" by Dayna Lorentz. I read it yesterday (all in one day!) and it was amazing!! I mean totally off-the-hook-riveting-page turning-can't-put-it-down-amazing! On Dayna Lorentz' website the book was described as "Life As We Knew It meets Lord of the Flies in a mall that looks just like yours" Wow I would describe it as a majorly incredibly scary realistic fiction that keeps you reading because you have to know what happens at a the end! Here's the short of what happens. Someone finds a bomb in the the air filtering system of a huge mall and there is a lock down. The people start going crazy, some die, some fall in love, and there is a shocking discovery at the end! That's all I can say but you have to read this book. Get it from the library and read it today!!!! Here's a review from Kirkus, I get the heeby geebeez just thinking about it!! "When a strange device is discovered in the air ducts of a busy suburban mall, the entire complex is suddenly locked down. No one can leave. No one knows what is going on. At first, there's the novelty of being stuck in a mega mall with free food and a gift certificate. But with each passing day, it becomes harder to ignore the dwindling supplies, inadequate information, and mounting panic. Then people start getting sick. Told from the point of view of two guys and two girls, this is a harrowing look at what can happen under the worst of circumstances, when regular people are faced with impossible choices. Some rise to the occasion. Some don't."

The Story of Day - From Legend by Marie Lu

Day Brings Legend to Life

Here's the 8th book I've read from the YALSA teens top choice list! So far this one is my favorite!! It's Legend by Marie Lu. In this story we meet Day who is a renegade teenager with striking white blonde hair and good looks. He is smart and sly and has a very good heart. He has to hide in the shadows because he lives in a world where most people are poor and a terrible plague has taken over California. Day will stop at nothing to protect his family. He would give up his own life for his loved ones. He is also loyal to his friends to the end. He looks for for a young girl named Tess who has taken under his wing. We also meet June Iparis who is a strong and smart military girl. She works for the Republic which is basically the government that rules the United States. June loves her older brother Metias and doesn't realize until it's too late that she (and everyone else) is being duped by the Republic. When a terrible tragedy happens, June's vision is clouded and she is heartbroken. She goes out into the streets in disguise and tries to find Day because she thinks he is responsible for her pain. June is confused because she is attracted to Day, but she hates him for what she thinks that he did. She seeks revenge on Day and hurts him like no other person ever has. You have to read this book to find out what happens when June turns Day over to the Republic. Will Day win his fight against the Republic? Will June let him die? READ this book and LEGEND will become your favorite book too! Reading Rulez!! Mrs. Librarian Lady

No "Confusion" Here Prince Khemri Rocks It

I just finished reading "A Confusion of Princes" by Garth Nix, which is on the Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) list for 2012. I have to say I am a long time fan of Garth Nix. I read the entire "Abhorsen" series and love Sabriel to death (LOL! I hear there is a movie in the making - Woohoo!) but this new book is pretty darn hot too!! It's definitely a guys kind of read and it is also definitely majorly sci-fi. Here's a little review for ya'all :) "A Confusion of Princes" is a Sci-fi novel complete with space travel, adventurous hijinks, a dash of romance and an attempt at exploration of what it means to be human. Khemri is an enhanced human being, a Prince of the Empire, expected to do great things once he leaves the secluded temple where he has grown up. He has these strange priests that run every aspect of his life for him. He has trained to do battle but has never really even known the real company of another real person. Until he is sent on a mission and has to become a normal human in the somewhat real world of outer space. There he has life experiences that change him forever. Especially when he saves the life of a girl named Raine. Once Khemri goes back to being Prince he just can't shake the connection he had with Raine. This is a great book with lots of sci-fi jargon and techy and gadgety references. It was so cool!! You should really go to your library and check out this book! ♥ Mrs. Librarian Lady

What's Brewing in the Chemical Garden??

Last week I finished my fifth book from the YALSA Teens' Top Ten nominees and it's "Withe" by Lauren DeStefano. This book had so many elements that I love in YA sci-fi books. There's that distinct dystopic element where the world has turned into this really ugly place to live and humans are doing horrible things to each other. Then there's the love element that is brewing underneath all of the grossness that is going on that I totally love. In Wither you get all of this and more. After modern science turns every human into a genetic time bomb with men dying at age twenty-five and women dying at age twenty, girls are kidnapped and married off in order to repopulate the world. The main character is a teen girl named Rhine who gets kidnapped and married off to a rich man's son. She is being held captive with two other girls she calls her sister-wives and plots her escape daily. She meets Gabriel who has been in captive his whole life and something special begins to build between the two of them. The most interesting and scary part in this book is what is going on behind closed doors down in the basement that you will not believe!! And if you loved this book you have to continue reading the "Chemical Garden" series and read "Fever" it was completely and totally amazing!! Happy Reading! ♥ Mrs. Librarian Lady

A Lovely Island Teeming with Evil Water Horses!

The fourth book that I have read from the YALSA Teens' Top Ten nominees is "The Scorpio Races" by Maggie Stiefvater. Here's my little review of it - Every November in Thisby there is a tradition called the Scorpio Races, a dangerous and sometimes de adly race where riders attempt to keep their evil, blood-thirsty water horses under control long enough to make it to the finish line. With four wins to his name, 19 year-old Sean Kendrick is sure to win on his bosses water horse named Corr. However, enter Puck aka Kate Connolly, who is desperate to win the race to save her family home. Not only is she the first girl to ever enter the race, but she intends to ride her own horse Dove, who is not an evil water horse. Things heat up in this epic tale of mythical creatures versus humans as Puck and Sean get to know each other and find a common bond. The Scorpio Races is beautifully written by Stiefvater. Told from the point of view of Sean and Puck in alternating chapters, there is an understanding of what winning the race means for both of them. The water horses come to life, and are both deadly and mesmerizing at the same time. I almost forgot to add that the main character Sean Kendrick is really awesome! He loves his horse so much that he's willing to let him go to be free in the ocean if he never returns to him. But the horse loves him too so you have to read this book to find out what happens with Sean and his water horse Corr!! It's the best part of the book!!!!! Happy Reading! ♥ Mrs. Librarian Lady

Finding Meaning and Purpose in Your Life

The third book I have read on the YALSA Top Ten Nominees is "What Happened to Goodbye" by Sarah Dessen. I have been a long time fan of Ms. Dessen because I love Realistic Fiction. She writes with such passion and lets the reader dive right into the main characters life and problems. Hope you will read this one because it is very good! What Happened to Goodybye by Sarah Dessen (2011) McLean's parents are divorced and she is struggling to adapt to a life without her parents together. She goes with her dad each times he moves from town to town because he works a restaurant consultant. Each time she moves she changes her name and her persona, sometimes she a sweet prep girl, or a cheerleader or sometimes even a wanna be bad girl. However this new town she has just landed in has managed to reach out and grab her like no other town has before. This time she just might be able to work on becoming the real McLean and also figure out just where she belongs. As she learns more about herself, she realizes that Dave Wade the boy next door may have some excellent words of wisdom. He inspires McLean to search her soul and find out who her "2 a.m. person" will be. Dessen always create such interesting and diverse characters in her books. I loved the deep conversations that McLean has with Dave and with herself. Finding yourself when you are in your teens is sometimes hard and going through divorce with custody issues, having axes to grind, and being stressed over family separations would only make it harder. I think this is a great book for teens to read, especially for those that enjoy realistic fiction! Happy Reading!! ♥ Mrs. Librarian Lady

Perks of Reading "Wallflower"

I just finished reading "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky! This was my second time reading this book and I have to say it was just as good if not better than the first time. This storyteller Charlie is such a sweetie th at you can't help but love him. He tells the story of his first year in high school and how he meets friends and tries new things. He also writes to a person that he calls "Dear Friend" and we never really know who this person is, but in the end I felt like I was the friend that Charlie was writing to. Charlie has so many sad things to tell and also many interesting stories that the book is extremely readable for teens. I'm sure many teens could relate with Charlie's story. Even though it is over 20 years old the "Perks of a Wallflower" is an age old story. I wanted to re-read the book before the movie comes out on September 21st 2012!

Electric Currents are Running Through "Hourglass"

The second book from the YALSA Top Ten list I just finished reading is Hourglass by Myra McEntire. In this book, 17 year old Emerson Cole just wants a normal life but she knows that will never happens because ever since she was 13 years old she has been seeing ghosts. When she meets Michael a young man who is an associate for an organization called Hourglass, things begin to change for Emerson as she learns the truth about her ability and realizes that what she is really seeing is not actually supernatural, but something entirely different that has to do with space & time. Hourglass was a great read, not too long with a bit of mystery, sci-fi, and romance mixed together.

Pages Come to Life

In support of the YALSA Teen's Top Ten this year I'm going to try to read all of the nominees. The first book I read off the list is Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge. Paige Turner is a normal everyday average teen girl with an amazing artistic talent. She moves from Virginia to New York and has the hardest time dealing with all of the thoughts and movement in her head. With no one to talk to all of her pain, sorrow, and feelings of inadequacy come out in her drawings. I think this book is incredible and teens will be moved by how easily they can see Paige's thoughts on each and every page of this graphic novel. One of the most striking pages in the book is of Paige with her eyes closed and she says, "I think I was born with my eyes facing the wrong way. Because they are always looking in the back into my head rather than looking out." This is truly an amazing book and so easy to read that you'll probably forget you are reading a book!

Going BZRK for Michael Grant

I am a huge fan of Michael Grant! I think the Gone series was so mesmerizing and I am thrilled to be hooked on another series by Grant. Here's what is going on in BZRK! These are no ordinary soldiers. This is no ordinary war. Welcome to the nano, where the only battle is for sanity. Losing is not an option when a world of madness is at stake. Time is running out for the good guys. But what happens when you don't know who the good guys really are? Noah and Sadie: newly initiated to an underground cell so covert that they don't even know each other's names. Here they will learn what it means to fight on a nano level. Soon they will become the deadliest warriors the world has ever seen. Vincent: feels nothing, cares for no one; fighting his own personal battle with Bug Man, the greatest nano warrior alive. The Armstrong Twins: wealthy, privileged, and fanatical. Are they the saviours of mankind or authors of the darkest conspiracy the world has ever seen? The nano is uncharted territory. A terrifying world of discovery. And everything is to play for... It's true, I definitely think that BZRK will have your mind reeling! BZRK is very intense and you don't find that in most of the YA books out right now. It captures that insane futuristic reality that no one wants to really ever think about. The Book Zone reviewed BZRK and noted that Grant's diabolical writing "deals with issues such as: identity; control; what it is that makes us independent humans with independent thoughts; and - scariest of all in this book - madness. It is a book where you question the actions of everyone, both good and bad, and find yourself asking whether the good guys are actually just slightly less bad than the villains. For both sides, it is very much a case of the end justifies the means, and in BZRK the means are pretty damn deplorable sometimes. And what makes things even worse is that to many of the bad guys, what they are up to is just a game, albeit infinitely bigger and more extreme than anything produced for your average games console. There is one speech, by a character called Bug Man, that really does leave a bad taste in your mouth.... just as Michael Grant intended, I do suspect." I agree wholeheartedly with The Book Zone and feel that this book would be great for reluctant readers as well as boys and girls who love adventure, sci-fi, apocalyptic dystopic novels, and just plain mind games and action. Grant has a way of drawing the reader in and making sure that they don't put the book down until they are finished. And... his books really keep you thinking long after you are done reading them. The creepiness of Gone still haunts me to this day! Happy Reading to you All!! Mrs. Librarian Lady

Some Clarity Did Me Good on a Sunday Afternoon

Perception a Clarity Novel was a great book to read on a Sunday when I was trying to relax! It began interesting and continued to keep me interested through the whole story. I actually read this book in a few hours because I wanted to know what happened to Clare. The story of Clare and her family did remind me a little bit of the Lilydale series, but all in all it was a great book. I like the way that Harrington writes - well developed characters and descriptions that helped to understand their personalities and looks. I highly recommend this book to those that love mysteries with supernatural qualities! Here's a review of the book - Happy Reading to you all!! PERCEPTION (Clarity #2)Scholastic/Point, March 1, 2012, Age 14+ When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you? Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past. Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her. But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back? One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

Magic, Mystery & Cons

Black Heart by Holly Black Cassel Sharpe is at his same old game of cons in the third installment of the Curse Worker's series Black Heart. The love of his life Lila hates him, his best friend Sam is on the edge of flipping out, his brother Barron has lies upon lies piling up, and a new issue has arisen with a mysterious and secretive girl named Mina Lang. Cassel is up to his ears and over his head with the federal government acting as an agent in training and he knows he can't trust anyone anymore. And frankly sometimes he can't even trust himself to do the right thing. Black Heart proves to be another excellent addition to this magical mobster series. Holly Black brings magic, mystery, love, and cons together seamlessly in this book. It seems like Black Heart may be the end of this series, but the end may truly just be the beginning for Cassel Sharpe! I recommend reading this entire series. It is truly an exciting and funny adventure of a family that is entrenched in the world of magical mobsters and shows the strength of one young man only 17 years old - the Cassel Sharpe - who can rise above the menagerie of obstacles that keep getting in his way to having a normal teenage life. Yes start with White Cat and then read Red Glove and finish with Black Heart! Happily ever after reading to you all ♥