Storms of the Greek Gods

Today is a dark and stormy day! I am reminded that the Greek gods and goddesses are a source of infinite wisdom. With this in mind, I would like to recommend the book Greece, Rome, Monsters by John Harris. In this great book, twenty mythical monsters are featured along with a supporting cast of gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines. The book begins with a  warning telling you that you are about to embark into the land of creepy creatures. There is the Basilisk and if you see him run for your life! Keep away from the Cyclops, he’s a very big and very mean guy. You’ll not want to look at Medusa because there’s that terrible option of turning to stone. The book does offer a few nice creatures such as, Pegasus the beautiful white horse with wings, and the fiery Phoenix who is reborn out of the ashes over and over again. Calef Brown’s artwork is fun and playful with shades of sour-apple green, turquoise blue, and terracotta orange.

Of course this brings on a surge of memories for me of The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan featuring the notorious yet amazing Percy Jackson. Our hero is a teenage boy who is quirky, clever, and determined always ends up having nasty creatures chase after him. Percy soon finds out that his life as he knew it is not really the truth of who he really is. He has been cloistered away from the world of gods and goddesses in which he knows nothing about. There just might be a surprise relative that Percy never even knew about, but I'm not going to give that away. As Percy learns how to deal with his newly found origin story, he decides to go on a quest to find out who stole  Zeus' lightning rod. This book is excellent and full of great surprises. You'll want to read this one and the entire Percy Jackson series to catch up on your Greek Mythology!

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Mrs. Librarian Lady

January is Walk Your Dog Month!

January is Walk Your Dog Month and what better way to kick start your New Years Resolutions by reading some great YA books that feature dogs?  If you are like me, you love dogs and want to spend more time with them because they just get you.  This awareness month is a great way to help dust off the January blues, read a few good books, maybe go out and adopt a new dog, or if you already have one start taking him/her out for more walks.  It's a fun way to get out of the house and your dog will love you for it!

Here is a list of YA books that will have you begging for more!

Last Chance by Norah McClintock

In this charming YA novel by Norah McClintock, the main character Robyn is scared of dogs—like, really scared. But she agrees to spend her summer working at an animal shelter anyway. (It's a long story.) Robyn soon discovers that many juvenile offenders also volunteer at the shelter—including Nick D'Angelo, a boy from Robyn's past. A boy she hoped to never see again. Nick has a talent for getting into trouble, but after his latest arrest, Robyn suspects that he just might be innocent. And she sets out to prove it...

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen

A 2017 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, this witty and entertaining contemporary debut deftly combines high school drama with pitch-perfect flirty banter.

Taylor Simmons is not in a good place. Everyone called her the Ice Queen because she always put her studies first. After she got drunk at a party and woke up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seemed intent on tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip. Taylor's faithful sidekick and loyal pup Oreo is there to help her decide if Evan is a good guy or not.  

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Sweet with fur flying fun!  Andie must learn to embrace the beauty in chaos in this New York Times bestselling novel about friendship, finding yourself, and all the joys in life that happen while you’re busy making other plans.

Andie has a plan. And she always sticks to her plan. The only thing is that she never planned to become a dog walker.  In this adorable coming of age story, you'll see how Andie changes her points of view and how a half a dozen or so doggos can make a world of difference in the direction you are going in life.  

Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey

Two young people must hide their true feelings for each other while figuring out who means them harm in this cheeky Regency romance from the author of Love, Lies and Spies and Duels & Deception.

Shy aspiring artist Imogene Chively has just had a successful Season in London, complete with a suitor of her father's approval. Imogene is ambivalent about the young gentleman until he comes to visit her at the Chively estate with his younger brother in tow. This is where things get interesting.  Here we meet Jasper, Imogene's water dog and he may hold the secret to love, well you'll just have to read to find out what happens to this daring young couple.

Marley & Me by John Grogan

Of course, we can't forget Marley, he is one of the most loveable and sweet puppers out there and this book is based on the true story of his life.  Through the telling of this story, we get to see how it is possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, trouble-making, silly but sweet!

John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. And from that moment on, seriously, life would never be the same.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Let's face it, Lara Jean's little sister's dog Jamie Fox-Pickle has one of the best fictional pet names ever! He's a Wheaton Terrier and his name fits him perfectly, he's sassy but also very sweet.  This book is great because it has love, romance, mystery, and playfulness that will pull on your heartstrings. 

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life. Until the day her sister mails her secret letters, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes out of control.

Rotten by Michael Northrup

A troubled teen. A rescued Rottweiler. An unlikely friendship. Jimmer "JD" Dobbs is back in town after spending the summer "upstate." No one believes his story about visiting his aunt, and it's pretty clear that he has something to hide. It's also pretty clear that his mom made a new friend while he was away---a rescued Rottweiler that JD immediately renames Johnny Rotten (yes, after that guy in the Sex Pistols). Both tough but damaged, JD and Johnny slowly learn to trust each other, but their newfound bond is threatened and JD must come to terms with his secrets and face the truth, which is the very thing that he is scared of. This book is a must-read!

Whipoorwill by Joseph Monninger

Sixteen-year-old Clair Taylor has neighbors who are what locals call whippoorwills, the kind of people who fill their yards with rusty junk. Clair tries to ignore her surroundings, choosing instead to dream of a future beyond her rural New Hampshire town. But, when a black dog named Wally is chained up to a pole next door, Clair can’t look the other way. Clair decides to save Wally, and the immediate connection she has with the lovable dog catches her off-guard, but even more surprising is her bond with eighteen-year-old Danny Stewart, the boy next door.

Mixed Feelings & Lost Love - Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

I checked out "Almost Perfect" by Brian Katcher almost by accident last week. I saw the book sitting on a cart and thought hmmmm this looks interesting. And it was interesting to say the least. My initial reaction after finishing the book was WOW! It was really amazing and very intense relationship wise. Here's a little tidbit to get you interested in this book. Logan is bummed that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him until he meets a new girl at school. Sage is fun, zany, and cute, but she has a very big secret. Sage finally tells Logan her secret, which is... that she is transgender, a boy transitioning to a girl. It may tear apart their budding romance, but it also may tear apart their true friendship forever unless Logan can overcome his guilt and fear. This is a really good book to read, but has a kind of sad ending. I won't give it away to you because I want you to read it for yourself! Go to your library and check out "Almost Perfect" and see for yourself.

Happy reading to you!

Mrs. Librarian Lady

Tall, Dark & Mysterious Dudes: Hexed by Michelle Krys

This week’s featured book is Hexed by Michelle Krys. This book is a perfect blend of action, romance, and humor that kept me glued to the pages. I happen to love books about witches and witchcraft like James Patterson’s Witch & Wizard, so this book was already on my favorites list when I read that the main character Indigo was a witch who didn’t even know she was a witch. Aha clever right? Well, see for yourself.

A cheerleader at a Fairfield High in a position of popularity, Indigo’s life takes a turn when someone steals an important book from her mother’s occult store, ‘The Black Cat.’ Turns out the recessive genes for being a witch run in Indigo’s family, but until her 200th full moon, Indigo won’t know if she has inherited the powers herself. The stolen book is The Witch Hunter’s Bible, and if it falls into the wrong hands many witches will die. Thrust into the action of a war between witches and sorcerers with a high personal cost, Indigo finds herself under the tutelage of Bishop, an eighteen year-old Warlock who is determined to help her develop her powers. As the secret magical world starts to unfurl for Indigo, she realizes all is not as it seems and forms a plan to reclaim the book.
This is the first book in a new series called The Witch Hunter. Hexed focuses on the main character Indigo, who for the most part is a normal high school girl. Indigo is has a fun feisty spirit, a great sense of independence, and a spunky voice as she navigates her way through the magical world. She’s convinced her occult-believing mother was crazy, but feels that she must investigate some supernatural happenings just to be on the safe side. After meeting Bishop, Indigo adjusts remarkably well to her new life, shedding her cheerleader persona and clique friends without much difficulty because they weren’t real friends anyway.
Instead, Indigo finds a true friend in Paige who is loyal to her from the start. Bishop enters the scene as a mysterious stranger who Indigo just can’t figure out. Is he for real? Or is he something otherworldly altogether? After Indigo, Paige, and Bishop go out on the town, that’s when things really start to heat up in this story. There will be some heartbreak, challenges, and a few laughs along the way. Will Indigo learn the truth about her heritage and take on her chosen destiny? The world of witches is complicated and this book had several twists and turns in plot woven within a battle between witches and witch hunters that made me definitely want to keep reading this series. Hexed is an action-packed read and I am looking forward to the sequel!
Some of my favorite quotes-
“And I just know that this memory will be forever burned into my brain, because this kind of magic – the kind that can’t be conjured with a spell, where everything is just right, and all your problems vanish for three perfect minutes – doesn’t happen everyday.” Indigo Blackwood

” So you’re telling me that on the next full moon, I’m going to turn into a witch.”
” yes.” he nods solemnly. ” You’ll grow a hooknose within a hairy mole at the end, and your hair will turn gray and frizzy– or more frizzy, rather—and your back will grow a hump any camel would envy, and– "Be serious for once.” Indigo & Bishop

Mrs. Librarian Lady is a cool cat who loves to read YA books!

Parkour & murder just how I like it

What We Saw At Night by Jacqueline Mitchard

They sleep during the day, avoiding their greatest enemy: sunlight. When the sun sets and darkness falls, they hit the town. The nighttime world belongs to them. They are Children of Darkness. No, this isn't another young adult novel featuring pointy toothed, blood-sucking teen vampires. Jacquelyn Mitchard's novel What We Saw at Night is about a group of teenagers who suffer from the real world genetic disorder Xeroderma Pigmentosum. XP is a fatal allergy to sunlight. Allie Kim, along with her best friends Rob and Juliet, live in a parallel universe compared to "daytimers," the name they've given to people who don't suffer from XP. Allie wakes up when most people are getting home from school or work. She eats dinner as her breakfast and does her school work from home in the wee hours. And she's in bed by sunrise.
Of course, suffering from XP doesn't mean that Allie and her friends don't go through the same growing pains and angst that other teens their age experience. Allie has had a crush on Rob for as long as she can remember. But Allie can also see that Rob only has eyes for Juliet. Unfortunately for Rob, Juliet clearly couldn't be less interested in him. This creates a typical love triangle among very atypical teens. Then everything changes when Juliet introduces Allie and Rob to Parkour, also known as Freerunning, a stunt-sport that features running and climbing off forest cliffs and tall buildings. It's during one of these nighttime Parkour stunts that Allie stumbles upon what looks like a murder. Or at least that's what she tries to convince Rob and Juliet, who didn't see anything. Did she imagine it? XP can sometimes lead to hallucinations in its more degenerative stages. Could Allie be losing her mind?

As Allie delves deeper into what she saw, she uncovers what might be a larger conspiracy, involving a member of the Tabor family. That's the family of doctors that founded and operate the Tabor Clinic. The clinic is the leading research and treatment center for patients with XP. It is the reason Allie, Rob and Juliet's families all moved to Iron Harbor and it's their best hope for finding a cure to the disease. Not only that, Allie begins to suspect that one of her best friends might be involved in the crime. This revelation could lead to Allie, Juliet and Rob to being in serious danger. What We Saw at Night is an engaging blend of real-world drama involving a life-and-death illness and a whodunit thriller. Imagine John Green's recent "The Fault in Our Stars" in a mashup with a Nancy Drew mystery. plus some amazingmroof jumping and wall scaling.

Mrs. Librarian Lady is a cool cat who loves to read YA books!

Wishes do explode... I mean come true

Spell Check by Julie Wright


I am so excited I finished this ebook on Halloween and I have to say that I loved it! It starts with a group of cheerleaders and their infamous leader Lisa Snoddy who you find to be an excellent “mean girl” are planning a prank on Allyson on her birthday, which just happens to be a few days before Halloween. Ally has no idea that the prank involves her hanging from a tree, and that Lisa and her clique are going to leave her there high and dry in the middle of the night all alone. She will soon find out though that every time she makes a wish something funny happens. Her wishes are awesome! Her best friend Kristin and Jake the hottest guy in school and the one who has stolen Allyson’s heart since 7th grade show up to rescue her. Later on, her Swedish grandmother shows up at her doorstep and tells her she has a magical family, LOL surprise! Allyson finally figures out what's been going on. After some totally hilarious situations arise she realizes that she has to get her head straight or she might spin out of control. My favorite part is at the end when she finally gets the wish she's always wanted to come true. Ooooooh Jake and Allyson possible love connection? I'll never tell. You'll just have to read Spell Check to find out!

Love, Laughter & Loss + Forgiveness = Real Life

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker (named
after John Lennon), bookworm and band
geek, plays second clarinet and spends her
time tucked safely and happily in the shadow
of her fiery sister Bailey. But when Bailey
dies suddenly, Lennie is catapulted to center
stage of her own life—and, despite her
nonexistent history with boys, finds herself
struggling to balance two. Toby was
Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s
own. Joe is the new boy in town, a
transplant from Paris whose nearly magical
grin is matched only by his musical talent.
For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon;
one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the
other comforts her in it. But just like their
celestial counterparts, they can’t collide
without the whole wide world exploding.
I can safely say The Sky is Everywhere
is one of my favorite books ever. I have never
finished a book and felt this emotional before,
last night when I turned the last page I felt like
crying, laughing, writing and running in a field
to nowhere in particular, and all at the same
time. It’s now been almost 12 hours and I can’t
stop thinking about this book!
I wasn’t really looking for a serious book I just
chose this one because it was sitting on the
shelf in the YA room looking a bit lonely. From
start to finish, my heart broke and got glued
back together more than once and I feel like
the cast of characters are now permanently
stuck to my life. The things from this book that
really stuck with me are how close Lennie and
her sister Bailey were, Joe’s eyelashes (bat,
bat, bat), Toby’s sad eyes and Gram’s
garden.

Beautifully written, The Sky is Everywhere
is about loss, grief, pain, healing, hoping and
love. The sudden death of Bailey a vibrant
nineteen-year-old is at the center of the story,
and her family’s struggle to cope is
heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same
time. Bailey and Lennie have been raised by
their grandmother and uncle, as their mother
abandoned them years before. The girls talk
about their mother as if she is on a journey
around the world and she’ll be back someday
to stay. The love stories in this book are
many and multi-layered. They include the
love between sisters, the mother-like love
between grandmother and granddaughter,
and breathtaking head-over-heels first love.
Music and poetry bring together the
instruments of healing for Lennie and her
family in this wonderful story about loss, love
and forgiveness.

Happy Reading To You!!!
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

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

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 ♥

Tweaking the Truth Is Harmless Right?

I just happened to pick up the book Harmless by Dana Reinhardt the other day and I am sure glad I did. The book is filled with the drama of high school woes and plays upon the idea of what is right and wrong and how far one can go to tweak the truth and get away with it. It is a fairly fast read and a real page turner. The one thing I keep thinking of after reading "Harmless" is don't ever lie because if you weave a web a lies it might get so big you can't find your way out of it.

Harmless by Dana Reinhardt (2008)

Ninth grade friends Emma, Anna, and Mariah are at a party with older high school boys when they should be at the movies like they told their parents. When Emma's mother calls her cell they freak out and decide to make up a story so they won't get in trouble at home. It seems like the easy way out. What happens next challenges their friendship, their community, their relationships with their families, and their sense of themselves. Told in the voices of the three girls who must learn to live with the lies they tell, "Harmless" is a gripping and provocative novel full of startling turns and surprises.

Magical Mobsters in a Gloved World

I just have to tell you about a book I just finished the other night! It's called White Cat by Holly Black and it is the first book in a series called The Curse Workers. This book is so amazing that I just can't wait to read book #2 called Red Glove. Black is an incredible writer and she can really weave a story together with so much creativity and mystique. I am so excited about this series and am now a huge fan of Cassel Sharp the main character in this story. I hope that White Cat will someday be made into a movie because it would be an awesome movie!

White Cat by Holly Black (2010)

Seventeen-year-old Cassel Sharpe is the only one in his family who is not a curse worker, so he can't help but feel like he's not quite good enough. Curse work is illegal, which means anyone who can alter a person's emotions, luck, or memories with the touch of a hand is a criminal or scam artist -- just like every member of Cassel's family. He may not be a worker, but he's far from innocent. He can run a scam to rival any con artist, and he killed the love of his life, Lila, three years ago. One night, Cassel finds himself on a rooftop after dreaming about a white cat, and has absolutely no idea how he got there. Images of the cat continue to haunt him as Cassel begins to notice that his two brothers are being even more secretive than usual. Cassel runs scam after scam to get to the bottom of his brothers' odd behavior, only to discover a shocking secret about himself that changes everything. This discovery leads to many interesting reflections about how your memories shape the person you become, or the person you choose to believe that you are. The incredible story that unfolds in White Cat will remind you of that old saying "keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer"

Mockingjay is Amazingly Awesome!!

This is the best book ever! I just finished it today and I'm still reeling from the action, excitement and thrills of it all. I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games and I am sad that this is the last book in the series, but this book did it all for me. Katniss is an awesome character and I absolutely love her courage and drive in all three books. I don't want to give away the ending, but Mockingjay ended just the way that I wanted it to end. Collins is a brilliant writer and she had me going through so many different emotions in this story. I was laughing at jokes between Katniss and her friends and crying when my favorite characters were in trouble. Who will Katniss choose? Is it the rugged and woodsy Gale, or is it the thoughtful blue eyed Peeta? Well I can't tell you that, you will have to find out for yourself. If you haven't read this trilogy yet, I recommend that you go and get it right now and read it!! It is amazingly awesome!!