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

The False Prince not to be confused with Fresh Prince

"THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats."

I finally read this book after hearing about for so so long. It was one of the Teens' Top Ten nominees and I really loved the cover so I finally got to reading it. I was quite surprised at how good this book is! Right from the start there is action and intrigue. There are orphans who are being rounded up and taken to a secluded castle for who knows what reason? Secrets and a long history of regents trying to scratch their way up to the throne will have you truly spellbound. Ah and it wouldn't be a YA novel without a little bit of true love and romance right? I'm sure you want to know what happens to Sage and his so called orphan buddies right? Well, you will soon find out if you read The False Prince!

My favorite quotes from The False Prince:



"If I had to do it all over again, I would not have chosen this life. Then again, I’m not sure I ever had a choice. Sage

These were my thoughts as I raced away from the market, with a stolen roast tucked under my arm. I’d never attempted roast thievery before, and I was already regretting it. It happens to be very difficult to hold a chunk of raw meat while running. More slippery than I’d anticipated. If the butcher didn’t catch me with his cleaver first, and literally cut off my future plans, I vowed to remember to get the meat wrapped next time. Then steal it. Sage

He was only a few paces behind now, chasing me at a better speed than I’d have expected for a man of his girth. He yelled very loudly in his native language, one I didn’t recognize.

He was originally from one of the far western countries. Undoubtedly a country where killing a meat thief was allowed. Sage about Connor Bevin

It was this sort of thought that encouraged me to run faster. I rounded a corner just as the cleaver suddenly cut into a wood post behind me. Even though he was aiming for me, I couldn’t help but admire his throwing accuracy. If I hadn’t turned when I did, the cleaver would’ve found its target. Sage


And I might have made it, if not for the bald man sitting outside the tavern, who stretched out his foot in time to trip me. Luckily, I managed to keep hold of the roast, although it did no favors to my right shoulder as I fell onto the hard dirt road. Sage

The butcher leaned over me and laughed. “ ’Bout time you get what’s comin’ to you, filthy beggar.” Sage

As a point of fact, I hadn’t begged for anything. It was beneath me. Sage

Warning Creepy Notebooks May Be Dangerous

Gone Too Far
Natalie D. Richards
Release date: January 6th 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Keeping secrets ruined her life. But the truth might just kill her.

Piper Woods can't wait for the purgatory of senior year to end. She skirts the fringes of high school like a pro until the morning she finds a notebook with mutilated photographs and a list of student sins. She's sure the book is too gruesome to be true, until pretty, popular Stella dies after a sex-tape goes viral. Everyone's sure it's suicide, but Piper remembers Stella's name from the book and begins to suspect something much worse.

Drowning in secrets she doesn't want to keep, Piper's fears are confirmed when she receives an anonymous text message daring her to make things right. All she needs to do is choose a name, the name of someone who deserves to be punished...

Gone Too Far is a really good book. I found it to be thrilling and a real page turner. Piper Woods was a very compelling character and I felt like I knew her really well by the end of the book. While Piper grappled with many issues that teens usually do, this novel touches on the deeper ways that teens can bully each other. Piper doesn't realize that if you don't stick up for those that are being bullied, terrible things can happen. When she finds a creepy notebook with strange code names for her fellow classmates she has no idea what she has stumbled upon. After looking through the notebook, she realizes that one of her classmates has transcribed tons of horrible transactions between her classmates. She even finds herself in the notebook, not wanting to believe that someone could be watching everyone at the school so closely. Things heat up when a tragic accident occurs and Piper thinks that she should avenge the girl that has died. This is where the tables start to turn and things get pretty crazy. I didn't want to believe that there was someone out there terrorizing their very own classmates, but in this story that is exactly what is going on. What I did believe about Piper and her character is that she really did care what happened to others and that maybe she didn't really know the people that she was closest to after all and that includes her own parents. I wanted to keep reading this book and never put it down. I read it in one day and found the author to be a very compelling writer. I just couldn't stop reading chapter after chapter. I would recommend this book to all teens and think that it could possibly open up their eyes to what might be going on right in front of their eyes. And, also to never fall for a blackmailer's tricks ever!

Happy Reading to You!

Mrs. Librarian Lady

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

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!

All Elements of Life are Somehow Connected

The Magician’s Apprentice by Kate Banks

Sixteen-year-old Baz, holds a realistic mix of fear and bravery, as he accepts an unknown visitor’s invitation to leave his village and become a weaver’s apprentice. However, the abusive weaving master to whom he is delivered trades Baz for a sword to a wandering magician, Tadis, who dispenses magic and wisdom with equal alacrity. “ ‘Intention does not come from the mind, though the mind thinks it does. Intention comes from here.’ Tadis pointed to his heart.” Traveling with Tadis and his cart of tricks, Baz embarks on a long physical and spiritual journey to find his true destiny. Set in an unnamed Middle Eastern land and filled with vivid descriptions of earthquakes and sandstorms, as well as physical discomforts and homesickness, the book gently traces Baz’s growing understanding of the universal truths Tadis imparts. Sís’s distinctive, diminutive line drawings appear throughout as spot illustrations, perfectly complementing the understated yet rich voice in which Baz’s story is told.

I loved this story because Baz takes on many roles in each of his apprenticeships, first to a weaver and then to a magician. He learns both crafts, but truly experiences his best apprenticeship when he learns what is important in life. “Poetry in prose” is the apt description of this thought-provoking and insightful story. Kate Banks has taken her own point of view about what is important in life and put it into words through her characters, Baz and a magician and a plethora of lesser characters they meet on their journey together. They all influence Baz’s journey to self-realization. Baz first begins his journey by leaving home to become apprenticed to a master rug weaver. His two brothers have already left home to meet their own destinies, and Baz knows he must go. Along his journey, he meets cruelty and compassion, confusion and clarity, and finally, peace and harmony.

After the magician trades a mysterious sword for Baz, they travel to the desert and then to the mountains. Baz meets people who help him learn life’s most important lessons and eventually works his way back home to his family, which he never spiritually left. The author seems to be saying that all elements of life are somehow interconnected, all chance meetings are deliberate in the whole scheme of things, and peace and knowledge can be attained just by opening our eyes to our life journey, to nature and to trials and tribulations along the way. Banks has created a masterpiece for readers who like to think about all possibilities, who are open to change, and readers will find a certain peace to carry with them after reading this book. The characters are believable, the plot is creative, and multiple life lessons are sure to soothe the souls of all who venture inside the pages of this book. This is a great book for teens who have pondered their role in life. Once immersed in the book, the reader can help but join Baz throughout his amazing and transformational journey.

My favorite quote from the Magician’s Apprentice – “You must let go of your resistance. What is the worst thing that can happen?”

Happy Reading to you!
Mrs. Librarian Lady

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

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!

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.

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.

TMI is in the House!!

I've been reading a lot over the last month and I am very excited to say that I have now read all four books in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Sadly, I will now have to wait until May 2012 for the next book to come out. The first book in the series, The City of Bones was actually recommended to me by one of my teens in the library that reads about as much YA as I do. I really like this series because it offers several different elements from supernatural, magic, mysticism, and the immortal realm. I would recommend this series to guys and girls because there are strong male and female characters in the books. One of my favorite characters is Jace Wayland who is one of the most dynamic male characters I have seen in a long time. Jace makes me want to keep reading because I want to know what he is going to do next. He is so enchanting and he just doesn't care what happens so he takes chances and goes in fighting like a dynamo. I love that about him.

Here is a review of City of Bones (2007)

In this book Clary Fray stumbles upon a dark secret from her past. She finds out that she is no ordinary girl, but rather that she is a shadow hunter a person who is half human and half angel. Shadow hunters are a special race of beings that hunt and kill demons to keep the world a safer place. Clary finds that everything she thought was normal, was actually made up by her mother in order to keep her safe from the world of shadow hunters. Then one night Clary's world changes when she meets Jace, Isabelle, Alec at a club called Pandemonium and her world will never be the same again. With her best friend Simon by her side Clary is about to find out the truth and the more she finds out, the less she is sure of who she really is at all.

The series four books until the moment; City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, and the fifth book City of Lost Souls is slated to be released in May 2012. And if you fall in love with The Mortal Instruments like I did, then you will be happy to know that a movie is being made right now that will feature Lily Collins as Clary Fray and Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland.