Not Your Average History Lesson - A Look at Historical Fiction

I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction – When I was a kid I loved reading about people that really excited in faraway times and places. My favorite book in high school was none other than Gone with the Wind which was set in the Civil War (go figure??) I think this love followed me to college because I went on to study Humanities in college and learned about the history of art, music, philosophy, religion, language, and how people experience all of these things. Nowadays, I love reading for fun and I love coming-of-age stories combined with fascinating periods of history around the world. If you are tired of the same old boring history lessons you’ve seen and want a great Historical Fiction read then this is place for you! Tune in each month as Mrs. Librarian Lady starts from zero and goes all the way up to the 1990’s. You will be amazed at how many great stories are based on real life people in history!


Here’s a little Historical Fiction kick starter for you!

Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill - I have always been entranced with the Salem Witch Trials, so I am so glad that I found this terrific book! This story written in verse is based on the epic historical event that took place in Salem, Massachusetts throughout the year of 1692. Wicked Girls is very engaging and brings a stunning reality to the actual girls that accused many people of being witches in Salem during the 1600’s. This is a fictional account of what it might have been like for the girls that started the vicious lies and rumors about their friends and neighbors. The historical information on this subject is very easy to find in any history book or in the Salem museum. However, Hemphill gives a more personal look at how a handful of Puritan girls took hold of a town and used this fortune to their own advantage. I found this book to be a truly amazing account of how that year in 1692 unfolded in the town of Salem. This book also gives the reader insight on how difficult it must have been to live in the rural area of Salem and how strict and narrow minded the Puritan townspeople were.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys – Set in New Orleans, in 1950, the city is getting back to regular life with the war over. But for Josie Moraine, there’s no such thing as a normal life. Her mother is a brothel prostitute and Josie only wants to get out of New Orleans and attend college where she can make a life for herself without her mother’s reputation always tainting her attempts to make something of herself. But then someone dies in a pretty suspect way and Josie’s involvement in the investigation might keep her from ever being able to escape the Big Easy.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein– All I can say is that reading this book takes you back in time to World War II and it is an emotional and intense ride from the start. You get to read the story through written pages and notes. One side of the story is of Queenie the British spy who has been captured by the Nazi's in Nazi occupied France in 1943. She made the crucial mistake of looking the wrong way while crossing a busy street in the town of Ormaie, France. The Gestapo orders Queenie to unravel the tale of how she met her best friend Maddie and how they went down in the plane that Maddie was flying over France. Queenie manages to stay alive in prison as long as she's writing what the Gestapo approves of. Otherwise, she is horribly tortured. The second half is the story of Maddie and how she has to hide and survive in France after crashing the plane. The two stories woven together are totally compelling and the courage that these two young women possessed was amazing. I felt as if I was reading their personal diaries as it really happened all those year ago.This book is definitely a tribute to women and has resounding themes of friendship and courage throughout the book.

Tune in next month for more YA Historical Fiction recommendations!

Mrs. Librarian Lady ♥

Reality Scoop - I love Realistic Fiction!

Reality Scoop by Kimberli Buckley

I love Realistic Fiction!
This month I want to take a look at something totally different. Think about this… YA books can actually save lives! Yes, this is an ode to Realistic Fiction that shows us teen tragedy and hard luck circumstances. Whether or not you are someone with excellent grades and no drug record, chances are you know of someone who has struggled in school, struggled with friends and grades, probably smoked, maybe they experimented, maybe they even took risks. And if you didn’t know someone in real life, you knew a fictional character that experienced all of that, and it opened your eyes to hardships in life. That’s right, YA books teach us a lot and they say to us “You’re not alone,” you could also say that YA books mirror reality. And it’s because of this terrifyingly perfect, realistic depiction of teen tragedy that some of the best realistic YA books have been banned.

Realistic Fiction is not only for escapism, but also a place of comfort, a home for those who feel they have nowhere to turn, that no one understands. Many YA authors are successful because their readers respond to realistic depictions of teen issues, such as death, sickness, abuse, or drugs. These kinds of stories aren’t a one-size-fits-all teens, but it can provide a powerful presence for the teens that have experienced some of life’s more difficult events.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48% of teen deaths are caused by unintentional injuries, and 73% of those injuries were from vehicle accidents. 11% of deaths are from suicide, and 6% are from cancer. Through realistic fiction, YA literature allows readers to sympathize with the girl or boy in the back of the classroom, silent and misunderstood, holing up their problems and blaming themselves for sad events that have happened to them. If we can learn about hardship and suffering through a book, then maybe we can begin to understand what it’s like for those that have difficult lives.

Here are a few YA books that respect the intelligence of the reader, move the reader, and accurately portray teen tragedy.

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira - When Laurel starts writing letters to dead people for a school assignment she begins to spill about her sister's mysterious death, her mother's departure.

Looking for Alaska by John Green - Sixteen-year-old Miles' first year at a private school in Alabama is defined by the search for answers about life and death after a fatal car crash.

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan - Duncan gets wrapped up in the tragic tale of Tim Macbeth, a former student who had a clandestine relationship with the wrong girl, and his own ill-fated romance with Daisy.

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley - Cullen's summer is marked by his cousin's death by overdose and his younger brother's sudden disappearance.

Stolen by Lucy Christopher - Sixteen-year-old Gemma is abducted while on vacation with her parents and taken to the Australian outback, where she soon realizes that escape attempts are futile.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - high school student Clay Jenkins receives thirteen cassette tapes recorded from his friend Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night recounting the events leading up to her death.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor - Twelve-year-old Addie tries to cope with her mother's erratic behavior when she and her mother go to live in a small trailer by the railroad tracks

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school.

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak - Ed Kennedy begins receiving mysterious messages that direct him to addresses where people need help, and he begins getting over his lifelong feeling of worthlessness.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobosky - A tale of adolescence whose hero is Charlie, a high school freshman in Pennsylvania. The novel follows Charlie as he is introduced to love, literature and friendships.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton - The struggle of three brothers to stay together after their parent's death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their adolescent society.

Happy to Reading to You!

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!

I want to meet Simon & Baz - Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell
A coming-of-age tale of the joys and sorrows of fanfiction as well as the intriguing relationship between twins.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . . For Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading the series. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, and dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere that’s all she has ever known until now. Now she and her Wren have moved away to college and Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to let go.

Before they left for college, Wren told Cath she didn’t want to be roommates. This leaves Cath to fend for herself in a new school with new people, which is completely outside of her comfort zone. She gets paired with Reagan a loud and vivacious roommate and her charming, always-around boyfriend, she has a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is a horrid crime to literature writing, she meets handsome classmate who only wants to steal her words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who has always had erratic behavior and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the questions are: Can she make it in college, Will she ever make any friends, and does she need Wren, or is it really the other way around? Another huge question is can Wren let go of Simon Snow? And, is she capable of letting other human beings into her life or will the walls that she has built since her mom left stay up forever?

It’s up to Cath to navigate this scary new world on her own. She maintains her sanity by writing her Simon Snow series called Carry On as she struggles to find out what it really means to be a good student, writer, and daughter all at the same time. And through all of this she tries to figure out just where on earth the cafeteria is. Through sheer panic and fear of new situations she decides it might just be easier to stock up on protein bars and lose herself in the world of fan fiction.

Rainbow Rowell is amazing. She writes so well, every word reaches out to you and pulls you further into the story. She captures the world of college and fanfiction writing head on and keeps you wanting more. I completely recommend this book it is very imaginative and brings to light the joys and sorrows of growing up and letting go of the past and moving forward and being open to new dreams.

Happy Reading to you all!
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!

Steelheart: taking dystopia to another level!

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson is a fast-paced novel, and the first installment in his Reckoners series.

“The superheroes came, but they weren’t exactly what everyone thought they’d be. The Epics, as they’re called, have incredible powers, but with great power comes great corruptibility.
Soon, the Epics takes over the world. They fight against each other, gaining territory and ruling the humans as their subjects. Some are smart and set up cities in their honor, a place where they can control the population and get them to do their bidding.
Such is life in Newcago under Steeheart’s reign. It’s all David has known for the past 10 years. But while most people just try to survive in a world that is literally made of steel, David has other plans. He wants to join the Reckoners and avenge his father, whom Steelheart killed the day he came into town.
The Reckoners are a group of humans led by the mysterious Prof. Their goal is to kill as many Epics as possible. And David is about to show them what he’s got. He knows something no one else does. Because no matter what Steelheart says, he’s not completely invincible.
David’s seen Steelheart bleed, and he intends to see it again.”
Steelheart is a fast-paced, suspenseful page-turner. With cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, it will be hard to put this book down long enough to eat and sleep, never mind doing responsible things like going to work or school.
Set in a world that is vivid and complex, this is not a book that seems overwhelming or overly detailed. Sanderson does an excellent job of feeding you information that is necessary in the moment, rather than overloading you right from the beginning.
The humor in this book is well placed, as well. In a novel that could take itself too seriously but doesn’t, the purposefully terrible metaphors will have you laughing every time you think of them.
With a quickly escalating plot and a few twists and turns, this is definitely a book you’ll want on your to-be-read list. And while it does answer many of the questions raised throughout the book, enough is left unanswered to cause you to want to read the next installation, Firefight, like, right now. Sadly, we’ll have to wait until 2014 for that one.

“Incredible cosmic powers do not equate with high IQ.” David, Steelheart

Happy Reading to You!
Mrs. Librarian Lady