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| Totally the property of Pen to Paper. |
The Book Thief has been touted as a classic. You all know how I feel about classics. (Hint: Not a fan.) But so many people have raved about it, and it's on my Summer Reads list, so I figured I was morally obligated to read it, in a way.It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
Two weeks ago, I ragged on my store's crappy summer reading shelf. One week ago, we all banded together and constructed a much better shelf that I am extremely proud of (and yes, you can still go and suggest books). On that list were several new titles that I happened to adore, and one of those titles was Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.
After showcasing this book in my Wishlist Wednesday post, I knew I had to get my hands on it as soon as it hit my store. Unfortunately, by the time I did get Monument 14, I'd just finished This Is Not A Test (see my review here), and was a little wary of picking up another apocalyptic book.Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.
In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.
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| E.K. Henry |
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| Totally the property of Pen to Paper. |
Last week, I whined about my store's "Summer Reads" shelves, specifically the shelves reserved for the YA reads. Corporate's choices were crappy at best. They picked some depressing reads and then added a bunch of school books. You know I love Jane Austen, but is that really what kids want to read on their summer break? Especially if the book looks like the cover to the left?
I've wanted to read this book for nigh on forever. Well, since May 10, when I gushed about the cover for my second Cover Love post, anyways. I don't consider myself a zombie person simply because of my limited experience with the genre. I know the fake zombies on Scooby-Doo, the freakishly fast zombie-like things from I Am Legend... and that's about it. I was excited to broaden my horizons a bit.It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?
I picked up this book following the recommendation given by Ems on her blog. [Side note: She's cool and her blog is cool. Go follow.] I wasn't really sure how I'd like the book, given the whole reincarnation thing, but the whole mistreated-girl-finds-a-friend-and-learns-her-worth thing sounded interesting, so I picked up a copy.NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.NOSOULEven Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?HEARTSam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.
