Giving Thanks for Books!!

It's been awhile since my last post. I have voraciously been consuming books, just as I did my Thanksgiving supper. Thanks, Aunt Sue!!
So...a few things that struck my fancy, and a few things that didn't:

My last post was about Kissing the Bee by Koja...so when I saw her new book Headlong, in the review room, I picked it up. Wished I hadn't. Kissing the Bee was so magnificent...maybe all of the good words went into writing that one? Hard to say.
In Headlong the main character, Lily, attends The Vaughn School. She doesn't really fit in. She tries, but it is never "the real Lily". When Hazel Tobias shows up, things change for our Lily. She becomes adventurous and exciting. But what happens when that friendship ends?

For a great take on boarding school, save yourself for E. Lockhart's, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Frankie is someone you really wish was your best friend vs. Hazel's moody tumultuousness. And if you're still into the new school conundrum after that, try Lauren Myracle's newest ghost tale, Bliss. I am about half way through it...think she is on to something good here...hippies and ghosts. Watch the trailer...if you dare!! (Click here!)


I also enjoyed Barry Lyga's newest book, Hero-Type. Lyga writes about an average kid who was in the right place at the right time and ended up saving a classmate from death. This starts a media frenzy and said average kid is followed around all of the time. When the media catches him doing something "unpatriotic", he goes from hero to zero in no time. Interesting questions are posed here as Lyga takes something pretty common and flips it on it's ear. He's good at that!!

Kelley Armstrong's novel, The Summoning, has garnered much praise...but not from me. I had a kid return it and say "I just couldn't get into it". With one of those dangling sequels...which I will have to wait awhile for...I wish I hadn't gotten into it. Chloe Saunders has a small problem: ghosts talk to her. Interesting premise. However, when it gets her checked into a mental institution, it's not so great after all. The mental institution provides her with some interesting friends...all of which posses a secret power. When all of the powers collide, Chloe and the others figure out they've been brought together for a purpose. Sad thing: we'll have to wait until the sequel to figure out what that purpose is. Long road to nowhere, folks.

There is lots out there! With the release of the 2009-2010 TAYSHAS list, holiday reading has never looked so good!! Enjoy!