Annette's Book Spot

Monday, May 20, 2013

Book Review: Original Skin, by David Mark @davidmarkwriter

Aector McAvoy is at it again in Original Skin. As in Dark Winter, he is the best thing about these twisted crime thrillers.

Aector is a Scottish detective working in Hull, England. He has a wife and two small children. His wife was formerly a traveller (a nice term for gypsy). So you could say they have an unlikely and unusual relationship. But it's so sweet and romantic, you can't help but fall in love with these people. Aector is so genuine -- and he has such a knack for solving crimes.

This time there are two problems. The marijuana trade has turned particularly violent and it appears that a new person has taken over and is taking no prisoners. Some of the descriptions of the torture and violence dished out during this investigation really had me a little queasy. And some of the travellers seem to be in the middle of this mess too, which makes it a bit sticky for Aector.

Secondly, Aector finds a cell phone and after analyzing it he discovers it belongs to a man who committed suicide. But as he finds more and more information on the phone, he becomes convinced that it wasn't a suicide. This leads Aector and his boss, Pharaoh, down a twisted and unlikely path to the killer.

The path, in part, leads to kinky sex clubs and very promiscuous behavior, so this is an adult book for that reason (although the sex is not described in detail, just in general.)

Pharaoh is my other favorite character. You just can't help but be entertained during Aector's and Pharoah's scenes. Their non-verbal communication is as engaging as the verbal.

The setting is dreary, and not glamorous. These are just regular people in a regular town trying to make a living and keep people safe. There are many references to Brittish items and ideas -- most of which I could figure out from the context ("parking lots" are "car parks," and things like that.)

It's definitely the main characters that do it for me. The story, at times, gets a bit bogged down with lots of characters and subplots, but we soon return to the antics of Aector and all is well again.

If you enjoy a mystery that I think isn't too easy to figure out, and engaging and quirky characters, Original Skin is recommended. You have to be able to handle some pretty graphic violence too.

Published by Blue Rider Press, May 16, 2013
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
448 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Sunday, May 19, 2013

An Amazing Student Project

I just had to share with you this YouTube video created by one of our graduating seniors for her AP Literature final project.

First, a bit of a description of the assignment from her teacher:

As part of our study of literature, it's my desire the students understand why we as a culture consider literature a subject worthy of study in the first place, so we attempt to explore all year the connection we have as human beings with the written word. For their final projects, the students are asked to define for themselves the concepts of language, composition, literature, and what it means to be human. Most significantly, though, they are asked to explore how these concepts are interconnected.

As for the format of the project, the kids are asked to incorporate static and moving images, sound, etc., with only minimal use of words. Because our focus has been devoted predominantly to the written word, the real challenge is to get them to think abstractly about expressing meaning without the over-reliance of words.

I hope you enjoy....

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Stacking the Shelves -- More eBook Goodness!

Seems like so many great eARCs have been available lately -- I just can't pass them up. Here's my haul:

For Review:

Raven Flight, by Juliet Marillier, from NetGalley.

The second book in the Shadowfell Series.

Dance of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin, from Edelweiss

The sequel to Masque of the Red Death.

Across a Star-Swept Sea, by Diana Peterfreund from Edelweiss

The sequel to For Darkness Shows the Stars

I've read all three "first books" for these three series, so I'm very excited to have the seconds on hand.

Won:

Manicpixiedreamgirl by Tom Leveen from Random Buzzers

I've already read and enjoyed this one!

Mojo, by Tim Tharp, from Random Buzzers

What did you get this week? Please leave me your link. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you come back soon.

Thanks to Team Tynga's Reviews for hosting Stacking the Shelves. Please make sure you visit some of the other participants too. Have a great weekend!

Friday, May 17, 2013

Feature & Follow Friday -- Summer Reading

It's almost the weekend. And for me, it's almost summer. The last few days of school are always crazy. Slow in the library -- but I end up running around the halls all day tracking down student that still have books checked out!

Here's an appropriate question from Alison and Parajunkee:

Q: School is out! What is your favorite Summer Reading book?

I don't have a "favorite," I just have a VERY long list of books that I want to read. Some, I've pulled off the shelves of the library, some are ARCs that I can't wait to read! I have a stack of 7 books behind my desk now, and my assistant asked me, "Is that what you are going to read this summer?" And I replied, "That's what I'm going to read the first TWO WEEKS of summer."

Here are the seven books:

The Scorpio Races
The Crown of Embers
Ruins
The Madman's Daughter
Bloodrose
Seizure

Tomorrow I'm posting in my Stacking the Shelves the three ARCs that I got that I'm really excited about. (They are all second or third books in series that I'm involved in!)

So, that's just a start, but I have a huge reading list (actually a couple of them) that I hope to put a big dent in!

How about you? What's on your summer list of reads? Leave me a link!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Book Review: The Pregnancy Project, by Gaby Rodriguez

I don't read much non-fiction, but I enjoyed The Pregnancy Project. It's a real story about one of today's brave teenagers -- and it is told well.

Gaby is the daughter of a single parent -- she's the youngest of seven children and from a relatively poor family who has always struggled. Gaby's mother gave birth to her first child at the age of 15, and several of Gaby's siblings followed the same path -- becoming a parent during their teens.

Gaby is intelligent and wanted more from her life. She worked hard and wanted to go to college. It seemed like her family was rooting for her as the last "hope" to redeem them.

Gaby always wanted to make a difference in the world. For her senior project, she wanted to study stereotypes and how they can have a huge effect on a teen's life. So, she chooses to fake being pregnant and see how her friends, teachers, and family respond. She had a friend help by collecting quotes that she heard behind Gaby's back. It was a well thought out project that Gaby worked very hard at. And, it was much more difficult that she ever imagined.

However, when it was over, it had a much bigger impact that she ever thought possible too. It became a nationwide news story, culminating with a Lifetime movie and this book.

The Pregnancy Project is clearly written. Gaby tells her story in a very straightforward manor, interjecting her strong beliefs in a heartfelt way. She does some preaching, but it isn't bothersome -- she is entitled to it! The Pregnancy Project is just over 200 pages, so there really isn't time to get bored. It moves very quickly and is always interesting.

The Pregnancy Project can be recommended to any teen girl -- even pre-teens will find this accessible. It carries a message beyond just "don't get pregnant." The message is about supporting and not stereotyping those teens that do get pregnant (or even those teens who have other issues that create stereotypes.)

I think The Pregnancy Project should be on the shelves of every high school library.

Published by Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2012
Copy obtained from the library
216 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 4/5

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Book Review: School Spirits, by Rachel Hawkins @LadyHawkins

Having never read any of the Hex Hall novels, I wasn't sure what to expect from School Spirits. I really enjoyed the story and now I'm even more interested in reading the original series.

Izzy is a Brannick. She and her mom are the only ones left. Their job is to hunt down supernatural creatures and send them away -- or kill them. It's not always an easy job. Izzy's sister disappeared during a job several years ago, and Izzy and her mom are still trying to find her.

Her mother moves Izzy to a small town to take care of a ghost that has been haunting the high school and has become dangerous. Izzy has never attended a real high school before, so it is a new experience posing as a "regular" teen. But, she finds a group of students that have formed a paranormal investigations club at the high school. I know -- it's a big coincidence, but I didn't care.

I loved Izzy. She really steals the show. I enjoyed her turmoil -- trying to be the demon hunter, but also wanting so bad to experience a little of what it's like to be a plain old high school teen. But she won't admit that's what she really wants. She actually makes a friend and has a romantic interest. The friends are interesting too and help move the plot along, but to me School Spirits is all about Izzy. OK, the guy in the mirror, Torin, is too much! He's funny and I enjoyed their banter too.

Izzy is trying to figure out who might be messing with magic and stirring up this evil ghost. She has her suspicions, and I won't tell you if she is correct. The ending is touching, cute, and nicely wrapped up. A little cheesy, perhaps, but I'm invested. I'm ready to see what happens in the next book.

If you enjoyed Hex Hall, I expect you would enjoy this book too, although I don't know that for sure. Anyone who likes a paranormal story that isn't too dark, but has enough drama to go with some humor is in for a treat with School Spirits. It is a relatively short book, too, and sometimes that's what we're looking for.

Published by Disney-Hyperion, May 14, 2013
eARC obtained from NetGalley
304 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Book Review: Stupid Fast, by Geoff Herbach

Stupid Fast is a cute, funny book about a teen boy who goes from picked on to popular because all of a sudden he can fun very fast.

As Felton goes through puberty, he grows very big and becomes very athletic without even trying. Once the track coach sees him running in PE, his life takes a very different turn. Once track is over, it's summer -- but the football team has Felton's summer all planned out, since he is going to be their star running back in the fall.

Felton also has to take over his best friend's paper route for the summer. And, the girl that lives in his best friend's house for the summer has caught Felton's attention. She's a pianist -- a very good pianist, and she's hot.

Felton's life isn't perfect, however. Felton's dad committed suicide when Felton was five, and his mother hasn't told Felton and his little brother anything about their father. As Felton grows and changes, his mother checks out. She stays in her room all the time -- won't do anything for the boys. There's no food. The house is a mess. They are totally on their own, and their mother doesn't want anything to do with the boys.

There's drama, romance, sports, and a lot of teen angst. It's all written very well, and is very entertaining. I think Stupid Fast is a great book for teen boys who enjoy sports and want to read about a realistic struggling teen.

This just isn't my kind of book. It reminded me of Swim the Fly (which I liked) or Carter Finally Gets It (which I couldn't finish.) I don't like teen jock humor. I did like the dramatic part of Stupid Fast but I guess I just don't relate to the awkward male teen. Or, at least I don't like to read about them.

I read Stupid Fast because it's nominated for our High School Teen Book Award for next year, and I always read all of the nominees. I can see why Stupid Fast is on the list -- but it's just not my kind of book.

Published by Sourcebooks Fire, 2011
Copy obtained from the library
311 pages

Rating: 3/5

Monday, May 13, 2013

If Google Friend Connect Goes Away -- FEEDLY!

I haven't seen any official announcement that Google Friend Connect is going away, but since Google Reader won't be around, I guess everyone assumes we should prepare for GFC to also be eliminated. So I'm jumping on the bandwagon with a post to invite you to follow me via Feedly. I've been using the Feedly Reader now since Google Reader made it's announcement and I'm really happy with it.

It takes a bit of getting used to, because of course it's different, but it is very easy, and they are adding new features all the time.

Today, I added a feedly icon to my "Find Me Elsewhere!" list of icons at the top of the right hand column in this blog. It looks like this:

So feel free to click on the icon or click HERE and follow me via Feedly! And here's a little secret -- if you click on the RSS icon to the left of the Feedly icon, it does the same thing-probably only if you have a Feedly account, though? I don't know.

Here's my question, though. I still follow a whole bunch of blogs via GFC. How am I going to switch them to another feed when GFC goes away? I've slowly tried to migrate individual blogs to an RSS feed, but I have literally HUNDREDS of blogs to do this for. I'm hoping Feedly and some of the other new readers will have a method to do this automatically! I don't want to lose all of you!

UPDATE: I guess I didn't make myself clear. I was able to upload all my GFC (and other) blogs I follow to Feedly. People keep saying that in the comments. I did that -- no problem. BUT my question is -- will all my GFC followed blogs still be there if GFC no longer exists? Will Feedly remember them? I feel like they are still connected to GFC. For example, when I delete a blog from Feedly, it deletes it from GFC, and vice versa. Do you think I will lose them when GFC goes away, or will Feedly remember them? I dont' know how to make my question clearer. It's not about getting the blogs into Feedly NOW. It's about keeping them FOREVER -- no matter what happens to GFC.

Thanks!

Book Review: Towering, by Alex Flinn

Towering is an enchanting, modern-day fairy tale retelling of Rapunzel.

Now, Towering might be modern day, but it’s still a fairy tale. So, you do have to suspend your disbelief and go with it.

Rachel has been confined to a tower in the woods since she was very young. The only visitor she has is Mama, who isn’t really her mother. Her mother was killed when Rachel was a baby, and Mama takes care of Rachel. But she won’t let her go anywhere because the people that killed Rachel’s mother want to harm Rachel too.

Wyatt has been sent to the boonies, to live with an old friend of his mother’s, Mrs. Greenwood. He’s had difficulty recently, and I won’t explain why because that’s part of the plot. Suffice it to say, he is used to many more people and much more of a social life. He helps Mrs. Greenwood with some minor chores in exchange for room and board. Wyatt is supposed to finish high school via the internet. Mrs. Greenwood has had a hard life too, since her daughter disappeared many years ago.

It seems there are an unusual number of people disappearing from this small, remote town in the Adirondacks. Wyatt begins to make friends, but there’s something going on under the surface. And Wyatt hears singing coming from the woods.

I’m sure you can see where this story is going. I liked the characters, and the spooky feeling of the setting. I liked the mystery. It made the story more realistic, somehow, even though there are definitely magical things going on. I liked Rachel’s special powers. Of course, she can grow her hair very quickly, but she has another interesting ability. I don’t remember if this is accurate as far as the original fairy tale or not, but I liked it.

I found the ending of Towering to be satisfying. There was a dramatic build up of tension, and life-threatening situations. It all worked out well and tied up nicely.

I really enjoyed Towering for what it was. It was a quick, suspenseful read that kept me very entertained through the entire book. Anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings or just a magical, fun story will enjoy Towering.

Published by HarperTeen, May 14, 2013
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
304 pages (Qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 3.5/5

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Stacking the Shelves -- Awesomeness!

I get so excited when I get "approved" for a book through NetGalley or Edelweiss. Sometimes it's even better than getting books in the mail! Here's this week's new books:

For Review:

The Bitter Kingdom, by Rae Carson from Edelweiss

I haven't even read The Crown of Embers yet! I need to get on that.

Once We Were, by Kat Zhang, from Edelweiss

I can't find a cover for this book yet. It's the sequel to What's Left of Me (which I haven't read yet either!)

Bones of the Lost, by Kathy Reichs from Edelweiss

From the Library:

Stupid Fast, by Geoff Herbach

The Pregnancy Project: a Memoir, by Gaby Rodriguez and Jenna Glatzer

These two library books are nominated for our students' choice award next year. (The Abraham Lincoln High School Book Award.) After I read these two, I will have read all 22 books!

So, what did you get this week? Have you read any of my new additions? What did you think? Thanks for visiting, and make sure you go visit some other participating blogs at Team Tynga's Reviews.