Summer Reading Begins!

This past Saturday we kicked off our summer reading programs. This year I'm doing an Adult and teen summer reading program, so if I look a little more frazzled than usual, that's why. It's a lot of work but it's fun and rewarding so it's worth it. We had a great turnout for this past Saturday's party, with over 100 people attending. We've got lots of things planned this summer including Dungeons and Dragons Game days, travel programs, gardening programs, book clubs, murder mystery parties, scavenger hunts, and even a "literary" speed dating program for the adults. It should be lots of fun!

blue plate special

blue plate special by Michelle D. Kwasney

I'm still trying to decide exactly how I feel about this book. If I took anything away from this novel, it would be an appreciation of family. The girls in this book all have horrific experiences that no one should have to go through. blue plate special was a difficult book to read because of all the pain the girls endure. The title and the book’s cover don’t really give you any idea of what the book is about, but at the end, you find that they do tie in to the plot, and they both end up being an important part of the story. My emotions ran the gamut while reading this one. I went from shock to pure outrage with lots of other emotions thrown in as well. I couldn't help but think of my daughter and mother while I was reading blue plate special.

The main characters of blue plate special are three girls, Madeline, Desiree, and Ariel, who live in different decades. blue plate special is the story of their years as teenagers, and the issues each girl faces. Ms. Kwasney does a good job of creating the imagery associated with each girl, where each girl lives and what it's like to be each girl living in a specific time. The writing styles that Ms. Kwasney used made it very easy to keep track of who was who; each girl had a very distinct voice that was not easily confused with the others. Some may say that Ms. Kwasney tried to include too much in her book but I don't think so. She did a very good job of tying everything together. I was really surprised when I found out that the girls were all connected. I won’t tell you how but I will tell you that when I figured out who was who in each story I was baffled and just plain mad about one character in particular. However, by the end I came to understand the reasons behind what happened, and like one of the main characters, began to forgive one of the other characters. I'm going to give this book 3 stars, because in the beginning it was so depressing, I'm not sure I would have finished it if it wasn't a book club book, however as far as writing and imagery goes I give it a 5. blue plate special's intended audience will eat this one up, and it has a lot of good discussion topics as well.

The Squire's Quest by Gerald Morris

**Contains one small spoiler**

The Squire’s Quest is the ninth in a series of books by Gerald Morris called The Squire's Tales. Even though I haven't read the rest of the series I was still able to enjoy the book. This one made me want to go back and read the other books in the series, and there was enough background information that it was easy to catch up. The Squire’s Quest had enough magic to make it interesting to someone who likes to read fantasy, but not so much that a historical fiction fan would turn away from it. Some parts were predictable, but there were other parts that really surprised me, and the end was especially jaw dropping. Although the lovers lived, it reminded me of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but even more tragic. The writing was easy to follow but there was some language that may not be appropriate for younger ages. The women characters in the book were very strong while the men were both charming and devious, a good combination in any book.

I laughed out loud in parts of the book and cried in others. When I first began reading this book I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it. I’m not usually a fan of King Arthur type books but this one grabbed my attention relatively quickly and held on. This is a great “boy book” with lots of fighting and intrigue, but it also has just enough romance that girls will enjoy it as well. The only part that didn’t seem to flow well was when a couple of the main characters disappeared for over a month and no one seemed too worried when they finally reappeared. Mr. Morris did mention some of the changes that took place while they were missing, but I would think the characters would have been missed a little more than they were. I’ll give this one 4 stars. Well-done Mr. Morris.

This month's Kindred Connections book club book

Ghost Huntress: The Guidance by Marly Gibson

The Guidance was a fun read. This one is great for reluctant readers, but it is aimed more for girls than boys. It could be read as a stand alone book, however I feel the reader would enjoy the series more if it was read in order. Ms. Gibson put enough background information in the second book so that it would still be a good read. As a southerner, I can say the language Ms. Gibson used was right on for the south. The dynamics of the relationships between the friends and the adults were very good, and were presented in a true to life manner. I really liked all the characters; the main character was sassy, smart, and a good heroine.

The books are somewhat predictable, but there are still enough twists to keep the attention of the reader. There were some plot elements that did not get finished, such as who is Emily and where did she come from? I'm pretty sure I've guessed the answer but there's always a chance I'm wrong. I'm sure Ms. Gibson will answer that one and the other questions left hanging in her third book. I give this one 4 stars.

Another one from Sarah! Thanks again.

I just read Restoring Harmony by Joëlle Anthony (due for release in May), and I must say I really liked reading this book. I hate to also say that I have some complaints about it, but I do. I think Anthony is a promising writer. She paces her writing well and she has gotten the art of creating suspense down. At the end of each chapter is a hook to pull the reader on, and she plants plot elements throughout her story that surprise the reader later.

I liked her protagonist, Molly, instantly, and if it weren’t for that I probably would have found the futuristic world Anthony creates a bit too derivative; her world seems like any other dystopia I’ve ever read – perhaps more boring though. Molly is forced to navigate this futuristic America, a hostile place, and I liked that as a Canadian traveling to the states to find her grandparents, she is as new to the corrupt order as the reader is.

I was disappointed in Anthony’s treatment of Molly at times. Molly ultimately reaches her goal in the story by selling alcohol on the black market, and this fifteen-year-old girl – who seems completely inexperienced with men – ends up in a relationship with the twenty-one-year-old man she meets. Without giving too much away, I’ll just tell you that Anthony doesn’t reach hard for emotions when Molly has to part with her most precious possession. The moment calls for more and she just doesn’t deliver. Molly is very family-oriented, though. Her heart is with her pregnant mother who needs a doctor to deliver the baby, and she is devoted to the task of bringing her grandparents (her grandfather, a doctor) to live in Canada with them.

I’ll tell you that overall I liked this story. For all the problems I found with Molly’s character, I like a heroine who puts her family first, and this story is all about sacrificing for the people you love. It’s fast-paced and an interesting read that I think teens will get lost in. I know when I had to put it down I looked forward to getting back to the story. I’ll give it three out of five; a heartfelt dilemma and a strong protagonist on a sometimes mediocre background.

January book club book review

The Secret of the Yellow Death by Suzanne Jurmain
I don’t normally read non-fiction, but received this one in a shipment of advance copies.It held my attention and was very informative.I learned a lot about Yellow Fever, and the medical practices of the past.The pictures were great, and I would like to see the color ones instead of the black and white pictures in the advance copy.This is a great book for middle school grades. The Appendix was very useful, especially the volunteer list and the glossary of scientific terms.I have to give this one 5 stars.Excellent work Ms. Jurmain!

This one is from the library writing intern, Thanks Sarah!

So, Della has given me, a writing intern at the library, a chance to offer a few book reviews here on the blog this semester. It’s pretty exciting for me! I’ve gotta say, though, I never read YA books (with the exception of Harry Potter), so I’m really new to the different age groups that these books are aimed toward. I wanted to jump in and give my opinion, however, so here’s the first book I read.

Kathryn Erskine’s second novel, Mockingbird, which is due for release in April, follows a ten-year-old girl named Caitlin who is dealing with her brother’s recent death. On top of that, she has Asperger’s Syndrome, and she is constantly misunderstood by the people around her. As the narrator of the story, Caitlin gives the reader insight into the thought processes of someone with this form of high-functioning autism. This is similar to Mark Haddon’s protagonist in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, although Haddon’s book was aimed toward adult readers while this one was intended for a younger audience.

I wasn’t sure when I began reading just who the intended audience was, but eventually I decided this was written with children and preteens in mind. I think Caitlin’s character is odd, true, but she seems inconsistent. She’s somewhat sarcastic in the beginning, but becomes more childlike towards the end, like she is withdrawing in maturity level as she acquires social skills. It’s a slight change in her character that I detected based on her earlier stubbornness and self-awareness. I found Caitlin likeable and a strong character throughout. Her moments of epiphany are funny and serve well as milestones in the story.

Erskine references To Kill a Mockingbird, one of my favorite books, but there is no similarity between the two, and while I like Mockingbird, it just doesn’t match up with Harper Lee’s beautiful novel. I found her decision to italicize dialogue to be distracting, and her use of CAPs for emphasis a lot like yelling. I’m not one for innovation sometimes (don’t get me started on sentence fragments and stream-of-consciousness!), so some people may like her decision here. There were places where this book made me misty-eyed – which is not that easy to do to me. Overall, I thought this was a sweet story and a quick read. And I always enjoy an unusual narrator. I’m not sure how to rate it since I’m new here, so I’ll just say I liked it but I didn’t love it.