Ashfall Book Review

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The story kept me up all night to read.  Had me looking for water storage bins, googling how to grow kale, and planning where I'd go in the "event of an actual emergency". 



The depiction of the refugee camp was gutwrenching and unfortunately, from what I've heard from those in a similar situation, very realistic. 



Loved how the romantic relationship developed between the Alex and Darla, especially from a male point of view, and with consideration to the consequences of their actions.



If you liked Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, or are looking for a strong male character apocalyptic/dystopian survival novel to place on the shelf with Hunger Games..this is the book for you.



Oh, and Tanglewood Press...if you would speed up the release date on the sequel, Ashen Winter,...we'd be most grateful!  



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Coffeehouse Angel book review

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


humorous; teens doing good works; overcoming adversity; and a scruffy kilted angel



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HarperTeen Free Online Books

Harper Collins book publishers have a great teen site where they often offer pre-publication and post publication free reads of books they are promoting.

Their browse inside site allows for flash and non-flash views (for those of us with IPODS)

Here's a sample of the Poison Diaries..which looks like a great summer read

Browse Inside this book Get this for your site

Goodreads

I've been remiss in telling people about this great social media (or as librarians like to refer to them Web 2.0) site. Many of my co-workers and book devotee friends are sharing book reviews and "hoping to read" updates at a fast and furious pace. Won't you join us?? http://www.goodreads.com/

P.S. I recently added an area on my blog layout with the most recent additions to my Goodreads account.

Monster purse epiphany

My friend and fellow book devotee, Amy Williams...aka squirrel momma...began recently making monster purses. As I was looking through her latest postings on Etsy, Frankie said, "Wow, that looks like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland."

Short digression here: We recently had the joy of seeing the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp version. I do mean joy! I'm not a huge Tim Burton fan, but Alice is a glorious riot of sumptuous color and a fun movie. My friends know me to get on a soap box over the huge amounts of money paid to actors nowadays...but I feel Johnny Depp earned every cent they paid him.

Back to Monster purse epiphany: Frankie asked me to make him a black canvas messenger bag with the Cheshire Cat monogrammed on it. I'm surfing the web for the right bag..but here's the grin he wants.

I'll post the finished product soon...and leave you with this to ponder..
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

ITUNES U USER'S GUIDE | PRINTER AND SERVICE MANUAL

I just completed a promo piece for iTunes U on the KDL.org computer tips blog and discovered this user's guide to be of service as well.

ITUNES U USER'S GUIDE | PRINTER AND SERVICE MANUAL

Best Books of 2009 - thus far

Managed to make my way home from the ALA (American Library Association) conference in Chicago with bulging bags of swag without getting a hernia. I scored some great ARCs (advanced reading copies of books not yet in publication, but due out this year), including Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, the sequel to the uberpopular and Michigan Thumbs Up Best Teen book of 2008 award winner, Hunger Games. Anne Rice's Angel Time and Andrew McCall Smith's newest, due out in the US in December. Also discovered a new (to me) cozy mystery series, A Scumble River Mystery, Murder of a Royal Pain by Denise Swanson, featuring school psychologist Skye Dennison, and the battle of the PromFest Committee moms.

However, the book that has me totally blown away is Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon. He's not an author I'd read before..but I will be reading him from now on. If this book doesn't win awards or appear on NYT bestseller lists, there is no justice in this world.

Ryan, the recent Northwestern University drop-out, being rushed to a Michigan hospital.

Lucy, the 18 year old recent high school graduate, traveling cross-country with a new love, her former English teacher.

Miles, a 30 something magic store clerk, searching for his long-lost twin brother.

What could these three strangers possibility have in common?


Due out in August, this novel is a literary nautilus shell. Told in alternating chapters, Chaon swirls the lives of these three random people closer together as he explores the themes of personal identity and identity theft, with elements of a thriller to further keep you twisting along the paths of Ryan, Lucy, and Miles.

I'm having a difficult time finding books to compare it to. It has a high literary quality, an element of criminal mastermind, romance, slightly horrific thriller, teen appeal, with snippets of teachable moments regarding computer technology. Something to appeal to everyone I'd say!

I recommend this book for highschooler through adult, all genders.