What was your favorite book this year?

Best book I read this year? A tie between As Simple as Snow by Greg Galloway and Just in Case by Meg Rosoff.

In As Simple as Snow, an average kind of lonely boy falls in love with Anna, a new and mysterious girl in town. She dresses Goth and is fascinated with mysteries, codes, ciphers, and ghost stories. She decides to kill off everyone in town (in her mind only) and writes crazy imaginary obituaries for everyone. When she writes her own,the final one, she disappears. Did she commit suicide (a simple answer)? Was she murdered (a simple answer)? Is her ghost haunting the boy (a simple answer)? No, there are no simple answers to this mystery. Bacause, you see, snow is not simple! This is a book you will have to hand to a friend to read because, when you finish reading, you will want to talk about it. All of the librarians have read this book (which is unusual) because we all needed to talk about it! This is an adult book with some mature subjects and not a light and fluffy read. But if you like to be challenged and don't like things tied up in a pretty bow at the end of a book, you will enjoy As Simple as Snow.

Just in Case by Meg Rosoff asks whether there is such a thing as fate and, if so, can one escape or change ones fate. David Case looked away for a minute and his baby brother climbed up on a windowsill. He is prevented from falling but David is so shaken by this close call that he sets out to hide from his own fate. He changes his name (Just in Case), he changes his friends (just in case), he conjures up an imaginary dog (just in case), and hangs out with an older girl who has a taste for adventure (just in case)> But no matter how hard he tries, David/Justin cant really escape fate...or can he?

Humanity's fate is in the balance

The forces of good and evil battle in a destroyed United States in Terry Brooks' Armageddon's Children.War, plagues, ecological disasters and a shift of balance in the spirit world have devastated the country. Two young people, Logan Tom and Angel Perez, stand for good as Knights of the Word. With the help of a band of street urchins, will they be able to defeat the Void before it swallows up the last outposts of humanity? First of a new trilogy.

The Book of Fate...a Washington thriller

Wes Holloway, a presidential aide shot in an assassination attempt eight years ago, has never truly recovered. His face has healed but his spirit has not. His scars are a daily reminder of those moments of horror and he feels guilty that Boyle,a man he invited along for the presidential appearance was killed that day. Wes still works for the former President and is with him in Malaysia when he sees a familiar face. It is Boyle...a man supposedly dead for 8 years. Wes has stumbled on a plot hundreds of years in the making and one that threatens to destroy the country. The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer

Nursery Rhyme Crime

Jack Spratt is back with his stalwart assistant Mary Mary. Goldilocks is found dead in a World War I amusement park and the investigation focuses first on the three bears (Mama, Papa and Baby). But the Gingerbread Man, newly escaped from a prison for the criminally insane, is on a rampage and may be connected to the crime. Or is it connected somehow to the recent crisis of exploding cucumbers? Read The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde to find out!

Read about the first book in the series, The Big Over Easy, here!

Meet Alex Rider

Alex Rider's only living relative, his Uncle Ian, died in a car crash. The police said it was an accident but what kind of accident leaves a windshield riddled with bullet holes?

Alex uses his skills at sneaking around to try to uncover the real story of his uncle's death. But when he discovers that his uncle was a spy for the British M16 (similar to our CIA), his quest for the truth gets him into big trouble. The spymaster running the agency gives Alex a life or death choice—finish his uncle’s last mission—or else. Check out "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

Booktalk books--Mr. Gregory

Can You Keep a Secret? by Kinsella (Fiction)
Cell by King (Fiction)
Found II by Rothbart (PB)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Foer (fiction)
In the Heart of the Sea by Philbrick (910.91)
Chasing Vermeer by Biallett (Fiction)

Booktalk books--Mr. Gregory

Can You Keep a Secret? by Kinsella (Fiction)
Cell by King (Fiction)
Found II by Rothbart (PB)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Foer (fiction)
In the Heart of the Sea by Philbrick (910.91)

A strange summer job!

Finding a summer job is definitely a challenge for most teens. Ilana, who has her own distinctive way of dressing and a feisty attitude to match, has had no luck at all finding a "white bread" mall job. So she jumps at the chance to work for the Divine Relief Temp Agency. Imagine her surprise when she discovers that "divine" describes the clients very well...this temp agency specializes in giving overworked gods and goddesses a break. Will Ilana be able to temporarily substitute for her clients or will her mistakes cause genuine chaos in the world? "Temping Fate" by Esther Freisner

Harry, Carrie and Garp...oh my!

File under "what librarians do on summer vacation..."

Last Tuesday I was in Radio City Music Hall to hear Stephen King, John Irving and J.K. Rowling read from their books. The night was introduced by Whoopie Goldberg and each author was also introduced by a celebrity and a video clip a la Oscars. Kathy Bates introduced Stephen King, who read his famous pie eating story from "The Body." His State of Mainer accent was perfect for this piece and the crowd really enjoyed the story.

Andre Braugher introduced John Irving (the least well known of the authors...I heard someone behind me asking his friends who Irving was). He read a Christmas pageant section from "A Prayer for Owen Meany". He is a great reader and the little cracked voice he used for Owen will stick in my head forever.

Finally, Jon Stewart introduced the star of the night...Ms. Rowling. She sat on a red velvet throne, showed us her marvelous shoes (sandles with silvery snakes as straps) and read a section from the Half Blood Prince where Dumbeldore is recruiting Tom Riddle for Hogwart's. Questions and answers followed but Ms. Rowling kept mum on any details of the final book.

All in all, a "magical" night. Ask Ms. Richardson or Ms. Johns for more details!

P.S. I saw J.K. Rowling at the Museum of Modern Art the following afternoon. She was with some children (possibly hers) and was wandering through the museum like any other tourist. You never know who you might spot in New York City!!

Help a library in need

Gulfport Library, located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Katrina. The first floor of the library was washed through by flood waters. The library lost its entire children’s, adult fiction, and audio-visual collections. Now you can help by donating a book or dvd to this library using amazon.com. Just click on this link to see the wish list for this library.

We take our wonderful libraries for granted until a disaster reminds us of just how lucky we are. If you have the resources, why not help rebuild this Mississipp library?

Readers Never Go on Vacation

I will continue to add books to Looking for a Good Book during the summer. I have a big juicy stack on my coffee table just waiting for vacation. So check back when you can and when you are looking for something good to read.

I read in a magazine the other day that reading something for fun actually reduces hormones related to stress. So...if you're college searching or engaged in something else stressful during the summer, drop your stress levels by reading for pleasure: a magazine, a graphic novel (check out V for Vendetta), a book, a joke, a puzzle. Have a great summer!

Why are the pictures now question marks?

Sory to visitors of this blog from Newton Public School computers. We've run afoul of a software glitch with our server. You can view the blog in all its glory from home or public library computers. The good news is that the text has not been affected (yet!)so you can still read the log...just can't see the covers. We hope to get this resolved before school ends!

And one from Mrs. Johns!!

Compiled by Dave Eggers and teen students from his San Francisco writing center, this collection of stories, reporting and alternative comics is a perfect beach/pool/camp/ travel book. My favorites include Al Franken's "Tearaway Burkas and Tinplate Menorahs,"(Franken goes to Iraq) and William T. Vollmann's "They Came Out like Ants!" (Vollmann searches for Chinese tunnels in Mexico.) Pick out your favorite!

Here's one more recommendation....

You probably don't know the critic but I can tell you she has exquisite taste in summer reading!

Joan Acocella, critic, The New Yorker
I actually recommend The Da Vinci Code. I stayed up till 3 in the morning to make sure that the demented, knife-wielding albino monk lurking in the bushes outside the chateau didn't kill Sophie. Or, if the beach is a nice one, take Ian McEwan's Amsterdam or Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The latter is supposedly for "young adults," but it's hair-raising and also quite serious. You get to visit hell.

Summer reading, anyone??

Newton North doesn't have a required summer reading list. But some folks (like me!) collect titles for their summer reading. Here are recommendations from two authors popular at Newton North (From SLATE website: http://www.slate.com/id/2142161/nav/tap1/ Check it out for a full article!)

Jodi Picoult, author, The Tenth Circle
Dirty Blonde, by Lisa Scottoline—I like to take her books on vacation with me. She's a really great writer for that genre, with terrific female characters—the only caveat is that I get so involved in the plot that I forget I'm supposed to be watching my kids Boogie-board in the ocean. Shopaholic & Sister, by Sophie Kinsella—Confession time: I picked this up when I was in the U.K. and jet-lagged, and found myself absolutely charmed. When you don't want to have to think, this is perfect ... and Becky Bloomwood, the main character, makes anyone feel better about their own shopping addictions!

Michael Chabon, author, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
I don't change what I read when I go to the beach or on a vacation. I just read more.

A Pulitzer Prize winner

"March," by Geraldine Brooks is the winner of this year's Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Ms. Brooks has always been a fan of Louisa May Alcott's classic "Little Women." She began to speculate about the father of the March girls, who was away at war for most of the first half of the book. The result of that speculation is this novel about war, race, faith and honor. Read more about it on this link: 'Pulitzer surprise' an award all its own

A Contest for Readers

Who do you think is the best living British writer? J.K. Rowling? Phillip Pullman? Helen Fielding? My favorite (no pressure here!) is Tom Stoppard, creator of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Shakespeare in Love, and the wonderful Arcadia. Go to http://www.thebookmagazine.co.uk/author.asp to vote for your fave!

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

9th Grade and starting high school is no problem for Scott. He has a group of friends he's been tight with since elementary school. His mom and dad are normal, supportive, loving parents. Everything's good...until his big brother moves back home, his mother announces she is having a baby, his friends are all taking automotive courses and Scott is stuck with Honors English and a teacher who introduces him to Tom Swifties (click audio file for an explanation of Tom Swifties) AND he falls hopelessly in love with Julia, who doesn't even know he is alive. Will Scott survive these freshman challenges?

Things that go bump in the night

Here's a third mini-list of books whose roots are in the scary tradition of Frankenstein and Dracula:

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke - computer gone beserk
Shadowmancer by G.P. Taylor-in pursuit of evil
Sweetblood by Pete Hautman -vampires
Magic Time by Marc Scott Zicree -evil fairies
Salem’s Lot by Stephen King -more vampires (in New England)
The Historian by Eliabeth Kostova -even more vampires (all over the world)

In search of...

The quest has been a theme in books since ancient times (remember the Odyssey?) Here is a mini-list of questing titles as diverse as they are wonderful:

Extremely Loud and Incredible Close by Jonathan Safron Foer
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Lord Foul’s Bane by Stephen Donaldson
Ararat by Clive Barker
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson
Summerland by Michael Chabon
The Talisman by Stephen King/Peter Straub
The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks
Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Mini-list of folklore titles

Do you remember stories your elementary teachers read you about magical spiders, big monsters, and fairies? There are grown up versions of these stories. For example, Neil Gaiman's new book is called "Anansi Boys." It tells the story of Fat Charlie Nancy who jets off to Florida for the funeral of his estranged father, only to discover that his deceased father was the West African trickster god, Anansi and that Charlie has a "prankster" half brother he has never met. Check out the rest of the mini-list:


Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Grendel by John Gardner
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Druids by Morgan Llywelyn
Bard by Morgan Llywelyn
Faerie Tale by Raymond Feist
Grendel’s Children by Larry Niven

Checkmate

An ornate, jeweled chess set given to Charlemagne by the Moors, holds a code which would yield incredible power. Many have schemed to own it. The set is broken up during the French Revolution and a young novice risks her life to guard it. Alternating with her story are the present-day efforts of Catherine, a disgraced accountant, and a Russian chess master to gather the set and solve its mystery. "The Eight" is by Katherine Neville/

Meet Jack Ryan

Tom Clancy's greatest creation is the character of Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who is thrust into harrowing situations and uses his common sense and personal bravery to survive. In "Debt of Honor", malcontents in Japan plot to destroy the economy of the United States. The fiery conclusion is frighteninly close to our September 11th experience and the book was written several years before those horrible events.

"Prey" by Michael Crichton

A swarm of lethal microscopic robots escape into the Nevada desert and attack everything in its path. It's up to Jack Foreman, who unwitingly programmed the robots, to deprogram them before they destroy the world.

Jack the Ripper meets Ebenezer Scrooge

Winifred Rudge, is in London to research a novel linking Jack the Ripper to the house in Hampstead where her own great-great-grandfather rumored to be the model for Ebenezer Scrooge lived. But Winnie's cousin, John Comestor, the latest resident of the family house has gone missing and something is making an infernal racket inside the chimney. As wormen are scared away from opening the chimney, Winnie tries to figure out the secret that ties her family history together in Lost by Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked.

The fall of Troy, a giant tsunami and more!

"Trojan Odyssey" by Clive Cussler is an old-fashioned adventure story featuring Dirk Pitt, naval explorer and scientist. A giant tsunami is racing toward a luxury resort and Dirk races to save his own children and the rest of the tourists. The tsunami is also dredging up amazing artifacts which may point to some unknown history around the ancient city of Troy.

A tragic story told by an angel

“My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973 … It was still back when people believed things like that didn’t happen…My murderer was a man from our neighborhood. My mother liked his border flowers, and my father once talked to him about fertilizer.” Susie tells her sad story, observes her sorrowing family and explores heaven in The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

How much can you love a sister?

13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald is going to sue her own parents. Why? To stop them from using her as "spare parts" for her older sister, Kate, who suffers from leukemia. After years of having her bone marrow and blood used to keep Kate alive, Kate's illness requires a kidney transplant and Anna has had enough. She loves her sister but she has her own life to live. Are her parents asking too much? The courts will decide. My Sister's Keeper is by Jodi Picoult.

"Where the Heart Is" by Billie Letts

Novalee's sevens are definitely not lucky. She's 17, seven months pregnant, 37 pounds overweight -- and now she finds herself stranded at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, holding just $7.77 in change. Her no-good boyfriend Willy Jack Pickens has left her with empty pockets in a strange town. But Novalee is about to discover some luck in Sequoyah Oklahoma.

Tattoo stories

Ray Bradbury wrote "The Illustrated Man" 50 years ago, long before tattos became so common and popular (a la Miami Ink). In his book, a man's body is covered with 18 elaborate tatoos. Each tattoo tells a strange or fanciful story.

Lost in the Woods!

Trisha steps off the hiking trail for a minute and when she returns, her brother and mother are gone. She attempts a shortcut to catch up and becomes lost in the Maine woods. With her trusty radio turned to the Red Sox game, she uses the great relief pitcher Tom Gordon as inspiration as she faces the dangers of the forest...insect bites, cold, rain, and wild animals. In the bottom of the ninth, with the bases loaded against her, can Trisha summon the courage of Tom Gordon to fight her way out of danger? "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" is by Stephen King.