#40--Borderline by Allan Stratton

The weather today when I left school was wet, dreary, and downright miserable.  Which made me want to curl up with a good book.

Sami Sabiri is first-generation Iranian-American.  His father fled his homeland as a child and grew up in Canada.  Sami's dad is strict and has high expectations for his son.  Expectations that Sami doesn't find all that easy to live up to.  He is the only Muslim student at his private school, which he refers to as Academy Hell because of the bullying he goes through at the hands of Eddy, a football player with a father who covers a multitude of sins with his checkbook.

Sami's dad has invited him on a trip to Toronto that will be combined with a business trip, a nice father-son getaway.  But at the last minute, he has to cancel the plans for Sami to join him.  Not only does this make Sami mad, but it also makes him suspicious that maybe his dad is having an affair. 

Several nights after his father returns from Toronto, Sami is webcam-chatting with his two best friends, Marty and Andy (who lives across the street).  Andy reports to Sami that there are people dressed in black, with dogs, outside Sami's house.  Sami goes to investigate, thinking that Eddy and his cronies have actually followed through with their threats toward him.  Instead, the FBI bursts into the house and hauls Dr. Sabiri out of the house in handcuffs and separates Sami and his mom for hours, questioning them, and destroys their house and much of their belongings.

It takes a while for the Sabiris and their lawyer to find out where Dr. Sabiri is being held and what the charges are.  In the meantime, the arrest of a research director (Dr. Sabiri) at a lab that stores anthrax, smallpox, and other viruses and linked to an alleged terrorist group, the Brotherhood of Martyrs, is all over the news.  The only person linked to the terrorist cell who was not arrested was the alleged leader, Tariq Hasan.  Despite their strained relationship, Sami takes it upon himself to try to prove his father's innocence, at any cost.

This story had me hooked from the very beginning and I couldn't wait to see how it ended.  There were a few surprises in store that I didn't see coming, which is always a refreshing change.  This is definitely going on my list of recommendations for my students.  It is a ripped-from-the-headlines story that will hopefully make them think.

Happy Reading!!!

#39--Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick: Ginny Davis's Year in Stuff by Jennifer L. Holm

As I was catching up on my cataloging this afternoon, this title caught my eye. The story of Ginny's 8th grade year is told through stuff--there are sticky notes, poems, journal entries, grocery lists, report cards, hand-drawn comic strips, homework assignments, bank statements, and STUFF. Over the course of the year, Ginny's family moves (twice), her mom has a baby, her older brother wreaks havoc, she writes lots of poems--for class assignments, her step-Bob loses his job, and Ginny survives 8th grade with her sense of humor still intact.

This was a cute and sometimes funny story and I think my students will like it. It was a quick, easy read and the graphics made it entertaining.  I may have to go back and re-read it, just in case I missed something.  :) 

Happy Reading!!

#38--The Exeter Blitz by David Rees

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/exeter-cathedral **

As I tend to dedicate much of my reading to historical fiction, I try to read about events that I don't always know much about.  Today's book is an example.  I have always heard about the Blitz occurring in London during WWII, and that there were other places that were bombed as well.  However, I was not aware that the Blitz was carried out far to the eastern side of London.  After the British destroyed the German port of Lubeck (of which there was very little point other than to try out new weapons), known for very little except its beauty and antiquity, Hitler was furious and then ordered the destruction of similar British cities: Norwich, Canterbury, York, Bath, and Exeter. 

The Exeter Blitz follows one fictional family as they experience and then survive the night of May 3-4, 1942.  The story is told from each family member's point of view at different times, which gives it a different feel.  I enjoyed learning about a specific event that I was not previously familiar with and this was a quick (128 pages), easy read.  This will be added to my list of recommendations when my students are looking for a WWII novel that is not specifically about the front or the Holocaust, so that they can get a sense of what it might have been like to live through an air raid as intensive as the bombing that destroyed much of Exeter, but, miraculously, left much of its famous cathedral in tact.

Happy Reading!!

**"Exeter Cathedral ." Exeter Cathedral. Sacred Destinations, 30 July 2010. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/exeter-cathedral.

#37--Deadly by Julie Chibbaro

A few years ago a friend introduced me to podcasts.....and I was hooked.  There are a number of ones I try to listen to regularly and most of them have to do with history---surprised, right?  One of my favorites is Stuff You Missed in History Class from How Stuff Works.  A while back there was one about Typhoid Mary (you can listen to the podcast by clicking on Mary's name), and I found it to be very interesting.  I had heard the name thrown around growing up, but I didn't know too much about her.  I enjoyed learning about her story and more about the nickname. 

Today's book, Deadly, takes a another look at Typhoid Mary's story, from the point of view of a young assistant working on the case for the Department of Health and Sanitation in New York City.  Prudence Galewski has left school to take a job as an assistant in a laboratory that is investigating a typhoid fever outbreak.  Prudence finally feels like she is doing something to help people since she was unable to save either her father from going to war or her brother from dying.  Along the way, Prudence learns many things, both about life and about herself.

As the story is told from Prudence's point of view, we only see Mary through her eyes, but we also get a glimpse of how the public viewed Mary and the case through newspaper articles and Prudence's comments about what others say and do regarding the case.  I felt that the story was presented very well and in a way that the audience might be able to grasp the idea of a healthy person being a carrier of a possibly deadly disease....I know that is something that I sometimes wonder how it could have happened/does happen.  Typhoid Mary is considered to be a medical mystery as there doesn't seem to be any evidence that she ever showed symptoms of typhoid.

This was a good read and I think I may have to add it to my list of books I book talk for my students!

Happy Reading!!

#36--Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

On the first day of his senior year of high school, Greg Gaines thinks he has survived the day intact and unobserved--about as good as he can expect from high school, so, not a bad day.  Within hours of getting home, his mom drops a bomb on him....a girl he knows from Hebrew school has cancer...and his mom wants him to spend time with her.  Can you say awkward?  Greg and Rachel aren't really friends, but there is no way his mom is backing down on this one.  Greg and Rachel start hanging out and eventually Greg's only other friend, Earl, enters the picture.  Earl and Greg are amateur filmmakers, but refuse to let anyone else see what they have created....until Earl offers their movies up to Rachel as a way to try to cheer her up.  Everything snowballs from there.

This is probably my least favorite book I've read all year so far.  It started out with promise--I actually laughed out loud during the first few pages.  But gratuitous use of off-color language pretty quickly turned me off....and I didn't really like any of the characters but Rachel by the end of the book, and Rachel wasn't really that fleshed out....so that tells you how much I really didn't like the rest of the cast.  I actually contemplated putting it down and not finishing it after about 75 pages, but decided to slog through it in the hopes that it would improve.  Unfortunately, that never happened.  :(

#35--In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth

Yet another book that I purchased several years ago to preview for my library has finally made it to my "READ" shelf!  (yes, that does say years)

In a Heartbeat is told in alternating voices: that of Eagan, an energetic and enthusiastic young figure skater who has died in a tragic on-ice accident and is stuck in the in-between and that of Amelia, a contemplative young artist awaiting a heart transplant.  Once Amelia receives her new heart, she begins to have new thoughts and experiences and desires that she never had before....she wants a purple lollipop (Amelia hates purple, but it was Eagan's favorite color).  Eagan's chapters are spent looking back on her life and thinking about things that were said and what was left unsaid.  Amelia's chapters are spent thinking about who her donor could have been and how she (Amelia) is different now with her new heart.  Will Amelia get to thank her donor's parents?  Will Eagan's parents be willing to meet Amelia?  Will Amelia's body accept the donor heart?

There is closure for both characters, but there are also strings left open to interpretation, which I really liked in this story. 

There are very few books written on organ donation for teens (at least, not many I could find in my quick search on Amazon), so this definitely fills a niche in YA lit, and it is worth the read.

Happy Reading!!

#34--Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I am a part of the book club at my school, but am rarely able to attend the meetings, which means that I often don't read the books until months later.  Such is the case with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which was one of our books last year, but I only just read it yesterday.  The thing that intrigued me the most was the creepy pictures in this book, like the cover below where the girl is levitating off the ground by a few inches.

The author has incorporated quite a few of these pictures throughout the story with explanations for them....

Growing up, Jacob Portman's grandfather (Abe) told him fantastical stories about growing up on a magical island off the coast of Wales where all the other children had magical abilities.  A brother and sister were the strongest people Abe knew and could lift large boulders with very little effort.  Another boy was invisible, and liked to sneak up on people while not wearing clothes---if he had clothing on, his shape could be seen. And yet another girl who floated away if not tethered to the earth.  All these stories seemed like fairy tales to Jacob, until he stopped believing in them.  Right before Jacob's 16th birthday, his grandfather has started to let paranoia take over his thinking, claiming the monsters are back and out to get him.  One day the paranoia has reached a boiling point and Jacob goes to Abe's house to try to calm him down.  Instead, Jacob finds his grandfather in the woods, almost dead, in what appears to have been a wild animal attack.  In his last words, Abe tells Jacob, "Find the bird.  In the loop.  On the other side of the old man's grave.  September 3, 1940.  Emerson--the letter.  Tell them what happened."  In the minutes after his grandfather's last words, Jacob shines his flashlight into the woods and sees "a face that seemed to have been transplanted directly from the nightmares of my childhood.  It stared back with eyes that swam in dark liquid, furrowed trenches of carbon-black flesh loose on its hunched frame, its mouth hinges open grotesquely so that a mass of long eel-like tongues could wriggle out."  No one else saw this creature. 

Abe's final words, and the hideous creature, begin to haunt Jacob's dreams, until he finally (with the help of his shrink) convinces his parents to let him go to Wales to try to find out about his grandfather's past, hoping that if he is able to find anything, that he will be able to finally understand and get a peaceful night's sleep.

What he doesn't expect to find is the house that his grandfather lived in when he was in Wales was bombed out on September 3, 1940, and all the inhabitants were believed to be dead.  Yet, Abe received a letter from his former headmistress there, Miss Peregrine, only 15 years prior.  There was definitely something else going on, and Jacob is determined to find out what. 

Along the way, Jacob does some time traveling, meets the children of his grandfather's stories, battles horrible monsters, and finds out a thing or two about himself as well.

This story was so much more than just the pictures that drew me to it and I found myself unable to put it down.  There is reportedly a sequel due to come out in June of 2013.  I look forward to finding out how Jacob and the children fare in their new world!

Happy Reading!!

#33--Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

On one of the first teacher days back at school, my friend Kelly (also one of my LA teachers) came to me raving about the best book she read this summer....Between Shades of Gray (not that shades of gray!).  As it so happened, I had checked this title out over the summer and had not yet had a chance to read it.  So, on her recommendation, I pulled it out of the pile today and enjoyed some rays while reading.

On the night of June 14, 1941, 15-year-old Lina Vilkas, her mother Elena, and her younger brother Jonas are removed from their home in Lithuania by the Soviet secret police (NKVD) and deported to Siberia, for reasons Lina and Jonas don't know or understand.  As difficult as it is, she tries to mask her hatred for the Soviets.  The conditions are horrific, but Lina is determined to live, no matter what.  Lina must also hide the drawings she has made, depicting their ordeals and the people in the camps, both Lithuanians and the Soviet guards, as she could be executed if they are found.  Her art is how Lina hopes to communicate with others the truth of what happened to them in Siberia.  But will her hope keep them alive long enough?

There have been very few books written about this time period, so it is not a part of history that I was overly familiar with.  However, that makes me want to find out more about it, and more about the people who survived these horrors.  The author, Ruta Sepetys, is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee who was fortunate enough to escape through Germany and into refugee camps.  She wrote this story as a memorial to all those who perished, and for those who survived Stalin's Reign of Terror.  This is a story that I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a lover of history!

Happy Reading!!

#32--Geek Charming by Robin Palmer

This afternoon I was looking for a light and easy read to sit outside on my swing with and enjoy the beautiful day.  And I also have a stack of books that I checked out over the summer staring at me, waiting to be read.  So I picked up today's read for both of those reasons. 

Dylan is the "it-girl" at her private high school.  Josh is a film geek who happens to be in the right place at the wrong time.....Dylan has accidentally tossed her very expensive designer handbag into the fountain at the shopping mall her dad owns, and she convinces Josh to go in after it for her, in return for being in his documentary for film school.  Dylan attempts to renege on this deal, but her dad makes her follow through on it.  Josh, of the F-list in Dylan's mind, will get to follow her around and film her for one month, in her A-list world. 

At first Josh considers scrapping the whole project because Dylan is driving him insane with her demands, but eventually, he realizes that she is human and decides he wants to show her whole story in the documentary instead of just the life of the populars, as he originally intended.  When Dylan's emotionally distant boyfriend of almost two years dumps her right before the Fall Fling--the social event of the semester--and her popularity tanks, it is up to Josh to try to save the day.

Will Dylan kiss the frog to get the prince or will she discover that a prince is not always necessary?

This was a cute story and it reminded me of the movies Can't Buy Me Love and Clueless.  Parts of it were predictable, but it fit the bill for what I was looking for today and I would read Palmer's other books based on fairy tales:  Wicked Jealous: A Love Story, Cindy Ella, and Little Miss Red.

Happy Reading!!

#31--Eat the City: A Tale of the Fishers, Foragers, Butchers, Farmers, Poultry Minders, Sugar Refiners, Cane Cutters, Beekeepers, Winemakers, and Brewers Who Built New York--by Robin Shulman

This summer my sister and I spent several days in New York City as a nice treat.  We are, admittedly, food snobs to a point and love us some good food.  Our goal for the trip was to eat our way through the city and see a few shows.  Not only did we do this, but we also were able to spend some time biking in Central Park and doing some touristy stuff--like a walking food tour of Hell's Kitchen from Alex at Manhattan Walking Tour where we had some absolutely fantastic food!!

About a week before leaving for our trip, I started reading Eat the City.  I figured it would be a good way to find out about the history of food in the Big Apple.  Each chapter covers a different kind of food: fish, vegetables, meat (butcher shops), sugar, honey, beer, and wine.  Through each chapter you are introduced to individuals who are currently practicing the trade as well as given insight into the history of each food within New York City.  I found the information fascinating to read about.  The author is able to make you feel like you are right there in the butcher shop/wine cellar/rooftop with honey bees/garden and the people you meet come alive. 

This is a book that I would recommend to any foodies...especially my dad...who may be getting a copy for Christmas.  :)

I was provided a free electronic galley copy of this book by the publisher through Net Galley.  All opinions are my own.  The book is currently available for purchase in both hard cover and kindle format.

                                                          picture from Amazon.com
Warning: There are a few instances when situation/language may not make this appropriate for readers under 16.  Use your own discretion.

Happy Reading!!

#30--Radical Integrity: The Story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Michael Van Dyke

Ever year when I attend New Wilmington Mission Conference, I purchase several books at the book store....and I rarely read them before I go back the next year.  Until this year.  This year I purchased a few books, and I've already finished one of them....today's post.  As I have said before, I'm fascinated by the time period of World War II, and events leading up to it.  I've had a vague inkling of who Dietrich Bonhoeffer was for years, but never really gave him much thought until I picked up Radical Integrity.  I knew he was a German theologian who was killed by the Nazis and is widely quoted and studied at seminaries.  Beyond that, I didn't know much about him.

Radical Integrity begins with Dietrich's arrest by the Gestapo for his part in the plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler.  But then we learn about his early years and his family.  The book follows Dietrich through university, pastoring a German church in Spain, and through the rest of his life, including his struggle with joining the resistance against Hitler and the Nazis.  Bonhoeffer was just 39 when the Nazis hanged him for his part in the resistance.  Yet, his legacy lives on in his writings.

I found myself going back and re-reading passages, sometimes for better comprehension and other times because what was said was so compelling.  I even found myself making slight marks with a pencil in my copy of the book--something I rarely do. 

Van Dyke does an excellent job of intertwining passages from Bonhoeffer's own writings with the narrative.  I will definitely be keeping this on my shelf, and will hopefully refer back to it when I have struggles of faith of my own to deal with. 

Happy Reading!

#29--They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti

During the summer I always have great aspirations to getting lots of reading done....as is evidenced by the piles of books I pack anytime I go anywhere.  However, life, and this year, the Olympics, gets in the way. 

I finished They Almost Always Come Home several months ago, but never posted it....so, here goes....

The story opens with Libby fretting over whether dead people wear shoes....it seems like a waste since no one will see them, but "no outfit is complete without shoes".  Every time her husband goes away on one of his Canadian wilderness trips, Libby tends to over-dramatize if he is even the tiniest bit late....but Greg has never been this late before, and he has never been in the wilderness alone...

When he doesn't return home within a few days of the anticipated time, Libby files a missing persons report....and waits, and waits, and waits.  Her father-in-law, Frank, and her best friend, Jenika (Jen), are there by her side.  During her agonizing wait for Greg, Libby waffles between wishing she had left Greg before his trip, to wishing he were home again and by her side.  Part of her indecision lies in the fact that their daughter died a few years ago, and then everything changed. 

Jen is convinced that God wants Libby and Jen to find Greg....Libby's not so sure about that.  She is convinced that Greg is either dead or he has found a convenient way to leave her.  The fourth day after filing the missing persons report, Frank announces that he wants to go up to Canada to take a look around...hoping to see something the authorities missed, or to find "his boy".  Much to his chagrin, Libby and Jen insist on tagging along--two inexperienced and anti-outdoors women--to the wilderness of Canada.  And they only have one week to find him.

Along the way, Jen, Libby and Frank come across clues that indicate they are on the right trail....empty sunflower seeds, Greg's paddle that he made in high school wood shop.  And Libby also has one of Greg's journals that she reads at night while questioning God the whole time.

Two-thirds of the way into the book, the perspective switches to Greg's side of the story.  I don't want to give anything away....but I loved his side of the story just as much as Libby's and the ending was fantastic as well. 

Christian fiction can sometimes come across as preachy or trite, but this one doesn't.  Will definitely be checking out her future works.

Happy Reading!!

#28--Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

It has been almost a month since my last post, but this title is definitely worth the wait!!

Code Name Verity is told in two parts, by two different characters.  The story opens in a prison in Nazi-occupied France where a British operative (she's Scottish, and you better not EVER call her English!) is being held.  The British operative is writing her story of how she came to be in France in exchange for more time alive.  The Nazis are expecting her to give up secret information about the Allies' plans to invade France, while she is weaving a narrative.  This operative goes by many names in the course of the book, some of which could give away part of the story, so I will just refer to her as Scottie (this is one of her nicknames in the book).

Scottie is from the upper, upper crust in Scotland, with royalty in her blood.  In the beginning of the war, she makes friends with a working-class girl, Maddie, and they soon become best friends, despite their differences.  Maddie is a pilot and a mechanic--on cars, motorcycles, airplanes, basically anything with an engine.  But she is working as a wireless operator since women haven't been called up to fly for the war effort yet.  Flying is what gives Maddie purpose.  Scottie is an invaluable asset because she speaks French and German, can think on her feet quickly, and likes to make up stories.  The two girls are first paired up to talk down a lost German pilot and get him safely to their English base.  Later, they are paired up in the drop that gets Scottie arrested.  (If I say much more here, I will give away some of the best parts of the plot, so I will stop.)

The two other minor supporting characters are the Gestapo officer, Hauptstrumfuhrer von Linden, and the female guard/interpreter, Anna Engel.  Neither of these characters are stock characters; both are rounded characters who have surprises in them that  you don't see coming. 

I was up until late last night/early this morning finishing this book, because I couldn't put it down.  I wanted to find out what happened at the end.  

There are lots of World War II and Holocaust books and books about men fighting and women at home, but this is the first book I've read about women being a part of the fighting and ferrying of planes, pilots and refugees and I hope to see more!

I was provided with a free galley copy of this title by NetGalley.  All statements are mine.  This book is now available for purchase, but in print and as an ebook.

I hope you find this one as enjoyable and not-put-downable as I did! 

Happy Reading!!

#27--Fat Cat by Robin Brande

This is one of those titles that I've been eyeing since it first came in at the beginning of the year.  And now I've finally had the opportunity to sit down and devour it!

Cat wants nothing more than to beat Matt McKinney at the annual science fair in the spring.  They have both signed up for a rigorous Special Topics in Research Science class and it the class itself is legendary.  Cat and Matt used to be friends, until the science fair in seventh grade, when Matt stabbed Cat in the heart and she has never forgiven him. 

Cat's 7-month long research project is to research the effects a hominin diet can have on a modern homo sapien.  Cat determines to eschew all modern conveniences like TV, cell phones, and cars (with a few logical exceptions--after dark, for safety purposes), and to begin eating a diet as close as possible to what hominins would have eaten.  Cat goes from a diet that consisted mainly of Diet Coke and junk food to a cleaner, mostly vegetarian diet and adds daily walking to and from school and work to her routine.  The only people who know about the details of her experiment are her parents, her best friend, Amanda, and her teacher, Mr. Fizer.

Over the course of her experiment, the weight starts to drop off, but Cat still thinks about herself as "Fat Cat".  When boys she has never really spoken to start to pay attention to the new Cat, she adds another dimension to her experiment--how do guys react to the new Cat?

Through it all, Amanda (and her boyfriend Jordan) are supportive of Cat--but Jordan doesn't know the truth behind the animosity between Cat and Matt.  And the animosity keeps growing....

Will Cat beat Matt?  Will they ever be friends again?

Loved this book!!  Cat had some great points with her research.  I have often wished that I enjoyed cooking enough to attempt to eat a more "clean" diet like the one Cat follows....maybe one of these days it'll happen.  In the meantime, I'll be running off my meals.  :)

Happy Reading!!

#26--Girl, Stolen by April Henry

At the end of every school year I check out a bunch of books that have sounded really good during the year that I haven't had a chance to read.  So, before I left the building on Friday, I checked out my summer reads and today I got started on them.

Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of her stepmom's car while waiting for her prescription to be filled to help get rid of her pneumonia.  Within just a few minutes of leaving the car, the door opens and slams shut and the car is started and then moving.  Pretty quickly, without looking, Cheyenne knows that it isn't her stepmother, Danielle, driving the car--and that the car is being stolen, with her in it.  Cheyenne isn't sure how she is going to survive because, not only is she sick, but she is also blind and without her trusty guide dog, Phantom.

Griffin didn't mean to kidnap Cheyenne.  He simply saw the fancy Escalade, with keys dangling from the ignition, as an easy target.  He didn't realize that there was someone in the back seat, until it was too late.  He knows that he will pay for his impulsiveness when his dad, Roy, finds out what he has done.  Roy runs a chop shop and has committed petty crimes, and taught Griffin to do the same, along with his two employees, TJ and Jimbo.  While watching the evening news, Roy discovers that Cheyenne's father is the president of Nike, and he hatches a plan to ask for a hefty ransom for Cheyenne's return. 

Told with alternating narration between Cheyenne and Griffin, this is a quick, easy read, that had me on pins and needles, wondering what was going to happen to Cheyenne and Griffin, with a great twist at the end!  I will be definitely be adding this one to my list of possible book talks for next year!

Happy Reading!!

#25--Redemption by Veronique Launier

There are often themes in young adult literature that come and go....currently we are in a werewolf/vampire stage (one that I personally hope goes "softly into that good night").  I recently came across two books that had gargoyles as their central characters...today's read and a title I can't bring to mind as I type this, but am hoping it comes to me.  Gargoyles are fascinating to me ever since I first saw Disney's Beauty and the Beast (and possibly even before that).  The intricate carvings builders used to include in their work, including gargoyles, are amazing, and the fact that they are still around, hundreds of years later, is even more amazing.  (We Americans are often suprised when a building or other artifact is still around at 200 years, when people in many other parts of the world think of anything 200 years old as just a teenager!)  Thanks to my quick research (go wikipedia!) I discovered that gargoyles were originally used as a way to divert water (think modern-day downspouting), and have been connected to Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, including the Temple of Zeus. 

One of the first things that grabbed my attention with this book was its cover:

Today's story opens with Guillaume, a gargoyle (but you don't know he is one yet), observing people going about their business in the streets below him.  While taking in his surroundings, he notices a girl, by herself, and looking aprehensive....with good reason....three men approach her in a meanacing fashion, but there is nothing Guillaume can do to help her from his perch on top the former church.  It is obvious to him that these men mean to do her harm.  Suddenly he hears distant drumming and chanting in a language he learned long ago, the Mohawk language.  The chanting, coming from the girl, sparks something in Guillaume and his three other family members, and stones from the top of the building begin to fall to earth, as do some dead pigeons.  The men take off, and so does the girl.  Guillaume, awakened from decades in stone must find this girl to discover how she was able to awaken him and his family.

Aude (pronounced Ode) is freaked out about what happened at the old church.  She is convinced that she is losing her mind.  Then this good-looking guy keeps popping up places and asking her questions that don't make sense.  All she wants is to focus her time and energy into the band she and her friends Lucy and Trick have, Lucid Pill.  Aude is the guitarist and singer, and writes a number of their songs as well.  Lucy and Trick are really her only friends, and now that Lucy and Trick have started dating, Aude worries that Lucid Pill isn't long for this world.

Guillaume quickly finds ways to run into Aude and they become wary friends.  They discover they both have a love for music....at the beginning of his life (in the middle of the thirteenth century) he studied organ at the Notre Dame in Paris and was considered to be a prodigy even then--imagine what 800 years of practice would do to improve on that!  They eventually discover that Aude has the ability to transfer essence (or life), which is what the gargoyles need in order to continue to appear human.

After further sleuthing by Guillaume, Aude, Guillaume's family, and a Mohawk shaman, it is believed that Aude may be the key to an ancient prophecy about the end of the world.  There are clues all around that the prophecy has already been set in motion, but will Aude, Guillaume and the others be able to stop it before all of Montreal, and even the world, is destroyed?

The author includes details in her story from the French legend of La Gargouille, including the form that Guillaume takes when he is at his most powerful, which made it all the more fascinating for me.  The narration alternates between Aude and Guillaume, which gives the story a little extra something, and keeps you on the edge of your seat because you don't always know the whole story until the author is ready to share it with you.

There's much more to this story, but I don't want to give too much away. 

I really enjoyed this story.  There were a few times when I believe the timeline may have been off slightly, but that also could be due to the fact that you don't find out how Guillaume and his family became gargoyles until more than halfway through the book.

This title is already in my wish list to be purchased for school for next year!  Can't wait to tell my students about this one!!  The ending leaves it open for a sequel, which I'm really hoping happens, and soon!

Disclaimer: I was provided with an advanced copy of this book for my kindle by the publisher.  All opinions are 100% mine.

This book will be available for purchase on September 8, 2012, but can currently be pre-ordered.

Happy Reading!!

#24--Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Last week during small group my friend RuthAnn recommended today's read to me.  It was an audio book that she had checked out from the local library and said she flew through it.  Since I was going to be traveling to my parents' house for the long weekend, she offered it to me for entertainment on the drive.

The author discusses the differences between introverts and extroverts and how individuals who fall into either category can understand and work with someone of the opposite temperament.  In Western culture (and American culture, more specifically), it is considered abnormal to be introverted, to need quiet time to recharge, despite the fact that at least 20% of the population would be considered to be introverts.  Cain uses anecdotal evidence of a number of famous people who are introverts: Steve Wozniak, Albert Einstein, JK Rowling, Dr. Seuss, Charles Schultz, JM Barrie, Gandhi, and many others.  Throughout the course of the book, a number of scientific studies are referenced and discussed as well as her personal research.

While listening to this book, I found myself often wanting to go back and re-read portions so that I could fully wrap my brain around the topic.  The narrator (Kathe Mazur) did a wonderful job with this book--the narrator can make or break an audio book--but there were times when my brain couldn't keep up with what she was saying.  This is a title that I would actually like to have in print so that I could go back and reread portions.

If you had asked me 20 years ago whether I was an introvert or an extrovert, I would have said that I was a little bit of both. Today, while I enjoy spending time with friends and family, I am much more an introvert than I ever was in high school.  This book provided me with insight into why I do some of the things I do and also gave me lots to think about as well.

If you are an introvert, you love an introvert, or even simply work with an introvert (and chances are you do), this book gives great insight into how an introvert thinks.  I would highly recommend this book!!!

Happy Reading!!

#23--Women Doctors and Nurses of the Civil War by Lesli J. Favor, PhD

One of the things I love about my job is that every so often I get to go into the classroom and teach with one of my teachers.  I especially love it when research of some sort is involved, whether on my part or the students'.  Tomorrow I will be co-teaching a lesson on medicine in the American Civil War with one of my 8th grade social studies teachers.  As I was working on finding information for this lesson, I read through today's book as part of my research.  One of the things that we wanted to find was information that will really grab the students' attention--especially the gory and gross, since middle schoolers, boys in particular, seem to love that stuff. 

I have done some reading on the Civil War in the past, but most often it has come in the form of a work of fiction instead of a nonfiction book.  One of the things that fascinates me about this time period is how the women were involved, particularly those who participated in a non-traditional role--doctor, soldier, or even as a nurse (it was considered unseemly for a woman, especially one of good-breeding, to see a man in any state of undress, who was not her husband).

Favor's book covers eight different women who worked tirelessly during the war as either doctors, nurses, or administrators/matrons.  I had previously heard of some of these women, like Dorothea Dix, Clara Barton, and Mary Ann Bickerdyke.  But others, Phoebe Yates Pember, Dr. Esther Hill Hawks, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Sally L. Tompkins, and Kate Cumming, were all new to me.  For example, I knew that Dorothea Dix had been a champion of the rights of those who were mentally ill; but I did not know that she headed up the all-female nursing corp for the Union army.  Two of her standard requirements for applicants were that they "were at least thirty years old and plain-looking".

The author offers up anecdotes for each of her subjects, but one of my favorites was about Mary Ann Bickerdyke.  "On one occasion, a surgeon, angry with Bickerdyke for accusing him of misconduct, complained to General Grant.  Though Grant responded with humor, he meant every word he said: 'Mother Bickerdyke outranks everybody, even [President] Lincoln.  If you have run amuck of her I advise you to get out quickly before she has you under arrest.'"  A drunken surgeon who Bickerdyke had removed from service asked General William T. Sherman for reinstatement and Sherman replied, "I can do nothing for you.  She [out]ranks me."  :)

Overall I thought this was a great overview of some of the important women of this time period, some of whom were very influential, but in medicine and beyond.  There were also some great photos and drawings in the book to help the reader visualize some of the situations these women were put in during the war. 

Now to put the finishing touches on the lesson for class tomorrow!

Happy Reading!

#22--Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Noelle's life is a mess. She is bullied at school; her single mother neglects and verbally abuses her. The only bright spot is her best friend Sherae and her art. Oh, and Julian Porter...the boy of her dreams.

But Noelle has kept the extent of her miserable home life and the bullying a secret for so long from everyone, including Sherae, that when she starts to make other friends in Simon (the co-editor of the literary magazine) and Julian starts to pay attention to her, it completely freaks her out.

When Ali, a fellow classmate and bullying victim, commits suicide, Noelle decides to be done--done with putting up with everyone's insults and bullying, done with being made to feel less and done being afraid.

Overall, I thought this was a good book, with a great message. However, at the end it felt too preachy and heavy-handed to me. I think my students who liked Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why or Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak would like this book. I may have to add it to my wish list for next year.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free galley copy of this book by the publisher. It will be available for purchase on May 31, 2012.

Happy Reading!!

#21--Sex God by Rob Bell

If you just looked at the title and not the author, you may be wondering what kind of book it is that I'm actually talking about today....I was somewhat surprised when I received it as a gift, but it was from my sister, and I trust her judgement (and she is a minister, so she wouldn't be giving me one of those books).  It has been sitting on my shelf for a while now, but after a frustrating church service for me last week, she suggested I take it down off my shelf and read it.  The issue at hand was women in the role of pastor of a church....for me, it is a no-brainer--if a woman is called to that position, it is good and right.  And, I would feel this way even if my sister were not in this vocation. 

This is my first real encounter with Rob Bell, other than hearing him mentioned at conferences or in discussions with friends.  The premise of the book is that there is a connection between being a spiritual being and being a sexual being--and not necessarily of the having sex kind of being.  (That was a lot of "being"s to have in one sentence!)

The book was a quick read, in that it is less than 170 pages and lots of white space on said pages.  However, it is a book that I think I will be thinking about for some time.  Bell challenges the reader to examine their life and how well they know themselves--how naked (emotionally, that is) are you willing to get with yourself, and therefore, with others.

I will be ruminating on this book well into the future, as it has some heavy questions, but he also takes a light-hearted approach to much of the subject matter, injecting humor and vignettes as appropriate.  This one will definitely be staying on my shelf for future reference!  This would be a good read, whether you are married or single, searching or firm in your faith.

Happy Reading!!