Death Cloud

by Andrew Lane
YA Mys Lane A
311 p. 2011 Mystery
Grade: A++

I might not know a lot about Sherlock Holmes, but I do know that Death Cloud is a really good book. It is a must read for anybody who enjoys a good mystery.

Reviewed by TLC and TAB member Kyra B.

Flirt Club

by Cathleen Daly
YA Daly C
281 p. 2011 Fiction
Grade: A

I picked up Flirt Club expecting a quick, middle-school-type pathetically girly read. I found myself surprised by the engaging characters and plot. Although these girls do seem to have more guy-related experiences in one school year than I've had in my life, I found the story was just as much about the friends as it was the guys. I could relate to the characters who were definitely the, "Oh look! A male speciman! Let's flirt!" type of girls I expected. All in all, this book was fun to read, if not too deep or layered.

Reviewed by TLC and TAB member Allison P.

Anna and the French Kiss

by Stephanie Perkins
YA Perkins S
372 p. 2011 Fiction
Grade: A+

It's been a couple of days since I finished this book, and I already want to read it again. What can I say? I'm smitten. I'm not a huge fan of teen chick lit in general. Most of the characters seem to be going through the expected motions toward a happy ending in a flat, automatic kind of way. A few authors, however, seem to get it right. Sarah Dessen for one. Ann Brashares. And now Stephanie Perkins right out of the gate with her debut novel.

Anna and the French Kiss is delightful, charming and great fun to read. Yes, the plot is still what is to be expected of any self-respecting chick lit book. But it has a certain something....a je ne sais quoi (hee!), which made me tear through the book in a day.

Anna exhibits the kind of behavior and thoughts that are so genuine to girls her age. Heck, it's been over 20 years since I was 17, but I remember thinking some of the EXACT same things when struggling with a crush on a boy who--for all intents and purposes--is completely unavailable. She does seem to be a bit reluctant to embrace her Parisian situation (is the girl CRAZY?!), but I can forgive her a little for that because with little to say about the matter, she was yanked away from her home and friends for her SENIOR year. I'd probably hole up in my dorm room for a little while too.

Fortunately, Anna meets some friends (Étienne) who take her under their wing (Étienne)and help her see how truly great going to school in Paris can be.

Have I mentioned that I have a total book crush on Étienne? I could start talking about why, but I'm afraid I'll spoil too much, if I haven't already.

Anna and the French Kiss is not a weighty, message-heavy book, nor was it intended to be. It's light as a perfect soufflé and just as delicious.

Reviewed by The Librarian Chick.

March's book is The Vinyl Princess

The monthly recommendations are up. Take a gander.


Have you read anything good lately?

YA books to film...good idea? bad idea?

I've been hearing rumblings about this for awhile, but now it seems like it's official. Summit Entertainment is bringing Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower to the screen. Not only that, but it will star Ms. Hermione Granger herself, Emma Watson as well as Mr. Percy Jackson, Logan Lerman.

I have mixed feelings about this. I mean, bringing teen novels to the screen is nothing new. Harry Potter, anyone? Filmmakers' success in doing so, however, seems a bit of a mixed bag. I'll give you an example.

For years after reading Annette Curtis Klause's Blood and Chocolate, I thought it would make a great film. I even toyed with the idea of creating a screenplay myself but am far too lazy to embark on such a quest. Imagine my delight when I heard that it was finally being made into a movie. Imagine my dismay when I actually saw the film. Soooo disappointing! Soooo bad.

On the other hand, I think that Peter Sollett did an excellent job directing the film version of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Michael Cera and Kat Dennings really brought Nick and Norah to life so much so that I think I actually enjoy the film more than the book.

So I'll look forward to The Perks of Being a Wallflower with a grain of salt. If you haven't yet had the chance to read it, I recommend you do so before the film, good or bad, comes to town. There's something special about reading a story before seeing its adaptation on screen. But that's a conversation for another time.

If you'd like to see what book/film pairings the Library has, take a gander here. Otherwise I'd love to hear what some of your favorite adaptations are.

Tiger's Curse

by Colleen Houck
Coming soon to WPPL!
402 p. 2011 Fiction
Grade: A


Tiger's Curse steps into a reality that is modern day, but with magic from the past. Curses, traps and prophecies are everywhere, especially when it comes to a prince who has betrayed his younger brother over a girl.

Now, roughly 500 years later, the person who yields the key to the Buddhist curse has arrived. What will happen when this person, Kelsey, finds out that her beloved tiger, Ren, is the cursed prince? Better yet, what's going to happen between Kelsey and Ren when they both find out Ren can turn back into his human form for selected amounts of time per day? Will anything grow between them when they are constantly fighting for their lives against mythological creatures? Tiger's Curse is the first volume in The Tiger Saga.

Reviewed by teen volunteer Maggie K.

The Librarian Chick says, "Check out the book trailer below!"

Teenage brain trapped in old(ish) woman

While scouring the stacks for moldy, oldy books I could get rid of to make room for shiny new ones, I stopped to peruse I Can't Keep My Own Secrets. This cool little book is full of 6-word memoirs written by "teens famous and obscure." So, yeah, I'm not a teen. I thought it would be fun to include mine in the subject line anyway.

Here were some of my favorites:

Told you I'd be published someday! - Kay A.

First I hone; then I pwn. - Dan G.

Living my dream; please sent money. - Brittney L.

Aspiration: colonize Mars. You're not invited. Jordan H.

I never got my Hogwarts letter. - Deanna H.

Dan saved my life; doesn't know. - Stephanie H.

Take me back to swings, fireflies. Cimara D.

Views on love, life, universe: TBA. - Charlotte T.



What would your six-word memoir be?