The monthly recommendations are up. Take a gander.
Have you read anything good lately?
March 1, 2011
February 15, 2011
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.
February 8, 2011
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!"
February 3, 2011
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?
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?
January 19, 2011
Last "Best Of " list, I promise
The TAB (Teen Advisory Board) has spoken. At the theaters in 2010, they laughed. They cried. They hurled at hideousness and revelled in Harry Potter. They argued and voted and came up with not only their list of favorite movies of 2010 but also the worst movies of the year. I think they're over the 3-D craze. And some films make appearances on both lists--go figure.
The Best
10. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
9. Vampires Suck
8. Iron Man 2
7. Kick-Ass
6. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief
5. Easy A
4. Letters to Juliet
3. Tangled
2. Toy Story 3
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1
The Worst
10. The Twlight Saga: Eclipse
9. Pirhana 3-D
8. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief
7. Tron: Evolution
6. Clash of the Titans
5. The Other Guys
4. Step Up 3-D
3. Yogi Bear 3-D
2. The Spy Next Door
1. Little Fockers
January 12, 2011
Lisa's Favorite Books of 2010
I can't keep up. There are SO MANY teen books on my "To Be Read" list that it's impossible to read all the latest. I did really enjoy some of the 2010 books that I managed to read. I'd like to share my Top Ten with you and would love to hear what books you enjoyed reading this past year.
10. Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder is a cleanly written and heartfelt verse novel about coping with grief and renewing hope for the future.
9. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern was a lot of fun to read because I have so many friends like the ones Jessie makes. A breezy read and a hint of romance too.
8. This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer was the conclusion to a harrowing series of books about what would happen if the moon's orbit got knocked off kilter and moved just a wee bit closer to us. The first book was excellent, the second one good and the third a melding of the first two. Intense!
7. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE The Hunger Games. I found this end to the trilogy to be rather bleak, but then what can one expect from a dystopian world? Collins is still a great writer, and I'm still on Team Katniss. I just wish the final chapter wasn't such a bummer.
6. Numbers by Rachel Ward was another bummer but exciting as well. Jem and Spider have the language of street kids, which is a bit tough to take, but the storyline was magnetic and intriguing. Would I want to have Jem's special ability? I think not!
5. Fang by James Patterson was a definite improvement on the previous two entries in the Maximum Ride series. There's less focus on the Go Environment! plot that seemed out-of-place when it was introduced in The Final Warning, and the romantic tension between Max and Fang was exciting. Angel is coming out soon!
4. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi just won the 2011 Printz Award and deservedly so. It's another dystopian setting, but the premise is fresh and unusual. I don't think we've seen the last of Nailer and crew.
3. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare was an excellent introduction to a new series! I was sad when The Mortal Instruments ended, then happy when I heard there would be another volume after all. Then I was impatient when I learned that another series would begin before that and happy to know that a character from Mortal Instruments would be putting in an appearance. And this was all BEFORE I read Clockwork Angel. Clare's writing is still exciting, and I actually think I liked this one MORE than City of Glass. Looking forward to the next books in BOTH series.
2. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver was a surprise. I was surprised by how much empathy I had for the mean girl protagonist. Surprised by the Groundhog Dayesque structure of the story. Surprised that I had so much trouble reading the last chapter because my eyes were blurry with tears. It's wonderfully written, and I heartily recommend it.
1. Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft is one of those books that most people will never hear of. It will never get the kind of publicity that Twilight, Lighting Thief and the Hunger Games get. But I fell in love with the Wesselhoeft's beautiful, lyrical language, and I was devastated along with Jonathan over the loss of his brother.
Wow, I just realized that almost all of the books on my Top Ten list deal with death in one way or another. I guess that's just what kind of year 2010 was. How was it for you?
10. Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder is a cleanly written and heartfelt verse novel about coping with grief and renewing hope for the future.
9. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern was a lot of fun to read because I have so many friends like the ones Jessie makes. A breezy read and a hint of romance too.
8. This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer was the conclusion to a harrowing series of books about what would happen if the moon's orbit got knocked off kilter and moved just a wee bit closer to us. The first book was excellent, the second one good and the third a melding of the first two. Intense!
7. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE The Hunger Games. I found this end to the trilogy to be rather bleak, but then what can one expect from a dystopian world? Collins is still a great writer, and I'm still on Team Katniss. I just wish the final chapter wasn't such a bummer.
6. Numbers by Rachel Ward was another bummer but exciting as well. Jem and Spider have the language of street kids, which is a bit tough to take, but the storyline was magnetic and intriguing. Would I want to have Jem's special ability? I think not!
5. Fang by James Patterson was a definite improvement on the previous two entries in the Maximum Ride series. There's less focus on the Go Environment! plot that seemed out-of-place when it was introduced in The Final Warning, and the romantic tension between Max and Fang was exciting. Angel is coming out soon!
4. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi just won the 2011 Printz Award and deservedly so. It's another dystopian setting, but the premise is fresh and unusual. I don't think we've seen the last of Nailer and crew.
3. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare was an excellent introduction to a new series! I was sad when The Mortal Instruments ended, then happy when I heard there would be another volume after all. Then I was impatient when I learned that another series would begin before that and happy to know that a character from Mortal Instruments would be putting in an appearance. And this was all BEFORE I read Clockwork Angel. Clare's writing is still exciting, and I actually think I liked this one MORE than City of Glass. Looking forward to the next books in BOTH series.
2. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver was a surprise. I was surprised by how much empathy I had for the mean girl protagonist. Surprised by the Groundhog Dayesque structure of the story. Surprised that I had so much trouble reading the last chapter because my eyes were blurry with tears. It's wonderfully written, and I heartily recommend it.
1. Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft is one of those books that most people will never hear of. It will never get the kind of publicity that Twilight, Lighting Thief and the Hunger Games get. But I fell in love with the Wesselhoeft's beautiful, lyrical language, and I was devastated along with Jonathan over the loss of his brother.
Wow, I just realized that almost all of the books on my Top Ten list deal with death in one way or another. I guess that's just what kind of year 2010 was. How was it for you?
January 6, 2011
White Cat
by Holly Black
YA SciFi Black H
310 p. 2010 SciFi
Grade: A
An extremely creative novel mingling magic and the mob. White Cat has extremely clever and delightful twists. You've gotta love the protagonist, Cassel, and his fascinating family, from his hoarder mother who calls from jail, his "death worker" grandfather, brothers of dubious morals and of course, the mystery of the white cat. Highly recommended. Dying for the sequel. Black's best novel to date.
Reviewed by Teen Lit Club member Mary G.
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