TAYSHAS Book 1?

One day, about a week and a half ago, I found myself in the school library. I like our librarians very much, and enjoy talking to them. How could I not? They, like me, love books!

While I was visiting, it was suggested to me that since I read alot, I should read books from the TAYSHAS list. I am still learning about what the TAYSHAS list is exactly, but it appears, so far, to be a list of books that librarians in Texas think young adults should read. The librarians let me peruse the list of possibilities for this year's list. Honestly, I was only familiar with two books on the entire list: one because I've read something by the author, and the other because I was intrigued by the book on many different trips to Target.

The book I ended up reading first was The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern. This was the one I kept coming across at Target. The librarian told me the book was good but there were things that would bother me, being an English teacher and all.  She was right. The book starts out a bit slow, but once you get into it, you want to know how it ends. The bothersome part is that the book is written in present tense, a writing no-no when telling a story. Once I got used to that, however, it wasn't a big deal.

The book itself is about a "competition" between the pupils of two great magicians. A duel to the death, if you will.  The "battleground" of the "competition" is a circus that is only open at night. This circus is like no other because it is controlled by magic. To be entirely truthful, I am not even sure that my imagination gave that circus justice. The details were intricate, and I wanted to be in the circus itself, but I am fairly certain it would've been better that I could have imagined. I have a pretty active imagination, so I think that is saying something.

As always, I don't want to give anything away, and I am afraid that if I go on much more, I will. Read the book. It has elements that are like being a child again, with all the wonder that is involved in the circus.