T List #6

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

This book was ok. It is described as a book about two star crossed lovers, and I guess this is true. They don't die at the end, so it's not like another pair of star crossed lovers we all are familiar with.

Eleanor and Park meet on the school bus. Eleanor is the new girl, and no one wants her to sit in their seat, but in the end, Park lets her into his. Park thinks she is weird, to put it mildly. For weeks, they don't talk, but Park notices that she reads his comic books while he is reading them. They become friends, but soon become much more.

Eleanor's home life sucks. The reason she is a new student is because she is finally home. She has been staying with friends for a year because her asshole stepfather kicked her out. She has four younger siblings, and all five of them have to share a room. The one bathroom in the house doesn't have a door, so there is no privacy for anyone, and her stepfather is abusive to her mother. Everyone has to walk on eggshells.

Eleanor and Park start to become closer. She lies to be able to spend time with Park at his house. Eleanor is tormented at school. Horrible notes are left on Eleanor's school books. Once she figures out who is doing it, she knows she must leave. Park helps her, then all communication is cut off.

My main problem with this book is that Park and Eleanor barely know each other, but, Park especially, act like they are each other's one true love forever. Maybe they are, but they are only sixteen.

T list #5

Scowler by Daniel Kraus

I. Hated. This. Book.

I can do creepy, and I can do weird, but I can't do this book.

First of all, roughly fifty pages in, I had to read about an @$$h0le sewing his wife to a mattress. Very graphic, and it made me physically ill.

Then, the book jumps around from time to time. Typically, this is ok, but it would flashback then come to the present and chronicle every single hour. Aggravating.

At its core, this book is about a teenager named Ry. He lives on a farm with his little sister and his mother. His father is in jail, presumably, for sewing his wife to the mattress and nearly killing Ry. A meteorite his the prison where he is housed, and the dad, Marvin, escapes. He makes his way back to his family's farm just as they are preparing to move away.  Another meteorite hits the farm, and all Marvin can see are dollar signs. He thinks he can make money off of the meteorite, and live in obscurity.

A little about Ry... After his father tried to kill him, he went a little nutzo. He had three toys that were real to him. As in, they talked and had personalities. Ry had been living without them for some time, but with his crazy father coming back and threatening them (and killing at least two men), these toys come back to life. In fact, one attacks the father and tries to kill him.

Again, I hated this book. I forced myself to give it a chance, and it had no redeeming qualities, in my opinion.

T List #4

Reality Boy by A.S. King

I didn't really know what I was getting into when I selected this book this week.  Gerald, the protagonist, was on a reality show, but I assumed that it was something he wanted to do, like Real World. Instead, we find out that he was on a show, the first time, when he was five. It was one of those Supernanny type shows, where someone comes to make the children and parents behave like civilized members of society. Gerald had no choice in this, but his mother made sure that he knew he was the reason they were selected for the show.

They were selected because Gerald was acting out: punching holes in walls, and defecating in various places (in shoes, on the dining room table, etc). It takes a while, but we find out that Gerald acts out because his oldest sister, Tasha, is a psychopath who tries to smother and drown Gerald and his other sister, Lisi, on multiple occasions. Gerald's mother dotes on Tasha, even though Tasha is abusive to her too. Gerald is even put in special education classes because Tasha and his mother think he is "retarded," even though he isn't.

The book takes place right around the time Gerald turns seventeen. Lisi has moved to Scotland to get away from the crazy sister and their mother who does nothing about it. Gerald's father is unhappy because he feels stuck in a marriage with a crazy woman, and in a house with his overly promiscuous oldest daughter. There are some flashbacks where the reader can see what was going on at the time of the filming for the tv show.

Gerald has a job. He works the concession stand at a sports and entertainment arena. This is where he meets Hannah. He has had a crush on her from afar because he believes that no one will ever, can ever love him. Ultimately, Hannah shows him that he is wrong.

There is so much more going on in this book, I can't cover it all here without it becoming a book itself. I enjoyed this one a great deal.

TAYSHAS 2014 Book 3

Butter by Erin Jade Lange

Butter is a sixteen year old, 423 pound, Scottsdale high school student. Butter likes a girl named Anna, who doesn't know he exists. Not really anyway; she knows JP, her online boyfriend, who is actually Butter. Butter is a badass saxophone player, but keeps that mostly to himself. His mother shows her love through food, which is part of the problem, and his father ignores him because of the weight. Butter is unhappy, so he decides he's going to kill himself by eating himself to death. Some of the "mean" kids at school see his website, and "befriend" him. Of course, they aren't his real friends; they just want to see if Butter is going to go through with it. On some level, Butter knows they aren't really his friends, but he puts up with it because they are finally paying attention to him.

As the day draws near, Butter starts to wonder if he will be able to follow through with his plans. He likes the attention, and, strangely, he has started to lose weight. He just wants to belong.

Will he eat himself to death, or not?

The TAYSHAS List Has Been Released....

and this book wasn't on it. Grrr.

Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan

As I was perusing the stack of potential TAYSHAS books last Tuesday (the list was released to me on Thursday), I came across a familiar name: David Levithan. He wrote Every Day, which was on last year's list. I loved that book, so I thought I'd give this one a shot.

Let's just say the guy has a penchant for weird, impossible situations.

Stephen is a sixteen year old boy living alone in New York City. Alone because his mother is dead, and his father bailed on him when he was younger. He bailed because he couldn't deal with the fact that Stephen is invisible. Like, really invisible, as in NO ONE CAN SEE HIM. It was too hard for Stephen's dad, so he went and made a life for himself elsewhere. He still takes care of Stephen, from afar.

One day, Stephen comes home from a walk around Central Park, and sees a girl. Miraculously, she can see him too. This is such a shock to Stephen's system that he is not sure how to act. Never fear, though, he figures it out. The girl, by the way, is Elizabeth. She has moved to New York with her brother, Laurie, and her mother from Minnesota, where Laurie was brutally beaten for being gay. Elizabeth and Stephen spend a lot of time together and fall in love. They also find out that Stephen is invisible because his mother was cursed by her father before he was born.

Stephen's grandfather, apparently, has been looking for him a long time. The grandfather is a cursemaker, and derives great joy at what he does. Stephen's grandfather ends up in New York, and we learn that Elizabeth is a spellseeker, meaning she can see, and sometimes remove, curses placed on people. Unfortunately, the curse Stephen's grandfather placed on him is too much for her to remove. Stephen's grandfather finds Stephen, and all hell breaks loose.

Will the curse be broken so Stephen will no longer be invisible?

A Cinderella Story, Sort Of

Skinny by Donna Cooner

I read the blurb, and it sounded good. This is another possible TAYSHAS book.

Ever is fifteen and weighs a little over three hundred pounds. She has a voice in her head that puts her down at every turn. Ever has a stepmother and two stepsisters. She has tried every diet under the sun, but nothing seems to work. Ultimately, she decides to have gastric bypass done. Her best friend, Rat, is by her side through the whole ordeal.

When school starts, Ever finds herself mixing with the popular crowd. Finally, the boy she "loves" notices her, and hopes that the new Ever can win him over. Also, all Ever wants is to be the lead in the school musical. She takes drama class so she can do this.

Will the boy of her dreams be hers?

On a side note, I enjoyed the fact that this book takes place in Huntsville, Texas. Huntsville is about forty-five minutes from where I live, and it is where I went to college, where my son goes to college now. I loved the attention to detail about Huntsville. She mentioned Mackenzie's Barbecue and Tinsley's Chicken, the Sam Houston Statue and Old Sparky. She talked about going to Lake Conroe and the Galleria. It was awesome, until she discussed the "Fall Ball." This is where you know the author is not from around here. We don't have "Fall Balls" in Texas. We have Homecoming, and it's a big deal. A little more research would've helped with that, but it doesn't really take away from the book.

A Tale of Two Sisters

All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin

I wasn't kidding with the title I gave this post. This really is a tale of two sisters, Alex and Thea. Alex is the blond, popular older sister, but, for some reason unknown to Thea, she has undergone a change recently. Thea is a year younger, and would do anything to be popular like her sister. She also has a crush on Alex's boyfriend. Basically, she wants to be Alex.

The girls' mother has recently remarried a go-zillionaire, so the girls have everything they could possibly want. Thea laps the wealth up, but Alex almost hates it. They live in a ginormous house in Greenwich, Connecticut, and they both drive brand new cars.

The book starts on Thursday. Alex is having a mental issue, and Thea is at school trying to worm her way into the popular crowd. Since their parents are out of town, Thea thinks it is a fine idea to throw a party. She thinks that if people can see where she lives, Camelot, that she will become popular. Alex just doesn't care.

All the events leading up to this party are told alternately by both sisters.  We also get a glimpse of why Alex is acting the way she is. Interesting book.

After Sookie

After Dead by Charlaine Harris

I can't believe I spent $12 on this book! It takes an alphabetical approach to tell you about every single character who was still living at the end of the last Sookie Stackhouse book. I was hoping for a novella that had a few stories about Eric, Bill, Pam, Alcide, Sookie, Sam, etc. I guess this technically fits the bill, but I read it in under an hour.

Girl, Found

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

I didn't want to put this one down. I was so intrigued by the story.

This is about Carey. She grew up in the Hundred Acre Woods, but it is not the same as where Pooh and Tigger live. She is fourteen and she lives in the woods with her little sister, Jenessa. They have a camper, but no electricity or running water. Their mother leaves them for weeks at a time, and Nessa has selective mutism.

One day, a couple find them in the woods, and it turns out to be Carey's father. Apparently, her mother kidnapped Carey from her father some ten years before. He rescues the girls and takes them home. Carey finds it difficult to find comfort, but this is because she has a secret that preys on her mind. Finally, she makes peace with the past so she can accept her present/future.

Interesting Title

Dear Life, You Suck by Scott Blagden

With a title like that, how can one not be intrigued?

I went to the library on Monday during my conference period, on a mission to locate a dvd or vhs copy of the "movie" I was showing to my classes. While there, I chatted with the librarians. By the way, if you teach, make friends with the librarians because they will take care of you. Mine are awesome, and I like going to visit them. Anyway, the nominees for this year's TAYSHAS list had been pulled, and the librarians graciously allowed me to go through the stacks so I can read some of them. I narrowed my choices to four, and I chose this one-because of the title.

This book is actually very good. The language is not necessarily appropriate, but, given the audience it was written for, it works because that is how teenagers talk.

As it turns out, this book is about a seventeen year old boy named Cricket Cherpin. I know, haha. Cricket is an orphan who lives in an institution that was once a prison in Maine. Cricket is a bit of a trouble maker. The book begins with Cricket in the principal's office, receiving suspension for fighting a classmate. To be fair, he doesn't start these fights, and he fights those who are bullying others.

In English, Cricket is given an assignment that forces him to assess his life. He's nearly eighteen, and, due to his behavior, will not be allowed to live at the orphanage after he comes of age. Upon reflection, he realizes he has three choices for his future: as a fighter/boxer, drug dealer, or dead. He's leaning heavily toward choice number three. He becomes closer to a girl named Wynona, and he sees himself differently.

Loved this. Too bad the language will probably keep it from being a TAYSHAS book.

Infernal Devices #3

Infernal Devices Book 3: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Of the three, this is the best. It touches you heart, there's action and adventure, and closure.

Jem and Tessa are to be married, but Jem is very ill and there is nothing to save him at this point. Mortmain is still out to get Tessa, and make her a weapon against the Nephilim. Gabriel Lightwood becomes less of an ass, and Charlotte could lose the London Institute. We finally find out the truth about what Tessa is.

My only complaint about the book was the epilogue. It seemed contrived, as though the author needed to tie up loose ends.

Mistress

Mistress by James Patterson

Sadly, it took me a week to read a book that should have only taken a few hours. Looking back though, I'm glad it took me longer. I was able to savor it more. I also had mixed feelings at the end. Part of me was glad to be done so I could move on to something else, and part of me wanted it to go on and on.

This book is about Ben. Ben is in love with Diana, but she doesn't seem to return his feelings. She asked him to do something, and then, as he's leaving, Diana goes splat on the ground. She either commits suicide or is murdered. Ben feels like it is up to him to find out which it is and why. In doing this, Ben puts his own life in danger, and has to visit events from his own past. Solving this mystery with Ben is fun.

What I like about Ben is that his mind wanders. He reminded me of myself in that regard, and that is why I think I connected more with him than other characters I read. In light of that, I hope Patterson turns this into a series. I am not sure that it would be possible, but I love the idea of it.

Infernal Devices, part deux

Infernal Devices book 2: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

This book begins right after the events in Clockwork Angel. Tessa finds herself meeting with the Clave about Mortmain. Additionally, Charlotte could lose conservatorship of the London Institute if they don't find Mortmain in a fortnight's time. On top of that, Will is, literally, wrestling with demons. Apparently, he was cursed before he came to the institute, and that is why he won't let anyone be close to him or love him, but Jem.

Will they find Mortmain in time? Will Charlotte keep the Institute? Can Will finally let people in? Read this and you'll see.

Newest Cousins' War Novel

The White Princess by Philippa Gregory

This one is about Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward and Elizabeth Woodville. She is the wife of Henry VII, and mother of Henry VIII. I didn't know much about her going in because most of the books I've read about the Tudor dynasty just gloss over her like she didn't matter. It's too bad this is fiction because we'll never know if she was as noble a soul as she is in this novel.

Infernal Devices

Infernal Devices book 1: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I knew when I finished books 1-5 of The Mortal Instruments series that I would read this series as well. It is set in Victorian England, so the characters aren't the same, but we are introduced to some of the ancestors of the characters we love.

This book focuses on Tessa, who is not a Shadowhunter, but is a Downworlder of some kind. She can change into other people, if she has something that belongs to them.

Tessa comes to England to be with her brother, Nate. He is the only family she has left. When she gets to England, she is duped by the Dark Sisters into believing that they will be bringing her to Nate. Instead, they keep her for their own nefarious designs, that were set out by the Magister.  One particularly bad day, Will Herondale rescues Tessa. Tessa believes something bad has happened to her brother, and the Shadowhunters vow to help her find him.

Find him they do, and ultimately discover that he is aligned with the magister.

Not Quite What I Thought it Would Be

Firegirl by Tony Abbott

I bought this and read it because it was another recommendation by James Patterson. I enjoyed the first book he recommended, so I thought I'd take his advice on this one too.

If I were a seventh grader, this would've been a good read. I am not in that age range, so it bored me a bit. Given the title, I expected the book to primarily be about a girl who had been injured in a fire. That was not the case.

This book is about Tom, who goes to a Catholic school, and is friends with a boy named Jeff. Tom is into Cobras, and Jeff tells Tom that his uncle owns one. Jeff is one of those jerky kids you hope your child doesn't befriend.

One day, Jessica joins their class and she is badly burned. No one talks to Jessica, and no one wants to be around her. One day, Tom is asked to take Jessica's homework to her at home, and he learns more about her situation. Tom essentially becomes Jessica's only friend. It doesn't matter though, because she moves away. Tom finds out he is a better person because of his relationship with Jessica.

The one big surprise in the book is that Jeff's uncle really does have a Cobra. I thought that little jerk was lying about it the whole time.

Looks Like a Girlie Book....

But it's not.

Matched by Ally Condie looks like a young adult, pre-teen, girlie book. The cover is light spring green, and it has a girl in a ball gown on the cover in a glass ball.  I thought it was going to be a love story, and I guess in a way, it was. At it's core though, this book is a dystopian novel.

The society runs everything. They decide what you eat, what your job is, where you live, who you marry, and, for the most part, when you die. Crazy, right?

The book starts out at Cassia's matching ceremony. When young people turn seventeen, they are matched with their future mate. They have a big dinner, and the participants dress up for it. Cassia finds out that she is matched with her childhood friend, Xander. That alone is unusual. When Cassia looks at her microchip about her match, she finds not only Xander, but another childhood friend, Ky.

Ky, it turns out, was a mistaken match. He is an aberration, and they aren't allowed to marry. We never find out why Ky is an aberration, but this doesn't change Cassia's friendship with him. Then Cassia finds she is falling for Ky. This is not supposed to happen. Ky and Cassia share secrets, and test the boundaries of the Society.

I cannot share more without giving away what happens at the end. It was pretty good though. I will have to borrow the rest of the series from the library to see what happens.

Summer Book #18

Mortal Instruments #5: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Not sure if this is the final installment, but I hope it isn't. This was a couples book in a lot of ways. Clary and Jace, Alec and Magnus, Maia and Jordan, and Izzy and Simon. A couples book, but not all kissy-kissy, lovey-dovey.

As always, there's a crisis. This time, Jace is aligned with Sebastian/Jonathan because at the end of book four, he was an idiot and gave S/J his blood. Sebastian/Jonathan wants to create his own race of shadowhunters, but using demon blood instead of angel blood. Not good. Jace goes with this because he now has no choice. If something injures or kills Sebastian/Jonathan, it will do the same to Jace. Clary, because she loves Jace, goes to 'help' them. In a way, I wish she wouldn't have. She knew that Jace wasn't her Jace, and she let things go too far.

Anyway, Simon, Izzy, Magnus, and Alec have found a way to sever the ties between Jace and Sebastian/Jonathan. Will they get there in time, or will S/J's evil plan come about?

Summer Book #17

Mortal Instruments #4: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

For the record, it's hard to write my reviews of these books without giving anything away.

Admittedly, although I liked this book, it was not as good as the previous three. In terms of a plot diagram, it would be the falling action. Yes, exciting things happen, but not near what happened in the predecessors.

This book features Simon far more than the other books did. Simon, at the beginning, is dating both Maia and Isabelle. Oops! Because he is a Daylighter, many people are after him; they want his power.

Clary and Jace, they finally get to be together, but everything is NOT sunshine and roses. Jace is more distant than ever, and Clary doesn't know what that's about. Plus, Clary's mother is finally going to marry Luke, although that didn't happen in this book.

Summer Book #16

Mortal Instruments Book 3: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

This book finds them all in Idris. Clary needs to go to find the man who can help heal her mother. Jace and the Lightwoods need to go because there is some big meeting and all Shadowhunters are expected to attend. Jace doesn't want Clary to go, so he lies about the time they are leaving, but asks Simon to explain this to Clary. Too bad it doesn't work that way. As Jace and the Lightwoods are leaving through a portal, they are attacked by demons. Simon is hurt, so he is taken through the portal too. Oops. Downworlders are not allowed.

Clary finds out that Jace and the Lightwoods left without her. She uses her 'powers' to create a portal of her own to get to Idris. Luke comes with her. Again, Oops.

The Shadowhunters prepare for war with Valentine. We are introduced to Sebastian, who is not who he seems to be. Jocelyn shows up in Idris. Valentine has all he needs to summon Raziel, and a huge bombshell is dropped. (A bombshell that I figured out in the first 150 pages, I might add.)

As good ad the series has been so far, this is the best one, and the longest. I didn't really notice the length, though, because I couldn't/didn't want to put this one down.

Summer Book #15

The Mortal Instruments Book 2: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

In this installment, bad guy Valentine already has one of the mortal instruments, and is trying to get the second, a sword. Not only that, but he needs the blood of Downworlders in order to change the properties of the sword to do his awful bidding.

The Lightwoods, Jace's adoptive family, come back from Idris because they have heard that Valentine is "back from the dead," and Mrs. Lightwood is convinced that Jace is helping Valentine with his evil deeds. She brings in the Inquisitor from the Clave, who job is to determine if Jace is telling the truth about his dealings with Valentine. Unfortunately, this Inquisitor is highly prejudiced against Jace, and doesn't want to believe he is telling the truth even though he is.

Clary, on the other hand, is just trying to find balance in her life. She wants normalcy, but also wants to be a Shadowhunter. She even tries to have a 'romantic' relationship with Simon, who will have his own major issues to deal with.

Ugh! So much happens, but if I covered them all, it would give so much away. Just read this series. This is a set you won't regret.     

Summer Book #14

The Mortal Instruments Book 1: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

After my last impulse book buy at Target, I was somewhat leery about another one. This time, my husband pointed out the book, noticed it was made into a movie coming out soon, and told me I should read it. This time, the Target book impulse buy was a success.

Clary lives in New York with her mother, Jocelyn. Her father died in a car accident before she was born. He best friend is Simon, who, as it turns out, has an enormous crush on her. One night at a club, Clary sees a blue haired guy, and decides to follow him. She sees him get killed by three teenagers. Blue haired boy is a demon, and the teenagers are Shadowhunters. One hitch, no one can see them, except Clary. They leave the club, and Clary goes on with her life.

Fast forward a couple of days... Clary is at a coffee shop with Simon after having a fight with her mother, and one of the teenagers no one else can see shows up. His name is Jace. Clary goes to talk to Jace, and receives a frantic call from her mother. Jace and Clary go to her house, only to find the place ransacked and Jocelyn gone. They are attacked by a ravener, and Clary's life is changed forever.

Clary finds out that her mother was a Shadowhunter herself, and Clary is at least half Shadowhunter, which is why she can see things she shouldn't, and kill raveners. Jocelyn, they find out, is kidnapped by her former husband, Valentine, who is an evil dude. Think Lord Voldemort, except hotter (I saw the trailer!).  He's looking for the Mortal Cup so he can create an army and rule the world. He must be stopped!

Anyway, Clary and her friends try to stop Valentine. There's a bit of a love triangle that works itself out, and secrets are revealed.

I enjoyed this book. In fact, I am going tomorrow to get the next one, and I plan to see the movie when it comes out in a couple of weeks.

Summer Book #13

The Color of Water by James McBride

This is the third, and last, book that a coworker gave to me when she retired this year. Considering that we didn't know each other that well, she was spot on in the books she gave me: I enjoyed all three.

In this book, the author tells not only his story, but the story of his mother, Ruth. His mother was white, and the daughter of an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi. The author is her eighth child. His father was black. The author's parents married at a time when mixed marriages were illegal. Ruth was cut off from her family for marrying a black man. In fact, her family considered her dead.

The book tells of the author finding out who he is by finding about his mother's past.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Both Ruth and James led interesting lives.

Summer Book #12

Nevermore by James Patterson

This is the final book in the Maximum Ride series. Typically, it is up to Max to save the world.  This time is no different really, except that she doesn't have to do it until the very end. Most of this book has to do with Max examining her feelings about the men in her life.

First, there is Fang. She's known him forever, and they do everything together. The problem is, everything became too much for Fang, and he left the Flock a couple of books ago to try to figure things out. Then, there's Dylan. He was genetically created to be Max's perfect mate. Everything he does is for her.

Sadly, what this book boiled down to was who should Max choose? She makes her choice and I won't ruin it for you.

In a way, I am glad to see this series come to an end. Really, how many times and in how many ways is Max supposed to save the world? The whole premise has gotten old. Plus, the last couple of books have seemed to push the liberal agenda: global warming, overpopulation is going to cause the end of the world, etc. I don't buy into that stuff, and reading it really irritated me.

On the other hand, I will miss Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, Angel and Total. I have come to know and love them over the course of this series, and it will be sad to miss out on their adult lives.

Summer Book #11

Fallen by Lauren Kate

This book is described as fascinating and scary. It was fascinating to a degree, but scary not at all. Lame is more like it. There are four more books in this set, and I don't want to read any of them. There was so much potential here, and it was wasted.

Luce ends up at a reform school because she may or may not have been involved in the death of a classmate at her former boarding school.  She meets interesting people, befriends some of them, receives the ire of others, and becomes interested in two boys. One boy makes it obvious that he is into Luce.  That would be Cam. The other boy, Daniel, Luce feels she has a connection she can't describe, even though he wants nothing to do with her.

Turns out these boys, as well as most of Luce's friends, are angels. Some are good, some bad. There's a fight for good and evil, and people die. Luce escapes with Daniel's help. The end.

Not impressed at all with this. I spent $4 on it, and way too much of my time that I won't get back.

Summer Book #10

Inferno by Dan Brown

This is the fourth and most recent offering in the Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown. Because it is part of a series, there are things that are "required" at this point to occur in the book. Robert will be solving a mystery involving symbols and art. There will be a gorgeous female sidekick. He will trust the wrong person. All of these were present in this one. I am not saying this makes Inferno a predictable and boring book, quite the opposite.

To be honest, I did not know what to expect from Inferno. I read DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons several years ago, when all the hubbub about the former was going on. I enjoyed both of those books immensely, and couldn't put them down. Then, a few years ago, The Lost Symbol was released, and I didn't enjoy it at all. Inferno was just as enjoyable as the first two in the series, I am happy to say.

Inferno begins, and we find Robert in Florence in a hospital because he's been shot. The doctor who helps him, Sienna Brooks, explains to Robert that his injury has caused temporary amnesia. This diagnosis is helpful because Robert has no idea why he's in Florence. Then, the person who is 'after' Robert shows up at the hospital, so Robert and Sienna flee. Sienna manages to get part of Robert's clothes, which includes a clue that Robert must solve.

This clue is a projection of a piece of artwork depicting Dante's hell. There are inaccuracies in the image, and Robert realizes that this must be why he is in Florence. Another mystery to solve. Robert and Sienna are being followed by soldiers in black, so they have that added stress while trying to solve this mystery. 

I should point out that 'the bad guy' who set up the mystery Robert is trying to solve is a huge fan of Dante's Divine Comedy, primarily Inferno.  And this guy is really bad; he wants to release a plague on the Earth to control the population.

Robert and Sienna traverse Florence, figuring out the pieces to the puzzle, which lead them to Venice and then Isanbul. Of course Robert solves the puzzle, but is it in time?

As I said, I enjoyed this book. In addition to the mystery aspect of the story, it has made me want to see Florence. I learned a great deal about the city, as well as being entertained.

Summer Book #9

The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon

This was one that popped up on one of my many Facebook pages of Kindle books. I paid for this one, but it was less than $2. As usual, with these cheap or free books, you never know what you're going to get. Just because the blurb they give you sounds good, doesn't mean the book will be good. I guess that is technically true with any book. :)

This book is told in the present, or close to it (2010), as well as in flashback. The main character is Regina-Reggie-and when she was thirteen, a serial killer, Neptune, was terrorizing her town. This serial killer would kidnap a woman, on the second day, he'd deliver their severed right hand to the police station steps, and on the fourth day, kill her and display her body in a public place.

In 1985, Reggie's mother was the fourth woman taken. Her hand was found, but her body never turned up. In 2010, he mother turns up. Alive. Reggie goes home to be with her mother, but it doesn't take long for Neptune to be back to his old tricks. Reggie's childhood friend is his new victim.

The book tells the story of Reggie's life at age 13 to lay the groundwork to help solve the case. Honestly, the identity of Neptune was a surprise to me. Not who I expected at all. Great book though.

Summer Book #8

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown by Claire Ridgeway

Much like the other Anne Boleyn book I read recently, I already knew the information. I am practically kicking myself for reading two books about her, by the same author, so close together. What was nice about this one is that the author broke it down, day by day, so the reader knew what happened at the end of Anne's Boleyn's life.  In many ways, this was more informative than most Anne Boleyn biographies.

Something that irritated me though, were the times that the author would include quotes from the primary sources, but not bother to translate them into modern English. Rules of spelling, apparently, did not apply in the 16th century, so sometimes it was hard to make out the information that was being presented.

Not a bad book, but, as I said, I wish I hadn't read it right after the other one.

Summer Book #7

Second Honeymoon by James Patterson

In this current offering by Patterson, someone is killing people while on their honeymoon. First up, the son of a wealthy, New York businessman. The businessman wants to know who killed his son and his bride, so he hires John O'Hara, a currently suspended FBI guy.

O'Hara has problems of his own. The man who killed his wife in a drunk driving accident is getting out of prison soon, and he has been having homicidal thoughts about the guy. No worries; he's seeing a shrink for that.

In addition to that, there's a deranged, escaped lunatic who is on a mission to kill men named John O'Hara. He is doing this because a man named John O'Hara (namely our hero) killed his beloved sister. And I do mean beloved, as in sick, twisted, unnatural love.

Enter Sarah, who is on the John O'Hara case. They, Sarah and John, actually team up to solve both the cases.

I enjoyed this, but that's no surprise. There are twists and turns, and nothing is totally given away until it is supposed to be. Can't wait for the next one.

Summer Book #6

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

What is it about books about the Holocaust that make them so good? Why are we (me) fascinated by these books? I don't know the answer to these questions, but I do know that I have never met a Holocaust related book that I didn't like. This was no exception.

Liesel Meminger is our heroine. At the beginning, her mother, her brother, and herself are on their way to Molching so that Liesel and her brother can be placed with a foster family. Honestly, I must have missed the why on that. On the way, Liesel's brother dies, and this is when Liesel "steals" her first book. She's only nine when this happens. Once she gets to Molching, she lives with the Hubermans, Hans and Rosa. Rosa is gruff, and Hans is loving. Liesel takes to him right away. Hans teaches Liesel to read, and comforts her when she wakes from nightmares.

Liesel is also friends with the neighbor boy, Rudy Steiner, the boy with the lemon colored hair. They get along well, play soccer together, and steal together. They steal mostly food and books. Most of the books are stolen from the mayor's wife, Ilsa.

A year or so after Liesel comes to live with the Hubermans, a Jew shows up on their doorstep.  The Hubermans take him (Max) in, honoring a promise Hans made long ago. Max lives in the basement, and despite being a Jew, he becomes like family to the Hubermans.

So much happens in this book, that there is no way for me to cover it all here. Just read it; it's so worth your time.

Oh, I almost forgot....the book is told from Death's point of view. This was a nice change of pace, and I think it made the deaths in the book hurt less. Read it, and you'll understand what I mean by that.

Summer Book #5

The Anne Boleyn Collection-The Real Truth About the Tudors by Claire Ridgeway

A couple of months ago, a trio of books by this author popped up on one of my kindle pages, and since they were free, I thought I'd download them. Oh, and they were about Anne Boleyn, one of my very favorite historical figures, so it was a very good deal for me.

This book is really just a compilation of the author's blog posts, which was a little disappointing. What I liked though, is that her feelings about Anne Boleyn are very similar to my own. Even her opinions on some of the works based on Anne's life are similar to my own. For example, she hated the movie The Other Boleyn Girl for many of the same reasons I did. She didn't like the book either, and I did, so that is one difference.

There was not much in the way of new information about Anne Boleyn, and I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I did however learn that she had two other brothers who may or may not have lived into adulthood.

I am moving onto the second book in her "trilogy." Again, I don't expect to learn anything new, but I do love to read about Anne.

Summer Book #4

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Hands down, this is the best book I've read in a while. I think that's saying something since I read a lot.

This book starts in the present with Jacob, who is ninety-three and in a nursing home. Most of the book is told in flashback from the twenties when he was a young guy. In the last weeks of veterinary school at Cornell, Jacob's parents are killed in a car accident. He sits for his final exam, but doesn't take it. Instead, he runs away and joins the circus. He becomes the circus vet, and falls in love with the girl who has the horse act. Unfortunately, she's married to a douchebag.

This book follows Jacob's life during the three and a half months that he works for the circus. We learn about his friends, and maybe more importantly, the life behind the scenes of a circus. I was enthralled. Plus, this is one of those books where the story evolved from old pictures. I love those.

I definitely recommend this one. No lessons to learn necessarily, but definitely worth the read.

Summer Book #3

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

On one of the last days of school this year, a teacher in my department who was retiring, went in search of me to give me some books. She knew I was a reader, and thought I'd appreciate them. This is one of the books she gave me.

In many ways, this book reminded me of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, except that this was real. Because this is a true story, I liked it better.

Jeannette is the second of four children. Her parents, at best, are eccentric. Her mother has a teaching degree, but seldom uses it because she fancies herself an artist and writer.  Her father is an electrician, but also a drunk, so he doesn't keep a job long. Until she is eight or nine, Jeannette's family moves fairly frequently, mostly due to the fact that they can't pay their bills. They lived out west-Arizona, Nevada, California-during this time, but then move to Welch, West Virginia, where Jeanette's father is from. It doesn't matter where they live, they almost never have enough to eat, have no electricity, indoor plumbing, or other basic necessities. Neither of Jeannette's parents make much effort to work, and when they do have money, it is blown on booze and unnecessary things.

Finally, Jeannette and her siblings are able to get away to New York. After the last one leaves, Jeannette's parents decide to follow their children. In New York, Jeannette's parents choose to be homeless, rather than conform to societal norms.

The good news? All four of those children made it despite the craziness they grew up in.

Summer Book #2

The Beggar King by Oliver Potzsch

Like it's predecessors The Hangman's Daughter and The Dark Monk, this book is named after a minor character. If nothing else, the mysteries to solve in these books are their saving grace.

In this one, Jakob Kuisl, the Schongau hangman, is summoned by his sick sister to Regensburg. He goes to tend to her, and finds that she and her husband have been murdered. If that isn't enough, Jakob is framed for the murder. In the meantime, Jakob's daughter, Magdalena, and her beau, Simon, runoff to Regensburg so that they can be together, as their social standings would keep them apart in Schongau.  Magdalena hears of her father's plight, and tries to clear his name. They get caught up in a vile political scandal.

There's really much more to this, but I fear that if I write more, I'll give it away.

Of the three, this was the best so far. Will I read others as they come out? Probably. I'm a glutton for punishment that way. :)

Summer Book #1

Much like last summer, I am going to chronicle the books I read during my vacation. This is the first one of the summer: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. I like Albom's books, and have read four of them. Since this is an actual book, this was supposed to be my bathtub reading material. However, I thought my grandma would like it, so I rushed to finish it so I can give it to her on Saturday when I see her for my sister's wedding.

Like everything else I have read of Albom's, I enjoyed this book. Like all his other books, there is a lesson to be learned. In this case, the lesson is that you never know whose life you're touching, or who's touching your life. It could be someone you know, someone you love, someone who you've never even met. We all have something to offer.

A lesson within the lesson, if you will, can be summed up in this quote: "Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves" (Albom, 141). I don't know about you, but I know about hate and anger, and this is so true. Let it go. Do it for you.

The Things They Carried

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

This was one of the optional novels for the English II regulars classes this year.  Because I had not read it, I ruled it out as an option for my classes, and we read Tuesdays With Morrie instead. Next year, I may have my classes read this.

This book is about a platoon serving in the Vietnam war, and the things they carried. The first chapter or so actually lists the physical things they carried in their rucksacks. The rest of the book deals with the experiences and emotional baggage of these soldiers.

I am typically not one to read books about war. It's not my thing. That said, I enjoyed this book. I think it is because it was less about the war itself, and more about the personalities of the soldiers themselves.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Just being told the title, I knew this book took place in Mississippi. How? Well, my mom's side of the family is from Mississippi, and I learned early on in life that Mississippi is spelled like this: M-fence post-crooked letter-crooked letter-fence post-crooked letter-crooked letter-fence post-humpback-humpback-fence post.

A friend of mine, who also happens to be my team leader, is starting a book club and asked if I'd like to join. At the time, I said I'd love to, but I was involved in the TAYSHAS contest, so I didn't know when I'd get a chance to start. This was the first selection chosen, and I went ahead and ordered it. I started last Saturday, and finished a few minutes ago.

This book focuses on two men, one black (Silas), one white (Larry), who grew up in rural southern Mississippi. Larry is the town weirdo. He never seemed to measure up in his father's eyes. When he was a teenager, he took a girl on a date, and she went missing. She was never found, and he never confessed. Fast forward twenty-five years: another girl goes missing, and he's the number one suspect.

Then there's Silas. He grew up without a father, was a baseball star in high school, and is now the constable of the town. He's investigating the missing girl. While investigating, some truths about himself and Larry are brought to light, and dynamics change.

I enjoyed this book. It's hard not to go into it more because I would end up giving things away. It's a mystery, so I don't want to do that.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This is the second book gifted to be by a student this year. She enjoyed it, and hoped I would too. After reading the entire book, and, believe me, it took a while, I did enjoy parts of it.

The protagonist of this book is Francie Nolan. She is the oldest child of her parents, Katie and Johnny. She has a brother, Neeley, who is a year younger, and a sister, Laurie, who is 13 or so years younger. They are poor, and live in, you guessed it, Brooklyn. Katie is a hardworking woman and does everything she can so that her family can survive. Johnny is a singer who is also an alcoholic. He dies when Francie is 13.

The first half of the book is mostly backstory of everyone in the book. I'm not kidding-everyone. This is why I was not a fan of the book. All of the backstories put me to sleep/didn't hold my interest. The book finally picked up for me when Johnny Nolan died. After that, everything got a whole lot more interesting.

I felt sorry for Francie for most if the book. Not only were the family's economic circumstances saddening, but Francie had her dreams dashed so many times. Mostly by her mother, of all people. Even though the book seemed to drag on, I would like to have known how Francie ended up. You know, how did she do in college? Did she marry Ben? These are things I want to know, and I finished the book feeling unsatisfied.

Number the Stars

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

The other night, while trying to encourage my daughter to read more, my son mentioned this book. I had never read it, and he told me I would probably like it. So, rather than immediately go back to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I read this. At only 130-ish pages, it was a quick read.

My son was right, I did like the book. 

It takes place in Copenhagen, in the mid 1940's. Annemarie's best friend is Jewish, and she and her family help Ellen to seek refuge in Sweden so that they won't be "relocated" by the Nazi's. I can't write more without revealing how this ends up, so I'll just say this: it was nice to read a Holocaust book written without all the violent imagery that usually is included, and from the point of view of those who helped the Jews.

I understand that the violent imagery helps to get the horror of the Holocaust across, and most times it is appropriate. In this book, it just would not have fit. The reader still feels the fear of the situation even without it. Plus, this is aimed at a younger audience.

12th of Never

I can't believe the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson is twelve years old already! I've been reading them since the beginning of the series, and it's one of the best. The newest offering in the series, 12th of Never, doesn't disappoint.

Lindsay finally has her baby, Julie, but is also involved in several cases. Crime doesn't stop because you're on maternity leave. :)

A body goes missing from the morgue, causing trouble for Claire. Yuki is busy with a high profile murder/kidnapping case. Cindy, we don't hear about much, although her love life is in the toilet.

So much goes on in this book, but I am afraid to say too much because I don't want to give anything away.

As with all Patterson books, this was a fast read. Plus, it was exciting, so I didn't want to put it down.

Tuesdays With Morrie

It's the end of the school year, and my PLC team, Team Awesomeness, reads a choice novel in our classes. The choices were Tears of a Tiger, The Things They Carried, and Tuesdays With Morrie. I chose Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom for my classes.

The reasoning, at first, for choosing this book was because I'd read it before.  I don't like to teach things I've never been exposed to.  I feel lost, and that I can't do my best for my students when that happens. As I was reading it myself as a refresher, I realized that I want to expose my students to the acts of compassion contained in this book.

The first time I read this book was in the spring of 2009.  I was in my methods classes on campus at Caney Creek High School, and my reading block teacher, Lisa Finch, had us read it. She even bought a copy of the book for us.  We met twice a week, and every week, we'd be assigned a section to read. We weren't allowed to read beyond the selection, and that drove me crazy. Not because this is a suspenseful book, and I couldn't put it down, but because in Morrie, I saw my grandpa-even though they had different afflictions.

Reading the book this time, a year and a half after losing my grandpa, was a little harder. In many ways, my grandpa was a teacher to me in the same way Morrie was a teacher to Mitch. It was nice to be able to relate to someone who knew the pain of losing someone without having to actually talk to someone about it.

Lessons abound in this book. I won't go into to it in detail, but there is something to gain on every page. My favorite quote, then and now, is at the top of page 174:
     As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away.  All the love you created is still there.  All the memories are still there. You live on--in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here (Albom).

I hope this is true for myself.  I know it's true for people I have loved and lost. I want to be like Morrie.

The End of Sookie Stackhouse

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

I think it was 2010 when I started reading the Sookie Stackhouse books. I came to them after watching the HBO series True Blood. Loved the show, so I had to read the books. It's just how I operate.

A year ago, I bought Deadlocked, and while I was in line, I read that it was the next to last book in the series. I was sad. I had come to love Sookie. I even named my dog after her.

Five days ago, this, the last one in the series, came out. I got it in the mail on Thursday, two days after its release, and started right away. I wanted to savor this story, but I got caught up in Sookie's adventures.

Ah Sookie! Nothing ever goes smoothly for that girl! This time, she's accused of murder, and people are out to get her. She has to clear her name, and find out who's after her. Of course, she does all this.

Vampires and werewolves don't play quite as large a role as in previous installments, and that was fine. I won't give it away, but I am only ok with who she ends up with. He's good for her, just not who I'd have chosen.

So, Sookie is done, in books anyway. I'll miss this version of her.

TAYSHAS #20

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Once again, the beginning of a trilogy.

Kami has an imaginary friend, except he's not imaginary anymore.  The friend is Jared, and he comes from a family of sorcerors. Ever since his family came back to town, weird things have started to happen. People and animals have been killed. Kami tries to "solve" the case. The book ends abruptly, and that disappointed me.

Sorry this wasn't as involved as some posts.

TAYSHAS #19

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Started this last night, and read half of it in the hour before I went to bed. A wild ride, and I loved every minute of it.

Perry is a bright boy, a senior in high school, and his parents thought it would be a good idea to host an exchange student. When he found out it was a girl, he imagined an attractive girl who'd teach him the ways of love, and tell him "Au revoir" when she left. He was so wrong. What he got was Goji, a very plain Lithuanian girl.

No one at school had anything to do with Goji.  In fact, Perry was the only one who was nice to her. He'd say hello, and smile when he saw her. Prom is coming up, and it's right before Goji is set to go back home. Goji wants very much to go to prom with Perry, but all he wants is to go to New York City and perform with his band.

He ends up going to prom with her. She dressed in traditional Lithuanian garb, and he in a tux. Perry gets in a fight with two of the rich jerks who go to his school, and they leave. Perry later finds out that Goji beat the snot out of them-enough that an ambulance was called-while Perry went to bring the car around. 

After they leave, Goji expresses a desire to see the city one more time before she goes back home.  Perry reluctantly agrees. The go to a club owned by Jay-z, and Goji changes clothes. Surprise! She's a hottie! As it turns out, she is also an assassin on a mission to take down those responsible for her sister's death.

In a little less than 200 pages, we follow Perry (reluctantly) and Goji as they try to complete her mission.

Seriously, run, don't walk, to get this book. So worth it!

TAYSHAS #18

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

One of the aides in the library recommended this; one of the librarians didn't like it, and didn't finish. I gave it a shot, and it was pretty good.

Our heroine is Karou.  She was raised by chimaeras. She's lived all over the world, and she runs errands for them. These errands usually involve retrieving teeth for Brimstone, the head guy. All over the world, the doors that Karou uses to get to her family have been marked and closed, and Karou can't get to them.  The doors are marked and closed by seraphs, the enemy of the chimaera.  One such seraph is Akiva. Akiva once loved a chimaera named Madrigal. He lost Madrigal. In Prague, he finds Karou, who reminds him of Madrigal. Akiva helps Karou find out who she is, as she is not a chimaera.

Apparently, there is a sequel.

TAYSHAS #17

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Again, I judged a book by its cover. This time, it was a good one.

In truth, few book have ever made me cry. This one was made me cry a little. I think it was because, toward the end, the things Taylor, the protagonist, experienced with her dad reminded me so much of the last hours I spent with my grandpa.

This was a book about a girl whose father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and only given a few months to live on her 17th birthday.  Summer is coming, and her father wants to spend his last months with his family at their lake house in the Poconos. Taylor doesn't want to go because the last time her family visited their lake house, five years earlier, Taylor made some mistakes. She doesn't want to face her past. 

Unfortunately, she has no choice but to face her past; her past is constantly thrown in her face. She has to repair relationships with an ex boyfriend and ex best friend, all the while dealing with the impending death of her father.

Sweet story, but sad. Sad for obvious reasons.

I hve decided that I will quit reading books on the TAYSHAS list once I reach twenty.  There are so many other books I want to read, and I have been invited to join a book club that a friend of mine has started. Reading the TAYSHAS books has been fun, and I'll do it again next year. Not to mention that I've earned (or will have earned) 6 rubber ducks, and a cool shirt. Plus, I've gotten to know the school librarians better. :)

TAYSHAS #16

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

This one was only ok, and I think it's because it was so formulaic. Girl abandoned as a child. Girl meets boy, and they become inseparable. Boy doesn't realize Girl likes him. Girl has special powers and is expected to save the world, meaning she has to leave Boy behind. Turns out, instead of saving the world, Girl's powers will ultimately destroy it. Girl runs off; Boy finds her.

Obviously, the end can go one of two ways: she saves the world or destroys it.

In other news, I received Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn from a student. I have never read it, and am looking forward to doing so. Books are the best gifts!

TAYSHAS #15

Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught

Reads a bit like William Faulkner's The Sound and Fury and Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night.

The book is told from the point of view of Jason aka Freak. Jason has schizophrenia. His best friends are Derrick aka Drip and Sunshine. They refer to themselves as the Alphabets. They call themselves that because they are all special ed whose disorders are all acronyms. There are other alphabets too, but they are the kids whose letters refer to behavioral disorders, and therefore do not fit in with Jason and his friends. Or rather, the other way around.

After getting off the bus one afternoon, Sunshine goes missing. They don't know if she was kidnapped, or if she ran away. The previous Saturday, Sunshine tells Jason something that she tells him he must forget. He does forget, but he tries desperately to remember because it could be the key to finding Sunshine. Then there's the part about Jason himself being a person of interest.

Good book.

TAYSHAS #12-14

Because I have been out of town for Easter, in the land of no internet, I have been unable to blog about the books I finished Friday afternoon and this morning. Since I was finishing a third, I thought it best to wait and do all three together.

TAYSHAS #12-The Fault in our Stars by John Green
The librarian had this book sent to me in my classroom before school let out on Wednesday, so I could read it over the long weekend. It was covered in sticky notes about how much she loved the book. I did too, but it was sad.

Hazel, the protagonist, has stage four cancer. We get to live her life with her. She meets a boy, Augustus, who is in remission from his cancer. They met at a cancer support group and became instant friends. More than that really. She introduces him to her favorite book, and he uses his wish to fly with her to Amsterdam to meet the author of the book because she needs answers. I will not reveal more than that, as this is a book that should be read. Make sure your tissues are ready though.

TAYSHAS #13-The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
This one was not incredibly long, and I read most of it before breakfast yesterday, during The Ten Commandments last night, and before breakfast this morning. I enjoyed it, as it was suspenseful.

Kayla Cutler works at Pete's Pizza. She switched nights with Gabie. A man calls in with an order, but requests the girl with the Mini Cooper. That would be Gabie. Kayla goes to deliver the pizzas, and is kidnapped. Gabie thinks it should have been her, as she was who was requested. Gabie feels guilty, and feels that Kayla is still alive. With the help of a co-worker, Drew, Gabie sets out to find out what happened to Kayla.

TAYSHAS #14- Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers
Started this after breakfast, but before church today. By the time we got on the road to head home, I'd already read 60 pages.

Karl is dating Fiorella. Fiorella wants Karl to answer questions about himself because she wants to know him better, and because he never talks about himself.  Karl seeks out Fiorella's favorite author to see if he will help Karl answer her questions. Very Cyrano de Bergerac. Anyway, the author and Karl become quite good friends, and they help each other find themselves. It was ok. I'll be honest: I chose this book because the cover intrigued me. Yes, I judged a book by its cover. Sue me.

TAYSHAS #11

The Final Four by Paul Volponi.


As the title implies, it is about college basketball. Because of that, I put off reading it for a while, despite the librarian telling me it was good. On Monday, I was "stocking up" on books to read on my Easter break, and this one was available again. Again, the librarian told me I should give it a shot. She has not steered me wrong yet, so I checked it out.

This book is about a Final Four game between Michigan State, the Spartans, and Troy University, the Trojans. The game ends up going into four overtimes. Over the course of the four overtimes, we are given insight into the backgrounds and minds of four of the players-two on each team.

Their stories are what makes this book interesting, and wondering who wins adds some tension. Considering I am not a sport-person, I enjoyed this book.

Finished two books today....

So, this morning, we got up and drove to my dad's house. He lives roughly two and a half hours away. There are generally two things I do on long road trips: read and sleep. I read the whole way there and part of the way home.

The first book I worked on was Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson. I had about thirty pages to go when I got in the car, so it didn't take long to finish. In typical Alex Cross style, there were grisly murders to solve, and problems at home. This time they overlapped. It was a good book, but then, Patterson generally writes a good book.

The second book I read is #10 on my TAYSHAS journey.  It is Everyday David Levithan. GREAT book! A is a 16 year old who inhabits the bodies of other 16 year olds in the state of Maryland Everyday, A is in a different body. Sometimes he's male, sometimes female. At the beginning, he inhabits the body of Justin, and falls in love with Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. He's stuck on her, and finds himself skipping school while inhabiting other bodies just to be with her. She loves A, but can this weird relationship work?  I couldn't put this one down!

TAYSHAS #9

Just finished my ninth TAYSHAS book, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. It has been my least favorite on my TAYSHAS mission so far. It took reading more than half of the book to finally get somewhat interested in it, and the ending was reasonably predictable if you paid attention while reading.

The setting: an island off the coast of Ireland in an indeterminate year. Cars exist, but they are few and far between.
The main characters: Kate "Puck" Connoly and Sean Kendrick. Puck has two brothers, and her parents have been dead for some time. They are poor, and the lienholder on their house has come calling. For the entirety of the book, I pictured her as a 12 year old, but she is actually older. Sean is known on the island for having a connection to horses, both regular horses and the ones who come from the sea. His father is also dead. He wants nothing more than to own his beloved horse, Corr, and to answer to no one but himself.
The premise: Every year on November 1, there is a horse race. This is no ordinary race, though. In the waters off the course of this island, capaill uisce, or water horses live. They live under the water, and once a year, they come onto the land and wreak havoc. The best way I can describe them is as cannibals. So, this horse race...only those who think they are brave sign up. They have to be brave because several people are killed by these horses every year. These horses are incredibly fast, much faster even than Secretariat. Sean is a four time champion, and the odds are heavily in his favor. If he wins, he can buy his beloved Corr. Puck is a girl, and they don't want her to race. If Kate wins, she can save her house, and her family. Sean helps Puck train, and they find that they may like each other.

Who will win? If you can make it through the 405 pages, you will find out.

TAYSHAS book 8

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

This is the eighth TAYSHAS book I have read, and so far, it is my favorite. It has all the elements I love: mysticism, medieval setting, strong woman lead character, intrigue, and a love story. Of course, this is the beginning of a trilogy, but I will gladly read the others if they are as good a read as this one was.

Our heroine is Ismae, a daughter/handmaiden of death. This means she was sired by Death, and becomes one of his assassins. After having killed two traitors in the court of the duchess of Brittany, Anne, Ismae is sent to court with Anne's bastard brother, Duval, to seek out further treachery. Everywhere she turns, Ismae encounters possible traitors to Anne, but has to have solid proof before she can put them to death.

Along the way, she finds love, and quite possibly the biggest traitor of them all; one who uses Ismae's convent for his own needs.

Fantastic book!

House of Night novella 3

As I may have mentioned, I have read all of the books in the House of Night series by PC and Kristin Cast. They started out pretty good,  but have gotten quite bad. I keep reading them because I always finish what I start, and I hope they get better.

Neferet's Curse is the third novella that has been released. These novellas are meant to give the reader some insight into the background/motivation of the professors. I was hoping this novella would give some insight as to why Neferet is such a bitch. I was let down.

Before she was Neferet, she was Emily. Emily's mother died due to complications of childbirth. Emily's father expected Emily to take her mother's place as lady of the house, and Emily did the best she could. Finally, the worst possible thing happens, and then Emily is marked.

My problem with this is that Emily did everything she was supposed to do, and was likeable. Once the bad incident happens, she reacts just as you'd think she should. Then in the last chapter, she acts like an angry bitch. I can understand that circumstance could have made her that way, but it wouldn't be sudden as it is portrayed in the book.

Additionally, they need to hire a new editor. There were so many misspellings and other errors in this book that it was a distraction to the story.

Is she a wish troll?

TAYSHAS book #7-The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Apparently this, like most of the books I've read on the TAYSHAS list, is the first book in a trilogy. This book is about Elisa. Elisa is a princess, but not thin and beautiful as Disney has programmed us to this all princesses should be. Elisa is chubby. She likes to eat and read, and doesn't see what's wrong with that. Maybe that's why I like her. Anyway, she has been married off to a handsome king from a neighboring land, in effort to secure an alliance.

Elisa has a secret. She is a bearer of a godstone. Once every hundred years, a person is born that God chooses to serve. Elisa is that person, so on her naming day, God placed a stone/jewel in her navel. Hence my question: Is she a wish troll? Haha.

Elisa is kidnapped, loses tons of weight crossing the desert, and becomes the figurehead of rebel forces. She falls in love, and leads an army.

Pretty good book, I guess.

Private Berlin

Apparently, the Private books are a new series for James Patterson. We're up to five or six now, and I don't see signs of stopping. 

Private: Berlin is the newest in this series. Obviusly, it takes place in Germany. One of the members of the Berlin office of Private has been murdered, and the rest of the team must solve the case. The case revolves around things that happened around the time of the fall of the Berlin wall, and the effects today.

Mattie is the main character, and she was once engaged to the team member who was murdered. The murderer is also going after the victim's childhood friends, and killing them the same way he killed "enemies of the state" before the fall of the wall.

As far as the Private books go, this was not as interesting as its predecessors. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as interesting or entertaining.

How to Save a Life

TAYSHAS book #6: How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr.

This is a book about Jill and Mandy. Jill is a high school senior whose father has recently died. Her mother decides she wants to adopt a baby. Mandy is a pregnant high school dropout who is looking for someone to adopt her baby. Jill is angry at the world, and Mandy is relatively innocent to the workings of the world.

Sweet book. It pulls at your heartstrings because it is told from both girls' perspectives. I won't elaborate, but there were too many similarities to my own life. It made the book uncomfortable for me at times.

Gatsby

Until recently, I had not read F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. In fact, the last time I read it, I was a junior in high school, and that was twenty years ago. I just finished it today with my juniors, and I forgot how much I enjoyed this book.

It's interesting how you can see things differently in twenty year's time. Daisy has no backbone; she does what Tom wants, then Gatsby (or tries to anyway), then Tom again. I just wanted to scream, "Do what YOU want woman, not what some man wants!" Tom, well, I wanted to cause injury to him because he's such a douche bag. I mean, really? Not only do you abuse your wife and cheat on her, but you abuse your skanky mistress too? Well, aren't you classy. Gatsby, I want so much to like him, but he's hung up on a woman who has clearly moved on. A woman that he may or may not have raped, mind you. Not my cup of tea. Jordan reminds me of people in my life who are liars. Not your average, tell little white lie liars either, but the ones who lie and believe that lie to be true, even though everyone around them knows it's a lie. Nick is the only redeeming character, as it should be, I guess.

The Great Gatsby is another reason I am glad I was moved to the junior team this year. I like the book, and it's so much easier to teach something when you enjoy it.

The Diviners

The fifth book on my quest to read as many TAYSHAS books as I can was The Diviners by Libba Bray. It takes place in New York City in the 1920's. The book centers around a young woman named Evie, who is a diviner. Her "special power" is that she can read a person's secrets from objects that they own. In fact, it is because of this power that Evie is sent to live with her Uncle Will in New York. Uncle Will runs a museum of supernatural things.

Strange murders are occurring in New York, and they are linked to a religious "cult." Evie and her uncle help the police solve the murders. That's the basic story. It was fantastic.

What I didn't care for was the subplot involving Memphis and his brother, Isaiah.  I get that the author had to show that there are other diviners so that she can sell a sequel, but this subplot had NOTHING to do with the rest of the book. Easily, a couple of hundred pages could've been shaved off of the book had they left this out.

I Hunt Killers

This is #4 for me from the TAYSHAS list. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga started a little slow for me, but got better as I read into it.

Jazz is in high school, and is the son of one of the most sadistic serial killers this country has ever seen. His dad, Billy Dent, taught him everything about killing before he was caught, convicted, and confined. Jazz wants to rise above his heritage, and wants to be normal. He fears he'll be just like his father, and he fights against it.

Unfortunately, a new serial killer has come to town emulating the murders that Jazz's father committed. Jazz wants to help the cops, and once they realize that Jazz may be their best chance to catch the killer, they let him.

Toward the end, there's a nice twist that makes you want to read the inevitable sequel. I'll be reading it for sure. Also, ABC Family is making this into a movie. I just hope they don't screw it up.

Titanic poetry

I am on a roll with these TAYSHAS books. I just finished The Watch that Ends the Night by Allan Wolf. It's a book of free verse poetry written about the sinking of Titanic in 1912. I don't usually like poetry, which is ironic since I am an English teacher, but I didn't mind this.

I do love historical fiction, and this book fit that genre nicely. The poems are written by all manner of beings, from the iceberg the ship hit, to ship rats, to passengers, and those working on the ship. This book tells the story, beginning to end of Titanic. It references the building of the ship, and the lives of those on the ship prior to boarding the ship all the way through the sinking of the ship, and making their way to New York. I went ahead and read the notes section too so I could learn a bit more about the characters I was reading about. Being fiction, the author took some liberties, but they were seamless, and I only know about them because the author tells the reader in his notes where some of the falsehoods lie.

Reading the different points of view opened up Titanic in a whole new way for me. The sinking of the ship is still depressing to me, and my heart hurts for all the lives lost. Reading this book brought it all back. Still, it was a good book, and I am glad I read it.

Cinder

TAYSHAS book #2, Cinder by Marissa Meyers.

New take on Cinderella. She's a cyborg. Only one stepsister is heinous, and halfway through, I knew what the "surprise" was.

Unlike most Cinderella stories, this one didn't piss me off. I actually enjoyed this one, even thought the premise is not what I typically read.

Anna Dressed in Blood

Now that we have the official TAYSHAS list, I have started on my quest to read as many of them as I can. Yes, there is something in it for me if I am the faculty member who reads the most books from the list, but that's not why I'm doing it. I'm a reader who teaches high school. If I can recommend some books that are aimed at them, and get them to read, it can only be a good thing.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake was my first successful foray into the TAYSHAS books. I say this because I read two that were on the preliminary list, but were cut from the final list. I couldn't have chosen a better start on this if I tried.

Cas Lowood is seventeen and a ghost killer. This means that all those "urban legends" about ghosts who do something to people, he tracks down and kills. He's been doing this for a while-partially because it's his destiny (his father was a ghost killer too), and partially to avenge his father one day. His father was killed by a particularly nasty ghost. Cas's mother is a witch, but you could call her a good witch, since she doesn't generally get involved in the dirtier side of withcraft.

Cas and his mother move frequently due to the nature of ghost killing. He moves to where the ghosts are. Thunder Bay is the city they are in right now. Cas is supposed to be killing Anna, a girl who was murdered in 1958, but has been wreaking havoc in her old house ever since.

Because he moves around alot, Cas doesn't have many friends, and this all changes in Thunder Bay. Carmel, the girl he meets on the first day of school, becomes a good friend to Cas, as does Thomas, a young psychic and witch. Good thing they become his friends because Cas is really going to need their help to kill Anna. Strange things happen when they go to carry out this task, and it's for that reason that I read most of the book after I got home from work today: I wanted to know what was going to happen. Don't you love when books draw you in like that?

Charlotte

Charlotte...Pride and Prejudice Continues by Karen Aminadra

I may have mentioned it before, but Pride and Prejudice is one of my very favorite books. Sadly, Jane Austen never added to the story herself, but several modern authors have taken it upon themselves to continue the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Some of these "sequels" are very good, some not so much. Charlotte falls somewhere in the middle.

As the title suggests, this story is about Lizzie's friend, Charlotte Lucas, who married Lizzie's cousin, Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins has always been portrayed as something of a ninny who is interested in ingratiating himself with his betters. At the beginning of this book, he is the same. By the end, he is transformed.

Charlotte, has always been an understated character, in my opinion. Austen didn't give us much to work with, so authors tend to do what they will with her. In this one, she is somewhat strongwilled, and invites the ire of Lady Catherine. Oh, and somehow Darcy's cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, falls in love with Charlotte.

This story follows Mr. Collins and Charlotte as they discover their true feelings for one another. Nice story, but not as captivating as the original.

Revolution

Just finished reading Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly.  This book was given to me for Christmas by a student in my first period class. A student who has uncanny similarities to myself. She wrote a sweet message to me in the front.

I would've read the book simply because a student gave it to me. I mean, if they have taken the time to select a book for me, the least I can do is read it. I'm usually leery about reading books people buy for me, unless it's something specific I have requested, so I was a bit leery going into this as well. I am so glad I read it though, as this is one of the best young adult books I have ever read.

This book starts out in modern day Brooklyn, and our heroine is Andi. Andi is damaged. She goes to a swanky school, but hangs out with the wrong crowd. She's isolated everyone around her because she doesn't feel like she deserves to live. Why?  Because two years before, her brother, Truman, was killed, and Andi feels responsible for his death.

Andi lives with her mother, who has coping issues of her own. Andi is a musician. It's Christmas break of her senior year, and she is facing being kicked out of school because she has not written her senior thesis. When Andi's absent father finds out, he goes ballistic. He has Andi's mother put in a mental hospital to cope with her grief, and drags Andi to Paris with him.

The purpose of the Paris trip is for Andi's father, a Nobel proze winning geneticist, to determine whether a heart in a jar belongs to the lost king of France, Louis-Charles, son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. While in Paris, Andi is supposed to be working on her senior thesis about a composer who, apparently, had a huge influence on artists like Led Zepplin and Radiohead.

While staying with her father's friend, G, an historian of the French Revolution, Andi comes across a guitar case-a very old guitar case, with a defective lock. I should mention that Andi wears a key around her neck that belonged to her brother. One day, Andi is messing with the lock, and on a lark, tries her key-it works. They key opens a secret pocket within the guitar case. In the secret pocket is a diary, the diary of a young girl, recounting events from the French Revolution.

Throughout all of this, Andi is spiralling downward. She pops antidepressants like m&m's, and thinks often of killing herself. Only music seems to save her. One day, she is playing her guitar, and meets Virgil, with whom Andi feels an immediate connection.  Andi and Virgil become fast friends, singing each other to sleep over the telephone while she is in Paris.

Andi gets wrapped up in the diary of the young girl, Alexandrine, or Alex, who was the companion to young Louis-Charles, the dauphin.  Andi feels a kinship to Alex, and reads the diary to its end.

After planning to commit suicide one night, Andi runs in to Virgil, who literally saves her life. He invites her to play a party with him in the catacombs. Andi goes. She hits her head, and ends up in 18th century Paris, taking on the persona of Alex, based on what she has learned from the diary.

This book takes you on an exciting ride through the modern day and revolutionary France. Your heart bleeds for Andi and Alex when you read, and you just want them to be ok. I enjoyed this book for those reasons.