TAYSHAS #6

The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson

First of all, I am at a loss as to why this book made the list. It's not a bad book, but it's not anything special either. My experience from the past three years of reading TAYSHAS books is that there is something special about them, and I just don't feel that is the case here.

Robert "Cali" Callahan is a homeless teen by choice who has made his life in Venice Beach, California. He plays basketball, attends GED classes, and like alien movies. From time to time, he is asked to find people, much like a private investigator. He makes decent money doing it.

One day he is asked to find a teenage girl, that he ends up falling for. He believes her story, which is probably the worst thing that he could have done, and her story ends badly.

TAYSHAS #5

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds

Ali is fifteen and lives in Brooklyn with his mother and little sister. His dad is around sometimes, but not always because his lifestyle is not something his mother wants the kids exposed to. Ali's best friend is Noodles, who has a brother named Needles that has Tourette's. Noodles treats Needles badly because of the Tourette's, and is also a bit of a thug. He steals and cheats people. Ali is not like this, but Noodles is his homeboy, so he puts up with it, and tries to fix things when he can.

One day, the three boys go to a party that they shouldn't be at, and things get real. Too real. Needles is hurt, Noodles turns out to be a chicken, and Ali kicks butt and takes names. People want to find the boys and rough them up, at the very least, but Ali's father takes care of things.

On the whole, this was a good book. Turned out better than I thought it would.

Novella time

Scarlets by Madeleine Roux

Saw this on Amazon, and got it because it is a novella tied to two books I have recently read: Asylum and Sanctum. It centers around one of the minor characters in the latter, and the secret society mentioned in that book as well. Not as interesting as the books, but a decent read nonetheless.

TAYSHAS #4

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles

I knew going in that this book was going to touch me in some way, and I was right.

Told alternating between Biddy and Quincy, recent high school graduates who happen to have been "Speddies," or special ed students. Biddy has moderate retardation, was abandoned by her mother, and left with her granny, who treated her badly. She was also gang raped, got pregnant, and had to give her baby up. Quincy suffered brain damage when she was assaulted by her drug addict mother's boyfriend with a brick. When they graduated, they both we on their own, and one of their teachers arranged for them to live together and have jobs.

They live in a garage apartment belonging to a wealthy older woman named Elizabeth. Biddy works as a companion to Miss Lizzy, and does some cleaning. Quincy does the cooking, and also works at the grocery store. Quincy has a giant chip on her shoulder, and it takes being sexually assaulted by a jerk she used to work with and his friend to get her to realize that in Biddy and Elizabeth, she has people who care about her.

Despite the tragedies these women face, this was a good book. Broke my heart several times, but it was worth the read.

TAYSHAS 2015 #3

Perfect Ruin by Lauren Destefano

The TAYSHAS list has been released, and I read two before I knew which ones made the cut.

Gotta love that the title is an oxymoron, right? It's actually a perfect title since this is about a utopia that ultimately ends up being a dystopia. Internment is a city in the sky. People on the ground (us) can't see it, but they can see the ground. In fact, some people are so drawn by the ground that they see from above, that they try to jump down to it. Most people who do this either die or become disfigured/disabled in some way. Morgan knows this well, as her brother is blind because he tries to jump. Morgan feels the call of the ground as well.

Everything is perfect in Internment, or so Morgan believes, until a teenaged girl is murdered. People aren't murdered in Internment. What's more, the girl's betrothed is the one accused of her murder. The accused murderer escapes custody, and Morgan finds herself involved with him (and others) to learn about the mysteries of the ground.

This is the first of a trilogy, and while it was ok, I likely won't read the next book.

A Heaping Helping of Guilt

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

Zoe, not her real name, begins writing letters to a death row inmate in Texas. She feels a kinship with him because she killed someone, and so did he.

Let me back up...

Zoe goes to a party and meets two boys. One is mysterious and gets her jokes, the other is the most popular boy in school. Fast forward a few weeks to the Guy Fawkes bonfire, and she sees them both again. She sees mysterious boy with another girl, and decides that no matter how much she likes him, it wasn't meant to be because he has a girlfriend. So, she starts "dating" popular boy, Max. As it turns out, mysterious boy is single, and his name is Aaron. And, oh yeah, he's Max's older brother.

Even though Zoe is dating Max, she loves Aaron. He loves her too. They plan to tell Max, but things go awry, and one of the boys ends up dead.

Over the course of the year following the death, Zoe writes to the death row inmate, telling her the story of how he killed one of the boys who loved her.

Ugh....Capote

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

A nonfiction book about the Clutter murders in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. Sounds like it would be a great read, right? True crime and all that. I wish I could say it was a great read. Three hundred forty-two pages that took an inordinate amount of time to read because it is bogged down with unnecessary details. It took seventy-five pages before I even got to the murders.

The book is separated into parts, and some parts read more easily than others. The part leading up to the murders drags, so does the part immediately after the murders. The book's pace doesn't pick up until Smith and Hickock are arrested.

I never thought I would say it,  but this book has too many details. There were things included that took up several pages, but weren't relevant to the story at all. Case in point, one chapter is dedicated to one of the residents on death row who is there when Smith and Hickock are. Another chapter is devoted to two more death row residents. Who cares? This was unnecessary. There are other instances of irrelevant details, and it was a waste, in my opinion.

I don't understand why people gush about what a good book this was. It wasn't that great, and it dragged on too much. Maybe the book will be better. I hope I never have to teach this book because I don't think I could subject others to this crap. I do know this though: I will never read another work by Capote. He's overrated, and his writing uninteresting.

Creepy Sequel

Sanctum by Madeleine Roux

Sequel to Asylum that I read a couple of months ago.

Seldom does one expect the sequel to be better than the first book in a series, but this was the better book. The pictures were super creepy too. I was a bit disappointed that the freak show element mentioned in the blurb didn't have a bigger part in the book.

Dan and his friends Abby and Jordan return to the university associated with Brookline asylum because they are all haunted in their own way by the place. This is spurred on by Dan's former roommate, who is in a mental facility because he may be possessed by a serial killer.

Once back at the scene of the action, crazy, creepy things happen to the trio, including witnessing a lobotomy.

Couldn't put this one down, even after some asshat scared the bejeezus out of me by ringing my doorbell.

Reading for me again

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

I bought this a few months ago, actually thinking I might have time to read books for myself while reading the 84 I needed to read for my grad school classes. Silly me. One reason I bought this book is because I liked another book by this author so much. This one, although good, did not live up to her other book.

I feel I was mislead by this book. I read the blurb on the back which indicated that this was the fictional telling of a murder that happened in Maine at the beginning of the twentieth century. That murder is in here, but the book is not about the murder. Instead, it is about a teen named Mattie who is torn between her dream of going off to college to become a writer and the boy who loves her.

Again, this was not a bad book to read. I was quite enjoyable, actually. It just wasn't what I thought it was going to be. It also didn't necessarily need 380 pages to tell the story. Too many unnecessary details, and the daily word from the dictionary was just too much.

Annotated Bibliography #49

Technically, this is #50 because there is one book for my annotated bibliography list that I read in the spring time as it was on the TAYSHAS list. :)

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match by Monica Brown

This book is told in both English and Spanish, which is perfect because Marisol speaks both languages. From the color of her hair, to the types of food she likes, Marisol doesn't match. Because everyone gives Marisol a hard time because of her mismatchiness, she decides to make everything match one day, and discovers that she doesn't like the way it makes her feel. A great read for those children who march to the beat of their own drum.

Reading List #31

Somehow, I misnumbered my reading list books on here. Believe me, I am on 31, not 30. So close......

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

At first, this is your average story of Rapunzel, told in the form of a graphic novel. Unlike most Rapunzel stories, Rapunzel gets herself out of the tower; she isn’t rescued. Along her way to exact revenge on Mother Gothel, who kept her locked up most of her life, Rapunzel meets Jack and his goose, Goldy. They get into some trouble, but find their way out again, against a backdrop reminiscent of the Old West.

Annotated Bibliography #48

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis

Neftali is a frail little boy. His father is harsh, and is always trying to make him stronger. His father doesn't want either of his boys to do anything that he doesn't approve of. He doesn't approve of Neftali's older brother being a singer, and he doesn't approve of Neftali being a writer. He does everything in his power to make Neftali bend to his will, but Neftali ends up outsmarting his old man.

Reading List #29

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Spanning thirteen years, this is the life story of Nobody "Bod" Owens. When he was not quite two years old, a man named Jack murdered Bod's parents and older sister. Bod escaped and made his way to a graveyard where he is adopted by the inhabitants. The reader has a front row seat to Bod's first human friend, his experience with school, his encounter with ghouls, and, ultimately, with the man who killed his family.

Reading List #28

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz

Stories for twenty-three characters set on a medieval manor. The characters range from a beggar to the daughter of the manor lord. All walks of life are represented and all have their own tragedies and triumphs. When reading, it felt a bit like reading Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. but for a younger set of readers.

Annotated Bibliography #47

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble

In many cultures, particularly many Native American tribes, horses are revered, and many stories are told of them. This book appears to be one of those stories; an oral tale finally written down, or so it seems. There is a girl who is so fascinated with the wild horses that she works being around them into her everyday existence. One day, she falls asleep on the plains surrounded by the wild horses. She is awakened by a violent storm that causes the horses to flee with her astride on of them. Her family searches for two years before they finally find her, but she doesn't want to come back: she feels more at home with the horses.

Annotated Bibliography #46

Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes

One thing that stands out about this book are the beautiful illustrations. The colors are bright, yet possess an ethereal quality. This helps to lend a spooky quality to the book, which is fantastic as this is a Halloween book. Told in verse and including Spanish words for popular figures associated with Halloween, this book sets the scene for the perfect Halloween night. When reading this book and looking at its pictures, one could truly believe in the ghosts and goblins of Halloween.

Annotated Bibliography #45

Dear Primo A Letter to my Cousin by Duncan Tonatiuh

Charlie lives in America, but his cousin, Carlitos, lives in Mexico. They have never met each other, but they hope to one day. To keep in touch, they write each other letters. These letters tell each other about their lives. Carlitos lives on a farm, whereas Charlie lives in a city. For the most part, Carlitos and Charlie lead very different lives, which is no surprise really. By the end of the book, they both have a great idea.

Annotated Bibliography #44

I Am Amelia Earhart by Brian Meltzer

This is the perfect book for all the little girls who aren't girly girls, who want to do things that aren't considered ladylike, and who march to the beat of their own drummer. A condensed version of the life of Amelia Earhart, who was unladylike, according to her parents. The reader learns about how she built her own roller coaster as a child, the first time she flew in an airplane, and the jobs she held in order to buy her own plane.

Annotated Bibliography #43

Press Here by Herve Tullet

This is probably one of the most fun books to read aloud to young children. It's more than just a read aloud, it's participatory. It starts with just one yellow dot, and the reader is asked to press it. Then there are two dots, then three. Next the dots are three different colors, after the reader is asked to rub two of them, of course. A little tapping multiplies their number. Some shaking, and blowing, and clapping, and tilting make the dots do different things. Suddenly, we're back to one.

Annotated Bibliography #42

Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans

Such a sweet book! Madeline is the smallest girl in her school of twelve girls who do everything in two lines. One day, Madeline falls from a bridge, and is saved from drowning by a dog. The girls take the dog, who is very smart, back to school with them. They love her and argue about who gets to sleep with her. The dog, Genevieve, is booted out when the annual inspection comes around, and the school girls are heartbroken. They search for her, and their search is ultimately rewarded in a most unsuspecting way.

Annotated Bibliography #41

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote by Duncan Tonatiuh

First, the illustrations are beautiful, and each page is awash in color. Unless it is meant to be there, there is no white space to be found. Then, there is the story itself. Definitely a story of a child's love for their parent, and what each will go through for love of the other. Pancho Rabbit's father is a migrant worker who had to go north to earn money to support his family. When his father didn't come home as expected, Pancho went north looking for him.

Annotated Bibliography #40

Family Pictures by Carmen Lomas Garza

This book is told in both English and Spanish. Each of the illustrations in the book are memories that the author has of growing up in her hometown of Kingsville, Texas. The illustrations are simplistic, yet detailed, and because of them, the reader really gets an idea of what the author's life was like. What's nice is that most of the memories the author chose to preserve in these pages are everyday moments, and not big celebrations.

Annotated Bibliography #39

The Young Landlords by Walter Dean Myers

Paul and his friends live in the projects in New York City. A little down the way is an apartment building that is not being taken care of properly. This bothers Paul and his friends, so they go meet the landlord. In an interesting turn of events, Paul becomes the owner of this apartment building, that houses a strange cast of characters. Meanwhile, another friend of theirs has been arrested and is going to trial for aiding and abetting a robbery. So, while trying not to be slum lords, these teens are also trying to find evidence to help a friend. Definitely another engaging read by Myers.

Annotated Bibliography #38

The Dark by Lemony Snicket

Laszlo is afraid of the dark. During the day, the dark lives in the basement, and mostly stays there. At night, however, the dark spreads out all over the house, and this scares Laszlo. One night, Laszlo decides that the best way to get over his fear of the dark is to go into the dark's room. Instead, the dark comes to Laszlo's room to talk to him. The dark convinces him to go to the basement, where Laszlo retrieves a lightbulb. From then on, Laszlo is no longer afraid of the dark. A sweet book to help children overcome their fear of the dark.

Annotated Bibliography #37

The Year Comes Round: Haiku Through the Seasons by Sid Farrar

Haiku: Three lines, seventeen syllables (five syllables, seven syllables, five syllables), also known as everyone's favorite poems because they don't have to rhyme. This book contains fourteen haiku, a page of information about haiku, information about the cycle of life, and information about the four seasons. In addition to these things, there are illustrations that coordinate with each of the haiku, as well as the informational pages. This book is ideal for those interested in poetry or reading about the changing of the seasons.

Annotated Bibliography #36

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

This book is adapted from the Yiddish folk song "I Had a Little Overcoat" that the author loved as a child. It starts out with Joseph wearing an old worn overcoat, that he transforms into a jacket. As the garment gets worn out, Joseph continues to turn it into something else until it is gone forever. What is cute is that every time the garment is turned into something else, the shape of the new garment is cut out of the page so that the reader can see the transformation. At the end of the book, the author includes the score for the song which gave him the inspiration for the book.

Annotated Bibliography #35

Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies by Cokie Roberts

George Washington. Benjamin Franklin. John Adams. James Madison. When one hears those names, they immediately think "Fathers of Our Country." Those men left their mark on history, but what of their wives? The familiar saying goes "Behind every great man, is a woman," and this book tells of the women behind the Founding Fathers. Martha Washington, Deborah Read Franklin, Abigail Adams, and Dolly Madison, and others, this is their story. What a fascinating set of women!

Annotated Bibliography #34

Heaven is for Real for Kids as told by Colton Burpo to his parents, Todd and Sonja Burpo

This is the story of Colton Burpo's trip to Heaven when he was nearly four. He was very ill, and though he did not pass away, he got to experience Heaven, the real Heaven. According to Colton, Heaven is everything we have read and heard about, but also so much more. Considering how little time Colton spent in Heaven, it is amazing what all he saw there, showing, perhaps, truth in the saying that the passage of time in Heaven is different than the passage of time on Earth.

Annotated Bibliography #33

Casey at the Bat A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888 by Ernest L. Thayer

Perhaps the most famous poem about America's pastime, "Casey at the Bat" shows how even the greatest players have a bad day from time to time. This particular incarnation of this poem has beautiful illustrations by C.F. Payne. The pictures are painted in such a way that they appear realistic, almost like photographs. The illustrations help the reader to better understand the actions occurring in the poem. The imposing figure of Casey, hero of the Mudville Nine, is particularly spot on.

Annotated Bibliography #32

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine

Based on the poem "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams, this book has approximately forty-three poems all entitled "This is Just to Say." William Carlos Williams' original poem is included in the book as well, so that the reader has a basis of comparison. Each poem is a fake apology, meaning the author does not really mean to apologize for the wrong they have done to the recipient of the poem.

Annotated Bibliography #31

Click Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

What happens when cows learn to use a typewriter? A labor strike, that's what. A typewriter was found in the barn, so the cows use it to communicate with Farmer Brown. They'd like electric blankets because the barn is chilly. Farmer Brown says no, so the cows decide there will be no milk. Again the cows request electric blankets for themselves and the chickens, but Farmer Brown says no. Now there's no milk or eggs. What will it take for Farmer Brown and the animals to reach a compromise?

Annotated Bibliography #30

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

If for no other reason than to look at the beautiful illustrations, everyone should read this book. On Christmas eve, a young boy wakes to the sound of a train in his front yard. This train is the Polar Express. It takes children who still believe to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus. Once there, the young boy is chosen to receive the first gift of Christmas. He chooses a bell from Santa's sleigh, to prove that Santa is real. On the way home, he loses the bell, but it mysteriously shows up Christmas morning. The interesting thing about the bell is that only true believers can hear it ring. Can you hear the bell?

Annotated Bibliography #29

The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales

An odd title for a sweet book. Set in McAllen, Texas, Sofia struggles with wanting more out of life, and accepting the traditions of her life now. Sofia is not like most girls in her barrio. She's not interested in having a quincenara, but has dreams of going to a good college. Her parents and other relatives try to show her that the life she has is every bit as fine as her dreams. It takes a while, but she finally sees that they were right. Reading the journey it took for her to reach this conclusion is heartwarming.

Annotated Bibliography #28

Chanticleer and the Fox adapted from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

Chanticleer, as one may recall, was a figure in the Nun's Priest's Tale in The Canterbury Tales. Clearly, the word cocky is derived from this very rooster. He can sing so beautifully to bring on the day, and all the animals on the farm love him. He has seven hens for wives, but one, Partlet, is his favorite. One night, he has a nightmare of a fox grabbing him about the neck as he is singing to bring in the day. Partlet tries to ease his fears, but it does no good. Could this dream foretell what is to occur, mayhaps?

Annotated Bibliography #27

Drummer Hoff adapted by Barbara Emberley

This is a book that starts off simply, but builds up. We learn that Drummer Hoff fires it off. Admittedly, without the rest of the story, the reader doesn't know what Drummer Hoff fires off. As the reader progresses through the story, they learn that Drummer Hoff fires a cannon, but each part of the process is carried out by different people of different ranks. As a new piece is added, so too is the person, and as people are added, the story starts from the beginning.

Annotated Bibliography #26

Tuesday by David Wiesner

There are less than twenty words in this entire book, so the reader has to rely on the illustrations to tell the story. Luckily, the illustrations are beautifully drawn and detailed, so that they story is fairly easy to follow. The story starts on Tuesday evening, in a mostly empty swamp. Over the next couple of hours, frogs and toads on flying lily pads appear, terrorizing the blackbirds, and making noises outside. For the rest of the night, they wreak havoc wherever they go. Come morning, they head back to the swamp, and let people deal with the destruction.

Annotated Bibliography #25

What Does the Fox Say? by Ylvis

If you are in any way familiar with the song that was popular in the fall of 2013, you have some idea as to what this book is about. This book is simply the words to the song, including the crazy noises of the chorus, with eye catching artwork. As to this artwork....it is done in brilliant colors. Many of the pages have artwork that seems to be inspired by Native American and Egyptian art. Between the words and the pictures, this is a fun book to read.

Annotated Bibliography #24

Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face and Other Poems by Jack Prelutsky

This volume includes over one hundred of Prelutsky's most beloved poems of the last four decades, as well as fifteen never before seen/read poems written just for this book. As is typical of Prelutsky, the poems in this book combine humor and simple rhyme scheme to engage children of all ages and backgrounds. Unlike most of Prelutsky's previous books, this one is more centered around topics or ideas. Food poems are together, animals are together, make believe are together. What a joy to read!

Annotated Bibliography #23

A Pizza the Size of the Sun: Poems by Jack Prelutsky

Another gem by famed children's poet Jack Prelutsky. He has again teamed up with illustrator James Stevenson to produce a book of poetry that hits home with many younger readers. This volume has poems of soup shoppes, stingy brothers, seals, computers, emus and bugs. There's a little something for everyone in this book. Whether the reader wants to laugh, cry, or think, Prelutsky is the poet for them, and this is the book for them too.

Annotated Bibliography #22

The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky

Much like the works of Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky gets to the heart of what concerns children. In this volume of more than one hundred poems illustrated by James Stevenson, the reader learns about the neighborhood bully, an ode to homework, and the crazy flavors of Bleezer's Ice Cream Store. Fun to read aloud, fun to listen to, The New Kid on the Block is enjoyable for readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Annotated Bibliography #21

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

One of the three books of poetry written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein prior to his death in 1999, this volume address many of the concerns that children face in their lives. Because of this, teachers named this book to be one of their top 100 books to teach. In one poem, the reader finds out why Captain Hook should never pick his nose. In another the reader discovers what happens when a little girl doesn't take the garbage out.

Annotated Bibliography #20

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

Containing one hundred thirty-one poems and illustrations by the author, A Light in the Attic, is a lighthearted book of poetry for the younger set. The title poem is likely the most famous one from this volume, however others in this book have caused the book itself to come under fire. Some attempts to ban the book have been made in relation to this book because some believe that the poem "How Not to Dry the Dishes" encourages disobedience in children, and Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony" describe the death of parents after refusing to buy their child a pony.

Annotated Bibliography #19

Falling Up by Shel Silverstein

Dedicated to his son Matthew, the one hundred forty-four poems in this volume are illustrated by the author himself. This is Silverstein's third poetry collection written and published in his lifetime. As is typical of Silverstein's poetry, these poems are lighthearted and whimsical with the type of humor that is easily understandable for children. Where would the world be without such poems as "The Nose Garden," " Hard to Please," and "Forgetful Paul Revere"?

Annotated Bibliography #18

The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems

The ninth installment of the Pigeon series, sees a very filthy Pigeon in need of a bath. As per the norm with Pigeon, he wants to do the opposite of what is asked. He has some, in his mind, valid arguments for not taking a bath, but ultimately gives in. Guess what? He likes it. Following the format of the previous books in the series, children will be involved in Pigeon's actions, and this book is fun to read aloud.

Annotated Bibliography #17

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman

This book contains fourteen poems written to be read aloud by two different people. Sometimes the readers of the poems are intended to read simultaneously, and others, the readers take turns.  This makes it seem as though the listener can hear the insect in any given poem. The subject of each poem is a different insect, and each poem has a beautiful black and white illustration of the insect the poem is about.

Annotated Bibliography #16

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

Who knew that dragons like to eat tacos? Not the kid in the book, that's for sure. As it turns out, dragons like tacos, whether they are chicken or beef, hard or soft. What they don't like, however, is spicy salsa. Apparently, it causes their ears to smoke, and gives them an upset tummy. Luckily, there are still ways for dragons to enjoy their tacos without the salsa. Dragons also like parties, but their favorite, of course, is a taco party.

Annotated Bibliography #15

Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Illustrated in black and white, yet so detailed it looks like a photograph, this book is about two children, Judy and Peter, who are bored. While out looking for something to do, they find a game. This particular game, though it looks like all the others they've ever played, is unlike any game they have ever played. Lions, monkeys, and rain seemingly appear out of nowhere, and the only way for these to go away is to finish the game.

Annotated Bibliography #14

The Day the Crqyons Quit by Drew DeWalt

Written as a series of letters to a child named Duncan, each crayon has grievances that they are placing with the child. Red complains of overuse, Purple of going out of the lines. Beige doesn't like coming in second to Brown. All the crayons have a problem with Duncan, but he finds a way to make them all happy. The illustrations go perfectly with the book, as they are done in crayon, and look like a child drew them.

Annotated Bibliography #13

How to Babysit Grandpa by Jean Reagan

Told from a child's view, this story is how a child sees being babysat by their grandpa, although the child thinks they are the one doing the babysitting. Illustrated by Lee Wildish, any child would love to read this book, if only to look at the pictures. All of the pictures coincide with the text on the page, so that the reader can see exactly what is going on in the story.

Annotated Bibliography #12

A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

Originally published in 1885, this version is a reprint published in 1981, with illustrations by Tasha Tudor. Each page is covered in beautiful illustrations that incorporate the images evoked by the poems themselves. Sixty-four poems in all, plus a forward to the author's own mother, Alison Cunningham, that discuss everything from “Auntie’s Skirts,” “The Moon,” “The Land of Nod,” and everything in between. This book is a must for every child’s library.  

Annotated Bibliography #11

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Told in verse, this is the story of Lupita, a young Mexican girl who moved to Texas when she was little. Lupita is the eldest of eight children, and it is often necessary for her to step up and help her parents with her younger siblings, as well as the chores around the house. On top of everything, Lupita's mother has cancer, and things don't look too good for her, or the family as a result of the cancer. Lupita does all she can to make sure everything runs smoothly at home while her parents seek cancer treatment. Lupita has to grow up a bit faster than those around her, but finds time for her own interests as well.

Annotated Bibliography #10

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

It is the summer of 1987 in El Paso, Texas, and Aristotle Mendoza is looking to another boring summer. Living with the dreams that haunt his father, and the memories of his older brother that no one talks about, Ari is used to a lonely existence. Then one day, he meets Dante Quintana. He's not sure what to make of Dante at first, but his witty sarcasm draws Ari in, cementing their easy friendship. Through tragedy and triumph, Ari, with the help of Dante, finds his place in the world, and love that he didn't know he was looking for.

Annotated Bibliography #9

Song of the Trees by Mildred Taylor

This is the fourth book in the Logan series, and is narrated by young Cassie Logan. The land that belongs to the Logan family is covered in trees, and Cassie finds comfort in their presence. Those trees are worth a lot of money, which would be of some help to Cassie's family, since they, the children, are often unsure of where their next meal is coming from. A man in town tries to convince Cassie's grandmother to sell the trees. Even though selling the trees would be an enormous help to the Logan's, Cassie feels it would be wrong to fell the trees for sale.

Annotated Bibliography #8

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

Richard Perry is from Harlem, New York. Even though he is a smart guy, he cannot afford to go to college. Instead, he joins the United States Army, and is deployed to Vietnam. This novel, though fiction, depicts life as it was for our servicemen during the Vietnam conflict. Myers uses graphic imagery to paint the picture of war for the reader who may not be familiar with the horrors of war. Myers also uses explicit language because he isn't trying to whitewash the reality of what these soldiers experienced.

Annotated Bibliography #7

The Road to Memphis by Mildred Taylor

The eighth and final book, so far, in the Logan series. Like a majority of the books in this series, this book is narrated by Cassie Logan, now seventeen years old. Cassie is home with her family, but the time is nearing for her to head back to her high school in Jackson. As per the norm, Cassie and her friends and family are humiliated in some way, merely for the color of their skin. When Cassie and her brothers get back to Jackson, they find a friend of theirs, Moe, is not there. He has done something, and will likely be convicted for it. It is decided he would be better off in Memphis, so they take him there. On the way they deal with many obstacles, many of which stem from the "separate but equal" way things are done.

Annotated Bibliography #6

Let the Circle be Unbroken by Mildred Taylor

This, the seventh book in the Logan series, picks up where Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry leaves off. Stacey's friend, TJ, is awaiting trial for murdering a white man. Typical of the time, TJ was tried by an all white jury, which means the worst possible outcome for the misguided young man. Stacey himself, meanwhile, leaves home for the cane fields of Louisiana in hopes to earn some more money for the family so that they won't lose their land. Unfortunately, while there, Stacey is accused of theft, and winds up in jail. Hardships abound for the Logans, but, as always, they rise above.

Annotated Bibliography #5

The Land by Mildred Taylor

The first book in the Logan series, The Land chronicles the life of Paul Edward Logan. Paul Edward was born a slave toward the end of the Civil War. His mother was a black house slave, and his father was her white "master." As if being of mixed blood wasn't enough, Paul Edward looked more white than most. Having been raised equally alongside his white brothers, Paul Edward's adjustment to life off of his father's land was more difficult than that of his peers. However, with all that Paul Edward must overcome, he manages to achieve what he wants most.

Annotated Bibliography #4

Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper

The first book in the Hazelwood High Trilogy, this novel deals with a lot of tragedy. A popular basketball player is killed in an alcohol related car accident. His best friend, who was also the driver on that ill fated night, is having a hard time dealing with the repercussions. He covers his depression up, or tries to, for a long time, until he is finally overcome by it. Told in the form of conversations, letters, poems, and diary entries, this novel explores the feelings of those left behind by tragedy.

Annotated Bibliography #3

The Friendship by Mildred Taylor

This is book five in the Logan series, and it is one of the shorter novels in the series. While on an errand for a neighbor lady, the Logan children go to the forbidden Wallace Store. While there, they run into Jeremy Simms, a poor white boy who wants very much to be friends with the Logan children, and Mr. Tom Bee, an older man and a Negro in their community. Mr. Tom Bee, against societal norms of the time, calls the owner of the Wallace Store by his first name. He has sound reasoning for doing so--he saved Mr. Wallace's life multiple times, and they were friends--but it causes problems in the community. The Logans witness the friendship between Mr. Tom Bee and Mr. Wallace crumble.

Annotated Bibliography List #2

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred Taylor

Winner of the Newberry Medal, this is the sixth book in a series that tells the story of the Logan family in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression. Told through Cassie's eyes, the reader sees the disparity between people of color and their white counterparts. The reader is also exposed to the harsh realities of being a person of color in the South--night riders, lynchings, tarring and feathering. Despite the harshness, the reader follows the Logan family as they become an even more close knit than they were previously.

Annotated Bibliography List #1

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

Eighteen sophomores in a high school English class in the Bronx. All different colors, from different backgrounds, with different histories, and different future plans. What brought them together? Poetry. Once a month, Mr. Ward hosts an Open Mike Friday for his students to share their poetry. It becomes so popular with the kids, that he makes it a weekly event. Some of the students find that the students who they think have it made, don't. Most just want to be seen for who they are, rather than what everyone sees on the outside.

Reading List #27

The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 by CP Curtis

For most of this book, I found the story was not what I was expecting. Based on the title, I was expecting a book about the Civil Rights Movement, perhaps told by a child, but that was not the case, for the most part.

Kenny, his parents, his older brother, Byron, and younger sister, Joetta (Joey), live in Flint, Michigan. Byron is a thug in the making, but the stories Kenny tells about him are too funny--getting his lips stuck to a frozen car mirror, and messing up his hair trying to straighten it. It is Byron's thuggishness that sends the family on a road trip to Birmingham, Alabama. Byron is to spend the summer, and possibly the year, with his grandma to get his act together. While in Alabama, Kenny nearly drowns, and Joey barely escapes a church bombing. The family is changed forever, but come out of it closer.

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Crazy Town

Asylum by Madeline Roux

I saw this at the bookstore a couple of weeks before I actually bought it. It has a sequel,  but I will likely wait until it's released in paperback before I buy it.

Dan is accepted into a summer college prep course at a university in New Hampshire,  I think.  They are renovating the dorms, so they house the kids in an old, abandoned asylum.

I always say nothing good happens in an asylum,  and that sentiment is true here. Weird things happen to Dan, particularly after he and his friends investigate the offices, which are off limits. Dan learns about a serial killer who was housed there, and there are crimes popping up that are eerily similar. 

I enjoyed this book, as it has creepy,  abandoned asylum photos. It's done much like Ransom Riggs' books, but creepier.  Probably shouldn't have read it in the dark, by the beam of a flashlight before bed though.  There may have been some nightmares. ;)

Reading List #25 and 26

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Catherine is twelve, and her brother, David, is eight. David is autistic, and Catherine finds herself taking care of him/entertaining him more than she'd like. Her needs come second to his. It's summer, and a new girl moves into the house next door. Catherine has wanted nothing so much as a friend of her own. Catherine has also made a friend at the OT office, Jason, who seems to be a quadrapelegic. Catherine learns about true friendship, and that she doesn't have to worry about David. A true friend wouldn't mind her brother.

Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done by Stephan Pastis

My guess with this one is someone saw how popular the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are, and wanted to try to capitalize on their success as this series is very similar.

Timmy fancies himself the world's greatest detective. He has a "trusty" sidekick, a polar bear named Total. They are trying to solve their most important case to date: the mystery of the principal's missing globe. Unfortunately, Timmy misses the most obvious clues, and comes to the wrong conclusions, despite the help of his friends. Still, this was an amusing and quick read.

Reading List #24

Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper

Melody is eleven years old and in the fifth grade. She is incredibly smart, but next to no one knows because Melody can't speak. She also can't walk, or do many things that "normal" children her age can do. Melody has cerebral palsy.

This book chronicles Melody going from an outcast in the developmental room at school to an inclusion program. It covers how she gets a machine that helps her to talk. Due to this machine, she is able to communicate and try out for the Whiz Kid competition. She makes the team, and helps them get to the finals in Washington DC, but her team, in their selfishness, ditches her.

There were several instances where there were tears. I hated reading about how people treated Melody because of her disability, but rejoiced when they embraced how awesome she was.

Reading List 14-23

Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

An informational text about, you guessed it, Hitler Youth. There were things that surprised me, like how it was set up like the Scouts. They did a lot of camping and having campfires, much like my experiences with Girl Scouts. It wasn't meant to be the atrocity it became, but then, neither did Germany as a whole at that time.

Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer

Poetry based on fairy tales. Two poems per fairy tale, as well as two pictures per fairy tale. The pictures are meant to mirror each other. The poems are written using the exact same words, but backward.

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

Basically, the same story we all know, but with a twist. The pigs end up in other nursery rhymes and stories, make friends with the characters, and bring them back to their own story to defeat the Wolf.

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

This is the story of puppeteer Tony Sarg, and how he came up with the idea of the floats used in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

Spiders by Nic Bishop

An informational text about spiders. Awesome pictures. Even if you are not a fan of spiders, you can appreciate these pictures.

Primates by Jim Ottaviani

An informational text in the style of a graphic novel. In this case, it is about Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas and their contributions to the study of primates.

It's So Amazing by Robie Harris

I had a hard time getting my hands on this one, and, frankly, I could have done without reading this one. It is about the facts of life, including how babies are made, menstruation, circumcision, adoption, STD's, and love. Unfortunately, this book will stick with me because I am scarred for life from some of the illustrations. Naked, hairy cartoon me. Old cartoon women with saggy boobs. Come on! No child needs to see that!

My Teacher is a Monster by Peter Brown

Robert thinks his teacher is a monster until he sees her one day in the park, and they hang out. He begins to see her as a regular person, until they are back in the classroom.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Honestly, when I saw the size of this book, I started cursing my professor. It's 620 pages, and I have this long-ass reading list. I am generally not bothered by the length of a book, but, again, I have a long-ass reading list. My school librarian pointed out it wasn't truly that long, and I would knock it out in no time. She was right; I finished in about an hour and a half.

This is the story of Rose in 1927, told mostly in pictures. And the pictures! Simply stunning! Rose is 12, has a fascination with an actress (who turns out to be her mother), and is deaf. She runs away from home because her father is overbearing, and they think she can't make it in the world because she is deaf. She finds her older brother in New York, and he helps her find her way in the world.

This is also the story of Ben, who is partially deaf (until he is truck by lightning through the phone, which makes him totally deaf), almost twelve, living in Minnesota, who has recently lost his mother. He finds some clues the night he is struck by lightning of the father he's never known. He runs away from the hospital to New York to find his father. While there, he sees some of his father's work in the Natural History Museum, and makes a friend. In his search, he meets Rose, who turns out to be his grandmother.

Lovely story that made me cry a little.

Something for Me

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

My daughter wanted to read this, and it is a possibility for this year's TAYSHAS list, so I took a little time from my children's book reading to check this one out. It was a fast read, so there was no harm in reading something I wanted to.

Lara Jean is the middle daughter. Her mother died when she was younger, and her older sister Margot took over things so the household would run smoothly. Margot is dating the boy Lara Jean is in love with, although she thought she was over that. When Margot breaks up with the boy, Josh, Lara Jean realizes she still feels something for him.

Lara Jean has loved five boys in her life, and when she is over them, she writes them letters that she never sends as closure. One day, those letters somehow get mailed, and Lara Jean's life gets out of hand. One boy, Peter, gets Lara Jean's letter, and ultimately, he and Lara Jean decide they will pretend to date so that they can make the people they both really like jealous.

I liked this because it had a Can't Buy Me Love vibe. More importantly, it is ok for my daughter to read.

Reading List #4-14

I have been remiss in keeping up with my reading list books, so I am playing catch up today.

It's a Book by Lane Smith

A cute book about a monkey and a donkey. The monkey is reading a book, and the donkey wants to know what it is. The donkey has a hard time understanding why the book is so entertaining to the monkey when it doesn't have the bells and whistles of his gadgets.

Olivia by Ian Falconer

Olivia is a little pig, quite literally. She's probably about three years old. She doesn't like to nap, or go to sleep, she has to try on everything she owns when she gets dressed, and wears out everyone around her. She also goes to the beach and the museum. She's a cultured swine.

Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie De Paola

Beautifully illustrated, this is a story of sacrifice. There is drought and famine for the Commanche people due to the selfishness of the people. They are told that if someone makes the ultimate sacrifice of their most valuable possession, the drought and famine would end. None of the warriors or other adults would give up their most valuable possession, but a little girl gives up her doll. In return for her sacrifice, the gods decided to allow bluebonnets to cover the land every spring.

This is Not my Hat by Jon Klassen

Two fish, one big, one little. The little fish steals the hat off of the big fish while he sleeps. He thinks he gets away with it, but he's wrong. The end.

Me....Jane by Patrick McDonnell

A biography on the early life of Jane Goodall.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by C.A. Deedy

Martina is of age to marry, but all her suitors only want her to meet their needs, not because they actually love her. She finds someone who loves her for her.

We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson

Beautifully illustrated, told in nine innings, the story, from the beginning of Negro Baseball.

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

Tells about the day Rosa Parks wouldn't give up her seat on the bus, and the aftermath in her hometown.

How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg

Informational text about nineteen historically significant personages. Gives the information, but also makes it interesting/amusing. I learned something, and I had fun doing it.

Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch

Elizabeth was a beautiful princess who was supposed to marry prince Roland. Unfortunately, a dragon came and burned everything, including her clothes, and took Roland with him. Elizabeth outsmarts the dragon and saves Roland, but decides he isn't worthy of her.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Children's books should not be this sad! I realize that they have to learn about sadness and death, but I would have a hard time, as a teacher, assigning this book to my class.

Jess is a loner. He is the only son in a houseful of daughters, and is often overlooked unless he forgets to do his chores. Jess has been practicing all summer to be the fastest kid in school, but then Leslie the new girl decides to race. Leslie wins, and is the fastest, but Jess doesn't seem to mind. They become inseparable friends. They create a "kingdom" of their own in the woods. Everything is hunky dory until one day a fatal accident claims Leslie. Jess is heartbroken, but doesn't know how to deal with his grief. Ultimately, it takes a talk with his teacher to see that he can move on.

So that was ten. Sheesh. I still have seven more for the first two assignments that are due at the end of the week.

Reading List #3

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

The first time that I remember this book being read to me was when I was in kindergarten at Winship Elementary.  I was in Mrs. Redd's class, and we were on one of our weekly library trips.  This was a book that made an impression on me,  and one that I made sure was in my children's library. I even have a wild thing that my son won for me from a claw machine. We saw the movie, and,  unlike many, actually liked it.

You have to love Max. He is a typical kid, who, when he is mad, wants nothing to do with the ones who love him. He wants a place where he makes the rules, and once he gets it, tires of it quickly. It's different reading it as a parent than it was as a child.  Still, it's a good book that stands the test of time. After all,  we all have a little wild thing inside of us.

Reading List #2

Gregor the Overlander: Book 1 of The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins

Even if this hadn't been on my grad school reading list, this was one that was on my to read list. My best friend's mother is a retired elementary school teacher, and both she and my best friend have been telling me for ages how good these books are. In fact, I started this one two years or so ago, but let other reading get in the way. I am, however, glad I read this book.

It's a Suzanne Collins book. She wrote the Hunger Games trilogy, so I knew it would be a good read. I had no idea how good until I actually started reading. It doesn't matter that this is a "kid's" book; anyone could read this and enjoy it.

Gregor is an eleven year old boy, living in New York City with his mother, two younger sisters, and his grandmother. His father disappeared two and a half years prior to the events in this story. It's summer, and Gregor is at home with his grandma and Boots, his baby sister. Gregor goes to the basement to do laundry, and plays with a ball with Boots. Boots climbs through the vent, Gregor goes after, and they end up falling to a land far below the surface.

In this new civilization, the humans ride giant bats, there are giant roaches, and giant rats. There is some tension between Gregor and Luxa, the heir apparent of the human civilization. Gregor learns that this is where his father wound up after going missing. There's a prophecy that involves Gregor, and rescuing his father.

This is an action story, but it also has heart. You can't help but sympathize with Gregor. For myself, I can't wait until I have time of my own again to finish the series.

Reading List #1

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

As I previously mentioned, I have a reading list eighty-five titles long for one of my library science grad school classes. This is the one I decided to start with. If it hadn't been for the books of Beverly Cleary when I was young, I would not be the reader I am now. Actually, I had this book as a kid, but never read it. Probably would have gone my whole life without reading it, had it not been for this class.

Leigh Botts, a boy, begins writing to his favorite author in the second grade. This continues until he is most of the way through sixth grade. We learn of Leigh's frustrations over his parents' divorce, the kid stealing the good parts of his lunch, and the fact that his father doesn't keep his promises. It's rather depressing, but Leigh makes the best of it. He finds people that care about him, and finds redemption when another author refers to him as an author.

As an adult reading it, it gives keen insight on divorce from a kid's point of view. I feel like society never takes the view of the children into account, and Cleary brought that to the forefront in this book.

Summer Book #25

Where She Went by Gayle Foreman

The sequel to If I Stay. I was not sure if I wanted to read this one. Seems like I read some of the reviews after I read the first book, and the consensus was that this was not worthy of its predecessor. It was also coming down to the wire, ie summer was almost over, and I wanted to read something that would be a reasonably quick read, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

At first, I was not sure I was going to like this one. Adam, the boyfriend, seemed so whiny and woe is me, that I was put off. However, as I got more into it, and Mia came into it, I liked it better. It told of their break-up, that even Adam didn't understand. I was happy to see that they could move past the things that happened, and find a way to live with themselves. I thought this was a perfect follow up, even if it didn't start as well as I'd have liked.

So, in nine days, school-my teaching gig-starts back up. Freshmen. Yea. In eleven days, grad school starts. I am studying library science, so there's a ton of reading (right now, 85 books. Yikes!), and I will discuss what I read here. Probably won't have much time for free reading, which makes me sad. Looking forward to this new chapter though.

Summer Book #24

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

I am going to be completely up front here: my biggest complaint with this book is everything from Pride and Prejudice that the author felt necessary to rehash. Presumably,  if you're reading this,  you are already familiar with Austen's work, and therefore,  don't need to constantly revisit the work. Just when you think you have escaped the revisiting,  it raises its ugly head.  Also, one whole  chapter was devoted to background on the Collinses, and they were only mentioned as having sent a letter to Elizabeth.  They weren't even characters in the book!

As to the story itself, it was pretty good.  On the night before a big ball at Pemberley,  Lydia Wickham shows up screaming that her husband has been killed.  Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam and a gentlman who has a thing for Georgianna go into the woods to investigate.  As it turns out, Wickham is not dead, but his friend, Captain Denny is. Wickham is a suspect, and goes to trial. We find out who committed the crime, and the circumstances surrounding it. It was quite intriguing really.

I also liked the allusion to Emma towards the end. That's what I would like to see actually: a book that ties the characters of all Austen's work somehow. It could be epic.

Summer Book #23

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

My fourth foray into the world of John Green, and, admittedly, my least favorite. It's not bad, just not as good as the others for me.

Colin is a child prodigy who has dated nineteen girls named Katherine. He was recently dumped by K-19, and he is having a hard time getting over it. His best pal, Hassan, comes over, and they decide to go on a road trip to soothe Colin's woes. There is no destination in particular, they just drive southeast from Chicago, and see what happens. They see road signs indicating that the grave of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is in Tennessee, so they set out to find it. They end up in this town in the middle of nowhere called Gutshot, and meet Lindsay, the proprietor of the roadside attraction.

Hassan and Colin befriend Lindsay and her mother, who offers the boys a summer job and a place to stay. While there, Colin decides he wants to matter, so he uses his experiences with the Katherines to develop a formula that will predict how long a relationship will last and who will do the dumping. Hassan falls in love, and breaks up with the girl. Lindsay breaks up with her boyfriend. The three friends uncover a secret about their town, and have some good times together.

I think the main reason I didn't like this one as much is because Colin is a bit of a whiny narrator. He pines for this girl who is clearly over him, and can't let himself have fun and be open to other opportunities. I enjoyed Hassan; he made me laugh. Maybe a Hassan book is in order.

Summer Book #22

Paper Towns by John Green

This is the third book by Green I have read. I know I shouldn't, but I will always compare his books to the first I read, The Fault in Our Stars. TFIOS was magic, and nothing Green has written has compared to that for me. That said, I really enjoyed Paper Towns.

In its own way, the premise was the same as Looking for Alaska, also by Green. In both, an average boy is in love with an above average girl, the girl leaves, and the boy searches for her. Where they differ, is that Paper Towns had a happier ending.

Q lives next door to Margo. As previously indicated, he's an average guy. Margo is beautiful and popular. It is the last month of their senior year. One night, Margo, dressed as a ninja, needs Q's help. She is seeking revenge on a cheating boyfriend, and others who wronged her. Against his better judgment, Q helps her out. She shows him what it is like to live close to the edge, and Q finds that he liked it. The next morning, Margo is gone. No one knows where she's gone.

The second part of the book deals with Q's search for Margo. She left some obscure clues, and Q does his damndest to figure them out. His friends, Ben, the obnoxious virgin clarinet player, and Radar, the computer geek, help him. Also, Lacey, Margo's best friend, helps.  On the day of graduation, Q finds the last clue as to where Margo went.

The third and final section involves Q and his friends ditching graduation to drive over 1,000 miles to where they believe Margo went. Ben has to pee a lot, and they almost hit a ginormous cow. Will they find Margo? Does it matter?

This is a book of personal growth and knowing who your friends are. This book makes you laugh, and for me, makes you want to join Q and his friends on an epic adventure. Definitely worth the read.

Summer Book #21

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy

What a strange book! Having read some of McCarthy's work, this was not entirely surprising.  What was surprising was the amount of necrophelia in this book.

Our protagonist is one Lester Ballard. He is a mere 27 years old, but I didn't know that until I was more than half way through the book. He seemed much older. Ballard is recently released from prison.  I don't know why he was there; either I missed it or it wasn't mentioned.  Anyway,  Ballard lost his family land while incarcerated,  and he is not happy about this. Strangely, he seems to have befriended the person who bought the land. Since he has no place of his own, Ballard squats in an abandoned house in the woods.

Here's where things get gross... Ballard comes across a car in the woods (the was a lot of backseat action in this book), but the occupants have died in a compromising position.  Ballard pulls the guy corpse off the girl corpse, and has his way with her. As if that isn't enough, he takes the girl corpse back to his squatter paradise to have his way with her more times. Dude even goes into town to buy her clothes! One night after his sexual conquest, his squatter digs burn down.  He then moves his belongings to a cave. He comes across another couple , kills them, has his way with the body, and takes her to the cave. He ends up having to move again, and takes the bodies with him. He is eventually caught, put in a mental hospital and dies. Sometime after his death, the find his final abode, and in it, seven corpses. Ewwww!

I kept hoping Ballard would redeem himself in some way, but he never did. I guess you could say he was the product of his environment: his mother ran off when he was young and his father killed himself. He didn't have anyone to love him and teach him better.

Despite the weirdness,  I did like this book. It was different,  gross, but different.

Summer Book #20

Anthem by Ayn Rand

Not impressed with this one. It's dystopian, which I have learned to love, but this adds nothing to the genre, in my opinion. Hated it. Aggravated by the main character speaking in third person for the majority of the book. I get it, as a collective, no one has an identity, and that's the point. Being someone who lives in a society where individuality is a good thing, I couldn't relate. It was nice, I guess, that he figured out he could live with his Golden One and be happy.

Summer Book #19

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

This is another one of those books I bought and read because I liked the cover. :)

At the beginning of the book, Ezra Faulkner is finishing up his junior year of high school. He is on the varsity tennis team, he's student body president, he's dating a popular girl, and he's wicked popular himself. He goes to a party, and sees his girlfriend hooking up with someone else. He leaves, and gets hit in his car by a hit and run driver in a black suv. In this moment, Ezra's life is changed forever. It was questionable whether he'd ever walk again, and he'd never play tennis competitively again.

At the beginning of his senior year, Ezra has to find himself. He ends up on the debate team, and in love with the new girl. He is also still drawn to his old "friends" sometimes. The new girl, Cassidy, is mysterious, intelligent, and shows Ezra a whole new world-until she breaks his heart.

Cute story, but one told many times, in many ways.

Summer Book #18

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

This is the third and final book in the All Souls trilogy that I started two years ago. As with the predecessors, I was spellbound with this one as well (see what I did there-haha).

Picking up where the last book left off, Diana and Matthew have returned from the past to find the two missing pages from Ashmole 782. She's still pregnant with twins, and now one of Matthew's rogue children is out to cause trouble. He wants Diana because she is capable of bearing a vampire's child, and Benjamin will stop at nothing to possess her.

Meanwhile, a friend of Diana's has joined the research team to find out the secrets of vampire, daemon, and witch dna. It works out rather well on that front.

Unlike most trilogies lately, the need to kill off one of the "good guys" wasn't necessary. Sorry to spoil that for you. In many ways, it ended like a Shakespeare comedy, with all the loose ends tied up.

I have immensely enjoyed reading this trilogy, and will miss the adventures of Diana and Matthew, and their band of misfits.

Summer Book #17

Four: A Divergent Story Collection by Veronica Roth

Because I enjoyed the Divergent Trilogy so much, I knew I would read these novellas too. They tell Four's/Tobias' side of the story. I am not sure why I thought these would be good after reading his chapters in Allegiant. Sorry, but Four just isn't that engaging a narrator. He doesn't tell much that I couldn't have figured out without reading these, aside from Four seeing both of his parents before the attack on Abnegation.

What I truly believe is that Ms. Roth wrote the books for the money. They really aren't that good, but she is making a crap ton of money off of them.

Summer Book #16

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Little Golden Book by Diane Muldrow

This entire book is written in the vein of the "All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" poem that was popular in the 1990's. That means the book is short, and can be read in mere minutes, so I am totally cheating by including it in my summer reading list. I couldn't help myself though. I had a ton of the Little Golden books when I was a kid, and if I can bring that nostalgia back to someone else, then this book belongs on this list.

Each page of this book has the lesson learned, and at the bottom in tiny print, it tells where the lesson learned. Coincidentally, the illustrations are all from the Little Golden book. Yes, Poky Little Puppy is here, as is The Little Red Hen, Chicken Little, and The Shy Little Kitten. This book was a walk down memory lane for me, and, as an adult, I think we sometimes need to be reminded of the wonder of childhood.

Summer Book #15

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles

This book was short, but I started it right before I left for an out of town convention, so it took longer than necessary to read.

Told from the point of view of four people: Ellie, Caleb, Josh and Corrinne. Ellie and Corrinne are best friends. Ellie sleeps with Josh (among others, previously), and gets pregnant due to condom use ineptitude. Caleb has had a crush on Ellie since first grade, and Josh is a friend of his. This is the story of a high schooler getting pregnant, what she does, and how it affects those around her. It was only ok.

Summer Book #14

Son by Lois Lowry

The fourth and final book in The Giver Quartet, this one brings it all together. The book actually starts a little before The Giver does, and in the same community. It tells the story of a birthmother, about to give birth to her first product. Her name is Claire. Things go wrong, and they end up having to do a C-section. It leaves Claire unable to have anymore children, so she is reassigned to the fish hatchery. Claire is left with feelings, and this, as you may remember, is unheard of in her society. She wants to find out what happened to her child, a boy. Turns out, her child is Gabe.

She spends time at the nurturing center just to be able to spend time with her son, though no one knows she is the one who gave birth to him. She finds out he is going to be released, and she leaves the society the same night Jonas leaves with Gabe.

Claire ends up in another society, one more primitive than the one she left. I say this only because they live in huts, and use plants for medicine, much like the society from the second book. Claire has lost her memory, and must try to remember who she is and where she comes from. I am not sure that everything became clear for her, but she knew she had a son and she wanted to find him. One of her friends in the village trained her so she would be able to climb the cliffs and leave the village. She manages it, but at the top, she runs into the Trademaster. She trades him her youth so that she can find Gabe.

Find Gabe she does, but she is an old woman. Gabe is an unhappy lad because he wants to find where he came from. He builds a boat and plans to leave, but Claire has a talk with Jonas, telling her who she is. Jonas in turn talks to Gabe, who finds it unbelievable at first. Gabe then goes to battle the Trademaster so that his mother can be her true age again, instead of about to die.

Sometimes, there was an overabundance of details, and sometimes there weren't enough. It ended well, and it was a good series to read.

Summer Book #13

A Dangerous Inheritance: A Novel of Tudor Rivals and the Secret of the Tower by Alison Weir

Being fascinated by the Tudor Dynasty for a decade or so, Alison Weir was one of the authors whose biographies I read to become more familiar with the Tudors. Her books are well researched, and the nonfiction keeps the reader as entertained as the fiction books do. So, when she started writing historical fiction, I knew I would enjoy her books. Yes, there's a lot of untruths in her fiction, but I can overlook that because I know that sometimes you have to fabricate to fill in the gaps.

For me, this book was a tale of two Katherines, with a little Elizabeth I, my favorite Tudor, thrown in. The first Katherine we read about is Katherine Grey, younger sister of Lady Jane Grey, the nine days queen who was executed for treason during the reign of Mary I. The same day Jane married Guildford Dudley, Katherine married Harry, son of the Earl of Pembroke. She was 12. They were not allowed to consummate their marriage, not because Katherine was so young, but because the Earl wanted to see how things would play out once King Edward VI died. In the short time they were married, Katherine found evidence of another Katherine at her husband's family house.

So, Edward VI dies, Lady Jane is proclaimed queen against her will for nine days, and then Mary takes the throne. Pembroke sends Katherine away, and wants her marriage to his son annulled. Katherine serves first Mary, then Elizabeth, but since she is a princess of the blood, Elizabeth doesn't like her much. Katherine falls in love, and marries without royal permission. She ends up pregnant and jailed in the tower of London. She ultimately has two sons, and dies in captivity. From the time she found evidence of this other Katherine, she was fascinated by the story of the two princes in the tower.

This other Katherine, or Kate, as it turns out, is Katherine Plantagenet, the bastard daughter of Richard III. Kate loves her father very much, and doesn't want to believe all the awful things that have been said about him, particularly that he had her cousins, the princes in the tower, put to death so that he could become king. She fell in love with her cousin, but was not allowed to marry him. Instead, she was married off to the Earl of Huntingdon in Wales. At first, he treats her well, but then her father dies, and he's now saddled with the bastard daughter of a traitor. He doesn't treat her so well after that. She is pregnant when they are summoned to court for the coronation of Henry VII, and loses that baby, a son, because she was manhandled by the king's guards when they abducted her on his orders, accusing her of treason. She and her husband are sent back to Wales, where her husband, though he despises her, impregnates her again. Toward the end of her pregnancy, her cousin starts a rebellion against the king, and on his dead body, a letter from Kate is found. He husband is not pleased, and Kate is to be arrested once she gives birth. She gives birth to a dead son, and she herself dies. She never did find out whether her father was responsible for the deaths of the princes.

I am not that familiar with the princes in the tower. I know they were the sons of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward V, and were imprisoned in the tower by their uncle Richard. There is a great deal of supposition, mostly due to Shakespeare's play, that Richard had the princes killed so that he could be king. He also tried to have them declared bastards. There is also supposition that Henry VII had them killed because as long as they lived, they were the rightful heirs to the throne, and he was just a pretender. No one knows for certain what happened to them. Either they were killed, or they were somehow smuggled out and lived out the rest of their days in obscurity.

Summer Book #12

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Yes, I am that weirdo who reads Faulkner and Shakespeare for fun.

I first read this book in 2007, in my American Lit class at SHSU. It is the first Faulkner book I ever read, and that is what made me intrigued by his works. I decided to reread the book because I recently saw the movie made from this novel, and wanted to revisit it. The movie was fairly accurate to the novel.

If there is one thing you should know about Faulkner's style, it's that he is unconventional. He plays around with grammar and punctuation to fit his needs, and he uses dialect to put the reader exactly where he wants them. In this case, Jefferson, Mississippi.

Jefferson is a fictional town. It is supposed to represent Oxford. It is in the fictional county of Yoknapatawpha, which is supposed to represent Lafayette county. Everyone in his stories and novels is connected. It's like a giant spiderweb for a family tree. Faulkner had it all in his head, and he is the only one who knew all the connections. It's part of his genius.

As to the story....It is told from somewhere in the neighborhood of fifteen narrators, including Addie Bundren, who is dead. In its simplest terms, it is the story of a dysfunctional family. There's Anse, the father. In my opinion, he's a snake. He tries to make his family feel sorry for him because he has no teeth in his head, that he is long suffering because he gave them everything he had. That may or may not be true. What is true is that he traded his son's horse, that his son paid for himself, and took his daughter's money because he felt they owed him for his suffering.

Next is Addie. She is lying on her deathbed, looking out the window at her son making her coffin. Another son drilled holes in said coffin while she was lying dead in it, and ended up drilling holes in her face. Her death is what puts all the craziness in motion because, some time before, she made Anse promise she'd be buried with her people in Jefferson.

The oldest son is Cash. He is a carpenter. He made the coffin, and on the way to Jefferson, broke his leg. His genius family thought it would be a good idea to put concrete on his leg, and nearly cost him the leg. Next oldest is Darl. This experience of transporting Addie's body to Jefferson has caused him to go crazy. Who could blame him with the father he has? He knows without her telling him, that his sister is pregnant, and that one of his brothers doesn't share his father. He keeps it to himself. He spends most of the book being the voice of reason. After eight days on the road with a corpse, he's had enough, and sets the barn it is resting in on fire in the hopes that they can end the journey. Instead, he is arrested, and his father is the culprit who made sure that happened.

The third child is Jewel. When he was fifteen, he worked his butt off overnight to earn the cost of a horse. The horse his father trades away without consulting him. Jewel is Addie's favorite, and it is because he is the product of something she did for herself. Basically, he's the child of an affair, and Anse has no idea. Jewel spends most of the book brooding over something. The fourth child, and only girl, is Dewey Dell. She got knocked up and hopes to find a cure for that in town. No one wants to help her, and she ends up getting into more trouble. Last is Vardaman. He's very young, and doesn't really understand any of what is going on. The most memorable chapter in the book is his: "My mother is a fish."

So, Addie dies, and the family is going to fulfill Anse's promise to have her buried in Jefferson. The night she dies, there is a torrential rainstorm that washes out two bridges. The Bundrens try to cross the river anyway, and end up with drowned mules and a broken leg. Anse trades some things, including Jewel's horse, to get another wagon team, and they make their way to Jefferson. Nine days it takes. In the heat. Buzzards following them every step of the way. Nearly arrested in one town for causing a public health issue from the smell.

I should mention that all the other narrators are people they know, who interacted with them on the journey.

Great book.

Summer Book #11

The Messenger by Lois Lowry

Third in this series, and let me just say, the end pissed me off.

This one does tie the first and second books together, so that was something. The hero of this book is Matty, who was friends with Kira from the last book. He lives in a new village with Jonas from the first book, although he is known as Leader. In a way, their village is a bit of a utopian situation. Everyone, even though there is something wrong with most of them, is happy and lives in peace, but all of the sudden people are starting to change. Almost like they've sold their souls for something. They are becoming selfish, and want their village to stop allowing new people to move to their town. There is a town vote, and the village decides to close their doors. Matty is sent to let the other civilizations know and to bring back the Seer's daughter, Kira. Will he make it back with her in time?

Summer Book #10

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Allegedly, this is the second book in the series that began with The Giver. I say allegedly because I am having a hard time seeing how the two are related. I read the blurb on the back of the third book, and it relates to this one, but neither seem to relate to the first. Perhaps book four ties it together.

Kira is our heroine in this one. At the beginning of the book, her mother has died. Kira's father died before she was born, thus making her an orphan. In her society, most orphans are given away to others in the village. In Kira's case, no one would take her because she is crippled. That alone shoulf have been a death sentence for her when she was born, but Kira's mother insisted that she live.

There is an awful woman in town who wants Kira's house, but Kira tries to fight for it. It is brought before the town council, and they decide to give Kira's house to the mean woman. Why? Because Kira has a skill. She can sew like no other, and they need her to repair and complete the robe that the Singer wears at their annual gathering. Apparently, they take those with a skill into the council building, and use them as needed. Sometimes, they even dispose of the parents so that they can acquire the child they need.

While Kira is skilled at sewing, she is only just learning to dye her threads. She is sent daily to train with Annabella so that she can learn to dye thread. Annabella is able to teach her how to dye all the colors except blue, and this is only because the plant needed for it is not found nearby. Suddenly, one day, Annabella is taken to the fields, so Kira thinks she's died.

I forgot to mention, Kira has a little friend, and urchin, named Matt. Matt has gone to Annabella's home with Kira, and he remembers where she said, more or less, the plant to make blue dye is. Matt brings the plant, and something else. Something Kira thought she would never see.

Kira realizes she and the other two children who are gifted are basically prisoners, but she decides to stick it out where she is because she thinks she can change things. Can she? I have no idea because it will be revisited in book four, which I have just ordered.

Summer Book #9

The Giver by Lois Lowry

My son has been after me to read this book for ages. Now that is has been made into a movie coming out in August, he said I have no choice but to read it so we can see the movie. I have taught him well!

Written in 1993, it was dystopian before dystopian was cool, much like 1984. Now dystopian is all the rage. In this society, there are no colors, feelings, music, sunshine, weather, anything. Everyone is the same. People apply to marry and a matched to someone. They apply for children, and they can have no more than two. These children are born to birthmothers, spend time being nurtured in a facility, and then, in December, they are named and given to their families. If a baby doesn't thrive, they release it, which means they stick a needle in its head and kill it. Old people go to a home for old people, and then are released. They are killed in much the same way. Parents, after their children are raised, go to a home and never see their children again. Sounds like a pretty screwed up society to me.

Our story is about Jonas. He is about to be 12, and at the ceremony in December, will be given his assignment, or job. He is to be The Receiver, which means he will be burdened with memories of several generations prior to his own. Why? Because the people of the community can't handle them.

Jonas' father is a nurturer, and he has brought home one of the babies because they are concerned that he will not be able to go to a family if he doesn't thrive. Jonas also sees something of himself in this baby.

During his training, Jonas finds out what they do to release people, and he is fed up with life in his community. With the help of the Giver, he makes plans to escape. The night before he plans to leave, he finds out that they are going to release the baby that his family has been taking care of. What would you do in his situation?

Summer Book #8

Gone by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

This is from the Michael Bennett series. He's the New York City cop who has ten children. Anyway, in the previous book in this series, Bennett caught this major Mexican cartel guy. Unfortunately, this guy, Perrine, escaped custody and vowed to take out Bennett and his family. The Bennett clan ended up in witness protection, having to move clear across the country to middle of nowhere California for their safety.

In the meantime, this Perrine guy is settling old scores. Anyone who ever crossed him, he's taking out in the most brutal ways. Bennett gets sucked back into the search for him. Ultimately, good prevails and bad is double tapped in the noggin.

Not the best Patterson book I've read. In fact, I started it months ago, but got all caught up in the TAYSHAS list, so I forgot about it. Still, I was able to pick up where I left off.

Summer Book #7

About a Boy by Nick Hornby

I bought this because I love the movie, and the movie is very similar to the book. The differences: Will doesn't introduce Marcus to Mystikal in the book. Instead it is Nirvana. We see that Marcus has more of a relationship with his father, other than just Christmas, as it is in the book. Marcus has more of a relationship with Ellie. They actually hang out after school sometimes. Will's relationship with Rachel is not as prominent as it is in the movie. Last, the ending was different. Instead of Marcus singing in the talent show, he takes a train to his father's house with Ellie the day Kurt Cobain dies. Ellie is a huge fan, and sees someone's shop with a cutout of Kurt Cobain in the window. She goes ballistic, and breaks the glass with her shoe. I won't say that it was a better ending, but I would've liked to have seen it played out in a movie.

At any rate, I enjoyed reading this.

Summer Book #6

Looking for Alaska by John Green

This was my second foray into the world of John Green, and although not quite as poignant as the first of his books that I read, it did speak to me.

First of all, Alaska is a girl. A very hot girl, who also happens to be smart. She reads, she smokes, she drinks Strawberry Hill, and she pulls pranks. All the boys love her, but they know they don't have a chance with her because she is so in love with her boyfriend. Alaska is also damaged. When she was eight, her mother died, and Alaska didn't call 911 because she didn't really know she was dying. She has lived with this guilt for eight years.

The thing is, this book really isn't about Alaska. It's about her friends Miles, aka Pudge, and Chip, aka The Colonel, and how they grow as people, especially Pudge.

Pudge is from Florida, and feels like there is more to life than what he is living, so he asks his parents if he can attend the boarding school his father went to in Alabama. When he gets there, he meets The Colonel, who is his roommate. Their circumstances are very different, but they become fast friends, particularly after a prank is pulled on Pudge that could have killed him. Alaska lives down the hall, and is who they go to to purchase cigarettes. As I indicated previously, all the boys are in love with Alaska in one way or another.

The book is told in two parts: before the incident and after the incident. Before deals with their escapades at school: smoking, getting drunk, planning pranks, studying. Typical teen stuff. After deals with the aftermath, and how Pudge and The Colonel deal with it.

Very touching. Loved it. However, there is substance abuse mentioned, foul language, and some semi-explicit sex. In reading the 1-star reviews on Amazon, that was the biggest complaint about the book. Doesn't bother me. I work with teenagers, and this seems to be in line with how many of their lives are.

Summer Book #5

Reached by Ally Condie

The last book in a dystopian trilogy, this was different than most books in that genre. Why? Usually, there's a revolution to overthrow the bad government, but not here. No, they use the plague to overthrow the government. The whole book is about this plague, and finding a cure for it because the cure they thought they had doesn't work. Kinda boring.

The Cassia, Xander, Ky love triangle is on the boring side too. Cassia makes her choice, and the one she doesn't choose is cool with it because he found someone else.

This series had such potential. The first book was great, which is why, months later, I read the others. The second started getting boring, but I thought the third would redeem it. Sadly, that was not the case.

Summer Book #4

Crossed by Ally Condie

This is the second book in the Matched trilogy I began ages ago, before the TAYSHAS list consumed my reading list.

This book is told from two points of view: Ky and Cassia. If you'll recall, Cassia is a citizen, who was matched to two different boys at her matching ceremony: Ky and Xander. Because Ky is an aberration, and therefore unworthy of a citizen, Xander is most likely Cassia's match. However, she loves them both.

Ky has been banished to the Outer Regions, but he tries to make his way back to Cassia. Cassia, on the other hand, gets herself assigned to a work detail that causes her to end up in the Outer Regions. She finds a friends, Indie, and they cross the Carving to find Ky. This is based on information they receive from a reliable source. Cassia and Ky end up finding each other, but disagree on whether to join the Rising, a rebellion against the Society. Cassia wants to, Ky doesn't.

This was not the most interesting book, but it was an easy read. I knocked it out in a few days' time. I am looking forward to the last book in the series. I am hoping Cassia ends up with Xander. They are more alike, and I feel he is more worthy of her. They have the same goals.

Summer Book #3

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

What took me so long to read this?! I have been hearing good things about this book for a while, it's about to be coming out in theaters, and I just bought it last weekend. Impulse buy, but so glad I did.

This is the tale of Nick and Amy Dunne. On the surface, they seem to be very happy people. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Amy remembers every little slight, and ultimately uses them to get back at Nick. Including faking her death, and making sure he gets framed for it.

The book was a wild ride. Did Nick really kill Amy? Why? Then you find out that Amy isn't dead, so you have to wonder why she did this to Nick. Sure, he was a cheater pants, but framing him for murder? That seems a bit mental to me. And I am totally right about the mental thing. Amy definitely has issues.

I did watch the trailer for the movie, and they have Ben Affleck playing Nick. Bad choice. Ben is too much of a pansy to carry out the Nick I read about in the book. Plus, his acting sucks. I'll still go see the movie though because that's what I do.

Summer Book #2

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

On Saturday, I almost bought this book. I have almost bought this book on multiple occasions. What finally made me buy it and read it? I saw the trailer for the movie that they made from this book.

Mia is a cellist. She is a senior in high school, and recently applied and auditioned for Julliard. One morning, there is a snow day, so her family decides to go visit friends. On the way there, their car is hit. Mia's parents both died at the scene, but Mia and her brother, Teddy, are both alive, though barely.

The story is told by Mia, although it's her conscious, I guess, and not actually physical Mia. She sees herself with all the tubes and wires, but she is unconscious. Anyway, Mia has to decide whether to join her family in death or live without them. She reflects on her life, her best friend, her boyfriend, her family, and uses these memories to determine whether to live or die.

This pulled at my heartstrings, and made me nearly cry several times. So worth the read.

Summer 2014 Book 1

The Mortal Instruments: The City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clay

This is the last book in the series, which, I guess, is good. I am not sure where else the author can go with these characters.

This book picks up where book 5 left off: Sebastian is still a douche-bag, wreaking havoc wherever he goes. His plan is to get the Shadowhunters and Downworlders in a war against each other, so that he can rule the world. He has a weird crush on his sister, and wants her to rule with him.

As always, good wins over evil. The epilogue was nice. It wasn't a happily ever after, like one series I could name. No beloved main characters died, like another series I could name.

The book itself was not as good as it's predecessors. I couldn't stay focused. I do have high hopes for the new series coming out next year though.

Peculiar

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

This is the sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which I loved and couldn't put down two years ago. The premise of it was neat. Weird pictures from the past provided the ideas for the story, and it was brilliant. This one, not so much. I feel like the author tried to hard to make the story work around the pictures, and it felt contrived.

It took forever to read this one too. I started it one weekend when I ran out of TAYSHAS books, and I had a hard time staying focused. Then, nearly a month ago, my ginormous puppy thought it would be a good idea to eat the hardcover off of the book because he didn't get enough attention from my husband one night. Just this week, I met with my librarian friends, and, using the dust cover, turned this damaged hardback into a paperback. I was finally able to read it again a few days ago. Still, it was hard to stay focused, and I felt like I was forcing myself to read this. We were in the car for roughly six hours today, and it was the perfect opportunity to finish.

This book picks up right where the first one leaves off. The peculiar children are having to escape their island with their injured ynebryne to try to find someone who can help her back into her human shape. Along the way, they meet some interesting animals, gypsies, and other peculiars. Not to mention that they have to go through several loops to accomplish their task. Will they manage to get Miss Peregrine back?

Hated the last twenty or so pages of the book, and it was left wide open for a third installment. I dearly hope it is better than this was. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.

Percy Jackson #1

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief  by Rick Riordan

I started this book before Christmas. It was one I would read when I ran out of TAYSHAS books at home, and needed something to read. I wanted to read it because it is one of the few books that held my daughter's attention, plus, I like the movie. Good thing I can keep books separate from their movie counterparts.

There were so many differences between the book and the movie. First, in the movie, Percy is 16-17 years old. In the book, he's 12. Mr. D was not in the movie, nor was Clarisse, but they figure in somewhat when Percy is at Camp Half Blood. Percy goes on a mini quest for Ares, and that wasn't in the movie.

I enjoyed this first book in the Olympians series. How could I not? It deals with Greek mythology, but told in a more modern way. I can see why my daughter was interested, and hope we can talk about this series more as we read it. Sadly, it will be a bit before I move onto the next one in the series, since there is a stack of books on my end table to be read.

Heavenly Communication

The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom

As you may have noticed over the course of this blog, I enjoy Mitch Albom's books. The things he writes about heaven can be thought provoking and emotional. With that said, there are a couple of books, this one and For One More Day, that I am not sure I could deal with if they occurred in my life.

The premise of this book is that people in one Michigan town are receiving phone calls from loved ones who have passed on. Presumably, they are calling from heaven. Sounds great, right? The town is inundated with people hoping that, just by being in the proximity, they too will receive a phone call from a dearly departed loved one. So many people believe. There is, however, one who doesn't. Sully Harding. He has made it his mission to prove that these calls are fakes. He has his reasons.

This was a good book, but it made me think that I wouldn't want to receive a phone call from heaven. Crazy, I know. While I would love to hear from my grandpa, I think it would just be re-opening a wound. I still have a hard time listening to my grandma's answering machine message because it is my grandpa's voice. I can't imagine having an actual conversation from beyond with him. One part of me would love it, I think, but the other would be heartbroken all over again. Not sure I can do that.

A Companion Book

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

Five years ago, I was in my methods classes. We were on location in a high school, and I was assigned to a freshman and a senior class. My senior mentor was getting ready to begin a novel with her class, and asked me to create a lesson to introduce the characters to the class. That novel was Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. I enjoyed the book, which surprised me.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the school library, and a coworker was checking out Fallen Angels. We began to talk about what a good book it was, and the librarian mentioned that there was a companion book, told by the nephew of the narrator. I was sold. I checked it out, and now, nearly two weeks later (I know!), I finished. Sadly, it wasn't as captivating to me as the first book was.

Birdy is shipped to Iraq at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He sees some horrific sights, learns firsthand about IED's, and remote detonation. He makes friends with some of his comrades, and sees some die.

I don't know why I wasn't as taken with this one as I was its predecessor. I have to wonder if it is because I don't know much about the Vietnam war, whereas I was living during the time of Iraqi Freedom. All the media coverage, I think, has taken away from the book for me.

T List #30

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

I think this is where the list ends for me. Sure, there are twenty-something books left on it, but this was a good number to end on. It's ten books more than last year, and will be duck number ten for this year when I go to the library tomorrow. It's been a fun journey. Most of the books were really good, and touched me in some way.

This last book on my personal TAYSHAS journey...The blurb on the inside of the book jacket made it sound much better than it was, in my opinion. Basically, it indicates that Daisy can "speak" to the dead, meaning that she aids law enforcement agencies, namely the FBI, in finding missing, dead bodies. She also uses her "gift" to determine, sometimes, how a person dies. In fact, that is how the  book starts out. Then, she is kidnapped by a mafia family whose daughter is missing in order to help find her. Except that's not really what they need her for. They need her to raise a powerful dead guy. Yeah, not completely weird at all.

Anyway, I checked out this book because it sounded like I would be reading about finding missing dead people, which is mysterious and fascinating, not reading about raising the dead to god-like proportions.