Last week I had the honor of meeting Patrick Jones, the author of two novels for young adults. Things Change was published in 2004 and documents an abusive relationship from both the female and male perspectives. I read most of this in one sitting because it was too intense to put down! I just started reading his new novel Nailed, which came out last spring. This book follows the life of Bret Hendricks, a high school outsider who enjoys theatre, kitschy tee shirts, and The Clash. However, his dad would prefer his son to take an interest in sports or car repair and goes out of his way to make Bret know that he's a big disappointment to the family.

Both of these books are quick reads and are unique enough to not interfere with what you have to read for school. I encourage you to check them out (literally!).

Kurt Vonnegut died today at the age of 84. I feel strange about this because just two days ago, I was recommending books to a patron who said that she had never read any Vonnegut. I handed her Breakfast of Champions (my personal favorite) and was so excited that she would have the pleasure of reading his work for the first time.

The controversial author was known for his dark humor and leftist politics. His Wikipedia entry can be found here.

Vonnegut's most famous novel was Slaughterhouse Five and is a great place to start. Of course, the library has many other titles as well, which I'm sure will have a resurgence in popularity. Put yourself on the hold list today!