New Book Trailer: Rise of the Corpses

Posted by JainaL on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 - 2:25 PM

Guess what? I love zombie books. Here is a book trailer for Ty Drago's Rise of the Corpses.


Reading Challenge Update: May 5th

Posted by JainaL on Saturday, May 5, 2012 - 11:23 AM

I've been reading a lot! Here is my progress on YALSA's Best of the Best Reading Challenge:

Ashfall
by Mike Mullin
view in catalog
Jaina Rating: A
This book SCARED ME SO MUCH. A supervolcano erupts, covering the country in ash and causing earthquakes, violent anarchy, and food and water shortages. There is a supervolcano under Yellowstone and this *could* happen, so that's why it was so scary. This was an "I can't put it down" kind of book, but also the kind of book that gives you nightmares. Reader beware.

More below...read more

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Newest Teen Books 4.30.2012

Posted by JainaL on Monday, Apr 30, 2012 - 12:10 PM

See what's new in the Teen Section for the week of April 30th, 2012...

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Programming Survey

Posted by JainaL on Thursday, Apr 26, 2012 - 1:49 PM

There's just one day left to vote for what you'd like to see for summer programming. This summer's theme is "Own the Night," so we're looking for night-themed activities. Candle decoration? Goofing around with black lights? Learning about ghost hunting equipment? Watching scary movies? Check out our survey and tell us what you think!

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New Book Trailer: You Are My Only

Posted by JainaL on Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012 - 4:12 PM

Check out our latest book trailer for You Are My Only by Beth Kephart.

Internet, Teen

Newest Teen Books 4.23.2012

Posted by JainaL on Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012 - 11:48 AM

See what's new in the Teen Section for the week of April 23rd, 2012...

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Reading Challenge Update: April 22nd

Posted by JainaL on Sunday, Apr 22, 2012 - 1:53 PM

Here's where I am with YALSA's Best of the Best Reading Challenge. Since my last check-in, I have read:

Beauty Queens
by Libba Bray
view in catalog
Jaina Rating: B+
Contestants in the Teen Dream beauty contest go down in a plane crash on a deserted island. While some fight for food and shelter, others focus on maintaining their pageant skills in hopes of a dramatic rescue. From a librarian standpoint, I can say that this is a good, well-written book with strong female protagonists and good lessons for teenage girls. However, I personally found the writing style to be a bit annoying. Every page had a footnote with a snarky rant, which I enjoyed at first, but it started to take away from the story for me about halfway through the book. Others might enjoy this a lot, which is why this opinion is entirely subjective. I urge you to read it yourself to form your own thoughts. Also, this is definitely a book for 14+.

Divergent
by Veronica Roth
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Jaina Rating: A-
In a future Chicago, society is broken up into five factions, each dedicated to a particular virtue. At age sixteen, teenagers are put through a violent simulation in order to determine their reactions and place them in a faction. When Beatrice's test results are inconclusive, she discovers she is Divergent, a status she must hide from the government. It took me awhile to get into this book, but once I got my bearings, I was obsessed. This book is nonstop action and has a unique story. Plus, it's a dystopia, which I love. My only complaint is that there are a lot of characters to keep track of, which I found confusing at times. Or maybe I'm just a bad reader.

9 down, 16 more to go!
 

Teen

Own the Night: What Would YOU Like to See?

Posted by JainaL on Thursday, Apr 19, 2012 - 2:54 PM

This year, the Summer Reading theme is "Own the Night." I'm starting to plan night-themed programs, but the question is, what would you like to do? I've created a survey with a few suggestions, but if you have others, please feel free to make them! I appreciate the input!

 

Teen

Newest Teen Books 4.16.2012

Posted by JainaL on Wednesday, Apr 18, 2012 - 2:05 PM

See what's new in the Teen Section for the week of April 16th, 2012...

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Reading Challenge Update: April 12th

Posted by JainaL on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 - 7:36 PM

As you may know, I've signed up for YALSA's Best of the Best Reading Challenge. Here are the books I've read since my last check-in:

Anna Dressed in Blood
by Kendare Blake
view in catalog
Jaina Rating: B
Cas has a unique skill: he can kill ghosts. Traveling the country to take care of murderous spirits, he finds himself in Thunder Bay to face "Anna Dressed in Blood," the most dangerous, and most beautiful ghost he's ever seen. It's definitely one of the most unique horror novels I've ever read. Not to sound like an old lady, but the large amount of cursing seemed to be unnatural and to stand in the way of the story at times. Otherwise, a great book. This book is a good mix of horror, mystery, magic, and romance.

The Talk Funny Girl
by Roland Merullo
view in catalog
Jaina Rating: B-
Marjorie is raised in an abusive, religious household, and is brought up with a unique dialect of the family's own creation (they kind of talk like Yoda). Already distanced from the community and distrustful of others, Marjorie finds herself extra cautious when local girls begin to go missing. Although the premise and characters were interesting, I found that the story dragged at certain points. The book kept me intrigued enough to keep reading, but I wouldn't say I was ever really excited about it. I like it more in retrospect than I did while I was actually making my way through it. This is technically an "adult" book and won an Alex Award this year.
 

7 down, 18 more to go!

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