Once again, it's been a long time since I've updated the blog, but I HAVE been reading- more than ever it seems.
I have discovered that my public library has a very nice slection of YA novels on CD, so I have been listening as well as reading. Also, award season has come and gone. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by AS King won the Printz Award (best in YA Lit) and is an author who will be coming to TBF- the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival (http://www.tbflive.org/ ). I liked the story, but always have a problem with award winners- I've read others I like better- don't know what made this one stand out for the voters. Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi won a Printz Honor- dystopian, a litttle wierd, but good.

After reading Shiver by Maggie Steifvater, I had to read the sequel, Linger when it came out recently. It was even better than the first one. I loved reading about how Grace and Sam's relationship progressed and spent the whole book wondering what was going to happen to Grace- what was making her sick? LOVED IT!

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is one I read because one of my teachers is having her class read it and I never had. A twister that has you thinking and trying to figure out Who Done It? Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick is about a young girl who becomes embroiled with fallen angels- who can she trust? The Girl Next Door by Selene Castrovilla was very good- Sam's neighbor and best friend Jesse has cancer and only Sam can get through to him. Castrovilla is another TBF author who will be here in May! I am currently reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett- a recommendation of my daughter's- one of her favorites.

Once again, I haven't written in too long, but I HAVE been reading!

I had been wanting to read Lauren Myracle's Peace, Love and Baby Ducks for a while and am glad I finally got aroung to it. I actually listened to it on CD in my car. I liked it because it's about sisters and how hard growing up can be- and YES- there are actually baby ducks in the story... who can resist!

The Scorch Trials was the first book I downloaded onto my new NOOK (a holiday present to ME!). Dashner's newest installment in The Maze Runner series was amazing. The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials are presently THE most popular books in the library and for good reason. They are dystopian novels about a world very different from ours- thank goodness- where kids are being used as guinea pigs in experiments meant to test different 'variables'- whatever they might be? which are vital to society's survival. In my opinion the popularity of dystopian novels is a cry for help- DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO OUR WORLD!!

Willow by Julia Hoban just came out in paperback and caught my eye when I was making an EDGY book display. It's the story of a girl named Willow who blames herself for the death of her parents- she was driving. Willow is now living with her brother and has had to change schools. She is coping- or is she- by cutting, it's the only thing that is keeping her from losing it. Not particularly well written, the story is what kept me going.