"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."— Frederick Douglass
YAY Alannah (Howick Library) for today's post that consists of teen recommendations and reviews! Read, enjoy and request.
Title: Beauty queens by Libba Bray
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year of publication: 2011
Adventure, Chick lit.
Beauty queens, just published this year, does not seem like Libba Bray's normal historical romance fodder. This was the first time I'd read one of her books and, I have to say, I had huge doubts about reading a book about beauty queens. Boosted by the encouragement of others I dubiously picked it up and began to read. Whatever I had been expecting, it certainly wasn't for the book to be fabulous by a country mile. There literally were LOLs.
Beauty queens is a hilarious tale about a bunch of Miss Teen Dream pageant contestants trying to survive on a deserted island after their plane goes down in the middle of the ocean – tragically killing all of the aids and adults, and some of the competition. It is up to the group of 14 pageant contestants to survive on the supposedly deserted island, get themselves rescued and keep up their Miss Teen Dream routines. Of course! Bray has a really dry wit in this book and her use of footnote and interview writing techniques really highlight this. Bray juggles the main characters by focusing chapters on each of the girls. Although the book is set mainly in the third person, Bray has mixed up the form a bit by slipping in documentary/interview techniques which allows us some insight into the characters' personality and motivations. I really liked this book and Bray does well to remind you that not everything is as it seems; you should never judge a person solely on their exterior, and never a judge a book by it's cover!
There’s a little book humour for you there :)
Title: Underground by Chris Morphew
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont
Year: 2011
Thriller, Conspiracy, Action, Paranormal. Take a bow, Chris Morphew. Talk about being blown away! The
Phoenix Files series has been one of
the finds of the year. If you are in any way interested in the thriller/conspiracy genre, or even if you're not and would like to perhaps branch out, then this is the series you should request.
Underground is the 4th book in the Phoenix Files. I was put onto this series by a children’s librarian who was really impressed by a talk given about these books by their author, Morphew. Backed with this fantastic endorsement, and the impression the series was a fusion of thriller/action/paranormal, I naturally ran (with elbows out) to the Teen corner of Howick library, pulled the first book of the series -
Arrival - off the shelf, and requested the 2nd and 3rd books as well. The series begins with Luke's arrival in Phoenix with his mother. Luke hates his new life in the hick town in the middle of nowhere, with no friends and without his dad. Luke soon teams up with Peter and Jordan, and, soon, they share a persistent and horrifying feeling that all is not well in Phoenix. But they are the only ones who do so. No one else wonders why there aren't any more in or out going flights from Phoenix airport, or why there aren't any internet or telephone lines to the world outside of Phoenix. The trio soon have more disturbing questions -
who is Tabitha? - and a feeling that time is quickly running out.
While all the books are written in first person, Morphew changes between the protagonists with each book offering a deeper insight into each of the characters. What makes this series really outstanding is the suspense Morphew manages to sustain throughout the series. Let's just say that with these books I found myself up at 3 in the morning reading on a school night!! Alright, well, a work night, but the principle is the same. I just could not put them down and now I wait, in suspended agony, until the next book comes out. Chris Morphew, you rock!
Title: Texas gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year: 2011
Paranormal. This is the latest offering from Rosemary Clement-Moore, and I have to say, in a time where paranormal books are in diabolical excess, that I quite enjoyed reading this one. This book differs from her others; I say this thinking of
Highway to Hell and
Prom Dates from Hell. In
Gothic Texas, R.C.M's characters are less superficial and have been fleshed out more and I can't help but feel that this is a more grown up and much better R.C.M. If you are a bit like me and find it hard to completely buy into the whole paranormal vampires/werewolves fantasy realm, then this is a good go between; R.C.M writes in a more believable/down-to-earth but humourous approach.
Amy Goodnight comes from the infamous Goodnight family. The infamous
magical Goodnight family. Amy tries hard to keep her normal world of university and friends colliding with her definitely un-normal family world. While house sitting her kooky aunt's ranch in Texas, the precarious balance between worlds comes crashing down, as Amy becomes aware that there is something on the ranch with her that isn't her sister, the goats, or her dearly, long since, departed Uncle. Something that will not leave the Goodnight farm until Amy helps; at least she hopes that's what it wants. Thrown into the mix is her waifish sister, the grouchy, but unbelievably hot cowboy from next door and a couple of skeletons (literally and figuratively) and what's not to love! Plus the book is full of quirky little things I would love to have – 'Goodnight Farms' Clear Your Head Shampoo' which specialises in untangling hair and any thorny issues in your mind.
Title: Grammar Girl's 101 misused words you'll never confuse again by Mignon Fogarty
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Year: 2011
Nonfiction. I saw almost immediately that this book was going to be surprisingly helpful to me. I’d only read half a page in the introduction, the introduction!! before I learned I’d been saying the wrong thing all my life – how embarrassing. Fortunately for me, since it was the authors’ own example, I clearly wasn’t the only one to have made this mistake. You have not snuck round behind the school hall, you have sneaked. I must admit I felt somewhat vindicated in saying snuck all these years when she said it was now almost completely on par in acceptability and usage with sneaked in America. Judging from my own experience, this is perhaps a book that you should read quietly on your own, so no one sees your red face upon realising you’ve committed several mortifying social faux pas and no one has told you. She manages to make the book interesting and mainstream by providing examples of what to say and how to from current T.V shows and movies. Well done.
Remember! All of these books are new and highly recommended so don't delay and request, request, request today!
Too cheesy?
You love it!
- Alannah :)
While Christmas and New Year's Eve are still a few weeks away, the "best of 2011" book lists have already begun to appear. Pity the poor author/illustrator/editor who publishes in December, as they won't ever make the list!
