Stuff for Book Nerds: The Bookmarks Edition

Zombie Hands Bookmarks

I love bookmarks.  They are such a small, yet unique way to say something about the reader.  I know some people who will use any (and every) slip of paper that they can find and others that meticulously match their bookmark to the color and/or theme of the book that they are reading.  I thought I might share some of the bookmarks that I have come across on my Etsy adventures. 

Harry Potter Potion Bookmarks

Alice in Wonderland Bookmarks

Hunger Games Mockingjay Bookmark

Dr. Who Bookmark Set

Harry Potter Snitch Bookmark

Hand Cut Feather Bookmark

Stuck-Duck Bookmark

Game of Thrones Bookmark Set

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: Gilt by Katherine Longshore which is due to be released on May 15th.

 In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free--
and love comes at the highest price of all.

When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

I have read quite a few novels about the Tudor court but never one that is designated as YA.  I think this might be a good edition to my classroom library and I can think of a couple of girly girls who will probably love this series and it may be a good jumping off point to get them involved in reading more historical fiction. 

Top Ten Tuesday (5)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week will feature a new Top Ten list . Everyone is welcome to join.

This week features the Top Ten Books I'd Like To See Made Into A Movie. I am going to try and list movies that aren't (to my knowledge) already in production.

 

Book Review: Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Title: Shift
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: This cover is better than the predecessor but I am still not a fan.  Come on publishers!  The authors write fantastic books and you put crappy covers on them (or crappy books and beautiful covers - GET IT TOGETHER!).  The cover model seems a little to grown up and the back-on-to-the-camera-looking-over-my-shoulder pose has been done and done.  At least she doesn't have a tattoo. 

The Gist: Shift picks up a few months after the events of Shade.  Aura has helped Logan make the impossible transition from Shade back to Ghost and must deal with the fallout as her attention seeking ex-boyfriend demands to steal the spotlight once more.  Aura's attention, on the other hand, is back on the oh-so-endearing and not-so-eternally-patient Zachery.  With help from both, Aura begins to unravel the mysteries surrounding her birth and the special abilities that she and Zack possess.

Review: Jeri Smith-Ready continues to surprise me.  A good half of this book is spent on angst-ridden teenage relationships, a considerable part of the plot involves a complicated love triangle and finding answers to the BIG QUESTION seems secondary to the day to day issues brought on by teenage hormones.  I SHOULD hate this book, but I don't.  I FREAKING LOVED EVERY MINUTE!  I think perhaps it is the author's ability to create characters and situations that are so desperately real that my gut wrenches with sympathy, longing, anger or betrayal.  I wanted to hug the characters, or shake them, or slap them (whichever was appropriate for the situation). 

In the second half of the novel, the action picks up considerably and we start to get some answers to why the Shift may have happened and what makes Zachery and Aura particularly special.  After reading this book I am ridiculously happy that the final book is being released in a few days and I won't have to wait long for the rest of my answers (and to see Aura and Zachery finally have sex - seriously, I have never in my life rooted more for two teenage characters to get it on - Jeri, what have you done to me??!!)* 

As I mentioned in my review of Shade, this is really a book for the older end of the YA spectrum.  I am sure lots of readers can handle the mature elements (and I am sure that I read way more risque stuff when I was a kid) but, as a teacher bent on avoiding parental anger and keeping her job, I wouldn't give it to any student under the age of 16.

Favorite Quote: "Her energy drink took effect right away, and I wondered if it had disappeared from the mainstream market because it had been made from the pituitary glands of deposed dictators and executed serial killers." 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Discussed but not described, some naked shenanigans.
Violence: Gunplay
Inappropriate Language: Bitch, Fuck
Substance Abuse:  Underage Drinking

*I'm going to hell aren't I?

Feature & Follow Friday (1)

Feature & Follow is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read

This week's question is

Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then “broke up” with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

1. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready: Logan

I fell in and out of love with Logan throughout this whole book. He would do something so cute and sweet that I couldn't help but melt and then he would do something so stupid or petty that I wanted to scream! I completely understand the frustration of his family as they try to come to terms with him being a ghost (and a stubborn one at that) and still managing to pull off his diva rockstar act.

2. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness: Todd

I liked Todd for about 1/3 of the book. He seemed like a kid beaten down by circumstances and I wanted to root for him. I really did. And then *SPOILER* he murders someone who did him no harm and it pretty much gets ignored for the rest of the book because the victim wasn't human. Finally, when faced with the sadistic son of a bitch who chased him across half the damn world, he freezes. ARGH!!

3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Gale

I understand the need for Gale's progression throughout this series but that doesn't mean that I need to like it. I loved Gale in the first book. He was handsome, strong, determined and self sufficient. If you subscribe to the belief that the strongest relationships are built on common interests and goals, then he is perfect for Me Katniss. Our literary love ended when he allowed he became obsessed with his weapons and winning at all costs. Sorry Gale, even I couldn't root for you to get the girl after the war ended the way it did.

Book Review: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Title: Shade
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: May 4, 2010
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions:  To be honest, the cover did not entice me at all.  The semi-headless girl in the spangly top smacks of paranormal romance (a genre I usually avoid) and makes it look generic.  The color combination feels off, though I can't quite put my finger on why...

The Gist:  Aura and most of her friends were born after the Shift that allowed the dead to interact with the living.  She has spent her entire life trying to avoid and ignore them.  That is, until her boyfriend joins their ranks.  Now she walks a tightrope trying to keep him from turning into a dark and twisted shade while fighting her growing feelings for the very cute, and very alive, Zachery.   

Review: I fought off this book for a long time.  I would read a review or see it pop up on a friend's shelf on Goodreads, check out the blurb/cover and promptly shut it down again.  Over and over.  I don't do paranormal romance very well.  I do big plots with lots of action and adventure and this - isn't that.  Finally, I could fight it no longer.  I had to see what the fuss was about.  Let this be a lesson to you (and me) when a book keeps popping up, read it.  Don't dismiss it because of the genre, or the supposed love triangle or your expectations of Just Another Ghost Story.  Because this book isn't.

Aura (Just a note - I do hate the name) presents such a realistic portrayal of a teenager that I cannot help but love her.  She has temptations, she has urges, she doesn't always do the right thing and she lives with the consequences.  I had expected a lot of guilt and whining after Logan's death, but there wasn't.  She didn't exactly move on, but she didn't present the reader with diatribes about how this was all her fault and she was a horrible person.   Speaking of Logan's death: that was some powerful shit.  Even though I knew it was coming, even though I knew I couldn't stop it, it hurt to watch.  He was just a sweet kid who thought he was invincible and I wanted to yell at him, tell him what was coming and to not do anything stupid (P.S I yell at tv and movies all the time).  It was like watching a horror movie where an innocent girl calmly gets ready for a bath while the audience cringes because we know there is a serial killer hiding in the shower.  It was that level of sick-in-the-pit-of-your-stomach suspense for me.  That was the point where Smith-Ready had me hooked.  

This is not an action filled plot, but it kept me reading just the same.  The scenes with Zachery are sweet and exciting and Oh So tempting.  They brought me back to those heart thumping first kisses as a teen and the thrill of young love (or at least lust).  There are hints of a bigger plot at play, and I do wish this had been explored a little further and that a few more details had come to light.  It is very clear that this is part of a series (trilogy?) and we are forced to wait for our answers.  Instead of action and adventure we get moments of Oh Noes! and pain that is piercing and palpable.  I can't wait to move on to the next one!

As noted below, there are elements within this book that may raise the age level.  In the past, I have seen a few of my grade 8 (14-15 year old) students reading it.  They really enjoyed it, and they are smart kids, not likely to follow in Logan's footsteps, but I would not personally place it into the hands of anyone under the age of 16. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up

Gender: Females
Sex: Spoken about, not described.  Masturbation. 
Violence: None

Inappropriate Language: Retarded, Ho Bag, Fucker
Substance Abuse: Underage Drinking, Use of Cocaine

Book Review: Amplified by Tara Kelly

Title: Amplified
Author: Tara Kelly
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Release Date: Oct 25, 2011
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions:  The cover is simple, but fitting.  I like the incorporation of the title as part of the amp and the use of the often overlook, puke-green color.  

The Gist:  Jasmine Kiss has fled the stifling world of academia and an overbearing father for the streets of Santa Cruz and the chance to lose herself in her music.  When the perfect opportunity of a place to stay and a spot in an up and coming band lands in her path, Jasmine has to fight her way in and convince both the band, and herself, that she belongs.

Review:  Jasmine is the kind of character you want to hug, hand a cup of tea and tell "oh sweetie, you are so young".  She comes from a privileged background and, at the beginning, comes off as a 17 year old princess who doesn't realize how good she has it.  I will be honest, I sympathized with the father.  You have hopes and dreams for your children and then they turn around and make the choices that you think will lead them into pain and trouble.  Of course, as the story wore on and I learned more about dear old daddy (particularly him telling Jasmine she was lucky to be plain looking) I began to see where she was coming from.  This is not a story of action and suspense, it is a story of friendship and growth.  I felt honored to watch Jasmine learn some life lessons and come into her own as a musician.  

This is the type of novel that smacks of REAL.  The characters have major flaws, they make real, teenage mistakes and (sometimes) own up and learn from them.  The love interest made my heart flutter and remember how exciting those exploratory days were, when excitement and nerves melded together and made butterflies dance inside your stomach.  There were no real "villains" but even the characters that I disliked could be seen as having bigger issues at play.  I was particularly glad that, while Jasmine does learn and grow from her experiences, she does not change into a whole new person and we know that she still has a ways to go.

The one thing about this book that I could not relate to was the music descriptions.  I know NOTHING about music, I am a casual listener at best and I found myself skimming some of the sections where the band played and Jasmine's each and every move on the guitar was recorded.  This is a personal issue, I know.  I can, however, imagine those to be the favorite parts of someone who does "get" music and understands the lingo.  I do wish this book could have somehow been bundled with a soundtrack so that I could have connected what I was reading with what I was hearing.  

This book should appeal to budding musicians and anyone that enjoys well-drawn characters with a dash of romance.  It should be noted (as described below) there are some scenes and language that may not be appropriate for those on the younger end of the Young Adult spectrum.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Will probably be more appealing to girls.
Sex: Spoken about, alluded to, but not actually described.
Violence:  None

Inappropriate Language: Douches, Jacking Off, Giving Head, Fucking, Pricks, Bitch
Substance Abuse:  Smoking, underage drinking