April Winners!

Total books read: 131

Total pages: 34,325

Total staff contributing in April: 16

Most books read:

Jenny E. 39

Heather C.D. 19

Sarah B.T. 13

Most pages read:

Jenny E. 8989

Heather C.D. 4544

Kadie H. 4271

Participation points:

Jenny E. 39

Jennifer H. 23

Heather C.D. 22

Random drawing: Kim T. 

Challenge winner: Jennifer H.

Cover winner: 

A Little Bit of Love by Cynthia Platt

Review winner:

Lemonade & other poems squeezed from a single word. Review by Heather C.D.

City of Fallen Angels

Cassandra Clare
432 pages

Clary has returned to NYC and hopefully normal life, well as normal as her life can be. Jace is finally her boyfriend and she is training to become a shadowhunter. Her mother and Luke are getting married soon. Simon is dating two girls, both of which are very dangerous and no one will leave him alone. Jace is having nightmares about killing Clary but things are about to get much worse.

I really liked this fourth installment of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instrument series. Clary has learned enough now that the reader isn't being constantly lectured at which is nice. There isn't a lot of action but the pace is still pretty quick and keeps you interested. I read it in one day on a road trip so I can attest to the gripping storyline.

vampire Knight vol 11

Matsuri Hino
200 pages

Zero did not kill Yuki and she left the academy with Kaname. They return to the Kuran mansion where Yuki tries to learn how to be a vampire again. There is a year skip in time and we find Zero still at Cross Academy splitting his time between school and hunting vampires. His old mentor is temporarily the head of the school. Zero is considered to be a good candidate for the Vampire Hunter Association. Yuki is always hungry for more blood, Kaname explains that only the blood of the one you love can truly satisfy her hunger but his blood doesn't work for her. He explains that this is because part of her still loves Zero.

The time skip was weird for me but anyways more of the same. Yuki still doesn't know who she really loves Zero or Kaname. I personally think the reason Kaname's blood doesn't satisfy her is because she really loves Zero . We'll see what happens in vol 12.

Vampire Knight vol 10

Matsuri Hino
200 pages

Zero has killed Rido and Kaname has destroyed the Vampire Senate, now what? Zero pledged to kill all pureblood vampires which now includes Yuki. The Night and Day classes stand side by side to protect each other. Will Zero stand by his word or will his feeling for Yuki get in the way?

Once again Vampire Knight just gets more confusing. There are not enough explanations and the reader is left to wander aimlessly though the story. I want to know why the crazy brambles around Zero? It gets more and more complicated but I still want to know what happens next.

Odd Thomas

Dean Koontz
416 pages

Odd is really his first name and it suits him. Odd Thomas is a short order cook in Pico Mundo and he plans to marry his girlfriend Stormy. On the surface he is pretty normal but can see the dead. If he had a choice he would really rather not see them but he can't help it. Odd tries to help them move on. One day a strange man walks into the Pico Mundo Grill and Odd must try and save his town from a catastrophe.

I enjoy reading Dean Koontz novels, they are smart and little scary. I had put off reading this one for a while but now I'll have to get a hold of the whole series. If you like mysteries a little on the strange side Odd Thomas is for you.

Have a blast with April stats!

Tomorrow is the last day of April so please, please, please get your stats tallied and turned in to me! I'll start working on compiling everything on Monday.

Cheers!
Jen

Nevermore

Kelly Creagh

543 pages

School Project+Cheerleader+goth kid= Isobel's life. She had been partnered with Varen Nethers to do an English project about Poe and she is not happy about it. He is creepy and never talks to anyone. Her boyfriend Brad doesn't like it either. Slowly Isobel learns how good her friends really are and finds a few new ones along the way. She starts seeing things that can't be real and Varen seems to be the cause but can't control it. Can she save him before it is too late?

I really liked "Nevermore". The theme at surface value can be seen as overused with the blonde popular girl growing as a person and becoming friends with the outcast boy but there is a lot of original idea too. There is more to Varen than meets the eye and Isobel is drawn into his world. As a fan of Poe I really liked all the references but the dreamworld is confusing. Towards the end I got pretty lost and frustrated. Great story and will definitely be awaiting the sequel.

Crescendo

Becca Fitzpatrick

432 pages

Nora and Patch are still dating but hit a rocky patch, he has been seen with Marcie Millar who is Nora's least favorite person. She's mad at Patch who won't tell her what's going on like normal and then she starts seeing her dead Dad around town. Nora's life is falling apart again..

I loved "Hush,Hush" but this was a real disappointment. Nora was all over the place emotionally. One minute she is in love with Patch the next super pissed usually we don't know why either. Patch never says anything useful. Vee is the steady friend as always but usually talks bad about Patch. The new character of Scott was intriguing but we don't see much of him. This book was very up and down, I was mad at Nora a lot of the time. The last fifty pages or so has some action and revealing tells but the rest I could have done without. Maybe the 3rd book will be better.

Mockingjay

Suzanne Collins

370 pages

SPOILER ALERT for those who want to know NOTHING plotwise in this installment.

Katniss has survived another Hunger Games since she was rescued and taken to District 13 but Peeta was taken to the Capitol. The heads of the rebellion including President Coin (of District 13) want Katniss to be their symbol as the Mockingjay. She is rejoined with her mother, sister, and Gale since District 12 was destroyed by the Capitol. She is very confused about many things on just about every level from her feelings about Peeta and Gale to if the Rebellion is really an answer to the problems the districts feel. She feels out of place in the highly militarized District 13 and wants to do something, she agrees to be the Mockingjay but with several conditions. Will they be able to bring down the Capitol?

This was a bit of a letdown after reading the first two books in the series. I felt like Suzanne Collins was grasping at straws a bit plotwise. It was very disjointed and lacked the flow that seemed so natural in the other books. I did not like how Katniss spent most of her time doing nothing. There is a definite lack of Peeta which I don't care for either and when he does come back he is crazy. There is too much self reflection and not enough actual action. When things do start happening I found it confusing. The end is a bit vague and abrupt. The deaths that occur I found pointless and frustrating. There is a short epilogue but it didn't answer many qustions. I don't know what happened to many of my favorite characters. The questions that were answered were more like notes instead of a full fledged concept that had been thoroughly thought out. I don't know if the author was rushed to finish the story but it was even a different tone from the others. Not my favorite but not completely horrible either. I recommend it only to know what happens not on writing merits.

*NPR Best Book 2010

Catching Fire

Suzanne Collins

391 pages

SPOLIER ALERT for those who want to know NOTHING plotwise in this installment.

They've won! Katniss and Peeta both got through The Hunger Games but what do you do after surviving an ordeal like that? Afte a few months of quiet Katniss gets a visit from President Snow threatening her family and friends for making the Capitol look foolish. The districts are unhappy and he wants Katniss to help quell rebellion when touring the districts with Peeta. She realizes there is nothing she can do to help the unrest within the districts and fears for her life and those around her. The Quarter Quell (a special Hunger Games every 25 years with a twist) is announced and all participants will be past winners. Katniss has to go back into the arena but this time she has a new goal in mind. Read the book to find out more!

Out of the trilogy "Catching Fire" is probably my favorite. I find the personal relationships of the characters in this installment to be even more integral to the story than ever. I love how everyone interacts in their own ways. Katniss is almost indifferent to most people because she doesn't want to get too close then ends up realizing how deeply she cares for them. Peeta wears his poor heart on his sleeve and usually Katniss tramples on it a bit. He is very friendly and without his social skills who knows where she would be. Haymitch seems like a drunken fool but there are plans just being cranked out in that brain of his. He is outwardly bristly but cares a lot about Katniss and Peeta. All the while Katniss is afraid of people lying and doesn't know who to trust.We also learn more about how their society works. Loved it.

*Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year 2009

*YALSA Teen's Top Ten 2010

The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins

374 pages

Katniss Everdeen spends most of her time caring for her mother and sister Prim in District 12. She hunts with her friend Gale and just tries to make it through every day. Every year The Hunger Games are held with twenty-four contestants (one boy and girl selected from each district). The contestants must fight to the death with only one winner left standing. When Prim is chosen to go Katniss goes in her place along with Peeta the boy chosen from her district. Who will win? I'm not telling.

I had this on my reading list for quite a while but this weekend I read the whole trilogy. I found the story to be engrossing and could not put the book down. There are a lot of books based on dystopian futures but this is one of the most original. I highly reccomend the whole series.

*New York Times Notable Children's Book 2008

*School Library Journals"Best Books 2008"

I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Lisa Schroeder

227 pages

Ava is a happy teenager with the perfect boyfriend until he dies in an accident. Her world is shattered and she doesn't know how to go on without Jackson. Luckily for her he comes back as a ghost and haunts her.

I was very intrigued when I learned the plot of the book and felt that I had to read it. I did not realize the book was written in verse so that was a surprise but a good one. The pace was fast since the chapters were really one to three page poems. I felt like the story ended when our main character was just starting to change and it felt a bit abrupt. Overall a great insight on grief and putting your life back together after the death of a loved one.

*ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers