How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain

So, I realized I was in a reading rut and starting picking up random green books to meet our challenge for March. One of the ARC's that came through the department caught my attention (really, who can resist Johnny Depp?) and I started reading...

David's father is a renowned psychiatrist who has just acquired a new patient, Zelda. Zelda claims to be from the planet Vahalal where there are only women. Any men that show up on the planet are immediately destroyed. Zelda is on earth to claim her one true soul mate who just happens to be Johnny Depp. David immediately falls in teenage angsty love with bikini clad Zelda despite her clear disdain for him. Is David about to become an unlikely hero of an alien race or the latest sucker to believe a crazy girl just because she's hot?

I started the book with curiosity and then just stuck around for the wild ride of teenage coming of age meets a hero's heart of gold meets old school science fiction adventure. The story completely revolves around the plot and is so outrageous sometimes you just have to laugh and go with it. The characters are enjoyable and the French setting adds a little splash of different to the teen market. Save for one of those days when you need something quirky and fun. 2011, 208 pages.

Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti

“Didn’t I just know it! She looked like somebody who reads books all the time, voluntarily. Long ones, with small print and no pictures. Wretched woman!”

Shrimp is a recently widowed librarian who has a fondness for beige and poetry. Benny is a dairy farmer barely keeping his head above water after the death of his beloved mother. Sharing a bench for months at the cemetery they both frequent they both grow to loathe each other. Then Benny imagines Shrimp in a dominatrix outfit at the same time she looks up at his amazing smile. Cupid strikes quickly and they fall in love. But really, what does a dairy farmer who appreciates the tackier things in life and a refined librarian have in common?

This book charmed my socks off! Each chapter alternates between Benny and Shrimp’s view of their life and the relationship they both share. Both are struggling to come to terms with the death of people they loved but ultimately have trouble grieving. Both are intelligent, quirky and want more from the life they are living. A fascinating character study that reminds us that while people find and come together as friends or lovers, they rarely see the simplest of events the same way. One caveat, the ending is left open and the sequel has not been translated into English. I’m working on my Swedish as I type! 1998, 209 pages.

Home for a Spell by Madelyn Alt

Maggie O'Neill is a fledgling empath witch in Stony Mill, Indiana. In this 7th book in the Bewitching mystery series, Maggie has a broken leg and is living with her current boyfriend Marcus. Feeling guilty for invading and taking over his life she starts looking for an apartment. When the landlord ends up face down in the pool before she can sign the lease-the mystery has just begun.

Hmmm. I am not a fan of mysteries. They drive me nuts. I know, bad librarian. What I have liked about this series up to this point was that there was a great deal more involved in the story than just the "who done it" plot. This book changed completely and left me feeling like I was reading your average run-of-the-mill cozy amateur mystery. Woo. Maggie's education into the magical world of witches is almost non-existent. While the series was taking a darker tone setting up a major storyline about the dark and mystical things happening in Stony Mill-none of that existed in this book. There was little danger or excitement and it just left me feeling ho hum. Readers of this series come to it for the different, the dark (with a touch of humor) and the magical. Hopefully this will be back in book eight. 2011, 290 pages.

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

2011/288 pgs

About the Book: Payton Gritas has just found out that her father has MS. On top of that, she discovers that her parents have been keeping this news from her for months! Payton is furious and her parents make her attend counseling sessions at school. When her guidance counselor suggests that Payton make a focus journal, Payton decides her focus object will be Sean Griswold's head. He sits right in front of her in Biology and she's seen that head in alphabetical order for years.

But as her focus project continues, Payton realizes there may be more to Sean Griswold than just his head. He's smart, funny and he shares her love for Seinfeld. Can your focus object become your crush? And is any of this going to help Payton with her dad?

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: Sean Griswold's Head is a contemporary novel that manages to weave together tough issues, romance, and humor making it heartfelt and hilarious at the same time.

Payton is dealing with her dad's diagnosis, a fight with her best friend, and navigating the strange world of your first love. She has a great voice and I liked her immediately. Even throughout everything, Payton keeps her sarcastic sense of humor. Her focus journal entries on Sean are hilarious.

Author Lindsey Leavitt keeps the tone of the book lighter without going into fluffy-chick lit this is not. And while there's a romance storyline, this isn't strictly a romance. This is Payton's story about how even when life might seem at it's worst, there are good spots too-and how exactly do you navigate the good with the bad.

I really loved this book. It was funny and sweet but also heartwrenching. You understand why Payton's upset and scared about her dad. While her actions are frustrating at times (she shuts her parents off and refuses to talk to them for months-realistic for teens, but hey, I'm an adult and wanted to tell her to talk to her dad!), they are realistic and I think teens will relate. I loved that there was humor mixed in-it helped keep the book from getting too dark. I also really liked that the story never got sappy-it stayed real and while Payton figures things out, it's not done in an over the top way.

I've already passed Sean Griswold's Head to the teens at my library and had them gushing over how great it was. So pass this along to your teens who want a contemporary read or maybe a lighter issue story-they'll love it just like I did!