Posted on by Maureen

Cinders & Sapphires (At Somerton) by Leila Rasheed

I have a great deal of love for my town library. They have a great selection of books, and they even have a large selection of books for sale for $1 apiece. Children’s books are 4 for $1! I have found tons of great books at the library. It’s hard to say no to cheap books. If there is anything that I cannot find, I can order them through the library network and they are delivered right to my town library. However, if there is something I see at a library in a nearby town, I will drive over and pick it up myself. Not only does this save resources, it also allows me to get the book I want instantly!

One of the libraries in a nearby town is very small. It shares a building with the police station and the town hall. Despite its small size, this library has been a treasure trove of amazing books. I came for a specific book, but then I found so many wonderful books that I didn’t know I needed.

One of the books that I found was Cinders & Sapphires. This is a young adult novel written by Leila Rasheed. The cover featured beautiful young people in opulent clothing, and a quote from Kirkus Review said that this would be perfect for fans of Downton Abbey. Sold! Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Talking Pictures: Images and Messages Rescued from the Past by Ransom Riggs

I first heard about Talking Pictures: Images and Messages Rescued from the Past when I read a review of it on the now-defunct epinions.com. I enjoyed the review, and since I was familiar with Talking Picture’s author Ransom Riggs, I wanted to read the book for myself.

Ransom Riggs is best known for his young adult novel Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and its sequel Hollow City. The inspiration for Miss Peregrine’s Home was a series of old photographs that showed children doing fantastic things, like appearing to levitate. He crafted a wonderful story about these peculiar children and the lives that they led. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang

My oldest daughter is almost seven and she is an advanced reader, but up until recently, she has been particular about what she read. She preferred graphic novels, and I was happy to oblige: graphic novels are cool! Fortunately, our town library has a large selection of graphic novels for children. They also have an equally large selection of graphic novels for teens/young adults. Most of the content in the young adult section is not appropriate for a seven year old. That’s too bad for my daughter, but there’s a veritable treasure trove out there for me to read.

Boxers and Saints is a two-volume collection written and illustrated by Gene Luen Yang. Both books take place during the tumultuous time in Chinese history known as the Boxer Rebellion. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin

I love Young Adult books. Whenever I go to the library, I always cruise through the teen section and see what they have to offer. And then I go home, look up the books on Amazon, and see the OTHER books that people purchased when they purchased the books that I got from the library. Yup, I love Young Adult books.

I found A Really Awesome Mess at my town library. This novel is a collaboration between Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin.

This is the story of two teens who end up at boarding school, but Heartland Academy is not one of the prestigious schools that you see in movies. It’s a therapeutic school where parents send children who are running out of options. Read more

Posted on by Maureen · 2 Comments

The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constatine

I am a big fan of Young Adult fiction. I’m definitely in denial about the fact that I am no longer a Young Adult. I’m not going to be maudlin and declare myself old, but I graduated from high school before the turn of the century. Calling it the turn of the century might actually be a legitimate thing now, given that it was fourteen years ago. Kids definitely have more technology now that what was available when I was a kid, but there are some high school experiences that are universal.

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Posted on by Maureen · 1 Comment

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl

I found Keeping the Castle at the library.  This Patrice Kindl novel was the featured YA book group pick of the month, and it looked interesting, so I grabbed a copy.  I have a fondness for the Regency period: from Jane Austen to Julia Quinn, there’s just something enchanting about early 19th century England.

Althea is seventeen years old, and has a heavy load to bear.  Her great grandfather spent the family fortune building a precarious castle on a cliff, and the family has been scraping by ever since.  The house has fallen into disrepair over the years, and if Althea does not marry well, there is no telling what will happen.  Read more