2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #18

Alas and alack! Summer vacation has been so darn busy so far that I am simply exhausted after only a week away from school. My husband and I have started a new diet and exercise program, visited several doctor's offices, and wandered around our local farmers' market purchasing locally grown foodstuffs for delicious home-cooked meals. What we have not done much of is, you guessed it, reading. I did finish one more book from the list, as well as another that's been on my nightstand for several months.

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Pure is the first in a trilogy. 


The world-building is phenomenal; plotwise, nothing much happens until very near the end of the book (and it is an enormous book).

In a horrifying post-apocalyptic world, enhanced nuclear weapons have destroyed nearly everything. The survivors have been fused with whatever they happened to be holding (or standing next to) during the Detonation, creating a variety of grotesque mutations. Pressia, 16, has a doll's head in place of one hand. Another character has birds fused into his back. Other characters, called Groupies, are connected to other people. The descriptions of these survivors are disturbing, and I think, what made this book very difficult for me to read.

There is another group of survivors, people who were kept safe from the Detonations, protected inside of the Dome. They are called Pures. Partridge lives in the Dome, which is controlled by his father. Despite his privileged upbringing, Partridge has never felt like he fits in. When he discovers that his mother might have survived, he escapes from the Dome and sets out to find her.

Pressia and Partridge, on the run for their own reasons, soon find out that more than mere chance binds them together.

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Not on the YALSA list, but worth a read.

Freakonomics:  A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Leavitt (an economist) and Dubner (a journalist) collaborate to answer some rather strange questions that, on the surface, seem to have little to do with economics.

Which kills more children--guns or swimming pools? How much money do drug dealers really make? Which factors determine whether or not a child will have a successful life? Can statistics reveal cheaters on standardized tests? How does access to safe and legal abortions affect the rate of violent crime in our cities?

A fascinating read.

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #17

Oh, the excuses never end. I intended to get significantly more reading done this week than I actually did, especially since Thursday was the last day with students. A new exercise program and some quality time with the hubby turned out to be more engaging than reading this week. We are starting the summer off right, even though it's looking ever more unlikely that I'll meet my goal of reading every book on the list by the end of this month. I'm now at 44 books, which is enough to have officially finished the challenge, but only slightly more than half of the 85 titles. I've also been working on one book, Pure, all week that I just can't seem to get into. It's got all of the elements I love, but it's not grabbing me. Maybe I'm finally fed up with dystopian fiction. Hmmmm, I'll keep going and review it next time. Meanwhile, I did finish one this week.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis


As the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, Sunday has a whole lot of magical potential, but feels inadequate and overlooked compared to her dashing and daring elder sisters (all also named for days of the week). Her brothers are pretty interesting too, but Sunday feels like her talent, writing stories that have a strange way of coming true, pales in comparison to those of her many siblings.

One day, she meets an enchanted frog in the forest who is fascinated by her stories. Gradually the two become friends, and yes, something more. However, when the frog is finally transformed into his former self, Prince Rumbold, Sunday is not there to see. He slowly regains his memories and realizes that Sunday and her family blame him for the death of her brother, Jack. 

As always, there is more to the story than first appears. Rumbold and Sunday, along with the rest of their families, are soon caught up in a struggle to renew the balance between light and dark.

Fairytale fans will enjoy picking out the references to many different tales and seeing how they come together in one new tale. I will be interested to see how the rest of the series plays out. A fun read!

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #16

Three more books checked off the challenge list this week, although I am still not going fast enough to be able to read all 85 titles by the end of this month. At just under half of the list done, I do need to get my read on. It's only bragging rights, but still...

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan


"Your life must be an open city, with all sorts of ways to wander in."

The economy sucks and Clay Jannon is laid off from his job as a web designer. When an odd little shop catches his eye, he wanders into Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, and is soon hired as the newest clerk. It doesn't take long for Clay to suspect that there is more to Mr. Penumbra and his store than meets the eye. The few customers check out books from the towering shelves in the back of the store, what Clay calls the "Wayback List," but never buy any of the newer books displayed in the front of the shop. 

Curious about what is really going on, Clay designs a program to map out the store and the movement of the customers. When this leads him to a perplexing discovery, he enlists the help of his friends to uncover a mystery that stretches far beyond the walls of the shop.

The characters are more like sketches of common fantasy archetypes than fully-realized people, but I still went along for the ride. I absolutely loved the ending, especially the final page. 

Lovers of books will appreciate the intersection between technology and good old-fashioned books.

"...the right book exactly, at exactly the right time."

Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller by Joseph Lambert

Helen Keller was trapped in a dark, silent world until Annie Sullivan came to be her teacher. Annie, partially blind herself, struggled to communicate with Helen and to let her know that everything has a name. Finally, they had a breakthrough and Helen began to learn at an amazing rate. 


I've always been fascinated with Helen Keller's story, but this book really didn't live up to my expectations. The jumps back and forth between Helen's present and Annie's past were distracting and made the story hard to follow.

Code Name Verity (audiobook) by Elizabeth Wein (narrated by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell)


Maddie and Queenie, raised in very different social circles, become best friends during WWII. Maddie is a pilot and Queenie a spy.

When Queenie is captured by Nazis in France and broken by torture, she agrees to cooperate in return for a quick death. Her written confession makes up the first half of the book. Initially, the flow of her narrative is hard to follow because of the switches from present to past tense. Once you get used to it, though, it actually helps keep track of past versus present events.

The last part of the book is more reliably narrated by another character and sheds light on Queenie's story in some surprising ways.

The friendship between Maddie and Queenie is realistic and moving. They are both strong characters, each a hero in her own way.  The narrators do an amazing job of bringing Maddie and Queenie, as well as a cast of other characters, to life. While I'm glad I read the print version first, the audiobook is the version I'll revisit again and again.

Highly recommended historical fiction. 

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #15

I was finally able to get my hands on some of the graphic novels on the list, so I made good progress through several titles this week. Yay! Even though we're getting close to the end, I'm not giving up on reading all 85 by the end of June.

 Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright

I had mixed feelings about Carlos and about this book. I wanted to love it.


Carlos Durante is an openly gay teen who dreams of a career as a makeup artist. He's fabulous and he knows it. While I loved his self-confidence, I didn't like the way he treated his friends. A job at the FeatureFace makeup counter at Macy's sets him on the path to achieving his dreams. Distracting him from stardom is his crush on a classmate who may or may not return his feelings, his sister's abusive boyfriend, and his mom's unexpected unemployment.

Drama by Raina Telgemeier


Callie is a 7th grade drama geek who loves nothing more than staging a show. She's an important member of the backstage crew and she does whatever it takes to make her set an integral part of the show. She's also crushing on a close friend who treats her like one of the guys. When twin brothers, Jesse and Justin, get involved in the school play, the drama (both on and off the stage) goes through to roof. My favorite thing about this book is the portrayal of gay characters as normal teens finding their place in life, just like everybody else. Their gayness was one part of them, but not the only, or even the most important part. 

The Silence of our Friends by Mark Long

Based on real-life events, this graphic novel is set in Houston during the late 1960s. The author's father, Jack, is the white reporter who befriends a black professor.

Jack is covering civil rights protests in the city. Larry Thompson, a professor at TSU who organized the protests, first talks to Jack because he is the only reporter to show up. The two form an unexpected friendship. When a peaceful sit-in erupts in violence, a police officer is killed and hundreds of students are arrested. Five students are put on trial for murder. Jack's actions during the protest make Larry doubt his friendship, but Jack has a chance to redeem himself during the trial of the "TSU Five."

The artwork and the story flow together perfectly. Definitely recommended for a classroom library.

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

A Flight of Angels by Rebecca Guay, Holly Black, Louise Hawes, Todd Mitchell, Alisa Kwitney, and Bill Willingham

When an injured angel falls in the forest, a group of other mythical creatures sets out to decide whether they should kill him, help him, or leave him alone. Each creature tells his or her story about who this mysterious angel might be and a faun will listen to the stories and decide the angel's fate.

The artwork is absolutely stunning and fans of the graphic novel genre should pick it up for that alone. As often happens with short story collections, the individual stories are uneven and don't all live up to the promise of the artwork. Maybe this is nitpicky, but I did wish as I was reading that the fonts had been clearer. Stylized, backwards lettering was distracting and made it hard for me to follow in some places.

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

Most of us can relate to the experience of knowing a "weird" kid in high school, that kid who looked or acted differently from other kids and just didn't fit in. That kid who we lost touch with after high school and who never really crossed our minds again. Backderf tells the story of his acquaintance (I hesitate to call it a friendship, despite the book's title) with Jeffrey Dahmer in high school. As a clueless kid, Derf didn't take the warning signs all that seriously, even when he noticed them. The adults in Jeffrey's life didn't either.

This memoir tells about Jeffrey Dahmer's life leading up to his first murder, and isn't especially gruesome, graphic, or illuminating. I was intrigued by the book's premise, but in the end, it wasn't my cup of tea. 

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #14

Since I've been stressed out with all of my end-of-the-school-year paperwork, I've spent most of my waking (not at work) moments visiting with Jim Dale and Harry Potter. I listened to the first six books this week and started on the last this morning. I squeezed in one Challenge book and one book club selection this week, in the spaces between Potter books.

The Watch that Ends the Night by Allan Wolf

Told in verse, the voices of the passengers and crew of the Titanic come to vivid life. Immigrants and millionaires board the Titanic with hopes and dreams and stories to tell. This is meticulously researched historical fiction is a must read for those fascinated with the story of this doomed ship. The author provides an extensive list of additional resources for those who are interested in learning more.

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The Lottery by Patricia Wood

Perry L. Crandall has an IQ of 76; therefore, he's not retarded, merely slow. And the only time he ever gets angry is with people who call him retarded. Perry is a likable character and reminded me of Charlie Gordon in Flowers for Algernon, and at times, of Forest Gump. Raised by his grandmother after being abandoned by his parents, Perry has a good heart and knows what's really important, even if he's not smart. Shortly after Gram dies, Perry wins $12 million in the lottery. Suddenly, his mom and his brothers want to be a part of his life. Luckily, Perry has some true friends who do want the best for him. 

While not entirely realistic, this was a heartwarming story that can make us all stop and think for a moment about what we are living for.

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

If you haven't read this marvelous series, whatever are you waiting for? The storytelling is masterful and even the minor characters are so real they leap right off the pages. And if you prefer audiobooks, Jim Dale's lively reading does justice to Rowling's vivid language.

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #13

It was an interesting mix of books this week. I'm choosing at random, based on what's available at the library, so this week it was guitars, serial killers, and zombies. Oh, my!

Struts and Frets by Jon Skovron

Sammy Bojar is an aspiring musician who is hanging on to his dysfunctional band, hoping to win a Battle of the Bands competition. He is also coming to terms with his grandfather's advancing dementia and his attraction to his best friend, Jen5. Sammy uses music, both listening to it and writing it, to make sense of his life. His relationships all feel authentic and Sammy is a likable character with believable struggles.

A quick, entertaining read that will appeal to readers of a musical bent.

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

I loved, loved, loved this book. It grabbed me by the throat right away. It was oh-so-believably creepy, with well-drawn characters whose motivations were complex and interesting. I can see mature teen readers gobbling this one up.

Jazz is a teenaged boy whose father, Billy Dent, is a famous and prolific serial killer. Even though Billy is in prison, and will be until he dies, he is a pervasive presence in Jazz's life. As hard as he tries, Jazz is unable to silence his dad's voice, constantly repeating the lessons of how to be a successful killer. 

When dead bodies start piling up in Jazz's small town, he is determined to catch the killer. Thanks to his dear old dad's lessons, Jazz can slip right into the mind of the killer, much to his dismay. The cops, especially the one who put Billy Dent behind bars, aren't too keen on Jazz's input. 

Jazz is such a realistic character, with all of the normal teenaged angst, but with the added bonus of trying to stop himself from becoming the man his father has trained him to be. Jazz exhibits many sociopathic tendencies, but he is most human when he's with his wise-cracking best friend, Howie, and his take-no-shit girlfriend, Connie. Howie's hilarious comments provide plenty of comic relief, even in the midst of some pretty gory gruesomeness. Connie keeps Jazz grounded and calls him out when he starts wallowing in self-doubt. There are some well-meaning adults who try to do what's best for Jazz and he respects them, even though he doesn't agree with them. And then there's his crazy grandmother. Whoa. She's hilarious and horrifying all in one racist, wrinkly, gun-waving package. 

I dare you to read this one after dark.

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers


Sloane Price and five other teens seek a safe haven in their high school after their small town is overrun by zombies. The zombies don't actually appear much in the novel, but their constant presence contributes to the tension. 

Once they've barricaded the doors, all that's left is to hang out and wait for rescue...or death. Sloane dwells on the fact that her older sister abandoned her to the not-so-tender mercies of their abusive father. She has given up on life and can't quite understand why the others are fighting so hard to survive. 

What do you live for when you have no one left?

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #12

I enjoyed the audio version of The Diviners so much that I listened to it again this week. Since that took many hours, it considerably slowed down my other reading and listening. I am also having a hard time sticking to the list, as other things I want to read keep cropping up! I finished one book from the official list, bringing my total for the challenge so far to 31.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

American teenager Aurora (Rory) Deveaux arrives in London to spend her last two years in high school at an English boarding school. She has a bit of trouble adjusting to cultural differences, but soon makes a couple of good friends. But when she chokes on a piece of meat at dinner and has a near-death experience, she suddenly starts seeing people that no one else seems to notice.


Meanwhile, the city of London is overtaken by "Rippermania" when a Jack the Ripper copycat killer starts murdering young women. Rory sees a suspicious man who turns out to be the prime suspect in the murders and who has made her a target. 

The story dragged at times, especially the "ghost police" sections. However, overall, I enjoyed the story, especially the ending. I will be looking forward to the next installment of Rory's adventures.