Top Ten: Bookish Goals for 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  

This week our list (brought to you by Becky) is Top Ten bookish goals for 2013.

1. Diversify my reading so I can be a better readers advisor in the library.  I'll be accomplishing this by having a theme every other month.  February begins the fun with a fantasy theme.  Ok, it is cheating because I already love fantasy, but you have to ease into these things.  Other months include mystery, non fiction, science fiction, and (horrors) contemporary realism.

2. Read more poetry, so I can understand references in movies and books lol. I don't really care for poetry, but maybe it is just because I never try to get into it.  We shall see.  I'd like to read twelve books of poems for 2013.

3. Read more short story collections.  The short story is one of my favorite forms to read and write, but all the shiny novels distract me.  I've only ever really read short stories for class, and in 2012 I read at least three, reminding me how much I love them.

4. Read books I own and tidy my bookshelf.  I never read my own books if I have some out from the library.  I'm a library addict.  I need to read all the books I own that I haven't read and sell the ones I don't want to keep.   

5. Work on my writing.  I'm a hobby writer but I only ever finish short stories.  I want to try to get more done on my longer works in the hopes of one day (when I'm 70 or younger) publishing lol.

6. Read more (gag) romance.  Ok, so I will never be able to stomach the romance with the sweaty men on the covers ripping bodices off of women.  I might be able to sneak in some classics like Tolstoy and Charlotte Bronte, though.

7. Catch up on my classics.  There are so many classics and modern classics I've been meaning to read but never get around to.  I blame the flashy covers of YA fiction.

8. Delve deeper into horror.  I never really realized there were other horror authors than King.  Having discovered this, I must now expand like a madwoman.  I'd like to read more YA horror as well, although that can be tricky to find.

9.  Read at least five manga books. I find this incredibly daunting, but a teen librarian must read at least a few manga series.  I will have to swallow my distaste for the poor binding and reverse arrangement, not to mention the pictures lol.  I made it through 50 graphic novels so I can do this.

10.Read more toddler and baby picture books.  I struggle to know what kind of story is right for those age groups so suggestions welcome.  I'm trying to build a portfolio of story times.

Review (Randi): CODE NAME VERITY

Title: Code Name Verity
Author: Elizabeth Wein
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: May 5th, 2012 
Page Count: 343
Genre: historical fiction, WWII
Audience: young adult
Source: bought 
Rating: 5 I'd keep all this book's secrets to keep it safe

Goodreads Summary: 
Oct. 11th, 1943--A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? 

My thoughts:  Let me start by saying that this is a novel about WWII, but in case you didn't already know, it is not a Holocaust novel. As much as I love reading historical fiction about the Holocaust because I think it's incredibly important, it was so refreshing to read a different viewpoint on WWII. This novel was spectacular. It was one of my best reads of 2012 and is now a personal favorite as well. I hope this book gets all the awards because I don't feel like it has gotten the attention it deserves. It has received quite a few awards already (fingers crossed that it wins the Printz), but I don't feel like readers are giving it enough love.

Anyway, this book will break your heart. It's a beautiful book about friendship. It made me ugly-cry and is one of those books you don't want to read in public. Also one of those books you just plain don't want to read around anyone else if you get annoyed like I do when people exclaim, as you sob into your book, "Oh my gosh, what's the matter?!" (as my husband always does. You'd think he'd learn!) This is supposed to be a review, but honestly, it's hard to talk about this book without giving anything away. So just do me a favor and trust me here. Go to your local library or your local bookstore and get a copy. And read it. (Make sure you don't have plans because, if you're like me, you won't be able to put it down.) And then come back here and tell me what you thought. Seriously, give it a go.

Now. :)

FTC Disclaimer: All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Review (Becky): Linger

Title: Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2) Author: Maggie Stiefvater Pages: 360 pages (audio book) Audience: YA Genre: Fantasy (contemporary/werewolves) Rating: 2 I'd give this book an awkward hug

Goodreads Summary 

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

My Thoughts
This wasn't horrible to listen to, but it was very focused on teen angst and sickly sweet romance. It really only has a dash of wolves. Grace is constantly outraged by her negligent parents because they don't understand her love, Sam is freaked out all the time and sings a lot. Singing on audi-book from a non professional with no background music does not translate well. The only characters I found interesting at all were Cole and Isabelle because they had some actual non first world problems. The POV shifts between four characters, which is a little disorienting, and the audio book is done with four different voices, who all sounded incredibly young. It kind of ruined my tendency to imaging all YA characters as 20 somethings lol. Most of the characters spend this book describing their feelings, but very little actually happens. Not my favorite Stiefvater book or series, it really seems like someone else wrote it.

FTC Disclaimer

All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Review (Becky): Beauty Queens

Title: Beauty Queens Author: Libba Bray Pages: 396 pages Audience: YA Genre: Adventure (survival/chick lit) Rating: 2 I'd use this book as fuel if I got stranded on an island

Goodreads Summary

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

My Thoughts
I really thought I'd like this more.  It has a lot of elements I like: Libba Bray, hot button issues, dystopian society, survival.  It also has a lot of things that don't usually work for me: "humor", chick-lit, a generally uplifting tone.  This is a book in which Libba Bray mocks everyone, everything and everywhere with a strong message of feminism, racial issues, lgbt issues, and virtually every other issue you can think of. You have to suspend all disbelief for this story to work. One girl (I kid you not) has a tray lodged in her forehead for the entirety of the story and neither dies nor gets any kind of infection. The constant absurdity made me want to gag, although I support the overall message. If you like campy, obvious humor then you may enjoy this book. I really don't, at least not in a full-length novel, but I can see the appeal. If this had been a short story I would likely have loved it.

FTC Disclaimer

All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Twice Baked Thursday: The Girl with Glass Feet

Title: The Girl With Glass Feet

Author: Ali Shaw

Pages: 292

Genre: Fantasy (Magical realism/modern fairytale)

Audience: Adult

Source: library(Becky); library (Randi)

Rating: 5 I'd marry this book
                  2.5 I'd give this book an awkward hug, taking care not to break off any unexplained glass appendages

Goodreads Summary:

Strange things are happening on the remote and snowbound archipelago of St. Hauda’s Land. Magical winged creatures flit around the icy bogland, albino animals hide themselves in the snow-glazed woods, and Ida Maclaird is slowly turning into glass. Ida is an outsider in these parts who has only visited the islands once before. Yet during that one fateful visit the glass transformation began to take hold, and now she has returned in search of a cure. anything

Our Thoughts

Becky in black. Randi in Blue

This story was crushingly sad, thoughtfully written, and subtly horrific. Or, you know, BORING. ;) At times it felt gothic, with a magical realism that seemed genuinely possible at times, though I'm so glad it isn't. They didn't explain ANYTHING. So annoying. I need answers! The idea of turning slowly to glass is terrifying. Yes, yes it is! I wanted to know why the island had this curse. And how did it choose victims? Etc. I also liked the idea of the beast that turns everything it looks at snow-white, although the symbolism I assume went with that creature is still a mystery to me. Yep. Pretty much the story for me: "Oh, look at this cool idea. Yeah, just look at it and think about what it could have been if I, the author, had bothered to give it some depth." I'm guessing it had to do with Midas' habit of cherishing images over reality.  I do wish we got some sort of explanation for the magical elements. Yep. That's pretty much why I wasn't a big fan of this book.

I loved the awkward, morose character of Midas and the frail, yet spirited Ida. I liked both of their characters individually, but the romance felt too instalove-y. I realize she was running out of time, but I felt like it could have been written a little more convincingly.  I do wish we would have seen more of Ida's background. I second that. We get so much of Midas' childhood and next to nothing about Ida's (except in relation to that creepy "friend" of her mother's). The secondary characters were interesting and unique, although I think they could have been even more fleshed out. Denver never felt realistic to me. I don't think Shaw captured her voice in a way convincing for her age. True, she was supposed to be seven! I loved her dad, Gustav, though. And he was a ginger. :) Such a sweet guy and they both really seemed to care for Midas despite his "issues" in relating to other people. The language was poetic and was clearly agonized over, although it felt a little stiff at times. The atmosphere was brilliant. There was a beautiful, lonely feeling to the world/writing that I adored. The beauty of the writing was the one aspect that saved this book for me. Though the density didn't help my overall boredom with the book. I think if I had connected more to the world (if there had been explanation) or the characters, this would have rated higher for me.

Picture Book Spotlight: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Picture Book Spotlight is an original weekly post that will highlight relevant and/or popular picture books and suggest age groups and storytime themes for them. It will also include a mini-review.

Title: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore Authors: William Joyce Pages:52 Audience: 1-3 Themes: Books, Library, stories, fantasy

Summary:                                                         
Morris Lessmore loved words.
He loved stories.
He loved books.
But every story has its upsets.Everything in Morris Lessmore’s life, including his own story, is scattered to the winds.   
But the power of story will save the day.  

My Thoughts:

Wow! What a book! This stunningly illustrated book has the rich colors, textures, and dimensions of a pixar animated movie and a heartwarming, bittersweet tale of a man who loves stories. I think if you tried to pull a message out of this you could probably find many, but what I took away was that stories can take you on incredible journeys and will stay with you all your life. The open ending was great because it gave the story a very cyclical feeling. This would be a good choice for older storytimes about book, librarians and libraries

Top Ten Tuesday: Resolve to Read in 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  

This week our list (brought to you by Becky & Randi) is Top Ten books we resolve to read in 2013.

Randi's Picks

Okay, so my picks this week are incredibly random. There are titles pulled from "popular fiction" (adult fiction), YA, the classics, etc.

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness. I WILL continue this series! I can't believe it's been a good six months since I read (and loved) the first book in the Choas Walking Series (this is #2).
Messiah by Boris Starling. The book my husband says really got him into books. I absolutely must read this in 2013.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This was never required reading in my high school career...but I feel like I missed out on something. (Plus, I want to see the upcoming film version and I have this thing about refusing to watch movies before I've read the book version.)
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck - #1 The Tiger Saga. I have been meaning to start this YA series for awhile now because I've heard nothing but great things about it. This shall be the year!
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini - final book of The Inheritance Cycle. I always put off finishing series that I've loved because, in my mind, if I never finish the series, it shall never end! BAHAHA. (I did the same thing with the t.v. series Smallville and refuse to watch the final season...still.) But honestly, I need closure on this saga.

Watership Down by Richard Adams. I feel like everyone else has read this, but I'm not sure where I was when that happened. Obvs that means I need to jump on the bandwagon! It's been on the ol' to-read list for about a year and a half.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. One of those books that I think I would love and that has received lots of popular attention...so it's quite overdue to be cracked open (especially since I bought a copy six months ago!).

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. My husband and his bestie both love this series and, since I love fantasy, it's time for me to get over the size of the book (and series) and start already! 

The Giver by Lois Lowry. I read this in sixth grade for school...and hated it. But I feel like I'm the only person I know who didn't love it, so I've been planning to reread it for a couple years now. 2013 is the year! Hopefully. ;)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Yeah, yeah. I never managed to finish P&P and I get flak about it constantly from my fellow English majors. I'm sure Becky will make sure I hold to reading this one in 2013!

Sidenote: I am beyond stoked for the first book Becky listed since it's one of my all-time favorite books! YAY!

                                                              Becky's Picks

My picks are mostly classics, because those are the books I usually have to force myself to pick up, and are oddly enough, the ones I usually enjoy the most.  I blame the fast-paced obsessed YA literature flooding the market lol.  I've seen a movie version (or 7 in the case of Jane Eyre) of most of these and feel like I'm cheating if I don't read the book as well.



Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte I've seen more versions of this book than I can remember in tv and film, yet I have yet to read it.  I love the story as well as the writings of the other Bronte sisters, so it's pretty much a sure thing that this will make my favorites list.
The Picture of Dorian Grey, by Oscar Wilde I always mean to read this, since I love the concept and Wilde in general.  I've checked it out several times but never quite gotten to it.
Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell I really don't care for romance, but the characters are so flawed in this one that I may just love it.
Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy Another sweeping romance, but I can't see the movie until I read the book.
Brideshead Revisited, by Ivelyn Waugh I LOVED this movie.  It was gloriously gothic and I'm scared the book won't match it.
The Time Machine, by H.G Wells I saw a film adaptation of this classic as a child, and loved/feared the horrific monsters in it. 
100 years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez I'm constantly hearing and reading this title and it drives me crazy lol.  
The Poisenwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver This well-regarded novel contains all kinds of elements I don' enjoy: historical fiction, religion, and cultures I know little about.  Gotta push myself, though.
Atonement, by Ian McEwan I've decided to read more emotionally challenging stories despite the discomfort they cause, which for me means WWII or WWI related.  
The Master and the Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov Several people have told me I'd love this, and while I'm not so sure, I'll give it a chance.  I do love magical realism.



So which books do YOU resolve to read? Link us up, we wanna know!