Search results matching tags 'books' and 'fiction'

He Says, She Says -- Getting Both Sides of the Story

kiya@evpl — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 14:46:00 GMT

It's intriguing to hear both sides of a story - especially if you aren't personally involved, or stuck in the middle.

I like books which cover the same events from two or more perspectives. There are a lot of books coming out now which show multiple viewpoints, and the ones I've found have been enjoyable:

Notes from the blender / Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Will Grayson, Will Grayson / John Green & David Levithan

Girl meets boy : because there are two sides to every story / edited by Kelly Milner Halls

Jenna & Jonah's fauxmance / Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin

Boy Girl Boy / Ron Koertge

Sometimes the author will use two (or more) books to show the different sides of a story.

James Howe: The Misfits / Totally Joe / Addie on the Inside

Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game / Ender's Shadow

Stephanie Meyer had intended a fifth book in the Twilight series: Midnight Sun, which told the story of the first book again, but from Edward's point of view, rather than Bella's. When someone leaked the first part of the manuscript as she was writing it, Meyer stopped work on the project, and posted the work-in-progress on her website. As far as I know, she has no plans to go back and finish it.

If you have other titles to suggest that show two or more viewpoints, I'd like to hear them. Movies, too - I can only think of one right now.

The Hunger Games Series!

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:09:00 GMT

Last fall when I was preparing my presentations for Teen Read Week, I came across the book Catching Fire. I did not think much of it as I added it to the list of books to talk about in the schools I was visiting. Then Teen Read Week came and my visits started. In each classroom I showed the Catching Fire book trailer, and I began to notice that the teens sat up a little taller and I had their attention a little bit more. I didn't understand. What was the big deal about this book?

Then I finally started reading The Hunger Games. And I was hooked. For those of you new to the series, The Hunger Games is the first book in the trilogy. Katniss Everdeen lives in the 12th district of the country of Panem, and this district is located in what was once called the Appalachian Mountains. In this new nation of Panem, each district is separated by industry and importance, and the 12th district is the poorest of them all. Every year the districts draw two names- one boy and one girl- to participate in The Hunger Games, a fight to the death in which the victor is the last person standing.

I don't want to give too much away because this series is one that I think everyone should read. Similar to the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games trilogy will catch the interest of young and old readers. To all those teens out at Thompkins and Plaza that loved this series long before I did: thank you from this librarian.

Turtle in Paradise

bookmarkbeck@evpl — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:08:00 GMT

The title is misleading. No, this book is not about terrapin, but it is about paradise-the Florida Keys. The main character is a little girl named Turtle. During the Depression jobs are hard to find, but Turtle's mother gets another house cleaning job. This time the lady hates children, so Turtle is sent to live in a place she knows nothing about with people she has never met. To appreciate this book, the reader needs a picture of Hemingway's Key West. By 1934, Key West was bankrupt and declared a welfare state by the governor. Paying jobs were hard to find. Cigar and sponging industries had moved. The Navy and Coast Guard had left. Henry Flagler's railroad was bankrupt and Mallory Steamship lines no longer stopped. Key West, once Florida's most affluent city, was 5 million dollars in debt. The city could not pay police, firemen, garbage collectors. Most residents were on welfare. The streets were littered and filthy. Homes were run down and industry gone.

This is the Key West Turtle comes to. The reader will think they are reading an island version of Huckleberry Finn as they enjoy Turtle's enterprising, free-footing, cousins, neighbors, and colorful characters of Depression era Key West. By the end of the book, Turtle really does find paradise. You'll enjoy this touching, well written read with historical notes at the end. Written by Jennifer Holm.

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:27:00 GMT

Junior year is drawing to a close when Valerie's boyfriend, Nick, comes to school one morning and begins to shoot people in the Commons. At the end of the shooting spree, six people are dead and many are wounded, including Valerie. Within hours the police have searched Nick and Valerie's homes and discovered a "Hate List" the two created. Many of the students targeted that morning were on this list. Valerie becomes a suspect in the investigation. Was she part of Nick's plan? Was it a double suicide that went wrong? Was Valerie really shot trying to stop Nick? All of these are questions the students, teachers, parents, community, and the nation are asking.

For Valerie, the list was a way to vent her frustrations with the bullying she endured day after day at school. She never meant anything by it, but she will be haunted by the list and by what Nick did that morning for the rest of her life. After being cleared by the police, Valerie spent summer vacation isolated from the outside world. Now that a new school year has begun, Valerie is going back to school to face her demons. HIGHLY recommended.

Similar reads: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and Undone by Brooke Taylor

Celebrate Teen Read Week Oct. 17-23

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:50:00 GMT

**The Teen Read Week Contest will end Sunday, October 31 at 5pm. Make sure you vote on the Teens' Top Ten in Central's Teen Zone.**

Books with Beat @ EVPL! October 17-23. Stop by the Teen Zone at Central Library during Teen Read Week and check out our Books with Beat! Pick up books and other materials about poetry, music, and more or listen to an audiobook. You can help pick the 2010 Teens’ Top Ten by voting at the display located in the Teen Zone. If you vote, you will be entered to win a Visa giftcard! Stop by today and find a page turner that you can read or listen to, just for the fun of it!

Recent Chick Lit Reads

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:33:00 GMT

In the past few weeks since my last blog post, I have been on a chick-lit rampage. I have been speed-reading through recent releases like I don't have a hundred other things to do. Laundry piled up, kitchen didn't get cleaned, and packing for my move didn't happen. These three books are part of the reason that I have been slacking.

Prospect Park West by Amy Sohn takes place in Brooklyn's prosperous Park Slope neighborhood. The lives of four women intersect as they deal with husbands, children, and playground politics. Not earth-shattering reading, but worth a chance if you have the time.

Mercury in Retrograde by Paula Froelich has a cover strikingly similar to Prospect Park West. Froelich's novel takes place across the bridge in Manhattan where three women who are down on their luck join forces to get their lives back in order. The ending is pretty predictable, but it is an enjoyable read.

Going across the pond to England, Sophie Kinsella's latest book, Twenties Girl, introduces us to Sadie, a wild flapper from the 1920s and her great-niece, Lara, living in present-day London. Sadie has passed away alone in a retirement home, but her spirit remains on Earth pushing Lara to find who stole Sadie's prized possession. True to Kinsella form, this book is laugh out loud funny and highly recommended.

Happy Reading!

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:04:00 GMT

When I went home a little while back, I saw a copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in my little sister's room. Feeling a bit nostalgic, I went home and started reading the battered copy on my bookshelf. I don't know how many times I have read this book (almost as many as Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird), but I always come away feeling like I have just read it for the first time.

Betty Smith published A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in 1943 and it was an immediate success. The story focuses around Francie Nolan, a young girl growing up in the early twentieth century with a fun-loving, but alcoholic father, realistic mother, and younger brother. Struggling against poverty and isolation from her peers, Francie finds solace in the library where she plans to read every book in the collection. The story continues over the next five years of Francie's life. Her struggle to gain her mother's love, her desire to better her own life, and finding love are all issues that Francie encounters growing up in Brooklyn.

I don't want to give away too much of the story for those of you that haven't read it because A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a book that I believe everyone should read at least once. Francie and her family have struggles that many people can relate to, and you can't help but wish to be the friend Francie so desperately needed. If you are wandering around the library one day searching for something to read, remember to grab a copy of this book.

For all you "Da Vinci Code" fans out there ...

myzticrhythmz@evpl — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:30:00 GMT

... Dan Brown's latest installment in the Robert Langdon series, The Lost Symbol, will hit your local library's shelves tomorrow.

Enjoy, and let us know what you think!

Commencement

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:47:00 GMT

It is sometimes hard to believe that I graduated from USI over five years ago. That may seem like no time at all for some people, but sometimes I still feel like I am 21 again. Sometimes I forget that I am a "grown-up" with a "grown-up" job and bills, house payments, etc. Many of my favorite memories involved my roommates and friends from college walking to class, throwing a frisbee outside the apartments, and staying up late to talk about the future.

When I read the premise behind Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan, I knew I had to read it. After waiting a few weeks because of all the holds (I wish librarians got priority sometime!), I stayed up late in the night reading this book. I connected with the characters created by Sullivan because I could see a bit of myself, and my friends, in each of the four main characters.

Set in the late 1990s at Smith College, Celia, Sally, Bree, and April are put together as hall-mates. On first glance, the four seem to have nothing in common and have no desire to befriend one another. As they go through the early days of college, however, they learn to rely on one another and form a bond that lasts through their college years. The differences come to head in their early twenties as the four split off to separate lives.

At Sally's wedding a few years later, an argument occurs that leaves a rift between the four best friends. Gradually, they all begin to realize that life isn't as easy without each other and when one of the four goes missing, they come together to search for their missing link.

One of the best things about this book was that most of us can relate to an argument between friends. I just happened to get this book when one of my closest friends and I seemed to be constantly at odds. After reading Commencement, I realized that life without her wouldn't be the same and emailed her an apology. Growing up and getting older isn't simple, but it is easier to manage with great friends.

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:30:00 GMT

How would you feel if your life was defined by a mistake you made over three years ago? Especially when three years ago, you did not fully comprehend the consequences of what you were doing or realize how long that mistake would follow you. Deanna's father caught her in the backseat of seventeen-year-old Tommy's car when she was just thirteen. Three years later, Deanna's life is still be defined by that moment in time. Her father won't look her in the eyes, the kids at school call her names, and Deanna tries to pretend that it doesn't matter.

It does matter, however, and trying to be tough is taking its toll on Deanna. Her brother and his girlfriend are living in the basement with their baby, Deanna's mom is always tired from working so hard, her best friends are now dating, and Deanna's summer job forces her to work with Tommy. The only time Deanna can express how she really feels is through her writing, which we catch glimpses of throughout Sara Zarr's Story of a Girl