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My Own Country: A Doctor's Story

2012-02-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

I finished this book earlier today and it has been on my mind ever since; it is a very compelling story about the emergence of AIDS in the 80s and one rural doctor who was in charge of treatment in small town Tennessee.Dr. Abraham Verghese's circumstances have taken him on a circuitous route that lead him to Johnson City, Tennessee. He is an infectious disease doctor, so he is the first doctor to

Silver Sparrow

2012-02-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

This one is our February book club selection. Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones is the story of two families that live different lives.Dana has always known she is the second family - the illegitimate one. She and her mother have lived an okay life, but they've scraped by from time to time. Dana has her father's love, but not his time..and she knows that her father's other daughter will always come

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

2012-02-03T20:52:00.000-08:00

This is a post September 11th novel and I cried approximately seventy five times while reading it, partly because I have a son, partly because I have such empathy for people who have actually lived this story, partly because all of our lives changed that day...but none so much as our main character, Oskar Schell. Oskar lost his father on 9/11. He has tried to deal with the loss, but it has been

When She Woke

2012-02-03T20:38:00.000-08:00

Hillary Jordan's first novel, Mudbound, was very moving. If you haven't read that one yet, you'll want to look into it.Her newest novel, When She Woke, is an interesting concept. A modern day Scarlet Letter, our main character, Hannah Payne has gotten involved with a famous minister...who is married. But when convicted of a crime in her society, your skin is dyed a color indicating your crime

The Fault In Our Stars

2012-02-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

John Green's writing has always been sensitive and interesting. Looking for Alaska kicked off his career, An Abundance of Katherines was next, Paper Towns followed suit, and Will Grayson Will Grayson rounded out his career.The Fault in Our Stars is no different, beautifully written and touching. Hazel has terminal cancer. This we know from the start. She is on an experimental drug that has slowed

The Orchard

2012-02-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Theresa Weir gives us something to ponder in her novel The Orchard. Never having anything of her own, Theresa is elated when local (& handsome) apple farmer, Adrian, proposes. She envisions life on the orchard to be something lovely -something akin to home. Since she has no idea about home or being a wife, she has a hard time acclimating. Her mother in law is a bit of a cold fish and makes it

Maine

2012-01-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

Nothing makes you feel happier about your family than reading about someone else's dysfunctional family..and this family is doozy!Alice is the matriarch. But she isn't lovable or grandmotherly. She is prickly.Alice's family has been coming to the beach for years. At first it was a happy affair, cousins and family piled up for a summer stay in their cozy beach shack. But things have evolved over

The Violets of March

2012-01-31T20:34:00.000-08:00

Author Emily Wilson is heartbroken. While struggling through a divorce, she receives an invitation to her ex-husband's wedding. Awful circumstances. So when her Great Aunt Bee calls her back to Bainbridge Island for a few weeks, Emily has nothing to lose. She heads back to a spot that she had much fondness for during childhood, thinking she will both write and heal herself.While settling in one

History of a Pleasure Seeker

2012-01-31T20:09:00.000-08:00

After reading and loving Rules of Civility, History of a Pleasure Seeker was recommended. Author Richard Mason gives us a glimpse of Amsterdam in the early 1900s through the eyes of Piet Barol. Piet is a shameless social climber. After living a modest life with his father on a college campus, Piet longs to have the finer things in his life. He takes the lessons that he has learned from the

Rules of Civility

2012-01-31T19:35:00.000-08:00

Our heroine, Katey, starts out as a poor girl sharing a room in a boarding house with her friend, Eve. Eve is glamorous in a way that Katey admires, but doesn't necessarily envy. One night when they're out at a jazz club, they meet a wealthy bachelor, Tinker. He is fun, young, and wealthy, and he treats the girls to several dates. Katey finds herself falling for Tinker when something happens that

Robopocalypse

2011-10-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Set in the future, readers are taken to a world where everything is "smart". Cars run with automatic intelligence. The more affluent families have domestics. The military uses robots for patrols and such. Everything is going along fine until a scientist creates a giant brain computer. (Forgive me if I mess up the technological aspects - my mind isn't quite as complex as the robos). When the

Shatter Me

2011-10-18T14:06:00.001-07:00

For 264 days, Juliette has not touched anyone. Her parents sent her away since “the accident” and she has been in a solitary confinement situation since then. Juliette’s touch does something to people and has the potential to kill (think X-Men). When a new cell mate arrives, Adam, things start to change for Juliette. Adam, a former classmate, shows Juliette that she is human and helps her start

The Revenant

2011-10-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

var privshare = "privateShare.jsp?id=843016"; So I started some work with Web 2.0 this afternoon and one of the tools was this site www.toondoos.com where you can create your own comic strips. I played around with it and...vooom....an hour was sucked away. However, I did make a brief (and possibly horrible) comic on Tim

Sophie

2009-06-17T11:46:00.001-07:00

As a side note, I met this little girl today while I was volunteering at the SPCA and think she is adorable. Jason says I always pick out animals with crazy hair because they remind me of my earlier years. Not sure, but I am sure this girl is precious!! Look at those eyes! I can't bring her home because the dogs would flip out, but you can!!You can check out Sophie or any other pets up for

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell

2009-06-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

You have to love the Riley Rose's in the world.She is flawed and knows it.She gets into trouble, she doesn't give a fig.She has a tough attitude and it's out on display.But Riley's dad has had enough. Spurred on by his new girlfriend's religious fervor and Riley's most recent hair brained scheme, dad ships Riley off to summer camp.The problem: It's a Christian summer camp and Riley doesn't

Breathless by Lurlene McDaniel

2009-06-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

Lurlene McDaniel is the queen of tearjerkers that make you think. Her latest book, Breathless, is no different.In Breathless we are introduced to Travis. Travis is a star diver. He loves the water. Colleges all over are trying to recruit him, he has won medals, he's at the top of his game. While out at the lake one weekend, he climbs to the top of a bluff in order to make a dive. Sure his leg is

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

2009-06-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

Mimi is looking for a place to escape. She had an affair with her college professor and things have gone badly - he's turned stalker. Her father has a place on a river where she can lose herself, so that is the plan. She is going to live in this little cottage on the river and write a screenplay - possibly become famous. In the meantime, she is also going to film snippets of her life so that she

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

2009-06-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

This weeks TAYSHAS shipments included Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog...and the cover is so interesting, that I had to get involved with it immediately.Cam and Morgan have grown up together their whole lives, ever since they shared the same birthday in the hospital. Now that they are in high school, the are the perfect couple. Cameron, the star of the football team, is pretty much adored by everyone.

King of the ScrewUps by K.L. Going

2009-06-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

Ya'll, I'm not even kidding...this is one of the best books I've read. Ever.Liam comes from a successful fashion model turned business woman mother and a super-successful businessman father. Liam, however, thinks he is a screw up. After he gets caught fooling around with a girl on his father's desk, the line is drawn.Liam is sent to live with his Aunt Pete. Pete and Liam's father have had a

Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti

2009-06-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

Marissa had a really bad year last year. She planned on reinventing herself over the summer and coming back as someone new and shiny. Things rarely work that way, however, and as school beings, Marissa finds that it is more of the same.Everything seems to get off kilter fast. She finally lands the primo real estate of boyfriend land, Derek. He is everything she has wanted and pined for. He kisses

2009-06-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Ghostgirl: Homecoming by Tonya Hurley

2009-06-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

Fans of Tonya Hurley’s debut novel, Ghostgirl, will not be disappointed in her latest installment, Ghostgirl: Homecoming. Charlotte is still the lead character and she is still struggling with her un-life. After Dead Ed, she moved on to answer phones at a phone bank, hardly her idea of Heaven. However, the appearance of a new friend, Maddy, helps to soothe Charlotte’s hurting heart. Maddy seems

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

2009-06-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Scott is pretty much a YA goddess.Usually she writes love stories, and I appreciate her work because it is so much fun - the excitement, the woe, the anguish!!! But today I read a love story of a different kind...the best friends kind of love.When Amy's best friend, Julia, dies in a car accident, Amy feels responsible...and incredibly sad.Her therapist recommends writing down her

If The Witness Lied by Caroline Cooney

2009-06-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

You are hooked from the start when you pick up Cooney's latest title, If The Witness Lied.This family lost their mom when she chose having a child over fighting her aggressive form of liver cancer. This made the news. People thought she was making the wrong choice. The family never got any peace from the media. When the baby was two, they lost their father when he was crushed by his car in their

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

2009-05-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Mia is in love with her boyfriend Adam, the rocker. She is in love with the cello, her first passion - the one that is going to take her to Juilliard. She loves her family dearly. Her mother and father who are still in love, her much younger brother, Teddy. Her best friend, Kim, is someone else that she loves. She is surrounded by so much goodness.School is canceled one morning. Another great day

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

2009-04-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

Kids are always, ALWAYS asking me "where can I find a scary book", and I love suggesting The Devouring by Simon Holt. Now, however, I will be glad to hand over Katie Alender's brand spanking new novel, Bad Girls Don't Die. (Shoot - just check out that cover...that alone would sell it!!!)Our main character, Alex, has a somewhat dysfunctional family. Dad - disconnected. Mom - workaholic. Sister -

Two Girls of Gettsburg by Lisa Klein

2009-04-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

We often hear historical tales of brother fighting brother during the Civil War. Author Lisa Klein takes it a step further in her new novel, Two Girls of Gettysburg. Cousins Rosanna and Lizzie are average teenage girls living in Gettysburg when the novel starts. They attend school, they have crushes on boys, they have families.When the Civil War begins, driven by their convictions, all of

Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe

2009-04-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

So this book, Freeze Frame, had been sitting on my desk awhile. I didn't know anything about it, just that it was on my reading list. From the MINUTE I opened the page, Ayarbe had me completely hooked. I could not put this book down. I just knew that if I stopped reading, I would be haunted by Kyle's next move and I couldn't take it.We begin with best friends Jason and Kyle horsing around at

Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine

2009-04-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

Since Rowan's brother died, she has been holding her family together...and things are unraveling quickly. When someone gives her a film negative and insists that it fell out of her bag, Rowan's whole life is on the verge of exploding.Once the negative is developed, Rowan finds it is a picture of her brother before he died.She seeks answers at home, but gets very little support. Instead, she is

Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone

2009-04-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee StoneWe've heard of the Mercury 7, the brave men who trained to become the first US Astronauts. The men who put aside their fear of dying, to test out new methodologies that would propel us into space before the Russians.These men are heroes.But the story we don't often hear is the story of Mercury 13, as equally heroic group of people

Surface Tension by Brent Runyon

2009-04-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

Surface Tension by Brent Runyon amused me on different levels.As a teacher, it was very funny to read about this kid who progresses over several summers...to watch his voice change from loving child to disaffected youth. I am not sure that students would find it as hilarious, as they might still be in the midst of "the change", which is why it helps that the story is also interesting. As a

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

2009-04-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

Fergus is eighteen. He is on the verge of completing his exams and, perhaps, going on to be a doctor. It is the 1980s in Ireland, and things are tumultuous at best. Fergus' own brother is in jail for his part in radical terrorist activity. Things are a mess...and that is before his brother joins the Hunger Strike.Fergus has a lot on his mind. One morning while he and his Uncle are out and about,

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

2009-04-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

Alice's mother died of cancer a few years back. Her father has moved on, remarried, and recently had a second daughter. Alice views all of this as a slight betrayal and chooses not to engage in family activities. She has a secret hatred of her step-mother, Victoria, and the baby is wearing her out.When her dad forces her to drive with the family to Victoria's parents house for Thanksgiving, Alice

The Market by J.M. Steele

2009-04-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

Imagine that you find out your school has a stock-market type system that rates the girls in your class from #1 (a primo slot) to #140 (needs some work). You are just an average girl...not too popular, not too famous. You look fine, but you know that you could do more...you're just not concerned with it. You have good friends and a supportive family. Imagine that you find out you're ranked #71

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

2009-04-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

On the first day of school the principal announces that a new curriculum has been added and all seniors must participate in order to graduate. This curriculum is to help students be better equipped for marriage and to help combat the 50% failure rate of marriages in America. Students are paired up randomly and "married" for the year with several sets of tasks they must complete.Far fetched

Brutal by Michael Harmon

2009-03-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, I just want to say that Michael Harmon is one of those great writers who always produces something that I will purchase. In the three different novels I have read, I have been impressed in three completely different ways.Brutal is powerful.Poe is a character who can change your life as a reader if you let her. She has the ability to teach you.The story that Harmon weaves is

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

2009-03-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

This powerful novel begins with Cassie's death. Cassie was Lia's BFF until events (unknown to the reader) pulled them apart. Cassie was bulimic and Lia was anorexic. They weren't a good influence on each other, and things finally fell apart their senior year.On the night that she died, Cassie called Lia 33 times. Lia didn't answer the phone and when she finally listened to the messages, Cassie's

Response by Volponi

2009-03-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

Paul Volponi is an excellent writer, and I think he has distinct appeal to male audiences. I haven't read everything that he has written. I first read Hurricane Song, a horribly compelling story about Hurricane Katrina. It made me think about some things I hadn't previously considered. In all the stories that I heard during that time, the Superdome stories weren't stories that came onto my

The Season by Sarah MacLean

2009-03-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

This book came to me last week, courtesy of Scholastic. I was immediately intrigued because....well...check out the cover, read the jacket...and you will see.But things at work got hectic and things at home got hectic and I didn't get to slip into the story as easily as I had hoped.However, today was the day for reading. I am completely in love with this book.Sarah MacLean wrote an excellent,

Chains

2009-03-03T14:25:00.000-08:00

Ode to Laurie Halse Anderson:Everything you write turns to gold.I am so glad that you chose writing as your profession.When I read your books, I wish that I knew the characters personally.And the best part is that I feel like I do!Please don't stop writing.Ever.Chains was required reading this week.I have to admit that it wasn't something that I was looking forward to...I was dragging my feet on

The Chosen One

2009-03-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

We will begin with the cover, which is sure to draw readers in: a partially undone braid. I think this image is startling and is a powerful image when paired with author Carol Lynch Williams' moving tale.Kyra is a good girl, steeped in the teachings of the church. Her parents are polygamists and she lives on a compound. Her fellow compound members are known as The Chosen and they are all ruled by

The Good Neighbors

2009-02-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

Naomi Bates came and spoke at our Inservice this week. She had so many fun and exciting things to talk about - some of them book titles, some of them technology updates. She was amazing!One of the titles she mentioned was Holly Black & Ted Naifeh's graphic novel (reads like a comic) titled, Kin (The Good Neighbors, Book One).I picked it up on Friday. It was easy to read and I found it pretty

Feathered

2009-02-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

Feathered by Laura Kasischke is timely - something literally taken right out of the headlines!Three girls leave on a trip to Cancun, all with different expectations about what is going to happen. They have all been brought up with very different parents, some overly cautious, all loving and concerned. They are perfect, happy, teenage girls who just want to enjoy themselves and can't imagine

Daughter of the Flames

2009-02-14T12:13:00.000-08:00

When I got Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott in the mail, I thought the cover looked interesting. I gave the flap a little read, and it wasn’t made up of the things that I usually like in a book. I am so glad that I tried it out. I enjoyed the heck out of the ideas that Marriot presented. Our heroine, Zira has been raised in the Ruan faith. She has been taught to believe in God, the

The Hanging Woods

2009-02-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

On his website Scott Loring Sanders claims to love puzzles. His latest book, The Hanging Woods, mimics that love by presenting readers with clues, stories, notes...all pieces of a large picture that you can't clearly see until the end. However, when everything fits together and you have that "ah-ha!" moment, you can't help but appreciate a good puzzle yourself.Walter, Mothball, and Jimmy are all

Necessary Non-Fiction

2009-01-27T14:26:00.000-08:00

Normally I am not into non-fiction. There is too much reality all day long, and I like my reading to be a form of escapism. When I read these two novels, I was very excited to find that non-fiction can offer something more than what I was expecting.I know...judging a book by it's cover and all of that...I should be past it.I would like to lead with the amazing story put forth by Cylin Busby and

Need by Carrie Jones

2009-01-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

What do you do when your stepfather suddenly dies of a heart attack...your mom sends you to live with your grandmother in Maine...you find out that you are a Princess...and that you are in love with a werewolf...that your grandmother is really a weretiger...and that your real father wants to trap you in order to lure your mother, the queen, to his glamoured abode???Author Carrie Jones helps us

Black Box

2009-01-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Black Box and I thought it was one of the best fiction pieces I have read in recent times, which is really saying a lot because I am a little reading machine.When I began, I thought it would be similar to Sonya Sones' novel Stop Pretending (also a stellar work of fiction). However, this book was so much more emotional and touching.Though I have not personally ever dealt

The Bite of the Mango

2009-01-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

This is the story of twelve year old Mariatu Kamara. Mariatu grew up in Sierra Leone. She was raised by a village of people, always knew the comfort of friends and family, the value of hard work, and the importance of traditions.There is upset in Sierra Leone, however, and the rumbling of rebel troops has Mariatu's family hiding in the brush...something that she and her cousins view as a game.

My Christmas List

2009-01-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

This is what I read over the break...it is not a lot...Santa Jason had me pretty busy!! However, there were lots of things on My Christmas Reading List...here is what I accomplished.What I Saw and How I Liedby Judy BundellIt is a sad day when you find out that everyone you love is a big liar and backstabber, including your mother, your father, and your love interest (who also is having an affair

Airhead

2008-12-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

Meg Cabot is the queen of cute. The Princess Diaries have been a huge success across the nation. She has penned some adult titles that seem to do well, also. She left the cute genre to do some darker stuff like The Mediator series. Airhead seems to fall somewhere between The Princess group and The Mediator series.Our main character, Emerson, likes video games. She isn't popular. She isn't into

I devoured The Devouring by Simon Holt

2008-12-14T12:04:00.000-08:00

I started this book on Saturday morning. It came from Amazon late Friday night and I didn't have time to start it then. So Saturday morning when I came downstairs, it was waiting for me all shiny and new.From the very first chapter, I was hooked.I couldn't do laundry, cook, or clean (tongue in cheek), I could only DEVOUR Simon Holt's latest offering: The Devouring. If you have ever heard someone

Burn by Suzanne Phillips

2008-12-08T17:39:00.000-08:00

There are tons of book out there on bullying and the effects of such actions. Jodi Piccoult's Nineteen Minutes does an amazing job of explaining the psyche and what happens. Raider's Night by Lipstyle talks about mob mentality.Suzanne Phillips did an equally good job of writing the book Burn. In this novel our main character, Cameron, is 14. He comes from a home that had a domestic abuse problem.