The Iron Queen by Julia Kagawa, is about a soon to be seventeen Meghan Chase, an exiled winter prince, a comical fey, a war against the Iron Fey, and her return to the Nevernever.
When sixteen year old Meghan Chase is summoned by her fey father Oberon to come and help fight the war against the Iron fey, she doesn’t have a choice. Along with the winter prince, a childhood friend and a cait sith must fight a war with the Iron fey. A war that could destroy the Nevernever, and everyone Meghan cares about.
I couldn’t put this book down! I read the previous books, The Iron King and The Iron Daughter. Now there is The Iron Queen!
This book has suspense, mystery, romance, action, and adventure. All the characteristics that make the series exciting! There are riddles and the mysteries characters, secrets and sacrifices. This book is one of my favorites, it’s something I’ll read over and over again.
There is nothing that I didn’t like in this book. All the elements that make a book exciting are here. This kind of book combines the nature of the Fey, with modern time alternate universe aspect. It is a world that could be very real...it’s there, we just don’t see it.
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Since Xian was such a huge fan of this series and she writes such great reviews for us and she tells EVERYONE to read Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series, I contacted the publisher to see if they could send us a review copy. A BIG THANKS to HarlequinTeen for sending a review copy for our teen ARC reviewers to take a look at! YAY!! ^___^
Xian reviewed an ADVANCE READER'S COPY (ARC) of this book, meaning she got a chance to read it before it was published and then she had a chance to let the library know if it she thought we should purchase it for our shelves or not. Do YOU want a chance to read and review books before they're published? Do YOU think you could give your opinion on if the library/other people should buy these books? If so, you can ask at youth services or send us an e-mail for more information on how you can get a chance to be an ARC reviewer.
Click here to check our catalog to see if other books in Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series are checked in or to pre-reserve the The Iron Queen today!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
An Infinite Thread by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff (reviewed by Amethyst Collins)
The genre of short stories is one that I think is very overlooked. (I myself am guilty of this.) However, the stories, or perhaps I should say scenes, in An Infinite Thread are proof of how short stories could be making a larger appearance in public reading.
This book was put together as a collection of writing exercises by the three authors, who call themselves the Merry Sisters of Fate. This means that they often leave the reader in suspense, wondering what happens next. Many times they start right in the middle of an important moment, and only by reading on can the reader get an idea of what is happening. (Isn’t that the point of a story? To get someone to read it?) I think they are good because they have realistic descriptions and even the tensest moments often have humor. Example: Your best friend is deadly vampire staring at you silently, about to bite you, and the author makes a subtle diss on Twilight. Perfect.
I like short stories because they give me a good stopping point. If I have homework or chores to do, but I really want to read, I can pick up a short story book and read a story in ten minutes, do some of my work, read another story, do more work, read another story… And it’s also nice in school, because when I finish my work early I can take it out, read a story and be at a stopping place before I have to pay attention again.
Each of the Sisters has their own unique style of writing, and every reader I’ve talked with has their favorite. The Sisters also have a website, so after reading the book you can go there and read more by your favorite author. Also, they self-published An Infinite Thread, so I give them major kudos. Recommended? Yes.
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Our FIRST review of a short story collection, woot!
Amethyst reviewed a book that wasn't yet added to the library's collection to let us know if she thought it was worth adding to the shelves. Do YOU think you could give your opinion on if the library/other people should buy or add books? If so, you can ask at youth services or send us an e-mail for more information on how you can get a chance to be a pre-reviewer for certain titles! (and yes, we're definitely adding this title, so keep your eyes on the shelves for your chance to check it out!)
We used this book for prompts and discussion in our library's teen writing group and we all loved it so much! We loved it SO MUCH we asked Brenna Yovanoff to be our next featured author in our Best!Book!Ever! book club and she agreed! She'll be live-chatting with us about her book The Replacement on MARCH 1, 2011! Starting reading today to join the conversation! Maybe we can ask her questions about stories from An Infinite Thread too!
Click here to check our catalog to see if Brenna's The Replacement is on our shelves. Interested in some of the amazing Maggie's books? Click here to check out catalog to see if any of Maggie Stiefvater's books are on our shelves. And, of course, keep an eye out for Tessa's debut novel Blood Magic, due out this April. (Why, I might even have an ARC of Blood Magic just waiting to be reviewed ...)
This book was put together as a collection of writing exercises by the three authors, who call themselves the Merry Sisters of Fate. This means that they often leave the reader in suspense, wondering what happens next. Many times they start right in the middle of an important moment, and only by reading on can the reader get an idea of what is happening. (Isn’t that the point of a story? To get someone to read it?) I think they are good because they have realistic descriptions and even the tensest moments often have humor. Example: Your best friend is deadly vampire staring at you silently, about to bite you, and the author makes a subtle diss on Twilight. Perfect.
I like short stories because they give me a good stopping point. If I have homework or chores to do, but I really want to read, I can pick up a short story book and read a story in ten minutes, do some of my work, read another story, do more work, read another story… And it’s also nice in school, because when I finish my work early I can take it out, read a story and be at a stopping place before I have to pay attention again.
Each of the Sisters has their own unique style of writing, and every reader I’ve talked with has their favorite. The Sisters also have a website, so after reading the book you can go there and read more by your favorite author. Also, they self-published An Infinite Thread, so I give them major kudos. Recommended? Yes.
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Our FIRST review of a short story collection, woot!
Amethyst reviewed a book that wasn't yet added to the library's collection to let us know if she thought it was worth adding to the shelves. Do YOU think you could give your opinion on if the library/other people should buy or add books? If so, you can ask at youth services or send us an e-mail for more information on how you can get a chance to be a pre-reviewer for certain titles! (and yes, we're definitely adding this title, so keep your eyes on the shelves for your chance to check it out!)
We used this book for prompts and discussion in our library's teen writing group and we all loved it so much! We loved it SO MUCH we asked Brenna Yovanoff to be our next featured author in our Best!Book!Ever! book club and she agreed! She'll be live-chatting with us about her book The Replacement on MARCH 1, 2011! Starting reading today to join the conversation! Maybe we can ask her questions about stories from An Infinite Thread too!
Click here to check our catalog to see if Brenna's The Replacement is on our shelves. Interested in some of the amazing Maggie's books? Click here to check out catalog to see if any of Maggie Stiefvater's books are on our shelves. And, of course, keep an eye out for Tessa's debut novel Blood Magic, due out this April. (Why, I might even have an ARC of Blood Magic just waiting to be reviewed ...)
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman (reviewed by Emily TenCate)
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman is the factual tale of an extremely isolated tribal mountain people, the Hmong, who are driven from their homes in the Laotian mountains and eventually are relocated to America, where they are confronted with Western ideas, values, and science. The novel details the case of Lia Lee, an epileptic Hmong child. Hmong tradition believes that epilepsy is a condition where "the spirit catches you and you fall down," which refers to the spirit temporarily leaving the body to commune with other spirits. The Hmong regard this as a gift from the gods, and the afflicted are treated as royalty. When Lia's parents immigrate to California, though, and she has a severe grand mal seizure, her parents decide to take her to nearby Merced Medical Center.
The doctors on call instantly sedate the seizing child according to protocol, taking the parents' terrified silence as consent. The parents, frightened and confused, watch as their child is hooked up to foreign machines and injected with strange, colorful substances. They fear that these strange procedures might scare Lia's spirit and drive it away permanently. The hospital staff provides instructions for medications, but Lia's parents cannot understand them and turn to their own traditional methods of animal sacrifice and prayer. This goes on for a very long time because of the unrecognized communication gap, and Lia's condition deteriorates.
Finally, one social worker does recognize the real problem. She makes a concerted effort to teach Hmong young adults how to speak English and pursue higher learning which they can then bring back to their own community. It's a long and arduous process, but she's successful in coaching several young Hmong so that they are able to gain admission and successfully graduate medical school. They are finally able to explain Western science to their parents, relatives, and the entire Hmong community in a way that is compatible with their traditional beliefs.
Through the efforts of this lone woman, the growing Hmong refugee community in Southern California was able to integrate itself positively into Western society without losing its cultural identity.
I REALLY recommend this book; it's a fascinating window into a completely different culture and how its people overcame huge adversity and stereotyping.
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Yay, Emily, our first ever review of an adult non-fiction title! Click here to check our catalog to see if The Spirit Catches You and you Fall Down is on our shelves.
This book was selected by YALSA for their 2009 Outstanding Books for the College Bound lists. These lists cover a wide array of subjects and genres and the books on them are AMAZING. If you're feeling like reading some different, interesting, challenging, and great books (like this one!) try some selections off these lists!
The doctors on call instantly sedate the seizing child according to protocol, taking the parents' terrified silence as consent. The parents, frightened and confused, watch as their child is hooked up to foreign machines and injected with strange, colorful substances. They fear that these strange procedures might scare Lia's spirit and drive it away permanently. The hospital staff provides instructions for medications, but Lia's parents cannot understand them and turn to their own traditional methods of animal sacrifice and prayer. This goes on for a very long time because of the unrecognized communication gap, and Lia's condition deteriorates.
Finally, one social worker does recognize the real problem. She makes a concerted effort to teach Hmong young adults how to speak English and pursue higher learning which they can then bring back to their own community. It's a long and arduous process, but she's successful in coaching several young Hmong so that they are able to gain admission and successfully graduate medical school. They are finally able to explain Western science to their parents, relatives, and the entire Hmong community in a way that is compatible with their traditional beliefs.
Through the efforts of this lone woman, the growing Hmong refugee community in Southern California was able to integrate itself positively into Western society without losing its cultural identity.
I REALLY recommend this book; it's a fascinating window into a completely different culture and how its people overcame huge adversity and stereotyping.
--
Yay, Emily, our first ever review of an adult non-fiction title! Click here to check our catalog to see if The Spirit Catches You and you Fall Down is on our shelves.
This book was selected by YALSA for their 2009 Outstanding Books for the College Bound lists. These lists cover a wide array of subjects and genres and the books on them are AMAZING. If you're feeling like reading some different, interesting, challenging, and great books (like this one!) try some selections off these lists!
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (reviewed by Bear Schacht)
Journey to the Center of the Earth is one of those classic pieces of fiction that has survived for many years and it is still a gripping and exciting story about mans desire to explore the unknown. It is slightly difficult to read and the more scientific bits are sometimes hard to get through, but otherwise it is a fantastic adventure story that makes you wish it was actually possible to descend through a volcano down to an underground ocean and prehistoric monsters. I think Journey to the Center of the Earth is a book that anybody could enjoy reading.
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Ah, Bear! A true classic! Who doesn't love some Jules Verne?! ^___^ This is also a good reminder you can review ANYTHING for this blog (as long as the library has a copy or you're writing as an advance reviewer/pre-reviewer) it doesn't have to be a brand new.
Click here to check our catalog to see if Journey to the Center of the Earth is on the shelves.
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Ah, Bear! A true classic! Who doesn't love some Jules Verne?! ^___^ This is also a good reminder you can review ANYTHING for this blog (as long as the library has a copy or you're writing as an advance reviewer/pre-reviewer) it doesn't have to be a brand new.
Click here to check our catalog to see if Journey to the Center of the Earth is on the shelves.
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