What New Releases Are You Look Forward to in 2010

Here are just a few on my list:

1. Hunger Games Book 3 by Suzanne Collins - August (They haven’t even release the title yet.
2. The Kane Chronicles, Book One: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan – May 4th
3. The Magic Thief: Found by Sarah Prineas – May 25th
4. The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Child – March 2nd
5. Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer – July 13, 2010


What titles are you anxiously awaiting?

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Most of the time, I’m of the opinion that life is too short to read a book that you neither want nor have to read. If you can’t get into a book, then put it down and pick up another one. However, occasionally, I ignore my own advice. Occasionally, for whatever reason I feel compelled to finish a book even if it doesn’t appeal to me. This usually means that I have to give myself a time limit for finishing the book – assigning myself a certain number of pages to be read each day until I finish the book.

That was the case with James Dashner’s The Maze Runner. Even though it reminded me early on of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games (perhaps my favorite read in 2009), I just had a hard time getting into the story. It just seemed to have more sharp prickly edges than Hunger Games. It was not as smooth of a read as Hunger Games. I like science fantasy more than I do science fiction and somehow, I was under the impression this was going to be too sci-fi for me. Yet, I felt compelled to read the book and with the library due date looming at me, I gave myself a reading assignment.

Boy! Am I glad I did! The first in a trilogy, The Maze Runner tells the story of Thomas who wakes up in something akin to an elevator remembering only his name. When the doors open Thomas is greeted by a group of young boys of various ages known as the Gladers. They live in the Glade, which is surrounded by an ever-changing maze inhabited by gruesome creatures known as Grievers. The goal is to get past the Grievers and out of the Maze. To accomplish this, they have to solve the puzzle of the maze. Things are complicated by everyone’s lack of memories of their lives before entering the Glade, distrust of Thomas and the appearance of a strange girl – the only girl to appear in the Glade.

Though I found the first few chapters slow going, it was not long before I found myself pulled into the story. It’s as though Dashner reached out and grabbed me by the collar and pulled me into the Glade along with everyone else. I was immersed in Thomas’ eagerness to find a way out and his frustration at his fleeting memories. The book ended way before I was ready for it to end. I found myself both cheering and moaning that there would be more books. I’m eager to learn the rest of the story, but I sure hate waiting for the next book to be released.

I would classify The Maze Runner as a dystopian young adult number, but one with a light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s just hope it’s not more Grievers. I can’t wait for books two and three.

If you would like to learn more about this book and the author, check out James Dashner’s blog: http://jamesdashner.blogspot.com/

What Were Your Favorite Reads of 2009

Not that 2009 is over, let's review. I'd like to know what were your favorite reads and which ones could you just not finish?

For me my favorites, in no particular order, were:

Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells
Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Faith, Hope and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Memory Quilt by T.D. Jakes
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
The Magic Thief and Lost by Sarah Prineas
Silvertongue by Charlie Fletcher
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Books I started but could not finish:
IraqiGirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in Iraq by IraqiGirl
Sisters in War: A Story of Love, Family, and Survival in the New Iraq by Christina Asquith

Books that I finished but found disappointing:
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
100 Cupboards: Book 1 (The 100 Cupboards) by N. D. Wilson
Skellig by David Almond

What were your favorites or not so favorites? Post and let me know. I'm always looking to add new titles to the ever growing "to be read" pile.

Currently Reading:
Terrier by Tamora Pierce
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Currently Listening to:
Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit (A Novel of King Arthur) by Mercedes Lackey

The Magic Thief series by Sarah Prineas

Fans of magical fantasy will enjoy Sarah Prineas’ The Magic Thief Series. In the first book we meet Conn (short for Connwaer), an orphaned street thief, who should have died when he stole his future master’s locus magicalus (a stone that wizards use to do spells.) In the first book Conn must rescue the city of Wellmet’s magic, which he does. However, all is not well and the magic is still in danger in book two: Lost. In book two we learn a little more about the magic itself. It is actually a living thinking entity that has “chosen” Conn. The locus magicalus is not just a stone for casting spells, it the means by which the magic talks to the wizards. In book one, after finally finding his locus magicalus, Conn loses it when it is destroyed in the battle to save the city. In book two, we learn Conn can talk with the magic through pyrotechnics – a practice frowned upon by the city’s magisters and one that eventually gets Conn exiled from Wellmet.

Fans of Harry Potter and Magyk will enjoy this series. I am anxiously awaiting book three to find out just wa the magic has in store for Conn.

Need by Carrie Jones

I chose to read this book because it appeared on a "Twilight" read-a-like list. While it does not have the same intensity as "Twilight", it is a very good read. There are definite similarities - were creatures (and not just wolves either), a young girl moves from a sunny climate to a cold and frosty one - snow rather than rain. But the book is also different from "Twilight". It's pixies, not vampires. These are not cute little Tinkerbell pixies either. In "Twilight" many of the townspeople are clueless about the true identity of the Cullens, but in this sleepy little town, there are probably more people who know the secret than don't know it. And Zara is by far a more confident and independent character than Bella. There is indeed a love story, but it's not the intense epic one found in "Twilight". Having read "Twilight" I was able to see some things coming in "Need". I don't think the clues would be that obvious for those who have not read "Twilight". Need has more of a here and now quality to it while I felt "Twilight" had more of a dream like quality. I thoroughly enjoyed both books, but be warned. Even though "Need" is definitely a "Twilight" read a like, don't read it expecting it to be a "Twilight" clone. It's not a knock off.

Humphrey's World

This series by Betty Birney, about a classroom pet, is a delightful read. Read these books and you'll look at your hamster in a whole new light. Humphrey is a great  role model. He cares about his human classmates. He wants to help them solve their problems. Kids will identify with his eagerness to have adventures, learn new things, and also with his fears - many of which they may share.  Even when Humphrey is afraid he shows great courage.  If you are looking for books to help with character education, this is a good series. Humphrey gets the messages across without being preachy about it.

Titles include:

The World According to Humphrey
Friendship According to Humphrey
Trouble According to Humphrey
Surprises According to Humphrey
Adventure According to Humphrey

Freak The Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

This is an excellent book about friendship and about learning how everyone is not the same. Some have expressed concern over the violent nature of Max's father, but it is such a small portion of the book. And the emphasis of the story is not on how violent and criminal Killer Kane is, but rather on how Max does not have to be like his father, on how the friendship between Max and Kevin ("Freak") is so strong that Freak does not allow his small size to keep him from coming to his friend's rescue, and how with such a strong friendship the two boys are able to survive the cruel teasing of their classmates. The violent behavior shown in one small portion of the book is nothing compared to what children see on prime TV or in their own video games. While it is important to be aware of this content, it should not be a deterrent for sharing the book with students, especially those of a higher reading level.

If you want a good book to generate discussion about character traits, this is a good one.

I'm already on hold at the public library for the sequel "Max the Mighty."

What are you reading?