Tuesday, December 28, 2010
[Book Review] MATCHED by Ally Condie
Science Fiction/Young AdultHollye reviews MATCHED by Ally Condie (Dutton Books, 2010)
This book is set in the future. Society now dictates who you are to marry, when you are to die, what kind of job you will have, what kind of meals you will eat according to your dietary needs, and even how many calories you should have. There are only 100 poems and 100 songs for people to read or listen to. There is always an “official” watching you and there is almost no crime.
Cassia is 17 years old--now ready to be “matched” with the person she is to marry. Teens her age all over the world go to their cities’ banquet halls to see who they are to marry. Cassia is shockingly matched with a childhood friend from her neighborhood, which almost never happens. Usually, they are matched with people from other places and will move to be with their husbands. Upon learning of their matches, teens are given a microchip with all the information about their future spouses. Cassia puts in her microchip at home that night and another person’s information from her neighborhood is on the card. Did the “officials” make a mistake? This is when Cassia begins to question her society and the rules governing them.
I really enjoyed this book. It was said to be the next, Hunger Games. Although I really enjoyed this book it did not compare to the Hunger Games series. It was much slower paced and left many questions by the end of the book. I think that many teens will relate to Cassia and her friends. Many teens will understand why Cassia begins to question the rules of her society.
Hollye Ferguson, Parkway Village Library
Labels: Reviews by Hollye Ferguson, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Monday, December 20, 2010
MEMPHIS READS QUESTION
By now, several year-end lists detailing the best books chosen by editors, book critics, and selection committees have been released.Memphis Reads wants to know what books were chosen by our blog visitors as the best of 2010.
Memphis Reads asks:
What was the best book (fiction or non-fiction) you read in 2010?
Leave us a comment by clicking the "comments" link below.Labels: Memphis Reads Question
Thursday, December 16, 2010
[News and Notes] 2010 INSPY Award Winners
The inaugural winners of the 2010 INSPY Awards were announced December 13.What are the INSPYs?
From the website: "The INSPYs were created by bloggers to discover and highlight the very best in literature that grapples with expressions of the Christian faith."
Crossing Oceans, by Gina Holmes, was the winner for General & Literary Fiction
To view the full list of winners click here. Fans of this genre can download a list of the winners or nominees from the same webpage.
Labels: Awards, News and Notes
[Book Review] THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Fiction/HistoricalHollye of the Parkway Village Library Book Club reviews THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Dial Press, 2008)
This story starts in 1946 London, where author Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a man in the town of Guernsey. He loves Juliet’s books and the journalism stories she writes under the name Izzy Bickerstaff. He goes on to tell about how The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society was started in Guernsey, as the Germans invaded his town. He gets all of his friends and neighbors in Guernsey to write her stories about their town and families during German occupation. Juliet soon falls in love with all the people writing her, and travels to meet them so that she can write a book about their lives.
I absolutely loved the characters in this book. They told the good and the bad of living under German occupation. This book is written entirely in letter content, which was hard to get used to in the first 20 pages or so, but once you get to know the characters and their stories, you forget the format and enjoy the tales that unfold.
I laughed and cried while reading this book. Many of the Parkway Village Book Club members felt the same way. Most of us loved this book. There were a few members who did not like how the book was a collection of written letters, and they could not finish reading it. We learned that Mary Ann Shaffer died in 2008, right after learning that her book was very popular and was going to be printed in many languages throughout the world. Her co-author niece continues to write.
Hollye Ferguson, Parkway Village Library Book Club
The Parkway Village Book Club will discuss The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson on January 19, 2011 at 2:00p.m.
Labels: Book Club Reviews, Book Clubs, Historical Fiction, Reviews by Hollye Ferguson
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
[News and Notes] Steig Larsson's Millennium Series
Bookreporter.com named Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest the 2010 Book of the Year and Larsson's Millennium series the Trilogy of the Decade: "There was no denying the series' global impact upon the release of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. A copy of one of Larsson's books seemed to be everywhere you turned--in cafés, trains, buses, airports, pools, parks, and so on."
Click here to view their special feature webpage.
Labels: News and Notes
Friday, December 10, 2010
[Book Review] TWO DAUGHTERS by Marlene Fanta Shyer
Fiction/MainstreamAndrea reviews TWO DAUGHTERS by Marlene Fanta Shyer (Kensington, 2002)
Salvatore di Buono is Claudia’s boyfriend at the beginning of the novel. After deliberate questions and careless confessions, the Elrichs find out Salvatore (or Ess as he is called) is 23 years old! Knowing Ess is too old for Claudia, her parents forbid the two from seeing each other. Claudia is able to move on and start dating someone new, but Ess still wants to be part of the Elrich family dynamic. Dr. and Mrs. Elrich notice him driving by their house at odd hours, along with him making drunken phone calls in the middle of the night.
While the older couple is vacationing abroad, the worst happens. Ess visits Ellery, since her older sister won’t have anything to do with him. Grateful for the attention and believing Ess loves her, 12-year-old Ellery gets pregnant. Of course, Peter and Libby are devastated and try to convince Ellery that abortion is the only answer. Ellery, Ess, and his family strongly oppose this, since Ess wants to marry Ellery and raise the baby together at his parents’ house.
This book will make you laugh, cry, as well as question your beliefs. You’ll wonder, is a 12 year old is capable of love or making adult decisions? You’ll ponder, why would a 23-year-old man want to be with a 12-year-old girl? Most of all, you’ll question if Peter and Libby are overbearing, or just trying to protect their teenaged daughters.
This is a brilliant novel by Marlene Fanta Shyer, and it definitely will provoke some strong emotions.
Andrea King, Poplar-White Station
Labels: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews by Andrea King
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
[News and Notes] The Best Books of 2010
December has arrived, which means it's time for year-end lists. Library Journal boasts their first ever top ten list. LJ book reviewers and librarians contributed to the selection process.
Publisher's Weekly selected 100 of the best of 2010, noting that women authors dominated their picks.
Take a look at NPR's Best Books 2010 webpage. Librarian Nancy Pearl, who spoke at the Central Library on December 6, was featured on NPR's Morning Edition. Be sure to browse her choices for the best memoirs.
Designed as a holiday gift guide, The New York Times year-end list offers traditional lists (100 Notable Books) as well as favorites chosen by New York Times book critics on the left side of the page.
Don't forget to search the library catalog for book availability.
Labels: News and Notes
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
[Book Review] THE NAKED TRUTH: YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL AND (HIV) POSITIVE by Marvelyn Brown
Nonfiction/MemoirDarletha reviews THE NAKED TRUTH: YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL, AND (HIV) POSITIVE by Marvelyn Brown (Amistad, 2008)
HIV is a serious topic most people wouldn’t want to read about. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t have chosen this book if the cover didn't catch my attention on the shelf. When I picked up The Naked Truth, I noticed the profile of a pretty African American lady on the front cover. Another draw was from the book's description--the author was a Tennessee native! I knew I was in for a story that would hit very close to home.
Marvelyn Brown begins her story as a carefree high school athlete living in Nashville. The self-professed tomboy deals with her share of teen issues: fights with her mother, conflicts with female classmates, and the hunt for a boyfriend. After high school she meets a handsome man she only identifies as Prince Charming. He has a good job, suave personality, and a nice apartment--basically the kind of guy every single lady hopes to meet. Marvelyn falls in love with a seemingly perfect man, until Prince Charming infects her with the HIV virus.
Marvelyn becomes stigmatized in town as the "girl with HIV." She tries to maintain a normal life as a college student, but the whispers and dirty looks become unbearable. She could have easily disappeared into a quiet, private life; instead, she uses her youth and lively personality as an advocate for HIV awareness.
Marvelyn presents her story in an unpretentious way. Marvelyn's conversational voice makes you feel like you're reading her diary, sprinkled with humor and sadness. Photos of Marvelyn, her family, and friends connect real faces to her recollections. The writing is so honest you can’t help but think of other young women in your life—like a sister or a best friend-- and how their lives would change if they were diagnosed with HIV or AIDS.
Darletha, South Branch
Labels: Memoir, Nonfiction, Reviews by Darletha Matthews
