Book Six: Matched- Ally Condie

This book was a recommendation from Busy Bee Lauren, she posted about it on her blog and after checking out what the book was about I know that I HAD TO HAVE IT! I figured easy right... I work in a bookstore... nope not the case. Turned out that we were like the only store in the province not to have it, and since I'm dedicated to my store I didn't go anywhere else, I waited it out and eventually this book came in and I wasn't disappointed at all. Let's share what it's about already....

Book Info: taken from http://matched-book.com/info.html

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one… until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow — between perfection and passion.

Seriously, doesn't this book sound so fantastic...

So I really enjoyed this book, and it is part of a series which excites me, and what excites me even more is that the next book in the series comes out in November of this year, but I'll get to that in a minute. So this book is along the same lines as Hunger Games and Maze Runner, a society in the future where things are ruled by a government. In this book those, things seem almost perfect, people seem to be happy with their way of life, they have all they need, jobs that are fit perfectly for them, enough food to keep them healthy, family and friends. They are even matched with the perfect person for them. BUT... things aren't as perfect as they seem, they never are right, and there are things in this society that you learn about that are just not right. Who would want their entire life planned out for them, right up to their death. It looks into these questions, and even more. It really makes you think. It also explores the question of who the perfect match for a person can be. I loved that it also considers the debate between what you do when your torn between two people that you love, one person who had been a lifelong BEST friend and seems to be a perfect fit and someone who is a friend, but unknown in so many ways to you, but that is someone you are drawn to... it's sooooo INTERESTING!!! Check it out for sure, you will fall in love with the characters, and really care what happens to them all. The question looms though... are you for Xander or Ky??

Don't continue reading if you have not read Matched yet, I don't want to give anything away and this next portion is about Book 2 Crossed.... Coming out November 2011...

The Next Cover...

It’s beautiful.

Perfect.

I love the way she has shattered the bubble and is breaking free. LOVE. It’s exactly what happens in this part of Cassia’s story.

And I love the color. (And yes, for those of you who asked, the green cover of MATCHED and the blue cover of CROSSED do represent the tablets, as well as other thematic elements in the books.)

http://www.allysoncondie.com/

The Next Story in the Series....

In search of a future that may not exist and faced

with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia

journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky—

taken by the Society to his certain death—only to

find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues

in his wake.

Cassia’s quest leads her to question much of what

she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a

different life across the border. But as Cassia nears

resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an

invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and

a surprise visit from Xander—who may hold the key

to the uprising and, still, to Cassia’s heart—change

the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the

edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses

make the path more twisted than ever.

http://www.thematcheddepartment.com/

eek... I am so excited and plan to buy it as soon as I can this fall!!

Book Five:The Reckoning- Kelley Armstrong

I'd been waiting to read this book for awhile. It's the end of a trilogy, and I needed to see what was going to happen. I was recommended the first book in this series by my friend and practicum teacher Michelle, she was reading the first one while I was in her classroom and she loaned it to me. I loved the book and was hooked on the series... sadly other books got in the way and prevented me from getting through the series as quickly as I would have liked to. The books in the series go in the following order, just in case you were wanting to check them out:

1-The Summoning

2- The Awakening

3- The Reckoning

If this is a book series you think you might be interested in reading, don't continue down. When I was looking on Kelley Armstrong's website she said that there is no way to summarize a book in a trilogy without giving something away from the previous books. I will tell you a few things about these books... they deal with the supernatural- let's see werewolves, witches, necromancers etc. They are teen fiction, and they don't have sexy scenes, so they are great for teens. It's an interesting story line that is filled with excitement... I found reading the first book that I did get a little creeped out at some points, but that could be because I am a big wimp, I was reading late at night and Brandon wasn't home. My imagination seems to run wild when I'm alone at home and can hear strange noises... okay back to The Reckoning...

The Reckoning

Same problem here as with The Awakening. In a trilogy, after the first book, it gets really hard to describe the next book without giving away serious spoilers. If you’ve read The Summoning and The Awakening, read the below description of The Reckoning. If you haven’t read the first two, don’t do it!

---

My name is Chloe Saunders. I’m fifteen, and I would love to be normal.

But normal is one thing I’m not.

For one thing, I’m having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother–who just happens to be a sorcerer–but, between you and me, I’m leaning toward the werewolf.

Not normal.

My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us…permanently.

Definitely not normal.

And finally, I’m a genetically altered necromancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.

As far away from normal as it gets.

Taken from: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/the-reckoning/

I really enjoyed this series and specifically this book. The characters have a lot of thinking and trusting to do in this book, and you are always wondering if they are trusting the right people, it is quite suspenseful and exciting. There is a love story in here too which you could kind of suspect throughout the entire book but it was great to see if come front and centre in this book. I'd love to see these books made into a movie, I'd love to see who they choose as the characters and to see if they look like how I imagine them. The only thing that I would change is then ending... I wasn't satisfied with how it ended... I'm one who likes to have all my questions answered and they were not in this book. For the end of a series it didn't seem complete, doesn't mean that I don't love the books, I DO... but it almost seemed like they were leaving room for maybe more books to come. I'd for sure love to see what happens to these characters in the future! Maybe, just maybe I'll get my wish!! Check out another interesting trilogy

Book Four: The Scorch Trials- James Dashner

So I finished book four back in February. I spent a morning during February break in bed finishing this book and I was not disappointed at all. The only thing that made me sad was that the next book in the series isn't out yet.... blah I just hate waiting...before I keep going, let me share a summary of what this book is about....

Synopsis found on the Chapters Website... woo woo Chapters!!

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated-and with it, order-and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.

The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder-does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

This book in the series definitely was just as exciting as The Maze Runner, just when you think Thomas can't face anymore, a whole new adventure begins. The characters are out in this changed world, facing everything that's our there from crazy weather to crazy people. There is doubt, fear, distrust, stress all wrapped up in this novel, but there is also excitement, love and friendship. It has a little bit of everything and you start to wonder what WICKED will do to them next. There are some new characters introduced in this book, which I liked a lot, I'm never sure with new characters, you love the originals, but these characters were good additions. I'm excited to see what will happen to Thomas and his crew next, I have no clue what will happen and where the story will go. It's kind of exciting to be reading a book and have no idea where it can even end! It's fantastic and I'd say for sure to check this book out, you won't be sad!

Book Three: The Maze Runner-James Dashner

Book number three out of fifty was finished a few weeks ago, I've just been pokey in the posting! This was another book recommended to me from my friends at work... they knew I LOVED "The Hunger Games", so they thought this might be right up my ally too! When searching books in a similar genre to "The Hunger Games" this book would come up. It deals with a time in the future when bad things have happened to the world, and we get a glimpse of what life is like now... see the summary below for what this great novel was about...

Summary:

"When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade-a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up-the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind."

(from the Chapters website)

This was another fantastic story, I don't know if I would put my love for it above "The Hunger Games" trilogy but I have really enjoyed it so far, and don't want to compare it too much, until I'm done the series, which I haven't yet. This is the kind of book that you need to be able to sit down and just read right through. I started it at night time, so never got to read a lot at once, but when I finally had a good chunk of time, to dedicate to reading, I zoomed through it and really LOVED it.

It has an interesting plot, which isn't one I've read before. I had as many questions as Thomas did as he entered the glade and I really enjoyed discovering the answers with him. There were some interesting twists in this story that just make you want to read more. I found Thomas was a character that I just couldn't help but love, he's a natural leader and just someone you find that you would want to be around in a tough situation.

This book is the first in a series, which I did know, so I wasn't surprised with the ending. It's a fantastic ending that leaves you wanting to read MORE! Luckily I had book two on my bedside table ready to go. I'm excited to continue the series, and would love to see it come out in a movie.

The author James Dashner has a website, http://www.jamesdashner.com, it's a blog where he posts upcoming events where he'll be (he was just at BYU so cool!) and book info... I think the third book in this series comes out maybe this fall? Not soon enough!

Book Two: House Rules- Jodi Picoult

So I have been reading since January, and just haven't had the chance to post my latest books, but I've been reading and loving my latest books. Book number two was by Jodi Picoult, she's a favourite author of mine, I've read almost all of her books, and am excited about her new one coming out March 1st, and plan to get it right away it's called "Sing You Home" and I'm sure it's going to be FANTASTIC as always.... but hey I'll let you know!

House Rules was a book I was waiting a long time to read, it was out in hard cover and at the time I hadn't realized my love for the hard cover book, so I was waiting for it to come out in paper back... it finally did and I snatched it up! I think what interested me the most was that the main character in this book has asperger's syndrome, I'd learned a lot about autism and aspergers in the education program and was very interested to see it put into a novel, and I wasn't disappointed. I found a lot about what I had learned in this book, and actually learned some other facts and insights. Picoult is very big an researching her books so things are authentic and correct and I appreciate that. Here is what the book is about, taken right from Jodi Picoults website... www.jodipicoult.com ...

Synopsis:

HOUSE RULES is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject – in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s – not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate affect – can look a heck of a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel -- and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder. HOUSE RULES looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way – but lousy for those who don’t.

On her website she shares some of the reasons behind writing this book which is super interesting, it all came from a family member. She also goes into more detail about asperger's and the controversy around vaccinations. Which I'm not even getting into on here.... she just shares some facts and I found it all interesting to read.

I enjoyed this book a lot, and would recommend it. What I love about her books is that each chapter is usually written surrounding one characters perspective. So you are able to piece together the story through all these characters accounts and feelings. You really do feel for each of her characters as they struggle with their situation... you feel Emma the mother's pain and frustration for both of her children, but you also feel her loneliness and exhaustion. You feel for Theo, Jacob's brother, who sometimes feels forgotten. You also feel greatly for Jacob as you hear accounts of events in his life as he tried to fit it, and only got in trouble in the end. Her books usually centre around a court case, which is always super interesting but her books also intertwine the life's of the characters around the case that they are battling in, you get attached to her characters and feel for them. It was a fantastic book and opens your eyes to asperger's, maybe if we all read more books like this we would become even more sensitive to those who face the challenges that these syndromes bring to families throughout the world. Check it out!

Some amazing book art...

So I have something amazing to share that is book related and amazing. I work with some pretty awesome people at work. Everyone is unique and different and they all being so much to the book store environment. I smile every time I'm at work walking along and I see someone else that I work with, I love to just smile and wave and say hello.

So this weekend at the book store we were able to wear jeans and dress casually. Which is always an exciting thing! The only thing we had to do it make a donation to "The Love of Reading" which is a program we have in our store, which is so awesome, so making a donation it isn't hard at all, especially as a teacher. If you go to www.loveofreading.org you can see what it's all about and watch a short little video.

I took this quote off the website...

Can you imagine a childhood without books?

No Wizard of Oz. No Harry Potter. No Cat in the Hat. No maps of faraway places, or stories about the people who live there.

A book can inspire a child to discover the world—and themselves. Nothing is a better indicator of future success than early literacy.

But many children in Canada are growing up without books. The school book budget for one child in the 1970s must stretch to cover nine children today ¹. Provincial governments are shortchanging our children on the most important investment we can make in their future ².

The crisis is so great that in 2001 teachers and principals spent $143 million of their own money ³ to buy books and learning materials for their students.

Children from high-needs schools suffer most, including those from low-income neighbourhoods, immigrant or non-English-speaking families or those of Aboriginal descent.

Our mission is to encourage a love of reading in every child and give them the chance to reach their full potential. We know we will get there with the help of our 7,000 employees and millions of customers. The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation has already committed $9 million dollars for high-needs elementary schools—but we need your help to keep growing. Each year, elementary schools are selected to become aLove of Reading school, and receive funding over a three-year period for books and literacy programs to inspire their students. (http://www.loveofreading.org/code/navigate.asp?Id=18)

I've worked in a school that has won this grant and it was amazing to see the amount of books in this school compared to others. It's such a great opportunity for schools, and I hope that whenever your in to buy a book that you'll consider even donating a dollar to help schools!

Anyway, for this casual weekend, staff could also decorate their jeans in a style of their fav children's books, well Steph who is an amazing artist at work, took and old pair of jeans and decorated them to go along with the Children's book, Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak. If you haven't read this children's book you really should. I don't remember reading it as a child, but read and bought it when I was in the education program, and I love the story. Such imagination in this story and Max is an adorable character. We were holding a silent auction on the jeans this weekend, and they'd be an amazing addition to any home or even classroom. They were jaw dropping beautiful! Steph you are an amazing artist and thanks for sharing your talent with us. Check out these beautiful pictures, wish I had my good camera that day, but my iphone will do!

Here is a full length shot of the jeans... wow right!

Jim wanted me to say he made these... he's the BEST!! I love Jim, he's so super funny at work!!

Close up of leg one...

Close up of leg two...

seriously aren't they amazingly beautiful...

she could seriously be a children's book artist... I'd buy her work!

amazing... there is just nothing else to say...

even monsters are super cute

a little guy hiding in the pocket

I also found this SUPER awesome book, called Disneystrology. It has a Disney Character for every day of the year, and it talks about why you are like this character, if your birthday falls on that day. I kept it with me most of my shift so that I could share it with my staff friends. As we read descriptions, they really all did ring true to each of us. My character was Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. One of the lines in the description said that "You enjoy learning and are imaginative" which I think is pretty true. It also gives you what your magical gifts are and your keys to your success, and the one for May 6th, was "Turning beasts into princes".

It really was just a fun little book, and brought a lot of fun out at work, if your ever in the book store check it out. It might just be the perfect gift for a Disney lover!

Book 1 Twenties Girl: Sophie Kinsella

Book One

Twenties Girl

Sophie Kinsella

So book number 1 out of 50, was one that I borrowed from my sister-in-law, it was one that I had been wanting to read for awhile, but never was able to get my hands on it to read. Luckily she owns it and once finished let me have a read. I was checking out Sophie Kinsella's web-site and found this cute little animated movie about the book, check it out...

"Lara has always had an overactive imagination. Now she wonders if she is losing her mind. Normal twenty-something girls just don’t get visited by ghosts! But inexplicably, the spirit of Lara’s great aunt Sadie – in the form of a bold, demanding Charleston-dancing girl – has appeared to make one last request: Lara must track down a missing necklace Sadie simply can’t rest without.

Lara’s got enough problems of her own. Her start-up company is floundering, her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, and she’s just been dumped by the love of her life.

But as Lara spends time with Sadie, life becomes more glamorous and their treasure hunt turns into something intriguing and romantic. Could Sadie’s ghost be the answer to Lara’s problems and can two girls from different times end up learning something special from each other?"

(Video and Synopsis from: http://www.sophiekinsella.co.uk/)

I'm a fan of Kinsella, I've read all her books and own all the shopaholic books, they are an entertaining and easy read which sometimes you just need. I found that it took me awhile to get into Twenties Girl, I don't know what it was about this story, but I struggled at the beginning. Maybe it was because the character Sadie can be a lot to take and a tad annoying, or maybe it was because I'd recently read Mini Shopaholic and was used to that story line. As I continued through the book though, the story started to gather up steam and took off, becoming much more entertaining to read. In the end I would have to say that I did enjoy this book, the story concept was different from what she usually does, and it kinda made me think of the importance of family and knowing those who have lived before you. I was pleased with the ending, which for me is a big thing in a book, it's no good if a book is amazing but then ends horribly, that just ruins everything. I'd recommend this book, just beware it may take some time to get into the story.

Here is a fact... did you know that Sophie Kinsella also writes under the name of Madeleine Wickham, and that she has four other books out in Canada...

Cocktails for Three

The Wedding Girl

Sleeping Arrangements

The Gatecrasher (I've read)

Something to look into and check out if you are a Kinsella fan... I am and might just have to look into these titles.

Happy Reading!!