Off to Sunny CA!

Yup, Thursday morning I head west to attend the ALA Midwinter Meeting in sunny San Diego (if it rains or is cold, I'm going to cry).

I've got several things on the agenda - an all-day Emerging Leaders meeting on Friday being the most important.  I'll also be hitting up the exhibits, meeting up with with some awesome bloggers and bookish types Friday evening (come play with us!), attending the Youth Media Awards announcements, and sitting in on a few selection list meetings (I'm so curious as to how those go!).

Will you be at Midwinter?
I would love to meet up with you!
Since I have joined the 21st century with a smart phone, please feel free to tweet me (@abbylibrarian) during the conference or shoot me an email (abbylibrarian @ gmail.com)!

The Cybils Are Here! The Cybils Are Here!

At least the short lists are.
Go check 'em out!

Reading Resolutions

Photo used under Creative Commons license

As 2010 is winding down, I know I'm not alone in thinking about some goals for 2011.  And I do have three reading resolutions for this coming year!

1.  I've signed up again for the Debut Authors Challenge, as hosted by The Story Siren.  I had such fun participating last year that I signed up right away for this year.  The goal of the challenge is to read and review twelve 2011 YA or Middle Grade debut novels, but my personal goal is 25.  (I know, I said 20 in my sign-up post, but I think I can do 25!)

2.  I'd like to read more adult books this year.  I said that last year and it didn't really end up happening, but I'm saying it again this year.  Sarah at GreenBean TeenQueen sent out a plea for book recommendations for adult titles and going through my LibraryThing records reminded me many of the great adult titles I've read.  I don't want to miss them!  So even though there's constant pressure to be reading something I can blog about, I need to make time for adult books, too.  And that leads us to...

3.  I'm resolving to remember that this blog is a hobby, not a job and that I read and blog because I love it, not because publishers/authors/blog readers are expecting me to post reviews.  That's not to say that I don't enjoy working with publishers and authors (I do!  Y'all rock!), but just to say that when I am stressed out and I want to read an adult book instead of a bloggable book or - gasp - even reread a book, it's okay.  And, also, to remember that these reading resolutions are for fun, too.  So if I don't end up reading a ton of adult books, that's okay, too. :)

There are my reading resolutions!  What about you?  Anyone have any reading resolutions this year?  Or blogging resolutions?

Taking Off

Taking Off by Jenny Moss.  (Grades 8+)  Walker Books for Young Readers, January 2011.  310 pages.  Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

It's 1985 in Houston, Texas and high school senior Annie has a secret.  She wants to be a poet.  Only, she's having a hard time admitting that to anyone, even to herself.  What kind of living can you make being a poet?  It seems an impossible dream.  So Annie's stuck.  While her best friend is going off to college next year and her boyfriend Mark wants her to stay in town and marry him, Annie is frozen by indecision.  And then she meets Christa McCauliffe, an ordinary high school teacher who was chosen from thousands of applicants to go into space on the Challenger.  Suddenly, Annie has a glimmer of hope.  If this ordinary teacher can reach for her dreams, why can't Annie?

The first thing I like about Taking Off is Jenny Moss's incredibly realistic portrayal of a teen at an impasse.  Senior year can be a paralyzing year - too many choices (or not enough choices) making a decision about one's future seem impossible.  Annie's definitely in that place.  Her mom's encouraging her to go to college, but Annie's not sure that's what she wants.  Annie starts some soul searching, inspired by her new idol Christa McCauliffe, and she begins to figure it out, but it's never an easy decision.  This is exactly what some of our teens are facing and they'll see themselves in Annie's dilemma.

I also really appreciated the historical details that Jenny Moss used to paint a picture of 1985-86.  She's not only used details from her own experiences, but she's filled in the gaps quite nicely with a bunch of research.  Jenny Moss captures the spark that Christa McCauliffe ignited in the nation.  And her author's note is wonderful, providing some additional biographical information about McCauliffe.  The final book will also include authors' memories of inspirational teachers and memories of Christa from her students (not included in the ARC).

As I was reading this book and booktalking it to our teen librarian, she asked me if I thought that the story would have as much impact on today's teens who would not have been born when the Challenger disaster happened.  Well, speaking as a reader who was three years old in January 1986 and has no memory of the event, I can tell you that it'll have an impact.  Jenny Moss provides many resources for students seeking further information about Christa McCauliffe and Challenger.

This book got me thinking about the future of publishing, honestly, and how neat it would be to read this as an e-book with multimedia tied into it.  You could listen to the music that Annie's dad blasts in the car as they road trip to Florida to see the launch.  You could watch videos of the Challenger disaster news coverage, like Annie watched in her hotel room after the explosion.  You could see photos of art cars of the time and portraits of the astronauts.

I'd recommend this title to fans of Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci for teens who liked the 80s setting and I'd recommend it to any teens interested in the Challenger disaster.

Taking Off will be on shelves January 4!

Before I Fall

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.  Grades 9+  HarperTeen, March 2010.  470 pages.  Review copy provided by my local library.

Samantha always thought that right before she died, she'd see a kind of "greatest hits" playlist of moments from her life.  It turns out it's not like that at all.  When Sam is in a terrible car crash on a stormy Friday night, she wakes up the next morning... and it's Friday again.  Is Sam destined to keep living the same terrible day over and over again forever?  Or is there something she can do to change destiny and save her own life?

Before I Fall is more than just a story about a popular high schooler's death.  It's a story about learning that there's more to people - even your best friends - than meets the eye.  It's a story about being yourself and about changing into the person you know you can be.  It's a story about mean girls, but it's also a story about finding love and hoping that it's not too late.  It's a story about it never being too late to make amends.

Lauren Oliver's debut novel kept me riveted for all 470 pages.  She has a very accessible style and right away I felt like I knew the main character of Samantha.  This is important because the way Samantha changes as she relives Friday, February 12 is what the story's all about.  No answers come easy to her and Sam will have to examine the way she's lived her life to figure out how to save the day.

The supporting characters were fleshed out and believable, especially Sam's best friend Lindsay.  Lindsay is definitely more than meets the eye and throughout the book Sam uncovers more details about Lindsay's past that explain why she is the way she is.  And Kent!  I loved Kent!  And several rather unsavory male characters - Ms. Oliver's not afraid to write a character that made me say out loud (more than once), "Augghh!  He's such a #@&*!"

I can definitely see why this 2010 debut has been garnering praise all over the blogosphere.  Check out more reviews at bookshelves of doom, DJ's Life in Fiction, The Reading Zone, Galley Smith, Reading Vacation (who reviewed the audio book!), YA Librarian Tales, Pop Culture Junkie, and Persnickety Snark (among others!).

I'd recommend this book to teens who like books that make them think about issues... like Hate List by Jennifer Brown or maybe Carolyn Mackler's books.

Before I Fall is on shelves now!

Soar, Elinor!

Soar, Elinor! by Tami Lewis Brown, illustrated by Francois Roca.  (Grades 1-3.)  Melanie Kroupa Books (Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux), April 2010.  Unpaged.  Reviewed from library copy.  This book is a nominee for the 2010 Cybils Awards, and this review reflects only my own opinion. 


Elinor Smith took her first plane ride in 1917 when she was six years old.  From then on, she was hooked.  Her parents encouraged her to follow her dreams and in 1928, Elinor got her pilot's license.  She was, at age 16, the youngest person (boy or girl!) to get a pilot's license.  But still, many male pilots did not accept her.  How could she prove that she was just as good a pilot as any man?  By flying under New York City's four bridges, of course!

Soar, Elinor! is an inspiring story that's sure to add much to Women's History units and book lists.  You've got plenty on Amelia Earhart, so make room for Elinor Smith!  Elinor kept flying, even when men said she couldn't do it, even when the newspapers said she was just playing around and called her "The Flying Flapper".  The book does a nice job of showing what women went through in the 1920s.

Illustrator Francois Roca sets the scene with sweeping paintings of 1920s New York.  Many of the paintings fittingly show plenty of sky and I appreciate the fact that the sky looks different in every picture (different shades of blue, different cloud levels, etc.).  Details like the clothes people are wearing and expressions on people's faces add to the overall historical feel of the book.

You can tell that author Tami Lewis Brown cares about her subject and is passionate about flying. She includes a lovely author's note and source note, including photos of Elinor, her plane, and one of the bridges.  The author's note includes some additional information about Elinor (she was, at 89-years-old, the oldest person to "fly" the NASA Space Shuttle Simulator!).

Add this one to your Women's History Month displays, come March!

(Incidentally, I have to give Tami Lewis Brown a Kentucky shout-out!  She grew up in Prospect, KY, a town very close to my hometown of Louisville!)

Read more reviews at The Fourth Musketeer and Winged Victory.

And read more about author Tami Lewis Brown at Cynsations, Through the Tollbooth, and From the Mixed-Up Files.

Soar, Elinor! is on shelves now.  

In My Mailbox #62

If you celebrate, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and got lots of good books to read!  It's time for In My Mailbox (hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, who will resume the roundups in 2011!) and I did get a handful of books for review this week.

And I'd like to take this opportunity, the last IMM of the year, to give a big shout-out to the publishers and authors who have sent me books this year.  I really appreciate it!  THANK YOU!  I'd further like to thank my libraries: The New Albany-Floyd County Public Library (where I work) and the Louisville Free Public Library (where I live) for providing me with books all year long.  Livelihood aside, I don't know what I'd do without libraries.

And now for this week's books... I'm really excited because they are all 2011 DEBUTS and I can hardly wait for 2011 to roll around so I can dig in!!

Click through to GoodReads for a plot summary of each book: 

Dark Parties by Sara Grant (Little, Brown, August 2011).  Dystopian debut with a cover that just grabs me!

Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray (Little, Brown, July 2011).  A modern retelling of Hamlet from Ophelia's point of view.  

Forgotten by Cat Patrick (Little, Brown, June 2011).  "Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery". 

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Little, Brown, May 2011).  I requested this one because on Betsy's Little, Brown Spring Preview, she said: "Apparently editor Jennifer Hunt was so enthralled by I’ll Be There (no cover yet) by Holly Goldberg Sloan that when she first received it she read it line by line off of her Blackberry screen. It was just that good."

The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson (Flux, January 2011).  POC debut - yes!

ETA (9:36am) - There was a nook color waiting for me under the Christmas tree yesterday!  I may not share ebooks purchased on a regular basis, but I did want to let you know that I downloaded my first* galley from NetGalley: 

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harrison (Harlequin Teen, January 2011).  This is a debut from a 20-year old author.

(Also, I will just quickly mention that I did purchase an ebook yesterday - Soulless by Gail Carriger - because it has been recommended to me by about a thousand people.  I am two chapters in and loooving it!  It's an adult pub, but has high crossover appeal.  And one thing I love about my ereader is the ability to look up words with the touch of a finger.  Very handy!)

* This is the first galley for the ereader, I mean.  I have downloaded galleys before, but since it is so cumbersome to read them on my laptop, I have not read very many that way.  If you are a book blogger, librarian, bookseller, etc., you should check out NetGalley!

Merry Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

One of my Christmas traditions is to go over to my grandma's house on Christmas Eve to open presents (just grandparent presents).  And, of course, my brother and I will watch A Christmas Story on TBS when we get home.  Another of my traditions is to watch A Muppet Christmas Carol with my friends and eat red and green chocolate chip cookies (which we did last week!).




Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, I wish you joy and good times with friends and family and lots of books for the new year.

Love,
Abby the Librarian

My Favorites and My Best

Wondering what to read over your holiday break (if you get a break, that is...)?  Here are my favorite reads of 2010.  (No attempt has been made to balance this list!  This is my from-the-heart list of my favorites books I read this year.  Except I did leave out books that were sequels.)

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson.  

Read my review here.  Both dealing with grief over different issues, Amy & Roger road trip from California to Connecticut, throwing their carefully planned route out the window and starting the healing process even as they start falling for each other.  Realistic characters bring this one to life and it's a book that makes you laugh and cry.  Plus, they go to Louisville on their road trip!!!!  (Although it is a little sad that two teenage characters in a novel have eaten at the Brown and I have never done that. ;)  This 2010 debut is a perfect summer read and it's the perfect thing to pull you out of the winter doldrums.  

Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales.

Read my review here.  This book wins the I-Shouldn't-Have-Judged-It-By-Its-Cover Award.  I put off picking it up for way too long.  When I finally did pick it up, I discovered a realistic, sarcastic, funny, poignant story about Violet's junior year at an elite prep school.  Even as she's making witty observations about her classmates and teachers, Violet's worried about how things are changing between her and her best friend.  I couldn't put it down. This is another stellar 2010 debut.  (How I wish either of these titles had been recognized on the Morris shortlist, but alas...)

Dark Life by Kat Falls. 

Read my review here.  In a future America where global warming has made land a commodity, Ty and his family are underwater pioneers, living far under the sea.  When a Topsider girl appears, Ty gets wrapped up in her mission to find her brother and adventures ensue.  Nonstop action from the first page, and I can tell you that this book is flying off the shelves at my library.  I loved Kat Falls's carefully constructed speculative world and the gripping adventure story.  I'd hand this one to fans of The City of Ember in a heartbeat!  (Another 2010 debut... hmmmm...)

Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord. 

Read my review here.  Her Maine island is the only home that eleven-year-old Tess has ever known and the thought that she might have to leave it is too much to bear.  When families on the island welcome foster children in order to increase the population enough to warrant having a school on the island, Tess is determined to make it work.  This book is a gem and it's my top Newbery pick this year. Quirky island characters, details about Maine lobster fishing, and Tess's effervescent personality made this a book that sticks with me.  

Smile by Raina Telgemeier.

Read my review here.  When an accident results in the loss of sixth-grade Raina's front teeth, it means several years of painful dental work.  Like middle school isn't painful enough!  I was a big fan of Ms. Telgemeier's adaptations of the Baby-Sitters Club books and I like Smile even more.  The tone of the book is frank, fresh, and genuine with bright, expressive pictures that bring the story to life.  This is definitely a book that many tween girls will relate to, and not just the ones with braces!  Ms. Telgemeier's graphic memoir transcends the basic plot line of her dental work and provides a look into one girl's journey through the treacherous halls of middle school.  This is another title that we can't keep on the shelves.  (And if you like Smile, do check out the Baby-Sitters Club graphic adaptations!  I love them, too!)

Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Aircraft's "Chocolate Pilot" by Michael O. Tunnell.  

Read my review here.  In accessible text and with many photos and other visual aids, this book tells the story of Lt. Gail Halvorsen, an American Air Force pilot who delivered candy to hungry children in West Berlin after World War II.  It's a moving story and one that has a ton of kid appeal and the photos and other visual aids really brings the story to life.  It'll please history buffs, but it has a lot of appeal for the general public as well.  An important story, well-told.  Plus, it's about candy!!  Who doesn't love candy?! 

I'd also like to mention Hate List by Jennifer Brown (read my review here) because I read it this year, even though it was published in 2009.  I definitely kicked myself for waiting so long to pick it up because that story of a tragic school shooting and the girl caught in the middle of it is one that really resonated with me.  

I'd also like to mention a few audiobooks that really stood out (though they were not 2010 books): 

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, read by Anne Hathaway.  The books are already hilarious and Anne Hathaway absolutely brings them to life with her reading.  She multiplies the humor and creates a really excellent audiobook experience.  

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, read by Alan Cumming.  Read my review here.  Mr. Cumming's great talent with voices and accents made this a listening experience that I didn't want to end.  If you liked Leviathan, you also won't want to miss Behemoth on audiobook, also expertly narrated by Alan Cumming.  Read my review here.  

Have you read (or listened to) any of these titles?  What did you think?  

Hey, I'm an Audible affiliate, which means that if you purchase audiobooks after clicking on links here, I may get a commission. 

Fall for Anything

Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers.  Grades 9+.  St. Martin's Griffin, December 2010.  230 pages.  Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

Eddie's world was rocked when her art photographer father killed himself.  Her mother is a complete wreck, so Eddie's not only dealing with her own grief but worry about her mom.  Her best friend Milo is distracted by the arrival of his ex-girlfriend, back in town for the summer.  All Eddie can think about is why?

She meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father's, and he's the one person who seems to get her grief and her need for answers.  Together, they set out to decipher the clues left by Eddie's father's last photographs, but none of the answers will be easy.

Just... wow.

I am so glad that Kelly made me read this book. ;)  I haven't read any of Courtney Summers's other books, but you'd better believe I'm going to get my hands on them.

I was most impressed with the excellent writing.  Courtney shows the reader everything that Eddie is feeling without having to come out and tell us.  She manages to convey Eddie's emotions in the simplest sentences.  I really sat up and took notice when Eddie was telling us about her best friend Milo, a boy she's known since the second grade.  This is from page 9:

...By third grade, we weren't so outcast anymore, but we were beyond needing other people.  We still are.  Anyone else who happens on the both of us, they're just temps.


Like that girlfriend he had that one time.

That last sentence, so simple, is filled to the brim with Eddie's possessive love for Milo, her jealousy that he had a girlfriend, her hopes that Milo's done with that and back to being all hers, her dismissive feelings toward the girlfriend (saying it like she doesn't even remember her name.  Oh, Eddie knows her name all right.)

And can I just tell you how much I love Milo?  He's Eddie's constant, her rock.  He'll always be there for her, even if there is a 14-hour drive away (one way!).  And I will say without spoilers that a betrayal happens in this book and even though I had thought it might be coming, it still made me hold my breath when it finally came.

I will also say that, while there are hot boys and nice boys and attraction in this book, I don't know that I would call any of it romantic.  Eddie's reaching out to try to feel something through the haze of her grief.  

Fall for Anything is a powerful, accessible story about a girl dealing with her grief.  Eddie's voice is spot-on and some of her observations made me laugh out loud, even as I was mourning for her loss.  I would highly recommend this book to fans of books like Jennifer Brown's Hate List, Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, and Sarah Dessen's Just Listen.

Fall for Anything is on shelves now!