Books are delightful society. If you go into a room and find it full of books – even without taking them from the shelves they seem to speak to you, to bid you welcome. ~William Ewart Gladstone
Countdown quotes are here again! You may already be registered for the Teen Summer Reading Challenge (and if not, what are you waiting for?!) but July 4, one week today, is the official start. So from now until then, we’ll be posting a new quote every day to mark the last week before summer reading begins!
If you have never said “Excuse me” to a parking meter or bashed your shins on a fireplug, you are probably wasting too much valuable reading time. ~Sherri Chasin Calvo
I just finished Hard Magic by Laura Anne Gilman. The main character Bonita ‘Bonnie” Torres lives in a world where magic is common and she feels that doesn’t fit in with either side of the Talent world (Talent: a person (or persons) which can use magic which is refers to as current). Bonnie, armed with an impressive resume, is on a job hunt in the Null (Non magic person) world and is being turned down left, right and centre until a mysterious phone call promises her an interesting challenge to relieve her of her boredom.
Laura Anne Gilman skillfully intertwines fantasy with magic introducing readers to a new world where anything is possible and can be done with a little knowledge, a touch of curiosity and a lot of current.
I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series: Pack of Lies!
I recentally finished the Wicked Lovely series and loved it! It had enough mystery and action but with a dash of romance in it too! I would give it a 8 out of 10!
Teensrc adds: the books in this series in order are:
1. Wicked Lovely
2. Ink Exchange
3. Fragile Eternity
4. Radiant Shadows
5. Darkest Mercy
The Guardians of Time Trilogy by Marianne Curley. Consists of The Named, The Dark and The Key.
These books were amazing! I read them for the first time in grade seven and they are my favourite series, even when I know exactly what is happening I feel myself being pulled in; I cry, I laugh, I smile.
The story begins with Ethan, a 15 year old boy with some pretty sweet powers. He is trained by Arkarian his whole life to harness them and use them to protect history. There are the Guard aka the ‘Good Guys’ and there is the Order of Chaos aka the ‘Bad Guys’. The Order sends there people back in time to change history, creating chaos and changing the present and the Guards job is to go back and protect the history so it plays out the way it was supposed to.
Ethan and everyone he knows soon get pulled into this world,becoming entangled in a plot that will surprise and thrill, all while following the Prophesy in unexpected ways.
UPDATE: This poll is now closed, and Divergent by Veronica Roth will be the winner for this month. Keep an eye out for the next choose-your-next-giveaway poll!
So, with Edeet Ravel’s Held being a clear choice for the June giveaway, we’re going to run another poll. What book should we choose for July’s giveaway? As always, if nothing here floats your boat and you want to suggest something else, please leave a comment; if we don’t get it this round, we’ll put it in the August contest!
The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Set in Calcutta in the 1930s, The Midnight Palace begins on a dark night when an English lieutenant fights to save newborn twins Ben and Sheere from an unthinkable threat. Despite monsoon-force rains and terrible danger lurking around every street corner, the young lieutenant manages to get them to safety, but not without losing his own life… The Midnight Palace is an emotional roller coaster. You have to fasten your seat belt and enjoy the ride, because you won’t see the clock running. (summary from here)
Divergent by Veronica Roth
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. (summary from here)
What Comes After by Steve Watkins
After her veterinarian dad dies, sixteen-year-old Iris Wight must leave her beloved Maine to live on a North Carolina farm with her hard-bitten aunt and a cousin she barely knows. Iris, a vegetarian and animal lover, immediately clashes with Aunt Sue, who mistreats the livestock, spends Iris’s small inheritance, and thinks nothing of striking Iris for the smallest offense… Powerful and deeply moving, this compelling novel affirms the redemptive power of animals and the resilience of the human spirit. (summary from here)
Update: This giveaway is now closed, and no more comments are being accepted. We will announce the winner next week! Meanwhile, why not vote for the book you’d like to see as July’s giveaway prize?
Ready for another giveaway? Because here we go! By popular demand, we’ve chosen to give away a copy of Edeet Ravel’s book Held! In addition to a review from one of our own readers, here’s part of what Quill & Quire had to say about this book:
“Seventeen-year-old Chloe Mills is in Greece on a summer volunteer work program when she is abducted by a couple who blindfold her, drug her, and take her by plane to another country. Worst case scenarios run through her mind: Will she be sold as a sex slave? Do they want to experiment on her? Kill her for her organs?
When she regains consciousness, Chloe finds herself in a makeshift apartment in an abandoned warehouse, where she is visited daily by a male captor who brings her food, books, even wine. She is surprised by his kindness, and disarmed by his good looks. As time goes by, Chloe increasingly comes to identify with her abductor. …
Guelph, Ontario’s Edeet Ravel once again proves herself an adept manipulator of difficult material. … Better still is the emotional and intellectual paradox the novel sets up: is Chloe’s abductor a master manipulator or the sympathetic victim of a tyrannical regime?”
As before, the following must be true for you to be eligible for this draw:
You must be between the ages of 12 and 19.
You must have a valid Wellington County Library card, or if you are under 16, you or your parent or guardian must have a valid WCL card.
You must leave a comment on this entry and answer the following question: What’s one thing you’re really looking forward to this summer?
Good luck! This contest will close June 30, so get your answers in before then!
I just finished reading Where She Went by Gayle Forman. This book is the sequel to the great book If I Stay. In my opinion Where She Went is better than If I Stay. In this book you see what has happened three years after the accident in If I Stay and it’s written in Adam’s point of view. I would rate this book a 3/5 stars. Where She Went is a good read.
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