What’s New at WCL

The Wellington County Library system is always getting new books—and that means new books for teens, too!  Here’s a peek at what’s new at WCL for April.

Abandon – Meg Cabot

From back cover:

Pierce knows what it’s like to die, because she’s done it before. Though she tried returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can’t help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she’s never alone…because someone is always watching her.

Now she’s moved to a new town, but even here, he finds her. Pierce knows he’s no guardian angel, and his dark world isn’t exactly heaven, yet she can’t stay away…especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

If she lets herself fall any further, Pierce may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

 

 The Green Man – Michael Bedard

From jacket cover:

When fifteen-year-old O agrees to spend the summer with her ailing aunt Emily, nothing can prepare her for what she is about to encounter. Emily, an eccentric poet and owner of the secondhand bookshop The Green Man, is haunted by unsettling dreams as long-buried memories come back. While O works to bring order to the chaos of the shop and secretly begins to write poetry herself, she falls beneath the spell of a strange boy, who may be more than he appears.

As dark forces from Emily’s past threaten to awaken once more, O is determined to discover the truth behind them. But is there time?

 

The Night She Disappeared – April Henry

From jacket cover:

Gabie drives a mini cooper.

She also delivers pizzas part-time. One night, Kayla, another delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza, goes out with an order and never comes back. To Gabie’s horror, she learns that the man who called in the fake pizza order had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Was Kayla’s fate really meant for Gabie?

Obsessed with finding Kayla, Gabie teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together they set out to prove Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.

Check out these and other awesome books at your local library branch!

Upcoming Books to Film

Do you love seeing books made into movies?  If you do, check this out!  Indiewire has put together a list of 15 YA books that might soon be made into movies.  With huge franchises like Harry Potter and Twilight coming to an end, these new books/films could be the next big thing.  So what’s on the list?  Here’s a few of the picks:

Blood Red Road – Moira Young

Delirium – Lauren Oliver

Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card

How I Live Now – Meg Rosoff

To see the whole list, and read about the pros and cons of these upcoming films, check out the article here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/15-young-adult-fiction-properties-that-could-be-the-next-twilight-or-hunger-games

And tell us what you think?  Which of these books to film are you most excited about?

Why We Broke Up

 

“I’m dumping the whole box back into your life, Ed, every item of you and me. I’m dumping this box on your porch, Ed, but it is you, Ed, who is getting dumped.”

– Why We Broke Up, pg. 3-4

Why We Broke Up is a new book here at WCL, written by Daniel Handler (also known as Lemony Snicket), and illustrated by Maira Kalman.  It is the tale of Min Green and Ed Slaterton, two teens who fall in love, and then break-up.  The book is told through a long letter from Min to Ed, who is leaving Ed with a box of artifacts from their relationship, including a movie ticket, some stolen sugar, and a comb from the motel room they shared.

This is a tale of heartbreak, plain and simple.  The title says it all; it is the story of a couple breaking up, and it is not a happy read.  But that doesn’t mean it’s a not a good one.  Here is what some are saying about it:

“Their romance lasts only a few weeks, but the fullness and richness of the two falling madly in love and lust in that short time is beautifully rendered.”

 – Monica Edinger, New York Times Sunday Book Review

“This rant made me cringe, ache, and left me feeling raw.

My feeling is that people will have strong reactions to this book: you will love it or you will hate it, but it will definitely get under your skin and force you to feel something strong one way or the other.”

– Vikki Vansickle, author of Love is a Four-Letter Word

This book also comes with its own project!  Just visit www.whywebrokeupproject.com to read the stories of other people’s heartbreak, and you can (anonymously) post your own story, too!  Plus, on the back cover of the book, you can read the break-up stories of some awesome authors, including Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret), and Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars).

This is not a light-hearted read.  But if you’ve felt the crush of heartbreak, you’ll probably be able to relate to this story, as so many others have already done.

Check it out, and if you’ve read this book, leave us a comment and let us know what you thought!

New Teen Books at WCL

Check out some of the new books WCL has to offer!

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony
After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As we flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, we see a girl on the precipice of disaster. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to an artistic new boy, Frank, who moves in next door. The farther she falls, the deeper she spirals into madness. Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song “Chopsticks.”
But nothing is what it seems, and Glory’s reality is not reality at all. In this stunningly moving novel told in photographs, pictures, and words, it’s up to the reader to decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along…. – Amazon.ca

Everything you need to survive the apocalypse by Lucas Klauss
Phillip’s sophomore year is off to a rough start. One of his best friends ditches him. His track coach singles him out for personalized, torturous training sessions. And his dad decides to clean out all of the emergency supplies from the basement, even though the world could end in disaster at any moment…and even though those supplies are all Phillip has left of his dead mom. Not that he wants to talk about that.
But then Phillip meets Rebekah. Not only is she unconventionally hot and smart, but she might like him back. As Phillip gets closer to Rebekah, he tries harder and harder to turn himself into the kind of person he thinks she wants him to be. But the question is, can he become that person? And does he really want to?
-Amazon.ca

Dead to you by Lisa McMann
Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It’s a miracle…at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn’t going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he’d be able to put the pieces back together. But there’s something that’s keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable… -Amazon.ca

Oscar worthy books!

It’s that time of year again and the Oscars are taking place this weekend! It’s great to see that so many of the movies nominated were originially books!

  

Here’s a look at what books-made-into-movies made the cut!
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Adventures of Tintin by Herge

Phew, that’s quite a list! Let us know who you are rooting for in the comments section!

Movie Alert! Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver

There are rumours Shiver will be coming to the big screen! Stiefvater has some ideas for the cast which can be found on her blog

Let us know who you’d like to see cast by leaving a comment!

Seriously scary audiobook…

Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror by Chris Priestly

If you enjoy being scared, definitely give this book a try! I listened to it on an audiobook and found it that much better. I think I enjoyed it so much this way because you almost feel as though the narrator on the CD is Uncle Montague himself, personally telling you these ghastly tales. Whether or not you believe in the supernatural, you’ll definitely be checking the backseat of your car at night after listening to this story.

Check it out for yourself!

Book Review : Legend by Marie Lu

Summary: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.Source: amazon.com

For those of you who are fans of dystopian novels, this one’s a must! The book is told from alternating view points of the two main characters, June and Day. I actually really liked this form of narrative as I was able to get into both characters’ heads and wanted both to succeed in their missions even though they were on opposite forces. Legend was a super quick read for me as I found it hard to put down! The only complaint I really had was that I wished it was longer and that it didn’t wrap up quite so quickly. However, from what I’ve read, it looks like this will be a series so we might be seeing some more of June and Day in the near future!

Forest of Reading – White Pine Nominees!

It’s time to get reading! Here are the Forest of Reading program’s White Pine nominees:

Fiction Titles:
•Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
•Beat the Band by Don Calame
•Blood Red Road by Moira Young
•Chance to Dance for You Gail by Sidonie Sobat
•Death Benefits by Sarah N. Harvey
•The Fifth Rule by Don Aker
•The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
•Motorcycles & Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor
•Something Wicked by Lesley Anne Cowan
•The Way It Is by Donelda Reid

Non-Fiction:
•The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha
•Call Me Russell by Russell Peters
•Canada’s Wars: An Illustrated History by Jonathan Webb, illustrated by J.L. Granatstein
•Hockey Now! by Mike Leonetti
•I.D.: Stuff That Happens to Define Us by Kate Scowen, illustrated by Peter Mitchell
•Kick the Fossil Fuel Habit: 10 Clean Technologies to Save Our World by Tom Rand, edited by Dave Clark
•Nice Recovery by Susan Juby
•Stick to Your Vision: How to Get Past the Hurdles & Haters to Get Where You Want to Be by Wes “Maestro” Williams
•Two Generals by Scott Chantler
•Will to Live: Dispatches from the Edge of Survival by Les Stroud

Leave us a comment to let us know which ones you’ve read!

Book Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

This book was absolutely a fantastic read! You may already know Maggie Stiefvater from her hit bestselling werewolf series “The Wolves of Mercy Falls” and her latest novel, The Scorpio Races, is no exception to her stellar record.
Here’s a plot summary from Maggies website:
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Whether you are a horse person or not, this story will grab your heart and take you for a ride alongside Puck Connolly with her fiesty mare, Dove, and Sean Kendrick with his blood-red stallion, Corr. Stiefvater does such a great job with descriptions of the island Thisby, that you feel as though you can smell the salt water air and can hear the ocean roaring with Capill Uisce (water horses). This book definitely deserves 5 stars! Check out the book trailer below: