Young Adult Books

Beth Ann Bauman ShareThis Girls & Women Fiction Ember 0385740212 9780385740210 208 Tue, 2013-05-14 Paperback Amazon URL http://www.amazon.com/Jersey-Angel-Beth-Ann-Bauman/dp/0385740212%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJ2PCDIRRY6BU4NFA%26tag%3Dthebookreport01%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0385740212 Guide Show Indiebound link Show Indiebound buy link Show Amazon link Show Amazon buy link Show B&N link Show Barnes & Noble buy link

Veronica Blade ShareThis Paranormal Fiction Crush Publishing 098534346X 9780985343460 386 Thu, 2013-02-07 Paperback Amazon URL http://www.amazon.com/My-Wolfs-Bane-Shapes-Autumn/dp/098534346X%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJ2PCDIRRY6BU4NFA%26tag%3Dthebookreport01%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D098534346X Guide Show Indiebound link Show Indiebound buy link Show Amazon link Show Amazon buy link Show B&N link Show Barnes & Noble buy link

At lunch break I was browsing some bookstores near campus without much of an agenda. Like I mentioned yesterday, summer is just around the corner, with Memorial day weekend being a few days away. Bookstores are gearing up for summer reading sales, rolling out books that cater to every reader’s palate. Instead I found myself standing before table full of discounted books. They’re not the publisher returns or overstock. They are books, some even by bestselling authors, that were just hot off the press. I was stunned, and so disheartened that many of the books were unsold, unread, and virtually ignored by the public. It really hit home about the plunging sales and diminishing reading culture. I was delighted that I got The Darlings by Cristina Alger, An Unexpected Guest by Anne Korkeakivi and At Last by Edward St. Aubyn, all published within the last year, at heavily discount prices but sad at the same time that these books should be marked down so soon. I might be overly concerned, hoping that more people have switched to e-books. Honestly, I find a hardcover priced at $27 a bit steep despite the labor cost for manual binding. I hardly buy hardcover at full price. The cost of doing business seems to be forcing publishers to keep their prices exorbitant. But this seems to lead to a downward spiral since most people try to recoup money, and that leads them to the sale pile.

Hey ho, all guy reading fans everywhere! This is Iron Guy Carl, back from another long absence. This time I've got a terrific interview with one of the most terrific book bloggers out there. Her name is Ms.Yingling. She's a school librarian in Ohio and blogs at Ms. Yingling Reads. She's also been a friend to Ronin Ninja Bill and me for a long time. She also hosts a weekly Guy Friday on her blog that recommends books for boys! Hmmmm--wonder where she got that idea??? Anyway, she does a lot for boy reading and we're happy to have her aboard for an interview. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} There's a nasty rumor out there that says it's uncool for boys to read. How do you think it got started?I think that some boys find it hard to read, and it's easier to say it's not cool than to say it's hard. It's hard to sit still, the words are tiny, and their mother keeps handing them The Secret Garden. Their teachers are girls, their librarians are often girls, and there are just not enough MEN out there to make it cool. That’s why you have the Iron Guy in blogland, making reading cool for boys. What would the boys at your school say to the answer to the first questtion? And why do you think it's cool for boys to read? We have an awesome 6th grade teacher, Mr. Buxton (http://buxtolicious.blogspot.com/) who is very influential. If he book talks something, 50 students come in to request it. Reading is highly encouraged in our school, so the boys see each other reading. Also, we have a good selection of books with action, dog poop, robot decapitation, etc. that boys actually enjoy reading. I think it's cool for boys to read because it makes them smarter, and smart guys are THE coolest.What are the favorite books of the boys at your school? Notebook novels like Wimpy Kind, Big Nate, and Dragonbreath, any sports books that are about basketball or football, and the world record books. If you became Queen of the Universe and could tell every librarian everywhere what the 5 best books for boys of all time are, what would you say? Did someone take my crown away? I would have to say Horowitz's Stormbreaker, Riordan's The Lightning Thief, Korman's Ungifted, Darren Shan's Cirque du Freakand Mack's Mathlete vs. Athlete. Ms Yingling believes that a librarian should LOOK like a librarian! You used to be a Latin teacher. What made you choose to be school librarian? What are the best and hardest parts of it? I didn't exactly choose to leave the field-- there were just no jobs. I have always loved to read, and I could get an MLS and not have to get another bachelor's degree. The best part of my job is when I am riding my bike home and a student who is hauling garbage cans back to the garage runs out to say "Ms. Yingling! The book you gave me is AWESOME!!" (happened just last night!), or when I am describing a book to a student, and another student pipes up "That book is great. You have to read it!" I also like my little slice of internet "fame" and all

I was on Goodreads and decided to break down the page counts to see how much time I approximately spent reading per year.I read about 40-100 pages an hour, so I used that to get a range for how many weeks per year are spent on just reading.I also wanted to look at page length to see how I am averaging in general. I have only been keeping track of my reading since 2008, so I began there with the data.In 2008, I read 103,909, which equate to between 6.1 to 15.4 weeks spent on reading. I also averaged 284.7 pages per book.In 2009, I read 65,795 pages, which equates to between 3.9 to 9.8 weeks spent on reading. I averaged 300.4 pages per book.In 2010, I read 47,091 pages which equates to between 2.8 to 7 weeks spent on reading. I averaged 303.8 pages.In 2011, I read 39,540 pages which equates to between 2.3 to 5.8 weeks spent on reading. I averaged 326.77 pages per book.In 2012, I read 43,713 pages, which equates to 2.6 to 6.5 week spent on reading. I averaged 408.5 pages per book.So far in 2013, I have read 17,011 pages, which equates to 1.01 to 2.5 weeks. I have averaged 340.2 pages per book so far. About 40% of the year is over, so my estimated total at this rate would be around 2.5 to 6.25 weeks. This means I am in between the pace for 2011 and 2012, which seems logical, since 2011 is when I began college.Anyways, this is a very random post, but I found it really interesting.

I'm trying to clean my bookshelves. If any of these interests you, send me an email. It's pretty much whatever fits into the box; I do charge around $25 depending on the size of the box, which mostly covers the S&H. I'm only sending to US address and Paypal.

For years, science writer Mary Roach has been writing books about how science deals with uncomfortable subjects. The sort of subjects you are supposed to avoid in polite company. In Stiff, she explores the world of cadavers; in Spooked she follows the scientific search for the soul; in Bonk she dives into science and sex (recommended for mature adults only, not because of the raciness of the subject matter but because it will rob the young of all the mystery, romanticism and power they associate with the subject). Her next book, Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, carries on the tradition, tagging along on science's trek through the digestive system. There are really two ways to approach such uncomfortable subjects. One is to get extremely clinical. If you've ever had an especially embarrassing malady--and I'm going to spare you any descriptions of mine--your doctor and the workers in the medical lab may have used this approach, explaining things using Latin terms and refusing to crack a smile. The other approach is to glory in everything that makes you squeamish. There's a certain thrill in being grossed out. This is well understood by the makers of horror films and by ten-year old boys (and many girls) the world over. It's also well understood by Mary Roach.Roach, for instance, dedicates an entire chapter to the relationship of William Beaumont and Alexis St. Martin. After a hunting accident left a hole in St. Martin's skin and into his stomach, Beaumont, St. Martin's surgeon, preserved the hole and began using it as a window into the mysteries of the human digestive system. Beaumont would tie foods to string and dangle them down inside St. Martin's stomach. The surgeon would sometimes extract gastric juices from Beaumont's exposed innards, using them in further experiments that sometimes included, wait for it, tasting them.Ok, if that little tidbit is too much for you, maybe you want to avoid Gulp, unless you're looking to lose a few pounds and need inspiration. But if you're at least as fascinated as you are repelled, you're not going to be able to resist the rest of the story. Not all of it is quite so disgusting. Roach, for example, explores cultural digestive obsession that led to Fletcherizing, a technique involving chewing food so long that it becomes liquefied before swallowing. Fletcherizing was supposed to allow practitioners to extract twice the nutritional value from food--a claim that turned out to be bogus. She answers timeless digestive questions like Could you survive in a whale's stomach? (Spoiler: no.) and Why doesn't the stomach digest itself? (Spoiler: it does, just not fast enough.) But there's ultimately no getting away from the repulsive stuff. There's plenty on vomiting, and of course there's the tail end of the alimentary canal. No way to make that pleasant.Also, there are a lot of unusual (at least from our cultural perspective) dietary choices discussed. For instance, consider how the world's most expensive coffee beans are made. On second thought, I won't go into details. You can look it up. You might be glad in the end, that you can't afford them.

Ann knows that she's overweight, and that she should probably work harder to lose weight. Maybe if she finally shed those pounds, she could stop cutting off all of her clothing tags and finally wear a cute swimsuit. Maybe her thin mother would finally get off her back. Maybe clothes shopping could actually be enjoyable. When Ann's aunt Jackie gets engaged and wants Ann to be a bridesmaid, Ann thinks she finally has found the impetus to lose the weight once and for all—forty-five pounds, more or less, in two months.45 Pounds (More or Less) is the sort of novel that pulls you in with its humor and relatable voice, but Ann's character and how K.A. Barson handles the many complicated relationships—with food and image, with family and friends—will make readers fall in love with this novel. Ann is an excellent narrator; her witty voice and determined nature are so likable, and her courage to own up to her mistakes throughout the novel makes her an admirable heroine. Ann quickly learns that the problems she has aren’t necessarily connected to weight; she needs to learn how to talk with her mother, and be aware of the example both Ann and her mom are setting for her younger sister. In between all of this drama, Ann struggles with how to connect with her fractured family, the trials of a new summer job and new friends, and the cute boy who seems to show up at the most random and surprising moments. Barson's message that body image isn't always about weight, and that meals shouldn't feel like punishment is an excellent one, and Ann’s story is both heartbreaking and optimistic. 45 Pounds (More or Less) is funny, smart, with a memorable story that is sure to resonate with readers. K.A. Barson is an author to watch.Cover Comments: I love this cover. The colors are great, and I just really like clothes piled up. Barson has some really funny (and really painful) shopping scenes in this book, and I really connected to Ann in those scenes. I like that the more tangible angst when it comes to weight--the difficulty in finding clothes that fit--is represented on the cover.This book will be out July 11th, 2013!ARC provided by publisher.

The Bone Dragon by Alexia Casale Summary: Evie's shattered ribs have been a secret for the last four years. Now she has found the strength to tell her adoptive parents, and the physical traces of her past are fixed - the only remaining signs a scar on her side and a fragment of bone taken home from the hospital, which her uncle Ben helps her to carve into a dragon as a sign of her strength.Soon this ivory talisman begins to come to life at night, offering wisdom and encouragement in roaming dreams of smoke and moonlight that come to feel ever more real.As Evie grows stronger there remains one problem her new parents can't fix for her: a revenge that must be taken. And it seems that the Dragon is the one to take it. I haven't got a copy of the book yet, but it sounds really bizarre and original so hopefully I'll get a chance to read it soon. Alexia has written up a guest post for us, about deciding the best time is to get feedback when you're writing a book. I don’t want your opinion yet! It’s always difficult to decide when to get feedback. Some people say it’s never too early, but I don’t agree. For me, it’s really important not to have feedback too soon. This is one of the reasons I think that the approach a lot of university writing courses take is problematic: they assume that everyone will benefit from sharing their work-in-progress, but it’s just not true for everyone. I find getting feedback too early in the process is both demoralising and frustrating. First drafts are allowed to be a bit rubbish; if you get feedback on one, you have to expect it to be less than fully encouraging. I’m very good at seeing past what’s wrong with my work to what it will be when I’m finished, but I do it in a weird upside-down, back-to-front dyslexic way. Most people don’t approach text in the same way, so what I see as small flaws that I can easily sort out, they see as disaster. As a result, I often get very negative feedback when I show early drafts to people. Take The Bone Dragon. When I wrote the first five pages, I showed it one of my trusted ‘first readers’ because I was so thrilled I just had to share it. I knew it was the best thing I’d ever written, but my first reader hated it, even though she loves the finished book. The experience taught me a valuable lesson and I barely talked about the project again until I had a reasonably advanced draft. When I next asked for feedback, it was both enthusiastic and helpful. The trick is knowing when the problem is that your draft is a mess because you’re still in the early stages of developing it and when the book is doomed. If you’re writing rubbish, it’s probably best to know as soon as possible. Equally, if you’re writing something that will be good, even if it isn’t good yet, negative feedback at an early stage can kill your confidence. It’s all about balance and timing: getting enough feedback, and listening to it, at the right time. For me, the ‘right time’ depends on whether the feedback will prove useful or frustrating. If feedback tells me something I know already and am working to fix then I get very irritated with the whole process: something that happened quite a lot in relation to my PhD novel because of the requirement to submit work at least every six months. In supervisory meetings, my teeth were permanently clenched against the urge to shout ‘I know that! You don’t need to tell me! I’ll fix it if you just give me a chance!’ There’s no point in getting feedback that tells you what you already know unless you’re asking someone to give you advice on how to fix the problems you’ve already spotted. One of my rules of thumb is to ask for feedback only when I feel I’ve accomplished everything I can by myself. Initially, I show my work to a group of between three and six ‘first readers’ who I will tell me honestly (or at least relativ

The Book Of Broken Hearts by Sarah OcklerRelease Date: May 21, 2013Publisher: Simon PulseAge Group: Young Adult Pages: 368Summary: When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author of Bittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer.Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.My Thoughts: Jude and her sisters made a pact a long time ago, to stay away from all the Vargas boys. They even have a book of broken hearts! The Vargas boys are heart breakers, and good for nothing! But boy oh boy did Jude get a surprising when she ran into Emilio Vargas and noticed how hot and sexy he was! He made her mad, annoyed, and gave her butterflies in her stomach. Jude and her father are going to fix his old motorcycle. All they need are the parts, the time, and a mechanic who knows what he’s doing. Pretty easy to find, right? Jude thought so too until she was paired up with Emilio who just happens to be good at his job and quite the guy to fix cycles!Jude and her father’s relationship is so sweet. He isn’t doing well and Jude is spending her last summer before college helping him out. But she believes deep down in her heart, that if she can restore his motorcycle, he’ll remember and be ok. And the chemistry between Emilio and Jude is so sweet. I loved the way he talked and the way they acted around one another. He made her blush and laugh. I also loved Jude’s relationship with her family. Her sisters remind me a lot of my own. They have such funny and sweet relationships. They are there for each other, know when to get serious, and when to joke around. I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved this story and how it triggered so many emotions in me. I felt every emotion running through Jude as it was my own. I felt so sorry for her father and wanted to hug him and tell him it would be ok. Amazing setting, amazing characters, amazing family dynamics, and amazing love!I think this is the best Ockler book up to date! Overall: Loved it! I think it’s the best Ockler book I've read! I thought it was amazing and I loved all the characters. Yes, it has romance but it also focused on family which was awesome. Cover: I actually like it. I like the colors, the book, the heart, everything. I think its sweet! What I’d Give It: