GreenBeanTeenQueen

YA Movie News

2012-01-27T09:37:00.000-06:00

-Melanie at Melanie’s Musings and I have been blogging and discussing about Downton Abbey Season 2. Be sure to catch Melanie’s recap of what we both agree was the best episode so far this season!

--Jandy Nelson’s debut novel, The Sky is Everywhere, has a big name star attached to the movie adaptation. Selena Gomez is attached to produce the film and most likely star.

-The Michael Buckley tween series, Nerds, is heading to the big screen thanks to Elton John’s production company, Rocket Pictures.

--From Cynopsis Kids, ABC has approved a one hour drama titled 666 Park Ave, based on a series by Gabriella Pierce. The series is from Alloy Entertainment who also produce The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle and Gossip Girl. The series is about a Midwestern couple who relocates to NY and find themselves in a building where the residents have made deals with the devils. I think this one could have teen appeal for sure!

-According to Diablo Cody, her adaptation of Sweet Valley High for the big screen may end up being a musical.

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-Six of the nine Academy Award nominees for Best Picture have been adapted from books, including two middle grade novels, Hugo (from The Invention of Hugo Cabret) and War Horse (from the book War Horse). Early Word has a great round up of all book to movie nominees in all categories. I think an Academy Award Book Club would be a great library program!

ALA Youth Media Awards

2012-01-26T14:09:00.000-06:00

Monday morning bright and early. ALA announced the youth Media Awards. I was at ALA so I was up early and part of the crowd there to hear the annoucements live! Of course, my predictions were pretty much wrong, which is part of the fun! I'm sure if you follow kidlit and YA, you've already read about the winners, but I wanted to share my thoughts and hear yours!

The Newbery Winner:

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

-I have not read this book and honestly, it wasn't really on my radar before the Newbery. Of course I'm on hold for it now at my library! If you're read it, I'd love to know what you thought!

Newbery Honors:

-Inside Out and Back Again by Thannhha Lai-I've read this one and I really liked it a lot! I also really love seeing award love for verse novels!

-Breaking Stalin's Nose by Euguene Yelchin-Another one I'd heard of but was hardly on my radar.

Caldecott Winner:

A Ball For Daisy by Chris Raschka

-I'm a big dog lover, so of course this book made me have an awww moment at the end. It's so adorable! But can I share something? I don't know if I think the artwork in this book is my favorite. It's very good, but there was something a bit blurry to me. I still adore the book and I'm happy to see it honored, I just don't know that it would have been my pick, which is one of the fun parts about these awards-you never know!

Caldecott Honors:

-Blackout by John Rocco-This one I predicted and I'm so, so happy it got an honor! I love the artwork-it's just beautiful!!

-Grandpa Green by Lane Smith-Another book that I think has expectional artwork-I'm happy with this pick as well!

-Me...Jane by Patrick McDonald-Can you believe I haven't read this one yet? We recently got it in at my library, so I'll be reading it soon!!

Printz Winner:

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

-I actually read this book over Christmas but haven't reviewed it yet on the blog. I wish I had reviewed it sooner-now I'll feel like I'm jumping on the review bandwagon! This is a book that has so many brilliant storylines that feel like there's no way they can connect and yet somehow they do. It's masterfully done and I'm so excited to see what's next from John Corey Whaley! I'm also thrilled he not only won the Printz Award, but won the Morris Award as well! He was at ALA for the Morris reception and it was so cool to be able to congraulate him in person. I'm fully expecting John Corey Whaley to be the next big rock star author in YA!

Printz Honors: (of which I have read none! I need to read reading ASAP!)

-Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

-The Returning by Christine Hinwood

-The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

-Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

I'm also thrilled that Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson got illustrator love with a Coretta Scott King illustrator honor, but author love with a Coretta Scott King author win. And I love, love, love the illustrator win for Underground by Shane Evans!

I also love that Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick was a Schneider Family Book Award winner!

And I also am very happy for Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, which was a Morris finalist and the Pure Belpre author winner!

What were favorite award winners? Any moments of disappointment:?

Sharing A Wrinkle In Time

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

A Wrinkle In Time Facebook Page

50 Years, 50 Days, 50 Blogs Tour

I can't believe that one of my alltime favorite books, A Wrinkle In Time, is celebrating it's 50th Anniversary! To celebrate, Macmillan Books has 50 blogs writing about the book and I'm honored to be participating! Macmillan Books is excited too-so much so they released an amazing new edition of the book:

And it's not just a pretty cover. There are lots of features included that make it a great choice for longtime fans:
The 50th Anniversary Commemorative edition features:

•       Frontispiece photo*†
•       Photo scrapbook with approximately 10 photos*†
•       Manuscript pages*†
•       Letter from 1963 Caldecott winner, Ezra Jack Keats*†
•       New introduction by Katherine Paterson, US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature †
•       New afterword by Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter Charlotte Voiklis including six never-before-seen photos †
•       Murry-O’Keefe family tree with new artwork †
•       Madeleine L’Engle’s Newbery acceptance speech

* Unique to this edition                † never previously published

I'm telling you-if you love A Wrinkle In Time, you need to get a copy of this edition!!

I've mentioned it several times before, but A Wrinkle In Time is one of my favorite books from my childhood. For me, A Wrinkle In Time is a book that stays with you and never lets you go. It's a book I still think about as an adult. From the first words, "It was a dark and stormy night" you can't help but be pulled in and want to escape into the pages. Growing up, I was much like Meg Murray. I felt like I didn't fit in, I had a terrible temper problem, and I felt a bit lost. Reading about Meg made me feel better. Meg could go on amazing adventures, save her father, and even win the affections of Calvin O'Keefe. If Meg could do it, so could I. And yes, I had a crush on Calvin-really, who didn't?

I was a shy reader and every time I went to the library, all I really wanted was for a librarian to tell me about a great book to read or talk to me about books. But I was too shy to talk to them first. I knew where and how the books were shelved, I knew how to search the catalog, and I knew how to browse for exactly what I wanted, so I never approached the children's desk. And the librarians never really approached me.

Now I work as a youth services librarian and it's my goal every day to reach out to those kids who are wandering in the stacks. They may already know about great books, but I know they're looking for more. I always love it when I come across that special reader who I can share a secret with-"have you read A Wrinkle In Time?" It's one of those books that you have to find the perfect reader and I feel it's a special book to share with my avid readers who are ready for this journey. It's a book for readers who are looking for something new and exciting. They have to want to journey with Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace. They need to be able to accept new worlds and ideas of the tesseract. They must make new friends in Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. A Wrinkle In Time is a very special book that deserves a very special reader. I love finding those readers and realizing that they, like me, are like Meg, or even Charles Wallace or Calvin. They will read the book and clutch it to them and reread it again after finishing. I love when they come back to the library and ask if there are more and I happily tell them that yes, the story isn't over yet!

Sharing my childhood favorites with readers and reaching out to kids who I know need A Wrinkle In Time make my job the best job in the world. I hope I can continue to share Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin's journey with many readers to come.

How will you be celebrating A Wrinkle In Time's 50th Anniversary?

Storytime: Colors!

2012-01-22T08:00:00.001-06:00

For toddler storytimes we decided to start the new storytime season off with concepts. The first concept storytime I did was colors. Here's what I planned:
Opening Song: We always open toddler storytime with Finger Poppin by Georgiana Stewart. It's a bit annoying, but the kids love it and I see them walk into storytime popping their fingers, so I can never get rid of it!

Literacy Skill: We recently rebranded and renamed our early literacy program, so our skill was Talk and Read (or vocab, if you're on the old Every Child Ready to Read language)

Book: Freight Train by Donald Crewes-my library has a big book copy of this one, which makes it more fun to read. The toddlers love the big books and the simple text and colors of this one make it perfect for this age group.

Song: These Are My Glasses by Laurie Berkner-I sing this every week and it's so fun to watch the kids learn it!

"These are my glasses"-(make circles with your hands around eyes)

"And here is my book"-(make hands into closed book in front of you)

"I put on my glasses"-(lift circles with your hands around eyes)

"And open up my book"-(open palms into a book)

"And I read, read, read, and I look, look, look"

"Then I take off my glasses"-(move circles with your hands down from eyes)

"And whoops, close up the book!" (close palms into book in front of you)

Book: Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean-one of my favorite storytime books and great for colors!

Action Rhyme: If You're Wearing Red Today (to the tune of "Do You Know the Muffin Man)-source: Storytime Katie

(I changed it from wearing to holding, since I have around 25-30 kids in storytime and didn't want to have to sing every color they were wearing! I cut out pieces of paper in red, green, blue and yellow and passed them around the room." This rhyme was fun and easy to do and the parents helped the younger ones stand up when it was their turn.

If you're holding red (blue, green, yellow) today,

Red today, red today,

If you're holding red today,

Stand up and say "hooray!"

Flannel Board: Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd-I made a flannel board (my first one!!) for Dog's Colorful Day using a pattern from the book Toddler Storytimes 2 by Diane Briggs.

Action Rhyme: Driving In My Little Red Car (To the tune of 'Ten Little Indians")-Source: Storytime Katie

(I used the papers from the previous rhyme for our colored cars for the kids to "drive" They loved this one rhyme too and had lots of fun singing it!)

Driving in my little red (blue, green, yellow) car,

Driving in my little red car,

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom.

Dance With Scarves-Song: Rainbow Connection from For the Kids

-I love using scarves-it's basic movement and music skills, you can dance fast or slow, shake them up or down, side to side, and you can use whatever music you like! I love the For the Kids CDs-great songs for kids and it's not annoying for parents!

Book: Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr, illustrated by Eric Carle-what's a storytime about colors with Brown Bear, Brown Bear? Instead of reading this one, I sang it to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It

Book: From Head to Toe by Eric Carle-I end all my storytimes with this book because I love how interactive it is!

Closing: Skinamarink

Overall this was a fun storytime and the kids all really enjoyed it. The action rhymes were easy enough for the parents to learn (I wrote the words on the whiteboard so they could sing along) and the books were all a good length.

Picture Book Saturday

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

When I took my new position as Youth Services Manager in May, one of my new roles was to take on storytime. I'll admit I was a bit nervous to do storytime, especially for toddlers. I was used to teens and I wasn't sure I could make the transition to working with very young kids. But once I got going, I found that I really enjoy stoyrtime. This week I decided to feature a couple of my storytime staples.

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean

-Pete the Cat is a fantastic read aloud for storytime for all ages! Pete walks along singing his song but oh no! Pete has stepped in something that will change the color of his shoes! Toddlers might not be able to catch the color changes as well as older readers, but the book has lots of repitition and has a catchy song that's fun to sing along to. It's a great storytime read and I have fun every time I read it. The kids at my preschool outreach ask for this book every time I come! I love that it has simple text that's easy to catch on to what's being repeated and it's fun to see parents and kids jam to Pete's song.

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

First off, thanks to my friend Katie, who suggested I use this book as a storytime read! I end all of my storytimes with a reading of From Head to Toe and then we sing Skinamarink. I love using this as a closing book for several reasons. It's interactive, so the kids don't have to worry about coming back after crafts or activities and sitting still-it encourages them to act out the book! It's great for all ages and is perfect for parent interaction. If the kids can't do the motions, the parents can help them-plus it's fun to watch the parents encourage their kids to act like the various animals. The actions are simple enough for the younger ones to do, but the older kids can show off their skills by doing big donkey kicks! I also like that it has simple text, bright illustrations, and is tons of fun!

YA Movie News

2012-01-19T21:16:00.001-06:00

Welcome to YA movie news! Lots of news happening this week!

-I love this poster for the film version of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. I think this movie will have tons of teen appeal!

-Interesting news came across my e-mail this week in Cynopsis Kids. Lionsgate (The Hunger Games movie) will acquire Summit Entertainmet (The Twilight Films). Anyone else think they should just become a huge producer of YA books to movies? I can't decide if I find this marketing annoying or clever.

-Speaking of Lionsgate and Summit, there may be talk about more Twilight even after Breaking Dawn is finished. I think with no more books to adapt they should stop. If it didn't come from the original author, I don't think they should make more. What do you think-should it continue?

-Publishers Weekly featured an interview with the actress who plays Rue in The Hunger Games movie. I love that she's such a big fan of the books!

-More news from Cynopsis Kids-The Hatchery and Jane Startz Productions will be producing movies, TV series and TV movies based on V. C. Andrews books. No word yet about if the movies are actually in production or just a possiblity.

-The CW does has a couple of new shows in the works for next season. Carrie Diaries and Beauty and the Beast (a remake of the 80s Beauty and the Beast series) have the go ahead.

-If you're a huge Twilight fan, you might want to check and see if your local Target store is hosting a midnight DVD release for Breaking Dawn: Part 1. Select stores will have parties which includes a new scene from Part 2.

In non YA Movie News:

-Walking Dead returns February 12. Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan got hooked on this show and I think I'm going to have to give it a try!

-If you're an avid Game of Thrones fan like me, you'll be happy to know season 2 will begin on April 1 on HBO.

ALA Youth Media Awards Predictions

2012-01-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year again! Bright and early Monday morning, librarians will gather in a Dallas ballroom and hear the announcements about this year's book awards. Last year was my first year I was able to attend the announcements live and it was so much fun! Being in a room as the winners are unveiled and sharing in the gasps of shock and cheers of happiness adds to the fun. Of course, it's always fun to predict what books will win, so here's the titles I think we'll be hearing called out on Monday morning.
Printz-Who I Think Will Win:

Chime has been my front runner since I read it back in March (I still need to review it, I know!) Fantastic world building and rich characters and an original story that's a bit historical, a bit magical, and all around amazing. I think it's the book to beat.

Printz Dark Horse:

I have three dark horse books that I suspect we may hear announced on Monday:

and

Both Scorpio Races and Daughter of Smoke and Bone have lush, descriptive writing that I think will carry them far during the award discussions. This could be a great year for fantasy when it comes to award!

My other dark horse?

A.S. King is a YA superstar! There is so much gold in Everybody Sees the Ants-Lucky learning how to deal with bullies, discovering who people really are, dealing with the absence of his grandfather and emotionally his father, and that age old coming of age storyline that we love so much. I'm eager to see if Ms. King gets back to back honors!!

Newbery-Who I Think Will Win

This is another book that's been the front runner since I read it earlier this year. I haven't come across another book that I think stands out and Okay for Now is such a librarian favorite, there may be some revolting if this one doesn't win!

Newbery Dark Horse:

Wonderstruck is a dark horse mainly because there's been lots of discussion as to where exactly it fits into the award criteria. Will the committee deem it worthy or will they dismiss the art/text format?

With a Name Like Love is my big dark horse pick. It's a wonderful debut and feels similar to other classic Newbery winners (it reminded me a lot of Jennifer Holm or Kate DiCamillo) It's a family story as well as a mystery and the characters and storyline is all nicely developed without being campy. I'd love to see some award love for this one!

Caldecott-Who I Think Will Win

Brother Sun, Sister Moon has some impressive artwork. Each page features watercolor paper-cuts that have so much detail it's easy to pour over each page and get lost in the illustrations. It hasn't gotten much buzz, but I think it's one of the most impressive and stunning books of the year and I'm hoping the committee gives it a nod.

Caldecott Dark Horse:

OK, so maybe it's unfair to call Blackout a dark horse, because it has been getting lots of Mock Caldecott love. I loved this book though, and I think the illustrations are fantastic, especially how John Rocco makes use of the shadows during the blackout to really show how dark it is outside. There are tiny bits of light that shine through on the pages, just like the flashlights and stars and it's a book I want to look at over and over again.

Tween Tuesday: The Boy Project by Kami Kinard PLUS Interview and Giveaway

2012-01-17T09:21:00.002-06:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens. Join the fun and add your link below!

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: 1/1/2012

Add to Goodreads

About the Book: Kara Mcallister has noticed something in her middle school. All the girls have had boyfriends except her. Inspired by the scientific method, Kara decides to observe all the boys and figure out what it takes to get a boyfriend. But Kara's plan isn't that simple. In middle school, people and friendships can change daily, observations can take a turn, and an embarassing moment in the boys bathroom can ruin your reputation.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Ah, middle school. That crazy time when friendships change, relationships of true love last a day, and repuations mean everything. Middle school can be a very tough time and Kami Kinard captures that middle school voice and angst perfectly. Sure, Kara is a bit whiny about superficial things, but so are many middle schoolers who feel as though life may end if things don't go their way.

Kara is pretty boy crazy and most of the book revolves around her trying to get a boyfriend. Her ultimate catch is a bit predictable, but it's cute to watch them get there and have Kara figure out that first impressions aren't always correct.

There is also a well developed storyline with Kara having to deal with some mean girl bullies at school. Kara gains confidence to deal with them and learns to embrace her quirky crafty side instead of trying to fit in with the popular crowd. This is a great message for tween girls that comes across without being over the top and in your face. I think tween girls will relate.

I also really liked that Kara was a big reader and that she talks a lot about the books she's reading. Reading about what books Kara liked made my librarian heart happy! I love when authors sneak in books, especially newer popular books instead of the go to classics.

If you have tweens looking for books on romance and friendship, give them The Boy Project. They're sure to get a kick out of Kara's adventures!

Get to know Kami Kinard!

What made you want to be a writer?

I think I didn’t realize how powerful imaginations could be until I learned to read. Once I learned this skill, I started creating worlds with words. For me, it is both challenging and fulfilling to arrange words into stories. So I write. I don’t think I’ll ever want to stop.

Did you ever embark on any boy project of your own in middle school?

No! I was far far too shy around boys for that! The most I ever did was to admire secretly, and from afar.

I was the same way! What advice do you have for tween girls that you wish you had known yourself as a tween?

That having a boyfriend in middle school is absolutely unimportant! It matters so little to who you become as an adult, that you completely forget that you wanted a boy’s attention way back in your tween years. When I read my old diaries, I was shocked to learn that I had cared so much about what boys thought! But reading them also opened my eyes to what my feelings had been at that point in my life. Kara’s feelings in THE BOY PROJECT reflect this and are realistic. But if I had a chance to sit down and talk with Kara, I’d tell her not to worry, that she’s a cool person, and if she likes herself, the right person will come along some day.

Great advice! What books are you looking forward to reading this year?

Ditched by Robin Mellom, Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig, Chained by Lynne Kelly, and a lot of other titles forthcoming from The Apocalypsies.

Who is your book boy crush?

Wow, great question. And one I’ve never been asked, so I really had to think about it because I don’t tend to think of book boys in this way… but ever since I read THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins, I’ve always been on Team Peeta!

Yay for Team Peeta! He's one of my book boy crushes too!

Want a win a copy of The Boy Project?
-Leave a comment below
-One entry per person
-Contest open to ages 13+
-Contest ends Tuesday Jan. 24
-US Address Only

Post your Tween Tuesday Links here!

Downton Abbey Season 2-Episode 2 Recap

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Sarah & Melanie's Downton Abbey Recaps/Discussions! We're such big fans of the show, we had to talk about it! Reminder: please no spoilers if you've watched ahead. And this is a recap, so there are spoilers below!
Sarah: This episode was only an hour compared to last weeks epic two hours, so in some ways it felt like there wasn't as much happening.

Melanie: I agree, this episode dragged a bit for me. Most of the plot lines I wanted more of were put on hold in order to introduce new characters (the soldiers) and brand new skirmishes among the characters.

Sarah: I think there was just so much going on last week, that this episode felt lighter.

Sarah: Downton is being turned into a convalescent home for wounded officers and this is creating all sorts of power struggles within the house. Isobel and Cora are fighting a lot about who is really in charge. Everyone is having a bit of a hard time giving up their home and having it overrun with officers. The way of life they have been used to living is really beginning to change as the rooms are taken over.

Melanie: I loved the look on Lord Grantham's face when he saw that one of the rooms had been converted to a rec hall, complete with a ping-pong table!

Cora and Isobel being polietly mean to each other

Sarah: I found the power struggle between Cora and Isobel interesting. I thought they had been getting along recently, but this seems to have opened up a new reason to dislike each other. I think Cora is upset over the fact that she's loosing her home and she also feels like she's loosing control since Isobel has come in and believes she's now in charge.

Melanie: Isobel was even trying to boss the dog around. I'm on Cora's side in this instance; it was nice to see a bit more of her personality.

Sarah: Agreed-we get to see a bit more of Cora in this episode and I think this power struggle between Cora and Isobel will be fun to watch. I liked how Matthew and Mary were joking a bit about it and saying how they had to keep their mothers away from each other!

Sarah: O'Brien suggests to Cora that Thomas run the day to day management of Downton. She agrees and Thomas gloats over his new position, believe that he can finally boss everyone around.

Melanie: I'm confused over why Thomas got the job. Lord Grantham and Carson both know he stole from them. Letting a caught thief back into your home seems a bit absurd.

They never stop scheming

Sarah: Exactly. Even though Cora doesn't know about the theft, Lord Grantham and Carson do. I don't know why he got this job either. This was the most annoying thing from this episode. Anything nice I may have felt about Thomas last week is gone. He's back to his evil scheming way and I don't like that he's "in charge" at all. I did appreciate that O'Brien stood up for Cora and showed that she's changed her mind a bit when Thomas confronted her. I think O'Brien is still annoying and catty, but she's more human than Thomas.

Melanie: I think O'Brien's protectiveness over Cora is mainly due to guilt (Sarah: Agreed-I think she still feels guilty about the baby last season), but I agree on the subject of Thomas. He's reveling in his power, even though we haven't actually seen him do anything that makes him seem to be in charge.

Ethel the flirt

Sarah: Ethel gets excited about the fact that Downton is now overrun with officers, seeing this as a chance to flirt with the men. Anna warns her to stay away, but she can't help herself, catching the eye of one of the officers and being an obvious flirt with him. I still don't like Ethel. She's annoying and makes bad decisions and I find her to be shallow. She has not grown on me at all in this episode-I still miss Gwen.

Melanie: I miss Gwen too. I'm a bit miffed that we haven't heard from her at all. You'd think she'd at least write to Sybil. She basically just disappeared.

Sarah: Yes! They could have at least mentioned her!!

Branson explains to Sybil that he's been called up but has no plans to go to war. He hopes to rebel and humiliate the army, only to discover that he has a heart murmur and won't be able to fight after all. Sybil is relieved that he won't be going to war or to prison, but Branson is convinced he needs to do something to avenge his cousin's death. Later, when General Strutt visits Downton, Anna finds a note that explains to Sybil that he is sorry. She rushes to show the rest of the staff, believe that Branson, who has stepped in as footman for the meal, has done something to the soup and will poison the General. Branson instead reveals that he mixed it with oil and was planning on spilling it on the General's head.

Melanie: My imagination really got carried away while watching this. I thought Branson's note to Sybil was a suicide letter. I was worried that he had a gun stowed in the soup bowl and was planning on shooting the General and then himself. Talk about overreacting. I was relieved to find out that he only planned to be rude, not lethal.

Sarah: Me too! I've been a fan of Branson, but this episode tried to play him in a different light and I'm not so sure I liked it. I guessed that his "murderous intentions" that they were leading you to believe that he had towards the General would turn out to be something else (I thought he was going to punch the General or something along those lines). But they way they were leading you to believe that Branson wasn't a good guy was a bit frustrating.

Melanie: I'm wondering what Branson's punishment would be. To be considered unpatriotic during a time of war can be incredibly dangerous. Although it was a bit discomfiting to see another side of him, I like knowing just how deep his beliefs go.

Sarah: Agreed. I liked getting a bit more depth to Branson. I still like him though and the hope for a Branson/Sybil romance is still there.

Bates is still around

Anna believes she saw Bates in town and after Mary asks her what's been distracting her and she confides in Mary. Mary suggests that she give Sir Richard a call and find out if Bates really is in London or in town. She returns with news that Bates has been working in a pub. He claims to have new proof of his wife Vera's unfaithfulness and believes he can finally divorce her. He tells Anna it won't be long now.

Melanie: And Anna says she'd be willing to be Bates' mistress. His mistress! She's getting so desperate, poor woman.She did look awfully cute using Mary's curling iron, though.

Sarah: Yes, I loved how she did her hair all pretty just to go meet Bates. When she told him she would be his mistress-that was heartbreaking! This Bates/Anna thing is dragging on! I just want them to be together already! I hope Bates finally has a good plan in place.

Stop leading him on Daisy!

William is going off to war and asks to spend his last night at Downton. Daisy thinks that William is going to propose and she's nervous because she doesn't want to lead him on. Mrs. Patmore encourages Daisy to accept, telling her again she can't send William to war with a broken heart and that he needs something to hold on to and hope for. William announces they are engaged and Daisy says they'll marry after the war, only to have William say he can't wait that long. Lord Grantham suggests to Matthew that he take William on as his servant to help protect him and watch out for him.

Melanie: I think these two would be cute together if they ever got themselves straight. I can sort of understand Daisy; would you really want to send a young man off to war heartbroken?

Sarah: Poor Daisy. She's in such a tricky situation. I can see where Mrs. Patmore is coming from and I don't want William to get hurt. But Daisy is stuck now and she's not sure what to do. I think both of them are a bit immature and they really could solve their problems if they would just talk!!

Lavinia only owns one frumpy green dress

Lavinia's secret is revealed! She uncovered a scandal about her uncle and sold them to Sir Richard who then published them in his paper, causing the Marconi Scandal of 1912. Aunt Rosamund is convinced that Lavinia did this because she and Sir Richard were lovers. She and Violet tell Mary she should confront Matthew and share this news with him. Mary on the other hand, discusses it with Lavinia, who says yes, she did sell the secrets, but only because her father was very much in debt to Sir Richard and this was a way she could help him. She tells Mary that she was never lovers with Sir Richard, but did what she had to do in order to save her family, even if it meant implicating the Minister in the scandal. Mary has the chance to tell this Matthew, but passes on it, instead telling Matthew how perfect she thinks Lavinia is.

Sarah: Lavinia also is wearing her frumpy green dress again, and even though she seems nice enough, I want her gone.

Melanie: I knew there had to be something going on with Lavinia, and I'm so glad it's somewhat out in the open now. She's still wearing frumpy clothes, but now I think it's a deliberate attempt on wardrobe's side to distinguish the class differences between her and the rest of Downton. (Sarah: Agreed!)

What I'm curious about now is wondering if Mary still intends to go through with her plan to marry Sir Richard, now that she knows to what lengths he'll go to get what he wants. And I'm wondering if Lavinia is actually telling the truth. This scandal opened up a whole new pot of worms!

Sarah: Yes, so much to think about here. Will Mary still end up with Sir Richard? I hope not! I wondered if Lavinia was telling the whole truth either-I think she still has some things she's hiding. This whole plotline was heartbreaking to watch! I really like Mary this season. She's grown up, she's not being so selfish, and she seems to care about those around her. She didn't complain about the convalescent home, which old Mary would have done. She also passed up the chance to break up Matthew and Lavinia. The rest of her family is still hoping for a Matthew and Mary reunion, and while it's clear she cares for him, she seems to see that she's missed her chance and there's nothing she can do about it.

Melanie: Cora said the two looked so natural together, and I agree. Throughout the episode, there are bits of dialogue, just normal chatter, that makes it so obvious how well they get on together.

Sarah: Exactly. The banter they share is so cute and it's clear they still have feelings for each other.

Lang has bad dreams and O'Brien shows a nice side

Sarah: Lang has been suffering again with PTSD and has a few outbreaks of fits or nightmares, leaving the staff worried. By the end of the episode, he is packing up and planning on leaving Downton.

When the staff arrive in Lang's room after hearing him scream and O'Brien is taking care of him is one of the most touching scenes in this episode. Again, you see a softer side of O'Brien and I like how the staff don't immediately judge (well, except for Thomas) but instead want to help Lang.

Melanie: I liked seeing this too. His screams were so awful and must have been such a shock. I'm surprised Carson still let him work for awhile longer after that. I wish him well.

Sarah: I wonder if this really is his goodbye or if we'll see more of him.

Raise a glass to Lady Edith

Sarah: At dinner, General Strutt praises Downton for their hard work and especially praises Edith for taking care of the day to day needs of the officers. It's nice to see Edith do something good and get a nice word for it!

Melanie: I really wish Edith would get a consistent plotline going. She seems so aimless. I suppose that's the point, though. I did like her a bit more in this episode and am very glad she didn't try pursuing the farmer.

Sarah: I think Edith is finally finding her place a bit. I'm glad she gave up on the farmer as well!

Melanie: What I really want to see next week is some moving forward in at least one of the romances! Other than Lord and Lady Grantham, is anyone settled in a happy, love-filled relationship?

Sarah: I know! So many storylines that are opened and then never go anywhere. I'd love to see one happy relationship somewhere! Even though this episode was a bit slower, I'm looking forward to the drama of next week. The preview has me excited!

Picture Book Saturday

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Woods by Paul Hoppe

-I discovered this book earlier this year and decided to use it for a pajama time storytime. It's a great book for storytime. The text is simple and the illustrations are bright and colorful and perfect for a larger crowd.

The story is about a young boy who is about to go to bed, but can't find his rabbit. He decides he must venture into the woods. Along the way he comes across several scary things-a bear, giants, and a three headed dragon-only to discover that they're not scary at all. Instead they need the boys help in some way.

This is a great read about conquering your fears and using your imagination. It was lots of fun to read in storytime and I recommend it as a read aloud!

Where's Walrus by Stephen Savage

-Where's Walrus is a wordless picture book about a Walrus who goes on an adventure around town and the zookeeper who tries to catch him. The illustrations have a retro feel, which I love. Walrus's adventures are hilarious and he's easy enough to spot for younger readers. I read this with my two-year-old niece and she had a blast pointing out where Walrus was on each page. A wonderfully fun book for a lapsit with toddlers and preschoolers.

YA Movie News

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

-Good news Hunger Games fans! Movie tickets go on sale February 22 on Fandango.com. Mark your calendars and hopefully there will be a midnight showing in your area!

-The Hunger Games marketing team has released a new site, Capitol Couture. The password was tweeted out the other day #lookyourbest and you can sign up for when the site officially launches. Doesn't Effie look crazy yet amazing??

-In even more Hunger Games news, Mockingjay.net has a great interview up with the stars about the pranks they played on the set.

-Remember the Les Mis musical move? Well, Taylor Swift won out and got the role of Eponine and Amanda Seyfried will play Cosette. I was really liking the cast until the Taylor Swift casting. What are your thoughts? Are you still excited about the movie?

What Happens in a Bookstore at Night

2012-01-12T16:20:00.002-06:00

As a kid, I thought this was excatly what happend in a bookstore or library when the lights went out! I love this video from indie bookstore Type in Toronto.

Downton Abbey Recap-Season 2, Episode 1

2012-01-10T08:00:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the first installment of Sarah and Melanie's recaps/reviews of Downton Abbey Season 2! We're both excited to jump back into this show and we thought it would be great to share it with other fans. Share your thoughts! There are some spoilers from the episode, so read at your own risk. Also, please no spoilers for future episodes if you've watched ahead!

Sarah: The episode starts off and we're at war and a time jump from the last episode. Two years have passed. Matthew is still alive and fighting in the war and slyly mentions that there's a girl he wants to see on leave. Will it be Mary?? I know it won't be, yet I also secretly wish it will.

Melanie: The time jump really threw me off. There's so much I feel like I missed- I was really looking forward to seeing how the Countess dealt with her miscarriage. I was kind of surprised to see Matthew actually on the battlefield. I thought that as an heir, his blood would be too precious.

Sarah: The time jump threw me off a bit too. I had the same feeling of missing things I wanted to know where people had been, what they'd been up to, etc. Two years is a long time!

Sarah: Back at Downton the house is getting ready for a charity concert. Bates is out at his mother's funeral and William is filling in. He's helping Grantham who has been named "Colonel of the North Riding Volunteers" William's father will not allow him to enlist even though he wants to. Grantham thinks he's going to be able to fight, only to discover his new role isn't an active one. I felt bad for Lord Grantham as he wants so badly to help with the war effort but can't in the way
he would like. I like his heart and his good character, so seeing him realize he's getting older is a bit sad.

Melanie: Grantham really does have a hard time with this. I wish he could realize how important a strong home front is. Even his wife isn't able to console him.

Sarah: I also think this makes him more endearing-he has lots of moments like this in this episode where I just love him.

Cousin Isobel suggests to a sad Sybil that she become a nurse. I love this idea and I love Sybil's spunk. I also love Isobel for suggesting it! Now, remember that girl Matthew said he wanted to visit? Isobel has come with news that Matthew is engaged! What? Matthew can't be engaged! Now I can't wait to see this girl...

Melanie: I completely agree. Matthew cannot be engaged. What is he thinking? I kind of hope Mary meets his fiancee and flies into a fit of jealous rage...

Sarah: Yes! A fit of rage from Mary would be awesome! We know she has a mean streak in her-I'm waiting to see what she'll do to this poor girl.

(Naive Ethel)

Sarah: There's a new housemaid, Ethel. She's kind of annoying and I'm not impressed. Even though I'm not an O'Brien fan, I have to admit that her pranks on Ethel were pretty awesome.

Melanie: I'm kind of sad that we didn't get to see O'Brien cackling in glee over the pranks she pulled. They were pure genius.

Sarah: They were and I have to give O'Brien props for them. I think that's the one time I wouldn't mind her cackling!

Bates returns and YAY!-he proposes to Anna. Problem is he's still a married man. Oops! Bad move Bates. I wonder how he thinks that's going to work. I see drama in the future.

(See, it's frumpy!)

Matthew arrives with Lavinia, his fiance, in tow. She's cute enough, but we don't really see much of her and I'm convinced that now Mary and Matthew must be together! They can match wits! Lavinia just doesn't look as smart. Also, her green dress is kind of frumpy. Mary and Matthew sit next to each at dinner (oh how sly you are with the seating arrangement) and it's clear Mary is still in love with Matthew. Matthew is daft and doesn't appear to notice, although I think he does. Mary arrives at the train to give Matthew her good luck charm. I mean, come on Matthew! Can't you see how she's changed?? I can!

(See the way they look at each other-so cute!)

Seriously, in episode one, I've had a change of heart about Mary. She's much less annoying and I like her. I feel like she's finally grown up. Matthew in turn is just happy they're friends because he's dumb.

Melanie: Haha, I agree Matthew is not using all of his wits. I think he's kind of ignoring her on purpose. I've been a Mary fan from the beginning, so I kind of want to smack Matthew upside the head. Lavinia's too good. I think she's hiding something. And who wears frumpy green dresses? Yet another reason to dislike her.

Sarah: Excatly. She does seem too good. I'll be watching her with a suspicious eye. And I really am a Matthew/Mary fan more this season.

(Boo! Blackmailing Vera!!)

Sarah: Bates's evil wife Vera shows up and turns out she's not going to give him a divorce. Instead, she demands he come with her, or else she reveals Mary's scandal (or as Aunt Rosamund says later-the blot on her copybook). She blackmails Bates and Bates is a good guy and doesn't want to hurt Anna. This makes me like him even more. I mean, he's going off with the evil blackmailer just to keep Anna in good standing! Man, I want them together!! Good news is, Mrs. Hughes has awesome spying abilities thanks to the vent in the kitchen and she overheard the real reason Bates is leaving. Here's hoping Mrs. Hughes will save the day later!!

Melanie: This is the one time in my life I will ever condone eavesdropping. In this case alone, rock on Mrs. Hughes!

Sarah: She shares with Carson, but I'm interested to see what she'll do, if anything, with this information. Rock on indeed!

Sybil goes off to be a nurse and swoon, Branson declares his love for her. Sybil is dumb and doesn't say anything. What's with all these Grantham girls being so dumb when it comes to love? (Edith is not exempt from this either-oh, just wait!) Sybil is worried that Branson will get fired for saying he's in love with her, so I think she really does care for him. There's got to be something there...

Melanie: Poor Sybil. She's so confused. But would she really be willing to live the life of a chauffeur's wife after growing up as aristocracy? She may be more like Mary than we'd like to think.

Sarah: Oh no! Don't say that! Sybil is my favorite!:) But you make a good point. I wonder if working as a nurse will change her.

More romance! William is feeling down and Daisy kisses him. Oh Daisy, you're so naive. If you don't want a boy to like you, don't go kissing him. Of course he's going to think you're his girl! Daisy later confides that she doesn't like William. He's finally be able to enlist and is being sent off to war. Mrs. Patmore tells Daisy she can't send him off with a broken heart. I agree and I think there's something wrong with Daisy. She's led him on for a long time-that's just mean. Daisy, I still don't like you.

Melanie: I'm sort of on the fence about Daisy and William. They're both so immature and young. Out of all the characters at Downton Abbey, I think these two act their age the most.

Sarah: Agree! They are immature and I really don't like that she's been leading him on for so long.

Thomas is still annoying. He's been fighting in the war, but he holds his hand up with a light so he would be shot at, therefore becoming injured and being sent home. It's a tough moment to watch, but I'm not sure I like him.

Melanie: He had tea with Matthew right before doing that where they talked about the old times. Thomas' courage comes out in odd ways, while sticking his hand in the air must've taken guts, it also shows how much of a coward, ultimately, he is.

Sarah: Good point. His courage does come out in strange ways, and in some ways I feel a bit bad for him.

Time jump again. It's now 1917. There's a new footman, Lang, who is suffering from shellshock. O'Brien, in a moment of compassion, recognizes this and is kind to him. There are moments when O'Brien is very human and shows heart and I think that's what makes her character so rich.

Melanie: Absolutely. O'Brien's brother suffered from shellshock as well, making her aware of an all too common, yet at the time misunderstood, ailment.

Sarah: Thomas has returned and he's back to looking swarmy as only Thomas can. He's helping Sybil out in the hospital, helping a young soldier who was blinded in the war. Thomas and Sybil are working to help him recover, only to find out that the head Doctor is sending him away to make room for the newly injured soldiers. The young man kills himself. This leads to another moment of caring for Thomas as he shows emotion at the loss of the soldier. This show is so good at tugging at your heart strings and making you rethink what you originally thought about characters. Isobel suggests that Downton Abbey becomes a convalescent home. Violet isn't for it, but she gets voted down and I can't wait to see how this changes things at Downton. Again, this shows Lord Grantham's compassion and I think it's what makes him a great character. I always want to think that aristocracy has a heart and showed kindess to their serving staff. Lord Grantham does this and it makes me really care about him.

Melanie: That scene where Thomas tells the blind man he can't give up give up and has to fight back gives a lot of clues into Thomas' past. It reminded me of all the strife Thomas must have put up with for being homosexual Being gay in this time period must have been hell.

Sarah: And then when he cries because the soldier has killed himself? Heartbreaking. I think we're getting to see antoher side of the conniving Thomas, again proving how rich in development these characters are.

(Not nearly as cute as Matthew and Mary)

Sarah: Mary has made a friend in newspaper man, Sir Richard. He visits Downton Abbey along with Aunt Rosamund. Mary, feeling conflicted, seeks the advice of Carson, which is probably my favorite scene in episode one. After working himself too hard, Carson has been put on bedrest. His talk with Mary is sweet and you can see that he really cares about her. Mary also seeks the advice of Anna, who, along with Carson, encourages Mary to tell the truth about her feelings to Matthew. Mary tries to tell Matthew, but finds Lavinia crying because Matthew is to leave early. She ends up backing down and not saying anything, which is a really bad decision. Just tell him already! Mary instead gets a proposal from yucky Sir Richard. UGH! I don't like Sir Richard. He looks old and like he's wrinkly and leathery like he tans too much. I also don't trust him. Mary's not excited by the proposal, but says she'll consider his offer. I hope she turns him down!

Melanie: Carson's scene with Mary is my favorite of this entire episode too! He's almost like a grandfather to her, and it's so sweet to see. She let's him close to her. It kind of makes me wonder what Mary would be like with a man romantically if she let him close to her. She's got a lot more heart than she's showing.I'm afraid I'm not as against Sir Richard. Maybe Matthew seeing Mary with someone else would knock some sense into him. I like seeing Mary's emotional side warring with her rational brain. She definitely has a heart, no matter what Mrs. Hughes says.

Sarah: Yes, she is showing more heart this season. And good point about her opening up romantically. I think the war has made her see that she can't be a snobby aristocrat, things are changing and it is effecting her. I like seeing her emotions and her rationality at war as well.

Mosley begins to seek out Anna, lending her a book, and suggests they spend more time together. This is heartbreaking to watch, because you can see Anna loves and misses Bates.

Melanie: When Mosley hits on Anna, I kind of feel sorry for him. Their social circle is so small, it's not like there's a bunch of available women around. Yet it also shows a profound lack of perception on his part. One look at Anna, and one can tell she's not nearly ready to move on.

Sarah: Edith has been learning to drive and visits a local farm to help out and drive the tractor. She begins a flirtation with Mr. Drake and they kiss one night. But silly Edith, his wife was watching and writes Edith a note that they've hired a boy and she won't be needed anymore. What's with Edith getting all the bad romances? And why does she always go for awkward old men??

(No Edith No!)

Melanie: I know! I don't like Edith at all. Kissing a married man? She doesn't seem to be using her brain. She's my least favorite of the three sisters. I have to admit, watching her drive the tractor was kind of funny.

Sarah: It was! I was cheering her on and hoping her character would change a bit as well, but I she's still my least favorite of the sisters. I also don't think her mean streak has left her. I hope she doesn't take it out on Mrs. Drake!

Aunt Rosamond overhears a conversation between Sir Richard and Lavinia and apparently there are some secrets between them. We already know that Sir Richard was an acquaintance of Lavinia's father. It appears that there may be some scandal in Lavinia's past and I'm eager to find out what! Maybe this will break up Lavinia and Matthew? I really hate love triangles, so I don't want this one to be drawn out forever!!

Melanie: I'm ready for some Mary/Matthew time! Lavinia's got some dark, terrible secret, I think. I want her far, far away from Matthew. I'm thinking that Richard and Lavinia may have been involved with each other at some point. I could be wrong, though. It's just a theory.

Sarah: Oooh..I wondered the same thing! I wonder how Matthew will react. I also wonder if he'll ever find out about Mary's scandal and what he would think of that!

So that's Episode 1! There is lots going on and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. So much drama, intrigue and romance! No wonder we're hooked on this show!!

Downton Abbey

2012-01-08T08:00:00.002-06:00

Sarah: Like many fellow bloggers, I am eagerly awaiting the Season 2 premire of Downton Abbey Season 2. Because we love the show so much, Melanie from Melanie's Musings and I have decided to co-host episode recaps. I've been good and kept away from spoilers about Season 2, so it will be fun to watch and discuss each episode. Being able to talk about the show adds to the fun, so we hope bloggers will join in our discussions.

Melanie: Unlike Sarah, I haven't been quite as good on keeping away from spoilers. Thankfully, I haven't come across anything too serious, but I may know about one twist. I can't wait to see it happen, especially since I have no idea where it occurs.

But before we discuss Season 2, we have to talk about Season 1: (SPOILERS AHEAD!!)

Sarah-I LOVE this show. I was telling a friend of mine that for some reason watching soapy drama with a historical setting feels more sophisticated. You can't deny that there is plenty of soapy drama in DA, but it's just sooo good!

Sarah-I think I would hate it if Violet was my grandmother. But boy is she fun to watch! She gets all the best lines and I kind of want to be her when I grow up. I can't wait for her snark to return!

Sarah-Matthew is a great TV Crush. I'm a bit torn on if I want the Matthew/Mary hookup to happen. She was so mean and horrid to him and I don't know that she's gained any redeeming qualities. I kind of want Matthew to go off and find some other girl who is awesome, but considering Season 2 takes place during World War 1, I don't know that he'll have much time for love. Maybe Mary will get better in Season 2? Somehow I doubt it.

Sarah-Season 1 has been a lot about Lady Mary and I'm hoping Lady Sybil and Lady Edith get some good storylines in Season 2. I want something new to create drama. I really don't know if I like Lady Edith either-so this will be her chance to win me over. Really, I think with all the bickering and backstabbing between Lady Mary and Lady Edith, I'll end up annoyed and disliking both of them. Lady Sybil is my favorite. I'm also hoping for a secret upstairs/downstairs romance with her and Branson! Anyone else with me??

Melanie: I actually kind of like Mary, or at least I find her the most interesting. I think interesting things could happen between the family's chauffeur and Sybil this season, though. (From Sarah-we will both be rooting for this-I'm not alone!:) They went through some pretty bonding stuff in Season 1.

Sarah-O'Brien and Thomas-the evil villians. They're so bad it's good. You can't help but hate them, yet you also want to watch them to see what they'll think of next. It really is bad guys done right-they're so dasterdly and it's fun to get mad at them. Anyone else cringe when Cora slipped on the soap and killed her baby? O'Brien is so terrible and petty, yet it makes a brilliant storyline!

Melanie: I love watching O'Brien and Thomas, the main villians, because while I agree they're mostly evil, every once in a while they'll have a very human moment that gives me hope.

Sarah: Agreed. I think that's what makes them so great. You're so right about them having a moment where they are very human and almost show compassion. I think that's what makes them so interesting.

I also wish Daisy wouldn't be so starryeyed over Thomas. She really annoys me and I don't know if she'll get less annoying in Season 2. One can hope...

Melanie: Daisy irritates me too. I hate it when girls fall for the wrong guy. The other man (I can't remember his name) is always so nice to her and she brushes him off!

Sarah: Me too! She needs to stop being so in love with Thomas and see what's in front of her.

Sarah-Bates and Anna! Love them, they're adorable, yet I know there's not going to be a nice happy ending. These two are going to have to face a lot of drama. I spent most of Season 1 wanting to scream at them "can't you see you like each other!!" I hope we see more from Bates and Anna and I hope their relationship develops.

I also think the show is very lush and gorgeous and makes me want to go back in time (well sort of, only if I could be a Lady with amazing clothes, I think.) And the costumes-they're amazing, right??

Melanie: I definitely agree that I would only want to time travel if I could be a part of the aristocracy. I've never been very good at peeling potatoes.

Sarah: Yeah, I'd be a terrible maid. I can't even keep my own house clean, let alone a mansion like Downton Abbey!

What do you love about Downton Abbey?

Dueling Book Trailers

2012-01-07T15:16:00.003-06:00

I love book trailers! I especially love them when they look like a movie. But I've never seen dueling book trailers. (OK, they're not really dueling book trailers-I just like saying that). Amanda Hocking's books were originally self-published and now they're getting major publication. But instead of having one book trailer, there's a US trailer and a UK trailer. I've seen different covers before, but like I said, this is the first time I've come across UK and US book trailers. It's the same book, same series, but it's interesting to see how the two market the books in different ways.

US Trailer:

UK Trailer:

I like both and I don't. I think the US trailer has blah acting and looks overly dramatic and angsty. I think the UK trailer doesn't tell enough about the book. But I do like the movie-style of both and I love that Tonks is in the UK trailer!:)

Which one do you prefer? Have you seen dueling trailers before?

Comment Challenge 2012

2012-01-05T12:47:00.003-06:00

It's the start to a new year and one of my blogging resolutions is to comment more on the blogs I read. So of course I had to sign up for Mother Reader and Lee Wind's Comment Challenge 2012.

The goal of the challenge is to leave at least 5 comments between today (January 5) and January 25 and to read 100 comments by the end. Each Wednesday we'll check in and post our updates. I'm going to try and keep track of comments on this post so I have an easy tallying system.

So won't you join in? It's the perfect way to make that new goal and get into the commenting habit in the new year!

1/7-7 comments
1/9-7 comments
1/12-14 comments

Best Books of 2011

2012-01-04T16:18:00.000-06:00

I'm a bit late in posting my list this year (I always try to post on New Years Eve) but making a best list is hard! This is my personal best of of the year list. I limited it to books released in 2011, but have another list for "older" books. These are my personal favorites of the year:

Best Books of 2011

10. Recovery Road by Blake Nelson-A realistic and heartbreaking (and still hopeful) look at life after rehab. This was a read in one sitting book for me. The characters stuck with me and I was investing in Maddie's recovery.

9. Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker-This is a story about faith, first love, and searching written in a wonderfully realistic way. I was impressed with the story and the characters and again, it's a book that stuck with me.I wish all books featuring religion were this balanced.

8. Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt-Blending humor, romance and serious family drama, this was a book that I read, then immediately booktalked to all my teens. It's heartfelt and hilarious at the same time-plus it has an adorable romance with one of the best scenes ever (when they're in the Revolutionary War bunkers-too cute!)

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth-There were a lot of dystopian novels out this year, but Divergent is one of my favorites. The story is engrossing, I wanted to know more about the world Tris was in, and I connected with the characters. There are some truly haunting scenes that make this a creepy dystopian and I was hooked. Plus, no love triangle!! (Thank You Veronica Roth!!)

6. Wither by Lauren DeStefano-Even though Wither is a dystopian future, the novel had a historical feel to it which I really liked. It was the perfect read after my Downton Abbey obession and it combined my weird fascination with the sister wives thing. Plus it added it lots of mystery and questions and I was hooked. I can't wait to find out what happens!

5. Where She Went by Gayle Forman-It's the sequel I didn't know I needed yet Gayle Forman knew I needed to read. Revisiting with Adam and Mia was wonderful and heartwrenching. This book is emotional! There was a magic moment where I wasn't sure what I thought and then suddenly everything clicked and I needed to know more and I needed Adam and Mia together.

4. Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King-A.S. King is amazing! Who else could combine a POW/MIA grandfather that's visited in dreams, animal-like parents, crazy aunts, ninja girls, bullies, and party ants and make it work in a way that you never want to put the novel down? It sounds like a crazy premise, but it works and the way everything weaves together is wonderful!

3. All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin-This is my guilty pleasure book of 2011! It's the "curl up in a bubble bath, eat chocolate, drink wine and read this book" book. I was hooked on the gangster style future and there's just enough mystery and romance to keep me wanting more.

2. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick-Of course I'm going to love any book that references my favorite book, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! But more than that, the parallel plotlines weave together in an almost magical way and the illustrations are top notch. A wonderful amazing book that took my breath away.

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor-Lush, gorgeous writing, an imaginative world, and an inventive take on starcrossed lovers. I was hooked on this book from page one. I want to live in the world that Laini Taylor creates. The characters all seem so real and it's one of those books that puts you in a "reading fog" (you know, where you have to adjust to the real world for a moment after you stop reading). A fantastic book-I'm ready for more!

Best Books Read That Were Published before 2011

5. What Happens in London by Julia Quinn-I rarely read adult fiction, but I read this for my adult lit class and laughed so hard. It's a very, very funny regency romance. I recomended it many friends who also enjoyed it.

4. Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool-OK, Newbery Committee, you picked a good book!

3. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King-Like I said, A.S. King equals amazing! Plus, any book where the father/daughter remind me of Keith and Veronica Mars, I'm sold.

2. Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John-Why did I not read this sooner? Fantastic book about coming into yourself, music, friendship, family, and what it takes to make a band.

1. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson-LOVED this book! One of my new favorite romances, this will be a book I turn to and read again when I need something to cheer me up. Amy and Roger's romance must last, because if it doesn't, I will cry. I laughed and even cried a bit through this one and it was a great romance that had so much more.

My Reading/Blogging Resolutions

2012-01-03T18:02:00.000-06:00

I'm terrible at making New Year's Resolutions for myself. I find it easier to make reading and blogging resolutions! Last year I made resolutions and did OK-here's where I ended up:

2011 Resolutions

1. Read 200 (or more) books in the year.-If you count all the picture books I read, I made this goal and surpassed it with 446 books total. But if you count only chapter books, graphic novels, audiobooks, etc. I only made it to 163. Finishing grad school and taking a new job really took a toll on my reading! But hey, 163 books in one year isn't bad!

2. Read the ALA Youth Media Award books-I was closer this year than I have been other years! I read all the Caldecotts, only missed Heart of a Samurai for Newbery, and didn’t read Nothing from the Printz list-it just sounds so depressing, I can't bring myself to read it.

3. Post more blog posts that encourage discussion-I think I did an OK job on this one and I’m going to try and keep it up next year.

4. Write my reviews sooner (like shortly after I read the book!) and schedule my posts so I'm not scrambling to write something mid-week.-Totally failed! Will try again next year!:)

5. Read and review some oldies but goodies.- This I did just because I ended up reading a lot of past titles this year for the Gateway committee.

6. Comment on more blog posts.-MAJORLY failed at this one! My blog reading fell a lot this year and I apologize to everyone that I haven’t been able to check it and read your posts as often. This is the resolution I really want to accomplish this year, so wish me luck!

OK, so now for my 2012 resolutions. I'm not going to make as many, since I'll busy with committee work and I really hate that feeling of failing! But I still think it's good to make a few resolutions or goals for this year.

2012 Resolutions

1. Read 200 Books-with my committee work this year, this one shouldn't be a problem! I'm finally going to do it, I can feel it!:)

2. Read through my feedreader and comment more on blogs.-Taking on a new job and finishing school really took a toll on my reading and my blog reading. I've felt so disconnected from the blogging world, but I'm hoping to check in more this year!

3. Write more posts about library programs, booklists, and general library musings. Also start writing posts about storytimes and picture books.-Since I'm a Youth Services Manager, I oversee both children's and teen programs and I do weekly storytimes. I'd like to start including both childrens and teen programs on my blog.

Do you make reading/blogging resolutions? What are your goals for this year?

No Kiss Blogfest

2012-01-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

I'm participating in Frankie Daine Mallis's 3rd Annual No Kiss Blogfest! Here's what the No Kiss Blogfest is all about:

"The No Kiss Blogfest! This is when you get to write a scene or post one from your favorite books, movies, or tv shows that show the almost kiss-- the rising, crushing, excruciating, longing, tension that comes when two characters get oh-so-close to kissing that you can just feel it, want it, NEED it....and then...they don't!"

I wasn't sure what to post for my No Kiss, but then Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan and I were listening to Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog on our car trip and I thought "this would be perfect!" That moment when you really want Billy and Penny to kiss and you want them to realize that they would be adorable together and you want Penny to see that Billy has been crushing on her all along and then....they don't kiss! ARGH!! I could watch Dr. Horrible over and over (and I do!) and this scene always kills me. Why don't they just kiss already???

What do you think? What's the most annoying no kiss you've come across in movies, TV or books?

Happy Holidays!!

2011-12-23T21:55:00.001-06:00

Happy Holidays to all my wonderful blog readers!! I hope everyone has a wonderful time-and of course has the chance to read a book! :)

No Kiss Blog Fest

2011-12-23T21:42:00.000-06:00

Don't you love those epic scenes in books and movies when you're anticipating and waiting for a couple to kiss and they almost do and then...they don't! To celebrate that No-Kiss Moment, Frankie Diane Mallis is hosting the third annual No Kiss Blogfest!

Sign up at Frankie's blog to join in the fun! Here are the details from Frankie:

1) Sometime between now and Jan 2, 2012 write a post about the No Kiss Blogfest to let everyone know you are participating and that they should too. Why? Because it's awesome!

2) Sign up for the No Kiss Blogfest on Frankie's blog.

3)Tweet about No Kiss Blogfest, using the hash tag: #nokissblogfest because #hashtagsareawesome

4) After you've recovered from New Years Eve, write a blog sharing your Almost Kiss, No Kiss Blogfest entry (either one from your WIP, one you just wrote, one from a book, movie or tv show, or even a really hot almost-kiss picture)and post on January 2, 2012!!! Because reading your posts are awesome!

YA Movie News

2011-12-23T10:11:00.000-06:00

The biggest movie news this week was the release of The Hobbit trailer! I think it looks awesome and I can't wait!

-Harrison Ford and Abigail Breslin have signed on to star in Ender's Game. I have never read this book-I need to get on that!!

-Taylor Swift tweeted about a new song she has on The Hunger Games soundtrack. (The song also features The Civil Wars) Taylor Swift is a bit hit or miss for me, but I like this song. The song is posted below-what do you think?

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

2011-12-22T08:30:00.000-06:00

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: 12/8/2011

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About the Book: Cam is a teen who is living with cancer. Her recent doctor visit didn't turn out well and she doesn't have much hope. But her mom isn't about to give up and convinces Cam that they should spend the summer in Promise, Maine, a place where miracles happen. Cam is cynical and doesn't believe in miracles, but in a town where flamingos visit and sunsets last forever, Cam has a summer to believe in miracles.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Tough topics like teens dying can be hard to write well. Sometimes they can come off as too cheesy and corny and Nicholas Sparksy. Other times they don't feel real and you don't like the characters. Wendy Wunder manages to pull off a story that makes you care about the characters and feels real without veering into a cheese-fest.

Cam is a cynical character and at first I had a hard time relating her. But she grew on me as the novel went on. She was tough and smart and her sarcasm made me begin to like her. She doesn't always make the best decisions, but then, she's faced with a tough situation in life and it's hard to keep up hope. As she begins to trust others and let people in, she changes and began to like her more.

Her sister and mom are nicely fleshed out and great supporting characters. They struggle with trying to live as normal a life as possible while dealing with Cam's illness and loss of hope. Her sister is the one who starts keeping track of the miracles and some of her preteen innocence is sweet and charming.

Asher, the love interest, is a bit too perfect. I liked Asher, but I wasn't exactly sure what he saw in Cam, especially since she was so gruff with him to begin with. I felt like their relationship never really developed in the way I wanted to watch it develop. Much of their relationship seemed very surface level and I just didn't believe that it was as deep as it was portrayed. I guess this was the most unrealistic part of the book and felt like it was there just because Cam needed a love story.

Also, at times the writing seemed a bit strange. It was written in third person, but there were times I forgot it was in third person and the descriptions and narration felt like it switched to first person. It was a bit jarring each time and I had to remind myself it wasn't told in first person. I don't know that many readers would notice this and it wasn't something that was that distracting and it didn't stop me from enjoying the book. It was just something strange I noticed.

The story itself is good and the author does a great job of infusing hope into an otherwise sad story and making the reader believe. Both Cam and her sister learn to accept everyday miracles, which is a great theme of the book, without the author really hitting you over the head with a message. I love the simple gesture of looking for everyday miracles.

If you have readers who like a good tear-jearker, The Probability of Miracles should be added to their reading pile.

Day In the Life of a Librarian

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day in the Life posts are inspired by Abby the Librarian's Day in the Life series. Many people wonder what it is librarians do all day! (No, we don't get to read books on the desk all day!) Since I've taken my position as Youth Services Manager it seems like my days are even more filled with meetings and scheduling and trainings. Here's a Day in the Life of a Youth Services Manager.

8:30-Arrive at work, turn on computers, wipe down keyboards and headsets, check schedule to see what we have planned for the day

8:40-9:00-Straighten up department, pick up books, take leftover DVD and CD cases up front, clean up Early Literacy Station Toy Centers (My library has Early Literacy Stations that have 9 rotating toy bins with toys like puzzles, plush food, word flashcards, plush mailbox, etc. Each toy goes along with our new Early Literacy Skills. We also have a puppet stage.)

9:00-9:10-Put simple craft out since there are no December storytimes to ease the pain of no storytimes

9:10-10:00-Work on January schedule and have many moments of stress and thoughts of “oh my goodness, how am I going to figure this out?”, followed by “no wait-that makes more sense, I did it!!” Celebrate by doing a happy dance in chair.

10:00-10:30-Cover children’s desk while employees take break, answer patron questions like “No, there are no storytimes in December, we take the month off. But here’s our storytime schedule for January and February and here’s our Winter Programming Guide.” And “All our Holiday books are on display on the front table or on this cart by the children’s desk. No, Polar Express is all checked out and there are 6 people on hold for it. Would you like to be on the waiting list?” Check e-mail.

10:30-10:45-Morning break-check mailbox, discover a book or two (always exciting!), die-cut requests from other branches, and a few toddler tubs to return (we have “toddler tubs” that other branches can borrow for storytime that we share as a system, but house at my branch).

10:45-11:30-Come back from break and return toddler tubs, Straighten up department (again), check shelves and carts for returned Holiday books to add to the display, clean up scraps of craft, help patrons find books and answer questions, talk to some kids putting on a puppet show and watch a few minutes of their performance of The Three Little Pigs (our current puppet stash-this is always one of the best parts of the job!), slyly put toys away when children are leaving so the trucks don’t play racecar in the department anymore (we have circulating toys as well, which always end up getting played with in the department and can be a bit hectic!), clean up farmer’s market food toys from the Early Literacy Station because it has mysterious wet spots on it.

11:30-1:00-Cover desk while employees go on lunch. Answer patron questions such as “Where are The Magic Tree House books” (Under Osborne in J Fiction) and “Do you have any Diary of a Wimpy Kid Books” (nothing in today, but would you like to see some other books that are similar?)

1:00-1:45-Lunch! Enjoy chatting with co-workers from other departments and catching up. This is also prime reading time. I love walking into the break room and seeing all my co-workers with a book in hand!

1:45-2:00-Take DVD and CD cases and any holds to the front desk. Retrieve Children’s Department holds for weeding list and withdraw books. Check e-mail and respond to any important messages.

2:00-4:00-Summer Reading Program Meeting to discuss next year’s Summer Reading Program (yes, in December!!) Committee comes up with a few changes that I will need to report back to my staff.

4:00-5:00-Check e-mail, send a note to staff about changes for Summer Reading Program, look over January schedule one more time before sending it out to staff, straighten up desk and workroom, prep any tasks for tomorrow.

5:00-Say hello to evening staff member, catch up on anything I need to tell her and wish her a good evening. Off to home!

Tween Tuesday: Mimi by John Newman

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens. Join the fun and add your link below.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: 8/2/2011

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About the Book: It's been 157 days since Mimi's Mammy died. Her father only serves overcooked pizza for dinner and is always sad, her brother plays drums loudly every day and Mimi knows that her sister has a terrible secret (thanks to the peeks she has in her diary). As her family struggles to pull themselves together after tragedy, they learn to come together rely on each other and help each heal.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Mimi is a sweet yet sad story about family and loss. Mimi is struggling to understand the tragedy of her mother's death and is feeling out of place as each of family members grieve in their own way. Her brother plays drums, her father is distant and her sister has a secret that she's afraid to tell others. Even though Mimi feels a bit lost, she's surrounded by a great support group of extended family. Her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins each take turns caring for Mimi's family and give Mimi a piece of normalcy in her chaotic world.

Mimi can be a bit innocent and naive at times and sometimes the story is over the top (for example, when Mimi's teacher goes into labor in the middle of class). Some of Mimi's family members are a bit eccentric, but I felt this all balanced out well with the sadness of the story and offered a glimmer of humor and hope. I especially liked Mimi's friend who is always telling her silly jokes. The author includes side storylines on adoption, bullying and shoplifting, making the plot well rounded. I felt that with the additional subplots, no storyline felt overly dramatic, but instead offered hope to readers.

This is a sweet and sensitive tale great for middle grade readers.

Side note: I listened to this one audio which I really enjoyed. The book takes place in Ireland, so the narrator has an Irish accent which is fun to listen to, but left me reading all my books with an Irish accent in my head for days after!

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from audiobook checked out from my local library

Bleeding Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey

2011-12-19T09:00:00.001-06:00

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Genre: Paranormal

Release Date: 12/20/2011

Books In Series: Hearts At Stake, Blood Feud, Out for Blood

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About the Book: As the Blood Moon is about to begin, vampires from all over the world are gathering near the Drake compound. But not everyone is happy with the invites and a mysterious new tribe that wasn't invited is looking for a seat on the council. Their plan is to kidnap Lucy, because she's close to the Drake family. Everything goes wrong when they wind up with Lucy's cousin, Christabel instead.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: The Drake Chronicles is my favorite guilty pleasure series. I love the snarky, witty banter, the very hot Drake brothers, and the vampire mythos that Alyxandra Harvey has created. Each entry into the series is an engaging and entertaining read. I think Bleeding Hearts though is tied with book number one for my favorite in the series.

I loved that Lucy was back as one of the narrators. She continues to be my favorite character in the series, so it was great to get a peek into her world again. Reading Bleeding Hearts was like welcoming back my old friends and I was eager to read more about Lucy and Nicholas. (If Lucy ever breaks up with him, he's mine!:)

In addition to Lucy's narration, we also get narration from Lucy's cousin Christabel and Conner Drake. Of course romance ensues, because what would a book in the Drake Chronicles be without some romance? Conner and Christabel are adorable and I liked both of them immediatly. Christabel is always found with a book in her hand, she's read the classics hundreds of times, she quotes poetry and she's waiting for Mr. Darcy. Conner is a Sci-Fi and Fantasy geek who knows Firefly, Star Trek and Doctor Who trivia, who can easily fix computers, and loves comic books. Together they love all my favorite things so how could I not root for them?

There's a lot more than romance and Bleeding Hearts has plenty of twists and turns and surprises. Something strange is happening with Solange, there's a new tribe of vampires to deal with and Hel-Blar are on the loose. Lots of epic battles make this an action packed read. And that ending??? I need book five NOW!

Give this series to fans of vampire stories with a bit of snark and romance. Even if you're feeling a bit burned out on paranormal, give this series a try. Alyxandra Harvey successfully combines action and romance with a bit ohick-lit and a dash of mystery. Another fantastic entry into the series!

Book Pairings: Boys That Bite by Marianne Mancusi, Dead Is The New Black by Marlene Perez

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from e-book galley recieved from publisher on NetGalley

Hunger Games Fashion Show

2011-12-18T16:03:00.001-06:00

In Style has a gallery of sketches from various fashion designers taking on Katniss's famous fire dress. I'm not a huge fan of to many-Christian Siriano's is pretty cool and I think it captures the original. And this one by Rachel Roy is an outfit I want to own because I'm crazy like that! I think I've been watching too much Project Runway because I was totally critiquing them like Heidi! Thanks to Leila for the link!

YA Movie News

2011-12-16T08:00:00.002-06:00

-A new poster for The Hunger Games was revealed during an online puzzle hunt. I really like it! What do you think?

-Another YA book to movie I'm looking forward to! Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone is also getting a big screen adaptation! Universal bought the film rights and I really hope this one happens-don't you want to see that book come to life?

-Meg Rosoff's Printz Award Winner, How I Live Now, has been optioned for a big screen adaptation. Saorise Ronan is in talks to star. How I Live Now is one of my favorite Printz winners and I'd love to see it on the big screen! Thanks to Cynopsis Kids for the news.

-Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellows is working on a musical version of The Wind in the Willows.

-In other musical news, a musical adaptation of Because of Winn-Dixie is in the works with Duncan Sheik signed on to write the music. I think this is a great idea!

-Paramount acquired the rights to Colleen Houck's novel Tiger's Curse.

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

2011-12-14T09:21:00.000-06:00

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Genre: Mob/Crime Fiction/Dystopian/A bit of Mystery

Release Date: 9/6/2011

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About the Book: Anya Balanchine lives in a future where chocolate and caffeine is illegal and paper is rationed. As the daughter of a chocolate "mob boss" Anya could work in the family business. Anya wants nothing to do with the chocolate business that killed her parents and injured her brother. She wants as normal of a life as possible for herself and her siblings. But life gets complicated when Anya is accused of poising her ex-boyfriend with an illegal chocolate bar.

I have loved Gabrielle Zevin's two previous YA novels, so I went into this book with high expectations. Luckily I was not disappointed! I was sucked into the story and couldn't put this book down until I had finished.

The book is set in a future where the government has more control, things have been rationed due to supplies running low, and some items, such as chocolate, have become illegal. Anya is the daughter of a powerful chocolate boss who runs a chocolate company-chocolate is still legal in other countries, plus the government is corrupt enough to trade favors when needed and look the other way. We're given hints about the future setting and the world Anya lives in, but we don't know much. The world intrigued me, but this isn't a book that relies heavily on world building. It's a more character driven story than anything else. For readers who are looking for a dystopian novel, this aspect might be a bit disappointing, since the dystopian part isn't as fleshed out. I wasn't bothered by it because I found the crime family/mob storyline interesting and I really liked all the characters.

While the book has a dystopian aspect to it, it really felt more like a Prohibition Mob story but set in the future. The future setting isn't so distant (Anya's grandmother was born in 1995) that it feels too futuristic. Instead it felt like a contemporary novel with some changes. To me, this is what made the book so engaging. I have an obsession with stories from this era-one of my all time favorite movies is the musical Bugsy Malone-so I was easily hooked on the crime story. I think readers who enjoy reading stories set in the 1920's/1930's would also be interested in All These Things I've Done.

I loved Anya. She's strong and wants to take care of her family. She cares very much for her siblings and is very loyal to them-so much so that she'll take the fall to protect them. She's also very logical and can be a bit distant, but I found her to have a bit of wit to her that I really liked. There's a star-crossed romance to the story as Anya and the new DA's son start to fall for each other. I have to say props to Anya for not falling into the love at first sight trap! She even mentions at one point that it was too soon to say she loved Win, which was a bit refreshing after reading many "he's the one for me" YA novels.

The story is a bit quiet, but I felt that fit the book well. The dystopian setting is light and this isn't an action-packed book by any means. I was sucked into the story and I liked Anya, so I wanted to stick with her. Plus, I felt this fit the Mob mood of the story-quiet and cool.

There's a lot packed into the book that surprised me and I really appreciated that Ms. Zevin took some twists and turns with the story. It wasn't what I expected going in and I liked that the characters and the story surprised me throughout.

It's a romance, crime fiction, and a bit of a dytopian all mixed into one and I loved it! I've been recommending this to everyone I know. By the time I got to the ending, I wanted to start all over and read it again. I can't wait for the next installment!!

Contest Winners

2011-12-13T08:53:00.000-06:00

There have been some contests here on the blog and I'm happy to announce the winners!

Liesl and Po Giveaway Winner:

Jen

This Is Teen: Guys Reads Giveaway Winner:

Candice

Congrats! I hope you enjoy your books!

Tween Tuesday: Bake Sale by Sara Varon

2011-12-13T08:00:00.002-06:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your link below.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Genre: Graphic Novel

Release Date: 8/20/2011

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About the Book: Cupcake has a pretty great life-his bakery is doing well, he's in a band, and he has a great friend in Eggplant. But lately he's been struggling to bake. When Eggplant suggests that Cupcake join him on his trip to Turkey. It turns out Eggplant is old family friends with Cupcake's hero, Turkish Delight and Cupcake is sure that Turkish Delight has the answer to his baking woes.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I really enjoy Sara Varon's books and her art style (even if Robot Dreams made me a bit sad!) I love her artwork because she really knows how to put emotion into her characters and it makes the story come to life. Sure, talking food isn't real, but I believe it with Sara Varon's art.

Bake Sale is an adorably funny book about friendship. Cupcake discovers that he didn't need to travel far to find the answers he was searching for. The artwork is adorably cute and the story of friendship is a nice one. The ending comes a bit quickly and didn't wrap the story up in the way I thought it would. It felt a bit rushed and out of place to the rest of the story. I also think it will leave young readers wanting more.

Bake Sale still had moments that made me laugh and I couldn't help but love Cupcake (it's that emotional artwork again!) I think it was the artwork that sold me on this book more than the story. Readers who enjoyed Robot Dreams should give Bake Sale a try.

Side note: Yes, it is a little odd that a cupcake who talks and is alive makes baked goods to sell, so you have to get over that aspect a little bit. But it's still a charming book.

Missed Connections: Love, Lost and Found by Sophie Blackall

2011-12-08T10:09:00.000-06:00

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Genre: Art

Release Date: 9/22/2011

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About the Book: A collection of artwork based on missed connections ads.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Not my usual fare, I know, but I do read some adult titles once in awhile! This book has been on my radar since I got the Love at First Sight poster from ALA which features a missed connection in a bookstore. (Sadly, this print is not incldued in the book).

I love Sophie Blackall's artwork, so I was very excited for this collection! We've all read missed connections, right? (Admit it, I'm not the only one!) It's a fascinating peek into another person's story and in some ways it gives us hope that love can be found. Some are funny, some are strange, and some are heartbreaking.

The introduction to the book made me nod along as Sophie explained her fascination with missed connection ads. Who hasn't read one and wondered what happend? (Or secretly wished there was one about you?) I always want to know more of the stories and this collection made me want to know more about the pictures. Sophie included a note that she heard from some people who met via missed connections and I would have liked to know if any of the connections illustrated actually did. They are heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time.

I would suggest this as a story starter set for older teens and adults-I know I can't be alone in imagining the outcome of each posting!

Audiobook Review: The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr.Seuss

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Short Stories

Release Date: 9/27/2011

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About the Book: Seven lost stories from the masterful Dr. Seuss compiled and published together for the first time in a new collection. From cautionary, lesson tales, to humor and fantastical new creatures, this is a must have for Dr. Seuss fans young and old!

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I think this book is best enjoyed on audio with wonderful narrators!! I'm always a bit nervous about "lost" stories, but I enjoyed this collection for the most part, especially after hearing about how they were short works originally published in magazines and newspapers. I thought I'd share a breakdown of what I liked or disliked about each story:

The Bippolo Seed narrated by Neil Patrick Harris-I loved this story and I really thought it was the strongest of the book. It had the classic Seuss feel to it of silliness and a lesson in the end. I also liked the rhymes and felt they all worked well in this story. Plus, add in Neil Patrick Harris's fabulous narration and you've got a great read/listen. (Really, he needs to narrate more audiobooks! Please-more NPH on audio!)

The Rabbit, The Bear, and the Zinniga-Zanniga-narrated by Angelica Houston-This one was just OK. I think part of it was the narration-it was good, but not great. I also felt the story was a bit weak. It's still fun, but wasn't a stand out for me.

Gustav the Goldfish-narrated by Jason Lee-Jason Lee, I like you, I really do! But I disliked your narration of this story! Just because you're reading for kids doesn't mean you have to be overly excited all the time! I wasn't a fan of this story, mostly because I felt the ending fell flat and the narration was annoying. When I got the book, I liked the illustrations for this story, so maybe I would have liked it better if I had read it with the pictures instead of listening to it.

Tadd and Todd narrated by Joan Cusack-I liked this story and the narration is good. I did feel a bit sad in the end though. I felt like Tadd and Todd wanted to be unique and instead resigned to the fact that they were twins and had to be like each other. I would have liked to see them be able to embrace their originality instead of accepting they are the same. Maybe this was me projecting my adult-self onto the story. I think kids will find it fun and maybe find comfort in the fact that siblings are there with you as "peas in a pod".

Steak for Supper narrated by Edward Hermann-This story made me laugh and it was another strong classic Dr. Seuss. Filled with a menagerie of Seuss creatures, this one has lots of humor and silliness. It also has a nice twist to add to the humor. The narration helped make this one of the stand out stories of the book for me.

The Strange Shirt Spot narrated by William H. Macy-A great story with great narration! This is somewhat of an adventure story as a young boy can't get a dirty spot off anything! The trials of cleaning make for some laugh out loud fun and the end is sure to have parents and kids giggling with it's "oh so true" statement. This was another favorite story.

The Great Henry McBride narrated by Peter Dinklage-I enjoyed this story of a dreamer. The narration is fantastic and makes it a likable story. I also liked the idea of the story-that you can dream anything and no goal is too lofty. Peter Dinklage is another narrator that I would love to have narrate more audiobooks. One of the stand out stories and one of my favorites.

If you do listen to the audio, make sure you listen to the commentary at the end (which is the introduction in the book). It adds a lot to the book to examine each story and learn where they came from. The whole audio is about an hour long and worth every minute!! Great for readers of all ages, this would be a great audiobook for families and to introduce young listeners to the audio format.

Full Disclosure: Audiobook provided by my local library

Tween Tuesday: Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes

2011-12-06T11:30:00.000-06:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your link below.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary/Novel in Verse

Release Date: 9/13/2011

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About the Book: Joylin is finding herself at the crossroads of middle school. She's always been content the way she is, playing basketball and enjoying her friend's. But now her best girl friend is flirting with her best guy friend and basketball seems different. Then Joylin notices Santiago and suddenly her clothes aren't right, she wants Santiago to notice her, and Joylin is feeling a bit left out. Why does middle school have to be so confusing?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Planet Middle School is a short and sweet novel in verse. I listened to this book on audio and while I could tell it was written in verse, it still worked well on audio. I really enjoyed the narrator and she really drew me into the story and made Jaylin come to life.

The book itself is short (the audiobook is just over an hour), but I felt with the narration the character's came to life. I felt for Jaylin and the confusing time middle school can be. She's always been a bit tomboyish and now that she's interested in Santiago, she feels she has to change.

Because of the length, the book wraps up fairly quickly with Jaylin learning a lesson about life a bit too easily. I did like that the ending is not fairy tale-ish but instead rings true and realistic-and Jaylin is OK with that. I think the subject matter of navigating the tricky time of change in middle school is covered nicely. Give this to tweens looking for a quick, relatable a read.

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from audiobook version checked out from my local library

Picture Book Saturday

2011-12-03T13:12:00.000-06:00

I've always loved reading picture books, but since I took on my new position as Youth Services Manager, I've been reading picture books a lot more. I'm hoping to start reviewing picture books more regularly on the blog-you're never too old for picture books!!

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet

How many times have I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and just accepted those balloons without wondering how they were created? That's what I love about this book-it introduces readers into a little known history of the balloons in the parade. I watched this year's parade with much more interest. The text is accessible and the story is simple enough for younger readers. A great new treat to read over the holidays!

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

When it snows where do the animals go? Told through parallel verse, we see what happens above the snow and underneath. The narrator is skiing over the snow and reader's get a glimpse of what is going on underneath her feet as she makes her journey. The text and illustrations are both beautiful and the book ends with an author's note discussing how animals survive in the snow. There was a point where a fox jumps on a mouse scurrying under the snow which might be a bit unsettling for young sensitive readers who might think all the illustrated animals are sweet. Overall it's a fantastic look at animals in the winter and I think it would be a great classroom read for elementary students.

YA Movie News

2011-12-02T08:00:00.002-06:00

-The Ender's Game movie is gaining speed. Hugo star Asa Butterfield will have the title role and it looks like True Grit star Hailee Steinfeld will be joining him. The movie is set to release in 2013. Thanks to Hollywood Reporter for the news!

-How did I miss the news about a Les Miserables musical movie? So far the film has Russel Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Hugh Jackman in the cast and rumor is Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift, Evan Rachel Wood, and Lea Michele are all in the running for Eponine. I think my pick would be Lea Michele, but I'm really not a big fan of this list. Who would you pick? Thanks to NY Post for the news.

-Matt Phelan's graphic novel, The Storm in the Barn, has been optioned for a live action feature film. The film has Marti Noxon, who wrote and produced for Buffy and Mad Men producing and David Goodman, who has worked on Fringe and Angel is writing the script. I like those kind of connections!! Thanks to Betsy Bird for the news.

-Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game are coming back January 2! ABC family will be airing marathons of the shows before the new season starts during the day, so you can catch up!

I am so excited for Downton Abbey Season 2, especially after this preview! Maybe we should have a blogger watch/recap/discuss after each episode? Who's with me?

Watch Downton Abbey Season 2 With or Without You Preview on PBS. See more from MASTERPIECE.

Star Trek Opposites

2011-11-30T15:56:00.000-06:00

I'm a big geek and I love Star Trek-and I'm not afraid to admit it! So of course my geeky self was very excited when I saw this:

A Star Trek board book! You know what I'm going to be buying for gifts this Christmas!!

This Is Teen Guys Reads Giveaway

2011-11-30T08:00:00.005-06:00

Looking for some great guys reads to gift this holiday season? Scholastic's This Is Teen has you covered with three exciting books perfect for guys (or girls) looking for something to read!

About the Book: “The Eleventh Plague hits disturbingly close to home…An excellent, taut debut novel.” – Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade for food and other items essential for survival. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true, where there are real houses, barbecues, a school, and even baseball games. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank on the town bully’s family that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing forever.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Know someone who likes survival stories? The Eleventh Plague would be great. In some ways it reminded me of The Walking Dead (minus zombies) with the post- apocalyptic world and struggling to maintain a semblance of what life used to be and what we want it to be.

About the Book: Before the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teen. But a head-on collision with high technology has turned him into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. And they’re having an extraordinary effect on his every thought. Because now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could. But with his new powers comes a choice: Seek revenge on the vicious gangs who rule the South London housing project where he lives, and who violated his friend Lucy? Or keep quiet and move on? Not even the search engine in his head can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy’s actions. A wifi, thriller by YA master Kevin Brooks.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Know a techie? iBoy is a thriller with lots of technical aspects as well as a science fiction feel to it.

About the Book: Before The Book Thief, Markus Zusak wrote a trilogy of novels about the Wolfe brothers: The Underdogs, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, and Getting the Girl. Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are champions at getting into fights, coming up with half-baked schemes, and generally disappointing girls, their parents, and their much more motivated older siblings. They’re intensely loyal to each other, brothers at their best and at their very worst. But when Cameron falls head over heels for Ruben’s girlfriend, the strength of their bond is tested to its breaking point.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Underdogs is my personal favorite! The Wolfe brothers are memorable and I immediately liked them. Each book reads like a teenage boys ramblings and is sure to appeal to guy readers.

Want to win copies of each book? One lucky winner will recieve a copy of The Eleventh Plague, iBoy, and Underdogs! Leave a comment below to enter!

-Open to US Shipping Address Only

-Must be 13+ to enter

-One entry per person

-Contest ends December 7, midnight CT

Good Luck!!

Tween Tuesday: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

2011-11-29T07:52:00.000-06:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens. Join the fun and add your post below.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Release Date: First published in 1972

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About the Book: What happens when the meanest kids around want to appear in the annual Christmas Pageant? They don't know the story and everyone is braced for the worst pageant yet. But the Herdman's are about to change the Christmas Pageant in a way no one will forget.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I can't believe I haven't read this book before. Every Christmas I tell myself I'm going to pick it up and I never get to it. This is I checked it out and read it in one sitting (it's a short little book).

I can see why this is a favorite book of many readers. The Herdmans are memorable characters and their antics are pretty funny. I was expecting more humor and silly things to happen at the pageant, so I was a bit dissapointed there.

Even though the book was written in the 70's, I didn't think it felt outdated at all and I think tweens today could still relate to the fear of bullies, gossiping adults, and a new way of trying things.

A fun holiday book for all ages!

Liesl & Po Spirit of the Holidays Giveaway!

2011-11-27T13:31:00.000-06:00

I am so happy to announce that GreenBeanTeenQueen is one of the hosts for Lauren Oliver's Liesl & Po Holiday Giveaway! If you're like me, you love giving books at the Holidays! Here are the giveaway details from Lauren:

"I am so happy to announce a massive SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON GIVEAWAY!
The holidays, as we all know, are a time of sharing--and frantic, last-minute gift-buying. In order to do my part to celebrate, I will be giving one lucky reader one signed and gift-wrapped copy of Liesl & Po, perfect as a present for under the tree (or beneath the Menorah!).

I am thrilled to announce that I will be co-hosting this contest along with ten other fabulous bloggers and avid fans of L & P, so be sure to enter early and enter often! A winner will be selected from EACH blog, meaning that ten copies of Liesl & Po will land in the hands of a lucky child this holiday season.

Winners will be selected on 12/12!
I'm so sorry to all my international friends, but this is US and Canada-only."

Want to win?
-Leave a comment below including the name of a book that's on your Holiday Wish List!
-Open to US & Canada Shipping Address Only
-Include e-mail for contacting if winner
-Winner will be chosen by Random.org

Want to up your chances of winning? Be sure to visit Lauren's Blog and the other bloggers who are part of the giveaway tour!

www.thereaderbee.com
www.proudbooknerd.com
chickloveslit.com
booktwirps.com
www.pureimaginationblog.com
http://www.hookedtobooks.com
www.readingvacation.net/2011/10/liesl-and-po-book-review.html
www.starryskybooks.com
www.stuckinbooks.com

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi PLUS Giveaway

2011-11-23T08:30:00.001-06:00

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Genre: Dystopian/Superhero/Adventure/Science Fiction

Release Date: 11/15/2011

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About the Book: Juliette is dangerous. Her touch can kill. The Reestablishment locked her up for murder and she's been in isolation and hasn't spoken to anyone for 264 days. Until The Reestablishment decides they want to use Juliette and her powers. She could be the ultimate weapon. But there are murmurings of war, of rebellion. Juliette must decide just where her loyalties lie-be a weapon or be a warrior.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Shatter Me is an exciting debut that will be a great book to booktalk to fans of romantic adventure stories. The book keeps getting compared to the X-Men and it's easy to see why-Juliette has special powers and she's viewed as a strange being (much like a mutant). While there is a dystopian setting, but the dystopian aspects are very light. There are lots of questions left unanswered about the dystopian world Juliette lives in, The Reestablishment, and how the world got to where it is. (Maybe these will be answered in books two and three as this is the start to a trilogy). So if you have hardcore dystopian fans, they may be disappointed in the lighter dystopian setting.

If you have romance fans, on the other hand, give this book to them now. Juliette and Adam have a steamy romance that is sure to please fans of epic romances. Juliette and Adam share a past, but there's still a bit of insta-love. There's also a lot of concentration on the romance aspect (I think there were just as many adventure scenes as there were make out scenes!) so make sure you have readers that want a book heavy in the romance and lighter on the dystopian. Not that I disliked this, (I like romance in my stories) but I wasn't expecting it to be such a heavy part of the story.

Even though there is a lot of romance, the book is still action packed and there are several memorable scenes that are just the right blend of action, adventure and creepy dystopia. Juliette and Adam were engaging enough to keep me reading-I liked learning about Juliette's powers and her story. I also found the strikeouts throughout the book that supposedly tell Juliette's inner thoughts to be an interesting plot device and I liked getting that extra peek into what Juliette was really thinking.

The character that was the real standout to me and what made me really enjoy the book was Warner. Warner is the "evil bad guy" to the story and man is he a creep! I thought of him as a cross between Lucius Malfoy and President Snow, so you can imagine what a crazy bad guy he is! We don't know much about Warner, but he made my skin crawl and he was so creeptastic that I loved it. (That doesn't make me weird, right?) I want to read more just because I want to know what he'll do next and how exactly Juliette plans to take him down.

The end of the book is very much a set up for the sequel, so readers will be left hanging with lots of questions. Shatter Me is a page turner that is sure to leave readers wanting more.

Book Pairings: The Quantum Prophecy by Michael Carroll, Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from finished copy sent by publicist

Want to win a copy?
One lucky winner will receive a copy of Shatter Me!
-Must be 13+
-US Shipping Address (no P.O. boxes)
-Contest ends November 30, midnight, CT

Leave comment below to enter-good luck!

Tween Tuesday: Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

2011-11-22T08:30:00.000-06:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your link below!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: 9/19/2011

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About the Book: Mattie and her mom have moved too many times for Mattie's liking. Mattie hoping that this time moving in with Uncle Potluck will last-no more being the new girl. Mattie has a week until school starts which means one week to convince Uncle Potluck to take her on as a custodial apprentice. If Mattie writes everything down in her notebook and can convince Uncle Potluck he needs her, she can work with him at recess-away from the other fifth-graders. But what will happen when Mattie's custodial wisdom doesn't work the way she plans?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I've been a big fan of Linda Urban's since reading her debut, A Crooked Kind of Perfect. It's one of my go-to tween novels, so I was thrilled when I saw she had a new book out! Once again, Linda Urban shows that she is a master of middle grade.

Mattie is painfully shy. So much so that she gets nervous thinking about talking to other kids and introducing herself and doesn't want to spend recess with her peers. Because of her shyness, Mattie is hesitant to make a new friend in Quincy. She fears that Quincy is older and will find her babyish and she imagines that Quincy is avoiding her because she doesn't like her. It's hard for her to make friends, but part of the novel is about opening yourself up and learning to break through being shy. That's not to say that Mattie becomes miss outgoing by the end-her journey is a quiet journey, much like Mattie herself. A small step in friendship is a huge step for Mattie and you can't help but cheer her on.

Mattie is also a writer and she struggles with writing after a girl from her previous school makes fun of her stories. She worries about her writing and worries what others will think. She really wants to write but she's afraid to after getting teased. Mattie is a sensitive girl and she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.

I was very much like Mattie when I was younger. I was very sensitive and shy. There were times I even had to psych myself up to talk to someone. I could very much relate to Mattie and Ms. Urban got it spot on! This was a book that I wish I could hand over to my tween-self and say "it's OK, I know it's hard but you can do it." Tweens who feel the same way will relate and understand Mattie's shyness. Readers who might not be shy will still understand why Mattie is the way she is-Ms. Urban gives us enough depth to Mattie to really understand her and get to know her.

The supporting cast is great. Uncle Potluck is hilarious and he tells some wild stories you can't help but wish might be true. Quincy has her own secrets and makes a great counterpart to Mattie.

There's not a lot of action in this book. Instead it's a quiet, character-driven story. Much of the story is left to the reader to infer (some of Mattie's story, Quincy's backstory, and details about Uncle Potluck and the Principal) but I don't think there's anything that readers wouldn't catch onto. A sweet story about friendship, family, and shyness, Hound Dog True is a book I'm adding to my "must have" tween collection.

Book Pairings: Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis, Pie by Sarah Weeks

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from ARC sent by Amazon Vine Program

Holiday Themed Reading List

2011-11-21T09:00:00.002-06:00

To help get you geared up for the 2011 Holiday Reading Challenge I thought I'd get together a list of Holiday themed books I've enjoyed and books I'm looking forward to reading this year. I'd love to hear your suggestions as well-I'm always looking for new Holiday themed books!

Sarah's Suggestions:

Thank You Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson-A great look at the story behind Thanksgiving.

Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed-I discovered this book several years back and it's now a tradition that Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan and I read this book every year. Last year, we had friends over for Christmas and I held "storytime" and read this book aloud! I'll be taking it to my in-laws and sharing it this year. I love the magic of the story.

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle-Christmas and romance goes together and this short story collection of three romances that intertwine is perfect with hot chocolate!

Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Jules-I discovered this book this year and I love the sweet look at how different families celebrate "Turkey Day"

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas-I read this in one sitting last year! It's a nice holiday romance that doesn't have a ton of cheese. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series.

The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber-OK, don't roll your eyes! (I know, I always think of Grandma's reading Debbie Macomber's books too!) I was surprised by how much I liked this book. It read a lot like a romantic comedy which I liked.

If Only in My Dreams by Wendy Markham-Christmas, Romance, Time Travel, and 1940s-that's I all I need to know-I'm sold!!

Books in my TBR pile that I'm looking forward to reading:

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern
Ex-Mas by Kate Brian
Home In Time for Christmas by Heather Graham
A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas
Let It Snow by Fern Michaels, Virgina Henley, Holly Chamberlin, Marcia Evanick
Holiday Affair by Lisa Plumley
Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

Even More Holiday Reading:

The Prince and the Snowgirl by Simon Cheshire
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Winter's Child by Cameron Dokey
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
Winter's Kiss: The Ex Games and The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jennifer Echols & Catherine Hapka
Wintertown by Stephen Emond
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
Mistletoe by Aimee Friedman, Hailey Abbott, Nina Malkin, Melissa De La Cruz
French Kissmass by Catherine Hapka
The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman
Snowed In by Rachel Hawthorne
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
Babymouse: A Very Babymouse Christmas by Jennifer Holm & Matthew Holm
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
Fury by Elizabeth Miles
Snow in Love by Claire Ray
Jingle Boy by Kieran Scott
Kissing Snowflakes by Abby Sher
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

2011 Holiday Reading Challenge Review Links

2011-11-20T15:36:00.001-06:00

Participating in the 2011 Holiday Reading Challenge? Post the links to your holiday reviews here! Don't forget to check out other participants reviews-sharing is part of the fun!!:)

2011 Holiday Reading Challenge

2011-11-20T15:32:00.004-06:00

It's that time of year!! The holidays are upon us and there is nothing I love more than reading holiday themed books! Every year I try to find some holiday books (I especially love holiday romances!) so I thought I would share the fun in challenge form.

Here are the challenge rules:

-Challenge will begin November 21 and end December 31.

-There are three levels to the challenge:

-Rudolph-Read 1-4 Holiday Themed Books

-Buddy the Elf-Read 5-9 Holiday Themed Books

-Santa Claus-Read 10+ Holiday Themed Books

-Books read must be holiday themed-(Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc) and can be directly related to the holidays (i.e. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas) or set around the holidays (i.e. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor)

-Books can be any format (hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, graphic novel/comic, etc)

-Childrens, YA and Adult titles count. Yes, picture books will count for this challenge! I have some go-to picture books I always read around this time of year! Which means...

-Re-reads are allowed! As is overlap with other reading challenges.

-Extra Credit Level!

Mrs. Claus-Watch any number of Holiday Themed movies and post about them

-Prizes!! Yes, there will be prizes! One entry for every link you include on the challenge linky. Prizes will be awarded throughout the challenge (candy and books!) and the grand prize is a book of your choice (up to $10) from the Book Depository.

YA Movie News

2011-11-18T10:46:00.000-06:00

-The biggest news this week is The Hunger Games trailer! It looks amazing and I can't wait for the movie!

-In other Hunger Games news, Lionsgate is eyeing Simon Beaufoy, who wrote the script for Slumdog Millionare, to write the script for Catching Fire. I'm hoping Suzanne Collins gets to help with the script again. I always get a bit nervous when they change script writers in a series. Thanks to MTV for the news.

-Set your DVRs! Neil Gaiman will be appearing on The Simpsons Sunday.

-Breaking Dawn Part One releases today-are you going to see it?

-According to Early Word, Tim Burton will develop a big screen adaption of the YA novel Miss Peregrine's home for Peculiar Children. I think this is a great pairing, don't you?

-Casting news for the The Host was announced this week. Max Irons will star as Jared. Thanks to Shelf-Awareness for the news.

-Exciting news from PBS who announced their Winter/Spring 2012 lineup. Downton Abbey Season Two will air starting January 8 for seven weeks. The show was also picked up for a season three so there is even more Downton Abbey to come! Also on the lineup is Sherlock Season Two which airs May 6.

-Last week we were given the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman. This week, the trailer for Mirror, Mirror aired. They both look good in their own way. Mirror Mirror is the more comical version and I really like Julia Roberts as the Queen!

Help Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan Find a New Read!

2011-11-16T08:16:00.000-06:00

If you've read my blog, you know Mr. GreenBeanSexyman (aka Andy, my husband). He enjoys reading, yet he is the one person who can continually stump me when it comes to finding him something to read.

You see, he loves epic fantasy and that's the one genre I don't really read (well, adult epic fantasy). Here are his rules:

-Swords and Sorcery
-Dragons a plus
-No Guns (although I made him read an article from Brandon Sanderson about his new book with guns and I'm hoping that changes his mind ;)
-Prefer male main characters, but open to some female main characters
-Would like it to be a series that is still being written that has some following and reviews
-Intelligible names-(if he has to look up a pronunciation, chances are he won't read it)
-Complex characters and plot
-No D&D World-he's read many of them

See what I mean?

He's enjoyed Harry Potter, Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind, and Riftwar Saga by Raymond Fiest, The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss.

(He's trying Robert Jordan but says the characters are too simple)

So I'm turning to you, dear blog readers. Will you help me find a book for Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan to read? He's open to adult and some YA.

And dear readers, will you PLEASE help me convince him that if he doesn't like a book he can put it down?? :)

Tween Tuesday: The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

2011-11-15T09:06:00.001-06:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great books for tweens. Join the fun and add your link below!

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Genre: Fantasy/Dystopian

Release Date: 8/30/2011

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About the Book: In the world of Quill, when you turn 13 you are either kept or sent to the Death Farm. Alex has always known that he was an Unwanted and that his twin brother, Aaron, was Wanted. When Alex arrives at the death farm expecting his end, he discovers a place called Artime. The leader, Mr. Today, explains that the Unwanteds are all creative children and will learn magic using music and art. But twins are dangerous to be seperated and Alex still feels a pull to his brother in Quill. A battle between Artime and Quill is brewing and both sides must learn to protect themselves, including brother fighting against brother.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I have seen many reviews and blurbs for this book describing it as The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter. The book is very much a dystopian Harry Potter and there are many similarities that made it seem like the story was borrowing a bit too much from Harry Potter's world. (A mysterious school, one friends who is very smart and excels in all her classes, a grumpy enemy, a "white wizard" type leader/mentor, mysterious creatures) I know these are all tropes of middle grade fantasy, so maybe I shouldn't be too hard on these plot devices.

What I really loved was the premise that A group of creative kids are purged from a society because creativity is "unwanted" only to discover a whole new world where creativity equals magic. Not only are they wanted here but they are needed because they have power. As a kid who was interested in the arts than anything else, I felt that this was especially empowering to young readers.

I didn't really connect with any of the characters, which made the book a bit let interesting to me. This might have been due to the audiobook narrator, who was good, but also read in a bit of a deep, monotone at times. (I really liked him as a narrator, but his voice was very soothing and easy to listen to, I just would have liked more distinct character voices.) Alex was the most annoying to me. From the beginning, I got the impression that Aaron could care less about his twin, yet Alex is always wondering about Aaron and wanting to help him. I kept wanting to tell him to get over it already-his brother was mean and didn't care that Alex was being sent away to begin with so he should stop trying to risk things to contact him! I do think tween readers will connect with Alex though and maybe find him less frustrating than I did. I also felt that none of the other characters were fleshed out that well-I never really cared about any of them.

The story gets a bit dark, but it's no darker than other middle grade dystopian like Among the Hidden or Gregor the Overlander. Even though it wasn't really for me, I think tweens will eat it up. A good book if you have fantasy or dystopian fans who are looking for a new series.

The Hunger Games Trailer

2011-11-14T17:11:00.002-06:00

OK, I know you've probably seen this everywhere else today, but I wanted to make sure my previous posts for today got some love before I posted this one. All I can say is WOW! I am even more excited for the movie now and I think it's going to be amazing. It looks like they are staying true to the book and I love the casting!

What do you think?

Inteview with Anna Carey, author of Eve, PLUS Giveaway

2011-11-14T09:01:00.004-06:00

Photo credit: Kristin Hoebermann

Eve on Facebook

Eve on Twitter

Please welcome author Anna Carey to GreenBeanTeenQueen! Anna is the author of the recently released novel, Eve, the first in a new dystopian trilogy. Be sure to stay posted on all the series news at The Eve Trilogy Website and stay in touch with Anna with her blog.

Eve has been optioned as a TV show from the producers of The Vampire Diaries, so you'll want to keep an eye on this series! Don't worry-I'll help you out! One lucky winner will recieve a signed copy of Eve!

Note: There are some spoilers in the interview, so if you want to be surprised with the book, you've been warned!!

Welcome Anna and thanks for answering some questions at GreenBeanTeenQueen!

As I started reading Eve, I was thinking that the dystopian stories that freak me out the most are stories that involve repopulation and girls who become "baby factories." That beginning scene in Eve is so intense! What inspiration didyou have for the dystopian world that Eve is set in?

I completely agree--those aspects of the book were some of the scariest to write. I'm in this new phase of my life where many friends are pregnant, have children, or are trying to have them.Female friends are talking about their biological clocks in complete seriousness. There's this unspoken pressure on women to have children "before it's too late". It can feel very restricting. Eve came from several different places, but that was probably one of them.

I'm in that same stage-everyone around me is having babies. Maybe that's why it freaked me out so much!

There's a romance storyline in Eve, but the book has so much more than romance. Was it important to have a romantic aspect in the book?

Definitely. At Eve's School all the girls are taught to fear men. They're told that men are dangerous, violent, and manipulative, and any romantic relationship will be their undoing. I alwaysknew the fastest way for Eve to break free of her past and all the lies she's been taught was to meet a boy who she develops feelings for. Caleb is everything the Teachers told her men are not--he's kind, empathetic, loving, and trustworthy. Her relationshipwith him helps her grow as a character.

What type of dystopian world do you think has the most chance of ever becoming real?

I'd argue dystopian societies are already real. We're lucky to live in a country where we can protest the government without fear of punishment, where woman can wear whatever they chose and we can "Like" the Occupy movement on facebook or disagree with our President on twitter. That's not the case in other places in the world.

So true. You're right, there are lots of socities that are out there that are very dystopian in nature and they are very real.

OK, let's ask some fun questions! If you were stranded on an island, what five books would you want with you?

Fat, dense books that would take months to get through and understand. All hardcovers, so that if I encountered any Lost-esque Others they could double as weapons. How about: Brothers Karamazov, Infinite Jest, Les Miserables, War and Peace, and Finnegan's Wake? I haven't read any of those, but they'd definitely keep me busy for awhile.

Good plan! Who is your literary crush?

Dave Eggers. Not in a Tiger Beat, hang a poster on my ceiling, he-gives-me-butterflies type way though. I discovered Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius in college, after a long bout ofdoing nothing but required reading. I was pretty tired of slugging through books on my syllabus. HWOSG reminded me why I love to read. Even more than that, I volunteered for years at 826NYC, part of a nationwide tutoring program he founded. Having free afterschool tutoring was this amazing resource for the Brooklyn neighborhood I lived in. (PS: My literary girl crush is JK Rowling.)

What do you think the appeal of dystopian fiction is for teens?

Overall I had a positive high school experience, but I remember feeling really trapped. You don’t have control over your life—who’s “popular” and who’s not, who’s being bullied and what’s being said. Even some teachers can be inappropriate (the minority, but still). Everything can feel kind of arbitrary. Like something you must be a part of though you’d never actively chose to be. Dystopian novels speak directly to those feelings. They show characters stepping outside of the roles the world has created for them. That’s inspiring.

I think you're right about that feeling of being trapped and wanting to do something. I think that's a big appeal point for readers. You've have a lot of interesting jobs in the past (face painter, nanny, sofa saleswoman). What made you decide you wanted to write for teens?

I grew up on The Babysitters Club--I had hundreds of those books. Out of all the teachers and authors who've I've read or been influenced by, I can honestly say I owe the most to Ann M. Martin.That series helped me think of myself as a reader, which in turn helped me realize I was a writer. The Babysitters Club was my gateway drug to the reading and writing life.

I loved The Babysitters Club too-what a good gateway drug!:) Thanks so much for the interview Anna!

Want to win a signed copy of Eve? Leave a comment below to enter (please include blog or e-mail so I can contact you!

-Must be 13+ older

-Must have US Shipping Address

-One Entry Per Person

-Contest Ends Friday, November 18 at midnight CT

Eve by Anna Carey

2011-11-14T09:01:00.001-06:00

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Genre: Dystopian

Release Date: 10/4/2011

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About the Book: In a not too far off future, a virus has swept through and wiped out most of the population. Eve is about to graduate and believes that she will now get a job and learn a new trade. Instead she discovers the horrible fate that really awaits her and the other girls at the school.

Deciding she can't stay, Eve flees the school and tries to survive. After a life of learning about the evils of men and how boys will only hurt her, Eve isn't sure what to do when she encounters a group of boys. She begins to trust Caleb, but when Eve discovers she is being hunted, she must choose between love and life.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Eve starts out by putting the reading right into the action. We don't spend much time with Eve at school-instead we learn right away what Eve is fleeing from-and let me tell you, it's an intense scene that will grip you! It's just the right amount of creepy horror and I don't blame Eve for wanting to run away.

This all happens in the first few chapters of the book, so the book starts with a big bang and then takes a bit of a more leisurely pace with Eve's survival. I was still interested in Eve's story, and it's not to say the book is slow at all-it's not. I listened to it on audiobook and was hooked and had to keep listening. It's a nice blend of a character-driven storyline and action which kept me reading. The audiobook narrator was good and had a nice soothing voice which made this book easy to listen to.

The dystopian world in Eve is one I have lots of questions about. I wanted to know more about the King and New America. Why did he want Eve? How did he come into power? Not much is given about how the world got this way so there is still lots of be answered and I'm hoping this comes in future volumes since this is a series.

Eve is a typical heroine-she's beautiful, she's kind, she's shy. This is understandable given her background and the way she grew up, so I wasn't too hard on her. I think her chance to grow and become kick butt will come. I loved her friend Arden-now she rocked. She was cool and smart and the type of girl I would want by my side if I was stuck in a dystopian novel!

There is romance to the story, but it's not the main focus of the book. I would give this to readers who want dystopian mixed with romance and enjoy star-crossed romances. You've been warned-the ending-not fair at all and it's a pretty painful cliffhanger! I'm looking forward to seeing where Anna Carey takes us next.

Book Pairings: Matched by Ally Condie, Wither by Lauren DeStefano (for the star-crossed romance), Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick (for the survival story)

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from audiobook purchased on Audible

YA Movie News

2011-11-11T11:10:00.000-06:00

-Big news this week about The Hunger Games movie! The trailer for the movie will air on Monday's (11/14) Good Morning America, so set those DVRs!

-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two is on sale today. Be sure to get your copy because Warner Brothers will stop selling the films in December.

-MGM has acquired the rights to a live action film version of the popular Where's Waldo books. Not sure what I think, but Waldo remains popular at my library, so I'm sure the tweens would love it! Thanks to Cynopsis Kids for the news.

-There are rumors about an upcoming Carmen Sandiego movie! Walden Media has acquired the rights to the film and Jennifer Lopez is producing and possibly starring in the film. I'm OK with this as long as Rockapella get to do the soundtrack! Thanks to Entertainment Weekly for the news.

-Snow White and The Huntsman has a trailer out. Of the two upcoming Snow White films, this one is the dark, action packed one. The trailer has me interested!

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

I Support Hold Still

2011-11-10T09:00:00.003-06:00

Oh, Missouri. When will you stop banning books? Today I found out that the novel Hold Still by Nina LaCour is being challenged by parents in Blue Springs Missouri. The book has been removed from the school, despite only having a verbal complaint, and is being challenged for language and eight other books on the list are being challenged for "vulgarity and acts of sex, incest and homosexuality." This banning hurts for several reasons-I hate when books are challenged and banned and this is happening in the state I live in.

But this banning is very personal to me because Hold Still is on the Gateway Reader's Award List for 2011-2012 and I was part of the committee that voted on that list. The Gateway booklist is compiled by Missouri Librarians for high school students to read. If students read four or more titles in the year, they can vote on the list and choose which book they think is the best book that year. The goals of the Gateway Award are simple:

To encourage Missouri young adults in grades nine through twelve to select and read quality literature that appeals to their needs, interests and reading levels.
To recognize and honor outstanding works in young adult literature.
To develop a cooperative relationship among schools, libraries and teens.
To encourage the development of school and public library services to teens.

The Gateway Committee reads and nominates titles throughout the year. There are lots of nominations and two meetings during the nomination process. In August, the committee meets to vote and narrow down the master list of nominees to a list of 25 preliminary titles. Those preliminary titles are then sent to reader selectors, a group of readers that include teachers, librarians, parents and most importantly, teens themselves. In December the reader selectors send in their votes and rankings and the master list is compiled. The teen votes matter and this a teen choice award. Last year's Gateway list had 112,000 votes were cast by students for their favorite titles.

I read Hold Still and felt that it deserved a place on the list. So did the other committee members, reader selectors and teens. In my review of Hold Still, I commented that

"Suicide books can be hard to get right-you don't want them too angsty and angry or too mushy and preachy and I think the author had a nice balance here....Overall this is a beautifully written book about healing and I really hope it makes the list."

One of the points of criteria for the Gateway Award is that "Books should be of literary value which may enrich teenagers' personal lives." Hold Still is a touching novel about grief, friendship, depression, and recovering from loss. Sadly, many teens have to deal with these issues and I found Hold Still to have a hope that it gets better and that you can get through depressing times in life, no matter how hard it may seem at the time.

Is every book on the list going to be for every reader? No. That's why the final list has 15 titles-to give teens a variety of books to choose from. The list is put together by a committee of professional librarians and then given to teen reader selectors for their input before the final list is made. Teens voted on Hold Still, as well as the other titles on the list, and chose what they felt were the books that should make up the final list of 15. I believe that Hold Still deserves a place on the list and I support Hold Still.

Update: The other eight titles they have flagged on the list are:

Fat Cat by Robin Brande
The Morgue and Me by John C. Ford
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
King of the Screwups by K.L. Going
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
Food, Girls and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff

Judge A Book By It's Cover

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

I love book covers and the more time I spend browsing books, the more I notice what appeals to me in a cover. There are lots of cover changes that happen-some for the better, some for the worst. And every once in awhile there are cover changes that make the book change for a book I wasn't interested to into a book I want to pick up and read right now! Nothing has changed, it's the same story, same writing, but the cover markets to me in a different way and now I'm interested. Here are some of my recently judged books:
First up, Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan:

-The hardcover is OK, but it doesn't stand out to me at all. There's nothing about this cover that makes me want to pick the book or know more about the story. It's easily forgettable. But the paperback is more interesting:

-To me, this cover has more intrigue. I want to know about the story inside-it looks a bit mysterious and dark and I want to pick it up.

Next up: Nothing by Janne Teller

-This cover just bores me. There isn't anything about it that makes it interesting. I really don't like the splattering of purple-it looks off and looks like someone spilled something on the book instead of really making a statement about the contents inside. Here's the paperback:

-I'm still not in love with the cover, but this looks cleaner to me. I also feel like this cover reflects the darkness and the sadness of the book and makes me a bit more interested than the first cover.

Sometimes a reissue of a cover can really save a book!

Amanda Miranda by Richard Peck

-I'll admit, as far as 80's/90's book covers go, this one isn't bad. It's not great, but it's not terrible 80's either. But I would still have a hard time selling this books to teens with this outdated cover on it. It looks OK, but nothing special. So I was thrilled when I saw that the book is being reissued with this new cover:

-Mystery, suspense, and maybe some romance is what this cover says to me. I could see this book flying off my library shelf, especially for fans of historical fiction and readers who enjoyed The Luxe series. I think the black and white cover looks sleek and it makes me want to read this book now!

Another cover issue that I think is my favorite:

Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman

-This cover is such a stereotypical, unfortunate science fiction cover. It's like the publisher really wanted you to get that it's in the future and there might be some sort of formula and maybe some time travel. It's weird, it's boring and it makes the book look much more dated than it is (it was published in 2002, but the cover seems much older to me). But the cover reissue looks much better:

-I really like this cover! It's bright and colorful without having too much going on. I also think it gives a science fiction feel without using the steroetypes of the hardcover. There's something about it I find striking and I'm interested in knowing more.

So what do you think? Do these cover makeovers make you interested in the books? Any other cover makeovers that have made you go from not caring to adding the book to your wish list?

Tween Tuesday: The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander

2011-11-08T09:08:00.001-06:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your link below.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Mystery

Release Date: 2/8/2011

About the Book: Need some advice or help? Need protection from a bully? Visit the fourth stall, where Mac and Vince can offer their advice and assistance-for a fee, of course. Mac can solve problems and Vince is a whiz with money. Both boys are huge Chicago Cubs fans and they're saving up to see the Cubs in the World Series. When an older kid threatens the middle schoolers to pay up on their sports gambling debts, Mac and Vince are in for their biggest assignment yet.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: The Fourth Stall is a funny noir-style tale of good guys and bad guys set in middle school. There is a memorable cast of characters, especially the various bullies that Mac and Vince use for favors in their buisness. While some of the storyline is over the top, the book is a lot of fun. The boys friendship and middle school politics ring true.

The mystery is great and offers a few twists in the story to keep readers guessing. There is lots of humor and the book should appeal to readers of the Wimpy Kid books. I listened to the audiobook version which was very entertaining and I would recommend the book on audio as well. If you have mystery fans at your library, be sure to introduce them to this one. There's a sequel coming next year as well, so Mac and Vince's adventures aren't over just yet!

Cover Comments: I really love the cover, but I wonder if tweens will get the reference to The Godfather. Even if they don't, I think the cover is funny and I think tweens will like it.

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from audiobook purchased from Audible and finished copy sent from publisher

Why I Think Books Will Last

2011-11-07T09:00:00.002-06:00

Whenever I meet someone new and tell them I'm a librarian, it seems they always ask the same thing-"what do you think of ebooks?" It's like they think I'm going to tell them ebooks are evil and going to be the end of the world and we should stick to paper. When I mention that I own an ereader (I own three actually) they seem a little surprised, like a librarian can't embrace new technology. Which really, is the silliest thing-ebooks are not an enemy to the library, but another service the library offers.

I like my ereader. (Ok, mostly I like reading on an ereader because it makes me feel like I'm on Star Trek and I'll admit that that's the real reason I wanted one.) But there are things I've noticed about ereaders that make me stop and say "this is why books will last!" I can like ereaders, but I still see lots of problems with them. Granted, these might be somewhat device specific, but I think most ereaders have the same problems. Most of my ereader experience has been with the Sony Pocket Reader (in pink of course), but I've also read on the Kobo (the discounted Borders price appealed to me under the guise of "it's a gift for Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan!), and most recently the Nook Simple Touch.

I like to end reading on a chapter. I also like to flip and see how many pages I have left in a chapter to see how much I can keep reading before I really need to go to bed (or go to work, clean the house, make dinner-all that stuff that I have to do instead of read). But with an ereader, I can't do this. I have no way of knowing how many pages are left in a chapter. I know how many pages are left in the book, but that doesn't help when I say "just one more chapter" and the chapter ends up being 50 pages longer than I wanted to read!
I can't flip between pages easily. I like to go back and look at things as I'm reading-was that the character mentioned earlier, how old was that person, what was the name of that thing again, etc. You can do this with ereaders but it makes it harder to flip pages. I can't as easily flip several pages to check something and flip back. Instead, I have to press buttons and it takes me a much longer time. I could go back to the table of contents (if there is one for that book, which many times on the egalleys I've read are not offered) and possibly search by chapter, but it's still a multi-step process. It's a lot more time intensive. Same thing if you're a reader who likes to flip to the end of the book to make sure things will turn out OK. I'm not a reader who does this, but I know readers who do, and this becomes much more difficult to do with a ebook.

When I was reading on my Sony one day my dog jumped onto my lap and somehow pressed a button with his paw that sent my book back to page one. That book was one of the aforementioned egalleys with no chapters. Since I had been knocked back the beginning and my ereader bookmarks the last page I was on, I had to slowly page my way page by page back to page 283. This was very annoying and time consuming!

Formatting can be off. This is a problem with reading with different text sizes. I really love having the option to change the text size, but it can be annoying when I read a full page of text and then turn to page only to find one or two words or lines left because my text size didn't leave enough room. I noticed that with the Kobo when I was trying to read egalleys I had to page left and right (that didn't last long-I gave up and read a print book instead). I've also noticed that words will be formatted strangely. This might be more in egalleys, so if anyone's noticed it in ebooks too, I'd love to know. I was reading an egalley the other day and noticed that words would be broken up like: fan tastic or be cause. Or the word would start on one line and be spaced down to the next with no hyphen. And this happened a lot! It slowed down my reading because I would have to stop and rethink the words.

I'll admit it-I'm a book eavesdropper. If you're reading a book around me, I'm going to try and figure out what you're reading. I can't help it-I love sharing books and there's nothing better than seeing someone read a book you loved and saying "isn't that book great!" You loose that with ereaders and instead reading become a more solitary act. By hiding what you're reading, you loose the camaraderie that comes with finding other readers who enjoy what you do. Ereaders make reading a lone act that others can't share in as easily.

Along with that, I loved what Elizabeth Bluemie talks about in her post "Is the Personal Library Doomed?" How many times do you go to friends houses and check out their bookcases? We were recently at a Halloween party of some newer acquaintances that hopefully will become closer friends. After seeing their bookshelf full of similar reading tastes, Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan turned to me and said, "I think we will be great friends!" to which I wholeheartdly agreed. Anyone who owns Harry Potter and Neil Gaiman's books are sure to be good friends of ours!

Similarly, you don't get to see what books are loved and what books are favorites. Sure, you can browse through someone's ereader and see what books they own or have been reading, but you can't see the wear and tear, notes, dog-eared (gasp!) pages, and worn covers that show the book has been read and loved over and over. There's nothing better than reading an old friend who shows the signs of being an old friend. I also love sharing books with my friends and I love when they browse my bookshelves and ask if they can borrow a book. You can still lend people books on ereaders, but I think it looses some of the magic when it's done electronically.

You can't read ebooks in the bathtub. OK, you could, but it's not as easy you probably wouldn't want to risk it. Ereaders can break-and somewhat easily too! My Sony started freezing up on me and I'd have to reset the whole thing just to get back to the book I was reading. When I was trying to fix it one day after it froze yet again, it dropped off my desk and the screen cracked, distorting the text-so goodbye ereader. My Nook so far is good, but it's had some freezing problems to with the page turning as well. Ereaders aren't designed to last long and this can make them very frustrating to read on when they are dying.

Don't get me wrong-I do enjoy my ereader. They are handy to have, especially when traveling since I'm the type of person that can't travel with just one book. But I think they are a nice accessory to reading and not the forever future of reading. For that I'll always take a printed book.

Book Blogger Holiday Swap

2011-11-06T17:19:00.000-06:00

The holidays are coming and there's nothing that I love more than giving books as gifts! Which is one of the reasons I love participating in the Book Blogger Holiday Swap every year. It's a great way to share the gift of reading with other bookworms like yourself! And it's fun to have a Secret Santa out there in the blogging world. Both years I've participated, I've been introduced to blogs that were new to me through my Santa. It's a fun and easy gift exchange and I hope you take part! But you have to hurry-sign ups for the swap close on Friday, November 11!

YA Movie News

2011-11-04T11:37:00.000-05:00

-The cast of The Hunger Games posed for a photo with Vanity Fair. The article featured a great photo slideshow of Katniss, Peeta and Gale, (Peeta is just so cute-love him!!) as well as an interview with Jennifer Lawrence.

-New York Times has a great behind the scenes slideshow of the upcoming film Hugo.

-Gotham Group has acquired the rights to the novel Where Things Come Back by Cory Whaley. My friend Heather read this book and loved it, so I can't wait to read it!

-Publishers Weekly reported that Davis Films has acquired the rights to P.C. and Kristin Cast's mega-popular vampire series House of Night.

-J.K. Rowling revealed this week that she nearly killed off Ron Weasley! I'm so glad she didn't-he's one of my favorite characters!

-Once Upon a Time has been given a full season order from ABC. I like the show, but Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan and I both wonder how they'll continue the story past a season. I also really liked the premiere of Grimm and loved that the aunt was a librarian!:) Did you watch either one?

-If you're hooked on Pretty Little Liars, good news! Pretty Little Liars will return on January 2 followed by The Lying Game on ABC Family.

-Lots of Hunger Games news from Cynopsis Kids:

Scholastic unveils plans to publish a fourth movie tie-in title for The Hunger Games movie, which opens in theaters March 23, 2012. The newest title, The Hunger Games Tribute Guide, a guide to the 24 Tributes featured in movie, will release on February 7, 2012, the same day as two other previously announced tie-in titles, The Hunger Games: Movie Tie-In Edition and The Hunger Games: Official Illustrated Movie Companion. Another already announced tie-in title, The World of The Hunger Games, will be released simultaneously with the movie.Additionally, a special gift edition of The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games Collector's Edition, featuring a foil slipcase and new Mockingjay artwork, cloth cover, and deckled edges, releases this month. The Hunger Games is the first book in the young adult The Hunger Games trilogy created by author and TV writer Suzanne Collins.

Interview with Jaclyn Dolamore

2011-11-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

Please welcome author Jaclyn Dolamore to GreenBeanTeenQueen! I was a big fan of Jackie's debut, Magic Under Glass, so I was thrilled to get the chance to talk to her about her new book, Between the Sea and Sky. I feel like I've been waiting for this book forever. I first found out about it at an ALA dinner where Jackie showed off the cover (which is gorgeous, don't you think?) Since then I've been super excited to read her take on mermaids! So here's what Jackie has to share about her new book and her inspiration:

GBTQ: It seems as though mermaid fiction is becoming more popular in YA. What do think the appeal of mermaids is?

JD: I can't speak for everyone. I know there is just some general paranormal creature chasing going on, and Stephenie Meyer said she was going to do mermaids, although I was working on mine before I heard about that and I suspect a lot of these other mermaid-book authors may have been too. For me, the appeal of mermaids is the yearning. Mermaids are so often yearning for this land world that they can't have--at least, not without paying a price. I think everyone yearns for a different world sometimes, and it can feel impossible to get there, so I identify with the plight of the Little Mermaid in her various incarnations. But there is also a dark, mysterious side to mermaids, associated with the ocean that can be either beautiful or violent, and that is fun to explore too, although this book didn't really go the dark direction.

GBTQ:I've never thought about mermaids having that pull between different worlds, but I think it makes them appealing to read about. Your books have a classic, fairy tale feel to them, which I love. Are there any myths/fairy tales/legends that help shape the inspiration for Between the Sea and Sky?

JD: The Little Mermaid, of course, and various British Isles legends of mermaids and selkies who have a magical item that a man can steal to make the mermaid his bride. Part of my plot came from trying to work out why they would have this thing a man could steal. Surely they weren't BORN with a magical comb/belt/cape/cap? So it must have been created at some point, but why would they create an object that they can then be bound to?

GBTQ: I've read in previous interviews that you're a sucker for star-crossed romances, which makes sense since you write about them! Who are some of your favorite star-crossed pairings?

JD: Well, the first starcrossed romance I ever got really obsessed with was in the book Castle Roogna by Piers Anthony. Jonathan the Zombie Master was this dourly handsome isolated guy who had a magical talent for making kind of sad, friendly zombies who would serve him. He wasn't very popular because of this so he lived alone with his zombies and no one loved him! This girl finally comes along and isn't afraid of him or his zombies but she gets killed and becomes a ghost, so he actually turns HIMSELF into a sad zombie so he can be with her forever. My ten-year-old heart broke over the tragedy that this powerful, handsome sorcerer would turn himself into a shambling, rotting zombie just to be with the girl he loves. (It does end okay, eventually.)

(GBTQ: I want to find that book and read it now!)

JD: I went through the book with a highlighter so I could just reread the good parts over and over. Reading it later, it isn't quite the same--the girl, for one, is a typical Piers Anthony girl, not much to her besides a lot of talk about her great body--but I guess it set a precedent for how much I like really weird romances. Also, I was born in the 80s and some of my favorite movies were Splash and Mannequin. In the 80s it was, apparently, fine to fall in love with mannequins and robots, which explains a lot about my brain.

GBTQ: Oh yes, I watched Splash a bunch too-made me want to be a mermaid!
Between the Sea and Sky is a stand alone, whereas your previous book, Magic Under Glass, is part of a series. Was it easier to write a stand alone novel?

JD: Well, funny enough, Magic Under Glass actually was a standalone, until my editor asked me to open up the ending for a sequel. So, it was about the same while writing! That also made it a little painful when people would gripe about the ending to Magic Under Glass, but, it meant I got to write Magic Under Stone, which I LOVED writing, so I'm happy it worked out that way.

GBTQ:I'm really glad we get a sequel! OK, now for some fun questions!

Favorite Disney movie?

JD: Robin Hood all the way. I'm not usually much for the furries, but, he is a foxy fox. And that "Love Goes On and On" song gets me every time...

GBTQ: Agreed! Robin Hood is awesome, even as a fox! What would the theme song be for Between the Sea and Sky?

JD: "Tu ch'hai le penne, amore" sung by Cecilia Bertoli. I was listening to her CD of Italian opera while writing and I already really liked the song, and then I found the translation is "You who have wings, love".

GBTQ: If you could live in any fairy tale, which one would you choose?

JD:Fairy tale characters really don't have the best lives. It's all dead mothers and curses and noble suffering. I can't think of any I'd actually want to sign up for!

GBTQ: So true-fairy tales have a tough life! What do you think would be the best part of being a mermaid?

JD: Being able to maneuver so swiftly and well in the water...it would be almost like flying! And then to see some of the ocean's beautiful places without having to worry about how to breathe.

Thanks so much for visiting the blog! Be sure to check out Between the Sea and Sky!

Blog Tour: Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

2011-11-03T08:59:00.000-05:00

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Fantasy/Historical/Mermaids

Release Date: 10/25/2011

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About the Book: When Esmerine is named a siren, she is excited to share siren duties with her older sister Dosia. But when Dosia disappears from the sea and rumor has it a human has kidnapped her siren belt, Esmerine knows she must try and save her sister. Esmerine transforms her tail into legs, a painful process for a mermaid, and sets off to find her sister. While on land, Esmerine reconnects with her childhood friend and winged person, Alandare, and the two join together to find Dosia. During her search, Esmerine finds herself conflicted about where she truly belongs-in the sea as a siren or on land with Alan?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Between the Sea and Sky is an enchanting tale from the magical world of Jaclyn Dolamore. I really think she has one of the best imaginations! Never have I thought before that winged boys could be cute or that mermaids could wander both the sea and land because that's part of what mermaids can do.

Esmerine is a character I liked right away. She was smart and funny and she loved books, so of course I had to like her after that! She feels loyalty to her family, but she also misses her time spent on land playing with her friend Alandare as a child. I think what I liked most about the mermaid world here was that mermaid's could transform their tails into legs without any magic or curse, but instead it was just part of their natural abilities. Of course, there was pain and discomfort that came from that, but that made the mermaids even more interesting to me. They weren't trapped in the sea but could go anywhere, although there may be a price. I thought this made for an interesting conflict for Esmerine. She wanted to visit the land, not because of a boy, but because of her own curiosity but at the same time, the sea was home.

When Esmerine first met up with Alan, I thought he was a bit stuffy. But I grew to like him just as Esmerine does and their romance is sweet. They are very much star-crossed lovers-Esmerine can't stay on land and Alan can't go to the sea. I thought this played out well without being overly angsty or dramatic. Both Esmerine and Alan are smart and know they can't be together and they try to handle that in their own way. They're never whiny, but instead they are very logical which I really liked. For me, that made them more real.

The book has a nice historical fantasy and fairy tale feel to it. The world Jaclyn Dolamore creates is a wondrous one with lots of interesting characters. I really liked that this was a unique take on mermaids and really, who would have thought winged boys could be so cute?? I think I have a new fascination with winged boys thanks to Jaclyn Dolamore!! Readers who enjoy fairy tales and star-crossed romances will love Between the Sea and Sky.

Book Pairings: Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie, Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs, Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin (this is middle grade, but it's one of my favorites and has winged cats! This book made me think about it all over again!:)

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from e-galley recieved from publisher

Sick Day Re-Deux

2011-11-01T19:03:00.000-05:00

I've been battling a cold turned sinus infection and it's made me take a dip in blogging, which I hate! It also got me thinking about a post I wrote a couple of years ago about sick day comforts.

I still love Anne and would happily re-watch and re-read Anne of Green Gables sick day or not. But my sick day feel good book comforts have changed a bit as I've gotten older. I've noticed that as an adult I tend to use sick days to try and make a dent in my TBR instead of going for an old favorite like I would as a child. I think part of that is because I don't have as much free time to read as adult, so I take what I can get. As a kid, I could spend all weekend reading and it was OK, but I don't always have that luxury as an adult.

I've also noticed that I like reading picture books when I'm sick. I usually have a large stack of them checked out from my library and spending the afternoon reading nothing but picture books is a wonderful comfort for me. I think it takes me back to my childhood. And it makes me feel like I read a ton of books! :)

I think books are the best way to feel better. It takes your mind off things, you can curl up anywhere and read, and you can be transported anywhere you want.

What about you? Do you find books to a comfort when you're sick?

YA Movie News

2011-10-28T11:12:00.001-05:00

-Have you seen The Hunger Games character posters that were just released? There are 8 characters total and I think I love them all! Although, Haymitch's look took me by surprise=not sure why. Mockingjay.net has all 8-which one is your favorite? I think Effie is mine.

-Maggie Stiefvater's latest novel, The Scorpio Races, is in development as a movie with KatzSmith Productions. KatzSmith is partially owned by Seth Grahme Smith, who wrote Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter and the screenplay for Dark Shadows, so I think he knows fantasy well. With Shiver in development as well, that means two possible Maggie Stiefvater movies in the future!

-Some exciting news from The CW, or what I think I'm going to call "the YA books to TV shows network" :) Unearthly by Cynthia Hand is in development as a TV Show and I'm really hoping it gets made since I really enjoyed the book and I could see this as a great series.

-Dreamworks Animation won the rights to adapt Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series for the big screen. This series is one that remains popular at my library-there are always kids asking for it and I think a big screen adaptation would be awesome!

-Another forever popular series at my library, Hank the Cowdog, has a movie in development with Odyssey Pictures.

-Movie adaptations of Lawrence Yep's novel, Tiger's Apprentice and Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell's book Far Flug Adventures: Fergus Crane are in development with producer Jane Startz, who has produced many previous books to movies. Thanks to Cynopsis for the news!

-Walking Dead has been renewed for season 3. I've been told by lots of people I need to watch this show!

-If you want to buy Harry Potter on DVD/Blu-Ray, you better hurry! Warner Bros. will stop selling the movies on December 29 and most likely pull a Disney and only release them out of the vault at certain times.

-An Ender's Game movie is looking more likely, with a release date being set of March 15, 2013.

-Anna Carey's novel, Eve, is being developed for a TV series by the producers of The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars.

Trailer time! Two trailers this week: one for Dr. Seuss's The Lorax and another for the English-language version of Miyazaki's film The Secret World of Arrietty, which is based on The Borrowers.

Flash Reviews: Audiobook Edition

2011-10-26T09:00:00.002-05:00

Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne Jones

Rating: 2/5 Stars

Oh, how I wanted to like this one! I listened to it on audio since it's narrated by a narrator I normally love, MacLeod Andrews. (Really, he's awesome-listen to Will Grayson,Will Grayson) But this one just didn't pull me in. The mystery was a bit over the top and felt a bit too "bad guys are such doofuses and teens can outwit them easily" which never seemed to fit with the depth the author was trying to give the characters. Both Blink and Caution have troubled pasts that they are trying to deal with, but I felt this was downplayed because of the hokey mystery. I also was very bored by the narration, which I think made me dislike the book more.

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

Rating: 3.75/5

I listened to this book for a couple of reasons. 1) It was compared to Downton Abbey, which I loved, and 2) because it's narrated by one of my all time favorite narrators, Katherine Kellgren. Kellgren's narration is wonderful as always and she gives a nice range of characters which I enjoyed. She really makes books to come life! The story itself was good but I also felt it was missing something. At first Cora is difficult to like, but she grew on me as the book went on. I felt bad for her humiliation and wanted her to succeed in England society. The ending was was threw me off though. I felt like it wrapped up without much hope and I kept thinking "That's it? After all that, that's the end??" I would have liked a bit more something in the end-and honestly I couldn't even tell you what that was, only that it fell a bit flat for me. But I would recommend the book to readers who like historical soaps and are fans of The Luxe Series.

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

Rating: 4/5 Stars

I have a goal to read all the Printz winners and honors which is why I listened to this book. It's a heartbreaking story of a boy who can't express himself except in his own head. It's a great book for discussion too-how we never know what really happens in someone's mind, disabled or not, and how do we handle tough situations. It's a short but powerful read and the audiobook is engrossing. Although why I thought it was a good read, my teen librarian said she read it as a teen and it freaked her out! I can also see it as a good pairing with Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper.

Tween Tuesday

2011-10-25T09:17:00.004-05:00

Tween Tuesday is taking a break this week. I'm a bit behind on middle grade reading and while I had grand ideas of posting a booklist, life got in the way! Tween Tuesday will be back next week, but you can still leave your links below!

When Phobias and Fiction Collide

2011-10-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

I have a strange phobia. Really, it's an odd one. Ready? I hate belly buttons. Yep, that supposedly innocent body part that little kids love to show you. I can't stand them. I hate talking about them, looking at them, touching them-they really gross me out! Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I've learned that my phobia is called omphalophobia and I guess it's a rare but real phobia.
But bellybuttons are so normal, right? Who would be afraid of them? I can't explain it, but I've always been freaked out by belly buttons. Which makes my strange phobia even more weird when it comes to reading. I'll be innocently reading a book and then out of nowhere comes a belly button and my mind is distracted and I'm grossed out. Or there's a book that's all about belly buttons that really creeps me out.

To a typical reader this wouldn't be a distraction, but for me, in some ways I think it taints my reading of the book.

Take Sandra Boynton's Belly Button Book:

I adore Sandra Boynton and love her books. But I can't read Belly Button Book! Too much to creep me out. And yes, they are cartoon animals with belly buttons, but they're still there! Nope, can't do it!

I was recently reading My Beating Teenage Heart. Good book and I'm enjoying the story until I realized I had skimmed a couple of lines. I backed up, re-read the lines only to realize they contained a character crooking her finger into her boyfriend's belly button! Completely normal, but to me? Gross!! Total reading distraction!

The worse was when I was reading Girl of Fire and Thorns only to discover the main character has a stone located where? That's right: her belly button! I had to put the book down for a bit and come back to it later it was so distracting to me! I'm sure the author didn't think it would freak people out to have a stone there-I mean, people pierce their belly buttons, right? But for me, that was a distraction as I read that I had to let go of before I could pick the book up again.

OK, so these are extreme cases and I know, my phobia is a little (alright, A LOT) weird. Most of the time I can overlook it, be temporarily grossed out and move on. But it does take away from my enjoyment of the book and my reading fog for a moment because I'm jarred back to the real world.

Reading these books recently got me thinking. Are there things that you're afraid of that distract you when you're reading? Do you have a quirk that seems ordinary when it appears it a book, but really bothers you? I'd love to know about it!

Tween Tuesday: Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet by Kirk Scroggs

2011-10-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and your link below.

Rating: 3.75/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary/Humor/Muppets (because they can be there own genre, right?)

Release Date: 9/5/2011

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About the Book: Danvers Blickensderfer is the biggest Gonzo fan you'll ever meet. His school reports are all about Gonzo, he has a Gonzo shirt for every day of the week, and he even aspires to be an amazing daredevil just like The Great Gonzo. When Danvers's audition for the local talent show fails and he looses out to the middle school boy band, Emo-Shun, Danvers thinks he's hit rock bottom. That night, Danvers goes to bed wishing he could be like Gonzo. The next morning Danvers discovers he's furry-and now turned into a Muppet and there's an internship open at The Muppet Theater. With his new Mupppet form, will he have a chance to meet and train with The Great Gonzo? And will The Muppets give Danvers a chance to perform at the talent show after all?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I LOVE The Muppets. I still think of them as real and not puppets. I could watch The Muppets all the time and never get tired of them. So when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. And happily, it lives up to the humor I would expect from a book about The Muppets.

The style is "Wimpy Kid-esque" with drawings and text combined to tell the story. Part of the book are drawings and entries from Danvers and some of the drawings are from the author. Readers who like books with a mix of illustrations and text will most likely be interested and it might be a nice selling point for kids who might not be familiar with The Muppets. I do wonder how well known The Muppets are with tweens, but with the upcoming movie, maybe readers will know who Gonzo is.

I did like that the author didn't just include just the most popular Muppets. Sure, Miss Piggy, Kermit, Gonzo and Fozzy all make appearances, but so does The Electric Mayham Band, Sam the Eagle, Dr. Bunson Honeydew and Beaker, and Statler and Waldorf, (in a very hilarious way-they begin to heckle Danvers randomly throughout his day). As a Muppet fan, I appreciated that the cast was well rounded and there were lots of fun cameos from some of my favorites.

The humor is what you would expect from The Muppets and there are lots of jokes and puns and crazy happenings. Once Danvers becomes a Muppet himself, we are shown a Muppet filled world, much like you would see in The Muppet Movies. There are the regular Muppet characters, but there are also Muppets that fill Danvers world. The other Muppet intern is a pig, Danvers visits a school where there are humann students and frogs-and no one bats an eye.

There are some plotholes-like how exactly Danvers became a Muppet and the possible ways there are to fix his change. This part of the story seemed the weakest, but at the same time, the author knows that and makes fun of the random plot advances. There were things that weren't wrapped up in this book too, so I wonder if a sequel may be the works.

Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet is a book for Muppet fans old and new. Give this one to readers who like humor and silly antics as well as illustrated novel fans.

Even More YA Movie News

2011-10-14T14:47:00.000-05:00

It's a double dose of YA Movie News today because I've uncovered even more goodies to share!

-Early Word is reporting that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has lost yet another possible Elizabeth Bennet. I really think this movie would be hilarious, so why won't an actress take it on? Who would you pick for the lead?

-There's lots of talk about the two Snow White film adaptations that are heading to theaters next year. CinemaBlend has a look at the cast of each Snow White cast and how they stack up. I like Snow White and the Huntsman's supporting cast, but I like Lily Collins from the untitled Snow White film best.

-LA Times has a short interview with Woody Harrelson about playing Haymitch in The Hunger Games movie.

-Early Word has some early reviews for Hugo and a short behind the scenes look at the film. I was lucky enough to attend an author event with Brian Selznick last weekend and the way he talked about the film and the care the director, writer and cast took with making sure it stayed true to the book made me really excited about the movie!

-A live action movie about the life of Dr. Seuss is in the works with Johnny Depp as Dr. Seuss. I think this is a perfect idea and I really hope it gets made!

YA Movie News

2011-10-14T08:00:00.005-05:00

Lots of movie news happening this week!

-Lionsgate likes dystopian! Not only are they producing The Hunger Games, but they have optioned the move rights to Patrick Ness's dystopian series, Chaos Walking. I'll admit, I still haven't read this series (because of the dog stuff-yep, I know about that) but I really love Nick Podehl and he narrates the audiobooks, so I'm going to have to give it a try. Just know I may throw it across the room!:) Thanks to Cynopsis and MTV for the news.

-Disney Channel will premiere the movie version of Geek Charming, based on the novel by Robin Palmer, on Friday, November 11. Thanks to Cynopsis for the news.

-A second Percy Jackson movie is officially going to happen! Fox gave the go ahead and the film, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters will release in March 2013. I'm not sure how they're going to do a second film, since I thought they messed up with the plot that could carry over to a sequel, but I'm still looking forward to it! Thanks to Cynopsis for the news.

-The movie version of Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, based on the novel by Wendy Mass, is coming soon, but Wal-Mart has as special edition out now, so check your local store to see if it's there! Thanks to Wendy Mass for the news!

-HarperCollins has acquired a new book titled The School for Good and Evil, described as "an action/adventure/romance story that revolves around a school where regular boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes or villains." The book has a movie deal attached with the book set to release in 2013. Thanks to Cynopsis for the news.

-Early Word reports about a casting call notice for the movie version of Ender's Game.

-If you can't wait to see Breaking Dawn, select theaters are offering a chance see all three films leading up to Breaking Dawn in theaters on "Twilight Saga Tuesdays" in November. Check out Fathom Events for select theaters.

-Startz Production has bought the movie option to L.A. Weatherly's trilogy, Angel. The first book in the series, Angel Burn, released in May.

-Nickelodeon is gearing up for Halloween. On the schedule is an animated movie, Monster High: Fright On! which will premier Sunday October 30.

-And OK, now for news that's not really YA releated, but still some fun news:

-Downton Abbey creator Jullian Fellows stated that a third series is likely and would be set in the 1920s. Downton Abbey season 2 debuts in the US January 8th. Thanks to Cynopsis for the news.

-CW gave a full season pick up to Ringer (I just can't stop watching the crazy!) and Fox gave a full season order to New Girl (this show is making me laugh and so far I'm really liking it)

-The trailer for the movie Young Adult was released and honestly, it doesn't look all that good. I wonder if Diablo Cody was a one hit wonder with Juno. Plus, from the trailer it doesn't seem like the fact that she writes YA really means anything, so I'm not sure why they keep mentioning that fact in the promo blurb and poster.

Entwined by Heather Dixon

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale

Release Date: 3/29/2011

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About the Book: Princess Azalea is the oldest of twelve daughters who love to dance. But when their mother suddenly passes away after the birth of their newest sister, the princesses are to go into mourning-which means no dancing. So when they find a secret forest they can escape into and dance the night away, the princesses disappear each night to dance. What they soon discover is that a man named Keeper is trapped in their dancing world and he's trying to lure them and keep them there for deadly reasons.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I'll be the first to admit that fantasy is a genre I sometimes have hard time getting into, but I do love me some fairy tale retellings. I think it's because I love discovering how an author will take a familiar story and twist it around and make it something new. In the case of Entwined, Heather Dixon takes the tale of the 12 Dancing Princesses and turns it into a lush, romantic mystery.

There were many things I loved about this book. First off, I really liked that while Azalea and her sisters were princesses, they were poor. They weren't spoiled and living a life of luxury. This really stood out to me and I felt it made the characters more real because I could relate to them more-instead of trying to understand their extravagent lifestyle that you sometimes find when royalty is involved.

The cast of characters is rich and developed. Twelve sisters can be hard to keep track of, especially on audio, which is how I read this one. But the author makes each girl unique and gives each girl her own voice and personality. There's also romance to the story-and not just one romance storyline, but three-an extra treat for romance fans! Some of the romance stories are a bit predictable and another is a nice twist to the story that took me by surprise. I liked how at first I wasn't a fan of the character but I grew to like him as the romance developed. All the suitors are sweet and kind in their own way and while there are nice romances to the story, it never overpowers the story. There is plenty of mystery and intrigue with Keeper and his backstory and why he is so intent on the girls dancing.

The King is one of the characters that stood out the most to me and development in his realtionship with the princesses is what made the book really work for me. The King is standoffish at first and not sure how to deal with the loss of his wife and not having to care for twelve daughters. But he works at it and he learns how to be a father and the princesses learn how to be daughters. You don't often see a positive growth of adults in YA and I liked that the King tried his best and learned how to be father. I also liked that the princesses accepted that there was growth that they could mend their relationship with the King instead of brushing him off. This growth between them gave the book a nice sensitive story and made the characters more human, if that makes sense.

This is magical retelling and I loved it on audiobook. The narrator had a nice, lilting voice with just the right amount of mystery. If you're looking for a standout fairy tale retelling with depth to the story, be sure to check out Entwined-in book or audio!

Book Pairings: Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Cover Talk: Hardcover to Paperback

2011-10-12T08:30:00.000-05:00

Lots of books get cover changes when they switch from hardcover to paperback. Some I think are for the better and others are not. This is partly a He Said, She Said post too, since Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan was sitting next to me on the couch as I wrote this.
First up: Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

-I like this hardcover-it's creepy and actually has something from the book-there are mysterious messages scratched into school desks. But then the paperback had to go and change to this:

-Which I really, really hate. Yes, there's a romance in the book, but it's not the focus. Cryer's Cross is more of a horror story, but you would never know it looking at this cover. Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan even commented on this one and said "I would never pick up a book with that cover" which I think is what makes me dislike this change so much-it takes a book that had a nice, gender neutral cover and pushes it over into "girls only" territory. And I really hate the idea of "girl books" and "boy books" but teens buy into that marketing, so I think this only looses a potential audience for Cryer's Cross.

Next up: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

-I like this hardcover-it's generic and a bit creepy. Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan says he likes this cover because it's generic. I like it because it tells you just enough about the story without giving a lot of details.

-Now the paperback. I don't mind the change and think it's appealing, but I do think the mysterious eyes are a bit overdone in YA, so that part annoys me a bit. Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan says "I'd be less inclined to pick this one up because of the sultry male eyes staring into my soul."

Now another cover change that went from good to bad. Exposed by Kimberly Marcus.

-I love this cover! It's dark, it shows pain, and it tells me this will be an "issue-driven" novel. Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan actually took notice of this one and said it was nice and that it was "sleek, professional and I would have no problem carrying it around." But then they went and did this:

-I think it's pretty bad. It looks like a typical YA and while it doesn't look like a happy ending story, it just looks like everything else out there I would gloss over this cover and not pay attention to it. Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan says "it looks like a self-help pamphlet. I'm getting depressed just looking at it." I agree!

Next up-Across the Universe by Beth Revis.

-Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan and I both like this cover. It's artistic and beautiful and I think it's really unique which makes it stand out for me. Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan said "while it's a beautiful cover, I wouldn't want to carry it around-very feminine."

-The paperback is a really nice change. I think it's still unique and it still really stands out to me. I also think even though there's a girl on the cover, I think it's more gender neutral than the hardcover. As Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan says "this has a clearly sci-fi feel, and while I'm a fantasy fan and don't want to be carrying around a sci-fi book, I would be ok with this one. It almost has a dystopian feel to the cover which the other cover clearly didn't have."

Here's one we both felt had a fantastic hardcover to paperback change: Shift by Jennifer Bradbury.

-I like the hardcover, it's got a nice element of mystery, but it's a bit bland. So I'm thrilled that the paperback looks like this:

-When I showed this cover to Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan, he sat up and took notice and "what book was that?" He was immediately drawn to it as was I. We both agree there's much more mystery to this cover and it's a really interesting cover. The upside down feel makes you take notice and it stands out. Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan said "as soon as I saw it, I wanted to pick it up and read it, until I saw the hardcover. The hardcover was so comparatively bad, it made me not even want to read this one." I'm still going to work on him though and maybe the paperback will convince him!

So what do you think? Like or dislike these cover changes? Seen any others around that have changed-for better or for worse?

Keeping Up With YA: MLA Handouts 2011

2011-10-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

This past week I presented a talk on "Keeping up with YA" for the Missouri Library Association Conference. I'm all about sharing resources with other librarians and readers, so I'm posting a copy of my handouts here on the blog. The first list is the books I booktalked, the next additional reading suggestions in each genre. These lists in no way cover everything, but are supposed to be a starting point for books to know for 2011.

Award Buzz
Billingsley, Franny. Chime. ISBN: 0803735529
King, A.S. Everybody Sees the Ants. ISBN: 0316129283
Schmidt, Gary D. Okay for Now. ISBN: 0547152604
Selznick, Brian. Wonderstruck. ISBN: 0545027896
Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray. ISBN: 0399254129
Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone. ISBN: 0316134023

Contemporary
Beam, Chris. I Am J. ISBN: 0316053619
Nelson, Blake. Recovery Road. ISBN: 0545107296
Marcus, Kimberly. Exposed. ISBN: 0375866930
Polisner, Gae. The Pull of Gravity. ISBN: 0374371938
Walker, Melissa. Small Town Sinners. ISBN: 1599905272
Wealer, Sara Bennett. Rival. ISBN: 0061827622
Various. Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories. ISBN: 0062060988

Magical Realism
Asher, Jay & Mackler, Carolyn. The Future of Us. ISBN: 1595144919
Hodkin, Michelle. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. ISBN: 1442421762
Martin, C. K. Kelly. My Beating Teenage Heart. ISBN: 0375868550
Suma, Nova Ren. Imaginary Girls. ISBN: 0525423389

Humor
Angleberger, Tom. Darth Paper Strikes Back. ISBN: 1419700278
Bray, Libba. Beauty Queens. ISBN: 0439895979
Harris, Carrie. Bad Taste In Boys. ISBN: 0385739680
Herbach, Geoff. Stupid Fast. ISBN: 1402256302
Schreiber, Joe. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. ISBN: 0547577389

Romance
Forman, Gayle. Where She Went. ISBN: 0525422943
Griffin, Paul. Stay With Me. ISBN: 0803734484
Hautman, Pete. The Big Crunch. ISBN: 0545240751
Leavitt, Lindsey. Sean Griswold’s Head. ISBN: 1599904985
Perkins, Stephanie. Lola and the Boy Next Door. ISBN: 0525423281
Sales, Leila. Past Perfect. ISBN: 1442406828

Fantasy
Carson, Rae. The Girl of Fire and Thorns. ISBN: 0062026488
Chima, Cinda Williams. The Gray Wolf Throne. ISBN: 1423118251
Dixon, Heather. Entwined. ISBN: 0062001035
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Wisdom’s Kiss. ISBN: 0547566875
Paolini, Christoher. Inheritance. ISBN: 0375856110
Ursu, Anne. Breadcrumbs. ISBN: 0062015052

Paranormal
Cabot, Meg. Abandon. ISBN: 0545284104
Coakley, Lena. Witchlanders. ISBN: 1442420049
Dolamore, Jaclyn. Between the Sea and Sky. ISBN: 1599904349
Fallon, Leigh. Carrier of the Mark. ISBN: 0062027875
Fitzpatrick, Becca. Silence. ISBN: 1442426640
Hawkins, Rachel. Demonglass. ISBN: 1423121317
Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races. ISBN: 054522490X

Science Fiction
Mafi, Tahereh. Shatter Me. ISBN: 0062085484
McEntire, Myra. Hourglass. ISBN: 1606841440
Revis, Beth. Across the Universe. ISBN: 1595143971
Ryan, Amy Kathleen. Glow. ISBN: 0312590563
Sheehan, Anna. A Long, Long Sleep. ISBN: 0763652601

Dystopian
DeStefano, Lauren. Wither. ISBN: 1442409053
Lu, Marie. Legend. ISBN: 039925675X
McCafferty, Megan. Bumped. ISBN: 0061962740
McMann, Lisa. The Unwanteds. ISBN: 1442407689
Oliver, Lauren. Delirium. ISBN: 0062112430
Roth, Veronica. Divergent. ISBN: 0062024027
Young, Moira. Blood Red Road. ISBN: 1442429984
Zevin, Gabrielle. All These Things I’ve Done. ISBN: 0374302103

Mystery
Black, Holly. Red Glove. ISBN: 144240339X
Halliday, Gemma. Deadly Cool. ISBN: 0062003313
Harrington, Kim. Clarity. ISBN: 0545230500
Hilmo, Tess. With a Name Like Love. ISBN: 0374384657
Johnson, Maureen. The Name of the Star. ISBN: 0399256601
Wells, Robison. Variant. ISBN: 0062026089

Horror
Brewer, Heather. First Kill. ISBN: 0803737416
Jones, Carrie & Wedel, Steven E. After Obsession. ISBN: 1599906813
Maberry, Jonathan. Dust & Decay. ISBN: 1442402350
McMann, Lisa. Cryer’s Cross. ISBN: 1416994815
Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls. ISBN: 0763655597
Yancey, Rick. The Isle of Blood. ISBN: 1416984526
Yovanoff, Brenna. The Space Between. ISBN: 1595143394

Contemporary
Brown, Jennifer. Bitter End
Cohen, Joshua. Leverage
Elkeles, Simone. Chain Reaction
Flack, Sophie. Bunheads
Goodman, Shawn. Something Like Hope
Halpern, Julie. Don’t Stop Now
Hubbard, Kirsten. Like Mandarin
Kelly, Tara. Amplified
Keplinger, Kody. Shut Out
Littman, Sarah Darer. Want to Go Private
Martinez, Jessica. Virtuosity.
McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Under the Mesquite
Northrop, Michael. Trapped
O’Roark Dowell, Frances. Ten Miles Past Normal
Reed, Amy. Clean
Schroeder, Lisa. The Day Before.
Sloan, Goldberg Sloan. I’ll Be There
Violi, Jen. Putting Makeup On Dead People
Wunder, Wendy. Probability of Miracles
Zarr, Sara. How to Save a Life

Fantasy & Paranormal
Childs, Tera Lynn. Sweet Venom
Cremer, Andrea. Wolfsbane
Cypess, Leah. Nightspell
Faegen, Trinity. The Mephisto Covenant
Flinn, Alex. Cloaked
Goodman, Alison. Eona
Hand, Cynthia. Unearthly
Hieber, Leanna Renee. Darker Still
Hill, C.J. Slayers
Houck,Colleen. Tiger’s Curse Jay, Stacey. Juliet Immortal
Kittredge, Caitlin. Iron Thorn
Lo, Melinda. Huntress
Mahoney, Karen. Iron Witch
Mantchev, Lisa. So Silver Bright
Okorafor Nnedi, Nnedi Akata Witch
Oliver, Lauren. Liesel & Po
Plum, Amy. Die for Me
Pon, Cindy. Fury of the Phoenix
Porter, Sarah. Lost Voices
Schwab, Victoria. The Near Witch
Willingham, Bill. Down the Mysterly River

Mystery
Derting, Kimberly. Desires of the Dead
Healey, Karen. Shattering
Lee, Y.S. The Agency
Patrick, Cat. Forgotten
Strieber, Whitley. Melody Burning
Wynne-Jones, Tim. Blink & Caution.

Horror
Bick, Ilsa J. Ashes
Blake, Kendare. Anna Dressed In Blood
Griffin,Adele. Tighter
Oppel, Kenneth. This Dark Endeavor
McNeil, Gretchen. Possess
Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Woods, Elizabeth. Choker

Science Fiction/Dystopian
Aguirre, Ann. Enclave
Clare, Cassandra. Clockwork Prince
Condie, Ally. Crossed
Grant, Sara. Dark Parties
Westerfeld, Scott. Goliath
Reeve, Phillip. Web of Air
Starmer, Aaron. The Only Ones
Various. Corsets & Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances
Various Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

Blog Tour: Character Interview with Lucky Linderman

2011-10-05T08:01:00.001-05:00

I hope you get a chance to pick up A.S. King's fantastic new novel, Everybody Sees the Ants! In honor of the book's release, I'm hosting an interview with the novel's main character, Lucky Linderman.

You seem to read a lot, so what would your favorite novel be?

I read mostly non-fiction, but I think my favorite novel is probably Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, which I read last summer at my aunt and uncle’s house in Arizona, or Animal Farm because Orwell was right about everything.

You compare your mom to a squid and father a turtle. What animal would you compare yourself to?

A squrtle? Kidding. Hm. I never thought about this. I guess it depends on which me we’re talking about. The old me was a rodent—kinda hiding. Maybe a mouse or a mole or something. And the new me is more like a dog. I bark. I’ll bite if I have to. I’m loyal, but I avoid people who don’t treat me right.

Do you think that by being named Lucky, you are prone to luck or are you more unlucky? Or do you think names have nothing to do with it at all?

I’m glad my parents named me Lucky and for a long time I thought I was the unluckiest kid on the planet, which made the whole thing ironic. But then, the more I read about life around the planet, the more I realized just how lucky I am. Granddad Harry helped me with that, too. Compared to him, we’re all pretty damn lucky, right?

Nader has been a longtime bully, but adults seem to ignore the fact that he's a bully. What's the worst advice you ever received about dealing with Nader? Has there ever been any good advice?

The worst advice I ever got was what I heard all through grade school. Ignore him. I mean, ignoring can work, I guess, depending on who you are and who your bully is. If the bully leaves you alone after that, then fine. In my case, ignoring him didn’t work at all and to continue to tell me to ignore him after we knew that. . . was really bad advice. I think essentially, my parents were telling me to ignore him because they were ignoring him. The other bad advice I got once was to not go to the guidance counselor. My dad said it would mean that they’d “psychobabble me to death” and while that did happen later about the stupid question from my social studies survey, I think that guidance counselor in middle school would have helped me.

The best advice I got was from Granddad. This might be a little hard to follow, but it works for a lot of things in life, which is why it’s the best advice I ever got. Granddad once said to me, “Only you can give control of you away.” I didn’t get it at the time. I felt like the whole thing was out of my control, which, in many ways, was true. But then I read an article about Nelson Mandela. He was wrongly imprisoned for 27 years, and still, he can say, “Any man that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose.” That made me understand Granddad’s words a lot more than I had.

Blog Tour: Everybody Sees The Ants by A.S. King

2011-10-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: 10/3/2011

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About the Book: Lucky Linderman's life would be much better if his grandfather had come home from the Vietnam War. Instead, Grandpa Harry went missing, leaving Lucky's dad without a father and now Lucky's dad is a turtle who retreats into his shell and can't confront anything. Lucky's mom is a squid, who spends her days swimming and has no spine to stand up for herself. And Lucky just asked a stupid question-one that got him in trouble yet again with Nader McMillan, Lucky's lifelong bully.

Lucky has a secret though-every night he dreams he's with his grandfather in Vietnam and plots for a way to help him return. And his dreams just might be real-a reality where Lucky can make things right and stand up for himself.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Last year, I picked A.S. King's Please Ignore Vera Dietz as my "dark horse" Printz candidate-it was a book that was so unique and wonderful and I hoped that it got the committee's attention. (It did). This year, A.S. King is back with another book that I'm calling my "dark horse" Pritnz candidate with Everybody Sees the Ants. I was finishing the book today on my lunch break at work, and working in a library, everyone always asks what you're reading. This book is a hard book to explain and a strange book to booktalk. The premise is different and can sound a bit confusing. But it's not confusing and instead is a fantastic story about standing up for yourself, growing up, and learning to connect with your family.

Lucky is a naive main character and his innocence makes him sweet. He's not confident in who he his. He doesn't really get along with his parents and he feels lost. He's being bullied at school and no one is doing anything about it, so Lucky's stopped talking about it. But Lucky is also growing up and learning he can stand up for himself and for others. He's learning who he is. He's learning more about his parents and figuring out how to relate to them. And it all happens in a wonderful way that's not cheesy or sappy or preachy coming of age. Lucky and his struggles felt real. He's an average teen who isn't sure how to navigate life, but he's finding some answers along the way.

A.S. King's writing is fantastic and I think she's at the top of her game. Who else could combine a POW/MIA grandfather that's visited in dreams, animal-like parents, crazy aunts, ninja girls, bullies, and party ants and make it work in a way that you never want to put the novel down? There are some heavy topics discussed, but the book still has humor and some lighter moments-the ants lend a nice sense of sarcastic humor just at the right times! I think one of my favorite parts and one of the most clever was how Lucky's scab from his beating from Nader shrinks and changes the more Lucky figures out about himself. It's small details like that that make this book even better.

This is a novel about not just things getting better but also making them better. Everybody Sees the Ants is a book that will stick with you and is a must read of 2011!

Book Pairings: Dear Bully by Various Authors, Blank Confession by Pete Hautman

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from ARC sent by publisher

You can follow the tour to the next stop at The Book Muncher.

He Said, She Said Tween Tuesday: 1st and 10: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Football

2011-10-04T08:00:00.013-05:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens. Join the fun and add your link below. Today's Tween Tuesday is a special co-review between myself and Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan!
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Genre: Non-fiction

Release Date: 10/25/2011

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About the Book: Need to know about football? Are you debating what the top ten superbowl games are? Or who has the most memorable hairstyles in football? Who are football's best quarterbacks or fastest players? 1st and 10 has loads of top ten lists with facts, stats and more to answer all your football questions.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Of course I couldn't review a football book without consulting Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan, the household expert on football. I've learned a lot about football in our six years together, but I still needed his expert opinion to see if this book really held up.

Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan Says: 1st and 10 is a solid introduction to football history for kids, although the lists do have some flaws. For example, the list frequently suffer from recency bias. Most of the lists hold more weight to recent or current players and events than events from the past.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: But I think this makes some sense, considering this is a book for kids and I think kids are more interested in current players they know. Each page has nice full color photos and the layout is attractive which makes it easy for obsessive fans to pour over each page. I liked that the book has a mix of serious and fun lists. I think my favorite lists were the "Big Guys" and "Little Guys"-although where was Danny Woodhead on the Little Guys list? And yes, I know who Danny Woodhead is!:)

Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan Says: Well, I don't know if he's done enough to warrant a spot in the book.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I was a bit annoyed with the movie list. By limiting it to "Pro-Football Films" they eliminated my favorite, Remember the Titans. Plus, some of the selected films aren't really for kids and teens.

Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan Says: In general, I would be happy to pass this on to any young football fan. There's a lot of history and really interesting things to learn like how to do the Ickey Shuffle and who the top fantasy football players of alltime are. The text isn't too simplistic, but younger readers who are interested in football shouldn't have trouble following. Every current team is represented.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I liked that there were lots of mentions of the Chicago Bears and my favorite player Devin Hester is included in the "Fastest Players" list.

Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan: Yeah, but where were the Chicago Bears fans on the "Top Fans" list? I think they just threw that list in for controversy!

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I just hope by admitting our fandom for the Bears we don't loose Packers readers!:)

Past Perfect by Leila Sales

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Release Date: 10/4/2011

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About the Book: All Chelsea wants this summer is to have a normal job like a normal teen and have a normal summer. Instead, she's working yet again at Essex Colonial Village as a historical reenactor. Chelsea's parents both work at Essex and Chelsea has spent her life growing up around colonial times.

When her ex-boyfriend Ezra shows up to work at Essex as well, Chelsea isn't sure she can deal with Ezra being there. She's trying to get over him, but she's having a hard time letting go. Chelsea finds herself with a new crush, only he just happens to be from the wrong time period-he works at Civil War Reenactmentland, the arch-rivals of Essex. Can Chelsea let go of her ex and find love again? Or is Chelsea doomed to repeat the past and fall for the wrong guy?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I was sold on this book when I heard it was about a girl who worked as a historical reeanctor. I can say that's one premise I don't think I've encountered in a book I've read before! Plus, there's a part of me that thinks that job would be really fun!

Past Perfect is a great contemporary romance with a bit of a twist. The setting of taking place at reenactment villages adds for a unique storyline.While we may have read a forbidden romance story before, the setting gives in a fresh new feel. There is a lot of humor in this book which makes it even more fun to read. It takes a lot for a book to make me laugh out loud, but this book had me giggling quite a bit. Chelsea has just the right amount of snark to her to make me really like her.

I loved the battle between the colonial village and the civil war village. I thought this added a very funny plotline to the story and really helped the book stand out-again, it gave it something different to help it from feeling like the same old romance. I also really liked that while it's a romance, and a sweet and charming romance at that, Chelsea also has some struggles and it's not an easy romance. Her crush Dan is part of the enemy and she shouldn't be crushing on Dan to begin with. She's very loyal to Essex and can't imagine herself with someone who likes the civil war which adds a layer of conflict to their developing romance.

Chelsea also is dealing with getting over her ex. They've been broken up for a few months, but Chelsea is in that stage where she only remembers the good and perfect things about Ezra. She's glossing over their relationship and thinking that she'd like to take him back and can't understand why he doesn't want her anymore. I've been in that situation before and I wish teen me could have read this book and witnessed Chelsea's development so maybe I wouldn't have made such a fool of myself many years ago. In some ways this part of the story reminded me of a teen version of 500 Days of Summer meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This aspect of the story combined with the unique setting is what I enjoyed most. I liked getting to be with Chelsea as she examined her past relationship and learned to let go.

The romance was sweet and fun, but I felt like I wanted to get to know Dan more. We get to know him a little bit, but I wanted more development between the two of them. I think at times I wasn't sure I really bought their romance, especially in the beginning. I also felt at times Chelsea was a bit whiny, but I think this is true to her character, as I remember being pretty whiny and annoying with friends when I was rehashing old relationships (sorry guys!).

Overall, this is a fun, unique take on contemporary romance. I would also recommend this is a great post-breakup read-because you know the world always needs more of those!:) Open up a carton of Ben & Jerry's and settle in with Past Perfect and you've got the recipe for a great reading date!

Book Pairings: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from e-galley sent by publisher for review

YA Movie News

2011-09-29T22:30:00.001-05:00

OK, so this weeks round up is short and actually not much YA news, but instead adult books with teen appeal news instead.

-First up, the zombie novel Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion is being adapted into a film. This book was recomended to me (haven't read it yet) but my friend and fellow librarian Heather did and she loved it! So check it out if you're a zombie fan!

-Secondly, the trailer for One for the Money was released this week. Yet another book I haven't read, but the trailer does look fun. I'd love to hear from readers who have read the books-does it look like it'll do the books justice? I'm just happy because Katherine Heigl is a fan of the books and I always like it when actors actually care about the books before they're movies!

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Release Date: 9/29/2011

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About the Book: Lola loves dressing in unique costumes. The more elaborate, the better. She has an awesome wardrobe, a rocker boyfriend, and awesome dads who are loving. Her life is pretty perfect-until Cricket Bell moves in next door. Cricket Bell, who broke Lola's heart a few years before. Lola is over Cricket, isn't she? But with Cricket so close, Lola has to decide where her heart truly lies and what she really feels for the boy next door.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: OK, here's the thing, I loved Anna and the French Kiss. Adored Anna. So when I heard about Lola, a companion novel to Anna, I was nervous. How would it live up to the first book? How could I not compare the two? And would Cricket be as crushworthy as St. Clair?
The answers were yes and no. In some ways I really enjoyed Lola and in others it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It's still a great novel, don't get me wrong, and I love Stephanie Perkins-she knows how to write a great romance!

I liked Lola-for the most part. She could be a bit whiny and fickle at times, but I liked her random outfits and I felt she grew less fickle as the book went on. And Cricket is pretty crush-worthy! He's a little too perfect, but he's also super sweet and a nice guy and you really can't help but like him.

I think what bothered me the most was that Lola had a boyfriend Max, who while at times was a huge jerk, he also had moments (at least to start) that made me a bit sad that Lola was going to break up with him. Sure, he turns into more a jerk as the book goes in, so you don't like as much, but I liked him to start because he was nice enough to have brunch with Lola and her dads every week. So I had to give him credit there. But what I didn't like about Max was that it made Lola have to choose. Cricket or Max? It's a love triangle that's not a love triangle. I guess without Max, there's not much conflict. Otherwise, Lola can be with Cricket right away. But I felt that with Lola having Max, it felt like a gender-swap of Anna at times.

I did like that Lola didn't immediately jump into Cricket's arms. She takes her time and realizes that she needs to figure herself out first. When so many books seem to have a "lust at first sight" story, I really appreciated that Lola and Cricket spent time getting to know each other again and that the relationship takes time to develop. I think that's what I like most about Stephanie Perkins' novels. Her characters actually take time in their relationships. And of course, I loved the glimpses we get of Anna and St Clair! How could you not?

Despite my annoyance of a maybe love triangle, I still really enjoyed Lola and Cricket. I think Stephanie Perkins is one of the best contemporary romance writers in YA. If you want a good contemporary romance, add Lola to your reading pile. Teens will be eager to get their hands on this one and I can't wait to share it with the teens at my library.

Book Pairings: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from ARC sent by publisher

Guest Post: Tess Hilmo Writes About Libraries

2011-09-27T08:01:00.004-05:00

photo_credit Jenni Howell Photography

Please welcome Tess Hilmo, author of With a Name Like Love, to GreenBeanTeenQueen. Today is the official launch day of Tess Hilmo's debut! To celebrate, I asked Ms. Hilmo to write about libraries because, you know, I'm a librarian and all and I always love hearing about everyone's library experience. I hope you like it too!

Built in Friends

Growing up, I lived in ten different places by the time I was 14. Ten! It was a challenge to make new friends with each move. But there was one friend I never had to worry about.

My librarian.

See these chairs? They are bright and welcoming and a perfect place for an uncertain girl who needed somewhere to hang out. This was my favorite refuge during my high school years–the Newbury Park California library branch–but there were many inviting chairs and many kind librarians that helped me long before I found this particular spot.

Wherever we happened to be, I knew I could go into my local library and find a friendly face behind that counter. Someone who would smile and speak softly and make me feel like I was Publishers Clearinghouse walking in their doors. It is a gift that youth librarians have. It is a blessing to countless children.

I remember browsing these very shelves as a fourteen-year-old and coming across an interesting book. I was a fan of Greek mythology and the novel, Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis caught my attention. The librarian explained how it is a retelling of the myth regarding Cupid and Psyche. Her excitement for the novel was contagious and she made me promise to find her once I finished the book and tell her what I thought.

A week later, I returned to the library and kept that promise. This caring librarian sat down and asked all about the story. We spoke of issues the book brought forth, such as the meaning of true beauty, humanity and how good intentions can still cause pain. It is a deep and complex story and having the ability to discuss these points helped me glean more of what C.S. Lewis intended for his readers.

How grateful I am for that friendly librarian, and for all the others who have helped shape my love of literature!

Sharing books is my favorite part of being a librarian! I'm so glad you had a great librarian who gave you great books and that you loved books enough to write one. Thanks for sharing!

Tween Tuesday Blog Tour: With A Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

2011-09-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens. Join the fun and add your link below.

For today's Tween Tuesday, I'm excited to sharing debut author Tess Hilmo's novel, With a Name Like Love. Today is the official launch day of the book, so I hope you find this one at a library or bookstore near you in the wild today! You can follow the blog tour to Mother Daughter Book Club. And check out Tess Hilmo's website for a discussion guide, because you'll be wanting to use this one in book club-just saying!:)

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Mystery/Historical

Release Date: 9/27/2011

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About the Book: Olivene "Ollie" Love is the eldest daughter of the traveling minister, Reverand Everlasting Love. While Ollie appreciates her father's ministry, Ollie longs for a house with indoor plumbing and to stay in a town longer than three days. When the Love's come across Binder, Arkansas, Ollie meets Jimmy Koppel, a boy whose mother is in jail for the murder of his father. Ollie is warned to stay away from the Koppel's but the more she gets to know Jimmy and his mother, the more she believes the case against Mrs. Koppel is wrong. Ollie decides to investigate the murder, making some enemies along the way. Can Ollie fight against a town that's quick to judge? And will Ollie find the friend and home she's been longing for?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Oh my goodness, if you want a heartfelt mystery with characters you want to reach into the book and hug, bad guys who are so mean they make you squirm, and a family you can't help but want to be part of, With a Name Like Love is your book. I loved this book!

The Love family is a family you won't soon forget. Each of the five Love daughters is a distinct character and each girl has her own voice, which is hard to pull off in a large cast. Even though Ollie is the main character and we get the story mostly from her point of view, we still get to know the rest of the family. The supporting cast is just as richly drawn. The mean townsfolk who hate the Koppel family, the sheriff who doesn't seem to care for the justice system, the kind Mrs. Mahoney who offers the Love family more than they could have imagined. Binder, Arkansas was a town I could picture in my head and hear the voices of the townsfolk as I read.

There is a mystery to this book, although there's so much more. This is a book about family, friendship, justice and love. It's one of those books that you just might tear up a little over in the best way. There is some heartbreak but there's also joy. There are good times and bad. But through the struggles the Love family face, they lean on each other. They are such a wonderful caring family without being an overly sappy family. (This is not Seventh Heaven) While Ollie's father is a traveling peacher, and the book does have an element of faith to it, that's more of a side story than a main part of the book, so don't let that deter you from reading if you think it's going to be more Christian fiction heavy (it's not). I'm also pleased with the way the mystery worked out. For a middle grade mystery to really work for me, it has to not be obvious and make you suspect a few characters, which Tess Hilmo successfully pulls off. The ending may wrap up a bit quick and be a bit simple, but overall, the mystery was engaging enough to keep me guessing.

With A Name Like Love takes place in 1957, but it never felt like it got bogged down in historical details. There were things here and there to remind me of the time period, but this is a book that could be set anytime. I think this would help with giving the book to readers who might shy away from historical fiction. There's a mystery, but again, I would hesitate to say it's just a mystery. Mostly it's a book about family and readers who want a bit of a mystery or a bit of history have an extra treat.

I would keep an eye out for this book. I'm thinking it may be a dark horse for award season and you might be hearing about the Love family come January. It's a book to read and cherish and fall in love with. I think what I like most is that it's a book that I think won't just appeal to teachers, librarians, and parents, but will also be loved by tweens. This is a wonderfully charming, memorable book that will steal your heart!

Book Pairings: The Penderwicks Series by Jeanne Birdsall, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, The Casson Family Series by Hilary McKay, A Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from final copy sent by publisher.