Whatever

From the Publishers:

It's like the apocalypse came, only instead of nuclear bombs and zombies, Mike gets school participation, gay thoughts, and mother-effin' cheerleaders.

Junior year is about to start. Here's what Mike Tate knows:

His friends are awesome and their crappy garage band is a great excuse to drink cheap beer. Rook Wallace is the devil. The Lemonheads rock. And his girlfriend Lisa is the coolest. Then Lisa breaks up with him, which makes Mike only a little sad, because they'll stay friends and he never knew what to do with her boobs anyway. But when Mike finds out why Lisa dumped him, it blows his mind. And worse—he gets elected to homecoming court.

With a standout voice, a hilariously honest view on sex and sexuality, and enough f-bombs to make your mom blush, this debut YA novel is a fresh, modern take on the coming-out story.

My Thoughts:

Sometimes I don't read the description before I read the book. After all, the title is whatever, so I just dove right in and was just as confused as the main character Mike. He wasn't sure he was gay and it starts with a friend/girlfriend Lisa so when he finds out that he was drunk making out with a guy, I was just as confused. It seems that everyone else but Mike had their gadar beeping away on him.  What I want to know is how can someone in their junior year in high school be so clueless about their sexual orientation? Perhaps he was not clueless, just not willing to look closely at himself. That happens all the time. 

This book is angst funny. Everyone is both wise ass and sweet and no one has it together. A great read for 8th graders and up. 

Access to this book was provided by Net Galley and the publisher. Publication date: August 2, 2016.

Patrick Griffin's Last Breakfast on Earth

From the Publishers:

When Patrick Griffin passes out after a chemistry experiment gone bad, he wakes up in a strange parallel world, where everyone has huge eyes and tiny ears, and is addicted to smartphones called "binkies." Patrick thinks it's all a weird dream, but he's about to wake up to an adventure beyond his wildest imagination.

Meanwhile, a huge rabbit-like creature named Mr. BunBun is roaming through Patrick's hometown, leaving a trail of chaos behind it. Its mission? To save Earth from imminent doom.

See what happens when the fate of three worlds lies in the hands of one boy and one gigantic bunny in this first book of a hilarious and mind-bending new adventure series.

My Thoughts:

This is a great summer read and is going to be a popular book for middle level readers. It has oddball situations, it has a typical middle child awkward boy left home alone and then alternative world teens who play by different social rules, big rabbits, rebellion, chaos, and Big Brother government types. Parents are as clueless and vague (what's new) and kids are the ones who really see what is going on. It reminds me of the humor in a classic Piers Anthony fantasy or a Narnia world.

Truth be told, I did not get to finish this book before my access was cancelled, but that just means I need to finish it when it comes out in August (Publication date: August 2, 2016).

An early copy made available from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

100 Days

In short:

I can't say much about this book without giving too much away. Very early on, you will figure out where this book is going to end barring any surprises so I don't need to say too much about the plot. I think it is like driving to work or riding to school. You know the route right away. This is not a journey, it's the same route and you can take that route in your sleep, so just look out the window and enjoy the company. 

My thoughts:

I liked the cover until I finished the book and re-looked at the cover. I am not fond of the cover at all. With alternating perspective chapters of the three characters, I have a distinct vision of each character based on what they say, feel, experience, as well as what the remaining two characters feel and say about themselves and each other. This type of writing technique hones in on character and rounds each character out which is probably why the generic Leggo people look of the cover is now unacceptable. I would rather have an abstract cover.

Despite that major complaint, I did not hate the book. I thought it was fine, even if the end was obvious. The characters were likable, complex, teen angsty, easy to read, sweet, sentimental, sad. It has all the elements that my students will want. It should do well.

Publication date: August 23, 2016. Advanced copy provided by Net Galley dot com for an honest review.

What a little boy can teach the old

From the acclaimed author of When We Were the Kennedys and Any Bitter Thing, the incandescent story of a 104-year-old woman and the sweet, strange young boy assigned to help her around the house—a friendship with unexpected reverberations for the boy's unmoored family.

My thoughts:

This is a perfect book for the middle reader. Miss Ona Vitkus is a 104 year old hermit, but the local boy scout troop sends her boys to help around the house and she usually chases them away until one awkward boy with an obsession for lists, questions and Guiness World Records wedges himself into her life and changes the way she sees herself and her history. But then the boy is gone and his father, Quinn fulfills his sonʻs obligation and a new friendship is formed.

This book is about a boy who is invisible, bullied, misunderstood. It is about a quest. Most importantly it is about the lessons the 11-year old boy is able to teach Miss Ona and his father Quinn about life, and what it means to be truly living. 

The writing style took me a while to get used to, but I like that it does not resort to syrupy sweetness or clean redemption wrapped up in happily ever after. Finally, Wood writes one of the best last chapters I have read in a long time. I am glad that I kept reading because that last chapter was so unexpected and hauntingly divine. 

Advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.

Faith: Volume 1 A Different Size of Hero

Text by Judy Houser

Art by Francis Portela and Marguerite Sauvage

      partial gallery provided by Net Galley.com and Diamond Distributors for an honest review. 

Description from the publisher: Orphaned at a young age, Faith Herbert - a psionically gifted "psiot" discovered by the Harbinger Foundation - has always aspired to greatness. But now this once ordinary teenager is taking control of her destiny and becoming the hard-hitting hero she's always known she can be - complete with a mild-mannered secret identity, unsuspecting colleagues, and a day job as a reporter that routinely throws her into harms way! Well, at least she thought it would... When she's not typing up listicles about cat videos, Faith makes a secret transformation to patrol the night as the City of Angels' own leading superhero - the sky-soaring Zephyr! But flying solo is going to be tougher than she ever thought when Zephyr uncovers a deep-rooted alien conspiracy. Two-bit burglars and car thieves are one thing, but when the world needs a hero to stave off an full-blown extraterrestrial invasion, will Faith find herself in over her head... or ready for her biggest challenge yet? Rising star Jody Houser (Orphan Black) and explosive artists Francis Portela (Green Lantern) and Marguerite Sauvage (DC Comics Bombshells) pilot a new chapter for the high-flying hero that People Magazine calls "a superhero we can all admire." Collecting FAITH #1-4.

What I thought: What makes Faith Herbert different is not that she is a psiot or that she carries a secret identity a la Clark Kent and Superman, but that she is a physically imperfect hero. She is round and curvy not in a sexy way but in a chunky way. In her day persona, she has horrible hair and dresses much older than she really is. But when she is squeezed into her Zephyr costume and defying the laws of gravity by flying, she carries her confidence and sexiness in a whole new way. This is not the Barbie-proportioned, small-waisted Wonder Woman. Faith is not about body. She is about intentions and good heart. 

Publication date July 26, 2016

Graphic Series: Beauty

The Beauty, volume 1

by Jeremy Haun, Jason A. Hurley

Image Comics

Publication date: March 22, 2016

Description from the publisher:

Modern society is obsessed with outward beauty. What if there was a way to guarantee you could become more and more beautiful every day? What if it was a sexually transmitted disease? In the world of The Beauty, physical perfection is only one sexual encounter away. The vast majority of the population has taken advantage of it, but Detectives Vaughn and Foster will soon discover it comes at a terrible cost. Now, they'll have to find their way past corrupt poiticians, vengeful federal agents, and a terrifying mercenary out to collect the price on their heads. Collects the first six issues of the critically acclaimed, Pilot Season winning series by writer/artist JEREMY HAUN (Constantine, Batwoman) and co-writer JASON A. HURLEY. "...a high concept that is, frankly, genius..." - multiversitycomics.com "This is absolutely a book to check out." - all-comic.com "...one of the strongest introductions to a series in a long time..." comicbookresources.com

My thoughts:

The hard part with the graphic series is that where we live, there are no bookstores, much less a comic store. Our town has a small bookstore that also sells maps, kitsch and CDs. Their books mostly consist of Hawaiiana books. It usually is not a problem except that now I got hooked into this series with no way to get future issues except through the Internet. I am so sick of teenage vampires and other immortals who stay young and beautiful, which is why this series is so fresh and out of the box! As a society, we are obsessed with beauty. Selfies using beauty apps are HUGE, so imagine a world where a sexually transmitted disease actually makes you beautiful and physically perfect after just one sexual encounter. The creators know exactly what would happen. We would have millions of people trying to get the disease. Add in a power hungry pharmaceutical company hiding a cure for the right monetary amount and the fabulous twist that after about 22 months with this disease,  like ebola with a short incubation period people suddenly explode out, and you have a hit! This story line is genius and of course I am left with a huge cliff hanger and two main characters who could explode at any moment, so Jeremy and Jason, get working!

Image Comic

Pub Date 22 Mar 2016  

Tween Answer to Game of Thrones

Publication date: April 12, 2016 by Disney-Hyperion

About: (from the publisher)

Thorn, an outlaw's son, wasn't supposed to be a slave. He never should have run away from home, leaving his mother and siblings to fend for themselves. Now he's been sold to Tyburn, an executioner, and they're headed to Castle Gloom in Gehenna, the land of undead, where Thorn will probably be fed to a vampire. Lilith Shadow wasn't supposed to be ruler of Gehenna. But on the terrible day her father, mother, and brother were killed, young Lily became the last surviving member of House Shadow, a long line of dark sorcerers. Her country is surrounded by enemies and the only way she can save it is by embracing her heritage and practicing the magic of the undead. But how can she when, as a girl, magic is forbidden to her?
Just when it looks like Lily will have to leave her home forever, Thorn arrives at Castle Gloom. A sudden death brings them together, inspires them to break the rules, and leads them to soar to new heights in this fantasy with all the sparkle and luster of a starry night sky.

My take:

Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan is the tween answer to Martin's Game of Thrones. Some reviewers have likened it to Harry Potter, but the main character, Lily, reminds me of Arya Stark. Although she is orphaned and an unlikely ruler of her people, she accepts her enormous responsibilities and is fiercely loyal to her people. That does not keep her from being head strong and untamed, or taking risks that sometimes turn out badly for her or others, but readers can see her evolve and grow into the leader that she will become. She is more tomboy than girly, more fighter than princess. 

Tired of girl-heavy action heroines? Thorn is not a side kick hero, but a "batman" in his own right. He is fully formed with a backstory that pulls at your heart. It's almost as if he too is like Arya Stark. Similar personality, taken hostage (or bought) by Lily's executioner Tyburn (a more morally developed character than the Hound), and skilled in using his talents to his advantage. I must admit that I slowed my reading down to keep from getting to the end.

An advanced copy of this book was provided by NetGalley.com and the publishers for an honest review.

Long is the Way and Hard

"Long is the way and hard, that out of hell leads up to light." Milton, Paradise Lost

Artists: James Stokoe, Bob Eggleton, Ulises Farinas, Erick Freitas, Brandon Seifert, Dave Wachter

Publisher: IDW Publishing (March 1, 2016)

In short: 

Godzilla meets his greatest adversary of all time-the impossible tortures of Hell! Each issue of this special miniseries will see Godzilla enter a new level of the underworld to do battle with the impossible by a variety of today's best writers and artists!

My thoughts:

There is always something very "Frankenstein"-ish about Japan's lizard king, Godzilla. Look beyond his disfigured, gargantuan body and he is a misunderstood, created monster. He is a creation of man's own greed and arrogance. He is not himself evil. Evil was done to him. Still, the reader must remember that he is still a reptile, so we cannot put the same expectations of humanity on him. Still, the artists in this series of miniseries all understand the loneliness and "humanity" of this monster. It shows in the art, in his actions, in his eyes. I am left wondering how he ended up in these realms of hell in the first place, but I understand that he is just a witness and visitor, not a resident of these hells.

The Buddha quote at the end and the picture of Godzilla walking up to the red torii in the sky is both a haunting and perfect end to this series:

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you. Not by angels or demons, heaven or hell. -- Budha

Provided by NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for an  honest review.

Tween Tuesday: Hatchet

Author: Gary Paulsen

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 133

Published date: 1998

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Synopsis: From Amazon

When the pilot of a small, two-person plane has a heart attack and dies, Brian has to crash land in the forest of a Canadian wilderness. He has little time to realize how alone he is, because he is so busy just trying to survive. And learning to survive, to plan on food not just for a day but until and if he is rescued, only begins when he stops pitying himself and understands that no one can help him. He is on his own, without his divorced father, whom he was to visit, or his mother, whom Brian saw kissing another man before the divorce.

Review: This book is not the first book I read written by Gary Paulsen. I recommend this book to young teens ages 11-13. It's an enjoyable book.

Brian leaves on a sesna to see his father. Then he faces a horrible tragedy when it crashes and he is stranded in the Canadian wilderness. Thankfully before he left, his mom packed a hatchet in his bag. Brian uses it to help him survive.

One thing I like is how Brian uses his hatchet to catch his own food, get himself out of the sinking sesna, and other dangerous situations.

My favorite part was when Brian uses strategies from school to help him find food, shelter, and ways to use the hatchet. Also, he survived with all these strategies and got rescued.  If you like a survival story this a book for you to read. 

In a sentence...

A teen boy,with just a hatchet, survives in an unknown wilderness after a tragedy. 

Posted by: Gabby

Short, Fast and Furious Read: Life and Other

What it's about (from the publisher):

Libby Miller has always been an unwavering optimist—but when her husband drops a bomb on their marriage the same day a doctor delivers devastating news, she realizes her rose-colored glasses have actually been blinding her.

With nothing left to lose, she abandons her life in Chicago for the clear waters and bright beaches of the Caribbean for what might be her last hurrah. Despite her new sunny locale, her plans go awry when she finds that she can’t quite outrun the past or bring herself to face an unknowable future. Every day of tropical bliss may be an invitation to disaster, but with her twin brother on her trail and a new relationship on the horizon, Libby is determined to forget about fate. Will she risk it all to live—and love—a little longer?

From critically acclaimed author Camille Pagán comes a hilarious and hopeful story about a woman choosing between a “perfect” life and actually living.

 My take:

This is what adults call short chick lit, fast prose and furious circumstances. It is a formula, true, but the quick pace necessary for a short read makes it less formulaic somehow. You get to know Libby and want to root for her and everything happens fast enough that you don't get tired of her. She will seem familiar to the middle reader because especially in the beginning, she kind of acts like a middle schooler.

I guess I would call this a beach read, but I actually should create a different category. This is a plane read as long as you are able to create a translucent wall around yourself so that no one sees you crying (that is if you are a crying kind of person). I am not giving out a spoiler alert, so do not read too much into this comment. Still, at 250 Kindle pages, you can finish this book on a flight from Honolulu to Seattle.

Dystopian Sci-Fi: Transient City

Publisher: Bundoran Press Publishing (May 17, 2016)

What it's about from the publishers:

On a distant mining colony at the far reaches of a galactic empire, vast cities crawl across the surface of desolate planet looking for valuable minerals while their citizens struggle to survive. Victor Stromboli, a professional crime scene witness is nearly crippled by the brutal memories he can't control or forget. 

Now, he has to solve the mystery of a missing corporate executive. The only trouble is: the man is the husband of the love of his life. Stromboli has to overcome rogue miners, corporate intrigue and a pair of vicious psychopaths. Or die trying.

My thoughts:

This book, coming out in May, is a page-turning detective mystery, taking place in the dystopian future. It took me a little bit of re-reading to get into this world. It feels like a combination of Water World and Mad Max. Like Mad Max, the main character, Victor Stromboli, is sometimes overshadowed by over the top villains (politically connected Blaze and psychopath Chill) as well as minor characters who play large parts in keeping the "hero" alive. Stromboli is not the typical hero. He is neither young, stunning or physically strong. He is forgettable and powerless for most of the book and is often the unwilling pawn. His underdog status, though, are what make him so cheer-worthy. This will be a great summer read.

An advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley.net for an honest review.

Self-Help Non-Fiction: Keynote Mastery

I initially questioned whether this were appropriate for a middle school student, but reading through Patrick Schwerdtefeger's story made me realize that sometimes even before middle school, we have an inkling of what we want to do and this is a great book on a very specific topic that could appeal to those students who have thought about working for themselves and getting better at a job that is not a mainstream occupation.

I do not think you have to be committed to being a professional speaker in order to gain insight from this book. The online worksheets and even the rhythm of his speech is a great way to really critically analyze craft and reveal one person's process in order to help your own process. One of the things he talks about is a kind of "go for broke" attitude that does not let lack of experience, lack of expertise, lack of education, even lack of money inhibit a person from pursuing their dream. What it does take is confidence, discipline, faith and bravery. I also think that the realistic journey, most evident by his credit card balances, shows the up and down trajectory of this kind of life. 

I am not aspiring to be a keynote speaker, although as an assistant professor  (the lowest rung of professors), I do need to get my writing out there and present at conferences in order to get funding to travel. The steps for someone like me to be a keynote, though, would still be very similar - authorship and international conferences being two similarities. 

Finally, what I most enjoyed about this book is the ability of the author to look at his own flaws and not hide from them, but work through them. That in itself is a kind of bravery that should be honored.

This book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yellow Crocus originally published in 2010 is a Kindle Unlimited option so I decided to read it again because I kind of just rushed through it the first time. 

From Amazon:

Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come. Though Lisbeth leads a life of privilege, she finds nothing but loneliness in the company of her overwhelmed mother and her distant, slave-owning father. As she grows older, Mattie becomes more like family to Lisbeth than her own kin and the girl’s visits to the slaves’ quarters—and their lively and loving community—bring them closer together than ever. But can two women in such disparate circumstances form a bond like theirs without consequence? This deeply moving tale of unlikely love traces the journey of these very different women as each searches for freedom and dignity.

My take:
What struck me on reading this book again was that as a reader, I sometimes forget that I am living in a different reality and I try to judge the story and the actions of the characters by my own values living in these times. This time, I just let it unfold and I did not judge. Louise Rosenblatt, in the book Making Meaning with Texts, selected essays writes:

“The reader brings to the work personality traits, memories of past events, present needs and preoccupations, a particular mood of the moment and a particular physical condition. These and many other elements in a never-to-be-duplicated combination determine his response to the text.”  

I believe that is always true. I think re-reading the same book at a different time in my life gave me a different read of the book. I was not in the middle of working with my social studies colleague to create a slavery unit for our 8th graders. I am just reading a story to read a story, so the combination of memories, present needs, preoccupations and my mood at the moment created a different enough combination so that I could just enjoy the journey and look on as a fly in the wall as the story unfolded. I am happy to have met Mattie and Lisbeth.