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A Librarian Reads The Light Fantastic

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

The Light Fantastic continues the adventures of Rincewind and Twoflowers that began in The Color of Magic. This time Discworld is threatened by a new red star that is growing larger everyday.

Readers may recall that Discworld is a flat world held aloft on the backs of 4 elephants who are themselves standing on a giant space voyaging turtle. This turtle seems to be heading for a disaster involving a collision with the aforementioned star. If the star consumes the turtle all of Discworld would be destroyed.

But the magical book known as the Octavo has other plans. Somewhere in Rincewind’s mind is the eighth ancient spell. It is up to Rincewind and Twoflower to bumble there way across Discworld (again) and this time everyone’s life depends on their ability to not do what people expect them to.

Recommended for anyone who loves a good laugh or enjoys fantasy. Appropriate for ages 14 and up.

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A Librarian Reads Will Supervillians Be On The Final?

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Will Supervillains Be On The Final? Liberty Vocational Volume 1 by Naomi Novik & Yishan Li

Leah Taymore has abilities beyond mere humans. She can rearrange matter; for instance turning cement into water. Her abilities have landed her a spot at the prestigious  Liberty Vocational College. At Liberty Vocational she will learn how to be the best superhero she can be.

Unfortunately Leah is hapless and whenever she uses her powers for good the consequences are nothing but bad. On her first day she traps the senior class after turning the field they were using for an exam into cement. Next she floods her dormitory. And she never seems to make it to places on time. Although Leah has great potential she might be kicked out of school before her first week even ends!

Bu not everything is as it seems. A fellow student is secretly the son of a major supervillain and he has been manipulating Leah’s hijinks. His plan is to use her to help destroy Liberty Vocational.

Can Leah survive her first week? Will she be kicked out? You need to read this excellent first volume to find out. I’d recommend this series to anyone who likes superheroes, manga, or who needs a fun light read and it is appropriate for all ages.

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A Librarian Reads Gemini Bites

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

Gemini Bites by Patrick Ryan

Judy and Kyle Renneker are fraternal twins who live in the middle of a family of nine. Everyone in the family competes against each other just to survive. If you want the biggest helping of dinner you need to make sure you are first in line. If you want an amazing present for Christmas you better start dropping hints in July. That is how life has always been in the Renneker family. But since Judy and Kyle are twins they compete against each other more than any other member of the family and it always seems that Judy wins. When Kyle came out as gay to his family Judy came out as a born again Christian. She is always one-upping her twin.

Then one night Judy and Kyle’s parents make an announcement. The family will have another member soon. Garret Johnson, the son of a friend of their father’s, will be staying with them for the rest of the school year. Garrett’s parents are moving to California but want him to have the stability of staying at one school for his junior year of high school. At first Judy and Kyle are concerned that their home will have one more person squeezed into it, but soon Judy notices that Kyle has an interest in Garret. Now she sees Garret as an opportunity to compete with her brother for a boyfriend.

But Garrett has his own plans. He makes it no secret to Judy and Kyle that he is a vampire. Garrett even has a Van Helsing type stalker at school who has vowed to destroy him. Judy and Kyle aren’t sure what to make of any of this but can’t deny being intrigued. So who will win in this love triangle? Judy? Kyle? Or the vampire?

Gemini Bites is a very funny, yet realistic, story of sibling rivalry gone haywire. Highly recommended for those looking for a quick, fun read about family, romance and vampires. It is appropriate for ages 16 and up due to a few scenes involving physical intimacy.

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A Librarian Reads Bumped

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

What if only teenagers could have babies? This is the reality in the world of Bumped. A virus has left everyone in the world older then 18 infertile. Even in vitro fertilization no longer works. Condoms have been banned and society has changed to embrace teenage pregnancy. Advertising teaches children that the most important part thing about them is their ability to reproduce. Teens have babies in order to auction them off to couples who want children. Some teens can go “pro” and get endorsements, college tuition and other awards to have babies with very specific genes.

Melody is one such girl. Her adopted parents have groomed her all her life to be a breeder. Melody is special because of her specific DNA traits. Melody even has an agent that helped her sign a deal with a couple, the Jaydens, who wants the most genetically gifted baby ever. The Jaydens have searched for years to find  the perfect partner for Melody. Melody is getting older though and only has a few years before infertility sets in. Little does she know that the Jaydens have set her up with the most sought after teenage male in the whole world, Johndoe.

But before she can learn the news her life is thrown into chaos by her long lost identical twin, Harmony. Separated at birth, Harmony has grown up in Goodside, a sequestered community of religious conservatives who believe that breeding should only be done within marriage. Melody is sure her sister is here to save her soul. But when Melody’s breeding agent calls to inform her about Johndoe, he confuses Harmony for Melody. Now the twins are mixed up and their lives are spiraling out of control.

Bumped is an excellent book, mixing humor and science fiction while raising important questions about sex in a teenager’s life. The most interesting thing is that answers aren’t easily found. Melody and Harmony struggle with different understandings of life, sex, and how to be a good person. I highly recommend the book but caution that is appropriate for mature readers that are 16 and up.

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Scat: A Review by Aimee

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Scat by Carl Hiaasen
4 Stars

Marta and Nick live in Florida and they go to middle school, and they are really good friends. And they have a really mean science teacher who is really strict and barely smiles,Mrs.Bunny Starch. Mrs.Starch to the kids decides the class is going to take a class trip to Black Vine Swamp. But when a student with asthma loses her inhaler Mrs.S goes back and looks for it then a forest fire starts and they have to go back without her. Later they send a search party for her but don’t find her. The next day they find a note that was unsigned, the message claimed that she wasn’t missing she was attending a family emergency. And the headmaster and the police believed it was true, and not a joke so that’s what there going along with it. But Marta and Nick don’t believe it at all they think something is up. And they think it is a serious problem. So they search around and find things they never expected. If you want to find out what happened to Mrs.Starch! You have to read this book. It involves nature, and mystery Carl Hiaasen is a wonderful author and he wrote another good book. That is why I gave him 4 out of 5 stars.

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