My goal this summer was to read 20 books. I came just short of that at 18, but at least now I have lots to recommend! One of my favorites was The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi.
Here's a description: Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you're only seventeen? Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire... But Akaran has its own secrets -- thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most. . .including herself. A lush and vivid story that is steeped in Indian folklore and mythology. The Star-touched Queen is a novel that no reader will soon forget. So what did I think? I LOVED this book. Roshani Chokshi writes so beautifully, and the inclusion of both Indian and Greek folklore add a wonderful layer to both the plot and the characters. I came across a review of this book from NPR, and there was a quote that I felt really captured the style of Chokshi's writing, and what it does for the reader: "The sentence-level beauty of this book often stunned me: There's a smooth, understated loveliness to the writing that kept catching me off guard. In Chokshi's prose, voices have substance and texture while light has color and flavor; never have I wanted to munch on books so much as after reading "The archives were cut like honeycombs and golden light clung to them, dousing every tome, painting, treatise and poem the soft gold of ghee freshly skimmed from boiling butter." The vivid details are probably my favorite aspect of the book, but along with that, Maya's strength in the face of mystery and danger makes for a very compelling main character. Check this book out today!
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Tammy from Books Bones & Buffy reviewed the YA book The Weight of Feathers. Here's an excerpt from her review:
"The story seems simple at first, and yet it’s actually quite complex once you start reading. The set-up has a very strong Romeo and Juliet vibe: two feuding families, the Palomas and the Corbeaus, are both performing families, traveling from town to town with their unusual acts. But a long ago tragedy has made the two families mortal enemies, and now they avoid each other like the plague, even when they happen to end up in the same town together. Lace Paloma has been taught all her life to never let a Corbeau touch her, or she’ll bring tragedy to her family. But in the small town of Almendro, Lace is injured during a terrible factory accident, and a boy named Cluck Corbeau saves her life. Lace finds herself swept into the mysterious world of the Corbeau family, but as she and Cluck get to know each other, Lace dreads the day that Cluck finds out who she really is: a member of the hated Paloma family. Lace and Cluck must make a choice between true love and family—not an easy choice to make." You can read the full review on her site by clicking the image above!
BHarper Lee, author of one of the most influential novels of the 20th century, To Kill a Mockingbird, passed away this past Friday at the age of 89. This novel, which our students read as part of the English curriculum, has had a lasting and profound effect on so many readers. Her second novel, Go Set a Watchman, was just released last year. With her passing came many tributes online, including an article in the New Yorker, and some of her correspondence with cartoonist Berkeley Breathed published in The New York Times. Below are the "most powerful and inspiring quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird," published by The Independent:
Publishing company Simon & Schuster has launched a young adult literature website called Riveted. With the tagline "YA Fiction is Our Addiction," the site will include everything from live book chats, quizzes and polls, DIY videos, and exclusive content from various authors. When you visit Riveted you also have the opportunity to download free books to your computer, phone, or tablet. Check it out by clicking the image above!
Our book club for this upcoming month is Passenger by Alexandra Bracken. Bracken is the author of the Darkest Minds series, and Passenger is her newest release! We'll be meeting on Wednesday, March 16th after school in the PTHS library for our book discussion. The library still has two copies available for checkout. Read the synopsis below:
"In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles, but years from home. And she's inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she's never heard of. Until now. Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods-a powerful family in the Colonies-and the servitude he's known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can't escape and the family that won't let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, his passenger, can find. In order to protect her, Nick must ensure she brings it back to them-whether she wants to or not. Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods' grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home forever." -Amazon.com Hope to see you at Book Club! Today, February 4, 2016, marks the 2nd annual Harry Potter Book Night, sponsored by Bloomsbury Publishing. The night is dedicated to celebrating J.K. Rowling and the lasting impact the Harry Potter series has had on children and adults around the world. Bloomsbury polled readers and enthusiasts to determine the world's favorite Harry Potter spell from the series and the winner was: Expecto Partonum!
The full list is below: 1. Expecto patronum – to summon a Patronus 2. Accio – to call an object to you 3. Wingardium Leviosa – to levitate objects 4. Expelliarmus – to disarm your opponent 5. Lumos – to ignite one’s wand-tip to provide light 6. Alohomora – to open locked windows and doors 7. Avada Kedavra – to bring about instant death 8. Sectumsempra – the incantation for one of the Half-Blood Prince’s spells 9. Obliviate – to make the subject forget 10. Riddikulus – to make a Boggart take on a comical appearance and eventually explode Happy Harry Potter Book Night! Source: The Guardian This week's book review is for Soundless by Richelle Mead. Regan of the PeruseProject on YouTube reviewed this video back in December. You can check out her review below! She also mentions Richelle Mead's newest book, The Glittering Court, which will be released April 5, 2016! This week's review comes from one of the Teen Board members at teenreads.com. The Teen Board consists of students from around the US who write reviews, blog posts, etc. for the website. To become a Teen Board member, you have to complete a 2-part application in the summer. Check out teenreads.com for more information.
The review is posted below but you can read it HERE too! Underwater by Marisa Reichardt, review from teenreads.com From Marisa Reichardt, author of the blog “Young Adultish,” comes Underwater, a unique and deeply moving story about a teenage girl learning to cope in the wake of tragedy. Before October 15th, Morgan Grant was a normal teenager. She was on the swim team. She went to parties on the weekends. She was part of a group of best friends who shared everything. After October 15th, Morgan can’t even leave her house. What happened that day was something she never could have imagined, and the fact that she feels partly responsible for the events only makes it harder for her to face the outside world. Now, Morgan takes all of her classes online, spending her time alone in her family’s apartment all day until her mother and younger brother return. She’s not proud that this is her life now, but she’s resigned to passing the time on her couch day in and day out because it’s better than the alternative --- going outside, where something like that day in October could happen again. Morgan is content to stay inside her apartment, where she’s safe…until Evan Kokua, a boy her age, moves into the apartment next door. Evan represents everything Morgan is missing out on. Evan loves the water just as much as she does, and he’s starting school nearby. He’s also starting to make Morgan reconsider the world beyond her front door. Underwater is raw and moving, with a message that is genuine: tragedy might change our lives, but we can’t let it ruin them forever. Reichardt spins this tale with a natural and sincere voice. Her protagonist Morgan is a narrator that readers pull for, empathize with and come to love; her views are authentic and fresh, and her journey is a much-needed reminder for those of us that have dealt or are dealing with tough situations (no matter the scale) and are stronger for it. Morgan’s relationships with her family, her friends and Evan are accurate representations of the imperfect but indispensable support we find in others. Nevertheless, it’s possible the most poignant part of the novel is the strength that Morgan finds within herself. The plotline unfolds perfectly, never straying from its path or becoming dull, and Reichardt infuses what, in another case, could have been an overwhelmingly heavy tale with the celebration of wit, hope and love. Underwater is a story about forgiveness, about starting again and about recognizing that, even when something horrible happens, the most important thing we can do is to keep going. Morgan’s story is believable, touching and gives us an understanding that no matter how alone we feel, things will get better. Underwater is an extraordinary story that will teach, entertain and strike a chord in adults and young adults alike, and its remarkable characters and plot make it one that will stay with you. This is the first post for our new series called "The Book Report" appearing every Wednesday on the blog. This is where Ms. Gilroy, Mrs. Fecher, our library assistants, teachers, and even students can submit book reviews to be shared. If you've read a book you'd like to review e-mail Ms. Gilroy @ [email protected].
The first review comes from Ms. Gilroy and it's about the recently released These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly. Happy reading! These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly Jennifer Donnelly has been one of my favorite YA authors ever since I read A Northern Light and Revolution. In her latest book, a historical fiction murder mystery, Donnelly uses 1890's New York to tell the story of Josephine "Jo" Montfort. Jo's father has died, but the circumstances surrounding his death don't sit well with Jo, a young, sophisticated socialite who has been sent home from her finishing school to grieve. When she uncovers clues that suggest her father's accidental death was murder, she takes it upon herself to seek out the truth. Jo's hunt leads her to some very dark and dangerous places, but with the help of Eddie, a young reporter, she uncovers secrets that could solve the mystery of her father's untimely death. However, when a menacing stranger begins to follow her every move, these secrets could end up taking her life. What I really loved about this book was that Jo, despite growing up in a time where young ladies were expected to follow social standards and focus on marriage, yearns for much more than a ring on her finger. She loves writing and dreams of reporting the news like Nellie Bly. Her independent and willful spirit make her someone you root for. And a glimpse into New York in the late 19th century is the perfect backdrop for this story. It showcases the disparity between the rich and the poor, and in doing so Jo begins to see her world in a whole new light. If you're a fan of historical fiction this is a terrific read! We also have Jennifer Donnelly's other books in the library as well, including her Waterfire Saga, a series about mermaids - perfect for any fan of the fantasy genre! Tomorrow is the first book club meeting of the new year!This month's book is Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. If you've read this book you're welcome to join us in the library after school on Wednesday, January 20th to discuss everything from Madeline's illness to her relationship with Olly. Also, there will be snacks!
Book Riot has a great article about all of the books mentioned in Everything, Everything. Here's an excerpt: "From The Little Prince to Flowers for Algernon, Madeline immerses herself in books while spending her days inside, daydreaming of the life she’d have outside of her white, sterile walls. And as she starts to form a relationship with the charming, flirty, and parkour-practicing Olly (so perfectly named!), her yearning for escape becomes more real, and less imagined from the books that she reads." Check out the article HERE. See you in the library! |
Ms. Gilroy
Welcome to The Book Drop, Ms. Gilroy's library blog! Check here for some of your PTHS librarian's favorite things including book reviews, what's happening in YA literature, and the latest and greatest news from around the world & web. Archives
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