Catzteach's reading adventures 2016

I couldn't figure out how to continue last year's thread, so I'm just starting anew. :)

Here are my stats for 2015:

Total books read: 82
non-fiction: 6
mystery: 7
fantasy: 33
sci-fi: 0
realistic: 20
steampunk: 6
historical: 9
distopian: 2

Kind of interesting to look at my reading habits by genre. I've never really done that before. For this coming year, I have 105 books on my TBR piles. And a few of The Husband's on the shelves that I didn't count. I think for 2016 I will differentiate between books for grown ups and books for kids, too. I did not do that in my stats for 2015.

I finished a book this morning, but I have it under 2015. It was called The Crimson Gate and was another one that I picked up in San Fran. It was a sequel to The Violet Hour, which I did not read. I usually don't read a book when I find out it's a sequel. I will find the first book(s) and read it first and then go back to the one I found first and read it. I'm a bit linear. :) But this one was ok without reading the first. There were a few details that I had to infer, but not so many that it made the book unenjoyable or confusing.

In this book, Harlow, the main character, was raised in a cult. In the first book, she finds out all the beliefs are true and quite scary. There is a temple that has a guardian. The guardian helps souls who have died get back to a world to be reborn. The guardian is Harlow's doppelganger. From some things that were said, I had to infer that Harlow's dad had visited the temple and stolen Harlow out of it. The guardian, Isiris, escapes and starts to terrorize Harlow's world while Harlow is trapped in the temple. The book is written in two parts: Harlow in the temple, and Harlow after she has escaped the temple. Her goal is to take down Isiris and save her friends and the world. It was a pretty entertaining book. It took me a good chunk of it to realize it is written for teens.

I will start my official 2016 reading with The Maze Runner. :)

Happy new year! I hope that 2016 is a good year for you in books and in life. Looking forward to following your reading.

I'm completely OCD (er CDO) when it comes to series. I toadally understand! Happy New Year.

Good luck with your reading in 2016. I am another who tends to hang on to books until I've found and read the first in a series (particularly in fantasy and sci fi genres - I'm less picky when it comes to crime/thriller types as they seem to be more interchangeable with less loss).

Good luck with The Maze Runner, I read it last year and The Scorch Trials is fairly high on the TBR pile.

Happy reading!

1. The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I've had this one on the shelf for a while now. It wasn't bad, but I did feel it was a bit slow in the middle. I don't know if it was that I wasn't super into the characters and plot, if it was because school started up again and I was a bit distracted, or what. This is definitely my type of genre: dystopian society with kids vs. Them. It ended well and I will read the others but I'm not running down to the library to get them. And I guess I'll get to the movie sometime. So the rating on the first book of the new year: eh.

>6 catzteach: I stalled after the first one. Wasn't overly impressed with that one and even though I have books 2 & 3 (bought as a job lot) on the tbr shelves they will remain on there for the foreseeable future or until I get rid of them.

>6 catzteach: and >7 AHS-Wolfy: I've stalled after the first one, despite having the next two. I do intend reading it, but I just keep thinking I've got more exciting things to read. I didn't hate it, but I just can't quite get the oomph continue on with the series.

>7 AHS-Wolfy: and >8 Peace2: I'm glad I'm not the only one! I feel like this book was given such praise and I kept feeling like I needed to read it. Definitely others out there that I will read first.

#2 drowning is inevitable by Shalanda Stanley. This is her debut novel. I loved it!

The plot: Olivia and Jamie have been best friends since birth, basically. They live next door to each other in a small Louisianna town. Olivia lives with her grandma. Her mom committed suicide shortly after Olivia was born. Her mom was 18. Her dad was too heartbroken and overwhelmed so he let Olivia's grandma raise her. Olivia struggles with living in her mom's shadow and is worried she will make the same choice when she turns 18, which is in a few weeks.

Jaimie had a happy home until he was about ten. Then his dad lost his job and started drinking. One night, Olivia is at Jaime's house cooking dinner. Jaime's dad comes home drunk and angry. He starts hitting Jamie's mom and then he makes a pass at Olivia. Jamie finally snaps and kills his dad.

Olivia and Jamie run. They enlist the help of two others: Max, Olivia's boyfriend, and Maggie, their other best friend. The kids flee to New Orleans and try to escape.

While reading I was thinking quite a few things. I cared for the characters and we're hoping they made it somewhere and were able to live a happy life. I am a firm believer of living up to the consequences of choices and were hoping they would realize they should turn themselves in. And I was thinking maybe they would get caught, the courts would be understanding of the effects of an abusive household and the kids would get off with light punishments. I won't say what happened because I forget how to block spoilers, but I will say it made me cry the last few chapters of the book.

This was one of those books that one needs to savor when finished with it. I was so involved at the end, my mind hadn't sufficiently relaxed enough to sleep, despite being exhausted from a week of work. I think it just might make my top five by the end of the year.

But I now need a light read so I will read Fluffy Bunnies 2: the Schnoz of Doom.

#3 Fluffy Bunnies 2: The Schnoz of Doom by Andrea Beatty. I read the first one years ago and loved it. When I saw this one in San Francisco, I got very excited. The author was standing there. She liked my enthusiasm and gave me two copies. One for my classroom and one for me! The age group is a bit old for my classroom, but I will give it to a friend who teaches fourth. The premise: Joules and Kevin Rockman are twins. In the first book, they discovered killer, alien bunnies (FLUFFs: Fierce, Large, Ugly, and Ferocious Furballs) and defeated them. In this book, the bunnies are a bit different due to some circumstances on their home planet so they are FOOFs: Fierce, Obnoxious, Odoriferous, Furballs. They thrive and grow on awful smells. They have come to earth to take over and eat the humans. This was a giggle out loud (kid humor) book. It would be appropriate for ages 8 to 12. Although, the vocabulary might be a bit tough for an 8 year old who isn't well read.

It was a nice, light read after the last book. Just what I needed. :)

#4 All the Winters After an enjoyable, but predictable, read. Kache (pronounced catch) heads back to Alaska after a twenty year absence. He fled his home at the age of 18 after his family was killed in a plane crash. His grandmother took a turn so he decided he needed to go to Alaska to see her instead of her traveling to him, as had been the routine. While there, he decides to visit the old homestead. He expects it to be lying in ruin, but instead finds a young woman living there. Nadia has been living in Kache's family home for ten years. She ran from an abusive husband. Kache's grandmother knew she was there and let her stay. And so the story unfolds with Kache and Nadia healing their wounds and getting to know each other. A predictable story line, but I enjoyed the characters so much that I didn't mind.

#5 The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. This is a book for 10 -12 year olds. Suzy is a seventh grader. It's the beginning of the school year and she's trying to make sens of the drowning death of her best friend, Franny. They had been friends since they were five. part of the book is how sixth grade was a tough year for their friendship. The other part is Suzy dealing with seventh grade and her grief. She gets obsessed with the idea that a jellyfish stung Franny, a really good swimmer, and that's why she drowned. It was a bit sad, but also a good book about friendship.

#6 How to Capture an Invisible Cat a very cute book about a genius kid, Nate, and a regular girl, Delphine. Nate makes his mother's cat a giant, invisible cat. It gets loose on the city. Delphine isn't really Nate's friend, but she runs into him at the park and his dog, who he has enhanced, starts talking to her. From there, she gets sucked into helping Nate find the cat and save the city. It's a pretty cute book for 9-12 year olds. The first of a series and due out in March.

>14 catzteach: That sounds really cute! I like the idea of an invisible cat.

#7 The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley. A very enjoyable book. one of many books I've read recently where the relationships of the characters were the main focus, so not super fast moving or lots of action. But a very sweet book about the friendship of Mori and Thaniel. I will talk more about it on the group read thread.

>16 catzteach: I liked it, too. I tried to buy a copy at the bookstore today, but they didn't have it.

>17 SylviaC: Mine is an advanced reader I picked up at the library convention. It had many, many editing errors. I wouldn't mind having a hardback. It's a beautifully designed cover.

#8 Full Bloom by Janet Evanovich. A classic Janet beach read. Funny, likable characters, if something can go wrong, it does. In this one, Annie owns a B&B that used to be a bordelo. One day Was shows up. He's the strikingly good looking man she has in every book. Turns out he's a PI hired to look into the disappearance of Annie's husband. Then a body is found in Annie's back yard. Yep, it's the husband. Now she's the main suspect and she still has to get ready for a wedding at her place. It was pretty cute and a fast read. Janet is one of those authors I pick up when I just want to escape and not have to think too much about the book. It was a nice break from all the stress right now.

#9 Tesla's Attic by Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman. The touchstones are not working for this book. :( I bought this book because I picked up the second one at the ALA conference and I don't like to read a sequel without having read the first one. And I didn't mind buying it because I'm a pretty huge fan of Shusterman.

This was a good tween book. Nick is an eighth grader who has moved to Colorado from Florida with his dad and brother after Nick's mom was killed in a house fire. They move into the house they inherited from Great Aunt Greta. The attic is filled with what Nick thinks is junk. So he decides to sell it in a garage sale. Only later he discovers all the items were made by Nikola Tesla and they all have some cool ability, like being able to read one's thoughts. Eventually Nick runs into people from the Accelerati. A secret society created by Thomas Edison. They do not seem to be nice people.

It was pretty enjoyable. I would recommend it to people looking for a gift for 11 to 13 year olds.

>20 catzteach: Touchstones were broken yesterday. You might try again today in a separate post.

Thanks! I went back and edited and put them in. :)

#10 Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger. The fourth Finishing School book. I liked it best of all. Not sure why, it was the same kind of plot: Sophronia finding out there was going to be trouble, tries to help, gets in trouble, then ends up helping and saving the day. It concluded the Finishing School books but left an opening for Soohronia to continue her espionage work. I am thinking about rereading the Souless books just to see if I can find these characters in them. But I have so many other books to read, I rarely reread anything.

>23 catzteach: I loved this series and was sad to see it end. I want to know what Sophronia and the others do next! But from what I've heard about the Soulless series I don't think I'll like it as much.

>24 Sakerfalcon: I'm not sure which series I liked better. I know one of the Finishing School books I didn't enjoy that much. I'd actually like to know more about Bumbersnoot and what happens to him. :)

>23 catzteach: I was sorry that the school does not continue in the end, I really liked this series!

>26 zjakkelien: I was, too. But it also fit the story line so......

#11 Grave Peril the third Dresden Files. I had heard on here that the series really kicked into gear with the third book. I totally agree! This one was much better than the first two. More action, I guess. I really liked Michael. I don't remember him in the first two books, but it's been a while since I read them. I will keep reading these and see what other trouble Harry can get into.

#12 The Lake House by Kate Morton. This is one of those books that one needs to savor when done with it. Oh my. Sadie is a detective in London who makes a decision that could cost her her job. She is ordered to take time off. So she goes to visit her Granddad in Cornwall. While there, she stumbles upon Loeanneth, the Lake House. It is an estate that was abandoned in 1933 because Theo, the young son, disappeared and the family went back to London and never came back. Sadie is compelled to solve the mystery of young Theo. BUT in order to understand what happens to Theo, the reader needs to learn the story of Alice, his sister. She has become a famous author of mysteries. She was 16 the summer Theo disappeared. The reader also needs to learn the story of Eleanor, Theo's mother and Anthony, Theo's father. I really enjoyed learning about the characters. It was written so the mystery wasn't solved easily. I was kept guessing until the end. Loved that!

#13 Station Eleven This one was a book bullet that caught me. It is not the usual apocalyptic novel that I usually read. It didn't have a controlling, evil government that teens are trying to overthrow. :) But I really enjoyed it! I liked how the characters were all connected with the comic of Station Eleven. I liked how it was pre-pandemic, during pandemic, and post-pandemic. The characters were interesting and the story flowed well. I'm glad this book bullet hit the mark!

>30 catzteach: That was one of my favourite books last year!

>30 catzteach: I really enjoyed that one too!

#14 The Forgetting A young adult novel about a girl, Georgie, who receives a heart transplant. She feels different afterwards and then she starts having memories that aren't hers. She realizes the memories are from the donor. So she starts trying to find out who the donor was. The nurse slips and lets her know it was a Jane Doe. During investigating the Jane Doe, Georgie finds out about a sex trafficking ring in her town. She then finds out her donor had been forced into this lifestyle and had been murdered. It was a pretty good book. A bit harsh at times. I don't know if anyone younger than 16 should read it as the content gets a bit graphic near the end. Also, Georgie was lying to a male character who quickly turned into her boyfriend. I don't like lies and it drives me nuts when I know a character is purposely lying, especially because the truth sounds "too crazy" or "they wouldn't believe me". Ugh. Otherwise, it was a decent read.

#15 Set You Free An Earlier Reviewer book. Lauren is a 17 year old who lives in Resurrection Falls. She wakes up one morning to be told the five year old she babysits has disappeared. He happens to be the mayor's son. Her brother quickly becomes a suspect. With the help of her brother's friend, Grady, they set out to find the real kidnapper. It was a fast moving book with Grady doing a lot of computer hacking and finding out secrets and things about the mayors family. I did not see the end coming. Would recommend this read. Off to write a review for it. :)

#16 The House Girl I picked this one up at a used bookstore we frequent during football season. I love this little store!

It's the story of Lina and Josephine. Lina is a lawyer in New York City. She has been assigned a case that needs to identify a descendant of a slave. The client is wanting to recognize slaves and get slave descendants recompense (is that the right word?) for slavery. Josephine is a slave who was a house girl. Her Missus allowed her to paint. The Missus has been getting credit for all the paintings. But with this case, Josephine could get the credit due to her. The story hops between Lina's quest and Josephine's story. This was an enjoyable book. Lina was a likable character. Josephine was strong and brave. I would recommend this book.

#17 Because of Mr. Terupt this is an Oregon Battle of the Books book for next year. The list of the books this year is a first for me; I've only read one of them! So I'm going to read them.

This one is written from the point of view of seven different kids in Mr. terupt's 5th grade class. He is a brand new teacher and does make a rookie mistake, which results in an accident. He is in a coma and the kids have to deal with their beloved teacher being hurt. It was well written and heartfelt. Even though Mr. Terupt made a classic rookie mistake, he is still an inspiring character.

It is a good read and I would recommend for any 8 to 12 year old.

#18 As Waters Gone By (are touchstones still not working?) by Cynthia Ruchti. This is one I picked up at the ALA conference. It's a Christian publisher, which I didn't notice at the time. It is the story of Emmalyn. She is a forty-something who is looking to start anew. Her husband is in prison for drunk driving and injuring someone in an accident. They were unable to have kids and she was desperate for a child. She had to sell the house and has moved to a little island in Wisconsin where she owns a hunting cabin. She finds a new lease on life on the island. It was a good story, but it is definitely a Christian book. If you don't like characters quoting the Bible, then this isn't the book for you. I don't mind too much of that as long as it doesn't get too preachy. I don't think this book went overboard, but there was slight feeling of "if you have Jesus, you don't need anything else, like therapy, because Jesus fixes everything." This book will be joining the other that I've sent to the community's little library box.

>30 catzteach: Yup, one of my best from last year, too.

And now I'm going to have to find The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.

>37 clamairy: I think you will really enjoy The Watchmaker. Such a good character development story!

#19 The Family Romanov a very interesting read. It was written for middle school age kids, so 12 to 14. I only knew snippets of the history. I thought Rasputin planned their murder. I had no idea he was already dead. I remember growing up and hearing Anastasia rumors. And I remember when the bones were found a few years ago. I also had no idea all this happened during World War 1. Whatever did they teach me in history classes? ;)

I don't read non-fiction very often, but books like this one encourage me to do so.

>39 catzteach: You're not alone. My kids got their first lesson on the Russian Revolution from the kids' film Anastasia. :)

>39 catzteach:, >40 clamairy: The Russian Revolution is something I always intend to read more about. I used to hate history at school - principally because we learnt about things like Strip Farming incessantly, tediously. We had to choose our options of what to study the following year - I opted out of history in favor of other subjects. Then they started to teach us about the Russian Revolution between us filling out the paperwork and the end of the term. It was fascinating and interesting and all of a sudden (too late to change my intentions for the following year) History was not tedious. We only spent a couple of weeks studying it before the teacher said, "And we'll continue that next year." Argh!

The positive thing to come from it would be that I've discovered a fascination with history and culture - but it's all been through reading or travelling (when that's been possible). Although I still remember enough about the strip farming - more than I've ever really needed in my life.

>41 Peace2: Replace the words 'strip farming' with 'Great Trek' and I can echo your school experience almost exactly. It's only since retirement that I've been able to explore the idea of putting bits of local history together to make a coherent picture. (For example: the parish newsletter tells me that in 1904 our first vicar rode up from Durban on horseback twice a month to take the services. Why, when the station next door to the church had been there 24 years already, I wondered. A recently-published book on that line gives the answer: Natal Government Railways were setting a tradition still followed assiduously by their successors, by running one train a day in each direction, at a time that surely suited nobody. And co-incidentally, a few years ago I saw the oldest surviving car in Natal on a show: a 1904 Cadillac. Much more expensive than and less reliable than a horse!)

>42 hfglen: As I get older (haven't reached retirement yet), I do find more things that make me curious. I wonder whether it was the presentation of them back in the day or whether it's that now I'm freer to follow tangents and things that pique my interest at the time and not what someone else says I need to be interested in Now.

That sounds about right for a railway (or possibly most transport services - the customers shall come unto us and we shall deliver them unto a destination - it may not be the one they want, or on the day/time/month they want but hey we've provided the service.)

Not even sure that a 1904 Cadillac would have been anymore comfortable either.

There is nothing like a textbook to kill a person's interest in something. Or perhaps an uninterested, unmotivated teacher who only teaches out of the textbook. We had such a history teacher, only he had one more use for the textbook. Thwapping it down hard on the desk of the kids who fell asleep in his class.

Here's the weird thing. I can't remember any other history teacher, and I can't remember one thing I learned in his class. Except to avoid *sses. Which can be an important lesson.

My interest in history happened after high school when I was trying to connect events to my ancestors lives. My grandmother developed it with her stories.

>44 MrsLee: I had an awful history/social studies teacher as well. I tuned him out most of the time. And the text books were awful! In college, I had two profs for Western Civilization that were wonderful and one who wasn't. I never did get bit by the history bug. This book helped, though. If I could find more like this one, I'd read more about history. :)

#20 The Keeper by David Baldacci. It's a sequel to The Finisher. It was a good book. Vega is leading her friend and her dog through the Quag. They escaped their village, Wormwood, in the first book. She just wanted the truth to why they lived where they do and she wants to know what's on the other side of the Quag. The Quag surrounds Wormwood and no one is allowed to go into it. It's filled with lots of dangerous creatures and she has been told she will die if she goes into it.

It was entertaining. One of the things I like about it is they have their own words for certain things. So, even though they are speaking English, it isn't like they are living in America. It's just different enough. For example, a minute is called a "sliver."

It's a YA and I would recommend it to 12 and ups.

#21 Out of Abaton This was a pretty decent re-do of Pinocchio. I will admit the only story of Pinocchio I'm familiar with is the Disney version.
This version takes place in Venice, Italy. Pinocchio is an automa who has been sent to Geppetto by the Immortal Lordship of Abaton. The Lordship has been captured and needs Geppeto's help to escape. His Lordship has cast a spell on Pinocchio that is making him turn human. I felt the way the author portrayed different parts of Pinocchio's story was pretty inventive. For example, he created creatures from Abaton who have been enslaved in Venice. These creatures take the place of the "bad boys", you know, the ones who turn into donkeys. Then the whale is a creature that is guarding entrance into Abaton and only the ruler of Abaton can control it. It eats the people who get near Abaton. The blue fairy is a daughter of His Immortal Lordship.

Pinocchio was a lovable character and his journey to become human was a sweet one. This book is written for 10 to 12 year olds.

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker. A YA book. It was pretty good. Elizabeth is a witch hunter. She gets caught with some herbs she shouldn't have and gets arrested. She is rescued by a wizard. She then learns that wizards and witches aren't all bad. I liked the main character. It's a teen book so of course there was a love interest, but it wasn't overwhelming to the story. This is the first of a series. I'd recommend it.

#23 Escaping the Giant Wave this one is an Oregon Battle of the Books book. Kyle and his sister, BeeBee, go on vacation to the Oregon coast. Their parents go to a dinner on a yacht. While out to sea, there is an earthquake. Kyle remembers reading about tsunamis and how people should get inland when an earthquake hits. So he takes his sister and starts going uphill. The wave comes and Kyle and BeeBee have to figure out how to survive it hitting them. This was a fast read and a good book for 8 to 10 year olds. The one thing I liked: while fleeing up the hill, the kids hear cows mooing. They run into a local couple who confirm it is cows. It's the tsunami siren. The town didn't want to use a siren and scare tourists so they used cows. Turns out, this is true. Cannon Beach has a siren that uses cows. I've been to Cannon Beach many times. Luckily I've never heard the cows mooing.

I got behind on my postings so I'm going to catch up. But looking through my paper journal, my numbers don't match up. I need to go back and see what I missed. Here goes......

The Muralist This one was really good, I'm surprised I forgot to post about it. This is one of those that takes place in modern times and in the past. It follows two characters: Alizee (there is an accent on the first e) is an artist in New York right before WW2. She is Jewish, her family is in France. She is desperately trying to get her family to America but comes across road block after road block. She disappears during the war and her French family never knows what happens to her; and Danielle, Alizee's great-niece. She finds a painting she thinks was done by her great aunt. Her goal in the book is to prove that painting is Alizee's and to find out what happened to her. Both stories are captivating. And I love the cover, which is funny because the author does not like the cover. Her editor chose it. I was able to meet the author last summer and chat with her about this book. I really liked how she incorporated real painters into the story. For me, that made it more interesting and believable.

Another missed post is Crenshaw. This one is about a 4th grader whose family is going through difficult times. His childhood, well, younger childhood, imaginary friend appears again to help him through this difficult time. I didn't write very good notes, but I think his imaginary friend was a giant cat.

A third missed post: Forest of Wonders I didn't write any notes on this one. I know I enjoyed it but couldn't tell you many details right now. I do know I have read Linda Sue Park before and really loved that book, too. This one is a basic fantasy for kids.

Pillars of Fire I picked this one up last summer. The cover looked interesting. It is the second in a series and is Christian lit. It was ok. Vero is a guardian angel who is living on earth. He is a high school student and is juggling life in high school with life as an angel.

Winter Falls is a typical teen supernatural fantasy. It has the love interest and the people changing into animals thing. It was an entertaining read. I have the second one and will get around to it this summer while lounging by the pool.

#29 Tricky Twenty-Two The latest in the Stephanie Plum books. I love these for a quick, brain candy read. It gave me my Ranger and Morelli fixes until the next one comes out. It followed the usual path of Stephanie getting in over her head on a case and the men helping her out. The usual stuff. :)

#30 Six Impossible Things This is a YA that follows Dan, a year nine kiddo in Australia. I don't think I've ever read a book that takes place in Australia, so that was pretty cool. Anyway, Dan's dad loses their family business and decides to come out of the closet and start living a new life. Dan and his mom move into a house she inherits from a great aunt or something. Next door lives the girl of Dan's dreams. He makes a list of six goals he wants to achieve during his school year. It's not my usual YA read because it's realistic, but I really enjoyed it. I'm going to lend it to the girls down the street as their mom is always trying to find good, clean reads for them. This one qualifies.

#31 Rise of the Ragged Clover The third Luck Uglies book. I really enjoy this fantasy series. It's written for ages 10 and up. It has a strong female lead and supporting characters who hold their own.

#32 The Road to You This one I picked up last summer. It was free. I don't know what possessed me to pick it up. It's a YA romance. Blech! And it was pretty typical of YA romance. I did finish it, though.

#33 The Relic of Perilous Falls This one goes in the DNF pile. It had all the typical elements of a young reader's fantasy: a young boy, an eccentric great aunt, a weird house/museum, a dead relative who told amazing stories, a skeptical parent, an odd handyman, etc, etc. But it was sooooo boring!! I think because it had all the elements and just no heart. It was like the author said, "Ha, writing a kid's book is easy, you just follow this formula." Yeah, not so easy. I'm counting it, though, because I did read half of it before I gave up.

#34 In a Different Key This one is an Early Reviewer. I received it back in October and just finished it up a couple of days ago. I took my time with it. It's the history of autism. How it was first diagnosed/discovered, all the many changes that have surrounded the definition of autism, stories of families with autistic children, the fight for special education, and the modern debate about what causes autism. Having taught many kids on the spectrum, this was super interesting! And super sad. Some of the things we used to believe and how we treated those things. Yikes. I'm glad we've made progress in this area, but boy do we have a ways to go still. I passed this book onto the Life Skills teacher and her staff. I think they'll find it just as interesting.

Gosh, sorry this one is so long. If you've stuck with it, thanks, and I hope it was worth it. :)

You've been getting lots of reading done. Six Impossible Things looks good. I'll have to see if I can get it through our library system. In a Different Key intrigues me, too, but I gather it's huge.

>51 SylviaC: Different Key was really big. But it was worth the read. I hope you enjoy Six Impossible Things.

#35 A Poet of the Invisible World This was a really enjoyable read. It's about a boy born with four ears. He is shipped off to a monastery because of this. He does cover his ears up, but he has a nemesis that exposes them. Anyway, through life events he ends up in various places and has some joyful experiences and painful experiences. I liked how the book started very peacefully. Then there come the painful parts. And it ends peacefully. This is a book about character development. It didn't have tons of action, but it definitely kept me interested. Would recommend it.

#36 The Morning Meeting Book A professional development book. Next year my goal is to get back to the teacher I once was. When I first started teaching the relationship part was the most important thing. Then enter No Child Left Behind and all the testing hoopla. The academics and stress on the teaching was awful. All the mandates made building relationships with the kids very difficult. But now I'm saying "screw the mandates, these kids need the love and relationships." And this book is a continuation of the steps I have taken this year to get back to the old me. I have four other books by Responsive Classroom that I will be reading this summer. I'm pretty excited for the things I am envisioning for next year.

Six impossible things does sound good. I like books set in Australia and there are some good YA authors working there. Robin Klein is one of my favourites.

>54 Sakerfalcon: I would like to read more books set there. Thanks for the name, I'll look him/her up at the library.

#37 Paper Towns this is the second John Green book I've read. I'm enjoying his stuff. This one is about a girl who lives next door. She used to be good friends with the main character. One night she shows up at his window. They haven't hung out for years, but she asks him to go on a prank night with her. She then disappears. The rest of the book is him looking for her and discovering some things about himself along the way. This was a book I needed to just sit with when I got done. I needed to absorb it. I know you guys know what I mean. :)

>55 catzteach: I've only read one John Green and I was completely blown away. He and Rainbow Rowell are simply amazing. I need to read more of both of them.

Six Impossible Things is in my local library system, so I'll be able to borrow it! (I'm surprised they have it.)

If you're looking for books from that part of the world,Margaret Mahy, from New Zealand, was a very prolific author of children's and YA books. Her best known (and my favourite) book is The Changeover.

>57 SylviaC: I second Margaret Mahy. A wonderful author.

>57 SylviaC: ooh, thanks for a name. I'll see if my library has any of her stuff.

#38 Dies the Fire purely a coincidence that this one was chosen to be read; it had nothing at all to do with the other thread. ;) I liked it better than the first time I read it. I think because I know the Corvallis area so much better than I did then. I like the idea that people would come together and help each other survive. I don't like that there would be people taking advantage and becoming so mean and power hungry.

#39 Old Wolf I was sorely disappointed in this one. I usually love Avi's stuff, but this one was just boring. It didn't really seem to have a plot and ended rather abruptly. It is not a keeper. :(

>60 catzteach: Haa haa! Coincidence, of course! :o)

#40 Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. Hmm, touchstones aren't working for this book. Carla is an 18 year old who has been living in isolation due to having SCID (the bubble baby disease). Olly is the boy who just moved in next door. They start a friendship and eventually fall in love. This wasn't a typical YA romance. Carla is a bit of a stronger personality so she doesn't completely lose herself in the boy, which is what usually happens with YA romance. There was a bit of a twist at the end. The twist made for a satisfying ending, even if a bit unbelievable.

#41 Interview with the Vampire I'd always wanted to read this one. I saw the movie when it came out forever ago and had heard good things about the book. So I decided to read it while recouping from my gum graft. All I have to say is, eh. I didn't get into it like I thought I would. But now I can say I've read it. :/

>62 catzteach: I read the first 5 or so in that series. Fortunately I had friends who all encouraged me to read the 2nd book first, The Vampire Lestat, and I think I wound up enjoying it a lot more that way because I agree, Interview with the Vampire is kinda meh.

>63 catzteach: Yes, what >64 tottman: said. I did not read the second one first but I did enjoy it much more. I also read the first 5. I keep thinking I'll finish the series at some point, but the truth is they got a bit less appealing to me after a while.

Hmm, well, maybe I'll read that one and see how it goes.

#42 Starflight this one was a good YA. Solara needs a ride to the outer fringe so she can start over. She indentures herself to an old classmate who bullied her to get there. His name is Doran. He's a spoiled kid who is going on vacation. They end up getting on board the Banshee, a ship that is crewed by questionable people. During their voyage, they turn into part of the crew and end up fighting for each other. This book reminded me of Firefly in many ways. The crew had some misgivings with one another, but they really cared for each other, too. There were planets that seemed lawless and there were space pirates. I very much enjoyed this book. It had a satisfying ending, but if she writes more, I'll read them.

#43 Yardsticks This is a professional one. One of four I want to read this summer. This one dives into child development and what to expect at what age. It is a good reminder that my little guys have only been on the earth for a few years and are still learning so much!

#44 Hunter by Mercedes Lackey. I used to read her way back; she was one of the first fantasy authors I ever read. But in my late twenties I stopped reading fantasy for a while. I'm glad I got back into the genre and was very excited to see a YA book from her! I enjoyed this one very much. It is a dystopian society story: Joy is a Hunter. They Hunt beings from the Otherside, so Othersiders. Things like wyverns, vampires, and harpies. Every Hunter also has some magic in them and they have a pack of Hounds to them. The Hounds are from the Otherside but are helpful, magical creatures. Joy gets sent to the Apex, the capitol, and becomes a Hunter there. She discovers there is a conspiracy of some sort going on and vows to figure out what it is, which is where the book ends. This will be a series that I follow. A very satisfying read from a beloved author.

#45 The Raven Boys this was a book bullet that got me, and I'm so glad it did! It was my kind of book. I plan on going to the library this weekend in the hopes of picking up the next one!

#46 Yellow Brick War the third in the Dorothy Must Die series. Amy Gumm is back in Kansas. She wants to get back to Oz to defeat Dorothy. This has been a fun series to read. It did end in a cliff hanger so I now have to wait for the next one. Ah, well, I guess I'll keep myself satisfied with the short stories that are prequels.

>68 catzteach: I really loved this series. It was beautiful and dreamlike, very different to most YA books.

#47 Outlander I went to the library to get the second in the Raven Boys series and they didn't have it in. :( But they did have a copy of Outlander. So I got that one, and a few others, instead.

I didn't know much about this story other then the main character somehow goes back in time. And I don't watch the show, but my neighbor does and she really liked the book. I did, too, although some of the events in it were quite harsh.

I like the idea of time travel and that there are portals that one could go through. It was a bit romances, but enough other things happened that I didn't feel it was just a romance. I will definitely continue the series, I want to know what happens to Claire and Jamie.

>71 catzteach:
It's easy to see why the series is so popular. I've read that she wrote the first just to see if she could write a novel.

>72 suitable1: huh, well, it was enjoyable so I guess she can! :) Maybe that's why it was so long, though, she didn't feel rushed to finish it and really let the story play out.

#48 Anna and the Swallow Man this is a short book about a little girl in Poland during WWII. Her dad drops her off at a neighbor's one day while he goes to work. He never comes back. The neighbor kicks her out. So she waits in the street for her dad. Then along comes a skinny, tall stranger. He starts talking to her and she goes with him. She never learns his name, but she decides to call him the Swallow Man. They travel together for years. This was a really weird book. I kept thinking that there was some symbolism or it was just a huge metaphor but I was missing the big picture. Not the most enjoyable read.

#49 The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson. My friend had this one checked out from the library and let me read it. I was able to read it in one day. I really like Jackson's books. In this one, Paula, the main character grew up with a fairly nomadic mom. At one point, the mom is in jail and Paula is in a group home. She learns to be tough and survives. She becomes a high powered divorce attorney. One day she discovers a secret her mother had. It makes her have to relive her childhood while she sorts out her current life. I like the strong characters who have persevered through crap in their lives that Jackson creates.

>71 catzteach: & >72 suitable1: I'm pretty sure she's got a PhD in botany or ecology, which is why I think plants (herbs in particular) play a somewhat important role in Claire's doings. I've been listening to the books on and off for a few years, and they are a lot of fun. (But yes, there is quite a bit of violence in there.)

>75 clamairy: a PhD in anything is pretty impressive. I enjoyed all the herb/plant uses in the book. It's good to know it was accurate.

#50 A Clearing in the Wild I think my neighbor loaned me this one. Jane Kirkpatrick is a local author. I have read many of her books. This one was a difficult read for me. The main character, Emma, is part of a religious sect whose main goal is to stay isolated to avoid worldly temptations. The leader of the sect decides that the world is encroaching upon them too much and sends a group of them out to Oregon Territory to find a place to settle the colony. I like the historical aspect of it. But it was really hard for me to get past how the women were treated. Emma was a bit of a rebel as she spoke up during discussions (with men, gasp!) and gave her opinions. This is based on a true story. Emma did exist. Her sect ended up splitting. Her group stayed in the Washington area, the other part of the group went down and founded Aurora, Oregon. I'm glad Emma and her husband decided to get away from their leader. He was quite the goober. I will not be continuing the series, though. I just didn't grow fond enough of the characters to care how things turn out for them.

#51 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang audio. I listened to this book on my way to my mom's. I can't remember who on here had listened to it and recommended it. I loved it! First off, David Tennant reading it. What a voice! And then the story was really enjoyable. I remember the movie from when I was a kid. I liked the book better, although I do like the song from the movie. :)

>77 catzteach: I loved that audio! Such fun!

>78 MrsLee: I thought it was you who reviewed it on here! It was fun! I loved the "but, but, and again, but" parts. I want to listen to more read by him.

Well, I haven't posted in a while. I've read a lot so I'll keep the reviews short. :)

#52 The Isle of Blood This is the third in the Monstrumologist series. I never read the first, but I loved the second one. This one was ok. I didn't feel like it was as good as the second one, but I enjoyed it.

#53 Fenway and Hattie This one had potential. It is told from the dog's point of view. It started out well. The dog called the mom Food Lady and the dad Fetch Man. But it went downhill from there. It was boring! DNF

#54 The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle I picked this one up from the library then realized I own it and it was on my TBR pile! :) It's a cute book for 10 to 12 year olds.

#55 In The After This one is being talked about right now on a couple of threads. I enjoyed it even though it was predictable. Will I read any sequels? Eh, if I happen to run into it, but I won't go searching for them.

#56 Throne of Glass This is a typical YA fantasy love triangle story. It was enjoyable but I'm thinking a few of you wouldn't like it. :)

#57 The Immortals The Greek gods have assimilated into the human world. Many of them are losing their powers because of the loss of worshipers. This book follows Selene/Artemis. She has become a PI of sorts in New York. She takes on female clients who have abusive partners. She gets the abuse to stop. She comes across the body of a woman who has been used in a sacrifice for Greek gods. She investigates the murder. Another one that I enjoyed.

#58 The Power of Our Words A professional book.

#59 The House of the Four Winds The first in a series. I will be seeking the others out. This one was a fun read about a strong, capable woman who has gone out to seek her fortune and ends up a pirate.

#60 The Little Paris Bookshop This one was eh. It was hard to get into. I did finish it, but it wasn't what I was expecting. It did end ok.

#61 The Scorch Trials Way better than The Maze Runner! I think the Maze Runner was like chapter one and the others are going to be the other chapters of the 'book'. I will finish the series.

#62 Upside Down Magic An Oregon Battle of the Books book. A cute read but I probably won't be reading it aloud to my students. :(

#63 Small Steps: The Year I got Polio Another OBOB book. It was an interesting read. It made me wonder if kids still get the polio vaccine. I remember getting it when I was younger.

#64 The Girls This one was much hyped. I didn't really like it. It was a bit too harsh for me.

#65 The Curious Cat Spy Club A cute kid's book. I'll give it to one of my third grade coworkers and it'll make a good addition to the class library.

And now I'm caught up and will see how much reading I get done while in Yellowstone. I'm so excited for this trip!

I've had Small Steps waiting on my shelf for a few years now. It was one of my early LT recommendations. I really need to get around to it. Polio vaccine was part of my kids routine vaccinations, spread out over several years. It's a shot now, mixed with several other vaccines, not on a sugar cube like when I was a kid.

Replica Hope that touchstone works. It was a bit weird over on the side. Anyway, finished this one the other day. It could probably go in the Apocalyptic thread. It's after the US has fallen. The book takes place in New York. The main characters are part of the Executives and are basically royalty. They are engaged to be married, something that was arranged when they were little. The guy gets killed. But it's ok because they have technology that can replicate a person. So he gets replicated using his memories from his last upload. He doesn't have memories of the night of his murder. So he starts trying to figure out who killed him. In the meantime, the girl has been asked by head of security to spy on her fiance. She doesn't want to, but he threatens her family and their social status if she doesn't. Intrigue ensues. It was an enjoyable read. And a YA that didn't have a love triangle! That was kinda nice. I just checked out the next two from the library.

Voyagers I read this one because of a friend of mine. Four 12 year olds are chosen to go into deep space to find a power source for Earth. If they don't succeed, it's lights out for Earth. This is the first in a series. It's going to be a fun one. Each book is written by a different author.

#68 Resistance Number two in the Replica trilogy. This one was a bit more YA than the first. They typical love interest, but it wasn't a love triangle. The story was entertaining. One thing I've noticed in the more contemporary YA is the sex and cussing. It has become more prevalent. I hesitate to share the books with my friend's teens, though, because of this. I am now reading the conclusion of this series. I'm sure it will be a typical "teens win the day" kind of ending.

#69 Revolution by Jenna Black. The touchstone isn't working for this one. Not sure why. It's the third in the Replica series. It ended pretty typically for a YA book. But it was satisfying.

#70 Woof Read this one because it's an Oregon Battle of the Books book. Bowser is adopted by Birdie on her birthday. She gets involved in the investigation of a stolen stuffed fish from her grandma's fish and bait store. Bowser follows along and helps when he can, like following a scent and protecting Birdie. It is told from Bower's point of view. It was ok. I was hoping it would make a good read aloud, first for my first graders when I thought I was teaching first grade this year, but then with my thirds because they can partake of the Battle. But it won't. I didn't find it very engaging and it would be hard to read it with enthusiasm. But I bet the kids who read it will like it.

#71 Spinning Starlight this is my kind of YA. Liddi is the heiress to a technology company on her planet. It's the only tech company on her planet so being in charge of it one day makes her a kind of royalty. Her brothers have disappeared and the bad guy has put a device in her that will kill her brothers if she talks. She is able to use a portal to escape to another planet. It's a planet she has never been to and she thought only existed in myths. She meets Tiav. He befriends her and helps her. The biggest challenge is communicating. Liddi can't talk and her planet has done away with writing quite a while ago. This book is fast paced and engaging.

I forgot to add it's a retelling of a fairy tale I've never heard of. Something about swans.

BTW, short reviews are the way to go for my attention span! :o)

#72 The Wrinkled Crown Linny is almost twelve. When she turns twelve she can finally touch a lourka, the instrument her village is known for. If girls touch one before they are twelve, they are cursed and go to Away. Well, she hasn't just touched one, she made one! Her best friend gets cursed instead of her. She then sets off to the land of the Plain to find medicine to cure her friend. Adventure ensues. A good read.

#73 Knucklehead not your ordinary autobiography. I love Scieszka's kids books. This book did not disappoint. I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my cheeks! Each chapter was a little short story about growing up with five brothers. It is a fast read, too.

>80 catzteach: Who is the author of The Immortals? The touchstone is linking to the wrong book.

>90 Narilka: I'll have to look in my hard copy journal and let you know.

>88 catzteach: That sounds really interesting.

>90 Narilka: the author is Jordanna Max Brodsky. Wonder why the Touchstone was not working.

>93 catzteach: Thanks! Added it to my wishlist.

>94 Narilka: you are welcome! I discovered there is a sequel coming out in February.

#74 Dragonfly in Amber Finished this one a couple of days ago. Took me a month to read it! Ah, the joys of school starting. I enjoyed it but was ready for it to be done. Probably because it took so long to read. I'll read the rest during vacations when I have more time to read and I can get through it quicker.

#75 The Secret Keepers I read The Mysterious Benedict Society books when they came out and loved them. So when I saw this book at The Book Bin (a cute little book store I frequent), I had to get it! It did not disappoint!

Reuben is an 11 year old boy spends much of his time alone. His dad is dead and his mom works two jobs. One day he finds a watch that looks very old. He thinks he could sell it and help his mom out. He learns very quickly that the watch has a secret and a bad man is after it. Adventure ensues.

I am going to show this one to my stronger readers. I think they would really like it.

>97 catzteach: I liked The Mysterious Benedict Society too, and didn't realise he had a new book out. Glad it is as good.

#76 Fizzopolis a book by one of my favorite kids' authors. Harold is a ten year old with an inventor father. The father invents different things to eat. He created a sofa that makes people burp for a really long time. Harold has some adventures with his friend, Floyd, who was created by his dad. It's a pretty funny book. Im currently reading it aloud to my class. They are loving it!

#77 and # 78 To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman this is my third time reading Mockingbird. I still love it! I had to reread it before I read Watchman. I really liked it, too. Yes, it was hard to see Atticus in a different way. But I felt it was explained in the end. I would imagine what happened between Scout and Atticus actually did happen a lot back then.

#79 Dark Thaw by Kate A. Boorman

Touchstones aren't working for this one.

I picked up this book a couple of summers ago at a conference. It happens to be a sequel. I did not read the first one.

This one was kinda blah. Maybe because I didn't read the first one. There were a few things that were a bit confusing but I also didn't like the style of writing. Not sure why, just didn't.

I won't be seeking out any others in this series. And this one will get sent to a middle school for their library.

# 80 Finding Forever by Ken Baker. The touchstones weren't bringing this one up. It's a YA mystery. One main character, Brooklyn, is a high school blogger. She blogs about celebrities but really likes to have her blog be the truth. The other character, Taylor, is a 16 year old celebrity who gets kidnapped on her birthday. She wakes up to find herself in "rehab." She has never done drugs so she doesn't understand why she's there. They tell her she just doesn't remember doing the drugs. Taylor's assistant enlists Brooklyn to help find Taylor. The book is the story of Taylor's experience at the "rehab" place, and the story of Brooklyn investigating the disappearance of Taylor. Overall it was an ok book. Nothing awesome, nothing horrible. Just ok. I'll be sending it off to a librarian friend for her school library.

>99 catzteach: I have to agree with you on Mockingbird and Watchman. The first is the only 'perfect' novel I've ever read. And I'm due to take it for a 4th spin soonish. The second was far from perfect, but I enjoyed it very much anyway.

>102 clamairy: when I was in college, I took an American Literature class. The prof asked us to write down our favorite book by an American author. I put To Kill A Mockingbird down. When he went through the slips of paper, he said it was an awful book. I don't remember his exact words, but the message I received was "anyone who thinks this book is great literature is an idiot." He was one of those profs that put wacky interpretations on books and things. The entire term I kept thinking "how do you know that's what the author was thinking?"

>103 catzteach: I wonder if we had the same prof? It didn't take long for me to lose respect for mine, he couldn't reason himself through a doorway, let alone literature. He also didn't take it well when I confronted him with his faulty logic. :P This may be why I wasn't cut out for college. ;)

>104 MrsLee: when I confronted him with his faulty logic.

You risk taker, you!

>104 MrsLee: when I confronted him with his faulty logic
Kudos to you, MrsLee!

#81 The Cherry Harvest hm, well, I don't know how to talk about this one without giving too much away, but I'll give it a shot.

It was told from two points of view: Charlotte's, the mom, and Kate's, the daughter. They live on a cherry farm in the Midwest. It is WWII. The son is off fighting and the husband can't keep up the farm without him. In fact, the whole area needs workers. So they call a meeting, which Charlotte insists on attending. It's at this meeting that she suggests they use the nearby POWs as workers. There is some resistance, but eventually, the group agrees.

Kate is 17 and wants to go to school in the fall. Her father befriends one of the POWs and decides to let him tutor Kate. His name is Karl.

and from here if I say too much, I'll have to remember how to block out the spoilers. :) Let's just say, some unfortunate things happen.

This is one of those books that one wonders how it's going to end. I didn't see how it could end happily.

Did I like it? Eh, I didn't not like it. Not keeping it, though.

Side note: when I first typed in the title, the touchstones took me to Antigone. Weird.

>107 catzteach: Touchstones have been weird for me lately as well. (Either not showing up at all or pointing to something else.)

>107 catzteach: Sounds similar to Summer of My German Soldier, which was popular when I was a teenager.

Sometimes I find that touchstones don't work the first time I post, so I press edit, then save the post again, and then they'll show up. As for the accuracy issue, that will only get worse as the amount of data increases on LT, unless the programmers change the way touchstone search works.

This is how to mark spoilers:
<spoiler>Write spoiler here.</spoiler>

>109 SylviaC: I remember reading that book when I was younger but don't remember much about it.

Thanks for showing me how to do spoilers. I need to write that down so I remember.

#82 A Name of Her Own a friend gave me this one to read. I usually enjoy Kirkpatrick's work, but I haven't really liked the last two I've read. This one was just boring. It is based on a true person, Marie. She is a Native American who convinces her husband to let her and the kids join his expedition to the west. It's just after Lewis and Clark's trip. The husband is a drunk and an abuser and throughout the book Marie makes excuses for him. That alone was enough for me not to like this book. But then nothing really happens. It's just a trek through the wilderness with the leader making stupid decisions and Marie feeling like her husband wasn't getting the recognition he deserved. By the last third of the book, I was skimming. I won't be reading the sequels.

#83 Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes not surprised this one doesn't have a touchstone. It was a freebie off of iBooks. It was recommended by a teacher friend. It was entertaining. Rose Gardner lives in a small, southern town. She gets visions. One day at work she gets a vision about her death. Then her mom gets killed. With the help of the hunky, mysterious new next door neighbor, she deals with the murder of her mom and figures out why someone wants to kill her. It was an easy read akin to a Stephanie Plum or a Sookie Stackhouse.

#84 The Rosie Effect sequel to The Rosie Project if you've read the first Rosie, you are familiar with the characters. If not, read it. It's really good. :)

In the second one Rosie and Don have moved to New York. Rosie is working on becoming a doctor and getting a doctorate. Don is a professor at Columbia. Then Rosie gets pregnant. And, Don, in his logical world of autism, tries to deal with this unplanned event.

The clerk at the bookstore said she didn't like this one as well as she liked the first. I did. I like Don and all his quirkiness. I like the feeling of hope it gives me to think that my students who are on the spectrum and have some quirks will be able to succeed and be happy.

>112 catzteach: When I read the first one, I loved Don, but was never able to connect with Rosie. I wonder if I would like her better in this one.

>113 SylviaC: I would imagine not. She was actually a bit harder to take in this one as she wasn't as understanding about Don's quirks. As I told a friend, this one didn't feel as hopeful to me as the first one.

I listened to The Rosie Project and thought it was ok, but have no interest in the sequel. Maybe if it didn't involve the oh-so-tired motherhood routine.

>112 catzteach: I loved the first one as well. I didn't realize there was going to be a sequel. Yay!

>113 SylviaC: I had similar feelings about Rosie. She was a bit of an enigma.

Edited to add: >114 catzteach: Hmmm, maybe I'll wait a while on this one then.

>114 catzteach: Doesn't sound very promising. I don't think I'll bother with it.

>114 catzteach: >116 clamairy: I did like the ending, if that helps. :)

#85 The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh If you are a Pooh fan, you will enjoy this book. It's a history and look at the woods that the Hundred Acre Wood are based on. It made me want to go take a look at the area if I ever get to England. And play Poohsticks on the bridge. I love Pooh and his friends.

>119 catzteach: Maps? Are there maps? I would like that.

>120 stellarexplorer: there is just the one that shows up in the Pooh books. There is no real map of Ashdown Forest or the Five Hundred Acre Wood. Both those places have been kept relatively untouched by tourism-like things. There are some lovely photos, though. My book is a galley so the pictures are in black and white. Im going to look for a color version at Barnes and Noble this coming week. I have a friend who is a huge Pooh fan. She would love this book.

Sounds lovely!