January--What are you reading?

I am almost done with Come Back to Afghanistan and have been very intreguied by the book. I am not usually a non-fiction reader, but am really enjoying this book.

I am listening to The Amulet of Samarkand, which I am enjoying, but seems a little slow at times.

Happy reading!

I just finished reading New Moon which I liked far better than the original Twilight actually, which was a pleasant surprise. I would like to get back to reading some slow books like you actually, but my holidays are coming to an end, and they are so short-seeming that I couldn't ruin it with much heavy reading. So, now I'm starting another light book The Fairy Godmother which a friend handed me with strict instructions to read it ASAP :)

I was visiting my parents over the holiday and picked up some of my old books. I just finished Lord of Light (which I bought I don't know how long ago but never read) and I'm rereading Redwall now. Not sure if I'll pick out another reread (that I haven't read in 5 years or so) next or go to the library for something new off my to-read list.

I'm in the middle of a grown-up book about Helen Keller (Radical Lives of Helen Keller) but I hope to start Trigger by Susan Vaught in the next day or so. I've also got a graphic novel from the library called Berlin: City of Stones.

Yesterday I finished Princess on the Brink and TTFN. I'm now reading I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You.

I just finished Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman yesterday. It is the first book I've read by Gaiman and I really enjoyed it!

I am currently reading Catch-22 (only a few chapters in) and have a brand new copy of The Looking-Glass Wars on the top of my to-read pile. I can't wait to get to it! :-)

I love Berlin: City of Stones. (It touchstones the Spanish edition for some reason).

Right now I'm reading Saving Francesca, which I'm really enjoying, despite its problem-novel set-up. We're in the middle of an amazing flowering of Australian ya, it seems.

I'm reading Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett. I just love his Tiffany Aching books.

I just finished reading The Book Of Three by Llyod Alexander, pretty good. I thought it was like a Tolkien book without all the background history or character development. Looking forward to the others in the series. I am currently reading The Looking glass Wars and I am loving it. This is a great take on the classic Alice in Wonderland story, but much more exciting.

I'll be finishing up my NASCAR romance tonight and then it's on to another YA book. Either Wolfcry if my mom gets it back to me today or Circus of the Darned which is the sequel to Got Fangs?.

I just finished reading Sold by Patricia McCormick. It is a very disturbing story, but it's well-written and important to read.
I've just started reading The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson. So far I don't see it appealing to many teens.

Shortly after the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, I finished The Book Thief, so I guess that qualifies for January reading. I'm in the middle of The Blue Djinn of Babylon right now for fun, before school starts back up. I'm taking an exciting Lit Crit course this semester where we'll read books that are being considered for the Caldecott, Newbery, Sibert, and Printz awards, so I'll have a lot on my plate. (Aw, man! I have to read all of these great children's and YA books -- they're for a class! ;-) Life's tough, huh?) I just bought Bella at Midnight and Keturah and Lord Death, and others are awaiting me at the library. . .

I agree with queenteenlibrarian about both Octavian Nothing and Sold. Sold took me by completely by surprise -- I read it in a single gulp. And Octavian Nothing, despite being well written and having an intriguing premise, is not an easy read with wide appeal.

I'm just pages from the end of Trigger and loving it. The way Susan Vaught conveys the main character's brain damage and altered personality is engrossing. Next I start Little Women, which I'm embarrassed to admit I've never read!

Currently tearing through the latest Young Bond , Young Bond 3: Double or die by Charlie Higson. The story moves on apace and is better than Blood fever. A true ripping yarn with some great but respectful tongue in cheek lines.

In the Children's Fiction group there is a thread about fairy tales, and adapted fairy tales. Donna Jo Napoli was recommended, so I tried Daughter of Venice. It's a good historical fiction about a girl growing up in 16th century Venice, and finding her place.

:-)

I discovered Donna Jo Napoli in a library school YA literature class and promptly fell in love. The first novel I read by her was Zel, which is a fantastic retelling of Rapunzel. I've enjoyed everything I've read by her, as well as by Robin McKinley.

I am *such* a sucker for retold fairy tales! :-S

I am listening to Anansi Boys which is fantastic as read by Lenny Henry. He really adds a lot to the narrative, which is wonderful on its own. I love the way Gaiman blends reality with myth.

I am also reading and enjoying M.T. Anderson, The Pox Party. He manages to embed a thought-provoking and chilling message in a well-written story. I think it would appeal to teens who enjoy a literary novel.

I'm currently reading Inkspell by Cornelia Funke and Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee (obviously not YA).

I just picked up Already Dead and The Book Thief from the library and hope to start those in a day or so.

Anyone who likes Donna Jo Napoli is a friend of mine!

My two favorites are Zel and Song of the Magdalene.

I finished Circus of the Darned which I thought was very cute. Next up is Wolfcry by Amelia AtwaterRhodes. It's the only one of her books I haven't read yet.

I finished Many Waters and An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle and I'm currently halfway through Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce (all rereads). When I finish it, I'll read some new books, either some I started but didn't finish last year (The Historian or Pure Drivel) or some old SF books I got from my parents.

I just finished Chicks with Sticks, which was okay. I really like that it incorporated knitting into a young adult novel, because I enjoy knitting (I kept putting the book down to work on my scarf). However, the book itself was somewhat weak.

After that I picked up The Birthdays, which I was really excited about, until I started reading it. It read much too much like a cheesy Lifetime movie. It was boring, and I just didn't care about any of the characters.

Now I'm reading Peace is Every Step, which I am really enjoying. It's a new years goal to learn more about mindfulness.

Not sure what YA novel is up next, as there are a quite a few in my TBR pile. I think it will probably be the new Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book, which I am way excited about! Comes out tomorrow!

I'm nearly finished with Nailed by Patrick Jones which features a bright theater student from a blue collar family who struggles with fitting in with the jock culture prevalent in high school. Read it, you'll love it.
Another must read that features the jock culture is Raiders Night by Robert Lipsyte. Robert visited our school and our students were stunned to find out that this man in his sixties could get inside a teens head and their world and get it right. I loved New Moon by Stephanie Meyer too. I had to read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer after so many of my students purchased it after a booktalk by our local bookstore. Now, I, like our students am hooked.
I never considered myself a Fantasy fan, but I also loved A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and just finished it's sequel, Rebel Angels by Libba Bray.
Happy reading...
Diane

i'm in the middle of Looking For Alaska by John Green, the historian by Elizabeth Kostova, and two books in a fav. series of mine, the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, which is really hard because i keep having to stop reading becasue it's hard to keep it all straight if you read two at a time and it's a really complex series(for those of you who haven't read it) but it's really good and the last one should come out, like, tonight so that i can read it but it takes me forever to read just one because i have like no time anymore but i love the series anyway. i'm going to read Perfume by Patrick Suskind and i'm really excited because the person who handed it to me told me it was really morbid and i love morbid books which some people think is kinda wierd and i also have Bread and Roses, too by Katherine Paterson floating around in my bag and seriously, it's getting really full because i'm also reading The Great Gatsby for class and it's really good but i'm too busy and i keep reading other books and doing other stuff instead because i get distracted really easily by other books and so i'm behind, becasue we're supposed to be reading chapter six this weekend and i'm just starting chapter five and that's alright because aslong as i don't get distracted this weekend i'll probably finish it. i think that there might be some other stuff floating around my room and backpack and locker but i can't think of the titles right now, wait yes i can think of one, a reread Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier.

I have been reading many things. I've been on a historical fiction kick mostly. (I love Bread and Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson by the way). Last fall I 'discovered' Carolyn Meyer, so I was happy to find two more of her books at my library to read, both in the Royal Diaries series. The first was Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess and the second was Kristina: The Girl King. Both were good, but one ended much happier than the other. I also read Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli. It was very good. It was a little different than I expected--I found it oddly similar to how Ender's Shadow starts out--but by the end I was hooked. So that one is definitely going on my list of books to recommend. I also just finished (hours ago) In My Father's House by Ann Rinaldi. I had read a handful (probably two or three) of her works before, but I was slightly disappointed in this one. It was more boring than I remember her being in the past.

Just finished Forever in Blue, the last book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books. Sigh..... It was wonderful, and I hate that the series has come to a close, but it seemed like a natural place to end it.

I just finished Just Listen by Sarah Dessen and am now reading The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin, my first Werlin book ever. I can't wait to get my hands on New Moon.

I just started The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, about 1/4 way through it. Very interesting premise. I'd like to compare it to Gregory Maguire's Wicked in the way that the author takes a classic story and transforms it into a completely bizarre, yet compelling story.

I finished reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ... which was fabulous! I also just finished reading Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares . I am in the middle of reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Yesterday I read Secret Vampire by L.J. Smith, I love her writing! I didn't want to put the book down or have it end.

Today I started Golden by Cameron Dokey. It is a re-telling of the Rapunzel fairy tale which I think was suggested on this group. Pretty good so far.

I just finished Raiders Night by Robert Lipsyte, Shug by Jenny Han, Returnable Girl by Pamela Lowell, Brand X: The Boyfriend Account by Laurie Gwen Shapiro, and Marcus + Diana by Klaus Hagerup. And rounding out my historical fiction I read Ann Rinaldi's Mine Eyes Have Seen and Taking Liberty and Shelley Pearsall's Trouble Don't Last.

Finished The Neverending Story a couple of days ago and I am now flying through Harry Potter and the Half blood Prince. Next on my TBR pile is Cry of the Icemark. I am starting a Fantasy Book Club at the school I teach and this is the first book we are going to read.

demonlover -- I liked another of Cameron Dokey's fairy tales very much. It's a retelling of The Arabian Nights called The Storyteller's Daughter.

blbooks -- I LOVE Trouble Don't Last (it's rare to find a historical page-turner like that) and Shug.

I've finally given in to all the hype and started listening to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight on CD today.

I finished Golden last night and really liked it. I will definately have to check out The Storyteller's Daughter after I've gotten through my tbr pile. Thanks for the suggestion!

I hope the reader for Twilight does the story justice!!

Right now I am reading Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, I have never seen the movie but so far the book seems to be dragging a bit although it's been pretty good so far and Stravaganza: City of Flowers by Mary Hoffman but the first one of the series is much better

For those who have read Wicked by Gregory Maguire, is it suitable for a high school library?

Wicked seems more 'adult' than Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister but it could just be me. It was too sexually graphic for my taste--the scene where the young students visit a pleasure house of sorts and there's an odd arrangment with two humans and a tiger was just disturbing and bizarre to me--but most of it would probably be just fine. Most people would probably read it and not think anything of it--but it just wasn't for me. Now some of his other work I have enjoyed.

Reading Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going

Okay, since I last posted:
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Clay by David Almond
To Dance: a ballerina's graphic novel by Siena Cherson Siegel
Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
Copper Sun by Sharon Draper
and starting in on Octavian Nothing by M. T. Anderson

(Also, in children's, Clementine by Sara Pennypacker and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, and a lot of picture books.)

Clementine was one of my top 3 new books last year! There's a sequel coming out in March. :)

I just finished Kirsten Miller's Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City which I loved and thought would be a great recommendation for young YA ladies. Also just finished Hilary McKay's Saffy's Angel-- I've not read McKay before and was instantly charmed. Next up: David Mitchell's Black Swan Green, which I've heard has YA crossover appeal (I loved his book Cloud Atlas).

I got Black Swan Green for Christmas but haven't touched it yet -- be sure to tell us what you think!

selkie_girl
We have it in our high school library. I listened to it on audio a few years back and don't remember anything too bad in it. I know the kids that have read it really enjoyed it and were either inspired to read it because of the musical or because they like fractured fairy tales.

I am currently reading Fire in the Hole which is ok. I am listening to Queen of Babble (I always need to fit a little bit of adult chick lit in sometimes!!)

I just finished One Thousand White Women for the adult book club I mediate. I finished listening to The Amulet of Samarkand which seemed to take me forever, but was definately a great audiobook. I look forward trying the second one.

#43 SheReads - Did you like One Thousand White Women? I have it on my list of books I'd like to read. I'm very interested to hear what you think.

GeorgiaDawn--I like One Thousand White Women. I thought it was very interesting for a couple different reasons... 1. It is a women's journal, but it is written by a man. 2. I love history. 3. I think it is very interesting to imagine what might have occured had someone made a different choice--in this case what if the women were given to the Cheynne. I would definately recommend it--it is not YA, but I think there might be place for it among some YA readers interested in historical fiction.

Happy reading!!

#45 SheReads - Thanks! I read many different types of books along with YA. I'll move it ahead on my list.

Right now I'm starting an adult paranormal horror by Kelley Armstrong, but next after that will be Boys that Bite which is a teen vampire story. It is the book of the month on a myspace book group I participate in.

I just finished Fire in the Hole by Mary Cronk Farrell and Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. (my touchstones don't seem to be working--sorry).

I am still listening to Queen of Babble and started reading Are We There Yet? by David Levithan.

I just picked up An Abundance of Katherines by John Green from the library. I hope to start it later tonight or tomorrow. I have a couple of others to finish first.

I suppose I probably should have been listing books here as I read them, but it seemed easier to just wait until the end of the month and list them all at once.

The Last Dragon by Silvana de Mari
Piratica and Piratica: Return to Parrot Island by Tanith Lee
Gifts and Voices byUrsula Le Guin
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
Dragon and Herdsman by Timothy Zahn
Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Terrier by Tamora Pierce
Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton
Birdwing by Rafe Martin
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
Ingo by Helen Dunmore
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Levine
Quest of the Fair Unknown by Gerald Morris
Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
and Forging the Sword by Hilari Bell

I also need to read Fairest soon since it isn't renewing at the library, so I'll probably start it before February begins.

I've just read American Born Chinese, which I liked better than I expected to, and I'm halfway through Higher Power of Lucky.

I'm also reading a grown-up nonfiction book called Survival of the Sickest which is great fun.

Read Boys that Bite yesterday. Fluffy fun with vampires!!

I loaned my son my copy of Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz (which I have yet to read myself) and he keeps bugging me about getting him the next book in the series. I really should check it out and see if there is a sequel out.

I just finished The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin, and I highly recommend it!
Here's the blurb: "A thought-provoking exploration of self-reliance and the nature of evil, and a heart-wrenching portrait of a family in crisis, this is Nancy Werlin's most compulsively readable novel yet."
I haven't read any of her books before, but I found this one gripping.

Just picked up Saint Iggy from the library today. About 60 pages into it (it reads unbelievably fast) and am enjoying it so far. I'm a social worker, so it's been very interesting to read something from a client's point of view.

Demonlover--I believe the sequel to Raven's Gate is out. The title escapes me right now.

About one chapter into The Miner's Daughter, by Gretchen Moran Laskas

New here. Read Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares and just finished The Navigator by Eoin McNamee. My to-read stack includes Bridge to Terabithia because somehow I missed it and now, with the movie coming out, I'm going to be asked how it compares to the book. Also Rubber Houses by Ellen Yeomans and Being by Kevin Brooks.

How did you like Navigator? I read a few chapters before I ordered it for the shop, but I haven't gone back to it yet.

>55 SheReads: It is out (unfortunately only in hardcover) and is called Evil Star. My teen REALLY wanted the book so I gave in and picked it up at Barnes and Noble last night. Luckily my youngest is a bit less expensive to buy for, I picked up Harry and the Lady Next Door for him :-)

I have The Book Thief and An Abundance of Katherines in front of me. Any suggestions on which I should read first?

They're very different styles, so it might depend on what you're in the mood for. But I love John Green, so I'll have to put my vote down for "Katherines". I loved it!

>58 sarahmillerbooks: The first chapters of Navigator struck me as an awful lot like many books where an average kid suddenly finds him/herself in a fantasy world, but it really picks up about midway through and finishes strong.

60--GeorgiaDawn...
If you want funny and quick read An Abundance of Katherines, if you want a reflective and sober read The Book Thief...I loved both. I look forward to when they release each in paperback so we can discuss them in more depth.

Also, for those of you who like John Green you should really visit his website http://www.sparksflyup.com/
and visit his video blog he shares with his brother. Both are hilarious and irresistable.

The Last Dragon by Silvana de Mari was good. But I disliked the award-winning The Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat. (The Last Dragon was an Honor book for the Mildred Batchelder Award, The Pull of the Ocean was the award winner). I enjoyed Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce. I was slightly confused by Larklight by Philip Reeve. I absolutely loved Penny from Heaven by Jennifer Holm and Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson. What great historical fiction came out last year! I also loved (or should I say LOVED) Gossamer by Lois Lowry. I'm on the fence about The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages. Sometimes the style was very stiff and awkward, like she was having an out-of-body experience with her characters. She seemed to move in and out of the characters. Removing herself when it became too emotional instead of letting the reader see and feel the action. I felt like I was being TOLD too much and not shown enough.

I'm almost done with Meg Cabot's last 1-800-Where-R-You book, Missing You. It's very different from the rest of the series as the main character has had major things happen to her since the close of the last novel. I've really enjoyed it and will be rather sad to see this series come to an end.

I read Penny from Heaven, Hattie Big Sky and Keturah and Lord Death very quickly, and enjoyed them all. I'm finishing off January with An Abundance of Katherines. Phew! Busy month!

I finished Saint Iggy rather quickly and really didn't like it. I loved the main character, but the story just felt so forced and far off.

Not sure what is up next. I bought The Book Thief a while back and would love to get around to reading it finally.

Finished Keturah and Lord Death in one morning. Loved it! Want to give it to the "right" young reader. Also just read American Born Chinese. Looks like I'm reading the NBA list. I'll get The Secret Life of Octavian Nothing next, I guess!

I'm beginning The Book Thief tonight....finally! My expectations are very high!

I've given up on Twilight (I hung on through CD #5 of 11) and started George Washington, Spymaster instead.

Twilight just didn't grab me. I'm franky puzzled. I don't dislike it by any means, but I feel like I'm missing something by being so indifferent to a bestseller.

George Washington is interesting so far though. I don't remember my junior high history textbooks mentioning any of this spying! ;)

. . . and squeaking in under the wire with The Higher Power of Lucky, just as the month is ending!

I just read Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. They are super good. I also read Come back to Afghanistan, but a little while back.

~Briarbells~

I read Forging the Sword, Looking Glass Wars, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Ingo and Fairest. They were really good. Have you read Twilight or New Moon by Stephenie Meyer? I totally loved them both!

~BriarBells_101~