Hello All!
I started my Young Adult Literature reading with a bang. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow is a 2008 title that has had excellent reviews, and I agree with them. This was a very good book about how teens communicate, their knowledge of how many of them can make the internet work for them, terrorism, and government reaction to it, all told from a 17-year-old's point of view. It starts with a group of teens who are out role-playing via a wireless connection when a terrorist attack occurs in San Francisco. Marcus, our hero, is arrested as a possible terrorist, because of first being in the wrong place at the wrong time, then because of his knowledge of computers, the internet and other media he uses on a daily basis. After some interrogation, he is released into a different San Franciso, one that is close to being a police state, run by the Department of Homeland Security. Marcus knows his Constitution, and decides to take on the DHS, and quite an adventure is the result.
I was surprised to enjoy a book so much by an author whose work I had not previously liked. I read Eastern Standard Tribe a few years ago, and I was disappointed with that title. Maybe one should not judge an author by one book :)? And the only quibble I had with this book was the occasional technical explanations, but I do think they were necessary to the book.
I found this to be a hero's journey, and a journey I was very happy to take.
Happy Reading!
Patti
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Young Adult Literature
Hello All!
First, the good news--I accepted an offer of a position as a Young Adult Librarian with the Pima County Public Library!!! I will be working at the Valencia Branch, located in Tucson, near the Tucson International Airport.
I'm very excited, both to be working in a new library, and to be working with a new age group. Which brings me to the second part of my news--Patti's Pens and Picks will probably have more reviews and mentions of Young Adult Literature than before. I just started Cory Doctorow's Little Brother, and I picked up a whole bunch of other books to read soon also. As I start December 1, I don't think I'll get all the books finished :).
For the first two months, I plan on commuting--1.5 hours plus each way, so I will also start listening to audiobooks, both adult and young adult. Until now, I preferred to listen to nonfiction only on audio, as I've always been afraid of getting too involved with the story to listen to fiction while driving :). I'm going to work my way past this fear, as I can get quite a bit of listening into 3-4 hours of driving a day. Don't worry, I won't be doing this for very long!
If you have any recommendations for Young Adult Literature, especially on audio, please let me know. I think I'll start with finishing the Harry Potter series that I started rereading this year--I've heard that the reader for this series is excellent.
Don't worry, I'll still be reading a variety of literature and genres, but my immediate focus will be a catch-up of some Young Adult Literature.
Happy Reading!
Patti
First, the good news--I accepted an offer of a position as a Young Adult Librarian with the Pima County Public Library!!! I will be working at the Valencia Branch, located in Tucson, near the Tucson International Airport.
I'm very excited, both to be working in a new library, and to be working with a new age group. Which brings me to the second part of my news--Patti's Pens and Picks will probably have more reviews and mentions of Young Adult Literature than before. I just started Cory Doctorow's Little Brother, and I picked up a whole bunch of other books to read soon also. As I start December 1, I don't think I'll get all the books finished :).
For the first two months, I plan on commuting--1.5 hours plus each way, so I will also start listening to audiobooks, both adult and young adult. Until now, I preferred to listen to nonfiction only on audio, as I've always been afraid of getting too involved with the story to listen to fiction while driving :). I'm going to work my way past this fear, as I can get quite a bit of listening into 3-4 hours of driving a day. Don't worry, I won't be doing this for very long!
If you have any recommendations for Young Adult Literature, especially on audio, please let me know. I think I'll start with finishing the Harry Potter series that I started rereading this year--I've heard that the reader for this series is excellent.
Don't worry, I'll still be reading a variety of literature and genres, but my immediate focus will be a catch-up of some Young Adult Literature.
Happy Reading!
Patti
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream by Adam Shepard
Hello All!
Scratch Beginnings was an amazingly well written book, written by a young man who attempted a very interesting experiment. Adam Shepard decides to see if the American dream can be achieved from a certain set of circumstances--a train ticket to a southern large city, $25.00, the clothes on his back, and an empty duffle bag. Shepard travels by train to Charleston, South Carolina, and makes his way to a local homeless shelter. He works for as day laborer for awhile, and eventually finds a good job as with a moving company.
Shepard is clear that a strong opposition to Barbara Ehrenriech's books Nickel and Dimed, and Bait and Switch lead to his experiment of finding out whether the American dream is still possible. Read this book to find out what Adam was able to achieve.
I believe that this book would definitely be appropriate for young adult or teen readers, as it is quite inspirational, and gives some pretty good advice. It's a good read for adults also, and I think that many readers will come away with ideas on how to handle their money in our current economy.
Happy Reading!
Patti
Scratch Beginnings was an amazingly well written book, written by a young man who attempted a very interesting experiment. Adam Shepard decides to see if the American dream can be achieved from a certain set of circumstances--a train ticket to a southern large city, $25.00, the clothes on his back, and an empty duffle bag. Shepard travels by train to Charleston, South Carolina, and makes his way to a local homeless shelter. He works for as day laborer for awhile, and eventually finds a good job as with a moving company.
Shepard is clear that a strong opposition to Barbara Ehrenriech's books Nickel and Dimed, and Bait and Switch lead to his experiment of finding out whether the American dream is still possible. Read this book to find out what Adam was able to achieve.
I believe that this book would definitely be appropriate for young adult or teen readers, as it is quite inspirational, and gives some pretty good advice. It's a good read for adults also, and I think that many readers will come away with ideas on how to handle their money in our current economy.
Happy Reading!
Patti
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Bookworm's Award
Hello All!
Lesa Holstine of http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/ has just awarded me The Bookworm's Award. Thank you, I consider this a great honor!
Along with the award, there are a few rules. Open the closest book to you—not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment—to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence as well as the next two to five sentences. Pass this on to five blogging friends.
The book closest to me is one I finished a few days ago but have yet to add to GoodReads, or anywhere else for that matter; it's Garrison Keillor's Homegrown Democrat. Here's the quote from page 58 (56 is blank, and 57 is one long sentence): "We sat in our bathing suits on the grass by the beach on the Mississippi, both of us pale, shade seekers, and she poured out her bitterness that Hubert, a true Democrat who fought the good fight for equal rights for Negroes, had been passed over in favor of the son of a crook."
And now I'm passing it on to those below and quoting Lesa: "So, I'm passing on the award to five people. Tag, you're it! And, if you're not into memes, here's an apology. Remember, you never have to pass one on, if you don't want to play.
http://pattinase.blogspot.com/
http://billcrider.blogspot.com/
http://www.thelibraryfairy.blogspot.com/
http://cathyskye.blogspot.com/
Have fun! And if you're reading this, please feel free to look around at your own books and let me know what's going on on page 56 :)
Happy Reading!
Patti
Lesa Holstine of http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/ has just awarded me The Bookworm's Award. Thank you, I consider this a great honor!
Along with the award, there are a few rules. Open the closest book to you—not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment—to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence as well as the next two to five sentences. Pass this on to five blogging friends.
The book closest to me is one I finished a few days ago but have yet to add to GoodReads, or anywhere else for that matter; it's Garrison Keillor's Homegrown Democrat. Here's the quote from page 58 (56 is blank, and 57 is one long sentence): "We sat in our bathing suits on the grass by the beach on the Mississippi, both of us pale, shade seekers, and she poured out her bitterness that Hubert, a true Democrat who fought the good fight for equal rights for Negroes, had been passed over in favor of the son of a crook."
And now I'm passing it on to those below and quoting Lesa: "So, I'm passing on the award to five people. Tag, you're it! And, if you're not into memes, here's an apology. Remember, you never have to pass one on, if you don't want to play.
http://pattinase.blogspot.com/
http://billcrider.blogspot.com/
http://www.thelibraryfairy.blogspot.com/
http://cathyskye.blogspot.com/
Have fun! And if you're reading this, please feel free to look around at your own books and let me know what's going on on page 56 :)
Happy Reading!
Patti
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Paris Enigma by Pablo De Santis
Hello All!
The Paris Enigma by Pablo De Santis is an interesting book; for me, sort of an alternative history of private detectives. It begins just before the 1889 Paris World's Fair, when Argentine detective Renaldo Craig opens an academy for those interested in learning about detecting--those who enroll believe he is going to finally choose an acolyte, or assistant. Craig is one of the Twelve Detectives, a society known world-wide for their detecting skills, and each one of the Twelve has his own acolyte, except for Craig. Almost by default, Sigmundo Salvatrio becomes Craig's acolyte, and due to Craig becoming ill, is sent to Paris and the World's Fair in Craig's stead. Once the Twelve, minus one, are gathered from the four corners of the world, murder and mystery inevitably result. Will the society known as the Twelve Detectives survive working together?
As I stated above, I felt like this book told an alternative history of how some traditions of detecting came into being, including applying philosophy. I also felt as if the Twelve were sort of like the Greek gods, overseeing the direction of private detection, and developing rules and guidelines.
This was an interesting book, though for me the writing varied from stiff to lyrical; perhaps this has to do with the translation. And thank you to HarperCollins, as this was a title I received as an Advance Reader's Copy.
The Paris Enigma by Pablo De Santis is an interesting book; for me, sort of an alternative history of private detectives. It begins just before the 1889 Paris World's Fair, when Argentine detective Renaldo Craig opens an academy for those interested in learning about detecting--those who enroll believe he is going to finally choose an acolyte, or assistant. Craig is one of the Twelve Detectives, a society known world-wide for their detecting skills, and each one of the Twelve has his own acolyte, except for Craig. Almost by default, Sigmundo Salvatrio becomes Craig's acolyte, and due to Craig becoming ill, is sent to Paris and the World's Fair in Craig's stead. Once the Twelve, minus one, are gathered from the four corners of the world, murder and mystery inevitably result. Will the society known as the Twelve Detectives survive working together?
As I stated above, I felt like this book told an alternative history of how some traditions of detecting came into being, including applying philosophy. I also felt as if the Twelve were sort of like the Greek gods, overseeing the direction of private detection, and developing rules and guidelines.
This was an interesting book, though for me the writing varied from stiff to lyrical; perhaps this has to do with the translation. And thank you to HarperCollins, as this was a title I received as an Advance Reader's Copy.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Friday's Forgotten Reads--The Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast
Hello All!
My Friday's Forgotten Read for November is another one of my absolute favorites, The Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast by Bill Richardson. It is about exactly what the title says it is, a bed and breakfast owned by twin bachelor brothers (fraternal twins, read the book for more information on their early lives), their neighbors, and their guests. This is the bed and breakfast that every book-lover would love to visit, for that is why Hector and Virgil opened it, to be a haven for bibliophiles to finally finish War & Peace or to indulge in what the guests refer to as guilty pleasures while on their vacations. It contains lists of books to read, and guestbook entries containing compliments and one or two complaints by visitors. The brothers also talk about their reading interests, something that all readers want to know about each other.
I reread this book almost annually, as it seems to be an armchair trip I feel I need to take regularly. Where the Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast is located is never revealed, and they say they have no need to advertise for guests. Maybe it's in Brigadoon, if Brigadoon was located in western Canada. Sigh.
Happy Reading!
Patti
My Friday's Forgotten Read for November is another one of my absolute favorites, The Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast by Bill Richardson. It is about exactly what the title says it is, a bed and breakfast owned by twin bachelor brothers (fraternal twins, read the book for more information on their early lives), their neighbors, and their guests. This is the bed and breakfast that every book-lover would love to visit, for that is why Hector and Virgil opened it, to be a haven for bibliophiles to finally finish War & Peace or to indulge in what the guests refer to as guilty pleasures while on their vacations. It contains lists of books to read, and guestbook entries containing compliments and one or two complaints by visitors. The brothers also talk about their reading interests, something that all readers want to know about each other.
I reread this book almost annually, as it seems to be an armchair trip I feel I need to take regularly. Where the Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast is located is never revealed, and they say they have no need to advertise for guests. Maybe it's in Brigadoon, if Brigadoon was located in western Canada. Sigh.
Happy Reading!
Patti
Awards Mentioned on My Blog
Another list of links, this one to book awards mentioned on my blog:
Anthony Awards
Barry Awards
Edgar Awards
Macavity Awards
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards
Spur Awards
Anthony Awards
Barry Awards
Edgar Awards
Macavity Awards
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards
Spur Awards
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