Tag Archive | US author

O is Ophelia in A Wounded Name, by Dot Hutchison (book review) – “Hamlet” in boarding school

Apr17

book cover of A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison published by Carolrhoda LabSeeing ghosts,
hearing malevolent spirits,
trying to keep steady for Dane,
as his madness spirals down, down…

Newly-dead headmaster Hamlet will not stay in his grave, “the ghost that walks, that challenges, is the fury that murmurs through his son.” (p. 129)

Yes, we know how this story ends, but the journey to disaster is richly retold by Ophelia in this eerie 2013 version of Hamlet.

Find it today at your favorite local library or independent bookstore, and travel to Elsinore Academy, if you dare.

**kmm

Book info: A Wounded Name: A Tragedy / Dot Hutchison. Carolrhoda Lab, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: A mourning son, Hamlet’s rageful ghost, a widow remarried too quickly, the banshee songs tormenting motherless Ophelia – Elsinore Academy’s secrets will soon undo all under its roof.

The sudden death of Elsinore’s headmaster sends his son into deep depression; when the headmaster’s widow marries her brother-in-law hastily, Dane’s rage grows murderous.

Calls to end her worries by drowning, as her mother did, echo from the lake fae – if Ophelia takes the pills which block their siren song, how will she stay awake enough to show Dane the ghost of his father who demands revenge?

This lyrical retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet  brings all the tragedy’s characters together in a boarding school where deception and murder seem to be family tradition. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

N for Noggin, by John Corey Whaley (book review) – frozen 5 years, what’s new?

Apr16

book cover of Noggin by John Corey Whaley published by Atheneum Books for Young ReadersTime stood still for him;
Five years passed while he slept…

Head transplants, lost love, and faltering friendships – well, not everything about the near future is different from today.

Travis really has to use his Noggin  to cope with all the changes in his friends, family, and world which happened while his head was in cryogenic storage.

Would you have yourself frozen in hopes that future medicine could save you?
**kmm

Book info: Noggin / John Corey Whaley. Atheneum Books, 2014. [author site] [publisher site] [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: His head frozen for five years, Travis awakens with another guy’s body, the same high school schedule, and big questions about his girlfriend, his best friend, and life-the-second-time-around.

The head-freezing thing was experimental, trying to save the sixteen year old when cancer ravaged his body. His family, friends and girlfriend are attempting to move on with their lives when – much sooner than anticipated – medical technology reattaches his head to a donor body .

Fan mail (and some hate mail) floods in – is he a medical miracle, a messiah, a devil?
Travis wakes up expecting Cate to be his girlfriend, but she’s at college now, engaged to someone else.

Trying to win back Cate’s affections, go back to normal kidding-around with Kyle, and get used to his taller donor body, Travis wonders how he’ll make the most of his second chance at life in this funny and emotional sci-fi book. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

L is Lucier’s tale of Spanish flu and fear: A Death-Struck Year (book review)

Apr14

book cover of A Death Struck Year by Makiaa Lucier published by Houghton Mifflin HarcourtSwift, deadly, merciless,
striking the young and healthy first,
the “Spanish” influenza killed 3 times more people than World War I did in 1918.

When Jack taught younger sister Cleo to drive, he couldn’t have imagined that she would soon be traveling into Portland’s poorest neighborhoods, trying to stop the flu’s rapid spread with pamphlets and cotton face masks…

This fascinating story of a little-discussed major historical event shows us the pandemic’s impact on just one city, through Cleo’s eyes.

Where is the line between courage and foolhardiness?
**kmm

Book info: A Death-Struck Year / Makiia Lucier. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, 2014.   [author interview]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: In 1918, Cleo impulsively volunteers with the Red Cross and finds herself surrounded by the world’s deadliest disease.

The Spanish flu arrives in Oregon when her brother’s house is closed during his travels, but 17-year-old Cleo knows how to drive and won’t stay at boarding school another minute.

Volunteering to distribute face masks and information in Portland, she encounters homes where all have sickened and died in a day, brave nurses risking their lives to save others, and one particular young doctor wounded in the Great War and now fighting death on the home front.

As the flu strikes down more and more healthy young people, will Cleo survive? (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

J is just amazing – books & authors at Texas Library Association conference!

Apr11

letter J of Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2014What happens when 7,200 librarians, authors, publishers, and library supporters get together?

It’s book heaven!

This year’s Texas Library Association conference in San Antonio has been filled with discussions about books, authors, reading, writing, and information in our lives.

I listened to Rae Carson and Melissa de la Cruz share what they must have in order to write their bestsellers and Deb Caletti and Elizabeth Eulberg talk about writing strong characters.

Tom Angleberger taught 200+ Nerdy Book Club members how to fold an emergency Origami Yoda and dramatically read aloud the instant haikus written by folks in this huge Twitter community which celebrates reading and books (@NerdyBookClub).

We celebrated 5 years of the TLA Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List, which includes several BooksYALove faves on the 2014 list (click link for my no-spoiler review of the title)  like Will & Whit,
Peanut,
Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant,
Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry,
Boxers and Saints,
Little Fish, and
Relish.

And I visited publishers large and small, seeking out the underappreciated gems in their recent and upcoming books. Lugging bags of advance reader copies back to your hotel is great exercise, you know!

The book world is just amazing! Get ready for some phenomenal reads in the months ahead!
**kmm

I is India – All My Noble Dreams and Then What Happens, by Gloria Whelan (book review)

Apr10

book cover of All My Noble Dreams and Then What Happens by Gloria Whelan published by Simon Schuster Books for Young ReadersOppressed by outsiders,
India longs for independence,
Gandhi‘s eloquence speaks for millions.

In the 1920s, British young ladies like Rosy oughtn’t concern themselves with political matters, but she believes that her beloved India deserves freedom.

Even though All My Noble Dreams  is a sequel to Whelan’s 2011 Small Acts of Amazing Courage,  you’ll easily be able to follow Rosy’s journey without reading the first book.

Find this fictional look at a tumultuous historical era at your local library or independent bookstore in 2013 hardcover or the paperback edition published on April 1st.

When do you know that it’s time to stand up for what is right?
**kmm

Book info:  All My Noble Dreams and Then What Happens / Gloria Whelan. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013 (paperback 2014). [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Rosy thinks it most unfair that India is ruled by England, but even she is surprised at what she will risk in 1921 for its independence.

Her British Army officer father tolerates the teen’s volunteer teaching of Indian children, but forbids her listening to Gandhi’s speeches, insisting that these people cannot govern themselves.

Rosalind agrees to take a letter from the independence leaders to the Prince of Wales himself when he visits. Sneaking the Prince out of his hotel in disguise to see India beyond the jeweled ceremonies is her own idea…

How much can one British girl do to help the land she now loves?

This well-crafted sequel to Small Acts of Amazing Courage  takes readers into the years of India’s struggle for independence with vivid accuracy and great heart.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

H is Hansen’s literary mystery The Butterfly Sister (book review)

Apr9

book cover of The Butterfly Sister by Amy Gail Hansen published by William MorrowNotes in the book margin,
clues to a missing person
or invitation back into disaster?

Ruby’s precipitous flight from college during her final semester kept her from going insane. Was the problem how intensely she studied suicidal writers or was it the married professor who broke her heart?

The Butterfly Sister mystery widens when Ruby ventures back onto the college campus for clues about a missing classmate and learns that her own story of jilted love and near-madness is well-known…and is happening once again.

Is blocking out memories the best way to stay sane?
**kmm

Book info:  The Butterfly Sister / Amy Gail Hansen.  William Morrow, 2013. [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: When a suitcase she borrowed once from a college friend arrives on her doorstep, Ruby tries to return it, but discovers that Beth has vanished. In the suitcase is a copy of A Room of One’s Own, with Beth’s cryptic notes, leading Ruby back to Tarble College for the first time since she fled during her senior year.

Studying women authors who drove themselves to suicide is a tricky business, Ruby had been warned, but her professor (handsome and married) was sure she could bring new light to the material. Instead, she had to escape from Tarble before she joined their sisterhood of madness and tragedy.

But why did Beth have that book in that suitcase, and where did she go?
What are the current Tarble professors trying to tell Ruby about their former colleague?
Will returning to the scene of her broken heart send Ruby into an emotional tailspin again?

Literature, love, mystery, and madness – follow The Butterfly Sister.

G for Great, by Sara Benincasa (book review) – love, longing, and lies

Apr8

book cover of Great by Sara Benincasa published by Harper TeenThwarted love,
desperate love,
lies, lies, obsession, and lies…

Glitz, glamor, and money only go so far in covering secrets which don’t want to stay hidden in this nowadays retelling of The Great Gatsby.

Just published today, look for Great  in your local library or favorite independent bookstore as you roller-coaster through one summer in the Hamptons.

What classics-retold have you read lately?
**kmm

Book info:  Great / Sara Benincasa. Harper Teen, 2014.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk:  Naomi didn’t like summers with her baker/celebrity mom in the so-snobby Hamptons, but she never dreamed that the second-nature posing and lies of the rich teens there would move from foolish to fatal.

This summer began strangely enough when Naomi found herself helicoptering from NYC with the senator’s daughter Delilah, her boyfriend Teddy, and cute classmate Jeff. Then she discovered that mysterious Jacinta had leased the huge, fabulous house next door, planning extravagant parties which made teens clamor for invitations

Naomi did think it odd that Jacinta, whose exclusive teen fashion blog has a huge following, actually begged her for an introduction to Delilah, subject of the blogger’s fashion show photo spreads with much commentary.

Drinking and drugs, crazy driving and worse behavior – just another summer for these Hampton teens, until Teddy starts objecting to Delilah and Jacinta spending so much time together. Old secrets bubble to the surface, new secrets erupt with dire consequences, and Naomi wonders if any of them will make it to their senior year of high school unscathed.

A wry retelling of The Great Gatsby with social media, a foodie IPO, and fashion designer name-dropping thrown in for good measure. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

F is Forget Me Not, by Carolee Dean (book review) – photo goes public, is her life over?

Apr7

book cover of Forget Me Not by Carolee Dean published by Simon PulseOne photo,
two people,
future ruined.

Social media has its good side, but not for Ally when someone texts a compromising photo of her to the whole school (and it wasn’t a solo portrait).

She’s blocked out whatever landed her in H hall, a live person surrounded by the ghosts of teen suicides, so Elijah braves the haunted site to help her find the way out.

Several poetry styles (and a few screenplays) in multiple voices trace the stories of Ally, Elijah, Oscar and the ghosts from now through their painful pasts.

How far would you go to be unforgettable?
**kmm

Book info:  Forget Me Not / Carolee Dean. Simon Pulse, 2012 (paperback, 2013).  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Once-popular Ally just wants her classmates to forget about that scandalous photo, but someone wanted her forgotten forever.

She finds herself in “the haunted hallway” at school with the spirits of kids who died nearby, but she’s not dead – yet.

Elijah knows that if Ally can’t break through the memory wall she built after that photo went viral, she’ll be stuck on H hall forever.

He loves her too much to let that happen, even though Ally longs only for Davis, who promises to break up with Darla.

Who sent that photo?
Who went on the school roof with Ally?
Who wants her out of the picture for good?

This novel-in-verse traces Ally’s past hopes, current despair, and possible future – the choice is now hers. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

E for Margarita Engle’s novel-in-verse Mountain Dog (book review)

Apr5

book cover of Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle published by Henry Holt Books for Young ReadersDogs who fight.
Dogs who save.
People worth saving?

As frightened Tony, calm great-uncle Tio, and eager search-dog-in-training Gabe learn how to live together in the mountains, the lyrical musings of boy and dog bring us the highs and lows of life without Mom.

Read Tony’s impressions of meeting Gabe for the first time here, then visit your local library or independent bookstore to get Mountain Dog  so you can read Gabe’s all-dog responses to having a new guy to love (and to teach to scratch him in just the right place) and to roam with in the Sierra Nevada forest.

Can you hear poetry from the animals in your life?
**kmm

Book info: Mountain Dog / Margarita Engle; illustrations by Olga & Aleksey Ivanov. Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2013. [author site]  [artists’ site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Tony isn’t sure about living with his great-uncle in a mountain cabin while his mom is in jail – until the eleven year old meets new search-and-rescue dog Gabe.

As he gets used to whispering pines instead of gunshots and arguments, Tony helps Tio train Gabe to search on command and makes friends at the old country school.

Tony’s mom made dogs fight for money; her uncle Tio helps dogs rescue the lost as a volunteer. Tio escaped from Cuba and poverty; can Tony escape the barrio forever?

Maybe tail-wagging Gabe can rescue Tony from his sadness…

Alternating chapters bring reflections from Tony and from Gabe as this novel-in-verse explores choice, forgiveness, and hope. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

D is Dane & dads & other Dead Ends, by Erin Jade Lange (book review)

Apr4

book cover of Dead Ends by Erin Jade Lange published by BloomsburyNo dad – no big deal or no rest until he’s found?

If his single mom would start cashing in her winning lottery tickets instead of framing them, Dane wouldn’t be the poor kid in school, so ready with his fists.

If Billy D’s dad had stayed with his family, everything would be wonderful, believes the teen with Down syndrome.

If Dane and Billy D had listened to their friend Seely, they wouldn’t be in trouble as they hunted for Billy D’s dad – big, big trouble.

Listening to Dane explain everyday sayings to so-literal Billy D makes for some light moments in this very tense story.

When do you decide that it’s time to finally stop searching for something?
**kmm

Book info: Dead Ends / Erin Jade Lange. Bloomsbury, 2013. [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: A school-assigned partnership leads to a road trip with huge consequences for bully Dane and bullied Billy D.

If walking the new special ed kid to school will keep Dane from being expelled for fighting, he’ll do it. If showing Dane and Seely the clues in his atlas will help him find his dad again, Billy D will do it.

Dane gave up on finding his dad long ago, Seely’s two dads have taught her freedom and responsibility, and Billy D is utterly certain that his dad left those atlas clues so he can be found.

After traveling with Seely uncover more information, Billy D insists that Dane take him one more place to look for his dad… but forgets to share some vital information.

Expectations, high and low, create anxious situations for these teens and their families – will all their searching just lead to Dead Ends?  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)