Books read in 2012


1)Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - amazing;

2) Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes - good;
3) Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - good;
4) Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie - good;
5) Prom Nights from Hell by Meg Cabot, Lauren Myracle, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer - bad;
6) Jinx by Meg Cabot - okay;
7) Airhead by Meg Cabot - okay;
8) Being Nikki by Meg Cabot - good
9) Ready or Not by Meg Cabot, okay
10) Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by J.L.Smith - bad;
11) Digital Fortress by Dan Brown - amazing;
12) The da Vinci Code by Dan Brown - good;
13) The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - okay;
14) Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater - amazing;
15) Linger by Maggie Stiefvater - good;
16) Forever by Maggie Stiefvater - good;
17) Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - good;
18) Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita - okay;
19) Secrets of My Hollywood Life: On Location by Jen Calonita - okay;
20) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney - okay;
21) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney - okay;
22) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney - okay;
23) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney - bad;
24) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney - bad;
25) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney - okay;
26) Angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging by Louise Rennison - good;
27) Withering Tights by Louise Rennison - okay;
28) Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - amazing;
29) Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins - amazing;
30) Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins - good;
31) Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees - okay;
32) Notebook by Nicholas Sparks - amazing;
33) Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan - good; 
34) Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares - okay;
35) Divergent by Veronica Roth - amazing;
36) Delirium by Lauren Oliver - amazing;
37) Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver - amazing;
38) 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher - amazing;
39) Future of us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler - good;
40) The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler - good;
41) Fallen by Lauren Kate - good;
42) Torment by Lauren Kate - bad;
43) Matched by Ally Condie - good;
44) Crossed by Ally Condie - okay;
45) Reached by Ally Condie - amazing;
46) Gone by Michael Grant - good;
47) City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - good;
48) City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare - amazing;
49) City of Glass by Cassandra Clare - amazibg;
50) Looking for Alaska by John Green - amazing;
51) Sticks and Stones by Beth Goobie - okay;
52) Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegaser - bad;
53) Uglies by Scott Westerfield - good;
54) I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore - amazing;
55) Casual Vacancy by J.K.Rowling - okay;
56) Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg - amazing;
57) The Carrie Diaries by Candice Bushnell - good;
58) Anna and a French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - amazing;
59) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - okay;
60) The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer - good;
61) Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - amazing;
62) Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin - amazing;
63) Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles - amazing;
64) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E.Smith - okay.

* published in 2012

2013 Culture Club Diversity Talent Show - Reporters!

Calling all reporters! In know you are all passionate about reading, but what about writing? Perhaps you are looking for your big break? Then this is the opportunity for you! Auditions for the 2013 Richmond Multicultural Talent Show will begin in January and the organizers are looking for teens to follow the contestants during the entire process from auditions to the night of the performance. If you're interested email us at: teens@yourlibrary.ca for more information.
Not interested in writing, but have a passion/talent you are dying to showcase?Then contact Stefanie at: Stefanie@rmcs.bc.ca to register.


National "What did you read today?" Contest

People can tweet what they read to @readingcampaign with #whatdidyoureadtoday? from Nov 14 – Dec 31 for a chance to win a preloaded Kobo eReader. You can enter the contest once per day.

More contest info can be found on the official website.

We will be promoting this on our website, and posters will be sent to each branch.

Not on Twitter? This may be a good opportunity to sign up for an account and check it out.

This is what I read today, how about you?

Rebecca by Du Maurier


"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."

Okay seriously, Rebecca is one of the most frustrating, depressing, rip-your-hair-out provoking books I've ever read in my entire life.

And I love it.

Have any of you guys ever read the book? I read it with my English class...fyi...
Anyways, if you haven't I RECOMMEND IT.

It's too good do a thorough review. There are just too many things to comment on.... The characters, the plot, the themes, the foreshadowing... Okay, this sounds like what I say for most of my rave reviews but SERIOUSLY READ THIS BOOK. If you guys have, tell me what you thought about it!

By the way, if you do decided to read it, keep in mind that the plot seems to lag around the middle of the book, but all of a sudden, SOMETHING BIG HAPPENS THAT JUST BLOWS YOUR MIND.

Okay.

PS- The cover does this book no justice. None at all.

“We can never go back again, that much is certain. The past is still close to us. The things we have tried to forget and put behind us would stir again, and that sense of fear, of furtive unrest, struggling at length to blind unreasoning panic - now mercifully stilled, thank God - might in some manner unforeseen become a living companion as it had before.” 

Teen Read Week

It's Teen Read Week!  What is that, you ask?  Teen Read Week is an national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association.  This year's theme is It Came from the Library!

We dare you to read for the fun of it and celebrate reading in all its forms —books and magazines, e-books, audiobooks and more. 

We're also giving away prizes to celebrate Teen Read Week.  All you need to do is come by the library and fill out an entry form in the teen section at any RPL branch between now and Oct 23rd. Easy as that!

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Tom Hardy

The Mayor of Castrbridge is a Classic novel about a man by the name of Michael Henchard who in a drunken state sells his wife and daughter to a passing sailor at a country fair.  From there on things get more and more dramatic.  Henchard moves to the town of Casterbridge and achieves mayorship while presuming his wife dead, and his daughter lost to him.  But when they arrive in Casterbridge, Henchard's life get's turned upside down.  The reader experiences his ups and downs of his life narrated in parts by Henchard himself, and in parts, his daughter, Elizabeth-Jane.

If I had a choice, I would never read classics, the language is tough, and the setting is constantly being thickly described.  However for this classic, I wouldn't say it was too bad, like most modern novels it carries with it dramatic twists and turns, the reader doesn't experience too much of a lull between one shocking event and the next.  Hardy knows exactly how to write too, he has a nice balance in the book, the shocking events don't overshadow each other, and they have a reason for being.  I haven't read too many classics in my life, I tried Pride and Prejudice, but the extensive plot, and descriptions lacked the proper action and drama to hook a reader.  With the Mayor of Casterbridge, you sympathized with characters more, it was easier to understand, though a longer read, it's not exactly the kind of story you'd find in a small farming village.

Considering my bias against classics and the fact that it's homework rather than leisure reading, I would give this classic a 7/10, for originality, a surprising amount of action and drama, sympathize-able characters, and a nicely scripted, and yet not overwhelming setting.

(The Mayor of Casterbridge 2003 Movie Trailer)

Volunteers needed!

Amazing Astronomy – Saturday October 13th from 11-3pm
Help kids create telescopes, galaxies and other space related crafts.

 
World Food Day event - Sunday October 14 from 12-4pm
Greet and hand out flyers and hand stamp visitors at tables.

Sound interesting? Email us at teens@yourlibrary.ca to sign up

Code (Virals #3) COMING OUT MARCH 2013!!!

Ok, so as you all know I'm a HUGE Virals fan, so, as you can guess, when I saw the release announcement for #3 I was ECSTATIC! I was even more excited to see that there was an EXCERPT I could read online.
So it comes out March 12, 2013, and here's the summary Amazon has for it:
The Virals are put to the ultimate test when they find a geocache containing an ornate puzzle box. Shelton decodes the cipher inside, only to find more tantalizing clues left by "The Gamemaster." A second, greater geocache is within reach--if the Virals are up to the challenge.
But the hunt takes a dark turn when Tory locates the other box--a fake bomb, along with a sinister proposal from The Gamemaster. Now, the real game has begun: another bomb is out there--a real one--and the clock is ticking.
Now if you want to read an excerpt from it, go here:
http://shelf-life.ew.com/2012/07/03/kathy-reichs-code-cover-reveal-excerpt/
IT SOUNDS SO GOOD I CAN'T WAIT!!! WHO ELSE IS STOKED???

PS So I am currently 11 and a bit chapters into a novel of my own making. If you would like to read what I have so far than give me ur e-mail (gmail is fine) and I'll send it to you (I can't just post it up here cause Blogger would claim copyright and then I wouldn't be able to actually publish it).

October Releases

Sup guys, it seems like forever since I've been on this blog (how is it October already?!). Haven't had much time to read cause of work (school and otherwise), so no reviews quite yet, but I felt like I should post some stuff up.

Here's some of the YA releases in October, tried to balance the genres...and yeah, that didn't really work out. I'll just post the covers below, along with the respective goodreads/amazon summary. :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 

Published October 2nd

Inhale. Exhale.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe . . .
The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?


 
Published October 23rd
 
Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

 
 

 
 
Published October 16th

 
Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist.


Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island's workers--soulless clones like Elysia--are immune to.
At first, Elysia's life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the island's flawless exterior, there is an under-current of discontent among Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care--so why are overpowering sensations cloud-ing Elysia's mind?

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happi-ness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.

The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, "Beta "is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a cor-rupted world.




 
Published October 23rd
 
Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer.

This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else.



 
 
Published October 16th
 

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.


 
Published October 23rd
 

Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush saga.
 
Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn—but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?

 
Published October 2nd
 

What if you could dream your way into a different life? What if you could choose to live that life forever?

Sloane and Maggie have never met. Sloane is a straight-A student with a big and loving family. Maggie lives a glamorously independent life as an up-and-coming actress in New York. The two girls couldn't be more different--except for one thing. They share a secret that they can't tell a soul. At night, they dream that they're each other.

The deeper they're pulled into the promise of their own lives, the more their worlds begin to blur dangerously together. Before long, Sloane and Maggie can no longer tell which life is real and which is just a dream. They realize that eventually they will have to choose one life to wake up to, or risk spiraling into insanity. But that means giving up one world, one love, and one self, forever.

This is a dazzling debut that will steal readers' hearts.


 

 
Published October 30th
 

From the internationally bestselling author who brought us Ender's Game, a brand-new series that instantly draws readers into the dystopian world of Rigg, a teenager who possesses a secret talent that allows him to see the paths of people's pasts.
 
Rigg's only confidant is his father, whose sudden death leaves Rigg completely alone, aside from a sister he's never met. But a chance encounter with Umbo, another teen with a special talent, reveals a startling new aspect to Rigg's abilities, compelling him to reevaluate everything he's ever known. Rigg and Umbo join forces and embark on a quest to find Rigg's sister and discover the true depth and significance of their powers. Because although the pair can change the past, the future is anything but certain?.


Published October 23rd
 

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.


 
Published October 2nd
 
They called her Water Claire. When she washed up on their shore, no one knew that she came from a society where emotions and colors didn’t exist. That she had become a Vessel at age thirteen. That she had carried a Product at age fourteen. That it had been stolen from her body. Claire had a son. But what became of him she never knew. What was his name? Was he even alive? 
 
She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. Now Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice. Son thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal winning book, The Giver, as well as Gathering Blue and Messenger where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry’s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil.

 
 
Published October 23rd
 
Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------


Most interested in Crewel (Cool, unique looking premise), Blind Spot (seems pretty good, kind of a different take on a crime/mystery. Hopefully there's no romance though, ruins the suspense completely) and the Lost Prince (because it is by Miss. Julie Kagawa, and I read the other fey books, otherwise - cover and description = no. Anyways, pretty sure I'm getting a copy when it comes out. :D )

What about everyone else? I missed a million books, so any other ones you guys are excited to read this month?

What's up this fall

It's already October!  Hard to believe, but the end of 2012 is fast approaching.  The end of the year means it's time for top-10 lists.  Here's the list of the top 10 teen books, as chosen by the American Library Association, for last year (most were published in 2011):






What do you think?  How many have you read?  Would these have been your top picks? 

We'd like to create a Top-10 list of books read by Richmond teens for 2012, so over the next few months, start thinking about the best books you read this year.  You can either post your top10 list all in one go, or review each book individually.  Closer to the end of the year (probably mid Dec) we'll compile everyone's list into one.  So, that's the project for the blog for the next few months.

Don't worry, though, as well as your top picks, you can still review whatever you'd like - the good, the bad and the ugly! 

The Blog's New Look

School has started, leaves have started to fall, and as promised, our blog has gotten a bit of a face-lift.  You've probably had a chance to have a quick look around already, but here are a few features you'll want to know about:
  • To read the full post, just click on the orange date banner, and the post will expand to full-size.
  • You can comment on any of the posts just by clicking on the speech bubble in the top right-had corner of the post.  It will prompt you to log in if you haven't already.
  • If you've already logged in, just click on the pencil icon in the top right corner to add a new post. 
  • Remember - adding a picture makes your post even more eye-catching, so don't forget about that! 
Keep adding any new reviews or things that interest you that are related to lovely world of libraries!  Stay tuned for more info about the direction the blog will be going in for the fall, too.

Blog Update


The NEW Teen Reading club blog will start on October 1st. The blog will have a new look and at this time we will announce how the club will run throughout the school year. In the meantime, let us know what you are reading.
At the moment, I’m reading Seraphina, it’s amazing! What’s not to love, dragons disguised as humans? And the forbidden love of a prince and a half-dragon…tragic! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not mushy and although the protagonist is a girl, I think it has enough guy appeal. Bendavis, I think you may like this one, it’s NOT paranormal, it’s fantasy. The best part? It’s written by a Canadian, who lives in Vancouver. But read it for yourself and see if you agree.
Oh, the other book I’m reading is Insignia. It’s World War III only the war is fought in virtual reality and by teens. Not bad, but no Ender’s Game.

Winners of the contests!

Sorry for the delay, but here are the results of the 2 contests this summer:

Contest #1 – Photo Representation of a book
Winner – Ashley
Honorable mention – Bendavis

Contest #2 – Alternative Book Cover
Winner – Ashini
Honorable mention – Summerstar

Thanks to everyone who entered. You all did an exceptional job and it was not an easy decision determining the winner!

Beastly, Alex Flinn


More of my reviews from the teenrc website. :)

Ok, Let me just start by saying that I love Disney. I am a huge Disney freak. I’m sure I’ve watched the ‘classic’ Disney princess movies at least 4 times each in the past few years, and I still know most of the Disney songs. My parents said that when I was younger (think 3-5), I wanted one of those $40.00 costumes from the Disney store so badly I cried for a good 30 minutes until my nana told me she’d get me one. She sewed it. Still, I got to be Ariel for a day.

-I'm not even joking. Really.-

Anyways, my point is that because I’m in love with fairy tales, my review may be slightly biased. …Very biased. Whatever.

On to the actual review: I liked this book, but I think it mainly had to do with the story. Obviously, I hated Kyle when he was introduced. He was egoistical, wrenched and a disgusting human being in general, however, no one really cares since he’s so wonderfully handsome. Scratch that, one person sees his ugly side, this is where the witch, Kendra, comes in. She places a curse on Kyle and gone is his lovely appearance, he is now nothing more than a beast. He has to find true love within a year’s time to reverse the effects, or he’s all claws and fur forever. His father is so ashamed that Kyle’s locked up. Lindy, AKA Belle, arrives and the two form a relationship together. This is the part of the book that you warm up to, when Kyle starts to slowly become human.

You get to experience his transformation from an awful person, to a tortured and depressed individual, to an actual, functioning human. When he becomes human internally by falling in love, he’s allowed to return to his actual human state externally. His outer self finally reflects what he is inside. Kyle is one of the real reasons I loved this book. You cannot help but 'love' him in the end.

Lindy was just a normal girl. I never hated her, and I don’t think I’d be able to stand it if I did. I could relate to her and the book. It's not something as fairy tale-ish as some people may perceive it to be. It happens in modern times, in a typical high school, so anyone can connect to the story and characters. Also, I thought the chat-room idea was especially clever. It really ties everyday teen life into the book.

Negatives:
The writing wasn’t necessarily poetic (some lines were VERY cheesy), and the plot itself wasn’t deep or complex in any way, but all in all, Beastly is a good re-telling of a classic fairy tale. Nothing will ever beat Disney though.

Final Verdict: 7.5 – 8.0/10

What Alice Forgot, Liane Moriarty


Figured I'd transfer over some of my reviews from the teenrc website. This was probably my favorite book this summer, so I'm bringing this one over first. :)

BTW, Congrats Ashini for the honorable mention. :D You know, I'm actually surprised some of the others on the blog didn't get mentions or win the grand prize, you guys had some great reviews. A lot made me laugh and many made me actually want to read the book. (In comparison...not to sound negative or anything, but none of the other mentions or even the winner were as good as most of the reviews you guys wrote on this site. Maybe I'm missing something? Maybe I'm biased [since you guys are awesome and what-not]? Maybe it's the truth? Am I the only one that's crazy here?!)

ANYWAYS,

If you don't feel like reading the review, this pretty much sums it up:


-Barfing that rainbow goodness all over. And guess what? You. Will. Like. It.-

Otherwise, please refer to the insane amounts of gushing from an overly emotional dork below:

What can I say about a book so exquisite, that I tear up simply thinking about it?

“What Alice Forgot” is the precious, brilliant, little treasure I’d been lusting after in a book for a long time. I was at first reluctant to begin reading, but once I began, I couldn’t stop until my eyes had consumed every last, magnificent page.

How could I not see it before? The writing is so simple, yet so wonderfully peculiar and witty. I found myself chuckling constantly throughout the book. Oh, Alice. How I love you and your quirks. This is her story.

Alice is twenty-nine years old. She’s a sweet and innocently optimistic individual that loves chocolate, her newlywed husband, Nick, and the cluster of cells inside her (the baby they call Sultana) to pieces. At least, that’s what she keeps telling everyone. When did her husband come to despise her, what happened to Sultana, and the pretty, little dream of their rickety house? Well, after slipping and bumping her head during spin class, everyone else keeps telling her she’s a thirty-nine year old mother of three. Sultana is now a fully grown little girl, Madison, Nick has developed a profound bitterness towards her and the dream of their perfect home is now complete. Alice doesn’t like her new life. She’s a once lovable, funny, awkward individual imprisoned inside the body of an alien; a power crazed, mega mom. With a decade of her memories lost, Alice has to learn what she’s become and what exactly happened to create such a different persona. Otherwise, she’ll never be able to put the pieces of her life back together again.

Alice is a gem, I loved her every bit throughout the book. Her relationships with those around her were so heartbreakingly real that you felt the devastation, confusion, happiness and love she experienced. Alice with her children – complete strangers, her own flesh and blood she should know so well, but didn’t actually know at all. Alice with her sister, Elizabeth – always the social butterfly, but ten years later the roles were reversed, her sister now an empty husk filled with bitterness. However, what touched me most was her relationship with Nick. Whenever Alice mentioned Nick, her eyes lit up with such desperate love, love that she knew he wouldn’t reciprocate. She wanted to recreate the love they felt years ago, but because Nick hated her, she simply couldn’t. Every time Alice was rejected by Nick, my heart ached for her. Rejected by the one she loved most in the world, how utterly unbearable.

And Elizabeth, my dear, my heart breaks for you as well. Elizabeth’s character and story are so overwhelmingly powerful and raw, that I couldn’t stop the rather annoying faucet of hot, salty tears and snot from running down my face. Aside from the loveliness that red, puffy eyes and mucus added to my appearance, it also clouded my vision and clogged up my nose entirely. This incident happened several times throughout the story, so I can’t even imagine how I must’ve looked when I’d finished the book. In all seriousness though, I was heartbroken. I watched the once happy, vibrant and outgoing Elizabeth, transform into a cynical woman, a wife trapped behind the devastation of infertility. After mourning for child, after unborn child, Elizabeth withdraws from the rest of the world and is pulled into her own self hatred and pity. She resentfully narrates these events through ‘homework’ for her therapy sessions, letters her therapist is never supposed to read, and becomes increasingly desperate for a child as the book progresses. I hated having to suffer Elizabeth’s pain – she acted so nonchalantly on the outside, but loathed herself for their death in secret. As each embryo was ripped away from her, a false piece of hope was replaced with a lingering bitterness, a bitterness that collected and eventually built a wall around Elizabeth’s heart. I couldn’t help but feel this same bitterness myself.

Elizabeth’s misery had effectively clutched at my heart, refused to let go, and contorted my face into an angry, red and tear-streaked mess all at the same time. This is why I love her story.

Overall, “What Alice Forgot” is lovely; it’s a book that’s sweet and sour, something you’d happily read outside on a lazy, summer afternoon. This light read has definite depth added into the writing, characters and their stories. However, what I took away most from this book is the concept of love. First loves, aged love, the kind of love I want, what true love is – it’s all demonstrated here.

First love is like champagne – it’s sparkling and bubbly, and it draws you away from everyone else in the world if you’re not careful. You can get drunk off the experience, wishing the beginning would never end. Then you wake up with a hangover, and everything goes to hell. The honeymoon phase is over and the relationship begins to falter, teetering on the edge. Anyone can feel this type of love, the giddy unawareness of a drunken state, but then there’s the love that survives. Something despite all the arguments, difficulties and obstacles, nothing would ever make you give it up. That’s what I want – a love that’s beautiful and true.

When my aged and withered husband looks at my eighty year old self, my own body old and crumpled, I want to be able to feel that wonderful sense of complete and total endearment from fifty years ago. I want to be able to return this feeling to him. I’ll know that despite the best and the worst, our love for each other has overcome it all.

It’s a real love, a shaky love. Love that quivers throughout all its faults and imperfections, but never quite manages to collapse. Instead, it’ll wind right back up, always determined to start again.

Final Verdict: 10.0/10.0

More Volunteer Opportunities...


Like origami? Then why not help out during our Cultural Day’s event. On Saturday September 29th and September 30th we will be offering origami at the Brighouse Branch of the Richmond Public Library. The event will take place from 1:30-4:30 PM on both days. If you are interested you can volunteer for either Saturday or Sunday or both. Email us at teens@yourlibrary.ca  

Special Thanks to the Librarians!

Thank you so much for this wonderful blog and helping out with all the organizing. Special thanks to Librarian Cindy and the other Librarians on the blog that took their time to help out and post reviews. :)

Let's Partaayyy!!!

So, Cindy has agreed to help us out regarding setting up a (belated) summer's end party for us. She'll book a space and provide us with prizes (maybe even set up a scavenger hunt and get some pizza money). Of course, it's up to us to bring food and games and decide when we want to have it. In response to the latter, I'm suggesting we have it on Friday September 14 from 7-9:30 PM (if it was on the weekend it would have to end by 5). How does that work for everyone? What can you guys bring?

Voting has ended!

Thank you to all those who entered the contest, and a big thank you to those who participated in voting for your favourites! We will be letting you know who the winners are very soon!

As most of you know the blog will continue, yay! There will be changes to the look of the blog, but it'll continue to be a blog about reviewing your favourites, meeting great people and winning awesome prizes!

Stay tuned...

teenrc.ca second random prize draw winner O:

So I went on teenrc.ca today and saw the update: "Congratulations to Ashley, winner of our 2nd random iPod draw!"
So congrats Ashley!
... I actually don't know if that Ashley is our Ashley... but congrats anyways :)

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith

This book was an enormous disappointment. I am not sure if the incompetency of the novel was due to drastic changes in my own tastes or a serious downfall in the quality of L.J. Smith's writing. I am betting on the former, since the period of time between reading the first volume and the second volume of the series was extensive. Yet, I am hesitant to believe I ever thought the Vampire Diaries series was an exceptionally good series when now, I cannot even bring myself to finish reading the first chapter. Seeing as I usually have a pretty high tolerance and can finish reading the book regardless, the Fury and Dark Reunion must be a disaster if I cannot even read a chapter. If you ask me what is so horrific about the book, I cannot pinpoint the issue, but what I can say is, I am definitely not going to revisit this series and will most likely keep away from Smith's other novel as well.

I know many people love the series and may be offended by my review of the book. I would love to hear how you may feel differently about the books and if you present a sound enough case, I may even give it another go; who knows?

Perfect (Pretty Little Liars #3) by Sara Shepard



"In Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four perfect-looking girls aren't nearly as perfect as they seem.
Aria can't resist her forbidden ex. Hanna is on the verge of losing her BFF. Emily is freaking out over a simple kiss. And Spencer can't keep her hands off anything that belongs to her sister.
Lucky me. I know these pretty little liars better than they know themselves. But it's hard keeping all of their secrets to myself. They better do as I say . . . or else!"

'A' keeps the story going with more suspense and a whole new thrilling plot. The Pretty Little Liars series never disappoints me, well rarely... :P and this one certainly hasn't! It is exactly what the title is, this book was PERFECT. I envy Sara Shepard's talented and adroit writing that I wish I could match up to one day. She describes each character's thoughts and feelings so well that you can totally understand how they all feel and what is really happening from their point of views. As always, the girls are again, being bothered by their miserable past. I liked the drama and the action!  Maybe it was just me, but this time, the book was unpredictable which made it way more captivating and appealing. It totally engrossed me and I would rate it a 10/10. :)

Girl of Nightmares, Kendare Blake - NOT MY REVIEW


Last time I attempted this, my computer crashed. Clearly it does not like that I'm too lazy to write my own review. Yes, this is not my review. I know, I know, shame on me, but I don't think I could capture the book's pure, unadulterated awesomeness more eloquently than Miss. Kat Kennedy. Hats off to you.

It begins...


The fol­low­ing book has been found in an aban­doned, run-down house along with a body, a pen, and a worn and tat­tered copy of Girl of Night­mares.  The walls have many words and phrases writ­ten in blood. It’s con­tents pro­vide the only clues to the events that led to the the death of a per­son and an increas­ing string of dis­tur­bances in the area.
It reads as such:
This is a jour­nal of my read­ing expe­di­tion.  I have trav­eled to this remote locale so that I may read Girl of Night­mares by Kendare Blake in soli­tude.  Rumour has it that this book is cursed and that whoso­ever reads it is doomed to have their wits scram­bled and to be left insen­si­ble.  Nev­er­the­less I bravely pro­ceed and scoff in the face of super­sti­tion.  My inten­tion is that oth­ers may ben­e­fit from the expe­ri­ences chron­i­cled within my jour­nal and use it as a ref­er­ence guide in their own read­ing expe­ri­ences of Blake’s sec­ond dip into the Anna Dressed in Blood Universe.
Page 1
I have been intrigued and sad­dened by the begin­ning.  Dear­est Anna, it seems, will likely not be a major char­ac­ter in this book, alas.  But the writ­ing remains of qual­ity and it seems there are to be some ghost.
Page 48
There have been some instances of excit­ing ghost hap­pen­ings, but also a great deal of plot set up and rela­tion­ship dynam­ics.  I rather won­der what the hype is but shall per­se­vere for now.
Page 150
It has been a dif­fi­cult slog.  There has been aver­age lev­els of awe­some recorded and long stretches between badassery.  I have grown weary of the angst and seek to end the exper­i­ment.  Per­se­ver­ance forces me onward and the ever­last­ing hope that I shall one day be reunited with Anna. Her lack of pres­ence in this novel has made it cum­ber­some and Cas’ angst, and the secrecy sur­round­ing him is weari­some.  I am start­ing to doubt the curse.  Worse yet, I am start­ing to doubt Blake.  How far I have fallen?  Tonight I shall weep tears of dis­ap­point­ment as I sleep with the lights on.
Page 235
Hark? Is this the same novel?  Surely some great charm has bewitched me.  My instru­ments do not lie, yet surely there has been a mis­take.  When I doc­u­mented the lev­els of awe­some, I was forced to nota­rize in my ledger that it was over 9000 and was unable to take fur­ther mea­sure­ments for I had inci­den­tally crushed my scouter in response.  “What? 9000?” I said in shock and awe.  “There’s no way that can be right!”
I am not sure what hap­pened next for I blacked out and was awoken the next day by hazy mem­o­ries.  There are now strange mark­ings on the wall but I know not what they mean.  I fear I have put them there.  Am I becom­ing a mon­ster?  Can this curse be true and is it tam­per­ing with my senses?
Page 291
I under­stand now.  I was fool­ish and igno­rant before, but I have been shown the way.  There is no human expla­na­tion.  Yet I real­ize now that life has no mean­ing, but for this book.  It is my only love.  My pur­pose.  It is the rea­son I have been born.  There is no curse.  Those who have not read it have been cursed.  It is all so clear to me now.  I have writ­ten a song for Blake that brings tears to my eyes as I sing it con­tin­u­ously through­out the night. It has become my only com­pan­ion through out my enlight­en­ment.  I have writ­ten it down so that this knowl­edge may be passed on through the ages.
Blake Blake Blake Blake, Blake.
Blake­Blake, Blake Blake Blake Blake Blake,
Blake Blake Blake, Blake­Blake.
BlakeBlakeBlake…Blake Blake Blake.
Blake
I hope that I am one day able to sing this song to her in per­son and that SHE WILL BE PLEASED WITH ME!
Page 332
OHTHEMOTHEROFAWESOMEITHINKICRIEDITWASJUSTSOBEAUTIFULWHYDIDITHAVETOENDCANTTHEREBEMOREHOWCUOLDYOUDOTHISTO
MEBUTITWASJUSTSOPERFECTILOVEDITSOMUCHSOMUCHWIN!
Snar­gle half-blabber!
...
My thoughts exactly.