With something for everyone on this list, you're sure to find a good book! I've read a few of these and plan on reading lots more! Stay tuned for reviews.
2011 Texas Lone Star Reading List
Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. Little, Brown, 2010.
Bell, Cathleen Davitt. Little Blog on the Prairie. Bloomsbury, 2010.
Brande, Robin. Fat Cat. Knopf, 2009.
Carter, Ally. Heist Society. Disney Hyperion, 2010.
Childs, Tera Lynn. Forgive My Fins. Katherine Tegen Books, 2010.
Condie, Ally. Matched. Dutton, 2010.
Deuker, Carl. Payback Time. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010.
Dionne, Erin. The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet. Dial Books, 2010.
Falkner, Brian. Brain Jack. Random House, 2009.
Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron. Dial Books, 2010.
Gephart, Donna. How to Survive Middle School. Delacorte, 2010.
Golding, Julia. Dragonfly. Marshall Cavendish, 2009.
Henderson, Jason. Vampire Rising. HarperTeen, 2010.
Klass, David. Stuck on Earth. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2010.
Shulman, Polly. The Grimm Legacy. Putnam, 2010.
Shusterman, Neal. Bruiser. HarperTeen, 2010.
Sonnenblick, Jordan. After Ever After. Scholastic Press, 2010.
Stork, Francisco X. The Last Summer of the Death Warriors. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2010.
Wiles, Deborah. Countdown. Scholastic Press, 2010.
Yancey, Richard. The Monstrumologist. Simon & Schuster, 2009.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Matched
Summary (from book jacket)
Cassia has always trusted their choices. It's hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one...until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow - between perfection and passion.
Personal Thoughts
Oh. My. Stars. This book was GREAT!!! I can see this book being the next Hunger Games. I loved how easy this story was to read and how much it reminded me of some past classics like 1984. It was a magnificent tale and should be read by anyone who like the Hunger Games. Romance, intrigue, scandal, rebellion, questions...Seriously, it was fabulous! The sequel is titled Crossed and is due out in November of this year. (I can't wait!)
The Roar
Summary (from book jacket)
Mika lives in future London, behind The Wall, safe from the Animal Plague beyond. Or so he's been told. But ever since Ellie vanished a year ago, he's suspected his world may be build on secrets - and lies. When a mysterious organization starts recruiting mutant kids to compete in violent virtual reality games, Mika takes the chance to search for his twin sister - and the truth.
Personal Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fascinating read...it was also a completely scary because I could see it happening in the future if we're not careful. I think Clayton did an excellent job of weaving this particular tale. Like many of the other books I read over break, I'm wondering if there will be a sequel. And, yes, it is called The Whisper and is due out in Fall 2011. I'm excited to read it and see how Mika and Ellie work through the Secret and find out what lies beyond The Wall. Highly recommended for fans of Sci-Fi and Dystopia.
The Scorch Trials
Summary (from Horizon)
After surviving horrific conditions in the Maze, Thomas is entrapped, along with nineteen other boys, in a scientific experiment designed to observe their responses and gather data believed to be essential for the survival of the human race.
Personal Thoughts
That summary absolutely does not do this book justice. In fact, if the book jacket summary hadn't been so long I would have copied that one. The Maze Runner was a fabulous book and The Scorch Trials is a fitting sequel. The characters are splendid, the scenery is described (but not to death), and the plot is fantastic and mystifying all at the same time. WICKED, while they keep saying they're good, are just...well...wicked-sounding. Although, without being a spoiler, this novel throws in some bizarre flashback twists that will blow your mind! If you liked The Maze Runner, you'll love The Scorch Trials.
100 Cupboards
Summary (from Horizon)
| Twelve-year-old Henry York and his cousin Henrietta discover 100 hidden portals to other worlds in the bedroom wall of his aunt and uncle's house. |
Personal Thoughts
I'm usually a huge fan of books with cubbies, and shrinking, and magical places...but this book seemed to drag. I didn't hate it, but I felt that it skipped around, lacked a lot of character development, and ended very suddenly. In addition, there were lots of things that made absolutely no sense within the plot line, but appeared anyway. For example, (spoiler alert) at the end, there's an appearance of an evil old witch that was nowhere in the story previously. It made absolutely no sense to me. Not a book I would recommend strongly.
The Gardener
Summary (from book jacket)
Mason isn't supposed to know about the Greenhouse. He isn't supposed to meet the beautiful girl who is part of the experiment, and who doesn't need food or water to survive. Now Mason is on the run with the girl. And the Gardener, who is the mysterious mastermind of an institution that grows humans, wants them both, dead or alive.
Personal Thoughts
I really like the concept of this book. And for the most part I thought it was well-written. However, there were things left unexplained and the action scenes seemed a little lack-luster. I'm interested to know if there will be a sequel to help answer some of those questions. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes sci-fi.
Ship Breaker
Summary (from book jacket)
In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota-and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life.
Personal Thoughts
This was a good read that went pretty fast. Despite the sometimes awkward and new terminology, it was easy to read and understandable. The characters were well-fleshed out and the plot interesting and fast-moving, too. Overall, I liked this book. I'm curious to know if there will be a sequel...Aha! According to sixboxesofbooks.blogspot.com, Bacigalupi is planning a sequel called The Drowned Cities due out in 2011.
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