Why I'm Jealous of You...

When I was a teenager (yeah, a long, long time ago), I didn't read for pleasure very often. I had a lot of other things on the go I guess. I'd read a book a month maybe and it was mostly literature rather than books that were just good fun to read. We had a decent enough library in my school and there were some okay books but nothing like today.

A few things were different for me. First of all, I didn't have a big group of friends or classmates who loved reading for pleasure like you do. In fact, I'm pretty sure I never had a friend say, "Hey, Jason, you've got to read this awesome book!" I didn't have anybody around me recommending books. If you can believe it, I just "discovered" Roald Dahl three years ago! Why, oh why, didn't somebody read me Roald Dahl when I was a kid? I feel ripped off. Roald Dahl might have got me into reading in a big way.

I never had that Harry Potter moment. When a young reader first discovers Harry Potter, it can be a "magical" experience. He/she reads the books and discovers how good a book can be! Harry Potter is one of the many incredible books that can stand up against almost anything else that might catch a young person's attention - video games, sports, MTV, movies... I just wish I'd had that moment as a teenager. It's like the first time you watch a really thrilling movie. You can't wait to capture that moment again. You want to see another movie that will give you that feeling.

Also, the young adult writing that is out there nowadays just didn't exist before I don't think. Maybe it is just my imagination, but it really seems like there are more and more interesting young adult writers out there. They probably used to avoid the young adult market, but since Rowling came along they know that it is possible to write books that appeal to everyone since even adults enjoyed HP.

You're so lucky. There are so many interesting books out there just waiting for you to discover them and you have so many wonderful reading buddies who can recommend great books for you to read!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Amazon.com:

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been close to death before—and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever...

This is one of the best books I've read in years. I really enjoyed it and read almost all of it in one day because I didn't want to put it down.

Okay, about The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins doesn't make us wait. We get right into the action. She sets up her interesting world and gets her characters busy right away. The world is fascinating. Katniss, a teenage girl, lives in what used to be North America near the Rocky Mountains (the place I call home BTW). Things are strange in this futuristic place. The government of the Capitol keeps tight control of the districts around it. The people live in misery. They can barely scrape enough food together each day to feed themselves and in Katniss' district some people actually starve to death or die in mining accidents.

In order to exert their control over the country, the government sets up a "contest" each year and they draw two teenagers' names from each district to compete in a deadly game. 12 boys and 12 girls compete in the forest to see who can live the longest. They must find food and fight each other in order to survive.

To make it even more interesting, the government broadcasts it like a reality TV show. It is kind of like Big Brother or Survivor meets Lost. Everything that Katniss does or says is being shown to everyone in the country, including her family and friends back home.

Katniss is a hunter and she's very good with a bow. She's also pretty good at identifying edible plants and those that can be used for medicine. Her chances of surviving this crazy battle are actually quite good.

There's a boy from her district who makes it even more complicated. He says he loves her and wants to help her. Will they cooperate and take care of each other? Will they fall in love? You'll need to read it and find out.

If you like stories with action and excitement, you're going to love this book. I've given it a full five out of five stars and I would recommend it for anybody to read.

I'm very pleased that there will be two more books. The first one can stand alone as there is a clear beginning, middle, and end but I think most of us are happy to know that this isn't it. We want to know what will happen next. How is it possible, though, to wait for seven more months for the second book? This is going to be a new kind of torture for readers around the world.

I was so ready for this. After reading the marathon of five books by Meyer (Twilight Series and The Host), I needed a different kind of story. Meyer takes it slow. She develops her characters and their feelings and the story moves along at a crawl. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed them all, but I kept hoping for some action. In fact the whole sequence in Italy was one of my favourite parts because I finally felt like we were getting into something and that something exciting was really going to happen.

5/5 Stars

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Meyer's fascinating science fiction love story is now being waitlisted.

This is another popular title right now so we had better start another waitlist. Yikes, it is going to be a challenge to keep track of all these. After a number of girls have read it, I will eventually release it to the SRR. However, we know how that works. Each girl has ia book for two weeks. Sometimes they don't bring it back on time and then they end up with the book for two months. That means all the eager readers lose out. I think that with a hot book like this, it will work better if I waitlist them and then the super readers will chew the books up in two days and pass them on to the next reader.

So, those of you who are interested in Meyer's alien love story (you can read more about it in an earlier post on my blog), please add your name in the comments sectionof this post.Right now one of the girls in 5D has it, but you could be next.

Current waitlist: nobody.

Thanks,

Mr Jason

New Geraldine McCaughrean book in SRR!

A New Kind of Love Story by Geraldine

With Meyer's Twilight I read a story about a woman who fell in love with a vampire. Then, I read Meyer's The Host about an Alien who fell in love with a human. Okay, now it is time for McCaughrean's quirky love story: It is about a woman trying to survive in the antarctic and she she starts to become a bit crazy and she falls in love with a man who, as far as she can tell, exists only in her imagination. Cool.

Who knew? We have had a copy of this new paperback book by Geraldine in the collection for a few weeks now. I don't know how this one got past me. Anyway, it sounds really cool.

Asiyah in 5B has signed it out and I'm sure it will be back in circulation soon...

Here I was going to buy this one from Amazon and we had a copy the entire time!!!

Princess Stories by Geraldine McCaughrean

Available now for lending if you'd like to be put on the wait list.

Hi everyone,

I'll cover this one in plastic and lend it out if you are interested. Again, this is a one-of-a-kind book as it is signed by the author and addressed to you so extra care must be given to protect it from damage. Please, please take extra special care of it.

Amy in 5D requested it first so she has it. Amal in 5D has asked to get it next. If you'd like it when she is done, you know what to do - leave a comment in this post that you want to be next on the waitlist.

Current Waitlist: Amy, Amal, Arni, Ezzati.

Thanks,

Mr Jason

The Hunger Games

This book is wicked. King and Meyer loved it.

A lot of girls are excited about reading this book I bought. It is a story about a futuristic world where people are all starving. The main character has to compete in some sort of dangerous TV reality show and in order to win she must kill the other 12 boys and 11 girls in the competition. This is going to be another hit - I can feel it now!!! Book two is out in a few more months.

BTW, I've already told Reader's Haven about it and I hope they will get some in.

This book is the one that Stephenie Meyer recommended on her website. Have a look at her entry for Sept. 17th at:

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/

Anyway, after I read it, I will be giving it to Naqiah in 5E. Then Khairunnisa in 5F has asked for it. If you want to be next, just put your name in the comment section of this post.

Current Waitlist: Naqiah 5E, Khairunnisa 5F, Barirah 5D.

Geraldine McCaughrean Wrote You a Letter!!!

I'm so excited to share this news with you.

The autographed book she sent us as a gift!

Geraldine McCaughrean, author of Peter Pan in Scarlet, sent us a package today. Isn't she the sweetest author ever? She has written a letter to our classes and she included a few gifts. We have autographs which can be posted into our books, some photos of her wearing a leafy waistcoat she made herself, some beautiful autographed limited edition prints, and a book called Princess Stories (quite suitable don't you think considering we are at a girls' school). I must say I'm overwhelmed with her generosity. She even sent me an autographed book called "Smile" which I will be delighted to share with you of course. I hope she won't mind if I copy the letter for you here in the post so you can see what she wrote us:



Wow, isn't that wonderful? Geraldine writes excellent letters! What a joy it is to read a book and then to have the chance to tell the writer how much you enjoyed it. I wanted her to know what special treatment we gave her book in our class and how much we liked it. She got one thing wrong, though. I've got the best job in the entire world. I get to work with such lovely young ladies and I get to share lots of exciting books with them. :)

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

stepheniemeyer.com:

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

Meyer likes writing love stories. It didn't matter that in Twilight the lovers were humans, vampires, and werewolves. We still enjoyed it and the supernatural forces just added a new twist to it all.

The same goes for The Host. What, you don't like stories about aliens? Don't worry about it. Although this book will be found on the Science Fiction shelf in the bookstore, it is still a love story. In fact, it is a very compelling one. If, like me, you make it past the first 150 pages, you will really enjoy it.

Imagine if the world were taken over by aliens. Beautiful little worms insert themselves into the backs of people's necks and then take over the human bodies. In spite of the fact that they've taken over the entire planet, the aliens are nice. Unlike their former human selves, the aliens are very passive and sweet. They don't even use money to buy things. They take care of each other.

Something strange happens, though. Wanderer, that's our narrator and the hero of our story, takes over the body of a very strong-willed woman and even after taking over her body, she can still hear the human in the back of her mind. Melanie, that's the human consciousness locked inside Wanderer's mind, is driven by her love for a man and an adopted son. Her love for them pushes her to fight back against Wanderer. Interestingly, Wanderer becomes haunted by Melanie's love. She sets out with the help of Melanie to find the man and boy.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 stars. There were times that I couldn't put it down and at one time my eyes even got a little misty (so I guess I did grow to really like and care about the characters).

If you thought you'd hate books about vampires but learned to like them, you may also find yourself discovering that science fiction love stories are pretty cool too.

4/5 Stars

The Twilight Effect - Readers Score Better Results on Finals

I haven't done a scientific study of this, but it seems like students who read the entire Twilight series in the months leading up to the final exam have gotten better writing scores.

I'm serious. If you look at the writing that students did at the beginning of the year (let's say the first term test), then you look at the reading hours in the past three months (especially those of Twilight fans who read a whopping 2400 pages in a short time) and then you look at the scores on the final exam, you will see a strong correlation in improved writing scores.

It's no mystery. Meyer's intense narrative is exactly the kind of writing that makes for good O-level Paper 1 scores. Students who read her stuff before an exam (or something like Harry Potter), are likely to imitate her style and to hear that "narrative voice" in their heads as they write. They devise interesting plots and relationships in their stories. Each character that they write about is more interesting. Their paragraphs have greater emotional depth to them.

You know, you only spend three hours a week with me, so it is great if you can spend an extra hour each day with Cg Stephenie. She is modeling exactly the kind of thing you need to do to be a successful writer. Forget tuition classes. Put down your $20 and get endless hours of English lessons with Cg Stephanie. She can teach you a lot and you don't even have to leave your home.

I'd like to take this chance to congratulate the students who put in the extra reading hours this year and are now enjoying the benefits. Those students have seen an incredible (almost magical) transformation of their writing. I am truly amazed at how much some students have improved and, in fact, I think many of you are worthy of publishing.

Last night I marked a large number of scripts and I felt a bit like I was reading a short story collection from a book - some of the stories were that good! Numerous writers had me turning the page, breathless, wondering what was going to happen next. Some scary stories even creeped me out. Wonderful!

The Host is here!

Best Eastern's Shipment Arrives!

I was pretty excited when I got the call yesterday that The Host had arrived at Best Eastern. As you know, I've been trying to hunt this book down ever since I finished the Twilight Saga. Last night I swung by The Mall to get my copy, but there was so much traffic I couldn't get anywhere near the building. I mean, what's with that? It was Wednesday night at 7 pm. It's not like it was payday or anything.

Anyway, I went to get my copy today and things were pretty quiet. They have piled the books on top of the Twilight books. That's probably a good marketing move. My copy was safely tucked behind the desk like a lost child waiting to be picked up and taken home where it belongs.

I asked about Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion, but the woman at the counter had no idea what I was talking about. It looks so cool. I thought it was a typical movie picture book kind of garbage, but when I looked inside the book (on Amazon) I could see that there is a lot of interesting information in it. I guess I should have ordered it along with my other book. D'oh. Here's the link. Have a look inside the book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0316043133/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

Also, did you know that there are Twilight trading cards?! Imagine having a few of these under your plastic desk protector to show off! Check out the website:

http://www.inkworks.com/products/twilight/movie/twilight1.html

And the winner is...."Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer

Teen Top Ten Winner for 2008

The Teen' Top Ten Award for best novel of 2008 is Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse. Wait a minute. Eclipse beat out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows? I demand a recount! Oh well, there is no way to argue with the 8,000 teens who voted - they knew what they liked.

Westerfeld's Extras came in at number nine. I've read the other books in the series so I had better get this one I guess! It makes me proud to be so hip. :-) I actually know three of the books in the top ten.

Maybe next year we could try voting too. It looks like Meyer's The Host has been nominated for 2009. I had better track down a copy soon.

Here is the complete list of winners for 2008:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teenreading/teenstopten/teenstopten.cfm

This list of nominees from 2008 gives you a good blurb to help you choose some of the hottest books that you might like to read:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teenreading/teenstopten/2008_nominees.pdf

Here is the nomination list for 2009, including Meyer's The Host:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/titlesnominated.cfm

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

stepheniemeyer.com:

When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life--first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse--seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

Wow. That was incredible.

If you’ve read the first three books of the Twilight Saga, you won’t be disappointed by the final book. It is full of interesting new developments and has an exciting, edge-of-your-seat climax. Although I didn’t always feel satisfied by the directions that Meyer took her books, the final one in the series pulls it all together and makes it work.

At various times while reading it, I didn’t want to put it down. That’s always a good sign and it’s the benchmark by which I judge a book worthy of five stars. On the other hand, I was taking my time with it like you do when you are eating a really good piece of chocolate and you let it sit there on your tongue for a few extra seconds so you can enjoy every bit of its taste before you are forced by necessity to swallow.

At the end of Breaking Dawn, you’ll feel like the characters are old friends. You’ll like them and care for their well-being. You’ll feel desperate for a happy ending. And when it is all said and done, you’ll be left with the feeling that it would be so nice if Meyer would just write four more books.

Without hesitation, I recommend everyone read this story. It belongs on your shelf next to Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. Okay, well, maybe one shelf down, but still.

By the way, wouldn’t it be nice of they could just skip the first three books and make a movie about the last one? Oh well, we’ll just have to be patient as they churn out one movie at a time until, eight years from now, they will complete Breaking Dawn: The Movie.

If you have ever read a series like this, you'll know this feeling. First, you're thinking, "Wow, wasn't that great?" Then, you sit back and reflect on what you have just read. You might imagine what happened next or focus on the stuff in the books that you enjoyed. However, that warm feeling is soon replaced by confusion. What do I do now? When will I find another interesting series of books to read? What should I read next?

5/5 Stars

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

tamorapierce.com:

All the orphaned Daine wants when she comes to Tortall is a job. What she finds is magic in many forms, an ongoing war with creatures from legends and nightmares, a new home and, eventually, her unknown father. Hired by the Queen's Riders to help with their horses, she learns her knack with animals is a rare magic which helps her to communicate with the animal kingdom.

With that discovery she becomes the student--then friend and sometimes protector--of the great mage Numair. He also helps her to develop her second magical skill, the ability to sense the presence of the immortals, fabled creatures who have come to mortal lands after a long imprisonment.

All these changes in Daine's life bring her new human friends as well as animal ones: Tortall's rulers, Alanna the Lioness, the heir to the throne of imperial Carthak, a pygmy marmoset, and the badger god. Often she comes into contact--and sometimes conflict--with Stormwings--half human, half steel birds; dragons; spidrens--giant furred spiders with human heads and an appetite for human flesh; griffins; and the clawed, winged horses called hurroks. Daine is kept on the move as she grows into adulthood and her power, coming to terms with her world and her strange, mixed parentage.

Wouldn't it be fun if you could talk to animals? What would you say? What would they say? Better yet, what if you could become an animal? How would it feel if you had the body of a hawk, but you still had your mind? That would be cool. You'd have the keen eyesight of the bird and the ability to fly. What if you could be a wolf? You'd have such a strong sense of smell. What instincts would you feel pulling on you? What would it feel like?

I have loved animals my whole life and I feel a strong connection with them. Animals have always kind of liked me and even generally mean animals will be quite gentle around me. I like to think that animals are a good judge of character and that they know when you are a good person (though they can also smell fear and weakness). Maybe I'm just crazy. I talk to animals as if they were people. My favourite horse out in Jerudong likes that a lot. She is always excited to see me and she'll even nuzzle her face up against my chest as I pet her - it's like she's asking for a hug. It's so weird. Her neck is so soft, but she likes it best when I scratch behind her ears. Horses are amazing! I wish I'd appreciated them more when I had them. My cat, Cha-cha is a lot like a person. He does NOT like to be ignored. When I go out every morning I have to remove him from the hood of my car because he is determined to get at least 30 seconds of my time before I head to work. It's hard to ignore a cat when he is staring in the windshield at you. He's one cool cat with personality plus and a wicked attitude if you do something that annoys him. He's great.

Anyway, last year I came across Tamora Pierce's Immortals Series. If you enjoy the myth-science fiction stuff like Narnia (or the more sophisticated Lord of the Rings), then you should be able to get something out of Wild Magic. Even if you aren't into that type of book, but you like animals, you will still really enjoy it. When I read the book jacket, the idea that a thirteen-year-old girl would discover the magical ability to become animals really caught my attention.

Pierce creates an interesting world and it is fun to join Daine's journey as she discovers her magical abilities. I highly recommend Wild Magic. Read the set in order, though. You'll enjoy them more that way. I donated the entire set to the Reading Room and there are also some older copies in there so you should have a good chance of getting a hold of one. Look under "P" for Pierce.

BTW, I really like the cover art. Isn't it great? It looks so much nicer than the older versions.

4/5 Stars

The Witches *****

Could you identify a REAL witch if you saw one?

A witch-hunting, cigar-smoking grandmother tells her grandson all about how to identify witches. They stumble upon a witch convention and are faced with protecting the children of England from a horrible death.

This story is so funny! I laughed and laughed. How did I miss this book when I was growing up? Roald Dahl is a very imaginative writer and I can’t wait for my son to grow up so I can read this with him! It tells us about all kinds of disgusting witch secrets. It even teaches us how to train a pet mouse to tightrope walk. Read the first ten pages. I guarantee you will want to read more! You are going to love this!

Quentin Blake’s drawings look quite crude and so the cover art isn’t very appealing, but once you get into the book you will enjoy their simplicity. They help to make the story even more entertaining and outrageous! Now, I've grown to like the little drawings a lot.

By the way, I really liked the loving relationship the boy has with his grandmother. I sure wish I had had a grandmother like her around when I was a kid! Well, except for the cigar smoking of course.

I have a copy of this one on my desk. I'm thinking about donating it to the reading room, but it is so hard to part with. Would anybody like to read it?

Click on the link to read the first few pages:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/014241011X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

Goosebumps: One Day at Horrorland****

What if you were trapped in a haunted amusement park?

This book is awesome. I love the idea of it and I swear that R.L. Stine is a genius! He must have just been sitting around and thinking, "Hmmmm. What woud be a good setting for my next horror story? I know, how about an amusement park!"

What a great setting for a horror story. I mean, imagine it. You suddenly find yourself in an amusement park and you think, "Isn't this great? I love amusement parks." Only then you discover that it is haunted and full of monsters. What would happen? How would you escape?

Stine finds many ways to make the story more interesting. Lizzy is a teenager and she has a really annoying little brother named Luke. Part of the fun is in their difficult relationship. Their parents get lost trying to find Zoo Gardens and end up discovering an amusement park called "Horrorland". Nobody has ever heard of it and the parking lot is empty, but they decide to give it a try anyway. The kids figure it will be fun. Wrong!

You'll really enjoy this one. I read this last year and I'd love to buy a copy if anybody sees it around. Has anybody else read this? Just good fun.

If you would like to read the beginning of the story, follow the link and go to "excerpt"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0439568412/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

Puffin Graphic Novels: Frankenstein***

What were they thinking when they put this ugly cover on a book? Yeesh!

I don't usually like monster stories. However, Gary Reed made the story very interesting and easy to read. I enjoyed the story even more because of the cool pictures. I loved the drawings by Frazer Irving. It felt like I was watching a really good movie.

I would recommend this too all of my students as a fun way to spend an hour or two. Be sure to take your time and enjoy the pictures!

What did I learn from the story? First of all, I learned that reading a graphic novel can be very fun. Although many people, including teachers, don't want their students to read comics, I think that reading them can be worthwhile. Students can still learn a lot of new and interesting words!

Frankestein's story teaches us that scientists must always consider the morality of what they do. Just because a scientist CAN do something, doesn't necessarily mean that he SHOULD do something. Also, it shows that sometimes new technology can create new problems for us. This science fiction theme is very common and it is great to read one of the stories that really came at the birth of the genre.

I donated my copy to the Senior Reading Room so there is a chance you may be able to read it. Also, they sell the Puffin Graphic books at Bookers in Gadong.

Want to see the first few pages? Follow the link and go to "excerpt":

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0142404071/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

Goosebumps: Legend of the Lost Legend ****

You want the treasure? First you'll need to pass the survival tests.

Justin and his sister, Marissa, are looking for a silver chest containing "The Lost Legend". They get lost in a magical forest and then meet a strange woman who tells them they must pass a series of survival tests to get the treasure. They will get the treasure if they live!

After looking at the 4E book list I thought I should review one of the series mentioned. I really like the Goosebumps series. The stories usually have something interesting happening and they often have a strange "What if..." question built in.

This was a very good story. For me, it might be one of the best Goosebumps books out there. I enjoyed the adventure style. I especially liked the giant cats that tried to eat them. A couple of times I laughed out loud because there are a few really funny parts like when the cats were "playing with their food"!

What did I learn from the story? Don't judge a book by its cover. The cover art doesn't look very good and even the blurb on the back wasn't too exciting. I thought I would give it a chance and if it was too boring then I wouldn't recommend it to others. After the first forty pages, I really started to get into this book. I didn't want to put it down. I was interested to see what all of the "tests" would be and then I wanted to know what the "Lost Legend" was. I was glad that I read this book and I hope the rest of the class will give it a chance too.

Goosebumps can be a great, quick read. Don't knock them until you've tried them. It can be nice to kick back and read an entire book in one sitting.

Want to read the first few pages? Follow the link and click on "exerpt":

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0590568841/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

stepheniemeyer.com:

"BELLA?"
Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, just like he had in the parking lot, and kissed me again.
This kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine—like he was afraid we had only so much time left to us.

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob—knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?


This is another interesting book by Stephenie Meyer and well worth reading if you have read the first two books. It is quite good, especially because of the tension that develops between the three main characters. I'll give it four stars out of five. I enjoyed most of this book and I'm happy to recommend it.

Again, it doesn't have a very complex plot, but Bella's inner life is explored and it makes for an interesting read. In my opinion, it was better than "New Moon" and I enjoyed getting more of the back story. Here, we learn more about the werewolf legends as well as how many of the characters came to be monsters. There is also an exciting climax and a bit of an unusual epilogue that will catch your attention.

*Spolier Alert* - Do not read this paragraph if you have not read "Eclipse". Okay, I've almost given up hope that Bella will become a vampire. If Meyer had made her a Vampire in "Eclipse", she could have spent the fourth book playing around with Bella's new life and I think that would have been really interesting. However, now I suspect she won't become a vampire until the end of the fourth book. That's a shame. We got a taste of what it would be like in the epilogue where we were able to see things from Jacob's perspective as a werewolf. Wouldn't it be amazing to experience Bella's first year as a vampire? Anyway, Meyer is in her comfort zone. Maybe she would have difficulty with a plot-driven book. Maybe she doesn't feel comfortable dealing with action. I mean, we didn't even get to enjoy the battle scene in Eclipse. We had to hear it through Edward and even then we didn't get many details. Sometimes I feel like reading Harry Potter again. Rowling is so much better at keeping you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next. Meyer usually misses the chance to develop a lot of excitement and suspense. She prefers to spend 3/4 of her time dealing with Bella's feelings towards Edward and Jacob. I guess that's okay, though. She's writing for a female, young adult audience and not for a middle-aged guy like me! If you girls can tell me that you loved books two and three and you really enjoyed all the relationship stuff, then I'll know why she wrote the books the way she did.

4.5/5 Stars

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Back cover blurb:

For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella could ever have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning…





I've just finished New Moon! I know, I know, it took me long enough.

If you love the first book, then you will enjoy the second one. It is pretty good. I really enjoyed the first chapter and the last third of the book. However, there are times when this one was a bit slow.

*Spoiler alert* If you have not read New Moon, then do not read this part of my post. I felt that Meyer could have done a better job with this story. I was all excited about the possibility of Bella becoming a vampire. I didn't expect Bella to spend four hundred pages sitting around with Jacob and lamenting the fact that Edward left. Then, the bad vampires came along I expected things to get exciting, but that didn't last long. Thank goodness the book ended really well. I enjoyed the trip to Italy. In fact, I wish she had spent a bit more time with that part of the plot. A hundred pages less with Jacob and a hundred more in Italy would have been great. That's not to say I don't like Jacob. I found his character interesting and I get the feeling that he could play an important role in the next two books. Oh, and did you react the same as me? I assumed Jacob would become a werewolf way back in book one so having to wait for Bella to figure it out was excruciating. I was yelling in my head, "He is a vampire already! Come on! Let's get on with it!" By the way, did you notice the missing words? About four or five times I noticed missing words from the text. For an international bestseller, it could have been edited better. Anyway, the book ended really well, didn't it? Weren't you excited about reading the third book? I'm nervous, though. Will I get to the good stuff right away or will Meyer keep me hanging on at the beginning? We'll see.

4/5 Stars

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Back cover book blurb:

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can’t wait. Not for her license—for turning pretty. In Tally’s world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.

But Tally’s new friend Shay isn’t sure she wants to be pretty. She’s rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world–and it isn’t very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

Imagine what would happen if everybody in the world were beautiful. What would it be like? In Scott Westerfeld's book that's basically what happens. At the age of 16, everybody gets their body surgically enhanced so that they are a perfect "10". In fact, people can choose how they would like to look. Then, they go off to a city where all they do is party and have fun. Imagine.

Now, what would happen if you didn't want to become pretty? What if you liked yourself the way you were?

That's the idea in the Uglies Trilogy. The stories are very interesting and fun. I really enjoyed all three books and, at times, I couldn't put them down. I donated my copies to the Reading Room so you should get a chance to read them. Please, do yourself a favour and read Uglies first. There are plenty of copies floating around the country and you can usually find a copy in Best Eastern.

You'll think I'm a bit weird (like you don't already), but the last time I visited Best Eastern I noticed that Uglies was hidden behind some other teen novel. While the sales attendant wasn't looking, I moved it to the front of the shelf where people buying a copy of Twilight would likely see it! Yes, Mr. Jason is a bit of a nut.

I'd love to read your comments on this book and/or comments on the nature of beauty. After reading this book I started thinking about how we react to beautiful people. It is weird, isn't it? It really is just dumb luck that makes some people more beautiful than others. I mean, congratulations, your parents were attractive and so are you. So what. Anybody can be born beautiful. It doesn't take any special talent. Actually, I should mention here that I like beautiful people. Don't get me wrong. I just like them a whole lot more when they have other things going for them also.

It is sad really. If you are born beautiful and all you ever hear is, "Wow, you are beautiful" then you start to think that being attractive is your thing. That's who you are. That's what you do well. I really hope that doesn't happen to you. Don't let your beauty be everything. You've got more to offer the world.

I don't want to get too personal here, but as a teenager I wasn't very happy with the way I looked. I was so tall and thin. Besides, my family didn't have the money to buy me fashionable clothes. Being attractive definitely wasn't my thing. I was good at English. I was okay at a lot of stuff. I had convinced myself that looking attractive wasn't important. It's what is inside that counts, right? Well, of course that's true, but now I think that it's okay to do the best with what you have.

Anyway, enough about that. The Uglies Trilogy is a lot of fun. I hope you get a chance to read it!

By the way, I first heard about this book when I was looking at the New York Times Best Seller list. I stumbled on this article and it sounded like an interesting book.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/books/review/Hynes-t.html

5/5 Stars