A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

by | Nov 2, 2015 | 0 comments

A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

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A Library Book Club meeting for this book was held January 21, 2016.

It was the time of the French Revolution—a time of great change and great danger. It was a time when injustice was met by a lust for vengeance, and rarely was a distinction made between the innocent and the guilty. Against this tumultuous historical backdrop, Dickens’ great story of unsurpassed adventure and courage unfolds.

Unjustly imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille, Dr. Alexandre Manette is reunited with his daughter, Lucie, and safely transported from France to England. It would seem that they could take up the threads of their lives in peace. As fate would have it though, the pair are summoned to the Old Bailey to testify against a young Frenchman—Charles Darnay—falsely accused of treason. Strangely enough, Darnay bears an uncanny resemblance to another man in the courtroom, the dissolute lawyer’s clerk Sydney Carton. It is a coincidence that saves Darnay from certain doom more than once. Brilliantly plotted, the novel is rich in drama, romance, and heroics that culminate in a daring prison escape in the shadow of the guillotine.

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Cathy rated it ★★★★★.

Rebekah rated it ★★★★★.

Library Book Club Selections

classicsfiction

The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell

The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell

by | Sep 25, 2015 | 0 comments

The Castle Behind Thorns

by Merrie Haskell

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Stories don’t know everything.

When Sand wakes up alone in a long-abandoned castle, he has no idea how he got there. The stories all said the place was ruined by an earthquake, and Sand did not expect to find everything inside torn in half or slashed to bits. Nothing lives here and nothing grows, except the vicious, thorny bramble that prevents Sand from leaving. Why wasn’t this in the stories?

To survive, Sand does what he knows best—he fires up the castle’s forge to mend what he needs. But the things he fixes work somehow better than they ought to. Is there magic in the mending? Or have the saints who once guarded this place returned?

When Sand finds the castle’s lost heir, Perrotte, they begin to untwine the dark secrets that caused the destruction. Putting together the pieces—of stone and iron, and of a broken life—is harder than Sand ever imagined, but it’s the only way to regain their freedom.

With gorgeous language and breathtaking magic, Merrie Haskell’s The Castle Behind Thorns tells of the power of memory, story, forgiveness, and the true gifts of craft and imagination.

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Lorna rated it ★★★.

Rebekah rated it ★★★★.

fantasytweenfiction

Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

by | Jul 24, 2015 | 0 comments

Let's Get Lost

by Adi Alsaid
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Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named Leila. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila’s own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth—sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you’re looking for is to get lost along the way.

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★ and said, “Thanks to Netgalley.com for access to this title. This is your basic road trip novel, equipped with crazy events and people. But at the same time, it’s not, as it is told in small chunks and is also short stories all tied together with one character. I liked this, in that I’m always game for eccentric people and the crazy things they do. That’s just part of life. But it wasn’t the best road trip book I’ve ever read. Recommended for fans of Paper Towns and Wherever Nina Lies.”

YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten Nominees 2015

road triptravelromanceYAfiction

Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

by | Jul 24, 2015 | 0 comments

Don't Look Back

by Jennifer L. Armentrout
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Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Bekka rated it ★★★★ and said, “Thanks to Netgalley.com and Disney-Hyperion for early access to this title. WOW! this was such a great mystery and suspense novel! It had me right from the first page—what’s better than a case of selective amnesia where the protagonist doesn’t even remember her own name? And as she gets to know herself and her friends, finds out what a total queen bee she was? I really liked the main character, Samantha, and the romance in this is top-notch. All the characters are quite well done, if a tad on the stereotypical side. The mystery had me guessing right up until the end—I honestly didn’t see it coming, and it was quite a shock, but made perfect sense. This would be a great read for older teens and adults—it may be a bit on the steamy side for the younger teens and tweens. I very much look forward to reading something else by this author. I picked this up and simply couldn’t put it back down. Very well done!”

YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten Nominees 2015

romancemysteryYAfiction

Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

by | Jul 24, 2015 | 0 comments

Midnight Thief

by Livia Blackburne
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Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.

But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.

Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

In her arresting debut novel, Livia Blackburne creates a captivating world where intrigue prowls around every corner—and danger is a way of life.

book 1 in the Midnight Thief series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said, “This is a different take on the shape-shifter genre, and a fun mix with a little magic and poisoning thrown in to the assassin and intrigue. It will be interesting to see how the second book adds to the story.”

YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten Nominees 2015

romancefantasyYAfiction

Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake

Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake

by | Jul 24, 2015 | 0 comments

Mortal Gods

by Kendare Blake
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Ares, God of War, is leading the other dying gods into battle. Which is just fine with Athena. She’s ready to wage a war of her own, and she’s never liked him anyway. If Athena is lucky, the winning gods will have their immortality restored. If not, at least she’ll have killed the bloody lot of them, and she and Hermes can die in peace.

Cassandra Weaver is a weapon of fate. The girl who kills gods. But all she wants is for the god she loved and lost to return to life. If she can’t have that, then the other gods will burn, starting with his murderer, Aphrodite.

The alliance between Cassandra and Athena is fragile. Cassandra suspects Athena lacks the will to truly kill her own family. And Athena fears that Cassandra’s hate will get them ALL killed.

The war takes them across the globe, searching for lost gods, old enemies, and Achilles, the greatest warrior the world has ever seen. As the struggle escalates, Athena and Cassandra must find a way to work together. Because if they can’t, fates far worse than death await.

book 2 in the Goddess War series

YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten Nominees 2015

mythologyfantasyYAfiction

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

by | Jul 24, 2015 | 0 comments

The Bane Chronicles

by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson
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Fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices can get to know warlock Magnus Bane like never before in this collection of New York Times bestselling tales, in print for the first time with an exclusive new story and illustrated material.

This collection of eleven short stories illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality, flamboyant style, and sharp wit populate the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.

Originally released one-by-one as e-only short stories by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan, this compilation presents all ten together in print for the first time and includes a never-before-seen eleventh tale, as well as new illustrated material.

#6 in YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten 2015

YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten Nominees 2015YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten Winners 2015

fantasyYAfiction

The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer

The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer

by | Jul 24, 2015 | 0 comments

The Inventor's Secret

by Andrea Cremer
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Sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape from the coastal cities or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery.

book 1 of the Inventor’s Secret series

YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten Nominees 2015

steampunkscience fictionYAfiction

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

by | Jul 24, 2015 | 0 comments

Love Letters to the Dead

by Ava Dellaira
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It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person.

Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to the dead—to people like Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, Amelia Earhart, and Amy Winehouse—though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating the choppy waters of new friendships, learning to live with her splintering family, falling in love for the first time, and, most important, trying to grieve for May. But how do you mourn for someone you haven’t forgiven?

It’s not until Laurel has written the truth about what happened to herself that she can finally accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was—lovely and amazing and deeply flawed—can she truly start to discover her own path.

In a voice that’s as lyrical and as true as a favorite song, Ava Dellaira writes about one girl’s journey through life’s challenges with a haunting and often heartbreaking beauty.

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Bekka rated it ★★★★ and said, “Thanks to Edelweiss and Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers for early access to this title. This was a very powerful book. I appreciated the characters, and felt very much for Laurel. Dellaira did a great job with all the characters. I really liked the epistolary format—it worked really well for this story. I only had a small problem with one scene, however, it was the main climatic scene of the book! It just seemed a bit forced and unrealistic to me. The rest of the book was quite well done. I really enjoyed this realistic fiction. I liked that it tackled some very real problems that many kids face in their own lives. It reminded me a bit of ‘Perks of Being a Wallflower,’ and that was before I saw that Stephen Chbosky had written the blurb for the cover! I look forward to reading more from this author.”

YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten Nominees 2015

romanceYAfiction

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