Top Ten Tuesday-Books I Want in My Beach Bag-5/26/15

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to summer, which means that The Broke and the Bookish want to know what books we plan to have in our beach bags. I actually got a new beach bag for my birthday, so now I just need to load it up with books! Here are my top contenders:

1. Kissing in America by Margo Rabb.

2. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir.

3. Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins.

4. The World Forgot by Martin Leicht.

5. A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab.

6. The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick.

7. Alex + Ada, vol. 2 by Sarah Vaughn.

8. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. (a reread for book club)

9. The Devil You Know by Trish Doller.

10. Pretending to Be Erica by Michelle Painchaud.

I will also be rereading Harry Potter and The Spellman Files and finishing the Skulduggery Pleasant series…only 2 more books to go.

Happy Reading!

~Megan

Mondays With Megan-Summer is almost here, but fall is on my mind! 5/18/15

Happy Monday! For those of you counting, there are only 13 school days left before summer vacation! I am almost finished assembling this year’s summer reading prize baskets and I must say, they are pretty interesting this year. I am quite pleased with my breakfast themed basket (thanks to a book club student for the suggestion). I will have all the details for each basket available soon, but for now I can tell you that each one has a $10 gift card of some kind, candy, and books. Some have movies, a couple have t-shirts, one has s’mores fixings, and another has foam ninja swords. So, yes, summer is on my mind too *but* I am already planning fall programs! The calendar is filling up fast and I am really excited about what we will be offering in September. Stay tuned!

Moving on to this week’s books. I am officially back in a reading slump! I am once again struggling with the printed word, but I doing a ton of listening.

Finished:

• Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli-♥♥♥♥. Simon Spier is a not-out gay teenager. He has been exchanging emails with another student anonymously. When a fellow actor in the school musical discovers Simon’s secret he begins blackmailing him. Simon scrambles to protect the privacy of his new crush, “Blue” but can he do that without creating more drama and compromising himself? This book is fantastic! It’s a sweet and saucy romance with plenty of flirting and swearing.
• The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters-♥♥♥♥-Olivia Mead is an independent and headstrong teen, and much to her father’s chagrin, she is becoming a suffragist. It is 1900 in Oregon and Olivia’s father hires a performing hypnotist to attempt to cure her of her rebellious nature by manipulating her mind. Instead, Henri makes her able to see the world as it really is. A chilling blend of history and the supernatural.
• Displacement: a Travelogue by Lucy Knisley-♥♥♥♥♥-Bestselling cartoonist Knisley volunteers to accompany her grandparents on a cruise. Their failing physical and mental health challenges Knisley’s patience. The resulting document of their trip is equal parts travelogue and family history. Compassionate, touching, and a bit sad, this is a wonderful addition to the author’s graphic memoirs.
• Ask the Dark by Henry Turner-♥♥♥-Billy Zeets has a reputation for being a bad kid. After his mother died he found himself in all sorts of trouble, but that was in the past. He has changed his ways and works hard to do the right thing and help his father. When Billy discovers evidence that may solve some recent kidnappings he is hesitant to speak of for fear he won’t be believed. This was not my favorite book of the week, but is was captivating and solid mystery.
• Alex + Ada, vol. 1 by Sarah Vaughn-♥♥♥♥♥-When newly single Alex receives an android companion as a gift, his first instinct is to return it. However, he quickly learns that there is more to his new robot than meets the eye. This is a promising start to a new science fiction graphic novel series. I loved it and snatched up volume 2 in a hurry!

Currently Reading:

I am still reading an e-galley of The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender. It really is great, I just don’t have a lot of time right now. I am also working through What Did You Eat Yesterday by Fumi Yoshinaga. It is a really interesting adult manga series. I am rereading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with my nephews. Other than that, I haven’t found a new book to hold my interest.

Current Audio:

I am going to need something light and uplifting after both of these! They are both really good, but heavy material.

Currently Watching:

I finished the first season of The IT Crowd and started season 9 of Supernatural! I want to binge this one, but I am rationing the episodes so the wait for season 10 on Netflix isn’t so long.

Happy Reading!

~Megan

Top Ten Authors I Want to Meet 5/12/15

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is all about that often elusive but always thrilling event-the author meeting! I have been so fortunate to meet many of my favorite authors, especially considering the fact that authors seem to avoid Cleveland like the plague. It’s all Columbus and Cincinnati, blah, blah, blah. Where’s the love for the 216?!? I have had to do a ton of driving to meet authors. I even drove to Michigan to meet Scott Westerfeld. Totally worth it. While I have checked some big names off my list (Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Libba Bray, Michael Grant, John Flanagan, and Carrie Ryan to name a few), there are still tons more who I would love to meet.

1. A.S. King. She is top in my list for a reason. She’s my favorite. I love what she has to say and would drive to Michigan if I had to in order to meet her.

  

2. Liani Taylor. I want more! I love the world of her Daughter of Smoke and Bone series.

3. Markus Zusak. While the rest of the world obsesses over The Book Thief (which I really did love), I quietly sit by and reread I am the Messenger.

4. Ally Carter. I really want to be a Gallagher Girl. So bad.

5. J.K. Rowling. No brainer.

6. Rick Riordan. Another no brainer.

7. Cat Winters. Cat Winters writes historical fiction that I want to read!

8. Marissa Meyer. Oh, goodness. I love this woman’s twisted tales.

9. Derek Landy. Skulduggery Pleasant is my newest obsession. And he has a new trilogy coming out. Please hurry and set a U.S. release date!

10. Robin LaFevers. Medieval French assassin nuns. That’s more historical fiction I can get into!

Bonus: Adult Authors

 

              Stephen King                Tana French       Rainbow Rowell          Lisa Lutz

Happy Reading!

~Megan

Mondays with Megan-Too Tired to Be Clever-5/11/15

Happy Monday *yawn* *stretch* *sigh*. What a busy weekend! Friday I went to a baseball game, Saturday I took myself to the Cleveland Flea, and yesterday I spent the day at my aunt’s house on the beach. Lake Erie was freezing, but calm and clear!

The school year is coming to an end and it’s time to start focusing on summer reading. We’ll be doing something new this year and I am super excited to tell you all about it soon. Also, I love shopping for prizes!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Book Journey (she’s on hiatus right now) and Teach Mentor Texts.

I finally finished a few things that I had been working on for a while!

Finished:

• Soppy: a Love Story by Phillipa Rice-♥♥♥♥♥-This graphic novel is simply a collection of moments from the author’s relationship with her boyfriend. Sweet, funny, charming. I loved it.
• Are You Dissing Me? What Animals Really Think by Simon Winheld-♥♥♥-All of the illustrations are amazing, but some of the inner thoughts miss the mark. The ones that work are very funny!
• Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng-♥♥♥♥-This 2015 Alex Award winner is about the secrets we all keep. Lydia, the favored daughter of a mixed-race family living in Ohio in the 1970s, disappears and is later found dead. As each member of her family copes with the news, they must confront their secrets.
• The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz-♥♥♥♥♥-On a whim, I decided to reread an old favorite. The Spellmans are my favorite dysfunctional family of private investigators!
• Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers-♥♥♥♥♥-The final book in the His Fair Assassins series was full of surprises! Annith has lived her entire life at the convent, but when she learns she is being groomed to be a Seeress, she knows she has to act fast and prove herself worthy of going out on missions like her friends Sybella and Ismae. This was a fantastic ending to a fantastic trilogy. I will miss these ladies!
• You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack by Tom Gauld-♥♥♥♥-This collection of cartoons written for The Guardian was my introduction to Tom Gauld. Dark, dry wit, clever literary themes, and random oddness combine with simple and often times strange illustrations. I will be going back to the shelves for more Gauld.
• Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz-♥♥♥♥-Odd Thomas (that’s really his name) can see dead people. Sometimes a gift, often a curse, life is never dull in Pico Mundo! This was a fun start to what promises to be an interesting series.

Current Audio:

I am going to be finished with both of these today. I am not sure what’s on deck. Possibly these:

Currently Reading:

Currently Watching:

 

I actually finished Extras. It’s quite hilarious and the dvd extras are brilliant. I finally added Netflix to my life so I am enjoying Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Happy Reading!

~Megan

Top Ten Tuesday-Books I Will Probaby Never Read 5/5/15

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish a bit different. It’s all about books that are *not* on our giant TBR lists (or maybe they are and we finally admit to ourselves that in reality we will probably never get to most of them). Anyway. I am fairly certain that I am not ever going to read James Joyce or Moby Dick or any number of classics that I probably should have, so I have kept my list to current titles only.

1. Maze Runner by James Dashner. I could not get into the audio because I can’t handle a full cast. I never felt an overwhelming need to try it in print.

2. Graceling by Kristen Cashore. See above.

3. The Heir by Kiera Cass. The Selection was like a train wreck. I couldn’t stop myself. I had to look despite the fact that I actually disliked each and every book in the series. I will not waste any more time in this convoluted world.

4. Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I wanted to like this one, but I couldn’t get past the first chapter.

5. Anything John Green writes in the future. TFIOS was a deal breaker. I am done with him.

6. Just One Year by Gayle Forman. I was underwhelmed with Just One Day. I am not sure I will read anymore Gayle Forman.

7. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I just think that ship has sailed for me. It’s been a while since I have read a vampire book.

 

8. The Recruit by Robert Muchamore. This has be on my TBR list for years. I will probably never get to it.

9. After the End by Amy Plum. I was not ready to start a new series when this one came out so I fear I may never go back and read it as more books in the series become available.

10. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raach. See above.

Bonus: I try to avoid cancer books and Holocaust books like the plague. I hesitate to say NEVER, because, well, every now and then one tricks me into trying it.

Happy Reading!

~Megan

 

Mondays with Megan-May the Fourth Be With You and Adventures in Farming 5/4/15

 First of all, Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth Be With You all, dear readers! Be sure to check out the library’s latest Star Wars themed additions, the charming graphic novels by Jeffery Brown. We have or have ordered these titles:

I missed last Monday because 1. I was in Montana visiting my sister and new nephew and 2. I forgot to schedule a post. Oops. I was way too busy doing farm chores and cuddling a baby to do much reading. This city slicker is an excellent egg gatherer and since the horses are basically giant puppies I can also get them to come into the barnyard for the night. I get to do the fun jobs, like grooming, as well!

I did finish my friend’s manuscript while I was on all the planes. It was so wonderful. I hope I get a chance to share it with you! In the meantime, I will invite you to check out her serial story. Start with The Star Map and get to know the lovely but tragic Iris.

I have yet to fully resume my post-vacation routine and I find myself in a written word slump. Thank goodness for audio!

Finished:

• The Lost City of Z by David Grann ♥♥♥-David Grann, a writer for The New Yorker, sets out the solve the mysterious disappearance of the explorer Percy Fawcett. He attempts to retrace the explorer’s steps in his quest for the mysterious city of Z, which Fawcett and others believed to be hidden deep in the Amazon. This was an interesting and engaging nonfiction!
• Zodiac: Convergence by Stan Lee ♥♥-When a villain attempts to taps into the powers of the Chinese Zodiac he unwittingly unleashes these powers into the world. Soon, teens around the globe find themselves possessing superpowers. It’s a race against the clock as the good guys try to rescue these teens before the bad guys can get to them. I wanted to love this one, but alas, I found it to be all action and not enough plot and character development. Listening to it also meant I missed the awesome illustrations. Reluctant readers will love the fast-paced story, but I am not sure I will continue the series.

Current Audio:

Currently Reading:
(still. sigh)

 

Currently Watching:

Extras Seasons 1 & 2, starring Ricky Gervais. It’s pretty hilarious. Irreverent and awkward, but hilarious.

Current Listening Adventures:

Oh, the podcasts! So many choices!

I am particularly loving Strangers. I haven’t gotten to far into Welcome to Night Vale. It’s very weird and I am not sure I am going to keep going. We’ll see.

Happy Reading!

~Megan