Staff recommended reads for summer reading

Non-Fiction:

	Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations by Peter Evans and Ava Garder Find it in the catalog! "It's  a very candid side of Ava. It's beautifully written and the flow is fast paced and jam-packed. You can hear Ava's voice throughout as though you are listening in on the conversations." -- Samantha, Randall Oaks Library
	When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning Find it in the catalog! "A little bit of history during WWII -- facts everyone will find to be interesting. A must read." -- Carrie, Account Services

Fiction:

	Where They Found Her  by Kimberly McCreight Find it in the catalog! "You never see the ending coming. I didn't want to put this book down. I also recommend this author's other book too-- Reconstructing Amelia." -- Katie, Children's Services
	Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Find it in the catalog! "Daring sword, fights, magic stones, a Highlander in a kilt! Historical fiction + romance + political intrigue = a dramatic adventure through 1700s Scotland with one of the most exciting female leads I know." -- Samantha, Children's Services
	The Blood Red Indian Summer by David Handler Find it in the catalog! "This caught my attention because it was a mystery about athletes who behave badly and the fools who admire them anyway." -- Gemma, Security Monitor

Teen:

	Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero Find it in the catalog!  "You can related so much to this teenage girl. I love the fact that she's your typical Hispanic teenage girl, she loves to write, especially poetry, finds love and loves to eat. The cover stood out to me, it looked weird and I fell in love with the character Gabi!" -- Elizabeth, Children's Services
	I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson Find it in the catalog! "It was a sad but interesting read. The subject is more appropriate with teens (older) and adults." -- Mary, Children's Services
	Prodigy by Marie Lu Find it in the catalog! "It is the second book in a great trilogy and the end has an interesting twist!" -- Rosana, Children's Services
	Claymore by Norihiro Yagi Find it in the catalog! "It's a graphic novel with great cinematic qualities. I have to applaud the artist! I found the secret identities compelling and became suspicious of every character in the best possible way." -- Kristen, Information Services

Recent Reads

I've been more slack in my summer reading progress than usual, thanks to True Detective and good weather.  However, I have discovered a few good titles so far.  Two of the books are rereads that I remembered liking, but not necessarily what they were about.  The third is a new title that I checked out mostly because I liked the guy's glasses on the cover. 

Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (2006).
Find it in the catalog!
I first read this book shortly after graduating from college and really enjoyed it.  However, I could no longer remember much about it other than the cover and that it was British and had a kid that stuttered.  So naturally I checked out again just to refresh my memory.  Based loosely on author David Mitchell's childhood, the book follows 13-year-old Jason Taylor who is dealing with a garden variety of life issues.   His parent's marriage has hit a rough patch.  His older sister is going away to college. He's also secretly a published poet, which he keeps secret to avoid being picked on in school.  Like most intelligent, sensitive kids, Jason deals with some pretty intense bullying at school, which is intensified by his speech impediment. The book is set in 1980s Margaret Thatcher era England.  I wasn't all that familiar with that period of history, which includes the Falklands War, but Mitchell does a good job dropping the reader into that era. 

The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld (2006).
Find it in the catalog!
I first read this book while I was in graduate school.  I remember immediately relating to the main character, Hannah Gavener, who's kind of a socially awkward loner.  Imagine my horror later on to read reviews of the book describing Hannah as irritating and a "sourpuss" (thanks a lot, New York magazine!).  After rereading the book recently, I can see how some people find Hannah to be a difficult character.  She is stubborn, usually says the wrong thing, and is primarily responsible for her own misery (isn't everyone?).  However, I think that makes her more of a realistic and sympathetic character.

Sittenfeld follows Hannah's life from early adolescence, where she struggles with having an emotionally volatile father, to her late twenties.  The book primarily focuses on Hannah's relationships with the different men in her life.  In high school and college, Hannah frets over her lack of a love life.  However, even after she starts dating, she finds her actual relationships wanting.  Instead, she longs for Henry, the on-again, off-again boyfriend of her more glamorous cousin, Fig.  Throughout the book, we see Hannah struggle with her low self-esteem and poor social skills while trying to become a functional adult.  I especially enjoyed the depiction of Hannah's relationships with her more together sister Allison and her beautiful but irresponsible cousin Fig, which seemed pretty true to life. 

Courting Greta by Ramsey Hootman (2014).
Find it in the catalog!
I'm a sucker for a man with thick glasses, so naturally this book called to me from the book cart.  However, the main character Samuel Cooke didn't turn out to be the bespectacled hunk the cover alludes to.  Instead, he's a cantankerous 34-year-old disabled computer geek turned public school teacher.  In spite of their age and size difference, Samuel quickly develops a crush on Greta "Cass" Cassamajor, a 46-year-old, tough as nails gym teacher and girls' basketball coach.  In spite of her tough exterior, Samuel decides to ask her to dinner, thinking she will immediately rebuff him.  Much to his surprise, Greta agrees and the two start an awkward and uncertain romance (aren't they all?).  Both Samuel and Greta has a whole host of issues.  Samuel is super neurotic, bitter, and doesn't really take care of himself in the way that he should.  He also has never been in a relationship before.  Greta is a woman of very few words, a lot of rules, and she's been badly hurt by men in her past.  However, despite her tough attitude, Greta is very caring and fiercely loyal.  This is a very sweet romance, but Hootman doesn't spare the character's darker sides or the awkwardness of their courtship.  The book is also frequently funny, especially Samuel's jaded perspective on life.

Zombie reading list for fans of "The Walking Dead"

A couple weeks ago, season four of The Walking Dead premiered on AMC to a record-breaking number of viewers. If you are a fan of the show or just enjoy some gore in your reading material, here is a list of zombie-related books to check out. You'll be surprised at some of the titles we have! First up, the most obvious:

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman
TEEN GRAPHIC NOVEL WALKING DEAD
RANDALL OAKS TEEN GRAPHIC NOVEL KIRKMAN
An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled-- no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living.

Eighteen volumes have been published in this graphic novel series so far. You may check out each volume individually or....


...if you want to binge-read, I recommend:

The Walking Dead Compendium
TEEN GRAPHIC NOVEL WALKING DEAD

Compendium 1 collects issues 1-48 (Volumes 1-8)
Compendium 2 collects issues 49-96 (Volumes 9-16)

You will still need to request Volume 17: Something to Fear and Volume 18: What Comes After after reading both volumes to be current with the entire series!

If you do decide to binge-read, please be cautious, or you may end up like me, waking up in the middle of the night, screaming and holding out both arms in front of you in self-defense against an approaching walker. Embarrassingly, I can only handle zombies/horror in small doses.

FICTION

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
FICTION BROOKS
An account of the decade-long conflict between humankind and hordes of the predatory undead is told from the perspective of dozens of survivors who describe in their own words the epic human battle for survival. See also: the movie adaptation starring Brad Pitt: World War Z (DVD)

Zone One by Colson Whitehead
RANDALL OAKS FICTION WHITEHEAD
In this wry take on the post-apocalyptic horror novel, a pandemic has devastated the planet. The plague has sorted humanity into two types: the uninfected and the infected, the living and the living dead.

Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion by Alan Goldsher
FICTION GOLDSHER
Can the Beatles sublimate their hunger for gray matter, remain on top of the charts, and stay together for all eternity? After all, three of the Fab Four "are" zombies, and zombies live forever ....

Rise Again: A Zombie Thriller by Ben Tripp
FICTION TRIPP
Sheriff Danielle Adelman is threatened when her small town of Forest Peak is in danger of being overrun by residents who have suddenly died and become zombies and she flees across the California desert, searching for her missing sister.

TEEN

The Enemy by Charlie Higson
TEEN HIGSON
RANDALL OAKS TEEN HIGSON
After a disease turns everyone over sixteen into brainless, decomposing, flesh-eating creatures, a group of teenagers leave their shelter and set out for a harrowing journey across London to the safe haven of Buckingham Palace. More in this series: The Dead, The Fear, The Sacrifice.

Ashes by Ilsa Bick
TEEN BICK
Alex, a resourceful seventeen-year-old running from her incurable brain tumor, Tom, who has left the war in Afghanistan, and Ellie, an angry eight-year-old, join forces after an electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky and kills most of the world's population, turning some of those who remain into zombies and giving the others superhuman senses. More in this series: Shadows, Monsters

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
TEEN HABEL
In the year 2195 when society is technologically advanced but follows the social mores of Victorian England, recently orphaned Nora Dearly is left at the mercy of her domineering, social-climbing aunt, until she is nearly kidnapped by zombies and falls in with a group of mysterious, black-clad commandos. More in this series: Dearly, Beloved

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
TEEN MABERRY
In a post-apocalyptic world where fences and border patrols guard the few people left from the zombies that have overtaken civilization, fifteen-year-old Benny Imura is finally convinced that he must follow in his older brother's footsteps and become a bounty hunter. More in this series: Dust & Decay, Flesh & Bone, Fire & Ash.

CRAFTS AND RECIPES

In these craft books zombies aren't so scary:

Creepy Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots, and More! by Christen Haden
746.434 HAD

Zombie Felties: How to Raise 16 Gruesome Felt Creatures from the Undead by Nicola Tedman
746.0463 TED

The cupcake designs in these books are creepily impressive:

Zombie Cupcakes by Zilly Rosen
641.8653 ROS

A Zombie Ate My Cupcake! 25 Deliciously Weird Cupcake Recipes by Lily Vanili
641.8653 VAN

Do you think the zombie apocalypse is a real possibility? Do you wish you had some advice so you can adequately prepare for life as a zombie? If so, the following books are right up your alley.

How to Be a Zombie: The Essential Guide for Anyone who Craves Brains by Serena Valentino

TEEN 398.45 VAL

So Now You’re a Zombie: A Handbook for the Newly Undead by John Austin
FICTION AUSTIN

Young adult book adaptations

YA books aren't just for teens; they are a huge section of popular culture. The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie (based on the book by Stephen Chbosky) received many positive reviews when it was released last year. The shows Pretty Little Liars, The Lying Game, Gossip Girl, and The Vampire Diaries all started out as YA books before those characters stepped out onto our television screens. The Twilight movies broke box office records, and The Hunger Games proved that a strong female heroine can bring in a huge audience. Even more movies and TV shows are in the works and set to be released in 2013 and 2014. Check out this list I compiled:

Beautiful Creatures

• now in theaters
• Starring Alice Englert (Lena), Alden Ehrenreicht (Ethan), Emmy Rossum (Ridley), Emma Thompson (Mrs. Lincoln), and Jeremy Irons (Macon Ravenwood).
• Based on the book Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. 
• Book synopsis: In a small South Carolina town, where it seems little has changed since the Civil War, sixteen-year-old Ethan is powerfully drawn to Lena, a new classmate with whom he shares a psychic connection and whose family hides a dark secret that may be revealed on her sixteenth birthday.
• More books in the series: Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos, Beautiful Redemption.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones 

• Release date: August 23, 2013
• Starring Lily Collins (Clary), Jaime Campbell Bower (Jace), Kevin Zegers (Alec), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Valentine), Aidan Turner (Luke).
• Based on the book City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. 
• Book synopsis: Suddenly able to see demons and the Darkhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.
• More in the series: City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, and City of Lost Souls.
• Stay tuned to the blog and the library newsletter for a City of Bones Movie Release Party in August 2013!

Ender’s Game

• Release date: November 1, 2013
• Cast: Asa Butterfield (Ender), Abigail Breslin, and Harrison Ford.
• Based on the books Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card.
• Synopsis of Ender's Game book: Child hero Ender Wiggin must fight a desperate battle against a deadly alien race if mankind is to survive.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

• Release date: November 22, 2013
• Cast: Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta), Liam Hemsworth (Gale), Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch), Sam Clafin (Finnick Odair), Jena Malone (Johanna Mason), and Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee) 
• Based on Catching Fire, the second book in Suzanne Collins' best-selling Hunger Games series.
• Book synopsis: By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion.
• Stay tuned to the blog and the library newsletter for a Catching Fire Movie Release Party in November 2013!

Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters

• Release date: February 14, 2014
• Based on Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. 
• Book synopsis: Two years after a horrible incident made them run away, vampire princess Lissa and her guardian-in-training Rose are found and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy, where one focuses on mastering magic, the other on physical training, while both try to avoid the perils of gossip, cliques, gruesome pranks, and sinister plots.
• Cast:  Zoey Deuth (Rose), Danila Kozlovsky (Dimetri), Lucy Fry (Lissa)
• More books in the series: Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound, Last Sacrifice.

Divergent 

• Release date: March 1, 2014
• Cast: Shailene Woodley (Tris), Kate Winslet; rumors everywhere about who will play Four (Alex Pettyfr? Lucas Till? Jeremy Irvine?)
• Based on the book by Veronica Roth. 
• Book synopsis: In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomoly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.
• In February an open casting call was held in Chicago for movie extras. According to the Chicago Tribune the movie will be shot entirely in Chicago. 
• More books in the series: Insurgent. The third book in the series, jokingly referred to by both Roth and fans as “Detergent,” will be released October 22, 2013.

 
Delirium 

• Release date: depends on whether or not the pilot is picked up by Fox.
• According to author Lauren Oliver, filming on the pilot for this TV show is set to begin in March.
• Cast: Emma Roberts (Lena), Jeanine Mason (Hana), Daren Kagasoff (Alex), Greg Sulkin (Julian), Billy Campbell (Thomas Fineman)
• Based on the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver: Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem.
• Synopsis of the first book in the series: Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.

And adaptations of these books are also in the works:

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (movie in preproduction; director announced)  
• Summer series by Jenny Han (optioned for TV)
• Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (optioned for TV)
• I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga (ABC Family TV show)

I am very excited for Catching Fire, and am already brainstorming crafts and games for a movie release party at the library. I especially can't wait for Divergent, because I love that book series as well, and think that Shailene Woodley is a great pick to play Tris. How cool is it that the movie will be filmed entirely in Chicago? I'm also interested to see how the Vampire Academy movie turns out. I really enjoyed all the books in that series because Rose is such a strong character. Plus, the awesome supporting characters (Adrian!) are well-written too. I just hope it doesn't suffer from people who are sick of Twilight. This movie has a huge potential for great fight scenes and some swoon-worthy moments.

Are you a fan of YA literature? Which movie/TV adaptation are you most looking forward to seeing? Do you read the books before you see the movies, or the other way around? What do you think of the casting choices for these projects?

And lastly, are there any YA books not on this list that you think would make a good movie and/or TV show? My picks are Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins and the Across the Universe series by Beth Revis.

Recommended read: The Watch That Ends The Night

The Watch That Ends The Night: Voices From the Titanic by Allan Wolf
TEEN WOLF
Find it in the catalog!

In The Watch That Ends The Night poet Allan Wolf narrates the tragic maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic through poems in verse. The poems are told from the points of view of the passengers and crew on the ship, from millionaire John Jacob Astor to third class refugee Jamila Nicola-Yarred, from Captain E.J. Smith to assistant telegraphic operator Harold Bride, from shipbuilder Thomas Andrews to postman Oscar Woody. Other voices include nine-year-old Frankie Goldsmith, who hopes to find dragons on the journey, the ship rat ("follow the food"), and even the iceberg:

I am the ice; I am of water made.
That's why it's now of water that I speak:
Watch how the water licks Titanic's hull.
Hear how the water makes her rivets creak.
See how, before her trip even begins,
the water is obsessed with getting in. (p. 43)

This creative approach to writing about the Titanic really intrigued me and made this book a real page-turner. The reader follows the days leading up to the sailing, time at sea, the sinking, and the survivors' time on the Carpathia, the ship that rescued them. Wolf intersperses Titanic's journey with poems from the point of view of undertaker John Snow, as he works to retrieve the bodies from the sea.

This book is well-researched, and I learned new facts about the passengers and particulars about the ship, including morse code. Wolf provides character notes at the back of the book discussing liberties he took with certain people, in addition to translated morse code messages and a helpful bibliography.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction and those interested in the Titanic. The Watch That Ends the Night is an engrossing read that connects the reader to the passengers and crew of the Titanic in a way that other books do not.

My summer reading picks

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
FICTION HIGASHINO
Find it in the catalog!
This was the first time I've read this author and I plan to read more by him. Yasuko's ex-husband won't stop harassing her. To defend themselves during one of his visits, she and her daughter Misato kill him. Their neighbor, Ishigami, a mathematics genius, offers his help to them and takes care of all the details to hide the evidence of what happened. He does not tell them what he did and only asks that they follow his directions exactly. The police come to question Yasuko, her daughter, Yasuko's former employer, etc., and it seems that they are hot on the trail of what actually happened. I thought I knew where the story would end up, but I was wrong. I really enjoyed Higashino's writing style.

Bossypants by Tina Fey
NEW BIOGRAPHY FEY
Find it in the catalog!
I'm a fan of Tina Fey and her work on SNL and 30 Rock. I enjoyed reading her stories about growing up and loved the passages where she describes her intimidating father, Don Fey. It was also fun to read about how she juggled 30 Rock, appearing on SNL as Sarah Palin, and throwing her daughter's birthday party during the same period of time during the 2008 election campaign.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
TEEN PERKINS
Find it in the catalog!
Anna is sent to Paris by her father for her senior year of high school. She doesn't know the language and misses her friends and family back home. After meeting some new people they encourage her to explore Paris. Her friendship with Etienne, the guy everyone seems to have a crush on, grows into something more but neither admits to their feelings. Anna and the French Kiss has realistic dialogue and a great concept. I love how Perkins wrote the character of Anna. Anna is a cinephile who wants to be a film critic. She is quite self-conscious about not being able to speak French; she listens to how a friend purchases a movie ticket and writes it down phonetically so she is able to go to the movies by herself. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for Perkins' next book, Lola and the Boy Next Door, due to be released at the end of September.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
SCIENCE FICTION MARTIN
Find it in the catalog!
This is a really engrossing read in the fantasy genre spanning many characters. I like how Martin writes each chapter "in the head" of a different character. It was hard to keep track of everyone at first. At the end I was excited to start right in on the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings. I also plan to watch HBO's TV series of the same name to see how they brought Martin's creation to life.

The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious--and Perplexing--City by David Lebovitz

641.013 LEB

Find it in the catalog!

Lebovitz writes about moving to Paris, acclimating himself to the often confusing ways of Parisian culture, and shares many delicious recipes, which I want to photocopy and test out myself. I enjoyed reading his observations of and experiences in Paris.

Good reads from the children's and teen departments

These books come recommended from Adult Summer Reading participants, but you won't find the books located in the Adult department....

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
TEEN ALEXIE
Find it in the catalog!
“Fantastic! I read it from start to finish the first day I had it. Anyone who parents, teaches, or mentors kids needs to read this for an eye-opening look at what prejudice can do to their self-esteem.”
– Ellen M.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
JUV FICTION KINNEY
Find it in the catalog!
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a great book and it is worth reading for both adults and middle schoolers. It is funny and pokes fun at many of the things people 20-30+ experienced. Quick read and worth reading."
-- Andrew F.

One by Kathryn Otoshi
NEW JE OTOSHI
Find it in the catalog!
"One is an awesome book for anyone who has kids or works with kids. As a teacher, I would recommend this book to everyone in the field. Kathryn Otoshi has an amazing way of taking a topic like bullying and presenting it in an approachable way through the use of brush strokes and colors. Incredible book! Must read for all who work with children."
-- Andrew F.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
JUV FICTION RIORDAN

The Battle of The Labyrinth
Find it in the catalog!
"The Battle of the Labyrinth was an exciting book. The plot was well-written with a good amount of excitement, love, and action. I loved the twist with one of the characters."
-- Sandra L.

The Last Olympian
Find it in the catalog!
“Perfect ending to the series. Loved how Riordan left the ending open for more books. It was the perfect mix of good reading for teens and adults.”
-- Sandra L.

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
JUV FICTION SPEARE
Find it in the catalog!
Recommended as a good coming-of-age story.