Hey Readers!
You may have noticed that Carly Reads has a new look - again. (At least I hope you've noticed! It's a pretty drastic change!) I still wasn't happy with the look of the blog after the last make over, so I went for a make-over-do-over. Thoughts???? (I LOVE it!)
Hey Readers!
I know it’s been too long since I last posted! (That’s been my song all summer, huh?) But I think that what I have for you today will make up for it … I have the first sneak peek book review of Teen Book Festival 2011!
I received an ARC copy of Carl Deuker’s newest novel “Payback Time.” Now, I’m just going to lay it all out on the line here and honestly tell you that I hate sports. HATE sports. I don’t play them, I don’t watch them, and I don’t find them interesting. So when I saw the cover of “Payback Time,” I groaned inwardly.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by “Payback Time.” The main character of “Payback Time” is Mitch, an overweight, aspiring journalist who is not happy to be reassigned from the news section to the sports section of his school newspaper. Although Mitch likes sports (but hates gym class), he doesn’t see sports as news breaking. Once football season starts, though, Mitch changes his mind. Angel is a new student and star player, but the coach rarely plays him, electing instead to have him sit on the bench as the team struggles through games. As Mitch begins to investigate this odd decision, he learns that digging around in someone else’s live can unearth more than one may think.
One of the reasons that I enjoyed “Payback Time” is that is wasn’t totally sports-centered. I will admit to skimming through the details of the football games. (I am football illiterate and gave up when it became clear that I was NOT going to figure out what was going on …) Although football is central to the book, the focus is more on the mystery surrounding Angel and on Mitch’s career aspirations. There is also a side story about Mitch’s attempt to lose weight and about his crush on the school newspaper’s sports photographer.
“Payback Time” is set to be released on September 6. I give it the sport-haters seal of approval; so even if see the cover and think “Eh, not for me,” give it a try! I don’t think you’ll regret it!
Hey Readers!
Whoa, it’s been WAY too long since I last posted, so I apologize. I’ve been crazy busy working three (three!) jobs, one of which is at the public library. This brings me to my next point. I work at the public library in circulation (checking in books that people are returning and checking out books that patrons are borrowing), so I get a good idea of what books are popular by how often I see them go in and out. And guess what readers? Our TBF authors are popular! I’ve seen so many TBF books circulate this summer – it’s wonderful! I posted on Twitter the other night (are you following me yet?) that I saw Kay Cassidy’s “The Cinderella Society” circulate three times in one night!
Today I’m going to review Melissa Kantor’s novel “The Breakup Bible.” I will admit to choosing this book reluctantly, I had been hoping to read another of Melissa’s books, but it was sold out at Barnes & Noble so I “settled” for “The Breakup Bible.” But let me tell you readers, I’m so glad I did, because I really enjoyed “The Breakup Bible.”
I was dubious at first – “The Breakup Bible” is about a high school junior named Jennifer who’s been dating Max, a popular senior. When Max breaks up with her (and she’s forced to see him on a daily basis, as they both edit the school newspaper), Jennifer is devastated. “Ho hum,” I thought, reading the description. But this book is far from “ho hum.” It was, in fact, in many places hilarious.
My favorite character in “The Breakup Bible” was actually Jennifer’s younger brother, a 13-year-old boy who seems to think he’s the next Eminem. As the older sister of a 13-year-old brother, I loved his character. Melissa hit the nail on the head with the characterization – he acts, and talks, just like most 13-year-old boys I know. And the relationship between Jennifer and her brother is spot-on.
“The Breakup Bible” also has a side story about racism and racial tension in a suburban school district that I found especially interesting, having grown up in an area similar to that in which Jennifer lives.
I highly recommend “The Breakup Bible.” It’s a good summer read, in that it moves quickly and will have you smiling, but there is also some serious topics discussed, so it will provide the reader with a bit of a mental challenge. (Oh come on, school’s out for summer – you can afford to do a LITTLE thinking!)
If you’ve read it, or if you read it, let me know what you thought (think)!
Hi Bookworms!
I hope that you’ve all had a great holiday weekend. I’m elated because I got the chance to do nothing but swim and read all weekend long. That means that I have a few new book reviews for you! But I’m going to space them out … you know what they say about too much of a good thing. (At least, I hope you know. Because I always forget, which means that I can’t tell you.) Anyway, today I’ll review “Angels on Sunset Boulevard” by Melissa de la Cruz.
I know that Melissa de la Cruz is most well-known for her “Blue Bloods” series, which is about vampires. But we all know how I feel about vampires, and even with my recent ventures into the vampire literature world, I thought I’d try something different of de la Cruz’s.
“Angels on Sunset Boulevard” centers around a facebook-type website called TAP, the wild parties that TAP hosts, and a strange ritual that only a select few TAP members are invited to participate. Nick is a wealthy high schooler from Los Angeles who’s thirteen-year-old stepsister disappeared after attending a party hosted by TAP. Nick enlists Taj, the girlfriend of America’s hottest rock star, who has he himself vanished in the middle of a concert, to help him find out where his sister is and what exactly TAP has to hide. However, Taj knows more about TAP and its secrets than she lets on.
The book is very plot driven and you won’t want to venture too far away from the story for very long. It hooks you in and keeps you wondering about what it is that TAP and Taj are hiding. I’d peg it as an older YA read, as heavy drug use, drinking, and sexual content are a prevalent theme.
Any suggestions of what I should read next, bookworms? Let me know!
Hey Readers!
This is an impromptu post that is semi-Teen Book Festival related. I don’t know how many of you know this, but the American Library Association (ALA) conference was held this past week and our very own Stephanie Squicciarini gave a presentation entitled “How to Run a Teen Book Festival.” Terry Trueman, Ellen Hopkins, and James Kennedy were there to present with her.
James just posted on HIS blog about his experience at the conference and it is most certainly something worth reading. (Especially the part about his ummmmmmm confrontation(?) with Laurie Halse Anderson.) As usual, he had me practically rolling on the floor with laughter …
So readers, check it out! (Follow the link on the word "blog.") You definitely won’t regret it!
Have a GREAT holiday weekend!
