Book Trailer for Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

2009 November 5

Just requested for us to buy Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.  I’m diggin’ the book trailer!

For more information on this visit http://books.simonandschuster.com/Hush-Hush/Becca-Fitzpatrick/9781416998204

Trailer Tuesday: Fire and Sea Monsters

2009 October 20

Simple but Effective Book Trailer for Fire by Kristen Cashore

Hilarious Book Trailer for Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

Read Alikes for Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicolson Series

2009 October 5

Georgia CoversA “read alike” is a book that has the same feel, mood, subject, or tone of another book.  Although no two books are an exact match, read alikes may have one, some, or most, of the characteristics of another book you just couldn’t put down. If you have any suggestion to add, comment below! Enjoy!

Georgia Nicolson Series Order:

1. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging

2. It’s OK, I’m Wearing Really Big Knickers (UK title)

2. On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God (US title)

3. Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas

4. Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants

5. …And That’s When It Fell Off in My Hand (UK title)

5.  …Away Laughing on a Fast Camel (US title)

6. …Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers

7. …Startled by His Furry Shorts

8. Luuurve is a Many Trousered Thing

9. Stop in the Name of Pants!

10. Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?

Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicolson series is basically teenage British chick-lit, i.e. fun and fluffy. Reading this series is sort of like being in the middle of flock of 14 year old girls…they are mostly about boys, makeup, laughing, being silly, boys and, errrr, that’s about it.  There isn’t a lot of plot but you laugh so hard, you really don’t notice or care.

The series is full of over-the-top exaggerations and lots of hilarious British slang. Georgia, the main character is so self-obsessed, wacky and childish but at the same time so loveable and hilarious!

For more fun visit Georgia’s Website.

Read Alikes for Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicolson Series

Girl 15, Series by Sue Limb

  1. Girl 15, Charming But Insane
  2. Girl, (Nearly) 16: Absolute Torture
  3. Girl, Going on 17: Pants on Fire

Series Description (From Author’s Website)

Life can be trying when your best friend is a goddess, you are a woeful underachiever, and your love-life is as messy and as mucky as a sticky quagmire of mud. Painfully spot on, the Girl 15 series reveals with technicolor precision the agony and the ecstasy (and the embarrassment) of being a teenager. With razor-sharp observation and deadpan humor we are offered a privileged peek at the life of Jess, charming, but most definitely insane. This series has a unique voice and humor that will make you want to read it again and again, if you can bring yourself to put the books down in the first place.

Why You’ll Like: Jess and Georgia would be best friends if they knew each other. Jess lives with her mum and dreadfully embarrassing granny, who, by the way, would ADORE Georgia’s crazy granddad. Jess has an imagination that would rival Georgia’s. She is in luuurrrrve with Ben Jones who Jess describes as “a divine mixture of Leonardo DiCaprio, Prince William, and Brad Pitt who oozes mystery and charisma.” This series is a MUST READ for Georgia fans.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

Description:

“130 lbs. (how is it possible to put on 4 pounds overnight? Could flesh have somehow solidified becoming denser and heavier (repulsive, horrifying notion)); alcohol units 2 (excellent) cigarettes 21 (poor but will give up totally tomorrow); number of correct lottery numbers 2 (better, but nevertheless useless)”  This laugh-out-loud chronicle charts a year in the life of Bridget Jones, a single girl on a permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement.

Why You’ll Like: Since this book was written for adults it’s probably something older teens will enjoy more than the younger crowd but it is full of British slang and hilariousity. Bridget is very wacky and gets herself into all sort of trouble, much like Georgia. She is also obsessed with her looks and boys (in her case men).

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon

Excerpt:

“It is a sad and shocking fact of my young life that my parents named me Mary Elizabeth Cep by mistake. I’ve known since I was five that my true name is Lola. I don’t remember where I first heard it, but I loved it immediately. Lola. . . . Lola is romantic and mysterious. It’s evocative and resonant. It’s unusual-as I am. Mary Elizabeth sounds like the maid in an English drama. You know, “Mary Elizabeth,” smarms the Lady of the Manor, “please show Mr. Smudgins into the parlor.” Having a generous nature, I can forgive my parents this error, major though it is. I can see that it wasn’t really their fault. They both watch PBS a lot. But that doesn’t mean that I have to accept their mistake as final. “

Why You’ll Like: (Haven’t Read) I haven’t read this one yet but “Lola” seems very over-the-top and although this isn’t British, it seems like a very good fit for this list.

Jessica Darling Series by Megan McCafferty

  1. Sloppy Firsts
  2. Second Helpings
  3. Charmed Thirds
  4. Fourth Comings
  5. Perfect Fifths

Description (Book 1 – From Author’s Website)

When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyper observant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?

Why You’ll Like (Haven’t Read): This is a series that isn’t British so it is missing the fab British slang which I luurrrrrve about the Georgia Nicolson series BUT it’s heroine Jessica is very Georgia-ish, or maybe teenage-girl-ish, in that the problems in her life, which others may think are trivial, are her WORLD.  Other readers have commented that they are also very funny and over dramatic so these may be good read alike for the humor too.

Mates, Dates Series by Cathy Hopkins

1. Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras (Lucy)
2. Mates, Dates and Cosmic Kisses (Izzie)
3. Mates, Dates and Portobello Princesses (Nesta) (UK Title)
3. Mates, Date and Designer Divas (Nesta) (US Title)
4. Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets (TJ)
5. Mates, Dates and Sole Survivors (Lucy)
6. Mates, Dates and Mad Mistakes (Izzie)
7. Mates, Dates and Pulling Power (Nesta) (UK Title)
7. Mates, Dates and Sequin Smiles) (Nesta) (US Title)
8. Mates, Dates and Tempting Trouble (TJ)
9. Mates, Dates and Great Escapes (Lucy)
10.Mates, Dates and Chocolate Cheats (Izzie)
11. Mates, Dates and Diamond Destiny (Nesta)
12. Mates Dates and Summer Sizzlers (TJ)

Description: The series is about four friends: Izzie, Lucy, Nesta, and TJ. Each book is told from the point of view of one of the girls. There are

Why You’ll Like (Haven’t Read): Well, for one the series is British, so it has that going for it. Also, it seems to have a lot of the drama and strong friendships similar to the Georgia Nicolson series.

The Life of Angelica Cookson Potts by Cherry Whytock

  1. My Cup Runneth Over
  2. My Scrumptious Scottish Dumplings
  3. My Saucy Stuffed Ravioli

    Excerpt (From Book 1)

    I’m, um, LARGE. Yes, “large” just about covers it, although to be quite honest, not many things do — cover it,

    I mean.

    Description:

    Angelica Cookson Potts, better known as Angel, loves food, both cooking it and eating it, and plans to be a famous chef someday. But she thinks she’s just too big — her mother is a skinny ex-model, her best friends are all smaller than she is, and she feels like a huge, wobbly whale in comparison. In addition to food, Angel also loves Jamie Oliver (the Naked Chef) and Adam (who doesn’t know she’s alive). In order to get Adam’s attention, she tries making major Life Changes, including a cabbage-only diet that has…well, explosive results. Through it all her best friends, Minnie, Portia, and Mercedes, are there with her, and when the school fashion show comes around, Angel discovers that her size might not be such a bad thing after all.

    Everyone knows an Angel, and readers will laugh out loud at her take on life.

    Angel’s own recipes are included so that other “foodies” can cook along with her.

    Why You’ll Like (Haven’t Read): Well, just look at the description and you’ll know why you’ll like it!

    Ruby Oliver Series by E. Lockhart

    1. The Boyfriend List
    2. The Boy Book
    3. The Treasure Map of Boys
    4. Real Live Boyfriends (Coming in 2010)

    Excerpt (From Book 1 – The Boyfriend List):

    Doctor Z is my shrink, and she says that for purposes of the list, the boyfriends don’t have to be official. Official, unofficial — she says it doesn’t matter, so long as I remember the boy and something about what happened.

    The list was a homework assignment for my mental health. She told me to write down all the boyfriends, kind-of boyfriends, almost-boyfriends, rumored boyfriends and wished-he-were boyfriends I’ve ever had. Plus, she recommended I take up knitting.

    I still have some doubts about Doctor Z, though by now I’ve been seeing her for almost four months. I mean, if I knew a 15 year-old who sat around knitting sweaters all day, I’d definitely think she had some mental health problems.

    Why You’ll Like (Haven’t Read):

    Well, the dialog is very Georgia-ish with lots of thinking and re-thinking. It’s told in first person. It’s not British but I’m dying to read this series after visiting the author’s website.

    Emily Series by Katie Maxwell

    1. The Year My Life Went Down the Loo
    2. They Wear What Under Their Kilts
    3. What’s French for “Ew”?
    4. Taming of the Dru
    5. Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Hotties

    Description (From Book 1 – From the Author’s Website)

    When 16-year-old Emily’s family uproots her from Seattle to England right before her junior year, she has to adjust to a whole new lingo, new friends, and worst of all, no malls. Luckily hunkalicious British boys do exist!

    Why You’ll Like (Haven’t Read):

    This series is a little different because it British AND American. Emily moves from Seattle to English so you have the experience of seeing England from the eyes of an American teen. I’ve read the descriptions and they sound hilarious.

    Trailer Tuesday

    2009 September 29

    It’s Trailer Tuesday again…not crazy about this one, what do you think?

    The Van Alen Legacy, the fourth book in the New York Times best-selling series Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
    Not so crazy about this particular trailer. I find it very busy, the overall idea is really cool but it was a LOT to look at a little too quickly!

    The Host is Heading to the Big Screen

    2009 September 25

    According to Variety, Producers Nick Wechsler, Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz have bought the rights to The Host by Stephenie Meyer, which is her first adult novel. I’m very excited about this as I enjoyed The Host more than I did when I first read Twilight.

    Want It Wednesday

    2009 September 24

    So it’s 17 minutes into Thursday, but who cares. We got delivery today in our library and we got in the Ghost Girl books. I fell in LOVE with the covers:

    These look so awesome and the ghostgirl website is so awesome looking! This might have to be my Halloween costume!

    Questions and Answers with Heather Brewer, Author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

    2009 September 15
    Heather Brewer and I

    Heather Brewer and I

    OMG, OMG, OMG! This past week our library hosted an author event with Heather Brewer, author of the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, and it was an absolute fabulous experience. Click on the picture to the left to see all of the event pictures!

    At least 200 people got to meet and hang with her. She was so unbelievably nice and down to earth. You can see the passion she has about her work. She really truly understands what bullying does to kids and when she talks about not being one of the popular kids she has this rawness about her that lets you know that it isn’t a show. She took her time with so many of our kids and teens, making a point to make their meeting her a unique and personal experience. I HIGHLY recommend her to any library looking to host an author program for teens and tweens. Her “Minions” mean the world to her. That being said, I had the opportunity to ask her some questions both in her presentation and when I went out to dinner with her (verrr verrr cool.)

    Stacie Davis: Our Youth Services Librarian has a theory about the book covers. She feels that each cover is meant to show a little more detail of Vlad than the one before…should we expect the final cover to give him even more detail than the cover of book four coming out in February.

    Heather Brewer: Very observant! Yes, each cover reveals more and more of Vlad just as the books reveal more of his story. As you get a clearer picture of who Vlad’s character is, you also get a clearer picture of what he looks like.

    Stacie Davis: Who did the artwork for the book covers?

    Heather Brewer: Christian Fuenfhause did the covers, he came up with the smiley face after looking at how I sign my autograph. The reason the first two look a little different is that first two are drawn but the rest are based on photographs of a model named Lawrence Prince.

    Stacie Davis: Many musicians distinctly remember the first time they were recognized in public or the first time they heard their song playing on the radio. Do you have a moment like that?

    Heather Brewer: I do remember! I was in a bookstore and a man kept staring at me. I thought maybe it was the purple hair but he finally came over and said “I had to come over and ask, are you that author who writes the vampire books with the cool covers?” That was the moment I was like “I have arrived!”

    Stacie Davis: On your Amazon author profile you look much different. There is no pink and black hair and no goth look. Did these books give you an opportunity to let that side of you out, or is it something that changed once you started writing the books?

    Heather Brewer: This was actually me before I ever started writing. When I began my career as an author I was really worried about being judged on my appearance, and thought I should look a certain way, so I let my natural hair color grow out, I tried to look more conservative. Luckily I realized that my fans didn’t care what I looked like so I went back to what I like.

    Stacie Davis: Who are your favorite and least favorite non-main characters?

    Heather Brewer: One character I don’t like is Eddie Poe, but I really like Sprat!

    Stacie Davis: What is the color of the smiley on book 5?

    Heather Brewer: The color of the smiley on book 5 will be ????? (sorry guys, can’t tell you this until it’s official on her blog but TOTALLY told us!)

    Stacie Davis: What book are you reading right now?

    Heather Brewer: Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted which is just amazing!

    What questions would YOU have asked Heather? (Stuff not already asked on her website or FAQ’s)

    O….M…..G! Latest New Moon Trailer!

    2009 September 14
    by Webrarian

    The first movie was so, so….nothing compared to the book….but this one looks amazing!

    Read the Vampire Diaries Free!

    2009 September 12

    So I watch the first episode and it seems pretty good. Though I might want to read the book and yay! Harper Teen has it online free right now! Don’t know how long it will last but check it out!


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    Dancing in My Nuddy Pants – Rating 5

    2009 September 8

    Title: Dancing In My Nuddy Pants (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Book 4) – Rating 5

    Author: Louise Rennison

    Grades: 9-12 & Adult

    Book Level: 5.2

    Accelerated Reader Points: 6

    Quiz Number: 67492

    Description: (From the Author’s Website)

    Georgia thought she had finally put her “red-bottomosity” to rest when she chose Robbie the Sex God over Dave the Laugh, but now she’s not so sure. Is she doomed to be a pop-star widow, or will she take her own bottom firmly in hand? As always, in this fourth book about Georgia’s angst-filled confessions, nothing ever turns out as planned!

    Librarian’s Review: Oh my giddygods trousers! I have just realized I have completely skipped Dancing In My Nuddy Pants and already reviewed Away Laughing On A Fast Camel ! I luuuuurved this one too even though I forgot to put up my review. Basically Georgia chooses the SG (sex god) over Dave the Laugh but she somehow keeps bumping into all these boys she likes. Also Angus has fallen in luuurrve with Naomi, Mr. and Mrs. Across the Road’s pure bred cat. Can’t remember specifics but I’m still listening to the series (on book seven now) and still laughing like a loon on loon tablets!

    The series is made up of nine novels, the most recent of which was released in July 2008. The titles are:

    1. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging
    2. It’s OK, I’m wearing really big knickers – (On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God in the US)
    3. Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas
    4. Dancing in my Nuddy-Pants
    5. …and that’s when it fell off in my hand – (Away Laughing on a Fast Camel in the US)
    6. …then he ate my boy entrancers (May 2005)
    7. Startled By His Furry Shorts
    8. Luuurve is a Many Trousered Thing – (Love is a Many Trousered Thing in the US) (July 2007)
    9. Stop in the Name of Pants! (July 2008)
    10. Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? (June 2009)

    Other Stuff:

    Georgia’s Website

    There is also the movie: Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging