Book Babble - January 2016

What I've Been Reading (WIBR) during this first month of the new year is a bit of an eclectic collection. 

There are so freaking many books in my TBR pile - both physical & digital :-/   I just HAVE TO buy books when I see them waving out to me to snag my attention. I don't necessarily read them all straight away ... hence my TBR pile numbers in the hundreds ... but it certainly helps feed my eclectic taste in reading material - yay!

My preferred genre is Young Adult. It's so well written with themes that are designed to engage the reader - not so much of the boring ... Woops sorry ... I mean literature style of writing that a large selection of adult books are in.  I know I'm a 40-something adult, but no one should be limited in their reading by a label or 'age level' of the books they wish to read.  Or even their job alone ... If that were the case I'd be mostly reading young children's books (primary school librarian here!) or adult books. 

As a young teenager (and yes I know that there was very little to nothing in the YA genre back then) I was reading Leon Uris (historical fiction / war books) and Stephen R. Donaldson (my first foray into the fantasy genre). Definitely not something most teenagers were reading, and certainly none of my friends. Prior to this I had been reading Trixie Beldon (kids American sleuth mysteries ... and OMG I've just found out written 20yrs before I was born!!!), and lots of non-fiction and fiction horse books (yep ... brought up on a farm and quite horse mad). 

Kids, teens, and adults alike should be reading what they want - or should I say 'what they can'. Reading ability, time, the pressure of studying and the inclination to read all play a large part in this. 

- If someone chooses to read 'above their age'... let them ... within reason and as long as the content is appropriate! There is a lot of stuff out there that 'can' be read but shouldn't necessarily be read until the reader really is of a certain age!  They should not be limited to stick to what 'other people their age' are reading, especially if they are bored by the concepts or styles of writing aimed at our younger generation. 

- If someone chooses to read material that is aimed for a much younger audience ... let them! Don't give them grief or make fun of their style of reading. Some of us read 'younger' books as a way of relaxing before delving back into the more thought-provoking or heavier concentration of some adult books - or study books. Some of us read them for our jobs (yay!  This is an awesome reason to be a school librarian!). Some of us read them to learn how the younger generation thinks - after all for some of us it was quite a while ago ;-)  And some of us read them because we are not confident readers, or they are a stepping stone on the way to building a love of reading. 

Just let them read .... even if it is an electronic device with an IMGUR app!!!  It's still reading!  And you may be surprised with the conversations you end up having with your non-reading electronically-attached teenager :-o 

Anyway, here is WIBR this month ....... In the order I read it rather than alphabetically.  So much easier to make notes about the book as I am reading them, rather than at the end of the month like I had originally planned on doing #cleverthinking

NOTE: ** Denotes sexual content (school librarians use your discretion)

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Shifter Squad Bk5 Corpse Thieves** / J.C. Diem [eBook]

4 stars

YA. Paranormal. 

Kind of an 'Anita Blake' for teens.  Kick arse heroine who has accidentally been changed into a werewolf, and is fighting off a vampirism change being forced upon her by her psycho vampire mother.  'Hot' boyfriend. Only one sex scene and no multiple partners (therefore moderately safe for high school libraries). Just lots of monsters and the bonds of her new 'family' of miss-fit were-creatures. 

Shifter Squad Bk6 Snake Charmer / J.C. Diem [eBook]

4 Stars

YA. Paranormal.

More monsters causing mayhem - this time of the snake variety - and the kidnapping of one of the team. Lexi grows into her alpha status. 

Hot boyfriend turns out to be a bit of an 'arse' as he decided to stay with his 'real' family and his 'true' mate. Lexi goes AWOL in her were form.  No sex scenes in this book. 

Shifter Squad Bk7 Vampire Matriarch** / J.C. Diem [eBook]

4 stars

YA. Paranormal. 

Lexi takes the 'bull by the horns' and goes in search of her mother as her vampirism curse gets worse.  Turning into a new hybrid and in need of revenge she goes after Reece to pay him back for leaving her.

One main sex scene towards the end of the book, and lots of 'heard' vampire sex.  

Shifter Squad Bk8 Web Master** / J.C. Diem [eBook]

4 stars

YA. Paranormal. 

Note to self: don't use these books to teach cooking .... "He put [the steaks] in a frying pan to cook then chopped up vegetables and set them to steam.” (ch. 29, Excerpt From: Diem, J.C. “Web Master.” Seize The Night Agency, 2016-01-02). Yeah, nah!  Were-creatures especially would prefer their meat under-cooked not burnt to a crisp!  

I started out thinking that "I just want to get this book done with so I can read the final one in the series".  I kind of felt 'ho-hum' about the storyline. Yeah ... Wow!  I was not expecting THAT to happen!  About halfway through the energy got really ramped up and I just didn't want to put it down. Then I finished it and found out I've got to wait nearly 2 months for the final installment.  Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

The Great Zoo of China / Matthew Riley [Paperback]

5 stars

Adult. Fantasy. 

I've heard this book described as 'Jurassic Park with dragons'.  I actually purchased a paperback of it last year and it's been sitting on my TBR as a 'really gotta read'. 

I have got to admit I have not read any Matthew Riley books before. I was really tempted with 'Troll Mountain' but it was a three-part eBook release at that time. 

I was hooked with the introduction. It was a thought provoking look at China vs The rest of the world (well USA really) and how we 'see' the two countries. There are lots of little snippets of factual info throughout the book making it seem more realistic. 

What an exciting read right from the start! And yes it is a Jurassic Park with dragons ... however in saying that I actually enjoyed it more than JP.  One of my favourite quotes when CJ asks her brother what he thinks about the zoo ... 'It's all pretty cool and impressive ... if you never saw fucking Jurassic Park' (p. 80) - yup!

Keeping with the JP theme you know right from the start that something horrendous is going to happen, and that there is going to be lots of action-packed tense moments until the end. 

Wicked-Awesome!

Despite the hefty size of the book, it is actually a quick read - double-spacing and 'sketches' of the facility help with this. 

One Week Girlfriend Bk1** / Monica Murphy [eBook]

2 stars

YA (R18). Contemporary Romance. 

This is a mature YA read.  The two main characters are in their early 20s. 

Her - 'white trash'. Works in a bar to support both her and her 13yr old brother. Mum is a looser. 

Him - rich college football star. Dodgy family background. Pays her to be his girlfriend for Thanksgiving visit to family. 

Coming of age themes for early 20s. Themes of sexual abuse/molestation (during teen years - not current time period). 

The Steamborn Series Bk1 Steamborn / Eric R. Asher [eBook]

4 stars

YA. Steampunk. 

Great start to a new dystopia-style steampunk series for teens where bugs/insects are key to the storyline. I would be happy to issue it to our more sophisticated Year 6 readers at TPS. 

Josh & Alice are both strong main characters. Love the setting and the secondary characters. 

Looking forward to the next one in the series coming in 5 days. 

Claimed by the Dragon Bk1 / Meghan Spence [eBook]

2 stars

Adult. Paranormal. 

Gah! This is actually one book broken into parts. This first book introduces you to the main characters and sets the scene but ends very suddenly - just as you are getting into the story. 

Perfected Bk1 / Kate Jarvik Birch [eBook]

2 stars

YA. Dystopian. Sci-Fi. Romance(?)

This is a rather different premise. Humans being genetically engineered to be 'pets' for the rich and elderly. Not sure if I really enjoyed it!?!?!?  It is well written, is an intriguing concept and certainly makes you think about what humankind is capable of. However it just doesn't 'sit right' with me. It kind of has connotations of sex slaves :( ... but that is probably just me. 

Girls are raised in kennels (yes ... that is what they are called!) and taught all the important things about being a perfect pet - how to sit, smile, look beautiful, make conversation with adults and most importantly, learn two skills that their new owners can show off (dancing, singing, music ...). Nope, reading and other skills (that we would find important) are not taught. At age sixteen they are then auctioned off, going to their new home with only the dress on their backs and a number for a name ... because their new masters will provide everything they need including their new name.   The kennels aren't the only references comparing them to dogs :( 

Young Hank Zipzer Bk1 Bookmarks are People Too! / Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver [Paperback]

5 stars

Children 7-12. School Stories. Humour. Dyslexia friendly. 

Such a cool (and quick) read about a young boy who has learning difficulties. He is such a humorous and interesting boy. Students that don't like school or who have learning difficulties of their own will be able to relate to Hank who is in Grade 2. 

Written with quite short chapters and a number of black & white illustrations that help tell the story, these books also have widely spaced font and lines making it a really good book for our struggling readers.  Suit students in Year 2 to 4. 

Would also make a really good read-aloud. 

Great job Mr Winkler & Ms Oliver :)

Hank Zipzer the world's greatest underachiever Bk1 Niagra Falls, or Does It? / Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver [Paperback]

5 stars

Children 7-12. School Stories. Humour. 

This series follows Hank during his year in Grade 4. He's constantly getting into trouble even though he tries really hard at school.  It is told in a way that any student will enjoy, however those with learning difficulties can really relate to the problems (and solutions) that trip Hank up. 

It hooks readers right from the start ... with that dreaded call to the principals office ... over the loudspeaker so EVERYONE can hear!!!!  I really like 'Papa Pete' - Hank's grandpa - and the way he discusses things with Hank in a way that makes sense. 

This would be a really good read-aloud book - descriptive, humorous and something that will hold the students attention (both boys and girls). 

Whilst it is about a boy with learning difficulties it is not written in the same Dyslexia friendly way as the 'Young Hank Zipzer' series. 

Loveswept #213 Leprechaun / Joan Elliott Pickart [Paperback]

4 stars

Adult. Romance. Contemporary. 

OMG! Found this at my new favourite pre-loved book shop today (The Little BookShop). I've got to read it 'cause this is one of my first 'adult book authors' I ever read. So cool :)

The Steamborn Series Bk2 Steamforged / Eric R. Asher [eBook]

5 stars

YA. Steampunk. 

Fantastic!

Really like the characters. They all have so much depth to them. Shows the fallibility that is inherent in each of us regardless of age, especially around war and making choices that are right at the time but can have such horrendous repercussions later. 

Bloody awesome continuation to the series. Looking forward to the third book.