House of the Star by Caitlin Brennan

Having read so many books like "My Friend Flicka", and "National Velvet", played with My Little Ponies and still catch up with Mercedes lackey's Companion books every time a new one comes out, I was very pleased to win the ARC of this book on goodreads.com. I had high hopes, which were not disappointed.

At the beginning it was the premise of the book to that drew me in - a princess from another realm is sent to work on a horse ranch in Arizona, along with the scion of her country's worst enemy in hopes that the feud destroying the lands of faerie can be stopped. Of course, the horses there are not just any horses, but magical ones called worldrunners, (similar and yet strikingly different to Lackey's Valdamar Companions) that are the only safe way to travel the roads through the worlds of Faerie.

But I also loved that Brennan makes her main character, Elen, arrogant and unyielding in her hate for her enemy and therefore gives the readers a chance to form their opinion of the feud, instead of having to choose a side. Indeed, there were times when I really didn't like Elen, but so much the better!

Request a copy of this book by clicking here!

New York Times Top Five Books - How many have you read?

1.CLOCKWORK ANGEL, by Cassandra Clare
2. THE RED PYRAMID, by Rick Riordan.
3. LINGER, by Maggie Stiefvater.
4. THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA, written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi.
5. MONSTER HIGH, by Lisi Harrison.

The reluctant readers guide to an enjoyable, readable holiday!

Okay, so you know that someone in your family is going to give you either a book or a gift card to your local book store for Christmas and you couldn't careless about books for the most part. Twilight might have sparked your interest, but who has the time to read such a huge book, let alone four?

Well, here are the 2009 top ten books picked by more than 11,000 teens that might perk your interest and you can add to your wish list to make your relatives happy!

Vampire Diaries

Look for the bestselling Vampire Diaries books by J L Smith in our teen section!

Do you love Steampunk?

Look out for these great series!

Max

by James Patterson

A mastermind criminal by the name of Mr. Chu has kidnapped Max’ Mom, Dr Martinas in an attempt to blackmail the flock, knowing that Max will do anything to save her newly found mother.

Enlisting the dubious help of the navy, Max and her friends set out on a rescue mission, and they know just where to look. Fish are dying in millions of the coast of Hawaii, and Dr Martinas is being held on board a ship. There is no way the two events are not connected! But to rescue her Mom, Max is going to have to rely on the flock, as her own judgement in this case is biased and also trust the youngest member of the flock, Angel, a 7 year old girl, (okay maybe that’s not so bad, as not only can Angel fly, she can read minds and breathe underwater!)

So don’t miss this fast paced, action packed next episode in the Maximum Ride series!

Part of my 100+ reading challenge

Tiger Moon

by Antonia Michaelis

Beautiful Safia is sure she is going to die at the hand of her bethrothed. Having tried to escape over the wall, she finally seems to resign herself to her fate. Befriending one of the eunuchs, she begins a tale, Shaharazad fashion, of daring adventure and rescue:

A young thief, Farhad, steals a locket from the Buddha, and finds himself on a quest to rescue Buddha’s daughter from marriage to a demon king. With the help of a sarcastic white tiger, he must first find the fabled bloodstone to use as a bribe and cross many hundreds of miles, all before midsummer’s day.

Translated from the original German, this beautiful story skillfully weaves together the tales of Safia and Farhad with Hindu themes of reincarnation, immortality, free will and karma. A powerful and beguiling tale filled with wonderful characters including a rascally thief and a desperate, determined princess.

Part of my 100 + reading challenge

Find us on the web and get your Summer reads here!

Not only do we have this super cool blog, but we're on facebook, myspace, flickr, twitter and youtube! So, subscribe, add us as a friend, become a fan and get regular updates of all the fun activities going on in the library and new stuff for you to check out!

We have regular movie nights where we show a new release dvd on a big screen and provide you with free popcorn!

Awesome programs - especially this Summer as the theme is "Be Creative". Join us to paint, tie dye, make duct tape creations, play on the new wii and so much more!

Don't forget about your Summer reading list! We have multiple copies of all your reading needs, and can get them from other libraries if we're all out. We have a great selection of teen books and new release dvds for you check out and take home.

So, what are you waiting for?  Sign up to your library this Summer!

Dealing with Dragons

by Patricia C. Wrede

It isn't much fun being a princess for intelligent, practical Cimorene who finds all the fun things like learning fencing, Latin and magic are just not done by princesses. Neither is it done to voluntarily become a dragons princess, but Cimerene is tired of being told what not to do and she would rather keep house for a dragon than stay in her parent’s castle waiting to be married off.

This quirky and comical story of a princess who would rather rescue herself is wonderfully read by a full cast. Follow Cimerene as she fends off her would be rescuers, fights to outwit dastardly wizards, deals with stuck up princesses and shows the dragons what she is made of. A wonderful mix of adventure, danger and fun with a few fairy tale elements thrown in for good measure.

Part of my 100+ reading challenge

Immortal Instuments series

From Missphoenix05's Channel

Daughter of the Flames

By Zoe Marriott

The Sedornes invasion that destroyed the Ruan kingdom left Zira without memories, identity or family and a jagged scar marring her face. Raised in the mountain temple by warrior priestess, Zira hates the Sedornes, but when she saves the life of a Sedorne noble her whole life is turned upside down. The tyrannical Sedornes king, whose assassins were thwarted, sends an army that destroys the temple. If she is to save the people she loves Zira must uncover her true identity and put her trust in a man who should be her enemy.

Overflowing with fast paced battle scenes, intricate cultures and martial arts, Daughter of the Flames starts out well but becomes a little predictable. I would have liked to see more of Zira’s character struggle as some decisions concerning her enemies seemed to come a little too easily. The rest of the cast need some more character development and so are a little flat. But overall a well thought out and enjoyable story.

Part of my 100+ reading challenge

Hush: An Irish Princess’ tale

by Donna Jo Napoli 

From the Icelandic sagas comes a compelling rewriting of the bittersweet tale of Melkorka an Irish princess, kidnapped by slave traders.  Sent away from home for safety, Melkorka and her sister, Bridget, are taken by the slave traders on the road.  Her homeland and family lost to her, and unable to understand her captures Melkorka takes a vow of silence.  When Bridget escapes overboard and with the encouragement of her fellow slaves, Melkorka uses her silence to bewilder and awe her captors as they sail halfway across the known world. And so she learns that even slaves can have influence and silence can breed power.

Part of my 100 + reading challenge.

Ark Angel

by Anthony Horowitz

This fast paced next installment of the hit teenage spy series finds Alex Rider in hospital recovering from being shot.  Paul, a quiet boy about Alex’s age and son of multi-billionaire Nikolei Drevin is in the room next door.  So, when three men from an eco -terrorist group try to kidnap Paul, Alex is taken instead.

Managing to escape from the terrorists Alex is ask to stay with Paul at their mansion to finish recovering and then fly to Flamingo Bay in the Bahamas to see the launch for Ark Angel, the first hotel in space.  Alex agrees, but soon wishes he hadn’t as he beings to realize things about Drevin and the kidnapping don’t quite add up.


Part of my 100+ reading challenge

New Playaways in the Library!

We have been busy buying new audio books and playaways for the teen dept. Playaways have the whole book in mp3 format, so just add your AAA battery and headphones to be able to listen whenever and whereever!

With books like: 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson, The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney, Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, The Land of Elyon by Patrick Carman and Fairest by Gail Carson Levine! Don't miss out on this great opportunity!

Don't see something you want? Let us know and we'll order it for you!

Raven by Allison Van Diepen

If you enjoyed Twilight than Raven is a book for you!

Part of a break dancing crew in New York City, Nicole and Zin, are like magnet and metal. So when Nicole lands a waitressing job at the club Evermore where Zin works and the crew dances and she fully expects her friendship with Zin to move to the next level.

Her home life is complicated, she is almost finished with high school and her grades could get her into any school she applies to, but her brother has bled their parents dry with his meth addiction. Zin is the one good thing in Nicole’s life, but there is some part of his life that Zin is reluctant to share. All that changes when Nicole is attacked on her way home from work. All of a sudden she is drawn into Zin’s dark and dangerous secret. A secret that will challenge their relationship, but if Nicole can overcome her fear she might just be able to save him.

Part of my 100+ reading challenge

The Lost Cities: A drift house voyage by Dale Peck

Susan, Charles and Murray Oakenfield have an unusual secret -their uncle’s house is really a ship that sails on the Sea of Time, taking its occupants wherever and whenever.

In this second adventure, a mysterious book is delivered to the children’s apartment in New York, a book that will lead Susan and Charles to the 16th century. While Charles adventures among the Huron Indians, Susan and her uncle find themselves in Greenland in pursuit of another mystery – an amulet that gives the wearer knowledge beyond their time. Susan and Charles, with the help of a past incarnation of their brother Murray, must stop the amulet and book being used or all of time will be disrupted.

A good next step for teens who loved “The Magic Tree House” Series!

Part of my 100+ reading challenge

Star of Kazan

by Eva Ibbotson

Founding, Annika has been brought up in Vienna. Ellie and Sigrid, the two women who found her are wonderful, as are the professor’s they work for and of course, all her friends. She learns to love cooking, sees the legendary horse of Vienna put through their paces and enjoys listening to the tales of the old lady who used to be on the stage and received many breath-taking jewels, including the Star of Kazan.

But Annika has always dreamed of a mother of her own and when an elegant woman arrives with papers say she is Annika’s mother, Annika is swept away by the dream to her new life as an aristocrat.

Knowing nothing of her new life, Annika finds many things that confuse her. The castle they live in is falling down, there are no servants to take care of the place and when she tries to clean and cook, her mother is angry with her. Homesick, Annika begins to put together clues that will lead to shocking treachery, astonishing courage and the true meaning of family.

Part of my 100 + reading challenge

Image from amazon.com

Book of a Thousand days

by Shannon Hale
For Dashti, the Mucker girl, life is not easy. After losing her mother, she trains to be a lady’s maid for Lady Saren, only to find the Lady has refused to marry the man her father has chosen for her and they will be locked in a tower for seven years as punishment.

But Dashti is not daunted by the turn of events. Keeping a diary she begins to record her excitement at their supplies and her hopes. But as time passes, her enthusiasm drains, as the girl’s food and candles are eaten by rats, the tower’s temperatures go from blistering hot to bone chilling cold and a terrify visit from Lady Saren’s suitor, Lord Khasar.

If the two girls are to survive inside and out of the tower they must learn to rely on each other and change from maid and mistress to family.

Presented in full cast audio, this book is a delightful and adventuresome fairy tale set in the Asian steppes.

Part of my 100 + reading challenge

If you liked Twilight...

Then look out for one of these thrilling new books and series!

The Host: by Stephenie Meyer

Marked (House of Night, Book 1)by P. C. Cast

Evermore (The Immortals) by Alyson Noel

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Book 1) by Richelle Mead

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

The Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith

Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires, Book 1) by Rachel Caine

Need by Carrie Jones

Night World No. 1 by L.J. Smith

Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods, Book 1) by Melissa De La Cruz

images from amazon.com and author's websites

Stargazer by Patrick Carman

Having defeated Abaddon, the evil force threatening Elyon, and heard Roland Warvold's life story as they sailed across the lonely Sea, Alexa and Yipes are ready for a new adventure, but not disaster!

When their ship, the Warwick Beacon, destroyed by Abbadon,and the captain lost, Alexa and Yipes are rescued by the people who live on the Five Stone Pillars. But Abbadon is looking for a new home and the whole community is in danger. Some blame Alexa for bring Abbadon. Alexa must find a way to stop Abbadon but does she have the courage to withstand Abbadon a second time?

Part of 100+ Reading challenge