Any and everyone living in or near Boston should be required to read this book. It's an incredibly well-told story and an invaluable look at the structure and history of Boston. Reba definitely recommends!!
Hi! I'm Reba and I'm lucky enough to be a Young Adult Librarian in the Boston, MA area. I enjoy reading all kinds of books, but I have a special love for Young Adult literature. I'm more than happy to recommend books, and I love having them recommended to me! If you have a favorite book or a comment on something that I've written, post your comment or question and I'll do my best to respond to it.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Dark Tide
Back to non-fiction for me. I know, I'm amazed as you are! Anyway, I finally read Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo. This is another book that had been on my "to read list" for years, and I'm so glad that I have now read it. It really was a great book. Rich in historical detail, but sprinkled with enough story and narrative to keep the story moving. It reminded me a lot of the Dennis Lehane novel, The Given Day, primarily because they covered the same tumultuous time period in Boston. I find it so interesting to read different author's perspectives of the same series of events. Another interesting storyline that stood out for me related to immigration, especially the history and treatment of the Sicilian Italians. I couldn't help but to draw parallels to their treatment and the treatment of the Chinese as described in The Snakehead.
Any and everyone living in or near Boston should be required to read this book. It's an incredibly well-told story and an invaluable look at the structure and history of Boston. Reba definitely recommends!!
Any and everyone living in or near Boston should be required to read this book. It's an incredibly well-told story and an invaluable look at the structure and history of Boston. Reba definitely recommends!!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Caught Red-Handed
Rats! Erin so called my bluff. In my post-Memorial Day post, I only commented on one of the two books that I vowed to read over the weekend. I went on and on about The Snakehead hoping that no one would notice I didn't review Chime. Well, there was a reason for it. Despite my best intentions, I didn't finish Chime over the weekend. But, that's all in the past and I have finally finished it and I am ready to comment.
(Great cover, hm?) Simply put, I really liked it. I may have even loved it. It's the kind of story that's hard to describe, but it was so beautifully written. At times it read like a fantasy, at times like a mystery, and at times like a novel with paranormal themes and a touch of romance. The main character Briony is hiding a terrible secret. She knows she's a witch and that she caused her Stepmother's death and serious injuries to her twin sister. Now, there's someone new in town, and he is determined to look below the beautiful exterior and learn about the real Briony. Trouble is, who is the real Briony, and will it mean her death if that is revealed? You'll have to read this book to find out!
(Great cover, hm?) Simply put, I really liked it. I may have even loved it. It's the kind of story that's hard to describe, but it was so beautifully written. At times it read like a fantasy, at times like a mystery, and at times like a novel with paranormal themes and a touch of romance. The main character Briony is hiding a terrible secret. She knows she's a witch and that she caused her Stepmother's death and serious injuries to her twin sister. Now, there's someone new in town, and he is determined to look below the beautiful exterior and learn about the real Briony. Trouble is, who is the real Briony, and will it mean her death if that is revealed? You'll have to read this book to find out!
Monday, June 6, 2011
A Reader Reviews
Yay!! Finally! You all get a break from me for at least one post while I feature some entries from a guest reviewer, Shannon. Thanks Shannon!!
Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford
Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters got off to a great start and through most of the book, it was all very satisfying. I liked how the author used the three different views of each sister and made it so you couldn't decide which of the sisters had a guiltier confession. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone, except there was one small glitch at the end of the book. The ending was something of a fast last-thought that made you wonder why the author even wrote the three confessions of the sisters in the book because they didn't matter in the end, except as a common moral lesson. As much as I enjoyed the book, I was hoping for a better ending, but otherwise, it was great.
The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
The Ghost and the Goth was a very entertaining and fun book. A classic popular girl who thinks the highest of herself and a misunderstood boy clashed for an unlikely purpose. Although the ending was a bit confusing because the evidence leading up to it proved it couldn't happen, it made you think about the afterlife and what actually happens. If our ancestors are around us as spirits who haven't moved on, or if they have seen the light and left earth.
The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald
The Anti-prom was certainly a book of unexpected events. It kept you guessing about what would happen next and most of the time, it was a surprise. It does show the truth about life and what happens under the shiny surface of high school. Unfortunately, although this book wasn't very long, it seemed like the ending could have happened at any time. Many points in the book could have been perfect ending but the book kept going on and on. It went on and on with a purpose, but it didn't become any more interesting than it would have been if it ended earlier.
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