Packaging woes

To me, Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception is the perfect example of how a cover can make or break a book. Stiefvater's dark, edgy, tale of the fey is the perfect story for any teen currently devouring Melissa Marr or Holly Black with its blend of evil faeries, celtic lore, and romance. Sadly, cover A happens to be the cover that has been collecting dust in my library- despite the popularity of Marr and Black. Cover B is what arrived on my doorstep from the publisher- much more visually appealing to me, but does little to convey the aspects of the story that will market it to fans of the urban fey subgenre (though both the knife and the clovers are important story elements). To add insult to injury, rather than include a synopsis on the cover, the publisher put one sentence and then relies on snipets of reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and KLIATT singing its praises. Which is sad, because this book is really good and has the potential to be another title that teens rave about, but will they discover it without my recommending it? I'm not sure.

Every Soul a Star

So this one is a little bit on the young side, but I adore it. It's pretty rare that an author can squeeze in that much science without getting dull or preachy. The three characters are wonderfully different and I think they'd appeal to kids with a wide range of experiences.

Above all, the stories are not cheesy or contrived. They're very real with very real events.

I heart Wendy Mass.

Love is the Higher Law

Just finished this tonight and I'm wondering how much of my reaction to the novel was in response to my own experiences that day and the vividness of my memories. Will teens connect with the story in that same meaningful fashion- especially since they were most likely under the age of 10 at the time. How much did they understand about what was happening to remember so clearly where they were and what they saw? I think they understand and appreciate the significance of that day, but teens are so "in the moment", does 9-11 hold the meaning for them that it does for us as adults?

I want a Catching Fire Shirt!!!

http://www.libraryloungelizard.com/2009/08/awesome-contest.html

After the Moment

I just finished this book and I have to say that I'm a bit disturbed. I know that the story was mostly written from the boy's perspective, but I'm having a hard time swallowing the fact that Maia just walked away from being raped... and is somehow healthier even though she refuses to acknowledge that it happened. How could someone with an eating disorder just walk away from something like that unscathed?!

I didn't really buy into the romance in the first place... it seemed forced... but the arc of the story was just lacking. I really felt like it was missing some resolution.

I was disappointed.

Listening to an old favorite

I temporarily ran out of audio books in my cue so I am revisiting an old favorite.

Has anyone read/listened to this book? I LOVE it. It has to be one of the most romantic, sensual stories I've ever read. And the narrator reads it in this lovely satiny whispery voice that just makes it that much more intense.

I suspect that adults might enjoy it even more than teens since it's about young adult ghosts taking over the bodies of teenagers. I know it sounds weird... but it's amazing.

Ok, I'm done. Really I just wanted to fill the space. :)