Even though we haven't posted in a while, I thought this would be interesting to show you:
Pageviews by CountriesWe have viewers from all over the world! Perhaps we should post more often...? Probably.
Canada 451
United States 111
Netherlands 26
Ukraine 26
Slovenia 17
Poland 15
Portugal 15
United Kingdom 10
Germany 9
Australia 4
If you are a huge Twilight fan and are wondering what to read next then "Mortal Kiss" might be for you.
"Mortal Kiss" is a hot new serialized mystery novel aimed at teenage girls that is being released online in snippets that will keep being updated between now and Halloween. It is a collaboration between Randon House Children's Books and Stardolls, an online games and fashion community aimed at teen girls. The first part was posted on 6th September so check it out at Mortal Kiss (just click on the book to get the actual story) to see what you think.
Further background information about the site can be found at the article "Look out Twilight, here comes digital Mortal Kiss".
I must say playing around on the site that there will be tons to do once it is all up and running, but for now the cyber "paper dolls" are pretty fun, there is even one of Faye the main character of the book who has a funky wardrobe to experiment with.
Warning: though the early chapters are free online, this implies that later on the company will be charging to view the ending so watch out!
This movie was not my first choice in movies to see in the theatre but I ended up going with my family. I'm pretty happy I did. This movie was crazy, silly and even random at points yet somehow the combination of acting and whacky comic book/ video game effects had me laughing. I might not recommend it to be watched inm theatres, but I would recommend renting it. It is rated pg-13 and it does have some content that is not meant for younger teens.
Accomplice (Released: August 1, 2010)
By Eireann Corrigan
A book about two teens that are looking to get into college. When their school councellor says that good grades and community service isn't enough anymore, Chloe and Finn make an epic plan. Chloe will disappear and Finn will find her, miraculously. However, not all they had expected was all that would occur. Facing many challenges and issues, Eireann Corrigan has handed us an awesome YA thriller.
Girl Parts (Released: August 10, 2010)
By John M. Cusick
"What happens when a robot designed to be a boy’s ideal “companion” develops a will of her own? A compulsively readable novel from a new talent.
David and Charlie are opposites. David has a million friends, online and off. Charlie is a soulful outsider, off the grid completely. But neither feels close to anybody. When David’s parents present him with a hot Companion bot designed to encourage healthy bonds and treat his “dissociative disorder,” he can’t get enough of luscious redheaded Rose — and he can’t get it soon. Companions come with strict intimacy protocols, and whenever he tries anything, David gets an electric shock. Parted from the boy she was built to love, Rose turns to Charlie, who finds he can open up, knowing Rose isn’t real. With Charlie’s help, the ideal “companion” is about to become her own best friend. In a stunning and hilarious debut, John Cusick takes rollicking aim at internet culture and our craving for meaningful connection in an uberconnected world. "
Rose Sees Red (Released: August 1, 2010)
By Cecil Castellucci
"Set in New York in the 1980s, this story of two ballet dancers (one American, one Russian) recounts the unforgettable night they spend in the city, and celebrates the friendship they form despite their cultural and political differences."
A great eye opener to the cultural differences. A must read for anyone looking for a World perspective.
Three Black Swans (Released: August 24, 2010)
By Caroline B. Cooney
"Missy and her cousin Claire are best friends who finish each other’s sentences and practically read each other’s minds. It’s an eerie connection—so eerie that Missy has questions she wants to put to her parents. But she’s afraid to ask. So when Missy hears an expert discussing newborn babies on the radio, it makes her wonder about her family.
Missy just can’t let go of those nagging questions, and decides to use a school project about scientific hoaxes to try to uncover the answers. She enlists Claire to help. As part of the project the girls perform a dramatic scene that is captured on video at school. After the video is posted on YouTube, Missy and Claire realize that they’ve opened Pandora’s box and much more than they ever imagined has come out. Not only are their identities called into question, but so is the future of everyone involved.
In this riveting, heartrending story by thriller author Caroline B. Cooney, the truth changes the lives of three families—as the bonds of blood must withstand the strains of long-hidden secrets that are at last revealed."
Release Date: 9 July 2010
d they did the most random, impossible things. The animation was wonderfully done, as it should be in this day and age.
Directed for the first time by Michael Apted, this movie will be released on December 10, 2010. With the same actors as the other recent Chronicles of Narnia films, this movie should be just as good as the others.
Summary: Return to the magic and wonder of C.S. Lewis’ beloved world – via the fantastic Narnian ship, the Dawn Treader. In this new installment of the blockbuster "The Chronicles of Narnia" motion picture franchise, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their cousin Eustace and their royal friend King Caspian, find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to the Dawn Treader. As they embark on an incredible adventure of destiny and discovery, they confront obstacles beyond imagination.
Based on the third published novel in C. S. Lewis' children's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia, I highly suggest you read the books if you haven't already. Especially if you enjoyed the film. As we all know, movie adaptions of books are always worse than the books themselves. No movie can capture the beauty of imagination created by words on a page.
Click here for a link to the official trailer in HD
Unfortunately for some of us, this beautifully animated movie will only be released in Canada at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Release Date: September 2010 (Toronto International Film Festival)
Here is a link to the IMDb site.
Directed by Sylvain Chomet, this was taken from the original screenplay by Jacques Tati. Sylvain does all his own production, including soundtracks and animation. He writes and directs all his animated movies. The picture to the left is of him.
Summary: Details the story of a dying breed of stage entertainer whose thunder is being stolen by emerging rock stars. Forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theaters, garden parties and bars, he meets a young fan who changes his life forever.
What scared me the most about these movies is how it took them so long to make it and how the directors were talking about getting new actors to play the much loved roles. Personally, that was the worst thing they ever could have done to the movies. Considering that the Harry Potter movies are some of the best adaptions of a book, they can't just go and change the actors. It would ruin everything. So, instead, they just used lots of makeup and things, I'm sure, to make them look younger. Unfortunately people won't just age 7 years over a period of 9, so they were getting too old in real life. Needless to say, the whole thing made the fans very unhappy. Those who are in love with Ron or Harry, or even Hermione, were shell-shocked to be told even temporarily that they would have to get to know new actors and actresses. I can't believe the directors ever even considered it.
This is the first of the two last movies for the entire series, corresponding to the first half of book 7. In this one, Harry, Ron, and Hermione go on the trek that Dumbledore sent them on to find and destroy all of the lost Horcruxes, but it won't be easy.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione are fugitives from the law when the Death Eaters have taken over the Ministry of Magic and there is a 10,000 galleon price for anyone who turns in Harry to the Death Eaters so Voldemort can kill him. The Dark Lord told all Death Eaters not to kill Harry because he wants Harry for himself.
Harry doesn't know what the horcruxes look like, where they are, and he doesn't have any means of destroying them. While Harry is on this quest, he keeps having little glimpses into Voldemorts mind and he sees that The Dark Lord is also on a quest, but Voldemort's quest is to find a wand that Harry has never heard of, and when Harry investigates this a bit, his leads take him to a mysterious story about "The Deathly Hallows". So, while Harry is looking for the Horcruxes and learning more about "The Deathly Hallows", he finds himself in more danger that he's ever been in before. And when danger calls, people die... and in the last thriller of the Harry Potter series, fight breaks out and a lot of people die, and you will be in tears during every minute of this movie only to be in even more tears when it's over.
Here's the link to the IMDB page.
Release Date: 24 November 2010
Yet another Disney movie, and they've done it again. This movie, although directed towards kids (as all Disney movies are) looks like it will be quite good. Made with the same type of animation as Bolt, it should be quite visually appealing.
As you may already know, most of the fairy tales that we know today, and most of the Disney movies are based on the fairy tales most popularly known because of the Grimm Brothers. This is a German fairy tale published in the collection by the Grimm Brothers entitled "Children's and Household Tales" in 1812. The Grimm Brothers' story is an adaptation of the fairy tale 'Persinette' by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force originally published in 1698. (We do have a few tellings of this tale at the Spruce Grove Library)
The voice actors to be used are Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Pam Hyatt, and Matthew Gray Gubler.
Here is the link to the official trailer.
Here's a link to a list of great YA fiction with GLBTQQI themes and/or characters.
Breaking News: Hilary Duff is writing a book! It's titled "Elixir" and is said to come out on October 12th 2010.
I think the best part about that is that it really goes to show how well celebrities have it. I mean, if they weren't already famous they probably wouldn't be able to do as much as they do. Just think, Hilary has had her own clothing and home line, starred in her very own TV show, had 10 movies (at least three well-reviewed), released five CD's, and has her own perfume brand. As far as I'm concerned, she's way too young to have any of this. But she's done well for herself being only 23 years old. Now all she has to do is direct her own movie and get convicted and she'll have done just about everything it takes to be any kind of celebrity. That, and she's now getting married to an Edmonton hockey player. Needless to say, the girl's done well for herself. Unfortunately, many parallels can be made between her and Justin Bieber. He's got two CD's, his own clothing line, will be starring in a movie, and is claiming he will write his own memoirs. Being only 16, he's not far behind Hilary. The dilema here is that the people that grew up with Hilary Duff are now too old for Justin Bieber. And the people who are growing up with Justin Bieber and too young for Hilary Duff. So, we can come to the conclusion that they serve essentially the same purpose for the consecutive generations. They are great for twelve year old fan girls, but after that they don't serve much purpose. At the point when their twelve year old fangirls are no longer twelve years old and have moved on, they find some other kind of celebrity status to fulfill - so they come out with books and clothes lines. Quite smart when you think about it, attempting to appeal to the masses. However, the only flaw in their plan is that they still have the air of "twelve year old fangirl type" which they will never fully loose. Good for them for trying, though. I wouldn't want that label stuck to me forever either.
Book description:
As the daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington D.C. politician, Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. And though she dreads the paparazzi who track her every move, she herself is a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world.
But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful young man begin to appear in Clea’s photos—a man she has never seen in her life.
When Clea suddenly encounters this man in person she is stunned—and feels an immediate and powerful connection. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance and discover the centuries-old truth behind their intense bond.
Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fate, together they race against time to unravel their past in order to save their future—and their lives.
Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams.
This book was amazingly written, and wonderfully compelling. Easy to read, although the story was tough. A great point of view and a very touching story. Having the narrator as the younger sister was a great idea as I don't think the story would have worked otherwise. And the best part about it is that there are no surprises, as you are told at the beginning most of what happens. It was beautifully written and the poetry style of writing was a fabulous way of telling this touching, heart-breaking story.
"Twelve year old girl Hope's life is turned upside down when her older sister Lizzie becomes an elective mute and is institutionalized after trying to kill herself. Ever since their dad died Hope and Lizzie have relied on each other from a young age. Their mother is a reluctant and unreliable parent at best, who turns tricks to support the family."
Between the ages of 14 and 18? A legal resident of any of the 50 States or Canada (exluding Quebec)? Sign up for this awesome way to read books online for free. Review them, and meet other Pulse It members! Also, you can win a prize every month!
"Welcome to Pulse It! What's Pulse It, you ask? Only a way to read amazing teen books for free online, and have your voice heard as a reviewer, trend-spotter, and all-around expert. So if you want early access to great books, join this community of fellow readers and become part of the "it" thing! "
Details and about page.
Make sure to get the permission from your parent/guardian before you download anything!
Finding Kir Royo by Laura Fay
Public Bookshelf
A ton of free books @ New Free Books
NGPL Teen Zone - Cool Ebooks - adventure, horror, mystery, plays, romance, science fiction.
The teenagers guide to the real world - online! - great articles for teenagers.
Obooko - Free teen and young adult ebooks
Saving for college or university? Want to buy that nice new car?
First, you'll need to make money. Other than getting a job, here's some ways you can do that!
Mowing lawns
Babysitting
Selling things on eBay
Conducting a garage sale (get rid of all those old toys you no longer use)
Dog-sitting
Starting a small neighborhood business
Doing work for your parents
Being a caddy at the local golf course
Get a newspaper route
Some other things you can do:
Avoid loaning out money to people without first getting a written statement of repayment and/or collateral. Never assume that you will be paid back when you want, if ever at all.
Avoid borrowing money unless it is an emergency. Always pay people back as promised and on time.
Develop a savings plan. Put away a specific percentage each time you earn money. Place it in a piggy bank that does not allow for easy access to the money.
Avoid using credit. Credit may seem like free money, but what really happens is that you pay for the item later, and at a highly inflated price. It is very easy to get trapped by using credit and the credit card companies know this and use it to make a lot of money off of you. Use cash instead.
If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it!
Shop around before making a significant purchase. Make sure you are getting the best product at the best price.
Find out what the return policy is before making a significant purchase. You don’t want to get stuck with a defective product that can’t be returned.
If you have a checking account, always make sure you have enough money in the account before writing a check. Most banks charge a considerable fee for having insufficient funds. Besides, it is illegal to write bad checks!
Always maintain a minimum amount in your checking account that you will never go below (for instance, $100) then assume that once you get down to $100, there is no money left in the account.
Set financial goals then develop a plan for reaching them.
Avoid spending money on unnecessary things. For example, why spend $15 dollars eating out when you can eat at home for free? How about renting a movie instead of paying $8 at the theater? Each time you feel like you did something to save money, put the difference in your piggy bank. It will add up quickly.
Purchase things using only bills then put your leftover change (coins) in a piggy bank. Deposit it every six months or so into your savings account. It, too, will add up quickly.
Drink water while eating at fast food places. Most of these places charge over $1.50 for a large soda. That’s more than if you were to buy a two-liter bottle at the store! Besides, water is good for you!
Remember to pay yourself first. Whenever you make money, I suggest putting away 10% into a savings account that you can only access at the bank. That way, the money will grow and you won't spend any without realizing it. Also look for the best kind of savings account that is tax-free and gives you a good interest rate. Ask your bank for details.
Don't be afraid to say no. If a friend asks for money "just this once", and you don't feel like you should spend it, don't. If they're a good friend (like they are!) then they won't hold it against you. Once you start paying for other people, they will think you're okay with it. Also, the small amounts do add up. Even if it's just a coffee every morning, that's two dollars a day, meaning that's $14 a week. It doesn't seam like much, but in a month that's $56 and in a year thats $672. That could buy an old used car or pay for all your college textbooks, and then some.
Be smart. Your money is your money. Not anyone elses.
Here at the Spruce Grove Library, we are trying to do more for teens. A few of the ideas that we have are things like movie nights and (continuing) Teen Media Nights.
One of the things we want to start is a "review committee". So a bunch of teens would get together and go see a movie or read a book or anything like that and compile a bunch of reviews about it. They would then be put up on this blog for the whole world to see! This could happen over a span of a month per review, or so. Part of this committee could be writing fan-fiction or roleplaying with friends using the characters/setting/plot from the book or movie.
The other thing we are interested in is displaying your art. If you have a drawing or a painting that is small enough to be scanned, or if you have a piece of digital art you want to share, you can contact the blog admin (see below) and we will be sure to get it featured on the blog! Also any writing you've done, poetry or prose of even non-fiction, could be posted on the blog as well.
Interested? Contact simone@sprucegrovelibrary.org.
Clarkesworld Magazine is a free online magazine that features science-fiction and fantasy short stories, both in text and audio format. They are also available for sale on Amazon for the Kindle. (Why you would buy it when you could read it for free, who knows. But hey - if you support the genre and support magazines, why not?) They feature authors such as Jay Lake, Sarah Monette, Cat Rambo, Kij Johnson and Catherynne M. Valente, as well as less known authors.
"Clarkesworld is a monthly science fiction and fantasy magazine first published in October 2006. Each issue contains at least two pieces of original fiction from new and established authors. Our fiction is also collected by issue in signed chapbooks and annually in our print anthology, Realms."
Check them out!
Both editors in the science-fiction/fantasy/horror field, these two awesome people have collaborated and are making a podcast released weekly on Saturdays. They talk about the genre(s) and new books/authors and the philosophy of the genre. Interested? Click here.
As they said on their first episode: "Here is the first full-length Coode Street podcast. Recorded just minutes ago, Gary and I discuss what it means to work and review for Locus, SF’s attraction to the ‘new’ in new weird, new space opera and new sword and sorcery, career pressure on short story writers, as well as books by China Mieville and others. We also mention some books we’re looking forward to. With a little luck we’ll podcast regularly (every week or two), so we hope you enjoy it. Also if there are any problems with the audio, my apologies. I’m still working this out."
Enjoy!
Hey all! Obviously, this is my first post. What I'll be doing mostly is posting book reviews. I thought for starters I would post some that I've written in the past. So, here goes. Feel free if you have any suggestions or a book you want reviewed or anything to email me!
Poe's Children Edited by Peter Straub. Out of 24 stories, three of them were worth reading. "Cleopatra brimstone", "The man on the ceiling", and "The voice of the beach" were the only ones worth reading. I was looking forward to reading this book, but unfortunatley it didn't live up to my expectation. The stories were not horror-like at all, and if this is the face of the "New Horror", I won't be reading much of it.
Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente. Caution: The city featured in the book is a “sexually transmitted city” so there is SEXUAL CONTENT! I have to admit that this is in my top 5 books. It was really well done, and so different then anything I've read. Considered by me as one of the best of Urban Fantasy, this was Hugo and Locus nominated. This book won the Lambda award in 2010. Great job, Catherynne!
Wake by Robert J. Sawyer. An amazingly intuitive, scientific, thoughtful novel. A great approach to the meaning and understanding of reality and "being" through the eyes of a blind girl. Definitely recommend this read, as it is absolutely outstanding.
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. It's a cute novel for teens. Good plot, typical story line. Keeps a reader interested but I wouldn't say it was amazing.
The Ancient Track by H.P. Lovecraft. I love H.P. Lovecraft, and this is a great variety of his work, but I have to admit that his prose is more captivating then his poetry. “The Ancient Track collects the complete poetry of one of the twentieth century’s most iconic writers.”
The Virtu by Sarah Monette. Caution: Some SEXUAL suggestions! And once again Sarah Monette has created a masterpiece. The second in her "Doctrine of Labyrinths" series has made the craving to read on even greater. With a heavy plot and many plot twists the book is always a task well awaited. Whenever you sit down to read you know you'll be going on an adventure. Between being amazingly well written and having such strong characters, this book is one of my favorites. I don't remember having one account of a character acting out-of-character. I don't want to spoil any plots, but I definitely recommend the series!
Keeping It Real (Quantum Gravity, Book 1) by Justina Robson. I thought that this book was an amazing story. It took me a bit to get into it initially, but I must admit that the plot was intriguing. I tried to put it down a few times to read other things but ideas would snag at my mind and I had to pick it up again. If you are interesting in fantasy or sci-fi then this is the book for you, guaranteed to satisfy either liking. I had to pick up the next book in the series, it drove me nuts!