Divergent – Veronica Roth

“A memorable, unpredictable journey from which it is nearly impossible to turn away.”— (Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Divergent will be a great book for students to study and read.  A story taking place in Chicago with people grouped into factions.

The names of the factions:

Candor, Amity Abnegation which are nouns..

Dauntless, Erudite  which are adjectives

Each faction chose their own names independently, just as they wrote their own manifestos independently and formed their own customs and rules independently.

If you had to choose, which faction would you join…?

I am not for sure yet which faction I would be be suited to live in as a group..I like the Dauntless and the Erudite…That could change tomorrow.

When you finish Divergent you will need to read-Insurgent.

…

“Between Shades of Gray” by Ruta Sepetys

“Between Shades of Gray” will be my book of the week….

 Things to know about this story before you read the book:  The nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia disappeared from maps in 1941 and did not reappear until 1990.  This is a story seldom told, Ruta Sepetys  wanted to give a voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives during Stalin’s cleansing of the Baltic region.

In 1941, fifteen year old Lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all the summer has to offer.  But one night, the Soviets secret police barge into her home, deporting her along with her mother, and younger brother.  They are being sent to Siberia.  All is lost..  This is the story of her journey. 

I had the opportunity to read the first part of this story to one of Mrs. Rice’s classes.  They were very quiet and listened to every riveting word.  I could tell they felt for this young girl and her family. 

“Between shades of Gray “ will steal your heart. 

David Crockett “The Lion of the West”

“The Lion of the West “  written by Michael Wallis.  Wallis cast a fresh look at  Davy Crockett and the wild stories that are told about his life.  I believe the real man proves to be more interesting than his fictional re-creations.
For my generation the boomers,   Davy was the hero of the Alamo. A popular song  was  written about him and Disney made him very popular with all children.  The story  tells about his early years and his time being a politician.   Crockett considered running for president, wrote a best-selling memoir , and became the inspiration for an immensely popular play, The Lion of the West.      The author also talks about Davy coming to Texas and his death at the Alamo.

I enjoyed reading about his life and adventures.  To me he is still  a hero in  Texas… I really do not care what Mr. Wallis has to say in his book..

Banned Book Week

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

A few of the banned books in my library–oh no!!

Bless Me Ultima

Sister Carrie

Tiger Eyes  -Judy Blume

Catch 22

Chocolate War

Oliver Twist

Just to name a few…..Every book is not the best  choice for every reader.  If a book is unappealing or offensive to you in any way, return it and select another…That is  an easy fix. Reading is a joy, a privilege, and the right  of every reader…

Have a good week….read a book maybe even a banned book..

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I just found this book in the library.  It was purchased in 2003 and I noticed it had not been read in all these years.  I looked up the reviews and could not believe how popular this book had been in the day..It was a national bestseller  and a Today Show book club selection.

Let me give you a quick review..: 

Christopher Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057.  He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched.  And he detest the color yellow.  This improbable story of Christopher’s quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded novels in recent years.

I have only read a few chapters-It is a good story but flawed from the beginning…The “Bad Word” flares up in the opening when the neighbor lady finds her dog murdered..Christopher being the person he is -repeats the word when quoting her…  The question of the day…mark out the words–pull the book–do not censor a good book…

I will ponder this question as I keep reading.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

My very first post on my new blog

Today is the beginning of a new era for me in the library.  With help from family and friends I have a blog name and hopefully a purpose for writing a blog… We must all remember when reading my blog, that I am not an English major…not even close.  This will just be a fun endeavor to share books, book reviews

and tidbits throw in for free..