Systematic Student:
basically amazing

Today is my first actual Memory Monday post, and I'm pretty excited about it! If you missed what Memory Monday is all about, you can read this post here for a more detailed explanation.

I thought for a while about which book I want to start with, but couldn't really settle on one book. Two of the books I read this week happened to be fairy tale retellings, and I have quite a few (a lot) more on my read and to-read lists, so I decided I would start my Memory Monday postings with the reason I love fairy tales so much. And that reason is:

Grimm's Fairy Tales as written and collected by The Brother's Grimm!

Have any of you read their collection of fairy tales?! It's wonderful!

I first read this when I was 10 years old. We were spending a week or so visiting my grandparents, and I was bored. I love my grandparents very much, but at 10 years old, just being in the same house is usually enough. I'm sure you can all relate...

Always having been a reader, I was looking for a book. They had a few picture books, a lot of plays (my grandfather and that whole side of my family is very big into theater), and a bunch of non-fiction — biographies and the link. When you are ten, all of that equals one big BLAH.

I can't tell you how much time I spent searching their shelves just hoping that something interesting would appear and give me something to read. There are only so many times you can play "River Wild" in the hammock. (That's another long story...) Ahem...

As I was searching the shelves, my grandpa pulled an old copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales from the bookcase and told me to give it a try. I was skeptical at first but soon because deeply fascinated by these dark and often morbid tales. Disney never told me that Cinderella's bird friends pecked out her evil-stepsister's eyes, or that Snow White 'dies' two or three times before finally eating the apple, and that it's the dwarf's who save her the first times. There were so many more tales that I had never heard of before and they were all so fascinating. Not all of the heroines are helpless, waiting for their prince to come. A lot of them are ultimately the ones who save their princes and even the tales that have a happy ending are not nearly as peaceful getting their as the current tales would have you believe.

I overheard my grandpa remarking how impressed he was with me to my parents because of my reading. I was sitting on the couch while my brothers were watching cartoons when my grandpa walked through the room. He assumed we were all watching TV, but was impressed and pleased to find me tuning out the TV and little brother noises to focus on my book. I was, as my grandma says, tickled pink. I remember that day, and I remember that book. I loved the stories so much that my parents got me my own copy that Christmas which I promptly sat down and read again, and would use night after night to read bed time stories to my younger brothers. I have such fond memories of these stories, and I love reading them in their original form and retold in new and unique ways.

Because of this book, I also read The Complete Tales of Hans Christian Anderson, and although there were a few favorites there (namely The Little Match Girl and Thumbina) the stories of the Brother's Grimm are most definitely the favorites. (Do you know that HCA has a fairy tale (no lie) about a dung beetle? Ya, I thought it was weird too).

The Brother's Grimm had a very definite impact on me early reading, and what interests me today. Do you have any old favorites? I'd love to hear about them! Leave me a comment telling me about your childhood favorites, or linking me to your blog post, or telling me about your experiences with Grimm's Fairy Tales! I'd love to hear from you!

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson and The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry are two of my very favorite Christmas stories. Both of these stories are able to instantly bring to mind clear memories of past Christmases, and times spent with my family. Click the titles if you would like to read the stories online. They are both definitely worth the time it takes to read.

As I mentioned in a previous Memory Monday, my family is a bit... dramatic. My dad's parents started a home town theater in West Yellowstone, Montana and my grandfather was a drama professor for years. Acting, orating, speaking and dramatic readings are one of the most clear and vivid pictures I have of my grandfather, and certain milestones in my life are remembered by which story Grandpa was telling.

These two stories were stories that he told over and over again. Both stories are bittersweet, although the ending to The Gift of the Magi is most definitely happier than that of The Little Match Girl but both embody something inherent to the spirit of Christmas.

In O. Henry's story, the husband and wife are willing to sacrifice their most prized and valued possessions to purchase something nice for the other. Their desire to show the love they have for each other is stronger than the desire to maintain their possessions, and learning this is a greater gift than any trinket or bobble, no matter how nice, could be.

Anderson's story appears far more tragic, and it took me a while as a child to appreciate and understand why the story was told at Christmas time. The story leaves us with the idea and the hope of a better place. Our little match girl is alone, cold, and unloved. When she begins striking the matches she is supposed to be selling in a vain attempt to keep warm, she sees a glorious image of food, warmth and love, directed and given to her. Desperate to maintain that vision, she strikes all of the matches and is found in the morning frozen, with a wide smile upon her face. I admit that I don't have an easy line or idea about what this story means about Christmas. I have a much stronger reaction to this story when I listening to a recitation of it, or reading it on my own. But, I have a gut reaction to this story, that makes it feel like Christmas and love.

I know that this is largely due to my grandfather, because of his love for the tale, but regardless, this is a story that resonates with me, that leaves me questioning, thinking and wondering about the true meaning of Christmas.

Both of these are stories that I strongly recommend you seek out if you are unfamiliar with them. What Christmas stories do you hear every year? What memories do those bring?

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly is a vivid and captivating book filled with feeling. If you haven't yet read anything by Donnelly, I seriously think you are missing out, and I strongly recommend you fix that. Now.

Revolution is the story of Andi, an intelligent, talented girl who should have her whole future ahead of her. She's always been smart, has done well in school and is a gifted musician — able to play guitar and write her own music. But, her younger brother died in an accident about a year ago and Andi blames herself. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, Andi loses focus on everything but her music. Her mom is immobilized by grief, scarcely able to function, and her dad, who has never been around much, retreats even further.

When her father forces her to accompany him to Paris, as a way to rescue her slipping grades, Andi is angry and can think of nothing more than getting back to New York. But then she discovers a journal, hidden in a guitar case that might date back to the French Revolution, and her world changes.

I was blown away by this book. The writing is intense and powerful, and Andi's pain practically screamed from the pages. Her depression and detachment from life was so real, and so perfectly portrayed that I found myself experiencing everything right along with her. But even more than just experiencing it with her, Andi was so well written, and so real a character to me that I found myself knowing how Andi would feel or react to a situation as it happened, before we, as readers, were given her reaction. I knew her. I don't think I've ever felt such a strong connection to a character before, but it was thrilling.

The only thing that really reaches Andi is her music and this is where she goes when life becomes too much for her, often playing her guitar until her fingers bleed. She is constantly listening to music, both classical and contemporary and she lets that heal the outward hurt. Nothing can touch that empty place inside her, but she seems content to let that fester, although that 'contentment' might be more a side effect of the anti-depressants she eats like candy than anything real on her part.

It was powerful watching Andi struggle between life and death, both metaphorically and realistically. There is more than one aborted suicide attempt, and they start right at the beginning of the story. She isn't sure if she wants to die, but she also isn't sure she wants to continue living.

Her experiences in Paris help to open her eyes to life, and help her to understand that although her grief will always be a part of her, it does not have to completely define her. Both the journal she discovers of a young girl living through the French Revolution, and Virgil, a boy she met while joining a local band for a few songs help to bring Andi back from the depression she's been drowning in.

I liked the sections with the journal. It was well written and engaging, but Alexandrine was never a real person for me the way she was for Andi, and the way Andi was for me. I don't mean to be derogatory toward them at all, because they are an essential part of the story, and still beautifully written. But, they were always sections of a journal, fascinating, but removed from me. I doubt I would have paid as much attention to this if my connection to Andi hadn't been so strong.

Virgil was wonderful. Although he doesn't have a lot of actual face time throughout the story, he is in no way a minor character, but neither is he the focus of the story, which was nice. (I'm a little bored with the books right now that seem to be all about the romance, even when other points should be more important. Virgil was great and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. It was pretty realistic. They met, and are attracted to each other. Andi does think about him a lot over the next few days, but isn't obsessed, and doesn't believe herself to be in love. He's just on her mind, because it's a new-almost relationship.

This book was almost perfect. The only reason I'm not calling this book Basically Amazing is because of climax. It's the part of the summary that reads, "on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present."
Take from that what you will/what you can. I won't spoil it for you. I had my thoughts on what that might mean when I picked up the book, and was a little disappointed to realize which of my theories was correct. It didn't work quite as well for me as the rest of the story.

However, Andi is one of the strongest characters I've ever come across, and this is most definitely a book I'm going to have on my 'keep forever' shelf. It deserves to be read again and again, because I imagine there will be new things waiting for me every time.

*UPDATE — This is one of those books that refuses to let go of a person. So... I'm updating my previous rating from Loved it, but to BASICALLY AMAZING!:) Seriously — GO READ THIS BOOK!!

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman is easily one of the best books I have read this year. It's an intensely personal story about the struggle of a young girl whose world is changed in the blink of an eye.

Mia's life is full. She's been very blessed. She has a wonderful boyfriend, is an incredibly talented Cellist and she has a wonderful close family who gets her. She is close to her parents and younger brother, in a way that few people are really able to experience, especially as a teenager. We are given just enough time in the beginning of the book to meet Mia's family and in those few pages, we are able to see the connection this family shares.

Her family is involved in a horrible accident, and Mia is rushed to the hospital in a coma. She watches everything around her trying to understand the changes to her life, and where to go from there. Because she realizes it's her choice. She can choose to live or die. And what would you decide?

The book is Mia's struggle to make that all important choice. The story is told in flashed between then and now. We switch between scenes with Mia and her family and friends in the hospital, and her memories of the important people in her life. We are introduced to everyone through Mia's memories as she lays in a coma in the hospital, in limbo between life and death. It's heart wrenching to watch as each loved one comes to her bedside to talk. They give her words of hope, love, encouragement, understanding, and peace. They plead for her to remain, even while understanding why it's so hard. Every page teams with emotion and every memory tears at your heart.

I won't go into detail about the complete impact and effect music has to this story other than to say it is essential to almost every character. Music is a way of life for these people and it's changed each of them. Mia's boyfriend Adam is in a band that might be about to make it big, Mia's been playing the Cello for years, her father used to be in a band and on and on.

The writing in this book is incredibly powerful. There is a genuine connection to each character and a realness that makes you believe in them. I would say that Forman is a genuinely gifted writer. I can't remember the last time I believed in people so much, felt so much like the people I was reading about were real. I had tears streaming down my face for the vast majority of the book, and I was unable to put it down. It's a short book, and I read it in one sitting, but that in no way takes away from its impact. This book is beyond a doubt powerful, emotional, and compelling. Never doubt that its important.

I finished reading The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins a few days ago, and I've spent a lot of time deciding how I wanted to review them. I finally decided that I don't really need to review them here. Some one else, on some other blog, or maybe several other people have probably already said what I am going to say about them. My words are not going to entice some new reader to explore this series. With the amount of hype surrounding them, and the insane amounts of attention they've received, if you haven't already read them, I'm sure you have your own reasons for that, and what I have to say is unlikely to change your mind. However, I will probably write a review of them individually on Goodreads (and I will link them here once I have) for anyone who really wants to see what I think about them, and I am always available for discussion if someone is interested in talking about it with me.

So, what I've decided I will tell you briefly what I thought about them/my emotions reading each book. Then, I'm going to get to the point. I really want to talk about something I've noticed that seems to happen to widely read series of books.

I am going to say right out that I loved these books. All three of them. I read all three of them almost back to back ( I took a 3 hour break between Catching Fire and Mockingjay so that I could eat something and give my system a chance to level off because the adrenaline was too much and I was just about shaking.) I haven't been that involved in a book in a long time — where my whole body, my whole system becomes involved and invested in the story. I've gotta say, it's pretty intense! The first two were like one constant adrenaline high. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next, I was on the edge of my seat, dying to know what was going to happen. Mockingjay was different. It was much more subtle. I can definitely see where people were disappointed in the book, although I actually think it was a brilliant ending, and although I was a little bummed by the way a few things turned out, I also thought that it was almost exactly what would have happened if any of this were real.

Reading these books, and watching what happened among the fan base at the end has brought me to a decision about hugely popular, widely read series. Especially the final book of the series. And that is, if the words "highly anticipated conclusion", "the ending you've all been waiting for" or any variant on that theme are associated with your book, there are going to be people who LOVE it and there are going to be people who HATE it. If you are lucky, there will be a few people in between, but that's rather unlikely. As an author, and as a reader of the aforementioned series, you are just going to have to accept that. You might be one of those who hate the ending, or you might be on the other side, completely flabbergasted that there are people out here who didn't love the ending. Either way, you should probably just expect that.

We saw it a little bit with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. A lot of people loved the book. But, there were also a lot of fans who were really disappointed with it, especially the epilogue. There was too much information, or not enough, Harry talked too much, it was too easy, 'You killed who?!' etc. Not everyone was happy with the way it ended. We saw it in the extreme with Breaking Dawn. I've never come across so many readers who took a book so personally in my life. I cannot believe the number of people who acted as if Stephenie Meyer killed their dog (or cat, for those who prefer them). I've read some books that I didn't much care for in my time, but I've never once thought to make the attack personal on the author. But, more people that I care to remember personally attacked Meyer for writing such a bad book. Now, personal feelings on the book completely aside, that's uncalled for people. Really, it's just a book.

Anyway, we've seen it with other huge series, and now we see it with Mockingjay and the end to The Hunger Games. I'm sad that so many people seemed so disappointed in Mockingjay, but I can't really say that I'm all that surprised.

Becky over at Escapism through Books has given me The Prolific Blogger Award! I'm pretty excited! It's been a great week for me! So, here is the award!

"A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive, keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content. After accepting this award, recipients are asked to pass it forward to seven other deserving blogs."

Isn't that nice?! So thank you Becky! It definitely made my day!

Here are the blogs I think are also deserving of this award:

1 — After the Fall
2 — Roof Beam Reader
3 — The Next Best Book Blog
4 — Dad at the Chalkboard

Head over and check out their blogs! I know I'm supposed to be giving it to 7 bloggers, but I wanted to get this posted today, and I'm super busy. These are the blogs that immediately came to mind, which mean, of course, that they are extra great! Maybe throughout the next few days I'll add more (no promises though.)

A while back, I received my first blogger award, The Versatile Blogger from Becky at Escapism through Books.
Within the past ten days, I've received three more!:) I'd been trying to decide what to say about myself, and who to tag, when I received another one! (And then another!)

So, because I'm lazy, I'm going to combine all three awards into one post, and just give 7 facts once (but I'll make them really good ones) and 15 blogs I think you should check out!

The rules are: 1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award 2. Share 7 things about you 3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers you have recently discovered and think are fantastic! 4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award!
So, I would like the thank Savannah at Books with Bite for my second Versatile Blogger award (the first this time around). She did give it to me a while ago, but I've been out of town, and pretty busy. Next, I'd like to thank Kelsey, over at Kelsey's Book Corner for my the second award in this wave. Finally, I'd like to thank Lily who writes the blog After the Fall. Thanks so much to each of you ladies for passing on this award to me! It definitely helped make this week special!
Because it looks cool, here are each of my awards:

So, 7 facts about me:

~*~ My BS in Psychology. And you know what? I actually like Freud. I think he's brilliant and has a much better grasp on human nature, behavior and motivation than most people give him credit for. I really believe that most people who hang out in the Freud bashing camp don't actually understand what he's talking about. So there.

~*~ When I know I'm going to need to have one of those type big conversations with a person (confrontation, criticisms, What the *&^# do you think you're doing?! etc.) I will often have the entire conversation with myself first so that I can be prepared for whatever you are going to throw at me. You think you can catch me by surprise? Ha! I already planned for that contingency!

~*~ School has always been really easy for me. Tests too. I 'blame' reading. I think learning is easier for those people who have been long-time readers. (Preaching to the choir about that one, I'm sure.)

~*~ It gives me warm fuzzies to see (or hear from) people who don't read all too often with a book, especially when I am the one who recommended/provided that book.

~*~ Although I like movies, I don't watch a lot of them. I have a hard time blocking out that 2+ hour time slot to devote to a movie. I read instead, because I can pretend I'll only read one chapter (maybe two) before I get on to whatever else I really should be doing — even though I almost always spend longer reading than I would have spent watching the movie.

~*~ If I don't like what's happening in my book, I'll set it down for a minute, 'fix' the scene in my mind, so the characters do what I think they should have been doing, and then I'll keep reading, much happier.

~*~ I like Basshunter, which is Swedish techno. I believe this guy is one of those YouTube sensations, but it's crazy fun and I like it!

Thanks again to you three bloggers for recognizing me, and now for the blogs I would like to highlight:
(again, it should go without saying that I enjoy the blog's content, and the extra is just something fun to pique your interest)

1) Cynspiration because I like the crafty stuff. And the Bowser costume?! So cool!
2) Courtney Reads because her about me says 'book maniac' and all I could think is (song) She's a maniac, maniac!... (end song)
3) The Book Coop cuz I enjoy the owls.
4) Harmony's Radiant Reads because she says awesomesauce.
5) The Nerd's Wife because I think she's funny.
6) The Perpetual Page Turner because I want to and I like her flower.
7) Potter, Percy and I because it makes me really happy that she's a reader so young.
8) The Allure of Books because let's be real — books are alluring.
9) A Book Obsession because I have one too.
10) In the Which Ems Reviews Books because I enjoy her smiley faces.
11) Booksploring because I just found it, and I'm liking what I see.
12) Oodles of Books because I like the word oodles.
13) Cracking Spines and Taking Names because of the 7/30 post. 13-13-13... I love it!
14) Blkosiner's Book Blog because her header makes me think of a present.
15) A Chick Who Reads because I am too!

So there ya go. Check out these great blogs and let me know what you think! And, stayed tuned, because I have another post for another award coming soon. (Beams.)

I know I haven't been posting about it much, but this review is also a part of Once Upon a Bookcase's Body Image and Self-Perception month. Head on over and check out all the other wonderful reviews available.

In my mind, an eating disorder is the ultimate manifestation of both poor body image, and a distorted self-perception. I graduated with a BS in Psychology last December, and in one of my undergrad classes, we devoted a large percentage of time to discussing eating disorders and where they stem from. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson is one of the best books I've read this year, and I would say that it is the best book I've ever read that handles eating disorders.

Lia is a young girl who has been suffering from anorexia for several years. She's been hospitalized twice, and the family tries to help keep watch over Lia, and make sure she is eating. They weigh her regularly and prepare meals and 'watch' her eat. But Lia is clever, and she is unable to give up her disorder. She cleverly lines the pockets of the robe she is weighed in with quarters and smears food on a plate before dumping it down the garbage disposal to give the appearance of having eaten. For a long time, Lia feels like she is in control and that losing all this weight makes her powerful. However, after the death of her former best friend, Cassie. Lia's world begins falling apart and she loses control over her life. Toward the end of the novel, she begins to make observations and gains new understanding that gives the reader hope she will overcome her illness.

I think one of the most telling sentences in this book is when Lia really starts to realize what this disease is to her, and where her motivation to starve herself comes from. She keeps obsessive track of her weight, and gives herself goals — I'm 105 lbs? I need to be 100. And on from there. She steps on the scale one day and the number reads 89. Her thoughts, "I could say I'm excited, but that would be a lie. The number doesn't matter. If I got down to 070.00, I'd want 065.00. If I weighed 010.00, I wouldn't be happy until I got down to 005.00. The only number that would ever be enough is 0. Zero pounds, zero life, size zero, double-zero, zero point. Zero in tennis is love. I finally get it. (emphasis added, pg. 220)

I think that there is too much focus placed on the body-image problems facing people who suffer from an eating disorder, and not enough attention given to their warped views of themselves. In one of my undergrad classes, we discussed this at length, and talked about new research being developed that suggests the root causes for many people suffering from eating disorders stem from far more than the desire to be skinny or even the desire to control at least one aspect of their lives. Although both of those play a role in the formation of the disorder, the new research suggests that these eating disorders actually stem more from the desire to disappear. Subconsciously they view themselves as unworthy of love, and that because of their flaws or imperfections, they are not worthy to take up space. So, they are literally trying to starve themselves out of existence. They don't necessarily want to die, but neither do they wish to live. It's scary research, but it's research that makes a frightening amount of sense. That LHA was able to grasp that idea and articulate it so well with just a small paragraph, and a simple sentence speaks volumes to me about her skill as a writer, and her ability to develop believable and realistic characters. Lia just breaks my heart.

One of the most powerful aspects of the novel is also potentially distracting. LHA uses the strike through text to signify the difference between what Lia was thinking and what Lia actually said. Or, it could be what Lia thought vs. what she knew she was supposed to think. Either way, the strike through offers additional insight into the mind of Lia, and enables us as readers to better understand what she's really thinking.

I recommend this book to everyone, even though I know it won't be for everyone. LHA doesn't pull her punches with this one, and I really felt that I was living the life of an anorexic teen along with Lia. And let me tell you, it was not comfortable. It was scary, painful and terrifying. I can only imagine how much worse it would be for someone actually suffering through this. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book as soon as possible. But I warn you, don't pick it up expecting a light read that will fill a few hours. This novel is gripping, intense and horrifying. It is one of the best books I've read all year and I just can't bring myself to give it anything but my highest rating. It is basically amazing in every way. Way to go Laurie, for creating a book that gives us such a vivid portrait of a young anorexic girl who suddenly understands what it is to live.

I know this post is a few days late, (been crazy busy) but I wanted to celebrate America's Independence Day with a review of a childhood favorite set during the Revolutionary War, because without that war, and the brave people who fought it, we wouldn't have an Independence Day.

Time Enough for Drums by Ann Rinaldi is the one of three reasons I decided in 8th grade that it was okay to read and enjoy more than murder mysteries. (Robin McKinley is reason one and two but more on that later.) Because this book is one that I credit with vastly expanding my literary horizons, I'm going to tell you that this book is basically amazing. However, I understand and recognize that if I were to read this for the first time now, I imagine my rating would be more along the lines of pretty awesome. Thus, the dual tag.

Time Enough for Drums is enchanting. Jemima, (Jem) our heroine, is a strong, well crafted character. Although she is young, she has strong convictions, intense loyalties and a vast capacity for love and other emotions. When war breaks out between the colonies and the British, Jem knows which side she'll be rooting for. Her and her family and strong patriots who believe in what the colonists Americans are fighting for. Imagine the outrage when headstrong 15 year old Jem is forced to suffer through tutoring sessions with that horrid Tory John Reid. Although John has been a friend of the family for some time, Jem is none too fond of him. He is a strict tutor who demands respect and compliance and tells her what to do. Plus, he's a Tory.

I'll admit, this book is fairly predictable. It isn't terribly hard to figure out some of the major plot points, but in this story, that almost seems irrelevant. It doesn't matter that the storyline flows in a relatively straight and predictable manner, because Jem has such a hard time walking along it and that is where we find the great elements of this novel. There are also enough offshoots and unexpected moments that the story never feels trite or contrived. It is in large part due to those small side routes that we are able to see a true change in Jem from the spoiled and stubborn young 15 year old girl who will abandon her lessons at the drop of a hat (or the whinny of her horse) into a responsible, mature and determined young woman. War changes people. It changes some for the better, while bringing out the worst in others. Jem is one of the strong ones, truly changed for the positive and I consider myself lucky that I was able to watch her grow and learn what it means to be an adult.

Jem finds herself in many tough situations that really challenge her thinking, and force her to evaluate who she is, what she wants from life and what she is willing to sacrifice in order to achieve it. Some of the decisions Jem is forced to make are incredibly hard and have the potential to be seriously detrimental to the people she loves and cares for. These decisions were handled in an honest and realistic manner that made Jemima's character all the more real.

I also believe Rinaldi did a wonderful job contrasting the colonists with the British without turning the British or the British sympathizers into villains or stock characters. They were people too standing up for what they believed in, and trying to act as they found best. Rinaldi is also a master at knowing just how much information to include. She added just enough of the history within the story that I learned something but I never felt overwhelmed by all the details shoved into every single crack and crevice in the story. It always makes for awkward reading when you come away with the feeling that the author just had to show off how much research they did. This tends to bog the book down heavily and really disrupt the flow of the story. There was none of that in this book. Rinaldi transports the reader back in time, allowing us to experience life along with Jemima. There were moments after reading this book (every time) where I halfway expected to walk out of my house into the cobblestone streets in my petticoats and bonnet to fetch fresh fruits from the market. And I was almost always disappointed when I realize I'm a few hundred years late. (And then I remember indoor plumbing and tic-tacs and I'm happy again.)

Time Enough for Drums is a story that I connect with on several levels. I love Jemima's strong patriotism, her desire to do what she believes to be right and her fierce devotion to those she loves. I respect the choices that characters make when they are fighting to preserve what is most dear to them. And yes, there's also that part of my that just loves the happy ending.

One of the most amazing scenes in this book is when Jemima stands at the bottom of the Courthouse steps listening to community members read the Declaration of Independence. Although she doesn't stay for the entire reading (sigh... what a bummer) the emotions of the nameless characters experiencing it with her seep from the pages. You can feel the excitement and the energy is almost tangible. Perhaps it is because our Independence Day just passed, but at this moment, if I were able to visit one day or one event in history, I would choose to attend one of the readings of the Declaration of Independence. It is such an important and decisive moment in American history. It means so much to me personally, but I can't even begin to imagine how much more it meant to the people it was written for. They felt the bonds of tyranny and this document was the first blow to those chains. How powerful would it have been to have listened to those words read for the first time, and truly begun to believe that you could be free.

Although it is not the most complex story I've read about the revolutionary war, nor the most intense, it is one that has stayed with me over the years because of the emotions it invokes. It leaves me with a strong feeling of love and support for my country. (As well as the strong desire to hug my sister and tell her how much I love her.)

Although I've loved most of my experiences with Newbery novels, reading too many of them close together can make them all start to blend together. Because so many of them are a coming of age story, focusing on a young or boy learning to deal with whatever hardships life has dealt them, some of the details begin to merge together creating a giant Newbery read instead of the individual books.

Although some stories have a tendencies to run together, there are some which are a such a w original idea, completely unique unto themselves that they demand that you remember them individually. When You Reach Me by Re Stead is one such story.

This book is brilliant. I might repeat that again, because I can't think of a better word to describe the story (unless I'm just going to stick with basically amazing.) I can't imagine the flow charts, timelines and diagrams Stead must have used to create this book. Everything within the story is connected, but nothing feels contrived. Too many times in stories where plot lines overlap and characters connect in unexpected ways, the coincidences become too much and too unrealistic for the necessary suspension of disbelief, and it lessens the enjoyment of the story, because I can't believe any of that would actually happen. When You Reach Me offers no such feeling. It is simply an 11 year old girl trying to come to terms with a life changing experience.

Miranda (Mira) is our main character and her voice is strong. Throughout the book, Mira is struggling to determine her place in a world that is suddenly different from what she had always known her world to be. Her best (and only) friend no longer wants anything to do with her, there is a 'crazy-shaped person' living on their corner who sleeps with his head under the mailbox, and (the most disconcerting and unsettling of all) she begins finding letters within her things, asking for assistance from an unknown, unnamed source who seems to know things before they happen. Mira's mind is practical and she finds it very difficult to accept many of these new changes. I love that we are able to watch and listen as Miranda's mind broadens as she learns to accept the changes within her life.

One of the complaints I had with this book the first time I read it was the desire to know more about some of the periphery characters. While that is still true to a degree, after the second read through I decided Stead's way was better, especially with Marcus. I believe Marcus is one of my new favorite literary characters. He is just so individual and he lives by such a different set of rules without ever really acknowledging that his way is any different, any more right or wrong, than anyone else's. Although I would love to know more about Marcus and the other great characters in Stead's novel, it is a selfish desire to know everything about everything, not something her novel is actually missing.

I refuse to go into too many details here, because this is one book that it would be a shame to spoil. Knowing too much about this book the first time you read it ruins some of its magic. There is so much depth to this story, so much wonder and it is definitely one you must discover on your own. I believe that the brilliance of this story comes from its simple comp ties. Those are what make it such a magnificent first time read, but allows you to enjoy the story more each time you read it. The story is simple enough to appeal to the younger audience it was written for while also being complex enough to not only appeal to s and the older children, but also complex enough to withstand multiple readings. I re-read this book just the other day, about two months after my first read through, and I found myself noticing much that I missed the first time through, and enjoying it just that much more.

This book was nothing short of fantastic and managed to hit upon the perfect degree of interest. It left me wanting more of the story and more of the characters, but what I was given filled all the empty places. It was everything it needed to be.

This just seems to be a week of great news for me and my blog!

Lori over at The Next Best Book Blog has picked me and my blog to spotlight!! How exciting for me! It's a great spotlight, and Lori only has nice things to say for me. She always seems to be hosting great giveaways on her blog and has tons of great author interviews and information. (Apparently, she has great literary connections... !)

Head on over to her blog to check out the amazing spotlight here and in my blog to check out her latest giveaway. It ends soon, but there are still a few copies of the book What He's Poised to Do by Ben Greeman just waiting for YOU to grab them! it's a fun contest too — You get to write a letter to a literary character! What a great way to celebrate books! Head on over and enter now!

Remember to thank Lori for the lovely things she had to say and keep checking back for all the great stuff her blog has got going on!!

Beauty by Robin McKinley was a very important book for me. As is quite obvious by now, I love fairy tales. When I hear that a book is a retold fairy tale, I automatically want to read that book. However, I wasn't always like this. I've always loved fairy tales themselves, but I didn't know that fairy tale retellings existed and I was adamantly opposed to reading fantasy. As I mentioned in a previous Memory Monday, I thought fantasy was beneath me.

But then, my friend introduced me to Robin McKinley and I read Beauty. I couldn't believe it! Here was a fairy tale, fleshed out and grown up! There was more to it than the traditional tale, and we get to see more of Beauty, the beast and her home life and family. I recognized more elements of the original tale than you see in the Disney version, such as Beauty's sisters, her father as a merchant etc. There is no dancing singing silverware in this version but the house is enchanted, just as the beast is, and the servants do not hold their true shapes.

But oh! This story is magical! It changed me. It introduced me to a whole new world of fairy tales, stories and retellings. Without this book, I might never have discovered retold fairy tales, might never have been introduced to this amazing world of literature, and oh what a travesty that would be.

I read and reread this book many times. It adds depth and detail to a story without straying too far from the original and creates a world I fell into effortlessly. Beauty is a solid character, one who sacrifices herself for the good of her family, one who looks past appearances. But she is also very real. She isn't the glowing gorgeous beauty of Disney fame, and it takes her a while to feel comfortable in the beast's home. She slowly learns to open up and trust him, but her responses and feelings toward the beast are very realistic, very believable.

And, I feel that I would be remiss in this review, as a book lover, if I didn't briefly mention the library. If it were in my nature, I would have swooned reading that scene. I tell you, it puts the Disney library to shame, and who would have thought that possible?!

Perhaps my thoughts and feelings for this book would be different, had I read it later in life. But, as it stands, this will always be a very favorite of mine, because it introduced me to a whole new genre and the beauty and magic of it changed my perspective on reading and life. It's one I would recommend to everyone.

Misty posted about this book yesterday! Check out her thoughts on Beauty.

The lovely Lisa from Baffled Books asked me to be a guest on her blog. I agreed, and after much hemming and hawing, rewriting and deleting I finally came up with my topic! I was going to write a letter to all those annoying people who ask me why it is that I read!

Well, the reality was something far from what I expected it to become! The post is still about why I read, but it became much more personal, and ended up letting parts of me show that aren't normally present in my blog posts, and I didn't even notice I was keeping so much of myself back. I love the way the post turned out, and I'm very pleased with it, and proud of it. But, because it's more of me than I normally share, I'm more nervous about the reception of this post than any other.

So, if you want to go read a little part of my soul, I suggest you check out Lisa's blog! And please tell us (me!) what you think! This is one of those times when I need to know!:)

Today's Memory Monday post is going to be another author spotlight. I have so many Memory Monday ideas, that it's hard to narrow it down, and decide what books or authors to talk about. Last week, while deciding which topic to write about, a friend on Twitter asked for some book recommendations, and in the large list I supplied her with, I included a link to Sharon Creech's twitter account, telling my friend to read her books. And guess what. Sharon Creech replied to me. She's commented back to me on Twitter before, but every single time it happens I get butterflies in the pit of my stomach because, guys, she's Sharon Creech!

I recognize that many of you will not understand the significance of this to me yet, so let me explain. Sharon Creech was a monumental author figure in my childhood. I don't remember how I got a copy of her book, but I read Walk Two Moons in elementary school, and I was completely blown away by the amazing story and characters Creech created. Salamanca Tree Hiddle completely captured my heart and I felt filled up with her story. I was compelled to turn the pages in a way I don't think I had ever experienced before.

When I finished reading this book, I was completely in love. It completely filled me and I knew that I would never be the same. I needed everyone to read this amazingly wonderful book, and I wanted to tell everyone about it. I loved it so much that I asked my teacher if it would be okay if I did an additional book report on it. Yes, I was, and am, that much of a nerd. I made a shoe box diorama of a significant scene (similar to the one on the cover, but mine was more detailed) and wrote a report about it, that the teacher had displayed for me in the library.

I quickly inhaled Bloomability, Chasing Redbird, Absolutely Normal Chaos, and The Wanderer. Each story brought something new to my newfound wonder at character relationships, life stories and writing. Each book opened a new part of my eyes and I was thrilled at the wonderful world Creech could create for her characters. Bloomability is one of the original boarding school books folks. Long before out heroines were running around their boarding schools seeking out paranormal not-quite-bad-guys-but-definitely-not-good-guys, Domenica had to leave her gloriously eccentric family to attend boarding school in Switzerland.

I read these 5 books when I was younger, and then imagine my shock and joy when I, now almost 20 realized that Sharon Creech had written more books beyond these 5 glorious reads. So, I made a point to find and read them all. And, I think that I have. Or, very nearly.

Sharon Creech was one of the absolutely essential writers from my childhood. Bloomability was my first reading experience in a foreign country, and man did I want to visit the Alps. (Still do). Walk Two Moons makes me want to take a road trip, and part of it takes place in Boise, Idaho. I lived in Washington when I read this book, but all of my dad's family is from Idaho. So, I felt a strong connection to Sal and her grandparents as they traveled to what I considered to be my *other* state. Chasing Redbird is about a girl striking out on her own over the summer, tackling a huge project by herself, and needing it to be that way. I've always loved doing projects by myself, and I get irrationally annoyed when other people try to help me, which Zinnia felt as well. Also, as an awesomely cool connection, Zinnia was best friends with Sal before her dad made them move. She misses her, and mentions her. It's been a few years since I read these books that were so important to me growing up, and this post has reminded me that I have missed them. It's definitely time for a reread soon.

I don't know how else to tell you how important Sharon Creech was to me growing up. Her books rank right up there on the favorites shelf with Billy and his dogs in Where the Red Fern Grows which, if you've been around a while (or click that link) you know at least part of what that means to me. Even today, Sharon Creech goes on the auto-read list for me. If she wrote a book about dirt, I would read it and I would be delighted with how wonderful Sharon Creech managed to make dirt sound.

And guys. She talked to me on Twitter. An icon from my childhood thanked me for recommending her books. I screamed a little.

If you would like to be a Memory Monday guest blogger, I'm always looking for more volunteers. I would love to hear about what books or authors influenced your childhood and left strong memories! If you are interested, in my blog for more information, or send me an email!

About a month ago, I wrote up a post discussing the upcoming Fairy Tale Fortnight event that Misty from The Book Rat and I are hosting. I've been really excited for this event since I signed on with Misty to co-host. But, if you follow me on Twitter, you know that I've been talking about almost nothing else... Why is that you say? Because it seems like every single time I open my email or check my Twitter feed, some new fairy tale awesomeness awaits me!

So, this post has two purposes — to give you a teasingly small glimpse into the greatness that is headed your way in April, so you can experience so of this excitement that has me squealing most unattractively at odd moments and doing strange dance moves up and down the stairs... But, it's also to get YOU involved. If you click on the pretty button, or anytime Fairy Tale Fortnight appears in this post, you will be directed to the initial introductory post, where there is a place to mention your favorite fairy tale, both original and retold, as well as volunteer to guest post. (You know you want to!) We would LOVE to have you involved.

We know that's more than some people can contribute, but we have something else for you!! Below you will find a list of the current authors who have committed to an interview as part of Fairy Tale Fortnight. Misty and I want YOU to tell us what you would most like to hear from these wonderful authors, and we can tailor their interviews to you! Your questions can be general questions directed at each or several of the authors, or you can ask a specific author a specific question.

So, who will be stopping by?! Well, let me tell you!

Elizabeth C. Bunce, author of A Curse Dark as Gold and Starcrossed.

Jessica Day George, author of Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, Princess of the Midnight Ball, Princess of Glass, and etc.

Donna Jo Napoli, author of many retellings, including Zel, Crazy Jack, Sirena, Spinners, Breath and etc.

Janette Rallison, author of My Fair Godmother, My Unfair Godmother, Just One Wish, etc.

Mette Ivie Harrison, author of Mira, Mirror, and and Princess and the... trilogy, including The Princess and the Hound, The Princess and the Bear, and The Princess and the Snowbird.

Diane Zahler, author of The Thirteenth Princess and A True Princess .

Jaclyn Dolamore, author of Magic Under Glass and Between the Sea and Sky.

So, now that you are just as excited as we are, maybe doing a happy dance of your own, start asking questions!!

Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for more updates! Misty and I are pretty sure there is going to be an Ask the Author 2 sometime soon, because we just can't stop the awesome!:)

Where She Went by Gayle Forman is the highly anticipated sequel to If I Stay , one of the best books I read last year. (click to read my review)

If I Stay was amazing. If I let myself, I could go on and on about that book, but I've already written that review, so I'm going to limit myself to one adjective. If I Stay is one of those books with characters that seriously move you and become real to you. You hurt with them, feel with them, love, cry, and bleed with them. So, I'm not even a little embarrassed to admit that when I found out Gayle Forman had written a sequel from Adam's POV 3 years later, I made some really interesting noises, jumped up and down a little bit, and had to take a break from my computer because I couldn't get my heart rate down. It shouldn't surprise anyone that this is/was my most highly anticipated novel of 2011.

Antony John, the author of Five Flavors of Dumb hosted a giveaway on his site for a copy of his novel and his ARC of Where She Went. Not gonna lie — I freaked out a little bit. I got my #1 most anticipated book along with a book I've heard nothing but good things about and had been interested in reading. Made of Awesome! So thanks Antony for giving me a copy, and thanks Gayle for writing such great stuff. Now, I'm going to tell you why I loved it. Also — I'm going to assume, if you are reading my review, that you have already read If I Stay, and this review is full of spoilers for If I Stay. (Actually the existence of a sequel is a spoiler, but I digress.)

Although this was my highly anticipated book, I was a lot scared of it. I loved If I Stay, and I thought the story was perfect as it was. I didn't think it needed anything else. What if the sequel wasn't as good? What if it ruined the way I viewed Adam and Mia?! The synopsis tells us that they aren't together anymore, and that Adam has a girlfriend. Who is not Mia. After I got this book in the mail, I stared at it for a few days, scared to open it in case my expectations and hopes were dashed into the dirt. How can you top a story like If I Stay?!

The answer? You don't. You just finish the story. Where She Went is Adam's story. On the outside, Adam's life is perfect. He's got the rich and famous rocker lifestyle, complete with gorgeous girlfriend, but he is miserably unhappy and suffers from some serious anxiety about crowds. He hasn't talked to Mia in years, and everyone knows better than to bring her up around him. This is the story about what happens when fate gives them a possible evening together, and they decide to take it.

Where She Went does not have the emotional impact of If I Stay. It can't. If I Stay is Mia trying to decide if she is going to live or die, and Where She Went is dealing with the aftermath of that decision, and Mia and Adam's break-up. But the magic of both these books is not the situation our characters find themselves in, but the characters themselves. The connection I shared with them as a reader was so strong I knew how they would react or feel as they did. I felt with them.

It was so interesting being inside Adam's head this time around, and I feel like that is the real strength of the novel. He is still struggling with his role in bringing her back, only to lose her. He promised her that if she would live, he would let her leave him if she needed to, as long as she was alive in the world, somewhere. But, I don't actually think that he believed she would. So when she does, he takes it really hard. Which is, ironically, when he wrote the music that made his band such a success.

Where She Went is told in the same style as If I Stay. We only hear what Adam is thinking, the story takes place entirely in one evening, and a lot of the details are supplied by relevant and revealing flashbacks. This is how we learn why Mia left and what their lives were like after the accident. And, it's not really a pretty picture. Things have been rough for them.

Mia's story was scary in it's simplicity. Everything in her story pivots around one crucial event, one major decision — My family is gone, do I stay, or do I go? Adam's story is more complex. Outwardly, his life should be perfect but he's a mess. And people are not quite as understanding or empathetic that you miss your high school girlfriend as they would be about missing your entire family. Although, as I mentioned before, this story can't have the same emotional impact as If I Stay did, the emotion is definitely there, and the story is more complex, more layered. Adam has more he has to deal with than Mia did, and he handles stress in very different (often unhealthy) ways.

I could talk your ear off (or eyes...) about this book all day long. But, to at least appear/pretend that I know how to be concise, I'm going to leave you with the knowledge that this book is wonderfully brilliant and the perfect follow up to If I Stay. Nothing else would have worked for Mia and Adam. Love it or hate it, this was undeniably their destiny and I loved being there to watch them fulfill it.

I'm archiving this page as a post to make room for Books Read in 2011!!

*If there is a link, it will take you to my review. If I received the book from another blogger, I will link them after the title. 1. I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil, and I want to be Your Class President - Josh Lieb 2. Ellen Foster- Kaye Gibbons 3. The Red Pony- John Steinbeck 4. Johnny Tremain- Esther Forbes (NB) 5. Rifles for Watie- Harold Keith (NB) 6. Scorpions- Walter Dean Meyers (NBH) 7. Wild Orchid- Cameron Dokey 8. The Winter Child- Cameron Dokey 9. What My Mother Doesn't Know- Sonya Sones 10. What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know- Sonya Sones 11. Punkzilla- Adam Rapp (PH) 12. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes- Chris Crutcher 13. Ransom My Heart- Meg Cabot (Mia T.) 14. Goddess of Yesterday- Caroline B. Cooney 15. That Was Then, This Is Now- S.E. Hinton 16. Book of a Thousand Days- Shannon Hale 17. A Visit to William Blake's Inn- Nancy Willard (NB) 18. Skellig- David Almond (PH) 19. Crazy Jack- Donna Jo Napoli 20. Everything on a Waffle- Polly Horvath (NBH) 21. I am Not Joey Pigza- Jack Gantos 22. Hoot- Carl Hiaasen (NBH) 23. Freaks, Alive on the Inside- Annette Curtis Klause 24. Burned- Ellen Hopkins 25. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks- E. Lockhart (PH) 26. Prom Nights from Hell- Anthology 27. The Girl Who Could Fly- Victoria Forester 28. The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold- Francesca Lia Block 29. The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom- Margarita Engle (NBH) 30. Jellicoe Road- Melina Marchetta (PA) 31. Rabbit Hill- Robert Lawson (NB) 32. The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural- Patricia McKissack (NBH) 33. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian- Sherman Alexie 34. Unwind- Neal Shusterman 35. I Capture the Castle- Dodie Smith 36. Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson 37. The Rumpelstiltskin Problem- Vivian Vande Velde 38. Go Ask Alice - "Anonymous" 39. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village- Laura Amy Schiltz (NB) 40. A Corner of the Universe- Ann M. Martin (NBH) 41. Gentlehands- M.E. Kerr 42. The Thirteenth Princess- Diane Zahler 43. Hard Love- Ellen Wittlinger (PH) 44. A Certain Slant of Light- Laura Whitcomb 45. Bella at Midnight- Diane Stanley 46. The Lovely Bones- Alice Sebold 47. Chalice- Robin McKinley 48. Because I am Furniture- Thalia Chaltas 49. The Unfinished Angel- Sharon Creech 50. Prom- Laurie Halse Anderson 51. Elijah of Buxton- Christopher Paul Curtis (NBH) 52. The Goose Girl- Shannon Hale 53. Enna Burning- Shannon Hale 54. River Secrets- Shannon Hale 55. Forest Born- Shannon Hale 56. The View from the Cherry Tree- Willo Davis Roberts 57. The Princess and the Bear- Mette Ivie Harrison 58. Night- Elie Wiesel 59. You Don't Know Me- David Klass 60. A Kiss in Time- Alex Finn 61. Palace of Mirrors- Margaret Peterson Haddix 62. Push - Sapphire 63. Calamity Jack- Shannon Hale 64. Hostage- Willo Davis Roberts 65. Going Bovine- Libba Bray (PA) 66. Sold- Patricia McCormick 67. When You Reach Me - Rebecca Stead (NB) 68. Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits- Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson 69. Legally Correct Fairy Tales- David Fisher 70. The Castle Corona- Sharon Creech 71. Ugly- Donna Jo Napoli 72. Inside Out - Terry Trueman 73. Scared Stiff- Willo Davis Roberts 74. The Invisible - Mats Wahl 75. Black Pearls- Louise Hawes 76. Violet Eyes- Debbie Viguie 77. One of those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies- Sonya Sones 78. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793- Jim Murphy (NBH) 79. When Dad Killed Mom - Julius Lester 80. I Had Seen Castles- Cynthia Rylant 81. Fever, 1793- Laurie Halse Anderson 82. Daughter of the Flames- Zoe Marriott 83. Imaginary Lands- Anthology 84. You Remind Me of You- Eireanne Corrigan 85. PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God- Frank Warren 86. PostSecret: The Secret Lives of Men and Women- Frank Warren 87. PostSecret: A Lifetime of Secrets- Frank Warren 88. If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't be Hard: and Other Reassuring Truths- Sheri Dew 89. PostSecrets: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives- Frank Warren 90. By the Time You Read This, I'll be Dead- Julie Ann Peters 91. The Diamond Secret- Suzanne Weyn 92. Letters from Rifka- Karen Hesse 93. Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow- Susan Campbell Bartoletti (NBH) 94. The Twits- Roald Dahl 95. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Roald Dahl 96. Echo- Francesca Lia Block 97. The Cybil War- Besty Byars 98. Summer of My German Soldier- Bette Greene 99. The Map of True Places - Brunonia Barry (Lori @ TNBBB) 100. Full Tilt- Neal Shusterman 101. The Book - M. Clifford (Lori @ TNBBB) 102. Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein 103. When You Reach Me- Rebecca Stead (NB) 104. Chucaro: Wild Pony of the Pampa- Francis Kalnay (NBH) 105. how i live now - Meg Rosoff (PA) 106. Tenderness - Robert Cormier 107. When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw - Isaac Bashevis Singer (NBH) 108. The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick 109. A Light in the Attic - Shel Silverstein 110. American Born Chinese - Gene Luen Yang (PA) 111. Izzy, Willy-Nilly - Cynthia Voigt 112. Falling Up - Shel Silverstein 113. Zlateh the Goat and other Stories - Isaac Bashevis Singer (NBH) 114. John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth - Elizabeth Partridge (PH) 115. Forget You - Jennifer Echols (Review copy) 116. Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure - Allan Richard Shickman (Review copy) 117. Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country - Allan Richard Shickman (Review copy) 118. A Journey into Tomorrow - Veronica Camille Tinto (Review copy) 119. I know I am, but what are You? - Samantha Bee (Review copy) 120. Before I Fall- Lauren Oliver 121. Figgs and Phantoms - Ellen Raskin (NBH) 122. If I Stay - Gayle Forman 123. Tiger Eyes- Judy Blume 124. A Season of Gifts- Richard Peck 125. Maus I: My Father Bleeds History- Art Spiegelman 126. Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began- Art Spiegelman 127. Jonathan Livingston Seagull- Richard Bach 128. The Report Card- Andrew Clements 129. The Tales of Beedle the Bard- J.K. Rowling 130. The Hundred Dresses- Eleanor Estes (NBH) 131. Knee-Knock Rise- Natalie Babbitt (NBH) 132. Coraline- Neil Gaiman 133. The Little Prince- Antoine de Saint Exupery 134. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad 135. The Wonder Book- Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Bri Meets Books) 136. Over Sea, Under Stone- Susan Cooper 137. The Dark is Rising-Susan Cooper (NBH) 138. Greenwitch- Susan Cooper 139. The Grey King- Susan Cooper (NB) 140. Silver on the Tree- Susan Cooper 141. One Child - Jeff Buick (Review copy) 142. Firelight - Sophie Jordan (ARC tour) 143. The Cricket in Times Square- George Seldon (NBH) 144. The Thyssen Affair - Mozelle Richardson (Review copy) 145. Morning is a Long Time Coming- Bette Greene 146. The Duck Song - Bryant Oden (Review copy) 147. Feed- M.T. Anderson 148. A Northern Light- Jenniger Donnelly (PH) 149. The Upstairs Room- Johanna Reiss 150. Ash - Malinda Lo 151. Looking for Alaska - John Green (PA) 152. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins 153. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins 154. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (The Good, the Bad & the Ugly) 155. This Lullaby - Sarah Dessen 156. Just Listen - Sarah Dessen 157. My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park- Steve Kluger 158. To Be a Slave- Julius Lester (NBH) 159. The Phantom Tollbooth- Norton Juster 160. A Day No Pigs Would Die- Robert Newton Peck 161. The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights - Russell Freedman (NBH) 162. The Chocolate War- Robert Cormier 163. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - David Levithan & Rachel Cohn 164. Extraordinary - Nancy Werlin (ARC tour) 165. Crank - Ellen Hopkins 166. Liam the Leprechaun - Charles A. Wilkinson (Review copy) 167. Glass - Ellen Hopkins 168. It's Like this, Cat- Emily Cheney Neville (NB) 169. Miracles on Maple Hill- Virginia Sorenson (NB) 170. Alphabet Woof- Doreen Cronin (Review copy) 171. Pirate Treasure - Benjamin Flinders (Review copy) 172. The Lost City of Atlantis - Benjamin Flinders (Review copy) 173. A Step from Heaven- An Na (PA) 174. The Body of Christopher Creed- Carol Plum-Ucci (PH) 175. The Duff - Kody Keplinger (ARC tour) 176. Hattie Big Sky - Kirby Larson (NBH) 177. Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun- Rhoda Blumberg (NBH) 178. Tales from Silver Lands - Charles J. Finger (NB) 179. The Princess and the Snowbird- Mette Ivie Harrison 180. Tangerine- Edward Bloor 181. The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan 182. Saving Francesca- Melina Marchetta 183. Graceling- Kristin Cashore 184. Hunger - Jackie Morse Kessler 185. Fire- Kristin Cashore 186. The Thief - Megan Whalen Turner (NBH) 187. Little Brother- Cory Doctrow 188. 26 Fairmount Avenue- Tomie DePaola (NBH) 189. Stuck in Neutral- Terry Trueman (PH) 190. The First Part Last- Angela Johnson (PA) 191. Low Red Moon - Ivy Devlin (ARC tour) 192. Fallout - Ellen Hopkins (ARC tour) 193. Carver: A Life in Poems - Marilyn Nelson (NBH) 194. The Great Fire- Jim Murphy (NBH) 195. In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World- Virginia Hamilton (NBH) 196. Fallen - Lauren Kate 197. The Magic Circle- Donna Jo Napoli 198. Flipped- Wendelin Van Draanen 199. Paranormalcy - Kiersten White (ARC tour) 200. Personal Demons - Lisa Desrochers (ARC tour) 201. Losing Faith - Denise Jaden (ARC tour) 202. Mountain Born- Elizabeth Yates (NBH)f 203. When the Stars Go Blue - Caridad Ferrer (ARC tour) 204. The Queen of Attolia - Megan Whalen Turner 205. Being Jamie Baker - Kelly Oram (ARC tour) 206. Torment — Lauren Kate (ARC tour) 207. Hope in Patience — Beth Fehlbaum (ARC tour) 208. You - Charles Benoit (ARC tour) 209. The Replacement — Brenna Yovanoff (ARC tour) 210. Room — Emma Donaghue (ARC tour) 211. I'd know you anywhere — Laura Lippman (ARC tour) 212. The King of Attolia — Megan Whalen Turner 213. Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery — Russell Freedman (NBH) 214. Sisters Red — Jackson Pearce (ARC tour) 215. Somewhere in the Darkness — Walter Dean Meyers (NBH) 216. The World Above — Cameron Dokey 217. Love, Inc. - Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout (ARC tour) 218. Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath — Stephanie Hemphill (PH) 219. Encyclopedia Brown's Book of Wacky Spies — Donald J. Sobol 220. Star Crossed — Elizabeth C. Bunce (ARC tour) 221. The Trouble with Half a Moon — Danette Vigilante (ARC tour) 222. Lipstick in Afghanistan — Roberta Gatley (Review copy) 223. Hole in my Life — Jack Gantos (PH) 224. The Body Finder — Kimberly Derting 225. Eve's Harvest — Anthology (Odyssey Books) 226. Revolution — Jennifer Donnelly (ARC tour) 227. The Other Side of Dark — Sarah Smith (ARC tour) 228. Angelfire — Courtney Allison Moulton (ARC tour) 229. Tricks — Ellen Hopkins 230. Daughter of Xanadu — Dori Jones Yang (ARC tour) 231. Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science — Susan Hughes (Review copy) 232. Matched — Ally Condie (ARC tour) 233. Fixing Delilah — Sarah Ockler (ARC tour) 234. Girl, Stolen — April Henry (ARC tour) 235. Pegasus — Robin McKinley (ARC tour) 236. Desires of the Dead — Kimberly Derting (ARC tour) 237. A Conspiracy of Kings — Megan Whalen Turner 238. Anna and the French Kiss — Stephanie Perkins (ARC tour) 239. Babe in Boyland — Jody Gehrman (ARC tour) 240. Cloaked — Alex Flinn (ARC tour) 241. Unearthly - Cynthia Hand (ARC tour) 242. Songs for a Teenage Nomad — Kim Culbertson (ARC tour) 243. The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories — O. Henry 244. Where She Went — Gayle Forman (Antony John) 245. Brooklyn Story — Suzanne Corso (review copy) 246. North of Beautiful — Justina Chen Headley 247. The Memory Bank — Carolyn Coman (GR 1st reads) 248. Willow Run — Patricia Reilly Giff 249. America the Beautiful — Sri Chinmoy (review copy/audiobook) 250. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner — Stephenie Meyer