Rick Riordan

One of my current favourite authors is Rick Riordan. His Percy Jackson and the Olympians series has to be one of the hottest tickets in our library. fun, action-packed, humorous and trilling all at once - who can resist a book that has all that , well not many of you. I'm not sure that one of his books remains on the shelf and we're talking multiple copies, my friends.

So just to pump you up for some more of his great writing here's a little write up for The Red Pyramid and the upcoming Lost Heroes (release date Oct. 12, 2010).

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with their grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead he unleases the Egyptian God - Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Eygpt are waking, and the worst of them - Set - has his sights set on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe- a quest that brings them closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of pharhoahs.
Here's the book trailer.



And now here's a trailer for the upcoming series Lost Heroes of Olympus (which I can hardly wait for).

Library transformation

As many of you already know, the G.S. Lakie Library is going to undergo a renovation, which students are encouraged to share their ideas of what they'd like the new space to look and feel like. I've started my research into what I'd like to see in some of the space as well. My ideas are way out there, and include all sorts of things most of you have never seen or heard of. I'm gonna share some of them here - to help you spur on your creative sides. my thought is that if your gonna dream, dream big.

This is the transformation children's library.


And the adult version.


I'll keep tossing some of the great library reno ideas out there, so stay tuned.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace by Megan Shull

Girls this one is for you - if you need a light read for pure escapism then try this one. it was one of my summer reads and was perfect for one of our many rainy days this summer. Not overly taxing on the brain but just a fun read with just the right amount of romance thrown in.

Here's the summary:

Teen superstar Grace Kinclaid has it all, an electric smile, million-dollar endorsement deals, and blond covergirl looks. But what happens when America's "It" girl doesn't want to be "it" anymore? With paparazzi stalking her every move, Grace quietly slips out of a TeenPeople photo shot, ducks the press, and calls her mom from a boiler room of the fabled USTA National Tennis Centre. And right there, in her custom-made Nike warm-ups, tears streaming down her face , Grace says the three magic words her mom told her she could say anytime, anytime that this whole crazy life wasn't fun anymore. Three simple words and her new life begins. For the hottest girl on the planet , life is about to change. Grace gets a make-under, a new identity, and a new life in a rugged little town on the edge of nowhere, population 813 (including one cute boy ; one very cute boy.)

Read On.

End of Days

End of Days: Night Runner II by Max Turner

Whoa!! I feel like I've just been riding the best and longest roller coaster ride all night long. This books rockets you from one event to the next, with crazy twists and turns along the way. Just when I thought I had things figured out, and thought I knew who the evil was - bam- they kill that character off, and I'd have to start figuring it out all over again. Even though it had been awhile since I had read the first book, I felt at ease with the characters right away. And this is one of those books where the action starts right away, so no worries there. I highly recommend this and Night Runner to anyone who needs their next thrill ride.

Summary:

Zach Thomson has spent the past year getting used to the idea that his best friend Charlie, and the lovely Luna are now vampires - just like him. As they all learn to cope with the changes this strange new state of affairs brings, a mysterious creature appears. Likened to the Beast of the Apocalypse, it begins to dismantle the network of support around Zach, who discovers he is more than just an orphaned vampire - he is the subject of an ancient prophecy that relates to the End of Days. As friends and enemies, old and new, throw his world into chaos, Zach is forced to re-examin what it means to be good at a time when it seems that only the strong and the ruthless can survive.

The end leaves me believing that we'll be seeing a third book in the future.

Thank you Max Turner for a creative guy option to a vampire book, and to keeping it Canadian.
Read On.

Here's an alternate cover that might be appearing on Amazon or in bookstores.

Leviathan

Leiathan by Scott Westerfeld

This book has been getting alot of buzz out there, but unfortunately it hasn't made it to the top of my reading pile. So I'm hoping one of my great readers will offer to take it home and give me a honest review.
But for now I'll give you what I know about it.
It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists emply fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.
Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.
Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.
With the great war brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way... taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical around-the-world adventure. One that will change both of their lives forever.

Here's the book trailer

Scumble

Scumble by Ingrid Law

Loved it!

Ledger kale always dreamed of the awesome magical power he's get when he turned thriteen- the day when folks in his family inherit an extraordinary talent called a savvy. But Ledge's dreams are soon in pieces. And so are the toaster, the televison, and the wipers on the family minivan. After the Kales decide it's safe to head to a family wedding in Wyoming, Ledge's savvy grows. Worse, there's an outside witness to his monumental mess: thirteen year old Sarah Jane Cabot, eagle-eyed reporter and daughter of the local businessman. Now Ledge has to stop Sarah Jane from turning savvies into headlines, stop her father from getting too close to Uncle Autry's astonishing ranch, and scumble his savvy into control before he causes everything to fall apart.

Starting nine years after his cousin Mibs's Savvy journey, Ledge's story brings characters both fresh and familiar to the legendary Wild West for another rollicking, riveting, fantastical adventure.

here's the trailer and an audio clip

Into the Gauntlet

Into the Gauntlet - Book 10 - 39 Clues by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Wow! this series has been so great, mystery, intrigue, world travel, famous people throughout history, a quirky brother and sister team with their crazy nanny, and a twisted family tree, and a very serious prize that they are all after. Book 10 did not let me down, it reminded me of previous adventures and clues through the series as welll as plotting the route for this one.

Here's the write up:
Fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her younger brother, Dan, have had enough. Not only do they have to find the 39 Clues first, they're expected to reunite thier backstabbing family-the same people who killed their parents. But Amy and Dan haven't survived explosions and assassination attempts for nothing. They have a plan to finish the Clue hunt on thier own terms. Too bad there's a final- fatal secret the Madrigals haven't told them. A secret that could cost Amy and Dan - and the world - everything...

So I thought this was going to be the end of the series, but I think they have left the door open for these characters to go further - hint it has to do with the prize.

The Saint of Dragons

The Saint of Dragons by Jason Hightman

I had one of my reviewers take this home over the summer, when she returned it to me, she commented that she had to fight with other members of her family as they all wanted to be first to read it. I think she won but I bet the others were sneaking a peak when she set it down. So if that's not enough of a reason for me to be taking it home before library classes start I don't know what is. So I took it home with me tonight and am already on page 60, and so far I love how it's started.

Here's the write up from the back cover.

You've been taught to believe they are dead. Figments of an ancient imagination. but one lonely schoolboy is about to have a rude awakening. Dragons are real. And they have... evolved.

Simon St. George has been living at the Lighthouse School since he was two years old, so it comes as a bit of a surprise when suddenly two men show up, both claiming to be his father. It's an even bigger shock to discover that he's actually descended from Saint George - dragon killer and all-round knight in shining armour - and that he's expected to carry on the family business.

In a moment, Simon is swept away from his lonely, predictable life, and thrown into the jaws of an adventure that threatens to swallow him whole. For dragons are alive, evil, and could be causing trouble in your neighbourhood this very day...

Read On

The Conspiracy of Kings

The Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

Sophos, under the guidance of yet another tutor, practices his swordplay and strategizes escape scenarios should his father's villa come under attack. How would he save his mother? His sisters? Himself? Could he reach the horses in time? Where would he go? But nothing prepares hime for the day armed men, silent as thieves, swarm the villa courtyard ready to kill, to capture, to kidnap. Sophos, the heir tot he throne of Sounis, disappears without a trace.

In Attolia, Eugenides, the new and unlikely king, has never stopped wondering what happened to Sophos. Nor has the Queen of Eddis. They send spies. They pay informants. They appeal to the gods. But as time goes by, it becomes less and less certain that they will ever see their friend alive again.

Across the small peninsula battles are fought, bribes are offered, and conspiracies are set in motion. Darkening the horizon, the Mede Empire threatens, always, from across the sea. And Sophos, anonymous and alone, bides his time. Sophos, drawing on his memories of Gen, Pol, the magus - and Eddis- sets out on an adventure that will all of their lives forever.

It had been awhile since I had read the other books in this series, so for a while I stumbled around with the characters and plot, but eventually got pulled in. Who to trust? Such a great question and it has played so heavily in both this book and Mockingjay. Who can you believe? Do you go with your gut or second guess the guesser? If I haven't yet turned you on to this series now is a great time to start - it begins with The Thief.

Here's the trailer.

Here's the trailer for The Thief.

Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Against the odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she has made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this trilling final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. (from the inside cover.)

This is a hard one to blog about, I'm feeling overwhelmed! WOW what a rollercoaster ride. I feel like if I write anything it will be giving you a spoiler. It's taken me days to digest this book. It's dark, it's brutal, it's a bit gory but then so is war.

Fellow blogger Kathy Mahoney has written a terrific summary without giving anything away.--

It started as a game. It turned into a battle. In the wake of the spectacular failure of the Quarter Quell to crush the growing dissent amoung the citizen of Panem, The Capitol has declared open war on the Districts....

to check out the rest of her blog post visit: hiplibrariansbookblog.blog-city.com

Here's the trailer.