Free Audiobooks

This past weeks' selection for is:

Antony & Cleopatra by none other than William Shakespeare --
The twin empires of Egypt and Rome mingle and clash in this towering tragedy. Impulsiveness, passion, mistaken identity, and dark humor all color the fascinating dalliance between Antony and Cleopatra, the larger-than-life pair at the center Shakespeare’s play.
and

Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter --
Selene has grown up in a palace on the Nile with her parents, Cleopatra & Mark Antony–the most brilliant, powerful rulers on earth. But the jealous Roman Emperor Octavianus wants Egypt for himself, and when war finally comes, Selene faces the loss of all she’s ever loved.

To download these audiobooks visit the link below.
Free Audiobooks

Summer Reading

My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

When I think of summer reading, I think something that is fun, light, charming, with probably just a little romance thrown in. This title fits that description  of  'summer reading' to a tee. What if all your big decisions always seemed to be the wrong ones? That's where Brooklyn is at -- her latest bad decision, throwing a party at her Mom's model house, but wait that's not all, this little party gets outta control and before she knows it, Brooklyn is getting her first ride in a cop car. It's shortly after this that Brooklyn decides things have got to change - she's going to let others decide for her, via her blog My Life Undecided. Hilarity follows. Like I said, light, funny, charming with a little romance - perfect for summer reading (if your a girl.)

Here's the book trailer.

Between Here and Forever

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
Elizabeth Scott's writing style is like being on vacation for me, I don't have to thinking real hard, I don't have to guess what's gonna happen next, I'm not on the edge of my seat with worry or angst for the characters. I just along for the ride. She tells a great story, she reminds you what it's like to be human, and a teenager, and she makes it somehow relatable throughout. If you're a fan of Sarah Dessen, Nicholas Sparks, or Jodi Picoult most likely you'll enjoy books by Elizabeth Scott. I do.

Summary from back cover:
Abby long ago accepted that she can't measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister, Tess. But at least she knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.
Until the accident.
Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby's life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her. Abby's got a plan to bring Tess back, though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli. But then she learns a shocking secret about Tess. Something that was always right there, but she'd never seen.
Abby is about to find out that the truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could.

This one is for anyone who's felt like they live in the shadow of their sister.

Curveball

Curveball: the year I lost my grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

Jordan Sonnenblick has to be one of my favourite authors, he writes with both heart and humor. His books are great read alouds that have real feeling, that we all can relate to (whether we've been in that circumstance or not, some things are just part of the human condition - we have parents, we have siblings, we have friends, we go to school.) Although curveball is written about a slightly older teen, I think middle school students will still enjoy the character of Peter Friedman - pitcher (used to be), photographer (wanna be) his best friend AJ (ace pitcher) and new friend Angelika (wanna be girlfriend).

Here's the summary from the book jacket.

Sometimes, the greatest comebacks take place far away from the ball field.

Meet Peter Friedman, high school freshman. Talented photographer. Former baseball star. When a freakish injury ends his baseball career, Peter has some major things to figure out. Is there life after sports? Why has his grandfather suddenly given him thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment. And is it his imagination, or is the super-hot star of the girls swim team flirting with him, right in front of the amazing new girl in his photography class?

In his new novel Jordan Sonnenblick performs his usual miraculous feat: exploring deep themes of friendship, romance, family and tragedy, while still managing to be hilariously funny.

Here's an interview with Jordan Sonnenblick - I love the part  "what will you do when life throws you a curveball?"

The Last Little Blue Envelope

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

Well, I hadn't had a big dose of chic-lit in quite awhile so that is what's up with this post and the previous one. I have to admit that I am a fan of Johnson's first book 13 Little Blue Envelopes and was happy to go along for the ride in this follow up book, The Last Little Blue Envelope. Heading off with  Ginny on a European adventure is a bit of a lark for me, cottoncandy kind of stuff - great once in a while but I wouldn't want to have it every day.

Here's the summary:

Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer travelling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny's backpack- and the last little blue envelope inside - she resigned herself to never knowing how it was susposed to end.

Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he has found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure - one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits ... and her heart. This time there are no instructions. 

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

This version of the classic Romeo & Juliet also contains (and starts the book) a retelling - Juliets Story by Jacqueline Ritten, this story is written normal, like a work of fiction - a story not a play. Then the second part of the book is the actual play written by William Shakespeare. So the retelling acts as a bridge or a summary of the story told in language that is more understandable and preps you for whats coming up -- The play.

I know in the past we've had readers become interested in Shakespeares works, it's challenging, so having a book that can help with explaining the language and storyline can be a great help. this is one of those books. I especially liked at the end of the book what Romeo and Juliet's facebook pages might look like.

Here's the summary from the publisher:
These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume.
When Romeo first lays eyes on the bewitching Juliet, it's love at first sight. But thought their love runs true and deep, it is also completely forbidden. With family and fate determined to keep them apart, will Romeo and Juliet find a way to be together?
William Shakespeares masterpiece is one of the most enduring stories of star-crossed love of all time. Beautifully presented for a modern teen audience with both the original play and a prose retelling of the beloved story , this is a must have edition of a timeless classic.

Jump

Jump by Elisa Carbone

Summary:
Jump. That is what P.K. has done. A totally wild, crazy jump from a restrictive life with her family, into a life of total adventure - rock climbing out west with a guy she barely knows. At first, everythings amazing. Not only are they climbing in awesomely beautiful National Parks like Yosemite but they seem awesomely made for each other. P.K. is in heaven. And then the cops show up... with an arrest warrant. And P.K. has to decide who to believe: this amazing guy who she trusts with her life - or the cops who want her to believe that he may take her life. 

Here's the 60 recap.

Cloaked

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Think you know paranormal romance? Alex Flinn gives the genre a twist in this modern fariy-tale mash-up.

Johnny's not your average hero. But a little magic changes everything. There isn't a fairy godmother or any of that. It all starts with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess. And before Johnny knows it he's on a mission in the Evergladws, with only a flock of swans and a talking fox named Joe to help guide him against the forces of an evil witch.

For those fans of Beastly, I think you'll enjoy the wit / humor and the variety of characters and bits and pieces of fairy tales you think you know, all in this charming modern day re-imagined fairy-tale.

Here's the book trailer.

Crazy Beautiful

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

From the back cover:
In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn't outgrow them as quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself.
Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don't scare her. They don't keep her away. In fact, they don't make a difference at all to her.
But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering.
Or maybe she's a girl who needs love just like he does.

Great modern day retelling of the beauty and the beast story. Told in alternating chapters, giving the reader an inside perspective on love, forgiveness and second chances and reminding us that beauty is so much more that what we see on the surface.

Need

Need by Carrie Jones

Here's the write up from the back --

Zara White suspects a freaky guy is semi-stalking her. She memorizes phobias and chants them when she's nervous. And, okay, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But moving to a shivery Maine town to stay with her grandmother is supposed to be the perfect fix - so her mom says.

Except, this new plan of getting away to help Zara stay sane? Yeah, it's not working. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's imagination. He's following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. there's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all the signs are pointing to Zara.

This book is followed up by Captivate, which we also have at the library.

Here's the book trailer for both Need and Captivate:

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.

North of Beautiful

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

This was my weekend read, which I couldn't put down - the lawn will just have to wait.

Born with a port wine-stain birthmark covering her entire right cheek Terra Rose Cooper is ready to leave her stifling, small Washington town where everyone knows her for her face. With her critical, reproachful father and an obese mother who turns to food to deflect her father's verbal attacks, home life for Terra isn't so great either. Fueled by her artistic desires, she plans to escape to an East Coast College, thinking this is her true path. When her father intercepts her acceptance letter, Terra is pushed off-course, and she is forced to confront her deepest insecurities. After an ironically, fortuitous car accident, Terra meeets Jacob, a handsome but odd goth Chinese boy who was adopted from China as a toddler. Jacob immediately understands Terra's battle with feeling different. When Terra's older brother invites her and her mother to visit him in Shanghi, Jacob and his mother also join them on their journey, where they all not only confront the truth about themselves, but also realize their own true beauty.

This is a gorgeously written, compelling book featuring universal themes of true beauty, family bonds and personal strength and love.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favourite people are there: Susannah, her mother's best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad's brother, Jerimiah, Belly's heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer his to her? Will this be the summer that changes everything?

Sarah Dessen fans will now have another author to look forward to.

Here's the book trailer.

The Last Song

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Always, always, always! Read the book first.

Here's the write up.

Seventeen-year-old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside down when her parents divorced and her father moved to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains alienated from her parents, particularly her father ... until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she and her brother spent the summer with him. Resentful and rebellious, Ronnie rejects her father's attempts to reach out to her and threatens to return to New York before the summer's end. But soon Ronnie meets Will, the last person she thought she'd ever be attracted to, and finds herself falling for him, opening herself up to the greatest happiness - and pain- that she has ever known.

Here's the trailer for the movie.

My Invisible Boyfriend

My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day

Heidi has the perfect solution to her popularity problems - a fake boyfriend. She's even made him an internet profile that makes him look like a motorcycle riding, poetry reading badboy, "swoon" Heidi's friends are so impressed that they start emailing Heidi's fake boyfriend with their problems ... including their problems with Heidi.

As if that weren't bad enough, a delicious and possibly single person called "A Real Boy" emails Heidi to say he knows the truth. Can Heidi escape from her worldwide web of lies? Or will her chance at romance disappear faster than you can type gtg.

If you liked Louise Rennison's - Georgia Nicholson series, Angus Thongs and Full-frontal snogging then you might enjoy this too.

Read On

The Unwritten Rule

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

From the back cover;
Everyone knows the unwritten rule, you don't like your best friends' boyfriend.
Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Every thing would be perfect except for two things, Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.
Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for liking him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she is thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful... and awful.
Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't help herself from wanting more...

Sounds like a winner to me. It's already been snapped up by a few people so I guess I'll have to wait my turn to read it. Till then I've got a couple that I'm willing to read.
Read On

Shiver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf, her wolf, is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives - In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human or risk losing himself, and Grace forever.

Told from both Grace and Sam's point of views this paranormal romance will make you shiver with anticipation, excitement and dread as winter creeps its way into the story.

Read On.

Impossible

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Well, for those of you that have been waiting for the next great read, comparable to Twilight - wait no longer.

Impossible was delicious. Weaving threads of a folksong, along with a mysterious curse linked to an impossible world / fairytale, and a modern day romance to make a beautiful, intricate, unforgettable story. I got totally caught up in the story.

Here's the write up-

Inspired by the ballad "Scarborough Fair," this riveting novel combines suspense, fantasy, and romance for an intensely page-turning and masterfully original tale. Lucy Scarborough is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or fall into madness upon their child's birth. Unless she can complete these tasks, Lucy will go mad, just like her mother and all the Scarborough women before her. But Lucy is the first girl who won't be alone when she attempts the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents and her childhood friend Zach beside her. As they struggle to make sense of the puzzle in the ballad and play by the dangerously important rules, time is slipping away and Lucy's fate hangs in a balance. Do they have love and strength enough to overcome an age-old evil?

Beastly a fairy tale

Beastly by Alex Flinn

This is a modern day retelling of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast, told from the beasts' point of view.

Kyle Kingsbury has it all, he's rich, goodlooking, friends, hot girlfriend, smart, he goes to an elite prep school. He's quick to judge people on looks alone and gets caught playing an evil trick on the social outcast at school - Kendra. Little does he know that by treating Kendra as the butt of his joke he will be spending the rest of his days covered in fangs and fur. That is unless he can change his ways.

From the back cover:

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright - a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever - ruined- unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly ... beastly.

I especially like the online chat group that the beast belongs to along with other cursed misfits from fairytales. I felt that this was a fun, light-hearted read, for some it maybe a bit too predictable, but really we all know that fairytales usually have a happy ending ; )

Deadly little secrets

Deadly little secrets ; a touch novel by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes far from ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believer the rumors, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead, she's inexpplicalby drawn to Ben... and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he wants to help- but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret. (from the front cover).

A boy to admire from afar, a girl you want to befriend, a novel to keep you turning the pages because you don't know whom to trust. Stolarz's novel is a blend of mystery, chills - a captivating story you have to experience. (from back cover)

As most of you know I had a wicked cold/flu last week - and by Friday afternoon all I wanted to do was, go home, go to bed and read a book (when I wasn't sleeping). Deadly Little Secrets was one of my recovery books. I felt it was a suspenseful read, and I wasn't sure who to trust. There is a great side plot to this book and I think it will appeal to a lot of our readers. From looking at some other reviews and blogs, it sounds like there might be too many similarities to Twilight for some.

There is a planned second book, which will please readers who were miffed by the ending.