Rebecca by Du Maurier


"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."

Okay seriously, Rebecca is one of the most frustrating, depressing, rip-your-hair-out provoking books I've ever read in my entire life.

And I love it.

Have any of you guys ever read the book? I read it with my English class...fyi...
Anyways, if you haven't I RECOMMEND IT.

It's too good do a thorough review. There are just too many things to comment on.... The characters, the plot, the themes, the foreshadowing... Okay, this sounds like what I say for most of my rave reviews but SERIOUSLY READ THIS BOOK. If you guys have, tell me what you thought about it!

By the way, if you do decided to read it, keep in mind that the plot seems to lag around the middle of the book, but all of a sudden, SOMETHING BIG HAPPENS THAT JUST BLOWS YOUR MIND.

Okay.

PS- The cover does this book no justice. None at all.

“We can never go back again, that much is certain. The past is still close to us. The things we have tried to forget and put behind us would stir again, and that sense of fear, of furtive unrest, struggling at length to blind unreasoning panic - now mercifully stilled, thank God - might in some manner unforeseen become a living companion as it had before.” 

Teen Read Week

It's Teen Read Week!  What is that, you ask?  Teen Read Week is an national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association.  This year's theme is It Came from the Library!

We dare you to read for the fun of it and celebrate reading in all its forms —books and magazines, e-books, audiobooks and more. 

We're also giving away prizes to celebrate Teen Read Week.  All you need to do is come by the library and fill out an entry form in the teen section at any RPL branch between now and Oct 23rd. Easy as that!

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Tom Hardy

The Mayor of Castrbridge is a Classic novel about a man by the name of Michael Henchard who in a drunken state sells his wife and daughter to a passing sailor at a country fair.  From there on things get more and more dramatic.  Henchard moves to the town of Casterbridge and achieves mayorship while presuming his wife dead, and his daughter lost to him.  But when they arrive in Casterbridge, Henchard's life get's turned upside down.  The reader experiences his ups and downs of his life narrated in parts by Henchard himself, and in parts, his daughter, Elizabeth-Jane.

If I had a choice, I would never read classics, the language is tough, and the setting is constantly being thickly described.  However for this classic, I wouldn't say it was too bad, like most modern novels it carries with it dramatic twists and turns, the reader doesn't experience too much of a lull between one shocking event and the next.  Hardy knows exactly how to write too, he has a nice balance in the book, the shocking events don't overshadow each other, and they have a reason for being.  I haven't read too many classics in my life, I tried Pride and Prejudice, but the extensive plot, and descriptions lacked the proper action and drama to hook a reader.  With the Mayor of Casterbridge, you sympathized with characters more, it was easier to understand, though a longer read, it's not exactly the kind of story you'd find in a small farming village.

Considering my bias against classics and the fact that it's homework rather than leisure reading, I would give this classic a 7/10, for originality, a surprising amount of action and drama, sympathize-able characters, and a nicely scripted, and yet not overwhelming setting.

(The Mayor of Casterbridge 2003 Movie Trailer)

Volunteers needed!

Amazing Astronomy – Saturday October 13th from 11-3pm
Help kids create telescopes, galaxies and other space related crafts.

 
World Food Day event - Sunday October 14 from 12-4pm
Greet and hand out flyers and hand stamp visitors at tables.

Sound interesting? Email us at teens@yourlibrary.ca to sign up

Code (Virals #3) COMING OUT MARCH 2013!!!

Ok, so as you all know I'm a HUGE Virals fan, so, as you can guess, when I saw the release announcement for #3 I was ECSTATIC! I was even more excited to see that there was an EXCERPT I could read online.
So it comes out March 12, 2013, and here's the summary Amazon has for it:
The Virals are put to the ultimate test when they find a geocache containing an ornate puzzle box. Shelton decodes the cipher inside, only to find more tantalizing clues left by "The Gamemaster." A second, greater geocache is within reach--if the Virals are up to the challenge.
But the hunt takes a dark turn when Tory locates the other box--a fake bomb, along with a sinister proposal from The Gamemaster. Now, the real game has begun: another bomb is out there--a real one--and the clock is ticking.
Now if you want to read an excerpt from it, go here:
http://shelf-life.ew.com/2012/07/03/kathy-reichs-code-cover-reveal-excerpt/
IT SOUNDS SO GOOD I CAN'T WAIT!!! WHO ELSE IS STOKED???

PS So I am currently 11 and a bit chapters into a novel of my own making. If you would like to read what I have so far than give me ur e-mail (gmail is fine) and I'll send it to you (I can't just post it up here cause Blogger would claim copyright and then I wouldn't be able to actually publish it).

October Releases

Sup guys, it seems like forever since I've been on this blog (how is it October already?!). Haven't had much time to read cause of work (school and otherwise), so no reviews quite yet, but I felt like I should post some stuff up.

Here's some of the YA releases in October, tried to balance the genres...and yeah, that didn't really work out. I'll just post the covers below, along with the respective goodreads/amazon summary. :)

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Published October 2nd

Inhale. Exhale.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe . . .
The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?


 
Published October 23rd
 
Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

 
 

 
 
Published October 16th

 
Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist.


Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island's workers--soulless clones like Elysia--are immune to.
At first, Elysia's life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the island's flawless exterior, there is an under-current of discontent among Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care--so why are overpowering sensations cloud-ing Elysia's mind?

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happi-ness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.

The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, "Beta "is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a cor-rupted world.




 
Published October 23rd
 
Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer.

This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else.



 
 
Published October 16th
 

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.


 
Published October 23rd
 

Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush saga.
 
Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn—but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?

 
Published October 2nd
 

What if you could dream your way into a different life? What if you could choose to live that life forever?

Sloane and Maggie have never met. Sloane is a straight-A student with a big and loving family. Maggie lives a glamorously independent life as an up-and-coming actress in New York. The two girls couldn't be more different--except for one thing. They share a secret that they can't tell a soul. At night, they dream that they're each other.

The deeper they're pulled into the promise of their own lives, the more their worlds begin to blur dangerously together. Before long, Sloane and Maggie can no longer tell which life is real and which is just a dream. They realize that eventually they will have to choose one life to wake up to, or risk spiraling into insanity. But that means giving up one world, one love, and one self, forever.

This is a dazzling debut that will steal readers' hearts.


 

 
Published October 30th
 

From the internationally bestselling author who brought us Ender's Game, a brand-new series that instantly draws readers into the dystopian world of Rigg, a teenager who possesses a secret talent that allows him to see the paths of people's pasts.
 
Rigg's only confidant is his father, whose sudden death leaves Rigg completely alone, aside from a sister he's never met. But a chance encounter with Umbo, another teen with a special talent, reveals a startling new aspect to Rigg's abilities, compelling him to reevaluate everything he's ever known. Rigg and Umbo join forces and embark on a quest to find Rigg's sister and discover the true depth and significance of their powers. Because although the pair can change the past, the future is anything but certain?.


Published October 23rd
 

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.


 
Published October 2nd
 
They called her Water Claire. When she washed up on their shore, no one knew that she came from a society where emotions and colors didn’t exist. That she had become a Vessel at age thirteen. That she had carried a Product at age fourteen. That it had been stolen from her body. Claire had a son. But what became of him she never knew. What was his name? Was he even alive? 
 
She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. Now Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice. Son thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal winning book, The Giver, as well as Gathering Blue and Messenger where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry’s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil.

 
 
Published October 23rd
 
Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?
 
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Most interested in Crewel (Cool, unique looking premise), Blind Spot (seems pretty good, kind of a different take on a crime/mystery. Hopefully there's no romance though, ruins the suspense completely) and the Lost Prince (because it is by Miss. Julie Kagawa, and I read the other fey books, otherwise - cover and description = no. Anyways, pretty sure I'm getting a copy when it comes out. :D )

What about everyone else? I missed a million books, so any other ones you guys are excited to read this month?

What's up this fall

It's already October!  Hard to believe, but the end of 2012 is fast approaching.  The end of the year means it's time for top-10 lists.  Here's the list of the top 10 teen books, as chosen by the American Library Association, for last year (most were published in 2011):






What do you think?  How many have you read?  Would these have been your top picks? 

We'd like to create a Top-10 list of books read by Richmond teens for 2012, so over the next few months, start thinking about the best books you read this year.  You can either post your top10 list all in one go, or review each book individually.  Closer to the end of the year (probably mid Dec) we'll compile everyone's list into one.  So, that's the project for the blog for the next few months.

Don't worry, though, as well as your top picks, you can still review whatever you'd like - the good, the bad and the ugly! 

The Blog's New Look

School has started, leaves have started to fall, and as promised, our blog has gotten a bit of a face-lift.  You've probably had a chance to have a quick look around already, but here are a few features you'll want to know about:
  • To read the full post, just click on the orange date banner, and the post will expand to full-size.
  • You can comment on any of the posts just by clicking on the speech bubble in the top right-had corner of the post.  It will prompt you to log in if you haven't already.
  • If you've already logged in, just click on the pencil icon in the top right corner to add a new post. 
  • Remember - adding a picture makes your post even more eye-catching, so don't forget about that! 
Keep adding any new reviews or things that interest you that are related to lovely world of libraries!  Stay tuned for more info about the direction the blog will be going in for the fall, too.