Kindred Souls by Patricia MacLachlan

Jake’s grandfather, Billy, hears the talk of birds, is eighty-eight years old, and is going to live forever. Even when Billy gets sick, Jake knows that everything will go on as always. But there’s one thing Billy wants: to rebuild the sod house where he grew up. Can Jake give him this one special thing?


This is a beautifully written simple story of life, love and family. It is touching and even more poignant because of its simplicity. It is a very short read, but sweet and heartwarming. I cried :)




What Am I Reading?

Ok, these are the current books I have on my nightstand! I am going to power through them! They are all getting "buzz" on all the Newbery blogs. So, we will see...and I will let you know!

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

This is the second installment in the trilogy and I will simply say that I thought it was better than the first! Will be reading the 3rd one, for sure!

Tough Books to Review

The most difficult books for me to review or to simply read to provide better readers' advisory for patrons are the 1st-3rd grade books. Board books are easy for me- are the pictures bright and bold and clear? Is the text simple? Picture books are easy for me- Is it funny? Touching? Are the illustrations beautiful? Easy Reader books are easy for me- Is the text in larger print with many sight words? Fiction for 4th grade and up is easy for me- Were the characters well developed and the action great? Was it moving? Funny? Touching? Sad? Could I wait to see what happened? Do I want to read the next one?


All these things are easy for me to relate to when I read these books. Just because I am a librarian does not mean I am a literary expert by any means. The way I appreciate books and share my appreciation for books with patrons is on a very simple, personal level. Does it grab me in some way?


But the books that are written for the 1st-3rd grade group are the most difficult. Characters aren't well developed, the plot is over-simplified and often, silly, and, naturally, there just isn't much meat to them. It's been too long since I was that age to put myself in that child's shoes and determine if they would think this was a great book. I need to hang around more kids this age and get their opinions! :)

The Enchantress by Michael Scott

This is the 6th and final book in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. This series was awesome. The characters were great and action was non-stop with just enough humor and sarcasm thrown in to make it a great read.


As with all endings, it is tough to analyze it clearly. Did the right people live or die? Did it unfold as you imagined? I think it is always difficult to judge the last book of a great series well because by that point, our own imagination has determined how the story should end. I don't know. The last book is always difficult.

But fans won't be disappointed, I don't think!

Legend by Marie Lu - YA Book

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

I enjoyed this book. I liked both characters. The chapters alternate between each character's perspective. There was a lot of action, some surprises and sides to root for which I always like.

There were two minor things that bothered me. One, the characters are both 15, but it would have made more sense to me or more believable somewhat if they would have been 17-19. They were both so extremely competent, mature, intelligent and worldly that it was difficult to believe they were 15. The other minor element was that what happened to the US how it became to be like it is in the story was confusing and never explained thoroughly. Neither of these complaints really took away from the story, it would have just improved upon the book.

I will plan on reading the next installment!

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore-YA Book

The long-awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire.

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

I really loved Graceling and liked Fire. The characters were so well developed and the action was great. Bitterblue was introduced in Graceling as a child. I didn't particularly like the character, so I wasn't overly excited about reading this book. But the great writing and plots of the other two convinced me to read it. I was terribly disappointed.