Lots of great book buzz at the Annual Conference of the American Library Association in June! I'll post as I finish reading, but will put books into existing categories, if possible. Like under Art Theft is a new book, The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro, which was not out until October, 2012, but that posting is dated March, 2012. It was my very favorite book of Summer 2012! Just search around and have fun finding ideas for books to read.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. HarperCollins, 2012.(Adult Fiction)
Alternating between modern film personnel and 1962 Italy, the story of lost love, beautiful seaside settings, and a fictional Richard Burton. Definitely summer reading!
The Meryl Streep Movie Club by Mia March. Gallery Books (a division of Simon & Schuster, 2012. (Adult fiction)
Debut novel about three women relatives who come together after many years apart. Home is an inn on the coast of Maine. Can their diverse lives and talents mesh at last? The discussions of Meryl Streep movies after their usual Friday night movie fests are enlightening. Pop some popcorn and enjoy!
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead. Random House. August, 2012. (Children's fiction)
Got a galley of this children's novel by the Newbery Award winning author and couldn't wait to read it! It did not disappoint! Georges' family moves into an apartment building where Safer lives with his family. The two boys form an unlikely friendship and go through the typical childhood angsts amidst secrets on both sides. Stead writes smoothly and provides some surprises for readers. Part mystery, all realistic fiction for 5th-7th graders.
Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein. Candlewick, 2012. (Children's picture book)
Sweet story of a little girl whose smile starts a chain reaction of goodwill aroung the whole world. Mentions of Mexico, Israel, Paris, and Positano will send young readers seaching for a world map! Bright, colorful pencil, crayon and watercolor illustrations enhance the simple text. Try this one on the dreariest day and turn gloomies into smiles!
The Age of Miracles by Karen T. Walker.Random House, June, 2012.(Adult fiction, but ok for YA, too.)
The slowing of the earth by a few minutes seems minor, but the phenomenon continues and the results are dramatic. At the beginning, 12 year old Julia is undergoing her own typical coming-of-age angsts, too, and narrates this smooth story until she is 23. Her perspective is honest, believable, and poignant, too. Don't wait for the gold nugget to become kryptonite or for SuperMan to fly in and save the world though...that would be too easy a fix!
