A Bunch of Book Stuff!

It's so nice to finally have a few moments to myself to reflect upon what I've read lately.  (School starts back and although I don't stop reading, I do tend to put off the ole reading record!)

So, let's see...adults would enjoy knowing that the sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs is as delightful as the first.  Knit Two picks up five years after the first book (I wouldn't dare spoil it for you!) and helps those of us who have never lost someone as close as a best friend or mother understand what true mourning feels and looks like...from a man and woman's perspective.  Very tastefully done.  I enjoyed it immensely.  Am waiting for the Holiday season to read the third...Knit the Season.

Another adult novel I recently absorbed was The Passage by Justin Cronin.  Whew!  What a tome!  (Look up that word, kids.)  Comparable in length to The Host, by Stephenie Meyer, I was exhausted by the time I finished.  Enjoyed the apocalyptic vampire story, yet hated the ending.  And how disappointing is that?  I haven't been this disappointed in an ending since finishing Relentless by Dean Koontz (for adults, kids)!  I would recommend The Passage, but I'm afraid for my life if one of my reading buddies works that hard to make it through only to be as discouraged as I was.  Obviously, Cronin has a sequel.  And obviously, I'll read it because I HAVE to know what happens.  It has to answer some of my burning questions!    I wasn't a bit surprised when I learned that Hollywood producers were looking to make the movie.  Of course, it would take 5 films to tell the book's story!  What a moneymaker! 

Tweens would enjoy knowing that our school library's copy of Mockingjay arrived today.  Yes, that's the pre-ordered copy (which I received 1 week after it was released! Ugh!) of Suzanne Collins' third book in an awesome series.  Start with Hunger Games, then immediately read Catching Fire and somehow get your hands on this third book.  You will thank me.  It's our school's overwhelming favorite.  Adults love it just as much as tweens.  And, because a good reader will often sniff out other books by an author they enjoy, I ordered the entire set of Collins' Gregor the Overlander series.  I am pleased to report the feedback is positive and the books are flying off the shelves!  Success. 

This past month at school has shown me that we have a building full of excited readers.  (And several of the students like to read as well!)  We have recently brought back our STARS program, which is basically a silent-sustained-reading program.  Every year, teachers and students begin each day with 15 minutes of silent reading.  It's a nice way to start the day.  Focuses everyone.

Two book events happening soon are the Eclipse Book Event on September 30th and the Biggest Book Study Ever on October 27th.  More information to be announced on both events later.

Now, what page was I on?
Happy Reading!
RC