Summer Listening

OK,  so I admit I have not been the greatest audiobook fan in the past. Today I am going to try something new. Hello! Free audiobooks!

I am in! Two books a week this summer, one contemporary one classic. This is a great opportunity to find some listening material for those summer car rides. I now have 16 chances to change my mind on audio books.  I have listed the titles below. They are available for free download one week only, but do not expire once downloaded! WOW! I am listening to Shiver now. 

SYNC SUMMER 2011:

This summer is your chance to enjoy 16 different Young Adult titles and summer reading classics for FREE!

Watch for a new pair of audiobooks available each week,

today June 23rd through August 17th.

Each giveaway matches one current young adult title thematically with a classic or assigned summer reading title.

Beginning on June 23, the audiobooks are available for only 7 days.

Downloads are in MP3 format, hosted by Overdrive, and are Mac and Windows compatible.

The SYNC audiobook program is hosted by Audiobook Community, "an online social networking site where listeners, narrators, authors, and fans of audiobooks can connect, discuss, and discover all things audiobook."

To sign up, students must be at least 13 years old.

Your summer listening experience starts here!

SYNC Titles

Summer 2011

Available June 23 - June 29

Shiver by Maggie  Stiefvater

Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

Available June 30 - July 6
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
The Trial by Franz Kafka

Available July 7 - July 13
Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster

Available July 14 - July 20
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
Beowulf by Francis B. Gummere [Trans.]

Available July 21 - July 27
Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Available July 28 - August 3
Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
Rescue: Stories of Survival From Land and Sea by Dorcas S. Miller [Ed.]

Available August 4 - August 10
Immortal by Gillian Shields
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Available August 11 - August 17
Storm Runners by Roland Smith
The Cay by Theodore Taylor

Here's what you need to know:

To Download:

• You need OverDrive® Media Console™ (free!)
Download: Mac Windows
• Files can be transferred to mobile devices after downloading to your computer.

Sync Audiobooks:

• Files are MP3 format.
• Files cannot download directly to your mobile device.

How to transfer to mobile device here.
• Files are for personal use only.
• Files are available for download for one week only but can be listened to at any time.

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

 

Matched

By: Ally Condie

Intended Age: YA

Hardcover: 366 pages

Published November 30th 2010 by Dutton Juvenile

more details...ISBN 0525423648 (ISBN13: 9780525423645)

Series: Matched #1

Synopsis:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.  -goodreads.com

I listened to this via audio book read by Kate Simses. I borrowed it electronically from the library. This is one of the YALSA Top Ten Nominees for 2011.

First, I have to say I am not a big fan of audio books. I feel forced into the characters voice and usually there is goofy music. Getting past my dislike of audio books was slow, but I listened along to it with my daughter, as she was home sick.

What if we lived in a “perfect” world? All the choices are made for us but “perfect”. Sickness is overcome and death is controlled even comforting, to live in relative painlessness. That is Cassia’s world until she starts seeing some of the costs that perfection has. She begins to wonder, to want. What will this cost her? Her family?

I really enjoyed this book. (Although, I would have rather read it) It reminded me of another of my favorite books “The Giver” by Lois Lowry if you haven’t read it you should!

The concept of the lists of 100’s really horrified me! Life with out diversity and the right to choose and share is too high a price for me. It was a great discussion starter with my daughter about what we see as perfection and gratitude for even the smallest of things including our book of 101 poems.  

This book is the first in a trilogy. Crossed will come out in November 2011. This book definitely sets you up for the next book, yet the ending satisfied me.

I give this 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, dystopian Sci-Fi

Summer Reading

This summer I am going to try to read as many of the YALSA's Teens' Top Ten 2011 Nominees as I can.

You can find a list of the 25 nominees at their website. 

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teenreading/teenstopten/teenstopten.cfm

You can read all twenty-five this summer and get ready to vote for the 2011 list, Aug. 22 through Sept. 16.

A few of the books on the list are in a series so you should pick up the previous books before tackling these:

Collins , Suzanne. Mockingjay 

·      Catching Fire 2010 YALSA top 10  

·      Hunger Games 2009 YALSA top 10

Fitzpatrick, Becca. Crescendo

·      Hush Hush 2010 YALSA top 10

Westerfeld, Scott. Behemoth

·      Leviathan

Patterson, James. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel. Book 7

·      The Angel Experiment Book #1 2005 YALSA top 10

·      Schools Out Forever Book #2 2007 YALSA top 10

·      Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports Book #3 2008 YALSA top 10

·      Final Warning Book # 4

·      Max Book #5

·      Fang Book #6

Grant, Michael. Lies. 

·      Gone

·      Hunger

Clare, Cassandra. The Clockwork Angel.

·      City of Bones 2008 YALSA top 10

·      City of Ashes 2009 YALSA top 10

·      City of Glass 2010 YALSA top 10

·      City of Fallen Angels released April 5^th 2011

Of course there are a few books that are coming out this summer and have just recently come out I am looking forward to jumping into!

Again, some of these are in a series so check out the previous books.

Scorch Trials by James Dashner (released October 12 2010) 

sequel to Maze Runner

I really enjoyed the Maze Runner! When I downloaded this to my Nook my daughter hijacked it and devoured the book. What better recommendation can you get than that!  PS M. give me back my Nook!

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (released January 11 2011)

This is another new book the blogging world seems to love.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (released February 1 2011)

I have seen so many good reviews for this book. I cannot wait! 

Dark Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan (released March 22 2011) 

3^rd in the Forest of Hand and Teeth (2^nd is Dead Tossed Waves)

I am curious to see where this one will take us and who the main characters will be!

Divergent By Veronica Roth (released May 3 2011)      

I have heard so many incredible raves and reviews! I cannot wait to get my hands on this one!

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (released May 24 2011)

I have not heard a negative thing about any Libba Bray book. This one has definitely peaked my interest.

Passion (Fallen) By Lauren Kate (release date 6/14/11) 

3rd in Fallen Series (2^nd is Torment)

Maybe we will learn more about Daniel & Luce's past!

Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 3) by Maggie Stiefvater 

(release date 7/12/11) Shiver #1, Linger #2

I have waited a year! I want to jump back into Sam & Grace's world!

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

By: Carrie Ryan

Published: 2009 by Delacorte Book for Young Readers

more details...ISBN 0385736819 

(ISBN13: 978038573681)

Series: The Forest of Hands and Teeth #1

Synopsis:

In Mary's world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her.

And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

-goodreads.com

I read this on my nook. I borrowed it electronically from the library.

What is not to love about Zombies!

This book starts off with a bang. I literally did not put this down! The story moves rather quickly so it does not go into great detail with the characters, I really had a hard time visualizing them in my mind as well as the setting. I kinda saw the characters and the setting blurry in my mind. I am really OK with the foggy visualization because the emotion paints a vivid story! Emotionally it touched me to the core. I also realized after finishing this book that it is going to be a series and I am sure the backstory will most surely get filled in as we learn it through the characters. Maybe with more information the story will become more believable…. Haa haaa haaa cause Zombies are sooooooo realistic. This book scared me, made me hope and made me cry. I hope the next one will continue the suspense and emotion.

I give this 4 out of 5 stars

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Minor Characters

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new theme is given.

This week the is : Top Ten Minor Characters

Wow. This is kinda hard, but here goes! in no particular order.

1 Magnus Bane – Mortal Instruments Series/ Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare

2 Rue – Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

3 The Greivers – Maze Runner by James Dashner

4 Arriane – Fallen by  Lauren Kate

5 Luna Lovegood – Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

6 Amma – Beautiful Creatures / Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

7. Dustfinger – Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

8. Sycorax and Caliban – Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

9. Angus – Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

10. Liza Hempstock – Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

My thoughts on books...

Rarely have I met a book I didn’t like. Most often I open a book and fall in.

Immediately it becomes my favorite book ever. With that, I am not so sure I will be a good book reviewer. I have a 12 year old daughter and with the mountains of young adult series coming out every day I decided I should read at least the first of a series so I have an idea of the books she (or her friends) are reading. I have been surprised to find out that I am a young adult book addict!  I read because I love to. I love being transported to another place, time or galaxy. I love being able to access the mind of another, to walk a mile in their shoes. I read for FUN. I read to laugh, cry, shudder, scream, love, smile, regret, rebel, to feel caution, to be amazed.

The young adult genre is very broad and caters to many levels of maturity and morality. I read not to tell my daughter what to read, but to know what she is reading. I have found that now my thoughts and opinions are noted and respected by her. When you are reading lots of books you can always recommend something else more age appropriate. Although, I have found that books with questionable content are perfect segues into difficult discussions that can be broached with the distance of the characters and not personalized. In short, I like questionable books as they allow my daughter and I to communicate at a much freer level. They can be used as teaching tools. I welcome them.

I do not take much stock in book reviews nor should you take much stock in mine. They are but opinions of mine that have been molded by my personal life experiences and thoughts. The best way to judge a book is to read it your-self. I have found that perspective is important. Some books imply things that I interpret more from my experiences than my daughter does and vice versa. I try to keep that in mind when I am reading.

So really this blog is a way for me to express thoughts I have about the books I am reading, if I like them and why. I hope you find it interesting and I hope you find it necessary to read the book yourself.