Nameless : A Tale of Beauty and Madness / Lili St. Crow.

namelessNameless : A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow. If you like Cassandra Clare or Kelley Armstrong, you might enjoy this new book by the author of the Strange Angels series.

From the publisher: When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven—the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico.

Now Cami is turning sixteen. She’s no longer mute, though she keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform, and though she opens up only to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie, and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But even though Cami is a pampered Vultusino heiress, she knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until she meets the mysterious Tor, who reveals scars of his own, that Cami begins to uncover the secrets of her birth…to find out where she comes from and why her past is threatening her now.

May the 4th Be With You

starwarsDo you have the opening scroll for each Star Wars movie memorized? Do you often wear a robe, sandals and light saber to run your errands? Do you regularly practice your Jedi mind tricks on your boss, friends or parents? Do they work?  (Because if they did that would be cool.)  If you answered yes to any of these then you probably already know that May 4th is Star Wars Day and is considered a holiday to everyone living in deep space.

What’s that? You’ve never seen the Star Wars movies? Then I suggest you correct that mistake by checking them out from one of our many library branches. (We forgive you, but only if you’ve been frozen in a block of carbonite for forty years.)

After you re-watch the Star Wars movies check out our May the 4th Be With You trivia contest for teens ages 11 – 18. Each completed quiz is an entry for a prize drawing. The trivia contest runs through May 31st and it isn’t necessary to get all the questions right in order to win. The winner receives a large Talking Yoda Doll which spouts out tidbits of advice at the touch of a button.

Need more ways to celebrate? Try the Origami Yoda chapter books, books about the making of Star Wars and even party planning Jedi style.

Have a Happy Star Wars Day and May the 4th be with you.

 

A Darker Wonderland

splinteredSplintered by AG Howard. This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Lost Socks and Other Random Things

Ever notice how you always end up with an odd number of socks coming out of the dryer. We put them on as a pair, we dirty them as a pair and they go in the washing machine as a pair but emerge from the dryer as a single. I’m not sure why the toll for clean clothes costs exactly one sock, but it is one of those random things that we as humans tend to overlook for the good of our sanity.

Take for example the pigeon. These trash can scavengers are everywhere, literally, but when was the last time you saw a baby pigeon? Never!

Among other random things is the unpredictability of Ohio weather. Our state is the mecca for the most seasons crammed in one month. Just take March for example. We had early summer weather in the mid 60’s, snow and ice and even a period of typically wet Spring.

Whereas the weather is one of those things we can’t control we can shed a little light on its randomness. Register for the “All About Weather” program at the Amelia Branch library on Saturday, April 20th from 2:00 – 3:00 for a chance to talk with Fox 19 meteorologist Katy Morgan. All ages are welcome at this event, but space is limited so register early!

Now onto the mystery of pigeons

A Day Just for YA

Here in the library biz, YA stands for Young Adult or in other words Teen books. Young Adult books haven’t always been around, so count yourself lucky, whippersnapper. I remember, back in the day after you read through chapter books the only thing left was the adult fiction section. (And the walk to the library was always unhill and covered in snow.) I got more than a few glances reading Steven King at the ripe old age of 12.

But now Teen Literature is here and we love it! That’s why we celebrate Teen Literature Day on April 18th. It’s a day where we librarians double our efforts to reach those kids reaching for Stephen King when they might like Divergent by Veronica Roth, or Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins better. There are a lot of really great Young Adult books out there that you and even your parents might enjoy. I promise it’s still cool if they do. Check out a few of our favorites and celebrate Teen Literature Day every day.

(Alphabetical by title because I’m a librarian.)

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Fault in our Stars by John Green

Gone by Michael Grant

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Rotters by Daniel Kraus

The Program

programIf you enjoyed Delirium by Lauren Oliver, you might like The Program by Suzanne Young.

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Anime Club

animeCome to the Bethel Branch on Wednesday, April 10 at 3:30pm for our anime club meeting.
Wednesday, Dec. 12, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Attendees ages 12-18 are invited to rate the show you watched to help us decide on new anime to purchase. Ask a library worker for a permission slip. For more information or to register for the program, call the library at 734-2619.

Second Chance Summer

summerSecond Chance Summer by Morgan Matson. Taylor keeps running away from her problems until she learns that her father is seriously ill and she must go back and face her conflicts head on. As the days turn into night she learns that she has many things to look forward to including love, friendship, and family. I would highly recommend her other title called Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour. I enjoyed reading this book. It is a great story of love and friendship and how Taylor copes with her family problems.