PAGETURNERS- 2ND BOOK OF THE YEAR- GOOD OMENS BY TERRY PRATCHETT AND NEIL GAIMAN

 

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . (Goodreads)

They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera

Hello Spartans!

Well, we finished the book. We had mixed reviews from our club members. Some of us loved the concept- enter a world in which you are notified of your own death. Now, you have 24 hours to decide how you want to conduct what's left of your life. This idea brought up tons of questions about what each of us would do next. It was fun to debate about all the different possibilities- that is the interesting part. The problem with the book, in this teacher-librarian's opinion, is the characters. It was a challenge to like them, and therefore a challenge to care about what happened to them. They are both notified at the beginning of the novel that they are on the death list. Now, they each decide to use an app which will help them find a friend who is going through the same experience. Rufus and Matteo are different to say the least. We learn about who they are, and we get to learn their ultimate fate. Again, the book is very polarizing, some love it, some dislike it intensely. I'm in the latter category. Nevertheless, we have it in the library. So, if you would like to decide for yourself, and who doesn't? Please come check out They Both Die in the End.

** You can read more of what this novel is all about in my previous post.

BEST BOOK IN AGES! WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING BY DELIA OWENS

  For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps (Goodreads).

Ma. Lane's Thoughts: This was simply one of the best books I've ever read! Delia Owens is able to weave words and sentences into a true work of art. Her descriptions of the marsh and creatures who live there are breathtaking. In addition, there is suspense, beauty, sadness, and indescribable moments of joy and pain. I never wanted to leave Kya's world! Some of these sentences and the images they create will forever be embedded on the walls of my heart. Truly excellent!

PAGE TURNERS- FIRST BOOK OF THE YEAR- THEY BOTH DIE IN THE END BY ADAM SILVERA

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day. (Goodreads).

We are all excited about reading this book! I will write again with our review. Stay tuned!

Welcome Back for 2019!

Welcome back Spartans! Another year of reading is ahead of us. Already, the Page Turners Book Club is getting ready to pick a new novel. I will be blogging about that choice next week. Over the summer I read a great book called Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. If you like historical fiction, which I do, you will enjoy this book.


Summary: World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people—adults and children alike—aboard must fight for the same thing: survival. (goodreads). 

HOW CAN I READ IT?

Right now, this book is only available on our FREE e-book program called Sora. You can download Sora onto your phone for free, and then you have the world at your fingertips with all the amazing reading choices! 

BOOK OF THE MONTH-DECEMBER-MIRACLE IN THE ANDES BY NANDO PARADO

In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence.

Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby team, as well as their family members and supporters, to an exhibition game in Chile had crashed somewhere deep in the Andes. He soon learned that many were dead or dying—among them his own mother and sister. Those who remained were stranded on a lifeless glacier at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, with no supplies and no means of summoning help. They struggled to endure freezing temperatures, deadly avalanches, and then the devastating news that the search for them had been called off.

As time passed and Nando’s thoughts turned increasingly to his father, who he knew must be consumed with grief, Nando resolved that he must get home or die trying. He would challenge the Andes, even though he was certain the effort would kill him, telling himself that even if he failed he would die that much closer to his father. It was a desperate decision, but it was also his only chance. So Nando, an ordinary young man with no disposition for leadership or heroism, led an expedition up the treacherous slopes of a snow-capped mountain and across forty-five miles of frozen wilderness in an attempt to find help.

Thirty years after the disaster Nando tells his story with remarkable candor and depth of feeling. Miracle in the Andes—a first person account of the crash and its aftermath—is more than a riveting tale of true-life adventure: it is a revealing look at life at the edge of death and a meditation on the limitless redemptive power of love. (www.goodreads.com)

BOOK OF THE MONTH-NOVEMBER-THE BOOK THIEF BY MARKUS ZUSAK

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.(www.goodreads.com)