Anagrams, Footnotes, and the Mathematical Theorem of Love

Colin Singleton has had nineteen (by his reckoning) relationships.  Of those 19 relationships, they all had one thing in common.  They all involved a girl named Katherine.

Having just been dumped by Katherine the Ninteenth, Colin finds himself on a road trip with his best friend, Hassan.  Ending in Gutshot, TN, the two explore the gravesite of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, meet a girl named Lindsey, and Colin spends the summer trying to find a mathematical theorem of love and relationships.

What my description isn't capturing is both the realness of the characters and the humor of the storytelling.  An Abundance of Katherines by John Green is full of weird facts and trivia, odd anagrams, and an entire appendix devoted to the mathematical functions described in the book.  It is unspeakably nerdy, in the best kind of way.  But what can I say?  I have a soft spot for footnotes in novels. 

Let's Go Ride a Bike!

Having grown up in a city where this time of year I would be battling blizzards and layering on coats and mittens and scarves, I always rejoice when February rolls around and I can walk around in a t-shirt. This is so fantastic to me.

Now, for the confession: I did not learn how to ride a bike until I was 21 years old. I was, gulp, scared. And that's what I have in common with Auden, the main character of Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. Okay, Auden was 18 when she learned how to ride a bike, and she wasn't scared, she had just been raised by very academic parents. So I guess the resemblance ends there.

Teen Pregnancy

It's one of the most controversial subjects out there. And despite increased media coverage and shows like "Teen Mom," "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," and "Glee," there is often still a reluctance to talk about it.

But talk about it is exactly what these authors have done. I have four books for you: two from the father's perspective, and two from the mother's. (And, before I continue, there are a lot of resources out there for those with questions. You can even start on the library's teen page, right here.)

the first part last by Angela Johnson is told from the perspective of the father. Bobby is an artist, 16, and wants to hang out with his friends and finish high school. But as soon as his baby is born, Bobby has to cope with the reality of being a single dad.

Are You Going to Scarborough Fair...

I'll admit it. I frequently judge a book by its cover. In the case of Impossible by Nancy Werlin, the premise of the book combined with the cover was too irresistible a combination.

On her seventeenth birthday, Lucy discovers that she, like countless generations of women before her, is under an ancient curse placed by an elfin king. Now pregnant (part of the curse), she has until the baby is born to complete three impossible tasks. If she succeeds? She frees herself and her baby from the curse. If she fails? She descends into madness and the curse is passed to her unborn daughter.

Banned Books Week... continued

It's banned books week, and I love looking to see which books have hit the top ten banned lists of the year, as well as what authors have been challenged. You can find a lot of that information on the ALA website.

This year, I was surprised to learn that Cinderella has been among the banned. One of my favorite Cinderella stories is Ash by Malinda Lo. Ash is our Cinderella, and she grows up intrigued by the fairy realm and the handsome prince who is cursed to love her. But fate has other plans for Ash, in the form of the King's huntress...

Skeleton Creek

I've read silly, funny, puzzling, police procedural and spooky mysteries. But I'm highlighting this mystery because of the way it employs mixed media.

Skeleton Creek, by Patrick Carman, is Ryan's journal. Ryan was in a mysterious accident at the dredge (a mysterious place), and shattered his leg, rendering him housebound. His best friend, Sarah, is still out and about, and while Ryan loves to write, Sarah loves to film. As you hit markers in the text, Ryan will send you to a website: http://www.sarahfincher.com/, where Sarah posts the videos she makes around town. Don't worry, you can't do much with this website unless you also have the passwords, which are sprinkled through the text.

While Ryan does write like a high school boy, the videos are deliciously creepy and the pacing is just right. Don't read (or watch) this at night!

Please tell us what your favorite mystery is!

~ That One Girl