Small Book

Here is a quick read that is both mysterious and curious and it does not resolving every problem it presents.  Anna's father wants to shelter and protect her so she lives a quiet life on an island.  Along comes problems that interrupt this quiet life.  Soon there is  treachery and deceit and the discovery of a body washed up on the beach.

Wild Song by Jane Eagland is a short book and it does not have a clear ending. You might have to imagine on your own how a couple of issues play out.  No sign of a sequel.  There is another book by Eagland titled Wildthorn and although they share the word Wild they are not related except that they are both about the adventures of a young girl.

If you or someone you know has little time, read these small books. 

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

H.G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau is a classic science fiction tale about the titular doctor who strives to create a superior race of people through horrific experiments that result in half-man, half-beast monstrosities.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd continues this chilling story through the perspective of Juliet Moreau, the doctor's daughter. She works as a maid in Victorian London, trying to forget the scandal of her father's experiments. When rumors reach her that her father is still alive, however, she embarks on a journey to the island to discover if he really is continuing to create creatures that are a terrible hybrid of man and animal.

The Madman's Daughter is a creepy horror story full of disturbing moments and shocking twists. Shepherd does a great job building off of Wells' original tale, and creates a love-to-hate villian in Doctor Henri Moreau. If you're sad to see Juliet's story end, never fear; the sequel, Her Dark Curiousity, is going to be released next year.

College Bound!

Whether you're leaving home to embark on a brand new life far far away or staying close to home in order to save money, there are things you'll need to know about college and the exciting new adult life you'll be living. You will, after all, need to start doing exciting things like filing taxes, signing leases, and paying bills... with your own money.  Some great books exist to help you on your way to full-fledged adulthood and I thought I'd share some of my fave books geared to helping you survive your college existence and beyond. (Of course most of this will apply even if you aren't going to college; this stuff pops up automatically at 18 and isn't dependent on a college degree.)

Post Comic-Con blues? Fear not, True Believer!

I just got back from San Diego Comic-Con, and it was four straight days of awesome.  Returning to the normal world depresses me.  No one wears costumes or tries to give you awesome swag, and it's highly unlikely that I'll bump into Wil Wheaton.  How can I get over my post Comic-Con blues?  Well, free books from the library is a good place to start.  And Geektastic Stories from the Nerd Herd, edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci, is the one I choose.  These are the stories of my people.

Geektastic is a collection of short stories and comic strips about the pain and the joy of being a geek, written by such amazing nerds as John Green(The Fault in Our Stars), Cassandra Clare(Mortal Instruments series), and Scott Westerfeld(Uglies).  What makes these authors geeky?  After you read their stories, there's a geek bio for each one.  There are also valuable, instructional comic strips on how to survive a fan convention, and the most important phrases to know in Klingon, among many other worthy topics.  Libba Bray tells the story of two girls to who find themselves at Rocky Horror with their nemesis.  Garth Nix writes about a boy who skips basketball practice to LARP.  Those are the kind of stories you'll find in this book.

So why should you read Geektastic?  Because it's full of people that you'll recognize.  One of them might even be you.

~gothbrarian

This Book Sucks

In a vampiric way.  Wait - don't leave!  All bad jokes aside, the comic Life Sucks is actually pretty cool.  Assuming you like vampires of the non-sparkly variety. 

Jessica Abel, Gabe Soria, and Warren Pleece have put together a comic exploring some of the less romantic sides of vampirism.  Like how you explain it to your mom and dad.  (You don't.)  And what sort of jobs are available for people who are permanently nocturnal.  (The night shift at a convenience store, for example.)  Also, the person who turned you is now your master.  (Which makes you his permanent wage slave.)  Dave Miller is not having the time of his undead life.  To make matters worse, the human girl he loves is now being romantically pursued by the guy he hates: psychopath surfer vampire Wes. 

Time for Dave to figure out how to get the girl and save the day.  Too bad he can only come out at night.

~ Book Ninja

Koi Out of Water

With MangaMania!! coming up this weekend, my mind is full of anime, Japan, and all the neat things that go along with it. So naturally, I thought of this book: Ink by Amanda Sun.

It's not manga, first of all, but it does take place in Japan. It follows Katie, who got moved there willy-nilly to live with her aunt after her mother's death. Not only is she grieving and lonely, she feels out of place, a tall blond American who barely speaks any Japanese and can't quite grasp all the different subtleties of life in a new country.

Then she meets Tomohiro Yuu. One day he's a jerk, dumping his girlfriend in the most callous way possible. The next he's a sensitive artist, creating drawings that almost seem to come to life. Wait . . . they are coming to life! What exactly is Yuu, and what does Katie herself have to do with his mysterious abilities?

If you are a die-hard Japanophile, pick up this book to become immersed in everyday life in Japan, with a little magic, mystery, and romance thrown in.

Warriors: The Forgotten Warrior

Warriors: The Forgotten Warrior

This book is written by Erin Hunter, who also happens to be one of my favorite authors.  She is the author of the amazing Warriors series that is very popular here in North America and it is almost entirely rare to not ever see someone reading it or for it to not be in a library. This is the the type of book that someone who is interested in fiction and fantasy would want to read - even someone like me was able to read it, even though I don't read that often.

This book is confusing, but that's because its the sixth book in the series, so if you're interested in fantasy fiction I would recommend to start from the beginning of the series which is "Warriors: The Sun Trail."  This author also has two other series of books; one is called "Seekers" and the other series, which is as popular and well known as "Seekers" and "Warriors," is called "Surviors."

So to sum up the book without spoiling it (or telling you the main story which would spoil it for you), the book picks up where the previous book left off.  The Star Clan has divided and turned into different groups and when the Dark Forest Sprites start to gain strength, there is no Star Clan anymore so the Thunder Cats (which is one of the many clans in the series) has to step in and try to stop the sprites in the Dark Forest before it's too late.

- BOOK WORM