New Twilight Read A Likes In Honor of New Moon's Movie Release

Due to the popularity of the Twilight series here are some new read-a-likes that have been getting alot of buzz, I'm basing these on angle of paranormal romances and star crossed lovers.

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
High school sophomore Nora has always been very cautious in her relationships, but when Patch, who has a dark side she can sense, enrolls at her school, she is mysteriously and strongly drawn to him, despite warnings from her best friend, the school counselor, and her own instincts.

Fallen by Lauren Kate (released in Dec.)
There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
In all the years she has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house, Grace has been particularly drawn to an unusual yellow-eyed wolf who, in his turn, has been watching her with increasing intensity.

Ash by Malindo Lo
In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed to love her and the King's Huntress whom she loves.

Swoon by Nina Malkin
In rural Connecticut, when seventeen-year-old Dice tries to exorcise a seventeenth-century man who is possessing her cousin Pen, she inadvertently makes him corporeal--and irresistible.

If You Liked Hunger Games...

I have to say I love dystopia and post apocalyptic novels! These are stories set in an alternate future where something has happened and a new society has been created that is far from the utopia that some of its villagers think it is.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins tells the story of a future where 12 districts must send 2 children each year to see if they survive in a televised battle to the death called "The Hunger Games." She just released the sequel "Catching Fire" this fall.

Gone by Michael Grant tells the story of a town where everyone over 13 has disappeared and they are trapped in the city by a large force field. What will happen to the teens when they turn 13? The sequel "Hunger" continues the tale when eventually food runs out. These books are good preludes to Steven King novels.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is about a society of "gladers" who are trapped in a maze that locks at night to protect them from monsters. One of the jobs in society is to be a maze runner that has to risk their lives to figure out the maze.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a classic tale of shipwrecked boys who created a society on an island. Loyalties are tested and soon the boys are becoming more animal than human. It is by far one of my favorite novels.

House of Stairs by William Sleator tells the story of teens who wake up in the middle of a room full of stairs and must perform tasks to earn food. As the tasks get more dangerous, it begs the question how far will you go?

In the Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan tells the story of Mary who lives in the village surrounded by a forest full of zombies. Years after the Zombie apocalypse they have lost all of modern technology. The one thing protecting them is a chain link fence and a religious order called the Sisterhood but Mary believes there is more out there.

The Giver by Lois Lowry stars Jonas waiting to learn of his adult position in his perfect society. There are no diseases, war, or suffering in this world...or so he thinks... The sequel "Gathering Blue" wasn't nearly as good as "The Giver" but "The Messenger" will tie them all together.

After Percy Jackson, What's Next?

Fans of the humorous mythology series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, can keep reading with these similar mythological titles:
Oh My Gods by Terra Lynn Childs
When her mother suddenly decides to marry a near-stranger, Phoebe, whose passion is running, soon finds herself living on a remote Greek island, completing her senior year at an ancient high school where the students and teachers are all descended from gods or goddesses.

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
In this inventive, short, yet perfectly formed novel inspired by traditional Norse mythology, Neil Gaiman takes readers on a wild and magical trip to the land of giants and gods and back.
In a village in ancient Norway lives a boy named Odd, and he's had some very bad luck: His father perished in a Viking expedition; a tree fell on and shattered his leg; the endless freezing winter is making villagers dangerously grumpy. Out in the forest Odd encounters a bear, a fox, and an eagle—three creatures with a strange story to tell. Now Odd is forced on a stranger journey than he had imagined—a journey to save Asgard, city of the gods, from the Frost Giants who have invaded it. It's going to take a very special kind of twelve-year-old boy to outwit the Frost Giants, restore peace to the city of gods, and end the long winter.
Someone cheerful and infuriating and clever . . . Someone just like Odd .

Sea of Trolls: Richard Jackson Trilogy by Nancy Farmer
After Jack becomes apprenticed to a Druid bard, he and his little sister Lucy are captured by Viking Berserkers and taken to the home of King Ivar the Boneless and his half-troll queen, leading Jack to undertake a vital quest to Jotunheim, home of the trolls.

Have a Hot Time in Hades:Mythomania Series by Kate McMullan
Told from the point of view of Hades, he tells his own story of how "it really happened" when the gods and goddesses took their place on Olympus.

If you want to read the real myths before tackling these books, they are found under the Dewey Decimal Number 292-293

The Weight of Silence

The Weight of Silence is Heather Gudenkauf's first novel. If her second book is as well written as this one, I definitely will look forward to it. The story is an emotional one, it tells of two families stuck in their worst nightmare. It also shows how much weight and hurt words can carry. As you start reading and get involved with these two families, you don't want to put it down. Each chapter of the book is told by one of the characters in the story. This was very well done, because it gave you the thoughts and voice of the characters. I don't want to give too much away, but I would definitely put this on your to read list.

Is the Twilight Craze over?

With the release of the movie "New Moon" next month, I was stunned to see multiple copies of all the Twilight novels on the shelf today. Has the craze finally ended? This brings me to the next thought, first Harry Potter, then Twilight, now what? What do you think will be the next book to cause such a wave of readership?

Lev Grossman's "The Magicians"

I really enjoyed Lev Grossman's "The Magicians" but if you are looking for an adult Harry Potter stop right here. I don't think the two books are even close to comparing. The book opens with Quentin, a braniac destined for a prestigious college, who is completely bored with his life. He keeps hoping that the magical land of Fillaroy that he read about as a child exists. One day he follows a lost letter into a portal that transports him into an elite magical college. He accepts his new magician life but is disapponted again. This is not the Fillaroy he had hoped for. It is full of hard work, dissapointments, and unfulfillment. Once he graduates, he is at a loss at what to do with his skills until he is propositioned with an offer that he can't refuse. I really connected with this book as a symbol of the disillusionment some new college graduates feel after they leave. They have done all this hard work and preparation but then what? Quentin is a character you love to hate, which always a kudos to the author. For a realistic fantasy, I highly recommend this book.

Where the Wild Things Are- Not a Kid's Movie

Although this movie is an adaptation of Maurice Sendack's 1963 picture book, I would not consider it a children's movie. The plot is dark and very slow moving. It reflects the emotional upheaval of a divorced generation. It opens with Max, a neglected child of a single parent family, trying to cope. After a very heated fight with his mother, he escapes into the land of the wild things. The wild things are very unhappy because one of their own has left home....sound familiar? It is quickly assumed that the wild things share his desire of family togetherness. When Max becomes their king, he learns that it is harder than it looks to keep everyone happy. Each wild thing reflects someone back home in features and personality. They help Max realize the importance of what you have. Although a far cry from The Never Ending Story of our generation, this was an enjoyable and well shot movie... for adults.