Fat Cat and Matched

Now that the Lone Star book list is out, I have started trying to read through the books. The first two I read was Matched and Fat Cat. Both were WONDERFUL books and I can see why they are on the Lone Star list.

Summary

Cat is determined to dominate in her advanced Research Science class, and she especially hopes to tromp smug, brilliant Matt, a former friend whose betrayal years ago still stings. She is thrown for a loop when assigned an anthropology topic but spins it into a project that will change not just her body but her life. Severely overweight, Cat decides to “become prehistoric,” eating and living as similarly to early hominids as possible, with the supervision of a dietitian. As her whole-foods diet and walking routine melts the pounds and guys start treating her differently, she adapts her project to take in these observations, too. (Taken from Booklist.)

Review

You always hear how much better all-natural food is for you, but I have never come across a book putting it in this perspective. Cat is an overweight teen who is willing to become the test subject for her latest science project. Although completely written in first person, Robin Brande has been able to build complex and likable characters out of not only the main character but the secondary characters as well. This book will really make you think about what you put in your body, and if holding a grudge or forgiveness is a better way to go.

Summary

Cassia has always had complete trust in the Society to make decisions for her, but when she is being paired with her ideal mate, a second face flashes on the screen, and Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility as she tries to decide which man she truly loves. (Taken from Titlewave.com)

Review

If you like Hunger Games and The Giver, then you will LOVE Matched. Everything is decided for Cassia in her world...her job, her pair, her death. But when a mistake happens and Cassia sees her second "match", she begins to wonder if the Society is as perfect as they make themselves out to be. One of the most interesting things about the story is that nothing new can be created. They have a list of "100 Songs", "100 Poems", and such. There is no creativity in this world...and you do not get to choose what food you get. It just comes to your house already cooked and ready for you. This is a promising trilogy that everyone should read!

Newest from Sarah Dessen

It seems like forever since we have had a new book from Sarah Dessen and the wait is almost over. Her newest book, What Happened to Good-Bye will be coming in May, but she has released the first chapter. Enjoy!!!


http://sarah-land.ning.com/forum/topics/first-chapter-of-what-happened?xg_source=msg_mes_network

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Summary

High school junior Violet uses her uncanny ability to sense murderers and their victims to try to stop a serial killer who is terrorizing her town, and although her best friend and would-be boyfriend Jay promises to keep her safe, she becomes a target.

Mrs. Lassley's Review: 4 1/2 Stars

The title of this book worried me at first, but the longer I read it the more interested I became. Violet is just a normal high school girl who is in love with her best friend, but does not want him to know it yet. What is different about Violet is that she is called to things that have been murdered. This does not amount to much more then mice and birds that have been killed by cats, but when a serial killer starts killing girls and leaving their bodies around her town, it is up to Violet to help find the killer. This book not only had the romantic element but the scary element as well, which is rare for a book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to read an unusual book and that was just plain awesome!!

Kormanpalooza

IT IS TIME FOR KORMANPALOOZA!!!!

I Like Big Books

It looks like we have a new book video for the new year. I LOVE IT!!! Do you think Stafford should do one??? Let me know!

2011 Lone Star List

It is official! The new Lone Star list is out and it is a great one! There is a little bit of everything on here.

2011 Texas Lone Star Reading List

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. Little, Brown, 2010.
Bell, Cathleen Davitt. Little Blog on the Prairie. Bloomsbury, 2010.
Brande, Robin. Fat Cat. Knopf, 2009.
Carter, Ally. Heist Society. Disney Hyperion, 2010.
Childs, Tera Lynn. Forgive My Fins. Katherine Tegen Books, 2010.
Condie, Ally. Matched. Dutton, 2010.
Deuker, Carl. Payback Time. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010.
Dionne, Erin. The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet. Dial Books, 2010.
Falkner, Brian. Brain Jack. Random House, 2009.
Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron. Dial Books, 2010.
Gephart, Donna. How to Survive Middle School. Delacorte, 2010.
Golding, Julia. Dragonfly. Marshall Cavendish, 2009.
Henderson, Jason. Vampire Rising. HarperTeen, 2010.
Klass, David. Stuck on Earth. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2010.
Shulman, Polly. The Grimm Legacy. Putnam, 2010.
Shusterman, Neal. Bruiser. HarperTeen, 2010.
Sonnenblick, Jordan. After Ever After. Scholastic Press, 2010.
Stork, Francisco X. The Last Summer of the Death Warriors. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2010.
Wiles, Deborah. Countdown. Scholastic Press, 2010.
Yancey, Richard. The Monstrumologist. Simon & Schuster, 2009.

Welcome Back!

I hope that everyone had an amazing break. I was very excited to get a chance to get some reading done. Although the bulk of my time was spent reading a book not in our library, I did have a chance to reread the Hunger Games series. It was the first time I have had a chance to go through them at my pace, instead of racing through them so that student could have them. What I love about this Suzanne Collins series is that the characters can be related to. You have Katniss's struggle with the leadership role that she is thrust into, Peeta's struggle against doing what is right, and Gale's struggle with his anger. With such a vast array of characters, anyone who reads them can connect with them. If you have not had a chance to read these books, come see me!!