Review: Dreamsleeves by Coleen Murtagh Paratore

Apologies from Kat - I thought I had this set to post on Thursday but alas, you're getting a Tuesday review instead!

Dreamsleeves by Coleen Murtagh Paratore

Aislinn O'Neill is a dreamer. Some of Aislinn's dreams are simple others prove to be much trickier. By the end if the summer Aislinn has three dreams in her Dream Book that must come true: 1) To find a way for her Dad to stop drinking. 2) That her Mom will convince her Dad to buy a house they have been dreaming about before it is sold to someone else. 3) For her crush Mike Mancinello to like her. Each dream is easy and hard in it's own way. When it seems impossible that any of her dreams will come true Aislinn gets a fantastic idea, Dreamsleeves. Wearing your dream (written on a name-tag) on your sleeve for the world to see, her logic: "Who knows...maybe the person you pass on the street or shake hands with...might be the exact perfect person to help you make your wish come true." Aislinn's Dreamsleeves spark hope in her community and they start using them as well in which everyone starts helping there friends and neighbours dream come true.
I was skeptical about reading Dreamsleeves at first when I noticed the age level for the book is between ages 10-14 since I'm eighteen and I thought the book may be written to simply or have a corny story line. However I decided to read it anyways and am so happy I did. Dreamsleeves is so much more than just a girl trying to make her dreams come true. It is about a girl trying to help her family and her community. It is about a girl coming of age and having to deal with the fear of losing her friends and getting her crush to like her back. It is about a girl with an idea that sparks change in her community.
Dreamsleeves is such a beautiful, well written story and I'm so glad I chose this book as my Advanced Readers Copy to pick up. It is a book filled with hope, love and dreams with the message that anything is possible and that we need help with some of of our dreams. Don't be turned off by the age group for this book, it is definitely for all ages!!!

~ Sarah
 

Waiting on Wednesday

This week's WoW has one of my favourite words in the title: Heist. I'm not talking about Heist Society, I'm talking about the new book Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn.

the premise: Violet is saved from a boring summer when Van Gogh paintings go missing from some of her father's clients. When those clients are threatened by the yazuka (AKA Japanese mafia), Violet and her dad head to Japan to track down the missing paintings.

why I'm dying to read it: Not only does it have a fun international flair, it also involves detective stuff (which I love) and the main character is really into manga. Plus the review I read said it has many twists and turns... mysterious!

how long I have to wait: This was actually just released this month but I'm waiting on my library copy. Luckily, I'm first in line (go me!)

while you're waiting: If jet-setting art heists are your thing, check out Heist Society by Ally Carter. Kat, the main character (not me), is also tracking down a painting that's been stolen but she has methods that are a little... different. A really fun read.

Trailer Tuesday!

This week's trailer is for a book I've been waiting on for a long, long time - Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore. It's the third in a trilogy and if you haven't read the first two books - Graceling and Fire, I highly recommend them for fantasy fans!

I really love how the trailer ties all three books together.

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Slide is a mysterious book about a girl named Sylvia Bell. Vee has random 'episodes' where she slides into someone else's head. She can experience what they are doing and where they are, through the person's eyes. When Vee touches something that someone has left an emotional charge on, she slides into their minds, unable to control it. When she slid into the mind of a murderer, the night her sister's best friend had supposedly committed suicide, she knew she had to do something, and find out who he/she was, and why they did it without reveling her secret. This book is very interesting and hard to stop reading once you get into it. It's in the genre of paranormal mystery.  It has a bit of adult language, but I would rate it 9.5 out of 10.

~ Nida 

New Books!

New books! See what else is new here!

  

  

  

  

 What are you excited about?



Review: The Princess and the Goblin

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

I was feeling a bit nostalgic and decided to pick up this book that I read several years ago. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was as interesting to read now as it was back then. Princess Irene lives in a land where goblins are a constant threat. As a result, she lives in a fairly remote part of the country, and her servants are ordered to never take her out past dark. One night, she and her nurse are accidentally caught outside after dark, and the goblins get a glimpse of Princess Irene. It is decided that she will be the new wife of the goblin prince. As the goblins go about trying to find ways to kidnap Irene, a poor miner, Curdie, hears their plans. Curdie makes it his mission to keep the princess safe, and inserts himself into an awful mess of trouble. Both Irene and Curdie must help one another get out of their predicaments before the goblins attack and carry them off for good.

This book has a fairy tale quality to it, which makes it seem as though the story ought to be familiar, even though it isn’t. I really enjoyed re-reading it, and I think that anyone who likes fantasy and fairy tales will enjoy a visit to their childhood with this book.

~Kristen

Happy Earth Day!

Celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Click below to find out how you can make a difference.




Also check out the mix of fiction and non-fiction books above that celebrate going green.

Review: Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Vladimir Tod was a perfectly normal student, if you take away the fact of him being an eighth grade vampire! He wasn’t popular at all, but his best friend was. With the added bonus of having a crush on the most popular girl in school, and a couple of bullies harassing him, this alone would add up to a very busy eighth grade year! But that would be too easy, and nothing’s that easy for Vlad. So instead of having a fun, relaxing eighth grade year, seeing the teachers that he has know for a few years and having to say goodbye to them, his regular teacher is declared missing and a substitute named Mr.Otis Otis takes over. 

Vlad feels that there is something unusual about Mr. Otis, especially when he starts to ask Vlad weird questions and gives him assignments that could reveal who Vlad really is to the entire class (such as: hand out the garlic to the rest of the class or, write a journal entry from the point of view of a vampire). 

With crushing on Meredith, controlling his bloodlust, keeping his secret a secret, getting the weird substitute off his trail, and doing everything with only the help of the 2 people who know his secret (his best friend and his aunt Nelly), Vladimir has his work cut out for him this year. The only question that remains is... has Vlad bitten off more than he can chew?

~Lyndsey

Review: All the Way: Prom Night by Megan Stine

  Back from our mini hiatus with a review!

All the Way: Prom Night by Megan Stine

     Carmen is a senior in high school that moves around a lot. A new school means no friends, and no date to prom. She soon makes some friends, but desperation sets in for a prom date. The question is; how far will she go? Carmen finally finds a guy, but when he wants to go all the way, she refuses. Now this guy has everyone believing that she went all the way... and yet, no date for prom! Will she be an outcast forever, or will she finally find a guy to take her to prom? Find out in this teen drama book about staying true to yourself. Recommended to teens over 13. How far would you go for prom?

~ Elena

Trailer Tuesday

Today's trailer is for a book that is currently sitting on my to-read shelf. It's received some really great reviews and looks a bit different than what is currently being published which is always nice.

Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth is about a girl who comes out to her ultra conservative aunt and is sent to a gay conversion therapy center. Despite the popularity of things like the Get Better project, there still aren't enough GLBTQ reads out there. Still, this one looks like a good one.

I love the way the trailer is shot. It has great atmosphere and great landscape shots and shots of the carnival. Super gorgeous. Check it out below:

Miseducation of Cameron Post just came out last month. You can place a hold on it here.

And the band played on...

The 100th anniversary of the Titanic is coming up and in honour of that awful tragedy, I put together a list of books that are inspired by or based on the Titanic.

The Band that Played On by Steve Turner looks really interesting. It's a book all about the eight musicians that played on the Titanic as it was sinking. Survivors say that they heard music up until the very end. All eight musicians sunk with the ship.

If you're interested in learning more, try one of the books above or ask your local branch about Titanic history.

Review: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Twins Saba and Lugh live in the dying town of Silverlake. It's been months since anyone's seen rain but they're Pa doesn't give up trying desperately to make the rain come through dances, chants and spells. Pa knows the rain will come, he has the rare ability to read the stars. He can see the rain coming but he doesn't know when. Worried for his sisters and angry at his Pa for thinking a spell will make the rain come, Lugh plans on leaving Silverlake with his two sisters. Saba however is fine living at Silverlake as long as Lugh is with her.

Just as the idea is formed Tragedy strikes. A Blood Red Duststorm brings four mysterious men who come and kidnap Lugh. Saba and her Pa try desperately to rescue him and Pa is killed by the horsemen.

Now Saba is alone, well not entirely. She does have her annoying sister Emmi who is half her age.
Now Saba must find Lugh, her twin, the only person who really matters in her life. But finding Lugh may not be as easy as she first thought.

Blood Red Road is one of the best YA novels I have read in a long time. It's deep, emotional and beautifully written. I particularly loved the relationship between Lugh and Saba. I am a twin myself (my sister) and I felt the relationship was written perfectly because, unfortunately, most authors stereotype twins. But not in this novel.

Though this book is amazing, there are some things to get used to when reading. For example, all dialog in the book (and there is a lot) have no quotation marks around them. And there are many misspelled words in the novel to show the characters lifestyle.

In all Blood Red Road is a fantastic read! I recommend it to anyone who loves Dystopian novels, it's one of the best out there.

~ Sarah

Waiting on Wednesday: Cover Love Issue

Maggie Stiefvater just revealed the cover of her newest book being released in September:

 It looks a bit... adult-y to me, like it could fit on a Neil Gaiman book. I was actually afraid it was not YA but it is. Phew! You can read the synopsis here.

As disappointed as I was in Crossed by Ally Condie, I still love the cover of her new book:

 

And finally a book that comes out next week. This is a little bit of a cheat because I'm not waiting on it, I've already read and loved it. Above by Leah Bobet is as gorgeously written as the cover is beautiful. I hope you read it.

 

Trailer Tuesday

One of my favourite things about twitter is how interactive it is. I posted that I had just pre-ordered Black Death by Holly Black and was looking to add other books to my cart and who replies? Holly Black! She recommended this book by Barry Lyga - I Hunt Killers. It looks deliciously creepy. If you're into Criminal Minds or shows like that, I think you might be interested in this new YA book.

I can't embed the video but check it out [here].  You can place the book on hold here.

HPL on Facebook!

You can now find your favourite library (I hope it's us!) on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+!

Follow us to get the latest news first. We'd love to hear what you think about the library and how we can improve.

If we're not on your favourite social media site (Tumblr, anyone?), let us know!