Yes, there is life after TWILIGHT... (YA Edition)

NEW MOON is in theaters and the Team Edward and Team Jacob wars are heating up again! But what should you read NEXT? Fortunately, there are quite a few great options for both young and more mature fans of Edward, Jacob, and Bella. Here are just a few ideas for teen fans (suggestions for more mature Twilight-lovers are coming tomorrow!)

GRACELING by Kristin Cashore (click here for a "look inside")
"In this debut fantasy novel, Cashore treats readers to compelling and eminently likable characters and a story that draws them in from the first paragraph. In Katsa's world, the "Graced," those gifted in a particular way, are marked by eyes that are different colors. Katsa's Grace is that she is a gifted fighter, and, as such, she is virtually invincible. She is in the service of her tyrannical uncle, king of one of the seven kingdoms, and she is forced to torture people for infractions against him. She has secretly formed the Council, which acts in the service of justice and fairness for those who have been accused and abused. This is gorgeous storytelling: exciting, stirring, and accessible. Fantasy and romance readers will be thrilled."—School and Library Journal

SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater (click here for a "look inside")
"For years, Grace has been fascinated by the yellow-eyed wolf that saved her from its pack when she was a child. Sam, bitten by a wolf as a boy, is that wolf. Long obsessed with each other at a distance, they finally meet after a wolf hunt...Stiefvater skillfully increases the tension throughout; her take on werewolves is interesting and original while her characters are refreshingly willing to use their brains to deal with the challenges they face." - Publisher's Weeky (starred review)

HUSH, HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick (click here for a "look inside")
"Hush, Hush has great atmosphere, and had me wondering where in the world -- or out of the world -- this story could go. If the guys had been this dangerous and delicious when I was in high school, I would never have wanted to graduate! I see more fallen angel stories coming from this talented writer."-- Sandra Brown, bestselling author of White Hot and Smoke Screen

Enjoy!
-Sarah

PS: If you haven't read the TWILIGHT series by Stephenie Meyer, you can read my review of it here. (Basically, we're talking about a gothic romance. Totally fun, moody, sexy, and incredible atmosphere. Think WUTHERING HEIGHTS meets Nora Roberts. Somehow they manage to be both chaste and sexy, which is why mothers AND daughters are loving them :)

Book Review: THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT

There's no doubt about it.I love Kate DiCamillo's writing style (Tale of Desperaux, Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Tiger Rising). Her words are beautiful and her stories evoke the feeling of old fashioned fairy tales, filled with incredible good, evil, and love.

But I cry my way through every one of them.

I loved THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT. It is a fantastic bedtime read-aloud for families and should be savored by every young believer in miracles (read-aloud 2nd grade+, self-reading 4th grade+). It tells the story of a boy, a little girl, a magician, a policeman, a soldier...and (of course) an elephant. One night, the magician makes an elephant appear out of thin air. It crashes through the roof of the building, scattering people and debris everywhere. That same night, a boy speaks to a fortune teller who tells him to follow an elephant.

And the adventure begins.

Families looking for a great winter read-aloud should curl up with Kate DiCamillo's THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT. A chapter a night will leave you all with the warm, wonderful feeling that everyone wants this time of year.

Click on the title of this post to go to Kate DiCamillo's Web site for an excerpt.

Slobbers,
Finn

Book Review: I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL AND I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT

It's been raining here for five days (!) so I've been able to do quite a bit of reading. I just finished a new book by Josh Lieb called I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL AND I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT.

One guess what it's about.

12-year old Oliver Watson is a genius. He's also deep undercover so everyone (including his parents) think that a tissue is smarter than he is. This is a hilarious book from first-time novelist, Josh Lieb. Mr. Lieb is a writer for THE DAILY SHOW and that same witty, quick, and sarcastic style shows through here. Kids (6th grade+) who loved EVIL GENIUS (Catherine Jenks) or STORMBREAKER (Anthony Horowitz) should really give this a try.

The action moves quickly - and ends a little too quickly, for my taste - and I hope that Oliver gets another taste of the limelight from Mr. Lieb very, very soon!

Click on the title of this post for a closer look from ReadingRants.org :)

Slobbers,
Finn

Book Review: EIGHTH GRADE BITES

For the last year, Sarah and I have been on the hunt for vampire books that might appeal to the more...well, manly vampire lovers. The CIRQUE DU FREAK books by Daren Shan are AMAZING, but I needed something more.

So I picked up EIGHTH GRADE BITES: THE CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD by Heather Brewer.

It follows the story of  13-year old Vlad Tod. He's pale, thin, and gets picked on a lot. He's interested in a pretty, unattainable girl and his best friend knows his secret. The story moves fast and is witty, sarcastic, and an all-around good time.

For boys who would like to read about blood-thirsty vampired who aren't quite as "sparkley" as Edward Cullen, this series is a great way to go. Then pick up CIRQUE DU FREAK...then move on to Anne Rice's VAMPIRE LESTAT :)

Click on the title of this post to read an excerpt from EIGHTH GRADE BITES...

Slobbers,
Finn

Book Review: THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN

This is a guest posting from Julia and Corduroy Pierce (thanks, guys!)

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie has won more awards than JK Rowling’s Harry Potter Series including the National Book Award.  Now normally, this fact would have me avoiding the book like a plague.  I automatically know that it’s going to upset me.  It’s going to be deep and meaningful and angst ridden and shockingly violent and while it might be beautifully crafted, I know that it’s going to leave me feeling worse after I read it than I felt before I read it, so I’m not going to read it. 

However, this book has been bugging me all summer long.  Every day I’d come into the bookstore, see it on the shelf, pick it up, see the National Book Award Winner sticker on front and put it back down reminding myself that I am going to hate myself for reading it.  Yesterday, I gave into the temptation and as much as it pains me to admit this, I Loved It!  It was everything that I’d feared it would be but it was also beautiful in a deep soul satisfying way. 

It’s a book about friendship, heart shattering heartbreak, family,  to the bone grief, and being true to yourself almost beyond endurance.  But mostly, it’s about honest forgiveness of ourselves and others just for being human.  It’s not an easy read.  I almost put it back down after Chapter 2, but I’m glad that I didn’t.  It is, perhaps, the most honest book I’ve ever read.  I still view National Book Award Winners and Newberry Award Winner stickers more as warning labels than recommendations but in this case, I’m glad that I risked it.

Read an excerpt by clicking on the title of this post.

Enjoy!

NonFiction for Young Readers

There are all kinds of readers. Some will only read books about animals. Some are fairy or dragon-focused. Some will only touch books that are part of a series. And some love encyclopedias and stories about real people.

There are amazing books for all of these kids, but today I'm going to focus on the early readers who love non-fiction.

You know who they are. They don't want stories and they don't want illustrations. They want facts, figures, and photographs. But most of the non-fiction books you see are for older kids. Don't panic. There are two great publishers that have tons of books to choose from.

DORLING KINDERSLEY READERS (DK)
DK books should be a staple of every home. They are packed with photos and facts, all geared to hold the attention of kids while they get the information that they crave. There is a series for preschoolers, grammar-school aged kids, and an amazing series of encyclopedias for all ages. Check the links below for a complete look at the titles and subjects:

Pre-School (aged 3-5 years): http://us.dk.com/nf/Browse/BrowseStdPage/0,,233300,00.html
First Years at School (aged 5-8): http://us.dk.com/nf/Browse/BrowseStdPage/0,,233405,00.html
Elementary School (8+): http://us.dk.com/nf/Browse/BrowseStdPage/0,,233498,00.html


MAGIC TREEHOUSE RESEARCH GUIDES
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/magictreehouse/guides.html

Did you know that the Magic Treehouse series is more than stories? Most of the books have a companion volume that talks about the real science or history from each book. For example, MONDAY WITH A MAD GENIUS has a companion book all about the inventions of Leonardo DaVinci; and DARK DAY IN THE DEEP SEA has a companion all about sea creatures and sea monsters.

They are wonderful, check them out!

Sarah and I LOVE non-fiction, so we'll be reviewing all kinds of great non-fic for kids. Check back or follow us on Twitter (User Name: FinnegantheNewf) for updates!

Slobbers,
Finn


 

Kids' Halloween Pick: The Last Apprentice Series

Halloween is my favorite holiday. It really is. There's something amazing about being able to pretend to be ANYTHING YOU WANT for an entire day...I'm thinking about dressing as a Chihuahua this year...

That puts me in the mood for finding some great Halloween-ie books. Today we'll do a Kid Pick and tomorrow we'll do an Adult Pick....MUAHAHAHAHAH!

So, attention kids who love the Goosebumps books (RL Stine) but are looking for something new to try! Check out THE LAST APPRENTICE by Joseph Delaney.

Tom Ward, the main character, is the seventh son of a seventh son and it's time for him to start thinking about a career. For some reason, his parents decide to send him to live with a creepy guy who makes a living by scaring scary creatures. He's called a Spook.

The book is packed with great characters and spooky mysteries. Be ready to sleep with a night light for the next few days and pick up the first book in the series, Revenge of the Witch, today!

Click on the title of this post to read the first chapter!

Awooooo!
Finn

PS: Here's the publisher's description: "Before Tom Ward, the local Spook had twenty-nine apprentices. Some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive, and now Tom is the Spook’s last chance. It’s up to him to help the Spook fight the local witches, ghosts and boggarts – and survive."

Book Review: THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY (T. Stewart)

What would YOU do if you opened a newspaper and saw a large, block-type advertisement that said:

ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?

I know that I would be immediately disappointed that I hadn't seen this ad when I was a kid. Then I would think, maybe they mean child at heart...

And I would call anyway :)

But that's just the way I am.

Luckily, that's also the way that the children in Trenton Lee Stewart's world are, too. I say lucky because it becomes very clear, very fast that Mr. Benedict needs their help.

This is  a WONDERFUL book. Full of puzzles and mysteries that readers can figure out along with Reynie, Kate, Constance, and Sticky. For fans of Roald Dahl's books, FANTASTIC MR. FOX, THE BFG, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, this book is a beautiful gem.

To read an excerpt, click on the title of this post :)

Enjoy!
Sarah

BOOK CLUB BOOK SELECTION!

ARROOOOOOO!

Sarah and I have FINALLY chosen our first book club selection: THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman. This fabulous adventure was a Newbery Honor Book in 2008 and deserves every inch of that little gold circle.

Here's how the Kids' Book Club will work:
1) When you arrive in Corolla at the start of your vacation, pick up a copy of THE GRAVEYARD BOOK.
2) Read it with your child during the week (it's a quick one, don't worry).
3) Come to the store at 3 pm on Friday for fun, games, crafts, and conversation-- all themed around Bod and his friends!

It'll be a blast with lots of laughs!

Call or drop by the store to talk to Sarah about any questions you have and to pick up your copy of the book (book club readers will receive a special discount!)

Excited slobbers,
Finn

"The Hunger Games"

Check it out! Gregor the Overlander is one of my favorites, but author Suzanne Collins has started another amazing series.

The Hunger Games (sequel due out this summer) is a fantastic thrill ride that is reminiscent of Lord of the Flies and Battle Royale, but with a science-fiction twist or two. Ideal for readers aged 12+, this book has great characters and a tense atmosphere.

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.

Great New Series Books!

Looking for a new series to get you (or your teen) through the cold winter months? I sure have been! So give these FANTASTIC titles a try...

Take a look and use the "Comments" field to let Sarah and I know what you think!
THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ALFRED KROPP (Rick Yancy)
For fans of the Stormbreaker series and Ranger's Appprentice!
"Astonishingly tall 15-year-old Alfred is plunged into a world of adventure, assassination, and Arthurian legend when he agrees to help his uncle filch an ancient sword from the office of a CEO who just happens to be a descendent of the Knights of the Round Table. Of course the sword turns out to be none other than Excalibur, and the guy Alfred swiped it for is Mogart, a knight-gone-bad who hopes to use its magical powers to take over the world..."


H.I.V.E. (HIGHER INSTITUTE OF VILLAINOUS EDUCATION) (Mark Walden)
For fans of Harry Potter and The Lightening Thief!
"H.I.V.E. is operated on a volcanic island in a distant ocean by G.L.O.V.E., a shadowy organization of worldwide wickedness. And, as 13-year-old master of mischief Otto Malpense soon discovers, here the slickest of young tricksters, thieves, and hackers have been brought against their will to be trained as the next generation of supervillains..."

THE WARRIOR HEIR (Cinda Williams Chima)
For fans of the Pendragon series and Ranger's Apprentice books
"An apparently ordinary 16-year-old boy turns out to have magical powers that make him a target of a covert society of wizards, enchanters, and warriors called the Weir. Jack's small-town world in Ohio begins to unravel when he starts to unleash unintentional bursts of wizardry. When he recovers a powerful sword from an ancestor's grave, he begins to realize how different he really is."

HAPPY READING!
-Finn
(Images and quotes courtesy of Amazon.com)

Breaking Dawn Midnight Party!

Why wait for news about Bella, Jacob, and Edward all alone?
Join all the other curious souls for...

• Tarot Readings
• Masquerade Masks
• Astrology Star Charts

Join us to celebrate the release of the fourth book in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series on Friday, August 1!

When: Fri., 8/1 from 10 pm 'til midnight
Where: Beach Bag Books & Music
Corolla Light Town Center, Hwy 12,
MP 11.5, Corolla, NC

But no matter when you will be picking up your copy, call ahead to reserve one at (252) 453-2900.

See you soon!
Sarah and Finn

Great Gift Ideas!

Hi again,

Sarah and I have been having fun pulling out some books that would make really fun gifts for everyone in the family this holiday season! Here's a short recap and just ask us if you're looking for more ideas!

• Fiction: The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters (Gordon Dahlquist)
• Science: Einstein (Walter Isaacson)
• Science: This is Your Brain on Music
  
• Fantasy: The Tawny Man Trilogy (Robin Hobb)
• Mystery: Murder at Whalehead (Joe Ellis)
• Memoir: Three Cups of Tea (G. Mortenson)
• Action/Adventure: Battle Royale (K. Takami)
• Paranormal Romance: The Dark Brotherhood Series (JR Ward)
• Contemporary Romance: Tall, Dark, & Dead (Tate Halloway)
• Teens: Twilight Series (Stephenie Meyer)
• Teens: Cirque due Freak Series (Daren Shan)
• Chapter Books: Holiday Inn (James Howe)
• Chapter Books: The Sister's Grimm Series (Michael Buckley)

Read these BEFORE you see the movie! :)
(Yes, the books are ALWAYS better...)

• Alex Rider Series (Anthony Horowitz "Stormbreaker")
• Inkheart Series (Cornelia Funke "Inkheart")
• **The Dark is Rising Series (Susan Cooper "The Seeker")
• The Chronicles of Narnia Series (CS Lewis "Prince Caspian")
• Inheritance Series (Christopher Paolini "Eragon")
• His Dark Materials Series (Phillip Pullman "The Golden Compass")
• The Black Cauldron Series (Lloyd Alexander "The Black Cauldron")

Love and slobbers,
Finn

Vampire Fiction? Books to Try!

Hi everyone, Sarah here...

This morning, Finn dragged me down the stairs, up the street, across the deck and onto the beach. Usually we go to the beach in the afternoon so that we don't have a sandy, wet dog here at the store. But today that's not the case. I now have a shaggy, sopping wet Newfie sleeping under the Kids table. :) Silly Finn.

But that means that I can sneak onto Finn's blog and talk about a section in our store that gets more than a few funny looks and a lot of laughs...

VAMPIRE FICTION (cue creepy music)


In the last year, we've been astonished at the number of books about vampires that are out there. The genre covers everything from very steamy romances (J.R. Ward) to classic cop adventures (Laurell K. Hamilton) to silly light comedies (Mary Jane Davidson & Katie Macallister) to serious vampire-lore (Bram Stoker & Anne Rice). Plus my two favorite books of last summer, TWILIGHT (Stephanie Meyer) a wonderful romance written for young adults and THE HISTORIAN (Elizabeth Kostova) a serious, well-written piece of historical fiction.

So give the vampires a chance!

Don't be shy. Ask us about books by these and the many other authors that are exploring the serious, scary, funny, and sexy side of the night.

• Laurell K. Hamilton
• Katie Macallister
• Heather Graham
• Mary Jane Davidson
• Anne Rice
• Charlaine Harris
• J.R. Ward
• Christine Feehan
• Lyndsay Sands
• Brian Lumley
• L.A. Banks
• Sherrilyn Kenyon
• Bram Stoker

For Young Adult Readers...

• Stephanie Meyer
• Daren Shan
• Holly Black

Top 10 Summer Reads!

(Finn’s curled up in the back room for his morning nap, so he asked me to take over this part of his blog. Enjoy! –Sarah)

These are the Top 10 books that are most likely to be full of sand and water-logged from the hot tub!

Read below to see if your “Corolla classic” made the cut. Then add any other favorites and personal reviews in the “comments” section!

Adult
1. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter (Kim Edwards)
2. Marley and Me (John Grogan)
3. My Sister’s Keeper (Jodi Picoult)
4. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
5. Running With Scissors (Augusten Burroughs)
6. Goodnight Nobody (Jennifer Weiner)
7. Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)
8. Velocity (Dean Koontz)
9. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
10. Skinny Dip (Carl Hiaasen)

Young Adult
1. Gossip Girl series (Cecily Von Ziegesar)
2. The Clique (Lisi Harrison)
3. Summer Boys (Hailey Abbott)
4. Twilight (Stephanie Meyer)
5. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (James Patterson)
6. Nightmare Academy (Frank Peretti)
7. Small Steps (Louis Sachar)
8. Eragon (Christopher Paolini)
9. Good Omens (Terry Pratchett/ Neil Gaiman)
10. Hoops (Walter Dean Meyer)

Grades 3–6
1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (J.K. Rowling)
2. Peter and the Starcatchers (Dave Barry)
3. Inkheart (Cordelia Funke)
4. How to be a Pirate (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III)
5. The Mystery of Blackbeard the Pirate (Carole Marsh)
6. Pirateology (Dugald Steer)
7. The Lightening Thief (Rick Riordan)
8. The City of Ember (Jeanne Duprau)
9. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz)
10. Thunder from the Sea (Joan Harlow Hiatt)

Early Readers
1. Rani in the Mermaid Lagoon (Lisa Papademetriou)
2. The Magic Treehouse (Mary Pope Osborne)
3. Junie B. Jones (Barbara Park)
4. Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag (Marjorie Weinman Sharmat)
5. A to Z Mysteries (Ron Roy)
6. Sky the Blue Fairy (Daisy Meadows)
7. Little Bear (Else Holmelund Minarik)
8. Frog and Toad are Friends (Arnold Lobel)
9. Oliver Pig and the Best Fort Ever (Jean Van Leeuwen)
10. The Dog That Pitched a No-Hitter (Matt Christopher)

Picture
1. Bats at the Beach (Brian Lies)
2. Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs (Giles Andreae)
3. How I Became a Pirate (Melinda Long)
4. Do Pirates Take Baths? (Kathy Tucker)
5. Beach Day! (Patricia Lakin)
6. Punctuation Takes a Vacation (Robin Pulver)
7. T is for Tar Heel (Carol Crane)
8. Arnold the Smiling Horse (Karine Nguyen-Tuong)
9. Curious George Goes to the Beach (Margret Rey)
10. Clifford and the Missing Beach Ball (Norman Bridwell)