Musings and Books Read by A Library Ninja

Hi all and happy Labor Day!!! Library Ninja Bill has been in unexplored territories investing the inner workings of what makes the world go round. The answers are elusive but he knows that they have something to do with love, caring for others and treating your fellow man (or woman) with respect and decency. I want ramble anymore and leave my philosophising to myself.

Right now I am reading a great book (almost finished actually) by one of my favorite authors Stephen King. The book is an adult book about time travel, the late 50s and early 60s, the assignation of a great American President and what some consider the end of a time of innocence and the beginning of America's downfall. The book is 11/22/63. Below is a tune mentioned in the book several times, "In The Mood," by the late and great Glenn Miller. In the book the characters dance the Lindie Hop to this song in several key scenes. As King puts it: "To dance is to live," or something close to that. Check it out (the dance appears occasionally, but however danced to the music groves):










Too Cool!!!!!!!!!!


Okay enough, let's get to some reviews of other books I have read lately. Let me know what you think if you get the time.



The Last Apprentice - Rise of The Huntress by Joseph Delaney - This installment of The Last Apprentice Series has the Spook, Tom, Alice and Tom's dogs Claw, Blood and Bone. Returning from their epic adventure in Greece. Their land is at war with invaders and when they arrive home they find the Spook's house destroyed and that some very dangerous prisoners have escaped (one being the witch Boney Lizzie, Alice's mother and a darn powerful witch who uses bone and blood magic). They decide it is best to leave and cross the ocean to the island of Mona. This turns out to be a big mistake as they are not welcome and things go very wrong, very quickly. They find big trouble on Mona as Boney Lizzy has also relocated there and about taken over the entire island with the help of a terrible demon known as a buggane (it hides beneath the earth and tunnels sucking the life force out of its victims). Lizzy has a score to settle with the Spook and the Spook appears to be weakening with age. Tom and Alice with the help of others must take up the slack for the weakened Spook and also keep on their toes because who knows when the Fiend will show up. Recommended for those 10 and up.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull - This is the first book in a series about 14-year-old Kendra and 12-year-old Seth Sorenson who have to spend their summer at a nature preserve run by their grandparents. Their Grandpa Sorenson is present when they first arrive, but their Grandmother is conspicuously absent. They are given strict rules to follow and told to never leave the house or it's yard without being accompanied by a responsible party. Grandpa Sorenson has two helpers that live in or near the house, Dale a quite man who likes to be left alone and Lena the kind housekeeper. What they do not know and come to discover is that this nature preserve is much more than meets the eye. It is actually a land preserve for magical creature (both good, neutral or evil) that has to be carefully watched over for the safety of all its inhabitants and the rest of the world in general! Their are fairies, centaurs, golems, naiads, witches, demons among many other creatures on the preserve that have to carefully be kept in certain areas and separated for many reasons. There are certain times of the year when these areas are opened and the creatures allowed to roam. This can be a very dicey and dangerous time and the caretakers make sure to be in their well protected home on the preserve at these times for safety reasons. Kendra and Seth quickly find out what the preserve is all about and find wonders and great dangers that they have to deal with. The main being the witch Muriel Taggert and the demon Bahumat and finding out what happened to their Grandmother and how they can save her. This is a fun and exciting story filled with equal amounts of chills and laughter. Also it is the first in a series that I look forward to reading. Recommended for those 10 years and up.
 

Later all and peace,

Bill

Part-Time Indians, Insane Asylums and The Beyound!

Hello all! I know it's been awhile but Summer Reading has been keeping me hopping (also fighting dog gone Jedi). I hope some of you guys and gals (I know you are there) out there are participating. It's really a cool program. Anyway here are some cool reads I have done recently that maybe you will want to check out if you have not already.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie  - This YA book is really one of the most excellent I have read in a long time. This is the story of a young Native American teen named Junior and his transition from his familiar surrounding of the reservation he lives on to the more frightening and certainly more confusing world outside his familiar home. This book holds no punches as Junior describes in detail the poverty, depression, alcoholism and other plain truths related to reservation life. When Junior decides to go to school outside the "Res" he finds that the mostly white upper class school he picks to attend and the new kids he meets are also far from perfect and face challenges and problems, although somewhat different, not so different than those he has seen his while life. Same crap, different place. This book deals with difficult topics such as death, poverty, alcoholism, racism; yet as seen through the eyes of Junior they are presented in such a way that does not send the reader into a deep depression, but just as "this is how life is." Hope and love are always injected in dealing with these topics. One of the best books I have read in a very long time. Recommended for readers 13 years and up.

Wolverine: Weapon X, Vol. 2: Insane in the Brain by Jason Aaron & Yanick Paquette - This Graphic Novel collects issues 6 - 10 in the comic series. Wolverine wakes up in a Insane Asylum with no idea who he is or any memories at all. The Asylum is run by the sinister and potentially the craziest person in the asylum Dr. Rot. Logan slowly begins to notice his surroundings are not quite right, but will he regain his memory in time before the good doctor decides to remove his brain (a little hobby of Dr. Rot). Nice storytelling and art with guest appearances from some of my favorite X-Men. Recommend for ages 13 and up.

Beyounders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull - This is a great book about a a boy named Jason and a girl named Rachel who get drawn into an alternative world/dimension where the time period appears to be around the middle ages. The two do not know each other until they get transported to this strange land ruled by an evil magician named Maldor. They learn that they must work together and trust one another if they want to defeat the wizard and hopefully return home. How can they defeat this wizard. Their exist a word that if spoken in his presence will destroy him. Pieces of the word are scattered throughout the land and they must find them before Maldor finds the two of them. They find allies along the way, but also many enemies. This is an exciting book that will have you turning page after page. Recommended for readers 9 and up.



Until next time all.


Peace,


Bill