All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

The setting is New York City, 2083. NYC is not what it used to be. Central Park is almost nonexistent. Chocolate and coffee are illegal to own, water is rationed, and crime is on the rise - especially underground crime. Mafia families still rule crime which in 2083, chocolate is the commodity that draws criminal activity and Anya's family deals in chocolate. In Gabrielle Zevin's All These Things I've Done, Anya and Win are star-crossed lovers trying to find moments together. Anya's father is the NYC Mafia boss who has been killed. She lives with her aging, ill grandmother, her mentally impaired brother, and a younger sister. Win's father is the rising assistant district attorney who prefers that they not see each other. While Win's father helps Anya, as a reader, I couldn't trust him. I was concerned that he was always looking out for his best interest under the cloak of helping Anya. At times I wasn't sure that I could trust Win either. Zevin, the author, sets the reader up to question everyone's motive. Trust is not to be found between characters in this exciting read.

There are parallels in All These Things I've Done to The Hunger Games. They both are science fiction stories in a future United States where life has drastically changed. Anya, like Katniss, is a strong character protecting her family and providing for their needs. The love that Anya and Win share is like that shared between Katniss and Peeta. Recently I learned that All These Things I've Done is the first in a trilogy as well - The Birthright Trilogy. I know there are tales to unfold as this well written story continues.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Matched trilogy and interview with author Ally Condie

Author Ally Condie has written the Matched trilogy which includes the titles Matched (the first in the trilogy), Crossed, and Reached which is planned for release in November. She was a high school English teacher before becoming a full time author.

In this trilogy, Cassia lives in a planned society. She never has free choice as the Society has made every choice for her. In Matched, Cassia learns who her lifelong marriage partner will be and that is revealed as she turns 17 and attends her Matched Banquet. Her match is her childhood friend but that happiness is put in jeopardy as a series of events and revelations twist their fate. Fans of Lois Lowry's The Giver are likely to be drawn to Ms. Condie's trilogy of another dystopian society.

Ally Condie recently gave this interview speaking about her love of reading, libraries, and school librarians. And what a beautiful smile she has! I'm even more impressed by this author after listening to her.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Googled: The End of the World as We Know It by Ken Auletta

Ken Auletta has written an engaging work about all that is Google with his book, Googled: The End of the World as We Know It. He spent several years learning the ins and outs of Google over the past decade and, like me, is intrigued by Google and most thankful to be able to "google" whatever it is I need to know. Yes, Google is a company and to google has now become a verb. There is no other search engine that can return results in lightning fast speed and with the accuracy that we want.

I must admit that it warms my heart that Larry Page, one of Google's founders, grew up in Michigan. His father was a professor at Michigan State University and Larry attended the University of Michigan. I also take pride in knowing the premise that he and his co-founder, Sergey Brin, based their web-searching 'page rank' on was based on the same principle researchers use when working with a Works Cited list or bibliography in a scholarly research piece - how often a work is cited in print must directly relate to the accuracy and authority of the work. Apply that principle to web searching and you've developed Google.

This book will intrigue anyone who finds the concept of all resources being available digitally online as groundbreaking technology. Dig right in. Google the history of Google. Pick up Mr. Auletta's book and be amazed!

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Read it Maybe - New York State Reading Association

The New York State Reading Association saw the potential from this summer's wildly popular song by Carly Rae Jepsen, Call Me Maybe, and all of the parodies that followed. They gave it a try with their own version. Get your dancing shoes on!!

And here's another parody from the Toledo Lucas County Public Library staff and patrons.

"Hey, I just read this, and Potter's crazy, So scan the barcode, And read it, maybe?"

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Meet Ray Bradbury

An interview with Ray Bradbury as part of the National Endowment for the Arts The Big Read project. Mr. Bradbury was the author of several classic fantasy and sci-fi novels. He is best known for Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and The Illustrated Man. Watching this interview you'll soon realize his love for books and libraries. If you love his work, fantasy or science fiction, or are an aspiring writer, may you find inspiration in this interview.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

The Interrogation of Gabriel James by Charlie Price

You can feel the tension, cut it with a knife. Gabriel James is in a police interrogation room being questioned. For what? He's not sure. Or maybe he does know. All he knows at that moment, is that he'll tell the truth. The officers tell him he's not a suspect, just a witness. Can he trust them? If he slips up and misstates what he saw, will they consider him a suspect? The Interrogation of Gabriel James by Charlie Price is a mystery thriller that will keep you reading.

Charlie Price, the author, delivers this story by alternating Gabriel's questioning with flashbacks to the crime. He reveals the details slowly which adds to the suspense. Two teens are dead, there have been drug deals going down, and hate crimes toward a new student. Are these events related? Do they lead to the ultimate killing? Even Gabriel is trying to make sense of it; to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

This fast paced, suspenseful story will hook the mystery readers out there. Find a copy at your library soon.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

The Doors (Jimmy Fallon) Sing "Reading Rainbow" Theme

Whether you're a fan of Reading Rainbow, Jim Morrison and the Doors, Jimmy Fallon, or children's literature, you should enjoy watching this video. It's also such a throw back to the 60s and the look of the bands during that era. Have fun!

 
Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm