Do You Know Books in Canada?

Robertson Davies or Margaret Atwood? Wayne Gretzky or Wendel Clarke? Who sold more? Who sold first? Put your knowledge of the Canada’s book marketplace to the test with this Canada 150 quiz by BookNet Canada! These 21 uniquely Canadian questions will push your book skills to the edge, as BookNet Canada keeps Canada 150 rolling. 

Be Inconvenient

One Decade ago, Vice President Al Gore brought climate change to the forefront of world issues. Today, ten years later, his message has only increased in importance. An Inconvenient Sequel has Gore exposing Humanity’s role in the degrading climate of our planet, presenting around the world, his stories of change, progress, and the real action that can be taken to reverse the damage. An Inconvenient Sequel is out July 25, 2017, with the feature film in theatres July 28, 2017. 

Chronicle Turns 50

Pretty much the coolest publisher EVER, Chronicle Books is celebrating their 50th b-day this year! They started in 1967 (aka the Summer of Love) and have been rocking it ever since. PW did a great piece on their history. From Griffin and Sabine to Press Here to the Beatles Anthology, they have produce some of the most memorable and innovative books of all time. I ❤ Chronicle!

Canada 150: One-Hundred-Fifty Bestselling Canadian Titles!

BookNet Canada is celebrating the Nation’s sesquicentennial the best way any book-lover would! From Robert Munsch to Margaret Atwood to Alice Munro, BNC has complied a list (and fantastic looking poster!), of 150 Canadian-authored bestsellers from the last 10 years. Canadian icons, literary legends, and timeless stories, make up this awesome, interactive, clickable list- Check it out here.  

Harry Potter 20!

Feel old yet? June 26^th Marked the 20^th anniversary of Harry Potter! Quill and Quire asked booksellers all across Canada to reflect on the impact and importance of J.K. Rowling’s revolutionary saga since its release two decades ago. From inspiring new readers, then and now, to some crediting Rowling with the revival of an industry, check out the memories Canadian Booksellers shared here. 

“Silent Spring”: The Continuing Fight of Environmentalism

It’s been fifty-five years since the release of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” and as the challenges of the Earth and climate change continue to grow, the work that jump-started the American Environmentalist Movement is as important as ever. Here, The New Yorker brings you Carson’s ground-breaking piece in its entirety, along with recent pieces on the Deepwater Horizon Oil-spill disaster, and Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. 

"Meet a Traveller"- Prime Minister Edition!

Prime Minister, father, avid traveller! Justin Trudeau recently sat down with LonelyPlanet to talk everything wanderlust- His experiences across the nation, abroad, and all the places he’ll explore in the future. Lonely Planets latest “Meet a Traveller” interview gives insight into the travelling mindset of Canada’s 23^rd Prime Minister, and some great advice on travel destinations for Canada’s Sesquicentennial while they’re at it! Check out the full interview here.  

Deborah Ellis to the Screen!

Revisit Deborah Ellis’ critically acclaimed and award winning The Breadwinner as the story of Parvana takes to the screen! Published in 39 editions since 2000, the film adaptation is due for release later this year. Directed by Nora Twomey, written by Anita Doran and Deborah Ellis, and produced by a team featuring Angelina Jolie- Check out the newly released trailer here!

"How Real Books Trumped E-books"- The Guardian's Alex Preston Explores the Decade Long Debate

Digitalization is an unavoidable reality in today’s technologically obsessive world. But as more and more becomes paperless, books have entered a type of renaissance. From gorgeous covers and beautifully designed books, the Guardian’s Alex Preston explores how physical books and their publishers not only learned from history to stay relevant in the face of surging popularity in e-books, but now thrive in the aftermath of that decade long debate. Read Preston’s full article, “How Real Books Have Trumped E-books” Here. 

Canada 150!

This month is all about Canada`s 150<sup>th</sup>! From a buddy picture book to an illustrated atlas, Canadian publishers are marking the occasion proudly. This collection of children`s books capture both the physical and metaphysical image of Canada, and remind us all of why we should be proud of the great white north. Check out the full article here. 

Inside the World of Publishing-University of Regina Press

The University of Regina Press (URP) is not afraid to do things differently. From producing music videos, to inspiring a skateboarding company, as well as developing a new line of books to help revitalize Indigenous languages, URP has been pushing ahead in new and exciting ways. Now, URP continues to engage audiences in both entertainment and education with their new podcast `How Books Happen`. Hosted by Press Director Bruce Walsh, the podcast will offer listeners an inside perspective on the joys and challenges of publishing books, featuring interviews from authors, readers and publishers from across the globe. `How Books Happen`is available now on Soundcloud, iTunes, Google Play, Tune In, Pocket Casts, and Stitcher. Find it here. 

75 years of Wonder Woman

June 3^rd 2017 is Wonder Woman Day! Celebrate 75 years of the queen of the Amazons at your local participating comic shop, bookstore, or library. Get ready for fun events, great deals, and everything Amazonian. Also available now is Wonder Woman- the Ultimate Guide to the Amazon Warrior, lauded as the perfect celebration of the superhero’s history. Check out all the ways to plan out your Wonder Woman Day here.  

Storytelling, Circles, and Identity Politics

As the barriers of identity politics seem more and more prominent in today’s world, Elif Shafek’s The Politics of Fiction explores the power of fiction to transcend these divisive and marginalizing practices. With her newest piece Three Daughters of Eve set to release, listen as Shafek demonstrates through her own experience that individuals and the stories they tell are so much more then the identity placed on them by society. Three Daughters of Eve is available December 5th 2017.

Free Skype Sessions with Terry Lynn Johnson

Ontario author Terry Lynn Johnson is offering free 30-35 minute long Skype sessions in your classroom or library! This year Terry Lynn is releasing the first book in her Survivor Diaries series, and to celebrate the launch of this series she's offering the opportunity to have a lively discussion about anything from her writing process to her real-life survival tips. If you're interesting in having an exciting speaker visit your classroom virtually, contact Fernanda at fernanda@raincoast.com.  

Scholastic Canada's Inaugural Canadian Reading Report

Ever wondered how, what, and whether Canadian families read? Wonder no more! Scholastic Canada has published the first ever Kids and Family Reading Report: Canadian Edition. It's an exciting collection of data presented in a colourful and easily-digestible way. Take a peek and see how you fit in!

Ryerson University Library receives record donation

Almost fifty years after the original Ryerson Press was sold in a controversial deal to McGraw-Hill Education, much of the original collection is finally returning to Toronto. The donation of 3,000 books and 2,000 archival materials to the Ryerson University Library's Archives and Special Collection is worth nearly one million dollars, and includes first editions of the works of many landmark Canadian authors. An exciting contribution to the archives!

Katrina Onstad wants you to reclaim your weekend

As summer breaks upon us, the weekends are more treasured than ever, but all too often we get up on Saturday only to begin working through the list of errands that accumulated throughout the week. Katrina Onstad's new book, The Weekend Effect, will have you making the most of your two-day break, and just in time for the sunny months! Listen to this short clip from her CBC interview to preview the kind of advice she'll deliver in this much-needed guide to relaxation and seizing the moment. 

Reading Books You Hate

Every reader has at least one book they hate, despise, loathe, abhor, detest, and scorn without forgiveness. Often there is an author or an entire genre that we avoid. These books, argues Pamela Paul of the New York Times, are the ones that will make us better readers, and the ones which we should read (however painstakingly) cover to cover. Does this fly, or is time spent reading something you dislike is time wasted? Read her piece and, if you're convinced, pick up a book that makes you shudder and challenge yourself to find out why.

Grab your paper bag and stand up to a dragon

As new waves of feminism emerge, new movements develop, and more people march for equality every day, some stories continue to inspire and influence year after year. The Robert Munsch classic The Paper Bag Princess was published a whopping thirty-seven years ago, but the lessons, as Francesca Segal writes in her piece "Stand Up to Dragons", are timeless. The dragons may look different these days, but they still require bravery and fortitude to overcome if we're to dance off into the sunset in our proverbial paper-bag beauty. Segal writes about why generations to come will be reading this slim volume to their children, and why the lessons will never fade.

Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried"

Tim O'Brien, author of The Things They Carried, played a significant part in the making of a PBS documentary on the Vietnam War set to premiere this fall. This is a true indicator of the timeless nature of his knowledge and writing—from his own time spent fighting in Vietnam in 1969, to the original publication of The Things They Carried in 1990, to this 1995 interview with CBC's Writers and Company, to his contributions to the PBS documentary. The Things They Carried, reissued in a beautiful new edition in 2009, is a collection of short stories centered around a platoon of American soldiers in Vietnam, and is worth a read for those interested in history and humanity.

Munsch on the stage!

Robert Munsch has illuminated the imaginations of Canadian children for years, and now he's alive not only on the page, but also on the stage! Munschtime, playing at the Toronto Young People's Theatre until May 14th, brings to life many of Munsch's classic titles in an exciting new format. Castmembers spoke to Tom Power on Q about the charm of Munsch's stories and the fun of the new production. This is a wonderful new way for kids and adults alike to revel in the magic of Munsch!

The Reading Without Walls Challenge

Ask any bookworm why they read, and one of their primary reasons will be that books allow you to go outside the walls of your everyday life. The "Reading Without Walls" challenge taps into that, encouraging readers to read subjects and formats that they don't normally experience. It's currently being championed by the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, who points out that this challenge is great for getting everyone out of their comfort zones, and can be a fun promotional tool for teachers, librarians and booksellers!

Who's Your Favourite PM?

Whether or not you have a t-shirt emblazoned with shirtless Justin Trudeau riding a moose (this really exists), there's no denying that he's an interesting prime minister. Of course, there are varying opinions about him, as there are about each of Canada's twenty-three PM's. So who is Canada's favourite? This summer, DK is publishing a book called Our Great Prime Ministers, and before it comes out they want to know who is Canada's number one choice. Vote by poll here and see if you share the opinions of the majority of Canadians!

Travel Photography Competition!

Rough Guides is hosting a competition to find images for their upcoming travel photography book, and they're offering not only publication but some other amazing prizes that could enable you to take that trip you've been planning! If you're passionate about travel photography (or happened to snap a really cool photo on your last vacation), check out the contest page for specifics, and send your photos over by Monday the 24th of April for a chance to win some seriously cool prizes and have your photos featured in an exciting upcoming book.

To Photoshop, or Not to Photoshop?

If you, like most of Canada, hold Anne of Green Gables near and dear to your heart, then you've probably given the new CBC/Netflix adaptation a try. While it's generally been welcomed with open arms, there is already some gentle controversy brewing in relation to Netflix's treatment of our beloved redhead in their promotional posters aimed at American audiences. While CBC's posters emit a more somber tone and reflects the freckly, day-dreamy, wistful orphan we know and love, Netflix has cast a golden light on Anne that not only doesn't really reflect the lonely feel of the show, but has magically dulled her freckles, changed the shape of her face, and reduced the slight blueness under her eyes. Read what Tirzah Price of Bookriot had to say about this interesting approach to the latest adaptation of PEI's sweetheart.

Nan Talese in the Spotlight

Female publishing icon Nan Talese has been profiled in a Vanity Fair article, and it's a fascinating read. Veteran of Random House, Simon & Schuster and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and current Senior Vice President of Doubleday, Nan's life is examined on both a personal and professional level. Her power within her marriage and the office are discussed equally and gracefully. A great reason to take a afternoon coffee break!

Advance praise rolls in for Doudna and Sternberg

Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H. Sternberg are riding high on a wave of advanced praise for their upcoming book, A Crack in Creation, which looks at the scientific and ethical dilemmas and adventures that are arising with the development of gene-editing technology. From Nobel Prize-winning scientists and Pulitzer Prize-winning authors to George Lucas, everyone is eagerly chiming in with praise. Read up on the technology and the international patent competition here, take a peek at the starred Kirkus review here, and keep an eye on this book (due to be released on June 13th)!

James Rhodes Hits the Right Notes

James Rhodes spoke on q about his new book, Instrumental: A Memoir of Madness, Medication, and Music, and how music helped him through some dark passages in his life. The reviews of Instrumental are overwhelming in their praise of his honest and insightful writing, and it sounds like Rhodes' story of trial and survival is striking a chord with many readers. Worth a listen and a look!

Fish Girl Swims into the Spotlight

Middle-grade veteran Donna Jo Napoli and award-winning illustrator David Wiesner are the talk of the town with their latest book, Fish Girl. They were featured in a glowing review in the New York Times Book Review, applauding their strong messages for young girls (and boys). Get ready to dive into this empowering story!

Lisa Brown and American Chickens

Lisa Brown and Lemony Snicket will be coming out with a new picture book Goldfish Ghost this May. While researching the book (which is heeelarious) I cam across Brown's website American Chickens which is a treasure trove of delights. There are fun interviews and and a look at some of her other work.

New Louise Penny!

I am so excited! Glass Houses is coming August 29th 2017.

From Louise’s Facebook post regarding the launch of the site:

“Today, leading up to the August 29^th publication of Glass Houses, we’re starting a new feature on Gamache and Three Pines. This was prompted by many of you mentioning that while the books are very much crime novels, the most important elements have little to do with the actual crime. There’s a whole lot more going on, beneath the surface. So we thought it would be interesting to explore that. We’re taking each book and examining the major cultural inspirations behind it. The art, the literature, the music. Things and themes that reverberate through that novel, and through the characters, through the series. And where else would we start but where it all began: ‘Still Life’.”

This feature is awesome! I do love the mysteries; however I think I love the characters, town, side stories even more. The first post is on Still Life and is entitled Surprised By Joy...be forewarned you may need a hanky.

Bloomsbury reveals front cover of HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN ILLUSTRATED EDITION

Get Excited!!!

The Burgess Shale by Margaret Atwood

This year's Kreisel Lecture Series was given by Margaret Atwood. In it she discusses the Canadian literary landscape of the 1960's and is pretty funny to boot!

The book is available this week.

Herve Tullet Art Explosion

One of the most original children's book creators of the past year has to be Herve Tullet, author of Press Here. Recently he was in Pittsburgh, opening a new exhibit at the children's museum.

For some awesome insight, click here.

TPL Rocks!...but we knew that :)

OverDrive announced  that 30 standalone public library systems and 19 library consortia in the U.S. and two other countries have set a new record for lending more than one million digital books in 2016. These 49 systems each achieved significant year over year circulation growth, and together surpassed the 32 systems that accomplished the feat in 2015. Toronto Public Library was number one on the list.

To read the full article click here.

16 Canadian authors recommend books for Family Literacy Day

Family Literacy Day was on January 27th. To celebrate, the CBC asked some of Canada's fave authors to come up with some great reads for the family. Here is the list.

Science Experiments with Professor Robert Winston

Robert Winston is an amazing scientist who has done oodles of books for DK. He was on the Late Show with James Corden, promoting his latest books. The results are hilarious...I have to tell you, I was a bit stressed out watching the experiments...DON'T TRY THESE AT HOME! Or maybe do ;)

President Obama's Reading List

In his last week of office, President Obama met with some amazing writer's to discuss the writing life. Here is a list of some of his favorite books.

PW's Top Library Stories of 2016

PW did a review of 2016 and the big library news stories of the year. In it they discuss Carla Hayden's appointment as the librarian of Congress, the first African American woman to the post. They als touch on ebooks, Orlando and a whole bunch more.

40 Years of the Canadian Children's Book Centre!

2016 was the Canadian Children's Book Centre 40th anniversary. In their magazine they did a brilliant piece on the history of the centre...and what a history! From Phyllis Yaffe to Chickadee Magazine to Robert Munsch, the Centre has been at the heart of Canadian children's publishing for over 40 years. To read the full article, click here.

How Cool is This!!!

The Dragon Brothers is a new trilogy from James Russell and Link Choi. The characters Flynn and Paddy discover a hidden magic on their island.  The much-loved maps on the end papers of each book now have augmented reality content. Rather than me trying to explain it, take a look at the video below. If you're keen to try it out, download 'AR Reads' from the App Store or Google Play (it's free) and try it out for yourself!

Best Middle Grade Books of the Year

Here is Kirkus' best of middle grade books for 2016

Lot's of Dewey picks on here...just sayin!

Every Book Lover's Fantasy Hotel!!!

This hostel starring books is Kyoto.  I want to go to there...

How to get a great blurb for your novel

Sarah Klassen from Mosaic Books

As the Buyer for Kelowna's Mosaic Books, in BC's Okanagan valley, there's no better way for me to spend a weekend than with a glass of wine in one hand and a book in the other. This year I've read a couple brilliant DEBUT novels by YOUNG, women novelists. 

First, Winnipeg author Katherina Vermette previously won a Governor General's Award for her poetry collection, North End Love Songs. The Break is her fiction debut and was also nominated for both the GG's and Rogers Writers' Trust awards -
The Break - Katherina Vermette
The Break is a narrow field between two rows of houses in Winnipeg's North End where 13 yr old Metis youth, Emily is sexually assaulted on a freezing winter night. But she and her friends, mother, aunties and Kookum (Grandmother) do not break. They share and rage and heal each other. No one person can speak for an entire group but through telling these womens' story, author Katherina Vermette gives a face to the urgent crisis of violence against urban indigenous women. The women, and some of the men, are strong and wise and unflinchingly honest. They are so damn brave, facing unthinkable challenges with chins out, ready to take on the world. I don't know whether you have to have experienced trauma to be that strong, but I rather believe so. The novel is intense but there are moments of lightness and humour. This is such an impressive debut novel - best Canadian fiction I've read this year. If you liked Eden Robinson's Monkey Beach, you'll love The Break.

Yaa Gyasi is a Ghanaian born American. This is her debut novel.

Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi

300 years in 300 pages. Epic. Stunning. 26 yr old (yes, 26!) Yaa Gyasi follows the family lineage of two sisters - Esi is sent to America and Effia remains in Ghana. The early chapters are brutal. The family tree at the beginning of the book is invaluable since each chapter jumps forward a generation and alternates between continents.

Both sides experience trauma as a direct result of the legacy of the slave trade. "When someone does wrong, whether it is you or me, whether it is mother or father, whether it is the Gold Coast man or the white man, it is like a fisherman casting a net into the water. He keeps only the one or two fish that he needs to feed himself and puts the rest in the water, thinking that their lives will go back to normal. No one forgets that they were once captive, even if they are now free".

That being said, Gyasi doesn't portray her characters as victims and doesn't let them off the hook. What she does, brilliantly, is she gives each one a voice to tell their story. "We believe the one who has the power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So when you study history, you must ask yourself, Whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth? Once you've figured that out, you must find that story".

Tina Steed lets us know what she loved in 2016

I pulled out my winter clothes and duvets this week, which means it's time to look back and decide what books were my favourite titles of 2016.  This is especially difficult since I read a little bit of everything!  The Divas and Dude asked me to write about my two favourite books, but I couldn't get it down that small, so here are my favourite three!

Bedmates by Nichole Chase by William Morrow Paperbacks

When the soft-hearted Maddie McGuire is arrested, it's international news; her father is President of the United States, after all.  Her official punishment is to fulfill community service, but the real pain comes from having to work with Jake Simmon, the son of the vice-president, to complete her sentence.  Growing up these two were constantly at each other and that doesn't seem to change now that Jake is back from Afghanistan.

On the surface Bedmates looks like your typical romance, but there is more depth here.  Jake suffers from PTSD but is hiding it from those who love him, one of their parents is actively working to keep these two apart, and it all comes to a spectacular head in a way that kept me flipping pages as fast as I could to find out how it all got resolved. 

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro by Katherine Tegen Books

My favourite YA book of the year was definitely A Study in Charlotte.  Here we have (yet another) twist on Sherlock Holmes, but one that is done so well that I quickly forgave it.  Jamie Watson is sent across the ocean to study at a school in Connecticut close to his estranged father.  Also studying there is Charlotte Holmes, a mysteriously quirky girl who doesn't seem to have any close friends, definitely has a drug problem, and screams trouble.  Since their families have been pushed together for generations, avoiding Charlotte isn't possible,  especially once they are both framed for murder.

Seeing how Cavallaro managed to work in all of the classic Holmes things we know into a teenaged character was a joy.  The mystery kept me guessing and like Jamie, by the end of the novel I couldn't keep from falling for Charlotte and wanting to know more of their story.  Luckily, it's the first in a trilogy so there will be many more adventures to follow!

Echo Echo by Marilyn Singer 

Run, don't walk, to get your hands on a copy of this picture book.  Singer creates magic here, and the book's illustrator Josee Masse adds the sparkle to make it perfect.  Echo Echo is a book of poetry, but like the art on the cover, it can be read in multiple ways.  Each poem tells a story when read traditionally, however when read in reverse present another point of view on the story.  All the poems are based on classic Greek myths including Pandora, Medusa, and Pygmalion, but they can be appreciated without any knowledge of their roots as well.  Singer is a true artist and I marvel at her accomplishments in this book.

Tina Steed is a Librarian.  When she isn't buying books at work or reading them at home, she can be found behind a sewing machine or discovering a new restaurant with friends.

Keitha Langston from ULS tells us about her two favourite books of 2016

Keitha picked  The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín and The Hill by Karen Bass; two books about crossing over to the spirit word, inspired by cultural traditions in their respective countries.

The Call is part dystopian, part horror mixed in with Irish folklore. Ireland has been completely isolated from the world by the people of the fairy hills, the Sídhe; no human is able to enter or leave the island. The Sídhe began taking teenagers twenty-five years ago. Back then only one in one hundred survived their call: three minutes in our world, but one full day in the land of the Sídhe, being hunted and cruelly tortured, and most likely killed. Fifteen-year-old Nessa attends survival college like all teens in Ireland. Now, one in ten teens is likely to survive thanks to the training they receive at college. But no one thinks Nessa will survive her call. Her legs are twisted from Polio; Ireland no longer has the means to produce the vaccine. But Nessa doesn’t care what others think. She means to survive. While fearing her Call could take place at any second, Nessa navigates the harsh world of survival college where students train to fight the Sídhe and learn everything they can about the Sídhe world and language. Nessa must also evade her tormentors, Conor, and his extremely violent gang, who believe she’s wasting Ireland’s precious resources by attending college and merely being alive.

The tension mounts as Conor becomes increasingly violent, his hate for Nessa bordering on obsession, and the Sídhe seem to be getting stronger, finding for more inventive ways to torment Ireland's teens.

The story is rich in chilling detail of the Sídhe hunting their prey in their perilous and toxic world. Strong emphasis is given to the emotional stress students must withstand to have to nerve to survive their Call. The boarding school setting, subtle romance, and themes of friendship that run throughout the story makes The Call an utterly satisfying read.

The Hill by Karen Bass is a modern day Hatchet based on Cree mythology to make a very spooky tale set in the vast wilds of Northern Alberta. Main character Kyle says it all when he tells Jared “Sometimes scared is the smartest thing you can be.”

Jared is a privileged white boy from Edmonton on his way to visit his father in Yellowknife. He wakes from unconsciousness to find that his private jet has crashed in the remote wilderness. Kyle, Cree and comfortable surviving in the forest, is out hunting when he spots Jared’s plane crash. Coming to help, Kyle tries to convince a panicking Jared not to climb a forbidden hill to try in order to find cell phone reception. Kyle is extremely nervous about climbing the hill - his grandmother has warned him it’s dangerous - but Jared refuses to listen and Kyle refuses to let Jared explore alone. Upon climbing the hill it becomes clear that something isn’t right. Soon, the boys realize they have entered a dangerous spirit world. To make matters worse they become aware that something is hunting them, a terrifying creature named Wîhtiko. The boys desperately try to return to the real world and escape Wîhtiko. The tension increases as a raging forest fire bears down on them and Witchiko gets closer and closer to catching them. As Jared and Kyle try and evade the terrifying Wîhtiko, the two also deal with their inherent mistrust of each other, rooted in stereotypes about each other’s culture.

Together, they boys try and overcome their differences and survive. Jared must learn to believe in himself and stop thinking himself as a coward. With themes of survival, Cree legends, and prejudice, The Hill is an outstanding high action horror tale.

United Library Services is Canada’s largest book wholesaler, serving schools and public libraries for over 70 years. Keitha Langston is a graduate of the Master of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta, and is currently a Collection Development Coordinator at ULS.

Faves of the year!

Every year we ask a few of our favourite people to let us know about their favourite books of the year.

First up is the fabulous Linda Ludke from London Public Library.

This was a fine year for teen fiction.  My favourite book of 2016, hands down, would have to be Lisa Moore’s Flannery.  It is such a bewitching and intense story, and I stayed up way too late to finish reading it in one big gulp.  Flannery struggles with the mind games and mine fields of high school and you feel her pain.  The poetic stream-of-consciousness narration immediately pulls you in and it feels like Flannery is whispering all of her secrets and betrayals and crushes directly in your ear.  And on top of everything, she has to get her love potion invention for her Entrepreneurship class finished on time. 

No lie, I also enjoyed Teresa Toten’s Beware that Girl.  It is a deliciously dark, psychological thriller. 

Kate O’Brien is a scholarship student at a posh private school who is driven, ambitious, street smart and a really good liar.  Kate’s not afraid to use people to get ahead and she’s set her sights on a girl who is rich and needs a friend just as badly as she does.  Their friendship is full of manipulation and it isn’t just one-sided deceit, because Olivia has her own sneaky secrets.  This book is edgy, scary and gritty.  There are so many twists in the plot that you are always kept guessing.  Just when you think you have the plot figured out, the surprising ending will have you reading the chapters again to pick up on missed clues. 

Linda has worked at London Public Library for 25 years and has the best job in the world.  She's a Collections Management Librarian and select the children and teen materials for our library system.  In her life outside the library, she reviews for Quill and Quire and The National Reading Campaign.