Winners of the first Rez Recommends draw!

Congratulations to the Rez Recommends winners…

• Cafeteria Voucher – Bronwyn Corrigan
• Twilight DVD – Elizabeth Vang
• New Rez Reads spirit wear – Raluca Topliceanu
• $25 Chapters gift certificate – Mai Yeeb Vang

Thank you to everyone who filled out a Rez Recommends form. Keep filling them out…we will be having more draws in the new year.

And if you’re curious what other students have had to say about what they’ve read, come take a look at the Rez Recommends binder in the library.

Keep checking the Rez Reads blog for more exciting news and updates!

Merry Christmas and happy reading!

Rez Recommends...and win!

Have you read a book recently that you totally loved?

Or maybe one that was so bad that you want to save anyone else from the pain and suffering you endured?

Fill out a Rez Recommends form and tell your fellow students about the book…and YOU could win some fantastic prizes!

Prizes include:
* $25 Chapters gift certificate
* NEW Rez Reads spirit wear (to be unveiled in the new year)
* Twilight DVD (when released)

Every review form you submit earns you one entry into the draw! The more reviews you submit, the more chances you have to win!

Submit your Rez Recommends forms to Ms. Martin (via email or by dropping it off to the library) by Thursday, December 18th to qualify for this draw.

Happy reading!

The Awesomeness that is John Green

I just finished reading John Green's newest novel, Paper Towns...and within pages I was reminded of why he is one of my all-time favourite authors. He makes me laugh out loud and I honestly believe that if I lived in the same town as John Green, we could be friends (how cool would that be?!).

Paper Towns is part comedy, part mystery, a little bit of romance, and all awesome. His writing is smart, and quirky, and he has this way of writing that you can hear the characters' voices and care what happens to them...I could easily see any of his books (Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) made into a movie.

Both of his previous books have won a Printz award (for Excellence in Young Adult Literature) - Looking for Alaska won in 2006; An Abundance of Katherines was an honor book in 2007. Paper Towns wasn't published in time for the 2008 awards, but fingers crossed for 2009!

Watch for Paper Towns to be out on the Library @ Rez shelves in the next few weeks (or ask me, and I can let you borrow it sooner!) - along with nearly 250 new novels that have just arrived!!

p.s. John Green has posted a Paper Towns Playlist on his blog...if you're curious, check it out!

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Talk about not judging a book by its cover!

I have to admit, I'm guilty of choosing (or in this case, NOT choosing) books based on their cover. Even though "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow" is on the Books with Bite list, I shied away from it, thinking that it was some kind of wilderness survival book (the girl on the front is wearing this giant parka, looks very icey, etc.) - which is not what I've been in the mood for.

But, during Rez Reads, I left my book at home one day, so I decided to pick up "Sun and Moon..." and see what it was actually about.

To my surprise, it's actually a very cool re-telling of a Nordic fairy tale...and also has elements of Beauty and the Beast. A little bit of romance, a little bit of magic/folklore, and characters that you really grow to like...it all adds up to a great read. I give it 4 out of 5 on my Rez Reads book review form.

So, shame on me for not trying it sooner...perhaps that's the next list I should create: Great books with not-so-great covers!

Review and Win!

Next week is Rez Reads here at Rez, which seems like a perfect time for me to remind you to review any of the books you're reading!! For every book review that you fill in and submit, you'll get a ballot for the draw for a $25 Chapters gift certificate!!

I know a lot of you are reading...because in the first month of school alone, you signed out over 2,500 books!

And just a heads up...I've just finished ordering a bunch of new manga and novels that you should see hitting the shelves in the upcoming weeks. Remember, if you have any suggestions or requests, just send send me an email.

Welcome back Rez!

I don't know about you, but my summer FLEW by. I'm here in my office on Friday morning, preparing to re-open the doors of the library on Tuesday. And although I'd love to be sitting out on my deck reading, I'm also excited about the year ahead. I think we could have a lot of fun with Rez Reads this year!

Even if you don't feel like reading the Books with Bite titles, remember that Rez Recommends is open to any kind of book - fiction, non-fiction, graphic novel, manga series - whatever you think people should be reading! So, pick any title and fill in a review for a chance to win prizes and see your favourites end up on our annual Rez Recommends list.

I'm also looking for a group of students to form a Rez Reads advisory group - to give us suggestions for activities, books to read...anything to make Rez Reads and the library @ Rez better! If you're interested in applying (or even just have questions for now), simply email me and let me know why you'd like to help out. I'll post more info as the year progresses.

So, until Tuesday, enjoy your long weekend...and happy reading!

Breaking Dawn ~ Stephanie Meyer

I don't care what any of the critics say, I LOVED the final book in the Twilight series. Yes, it does take a twist that I wasn't expecting, but it seemed completely appropriate somehow.

Breaking Dawn was one of those rare finales where I didn't feel cheated - it ended, and I was satisfied. Will I miss Bella and Edward (and the rest of the Cullens) and Jacob? Sure. But do I feel like Stephanie Meyer left anything out? No.

Tell me what YOU thought of Breaking Dawn...leave a comment on this post and let's see who agrees with me, and who sides with the critics!

I'm not going to say anymore, because I don't want to spoil anything for any of you who haven't read it yet. But I will say, I'm going to give the series 5 out of 5 on my Rez Recommends form...and be sure to stock up on multiple copies of each book for our library!

Before I Die ~ Jenny Downham

This book is probably one of the saddest books I have ever read...but somehow, because it is so honest, and so beautifully written, it manages NOT to be depressing.

You know that Tessa is going to die. Right at the beginning of the book, you learn that her leukemia has returned, and she has very little time left to live. So, she creates a list of the things she still wants to do before she dies. The book talks frankly of sex and drugs…but it all makes sense in the context of a young woman who is frantically trying to take control of what time she has left. To edit that out would have seemed dishonest.

Tessa tells her own story so honestly that it's impossible to put down. This book is NOT for the faint of heart. It is gritty, and raw, and gut-wrenchingly sad. I started crying (sobbing) about 40 pages from the end of the book and didn't stop. (Probably good to avoid reading this one on a bus or other public place!!)

Of all of the books on the Books with Bite list, this is the first one that I've given a 5 out of 5 on my Rez Recommends book review form.

The Luxe ~ Anna Godbersen

This novel felt like Pride and Prejudice meets Gossip Girls. It had all of the detail, description, and mannerisms of a classic historical novel, transporting you to end-0f-the-nineteenth-century New York City. But, layered on top of this was the added intrigue of gossip, hidden romances, back-stabbing, and deception.

I was slightly disappointed with The Luxe, however. It seemed like the entire 430+ page novel was merely setting up the sequel. And for the first 200 pages, I wasn't sure I'd even want to read it! There was something about the characters that didn't sit well with me…I was supposed to feel sympathetic to the heroine, but I didn't really like her (until near the end of the novel). And the characters I did like, were in love with people that I found annoying.

However, the more I read, the more I enjoyed it. And I'm hoping the sequel, Rumors, will develop the story, and characters, further.

Marked ~ P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Although Marked is not on the Rez Reads "Books with Bite" list, it is the first book in the "House of Night" series...book 2, Betrayed, is on the list and I can't wait to read it.

I have to say, of the three fantasy/faery/vampire series that I've just started (City of Bones, Wicked Lovely) this one is my favourite so far.

Unlike the other 2 series, there is no separation between the supernatural/magical world and the real world. In Marked, everyone knows that vampires (vampyres) exist...although no one knows why some humans are marked and go through "the change". Also, vampyres are not inherently evil...they are merely different, supernatural. Once a person is marked, they go off to the House of Night...a school for vampyres (sort of a Hogwarts for vampyres)...for guidance through the change, instruction on the history and their developing powers. Unfortunately, not all students who are marked will graduate...there's also a distinct possibility that their bodies will reject the change, and they will die.

At the beginning of the book, Zoey Redbird is marked...although she seems to be going through the change differently than most of the other students - her mark is a special one, and she seems to be more more powerful than the other students. The kids in the "popular crowd" - the Dark Daughters - are less than impressed.

I think what I liked most about this book was that the story wasn't about the vampires and the magic...that was just part of the story. It was much more about the characters...kind of like a realistic teen novel (a la Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants) where everyone just happens to be a vampire. I am looking forward to seeing where Zoey's story is leading in Betrayed because although Marked is not a cliff hanger, it certainly didn't feel finished.

And now I feel like I need to read something outside of the fantasy/magic/supernatural realm...so look for something completely different in my next post.

Wicked Lovely ~ Melissa Marr

I'm in a fantasy/magic phase for my summer reading. Like City of Bones, Wicked Lovely takes place in a current-day urban setting...but this book felt much more "magical" to me - less gritty (although it had suspense and thrills galore!) and more faerie tale.

Aislinn can see faeries, who live among us but are usually only seen when they put on glamours, to appear as humans. Aislinn, however, can see them all the time. But these faeries are dangerous, mischevious, and generally like to create havock for humans.

The Summer King, Keenan, is searching for his Summer Queen to try and defeat the Winter Queen, Beira...but unless the girl he chooses is destined to be this queen, she is consumed by the chill of the Winter Queen's staff...no matter how much he loves the girl. Keenan meets Aislinn and her life forever alters...her mortality begins to fade as she must decide what her future holds.

I loved the slightly unexpected ending that sets it apart from a typical faery tale...and I've put the next book in the series "Ink Exchange" on hold at the library. This series would also fit perfectly on the "Magic in the Real World" list.

I also think this would make an amazing movie! Here's a question for you...after you've read Wicked Lovely, who do you think would be great to star in the movie version? Send me your dream cast (for the characters of Aislinn, Keeran, Seth, Dania and Beira) in the comments or by email.

City of Bones ~ Cassandra Clare

I just finished reading my first summer reading book, from our "Books with Bite" list. "City of Bones" is the first installment in the series "The Mortal Instruments" by Cassandra Clare...and let me tell you, I can't wait to read the next one!

Here's part of the description from the inside cover of the book:
"When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly epxects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon..."

It had the perfect mix of action, magic/fantasy - but set in the real world of current-day New York City - and just a dash of romance. It is a whopping 485 pages, but worth every page.

If I were to list other "readalikes" - books that if you liked one, you'll probably like the other - I would put it alongside:

• Twilight series - Stephanie Meyer
• Blue Girl - Charles de Lint
• Tithe, Valiant, Ironside - Holly Black
• Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling

It fits perfectly on the "Magic in the Real World" list, that I posted earlier. And don't worry, we'll definitely be adding this series to the Library @ Rez!

I've already filled out my Rez Recommends book review (and will add it to the Rez Recommends binder that you can check out when you come back to school) and have put "City of Ashes" (book #2 in the series) on hold at the public library. Now onto another from YALSA's Top 10 nominations (Books with Bite) list...stay tuned for a post to see what I read next...

Summer Reading

School's out for the summer, and what a perfect time to read for fun!

Next year at Rez, we'll be launching a new & improved Rez Reads - including a virtual book club, Rez Recommends, and your chance to win prizes by filling out book reviews.

To get a head start on Rez Reads 2008, check out the Rez Reads web site and our first list of books: "Books with Bite" (from YALSA's 2008 teens’ top 10 nominations). Grab a copy of these books from your local public library or bookstore and start reading Rez!

Magic in the Real World

This list is one of the 2008 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults lists, put together by the Young Adult Library Association (YALSA). These books answer the question "What would life be like if magic really existed?" - in today's world.

I've only listed those titles that we have here in the Rez Library, and included a description of each book. Enjoy!

• The Blue Girl ~ Charles de Lint (FIC DEL)
  New at her high school, Imogene enlists the help of her introverted friend Maxine and the ghost of a boy who haunts the school after receiving warnings through her dreams that soul-eaters are threatening her life. Winner of the 2006 White Pine award...and one of my favourites!

• Devilish ~ Maureen Johnson (FIC JOH)
  Jane Jarvis, a senior at a Catholic girl's school in Providence, Rhode Island, tries to save her best friend by making a pact with a demon--in the form of a cupcake-eating, very friendly teenage girl.
  
• The Lightning Thief ~ Rick Riordan (FIC RIO)
  After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.
  
• Magic or Madness ~ Justine Larbalestier (FIC LAR)
  From the Sydney, Australia home of a grandmother she believes is a witch, fifteen-year-old Reason Cansino is magically transported to New York City, where she discovers that friends and foes can be hard to distinguish.
  
• Midnighters: The Secret Hour ~ Scott Westerfeld (FIC WES)
  Upon moving to Bixby, Oklahoma, fifteen-year-old Jessica Day learns that she is one of a group of people who have special abilities that help them fight ancient creatures living in an hour hidden at midnight; creatures that seem determined to destroy Jess.
  
• Now You See It ~ Vivian Vande Velde (FIC VAN)
  With Wendy's new glasses, she begins to see cheerful corpses, old crones disguised as teeny-boppers, and portals to another world--a place where everyone knows of the glasses' powers and will do anything they can to get them.

• Raven’s Gate: The Gatekeepers, Book One ~ Anthony Horowitz (FIC HOR)
  Sent to live in a foster home in a remote Yorkshire village, Matt, a troubled fourteen-year-old English boy, uncovers an evil plot involving witchcraft and the site of an ancient stone circle. By the author of the "Alex Rider" series.
  
• Temping Fate ~ Esther Friesner (FIC FRI)
  Ilana Newhouse's quirky sense of style and humor leave her unable to find a summer job in her small Connecticut town until she stumbles upon the Divine Relief Temp Agency and ends up working for the Three Fates, making friends with Arachne, and trying out the powers of her employers with chaotic results.

• Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie ~ Holly Black (FIC BLA)
  Seventeen-year-old Val runs away to New York City, where she falls in with a gang of squatters who live in the city's subway system and consort with faeries, trolls, and other strange creatures. Be sure to also check out "Tithe" (book 1) and "Ironside" (book 3).

• The Warrior Heir ~ Cinda Williams Chima (FIC CHI)
  After learning about his magical ancestry and his own warrior powers, sixteen-year-old Jack embarks on a training program to fight enemy wizards. Also try the sequel, called "The Wizard Heir."

One Red Paperclip

I know! I think I'll buy myself a house...with a paperclip. Sounds crazy, right?! Well, with a little bit of creativity, the help of "craigslist" and a whole lot of media hype, Kyle MacDonald did just that.

"One Red Paperclip: or How an ordinary man achieved his dream with the help of a simple office supply" retells the true adventures of Kyle MacDonald - an unemployed dreamer who decided to see how far he could "trade up" - starting with one red paperclip. He posted the paperclip on craigslist, saying he wanted to trade for something "bigger or better"...and continued to swap items until eventually he ended up with a house!

Not only is this a fascinating idea, but the book is a GREAT read. Kyle is very funny and sarcastic, the people he meets and trades with (from all across North America) are odd and quirky (and sometimes famous!!), and it's inspiring to see what one person can do with a dream and the right attitude.

I LOVED this book. It made me smile and reminded me that there are a lot of really cool, smart, good people in this world.

Grab a copy from a library (381.142 MAC) or bookstore - it will be a great summer read. And maybe it will inspire you to dream up your own big idea!

Dear Diary

Sneak a peak into another person's life, with these novels that are written in diary (or email conversation) style...

• 3NBs of Julian Drew ~ James M. Deem (FIC DEE)
  The journals of a troubled fifteen-year-old boy who lives with his father and emotionally and physically abusive stepmother and her children after the death of his own mother years ago.

• Angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging : confessions of Georgia Nicolson ~ Louise Rennison (FIC REN)
  Presents the humorous journal of a year in the life of a fourteen-year-old British girl who tries to reduce the size of her nose, stop her mad cat from terrorizing the neighborhood animals, and win the love of handsome hunk Robbie.

• Bloodline ~ Kate Carey (FIC CAR)
  In this story told primarily through journal entries, a British soldier in World War I makes the horrifying discovery that his regiment commander is descended from Count Dracula.

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time ~ Mark Haddon (FIC HAD)
  Christopher John Francis Boone is autistic. He knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotion. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the colour yellow. This story tells of Christopher's quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighbourhood dog. Trust me, by the end of this unique novel, you'll be able to "hear" Christopher's voice in your head!

• The Diary of Pelly D ~ L. J. Adlington
  Toni V is a teenage working for the City Five demolition crew. While drilling through concrete he unearths a battered water can containing a parcel wrapped in faded brown paper. Though he's supposed to turn over anything he salvages, Toni V smuggles the package back to his room, unwraps it, and finds a notebook. "This is the diary of Pelly D. It's totally secret so if you're reading it I hate you already." What happened to Pelly D? Toni V needs to know. And he has one clue: "Dig - dig everywhere."

• Fade to Black ~ Alex Flinn (FIC FLI)
  An HIV-positive high school student hospitalized after being attacked, the bigot accused of the crime, and the only witness, a classmate with Down Syndrome, reveal how the assault has changed their lives as they tell of its aftermath.

• Feeling Sorry for Celia ~ Jaclyn Moriarty (FIC MOR)
  This story is up of post-it notes and letters between Elizabeth and her best friend, a runaway named Celia, Christina - the new pen pal Elizabeth reluctantly takes on for a school assignment, her busy mother; and Elizabeth's own angst-ridden mind.

• Girls, girls, girls (#1 of The Black Book series: diary of a teenage stud) ~ Jonah Black (FIC BLA)
  Jonah Black, whose thoughts are filled with fantasies about a Pennsylvania girl named Sophie, chronicles in his journal his first six weeks back in Florida after being expelled from a Pennsylvania prep school, during which time he is forced to watch his old friend and new crush, Posie, get friendly with a womanizer.

• Heart on my Sleeve ~ Ellen Wittlinger (FIC WIT)
  While on a college visit, Chloe meets Julian, another prospective freshman, and infatuated, the two high school seniors begin a long-distance relationship. Chloe is thrilled that she'll have a boyfriend at college, although she doesn't know how to break the news to Eli, her best friend whom she's sort of dating. As Chloe and Julian prepare to meet again, they must face the question of whether their relationship is based on who they really are or who they imagine each other to be.
  
  
• Love, Sara ~ Mary Beth Lundgren (FIC LUN)
  In a series of emails and journal entries Sara, a high school junior with a history of sexual abuse and foster home care, reveals her feelings about herself and two friends who are headed for destruction.
  
  
• Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 ~ Sue Townsend (FIC TOW)
  In the early 1980s, British thirteen-year-old Adrian Mole chronicles his trials and tribulations, including his painful love for Pandora Braithwaite, the BBC's refusal to publish his poetry, his dog's health issues, and his neighbor's amorous advances toward his mother. If you like British humour, this one will have you in stitches!
  
  
• This is all : the pillow book of Cordelia Kenn ~ Aidan Chambers (FIC CHA)Nineteen-year-old Cordelia Kenn sets out to write her life for her unborn daughter. She adapts the form of a pillow book, a collection of notebooks used to record "impressions, daily events, poems, letters, stories, ideas," and much more. At 808 pages, this diary will take some time to get through, but promises to leave a lasting impression.
  
  
  

And the winner is...

...no, I'm not talking about David Cook (although I'd be happy to!...way to go DC!!!)...the following is a list of some of the major book awards, and some of the winners that we have here in the library @ Rez.

Michael L. Printz award ~ for excellence in Young Adult (YA) literature (one of my favourite awards...the books that have won have ALWAYS been amazing reads)

• American Born Chinese (2007) ~ Gene Luen Yang (GN FIC YAN)
• Looking for Alaska (2006) ~ John Green (FIC GRE)
• how i live now (2005) ~ Meg Rosoff (FIC ROS)
• The First Part Last (2004) ~ Angela Johnson (FIC JOH)

Alex awards ~ books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults

• A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier (2008) ~ Ishmael Beah (966.40409 BEA)
• Eagle Blue: A Team, A Tribe, and A High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska (2007) ~ Michael D'Orso (796.32362 DOR)
• Anansi Boys (2006) ~ Neil Gaiman (FIC GAI)

Margaret A. Edwards ~ for lifetime achievement in YA literature

• Orson Scott Card (2008) ~ try Ender's Game, or the Seventh Son series (FIC CAR)
• Lois Lowry (2007) ~ try The Giver (FIC LOW)
• Jacqueline Woodson (2006) ~ try If You Come Softly (FIC WOO)
• Francesca Lia Block (2005) ~ try Weetzie Bat (FIC BLO)

Governor General Awards ~ for Canadian Literature

• The Law of Dreams (2006 - fiction) ~ Peter Behrens (FIC BEH)
• A Perfect Night to Go to China (2005 - fiction) ~ David Gilmour (FIC GIL)
• Shake Hands with the Devil (2004 - non-fiction) ~ Lt.-Gen Romeo Dallaire (967.57104 DAL)
• Airborn (2004 - children's fiction) ~ Kenneth Oppel (FIC OPP)

White Pine awards ~ from the Ontario Library Association - Canadian YA fiction

• Keturah & Lord Death (2008) ~ Martine Leavitt (FIC LEA)
• Shattered (2007) ~ Eric Walters (FIC WAL)
• The Blue Girl (2006) ~ Charles de Lint (FIC DEL)
• More than You Can Chew (2005) ~ Marnelle Tokio (FIC TOK)
• The First Stone (2004) ~ Don Aker (FIC AKE)

Young Adult Canadian Book Award ~ from the Canadian Library Association

• The Blue Helmet (2007) ~ William Bell (FIC BEL)
• Swimming in the Monsoon Sea (2006) ~ Shyam Selvadurai (FIC SEL)
• A Complicated Kindness (2005) ~ Miriam Toews (FIC TOE)
• True Confessions of a Heartless Girl (2003) ~ Martha Brookes (FIC BRO)

Coretta Scott King ~ given to African American authors and illustrators for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions

• Copper Sun (2007) ~ Sharon Draper (FIC DRA)
• Jimi & Me (2006) ~ Jaime Adoff (FIC ADO)
• Who Am I Without Him (2005) ~ Sharon Flake (FIC FLA)
• First Part Last (2004) ~ Angela Johnson (FIC JOH)

Other awards include:

• CBC's Canada Reads ~ Five great works of Canadian fiction. Five celebrity panelists. One winner.
• One Book One Community ~ encourages people in the Region of Waterloo to read the same book, meet to discuss it at various events, and get enthusiastic about reading
• Giller Prize ~ best in Canadian fiction
• American Library Association booklists (including Popular Paperbacks, Quickpicks, Graphic Novels, and more)
• National Book Award ~ awards in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, young people's literature
• Orange Prize ~ for fiction written by women
• Pulitzer ~ for books published in the US - fiction, biography, general non-fiction, history and poetry
• Man Booker Prize ~ annual contemporary fiction award, to writers from the British Commonwealth and Ireland

Rez Reads!

Wow! Last week's Rez Reads went by in a blur. It was great to see students, teachers & staff reading for fun together...and man oh man did we read A LOT! Over 800 books were signed out of the library during Rez Reads...and that doesn't include the over 300 magazines that also got signed out. Way to go Rez!

American Idol

Have you got Idol fever? Fascinated with the music biz? Here are a few novels that will have you singing...

• Adios to My Old Life ~ Caridad Ferrer (FIC FER)
  Tiring of unpromising jobs while longing for fame, seventeen-year-old Latina singer Ali Montero competes in a Latin superstar contest and finds herself overwhelmed by a maelstrom of glitzy wardrobe fittings, media interviews, and fan blogs.
  
• Born blue ~ Han Nolan (FIC NOL)
  Janie was four years old when she nearly drowned due to her mothers neglect. Through an unhappy foster home experience, and years of feeling that she is unwanted, she keeps alive her dream of someday being a famous singer.
  
• Born to Rock ~ Gordon Korman (FIC KOR)
  High school senior Leo Caraway, a conservative Republican, learns that his biological father is a punk rock legend. We also have this book on CD!
  
• Diva ~ Alex Flinn (FIC FLI)
  Despite her mother's objections, sixteen-year-old Caitlin determines to pursue her dream of becoming an opera singer by attending a performing arts school in Miami.
  
• The Exes ~ Pagan Kennedy (FIC KEN)
  A rock-and-roll group composed of musicians who used to date one another tries to survive long enough to make it big.
  
• Featherless Bipeds ~ Richard Scarsbrook (FIC SCA)
  In this sequel to Cheeseburger Subversive, Dak Sifter builds a band - the Featherless Bipeds and has every intention of enjoying every wild, ear-splitting moment of the ride.
  
• Harlem Hustle ~ Janet McDonald (FIC MCD)
  Eric "Hustle" Samson, a smart and street-wise seventeen-year-old dropout from Harlem, aspires to rap stardom, a dream he naively believes is about to come true.
  
• Heavy metal and you ~ Christopher Krovatin (FIC KRO)
  High schooler Sam begins losing himself when he falls for a preppy girl who wants him to give up getting wasted with his best friends and even his passion for heavy metal music in order to become a better person.
  
• LBD : it's a girl thing ~ Grace Dent (FIC DEN)
  Barred by their overprotective parents from attending a rock music festival, fourteen-year-olds Ronnie, Fleur, and Claude, also known as "Les Bambinos Dangereuses," decide to stage their own music festival at Blackwell School.
  
• Pay the piper ~ Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple (FIC YOL)
  When Callie interviews the band, Brass Rat, for her school newspaper, her feelings are ambivalent, but when all the children of Northampton begin to disappear on Halloween, she knows where the dangerous search must begin. Sound like a familiar fairy tale...?
  
• Pop princess ~ Rachel Cohn (FIC COH)
  Yearning to escape the small Massachusetts town where her family retreated after her sister's death, Wonder Blake gets her chance when her sister's manager offers Wonder a record contract on her sixteenth birthday.
  
• The principles of Love ~ Emily Franklin (FIC FRA)
  After moving to a Massachusetts boarding school where her father is the new principal, high-school sophomore and aspiring singer Love Bukowski learns some lessons about friendship and romance.
  
• The queen's soprano ~ Carol Dines (FIC DIN)
  Seventeen year-old Angelica Voglia lives in seventeenth-century Rome and has the voice of an angel, but because the pope forbids women to sing in public, she must escape to Queen Christina's palace to become a court singer.
  
• Resurrection Blues ~ Mike Tanner (FIC TAN)
  Excited about the opportunity to go on tour with his band, much like his great-uncle Ray did, eighteen-year-old Flynn Robinson uproots his entire world, drops out of school, and ends his relationship with Julianne to pursue his dreams of rock-and-roll.
  
• Rock star superstar ~ Blake Nelson (FIC NEL)
  When Pete, a talented bass player, moves from playing in the high school jazz band to playing in a popular rock group, he finds the experience exhilarating even as his new fame jeopardizes his relationship with girlfriend Margaret.
  
• This lullaby ~ Sarah Dessen (FIC DES)
  Raised by a mother who's had five husbands, eighteen-year-old Remy believes in short-term, no-commitment relationships until she meets Dexter, a rock band musician.
  
• Tribute to another dead rock star ~ Randy Powell (FIC POW)
  For a tribute to his mother, a dead rock star, fifteen-year-old Grady returns to Seattle, where he faces his mixed feelings for his retarded younger half-brother Louie while pondering his own future.

And if you're looking for biographies of your favourite singers/musicians, check out the non-fiction section, in the 780s. Some of the titles we have include:

• Life is Not a Fairy Tale ~ Fantasia (782.42164)
• Unbelievable : the life, death, and afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G. (782.42164 NOT-C)
• Kurt Cobain : "oh well, whatever, nevermind" (782.42166 COB-B)
• Nobody likes you : inside the turbulent life, times, and music of Green Day (782.42166 GRE-S)

It's a Guy Thing

Growing pains aren't always painful...or at least not when you're reading about someone else's! These novels will have you laughing as guys navigate through high school with all of the headaches that hormones, relationships, school, family, and growing up have to offer.

• 24 Girls in 7 Days ~ Alex Bradley (FIC BRA)
  Jack Grammar, average American senior, has no date for the prom until his so-called best friends post an ad in the school newspaper and assemble a list of eager girls, giving him just seven days to meet and date them all before asking one special girl to the prom.
  
• An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green (FIC GRE)
  Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships.
  
• Burger Wuss ~ M.T. Anderson (FIC AND)
  Hoping to lose his loser image, Anthony plans revenge on a bully which results in a war between two competing fast food restaurants, Burger Queen and O'Dermott's.
  
• Cheeseburger Subversive ~ Richard Scarsbrook (FIC SCA)
  Dak Sifter recounts with sardonic humour some of the sublime, but ordinary incidents in his adolescence; ones that create the evolution of change, or as he puts it, "a shifting of gears"
  
• The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4 ~ Sue Townsend (FIC TOW)
  Follows the ups and downs of one British teenager's life in diary form.
  
• Son of the Mob ~ Gordon Korman (FIC KOR)
  Seventeen-year-old Vince's life is constantly complicated by the fact that he is the son of a powerful Mafia boss, a relationship that threatens to destroy his romance with the daughter of an FBI agent.
  
• Three Clams and an Oyster ~ Randy Powell (FIC POW)
  During their humorous search to find a fourth player for their flag football team, three high school juniors are forced to examine their long friendship, their individual flaws, and their inability to try new experiences.
  

Stephanie Meyer

While you're waiting for the next installment in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn) series, here are some other vampire or werewolf novels to sink your teeth into!

• Blood and Chocolate ~ Annette Curtis Klause (FIC KLA)
  Having fallen for a human boy, a beautiful teenage werewolf must battle both her packmates and the fear of the townspeople to decide where she belongs and with whom.
  
• Bloodline ~ Kate Carey (FIC CAR)
  A British soldier in World War I makes the horrifying discovery that his regiment commander is descended from Count Dracula.
  
• Blue Bloods ~ Melissa de la Cruz (FIC DEL)
  Teenagers from some of New York City's wealthiest and most socially prominent families learn a startling secret about their bloodlines.
  
• Companions of the Night ~ Vivian Vande Velde (FIC VAN)
  When sixteen-year-old Kerry Nowicki helps a young man escape from a group of men who claim he is a vampire, she finds herself faced with some bizarre and dangerous choices.
  
• Dracula ~ Bram Stoker (FIC STO)
  The ultimate vampire novel. The classic tale of the bizarre Carpathian count, who drinks human blood to stay alive, and the Englishman who knows his secret.
  
• Gil's All-Fright Diner ~ A. Lee Martinez (FIC MAR)
  Hired by the owner of an all-night diner to eliminate the zombie problem that is costing her customers, werewolf Duke and vampire Earl tackle an even stickier adversary who is out to take over the diner.
  
• In the Forests of the Night ~Ameilia Atwater-Rhodes (FIC ATW)
  Risika, a teenage vampire, wanders back in time to the year 1684 when, as a human, she died and was transformed against her will.
  
• Interview with a Vampire ~ Anne Rice (FIC RIC)
  Confessions from a vampire of his first two hundred years as one of the living dead.
  This adult novel was turned into a movie starring John Malcovic and Brad Pitt.
  
• A Living Nightmare (Cirque du Freak, book 1) ~ Darren Shan (FIC SHA)
  Two boys who are best friends visit an illegal freak show, where an encounter with a vampire and a deadly spider forces them to make life-changing choices.
  
• Red Rider's Hood ~ Neil Shusterman (FIC SHU)
  After learning that there are werewolves in his city, a sixteen-year-old is even more surprised to discover the identities of the hunters who drove them out decades earlier, but he soon infiltrates the Wolves gang to help destroy them for good.
  
• Sunshine ~ Robin McKinley (FIC MCK)
  All hope for stopping the vampiric elite from controlling earth depends on human SOFs (Special Other Forces) and the success of their attempt to recruit Sunshine, the daughter of legendary sorcerer Onyx Blaise.
  
• Thirsty ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (FIC AND)
  From the moment he knows that he is destined to be a vampire, Chris thirsts for the blood of people around him while also struggling to remain human.
  
• Vampire High ~ Douglas Rees (FIC REE)
  When his family moves from California to New Sodom, Massachusetts and Cody enters Vlad Dracul Magnet School, many things seem strange, from the dark-haired, pale-skinned, supernaturally strong students to Charon, the wolf who guides him around campus on the first day.
  
• Vampire Kisses ~ Ellen Schreiber (FIC SCH)
  Sixteen-year-old Raven, an outcast who always wears black and hopes to become a vampire some day, falls in love with the mysterious new boy in town, eager to find out if he can make her dreams come true. First in a series (Vampire Kisses, Kissing Coffins, Vampireville...).
  

Bond...James Bond

Can't get enough of 007? Here are some great action/espionage novels that you can "spy" on the shelves at Rez...

• Catch Me If You Can ~ Frank Abignail (364.1633 ABA-C)
  The true story that inspired the film of the same name, starring Leonardo di Caprio. Frank Abagnale, one of the most notorious con men in history, swindled over $2.5 million in fake cheques in 26 countries.
  
• Goldfinger ~ Ian Fleming (FIC FLE)
  An original James Bond novel, that inspired the movie of the same name. James Bond tangles with Auric Goldfinger, a man obsessed with money and ruthless in his methods of obtaining it.
  
• I Would Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You ~ Ally Carter (FIC CAR)
  As a sophomore at a secret spy school and the daughter of a former CIA operative, Cammie is sheltered from "normal teenage life" until she meets a local boy while on a class surveillance mission.
  
• Patriot Games ~ Tom Clancy (FIC CLA)
  While vacationing in London, CIA analyst Jack Ryan saves the Prince and Princess of Wales from a terrorist attack and gains the gratitude of a nation and the enmity of its most dangerous men. This novel was made into a movie starring Harrison Ford.
  
• Stormbreaker ~ Anthony Horowitz (FIC HOR)
  The first in the Alex Rider series. After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6.
  
• Thieves Like Us ~ Stephen Cole (FIC COL)
  A mysterious benefactor hand-picks a group of teen geniuses to follow a set of clues leading to the secrets of everlasting life, secrets which they must steal and for which they risk being killed.
  
• Finding Lubchenko ~ Michael Simmons (FIC SIM)
  When his father is framed for murder and bioterrorism, high-school junior Evan, using clues from a stolen laptop, travels from Seattle to Paris with two friends to find the real culprit.