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!