No School Means Different Kind of Post

Well, we braved the ice and cold...and the loss of 4 entire school days while the roads remained unsafe!

That means the normal Friday post about happenings near and around my hungry bookshelves could not take place. Having that time gave me the opportunity to catch up on some paperwork, mentor a National Boards candidate, grade media candidate portfolios, and spend time with my mentee without interruption. It also gave me the opportunity to read several new books which arrived, thankfully, just before the ice storm struck! Although I read 7 of the 27 new books, I am only going to review 3 of them here.

1. The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos: At first I wasn't sure about this book, and I almost put it into "group 2" so I would read it later. Luckily I stuck it in my bag at the last minute. The book starts as a college admissions essay of 250 words to "help" the NAP (Nameless Admissions Person) know more about Harry (Harbinger Jones). Needless to say, he quickly exceeds his word count as he explains about being almost struck by lightning (it hit the tree the bullies had tied him to), being addicted to meth at the age of 8 (for the pain of the 2nd and 3rd degree burns), and all that happened up to and through the summer after graduation (including making his first friend, being a member of a band - The Scar Boys, going on the road, and dealing with more than most of us will deal with in an entire lifetime). Great writing, powerful characters, and an intriguing plot make this a must read!

2. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: Imagine being 15 and having no memory of an entire summer. Imagine knowing something terrible happened to you, but you have no knowledge of what it could be. Then imagine returning to that place 2 years later, piecing together your own memories. This book is not a mystery, but you will be trying to "solve" Cady's search for the truth as you read it. Definitely a great read.

3. A Time to Dance by Padma Ventrakaman: Often when I see that a book (especially a longer one) is written in poetry, I'm slightly leery of it. Many times I have enjoyed novels written in poetry instead of prose, but sometimes it gets tedious to follow the plot. NOT THIS TIME! All I can really say is WOW. The plot itself is powerful, a young girl who competes in bharatanatyam dance - a classical spiritual Hinda dance - wins a huge competition and then loses her leg in an accident that same night. This might sound like a sad, melancholy story. It's instead a powerful, uplifting story even though the main character is sad, angry, frustrated and all the other emotions you can imagine feeling if you were in this situation. Another book I highly recommend.