New Crayons

I'm in a bit of funk about the mail. Over the last couple of months there seems to be a rash of gremlin activity with my mail. I sent one book to requestor, she never got it. I got in return a cut, empty envelope with a stamp, "media inspected." No explanation. I requested a book. Got a note to mark receive. I wrote the sender that the book didn't arrive. I sent three books; the recipient only got one. Two books, separate orders came crushed by machines. Thankfully not so badly they couldn't be read but I was miffed. Over the weekend, I went to my local used bookstore to make myself feel better. Do you trade books at book trading sites, buy books online? What was in your mailbox last week?

I bought one book, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison. I lurve Georgia with all my heart! No one can make the pain of being a teenager seem more funny than the characters of this book. If your looking for good, silly humor, this is THE thing to read. Some of the best bits involve Angus, the most obnoxious "house-cat" ever.

From the library:


The Fold by An Na will have a reader laughing, while considering what beauty is and what they're willing to change for it. Joyce is a very likeable and real character. An Na surrounds her with a wonderful caring family and a great best friend in Gina.


The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor- Mbachu Niger, West Africa, 2070: After a nuclear fallout in the early twenty-first century, the earth's civilization has been completely transformed. Magic, mysticism, and mind-blowing technology now rule the world. In West Africa, fourteen-year old Ejii struggles to master her own magical powers. When her world is completely upended after she witnesses her father's death, Ejii faces a unique opportunity to explore her power and realize her destiny. But is she ready for the responsibility that comes along with that? ... Fast-paced and full of tender friendships and thrilling action, this futuristic adventure heralds a bright new talent in young adult science fiction.


Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne Thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris is no string bean, but comfy sweatpants and a daily chocolate cookie suit her just fine. Her under-the-radar lifestyle could have continued too, if her aunt hadn’t entered her in the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge. To get out of it, she’s forced to launch Operation Skinny Celeste—because, after all, a thin girl can’t be a fat model! What Celeste never imagined .

*all titles link to reviews.