America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money by Steve and Annette Economides

Reading Level: Adult Non-Fiction

I feel guilty for admitting that I read this book, mainly because it's already more than 7 days overdue, which I've spent almost a dollar reading it! While that goes against what "America's Cheapest Family" is trying to teach me, the book is so good and so helpful, I couldn't help but read it to the end. I consider that dollar in late fees an investment in my own future. Plus, buying the book from their website (AmericasCheapestFamily.com) would be $15, so I've saved $14 dollars thanks to this book in the least. But if thinking about money all the time and in every aspect of your life is your bag, this is The book for you.

I've read several other books in this genre recently, thanks to the "Extreme Couponing" TV show, which got me thinking about saving money in this crap economy. But the other books deal primarily with saving at the supermarket, while this book also handles how to save on your house payments, your home and car insurance, how to get out of debt, how to teach your kids about money-in other words, this book is about your entire life and money. Any monetary decisions, this book has it handled, which is why it has taken me so long to read, since I couldn't afford to skip even one chapter! The story of the Economides family is heart-warming, as not only the parents but also the kids get to weigh in on the way they live. The book is about changing the reader's attitude toward money, and credit, and as such, is a refreshing veiwpoint in a world that seems to push consumerism at every turn. As they say, it's about living better, while spending less, and who doesn't love that?

Submitted by Gerti

Nightshade Series by Andrea Cremer

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Calla Tor is a Guardian. A Guardian is a wolf that turns into a human. Guardians are bodyguards to the Keepers and they protect them from the Searchers. But are the Keepers really the good guys like they say they are? Did you get all that?

This book opens up with Calla saving the life of a human boy, which is forbidden. Then your flung right into the story. Calla is the alpha of her young Nighshade wolf pack and she is destined to marry the alpha of the young Bane wolf pack. She's okay with her destiny until the human boy she saved turns up at her high school. Then her destiny gets all turned upside down. I was a little confused at first at who each group was, Guardians, Keepers, and Searchers. It finally made sense once Calla starts to explain it to the human boy Shay. Besides that I really liked this book. I really liked the characters. The adults I could have done without. Many were cruel and heartless. I'm not sure I would want to live in this world.



In the second book you find Calla has chosen a different path and opened up a huge can of worms. By choosing Shay she has set a collision course that no one could have predicted. But the house of cards has to come tumbling down. It's just sad at the amount of people that have to suffer for that to happen. I wonder who Calla will really end up with, Shay or Ren. I can't wait for Bloodrose next February. If you go to www.nightshadebook.com you can download the first chapter to read. It leaves you wanting more.

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

I didn't find this as delicious as the first book but it was still good. My biggest complaint is that Alona and Will didn't have enough page time together. Other than that it was a really good read and I didn't foresee some of what happened so that's always a plus when the author surprises me.

From the authors website:

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare–former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead–finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this, ugh, “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello?! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately signs her name in the “clearly not” column. But Will is, ahem, willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Possession by Elana Johnson

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

I wasn't really thrilled with the ending but I enjoyed the ride. From the authors website: Surrender. That's right! A companion novel to POSSESSION, coming next summer. This novel will take place in the same story world as POSSESSION, but there will be a couple of new characters to follow.

And yes, all your questions from POSSESSION will be answered. I hope so because like I said I wasn't thrilled with the ending.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

I thought that this book had a slow start but it picked up speed and had a really good finish. Clara Gardner is part angel. With being part angel means she has a purpose here on earth to complete. Of course the purpose isn't handed to her on a silver platter she has to figure out what her purpose is. She gets glimpses of this purpose through visions. Her visions take her and her family from California to Colorado. Of course her purpose has something to do with saving a boy. The family moves and she meets the boy (Christian) she is supposed to save but for me the book doesn't start to pick up speed until she starts to hang out with Tucker. Tucker is her new best friends twin brother. The book gets really interesting towards the end. I'm really excited for the next book which should be out sometime next January.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

The library for some reason doesn't own this in book format. It just has it available on audio CD. Listening to a book isn't my first choice but I have to tell you that listening to this story was awesome. The woman that reads the book does an outstanding job in my opinion. She does the voices and brings the story to life. I felt like I was watching a movie. Of course that has a lot to do with the authors writing. Ms. Aguirre's writing is very visual and it's easy to imagine it as a movie. Some of the scenes are very graphic. Just to forewarn.

Welcome to the Apocalypse

You are never really told what happened to generate the Apocalypse you just know that the world that we are used to is no more. I'm not sure what year it is either. In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. The tunnels are the subway tunnels and the Freaks are people who eat other people. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

When Deuce and Fade get banished from the only home Deuce has ever known the real adventure really begins.

The sequel titled Outpost comes out in the fall of 2012. I'm looking forward to it

Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

First, six mysteriously pale new students show up at Sophie McGee’s high school. Then, Sophie’s childhood nemesis James reappears, still displaying a knack for making Sophie’s blood boil. When Sophie finds out that James has a connection to the new students, she decides to investigate…never expecting her life will quickly begin to resemble a campy horror movie, complete with budding crushes and bloodthirsty villains.

This was a fun read. What's awesome is Ms. Robinson is from Indianapolis, Indiana.