The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Reading Level: Adult
(4 out of 5)


It seems like during the summer I don't get as much reading done as I do in the winter. It may be due to the fact that its really nice outside and I haven't quite figured out how I can swim and read at the same time without getting my book soggy. I still love to read I just am not reading at the same pace I do in the winter. While on vacation I decided to try and read The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I say try because I tried when it first came out and I couldn't get past Fords Deep Waters putting Wanderer in Melanie's body. At the time it just wasn't doing it for me and I was surprised because I like this type of story. So on the plane ride to Arizona I cracked open this 619 page book and dove in. I can't say that it really gripped me like Twilight did. When I read Twilight I couldn't put it down. I could put The Host down until I got half way through. Then it sucked me in and I sat reading in my chair at home from 9pm until 4am to finish it. When I got to what I thought was the end I was ready to cry because I had read over 594 pages and the ending was not what I wanted at all. I was ready to boycott anything else Ms. Meyer wrote for the rest of my life BUT she redeemed herself because two blank pages later was the actual ending of the book and I really enjoyed it. Ms. Meyer I really would have hated not ever reading another book you wrote because I love your books and I really liked The Host. Everyday that passes I like it a little more and more.

The Host is a love story that just happens to take place during an alien invasion of earth. Souls, which are centipede looking creatures that get inserted into humans, can't live without a host and have already taken over several planets. They set their sights on Earth because it's beautiful and they believed that they could make humanity better. Slowly over time they invade and when the humans eventually wise up to what is happening its too late. The Souls have taken over and they assign Seekers to find the humans that run. Wanderer is a Soul that had lived on seven planets, which is remarkable for a soul. She is picked to be put in Melanie who is a rebel human. The Seekers hope is that Wanderer can find out where the other humans are hiding. What Wanderer didn't anticipate was that Melanie would stick around in her body. Usually when a Soul was implanted the human it takes over goes away. Melanie is a fighter and she doesn't want to leave her body. At first Melanie and Wanderer are at odds with each other. But after time Melanie shows Wanderer the love she has for her brother Jamie and the love she has for Jared. Wanderer starts to love them as well and they set off to find them. For me that is when all the fun began and the story really sucked me in. After almost dying in the desert Melanie's Uncle Jeb finds them and quickly realizes that Melanie has been taken over because of the silver in the eyes but what he also thinks is that Melanie is still in there. Melanie's Uncle Jeb is a great character that you can't help but fall in love with. The rest of the humans are weary and full of hate because who wouldn't be after having your planet invaded. Jared is livid but doesn't want any harm to come to Melanie's body. Ms. Meyer has really spun an incredible tale full of well developed characters and the culture she came up with for the other planets was just fascinating. In all this is a romance. A romance between Melanie and Jared and Wanderer. Wanderer can't help but love Jared because Melanie and her body loves Jared. But to complicate it further the love triangle becomes a square because Ian loves Wanderer, not Melanie but Wanderer. And Wanderer likes Ian as well. Has any of this caught your interest yet? The ending was really good and even though this is a stand alone book I would have been happy to read more about what happens to Earth, the humans, and the Souls.

The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes

Here is an interesting set of encyclopedias I came across in our reference area. It seems that at least once a year we get school age kids looking for books on Native American tribes and this would be a helpful resource.

This four volume set presents historical, cultural, and current information on nearly 400 Native groups within 13 geographic regions. This is a four volume set organized by tribal groups. Volume I covers the Northeast, Southeast, and Caribbean tribal groups. Volume II covers the Great Basin, Southwest, and Middle America tribal groups. Volume III covers the Arctic, the Subarctic, the Great Plains, and the Plateau tribal groups. Volume IV covers the Pacific Northwest, California, and the Pacific Islands tribal groups.

Each volume includes maps that indicate historical origins of tribal groups as well as locations of contemporary state and federal reservations.

The essays are arranged alphabetically within regional clusters. The essays are broken down into the following information: introduction, history, religion, language, buildings, subsistence, clothing and adornment, healing practices, customs, oral literature, current tribal issues, and bibliography and further reading.

This set was published in 1998. While the current information on a tribe will most likely be different the historical information will be the same. The historical maps are useful as well.

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Rules of Attraction is a sequel of sorts to A Perfect Chemistry. A Perfect Chemistry was about Alex Fuentes and Rules of Attraction is about his brother Carlos. Carlos gets sent to live with Alex in Colorado when his gang ties in Mexico get him in trouble. Carlos is good looking, arrogant, cocky, and has a bad attitude. He doesn't want to be there and he doesn't follow rules. On his first day of his senior year he gets assigned a peer guide. Kiara Westford doesn't realize what shes getting into being Carlos peer guide. They don't instantly click but you know how they say opposites attract. When Carlos gets busted for drugs he gets sent to live with Kiara's family. Her father is a Professor and had Alex as a student and wants to help him out. Kiara isn't the type of girl Carlos usually goes for but he finds himself falling for her and falling deeper in trouble with gang issues. Can he get himself on the straight and narrow? Will he and Kiara find true love?

I thought that Carlos was harder to love than Alex. Alex was arrogant and cocky but I liked him sooner than I did Carlos. Carlos is a wise you know what but he grew on me and you can't help but root for him. What I really like about these two books is that Ms. Elkeles wrote an epilogue for both and you get to glimpse into their future and I really like that.

Exciting News

Caragh O'Brien the author of Birthmarked emailed me. I can't explain to you how thrilled I am. It's always really cool to hear from the authors. She saw the review on the blog and wanted to let me know that there will be a sequel. You can find the information on her website under FAQ. I can't tell you how excited I am that there will be a sequel and that she graciously took the time to let me know. So if you haven't read the book read it so that we can all wait anxiously together until the next one is released.

Birth Marked by Caragh M. O'Brien

Reading Level: Young Adult
(5 out of 5)

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't love the ending but I'm hoping that there will be another book to continue the story. Fingers are crossed because when I went on the authors website it didn't say if there would be a second one.

This story is set in the future. A future that has been baked dry by the harsh sun and there are people who live inside the wall and those who live outside the wall. Gaia Stone is sixteen and a midwife that lives outside the wall. She and her family serve the Enclave (government inside the wall). Every month the first three babies born are advanced to the Enclave. Gaia does her duty loyally until her parents are arrested by those she has served. Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught to believe and she is determined to set her parents free.

Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell

CLAUDE & CAMILLE, A NOVEL OF MONET

By Stephanie Cowell

Rated 4

If you are curious about the 19^th century life of famous artists of Impressionism, you will enjoy this book about Claude Monet and his friendships with Renoir and Manet. This historical fiction book begins with Claude Monet and his early life in the seaport town of LeHavre, France. Against his father’s will, and with nothing but a dream and passion to create a new style of art, he set off for Paris. When he met Camille (who was from an upper-class Paris family) she became his inspiration and his future wife who stood by him as they lived in horrible conditions and moved frequently from place to place due to financial problems of artists. Monet’s love of Camille, gardens, and water lilies are evident in his paintings. In the latter part of his life, Monet lived at the now famous Giverny Gardens outside of Paris. I enjoyed the journey of Monet’s life and hope you will too.

“What can be said about a man who is interested in nothing but his painting?”

Claude Monet

Submitted by Helen

Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood

This is Trisha Yearwoods second cookbook. Her first one was Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. The recipes in both cookbooks are easy and look wonderful. I haven't tested any out yet but I want to try many.

Garth's Breakfast Bowl looks and sounds yummy. Garth Brooks, Trisha's husband, came up with this interesting breakfast bowl. Trisha says that Garth likes to cook breakfast and one morning he wanted something hearty so he put together scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, cheddar cheese, and the special ingredient cheese and roasted garlic tortellini. Who would of thought to put pasta in your breakfast but Trisha says it works and tastes great.

The Apple Dumplings look really good too and they are made with biscuits. Doesn't get any easier than that. I need to stop looking because it's making me hungry. Checkout this book!