A Little Bit Sitcomish, But Enjoyable

Lost and Found by Anne Schraff

Why did I read it?

My YA Lit class professor used the Bluford High Series (this is the first book) with a group of at-risk teens. She said the group really enjoyed the books, and wanted us to check them out.

What happened?

Great one more thing for Darcy to worry about! Not only does she have an exhausted mother struggling to make ends meet, a Grandma whose mind is slowly slipping away, and a sister who is having a hard time in school, she now has to deal with a partner like Tarah. Tarah is overweight, obnoxious, has a loser of a boyfriend, and would probably pull Darcy’s grade down. Why couldn’t her teacher have paired her with Hakeem (who she secretly liked) or Brisana (her best friend)?

But, as the plot thickens, we find out that this will become the least of Darcy’s problems. She will ultimately have to face something she has tried to walk away from, and find out who her true friends really are.

What did I like or not like?

Many of the books I’ve read have been award-winning and have a pretty high reading level. So, the writing style in this book seemed kind of simplistic. But, now I think it was a nice change. Not everybody enjoys , needs, or wants a high reading level, and it was interesting to read something else.

The simple writing style just tells you how things are, and even though the conflict is real, it isn’t traumatizing to read. Ultimately, I think it reads like a sitcom. The story takes us through problems that need to be dealt with, lessons that need to be learned, but everyone winds up happy at the end.

Couldn't Stop Listening

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Why did I read it?

This book has been on my radar for a little while now so I was excited when it also showed up on my required reading list for my Young Adult Literature class.

What happened?

Clay finds a package with no return address on his doorstep, and finds seven cassette tapes inside. After opening them up, he is shocked to find Hannah’s voice coming from the tapes. You see, Hannah had killed herself two weeks before, and she explained that if you were listening to the tapes, you were somehow responsible for her death!

Thinking back over the summer working at the movie theatre, and the one party where they finally spent some time together, Clay can’t remember anything that would have hurt her. Even though he knows he doesn’t belong on the tapes, Clay can’t help listening to Hannah as she slowly and painfully gives the thirteen reasons that she kills herself.

What did I like or not like?

This book was really hard to put down. I knew I needed to get it done quickly because there is going to be a lot of reading in this lit class. But, once I started it, I had to figure out what happened next.

The book also has a very interesting perspective. Hannah narrates the events leading to her death through the tapes, and Clay responds in real time because he can’t help himself.  

While Asher does a good job explaining that we can never know how our small actions will negatively or positively affect others, he also writes that Hannah ultimately chose to give up on herself.

P.S. This book has some sexual content, and some discussions that lean that direction.

Please Don't Stop the Music =D

Ever need a quick music fix? Ever need to hear a song that you don’t have on your iPod? Ever need an awesome playlist fast?

When music first started going digital, these things were a little harder to come by. But now, there are plenty of free online options that let you listen to almost any song you could possibly need, create playlists, and get suggestions from others. Many of these sites also have a mobile version that you can get for your tablet, smart phone, or iPod.

If I’m dying to hear a song, I normally just look up the music video on Youtube (which I find has almost any song I could possibly need). But, if you’re looking for playlists or just the song, I figured I give you a few places to check out.

1. Pandora

Plug in an artist, song, genre, or composer and Pandora will set up a radio station of songs similar to your entry. This is the most popular option at the moment.

2. Spotify

"Millions of tracks, any time you like. Just search for it in Spotify, then play it. Just help yourself to whatever you want, whenever you want it." Spotify makes it really easy to share what you are listening to on Facebook, so this is another option gaining momentum.

3. Grooveshark

"Grooveshark provides free music streaming, online radio stations, and lets you connect with artists and friends." Several of my friends use Grooveshark when there is a particular song they want to hear.

4. Songza

"Working? Throwing a party? Songza has the perfect playlists for any occasion." Although this is a pretty new website, so the selection isn’t as great as some of the other options, Songza lets you listen to music that you might not find any other way.

Extra: Moreofit

Although this isn’t a music website, I thought it was pretty cool. It lets you search for websites that are similar to each other. So, if you search for Pandora, it will give you a huge list of other websites to try out.

Obviously, these websites are pretty similar to each other. So, try some out and find which ones work best for you J

The Savvys on the Bus...

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Why did I read it?

Would you believe that this is actually a book I started before the winter break? This was one of the last titles we were supposed to read for my master's class...but it seems time gets away from me around the holidays...

But, our programs started back up this week, and I wanted to make sure that my social media started back up too, so, I figured I'd finish this one off.

What happened?

Mississippi (Mibs) Beaumont lives in a family with special talents, called savvys, that show up on your thirteenth birthday. Most of her brother's birthdays had a few large hiccups, like a lighting storm or hurricane, as they discovered their hidden talents for the first time. But, instead of a storm front for her birthday, Mibs finds out that her father is in a coma after a car accident, and she can't even go see him because it happened a couple cities away.

The next day, after a hibernating turtle that looked dead wakes up, she can't help the funny feeling that her savvy might be to wake things or people up. Armed with that knowledge, Mibs sneaks aboard a bus heading toward her father. There are only a couple of problems. The bus has deliveries that have to be made, the bus driver doesn't know she's there, any ink on someone else's skin talks to her, and two of her brothers and two friends sneak aboard the bus with her. Nothing that bad could happen, right?

What did I like or not like?

The quirkiness of the characters and situations makes for an interesting read, and I enjoy stories with characters that have "special talents." There is also a nice theme of growing up, making decisions, and using the talents that you have.

What Makes a Great Video?