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Running with Sherman
by Christopher McDougall

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Running with Sherman was about SO much more than teaching a rescue donkey to run in a challenging race. It covers everything from the animal human bond to the health benefits of living off the grid. It is weirdly inspiring and positive and made me feel refreshed and energized just reading it. Perhaps I enjoyed it because of my own love of all things furry, perhaps because burro racing was a topic about which I knew nothing but for whatever reason I loved every page. Highly recommended.

The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy

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I am intrigued by the idea of a person (rather than a disease) being able to steal memories. That’s what made me pick up this book and I’m so glad that I did. I loved it. I know that the background a person brings to a book impacts how they read it so perhaps events in my life made this book sing especially sweetly to me... I know it hasn’t received great reviews on Library thing but I thought it had a little bit of everything; adventure, romance, heartbreak, twists.... Granted, I do think the romance developed pretty quickly but who am I to say it couldn’t happens that fast?
There were lots of passages that stuck out for me but these two were my favourites:

“If I dwelled on my regrets, I wouldn’t have the strength to get out of bed every morning. We can’t forget what we’ve done, but it’s what we do with those regrets that mould us. We’re given a past to learn from and grow, but sometimes the greatest mistake can change your future for the better.”
and
“Hardly a minute goes by when I don't think of him, but in a way isn't that a lovely thing Julietta? To be so loved that you're always near one's thoughts? I see him every day through the memories we made together,...

Everything Sad is Untrue
by Daniel Nayeri

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The voice of middle school student Khosrou is beautiful and heartbreaking. The story jumps from his present day Oklahoma classroom to his past life in Isfahan and occasionally takes a detour into myths of demons and palaces and magic carpets. It took me a while to get invested in the story but it was well worth persisting. I only hope that the students who read this will also read enough to get themselves hooked. This is a memorable refugee story, one that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.

7 Days on the Hot Corner by Terry Trueman

1/4/2015

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7 days at the hot corner is not really a baseball book. When third baseman Scott finds out that his best friend since childhood, Travis, is gay, he doesn't handle the news well. In fact he does everything that a friend shouldn't do and it takes him the rest of the book to get his feelings figured out and start acting like a real friend. This was a great story about a topic that doesn't get much attention. Fast, easy to read, and well written, it confronts almost every prejudice dealing with homosexuality that has ever been verbalized. Highly recommended.

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Extraction by Stephanie Dias

1/4/2015

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Extraction has some Hunger Game qualities; the Core and iits Developers are very similar to the Capitol, and the Earth levels are very similar to the Districts. It also has some Divergent similarities with Clem being allergic to the injection that subdues all of the extracted thus making her different from most of the citizens. Clementine is also a rebellious strong female who fights for the underdog even though she has a attained a better life for herself. I would have liked it more if it had been a stand alone title. I'm tired of series and felt that this one just went on a little too long. Having said that, I'll still be interested in reading book two which is sure to involve a reappearance of Sam and Commander Charlie, as well as hopefully Fred. I also predict that Marden will play a big role in the second book.

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Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

1/2/2015

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Fantastic books always flow through my brain like a blockbuster movie. The scenes and characters exist in full action cinematic splendour. After I've finished the book I have to work really hard to remember whether the plot is from printed pages or a visit to Cineplex. That's how I know when I've read something really REALLY good, and that's what happened to me with Love and Other Variables. I could cast the characters right now and have them practice my most vivid scenes; Charlie touching Charlotte's neck in the Krispy Kreme donut line, Greta walloping James after the bee scene, Charlie driving through Mrs. Dunwitty's garden, Charlotte and Charlie throwing mud at each other, the stargazing episode, the dancing in the rain scene, Charlie asking Becca if he can ask Charlotte out, the restaurant date...I could go on but I won't. This book is fast paced, heartbreaking, humorous,mathematical, delicious and wise all at once. I don't think I've ever said that I "loved" a book but I'm saying it now. It's full of metaphors and brilliance and maybe it's the teacher in me that loved Charlie and his logical math brain but found myself rooting for Ms. Finch... It doesn't matter. This book is FANTASTIC and I am exhausted from reading it because it grabbed hold of my heart starting with, "Beginnings are tricky things." I don't think I can even look at another book for a few days so you know how serious I am about the epic awesomeness of this story. Go now... buy, beg or borrow yourself a copy. You can thank me later. :-). Would love to hear from you when you finish it. I'm betting that this copy won't spend more than five minutes on our library shelf. Any takers?

(If I was an author I would hate to have MY book compared, even favourably, to another, but I would be remiss if I didn't say that this is a perfect selection for your readers who loved TFIOS. Sorry Shannon Alexander, but it is true.)

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Acid by Emma Pass

1/1/2015

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Jenna Strong, Mia Richardson, Jessica Stone, Jessica Denbrough...it's no wonder that Jenna has a hard time getting all of her memories straight. She's a threat to the Agency for Crime Investigation and Defense so they frame her for the murder of her parents and force her to undergo cognitive realignment which replaces the memories they want her to have instead of the real ones. When she is broken out of prison and set up with a new life in a modern version of a witness protection program the thing they intentionally forget to do is keep her in the loop and make sure she knows her purpose in their plan. When she gets identified accidentally while helping the son of the man who helped her escape from jail, she and Max are forced to go on the run and end up with a terrorist group determined to bring down ACID. When she refuses to be part of their plot, the leader, Jacob, turns her in to Acid who realign her brain once again. Won't spoil the ending. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

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    Janice’s quotes


    "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."— J.K. Rowling

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    Middle School former Teacher Librarian - then MYP math and science. Update... VERY recently retired! Still adjusting that I'm not just on summer vacation!!! 
    I believe there is no such thing as a non-reader; just people who haven't discovered what they want to read.
    If you read my reviews, please leave me a comment - I'd love to know that you're out there.

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    Janice's bookshelf: read

    Siege and Storm
    liked it
    Siege and Storm
    by Leigh Bardugo
    Just didn't enjoy it as much as Shadow and Bone. I just felt like the author was really trying a bit too hard to draw this story out. I was able to put it down several times and I couldn't put Shadow and Bone down so there's the differen...
    Ruin and Rising
    really liked it
    Ruin and Rising
    by Leigh Bardugo
    The Grisha triology is a fantasy series that I really enjoyed. I reread the last book because I thought I wasn't remembering something. I'm a bit confused because I've started King of Scars and Nikolai isn't as I remembered. Don't want...
    Don't Wake Up
    it was ok
    Don't Wake Up
    by Liz Lawler
    A Very Large Expanse of Sea
    it was amazing
    A Very Large Expanse of Sea
    by Tahereh Mafi
    I’m not usually someone who enjoys a story that is predominantly about the attraction between two people BUT I did like this one. The setting is one year after 9/11 and 16 year old Shirin, an American born Muslim whose family moves freq...
    Two Can Keep a Secret
    really liked it
    Two Can Keep a Secret
    by Karen M. McManus
    I love a good mystery, and although I correctly guessed the murderer in the first chapter, I still thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns.

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