Confessions of a Bibliovore

March was a good reading month for me and I actually finished 9 books, but am only reviewing 8 here. I spent the month trying to get rid of all those 'Currently Reading' books on my Goodreads shelf and did a pretty good job. I also got through quite a few audiobooks which always helps increase my reading stats for the month. Onto the reviews, which are short and sweet since I am playing catch up and just adding whatever quick thought I had on Goodreads. Reviews The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid What a story! I can't believe I didn't think the hype would live up to this book, but it certainly did. This book follows a fictional actress who rose to fame in the 1950's, but she felt so real that I couldn't believe this wasn't someone's actual life story. I was captivated from the start, and couldn't stop listening to it once I really got into the story. This is definitely a new favorite and I am looking forward to reading more by TJ...

In late March, I started noticing I was feeling depressed. I didn't want to do most of the things I enjoyed, and felt tired all the time. I started just laying around when I got home and those feelings intensified the more I wanted them to go away. By April I was crying a lot, sleeping a lot, and doing a lot less. But I got through every day and then went on vacation. My vacation was a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, but I know we missed out on a lot of fun things during our trip because I constantly felt tired and in need of a nap. At least I didn't cry. I felt really down when we got back home and then a few days after returning to work, I got horribly sick and had to take a week and a half off work. It was the last thing I needed, to be honest, but spending time at home trying to get better made me feel like I was finally getting the rest I needed. I did some research during my free time and read up on what might be causing my depression. I made some changes and they hel...

Title: All the Lovely Bad Ones Author: Mary Downing Hahn Narrator: Jeff Cummings Travis and his sister, Corey, can t resist a good trick. When they learn that their grandmother s quiet Vermont inn, where they re spending the summer, has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little haunting of their own. Before long, their supernatural pranks have tourists flocking to the inn, and business booms. But Travis and Corey soon find out that they aren't the only ghosts at Fox Hill Inn. Their thoughtless games have awakened something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep. Restless, spiteful spirits swarm the inn, while a dark and terrifying presence stalks the halls and the old oak grove on the inn s grounds. Only Travis and Corey can lay to rest the ghosts they've stirred. This means discovering the secret of Fox Hill and the horrors visited on its inhabitants years before. One sentence review: A nicely spooky story that would make my young middle school stud...

Title : Taking Cover: One Girl's Story of Growing Up During the Iranian Revolution Author : Nioucha Homayoonfar Copy Obtained : From publisher in exchange for an honest review About the Book from Goodreads This coming-of-age memoir, set during the Iranian Revolution, tells the story of a young girl who moves to Tehran from the U.S. and has to adjust to living in a new country, learning a new language, and starting a new school during one of the most turbulent periods in Iran's history. This true story of Nioucha Homayoonfar offers a window into an at-once familiar yet foreign culture. Religion classes are mandatory at her new school. Nioucha has to cover her head and wear robes. Her cousin is captured and tortured after he is caught trying to leave the country. And yet, in midst of so much change and challenge, Nioucha is still just a girl who listens to music and idolizes pop stars. But she has to be careful when Western music is banned and she cannot be seen in public togethe...

Title : The Pumpkins War Author : Cathleen Young Copy Obtained : From the publisher in exchange for an honest review About the Book from Goodreads At the end of every summer, Madeline Island hosts its famous pumpkin race. All summer, adults and kids across the island grow giant, thousand-pound pumpkins, then hollow one out and paddle in it across the lake to the cheers of the entire town.  Twelve-year-old Billie loves to win; she has a bulletin board overflowing with first-prize ribbons. Her best friend Sam doesn't care much about winning, or at least Billie didn't think so until last summer's race, when his pumpkin crashed into hers as she was about to cross the finish line and he won. This summer, Billie is determined to get revenge by growing the best and biggest pumpkin and beating Sam in the race. It's a tricky science to grow pumpkins, since weather, bugs, and critters can wipe out a crop. Then a surprise visit from a long-lost relative shakes things up, and Billi...

I am a middle school media specialist - grades 5-8.   Here are some things happening in our media center!  We just finished up testing. Well ok, we have one day of science test next week, but that's an easier one! So now we can finish the year strong and work at getting all our books back! Last week I was lucky enough to have our American Indian Parent Advisory Committee gift us a selection of 26 books all with American Indians as positive characters or about the culture. I was very excited because that part of our collection is severely lacking! We either have nothing or what we have is old. What's even more perfect is that all the books were bought from Birchbark Books , so I know they are all well done and accurate. I cannot wait to get them cataloged and into the hands of the students! A few other things in the library I put out six speed cubes, and the kids loved them! Can't wait to do more with cubing next year. I also put out one Snap Circuit set, and the kids really...