Ok, so between vacation & generally being crazed this summer, I haven't posted as much as I should have....so here is what I have read in the last few weeks.....
This is a book that was sitting on my TBR (to-be-read) pile for awhile, I got it at Book Expo in May. I am very sad it took me so long to read it, as it was truly a great read. It is a quick biography and an inside view of why Don't Ask Don't Tell was a horrible governmental policy; as well as how the repeal of that policy has affected the military personnel. It is written by Stephen Snyder-Hill, who is best known for asking a question about the policy to the Republic candidates at the Republican convention, and being booed by the entire group of attendees...and since it was a video question, it & the response quickly went viral. Stephen is matter-of-fact in his delivery of events, much as you'd expect a soldier to be; and he details how he and his husband have become gay rights advocates, although they never set out to be. I really enjoyed this book, I think it speaks to teens, adults and anyone who wonders what it's like to live in the closet....and it is also a great tool to show that just being gay doesn't mean you can't be anything you like (and you don't have to fit a Hollywood stereotype).
The Twelve-Fingered Boy is quite an adventure to read.....it starts off in a juvenile detention center, and then follows the two boys after their escape as they try to escape and evil mastermind using only their own mental powers.....Jacobs has written a great tale of woe & super-powers...it's like a comic book, but without the pictures (and I mean that as a compliment). Fast paced, lots of adventure and an ending that leaves you chomping at the bit to read the sequel....highly recommended.
This is a biographical novel about Louis Michaux....and it is informative and amazing....in fact, my only problem with it, is that it is a biographical novel...which means MOST of it is factual, with a few liberties taken to add conversations they know about but don't have copies of, things like that....but what it means in reality (and in a library) is that it's a hard sell.....it's not just facts, it's not just fiction but a mix....my hope is to get people to read it, and then encourage them to research and find out which is which.....I had no idea who Louis Michaux was, and now that I've read of his fight to improve literacy in Harlem, to improve the lives of African Americans in the 60s and his passion for his books, I need to find out more. Everyone needs to read this book, it's important not to forget individuals who influenced a generation, including Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. ....and countless others who aren't famous but had their lives vastly improved by one man who insisted that they learn their history and read more books.
Savage Fortess is a fun, fast read for anyone jonesing for a new Percy Jackson book.....=) This one used the Indian pantheon of gods, and a reluctant hero who fulfills a prophecy. I really enjoyed it, and I think teens who love mythology based fiction will too.
Finally, I read (and re-read) the five first Birds of Prey trade paperbacks, and plan to finish catching up (once I replace the two middle volumes someone lost....sigh). I love Oracle, she is a badass librarian and these books are just fun to read.
That's it.....go out & read people!!!
