Young Adult Books Adults Will Like

It's no secret that young adult novels appeal to many adult readers. The popularity of titles such as Twilight and the Harry Potter series attest to this fact. Are you reluctant to try young adult novels or just haven't found one that appeals to you? Try one of the titles below for a whole new reading experience:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Audiobook Review:The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone

The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone, read by Firdous Bamji, gives the term “spook” a new spin.

Micah Dalton is a “cleaner,” one of those useful CIA guys who drops into a situation and tidies up the mess. Messes are usually caused by trigger or knife-happy enemies, though, not ticked-off shamans. And usually, the cleaner liases with living people, you know, walking-around, everyone-can-see-them, living people.

So in pretty short order, we realize this title may sound like Jason Bourne will be hopping into a fast car or swinging on a rope, but this is a spy book with a difference. Supposedly “David Stone,” the author, knows his way around the alphabet agencies. But he also seems to know his hallucinogens and other interesting things.

Micah starts out in Europe, investigating his best friend in the agency’s murder, suicide, whatever—the man has clawed his own face off. Don’t you hate it when someone talks you into that?

Then he sees a pattern among some other deaths and starts hacking around in the mountains of the far West, trying to fit the puzzle pieces, while more gruesome deaths occur.

All the while, his friend from Venice, Porter, pops in every so often to lend advice, even though his face is clawed off.

When I last heard Firdous Bamji, he had an Indian accent. Now he is handily voicing a number of American dialects. He is quite the talker.

Will there be more Micah Dalton stories? When last seen, he had dropped off the grid at the end of this book. But you know grids—people, living or the opposite, can pop back on them. Apparently, there are three of these already.

Star Lawrence owns a recession-coping site called Do the Hopey Copey at http://hopeycopey.blogspot.com. She can be reached at jkellaw@aol.com.

Popular Movies at the Chandler Public Library

The following are the most requested movies at the

Chandler Public Library.

Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Eagle Eye
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Elegy
Hancock
Marley and Me
Rachel Getting Married
The Reader
Seven Pounds
Spirit

Last Day of Summer Reading

Today marks the end of our 2009 summer reading programs. Thanks to all who participated and congratulations to all who earned prizes! We hope you enjoyed the challenge and adventure of continuing your reading during the busy summer months. Join us next year when we will be back with another exciting year of summer reading for the whole family.

Book Review:The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

This blockbuster Swedish crime novel is the first in a trilogy featuring the mysterious and intriguing Lisbeth Salander, a tattooed, surly, asocial computer genius. When Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who's recently been convicted of libel, is summoned to the home of Henrik Vanger he is wary. What would one of Sweden's most successful businessmen want with a disgraced magazine writer? Mikael soon finds out: Vanger wants him to solve the disappearance of his beloved niece Harriet in exchange for cold hard cash. With trepidation, Mikael agrees to the assignment and soon finds himself enmeshed in the troubled world of the Vanger family. When he makes a breakthrough in the case he hires Lisbeth to be his research assistant and together they embark on a dangerous quest to discover the truth. Though billed as a mystery, I enjoyed the more chaotic structure of this novel. With several plot lines running rampant, this did not have the feel of a traditional plodding procedural mystery. The characters are fascinating, especially Lisbeth, and the pacing is spot-on, spurring the reader to quickly turn the pages and possibly stay up much too late to find out the truth. Sadly, Stieg Larsson passed away in 2004, so after the third novel is published next year we'll have no more of Lisbeth . If you like this novel, try The Girl Who Played With Fire, which hits the shelves on the 28th of this month.
- Anbolyn (Downtown)

For Readers of Romance

Last weekend the RITA (Romance Writers of America) awards were announced for best romances of 2008. Check out the winners below:

Best First Book

Oh. My. Gods by Tera Lynn Childs

Best Contemporary Series Romance

A Mother's Wish by Karen Templeton

Best Contemporary Series Romance - Suspense/Adventure

Danger Signals by Kathleen Creighton

Best Contemporary Single Title Romance

Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson

Best Historical Romance

The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal

Best Inspirational Romance

Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren

Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

Tribute by Nora Roberts

Best Paranormal Romance

Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready

Best Regency Historical Romance

My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne

Best Romantic Suspense

Take No Prisoners by Cindy Gerard

Best Young Adult Romance

Hell Week by Rosemary Clement-Moore

As you can see, the library does not currently carry all of the winning titles. If you are interested in reading one of the items we don't own, you can request that the library purchase it here.

To see a list of all of the nominated titles, visit the RITA website.

Popular Books at the Chandler Public Library

The following items are currently the most requested books at the Chandler Public Library.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Columbine by David Cullen

Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels

First Family by David Baldacci

Knockout by Catherine Coulter

Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich
Swimsuit by James Patterson
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

Black Hills by Nora Roberts

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child

Scarecrow by Michael Connelly

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich