Thursday, July 8, 2010

Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner


Shakespeare Shapiro hates his name, yet despite his angst, he is a lovable character that manages to see the humor in any situation. Wizner's portrayal of Shakespeare is never boring, in fact, he pushes the adolescent humor to the limit. As Shakespeare enters his senior year of high school, he humorously narrates the process of writing the memoir of his embarassing life. Adolescent male readers will find much material here to snicker about as Shakespeare puts his witty pen to his family, friends, and his quest to get a date.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan


As the story begins, Percy Jackson seems like a typical, contemporary 12-year old from New York City - with a few extra problems: he has ADHD, he's also dyslexic, his father left before he was born, and he's been kicked out of six schools in six years. Unfortunately, things are going to get worse....Percy discovers that he is a demigod, i.e, he's half-human, and half-god, his father being Poseidon, God of the Sea! As if that isn't enough, he discovers his best friend is a satyr. Riordan has written a humorous and exciting adventure story that puts a contemporary spin on classical mthology. The first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Read the book, then see the movie!

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini


The third book in the Inheritance Cycle finds Eragon and Saphira facing many new challenges in their quest to assist the Varden in destroying Galbatorix and his empire. Brisingr reveals long-held secrets that help to fill gaps in the story; though there are less battle scenes, they are more intense than in the previous two volumes. Fans will have to wait for the eagerly anticipated fourth book though to see how the quest ends. Readers of Fantasy, especially those who favor the work of J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, will enjoy this engaging series.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Ruined: a Ghost Story by Paula Morris

Beat Voices: an anthology of Beat Poetry by David Kherdian


Kherdian presents a collection of American poetry by and about the Beat Generation, featuring such poets as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, Diane di Prima and others.
David Kherdian lived in San Francisco during the 1950's and '60's during the height of the beat movement, until "the Hippie invasion of Haight-Ashbury." His introduction presents an intimate look at some of the "Angel-headed Hipsters" of that influential literary and cultural movement. Many of the Beat poets were themselves influenced by William Blake and Walt Whitman, to name a few. The poetry of the Beats heralded a revolution that shaped future generations of poets. This book serves as an insightful introduction to the era and the poets that defined that era. Ms. Monegato