Sandy's Favorites 2014

It's been a pretty ridiculous year for me.  I had a baby, and they aren't kidding when they say that it changes everything.  My free time has diminished a bit, and I've found myself wanting to occupy this free time with new activities.

What all of this boils down to is the fact that I haven't read nearly as many books this year as I have in the past.  According to Goodreads, I've read 43 books, most of which are novels for children or teens.  Not included in this total are several works of adult nonfiction all about pregnancy, parenting, and making baby food that I didn't feel the need to review.

Forty books doesn't seem like much when you consider that in 2009  (a year post-grad school where I only worked part time) I read 175 books.  Even in 2013 I read 75 books, nearly double this year's total.  Still, 40 books is perfectly respectable.  Besides, I like to think that I've made up for the lack of quantity with the quality of the books that I have read since many of these books have completely blown me away.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Chapter Books

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
Molly and Kip are Irish siblings who don't seem to have parents to care for them.  Molly takes a job as a housekeeper to a formerly wealthy family that is down on its luck.  But it's not just the money that seems to be troubling this family.  The entire family seems sickly, and everyone seems to be getting treasures from a mysterious source.  There is also the Night Gardener who appears during the night, and though know one know exactly what his intentions are, they certainly do not seem to be good.  This bit of Gothic horror features fantastic storytelling, and I love how the horror elements mirror some of the other issue that the characters are dealing with.  Given the masterful writing, I think that this book has a shot at a Newbery Honor.

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
One evening, Ellie's mother comes home with a teenage boy in tow.  Strangely enough, her scientist grandfather seems to have uncovered a sort of fountain of youth and have given himself a young body.  Through a series of episodes, Ellie and her grandfather explore the wonders of science and discover what it really means to grow up and to grow older.  This book is an unusual blend of sci-fi and contemporary fiction that will appeal to fans of both Wendy Mass and Madeleine L'Engle.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Wilson
So much has already been said about Wilson's memoir told is verse, which recently won the National Book Award.  It's a bit of a patchwork dealing with Wilson's family, the era in which she lives, race, and other small details from her childhood.    This memoir seems to be this year's "it" book and is widely favored to win this year's Newbery Medal.  It's worthy of the hype.

Teen Reads

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Sinclair family is everything they are supposed to be:  Beautiful, athletic, and incredibly wealthy.  Every summer they vacation on a private island near Martha's Vineyard.  Cadance, the oldest grandchild, looks forward to spending these summers with her cousins and Gat, the nephew of her aunt's boyfriend.  But then one year Cadance has some sort of accident.  She can't remember what happened and no one seems terribly interested in telling her.  During her 17th summer on the island, Cadance tries to piece together bits of memory to figure out what happened.  What makes this story stand out is Cadance's narrative voice.  The way that this story unfolds and the fact that she is so unreliable make this book stand out in the crowd.

Six Feet Over It by Jennifer Longo
Leigh's father decides to uproot the family and operate a cemetery, and he does not seem particularly willing to look further than the kitchen table for ready employees.  Leigh finds herself working in the cemetery's office selling graves after school.  Meanwhile she has her own grief to deal with after being uprooted from her beloved home by the sea, the death of her best friend, and her sister's cancer treatments.  This book sounds very dark and while it certainly does have its morbid moments, Leigh's sarcasm and ready wit help to keep it from being depressing.  Leigh is a character that I grew to love as she developed over the course of this novel.  This is my favorite book of the year.

A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller
Victoria dreams of being an artist.  Unfortunately, as a woman in Edwardian England her options are fairly limited.  Getting into a proper art school will be next to impossible without some assistance, and her father absolutely refuses to pay her tuition.  The plot thickens with a sweet police constable / artistic muse, some periphery involvement in the suffragist movement, and a wealthy finance who might not be the easy solution Vicky was hoping for.  This book was a tad predictable in terms of plot, but this author definitely did her research about this era.  Readers will enjoy being pulled into this fascinating time period.

Book-to-Movie: Divergent

This week we showed the movie "Divergent" here at the library.  The books upon which this movie was based, written by Veronica Roth, have been hugely popular - so much so that the multiple copies of the book that my library owns are always checked out, with an incredibly long hold list that ensures that we won't be seeing the book anytime soon.  It's no surprise that, in a movie market that is happy to turn successful YA books into film, this series was quickly optioned and adapted to the big screen by Summit Entertainment.  The film was released in theaters in March 2014 and came out on DVD and BluRay on August 5.

Our showing of the film here at the library was quite successful.  Thirty people attended this program and, just as when we showed "The Hunger Games" back in 2012, I was impressed at the number of adults - several parents and a few stand-alone adults - who were interested in seeing this movie with the teens.  It is exciting to see more opportunities for intergenerational programming here at the library thanks to the growing cross-appeal of YA books and movies.

Clearly, the movie is popular.  But was it actually any good?

In my humble opinion, the answer to that question is highly debatable.

When it comes to the movie's ability to translate what happens in the book onto the big screen, I would say that it did quite well.  As I was watching the movie I could think of only one event from the book that was left out of the movie, and though this scene was powerful in the book, I completely understand why this cut was made (time, lack of lasting impact on the series).  As far as my memory is concerned, watching the movie was just like reading the book when it comes to plot. This should please most fans of the book immensely.

There is actually very little significantly wrong with the film.  Fights are well choreographed.  Kate Winslet is significantly villainous as Jeanine Mathews.  I truly enjoyed being able to see the different factions and how each one is symbolized by a different color scheme and sense of design.  Yet this movie just didn't "wow" me.  It was fine.  Maybe I'm just a bit tired of the genre, but I couldn't help but feel that I'd heard this story before, only told better.

My biggest complaint will probably spark some debate since most critics seem to feel differently than I did:  I just didn't care for Shailene Woodley as Tris.  In both the book and in the movie, Four comments that fear doesn't shut Tris down; it instead wakes her up.  I frankly never really saw Tris wake up in this movie.  I saw her jump off of trains and get into fights and go through all of the brave motions she is supposed to.  But I never saw that spark in her eyes, that moment of desperation that drives her to be brave and to enjoy her new freedom.

Still, even if the movie isn't perfect, it is reasonably entertaining.  And since it does such a good job of portraying the plot of the book I'm willing to bet that the majority of fans will be satisfied.

Overall Quality of the Film:  C+
Overall Faithfulness to the Book:  A

Don't Discount YA Literature, Part III: Books to Try

I've spent some time lately talking about books written for teens and the ways that adult readers might come to these books with some inherent prejudices.  In fact I've written two different posts on the subject (see links at the bottom of this post).

Having these sorts of inherent prejudices against books written for this age group is problematic.  There is no reason at all why Young Adult books would not be as well-written as those written for adults.  In fact, I would imagine that, when looked at by percentages, there are just as many amazing books for teens as there are for adults!

I like to think that those adults who have such low expectations of Young Adult books just have not yet stumbled upon that one amazing YA read that makes them want to explore more of the genre.  I strongly believe that just about any YA book can be enjoyed by just about any open-minded adult reader.  If you're an adult looking for the best of the best in the genre here are a few books that might get you hooked on YA:


The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Charlie is a high school freshman and he's not particularly popular.  As he writes letters to a "friend" describing his difficult life, he finds himself taken in by a few gregarious seniors and, with their help, navigates his way through a host of new experiences including sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. A powerful novel that is deeper than the sum of its parts.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Mattie is a girl with big dreams of going to college, but given her farming family's needs and low expectations that typified 1906, she has little hope of seeing them come true.  Mattie is able to take a job at the Glenmore Hotel and hopes to set aside her earnings, but an unusual request from one of the hotel's patrons leads to a mystery that Mattie never expected.  A historic setting, a true crime murder mystery, lyrical writing, and solid characters come together to create an absorbing read.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
See what all the fuss is about by checking out this book about two teens with terminal illnesses who fall in love while trying to uncover the ending of one of their favorite books.  The book will make you laugh at cry at the same time.  Is the hold list too long for your liking?  I'd actually strongly recommend any book by this widely popular author, so try Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, or Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Bobby is your typical teenage boy in Harlem.  When his girlfriend announces that she is pregnant, the two of them suddenly find themselves faced with decisions that they never thought they'd need to make. Angela Johnson's writing is poetic and lovely to read and transforms this premise from obvious to amazing.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Sam is an unassuming young adult working a dead-end fast food job.  Then one evening Douglas, a creepy and violent necromancer, wanders into the restaurant and sees plenty of potential in Sam.  That's when things start to get interesting.  This supernatural story is full of both humor and gore, and while this genre is stereotypically enjoyed by teens, adult fans of the genre will find plenty to like here.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
The two title characters meet when they find themselves sitting together on the bus, and they soon bond - and eventually fall in love - over Park's comics.  But everyone knows that first love doesn't usually last, and soon Eleanor's troubled home life threatens to tear the two apart.  Author Rainbow Rowell's voice is like a breath of fresh air as you read.  I also highly recommend another of Rowell's books, Fangirl.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Karou, an art student in Prague with fantastic blue hair, fills her sketchbooks with incredible monsters.  Little does anyone know that these monsters are real.  Karou has grown up with these chimera and is a part of their lives, traveling the world on mysterious errands to retrieve teeth for Brimstone, the monster who fills the role of her father.  Yet Karou has always felt that something was missing from her life  When the magical doors that allow for her travel are suddenly destroyed and her chimera family is killed, Karou just might find the answers she is looking for from the beautiful angel Akiva.  This fantastic novel is one part globe-trotting modern fantasy and one part heart-pounding romance, written with a grace and maturity that will make this book plenty palatable to adult readers.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Verity is a spy who finds herself captured by the Gestapo and Nazi-occupied France.  Her captors present her with two options:  Tell them what her mission was, or suffer the consequences.  She composes her story on scraps of paper, telling an intricate tale of courage, hope and friendship.  Meanwhile her best friend Maddie, who was also the pilot of the plane whose crash lead to Verity's capture, hopes to rescue her friend before it is too late.  This is a powerful story that sneaks up on a reader slowly.

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Matt and his sisters are deeply unhappy as they try to survive under the tyranny of their abusive mother.  Matt sees a glimmer of hope when their mother begins dating Murdoch, an upstanding man that Matt hopes can save them.  But will it be enough?  Or will Matt need to take a stand on his own?  Readers will find themselves rooting for Matt and his sisters as they try their best to pick up the pieces of their lives.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Narrated by Death himself, this book set in Nazi Germany tells the story of a girl, her foster family, a Jew, and a love of books.  The unique narration (Death as the comic relief in an otherwise heavy story) makes an otherwise awesome book truly stand out in the crowd.


See Also:  Don't Discount YA Literature
See also:  DDYL, Part II:  The Dos and Don'ts of Criticism

Don't Discount YA Literature, Part II: The Dos and Don'ts of Criticism

Last week I talked about a certain amount of prejudice that seems to exist in the minds of many adult readers when it comes to books written for teens.  My complaint is that many adult readers of YA novels seem to either expect that the book will be flawed, or will readily excuse any flaws in the novel because of the target audience.

I will admit that not every YA book is a masterpiece.  There will be books out there that do have their problems, and it's perfectly acceptable for a reader to voice their criticisms of the novel.  However, we can very rarely can we chalk these flaws up simply to the book's target audience.  It is important instead for readers to really think about and be able to define exactly what a book's problem's are when reviewing, discussing, or otherwise critiquing a YA (or any other) novel.  This way they will not fall into the trap of immediately placing blame for a book's inadequacies on the perceived target audience.

Here are a few common critiques that I have seen made of YA books by adult readers.  I will be attempting to define what is or is not productive about such comments and, if needed, explore alternative ways to more concretely express dissatisfaction with a novel:

"This book had its problems, but it's a YA novel so I kind of expected it."
Should you be making this comment:  I hope not!  I'm very sorry if you've had bad experiences with YA novels in the past, but please do not assume that all YA novels are poorly written.  They're not.
Better ways to deal with this reaction:  Unfortunately, there might not be a better way of expressing this type of reaction.  But exactly why is it that you have such low expectations for this kind of book?  If you find yourself making this comment frequently then it might be time for you to try some different YA novels.  More on that to come in a future post.

"I was willing to let a few things go with this novel because it's a YA book."
Should you be making this comment:  NO!  It's perfectly fine if you decide to let a few minor flaws go with a book.  Readers of all kinds - myself included - do this all the time.  What is not okay with this kind of comment is the implied assumption that all YA novels will have problems or that it's somehow more acceptable for books written for teens to have these problems.
Better ways to deal with this reaction:  "This book wasn't perfect, but I was willing to let the flaws go.  Here are the flaws.  Also, here are the things that I did like that really made this book work for me."

"Ugh, teenagers are so annoying.  I hated the characters."
Should you be making this comment:  NO!  Teenagers as a whole should not grate on your nerves because no two teens - or teen characters in novels - are alike.  This sort of broad generalization is a bit unfair to an entire demographic of very real people and fictional characters.  It's fine if you didn't like the characters in one particular book.  That happens.  What's not okay is blindly assuming that all teen book characters are terrible.
Better ways to deal with this reaction:  "I did not care for the characters in this book.  Here's why."

"This book was nothing but teen angst."
Should you be making this comment:  Probably not.  Do you know what "angst" really is?  It basically means that the character has an emotional situation that needs dealing with that is causing him/her some sort of duress, and it not exclusive to teenagers.  Conflicts like this exist in books written for all ages, not just YA novels, and these sorts of concerns are necessary to drive the plot and create an interesting book.  As with anything else there will be situations where angst is over or poorly used, but if you really try to put yourself in the character's shoes you'll see that most of the time their concerns have real foundation.
Better ways to deal with this reaction:  Just be careful not to throw the word "angst" out there too readily.  It's an apt word in some cases, but the phrase "teen angst" has such a negative connotation that it should not be used lightly.  Try to understand the source of the "angst" before you critique it too harshly - a little understanding can make a situation seem more like "conflict" than "angst."

"I'm not a teenager, so I couldn't identify with the characters/plot/setting of this YA novel."
Should you be making this comment:  I hope not!  The vast majority of the conflicts and issues that teen characters are dealing with in YA novels actually apply to the adult world too - relationship woes, conflicts with family, dissatisfaction with the society we live in, trying to find one's place int he world, bullying, violence...the list goes on.  Admittedly, a teenage character lacks the life experience that, say, a 40-year-old adult has when dealing with some of these problems, so they might go about it differently.  This is an opportunity for the reader to really put on their empathy shoes and try to explore something that is unfamiliar.  This should be exciting, not alienating.
Better ways to deal with this reaction:  Before responding this way to a book, reflect on the situation that you had trouble identifying with.  Really flex those empathy muscles and make an honest effort to try to understand whatever it is that initially seems so foreign to you.  If you still feel alienated, then that's fine.  It'll happen.  But please keep an open mind and be open to discussion with someone who was better able to identify with the book.

The moral of the story:  Be thoughtful.  Be empathetic.  Be open minded.  If you've done all of these things and still find yourself unsatisfied with a book then that's fine.  You don't have to like everything.  But please make a sincere effort to try.

See also:  Don't Discount YA Literature
See also:  DDYL, Part III:  Books to Try

Don't Discount YA Literature

One of my greatest pet peeves of all time is when an adult has read a Young Adult novel and makes a comment something to this effect:

"This book had its problems, but it was a YA book so I didn't mind."

Or alternatively:

"It's a YA book, so I expected this book to not be awesome."

I think that this attitude is a real problem.  It makes me sad that so many adults out there have lower expectations of books that are written and marketed for a teen audience than they do for book that are marketed for adults.  I can't even imagine what the cause of this prejudice might be.

Is it because at one point in the not-to-distant past a series of books about sparkly vampires (or who who knows what other topic) turned them off from the genre?  But it hardly seems fair to judge an entire body of literature based on a few bad experiences.  Do we discount novels written for adults because we once read a book that we didn't care for?  I don't think so.

Is it because people have lower expectations of teenagers, and therefore have lower expectations of books that are written and published with them in mind?  Let me answer that question with another question:  Have you spoken to a 14-year-old recently?  I have - it's my job, after all - and most teens that I've spoken to are able to define what they do and do not like about certain books.  Teens know what they want, and they know how to pick out the good books from the bad ones.  Teens, like their books, will certainly surprise you with what they are capable of doing an enjoying.  Besides, teens are very rarely the ones creating YA books; they are written and published by adults.  YA is not the market where B-list authors and publishers are banished to when they can't hack it in the adult market.  In fact, many authors will admit that they didn't quite realize that they had written a YA book until their publisher defined it as such.  These creators are incredibly talented people who work hard at their craft and who should be held to the same standards as the authors of adult materials.

Is it because when today's adults were teens, the market for YA books was vastly different than it is today?  Perhaps, but consider the realities of the changing publishing world.  Could you not find a good book to read at your library when you were a teenager?  Maybe not because when you were a teen the market for YA books was much, much smaller than it is today - perhaps even non-existent depending on your age - so it was less likely for there to be a book on the shelf that suited your particular tastes.  The market for YA books has grown vastly over the course of the past 15 years or so, and this means that the demand for quality material has also increased.  The creation of the Michael L. Printz award in 2000 also encouraged publishers to increase the quality of the YA books published, and they have certainly responded in kind.  Don't assume that because you were not happy with the available books during your teen days that today's readers will have a similar problem.

When it comes down to it, there are lots and lots of amazing books written for teens out there being published today.  Adults should take notice!  Don't feel guilty about picking up a novel with a YA sticker on it, because even though it's marketed for a younger audience it's probably awesome.

Admittedly, not every YA book is brilliant.  There are sub-par books out there.  But there are also lots of sub-par books out there written and marketed for an adult audience.  We really need to hold books written for both markets to the same standards and not make snap judgments about books written for teens because of whatever prejudices we may have.  Literature is literature no matter who the publisher's target audience might be.  Go out there and enjoy it.



I have more to say on this subject, but I think that I'll save these thoughts for another post.  Look for more soon!  In the meantime, check out this article, or this article, both of which also do a fantastic job of talking about the awesome YA lit that is out there and why adults should not automatically discount it.

See also:  DDYL, Part II: The Dos and Don'ts of Criticism
See also:  DDYL, Part III:  Books to Try

The Fault in Our Stars

The trailer for the movie "The Fault in Our Stars," based on the widely popular book by John Green, was recently released to the public.



Despite the fact that I feel that this trailer really focuses its attention on the more uplifting/romantic aspects of the story, it still makes be cry every time I watch it.  Perhaps the raging pregnancy hormones have something to do with that.  Hard to say for sure given the content - the book made me sob too.

The film will appear in theaters on June 6, 2014.

Sandy's Picks 2013 - Teen Reads

Now that the year is drawing to a close, it's time for me to look back on the books that I have read this year and pick my favorites.  According to my Goodreads account, I read a total of 74 books in 2013.  This number is down quite a bit from years past, but does not truly reflect every books that I read this year.  These 74 books do no include very many picture books (which I do not always remember to take the time to review), several volumes of a manga series or two (where I generally review the series as a whole, not each individual volume), or some self-help or reference non-fiction (which I feel a tad self-conscious about reviewing).

This is the second in a series of three posts, each covering a different type of children's book.  Today we will be looking at books written for Teens.  Because this is the collection that I order for at the library, I have read more of this type of book than anything else this year, and there have been lots of great books to choose from!

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde
Jasper Fforde has made a name for himself writing fantasy novels for adults, and he branched out to writing for teens late last year.  Set in a world much like ours but where wizards are contracted to use their magical abilities for mundane tasks, the story follows a girl named Jennifer Strange, who has no magical ability herself but is the acting manager of Kazam, an employment agency of wizards.  Unfortunately, magic is drying up and there is concern that it will disappear altogether.  In The Last Dragonslayer Jennifer Strange finds herself helping Big Magic return after a series of visions predict that a dragon will be slain.  In the sequel, Song of the Quarkbeast, Kazam's rival company challenges the wizards to a contest that will determine who will take on the role of Court Mystician, but first Jennifer must put a stop to the rival manager's shady dealings.  Both books are plenty quirky and will appeal to fans of authors like Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

Kiki Strike:  The Darkness Dwellers
Kiki Strike and her companions have finally returned in this third installment to the series, and her latest adventure does not disappoint.  Kiki travels to Paris to confront her parents' killers and finds herself caught up with the titular underground organization who tries to protect the city's underground catacombs.  Meanwhile in New York, Ananka and the other girls find themselves tangled up in their own messes, most notably with an upscale girls' finishing school.  When they realize that the two mysteries might not be so unrelated and that Kiki might be in some real trouble, it's up to master of disguise Betty Bent to travel to Paris and save the day.  Strong girls and much better-than-average writing make this latest book in the series well worth the wait.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
In 1986, Eleanor and Park find themselves sitting together on the bus.  They become friends as they share a love of comic books, and then they become something more.  The two teens know that high school romance never lasts, but are they brave enough to try anyway?  But as their relationship grows, we are reminded that Eleanor's life isn't anything close to sunshine and roses, and her complicated home life provides just the right amount of tragedy to keep this book interesting.  This novel will be appealing to a wide range of readers, and it's my top pick for this year's Printz Award.

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
Ezra was once his school's golden boy - captain of the tennis team, pretty girlfriend, likely to be elected Homecoming King.  But when a car accident messes up his knee and Ezra finds himself unable to play tennis during his senior year, his world is suddenly turned upside down.  He finds himself reconnecting with his less-popular childhood friend, joining the debate team, and drawn to Cassidy, a girl with a mysterious past who just transferred to their school.  I love the smart characters in this debut novel and the clever way in which they all deal with their own tragedies.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
Josie is the daughter of a prostitute in New Orleans, but she wants more for herself than this underworld life.  She wants to go to college and really make something of herself.  Unfortunately, a mysterious death leaves Josie wrapped up in an investigation that she wants no part of but cannot seem to escape.  This piece of historical fiction is great for older teens.  It packs in lots of atmospheric details, plenty of mystery, and characters that really draw readers in.

Poison by Bridget Zinn
Kyra is a sixteen-year-old potions master, and unfortunately she is also the only one who knows that the kingdom is in some serious trouble.  Her solution?  Poison the princess, who is unfortunately also her former best friend.  When that doesn't work out, Kyra finds herself on the run from the palace guards with a tiny piglet and a very handsome boy for company.  The novel is light, fluffy, and funny.  In a genre that sometimes seems to be filled with nothing but depressing reads, a books like this is a welcome change of pace.

Tell me about your favorite teen reads of 2013 in the comments.

Also, it should be noted that this is my little blog's 300th post.  Wow!  Big thanks to my small following of regular readers, and also to the thousands of people who have stumbled upon it while looking for images, program ideas, etc.  I'd probably still enjoy keeping a record of all of the cool stuff that I get to do at my job even if I didn't have any readers, but knowing that there are a few of you out there really means a lot to me.  Sometimes it's the only thing forcing me to use the spellcheck, so thank you.

Books to Be Excited About

A few weeks ago I found myself in a reading rut.  Nothing on the library's shelves excited me, and there was nothing new coming in that begged for me to take it home.

Fortunately, a recent shipment of new books and the arrival of a few holds has changed these circumstances.  I've gone from having nothing to read to being a tad overwhelmed by the good books.  Here are a few of the books I'm excited to try:

The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppet by Tom Angleberger
In case you haven't heard, I'm a huge Origami Yoda fan.  I'm very excited about this fourth volume to the series, and I'm curious to see how the kids as McQuarrie Middle School handle the return of Dwight to their class, along with the school's newly-imposed curriculum designed to raise their test scores.  Can Origami Yoda save the day again?

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope by Ian Doeschter
It's Star Wars written in iambic pentameter, told in the style of one of Shakespeare's plays.  It's two of my favorite things rolled into one.  What's not to like?  I'm not exactly expecting brilliance out of this pastiche, but I am expecting to be entertained (and probably laugh lots and read especially clever/amusing passages out loud).

Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It by David M. Ewalt
I don't often read books written for an adult audience.  Much of this has to do with that fact that I work with children and teenagers, so I get really caught up in the books that are written for them.  But every so often a book for adults will catch my eye.  I'm curious to see what this author has to say about D&D - its history, its cultural significance, and the nerd subculture it has spawned.  (For the curious:  Yes, I have played Dungeons & Dragons.  Yes, I enjoyed it.  No, I'm not a complete loser.)

The Lord of Opium by Nancy Farmer
Several months ago it was announced that Farmer would be publishing a sequel to her multiple award-winning novel The House of the Scorpion, and I've been eagerly waiting on the edge of my seat for the book to be released.  That day is finally here!  It's been ten years since The House of the Scorpion was first published, but it remains one of my favorite books of all time and one that I regularly try to recommend to middle-school readers.  Sequels tend to make me anxious, but I'm still excited to see what Farmer has in store for Matt and his newly-inherited opium empire.

Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde
I was pretty much awed by Jasper Fforde's last fantasy novel, The Last Dragonslayer.  I was so happy that Jennifer Strange would be returning for a sequel.  If you're a fantasy fan, and if you've enjoyed books by Neil Gaiman and/or Terry Pratchet, then I think that Jasper Fforde should be the next author you try.

Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy by Elizabeth Kiem
In this teen novel, clairvoyance meets 1980s Soviet immigrants.  Intriguing, n'est-ce pas?  I love a combination of plot elements that you don't see every day.  Also, I'm kind of a fan of the cover art.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
First of all, the author's name is Rainbow.  Love it.  Second, this book sounds really good:  A girl tries to survive her first year of college after her best friend outgrows their shared love of a celebrity.  Thirdly, this book has gotten awesome reviews.  I probably should be reading another book by this same author that's gotten some early award buzz (Eleanor & Park), but this book just sounds a bit more fun.

Prom Book Display

It's hard to believe, but for many high schoolers prom is only a few short weeks away.  This means that teenage girls are busy finalizing their hair and makeup plans and trying on dresses, while boys are renting their tuxes and planning elaborate "promposals."  For many teens prom is a watershed rite of passages and as such, it has often been the subject of books targeted at teens. 

In honor of the upcoming festivities, I put together a display of prom-themed books in the teen area.

 
Here are a few of the titles featured:

Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson
When a faculty advisor is arrested for stealing the funds for the prom and the event is cancelled, Ashley Hannigan feels terrible for her best friend and prom-enthusiast Natalia and so comes up with a plan to get the prom back on track.

Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck
Entering her senior year at St. James Christian Academy, Daisy has less than 200 days to look stylish, develop social skills, find the right boy for the prom, and convince her parents to let her date.

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
This book is modern adaptation of the classic Jane Austin novel.  For Lizzie Bennett, a music scholarship student at Connecticut's exclusive, girls-only Longbourn Academy, the furor over prom is senseless.  Even more puzzling is her attraction to the pompous Will Darcy, best friend of her roommate's boyfriend.

Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin
Feeling humiliated and confused when his best friend Tessa rejects his prom invitation and comes out of the closet, high school senior Luke must decide if he should stand by Tessa when she invites a female date to the prom, sparking controversy in their small Indiana town.

21 Proms edited by David Levithan and Daniel Ehrenhaft
A full spectrum of good dates, bad dates, unexpected dates, and more is covered in 21 stories from a range of YA authors, including Jacqueline Woodson, Holly Black, Melissa de la Cruz, E. Lockhart, and Leslie Margolis.

Across the Universe

Amy's parents, who have military and science backgrounds, are selected to help build a new colony on Centauri-Earth.  Unfortunately, the trip through outer space will take about 300 years, so Amy and her parents are cryogenically frozen along with 97 other passengers for the duration of the journey.  But when Amy is woken up fifty years too early it soon becomes clear that life aboard the Godspeed isn't at all what she would have expected.  Was Amy's awakening really an accident?  Soon it becomes clear that someone is trying to murder the other passengers who lie frozen in the ship's cargo hold, and only Amy cares enough to try to solve the mystery.  As Amy races to unlock Godspeed's secrets she encounters Elder, a teenage boy who is destined to become the leader of the ship's crew.  Is Elder Amy's greatest ally...or does he deserve a spot on her list of suspects?

Beth Revis' Across the Universe is one of the best science fiction reads I've encountered for the teen audience in quite some time.  There is some romance, but rather than dwelling on it as so many teen reads seem to do, this book does what science fiction does best:  It explores the human condition.  The story is narrated in alternating perspectives by Amy and Elder, so readers really get to see both sides of the story and the individual biases that form the basis of these characters' opinions.  This book has mystery, intrigue, a fascinating setting, and interesting characters.  What more can you ask for? 

Overall Grade:  A


But the story doesn't stop there!

In A Million Suns, Elder is now the leader of the Godspeed and is ready to enact his vision of what life on the ship could be like.  Unfortunately, his reign isn't going as smoothly as he had hoped.  While Elder has the beginnings of a rebellion in his hands, he and Amy learn that there are even more mysteries to be uncovered on Godspeed.  As they put together the pieces of the puzzle, Amy and Elder soon make a startling discovery...

In the final volume, Shades of Earth, Amy and Elder have finally made it off of the ship and onto the planet Centauri-Earth.  But even with the warnings they have received, the planet proves more dangerous than imagined.  Soon it becomes clear that Godspeed's crew isn't alone on the planet.  But what is the real danger:  The giant dinosaur-like creatures, the flowers with mind-numbing toxins, or something else - or someone else - entirely?  Amy and Elder will have to figure it out quickly, before the planet they worked so hard to reach kills them.

One downloadable novella and several short stories further flesh out the story of Godspeed's journey to Centauri-Earth. 

This series is well worth the effort.  I love that while the plots of all three books are intertwined, each book stands solidly on its own.  Each book has elements of mystery that drive the story, and it's fascinating as a reader to imagine what they would do in this unusual situation. 

New Arrivals - YA Sequels

It seems that over the past month or so I've ordered nothing but sequels for the teen area of the library.  If you've been waiting on the edge of your seat for the next titles in these series you might want to place your holds or visit your library and check the shelves soon:

Everbound by Brodi Ashton
Book 2 in the "Everneath" trilogy.  Regretting her decision to forfeit her life on Earth to become an immortal on Everneath, a world between Earth and Hell, teenaged Nikki is given the chance to return to the Surface for six months.  In this second installment, Nikki must journey back to the underworld to rescue her boyfriend.

Sever by Lauren DeStefano
Book 3 in "The Chemical Garden" trilogy.  Modern science has eradicated disease but also has ensured that men will die by the age of 25 and women by the age of 20.  Rhine has escaped an arranged marriage and now turns to a surprising source for a brighter future.

Prodigy by Marie Lu
Book 2 in the "Legend" trilogy.  In a futuristic North America, the famous criminal, Day, and June, a military prodigy, join forces when they realize that they have a common enemy.  Now they journey to Las Vegas where they plan to join forces with a rebel Patriot group.

The Darkness Dwellers by Kirsten Miller
Book 3 in the "Kiki Strike" series.  The dangerous Irregulars have teamed up again!  While Kiki Strike is in Paris trying to stop her evil cousin, the princess Sidonia, from all sorts of terrible deeds, it is up to Ananka and the other Irregulars help Kiki find the cure for baldness, foil the evil plans of Oona's twin, and keep Ananka herself from falling in love with wrong young man.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Book 2 in the "Lunar Chronicles" trilogy.  Where the first book in this series was loosely based on the story of "Cinderella," this next installment is based on "Little Red Riding Hood."  Scarlet Benoit and Wolf, a street fighter who may have information about her missing grandmother, join forces with Cinder as they try to stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen.

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
Book 3 in the "Across the Universe" trilogy.  Leaving the walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind, Amy and Elder are ready to build a home on Centauri-Earth. But they must race to discover who-- or what-- else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together.

Through the Ever Night by Vernoica Rossi
Book 2 in the "Under the Never Sky" trilogy.  Perry and Aria had teamed up to survive in the first part of this trilogy.  But Perry's tribe doesn't trust Aria, who drew up under a protective dome.  With worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's existence, Aria worries that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Sandy's Picks 2012 - Teen

It's that time of year again! Time to look back on what I read in 2012 and pick out the titles that I think were the best of the best. I'm not simply looking for literary quality or books that are award-worthy as I make this list (though such qualities certainly don't hurt a book's chances as making the cut). I'm just looking back at the books that made me happiest when I read them, and the books that have stuck with me as the year progressed.

According to Goodreads.com, I have read a total of 109 books this year. Of course, this number is not entirely accurate. This count does not include a wide range of picture books and non-fiction that I paged through and didn't record, nor does it include each volume of several manga series that I plowed through this year, where I reviewed the series as a whole instead of each individual volume.

Today we'll start out by taking a look at Young Adult (Teen) novels.


Guitar Notes by Mary Amato
Tripp, who plays guitar only for himself, and Lyla, a cellist whose talent has already made her famous but not happy, form an unlikely friendship when they are forced to share a practice room at their high school. A plot where friendship, rather than romance, becomes the driving force for a plot involving characters of the opposite sex? We don't see it very often in teen lit, which makes this book all the more refreshing.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few more years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal.  But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at the Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten. Anytime John Green has a new book out you know you are in for a real treat. This latest work is no exception, and is probably his best effort since An Abundance of Katherines. The erudite characters will make you laugh, cry, and think deep thoughts all at once.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Last year Roth stormed onto the scene with Divergent, an action-packed page-turner where everyone must choose a trait-driven faction to join, which quickly took its place as the successor to The Hunger Games. While I enjoyed Divergent well enough, I don't think the series truly grabbed me until I read this second book in the trilogy. The plot thickens and the setting is further developed and an interesting twist at the end has left me eagerly awaiting the final installment.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
In 1943, a British fighter plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France and the survivor tells a tale of friendship, war, espionage, and great courage as she relates what she must to survive while keeping secret all that she can.  If you haven't read this book yet, please do.  It's simply amazing, powerful and completely absorbing, and it's arguably the best book that I have read in quite some time.  Code Name Verity is also my top pick to win this year's Printz Medal.

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel
Running a small Kansas hotel at the side of her single mom, Callie LeRoux struggles with health problems from regional dust storms.  Then when her mother disappears, Callie meets a mysterious stranger who indicates that her estranged father might be something other than human.  It seems that an interesting historical setting was the trump card this year for creating a great book, and Dust Girl is no exception.  Coupling the Dust Bowl era with faerie/fantasy elements makes this book, first in what will be a trilogy, stand out from the crowd. 

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin
I discovered Zevin's "Birthright" trilogy a little late to the game earlier this year, and I just think that this series is a real winner.  The second book, Because It Is My Blood, was published this fall, and I am eagerly awaiting next year's final installment.  In a future where seemingly harmless things like chocolate and caffeine are illegal and other items like paper, water, and phone time are rationed, Anya Balanchine is the heir apparent to a New York mafia that deals in illegal chocolate.  She tries to protect her siblings by keeping out of the family business, but in the end it seems that Anya will not be able to escape the world of crime. 



 What were your favorite teen reads of 2012?  Share your favorites in the comments. 

Holds That Need Placing

My library is in the process of switching over to a new computer system.  This system hosts the library's catalog, allows us to check items in and out, keeps records of all of our patrons, allows us to add new items to the catalog, and of course, lets us place holds on items that are not currently available and/or that we need to get from other libraries.  Unfortunately, as we transition to the new system we have to temporarily give up certain tasks that we would normally do with the catalog to make the data transfer easier.  Three weeks ago we were forced to stop placing holds.

I didn't quite realize how much I relied on the ability to place holds until it was taken away.  In the meantime I have compiled a list of books that I desperately want to place on hold once we go live again:

My Truck Is Stuck by Kevin Lewis
I Love Trucks! by Philemon Sturges
I'm planning a truck-themed storytime that will happen only six days after go live, and I need these two books to read to my preschoolers.  Here's hoping that they arrive in time or I'll have to resort to my less-fun backups.

The Baby Beebee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie
Another picture book that I'd like to use in an upcoming storytime.  It's one of my favorite storytime read-alouds.

Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket
I'm super excited whenever Lemony Snicket (pen name for the glorious Daniel Handler) has a new book out because I love his brand of smart humor.  I'm especially excited because this book is the first in a new series that will document the life of a young Lemony Snicket (the character, not the "author") before his involvement with the awesome "A Series of Unfortunate Events."

In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
This books is the sequel to A Tale Dark and Grimm. Probably won't win any awards, though it did find a place on the Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 2012 list. Mostly I'm excited to read because of the fairy tale genre and because I liked the first book so much.

Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin
Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Obed
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
These three books are what currently remains on my list of highly acclaimed and/or potentially award-worthy books that I need to read before the end of the year.  And the sooner the better - my library system does a Mock Newbery event and I'll want to have these read before we meet.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
I mentioned both of these books in an earlier post detailing some YA titles I was dying to get my hands on. Should have placed my holds on these books then.

Reached by Ally Condie
I go back and forth on how excited I am about this final installment to the "Matched" trilogy.  But I should really get my name on the super-long hold list soon or I'll never get my hands on it.

House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
This is next month's pick for my teen book club.  I need to place holds on about eight copies of the book so that I can give them to my teens. 

Guitar Notes

Lyla seems to be perfect.  She gets perfect grades, has perfect friends, and plays the cello perfectly.  But despite how wonderful things seem, Lyla isn't happy with her life.  Tripp, on the other hand, is more of a loner with his own issues whose only comfort - his guitar - has been taken away by his mother in the hopes that he'll make some friends without the guitar crutch.  The two find themselves sharing a practice room at school, with Tripp using the room on odd days and Lyla on even days.  What begins as a few notes about practice room etiquette (please throw away your trash) soon evolves into an unlikely friendship as they bond over Tripp's borrowed guitar.  Lyla and Tripp share secrets with each other and challenge each other to write songs and to look at their music in different ways.  But circumstances and well-meaning parents threaten to end Tripp and Lyla's friendship just as it is starting to flourish. 

In Guitar Notes, author Mary Amatto has created a wonderful story of friendship.  It was great to get at the emotional core of both of these characters and see how two people who seem so different really do have much in common.  And how many teen books can you think of where friendship is the central, driving theme of the story?  Not many.  I greatly appreciate that Tripp and Lyla's relationship never evolves into romance so that we can focus on the frienship that both characters so desperately need.  The story is told in alternating viewpoints and includes Tripp and Lyla's notes, text messages, e-mails, and song lyrics.

Overall Grade:  B+

So Many Books...

As the end of the year is approaching, I've been trying desperately to read as many good books as I can in the hopes that I will a) be able to start fresh with 2013 titles when it comes time to flip the calendar, and b) have read a few award winners and won't have to play catch-up when awards are announced in January.  It's a tough but enjoyable process.  There are so many great books out there, and so little time to sit down and read!  Here are a few young adult titles that I'm hoping to sneak in very soon:

Shadow and Bone by Leign Badugo
The bones of the plot sounds a little familiar:  Ordinary girl discovers that she has mysterious powers.  Girl tries to learn to use said powers.  The plot thickens with intrigue and romance.  But predictable plots rarely get glowing starred reviews, so I'm looking forward to this one.  The Russian influences on the setting seem especially intriguing.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Set in the 1920s, Evie finds herself living in New York City with her uncle, who is the curator for the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult. Evie is soon helping to investigate some occult-based murders. Add in a dose of "mysterious power" and we have ourselves the the recipe for an intriguing story.

Call the Shots by Don Calame
I love Don Calame's books. He's my go-to author for boys looking for something funny and I've been looking forward to this book ever since last year's Beat the Band. This time the gang has decided to make their own low-budget horror film. Antics and hilarity ensue.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Samantha's life seems very safe and calm, while Jase's family next door is loud and boisterous.  Of course, the two teens fall hard for each other.  Then tragedy strikes.  Elements of this book sound a bit like Jo Knowles' See You At Harry's, which I loved, and probably adds to my draw to this novel.

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Last year's Daughter of Smoke and Bone blew my mind with a story that began with the words, "Once upon a time an angel and a devil fell in love.  It did not end well."  I've been on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel ever since.  Karou is a highly likable heroine and I need to know what happens next in the angel/chimera war. 

Does anyone out there have any other must-read YA titles from 2012 to share?  I'm definitely interested in adding to this list...

See You At Harry's

Fern's family drives her crazy.  Her dad has a new plan to advertise his restaurant that involves using the whole family and he doesn't understand how this will ruin Fern's life. Her mother spends a lot of time meditating to find her inner peace.  Her sister is taking a year off between high school and college and is supposed to be helping at the restaurant, but is mostly looking to get out of doing any work.  Her older brother is in the closet and is having trouble both at home and at school as a result.  And Fern's younger brother Charlie is little and cute and seems to get away with everything, and no one else seems to see how annoying he is.  Fern loves her family, but with so much going on she often feels alone.  But when tragedy rocks the whole family's world, Fern feels more alone than ever as she wrestles with her grief and guilt. 

There isn't a way to talk about Jo Knowles' See You at Harry's without making it sound incredibly sad and tragic.  And I'll be honest - it's a heart-wrenching tear-jerker at times.  But what impresses me most about this novel are the more positive aspects.  Knowles does an amazing job of creating a realistic, nuanced portrait of a family.  The members of Fern's family all love each other, but they don't always get along perfectly.  The characters are what make this story powerful instead of saccharine, and it's great to see how the family comes together when they really need to.  This book is a bit of a page-turner and most readers will be able to get through it fairly quickly, but it is worth lingering a bit with these characters.

Overall Grade:  A-

Life As We Knew It

A major astronomical feat is about to take place:  A meteor will hit the moon.  At first, all 16-year-old Miranda thinks is that this event is giving her teachers an excuse to assign more homework.  But when it turns out that the asteroid is much denser than predicted, the impact actually knocks the moon out of its orbit and pushes it closer to the Earth.  As a result the Earth's climate changes drastically.  Tsunamis destroy coastlines around the world.  Volcanoes hidden beneath the Earth's surface erupt and ash clouds the sky.  Disease spreads quickly.  Crops are destroyed and food becomes scarce.  Electricity and heat become almost completely unavailable.  Suddenly homework is the last thing on Miranda's mind and she and her family struggle to survive in rural Pennsylvania. 

Told through Miranda's diary entries, Susan Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It is actually sometimes hard to read.  Not because the writing is poor - it's not - but because it becomes so easy to imagine that this disaster could really happen to us.  I personally found myself looking at the moon strangely and wondering if I had enough canned food in the house after I finished reading it.  The diary format works very well in this book because it allows readers to focus on Miranda's emotional response to the disaster rather than dwelling on the scientific whys.  Readers only know as much about what's happening in the rest of the world as Miranda does, and that honestly isn't much.  But this format makes it easy to get inside Miranda's head and connect with her situation on a personal level.

I read this book recently for a second time as it was this month's selection for my teen book club. It's just as powerful of a read the second time around!

Overall Grade:  A-

If you enjoyed Miranda's story there are two sequels to this book.  In The Dead and the Gone we learn about this same disaster from the perspective of a boy in New York City.  The conclusion to this trilogy, This World We Live In, brings Miranda's and Alex's stories together.

Dust Girl

Callie LeRoux seems to be stuck in Slow Run, Kansas helping her mother run a hotel that hasn't seen much business since the Dust Bowl's arrival. Even though Callie suffers from dust pneumonia her mother refuses to leave for a more prosperous climate, insisting that she needs to stay there until Callie's long-missing father returns for them. But when Callie's mother disappears in a dust storm Callie knows she has to take matters into her own hands. Soon Callie learns a few details of her past that she never would have imagined: Her estranged father was a fairy prince, and warring fae factions are all very interested in finding Callie one way or another. As Callie tries to escape these dangerous fairies and find her mother she teams up with Jack, a boy living as a hobo with a mysterious past of his own. The two attempt to make their way to California, where Callie thinks her mother might have been taken, but Kansas proves to have plenty of dangers for them to deal with first.

There is quite a bit to like in Sarah Zettel's Dust Girl, which is a unique take on faerie mythology. The Dust Bowl setting is certainly an interesting one, and it was fascinating to see how different elements from this region and time period were incorporated into the novel. Especially interesting was the way that music from the period was worked in, both as a way of enhancing the setting and as a part of this world's faerie lore as music turns out to be one of the faerie's sources of power. Callie was a fun character to follow and I appreciated the way that she struggled to make sense of her mixed background - both before and after she learns of her fae heritage.

Overall Grade: A

Dust Girl if the first book in the American Fairy Trilogy. No official word on when the next book will be published, but my money is on sometime during the summer of 2013.

Keeping the Castle

Althea's family is in dire straights. Her great-grandfather foolishly built an elaborate castle on a cliff in Yorkshire, and now the whole family's fortune as been lost to the castle's upkeep. Althea is determined that her family will keep the castle at any cost so that her young brother will have something to inherit when he comes of age, and so she is determined to marry anyone who is rich enough to help repair the crumbling building. Unfortunately there simply aren't very many suitors to be had in the area. Things change quickly when the young and wealthy Lord Boring moves to Lesser Hoo, and Althea soon finds herself plotting ways in which she can tempt Lord Boring to propose. But Lord Boring has brought with him his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks, and the meddling Fredericks keeps getting in Althea's way.

Patrice Kindl's Keeping the Castle is a light, easy read that is perfect for summer. The plot is fairly predicable, but in this case predictability is not a problem. Instead it becomes easy for readers to simply fall into the Regency setting and become absorbed in this comedy of manners. Comparisons to Jane Austen are inevitable given the book's subject and setting, and unfortunately (inevitably?) Keeping the Castle lacks the cleverness and drama of Emma or Pride and Prejudice. Still, anyone looking for a historical comedy will likely be pleased as the book has plenty of funny moments. This is also a quick read that may appeal to reluctant readers despite the period language.

Overall Grade: B

Fractured Fairy Tales

I love a good fractured fairy tale. This month my book display in the teen area is full of such stories!


Here are just a few books that have made an appearance on this display:

Cloaked by Alex Flinn
This story is made up of bits of several different tales, including "The Elves and the Shoemaker," "The Six Swans," and "The Frog Prince." The crazy combinations keep this book interesting. Flinn has also written a number of other fairy tale renditions, including the popular Beastly.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
This novel is a retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses". The setting is especially intriguing in this version - it makes me think of 18th Century Europe. Also, the hero is a young man who knits. If you liked this one, also try the companion novel, Princess of Glass.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
This book takes many of "Little Red Riding Hood's" themes and builds a story fit for a modern setting. There are also supernatural elements as sisters Scarlett and Rosie hunt werewolves.

A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
"Sleeping Beatury" meets the popular sci-fi genre in this book. Doesn't that sound like an intriguing combination?

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
A retelling of the fairy tale of the same name, in which a mistreated younger sister is blessed to have diamonds and flowers fall from her lips when she speaks. Her older step-sister attempts to earn the same blessing, but is cursed for her arrogance as snakes and toads fall from her mouth instead. This version is set in India.