The Librarian Writer

Title: Altered Author: Jennifer Rush Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication Date: January 1, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0316197083 336 pp. ARC provided by publisher Altered by Jennifer Rush is a real thrill ride of a novel. Lots of action, lots of twists and turns. The story centers on Anna, who lives in an old farmhouse with her father. Downstairs is a secret lab where four young men are kept in high-security cells for tests and observation. Anna long ago figured out that her dad works for the Branch and that the four men are genetically altered super-soldiers. She befriends the guys, smart-ass Cas, studious Trev, angry Nick, and the leader of the group, Sam. On the day that the Branch comes to collect their test subjects, Anna is caught in the mayhem that occurs when the guys make their escape. Soon she's on the run with them as they follow clues that they hope will tell them who they really are. The clues also lead Anna to question everything sh...

Title: Safekeeping Author: Karen Hesse Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Publication Date: September 18, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-1250011343 304 pp. ARC provided via publisher Safekeeping by Karen Hesse is a bit of an odd duck. It's a quiet book, an interior journey as much as it is a physical one. It's the story of Radley, a young woman who was volunteering at an orphanage in Haiti when America implodes in civil unrest. She rushes home to Vermont, or at least tries to, but finds that new security measures means she own her own, on foot, trying not to be noticed by police. When she gets home, her parents have disappeared. She decides to hoof it to Canada, where many Americans are seeking asylum. Along the way she meets a girl with a dog and a secret. The book is interspersed with black and white photographs that Radley's mother supposedly took. They are stark, lonely photos of found objects and isolated landscapes. The story is really Radley's journey as a ...

"Wasn't this supposed to be a 3-hour tour?" I hope 2013 is treating you well so far! I'm still behind on some book reviews, but I hope to catch up on those later this month. The most recent book I've added to my to-be-reviewed pile is Altered by Jennifer Rush. Also on the to-be-reviewed pile is Safekeeping by Karen Hesse. I've barely cracked open the first few chapters of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, but lots of fun packed into those beginning pages. Lately, I've had some trouble with audiobooks (the downside to borrowing them from the library is that you can get a couple of discs in and then get a disc that WILL NOT PLAY). *sigh* But I did get to listen to the complete audiobook of Nation by Terry Pratchett. Librarian confession: I've never actually read a Terry Pratchett novel before. Love Doug Adams and Neil Gaiman, but Terry Pratchett has escaped me. So happy I finally got a chance to experience Terry Pratchett with Nation . It'...