P.S I Still Love You by Jenny Han

This book did not disappoint. Jenny Han dreams up great characters who are real and entertaining. The romance between Lara Jean and Peter continues in this sequel of "To All the Boys I've Loved Before." Along with their second phase of romance comes a mysterious hot-tub video, ex-girlfriends, and ex-loves. All of these circumstances take their relationship and personal lives on a journey to stick it out and find themselves. I like that the author depicts our male teen character with something that we don't see enough of in teen books. He is strong, romantic, and sometimes impulsive with his words. Readers will enjoy the journey and root for their relationship along the way. 
Teens will be entertained and satisfied! 

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

How can you not be enticed by a book who's title includes a infamous Lady Gaga song?
This book is much more than a famous pop song though and readers will be drawn in on page one.
 Grace falls for bad-boy rockstar Gav in a heartbeat. It's inevitable with her traumatic home life and longing that she sets sights on the guy who tried to kill himself over his ex-girlfriend. Tragic? No doubt;  but what stands out about this book is the author, Heather Demetrios, focusing on Grace and giving us a real picture about what a victim of domestic violence goes through. You don't just sit back and let someone treat you horribly. There's an abundance of rollercoaster rides and emotions. The good and bad come in waves and they definitely do in this book. Also, Grace sticks up for herself as much as she can as a victim ( and a girl in love)... which sends a great message to girls that although the struggle seems endless... you can get out of a bad situation.
Loved this book! (less)

Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Flashback to the 1980s and flashback to what it was like to feel real love as a teenager for the first time. Rosenthal writes a heartbreaking story about first love, friendships, raw mother/daughter relationships, and sibling rivalry and all it entails. Ari, is a plain girl who is whisked away to a private school Hollister in Manhattan due to a family inheritance. She finds herself naively falling for the glitz and glamour of a strikingly handsome older guy whom she falls head over heels in love with. The romance is reciprocated and heats up quickly. Ari finds herself amidst friendship problems and losing herself in a whirlwind romance. Can she compete with his upscale world, deal with her Catholic mother's ranting, and stay strong as the relationships becomes too much to handle? Older teens will enjoy this emotional tale of love and longing.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Hello 2018! I am newly obsessed with the author Jenny Han and her fantastic Lara Jean series. I picked up book one back in 2015 and then realized she wrote a third book for the series and continued on with the character's journey. I've always had a thing for "entering college" stories and movies. (Side note: one of my favorite DVDs is Boys and Girls starring the famous Freddie Prinze Jr. Yes! I am a fan of 90s movies... Don't judge me!).
Lara Jean in this book is struggling to decide what to do about college. Much to her dismay,she receives a rejection letter from her first pick, UVA ( University of Virginia). She still has excellent options however and must decide to stay local or drift afar Once choice willl cause a bit of strife with her first love and fabulous boyfriend Peter while the other could be an adventure Lara Jean has only wondered about.  Filled with quirky thoughts, laughter, and struggles this teen book will be a hard one for readers to put down.

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Doktorski

Why not read a summer book in the fall? Here in Southern Cali. the weather certainly still feels like summer even though we are far into October. This month I read a book from my Goodreads list titled How My Summer Went Up in Flames, and I was very entertained. It was something new, exciting, and sadly real. To read about a young latina who finds herself on a summer road trip with three guy friends after she sets fire to her ex's car, yikes!  As a teen though, her parents want her to learn a lesson or two about controlling her anger. The main character Rosie does find herself going down a path of destruction and so the road trip does her good. Of course, since it is a teen book she finds romance along the way as well. This book starts off being a bit predictable, but then turns in a new direction. Teens will love it. Recommended for grades 9-12 due to some teenage drinking and sensitive topics.

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn Nguyen

Loved this book for teens!!! Taylor..the school valedictorian goes on a party drinking mode one random night and hooks up with Evan McKinley...handsome surfboy who is known for locking lips with all the ladies. They make a pact to save their reputations but will the pact stay strictly business? Teens will love the fact that this book doesn't end up like every teen romance novel, the characters are relatable, yet unique and the girl doesn't have to change herself to make a boy fall in love with her.
I also enjoyed the interchanging chapters between Evan and Taylor's thoughts.

Back to School Art Activity

Hello fellow readers! Our library hosted a very cool art activity where we created pencil pouches out of duct tape and zip lock bags. My very talented aide Cristina created these fun pouches by making sheets of duct tape and then sealing them together with washi tape. For the ziplock bag, you simply cover the ziplock bag with the sheets of duct tape. The smaller ones were created with a simply fold. You can check out YouTube videos on duct tape wallets for directions.  The duct tape was purchased at our local Dollar General and we had about 30 guests attend our program.

Belle Epoque

As we reach the end of summer reading, I came across a historical fiction read from our prize bin that I would like to share with you. This book is a great read for 7-9th grades as it touches upon beauty, bullying ( in a different form) and social class. I also think it a great Girl Empowerment Book.
Our protagonist works for a company in France during Belle Epoque. The agency glorifies what we would call a "DUFF" today. The girls are hired to make the rich and beautiful even more rich and beautiful. Maude, the main character learns a lot about herself and the true lesson is that beauty is more than skin deep. Fans of the Luxe series will enjoy this one.

A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom

Teens and summer readers:
Reading about someone with a disorder can open up your eyes to what we think we know, but really don't. I recently read a story about a girl named Mel who had bi-polar disorder. The story starts off slow, however it then rushes to a heavy turning point where she must come to terms with how important taking her meds are and friendships that went down after her brother's death.
If you have a friends with bi-polar disorder... this is a good one to read and share. This character in particular, tried to hide her problems and it only made things worse. How can you help a friend with bi-polar disorder? Just listen.

SUMMER READING IS HERE!!!

Welcome back ! Summer reading programs are soon to be in full swing at your local libraries. Whether you live in Texas or California or practically anywhere all public libraries offer a free summer reading program for children, teens, and adults. YOU CAN WIN PRIZES JUST FOR READING...

Here's a great summer review:

Riptide by Scheibe
For Grace Parker summer means a surf competition and fun with her best friend and secret crush Ford. Her parents however, have a different agenda in mind... get into an Ivy League school and stay out of trouble. Grace has to struggle with going after what she truly wants, even if it means standing up to abuse at home and revealing some true raw feelings. A great teen read for those who love the sand, surf, and some family issues.

Oh Yeah Audrey! by Tucker Shaw

Being a strong Audrey Hepburn fan, I caught myself sidetracked by this light fluffy book. I enjoyed the premise of Gemma and her trip to the glamorous side of New York. I also enjoyed the Audrey fandom and her idea of having a Hepburn themed tour of New York. So... what didn't I enjoy? I found the ending to be a bit rushed and Dusty's character to be a bit flat. All along you know that he is too good to be true, but finding out about him seemed a bit rushed. Also, I wanted Gemma to have the conversation with her dad or at least a text!

I'm wondering ... Do I feel this way because I have watched Breakfast at Tiffany's a million times? Because I'm a 40 year old woman? or because I've been reading non-fiction lately? Perhaps this book may be better off in the hands of a teen. What do you think ?  Be ready readers for a strong beginning and an ending that falls a little short. Three stars...