My Top Teen Reads!

Teen fiction is my profession (I teach 8th grade Reading), so I make it part of my job to read as much of it as I can. Thanks to my blog follower, Ashley, I've made a list of teen fiction reads that you must get your hands on this year! This list is pretty diverse and spans many different time periods and styles of writing. If you click on the picture, it will take you to a full review of the novel. I couldn't rank these in a "top ten list", because so many of them are equal stand outs in my mind. Read them and decide for yourself which is your favorite! Enjoy!

LINGER by Maggie Stiefvater

I've been waiting for this book, ever since I read the last page of Maggie Stiefvater's first novel in this series, Shiver. Teen fiction is saturated with crap at the moment, and Stiefvater's elegant writing and style are a much-needed respite from the junk! Although the tale centers around the trials and tribulations of life as a werewolf, don't bother to make comparisons to that other popular series with buff guys shedding their skins for wolf pelts. (What was the name of that series again??? ;)
In Shiver, we were introduced to Grace Brisbane; a responsible, attractive and lonely teenage girl. Her parents are flightly ding-bats who seem to forget they have a daughter - often coming home at odd hours of the night and often leaving her to take care of herself. Her parents lackadaisical attitude toward caring for Grace is what set the chain of events in motion to tie her to the pack of Mercy Falls wolves that roamed freely in the forests behind her home. Grace was pulled from her tire swing and attacked by a pack of wolves when she was younger, only to be seemingly saved by wolf with mesmerizing yellow eyes. Grace finds an injured Sam in these same forests who also possesses the same yellow eyes as her wolf. As Sam and Grace's relationship develops, Grace is introduced to a world she didn't know existed in her own backyard; humans shifting in to wolves each time the seasons change to cooler weather. Most of Shiver is spent trying to find a way to keep Sam human, and to stop him from shifting in to a werewolf so he and Grace can be together. The two also wonder and theorize why Grace's bites from her previous wolf attack never caused her to shift. Sam's heartbreaking past and the mysteries surrounding the origin of the wolves is also explored and further explained in LINGER.

LINGER continues the love story of Grace and Sam, who are still uncertain if the "cure" they found for Sam will actually stick. Although Sam is seemingly comfortable in his human form, and finally embracing the possibility of a long future with Grace, it is Grace who is beginning to feel changes bubbling beneath the surface of her human skin. Will Sam's cure be forever? Who are the new wolves, and what will their presence mean to the future of the pack? These LINGERing questions are what shape the second novel and make it a sequel as equally enthralling as its predecessor.

Stiefvater's talent for story telling is just as mesmerizing in LINGER as it was in SHIVER.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Tired of vampires? They ARE everywhere, but give Cronin's The Passage a shot before you say you've read enough about blood suckers! The plot is complex, and I'm lazy, so here's the synopsis from Publisher's Weekly:

Fans of vampire fiction who are bored by the endless hordes of sensitive, misunderstood Byronesque bloodsuckers will revel in Cronin’s engrossingly horrific account of a post-apocalyptic America overrun by the gruesome reality behind the wish-fulfillment fantasies. When a secret project to create a super-soldier backfires, a virus leads to a plague of vampiric revenants that wipes out most of the population. One of the few bands of survivors is the Colony, a FEMA-established island of safety bunkered behind massive banks of lights that repel the “virals,” or “dracs”--but a small group realizes that the aging technological defenses will soon fail. When members of the Colony find a young girl, Amy, living outside their enclave, they realize that Amy shares the virals’ agelessness, but not the virals’ mindless hunger, and they embark on a search to find answers to her condition. PEN/Hemingway Award--winner Cronin (The Summer Guest) uses a number of tropes that may be overly familiar to genre fans, but he manages to engage the reader with a sweeping epic style. The first of a proposed trilogy, it’s already under development by director Ripley Scott and the subject of much publicity buzz (Retail Nation, Mar. 15). (June)

It's a hefty read (over 750 pages and set at 10pt font!), but man, it was a riveting novel! The virals reminded me of the creepy antogonists of the Will Smith movie, I am Legend, and I found myself unable to go outside at night for fear of being ripped open from mouth to crotch. Scary stuff, The Passage! These infected humans of Cronin's tale do not sparkle and are not the stuff of romance novels. I love dystopian fiction...take The Forrest of Hands and Teeth, mix it with Stephen King's The Stand, and you have a tiny taste of what The Passage holds for you! I can't wait to see what Cronin does with the second and third books in this trilogy. There's also talk of a movie already in the works for The Passage, so no, folks, vampires (of all shapes, sizes and temperments) are here to stay! Yikes!

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Teen fiction is one of the few genres turning a profit in the publishing world. How shocking that many "adult" fiction authors are now penning teen fiction! Candace Bushnell, one of the founding fathers (er, mothers?) of the chick lit movement, and author of the popular Sex and the City novels, has recently released the first installment in her new teen series The Carrie Diaries. Based on the the teen years of her Sex and the City heroine, Carrie Bradshaw, the Carrie Diaries gives us a glimpse in to the awkward pubescent days of Miss B. Even though I wouldn't say the Carrie Diaries is as good as the SATC novels, it is a great start to what I'm sure is to be an even better sequel....that is, if there is a sequel, which there better be!

The novel is set in the early 70s, a time period ingenious to my mother's generation, and a decade I know relatively little about, other than the stories my mother and father have shared about their high school days. Come to think of it, my mom would probably love this book. I'm sure many of the pop culture references and clothing labels were lost on me, but I bet my mom could easily relate. Absent are the cell phones, computers, and fast-paced existence most teenagers are accustomed to today. Teens in Carrie's world take smoke breaks in between classes (the teachers are probably too busy enjoying a smoke to notice the teens puffing away in the bathroom), hang out at burger joints, and drive around in their old, clunker cars for fun. Although Carrie's boredom with small town living is palpable (the reader is bored right along with her for some of the scenes), this boredom is necessary for you to feel her anxiousness to make something more of her life. You can practically FEEL her restlessness to leave the safety of her tiny town and you find yourself cheering her on when she shares her dreams of becoming a writer in New York...a dream her family and friends just don't quite understand.

Carrie is beginning her Senior year at Castlebury High, located in a small, upper-middle class town in Connecticut. Even though Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda are no where to be found (she's yet to meet them, you see), you can easily identify with her group of life-long girlfriends, Lali, Maggie and The Mouse, or Roberta if you're calling her by her God-given name. There's also the new guy that enters onto the scene; Sebastian Kidd. Hot, rebellious, and of course, the guy Carrie can't get off her mind. Bushnell does a fabulous job transporting the reader back to high school. Even though you know Carrie shouldn't be so self-conscious and stupid about her decisions concerning boys, she acts just like most of us gals did in high school. These self-deprecating moments are what she will grow and learn from in the SATC books. We can see the strong and successful woman Carrie will become, learning and growing in the Carrie Diaries. I seriously hope that Bushnell is considering continuing the series. I can't wait to see how Carrie struggles in New York, and it will be fun to live vicariously through her first days as a new writer. If you are looking for an honest, funny and endearing coming-of-age story about one of chick lit's favorite characters, then The Carrie Diaries will be an entertaining journey down memory lane. No zit cream required. :)

Eclipse Clip - "You'll Always be my Bella"

I can't wait for this movie! This recently released clip makes me tingly all over! Edward...Yum!

Wanna Review Eclipse the Novel Before the Movie?

Then join our Facebook fan page! Go to this link: ECLIPSE GROUP REREAD. If you will "LIKE" the page or subscribe to the page's "Notes" you can receive instant update for each chapter I post. I also have discussion questions at the end of each post I would like your input on, and would appreciate your feedback. You don't have to actually reread each chapter. We just want you discussing your opinions about the book! This also gives us something to do before the big premiere on June 30th! So join our page and DISCUSS burning questions about your favorite (or at least it's my favorite) book in the Twilight Saga! Here is a sample of some of our recent "discussions" over Chapter 1 & 2 of the novel:

Chapter 1 & 2 Discussion Questions

1. Did you like Jacob before New Moon? Did your feelings for him change after the movie?

2. Were you ever "boyfriend obsessed" like Bella? I know you probably didn't have a bf that had a "face any male model would sale his soul" for, but did you at least obsessively spend too much time with your guy/gal?

AWESOME Eclipse Clip Mash Up!

This video compiles most of the Eclipse clips (say that five times!), and it is GREAT! I hadn't seen a few of these, so it's quite a treat for those of us hungering for June 30th to hurry up and get here! I think this movie will ROCK! Go to this website to see a high-quality version of the video below:

Fan of 'The Hunger Games'? Check Out More of Our Fan T-Shirts!

It's no secret that I'm a HUGE, GINORMOUS fan of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I teach it, I dress like Katniss in my spare time, and I've personally converted many, many 8th graders to the dark side! I LOVE THIS BOOK, and I hope my students continue to spread the word...I think the popularity of this book is definitely 'Catching Fire'...har, har, har! Instead of a final exam over The Hunger Games, my students were required to design a fan t-shirt based on their favorite characters, scenes, or memorable quotes from the novel. I was blown away by the variety and quality of the designs. My room will probably be forever covered in fabric paint, but it was well-worth the mess. The students wore their t-shirt on our field trip to Barnes & Noble, where they participated in a scavenger hunt that the winner won a copy of Catching Fire, the second book in Suzanne Collins's series. I'm planning on hosting a Mockingjay party on August 24th at Barnes & Noble. I hope to have tons of freshman returning to B&N to purchase the third book...let's hope they aren't "too cool" by August 24th for their 8th grade Reading teacher! ;)

This young man is CONVINCED that Megan Fox should play the part of Katniss. Ugh.

I love this kid. When a gal doesn't mind having the word "pus" on her shirt, you know she's a keeper!

A Peeta fan, apparently!

Simple, but cool shirts!


"Loverboy" is Peeta...I thought that was clever and cute! "Cinna Told Me to Wear This Shirt" was more than likely 'borrowed' from another fan t-shirt site.

Hmmmm....how do I explain this set of shirts? I can't. They were made by 8TH GRADE BOYS. Does that help at all??? LOL!

'The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner' by Stephenie Meyer

I wasn't expecting fantastic revelations while reading 'The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner', the recently released novella by Stephenie Meyer. Like my fellow Twitarded bloggers, Bree Tanner is the very LAST character I would think of when it comes to wanting to know more about my Twilight friends. I felt the same way as I was reading 'TSSLBT'. Why do I care about Bree? Shoot, if anyone had to tell the story, why not tell it from Riley's perspective and give us a bit more of the seedy relationship he had going on with the red-headed vixen, Victoria? Bree's undeveloped relationship with Diego was somewhat boring, and the story didn't really give me much more than I already knew.

However, what it DID give me, is some hope that Stephenie is working on continuing the Twilight Saga as I type this review. Freaky Fred is coming back. Let's just hope that it's not an entire "spin-off" series involving JUST Freaky Fred. Although Fred is pretty Freaky (and has the gift of repulsiveness?), I'm afraid that Stephenie would be missing what her entire fan base craves, and it's not more about Bree, Riley, Freaky Fred, or an entire series about Mike and Jessica or some other character I could give a hoot about. Let Freaky Fred be a friend of the Cullens and maybe be a "manny" for Reneseme. I don't care what you do with Freaky Fred, Steph, but PLEASE DON'T GIVE US AN ENTIRE NOVELLA ABOUT A VAMPIRE I'M NOT INVESTED IN. I would, however, read an entire series about Jake and Reneseme, even though just reading the name "Reneseme" makes me wanna hurl. The fact that Taylor Lautner has replaced the annoying, unattractive Jacob I initially imagined, I'm all for a series about Mr. Abs. So what did you think about 'The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner'? Where you disappointed Danny, D.J., Stephanie and Michelle didn't make an appearance? If you didn't get that joke, you are too young to be my friend. :)

'Impossible' by Nancy Werlin

Crud! I guess my original review of the book never posted. I swear the night I wrote it, appeared on the "preview post"....now you will never know the witty and carefully crafted commentary I had over 'Impossible' by Nancy Werlin! So now you will get my It's-eleven-o'clock-and-I'm-too-tired-to-be-creative commentary on the novel. Hold on to your knickers...here goes nothin'!

Lucy Scarborough comes from a long line of women who have been cursed with madness and hysteria. The condition has began with every single Scarborough woman has been deemed "insane in the membrane" soon after giving birth to a baby girl; a baby conceived against their will with a malicious, evil Elfin Knight. Now before you say, "Whoa, I do not read books that contain elves who take advantage of young girls!", just hear me out. Although this curse thing that is the fulcrum of Werlin's plot is a little weird, the curse and Lucy attempting to break it before the birth of her own illegitimate, conceived against her will daughter is born. Whew! Can Lucy break the curse that has plagued her family for centuries? How does the Simon and Garfunkle song "Scarborough Fair" offer clues to unraveling the mystery that will soon plunge Lucy into inescapable madness? (I'll be honest. I had to YouTube the song to know what the heck they were talking about.) Lucy must also resolve her feelings for her best friend Zach, who has become MORE than a friend and is now an ally in her quest to break this centuries-old curse! 'Impossible' is a FANTASTIC novel, and is not only critically acclaimed, but LENZILIKESIT approved! If that makes much of a difference to you....;)

Hunger Games Fan T-Shirts

My students just finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and are in the process of making their very own fan t-shirts. Check out a few of their designs. I'll be sure to post more as they finish them! We also made a few designs on cafepress.com. Check them out at this link:http://shops.cafepress.com/MrsHartsTees



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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

The bad boy - aren't MOST girls attracted to him at some point in their teen lives? I know I've had run-ins with a few, but nothing like what Brittany Ellis experiences with Alex Fuentes in Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles! I'd seen this book in Barnes & Noble several times and didn't even think about picking it up, due to the cover art. I don't know why, but it reminded me of a bad romance novel cover, even though the girl isn't wearing a bodice and the boy has his shirt on....it still threw me! Even though you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, I find myself doing that time and time again, and I've found that the saying still rings true - especially with Simone Elkeles book.

YA Reads had a raving review for Perfect Chemistry, and they usually don't steer my wrong, so I gave the book a shot. Here is a summary of the novel from the Perfect Chemistry website, which has all kinds of information and cool stuff associated with the hot & steamy book:

At Fairfield High, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren’t exactly compatible elements. So when cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners, the results are bound to be explosive.

Neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all – love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart?

The whole good-girl-hooks-up-with-bad-boy is a plot line I didn't even know I was intrigued by until I started reading the novel. Even though I can't put it on my shelves to share with my 8th graders (there's too much cursing and sexual situations for middle schoolers), I enjoyed the novel and the gritty realism of Alex's home life. Teaching in a school for six years that was predominately Hispanic in race exposed me to so much of what this book shares. Alex's homelife, sadly, isn't a rarity in big cities. So many young men live this life and do not survive their teen years to understand the gravity of the mistakes they make during that time. I found myself cheering for Alex and for him to overcome his gang ties. Elkeles must have done some extensive research on gang initiation and rituals, because so many of the facts Alex shares with Brittany are what I've heard from my former students. Students who would realize that joining a gang was a bad idea when they were thirteen, find themselves stuck in the gang at seventeen because they see no way out of the situation without suffering the same fate as Alex. Heartbreaking!

Brittany's homelife may also seem perfect to her peers, but Elkeles also does a fabulous job of peeling the onion that is Brittany's life one translucent layer at a time. I felt Brittany's love for her disables sister, Shelley, her frustration with her frou-frou parents, and understood her need to make her image at school squeaky clean and perfect. The characters in Perfect Chemistry are dynamic and well-developed, and even though the dialogue at times was cheesy, and seemed to have forced and awkward sprinklings of Spanish, the book was a fabulous read. I devoured it in one day, and I'm itching to get to the book store to purchase The Rules of Attraction, the sequel to Perfect Chemistry. LOVED THIS BOOK!

The Hunger Games Movie Cast - Haymitch Abernathy

My 8th grade classes are reading The Hunger Games this six weeks, and we've been working on visualization. As a part of that process, I'm having them visualize characters according to their traits supplied by the author. However, we are also creating a "Dream Cast" that we would like to see in The Hunger Games movie. A lot of you have criticized my Dream Cast for The Hunger Games movie that my students came up with last year, so I'm sure you will have a lot to say about this years suggestions! Keep in mind that teens do not have any desire to visualize "unknown actors" for this movie. They like big-name stars because it is much easier for them to see the characters in their mind, versus simply creating new person in their head.

This brings me to their first suggestion for our 2010 The Hunger Games Dream Cast - Will Smith for Haymitch Abernathy. Before you say, "heck no, Haymitch is supposed to be white", keep in mind that Suzanne Collins only describes him a few times in The Hunger Games as being "a paunchy, middle-aged man". I don't have my Catching Fire book here to directly quote the other description of Haymitch I remember, but I do recall her mentioning something about him having an athletic figure. That by looking at him, you can tell that he was a strong young man during his time in The Games. So I ask you, why NOT Will Smith? Will is in his early forties, and for some, that is considered "middle aged", especially if you live in The Seam. He played a harsh, yet somehow lovable drunk in Hancock, and I think would be a great addition to The Hunger Games movie by bringing star power AND credibility to the storyline. Smith is traditionally known to pick quality roles, so his selection of the role of Haymitch would greatly tout the script and film as being one of quality. Just think about it for awhile...picture Will as Haymitch, loud, drunk, and troubled. It COULD HAPPEN!

See how Will has naturally graying hair in this picture? With the proper wardrobe and makeup, he could easily be Haymitch. He might have to lay off the weights for a few months, but he could be a perfect Haymitch if you gave him a chance!

Click HERE to see The Hunger Games cast list chosen by Entertainment Weekly fans!

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater...A New Favorite on My Teen Fiction List!

As a young girl, Grace was drug from her backyard tire swing by a hungry pack of wolves into the cold depths of the forest. All she remembers from surviving that attack are the beautiful yellow eyes of one wolf, who seemed to rescue her from the hungry pack. Grace is mesmerized by the wolves that live in the forest behind her home, and looks forward to winter each year so she can see the enchanting yellow eyes of HER wolf, who lingers near the treeline, always protectively watching over her.

After the wolves are deemed responsible for the death of a local teen, citizens attempt to exterminate the species from the area woods. Grace is racked with worry and grief that her wolf will be shot in the crossfires. She attempts to find her wolf during the hunting expedition, and instead, finds naked and injured Sam - a boy her age who has the same enchanting yellow eyes of her wolf. The connection between herself and Sam is unmistakable, and Grace can't deny the possibility that this beautiful young man and her protective wolf are one in the same.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is by far the BEST teen fiction book I've read in 2010. Sam and Grace's connection to one another is mysterious and heart breaking, and I haven't felt such longing and empathy for two characters since Bella and Edward. I'm doing my best not to compare it to Twilight, but the parrallels are too obvious NOT to acknowledge. Of course there's werewolves, but the similiar conflicts that exist for both sets of main characters are easily compared.

Maggie Stiefvater does an excellent job of bringing complexity and layers to Sam and Grace that are lacking in Twilight. Not that Stephenie Meyer didn't create dynamic characters in her works...she did, but often the problems were sugar-coated. For example, Grace, like Bella, is often left to take care of herself. Her parents are flighty and selfish and she is constantly the "adult" in the household - cooking dinner, washing clothes, cleaning up. Sam points out what Grace already knows - that this is not normal and good parenting behavior, and we get to see Grace acknowledge her anger towards her mother and father and their lack of parental skill. Anger that Bella never recognizes or acknowledges towards Rene.

Sam also has demons in his closet that are put under the microscope - problems that Edward also posessed but never addressed or felt anger. Why did Carlisle sign up a teenage boy for a life he knew was complex and oftentimes filled with tragedy? Sam asks the same question of his maker, Beck, who purposely changed Sam because he was lonely in his werewolf life. Even though Sam loves Beck like a father, he also has to come to terms with the fact that the "father" he loves dearly is also responsible for stealing a normal life from Sam.

To me, Twilight comparisons are complimentary to this book because Shiver evoked the same emotions in me that my initial reading of Twilight did. It's been only 24 hours since I finished the novel and I'm still thinking about Sam and Grace! What will happen in the second book, and counting down the days to its release. I'm definitely a Shiver fan and think that this series will be a huge success in the years to come because of its QUALITY. The first book has already been picked up for a movie by Unique Features. Maggie Stiefvater is a truly gifted writer and each of you should give this novel a chance and see for yourself what a fantastic world Stiefvater has created! The next book in the trilogy, Linger, is expected to hit shelves July 20th. Get on board The Wolves of Mercy Falls fanwagon!

Eclipse Pics From Walmart New Moon DVD

The Walmart version of the New Moon DVD apparently features the stills from Eclipse I've posted below. I wouldn't know, because I bought the TARGET version of New Moon and would be crucified if I bought yet another version of New Moon. (The iTunes version I also own, but don't tell Donnie!) Enjoy the pics! June 30th is going to be an awesome day in Twilight history!

Why the long face, Alice? Could an army of newborn vampires making their way to Forks be the reason you are so sad?
Outdoor wear for fighting newbies!

Bella's wig is awesome.

Riley. Pissed.

Riley turning into a vamp, perhaps?

Serious Riley.

Hot, scowling Jake.

Riley and Bree Tanner...apparently we will know more about her on June 5th!

But They're NOT Dating...

Rob and Kristen photographed arriving in London on Tuesday, and check out their matching shoes! How cute is that? Rob is looking hot, as usual. They are both so young, but I really think they make an adorable couple. ;)

Photoshop my face on Kristen's, and there you have it...BLISS!
I seriously used to have a pair of black Adidas in 8th grade. Not sure if they were the Sambas, but they were all grungy and cool. I also listened to Pearl Jam and Nirvana religiously, but washed my hair daily. I wasn't that committed to the grunge movement.

Heidi Montag...Sad, Sad, Sad!

Heidi BEFORE plastic surgery dominated her life... Heidi after she had her infamous "ten procedures in a day".

Before Lauren Conrad left The Hills, I was a big fan of the show. Before Heidi became a fame-whore, she was one of my favorite characters. I thought she was spunky and ornery and seemed like she knew how to have fun. Of course the "Spencer Plotline" changed both Heidi and the show and I had to stop watching it. It was too sickening (whether a real or fake storyline) to watch a girl radically change herself for a jerk. I'm sure if someone followed me around with a camera during my dating days they would have felt the same way. I dated some real doosies and even chose said douche bags over my good friends. We've all been Heidi a time or two in our lives, so I can't judge her for choosing her man over her friends. It happens to the best of us. However, I find it truly disturbing what the girl is now doing to her body. I'm not blaming Spencer or even want to act like I know what is going on in that relationship, because who am I to judge relationships when I have my track record? Yet it's hard to miss the changes taking place in Heidi. Her plastic surgery is just plain sad. What is she doing to her beautiful face and body?

She's scary to look at, and I'm wondering if her desire to have a baby in the last episodes of The Hills was just a contrived storyline. Do plastic surgeons tell girls what happens to their boobs after they have babies? When your milk drops, your boobies TRIPLE IN SIZE, and that happens whether you choose to breast feed or not. The milk comes anyway, and it affects your boobs by stretching and engorging them to capacity. Her poor chest will be so PAINFUL after having a baby because it looks like the skin in her chest area is already stretched to capacity. Good luck having babies, Heidi. You may have already done much more damage to yourself than mother nature ever could've!

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is in the Building!

Katniss Everdeen, ready to entice young minds to read The Hunger Games and LIKE IT!

Perhaps the Capitol loaned Katniss Everdeen an iPhone for the day? Ha! Love that my bathroom mirror is dirty. My husband was too embarassed for me to take my picture. He's no Peeta!
How do you make a Katniss Everdeen costume, you ask? My mother made the tunic out of a men's shirt and I paired it with leggings and my Uggs. The wig was loaned to me from a friend, but I put a headband around the front because the wig had some crazy bangs going on! The bow and arrow are from Walmart.

Katniss Everdeen made an appearance in my classroom this week for our introduction to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I had so much fun dressing up like Katniss, but the wig was a bit itchy! My students think I've lost my mind, but I really think (and hope) that showing up to class as Miss Everdeen, District 12 Tribute, piqued their interest in the novel. They certainly have been paying attention, but maybe my threat to shoot them with my fake arrows if they nod off is the reason! Anywhoooo, here's my Katniss Everdeen costume!

'The Forest of Hands and Teeth' by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan is officially on my "must read" teen fiction list. I can't wait to go to school on Monday and "Book Talk" this novel with my 8th graders! It took all of two days; reading the book during every spare moment I could find, even taking it in my purse so I could read at stop lights, but I managed to finish The Forest of Hands and Teeth without having a heart attack! This book is one of the best teen fiction novels I've read in a long time, and I'm not the only one who thinks it's a great read.

• A New York Times Best Seller


• A Junior Library Guild selection


• An ALA Best Books for Young Adults selection


• Named to the 2010 New York Public Library Stuff for the Teen Age List


• A Borders Original Voices finalist


• #4 on the IndieBound Kids' Indie Next List for Spring 2009


• A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book


• Selected for the 2010-2011 Texas Library Association TAYSHAS High School Reading list

So yeah, this book is definitely a must-read and you don't have to take MY word for it, obviously! The book is post-apocalyptic, dystopian novel with zombies, romance, and nail biting suspense. If you loved The Hunger Games, (but with zombies called The Consecrated) then this book should be right up your alley. ON the author's site, they also mention that the book has been opted for a movie by Seven Star Pictures, and will supposedly star "an A-List actress"...I wonder who could play Mary? I'm hoping the movie is really being made, but I'm not sure how it can keep a PG-13 rating, given the fact that there's quite a bit of blood and gore going on in certain parts. The book is so creepy, which a great reason why it will make a cool movie! Here's a synopsis from author Carrie Ryan's website:

In Mary's world, there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.

The Guardians will protect and serve.

The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?
Ryan's companion to the book The Dead-Tossed Waves is also on shelves and has already had great reviews. I ordered my copy today and can't wait to start it! There's a third book in the works, as well, but I'm not sure about the expected release date of that one, nor do I know the title. Check out the book trailer for the Forest of Hands and Teeth for some enticing visuals!

Behind the Scenes and Sneak Peak of Eclipse!

Watch this video more than once and you can see so much stuff that the stills and movie poster don't offer! What I'm getting from this behind-the-scenes portion of the video is that David Slade is dark, but is taking Eclipse to the level it needs to be...an army of newborn vampires just wouldn't fit in to a cheery meadow scene, now would they? Eclipse looks to be fast-paced and full of action, which after making it through New Moon, I think the fans are looking forward to the change of pace. I have high hopes for you, Mr. Slade - don't let me down!

I loved Chris Weitz's adaptation of New Moon, but let's be honest and say that he had the hardest material to work with - breakup bullcrap. Miserable, twitchy Bella just isn't what we love about the Twilight Saga. Gasping, greasy-haired, "I have a hole in my chest! A big gaping hole in my chest! Bella is why New Moon isn't a fan favorite and Eclipse is. Forlorn, screaming-like-she's-being-murdered-in-her-sleep-Bella is also why I find myself watching the first fifteen minutes of New Moon and then skipping to Italy. Watching New Moon takes me all of thirty minutes, people, and possibly another half and hour longer, depending on how much time I have to watch and rewind Edward strutting through the school parking lot.

So after the trial that was New Moon, I'm all for action as long as Slade doesn't cut the romance and Edward-sleeping-over and vice-a-versa scenes with Bella. Catherine Hardwick focused on action only, and to me, that's what made Twilight a theatrical failure for fans of the first book. The first book will always be my favorite, and I tolerate the movie, but Twilight in the hands of Chris Weitz would of been something to write home about! If Summit gave him the dough to remake Twilight, would you pay to see his version in theaters?