Loving the Liars It's Monday, What are You Reading?

Monday! What are you Reading is a meme began by Sheila at Book Journeys as a way to share what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and what is in store for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading. I first learned about it from Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki of Unleashing Readers and have become a regular linked up blog. Thanks #PLN

I am a year round school librarian in a not-year-round school. The kiddos are all gone so you would think it would be quiet, but it's not. I find myself working harder than ever inventorying, weeding, and getting ready for readers camps. We also have several tours groups coming in and out.  My favorite part of working in the summer is that I am able to pop in audio books to stay a step ahead of my readers and it's also a great time for online webinars and professional development.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Visit this fantastic We Were Liars Tumblr

Once upon a time there was a king who had three beautiful daughters. The daughters married and had beautiful Sinclair children of their own and lived in beautiful homes(in the summers)that their father built for them by the sea. Here is where their privileged and beautiful lives fell apart.

We were Liars is an achingly beautiful story of three cousins- Cady, Mirren, Johnny and his good friend Gat. Each year the Sinclair daughters bring their kids to the private island owned by their grandfather. During summer fifteen, Cady has a terrible accident that leaves major holes in her memory of that summer. We were Liars is the summer of her healing and remembering.

It took me a bit to really get into Liars but then I began to think deeply about the dynamics of the family and their relationships with one another. I loved the character details Lockhart shared with us-catch phrases like Mirren's "Always be a little kinder than you have to" and Johnny's "Never eat anything bigger than your ass." I love how Gat and Caddy wrote meaningful messages on their left and right hands as inspiration. I felt aggravated at and sorry for the aunties. Liars is a must read. Do it now.

We were Liars has now been optioned for movie rights with the screen play written by E. Lockhart. I can't wait to see it played out on the big screen.

What my ears heard this week:

 Malcolm at Midnight by W.H. Beck

I received an audio book copy of Malcolm at Midnight from W. H. Beck along with some bookmarks. It was such a treat to listen to Malcolm's story while I worked and I look forward to sharing it with my students.

Malcolm at Midnight is a wonderful school story mystery full of interesting characters with quirky personalities. Malcolm becomes the 5th grade's class "mouse" even though he is actually a small rat. He befriends a girl in the class and becomes a member of The Midnight Academy which is led by an iguana. It soon becomes clear that not everyone trusts Malcolm and he quickly finds himself in trouble and has to prove his innocence.

This is the perfect follow up book for fans of The World According to Humphrey and The Tale of Despereaux (which is often mentioned in the story).

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson
 
Confessions of a Murder Suspect really kept me on my toes trying to guess who the murderer was. The voice actor narrating was the same person who read/performed the Divergent series. This is the story of a wealthy family of super achievers living in the infamous Dakota apartment building in New York. Late one night the police come banging on the Angel family's door demanding entrance because they have been called to the scene of a crime. The parents are found horrifically murdered by poison in their bedroom suite and all the children are now considered murder suspects. The children, led by their sister, Tandy, conduct their own murder investigation determined to clear their names and discover the culprit. Fast paced, intriguing, and interesting all the way to the exciting twist of a conclusion. A terrific read. The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

I listened to The Angel Experiment while conducting Library inventory. The voice actor did a good job representing Max as a teenage girl. The story was fast paced and exciting. I enjoyed it.






I am so looking forward to #Virtualbookclub Counting by 7's chat Monday, June 16th at 9 p.m. EST


Click here for upcoming Virtual Book Club chats.








Happy Reading!