February Books Read (in progress)

Killshot (1989) - Elmore Leonard

February was definitely YA month, thanks to preparations for the Great Books conference at the end of March. (Four of these books are part of that reading list.) But before any of that started, I decided it was time to read some Elmore Leonard, always a treat. Killshot was no exception. Maybe not Leonard's best, but a fast-moving tale with plenty of unsavory characters. The film version (which I did not know about when I started the book) should be out now.



Logged On and Tuned Out: A Non-Techie's Guide to Parenting a Tech-Savvy Generation (NF 2007) - Vicki Courtney

A lady from my church suggested this book to me. I talked about it on my blog having to do with cultural matters of interest to Christians here. If you don't care to visit the link, I do recommend the book, mainly for parents who have little to no clue as to computer/cell phone technology, but I don't feel the book goes far enough. Neither does it address the state of a parent's current relationship to her children enough.



The Final Solution (2004) - Michael Chabon

Chabon is always worth your time and this slim volume, while not his best work, is fun.



Looking for Alaska (YA 2005) - John Green

Thus begins the great YA adventure, although this one isn't part of the Great Books conference. (Think of it as the pre-game show, okay?) 16-year-old Miles Halter decides his life doesn't have enough...well, life, so he leaves his bland Florida existence (How could a 16-year-old have a bland existence in Florida?) and enrolls in an Alabama boarding school, where he discovers, among other people and things, Alaska. (Alaska is a girl. A hot girl.) Far more deep and significant than I'm making it sound.



Deadville (YA 2008) - Ron Koertge

So far my favorite of the Great Books list. For some reason, this quiet little novel really connected with me. Ryan is a high school kid that's basically sleepwalking through life two years after his little sister died of cancer. When a senior girl named Charlotte (who doesn't even know Ryan's alive) has an accident and falls into a coma, Ryan is there by her side everyday. He spends less and less time around his slacker friend Andy (No comparisons, now....) and begins his own awakening. Better than I'm making it sound.



The Hunger Games (YA 2008) - Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games has its faults, but still I couldn't put it down. Children from the 12 districts are chosen by lottery to participate in a fight to the death, a real "Survivor" scenario. Very compelling, although sometimes you must suspend disbelief. If child-on-child violence bothers you, stay away.



The 39 Clues, Book 1: The Maze of Bones (J-Fic 2008) - Rick Riordan

I read this one for a library program that I went to observe. Certainly not great children's literature, but it has a good chance of getting kids interested in reading with its fast-paced, race-against-the-clock plot, cloak-and-dagger danger as a group of kids seek untold treasures and wealth. Again, kids will probably go for it. First in a series of ten planned books.



Bog Child (YA 2008) - Siobhan Dowd

Eighteen-year-old Fergus McCann finds a dead body buried in the mountains of Ireland, a body that may be hundreds of years old. This novel did not go at all where I expected it to, but Dowd's story is hard to put down, touching on friendship, family, responsibility and love. Highly recommended.



Little Brother (YA 2008) - Cory Doctorow

I loved about the first third of the story of Marcus, a high school kid who survives the aftermath of a terrorist attack on San Francisco, only to be suspected of terrorism himself by the powers that be. A little too much tech wore me down, but I still enjoyed it.