Weekend Book Give-Away: The Summer Prince

This week's book is The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson. The security of a futuristic Brazil society is threatened as techie rebels fight traditionalists. At the heart of this dystopian story is a passionate romance threatened by a barbaric government ritual. Be advised, this book does have some steamy scenes.

From the publisher: "A heart-stopping story of love, death, technology, and art set amid the tropics of a futuristic Brazil. 

The lush city of Palmares Três shimmers with tech and tradition, with screaming gossip casters and practiced politicians. In the midst of this vibrant metropolis, June Costa creates art that’s sure to make her legendary. But her dreams of fame become something more when she meets Enki, the bold new Summer King. The whole city falls in love with him (including June’s best friend, Gil). But June sees more to Enki than amber eyes and a lethal samba. She sees a fellow artist.

Together, June and Enki will stage explosive, dramatic projects that Palmares Três will never forget. They will add fuel to a growing rebellion against the government’s strict limits on new tech. And June will fall deeply, unfortunately in love with Enki. Because like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is destined to die."

For a chance to win, tell me whether or not you consider yourself a "techie," and why!

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday June 4, 2013. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Free Downloadable Audiobooks!

Most of you probably already know that Sno-Isle Libraries off free downloadable audiobooks and ebooks through Overdrive and the 3M Cloud Library. For the third summer in a row, SYNC (run by Overdrive, and sponsored by AudioFile Magazine) is also offering two free audiobook downloads a week, starting today. Each week there will be one contemporary and one classic audio download available.

Free downloads include: Grave Mercy, The False Prince, Rotters, Enchanted, Sold, Jane Eyre, Oliver Twist, Hamlet, and many others.

For the full list, go here!

Edumacational Internet

My latest internet fascination is the website Geoguessr.
(It seems to work better with Google Chrome.)

It turns Google maps and street images into an addictive game.

Geoguessr drops you into a street view somewhere in the world.....anywhere from the middle of a desert or the middle of a huge city. You then can pan around or move up and down the road to try and figure out where you are.

Once you have an idea (or a wild guess) click in the map in the upper right corner. (You can zoom in and pan to be very specific.)

You will then get a report on how close you were.

After visiting 5 places you get your final score....which you can then pass onto to someone else with a URL that is provided.

It also provides another URL that allows you to pass the exact same 5 locations onto someone else, to see if they can improve on your score!

You can set your own rules.
Sometimes I play without allowing myself to move down the road at all....trying to guess from just what I can see from spinning the camera.
If you want, you can move down the road all you want and Google any road signs you see to get as close as possible!

Beware! Sometimes you will get a location that does not allow you to move!

This is a great way to "see the world"!

Trailer Tuesday: Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Don't focus too long on the cover, or you'll notice that the shadow is wrong. Is it intentional? Read it to find out!

From the publisher: "The Hunger Games meets Matched in this thrilling high-concept YA where citizens must prove their worth by defeating the other version of themselves--their twin. Two of you exist. Only one will survive. The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate--a twin raised by another family--and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage--life. Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West's confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she's no longer certain that she's the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future."

Weekend Book Give-Away: Quintana of Charyn

This week's giveaway is Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta, the epic finale of the Lumatere Chronicles. For lovers of fantasy and immersive world-building, high stakes political intrigue, and complex characters you will fall in love with, if you haven't already picked up this series, now's your chance! 

From the publisher:
"Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi must travel through Charyn to search for Quintana, the mother of Charyn's unborn king, and protect her against those who will do anything to gain power. But what happens when loyalty to family and country conflict? When the forces marshalled in Charyn's war gather and threaten to involve the whole of the land, including Lumatere, only Froi can set things right, with the help of those he loves."









For a chance to win, tell me about a time you couldn't wait for the finale of a series, whether it was a book, movie, or TV show. How did you feel about the way the story ended?

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday May 28, 2013. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Trailer Tuesday: The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff

Yeah... this totally creeps me out. Yikes. I'm not sure about the whole magical rat thing, but I think I'm going to have to read it when it comes in... place your hold!

From the publisher: "Thirteen-year-old Jemma finds herself in a race for her life when she discovers an ancient prophecy that reveals the truth about her past and an unimaginably great and dangerous destiny--to defeat the evil Agromonds and restore peace and sunlight to Anglavia."

Weekend Book Give-Away: The Goddess Inheritance

Following the cliffhanger ending of Goddess Interrupted, this week's book give-away is the much anticipated conclusion to the "Goddess Test" series: The Goddess Inheritance. Will Kate choose love or life in this modern re-telling of Greek mythology?

From the publisher: "During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal. 

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead. 

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything. 

Even if it costs her eternity." 

For a chance to win, tell me about a time that you, or a character in another book you've read, had to make a difficult decision. What happened? What did you do?

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday May 21, 2013. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.   

Trailer Tuesday: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Richard Yancey made his name with the Alfred Kropp series and solidified it with the horror series The Monstromologist. The publisher is betting on this new series The 5th Wave. Which, I have to say has gotten decent buzz, and sounds pretty gripping. What do you think?

Weekend Book Give-Away: The Cydonian Pyramid

Did you read The Obsidian Blade?  Then you will be excited to get to read this week's book is the The Cydonian Pyramid by Pete Hautman before the library copies have even come in!

More than half a millennium in the future, in the shadow of the looming Cydonian Pyramid, a pampered girl named Lah Lia has been raised for one purpose: to be sacrificed through one of the mysterious diskos that hover over the pyramid's top. But just as she is about to be killed, a strange boy appears from the diskos, providing a cover of chaos that allows her to escape and launching her on a time-spinning journey in which her fate is irreversibly linked to his. In this second volume of the Klaatu Diskos trilogy, Tucker Feye and Lah Lia each hurtle through time, relating their stories in alternating viewpoints that converge at crucial moments. Fans of the first adventure will be intrigued by the chance to see the world through Lah Lia's eyes -- no matter how disturbing the vision might be.

For a chance to win, tell me about a time you gained understanding by seeing things from a different perspective...or about a good book you've read that does this.

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday May 14, 2013. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.  

Your Own Book Award

There are lots of book awards out there...lots and lots and lots. Some of them are for literary merit, some are for popularity, some are for for specialized topics or characters or first-time authors. Now there's one just for high school students who go to Kamiak or Mariner!

School librarians Stephanie Wilson and Gail Anderson met with the Mukilteo librarian (that's me) to talk about how tired we were of all these awards with nominated books that were too easy for teens or too snobby or too weird or too boring. We decided to make our very own award, the Mukilteo Teen Book Award, came up with a list of recent books we loved, and let the high school students vote for their favorite. We announced the winner this week...Divergent by Veronica Roth! The runners-up were The Fault in our Stars by John Green and Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

So, you don't live in Mukilteo, but want your own award, too? Talk to your teen librarian. Talk to your school librarian. Talk to your friends. We can't wait to see your winning book!

Looking for a a funny book?

I don't know about you, but I love a book that makes me laugh out loud. Don Calame's Swim the Fly is one of my go-to funny books. But what if you've read that already?

The Lawrence (Kansas) Public Library has created a humor flowchart to help you find your new favorite funny book.

Pretty genius if you ask me!  You might also want to check out the flowchart for The Hunger Games or their Paranormal Historical Fiction booklist.

What's your favorite funny book?

Trailer Tuesday: Icons by Margaret Stohl

You likely know Margaret Stohl as one of the two who created Beautiful Creatures. ICONS is her first full-length solo effort. The book trailer is certainly creepy, and straight out of a summer disaster blockbuster.


From the publisher: "After an alien force known as the Icon colonizes Earth, decimating humanity, four surviving teenagers must piece together the mysteries of their pasts--in order to save the future."



What do you think? How long before they make it into a movie? ;)

David Levithan and Andrea Cremer Visit!

On Wednesday, popular authors David Levithan and Andrea Cremer will be at the Seattle Central Library at 7pm talking about their new joint effort, Invisibility.

You might know Levithan from Boy Meets Boy, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, or maybe 2012's Every Day.

Andrea Cremer has written a swath of paranormal titles with the Nightshade series.

For more information:
Secret Garden Books

Weekend Book Give-Away: The Originals

This week's give-away comes just in time for a special author event!

Next Friday, Cat Patrick will launch her brand new book The Originals at Secret Garden Books in Seattle. From the author of Forgotten and Revived, this will be a book event you don't want to miss!

"Seventeen-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best,  grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from those who would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life.

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires. Digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created."  - from the publisher

May 10, 2013 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Secret Garden Books

2214 NW Market Street Seattle, WA 98107

"The message of Cat’s book is that everyone is unique, and she feels the same way about book launches. Attendees will be treated to clone-worthy food and beverages like DNA cupcakes and test tube punch, then a (humorous) dramatic reading featuring Cat and her You Are Next tour mates, Sean Beaudoin (The Infects), Martha Brockenbrough (Devine Intervention), and Kevin Emerson (The Lost Code), during which time it is possible that boys will read—and dress—as girls. There will be a photo-cloning station for participants and their look-alikes. 

Cat or her dopplegangers will be happy to sign copies of The Originals and answer questions about her career, her books, and the crazy weird science she likes to make up for fun."  

Unfortunately Sno-Isle Libraries isn't in the habit of cloning books... yet... only one copy to give away this week! So if you're the lucky winner, bring your free copy to the book launch and get it signed by the author. And if you're not the winner, that's okay! Enjoy a night with the author and bring your clone-worthy friends.

To enter for a chance to win this Advance Reading Copy, tell me who you would clone if you had the chance, and why. 

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday May 7, 2013. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.