Checked out

There will be no ceremonious beginning for this blog. It's been in my head for too long, and I just want to start sharing already. Periodically, I make trips to the library which result in totes full of books. What can I say? I get really excited at the library. I read too many book blogs, so I put too many books on hold. And who can resist new book shelves? Not me, that's for sure. As my family would say, my eyes are bigger than my stomach - I want too much but can't possibly eat (or in this case, read) it all. But oh, how I try! It's summer, and theoretically, I should have more time to read, so here goes. This is what I have currently checked out:

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
I know this book is good. I've read parts of it and thought they were amazing. But it's not a book I can read in one sitting - it's taken me a couple months so far. I'm hoping I'll finish by the end of the summer.

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
I'm still trying to find time for last year's National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature. I've checked it out a few times already, and it's always ended up at the bottom of my to-read pile. This time it's renew renew renew until I read it!

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
I can't remember which blog recommended this book, but I had it saved in my bloglines for awhile. Seems like an interesting middle grades read.

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
I'm reading this book right now and keep finding excuses not to go back to it. Like Wintergirls, I know this book is good, but it's not a quick read. And I currently have attention span issues.

Swallow Me Whole by Nate Powell
I was looking for a graphic novel to read (as in an original graphic novel) and this came highly recommended by someone from somewhere. I should really start tracking these recommendations. I don't know if I'll be able to get into this one - I'm not much for black&white; I need color!

Stargazer by Claudia Gray
I did not like Evernight - to the point that parts of it just made me angry. But since it evoked such a strong emotional response from me (beats an "eh" reaction), I thought I'd read the sequel. And I'm still obsessed with vampires. Thank you, Stephenie Meyer.

Natalie and Naughtily by Vincent X. Kirsch
Aha! I know where I found this one! I stumbled across Esme Raji Codell's blog this weekend - a name I recognized because I had read Educating Esme when I thought I wanted to be an elementary school teacher; then later recommended How to Get Kids to Love Reading to my cousin who's in early childhood education. Anyhow, thanks to Esme, I get to read about a fellow Natalie - a surprisingly rare occurrence. The illustrations in this book are just lovely, so vibrant and beautiful! I might have to buy it.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
Who hasn't recommended this book? I'm fairly certain it's next on my to-read list. Next week, maybe. Okay, I'm scared it won't live up to the hype, and I'll be disappointed. So I'll convince myself that it's no good to be pleasantly surprised when it is. :)

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Can I read this book? It has a The Lovely Bones feeling to it, and that book was just painful. Good but painful.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
I'm so behind when it comes to award winners. Why does the Printz committee torture me so? I tried reading this book a few months ago, and it wasn't happening for me. Apparently, from other reviews I've read, I have to get 2/3 of the way through before it gets good. I don't have that kind of patience! But alas, I will try again.

Gunnerkrigg Court: Orientation by Thomas Siddell
I just finished this webcomic collection this weekend, and oh how I loved it! I'm tempted to read it online, but it's not the same as flipping through those glossy, full-color pages. Check out my review on GoodReads.

The Fruit Bowl Project by Sarah Durkee
I volunteered to be one of the readers for the whittling down of the 2010-2011 Golden Jaguar list, and this is one of my books to read. One of my ten from about a hundred.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
The cover's beautiful. People are talking about it. And how can I resist a dystopia?

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith
I didn't like Tantalize, but I can't help myself. I'm a sucker (ha ha) for series and companion novels.

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
A nominee for the 2009-2010 Golden Jaguar Award. Must read!

Dork Diaries: Tales from a NOT-SO-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell
Not sure whose blog I found this on, but it looks adorable. Kind of a Diary of a Wimpy Kid rip-off, but oh well. When it's hot, it's hot. It'll be a quick read, and I'm happy for that.

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner
I've been wanting to read this since before it came out last year when I was creating my faerie webliography, but I never got around to it. If I ever go for my doctorate, I'm studying faerie literature, for sure.

Any Which Wall by Laura Snyder
This was on many bloggers' lists of books to read or books they got at BEA, and it was just sitting on the new book shelf at the library, so...

All of the Above by Shelley Pearson
A Golden Jaguar nominee for 2009-2010. The Golden Jaguar is a reader's choice award created by the librarian at the middle school where I will be student teaching, so I thought I'd read all the nominees for this upcoming year with them. All 20.