Confessions of a spoiled librarian

Beware, folks - this is about to get personal. And perhaps wordy. No book reviews today. Just thinking about how libraries affect my reading habits. But first, some context...

In the last month, I've finished off my second full year as an elementary school librarian; packed, moved, and unpacked my entire life four states southeast; and spent two weeks overseas - all the while, looking for another job as a school librarian in my new locale. Reading, unfortunately, has not been a priority as of late.

Now that I'm sitting on my new couch in my new house and I have some time to reflect, I can't help but think of how spoiled I've been all my life. I've always lived in a place:

1. with a public library 
2. with a thriving public library 
3. with a thriving public library only a 5 minute drive away

Sure, I know that not everyone is this fortunate. But thinking you know and experiencing it for yourself are two very different things, my friends. 

When I moved to Champaign six years ago, my family was busy unloading the truck while I drove myself over to the public library just four minutes away to get my library card. And I instantly checked out an armful of books to be enjoyed amongst my unpacked boxes later that night. That's normal, right? 

On my most recent move, I'm embarrassed to say that it took nearly a week for me to get myself over to the public library. Mostly because I was first rejected by the library that I thought I would call my own (it's a county library, yet it's named for the town I live in - confusing). Because I live in another county, I did a little research to find out where my actual library is - in a town 20 minutes away. Really?! (Again, you must remember how spoiled I've been - libraries, to me, are like grocery stores. They need to be within walking distance.) 

The library itself is a nice little library. I even checked out a book when I got my card. A book. Not an armful. Instead, I went to the Barnes & Noble (also 20 minutes away, but in the other direction) to buy some books. Me! Buy books! Unheard of. But what was I to do when the library didn't have what I wanted? This is something I've never experienced before, and it perplexes me. I'm used to having a stack of books sitting next to me, wherever I may be sitting in my house, just begging to be read. I've always had plenty of reading options. 

And this gets me thinking about my kids. Or my former students, rather. And how they would lament that the library didn't have anything good. Because they had something specific in mind, and maybe we didn't have it or it was checked out at the time. But instead of letting them leave the library empty-handed, I put my reader's advisory skills to use, and I helped them find another book they might like. Maybe they'd read it, or maybe it would stay in their backpack all week long. If they read it, maybe they'd like it and want more, or maybe they'd still feel that big, gaping hole of what they actually wanted to read. This is my long-winded way of saying - I get it now. I'm sorry we didn't always have what you wanted to read, and I understand that it's utterly disappointing. 

Though, I really shouldn't wallow and bemoan my new library. It's different than the one I had before, and I just have to adapt. No longer will I be checking out dozens of books just to have options at home - but for having to drive 40 minutes, I'd really like to. Maybe I'll spend more time at the library, browsing, and being my own reader's advisor. Finding older authors and titles that I never had a chance to read before. And if I really, really want that new release, I guess there's always the bookstore. 

What I'm most afraid of is that I'll read less. I won't be as excited about reading. I'll get bored. I won't go to the library because it's too far away. Or maybe I just won't go as frequently because it's so far away. 

I never understood people who didn't go to the library in my previous towns. We had fantastic libraries with plenty of branches to serve everyone. Now I wonder about the people in my neighborhood. Do they go to the library? Are they readers? How do they acquire their reading material? And what about the kids? Especially now that it's summer, and they aren't checking out books from their school libraries. They can't walk or ride their bikes to the library or even a bookstore. So are they not reading? Whenever my students couldn't find what they were looking for at our library, I always directed them to the public libraries in town, which were in walking distance and/or easily accessible by bus. Some went, some didn't, but they all had the option. What happens when you eliminate that option?

Times like these, I feel very sheltered. And, of course, spoiled. I may not have had the healthiest book budget for my school library, but my public libraries were well-funded and loved. The community supported them and patronized them frequently. Is this the case with my new library? Or are people as lazy as me and not happy to travel the miles to visit and check out a book? 

I hope that the answer to some of these questions is that more people are reading e-books, so they're just downloading their books, whether borrowed from the library or purchased online. I would be too if my Kindle hadn't just died right after the warranty expired (I mean, just days after! It's like they timed it!). Maybe I'll start reading on my iPad more, since I still have Kindle books purchased that I haven't read yet. But I don't want to lose reading paper books. And with this quote, I think I'll wrap this blog entry up (which read much more like a diary entry - my apologies) on a lighter note:

Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell... musty and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is... it has no texture, no context. It's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then the getting of knowledge should be tangible. It should be, um... smelly.

-Giles (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 1, Episode 8)

April Reading Recap

The next few months will be sparse, both in blogging and reading. Life is moving too fast, and I must remember to stop and look around. :)

Which is how I'm six days into May, and I haven't blogged about my April reading yet! Eek!

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (2012) --- I LOVE this book! It's my favorite book of the year, easily. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Ivan is the gorilla on the cover, and he lives on display in a mall, with a couple of other animals that are meant to attract tourists. Ivan's gift is art - he loves to paint. The story is told in short chapters in his voice, and it's lovely. Sad, of course, since wild animals are really not meant to be held captive, but also sweet and sensitive with a touch of humor. I'm a big crybaby, so I was sobbing through most of this book, but that just signals a job well done in the writing department, I think. Oh, this is an instant all-time favorite!

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg (2011) --- I bought this book for my library with my 2nd and 3rd grade students in mind, especially the ones that love Eileen Spinelli's novels in verse (Where I Live & The Dancing Pancake). It's the story of a little girl who has to deal with losing her first and favorite babysitter (the babysitter moves away), which can be a hard thing. It's sweet and emotionally on target.

Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! by Mo Willems (2011) --- It's by Mo Willems, so I'm supposed to love this book. The kiddos will, for sure. Especially since it has chapters. And it's in his signature style. But I'm not a fan of this one. It's a friendship story, I guess. But I prefer me some Elephant & Piggie any day.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (2011) --- I read this when it came out last year and was unimpressed, but after I bought it for the library and read it again, I learned to appreciate its genius. It's one of those books that kids will get right away - they'll be shouting at you (the book) during storytime because they know something the main character doesn't know. And that's a wonderful thing. :)

Yoko Learns to Read by Rosemary Wells (2012) --- I can't look at this book with an objective eye because it's been such a hit with one of our 1st grade ESL classes. First of all, who doesn't love Rosemary Wells? Yes, she gave us Max & Ruby, but she also gave us Yoko & Friends, and I just love this little Japanese cat. This is the story of Yoko learning to read in English, something even her mother can't do. But her mother does read to her every night, from one of the three Japanese books that they own. Oh, this is such a touching story about a parent learning to read in English right alongside her child, not uncommon among our international student population.

Tales for Very Picky Eaters by Josh Schneider (2011) --- This is an early reader, and it won the Geisl Award, so I decided to read it when it came in a box filled with new books. It's supposed to be a clever tale, I think, with a father outsmarting his son by getting the son to eat foods that are not all that appealing to him. The chapters are very short and each describe a different food incident. Eh, I didn't love it. And I don't know if kids will pick it up on their own. Best to be shared with a family member, perhaps.

Getting Started with English Language Learners by Judie Haynes (2007) --- Read this for a professional development book club. Because I've been working with ESL students for 3 years now, I felt like I learned much of the content in this book on the job. Probably should have read it a couple years ago! I did appreciate the first chapter on debunking common language myths (no, children don't acquire language faster or better than adults - differently, yes). The appendix is also rather useful.




 

March Reading Recap

Middle Grade

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver (Harper Collins, 2011) --- Liesl has just lost her father and is locked up in the attic by her stepmother (and the Cinderella similarities end there). She's sick with grief and scared of never stepping foot outdoors again. Enter Po, a ghost who shows up in Liesl's room from the Other Side. The two form a sort of friendship and set out on a quest to return Liesl's father's ashes to the willow tree by the house they used to live in. All the while, Will, an apprentice's boy, makes a grievous error in delivering the most powerful magic ever, and is now on the run for fear of punishment. The two stories collide and produce something so wonderful I had to give it four purple crayons. :)

The Other Half of my Heart by Sundee T. Frazier (Delacorte, 2010) --- Minerva (Minnie) and Keira King are twin sisters, but you couldn't tell by looking at them. Minnie takes after their father, with her pale skin, freckles, and red hair, while Keira looks more like their mother, dark-skinned and dark-haired. Their differences don't mean much to the girls - at least not to Minnie, our narrator. When their maternal grandmother invites them to North Carolina for ten days during the summer to compete in the Miss Black Pearl Preteen pageant (I mean, program), Keira is thrilled because it means performing and prancing (all things a diva like her enjoys) and getting in touch with their African-American roots. Minnie, on the other hand, is less than thrilled - not because she doesn't want to learn more about her black history, which she desperately does, but because she's so shy and timid. This is most definitely a book about identity - finding out who you are and who you want to be. 

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis (Random House, 2012) ---  Mmm, did I love this book! Miss Deza Malone has just finished the school year as the top student in her class, and she is flying high. She's living in 1930s Gary, Indiana, where times are tough for most folks, but all she can think about is how her teacher wants to personally tutor her next year and how she just got the most beautiful blue gingham dress as a gift. Her family is fantastic, with an alliterating father who affectionately calls her the Mighty Miss Malone because of her smarts and sassiness, a mother who always tries to do the right thing, and a brother who will always defend her honor. But it's the 1930s, and the Great Depression is making it hard for families to earn a living and stay together. So the story goes for the Malones too when Deza's father moves to Flint, Michigan to find a job, and the family later follows in hopes of reuniting with him. 

Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Random House, 2012) --- Wonder is one of those books that all the librarians think will win the Newbery Award in January. I'm not one of them. Not because it's not a good book. It's a great book! But it didn't hook me like it did the others. It's about a boy named August who has never been to a real school because of his severe facial deformities. He's had loads of operations and surgeries in his 10 year-old life, and he just hasn't had the time to go to regular school... until now. August is starting 5th grade at a private middle school, and for good reason, he is terrified. What if the kids make fun of him? What if he can't make friends? What if his teachers stare at him? What if the homework is too hard? Starting middle school is hard enough for a normal kid, but how hard will it be for someone who looks so different from everyone else? 

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur (Random House, 2011) --- Elise is just starting middle school and feeling a little different about the activities she and her best friend Franklin do. Playing pretend isn't "cool" in middle school, and Elise thinks she wants to fit in. She lives with her aunt and uncle - her mother died when she was born, and her dad died when she was very young - and she loves them like parents. But one day, when Elise is feeling ready to grow up and out of her childish ways, she discovers a key hanging in the barn, a key that has her name on it. When Elise finds the door that matches that key, she's thrown into a puzzle created by her father especially for her - one that will help her remember her past, take note of her present, and believe in her future. One key down, seven to go!


Young Adult

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (Harper Teen, 2012) --- This is the second book in the Delirium trilogy, so I won't say too much about it in case you haven't read the first - which I absolutely loved. As it is with many sequels, this book's story was just eh for me, but what I did appreciate very much was Oliver's writing. She has such a pleasing way with words that I can't describe to you very well except to say that it tickles your heart and makes you sigh happily. Or maybe that's just me... I mean, really, look:

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Happy sigh.

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (Katherine Tegen Books, 2012) --- In this world, there is only a finite number of souls that are in existence. When one dies, it will eventually be reincarnated into a new body, but the soul is still the same and has all the memories of past lives. Interesting premise, I thought. And then we have the protagonist, Ana, who defies this order and is actually a Newsoul. Brand new to this world. Living amongst others who have had hundreds of lives and are all friends or at least friendly. She is utterly alone - and she is feared and despised because her new life meant that an old soul is now gone forever. I tried to like this book, I really did. But so much of it felt unoriginal to me - I swear there were Death Eaters in this book. Click the title to go to GoodReads where lots of people enjoyed this book and write about its merits. I'm just not one of them.



Thank you, Spring Break for letting me read so many books! What did you read?

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
published January 2012 by Random House Children's
320 pages (hardcover), Middle Grade

In 1930s Gary, Indiana is where you'll find Deza Malone, a smart and sassy young gal. Nicknamed the Mighty Miss Malone by her alliteration-obsessed father, Deza (pronounced like the beginning of "desert") is just named the top student in her class at the end of the year and is propositioned by her retiring teacher to stay on as a tutee in the upcoming school year. Deza is thrilled at the prospect (as long as her best friend can come too) since she absolutely adores her teacher and also aspires to become a teacher when she grows up. Unfortunately, this doesn't come to pass as Deza's father has been out of work for some time, was in a boating accident, and has now left the family to find work in Flint, Michigan. It's the Great Depression, for sure, and Deza's family is struggling to stay together. After her mother receives notice that she will no longer be needed as a housekeeper for a well-off white family (they're going to travel abroad to escape the Depression, hah!), she decides to take Deza and her older brother Jimmie to Flint too. But they haven't heard from their father lately, and they don't have a reliable way to get there or people to stay with when they do. So, they take it one day at a time and hope for the best.

I don't read a whole lot of historical fiction, but besides the boxing match between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, this could have been contemporary realistic fiction. We are in our own Depression, and I know students who could certainly relate to the events in this book - their dads living in other cities looking for a steady paycheck, families being torn apart just to make ends meet. But what I love about this book and what makes me want to hand it to each and every one of those kids is the cohesive, tightly-wound family unit. The Malones have a motto - "We are a family on a journey to a place called Wonderful." The parents are kind, encouraging, and wise in the lessons they teach their children. When Deza comes back from the library one day, she asks her parents what it means to be "a credit to your race," as the librarian called her (yes, it hurts me so), and her father so eloquently describes it as a warning growl, letting you know exactly who that person is (and that they are most certainly not on your side). Life lessons are expertly handled with care in this story.

I should also mention that this is no surprise coming from Christopher Paul Curtis. I like to stagger my reading of his books because I just don't think it's fair to all the other books out there (like Phoebe and her oatmeal raisin cookies - Friends reference). His writing is so skillful - how else do I describe it? Luscious? Thoughtful? Masterful? Ooh, some touchy-feely words, I know. But it's just such a pleasure to read. When I hand this book to students, I will cross my fingers that they'll like it, and if they don't, I'll just chalk it up to inexperience. They will someday.

As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

February Reading Recap

I traveled a ton in February, so most of my reading was done in airports and cars. More travels to come in March, so I hope to get tons knocked off my ever-growing to-read list...

Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich, read by Lorelei King (2004) --- I love the Stephanie Plum audiobooks. I started reading this series in grad school for an Adult Pop Lit class, and I got hooked. It's my guilty pleasure, and I usually read 1-2 a year (otherwise they get too repetitive). This one was the most dangerous yet, I think. Stephanie manages to tick off a high-profile gang member and now there is a hit on her. Of course she survives, but it gets pretty intense! As always, Lula and Grandma Mazur (and Stephanie's lack of common sense) provide for some comic relief. And Stephanie's love life is a mess - this one's for Ranger fans.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (2012 debut) --- A science fiction Cinderella story?! Oh, how I love thee! Cinder is a delightful little cyborg living in New Beijing with her stepmother and stepsisters. She's a talented mechanic who's hired by Prince Kai himself to fix his personal android. All the while, a plague is spreading through the city, and medical testing for a cure now includes willing cyborgs - since they're not considered fully human. There's a lot going on in this story, but it's so NEW and FRESH and just lovely. Even if you're not a fan of science fiction, if you like a good fairy tale retelling, check this one out. But I suspect many of you already have. Although I think this could have been a standalone novel, I can't wait to read more in the series!

Yummy: The Last Days of Southside Shorty by G. Neri (2010) --- From Goodreads:

In August of 1994, 11-year-old Robert “Yummy” Sandifer [...] fired a gun at a group of rival gangmembers, accidentally killing a neighborhood girl, Shavon Dean. [...] The story made such an impact that Yummy appeared on the cover of TIME magazine, drawing national attention to the problems of inner city youth in America. 

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty relives the confusion of these traumatic days from the point of view of Roger, a neighborhood boy who struggles to understand the senseless violence swirling through the streets around him. Awakened by the tragedy, Roger seeks out answers to difficult questions — was Yummy a killer or a victim? Was he responsible for his actions or are others to blame?

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker (2012 debut) --- I don't read a whole lot of contemporary realistic fiction, but the cover and title of this one reeled me in. Though I've never lived in Kentucky, my best friend is from there, so I felt like Whitaker's description of this small, southern town was just right. I suppose it helps that she's from there too. The story is about a girl who is just starting public high school after going to a private school for her elementary days. She doesn't want to be seen as a country bumpkin, so she changes her style and joins the cheerleading squad - she just wants to fit in, and most of all, be popular. Yes, it's one of those stories. And I enjoyed it just fine. It's nice to see a change of scenery in this book - I've certainly grown tired of the Upper East Side trend. And the main character has spunk and a real personality that I grew to like, even if I didn't appreciate her decision-making skills.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler (2011) --- Gosh, I wanted to like this book so much. It had such a great premise! Imagine the year is 1996, you've just logged onto AOL for the first time, and a window pops up that says it's Facebook. It has your name, your birthday, a picture of someone who could be you in 15 years, and a bunch of personal postings about what you're having for dinner or how your marriage is failing. Fantastic idea, right? Except that the main characters, Josh and Emma, are absolutely annoying - Emma, especially. All she cares about is who she's going to marry in 15 years. Really... really?! If you found a portal to the future, is that honestly the only thing you want to know? I like that all of their decisions affected their Facebook status and altered the future - I just wish it didn't all revolve around the husband issue. Teens think about WAY more than that, my goodness.

The Limit by Kristen Landon (2010) --- Hmm, quite a lot of science fiction this month. I was excited about this book because it's a dystopia that my 5th graders would enjoy, and I haven't seen too many of these for younger MG readers. In this book, families are not allowed to accrue any debt, and if they do, their teenagers may be whisked away to work off the debt. Matt's mother accidentally goes slightly over their limit one day while grocery shopping with the kids, and as soon as they get home, there are people ready to take Matt away to the government facility where he will work. Matt's a smart kid, so he gets a high-paying job on the top floor of this building, but he starts to notice that something is not quite right about this place...

January Reading Recap

I read a boatload of books in January, mostly because I was on the Monarch Award committee for next year, and we had our meeting this month. Last month, I mean. Anyhow, I read 50 books for K-3 students - a nice mix of early readers/chapter books, nonfiction, picture books, and even a couple graphic novels. I won't list them all because that would be tiresome and possibly against the rules. I will, however, share some of my favorites and direct you to the 2013 Monarch Award List for the final 20 books we selected for next year.

K-3 January Favorites

Blackout by John Rocco (2011) --- It's the shape and size of a picture book, but I'd call it a beginning graphic novel because of the use of large panels. This book absolutely deserves the Caldecott Honor it was awarded this year. It's stunningly illustrated, with colors that pop right off the page, and the story is wonderful. A little boy just wants to spend some time with his family, but they're all too busy - until the power goes out on their block, and then everyone gathers together and actually socializes in person rather than through their techno gizmos. This blackout takes place in summer, but we've had our fair share of blackouts in the winter too. It's a gorgeous book with a great story, and I can't wait to share it with students.

Where in the Wild? Camouflaged Creatures Concealed... and Revealed by David M. Schwartz and Yael Schy, photographs by Dwight Kuhn (2007) --- Yep, a nonfiction book ended up in my favorites pile. But this one has some tricks up its sleeves. Because it's about camouflaged creatures, each page has a photograph and an accompanying poem/riddle that gives you a clue as to what's hiding in the photograph. Then! You fold open the photograph page, so you're looking at a trifold now - with the center page exposing the hidden animal in full color and the rest of the photograph dulled. And then we get to the nonfiction part of the book, where the animal and its camouflage technique are explained. So much fun! And there are two more books in this series! 

Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Lane Smith (2010) --- I LOVE THIS BOOK. Lulu is a spoiled brat, but you can't help but love her... eventually. Her birthday is coming up, and she wants a brontosaurus, end of story. No other pet will do. When her parents kindly tell her that she won't be getting a brontosaurus for her birthday, she takes off into the forest to catch one on her own. She encounters some ferocious critters that she is not so nice to and finally comes across a solo brontosaurus that thinks a pet is a very good thing. There are surprise twists and laugh out loud moments along with a wonderfully sassy song that Lulu sings on her way to and from the forest. Kids will love to sing along - I can't wait to read it to second grade students!



MG/YA Read in January

A Beginning, a Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing by Avi (2008) --- You'll either be pleasantly amused or endlessly irritated by this book. Avon the snail wants to write, but he doesn't know how or where to start. His friend, Edward the ant, gives him some sometimes helpful advice, while the two have delightful exchanges filled with all kinds of fun wordplay. I don't know what child would choose to read this and enjoy it as much as my adult self did. A budding writer, perhaps. Nonetheless, I appreciated it immensely and would often go to sleep giggling over their antics.

Exile by Anne Osterlund (2011) --- I read Aurelia in 2010 (published 2008) and waited two years for the sequel. Only to find out it's a trilogy. This would normally frustrate me, but Osterlund's writing is so lovely, I don't mind the wait. I could have easily read this book in one sitting, but I stretched it out over four days just so I could savor it. Aurelia has just survived an attempt on her life, and she's promptly set off to tour her future kingdom, to get to know the people and the land. The politics are crazy, and her life is still in peril, but she has Robert at her side to keep her safe and calm. This book is all about her journey across the land, so it's not exactly action-packed, which is fine, so long as the third book wraps this story up nicely. 

Have a Hot Time, Hades! by Kate McMullan (2011) --- The Myth-O-Mania series was originally published in 2002, but they got cover re-designs last summer and are now much more attractive, which is, of course, why I bought them for my school library. That and the fact that my students are into Greek mythology. They are eating this series up - there's never a copy on the shelf. So, I thought I should read one to see what it is that the kids are reading. It took me two months to finish this book, when I know students are reading them in less than a week, but I just couldn't get into it. The language is very contemporary even though this is somewhat of a retelling. This is why the kids like it - they're easy to read, funny, and make Greek gods accessible to students who aren't strong enough readers forthe Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. 

Big City Otto by Bill Slavin (2011) --- I don't know how I feel about this graphic novel. Otto is such a sad, sad elephant. He misses his best friend Georgie, who's been chimp-napped. There is a little bit of humor sprinkled in throughout the book, most notably Otto using a port-o-potty and ending up being lifted on top of a building (which although it's funny is also scary!). Otto and his parrot friend Crackers (a truly unfortunate name) go on a quest to find Georgie and run into all sorts of trouble, even getting involved in a candy store robbery. Gosh, what is wrong with this book?! Personally, it was appalling to me, but I know students who will pick it up and love it because it doesn't simplify the world for them, and it tells it like it is. If it wasn't for the conversation Otto had with the gators who mistreated him and tricked him into doing illegal things, I may have sent this book back to Follett. In a way, it's like street lit for kids, and I think they'll appreciate it. I think.

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
published October 2011 by Random House
467 pages (hardcover), YA

I have to give you what's written on the inside flap because it's most of the reason why I read this book. I know it's long, but it's a whole lot more concise than any summary I'd write!

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal disease that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

C'mon, how do you not rush to the library to get your hands on this book after a description like that? Nora Dearly is my favorite kind of female character - stubborn, feisty, and smart. When she's kidnapped by undead soldiers, she assesses the situation and makes the best of it. Sure, it takes her a moment or two to come to grips with her strange new reality, but she's practical and chooses to ask questions instead of cower in fear. I wish more of the book were told in her perspective, but in fact, it alternates between quite a few characters.

I also loved the setting in this book and actually wanted more backstory and description. I kept checking the covers for a map or something, but no such luck. New Victoria in 2195 is an interesting concept, and I love the world Habel has created there. It's wonderful steampunk - a blend of the old and the new. The society has modeled itself after a more genteel time period, the Victorian Era, but one that they ultimately never could have known in great detail because of the many hundreds of years separating them. So, they try to behave in ways they imagine that the Victorians did, but who are they kidding? There are Punks and free-thinkers and people who do not appreciate the classist society they've created. Not to mention the walking dead.

Anyhow, I liked this book. I wanted to love it, but the alternating perspectives were irksome. The dialogue was also odd to me - sometimes it would be very contemporary and others very Victorian. I understand why, but it was still a little jarring to read. But because I like the story and the setting, I will definitely be reading more from the Gone With the Respiration series.