Books & Media

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, Matthew Quick Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, August 2013 Reviewed from ARC True confession: I had never heard of Matthew Quick until Silver Linings Playbook became an Oscar contender last fall, but then Sophie reviewed Boy 21 for the blog, and then in true Baader-Meinhof fashion, the ARC for Forgive [...]

Where were you when the lights went out on August 14, 2003? John Rocco’s Caldecott Honor book, Blackout, presents an inspirational portrayal of that iconic night in New York City. Be sure to check out the starred review of the DVD version.

We review two books today, both set in very specific communities overshadowed by poverty and tragedy. Let’s start with Men We Reaped, a memoir by Jesmyn Ward. Ward’s fierce, poetic debut novel, Salvage the Bones, won the National Book Award and a 2012 Alex Award. It follows a pregnant teenage girl and her family through [...]

Two Boys Kissing, David Levithan Alfred A. Knopf. August 2013 Reviewed from ARC Sometimes a book packs such an emotional whammy that every other aspect becomes irrelevant to 99.9% of the readers. Two Boys Kissing is seriously packing. Before I go any further, a disclaimer: I just read this for the first time last week. [...]

In a quick reversal of its position on Kindle lending, Penguin on September 26 loosened the terms of its renewed agreement with OverDrive, announced only the day before. The publisher has agreed to allow library patrons to download ebook titles wirelessly via OverDrive’s “Get for Kindle” function instead of, as initially announced, first downloading titles to a computer, and then side-loading those titles to their Kindle classic or Paperwhite using a USB cord.

Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War discusses our 16th president’s acceptance and use of new technology during the Civil War. Check out the review of the audiobook narrated by Fred Sullivan.

If you have been following the Touch Press output along with us, you won't be surprised to learn they have recently released another exploration of a musical masterpiece. While in-depth, their apps aren't only for serious students of music; anyone interested in learning more about the art is sure to gain a meaningful appreciation.

Squirrels on Skis By J. Hamilton Ray Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre Random House ISBN: 9780449810811 $8.99 Grades K-2 In Stores Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library Early readers hold the power to hook kids at a crucial time in their reading lives. But I sometimes find myself reacting to them with hesitation. What’s [...]

“Penguin will resume doing business with OverDrive as of this morning,” Penguin spokesperson Erica Glass told LJ on September 25. According to a blog post by Karen Estrovich, collection development manager for OverDrive, 17,000 Penguin ebooks are already “live and available for purchase in OverDrive Marketplace.” Although Estrovich refers to the transaction as a purchase, the books are being offered for a one year term on a one copy/one user lending model.