What I've Been Reading

Well, I have just been sitting around waiting for the baby to be born. And the midwives told me that I have to rest a lot to keep my blood pressure down. So this means I have gotten a lot of reading done! Today, I read two books and tried a third. Here's the rundown:
(Click on the book covers to see which libraries own these books.)

Life Is Fine by Allison Whittenberg
Since Allison Whittenberg is coming to our library this fall (!!!), I thought I'd better read her newest book! The irony of the title was apparent as soon as I opened Life Is Fine. Samara's father was never part of her life, her mother is completely uncaring, her mother's boyfriend has taken over the house, and she has no friends except a chimp at the Philadelphia Zoo. A chance encounter with a substitute English teacher and his random poetry reading gives Samara a glimpse of actual learning, and an actual friend. But this is not one of those feel-good life-changing student-teacher books. Grounded in the realities of urban life, Samara learns to take small steps toward creating and controlling her own future.

Tim: Defender of the Earth by Sam Enthoven
This action-packed sci-fi thriller reads like a summer blockbuster movie: two top-secret experiements backed by the British government rampage through London in an epic battle! One is TIM, a genetically improved clone of the tyrannosaurus. The other is Professor Edward Mallahide, who has mastered the science of nanotechnology by giving himself over to be part of his nanotech swarm. Brawn meets brains, and only one can survive! This is a great summer read that will keep you turning the pages. If you like the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Alex Rider series, another action and adventure books, this one's for you.


The Sky Village (Kaimira, book one) by Monk Ashland and Nigel Ashland
I love stories about future societies, and this book's post-apocolyptic scenario sounded promising. Plus, my interest was piqued by the mysterious connection between Mei, living in a sky village in China and, Rom, living in the ruins of Las Vegas. But this book, first in a projected five-book series, ultimately failed to capture my imagination. Supposedly, Mei and Rom each carry a gene that makes them part human, part animal, and part machine. However, the descriptions of this future society were not deep or subtle enough to make me care. I didn't even get halfway through before I stopped reading.