Jellicoe WHAAAAAT?

Okay I am back to my psycho-self of reading way too many things at once, but I can't help it. I knew when I went to college that I loved to read, and some jerk told me, "Well what are you gonna do with that degree?" HA! Look at me now, SUCKA! They PAY ME to read books. Joke's on you. You know who you are.

Oh, sorry. I was inside my own head for a sec. ANYWAY, so I am reading this year's PRINTZ AWARD. I have to say that I picked it up, put it down, picked it up, got confused, stopped reading it. It wasn't until I read one of my favorite blogs--Dr. Teri Lesesne's blog--and saw that she had put it down and picked it back up that I gave it one more try. OMG OMG OMG...I have to hurry with this entry because, I swear, it's all I think about.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta is about a girl--Taylor Markham--who gets left on the side of the road--the Jellicoe Road--when she is just a young kid. Yeah, you heard me. Her mom just LEAVES HER THERE. Anyway, she ends up at this school where she becomes the leader, and it's her responsibility to take care of the younger ones, a responsibility she does not want anything to do with, but she really can't help herself. She finds herself caught up in a battle with the Townies and the Cadets--not to mention herself and her haunting past. I cannot tell you that I am doing this book absolutely NO justice--it is an excellent book that really does decide what it will give and when it will give it to you. So do I put in young adult or mystery? Who knows, but it is SO YUMMY!

I am also listening to Paper Towns by John Green. WOWEEEEEE! And yes, the book was published with two different covers. This is definitely a green shelf book if nothing else because of language, but I have to say that I laugh every time I turn it on. John Green has outdone himself with this one...the dialogue between the beautiful Margo and the goofy Q is spot-on high school. It almost made me want to go back to teaching juniors. NOT IN THIS LIFETIME HONEY! So there you go...two more for you to pick from...Gladden OUT!

The Lost Generation

OMG to the nth power. This is the coolest thing I have ever seen.

What I'm STILL reading now

Hi PEEPS! Hope everyone had an awesome three-day weekend (if you are a student). Hope all of you read a book :0). So I finished 39 Clues: Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan and started 39 Clues: One False Note by Gordon Kormon. This one picks right back up where the twins, Amy and Dan, and their nanny--ahem--au pair are leaving Paris for Vienna in search of the next big clue. From Benjamin Franklin to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; from Rick Riordan to Gordan Korman, you never know when the next twist or turn is gonna happen! I'm also STILL reading The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. I know...it's taking me forever, but I don't read grown-up books like I eat chocolate. Nope, it takes me a little while...and besides, this book should be savored...it really is THAT good. I also just started reading a fan-freaking-tastic book called The Last Invisible Boy by Evan Kuhlman. The chapters are uber-short, which I really love, and the story reminds me a lot of the Wimpy Kid books, but a lot sadder (oh, and in case you didn't know, the third Wimpy Kid book is out). So, anyway, that's where I am.

Okay, so how awesome was TLF '09? OMG if you didn't get to go, you missed out, and you better plan your ride for TLF '11, 'cause we're lining up authors RIGHT NOW! I got to be Gail Giles's (What Happened to Cass McBride?)host for the day, and I'll tell you what, I had a BLAST. I also got to have dinner with Rene Saldana (Whole Sky Full of Stars), Terry Trueman (Stuck in Neutral and Hurricane), Deb Caletti (Honey, Baby, Sweetheart), and Sonya Sones (What My Mother Doesn't Know). Talk about a group a fun CRAZIES! I had a total BLAST, and I got to meet Terry Trueman's TWIN! Did you know he has a twin? Yeah...he had no idea either....! YIKES! Ask me about about it when you see me. Here's the TLF '09 animoto...enjoy! Gladden out!