New Book News for New Year's!

In case you hadn't heard, Rainbow Rowell is spinning off her own book into a new one. For those of you who don't know, Rainbow's Fangirl is about a girl who writes an uber popular fanfic about Simon Snow (think Harry Potter). Fangirl even contains fake excerpts from the original book, from Cath's fanfic ("Carry On"), and news articles about the series. But it's all just pieces of an untold story. Until now. Rainbow is writing a full-length book about Simon Snow called, surprisingly, Carry On. It will focus on Cath's version of the story and characters.

She also announced a special edition release of Fangirl, complete with an excerpt of Carry On.

ON MAY 12, YOU CAN GET A "FANGIRL" SPEC. EDITION WITH GORGEOUS FAN ART & EXCERPT FROM MY SIMON SNOW NOVEL "CARRY ON." pic.twitter.com/0UW6sQ7rVM
— Rainbow Rowell (@rainbowrowell) December 12, 2014

TL;DR It's a book based on a fanfic about a fictional series that appeared in another book. Hope that's not too confusing.

A lot of you asking whether I'm writing Carry On -- or whether Cath or Gemma is. It's me. (They actually don't exist.)
— Rainbow Rowell (@rainbowrowell) December 10, 2014

Here's the synopsis from Rainbow's Tumblr:

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything. Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.  

Literary Playlist: The Beginning of Everything

Happy Holidays, everyone! Hope you enjoy this month's literary playlist:


The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider is full of pop culture references. Ezra Faulkner loves reading, listening to music, watching movies (especially when you leave a movie theater and it smells like popcorn and every conversation is about the same thing), talking about comic books with his childhood best friend, Toby Ellicott, and spending time with the new girl at school, Cassidy Thorpe. Before hitting play on this indie playlist, you may want to put on a Gryffindor uniform, take your iPod full of Bob Dylan to the Barnes & Noble cafe, and read The Great Gatsby to prepare. Oh, and don't forget to watch Dead Poets Society, see a performance of Hamlet, and play a Mario game on N64 first.
[NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]

More Insurgent News!

You guys, the first full-length trailer for Insurgent was released! Check it out:

What do you guys think of it? Is it living up to your expectations or falling short? Comment with your opinion!

And speaking of falling, check out these new posters:

via thefashionisto.com

via popsugar.com

A Gift from J.K. Rowling!!!

The amazing and wonderful author J.K. Rowling (a.k.a. Queen Jo) has a gift to share with the world this month: 12 new stories taking place in the Harry Potter universe! Apparently they'll feature brand-new "festive surprises and accompanying rhyming riddles" as well as "new potions and Moments" in the Pottermore website. New "gifts" will be released on Pottermore daily from Dec. 12-23.

(If you don't know what Pottermore is, it's an online Harry Potter resource, with games [you can make potions and cast spells!] and a very safe social aspect [it's completely anonymous]. You follow the course of the books through chapters--meaning you answer quiz questions written by Queen Jo herself to get sorted into a house at Hogwarts in the first one! Plus there is so much background on all your favorite characters, locations, potions... It's just really cool and fun! Wait until you read Professor McGonagall's background; she's fantastic.)

Queen Jo has been posting new HP information, backgrounds, and treats through the Pottermore site since it was released in 2011. More recently, she posted an article by Rita Skeeter about the HP crew in their 30's, as well as more background information about the notorious Dolores Umbridge.

Snowflakes!

Don't you guys just love snow? Come into the Main branch to make your own snowflakes! I mean, they're made of paper, but they're cool--and we'll put them on display on our bulletin board! We have a few instructions printed out, but for awesome designs, look at samples online!

And speaking of snow, when people say, "No two snowflakes are alike," they're totally right. But they don't mention how incredible snowflakes are up close! Here are some samples from a photographer named Alexey Kljatov (who even teaches you how to photograph snowflakes on his blog!):

 

Unreal, right?!

And for more snowy weather fun, grab a mug of hot cocoa and settle in with one of these books for snowy days (all of which are available through the library system!):

• Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
• Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
• My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins, Holly Black, Ally Carter, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Matt de la Pena, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, and Kiersten White
• Six Months Later by Natalie Richards
• Starry, Starry Night: Three Holiday Stories by Lurlene McDaniel
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen
• The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (we have the graphic novel and audiobook, too!)
• Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
• The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa
• Holiday Princess by Meg Cabot
• Tug-of-War by J.C. Pearce
• The Year the Wolves Came by Bebe Faas Rice
• The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau
• Far North by Will Hobbs
• The Trap by John E. Smelcer
• Winter On Her Own by Elizabeth Howard
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (or really any HP book; they have great winter scenes)

Literary Playlist: Books by Chuck Black

We were closed last week due to snow and Thanksgiving, so here's a literary playlist to make up for it!
 

The Kingdom Series and the Knights of Arrethtrae Series by Chuck Black contain something special at the end of each book: sheet music. Emily Elizabeth Black wrote a song for each book. The songs were then played on the audiobook versions in the background. They have all the songs on a soundtrack for each series. If you don't want to buy them or want to test them out first, some of the songs are available for preview on their website.

The Kingdom Series

1. Kingdom's Dawn
2. Kingdom's Hope
3. Kingdom's Edge
4. Kingdom's Call
5. Kingdom's Quest
6. Kingdom's Reign

The Knights of Arrethtrae Series

1. Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione
2. Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court
3. Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart
4. Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue
5. Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor
6. Sir Rowan and the Camerian Quest

[NOTE: MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]

Exciting Adaptation News!!

Last night I had a dream that people were turning YA books into TV series and I could watch an in-depth, (hopefully) accurate adaptation of an awesome book series.

OH, WAIT! It's actually going to happen!!1!

Netflix is going to turn A Series of Unfortunate Events into an online series!! A VP at Netflix said: "The world created by Lemony Snicket is unique, darkly funny and relatable. We can't wait to bring it to life"!!! 

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!!

Netflix is also in the works to create four Marvel series and a mini-series starring Daredevil!!
 

And Mortal Instruments is going to become a TV series, too! A producer from one of the movie adaptations for MI praised the new showrunner, saying, "We wanted someone who shares our passion and love for these characters and stories." That's an awesome sign! Hopefully they'll take a lot of care to get it right!

Speaking of movie adaptations, John Green has been posting photos, videos, and teasers for the Paper Towns movie. Can it be released already?!

#papertowns

A photo posted by John Green (@johngreenwritesbooks) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:11am PST

Also here are some awesome trailers for YA movie adaptations. (If you're going to see THG: Mockingjay Part 1 this weekend, let us know how it is! Comment with your review.)

Bonus Post: Teens' Top 10!!

Speaking of YALSA, they released the names of the 2014 Teens' Top Ten Books! Teens and YA-lovers all over the country vote on the top ten books of the year, and we finally have a list for the books we received from YALSA. Here they are:

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
2. Splintered by A. G. Howard
3. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
4. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
5. Monument 14: Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne
6. Earth Girl by Janet Edwards
7. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
8. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
9. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
10. The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Here's the list with synopses. If they look interesting to you, check them out!

Did you vote for one that didn't end up on the Top 10 list? Comment with your favorites of the year!

Book Publishers + Social Media

I know a lot of you guys are on social media. (I mean, come on--who isn't?) Here's a tip--look for your favorite book publishers to follow! You get immediate, up-to-date news straight from the source. If you follow Harper Teen on Twitter, you can find out about contests, giveaways, and new book releases before anyone else. You can send asks to the Penguin Teen Tumblr to find out about the publishing business and what's next for your favorite author. And who doesn't want to see cool links on their feed from Random House Children's Facebook or Scholastic's Pinterest? It's great news about stuff you're interested in, coming directly to your fingertips, and you don't have to pay anything. Amazing, right?

You can also follow YALSA on social media. (YALSA stands for Young Adult Library Services Association. You may remember that we have some supercool books from them.) They are the people who organize the Teens' Top Ten voting and hold Teen Read Week & Teen Tech Week. They're on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, Google+... you can pretty much virtually follow them however you want.(Check out their website for links.)

(While you're at it, follow us on social media, too! We're on Facebook and Twitter!)

And finally, we hope you're a little more generous with lit than this kid:

Best. Book. Review. Ever. pic.twitter.com/4OdVeFdIYV
— Aerogramme Writers (@A_WritersStudio) October 3, 2014

Insurgent News!

If you liked the movie adaptation of Divergent, you might be surprised at what changes are in store for the sequel. Although the first of the series was in 2D, they are shooting the rest of the series in 3D. That's right--Insurgent, which features scenes on a farm and in a truck and in a high-security building, will now be in eye-popping 3D. If you don't like 3D movies, don't worry--they'll still be releasing a 2D version.
They've also released some cool 3D posters for Insurgent. Check them out!

Literary Playlist: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

It's time for another literary playlist! This time we're in love with Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower. (It's often on bestseller lists, so you know it's gotta be good.) Part of the charm of protagonist Charlie is his newfound obsession with music. His friends introduce him to great tunes, including songs by David Bowie, The Smiths, and Nirvana. If you want the perfect background music as you're reading Perks, hit play.

[NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]

Random News!

Ready for a bunch of cool news and links? Here we go:

via ScreenRant.com

• In case you haven't already seen them, here are some amazing new pictures from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. How awesome does Cressida look? And Katniss looks completely different from Catching Fire, doesn't she?
• CNN made a list of 40 new YA books released this fall that you should read! The list includes Rick Yancey's The Infinite Sea (sequel to The 5th Wave), Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield (author of the Uglies series), and On A Clear Day by the late Walter Dean Myers.
  
  [Is there anything on the list that you want to read but we don't have? You can request a book purchase! Pick up a form at the Circulation Desk or in the Children's Section.]
• Are you excited for JK Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie? CinemaBlend came up with some possible spoilers and theories related to the characters. News also broke that Fantastic Beasts is going to be a trilogy! The three films are set to be released in 2016, 2018, and 2020. And HP director David Yates is back for Fantastic Beasts!
  
  [If you like this, be sure to see our post about Queen Jo's Fantastic Beasts Twitter hint! (Small spoiler alert for the link.)]
• In other JK Rowling news, she's planning on building Hagrid's hut on her property! Here are the plans and more information. I mean, come on--who wouldn't love a perfect replica of Hagrid's hut in their backyard?
• Want to read awesome YA book reviews? Check out Reading Rants! It includes reviews of awesome new books, book trailers, movie adaptation trailers, interviews, and more.
  
  [If you want to write a review for this blog, email it to ecorrea@mrlib.org]
• Do you need Halloween costume ideas? Check out these YA costume ideas from BuzzFeed, Teen.com, Read Breathe Relax, and Forever Young Adult.
• And finally, have you been looking forward to The Office writer BJ Novak's new children's book, The Book With No Pictures? Well, here's your chance to see him read it to an enthusiastic group of kids! It's definitely a use-your-imagination-and-a-silly-voice kind of book.

Bonus Post: Teen Read Week Giveaways!!!

Don't forget, guys: Saturday is the last day to enter our Teen Read Week drawing! All you have to do is check out a book--that's it! Write your name and age on your checkout receipt and drop it in the box at Circulation. After Saturday, we'll draw for winners. You could win a prize from one of these fantastic Downtown Harrisonburg businesses:

Blue Nile
Bella Luna
Benny Sorrentino's
Earth & Tea Cafe
Las Chamas
You Made It!
Larkin Arts
Glen's Fair Price Store
The Indian & American Cafe

Be sure to check out a book tomorrow or Saturday to enter!

Ages 11-17

Book Dominoes Video!!!!!!

Okay, no one's as excited about the book dominoes video as I am. But it's so cool! I love it! If you haven't seen it yet, here it is:

During one week of the 2014 Summer Reading Games, the Massanutten Regional Library circulated 1,189 young adult items and 10,857 items in the children's section. We asked our teen and tween volunteers to help show you what that looks like. They set up 1,189 books like dominoes...and then they knocked them over!

For more information about MRL and our services, visit our website!www.mrlib.org

BONUS Bonus Post: Teen Read Week!!!

I totally forgot to mention that we're having a kick-off party for Teen Read Week!!! The theme this year is "Turn Dreams Into Reality," and we're going all out! We're going to brighten up the library with banners and sidewalk chalk, decorate a cloud bookshelf, and eat pizza and cloud Jell-O!

We're having a fun night on Thursday, Oct. 16, too! The JMU Golden Key group is going to teach us how to make dreamcatchers, and we'll enjoy ice cream floats!

You guys will also get the first chance to enter in for one of our TRW drawing prizes! If you drop your check-out receipt in the box at Circulation, you'll be entered in a drawing for one of the amazing prizes! We have gift certificates and goodies from all over Downtown Harrisonburg. You could get a prize from:

Blue Nile
Bella Luna
Benny Sorrentino's
Earth & Tea Cafe
Las Chamas
You Made It!
Larkin Arts
Glen's Fair Price Store
The Indian & American Cafe

All you have to do is check out a book to enter! How amazing is that?!

Here are the deets:

Teen Read Kick-off @ Main Library

10/11/2014

Get ready for Teen Read Week (October 12-17) by celebrating with a party! Snacks will be provided. Make awesome art and watch the video from the Book Domino event. You can even enter your name for prize drawings! This event is for ages 11-17.

Location:

Main Library-downtown Harrisonburg

A Night on Cloud 9 @ Main Library

10/16/2014

Celebrate Teen Read Week and "Turn Dreams Into Reality!" Teens, ages 11-17, come make a dreamcatcher and enjoy an ice cream float, provided by JMU Golden Key. Don't forget to drop your checkout receipt in the box at Circulation for a chance to win a prize! We have over $100 in prizes from awesome businesses in downtown Harrisonburg!

Location:

Main Library - downtown Harrisonburg

Bonus Post: J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts Update!!!

J.K. Rowling sent a strange post to the Twitterverse on Monday:

Cry, foe! Run amok! Fa awry! My wand won’t tolerate this nonsense.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 6, 2014

The Internet went into a frenzy, trying to solve the anagram. One possibility was:

Redditor says @jk_rowling's tweet is anagram for: "Harry returns! Won't say any details now. A week off. No comment". pic.twitter.com/PHATsEF7H4
— Eli Langer (@EliLanger) October 7, 2014

But the answer, confirmed by Queen Jo, is:

@jk_rowling Newt Scamander only meant to stay in New York for a few hours... #anagram
— Emily Strong (@EmyBemy2) October 7, 2014

.@EmyBemy2 YES!!!!!!!!!!!! People, we have a winner!
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 7, 2014

Queen Jo gave a hint earlier:

#helpfulhint The solution is the first sentence of a synopsis of Newt's story. It isn't part of the script, but sets the scene.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 7, 2014

So now we know more about Newt Scamander and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! (To learn about about Newt and Fantastic Beasts, you can read the book Queen Jo wrote for Comic Relief. We have a copy in the library system! Check it out!)

Robot Librarians!!!

You guys, I just found my new best friends. They are short, they work in a library, and they happen to be robots. No, I'm not talking about the Nodes from the Doctor Who episode "Silence in the Library" (although I love those guys).

via the Tardis Wikia

I'm talking about actual robots! The Westport Library in Connecticut purchased two robots. They teach patrons to code, but they can also play soccer, practice tai chi, and pick themselves up when they fall!

Aren't they the cutest little things you've ever seen?! I want one to be the Johnny Five to my Ally Sheedy! (That was an 80's movie reference. It might be before your time, but that's okay. If you haven't seen Short Circuit and the somehow superior Short Circuit 2, watch them now!)

We also found a cool illustration and description of the Mansueto Library at the University of Chicago. Most of the library is underground, full of millions of books. You can request a book from the card catalog, and the bin the book is in will rise to the main level, allowing you to retrieve it! The librarians can also put them back with ease. They hardly ever misshelve or lose a book. How cool is that?!

That makes us wonder--in your dream library, what would a robot librarian do? Comment with your take!

"Can You Get Too Old For YA Novels?"

The Denver Post published an article called "More Adults Than Youths Are Reading Young Adult Fiction." If so many adults are reading YA, that makes us wonder why they're interested in books targeted toward a younger audience.

Here are some reasons we've compiled as to why adults are reading YA:

• Young adult author John Green wrote an article for Cosmopolitan--yeah, you read that right--about the YA phenomenon across age groups. Green contends that the YA genre is so appealing to other age groups because the books contain "unironic emotional honesty."
• Alyssa Rosenberg wrote in the Washington Post that some adults are "highly engaged readers, and are simply adding YA novels to other categories of books they read."
• Rosenberg also believes that even YA novels with unhappy endings prepare us for the blow better than adult novels.
• Others believe YA books are popular because it's a chance for adults to recapture their glory days.
• Another reason could be that YA books are more abundant, popular, and relatable today than before. Even though YA pioneers like Judy Blume, Madeleine L'Engle, and even Mark Twain did wonders for teen lit, the YA genre is booming now.
• A staff member here believes it's a form of escapism; adults like to forget their adult-ish problems and focus on a YA character.
• Some parents also like to read what their YA children are reading as a way of connecting to them. (Remember that episode of Parks and Rec about the dad who reads Twilight with his daughter?)
• In the comment section of this CNN article, one reader sums it up: "A good book is a good book regardless of its intended audience."

What do you think? If you're a young adult, why do you believe adults love the genre more than ever before? If you're an adult, why do you love to read YA books? Comment with your opinion!

Furious Flower Poetry Conference

The JMU Furious Flower Poetry Conference is happening right now! It's a gathering centered around African American poetry, complete with writer Q&As and awesome discussions with scholars. If you want to attend, you don't have much time left! It started Wednesday and is wrapping up tomorrow (with special events on Saturday). Here's the schedule.

Here are two poems, "Maple Valley Branch Library, 1967" and "Heart to Heart," by former US Poet Laureate Rita Dove, who will be at the event!

Literary Playlist: This Song Will Save Your Life

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales is one of the TTT books we received from YALSA. It's full of amazing music references. If you've read the book, are reading the book, are going to read the book, or just want to hear good music, listen to this playlist based on TSWSYL.

[NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]

Wanted: Beta Readers!

An author is looking for beta readers for his new book! Shawn Snider wants you to read At Stake, a young adult book about vampires, and give some feedback. If you do, you can get a gift card! From the author:

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read and enjoy a beta copy of my book, At Stake. There will be a question or two at the end of each chapter—but this ain't no middle school book report, people! Skip questions, scribble in the margins, read the last page first. Whatever floats your boat. And when you're done, send it back and trade in for a $5 Barnes & Noble gift card.

Synopsis:

The week Becca Sanchez discovers Uncle Don is a total whack-job begins with a moving van and ends in handcuffs. First, her creepy history teacher moves in next door. Then her uncle tries to stake him. That’s right, stake. As in vampire. When a student goes missing, Becca starts wondering if maybe crazy Uncle Don isn’t so crazy after all. She decides to find out for herself. But when she’s caught shooting her teacher with a holy water spitball, she lands herself in a whole heap of trouble with the school and, worse, her mom. Becca and her friends concoct a plan to kill the vampire before he can turn the Halloween Dance into his own personal buffet line. But she can’t get rid of the nagging voice wondering if this is all just a series of unlikely coincidences and her teacher is simply a creep. Because this is real life, and really … vampires?

Click the link to start!
http://tinyurl.com/betaread

Bonus Post: Teen Dominoes!

We're having an awesome event on Saturday. We'll be setting up books like dominoes! It will go a little like this:

Come help us make something amazing! There will be pizza!

Teen Dominoes @ Main Library

9/6/2014

Were you ever obsessed with dominoes? Put those skills to use and help us make a domino chain of books! Enjoy pizza, fun, and book dominoes! You may even end up on an impressive video to promote the library. Come back in a month for the Teen Reed Kick-off (October 11) for the video premiere!
Ages 11-17 Event.

Location:
Main Library-downtown Harrisonburg

Audiobook Dream Narrator?

Back in 2012, Flavorwire made a list of their ideal celeb narrators for classic and modern novels, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt for The Catcher in the Rye. Which got us thinking...

• What is your favorite book?
• Who would your ideal narrator be?
• Would you include sound effects/music or just stick to the narrator's voice?

A lot of movies (many of them based on books) have main characters that narrate the action. But what actor would you love to narrate your favorite audiobook?

Comment with your audiobook dreamcast!

PS don't forget that you can download audiobooks for FREE! All you need is your library card! Here's the link to the downloadable media page through our library (OneClick is for audiobooks), and here's a list of all the supported devices.
You guys, I use these services all the time. They're supercool.

Children's/YA Movie Adaptations!! (Masterpost)

There are so many YA movie adaptations hitting screens. Before we begin, I'll just say: SPOILER ALERT. Now, let's break it up by book:

The Giver - in theaters now!

• Lois Lowry did an interview...check it out!
• This article from Slate talks about things you might have missed in The Giver book. **Spoiler alert!

If I Stay - in theaters now!

• Here are some observations about If I Stay and why it did/didn't work. **Spoiler alert!

The Maze Runner - release date: September 19, 2014

• Check out this featurette explaining "the rules."

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 - release date: November 21, 2014

• The director of Mockingjay Part 1 talked to Entertainment Weekly and spilled tons of info about the final two movies in the series. Apparently the new movies will break from literary canon and include scenes we never see in the book. The one thing that will stay the same? The love triangle between Katniss/Peeta/Gale.  **Spoiler alert!
• Lorde is in charge of the soundtrack for Mockingjay Part 1! She'll be picking songs for the album and will also be writing a single. She talks about the movies/soundtrack with Billboard.
• There are new posters, and they're fantastic. Mockingjay.net compiled a list of all the posters and where you can find them.

Movies in production:

• The 5th Wave
• A Great and Terrible Beauty
• The Alchemyst
• Aliens on Vacation: The Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast Series
• The Amulet of Samarkand: Bartimaeus Trilogy
• Anna Dressed in Blood
• Angelfall
• Artemis Fowl
• Assassin's Creed
• A Tale Dark & Grimm 
• Attack on Titan
• Before I Fall
• Blackbird
• Blood of Eden series 
• Blood Red Road
• Catherine, Called Birdy
• Children of Paranoia
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair (in the juvenile section)
• Chronicles of Nick
• Half-Blood
• Dark Hunter series
• The Darkest Minds series
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone
• DC movies, + Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice + Justice League + Suicide Squad
• Delirium
• Divergent Series (Insurgent, Allegiant - Part 1, Allegiant - Part 2)
• The Diviners 
• Down a Dark Hall
• The DUFF
• Dumplin'
• Eleanor & Park
• Elusion
• An Ember in the Ashes
• Embrace
• Endgame
• Fae
• Fallen
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (screenplay by Queen Jo!)
• The Fire Sermon
• The Forest of Hands and Teeth
• The Finisher
• Firelight
• The Forest of Hands and Teeth
• Frankenstein (starring Daniel Radcliffe!) 
• Goosebumps
• Graceling
• Grasshopper Jungle
• The Graveyard Book
• Heist Society
• The Here and Now
• Hourglass
• House of Night series
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 
• Incarceron
• The Immortal Rules
• The Iron Trail (Magisterium series)
• The Jungle Book
• The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking trilogy)
• The Last Apprentice
• Legend
• Let It Snow
• Leven Thumps
• Lockwood and Co.
• Looking for Alaska
• Looking Glass Wars
• The Lost Books of Merlin
• Lux series
• Madman's Daughter
• Marvel movies, + Deadpool + Fantastic Four reboot
• Matched
• Maximum Ride
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
• A Monster Calls
• Monument 14
• Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes 
• Nerve
• The Night Circus
• Olivia Kidney
• On the Jellicoe Road
• Origin
• The Outliers
• The Paladin Prophecy
• Pan
• Panic
• Paper Towns
• Paranormalcy
• Peter and the Starcatchers
• Pure  
• The Queen of Tearling (with producer/star Emma Watson!)
• The Raven Boys 
• Red Rising
• The Red Queen
• The Last Apprentice series
• The Selection
• Septmius Heap: Magyk
• Shadow and Bone
• Shadow Falls series
• Shatter Me
• Significance
• Soulkeepers
• The Scorpio Races
• Shiver
• Tempest
• The Testing
• This Song Will Save Your Life - also optioned for the stage
• Tiger's Curse
• The Traveler: Fourth Realm Trilogy
• Trylle Trilogy
• Tunnels
• Uglies
• Under the Never Sky  
• Unearthly 
• Unremembered
• Unwind
• Wake
• We Were Liars
• Wicked Lovely
• Wildwood
• Wings
• Wither 
• The Scorch Trials
• If The Maze Runner does well enough, they're going to make the second book in the series into a movie, too! They want to see how much money the movie makes, then maybe start shooting this fall.
• Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Film - maybe in the works?
•  Producers started a crowdfunding campaign to get a second Vampire Academy movie made. You can pick a package and donate toward production. But the deadline is September 5, and they've only raised 15% of their goal.
• Thirteen Reasons Why - maybe in the works?

Available now:

• The Fault in Our Stars
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
• Divergent
• Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters
• How I Live Now
• THG & Catching Fire
• Beautiful Creatures
• The Book Thief
• The Spectacular Now
• Where the Red Ferns Grow
• The Golden Compass
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (in the Juvenile section)
• Old Yeller (in the Juvenile section)
• White Fang (in the Juvenile section)
• Treasure Island (in the Juvenile section)
• The Percy Jackson movies
• The Host
• Inkheart (in the Juvenile section)
• Jumanji (in the Easy section)
• The Polar Express (in the Easy section)
• Shrek (in the Easy section)
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (in the Easy section)
• Madeline (in the Easy section)
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• The Neverending Story
• How I Live Now
• Mary Poppins (in the Juvenile section)
• The Borrowers (in the Juvenile section)
• The Seeker
• Tuck Everlasting
• Matilda (in the Juvenile section)
• James and the Giant Peach (in the Juvenile section)
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (in the Juvenile section)
• The Witches (in the Juvenile section)
• The Wizard of Oz (in the Juvenile section)
• The Lord of the Flies
• Tiger Eyes
• The Outsiders
• Coraline
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (in the Juvenile section)
• Around the World in 80 Days (in the Juvenile section)
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (in the Juvenile section)
• I Am Number Four
• The Hobbit movies (in the Juvenile section)
• The Lord of the Rings series
  
• A Series of Unfortunate Events (in the Juvenile section)
• The Twilight series
• Youth in Revolt
• The Adventures of Tin-Tin (in the Juvenile section)
• City of Ember
• Stardust
• Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
• Bridge to Terabithia (in the Juvenile section)
• A Little Princess (in the Juvenile section)
• The Secret Garden (in the Juvenile section)
• Little Women (in the Juvenile section)
• Spiderwick
• Charlotte's Web (in the Juvenile section)
• Howl's Moving Castle
• The Indian in the Cupboard (in the Juvenile section)
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies
• Eragon
• The Princess Diaries movies
• I Know What You Did Last Summer
• The Neverending Story
• Marvel movies
• DC Comics movies
• The Harry Potter series (in the Juvenile section)
• Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (in the Juvenile section)
• The Chronicles of Narnia movies (in the Juvenile section)
• ...and tons more! Check out the books, then watch the movies!

Also, check out this list of YA books that should be turned into movies! What are your thoughts? Want to see your fave YA book on the big screen? Comment with your suggestions!

Authors Sort Their Characters Into Hogwarts Houses!

At LeakyCon last weekend, BuzzFeed asked famous YA authors to sort some of their characters into Hogwarts houses, and the results are amazing. The photos are here (and the drawings are hilarious--I mean, let's just say that some of these authors should stick to writing *ahem*JohnGreenGayleForman*ahem*), but I'll type them up here:

John Green (The Fault in Our Stars)
Augustus Waters - Ravenclaw
Hazel Grace Lancaster - Gryffindor

John Green (Looking For Alaska)
Alaska - Ravenclaw
Pudge - Hufflepuff

Gayle Forman (If I Stay)
Mia - Gryffindor
Kim - Ravenclaw
Adam - Gryffindor

Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park)
Eleanor - Gryffindor

Rainbow Rowell (Fangirl)
Levi - Hufflepuff

Holly Black (Magisterium: The Iron Trial)
Callum Hunt - Slytherin

Holly Black (The Coldest Girl in Coldtown)
Gavriel - Gryffindor

Holly Black (The Darkest Part of the Forest)
Hazel - Hufflepuff

Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss)
Anna - Ravenclaw
Etienne St. Clair - Gryffindor

Stephanie Perkins (Lola and the Boy Next Door)
Lola - Gryffindor
Cricket Bell - Hufflepuff

Stephanie Perkins (Isla and the Happily Ever After)
Isla - Ravenclaw
Josh - Ravenclaw

Scott Westerfield (Uglies)
Shay - Slytherin
David - Gryffindor
Tally - Gryffindor

Lev Grossman (The Magicians)
Julia - Ravenclaw
Janet - Slytherin
Quentin - Ravenclaw
Alice - Gryffindor


So what do you think?? Are there any that you agree with? What about ones that you disagree with? Comment with your suggestions for characters they didn't sort!

TTT Voting - Starting August 15!

You guys are definitely enjoying the Teens' Top Ten nominee books we received from YALSA. We barely have any on the shelf at any given time! (To know if you have one of these books in particular, see if it has a blue sticker on the spine. It has been chosen.)

Here is the complete list of 25 nominees, including synopses and a cool intro video.

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Of Triton by Anna Banks

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Love In The Time Of Global Warming by Francesca Lia

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau - download it through Overdrive or OneClickDigital

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason - download it through Overdrive

Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray - download it through Freading

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry

Splintered by A. G. Howard

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Monument 14: Sky On Fire by Emmy Laybourne

Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards - download it through Freading

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Winger by Andrew Smith

A Midsummer Night’s Scream by R.L. Stine

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Tucholke

In The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters - download it through OneClickDigital

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

If you see one you really want to read, put a hold on it! Check it out! Read it! Download it! Listen to it! Fall in love with it! Or maybe just have a crush on it. Then you can vote on your favorites when the Teens' Top Ten voting starts on August 15.

What better way to have your voice heard than vote for the Top Ten YA books? Oh right! Comment below with which of the 25 nominees are your faves, or which ones you think should have made the cut!

Before the Summer Ends + HARRY POTTER BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!

It's the end of July! That means you've got some serious summer reading to fit into the last few weeks before school starts up again. To give you some inspiration, check out the following:

• YALSA is having a Teen Blogging Contest for Teen Read Week! If you're passionate about YA lit and love to blog, this is perfect for you. TRW isn't until October--more about that later--but you only have until August 1 (that's Friday!) to sign up for the contest! Click here for more information.
• This one isn't just for the girls! Meg Medina, author of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass and The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind, and Gigi Amateau, author of Claiming Georgia Tate and Come August, Come Freedom, made a summer reading list of books about amazing girls. This list is awesome, and should be required reading for any kid, in my opinion. (I'm still working my way through some of them!) Fun fact: Both authors live in Richmond!
• Veronica Roth did an interview with Goodreads about her Divergent trilogy and subsequent prequel(ish) quartet of short stories about the male lead, Four. It has some major spoilers, so don't read it unless you've read at least up to Allegiant. Before you go back to school, this is a perfect time to get caught up on one of the hottest literary trends of the past few years! Then read the interview to get some questions answered for you.

The coolest and most awesome thing you can do before July ends is come to the Harry Potter birthday party we're having at the library tomorrow night! It's going to have everything: Butterbeer, Hagrid's (cup)cakes, wandmaking at Ollivander's, the Sorting Hat, and even Quidditch. That's right--the JMU Quidditch Team is going to be here to teach us the greatest wizarding sport ever and help us play a game. It's going to be amazing, so put on your best HP costume and come to the Main branch to throw Harry Potter the best birthday party he never had!

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

7/31/2014

Teens (ages 11-17) are invited to celebrate Harry Potter's birthday by drinking butterbeer, making your own wand, and playing his favorite wizarding sport with the JMU Quidditch team. You'll even be sorted into one of the Hogwarts Houses!

Location:

Main Library-downtown Harrisonburg

Bonus Post: New eBooks!!

I've told you before about how you can check books out online. Well since you guys did such an awesome job of doing just that in June, we're getting some more ebooks for you guys to borrow! Isn't that amazing?! And I was allowed to give you guys a sneak peak into an eBook you can check out starting tomorrow. Wanna know what it is? Well do you? I'll give you a hint: I talk about it all the time on here.

That's right! Starting tomorrow, you can check out TFIOS through your phone, e-reader, tablet, computer--you name it! Simply go to our website, click "Downloadable Media" on the left, and click on the Overdrive button. (You have to go through our website to see what's available through your card.) You can browse through our entire online collection or just select "All Teen" to see just YA books.

Overdrive works just like the library, just through the interwebs. You can put up to three items on hold, and your checkouts last two weeks. You just don't have to worry about returning it to the library; it will disappear after your checkout time is up (which is great because I forget all the time). We get new books constantly, so keep checking to see what's available.

Also check out our other online lending services! Freading also has eBooks, Zinio has magazines, and OneClick is for audiobooks. (Don't forget that audiobooks count on your summer reading!) We also have all of these resources for you to look at/download. We're just full of free gifts!

Also, check out SYNC. They give away two audiobooks a week--one current YA and one book that's more likely to be on your summer reading list for school. It's only available until August 13, so take advantage of it now!

You only have a few weeks of summer left, so why not spend it getting some fun reading in before you have to worry about homework again?

Comic Book News!

• Marvel made some huge announcements this week:
• Thor is now a lady! (The Huffington Post has a great article about comic book representation of females and minorities, btw.)
• Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/The Falcon in Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier) will be taking over the role of Captain America in the next installment! If you've watched him on the press tour for The Winter Soldier, you'll see that he's absolutely hilarious, and he's probably the biggest fan of the movie--and his own character--than anyone else.  Check out this interview he did with NPR in April.
• Marvel also announced five new films from 2017-2019. CinemaBlend laid it out for us (adding in "two mystery projects"):

• Guardians of the Galaxy - August 1, 2014
• The Avengers: Age of Ultron - May 1, 2015
• Ant-Man - July 17, 2015
• Captain America 3 - May 6, 2016
• Untitled Project - July 8, 2016
• Untitled Project - May 5, 2017
• Untitled Project - July 28, 2017
• Untitled Project - November 3, 2017
• Untitled Project - July 6, 2018
• Untitled Project - November 2, 2018
• Untitled Project - May 3, 2019

Get excited, guys!! 

• Bad news for Archie comics fans! **Spoiler alert!
• Archie died in last week's issue. Check out CNN's article to learn how it happens, including comic panel pages.
• But don't worry! The comic won't end. It will apparently still take place in an "alternate timeline." Abed from Community would be concerned.
• Batman is turning 75!
  Well not really Bruce Wayne himself, but the comics are! How can you celebrate, you ask?
• Well, you could read them. We have Batman books in just about every section of the library.
• You could also check out the 1960's TV show. It's being released on DVD for the first time ever! POW!
• Or if you want something a little more current, they're adapting the comics into a new TV show. It's called Gotham, and it's going to air this fall. It takes a look back at Bruce Wayne as a kid but really focuses on Commissioner Gordon's start when he was still a cop. The website is already up and trailers are out. Here's one:

What do you guys think? Does it do Bob Kane's comic justice? Or does it follow too much in Christopher Nolan's footsteps? Or is it just blech? Comment with your thoughts!

(Personally I really love Batman so a Batman TV show is a big deal for me and I don't know what to think about this can't we just rewatch the Michael Keaton/Tim Burton Batman again???

 

This should keep you guys satisfied throughout ComicCon weekend, right? Right??

The Heroes of Olympus Update + Percy Jackson Book!!!

Rick Riordan gave his fans a plethora of amazing spoilers on his blog. Let's bullet point this:

• If you've downloaded the short story "The Staff of Serapis," which features Annabeth Chase + Sadie Kane, you'll get a sneak peek of the first chapter of The Blood of Olympus. (Here's a sample of the first few pages of "The Staff of Serapis"!)
• BTW, here's the cover for the final book in The Heroes of Olympus series, due to be released October 7:

• RR also released some info about the book itself, including its length (about as long as the others) and what will happen at the end (no epilogue or cliffhangers but complete closure for the characters and story arc!).
• Before that, though, you can read Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, and the illustrations look bananas. (Not like actual fruit bananas, but like, "it's so cool, it's making me crazy, like I'm 'going bananas.'" You guys remember Gwen Stefani, right??)

 

• RR also mentioned what his next two projects are going to be and MAN, they sound good!!
• His next series will be based on Norse mythology! It will be released Fall 2015, though the title (and some hints??) will be revealed at the end of The Blood of Olympus. 
• Also, here's a quote directly from RR:

Other things going on: I am presently writing the third crossover story in the Kane/Percy Jackson saga, in which Percy, Sadie, Carter and Annabeth finally team up all together. This will be told from Percy's point of view, a la the 'old school' Percy Jackson novels. I'm having a lot of fun with it. I'll get you more info -- the title, the publication date -- as soon as it's all confirmed.

!!! Worlds are colliding, guys! I'm going to wear out the + key on my keyboard, talking about Pecy + Sadie + Carter + Annabeth.
• THE LOST HERO GRAPHIC NOVEL LOOKS SO GOOOOOOD!

• RR also mentioned he's going on a book tour starting October 7 to promote The Blood of Olympus, as well as the new paperback boxset that's been released.

It's just been a really exciting week for RR/Percy Jackson fans. If you're not up-to-date on any of his books--or if you want to read them over again--check them out from MRL!

Photo credits: Rick Riordan, Nate Powell, someone named Wes? Sorry Wes, I don't know you, but cool bed. Very Rocko's Modern Life.