Neon Angel by Cherie Currie

Late one night I was flipping through the channel guide looking for anything to watch.  I came across a just starting movie The Runaways.  I knew Joan Jett and Lita Ford were both part of the all-girl rock group and knew one of their songs was "Cherry Bomb".  Then I saw Kristen Stewart was playing Joan Jett.  I actually laughed out loud.  Really?  Ridiculous.  Now I have to watch just to see what a train wreck this movie was going to be. 

And I was so very wrong.

Stewart was absolutely amazing as Jett.  Dakota Fanning played Cherie Currie, the lead vocalist and was equally amazing.  I was totally blown away by the movie. 

That's why I had to read this memoir by Currie. 

From what I gather, The Runaways was based on Currie's first edition of the memoir.  In her afterword, she states this edition includes a lot more of the bad side of things than her "YA" version.  The movie does not include many of the details in this edition, and there are a lot of really, really, awful things that happen to Currie.  It almost makes the movie seem fictionalized with how much is left out.

The memoir is not an easy read.  These teenage girls grew up way too fast, on the road, unsupervised, and taken advantage of.  While Jett and Ford went on to have successful solo careers, Currie's life after the band was a hot mess until she got clean.

I'll be donating this once we return to school! 

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Brass by Xhenet Aliu

I intended to sit, relax, and read today while my husband works.  I started this yesterday afternoon.  I won't be reading it today as I read it in one evening.  I could not put it down.  It was THAT good. 

When this came in on a water money order, I was interested by the cover.  The cars in the picture are the kinds my family would've turned into race cars for Waterford in the early 90s.  So when I flipped open the cover, read the jacket description, and saw this was set in Waterbury in 1996, I added it to my "take out this summer after inventory" list.  I'm so glad I did.

Let's review a few important facts.  I was 16 in 1996.  Our main character was 19.  Waterbury isn't too far away.  A LOT of what Elsie describes is within my own memory.  Industry leaving Connecticut, city diners, grunge.  I had pregnant friends in 1996.  Fast forward to Luljeta's story, Elsie's daughter.  Some of those kids, the children of my pregnant friends, have now been my students, awaiting their college acceptance letters just like Luljeta.  Lulu grows up not knowing her father except for her mother's disdain for him.  She doesn't know her family right in Waterbury, family that doesn't know what happened to the baby girl she once was.  I grew up not knowing the cousins I had just two streets over.

For me, this story hit so close to home.  I cried a lot.  I smiled at Elsie's memories that could've been my own.  I felt I knew Luljeta as one of my former students.  I know I'm sounding mushy which is not typical of me, but seriously, this may go on my all time favorite list. 

Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS. Tweet what you're reading this summer #whhssummerread.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

Ready for Summer Reading!

Welcome back to the WHHS Library book review blog!  A friendly reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are SOLELY those of Mrs. W. and do NOT represent the views of any other WHHS staff member or WHHS as a whole.

Now on to it...

Here is my summer reading list so far (in no particular order):
Finding Apeman by M.G. Higgins--removed from a local library collection*
The Jazz of Physics by Stephon Alexander--because Jazz Band and science*
Heart of Ash by Kim Liggett--sequel to Blood and Salt+ 
And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich--student recommendation*
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds--Coretta Scott King and Newberry Honors*
Love, Janis by Laura Joplin--I love Janis and another of her biographies is a CT State Summer Reading book for high school this year+
Neon Angel by Cherie Currie--saw the movie and was BLOWN AWAY+
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan--WWII historical fiction with a female lead*
Brass by Xhenet Aliu--set in Waterbury*
Legendary by Stephanie Garber--sequel to Caraval+
Scrapbooks: An American History--a pictorial*

*denotes books from the WHHS Library collection
+deonotes books that will be donated by Mrs. W. in September

This summer, remember to get out the word about what you're reading.  Tweet with #whhssummerread (two H, two S, two M, two R), post to the English department Padlets, submit a Google review form, add your titles to the West Haven Public Library site.  There are lots of ways to share what you've read.  Best of all, no matter which way you share, your participation will be recorded--meaning if there are rewards, prizes, or raffles, you'll be part of all them.  Miss Fanelli (English), Mr. Consorte (Social Studies), Ms. Kym (at WHPL), and myself will all be cross-referencing each other's participants this year as a pilot program!  So, GET READING!

Good luck on your remaining exams!  Have a happy and safe summer!

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Summer Reading Information

Summer Reading Links can be found on this Google Slide.  You must be signed in to your school Google account (ending in apps.whschools.org).

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gIz0doSALPlE54WnyuswECcVPVrKrUSyYunEVURD6hQ/edit?usp=sharing

Happy Reading!

On Hiatus

The WHHS LMC book review blog is taking an extended break for personal and professional reasons.
Check back soon!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

A few days ago my son told me he wanted to see Ready Player One over April vacation.  I have a personal rule to always read the book before seeing the movie.  I took this out for my son to read.  Not only did he read it in one day, he said I would really like and to read it as well. While it's not going on any of my all-time favorites lists, I did enjoy it and am looking forward to the movie.

A rich gamer legend dies and leaves his fortune to the player who can crack his clues and Easter eggs (side note: listen up kids, gaming Easter eggs have been around a lot longer than you think; us old folks played games with them too....MANY years ago).  First one to solve the final puzzle wins.  Every gamer wants to win, but most importantly beat a power-hungry conglomerate.

Imagine trying to find Willy Wonka's golden tickets inside a virtual Escape the Room inside an even bigger virtual Escape the Room.

Definitely a quick, enjoyable read.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

WORTH. THE. WAIT.

My son and I pre-ordered this the moment it appeared on Amazon.  Months and months of waiting.  We had to buy two because he and I could not agree which one of us would get to read it first.  Mine is now being donated to the WHHS LMC.

You most definitely need to read Illuminae and Gemina to understand this, the finale of the trilogy.  I reviewed Gemina here, but Illuminae I read for other purposes.  That being said, it did not make a final list somewhere on a technicality.  It might be on another list which will be coming out May 1st.  Infer what you will.

There is so much happening in this non-traditional novel.  Just like its predecessors, the story is told in journal entries, video transcriptions, court records, drawings, photographs, and the sort-of conscience of a murderous artificially intelligent computer system, AIDAN. 

AIDAN, for lack of a better phrase, kills it in this book.  It's amazing that a computer system can be this developed as a character.  Like ugly-crying inducing developed.  And although not a cliff hanger, the door is open for AIDAN to maybe appear again somewhere.

Find this on display with our new books next week!

Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
Tweet what you're reading #whhs #read

All opinion expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.