In My Mailbox (#3)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.

This week the only thing I got was Tuck Everlasting. I saw it at the bookstore and remembered how much I love it, so I bought it.

How about you? Did you get something far more interesting this week? Probably. Should you link me to it in the comments? Probably.

Booking Through Thursday (#3)

This week's Booking Through Thursday question:

“How would a teen-age boy who is going to work with his hands ever use Literature of England in his work?”

The age-old “How am I going to use this in real life?” question. How would you answer it?

I feel like this comes down to about three options:

1) Critical reading: Almost anywhere a person ends up working, they'll need to know how to read and understand it. And even if it's not understanding Jane Austen or Shakespeare, it still teaches you to think as you read.

2) How life was: For the most part, Literature of England (I'm assuming this is a class) would probably teach older Lit (Austen, Shakespeare, Bronte), which would help show how life used to be. It may not be beneficial to the work itself, but I would argue that it's still good to know what it was like.

3) It won't: Maybe neither of the other two are correct and Literature of England won't be useful one bit. Other than teaching you that sometimes we have to do stuff that is seemingly useless and we hate. 

But that's just my opinion? What do you think?

Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson (QR)

Title: Scarlett Fever
(Suite Scarlett #2)
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Point (Feb. 1, 2010)

(Spoilers in summary below, if you've not read SS#1. Highlight with caution.)
Faced with her family's financial woes, Scarlett has taken on the job of assistant/indentured servant to a newly minted theatrical agent, professional eccentric Mrs. Amy Amberson. Scarlett ends up at the beck and the call of a Broadway star (her own age!), dealing with territorial doormen, and walking a small dog with insecurity issues -- all while starting her sophomore year at one of New York's most rigorous high schools.* 

---

When I picked up Scarlett Fever, I was expecting a book I would like just as much as Suite Scarlett, and Maureen Johnson did not disappoint. To be honest, I could just direct you toward my review of Suite Scarlett, and you'd understand what I loved about Scarlett Fever as well. Full of craziness, Scarlett made me want (once again) to jump into the Martin family and hang out with the gang. 

Iffy Broadway shows, oddly nice siblings, and surprising plot twists? Definitely a book you should check out. Then again, who would expect less of a book dedicated to ABBA?

*summary is a partial from inside jacket

"Waiting On" Wednesday (#2)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine.

This week's WoW is...

The Last Little Blue Envelope

(Little Blue Envelope #2)

by Maureen Johnson 

April 26, 2011

13 Little Blue Envelopes was the first Maureen Johnson book I read and also when I fell in love with her. So now I can't wait to find out all about that thirteenth envelope!

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (QR)

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Authors: Rachel Cohn and
David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for
Young Readers (Oct. 26, 2010)

Imagine this:
You're in your favorite bookstore, scanning the shelves. You get to the section where a favorite author's books reside, and there, nestled in comfortably between the incredibly familiar spines, sits a red notebook.
What do you do?
The choice, I think, is obvious:
You take down the red notebook and open it.
And then you do whatever it tells you to do.*

---

I don't have much to say about this, other than that it was adorable and very clever. I'm not really sure why I enjoyed this so much; it's hard to pinpoint one thing. Maybe it was the whole idea of the notebook. Maybe it's that I love scavenger hunts, and that's what this reminded me of. Maybe it was the awesome cover. Or maybe it was the idea of winter in the city. No matter what it was, I definitely suggest it. 

*excerpt from book (pg. 1)