Library Ninja: Books

Yup. It's Friday. And you know what that means.

Publisher's Summary: On board the moletrain Medes, Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt: the giant mole bursting from the earth, the harpoonists targeting their prey, the battle resulting in one’s death and the other’s glory. But no matter how spectacular it is, Sham can't shake the sense that there is more to life than traveling the endless rails of the railsea–even if his captain can think only of the hunt for the ivory-coloured mole she’s been chasing since it took her arm all those years ago. When they come across a wrecked train, at first it's a welcome distraction. But what Sham finds in the derelict—a series of pictures hinting at something, somewhere, that should be impossible—leads to considerably more than he'd bargained for. Soon he's hunted on all sides, by pirates, trainsfolk, monsters and salvage-scrabblers. And it might not be just Sham's life that's about to change. It could be the whole of the railsea.

From China Miéville comes a novel for readers of all ages, a gripping and brilliantly imagined take on Herman Melville's Moby-Dick that confirms his status as "the most original and talented voice to appear in several years."

Why we love it: It's China Mieville. The End. Just kidding. I do enjoy Mieville's writing, but I will be the first to admit that he is not for everyone. Still, I hope that the fantastic cover and Publisher's Summary earn him some new readers! I like the idea that the railroad tracks that stretch across a country are referred to as a "railsea". How cool is that? Yet...I can't help but see something sinister about the train. I blame this on Stephen King. After reading about Blaine the Mono in The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, sometimes I think of trains as a bit creepy.

Again, my love for book covers with the gray colors wins out. The title of the book look as if someone twisted pieces of metal and suspended them just above the tracks. In the distance we see what I imagine to be a fast-approaching train. In the foreground, just to the right and hidden a bit, is something with wheels that is sparking along the side of the tracks. I have absolutely no idea what it is (if you do, let me know!), but I hope it gets out of the way before the train hits that part of the tracks!

We don't yet have this book at APL, but we do have it on our list to order, so keep your eye on our catalog.

A quick note before we get into the meat of this Cover Lover. It has been brought to my attention that I have driven a number of ninja minions absolutely bonkers by occasionally posting a Cover Lover for books that we don't yet have at the Arlington Public Library. All I can say to that is...MWUA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAA!!! Just kidding. But really, when I post a book that we don't yet have, rest assured that I have either put in a request for that book to be purchased, or it is just too early for the book to be ordered. And now...on to the book!

Publisher's Summary: Jack is babysitting for the summer on an isolated island with no Wi-Fi, no cell service, and no one else around but a housekeeper and two very peculiar children. He immediately senses something sinister-and it's not just the creepy black house he's living in. Soon he is feeling terribly isolated and alone, but then he discovers there are others. The problem is, he's the only who can see them. As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy…Or is he?

Where does reality end and insanity begin? The Turn of the Screw reinvented for modern-day teens, by National Book Award finalist Francine Prose.

Why we love it: Creepy. Foreboding. Eerie. Why do I love most of the book covers that I love? Usually for the creepy factor, and this one has plenty. I'm always drawn to eerie images done in grays and rusts and this image is a perfect example. There are many rooms to this house, many levels, and quite a few of them eeriely lit by what look like flickering candles. I absolutely love the almost dizzying placement of the book's title on the roof of the house and the bits of fog at the edge of the water. I can't resist a story that takes place in a creepy house. Plus, Francine Prose is a smart and fascinating writer. This one is definitely going on my GoodReads to read list!

* If you use GoodReads.com, be sure to enter to win a copy of The Turning.

Publisher's Summary: Chuck Taylor’s OCD has rendered him a high school outcast. His endless routines and habitual hand washing threaten to scare away both his closest friend and the amazing new girl in town. Sure he happens to share the name of the icon behind the coolest sneakers in the world, but even Chuck knows his bizarre system of wearing different color “Cons” depending on his mood is completely crazy.

In this hilariously candid debut novel from comedian Aaron Karo—who grew up with a few obsessions and compulsions of his own—very bad things are going to happen to Chuck. But maybe that’s a good thing. Because with graduation looming, Chuck finds himself with one last chance to face his inner demons, defend his best friend, and win over the girl of his dreams. No matter what happens, though, he’ll have to get his hands dirty.

Why we love it: Some of the library staff (i.e., ALL OF THEM) like to make fun of me because on most days I wear at least one item of clothing  - a shirt or socks - that is striped. I don't know when or how it started, but I have a thing for stripes. I also really like posters and flyers that have really bright colors like orange. This book cover has both! Huzzah! Add to that a Chuck Taylor shoe is green (my favorite color!) and I am a happy, happy girl when I look at this book.

The font is fairly generic, but treated well with a blue outline and some slight drop shadowing (the slight black behind and around the text). But the letter O's! There is the real fun with a Chuck Taylor star imbedded in the word Con in order to represent Converse. And the O in Lexapro? Well, Lexpro is a drug used to treat anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. I've seen at least one reviewer online who was upset at the possible product placement of both Converse and Lexapro, but I still think the cover is clever and I can't wait to read this when it comes in at the library!

I know there are lots of Divergent fans out there. Some of our library staff are fans (including myself). HarperTeen has put together a really cool contest that spans multiple blogs. Different blogs represent the different factions from Divergent. Each faction's job is to get the most traffic to their own site during the month of April. And there are PRIZES for folks who participate, including:

Those aren't the only prizes, but they are the only ones I am telling you about right now! And why, other than the fact that I loved Divergent, am I so excited about this contest? Because our beloved Hafsah from IceyBooks is on Team Abnegation! Let's help her and the rest of the team win by showing our selflessness and helping others. Visit Team Abnegation's blog for more information on how to help and how to win prizes!