at Barnes & Nobles' teen book fest, testing them out for my students. The first, which I just finished, is Don't Get Caught: Let the Prank War Begin by Kurt Dinan.



It was hysterical, and I'll pass it on to my grandson in high school since it's a bit mature for my middle schoolers, at least, for me to provide them from the classroom.

I'll have to keep an eye out for that one. Thank you for keeping our young people aware of books.

While I haven't convinced every single one of my rural students from illiterate families to love books, most of them increase their levels of appreciation while they are with me.

Today they'll be spending time with the book I found in the bargain bin:

This is an interesting and fun read. It is the retelling of The Last Colony as told by a 15-17 year old girl. I'd be really interested in the opinion of women who remember how they and their friends were as teenager girls if Scalzi gets it right.

Zoe is like her 90 year old Dad all about irony and sarcasm. She meets her BFF Gretchen who is cut from the same cloth. The Last Colony was a good read and this one is turning out to be good in a whole 'nother way.

I can't post without mentioning the horror that has struck once again, this time in Orlando. It makes for a sad Sunday. The President is soon to speak for the 15th time on this kind of mass slaughter. As bad as I feel, I think of this man.

I was once a 15-17 year old girl, and I even remember some of it. You made me curious so I hied myself on over to my library website, but they don't have it. I'll have to scout around to see if I can find a copy somewhere, sometime.

Yeah, I know. I would so like to think that this is the last time he will have to make this speech, but it's only June. SMH

Reading "The Residence, Inside the Private World of the White House".

Just finished "All the Light We Cannot See"

Like all three a lot. Very different.

is such a wonderful book. It sure stays with you. Well, it did with me anyway.

I keep hearing about that Garth Stein book so I guess that's a sign I need to seek it out. Thanks.

Tallgrass, by Sandra Dallas

Her life turned upside-down when a Japanese internment camp is opened in their small Colorado town, Rennie witnesses the way her community places suspicion on the newcomers when a young girl is murdered, an event that prompts Rennie's own perspective change and the discovery of dangerous secrets. By the author of New Mercies.

There was a Japanese internment camp near the area I lived in northern Colorado. I remember learning about it in 5th grade civics & being horrified that we did that here in the USA.

Learned about them in maybe 6th, 7th grade. No one in my family ever said anything about them. Kind of a big embarrassment back then, I guess. We're not always the good guys.

Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate
by Rose George

She is a very good writer, who spent a few months on a cargo carrier, one of the ships of the famous Maersk line.
And she shows, indeed, why 90% of everything we use in our daily lives comes to us by cargo ship now.

There is a whole section about pirates, from the point of view of the ship owners/crew, and of the pirates and of the various governments who try to control them.

If you are one of those who enjoy " How things work" type of books, this is a good one.

best of all, like 90% of my books, this one is a hardcover, on amazon, for one penny plus 3.99 for shipping.

She worked on a Maersk carrier in the kitchen in order to make a journey, back in the 70s. I guess it was quite the adventure although I don't think there were any pirates. I'll have to tell her about this book.

I also have Dog will have his Day by Fred Vargas; all her titles seem a bit odd but she writes well. I wish I had enough French to read her in the original. She chose the pen name Vargas after seeing Ava Gardner in The Barefoot Contessa. I also have another Wodehouse, Very Good Jeeves.

how did she come up with the name Fred?
JK, I looked it up. Her name is Frederique and I think I've just fallen in love. She sounds, and looks, like a fascinating woman. And her books - ooh la la. My favorite little online bookstore has several available so I'm going to get a few. I spent some time in Paris back in the 80s so I love reading mysteries that take place there. Plus, her translator is highly regarded. Merci for sharing this one.

Everyone was reading the Scandinavian police procedurals at the time, and they all seemed so dour. There had to be a sunnier alternative. The French surely write crime fiction, I thought. I've read all her police novels . The one i have now is part of a new series, and I'm looking forward to it.