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Reading, Wellington, and whatever else – teenblog@wcl.govt.nz

Month: August 2010

The Clockwork Angel Book Trailer

Today is the official publication date for The Clockwork Angel, the first in the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare (author of the Mortal Instruments series), and here is the official book trailer:

book cover courtesy of AmazonI wonder about book trailers and whether they’re a good idea – do you want to see what the characters and landscapes look like in a book trailer before reading? Hm. Anyway, the library copies will be ready for borrowing soon (they need library-proofing and cataloguing and whatnot first). If you haven’t reserved it yet and you’re interested in reading it you can do it now!

Reviews As Haikus

kele

Kele – The Boxer

Bloc Party frontman
releases solo debut,
the indie kids dance.

moby

Moby – Go, the best of Moby

Outspoken vegan
makes enough singles to just-
-ify a best of.

stroke

Various Artists – Stroke: songs for Chris Knox

Tributes for legends
should all be as good as this.
Get well soon, Chris Knox.

marina and the diamonds

Marina and the Diamonds – The Family Jewels

“I’m from Ancient Greece”
– Marina Diamandis
That’s a weird claim, huh?

groove armada

Groove Armada – Black Light

It’s the “dark album”
hi-NRG synth-pop tunes
abound on their sixth

as i am

Alicia Keys – As I am : the super edition

What makes it super?
The DVD probably.
Soulful as usual.

basement jaxx

Basement Jaxx – Singles

Another dance group
collects songs and puts them on
a disc. Repackage.

sia

Sia – We are born

Sunshine pop from a
blonde-haired, blue-eyed lady from
the antipodes.

Nesian Mystik – 99AD

The Nesian Mystiks
return, Scribe shows up, so does
a guy called Wise. Chur.

 

More DVDs Than I Can Believe

The Last Song

last songSeventeen, angry, and alienated from her estranged father, Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Miller’s life gets turned inside out when her mother forces her to spend the summer with him in the small Georgia beach town where he lives. Here, Ronnie finds salvation, friendship, second chances, and first love. Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and starring Miley Cyrus.

Animal Farm

animal farmIn 1954, a revolutionary animated feature hit screens across the world. George Orwell’s Animal farm told the story of animals staging a coup, taking over the land from their tyrannical master Farmer Jones and discovering the pitfalls of social order. Led by Snowball and Napoleon, the two most intelligent pigs on Manor Farm; the animals set out to create a life of equality, harmony and prosperity. Life runs smoothly at first but gradually Napoleon sees the chance to seize power above and beyond the others. He orchestrates the removal of the altruistic Snowball and assumes control of the farm. “Pig rule” is established with the animals finding themselves exploited once again. They dimly remember under the revolution that “all animals are equal”– though some obviously more so than others. – Cover

Racing Stripes and The Adventures Of Milo And Otis (double feature)

“Racing stripes” – During a fierce thunderstorm in rural Kentucky, a young zebra is accidentally left behind by a travelling circus. He is found by former champion horse trainer Nolan Walsh and ‘Stripes’ is quickly adopted as a favourite pet by his daughter Channing.

“The adventures of Milo and Otis” – Join a curious kitten named Milo and his inseparable buddy, a pug nosed pup named Otis, as the fall, frolic, scramble, glide and tumble through one exciting escapade after another in this acclaimed live action movie adventure narrated by comedian Dudley Moore.

Futurama : Season One

futuramaFry, a pizza guy is accidentally frozen in 1999 and thawed out New Year’s Eve 2999. Shenanigans ensue in a crazy future you’ve never imagined… Unless you’ve imagined booze-powered robots, foxy cyclopses and semi-literate lobsters that is. The Emmy award winning animated comedy from Simpsons creator Matt Groening.

Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins

scooby doo“What brings best friends together? For Daphne, Velma, Fred, Shaggy and Shaggy’s spunky pup Scooby-Doo, it’s a mystery! The feature-length live-action Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins original movie takes you back to when four teenage sleuths (plus one dog detective) first met. Unjustly accused of staging a spooky practical joke complete with ghosts, the kids are suspended from Coolsville High. To clear their names, they team to solve the supernatural mystery– and head straight into nonstop laughs and adventure. Special fun, special friends and extra-special effects make this “how-it-all-began” story – from boy-meets-dog to the first trip in the Mystery Machine and more – a doggone great time!” – Cover

Barbershop 2 : Back In Business

barbershop 2When slick new hairdressers Nappy Cutz opens across the road from his barbershop, Calvin and his haircutters must make a stand to save the shop from bankruptcy, and the neighbourhood from a shady development deal. Starring Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer and Queen Latifah.

The Princess Diaries and The Ice Princess (double feature)

“The princess diaries” – A hilarious, hip and heart-warming modern day Cinderella story. Mia, a shy and gawky teenager who survives each school day with minimum attention, discovers the shocking news that she’s a real life princess.

“Ice princess” – Though she longs to become a graceful figure skater, gawky Casey Carlyle is only a brainy misfit with a strong willed mother pushing her towards a top university. But when Casey uses her head and follows her heart, she’ll find herself transformed beyond her wildest dreams.

Sorority Boys, My Boss’s Daughter and 10 Things I Hate About You (triple feature)

“Sorority boys” – “When three broke playboy chauvinists are thrown out of their college fraternity, they find themselves drawn to one last desperate hope for free room and board – the D.O.G. house, the Delta Omicron Gamma sorority. With a little makeup and some pantyhose, our heroes go undercover in ‘enemy’ camp while they try to figure out how to get back in the fraternity” – Cover

“My boss’s daughter” – “When ambitious junior executive Tom Stansfield accepts an invitation to the stately home of his grouchy boss, he thinks it’s for a big date with his boss’s sexy daughter. But Tom instead gets a big surprise when he’s expected to house-sit! And while he’s left to hold down the fort, Tom’s out-of-control coworkers begin showing up ready to party!” – Cover

“10 things I hate about you” – “On the first day at his new school, Cameron falls for Bianca, the gorgeous girl of his dreams! The only problem is that Bianca is forbidden to date– until her ill-tempered, completely un-dateable older sister Kat goes out too! In an attempt to solve his problem, Cameron singles out the only guy who could possibly be a match for Kat: a mysterious bad-boy with a nasty reputation of his own!” – Cover

Planet Of The Apes : Definitive Edition

“In the year 2029, interstellar reconnaissance missions are relegated to chimpanzee pilots from the space station Oberon in deep space. On one mission, a chimp loses communication and vanishes from the radar. Fearless astronaut Leo Davidson launches a rescue mission and lands on a jungle-like planet not unlike the earth. To Leo’s astonishment, English-speaking apes and primitive humans inhabit the planet. Following his capture by the apes and subsequent escape, Leo leads a rebellion against an overpowering ape force that will result in freedom or complete annihilation” – Cover

Lord Of The Flies

“When a plane carrying several dozen English schoolboys crashes on an uninhabited tropical island, the children are left to fend for themselves. Leadership is left to two very different boys – the charismatic and dependable Ralph, and the macho, wild Jack. Soon the island becomes split between Ralph’s sensible followers and Jack’s violence “hunters”, and the true nature of humanity is revealed as the film reaches its electrifying and disturbing climax” – Cover

Resident Evil : Apocalypse

Heroine Alice is thrust back into the war against the bloodthirsty undead and the fight against the powerful Umbrella Corporation, and is pitted against a super-human super-weapon, who has been unleashed to destroy her. Starring Milla Jovovich.

The Cake Eaters

Easy Kimbrough is the patriarch of the family and the local butcher. He is grieving over the recent loss of his wife, Ceci. He hides his secret ongoing affair. Beagle is his youngest son who was left to care for his ailing mother. He works in the local high school cafeteria by day but wants to paint street signs. Guy is the oldest son who has been away from the family for years while pursuing his rock star dreams. He learns of his mother’s passing, but misses the funeral. When Guy returns home, the family begins to unravel. Beagle’s pent up emotions connect with Georgia Kaminski, a terminally ill teenage girl wanting to experience love before it’s too late. Easy’s long time affair with Marg, Georgia’s eccentric grandmother, is finally exposed to Beagle and Guy. Guy discovers that while he was gone, his high school sweetheart has started a family of her own. Through it all, the Kimbrough’s and Kaminski’s manage to establish a new beginning in the face of their greatest fears.

Turn It Loose

Sixteen of the world’s best B-Boys battle one on one in a disused power station in the heart of Soweto, South Africa, to determine who will be the next world champion. TURN IT LOOSE is a film about the ‘BC One’ competition. Through the eyes of six competitors we leave behind any preconceived notions of what breakdance used to represent, and as the film digs deep, we discover an extraordinary form of non-contact combat that has evolved over 30 years to become a truly global 21st century phenomenon.

The Mummy Trilogy

“Brendan Fraser is the intrepid Rick O’Connell, braving supernatural danger and battling legions of undead Mummies across the world, from the burning desert sands of Egypt to the freezing Himalayas and the Great Wall of China. See the entire Mummy trilogy unfold with deadly enemies like the Dragon Emperor, fearsome monsters and spectacular white knuckle adventure!” – Cover

Watch Suzanne Collins read the first chapter of Mockingjay

Mockingjay has now officially been released to the world (we don’t quite have it yet but soon), which means there are finally sneaky peaks to be had on the internet (there were strict rules about this), for example this one: Suzanne Collins reading the first chapter of the book –

So what’s Mockingjay then and why all the hype? If you’ve been too busy with vampires you might not have read The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins, which we recommend (some of us have put a Librarian’s Choice sticker on it). The Hunger Games takes its inspiration from reality TV shows, the ancient gladiator culture, and Greek mythology. In a dystopic future America which is controlled by the Capitol and the slimy President Snow, teenagers and children are annually thrown into an arena in a fight to the death (last one alive wins). Catching Fire was the second (we do strongly recommend you read them in order).

The Newest DVDs

Sounds Like Teen Spirit

sounds lie teen spiritFollow the journey of four aspiring artists as they showcase their talents in Europe’s largest child song-writing contest: the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Be touched by the candid stories and insights from 10-year-old Giorgos from Cyprus, 13-year-old Mariam from Georgia, 14-year-old Marina from Bulgaria and 15-year-old Laurens from Belgium.

Bring It On : Fight To The Finish

bring it onChristina Milian stars as sassy cheer captain Lina Cruz, whose world is turned upside-down when her family moves from the urban streets of East Los Angeles to the sunny beach town of Malibu. At her new school, Lina clashes with Avery, the ultra-competitive all-star cheer captain, while also falling for Avery’s super-cute brother, Evan. Lina’s always been able to rise to a challenge, but can she create a new all-star squad, beat Avery at the Spirit Championships and still keep her romance with Evan?

The Sarah Jane Adventures : The Complete First Series

sarah janeThis dramatic complete first series is set to excite and thrill as Sarah Jane and her trusted teenage companions, Luke, Clyde and Maria, battle against Slitheens, Gorgons and sometimes the people they trust!

Sharing the same writers as Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures has the energy and drama to leave you wanting more!

Cirque Du Freak : The Vampire’s Assistant

cirque du freakFrom the best-selling books comes this unstoppable fantasy adventure. Visiting a travelling freak show, 16-year-old Darren is bitten by a vampire (John C. Reilly). Newly undead, he joins the Cirque Du Freak and descends into a fantastic life with a sideshow of fabulous freaks, including Salma Hayek and Willem Defoe. As war looms between the vampires and their evil counterparts, one boy’s bravery will become humanity’s last hope.

The American Mall

american mallFrom the executive producers of High School Musical, The American Mall is about Ally, a hardworking young woman whose mum owns a shop that’s the soul of the mall. Ally’s singer/songwriter ambitions start to blossom when she meets Joey, a musician moonlighting as a janitor at the mall to support his own rock star dreams. While Joey understands her songs (and heart) like no one else, Ally’s happiness and the fate of the store are threatened when the mall owner’s spoiled, driven daughter Madison gets involve. It’s high drama that rocks full on through song and dance. And at The American Mall you can fall in love, live your dreams and have the time of your life.

The Newest Music

eminemI seem to remember Eminem retiring for a while back there, but he’s now on to “comeback album” number two. I guess he wasn’t all that serious about moving to Florida, taking up golf and enjoying earlybird specials after all. So it’s back to the tried and true, rhyming about his troubled past and taking pot-shots at celebrities. Recovery will be a welcome addition to any Eminem fans’ reserve queue.

metricCanadian indie-rockers Metric’s third album, Fantasies came out late last year and signalled the band’s intentions to make the step up from underground favourites to overground rock stars. So it’s pretty much the same catchy rock formula, but with extra polish. This gives the songs a shine they lacked previously, kind of like how in every single teen movie when the previously nerdy girl removes her glasses for the prom – nothing’s really changed, but more people like it.

crystal castlesMore from Canada, this time electro, with Crystal Castles self-titled debut. The Toronto based duo make confrontational punk rock, but with synths in place of guitars. It was a favourite in Teen Blog Towers back in 2008 and nearly made our end of year best of list, until we decided we couldn’t really justify the inclusion of an album that wasn’t in our collection. It’s here now though, can something released in 2008 be considered for a 2010 list?

placeboVeteran glam-rockers Placebo collected together all their singles up until 2004 for Once more with feelings : singles 1996-2004. It’s a good entry point for new listeners unfamiliar with the band’s pre-emo (premo?) riffage and nasally anthems. All the big hits are present, including Nancy Boy, Pure Morning, Every You Every Me and Taste In Men.

dum dum girlsNoise rock pin-up girl Dee Dee Penny and her Dum Dum Girls have released their debut full length I Will Be on the back of several killer, buzzworthy singles and it is a real treat. Classic pop sensibilities covered in layers of feedback and sass, completely deserving of the blog-hype and message board anticipation. It’s Synthesiser Patel’s pick of the week!

glee regionalsGlee : the music : journey to regionals needs no introduction, it is after all the fifth (fifth!) Glee soundtrack on the shelves. Judging from the title, I’d say it’s the musical chronicle of the Glee crew’s eventful journey to the regional finals of the big glee-club-offs. Includes these songs Faithfully, Any way you want it ; Lovin’ touchin’ squeezin’, Don’t stop believin’ (regionals version), Bohemian rhapsody,  To sir, with love, Over the rainbow. Yup.

Local drum and bass/dubstep-er, Bulletproof, has released the loftily titled, Soundtrack To Forever. It features a wide array of guests including Tiki Taane, Boh Runga, Isaac Aesili, Deva Mahal, PNC, David Dallas, Milon Williams and Evan Kiljoy. If you’re digging on the New Zealand dance scene, this is a must have.

A Collection of New Books

Jump, Elisa Carbone (255 pages) – “a high-adrenaline love story”. P K and Critter both love rock climbing. P K is desperate to leave town, and her parents, and Critter comes along for the ride and they rock-climb their way out west (States), until the police eventually show up and decisions have to be made.

First sentence: Things I know to be true: 1 I am not my body.

The Princess and the Bear and The Princess and the Snowbird, Mette Ivie Harrison – magical, time travelling and shape-shifting books (the first in the series being The Princess and the Hound) with a hint of historical romance.

First sentence for the bear: Long ago, there lived a wild cat that was the sleekest, fastest, and bravest of its kind.

And the snowbird: Thousands of years ago, before humans ruled the world, the snowbirds flew above the earth and watched over the flow of the first, pure aur-magic, spreading the power to all, and making sure that every creature had a share.

Fallen Grace, Mary Hooper (294 pages) – Google Books says “A stunning evocation of life in Victorian London, with vivid and accurate depictions, ranging from the deprivation that the truly poor suffered to the unthinking luxuries enjoyed by the rich: all bound up with a pacy and thrilling plot, as Grace races to unravel the fraud about to be perpetrated against her and her sister.”

First sentence: Grace, holding on tightly to her precious burden, found the station entrance without much difficulty.

Illyria, Elizabeth Hand (135 pages) – Madeline and Rogan, who are cousins, have an intense passion for each other and for the stage. A “creepy”, spooky short novel about a forbidden love, and the winner of the World Fantasy Award.

First sentence: Rogan and I were cousins; our fathers were identical twins.

The Karma Club, Jessica Brody (258 pages) – when Maddy’s boyfriend is caught cheating on her with the perfect girl, and they become the hot new couple, Maddy and her other friends form The Karma Club, “to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind.” High jinks ensue, but also a right mess.

First sentence: I can tell you right now, it’s all Karma’s fault.

My Double Life, Janette Rallison (265 pages) – Lexi discovers that she is a dead ringer for a famous rock star, so she gets paid to be her body double. This might sound like an ideal sort of job, but really life isn’t like that, it’s much more complicated.

First sentence: I didn’t want to write this.

Classic (An It Girl novel – 227 pages) – the latest in the Jenny Humphrey series, where she’s trying to work out why her new boyfriend Isaac is acting “skittish”, and all other sorts of intrigue is going on, which you get at exclusive academies.

First sentence: The cold February wind whipped across the snow-covered Waverly Academy fields, cutting right through Easy Walsh’s thick Patagonia jacket.

Jealousy, Lili St Crow (A Strange Angels novel – 316 pages) – Dru has made it to her exclusive academy equivalent (the Schola Prima, a djamphir training facility). Sergej still wants to suck her blood, or tear her “to shreds”, Graves and Christophe still hate each other and now there’s Anna, who wants to show Dru who’s on top, and who’s after Christophe.

First sentence: I am lying in a narrow single bed in a room no bigger than a closet, in a tiny apartment.

The Thin Executioner, Darren Shan (483 pages) – inspired by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and therefore a road trip type adventure book with horror twists, The Thin Executioner sees Jebel Rum travelling to the home of a fire god in order to get inhuman powers that will make him the most lethal human ever (the thin executioner), taking with him his human slave sacrifice. Things may well get dodgy along the way.

First sentence: The executioner swung his axe – thwack! – and another head went rolling into the dust.

The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya, Nagaru Tangigawa (210 pages) – a novel speckled with manga illustrations. Haruhi is the ringleader of her school’s S.O.S. Brigade, who must keep her from getting bored, because when she gets bored bad things happen and she actually has the power to destroy the world.

First (fabulous) sentence: Looking back, the memorable inauguration of the SOS Brigade, which had left me, not Haruhi, in a state of melancholy, had been back in the beginning of spring, and the incident involving the production of the independent film, which, naturally, had forced me, not Haruhi, to sigh, had technically happened in autumn if you go by the calendar.

Lost for Words, Alice Kuipers (210 pages) – the story of Sophie, who wants to forget the difficult, tragic past but is haunted by it as she struggles to make sense of her life, her friendships and her future.

First sentence: I look at the words, black like inky spiders, and watch the webs they weave.

Divided Souls, Gabriella Poole (A Darke Academy book – 298 pages) – Cassie – new to the academy – is enjoying Istanbul, but she is also torn between old and new loves. She must also choose between old friends and the Few, plus there is a killer on the hunt.

First sentence: This was no chore.

The Demon’s Covenant, Sarah Rees Brennan (440 pages) – a follow up to The Demon’s Lexicon, which got good reviews. Mae’s brother Jamie has started showing magical abilities, and Gerald (an unlikely name for a power-hungry magician?) is after him for his coven.

First sentence: “Any minute now,” Rachel said, “something terrible is going to happen to us.”

Mistwood, Leah Cypress (304 pages) – this intriguing blurb here: “The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood. But when she is needed she always comes.”

First sentence: She knew every inch of the forest, every narrow path that twisted and wound its way beneath the silver branches.

Folly, Marthe Jocelyn (246 pages) – cool cover. A tale set in Victorian London about three lives intertwined; a somewhat innocent if commonsensical country girl, a heartthrob cad and a young orphan boy. Sounds entertaining.

First sentence: I began excceeding ignorant, apart from what a girl can learn through family mayhem, a dead mother, a grim stepmother, and a sorrowful parting from home.

Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, Morgan Matson (343 pages) – Amy’s mother wants her to drive the family car from California to Connecticut (aka a very long way), but she’s not been able to get herself to since her dad died. Roger comes to her rescue, a friend of the family (friends of the family not usually being romantic possibilities, specially not ones called Roger), and so they set off and on the way Amy learns “sometimes you have to get lost in order to find your way home.” Another road trip!

First sentence(ish): I sat on the front steps of my house and watched the beige Subaru station wagon swing too quickly around the cul-de-sac.

Free as a Bird, Gina McMurchy-Barber (160 pages) – Ruby Jean has Down syndrome and when her grandmother dies she’s sent to Woodlands School, originally opened in the 19th century as a lunatic assylum. There she learns to survive the horrors of life.

First sentence: My name’s Ruby Jean Sharp an I growed up in Woodlands School.

We’ve also got: new The Vampire Diaries books with the TV tie-in covers (look out for The Struggle at your library). Cirque Du Freak manga.

Ever been on a blind date?

If not, here’s your big chance! Next week is Library Week, which means you get to blind date a book. Excitement. Think of it as a practice run.

Starting from Monday and for one week only at the central library (and other participating library branches) there will be a collection of brown paper packages tied up with, um, coloured rubber bands. On these packages will be a short description, and inside will be the mystery blind date book. All you have to do is read the descriptions, find one that grabs your attention, take the package to the issues desk with your library card (to be issued), then take it home, unwrap, read and (with a bit of luck) enjoy. It might be the start of a beautiful friendship.

More on Library Week: this year’s theme is “Ask me, you might be surprised.” (We’re thinking pleasantly surprised.) This means if you’ve got a burning issue you want to know more about, or a question, or an assignment you’re struggling to find information on, don’t forget to come into the library and ask a librarian. We’re better than google.

There are also Library Week competitions we mentioned here.

Library Week Logo - visit the site!

What the buyers are buying: some realistic fiction

And also a book for fashion lovers. We’ve recently ordered the following selection of non-supernatural romance titles:

Teen Vogue Handbook “an insider’s guide to careers in fashion” – have a look at the book preview here.

How I Made it to Eighteen by Tracy White, which is a graphic novel about coping with depression – here’s the author’s page dedicated to the book.

Some other (pretty serious) fiction:

Behind You and From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun both by Jacqueline Woodson.  Behind You is the sequel to If You Come Softly: 15 year old Miah has died, and his girlfriend, best friend, and parents are coming to terms. Melanin Sun is a 14 year old whose mother drops a bombshell: she’s in love with a woman.

Tweaked by Katherine Holubitsky. Gord’s brother is a drug addict whose troubles are destroying their family.

I know It’s Over by C.K. Martin. Sixteen-year-old Nick comes to terms with the idea of being a father when his temporarily-estranged girlfriend announces she is pregnant.

Juggling Fire by Joanne Bell. Rachel’s father disappears in the Yukon wilderness (Northern Canada), so she confronts danger (there be bears in Canada!) and loneliness as she hikes, trying to find clues as to what happened.

Other by Karen Kincy. Okay, we told an untruth: one supernatural romance (although possibly more supernatural thriller, maybe?). Stephanie says: “she can change into a bird!”

It’s information, but not as we know it

As you well know, one of the roles of the average library is to store information so you can get your hands on when you need it. But information comes in a variety of formats today, and not all of it is displayed using words.

There’s a growing trend to display information using graphics like this site or this site (or just google search for Information Graphics). An modern-day mash up of information, data, statistics and graphic design that’s used in school atlasses, newspapers and magazines. I’m hooked, are you?

(PS if you happen to click on the infographic below you’ll be whisked away to a visualization of how the US libraries stack up in 2010, just in case you’re interested)