Video booktalk on Scratch

0 comments Posted by Shelly at Sunday, December 04, 2011

I recently finished taking an Infopeople class called "Reel in Readers." We were introduced to many tools, such as Animoto, Scratch, and Camtasia, which are available for creating and editing videos. Here is a link to a booktalk I just finished on Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, by Lynne Jonell:


This is a book I first reviewed in June 2010.
Enjoy!

 

V is for Vengeance

0 comments Posted by Shelly at Thursday, December 01, 2011

V is for Vengeance, Sue Grafton's latest entry into her alphabet-themed mystery series starring private detective Kinsey Millhone, roped me in immediately, as usual. I haven't read many novels written for an adult audience in the last several years, but Grafton's novels are always an exception to that rule. I dug out my paperback copy of A is for Alibi and discovered that book was copyrighted in 1982. The paperback edition that I have was printed in1987, so that probably means that I have been enjoying Grafton's series for over 24 years. Since she still has four more letters to go, I hope the streak will continue for some time to come.
Aside from the nostalgia factor, what keeps me coming back is that Grafton is simply a superb writer. Her novels are cleverly plotted, her characters fresh and original, and her stories both funny and exciting. Also, despite the crime-related theme to her series, I don't feel as though I have rolled around in blood and gore after finishing one of her books. I reviwed U is for Undertow in January 2010.

V is for Vengeance pits Kinsey against an organized crime ring that shoplifts from retail stores. Although the time differential that contributed so much to U is for Undertow (one story set in 1967, another in 1988) is missing here, the story follows a similar pattern, alternating chapters about Kinsey and her righteous quest to bring shoplifters to justice with sections detailing the marriage difficulties and social  hypocrisies of a wealthy couple. I really enjoyed the shades of gray Grafton uses to paint her characters. Even the mob boss, Dante, comes across as sympathetic, in his own way. I can't wait for W!

 

This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein

0 comments Posted by Shelly at Monday, November 21, 2011

In This Dark Endeavor: the Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, by Kenneth Oppel, Victor is 16 and his twin brother, Konrad, has fallen ill and may die. Desperate to save his brother, Victor contacts a shady alchemist named Dr. Polidori, who sends Victor, his cousin Elizabeth, and his friend Henry on a creepy search for the ingredients to create the Elixir of Life. Victor is convinced that if all the doctors his wealthy father calls to Konrad's bedside fail, then he will be able to save his brother with this magic potion. The three teens' adventures make exciting -- nay, breathless -- reading, and the whole story sits just this side of horror. I enjoy reading tales like this one that re-imagine the worlds of classic literature, and Oppel has done an excellent job of imagining Frankenstein's youth and setting the stage for Mary Shelley's classic story. The love triangle here to adds to the tension and provides rich, meaningful character development. I really enjoyed this spine-tingling, darkly romantic story.

 

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