Nine Lives (DVD)

If you're looking for a great movie to take home for the weekend, look no further than Nine Lives. This fun film gives new meaning to Warm and Fuzzy. Literally. Fuzzy. 

Businessman and CEO Tom Brand is...well... How do I put this nicely? He's kind of a jerk. He neglects his family, treats his employees like dirt, and cares more for public appearances and status symbols than he does does about the things that really matter. Example: He's spent all his focus lately on making sure the new HQ of Firebrand Industries is the tallest building in the USA. 

Then his daughter asks for a very specific, game-changing present for her 11th birthday: A cat. Even though he hates cats, Tom finds himself at Purrkins Pet Store, a feline-friendly shop run by the quirky Mr. Perkins (expertly played by Christopher Walken). He picks Mister Fuzzypants, a shaggy, blue-eyed tomcat with an attitude. 

But before Tom can reach home, he is involved in a tragic accident. When he wakes up, he finds himself in the body of the cat he just adopted. His human body? In a coma. At first Tom/Fuzzypants can think of nothing but breaking the curse and returning to his normal life, which leads to some very funny cat antics. Then something happens: Living constantly at home instead of at the office makes him realize just how much he's been missing out on. He also realizes the negative impact his prior awful behavior has had on his family and his company. And Tom/Fuzzypants has a change of heart. But will that be enough? Because time is running out...

Nine Lives was simply adorable! The plot had the right mix of humor and heartwarming, and the acting was superb. Plus, it's "clean" enough that your younger siblings can watch it with you (but it's not juvenile).

I highly recommend it.--AJB

p.s. You don't have to be a cat person to enjoy Nine Lives (although it helps).

Holiday Stories

It's getting to be that time of year again...

If you're looking for a great Holiday read, look no further than the OPL Teen Collection. We've got a lot of awesome books that are perfect for reading while curling up with a cup of cocoa (or tea? or coffee?) and your favorite blanket.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, co-authored by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, is the story of two New York City teens who begin a romance over their holiday break. It all begins when Dash, who is...well, kind of a Grinch, discovers a curious-seeming notebook while browsing his favorite used bookstore. After deciphering the clues written inside, Dash finds himself on a scavenger hunt that takes him to several NYC landmarks. A scavenger hunt for romance! Maybe. But can a boy who hates Christmas and a girl who loves it really make it work? You'll have to read the book to find out. Oh...and p.s. If you wanrt more of these characters, you're in luck. Because there's a sequel: The 12 Days of Lily and Dash.

New this month is What Light, the latest novel by Jay Asher. Sierra, whose family runs a Christmas Tree Farm, begins an opposites attract-type relationship with bad boy Caleb while in California for the tree-selling season. Fans of Jenny Han's Summer trilogy will love this one!

Don't have time for a full-length novel right now? Try My True Love Gave to Me and its companion/sequel Summer Days & Summer Nights. These collections are filled with sweet short stories that really do have something for everyone. Another great choice is Let It Snow. 

Whatever book you're looking for this holiday, we have it! And, if it's not on the shelf, ask! We'll get it for you. --AJB

Someone I Wanted To Be, Aurelia Wills

Someone I Wanted To Be by Aurelia Wills can grab you by the heart and I highly recommend this book to both young adult and adult readers.

The plot is quite original and believable. Leah Lobermier dreams of  becoming a doctor, but it's hard to stay focused on getting good grades when boys make oinking sounds at her in school and her mother spends every night on the couch with a bottle of wine. Leah's skinny and popular "friends", Kristy and Corinne, aren't much better and can hardly be counted on for support. When the girls convince a handsome older man to buy them beer, Leah takes his phone number and calls him, pretending to be Kristy --coy and confident-- and they develop a relationship, talking and texting day after day. Soon, the lie she created grows beyond her control...

Leah basically struggles with self image, her weight, and bullying. Her home life is far from perfect, which adds to her stress. The issues these girls deal with seem what any girls would go through in real life.

This story shares authentic teen struggles with identity and body image and friendship. It addresses tough topics (obesity, alcoholism, teen drinking, assault, depression, poverty, child neglect, cancer and death of a parent) in an approachable way. *JK*

Welcome to the Island of Misfit Books!

Stop by the Teen Department and visit our Island of Misfit Books display. These poor, unfortunate books haven't gone out for a loooooong time. But that doesn't mean they aren't excellent reads, because they totally are! They've just gotten buried under all the dystopians and vampire romances.

So take a chance on these awesome stories (you'll be glad you did). Check out a Misfit Book today! --AJB

Teen Vogue is starting a book club!

I just came across this article this morning and thought that some of you might be interested.

Here's the link!

For their first selection, Yara Shahidi and Rowan Blanchard have chosen Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neeale Hurston.  I've read this book three times and it is really good!  Plus, there's a good chance that you'll have to read it for a college class.

Happy reading!
RYQ

Bad Girls of Fashion, by Jennifer Croll (illus. by Ada Buchholc)

Think the latest and greatest fashion look can be achieved by opening an issue of Seventeen or Cosmo and mimicking whatever you see? Think again! Truly great style is NOT wearing what everyone else is wearing, but, instead, following your own instincts and wearing (and doing) what works best for YOU...regardless of if it makes you stand out.

Still not sure if you've got the guts to do such a thing? Take inspiration from some true fashion icons. The ladies of Bad Girls of Fashion, which can be found in our non-fiction section. Here you'll find everyone from Cleopatra to Marie Antoinette, from Madonna to Lady Gaga, and everyone in between. Not only did these fearless women refuse to conform to appropriate fashion guidelines, they were revolutionaries in their other ways as well. 

Now we're not saying you should parade around in an outfit made entirely of meat or sport a dress that looks more like taxidermied waterfowl than anything else (Unless that's your thing. In which case, you should, of course, go for it). Bottom line is: Never be afraid to be yourself. And whatever your style may be, ROCK IT with pride! Who knows. You-yes, YOU!-may be the next Bad Girl (or boy) of fashion!

Overall, Bad Girls of Fashion was an exceptionally entertaining read. Not only did the pictures make this a fun book to browse, but the write-ups were really interesting and packed with little-known facts. For example, did you know Marie Antoinette often dressed as a man and went hunting with her husband, Louis XIV? Or that fashion giant Miuccia Prada was a mime before she became a designer? Yeah...me either.

This interesting bit of women's history is definitely recommended! --AJB

The Deep, by Helen Dunmore

Sapphire may look like a normal teen girl, but there's nothing ordinary about her. She possesses an incredible secret: She is part mer (yes, as in mermaid), and this heritage allows her to exist as easily under the sea as she does on land.

Having just helped prevent a tidal wave from destroying her (human) town, Sapphy and her brother, Connor, are called upon once again. And this time both worlds, land and sea, are being threatened. A powerful monster called the Kracken has awakened from a centuries-long slumber, and he is hungry. If he is not lulled back to sleep, his existance would end life for everyone everywhere. And Sapphy, with her mixed blood, is the only one who can enter The Deep and stop him. 

But the battle with the Kracken is small compared to the inner struggle going in within Sapphire's mind and heart. The pressure of living in two worlds, yet striving to keep them separate (and secret), is becoming increasingly difficult for her. She knows she must choose one or the other soon or go mad. But how to decide?

The Deep is the third book in Helen Dunmore's Ingo trilogy. Here readers see lots more of familiar characters, get to know others better, and meet new ones (both good and evil). And, as do the characters, we also get to go deeper into the world of Ingo and are privy to more of its carefully-guarded secrets. All in all, The Deep is a fantastic book and an excellent continuation of an amazing series. --AJB

Ingo, book 1

Ingo, book 2

p.s. Reader take note: If you're looking for a happy, fluffy mermaid story where sea creatures dance and sing and gaze longingly at the human world, turn to Disney. You will not find that sort of thing with the Ingo books, which are heavy on the mythology. 

p.s.s. Ingo is also a great fantasy choice for readers who want stories with little to no romance. That is: This is NOT a kissing book.