Club news:
- Our Starbooks Book Club yearbook pix will not be the same without your smile!
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8:15 a.m. Fri Oct 27 in LMC
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What we've been reading:
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
- Genre: scifi
- Summary: Revisit the world of Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games. Prequel follows the character of Coriolanus Snow.
- movie version released Nov 17
- prequel to The Hunger Games series
- "Katniss is one of my book idols," says Emma
- Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
- Genre: scifi
- Summary: Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone. Or does he?
- nominated for the 2024 Illinois Teen Choice Award
- Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry
- Genre: realistic
- Summary: Michael is an atheist. So as he walks through the doors at St. Clare’s—a strict Catholic school—sporting a plaid tie, things can’t get much worse. His dad has just made the family move again, and Michael needs a friend. When a girl challenges their teacher in class, Michael thinks he might have found one, and a fellow nonbeliever at that. Only this girl, Lucy, is not just Catholic . . . she wants to be a priest. But Lucy introduces Michael to other St. Clare’s outcasts, and he officially joins Heretics Anonymous, where he can be an atheist, Lucy can be an outspoken feminist, Avi can be Jewish and gay, Max can wear whatever he wants, and Eden can practice paganism. After an incident in theology class, Michael encourages the Heretics to go from secret society to rebels intent on exposing the school’s hypocrisies. When Michael takes one mission too far—putting the other Heretics at risk—he must decide whether to fight for his own freedom, or rely on faith, whatever that means, in God, his friends, or himself.
- Mrs. Stevens and her husband listened to part of the audiobook, and they thought it was hilarious!
- Rebel Spring by Megan Rhodes
- Genre: fantasy
- Summary: Cleo is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people.
Magnus stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia.
Lucia is haunted by the outcome of the breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdoms.
Jonas watched at the palace gates a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King Gaius. - book 2 in Fallen Kingdoms series
- The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
- Genre: fantasy
- Summary: Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom’s most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin’s Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam. When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn’s orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn’s clutches—and if they fail, they’ll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .
- Prequel to Throne of Glass
- "Betty and I are reading Assassin's Blade together, but I'm ahead of her so I have to wait," said Betsy.
- So, in the meantime, Betsy is reading ...
- The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
- Genre: relationships
- Summary: Catalina Martin desperately needs a date to her sister's wedding. Especially since her little white lie about her American boyfriend has spiraled out of control. Now everyone she knows--including her ex and his fiancée--will be there and eager to meet him. She only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic and aid in her deception. New York to Spain is no short flight and her raucous family won't be easy to fool. Enter Aaron Blackford--her tall, handsome, condescending colleague--who surprisingly offers to step in. She'd rather refuse; never has there been a more aggravating, blood-boiling, and insufferable man. But Catalina is desperate, and as the wedding draws nearer, Aaron looks like her best option. And she begins to realize he might not be as terrible in the real world as he is at the office.
- Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin
- Genre: fantasy
- Summary: Lavinia, daughter of King Latinus and Queen Amata, gets caught in the middle of her parent's conflicting wishes that she marry either Turnus, king of Rutuli, or Trojan stranger Aeneas, which follows an omen that dictates she will cause a war, and that her husband will die young.
- Le Guin is one of the OG fantasy writers
- Unsolved Murders: True Crime Cases Uncovered by Amber Hunt
- Genre: non-fiction
- Summary: Ever wondered who murdered JonBenét Ramsey, or who terrorized San Francisco as the Zodiac Killer? Puzzled over the notorious Black Dahlia murder, or the mysterious Long Island Serial Killer case? This true crime book makes you the detective, investigating some of the most infamous unsolved cases of the 20th and 21st centuries. Crime scenes, crucial evidence, witnesses, and persons of interest are clearly and concisely presented, along with essential details and clues, so you can judge for yourself: who could have done it? Unsolved Murders also profiles the psychology of the killer, discusses the background and life of the unfortunate victim (or victims), and explores how these horrific crimes impacted the victim's family and friends. From domestic tragedies to serial killers with a love for the macabre, this book will have you returning to the cases again and again. Can you unlock the secrets of these unsolved crimes where others have failed? (We can't promise that the book will give you the solution!) Presented in a beautiful hardcover format you will be proud to read on your commute or display on your coffee table, Unsolved Murders: True Crime Cases Uncovered is like having your favorite true crime podcast or documentary at your fingertips every day.
- The Bachelor and the Bride by Sarah M. Eden
- Genre: historical
- Summary: Dr. Barnabus Milligan has always felt called to help people, whether that means setting a broken bone or rescuing the impoverished women of London from their desperate lives on the streets as part of his work with the Dread Penny Society. Three years ago, he helped rescue Gemma Kincaid by secretly marrying her to protect her from her family of notorious grave robbers. But six months after Gemma and Barnabus exchanged vows, she realized her love for her new husband was unrequited. To protect her heart, she left, telling Barnabus to contact her if his feelings for her ever grew beyond a sense of duty.
- An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
- Genre: fantasy
- Summary: Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
- Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
- Genre: realistic
- Summary: On the outside it looks like Suzette has it all. A stunning ultra-modern home, designed by her handsome Swedish husband. A beautiful, but silent, seven-year-old daughter who is fiercely intelligent. But under the shiny veneer, the cracks are all too clear. For her daughter Hanna isn't just clever, she's dangerous. Her behaviour is carefully calculated. She adores her father, yet wants Suzette to disappear. And as Hanna's tricks become increasingly sophisticated - from tampering with her mother's daily medication, imitating a rabid dog, to setting Suzette on fire - it's increasingly clear that there is something seriously wrong with their little girl. Because what kind of child wants to kill their own mother?
- Read-alike: My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier