Monthly Archives: August 2014

We Were Liars by E Lockhart, reviewed by Mrs V.

WeWereLiars

Two reviews in two days… I have a third one which I will post next week, after I have finished deciphering the handwriting! This review is mine.

We Were Liars is a book that readers seem to either love or hate, and that has to be a good thing. Who wants to read a novel that people don’t care about? I enjoyed it tremendously. I thought it was clever, convincing and compulsive and I finished it in one sitting.The twist in the plot made the book into something entirely different (although I had worked some of it out), and I really liked the ending, which I’m afraid made me cry, and I am trying to cut down on books that turn me into a snivelling wreck!

Despite the twists and turns, We Were Liars is an easy and quick read – perfect for a late Summer evening.

wewerliars

We Were Liars by E Lockhart, reviewed by LM

WeWereLiarsHow can I possibly write a review of this engaging, clever, taut, twisty book without giving away the key thing that I must not give away?

Cadence is struggling to remember what happened in her Summer Fifteen to damage her so badly. She only remembers some of what happened on the island that her family own and visit every year, but when she returns two years later she begins to piece it together. The story is told in Cadence’s own words, and at first appears to be quite straightforward, but then every so often the plot gives a jolt, and you start to see the darker pieces underneath. Not until you know what happens does it all makes sense.

I really enjoyed this book, but I did have some reservations. Amnesia is not my favourite plot line, and would anyone really call their children Taft, Liberty and Cadence? However, the thriller-like atmosphere of the book and the fantastic ending makes these little annoyances completely unimportant.

 

We Were Liars is by E Lockhart and is available in the library now. Tomorrow I will post another review of this book, by a reader with a different opinion.

The last ever Flipside magazine

FlipsideSadly the current issue of Flipside will also be the last one – the IET have decided to close it down. I promise that the library will keep all the back copies until they fall to pieces!

In this issue:

  • An interview with Will Poulter, who stars in The Maze Runner, due out in September this year
  • The intelligence of chimpanzees (and whether they could really take over the world)
  •  Surfing
  • Forensic Science (what is fiction and what is fact)
  • Reconstructing dinosaurs

and much, much, much more…

The current edition of Flipside is kept on the main library desk – back issues are on the windowsill.

Book of the Week – Middle School: the Worst Years of My Life, by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts

imageRafe Khatchadorian is caught up in the worst years of his life. He hates his step-father, his little sister Georgia is a brat, his English teacher is a dragon and Leo keeps on getting him into trouble… This is his story, in his own words and pictures.

The blurb on the back goes like this…

This is the totally insane story of how I, Rafe Khatchadorian,

  • fought and overcame a diabolical teacher called the Dragon Lady,
  • sold my soul to the school bully, a dollar at a time,
  • wrestled with a real live bear, repeatedly,
  • fell kind of in “like” with the most popular girl in school,
  • went into the soda business and went bust,
  • and accidentally-on-purpose hurt all the people I care about.

The worst days of my life were good sometimes. Bad sometimes. But mostly they were hilarious.
See for yourself.

Click on the book cover to go to the Middle School website.

Changes in the Library

Fiction shelvesI have made some changes in the library during the summer holidays. The fiction section (the stories) have now been separated into junior, teen, and senior fiction sections – all the junior fiction have yellow spine labels, the teens have purple ones and the senior fiction have blue. This has not been done to restrict your reading – there is no reason why a first year cannot read Jane Eyre or a sixth year cannot read Matilda – but it will make it easier to choose the book that is right for you, and it means that we have room for more display shelves and that the books are not quite so tightly packed together. New shelf markers will go up very soon (they are being made for us in CDT) which will make it easy to find the books you want.

The graphic novels and manga books are now on the shelves next to the quiet reading area, and the short story books will be there too, as soon as we have finished relabeling them.

In the meantime, if you can’t find what you want, ask one of the library team for help.

Book of the Week – If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

If I StayThis week’s Book of the Week, and the first one of the new school year, is Gayle Forman’s If I Stay, a sensitive and emotional roller-coaster about Mia and her fight for life.

Life can change in an instant. A cold February morning… A snowy road… And suddenly all of Mia’s choices are gone.

Except one.

As alone as she’ll ever be, Mia must make the most difficult choice of all.

The film of If I Stay is released in the UK next week, and the sequel Where She Went is on the library to-buy list. You’ll need tissues…

Welcome back!

wchslion

Welcome back, or just welcome if you are starting at West Calder High School today. This is the library blog, where the library team talk about what’s happening in the library, or around the school, or just about anything else we find interesting and want to share! Mostly, we talk about books, and more books, and films of books, and books that should be films but aren’t… We share book reviews, and book videos, and film reviews (anyone is welcome to do a review for the blog, just ask) and we tell you when we have new books in the library, or when our favourite books are nominated for book awards. We let you know when long-awaited sequels are released, and every week there is a featured Book of the Week, that is also highlighted on the library door.

It’s pretty busy around here!