Gibbons remembers the walk to the execution chamber. He remembers the gathering of spectators: reporters, victims' families...all here to watch him die.  He remembers the doctor giving him the lethal injection and slowly losing consciousness. He remembers dying...So why is he now wide awake, struggling to get out of a body bag? 
Dr. Lee Hartnup is the town's only mortician, so he knows of a hush-hush secret: they're bringing one of the century's most notorious serial killers back here for burial. But that day when he goes in to prepare the corpse, there is no corpse. Homer Gibbons is sitting up, very much alive, scrutinizing his surroundings.  And then all of a sudden he lunges for Doc and takes a big bite out of his face.
And so it begins... This is the way the world ends.  Not with a bang…but a bite. 



You may know Maberry from his teen books Rot & Ruin and the recently released sequel Dust & Decay. And just like in those books, there is nothing hot, sizzling or romantic about the zombies in his latest adult offering either. You've got to read some of Maberry's first-rate descriptions of the living dead. The words assault all your five senses and you just want to touch your face to make sure everything's intact.
The book doesn't feel like a mere gore fest though, because you feel pretty connected to the characters that got thrust into this apocalyptic world. Dez, the dysfunctional (understatement) cop whom you don't want to mess with, Billy the reporter who will do anything for a piece of news, JT, Dez's partner and the father-figure, and Dr. Volker, who in his twisted sense of logic and justice created the zombies in the first place. Maberry also creates a whole background story as to why Gibbons is turned, and it will satisfy conspiracy lovers. I also like how we get the narration from Doc after he's been turned into a zombie. It adds a nice "insider" look.  There is a fair bit of swearing in this book, but given the circumstances, well, do you blame them?
And this chilling piece of horror fiction brings me to a TechCrunch blog post I read about a new app called Booktrack.  The app boasts to add a soundtrack (sound effects and ambient background music) to the book you're reading. In their promo video, it shows how as you're reading the word "nightclub", you'll hear a bunch of people chatting and mingling, like you would in a nightclub. Really?  You think readers seriously need that?  It's like those kids' toys. You just have to press one little button and it plays a whole minute of noises for you.  Umm... I think we're capable of doing that ourselves, thank you very much. I definitely had no trouble picturing Maberry's zombies, and in fact, wished that they weren't so burnt into my brain right now.


To be released in October 2011. Thanks for making this advanced copy available, St. Martin's Griffin, imprint of MacMillan, and thanks Netgalley.

I had a 10 year-old boy come to the information desk today asking for Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and books by Terry Goodkind. His father said his favourite books so far were the Lord of the Rings series and that he was looking for more epic fantasy. As I searched the catalogue his father picked up a book from the Vampire Diaries series and commented, "Hey look -- you like vampires -- maybe you'll like this!" Yikes! I had to quickly warn him that this series was quite different from classic epic fantasy and that these vampires weren't the same as the Dracula found in Stoker's work. The boy told his father that Vampire Diaries was a TV show and promptly put it back on the shelf.
I then racked my brain for possible YA and children's titles that included vampires -- real scary, bloodsucking ones -- and could only come up with one or two (e.g.  Department 19 by Will Hill, Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising series by Jason Henderson).
Most of the other children's and YA novels featured vampires exploring their self identity, falling in love with humans or other supernatural beings (e.g. Evernight by Claudia Gray), as vulnerable beings venturing out into our world (e.g. Morganville Vampire series), as part of the regular paranormal society (e.g. Araminta Spooky Series by Angie Sage) or were parodies (e.g. Bunnicula series by James Howe, The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks). Not really material that would appeal to a reader looking for something truly creepy and frightening. And definitely not material for someone looking for epic fantasy.
It was hard to find the more serious, traditional YA fantasy amidst all the new (YA) paranormal fiction (he didn't want anything from the children's fiction), and I did end up bringing him to the adult section where he appeared much happier with the options. I've love to see more of that classic fantasy published for young adults -- stuff following the traditions of Yolen, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and the like. While some may claim such stories are too dense and long for kids, I think we'd be surprised to find that there is an audience just waiting for this sort of thing.

There are books that are great for boys, and there are books that seem great for teen boys, but there is just something about them that I can't recommend.  I know that there is a feeling that we should never restrict what boys (or anyone for that matter) should read.  That's okay; if they want it and are interested in it, fine.  I will never stop them from taking it or reading it.  But I will not actively recommend something I can't stand behind for whatever reason.

Lev Grossman's novel is rightly compared to Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia and other fantasy works.  All the hallmarks are there:  Normal kid Quentin finds out he's a magician.  His favorite books, set in the world of "Fillory", are an analogue of C.S. Lewis's works.  It sounds exciting, and it should be.

But this is Literary Fantasy, so the setup and premise is misleading.  This isn't about magic, really.  It's about how bleak life can be.  It's about how true love doesn't solve everything.  It's about how have the freedom to do anything usually ends up making you do nothing, or worse, doing something destructive.  It's about being lost and aimless in life, and how having all your dreams come true means that you have no dreams left.  I'm not a fan of literary fiction; I prefer genre fiction and non-fiction.  I like to be entertained, not depressed.

So why don't I recommend it, since it has many of the same themes as a lot of literary fiction?  I always try to suggest material that has a strong plot that drives the story.  I find that boys prefer plot-driven stories over character studies.  I know I do, and I'm a boy. The problem here is that The Magicians doesn't even have a plot until the final third (a pretty good one, actually, for what it's worth). So much of the book is just an exploration of Quentin's young adulthood.  And he's a bit of a jerk, too.  I didn't find him particularly likable.

This book has been called a 'real life' Harry Potter.  I always wonder why there is such an emphasis on 'real life' in YA and literary books in general.  I never was a drug addict or an alcoholic.  I never experienced physical or emotional abuse.  I was and remain comfortably middle class.  Most kids I grew up with grew up like me.  This isn't all in this book, but it is in the broader genre of literary fiction.  This stuff isn't real life to me, so I couldn't really relate the themes and events of the story.

What would I recommend instead? Try Tom Holt or Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom for Sale.  Both feature regular Joes who find themselves in a magic world, but both are more plot-centric and certainly contain fewer mature themes.

And for the record, it's not that I don't recommend the book at all, or for guys; I am going to read the sequel, so I couldn't have hated that much.  I just don't think it is appropriate for teen guys.  It's more of an age thing.

What is the most boring book in the world? Luke thinks it's The Last of the Mohicans, because that's the book he's been assigned to read. The only way to get out of reading it, according to his very generous principal, is if he can actually prove that it is indeed the most boring book in the world. As Luke googles away, he knows he's out of luck, because a book called Leonardo's River has already claimed the title. It has something to do with Leonardo Da Vinci supposedly, but the book is so boring that during its printing, when the printer started to read it, he fell asleep, a fire broke out and only one copy of the book survived. This one copy has gone missing too, and some guy is offering one million dollars for it. All this just means Luke is going to spend his summer reading The Last of the Mohicans...except during a library book rescue from the raging flood in his town, he found Leonardo's River, and this little discovery is going to keep him busy all summer long. Along with his best bud Tommy, he's going to have to rescue his kidnapped teacher, keep the hands of the bad guys off the rarest book in the world, decipher the mystery inside the book, evade remaining members of a dangerous secret organization, and worst of all, Luke may have to visit the library and do some reading.  Tommy tries to convince him that it's "research", stuff spies do all the time, but who is he trying to kid?
New Zealander Brian Falkner, author of The Tomorrow Code and Brain Jack, puts together a book with all the right elements for boys: plenty of chase scenes and bullets flying all over the place, a bad guy's evil plan to rewrite history, and Luke and Tommy are two funny guys and two great friends.  The most holding-my-breath scene is definitely the train stuck in the tunnel one, where Luke has to enter the lion's den so to speak.  The excerpt from Leonardo's River is quite something... and sadly not too far from some "real" books out there. Some reviewers complain that readers have to suspend their beliefs frequently, but I'm willing to overlook some of the "conveniences" in the plot.

Terry Pratchett is a well-established English fantasy writer whose most famous work is the Discworld series.  Neil Gaiman is a bit of a literary Renaissance Man whose dabbles in a little bit of everything, from children's picture books to dark comics to fiction, all of it with a bit of a grim, Tim Burton-esque quality.  The two don't really strike me as particularly similar, aside from both being English and therefore having the British dry humour, but they blend seamlessly here.

Good Omens was published way back in 1990, when both writers were on the ascendant (have either come down yet?).   The story of the approaching End Times, we learn that the Antichrist everyone is expecting was switched at birth and is in fact a regular 11-year-old boy.  Also involved are various parties trying to hasten or prevent the end of the world are the remaining Four Horsemen (Pestilence retired at the advent of antibiotics), an angel and a demon (not your modern kind with the sullen expressions and pining for love, but the real classic versions.  Bad people.)  The plot is a bit tough to nail down, but if you've read either author's work, it a bit like that.

There are different versions, one American and one British, with mostly minor differences, and you should note that this cover I have posted is just one of many.  Good for boys comfortable with complicated plots, the story has plenty of jokes and Terry Pratchett's trademark footnotes to lighten the mood.

Dalton Rev is a private detective who solves cases for anyone who can pay. And that's how he ends up at Salt River High, investigating an alleged suicide involving a body strung up with duct tape. With his Private Dick Handbook full of helpful guidelines (e.g. Rule #7: The weaker the play, the weaker the bluff. Also, never trust a redhead) and his extensive knowledge of all the Lexington Cole mystery novels (a detective series that Dalton uses as an instruction manual), Dalton is sure he will get to the bottom of the mystery. All he has to do is survive masked snipers, an evil principal, murderous cliques and his mom's curfew.
This is a satirical noir mystery, whose characters and language remind me the Dick Tracy comics and films (except set in a modern day high school). There are plenty of references to classic hard-boiled mysteries and movies (e.g. there's a mysterious guy named Elisha Cook) and some really over the top statements (e.g. "It's not complicated. Add killer, subtract body, solve for x. What can I say? It's a career."). I found some of the writing pretty funny -- especially whenever Dalton finds himself in complicated situations and recalls lines from his Lexington Cole novels: "In Forty Leagues Under Berlin, Lex Cole had been trapped in a German pillbox with nothing but a spoon. In Right Cross, Mob Boss, he'd fought off a gang of hopped-up Zoot Suiters with a leather wing tip. Neither scenario was much help now".
This isn't one of those nail-biting thrillers, but it does have lots of dialogue that keeps the story moving. I think those who are a little more familiar with hard-boiled mysteries/movies and appreciate parodies might enjoy this.

Black Hole Sun, Won't You Come, And Wash Away the Rain? Black Hole Sun... (can't get the song out of my mind the whole time I'm reading this book) 
Durango's family used to have it all. His father was key to the colonization of Mars, but then the government was overthrown, his father captured and thrown into prison, and in preventing his teenage son from killing himself like all his followers, Durango is relegated to a dalit, a mercenary for hire. Despised and ridiculed by every group and class on the planet, Durango takes on odd jobs with Vienne, his second-in-command, whom he's not supposed to have any feelings for, as the Tenets prescribed, and Durango and Vienne are both sticklers for rules. This conflict of interest isn't lost on Mimi, the artificial intelligence implanted in Durango's brain, and she takes every opportunity to tease Durango about it. Who says an AI doesn't know what sarcasm is?  When Mimi isn't making fun of Durango though, she is his most useful ally. Having Mimi is life-saving on so many occasions, however, when Durango agreed to help a group of miners defend against the Draeu, a ruthless cannibalistic race, he has no idea what he has signed himself up for, and will definitely need more than an AI to stay alive.

This book reads like a video game. I can see it being the plot of a great first person action/shooter game. Sometimes I'm baffled by the choices in booklists for gamers, because many only have the slight setting resemblance, and none of the thrills and chills. This book definitely belongs to a list for that audience though. Right from the opening scene, where the Draeu hunts down the miners and demands their children as sacrifices, you know you're in it for a wild ride. The action doesn't let up at all, and every time you think you can take a breather, something else happens and plunges you and our hero right back into it. The Draeu are some scary creatures, and the mysteries surrounding them and the miners are well crafted. I love the final epic showdown and it's a fine ending to a fine book.
I visited Gill's website and was thrilled to find out that there's going to be a next book, coming in March next year.  (Another nice thing about this book is that there's no cliffhanger ending).  However, ::sigh::, look at the covers!  The designer doing the new covers is the one who did the Mortal Instruments books. Why?  Well, I know why, 'cause that's how most teen books look like now, but more good-looking teen models?  We don't need that.  Disappointing.
» Read Gill's interview in School Library Journal.

Okay, I get that not all teen boys are trivia nerds.  I was, and so were all my friends, so that might explain part of my bias.  Forgive me for that, but here is the one thing I wished exists back when I was a teen.  Mental Floss.  Started in 2000 at Duke University, it was created as an educational magazine, but fun.  Over the years, it grew into a national publication and featured contributions from such trivia kings as Ken Jennings (best known for winning a whole lot of Jeopardy) and A.J. Jacobs (best known for reading the Encyclopedia Britannica cover to cover). The magazine is now a bit of an empire, with games, T-Shirts, books and a regular trivia blog.  It's those books I'd particularly like to feature.

Mental Floss writers, like the writers at Cracked, rely on humour to make the point.  Historical information is often presented in schools and textbooks as dry, bland dates and names, but here they highlight the oddities and the insane, while still giving the bigger picture of the events.

Two history books, History of the World and History of the United States, cover, obviously, the history of the world and the history of the United States respectively..

Forbidden Knowledge covers more controversial information, facts about crime, drugs, censorship, etc., all sorted by chapter according to the seven deadly sins.  Don't worry, nothing they wouldn't learn in history class.  It's just packaged in a more appealing way.

Be Amazing uses the concept of a self-improvement or how-to books to explain the history of nation-building, x-rays, and pretty much everything else.

A number of smaller books cover more random subjects, including Scatterbrained, What's the Diffrence, Cocktail Party Cheat Sheet.and Genius Instruction Manual, all offering condensed stories of significant cultural and historical people and events.

Because most of the books are bite-sized or at least feature chapters that aren't connected, this is great for quick reading or for short sessions, and the fact that they aren't too complicated make them good choices for guys who don't have a lot of patience for longer material, or claim they don't have time to read.

You've probably ordered your fall books by now, and I'm sure you've noticed that it's once again slim pickings for the guys. Just browse through any catalogue or online bookstore, look at the covers and you'll know what I mean... Thought I'd compile a list of potentials...

The Death Cure by James Dashner
As much as I love The Maze Runner, one of the complaints of the previous two books (for me, the 2nd one especially) is that we still aren't any closer to the truth and finding out just what the heck is going on in Thomas' world. It's always "We'll tell you later..." This is the last book, so how's the author going to end this all?  I'm on the waiting list at my library. Are you?
Book description:
Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.
What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.
The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?


iBoy by Kevin Brooks
Still remember reading Martyn Pig and loving it, but also remember being disappointed by Being. This one's got a bizarre premise, so we'll see...
Book description:
What can he do with his new powers -- and what are they doing to him?
Before the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teen. But a head-on collision with high technology has turned him into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. And they're having an extraordinary effect on his every thought.
Because now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could. But with his new powers comes a choice: To avenge Lucy, the girl he loves, will he hunt down the vicious gangsters who hurt her? Will he take the law into his own electric hands and exterminate them from the South London housing projects where, by fear and violence, they rule?
Not even his mental search engine can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy's actions.


The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
I Am Number Four is still one much sought-over book at the library. Here's the sequel.
Book description:
I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.
Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.
I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.
And I'm ready to fight.



The Project by Brian Falkner
It begins with a book, the most boring book in the world, a book so boring no one could ever read it—the perfect place to hide a dangerous secret.
When best friends Luke and Tommy volunteer to help move books from their library's basement to higher ground during a quick rising flood, they discover the only surviving copy of the most boring book in the world: Leonardo's River, lost for over 100 years. The book is connected to Leonardo da Vinci and is worth millions, so they return that night to steal it. Unfortunately, they're not the only ones with that plan. . . .


What other upcoming titles look good to you? Leave us a comment.

Why am I picking books that aren't new? Well, in this case, it could be considered a girl's book, what with it being written as the journal of a teenage girl. If it were a new book, lots of girls would be reading it now, and maybe a boy would rather not be caught reading something girls read. But don't worry, I'm not betraying the mandate of this here blog; this book has disasters aplenty, and not just the personal emotional kind.