Most Popular Books - 10/27/14

So, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is the most popular book again this week. This dark fantasy, one of my favorites from a couple of years ago, has a touch of a creepy feel to make it perfect reading close to Halloween.

Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold.

At the number two spot is Tenth Grade Bleeds, the third book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series by Heather Brewer. These books continue to circulate well based on the fabulous covers -- very eye catching!

Tenth grade does not bring any relief to Vlad who is finding it increasingly difficult to resist feeding on his classmates and to avoid the evil vampire D'Ablo who wants to drain his powers.

Next up is The Compound by S.A. Bodeen. It's a chilling story that captures the interest of many a reader early in the story. 

Fifteen-year-old Eli, locked inside a radiation-proof compound built by his father to keep them safe following a nuclear attack, begins to question his future, as well as his father's grip on sanity as the family's situation steadily disintegrates over the course of six years.

Another book with a fabulous cover takes the number four spot this week. Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter is a solid entry in the Gallagher Girl series.

Cammie Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston and the two escape a kidnappers' plot using their espionage skills, and when Macey goes on the campaign trail with her father, the vice-presidential nominee, Cammie and other friends use their spy training as part of the security team.

At number five, How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart is a humorous look at life in middle school. 

When eleven-year-old David Greenberg's best friend makes the start of middle school even worse than he feared it could be, David becomes friends with Penny, who shares his love of television shows and posts one of their skits on YouTube, making them wildly popular--online, at least.






Honorable Mention:

 

Book Read: Tenth Grade Bleeds by Heather Brewer (Chronicles of Vladimire Tod #3)

In the third installment of the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Vlad is now a sophomore and recovering from being staked by Joss (and his betrayal). When Vlad can't reach his Uncle Otis via telepathy, he's disappointed and feeling even more alone. The threat from D'Ablo is still very real, although Vlad doesn't seem to notice for a while.

I liked how Vlad dealt with many of the same issues other teens have to face -- insecurity in his friendships, girl trouble, school work. Even though he's a vampire, he's still very much a "normal" teen in the way he thinks and acts. I will admit that I thought the first book was just an average read, but the second book was excellent. I love the story of Vlad being the Pravus and how Joss was a slayer, but I don't think this third book held up to the promise of the second. I wasn't surprised at all with what happened. In fact, I probably could have told you most everything even before reading the book. I hope the final two books in the series will have some more surprises or I will definitely be disappointed. Only a C rating from me.

Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod #2)

Knowing this series has been extremely popular among my students, I read the first one in the series, Eighth Grade Bites. Honestly, it was just an okay read for me, but I somehow decided to try the second book as well.



Ninth Grade Slays is where the story finally gets moving. It's almost like book 1 was just introducing you to all the characters before the true plot started. Needless to say, Ninth Grade ended up being a much more satisfying read. I'm now curious about the slayer, and wanting more info about Vlad's growing skills as a vampire.



For once, I actually found the 2nd book in a series better than the first. If you liked Eighth Grade Bites, you'll love Ninth Grade Slays. And, even if you're a novice to the series, I think you'll like this story. All those wanting more books about vampires will find Vlad a must-read series.

Vlad improves to a 'B' rating with Ninth Grade Slays. Looking forward to reading about Vlad's tenth grade experiences.

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

My first reaction to Eighth Grade Bites was "oh no, not another vampire series." Frankly, I'm tired of the glut of all vampire stories. I read the first Vladimir Tod story at the request of one of my students, a huge fan of the series.

Vlad is an eighth grader with a gigantic secret. He's a vampire. And to top that -- he was born a vampire, not made one. He lives with his adopted aunt (She's human), since his parents died in a strange fire several years before. Besides all the vampire related issues he deals with, he has to contend with regular eighth grade stuff too. He has problems with bullies at school. The girl he likes sees Vlad as a "friend." When one of his teachers at school goes missing and the substitute seems a little too interested in Vlad, Vlad begins to fear that his secret, and maybe even his life, is not safe.

The story is a strange combination of suspenseful horror and humor. The fear of the vampire hunter finding Vlad strangely turns into the silly visual of Vlad drinking/eating a blood slushie. I liked how "normal" Vlad seemed, if you totally dismissed the whole vampire thing. Students reading this will be able to identify with the human aspects of Vlad's life, while escaping reality with the more fantastical parts. This installment really just seems to provide a set-up for the ongoing plot. Characters are introduced, histories are told, relationships blossom.

For the most part, I liked Eighth Grade Bites. I wasn't at all surprised with any of the twists in the story, so that's probably why I became a little bored. But, I think it's a story that is highly appealing for middle school students. I give it a C.