Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies

by William Golding

The Library Book Club meeting for this book was on July 19, 2018, at 6:30 in the entry foyer.

A limited number of book club reading copies were available for checkout from the circulation desk about a month prior to the meeting.

When a plane crashes on a remote island, a small group of schoolboys are the sole survivors. From the prophetic Simon and virtuous Ralph to the lovable Piggy and brutish Jack, each of the boys attempts to establish control as the reality – and brutal savagery – of their situation sets in.

The boys’ struggle to find a way of existing in a community with no fixed boundaries invites readers to evaluate the concepts involved in social and political constructs and moral frameworks. Ideas of community, leadership, and the rule of law are called into question as the reader has to consider who has a right to power, why, and what the consequences of the acquisition of power may be. Often compared to Catcher in the RyeLord of the Flies also represents a coming-of-age story of innocence lost.

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Bekka rated it ★★★★★.

Miranda rated it ★★★ and said “I had a hard time connecting with this one. It just seemed really emotionally flat to me.”

Patty rated it ★★★.

Book Trailer: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Book Trailer: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Book Trailer: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

by Carrie Ryan
In Mary’s world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.

The Guardians will protect and serve.

The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

Now, she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

book 1 in the Forest of Hands and Teeth series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said “This is really more of a 4 1/2 star rating. I will definitely read then next in the series.”

Bekka rated it ★★★★ and said “This would actually be more of a 3.5 stars for me, maybe because it reminded me too much of that movie “The Village.” I kept waiting for them to step out of the forest and into modern times.”

Book Trailer: Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Book Trailer: Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Book Trailer: Life as We Knew It

by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all–hope–in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

book 1 in the Last Survivors series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★★★ and said “Amazing! Every time I got up while reading this I felt like I should check my food storage and be impressed with the wonder of electricity. Can’t wait to read the next one.”

Patty rated it ★★★★.

Bekka rated it ★★★★.

Book Trailer: Dark Life by Kat Falls

Book Trailer: Dark Life by Kat Falls

Book Trailer: Dark Life

by Kat Falls
A thrilling futuristic adventure set deep undersea, Dark Life follows the settlers of the world’s first subsea settlement as they defend their homesteads against a brazen band of outlaws.

Set in an apocalyptic future where rising oceans have swallowed up entire regions and people live packed like sardines on the dry land left, DARK LIFE is the harrowing tale of underwater pioneers who have carved out a life for themselves in the harsh deep-sea environment, farming the seafloor in exchange for the land deed.

The story follows Ty, who has lived his whole life on his family’s homestead and has dreams of claiming his own stake when he turns eighteen. But when outlaws’ attacks on government supply ships and settlements…

book 1 in the Dark Life series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The Sun is Also a Star

by Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

The Art of Being Normal

by Lisa Williamson

Two boys. Two secrets.

David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl.

On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan.

When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

P.S. I Like You

by Kasie West

Signed, sealed, delivered…

While spacing out in chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message to her. Intrigue!

Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters—sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only, who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can’t always be spelled out…

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Love & Gelato

by Jenna Evans Welch

“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe

by Neal Shusterman

Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

book 1 in the Arc of a Scythe series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said, “What a crazy ride! I’ve been a convert to Shusterman since the time I was a young teen and read Speeding Bullet. Since then, I’ve loved the Everlost and Unwind series, along with pretty much everything else he’s ever written. So when this popped up, I had to have it. And I’m glad I did.

“The entire time I was reading this I kept talking about it with people. Telling them all about this new book that was coming out and trying to describe the crazy world and characters, all while failing to do them justice. At one point I was talking about it and the person I was talking to brought up the Unwind series and how much they loved it. I was happy to be able to tell them that this was the same author and they have much to look forward to!

“This book gives the reader a lot to think about, both on a literal level and then on multiple philosophical levels. I can’t wait to be able to hand it to readers and share more about it.”

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