Somers Library Blog

All unfinished works of art, whether it’s a sword, book, or painting, are cataloged and kept in the library of the unwritten, located in Hell. The librarian’s job is to ensure that no unfinished books seek out their authors and attempt to persuade his or her author to finish the story. The current librarian, and the protagonist of the book, is a woman named Claire Hadley. In this story, one’s soul decides his or her fate (whether they are admitted to heaven or sent to wait in purgatory or become a demon). In Claire’s case, her soul decided that she was to be the librarian of the unwritten wing for an unknown period of time. She and the assistant librarian, a muse named Brevity, keep track of all the objects and stories in the unwritten wing. Things have been quiet during Claire’s stay as the librarian, until a routine trip to Earth to catch an incomplete book results in not only the capture of the book but a scrap of paper from a book that is powerful enough to cause war between the re...

Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind. Just one thing, he’s 13. After his father dies in a boat accident, he’s set on restoring the family’s fame and fortune. He then finds out about a whole world of fairies, living right under his feet... everyone’s feet. He doesn’t know much about them, but what he does know is that they have a lot of gold, like a lot, a lot. So, he comes up with an ingenious plan to get this gold. May I remind you that Artemis, is no ordinary boy, he a genius, but he just uses that for crime. He figures out that each fairy has a book that says all about fairies and their everyday lives, so Artemis sets out to find a fairy. He finds a crippled old fairy of no importance living in the streets of Saigon, Vietnam. After restoring her powers back, she gave him the book. Now, time for Artemis to decipher their language. Within a day Artemis had the whole book translated. He figured out that once a month, on the full moon, the fairies come from underground and do the Ritua...

The book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is about a boy named Junior that suffers from a lot of injuries like brain damage. He also has trouble breathing. He also ended up having forty-two teeth in his mouth and not thirty- two teeth. Junior also had a huge head from his brain damage. Junior had a friend named Rowdy. Rowdy never really liked Junior because Junior would never like to do crazy dangerous stuff with Rowdy. Junior also got bullied at school. The bullies would call him rude names like huge head and nerd because he was very smart. Also, Juniors parents were very poor and could not afford to drive Junior to school, so Junior had to walk 20 miles to school. Then one day Junior had to move to a different school called Rearden. After Junior moved to Rearden, he did not see Rowdy for months. Then Junior’s Grandmother died of old age and Junior’s sister died because she was having a party and she got so drunk that she fell asleep and never woke up the next morning....

Soul Mining: A Musical Life by Daniel Lanois is about Daniel Lanois' life, from his beginnings as a boy in Canada first learning how to record, to his many musical projects, eight of which earned Grammy awards. Setting out from the studio he and his brother made in his mother's basement, Daniel Lanois travelled across the country, working on various artists' records from the likes of U2 to Bob Dylan. The book not only covers the process of making and producing these albums and many more, but also covers some of the technology that Lanois used, the places that the albums were recorded in, and Lanois' philosophies towards recording those albums. It additionally focuses on the locations that the albums were recorded in, from the Teatro, a repurposed theater, to his house in New Orleans. Daniel Lanois' writing style is analytical, yet artistic, as he describes everything from the microphones and pre-amplifiers used when recording, to his experiences riding motorcycles a...

This story is about Louie Zamperini, and his story during WW2. In this book he is on the B-24, a plane used by the Americans during the war. The plane is very strong and won almost all the fights, but in this fight the B-24 was being shot by many different planes. The bullets took out many different engines on the plan causing it to crash in the ocean. Only 3 people survived including Louie. Now they were stranded in the middle of the ocean. They survived 47 days in the middle of the ocean, eating raw fish and birds. This caused them to be very sick and skinny, but on day number 47 they were found by a Japanese ship where they were treated well with food. Then they were put on an island where they were very abused. They got one rice ball and they were being eating alive by bugs. Their rooms were 3 foot by 3 foot and they were not allowed to leave. They were then moved to a concentration camp where they had to work hard job like moving coal. After 1 month they were moved to a different ...

Diva is about a girl named Caitlin who had dreams to become an opera singer. Caitlin has had a tough past, she used to be very heavy and was sent to weight loss camp and continues to struggle with eating and always worrying about her weight and what others are thinking about her, and she has some ex-boyfriend issues. Her ex-boyfriend Nick turned out to be very abusive, but now she has a chance at a fresh start with switching schools. She dreams to go to Miami High School of the Arts and she now has her chance. She just has to convince her mother to let her go, her mother still acts like she is in high school, always dating around and dressing way below her age. I really enjoyed reading this book for a few reasons. One being that it was a quick read, something you can just read for a little while before bed and drift off. Even when it dealt with some heavier topics like abuse it stayed pretty light. Also, it dove into some topic that many teenage girls deal with daily. Some examples o...

Though Ellery and her twin brother have never been there, they know all about the small town of Echo Ridge from their mother, Sadie. Sadie grew up in Echo Ridge, where her twin went missing twenty years ago. Then just five years ago, Lacey Kilduff, homecoming princess, was killed at Murderland, Echo Ridge's Halloween theme park. Now with their mother in rehab, and no father to take care of them, Ellery and Ezra are sent to live with a grandmother they barely know in Echo Ridge. The town's frightening reputation becomes clear to them both, when the twins find the body of Mr. Bowman, an Echo Ridge high school teacher, lying dead in the street. Ellery and Ezra's time in Echo Ridge isn't going great, despite becoming friends with Malcolm and Mia. It keeps going downhill when Ellery is mysteriously elected as a homecoming princess on her first week there. Graffittied walls and hijacked screens keep threatening to make things as dangerous as it was five years ago for the home...

As we all know on April 15, 1912 the magnificent Titanic was sunk by a great iceberg. This book shows each event from the Titanic leading up to its disaster, the disaster, and after the disaster. With real voices from the Titanic. As scary as it sounds from the tales, nobody really knew what was going on and the loss of family and friends are unbelievable. Starting from start to finish this book told a tale that nobody will ever understand unless you were there. This book is filled with heart stopping action, devastating drama, fascinating historical detail, and photographs, weaving together the voices from the Titanic survivors and witnesses from the tragedy to bring the night alive. There is nine-year-old Frankie Goldsmith; Violet Jessop, a young stewardess; Archibald Gracie, a well-to-do gentleman; Charlotte Collyer, a young mother on her way to start a new life; and others. Her fateful voyage and the rescue of the survivors is something you will have to wait and see for yourself. ...

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is about a girl named Kya who lives in the marshes outside of Barkley Cove, a town on the coast of North Carolina. The book is set in the 1960s, and centers around two story lines, the first being Kya growing up isolated in the marsh. Kya is isolated not by any fault of her own, but by the circumstances surrounding her life in the marsh. The second story line, which begins in 1969, focuses on the investigation of the murder of a boy in Barkley Cove. Kya is the prime suspect for the murder and Delia Owens does a fantastic job of jumping from one story to another in order to build suspense and create sympathy for Kya throughout the novel. The novel appeals to readers who like historical fiction and coming of age novels, and focuses on the theme of isolation quite a bit. Additionally, the book has great descriptions of nature, especially from the viewpoint of Kya, who has lived in the marsh all her life. The characters and time period the book is wri...

Ezekiel, a high school boy, whose parents are divorced was an outstanding basketball player. He had a ton of friends, scholarships and fame. In one moment, his life changed. There was an incident during the state championship. He lost his scholarship to Kansas university and got expelled from school. There was only one high school that would accept him and that was McDermy prep. Then one day during the weekend Zeke was walking through town and saw a poster for a three on three tournament. It was at the local community college and the winner played at Kansas university. Little did he know that there was a 3rd dimension that one of his special ed friends could communicate with. After the incident happened on the court, the 3rd dimension thought people weren’t appreciating basketball. So, because of this they were going to take it away. Zeke hasn't seen his dad in a long time because he was losing his mind after coming out of the army. Zeke was so mad at his dad for not coming to see ...

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid tells the story of Nadia and Saeed. Both college students, they first meet in a business class, then begin a relationship together. All is going well when their country erupts in civil war, leaving their city pockmarked by bomb blasts and explosions. They soon hunker down in Saeed’s parents’ house and wait for it all to pass. The couple, though, begins to hear rumors about “doors” – portals which can transport people away from the war zone, if perilously and for a price. As the violence in their city escalates, Nadia and Saeed find that they are out of options: if they leave their home, they could be shot; if they stay, their neighborhood could be bombed. Risking their life for a chance at escape, they pay an agent to find a door, and in the darkness of night, step through. What awaits them on the other side? Read the book to find out. Exit West is no doubt an excellent book, combining elements of fantasy with real-world scenarios that are gripping, thrillin...

Once a year the wealthy and brutal Capitol forces the 12 separate districts they rule over to sacrifice one girl and one boy tribute to fight to death on live TV. These hunger games are a reminder and a warning that the capitol can not be overthrown without serious consequences. The 74th games were not like any other, when the capitol chose Prim, Katniss's sister, she had to volunteer in her sisters place almost certainly saving her life. Katniss had to leave her family, her best friend Gale, and with her leaving there was no one to take care of or look after her family. This gave her the push she needed to realize how important it was that she came home. Her fierce and strong personality, as well as her bow and arrow skills made her a stand out contender and a crowd favorite. She also meets her fellow tribute Peeta, he's head over heels for her but is she as madly in love as he is or is it all just an act. Her choices are tough, will she do whatever it takes to win the games o...

Stand Beautiful is an auto-biography written by Chloe Howard. In the book she discusses and shares her experience of being different. As a young child Chloe was born with a defect that cause her left foot to be twisted.  She had many surgeries to correct this, leaving scars and marks throughout her foot. She did her best to embrace it because it is what made her beautiful, but at age fourteen she was assaulted, and a group of girls forcibly removed her shoe to show her difference to the world, making her feel ashamed of who she is. After this traumatizing experience she suffered through depression along with other mental illnesses.  However, throughout it all, she managed with the help of her close friend and family to stand beautiful.   This book is a shining example of how people should be able to see past other differences and accept people for who they are. Chloe has appeared on many ted-talks about choosing kindness and promoting people's differences. Chloe says...

What would happen if a meteorite were to crash into the moon at this very second? This book answers this question in a way that you feel would be very believable. On a normal Wednesday, the biggest meteorite to ever hit the moon is scheduled to hit. Meteorologists are excited but assure the public it will have trivial effect. However, as many citizens watch the moon, either looking up to the sky or on their television, they see that it is pushed significantly more towards the Earth. The moon is now bigger than ever and what will that mean? Well, in the immediate minutes, tsunamis are caused by the rapidly increasing tides, wiping out many islands and destroying most of Rhode Island. The entire country is in turmoil, as there is no longer enough fuel or food for the winter. Miranda and her family, living in a small town in Pennsylvania, are not the victims of any tsunamis or volcanoes, as volcanoes have started to erupt from the increased gravity. However, life is still hard, as they ha...

It’s summer, and now that Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley Dursley are in hiding, Harry is going to get escorted out. Thirteen people come to assist. Six of those people drank the pollyjuice potion to look like Harry, and they go with an escort. Once they are all at the Burrow, they find out that Mad-Eye is dead. Harry stays at the Burrow until Bill and Fleur’s wedding. During the wedding, Kingsley sends a message that the Death Eaters are coming, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione disapperate to a Muggle place. While at a cafe, two death eaters come and the trio narrowly escaped them. They then go to Grimmauld Place. The stay there trying to figure out how to get the locket, one of the horcruxes, things that they are looking to destroy. Harry’s house-elf, Kreacher, helps them locate it. They disguise and steal it from Umbridge. They take turns wearing the locket, because while wearing it all evil inside you is tempted. Ron leaves Harry and Hermione because of the locket. The two still try to fig...

Blue Sargent lives in a house with three psychics. Despite having a psychic mother, she only has the ability to amplify the power of others. Her town was built on a ley line, a powerful, magical line that is often the source of unexplained occurrences. Every year, one member of the psychic family stands on the ley line to see the ghosts of all the townspeople who will die in one year. Blue is often brought along to amplify the power of the psychic, but this year is different. She sees a ghost for the first time- a boy wearing the uniform of the nearby Aglionby Academy, a prestigious high school for the extremely rich. She later meets the doomed boy, whose name is Gansey, and his friends at her job in a pizza parlor. Despite a deep dislike of Aglionby boys, who she calls “raven boys”, there is something about Gansey that intrigues her. She eventually warms up to them, and Gansey tells her of his mission; to find the lost Welsh king Owen Glendower. He believes that the king must be b...

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain starts out with a sweet young boy who is seven years old. His name is Pierrot, he lives in France in 1936 and his mother is French, his father is German. His father is still struggling after his experiences in the first World War. Pierrot has a best friend named Anshel, who lives downstairs and is deaf and Jewish. After an unfortunate series of events, his father dies in the hands of a train crash and his mother dies from tuberculosis, Pierrot is orphaned. He is relieved when he can leave the orphanage when his Aunt Beatrix, who he has never met, offers to have him in. She is a maid at the Berghof, Hilter’s house. He gets taken under Hitler’s wing. The book follows Pierrot from the age of 7 to 16 following his journey from sweet Pierrot to Hitler's loyal pet. I really enjoyed reading this book. Throughout reading it, I found myself going through a whole mix of emotions. There were many sad moments that came along with Pierrot and his life at Hit...

The Code Book by Simon Singh tells the history of cryptography, from the first substitution ciphers used in ancient Rome all the way to modern-day ones used in websites and mobile apps. Along the way, it describes the situations these ciphers were used in, and the exhilarating and harrowing situations in which they were cracked and deciphered. You learn the ins and outs of the history of cryptography, all in an easy to read and digestible format. Throughout the book, Singh describes each cipher, its history, its applications, and its downfall without getting into complex mathematical formulas and equations, and even provides step-by-step instructions to follow along and challenges to tackle on your own before continuing to the next chapter. The Code Book is an excellent treatise on the essence of cryptography. One example that comes to mind is the development of the German Enigma machine. It turns out that the Enigma wasn’t developed for the purposes of World War II but rather as a c...

This is a story about nine working class boys, brought up in the time of the Great Depression. The boys, coming out of Washington State's many small towns, became the best nine men rowing team in history. Due to their speed, grace, and teamwork, they achieved the unachievable. Each of these boys came from meager circumstances but were able, with their grades and sport scholarships, to make their way to the University of Washington in Seattle. This story is told by Joe Rantz, a member of that team and a man from a hard background and capable of herculean feats, who made his way to University of Washington after being taken in by his older brother because his father and stepmother abandoned him on their farm at age fourteen. This book outlines the story of him finding himself, with eight other boys, inside a sleek rowing boat, moving with speed and grace. This incredible team would win the 1936 nine men rowing competition at the Olympics, denying the Nazi’s the complete set of rowing...

This is the second book about Anne Blythe's children. The Blythe's befriend the Meredith children, who are the children of the new minister, Rev John Meredith. There are four children in the Meredith clan, Jerry, Carl, Faith, and Una. One day the children can smell the food from Rainbow Valley, the place where the Blythe children play, and they go to join, and soon become friends. Later, the Meredith children hear noises from their neighbor's barn. They go to investigate and they find a runaway girl named Mary Vance. They help her out, as she is starving, and give her a room in their house. Soon others know about her, and they have to figure out a new home for her. Her abusive 'owner' had died the morning she left and Mary is afraid that she is going to go to another abusive owner, and Una decides to ask Miss Cornelia if she will take Mary. After some consideration she agrees, and Mary is allowed to come over to Rainbow Valley sometimes. The children are always on a...

Beatrice Prior lives in a world that is divided into five factions. The faction you choose when you turn sixteen dictates your entire life and your future job. Some teenagers transfer to another faction and others decide to stay. There is Erudite (known for their knowledge), Abnegation(the most selfless), Candor (those who believe in honesty), Amity(who only wants peace), and Dauntless(the brave). Every faction has different values and different initiations but the one thing they all believe in is that its always faction before blood. When it comes time for Beatrice to choose which faction she belongs, she not only surprises her family but herself as well. As Beatrice, now known as Tris, struggles to keep up in her new faction and the initiation she needs to not only pass but exceed in, she learns more and more about herself. She goes through tests and simulations that challenge her both physically and mentally and slowly starts to get better with help from Four. Will Tris pass her fac...

The Fault in Our Stars is a fabulous book about a young teenage girl who was diagnosed with lung cancer, and how she finds love in her life. Sixteen year old Hazel Grace has never had an easy life, suffering with cancer and her many death experiences brings her to joining a support group. There she meets Augustus Waters. Augustus has had osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, but has recently had the all clear. Hazel starts off hesitant but ends up finding her path through the group. Both of their traumatizing childhoods leads them to an amazing friendship. Augustus shows her a new perspective of life, teaching her that her cancer doesn't define her. Hazel and Augustus end up spending all their days together, both finding love within each others interests. Hazels passion for reading rubs off onto Augustus and they both fall in love with a book called Imperial Affliction. Their friendship is a roller coaster of emotions, including, romance, sadness and love while on the search fo...