Senior Owlets: Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle

GreyhoundofaGirlMary’s beloved Granny is dying. On the way home one night, Mary meets a strange, almost transparent young woman, who says she has a message for Granny. The woman seems to know an awful lot about Granny, although neither Mary or her mother have ever met her. But how could they have met the mother of Granny when she died when Granny was only a small child?

- Characters were very believable.
- Like how the characters were never really described, but reader knew what they looked like.
-Short but had a punch to it.
- Liked the ending.
- Felt connected to all of the characters, not just one.
-Felt part of the story.
-Short and sweet.
-Even though sad, still quite humorous.
-Easy to read, but lots of depth to the story.
-A book that will stick with the reader.
-More about love than loss.
-Dialogue was very realistic, felt like part of the conversation and book.
-The humor was sassy.

8 voted.
Average score: 9.425/10

The next meeting will be on June 4th, 2013 at 4:30, and we will be reading Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin.  This will be the last meeting of the year and we’ll meet up in September!

Jason Blake is an autistic 12-year-old living in a neurotypical world. Most days it’s just a matter of time before something goes wrong. But Jason finds a glimmer of understanding when he comes across PhoenixBird, who posts stories to the same online site as he does.
Jason can be himself when he writes and he thinks that PhoneixBird-her name is Rebecca-could be his first real friend. But as desperate as Jason is to met her, he’s terrified that if they do meet, Rebecca wil only see his autism and not who Jason really is.
By acclaimed writer Nora Raleigh Baskin, this is the breathtaking depiction of an autistic boy’s struggles-and a story for anyone who has ever worried about fitting in.

If you’re interested in becoming a Senior Owlet, please feel free to call 403-287-9557 or email owlsnestbooks@shaw.ca for more information, or just drop in for one of the meetings. 

Published in: on May 15, 2013 at 5:15 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Missed Book Club Night? Grab your handout here!

Our 2013 Book Club Recommendation Night was a smash hit.  Our apologies to those who were left standing in the back: we promise more chairs next year.  We had a great time chatting with everyone and hope to see your book club lists soon.

If you missed joining us, don’t despair.  We have copies of the handout (with nearly 40 recommendations) in store, or you can download the Word file here.

Look out in the fall for a holiday version of Book Club Night, where we help you shop for those hard-to-buy-for people on your list.  The evening will include toys, games, gifts, and other items, not just books.

Published in: on May 7, 2013 at 5:32 pm  Leave a Comment  

“God could not be everywhere and so he made mothers.” ~ Jewish Proverb

Mother’s Day is coming up quickly, but here at Owl’s Nest, we have you covered.

(Photography by Penguin Ink)

Luxury hand creams, lip balms candles and cards from Tokyo Milk.

Literature-themed coffee mugs and t-shirts from the Unemployed Philosopher’s Guild.

One-of-a-kind jewelry by local artisans.

And, of course, all the books she needs to impress her book club.

Come down and let us help you pick out the best gift for the Mom in you’re life.

Published in: on May 4, 2013 at 3:48 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Junior Owlets: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

The April selection for Junior Owlets at Owl’s Nest Books was The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron.

Lucky’s father never wanted children.  Her mother died when Lucky was young.  She now lives with her father’s first wife, Brigitte.  Brigitte came all the way from France to be Lucky’s “Guardian”.  Lucky worries that Brigitte is homesick and hates Hard Pan, California (population 43).  What if Brigitte returns to France?  What will happen to Lucky?

Comments from the Junior Owlets:
- Loved the characters
- Excellent descriptions.
- A bit short.
- No action.
- Character-driven.
- Really liked how Lucky grew.
- Characters were interesting.
- Very realistic
- Liked the ending.
- Was a challenge because I kept waiting for the action.
- More mature read.
- Would have liked more action when she ran away.
- Climax was kinda anti-climatic.
- Felt that the snake in the dryer showed that Lucky was resourceful.
- Shock about Miles’s grandmother.
- Felt book dragged.
- Wanted the running away to last longer.

Final score: 6.86666 out of 10

The May selection for Junior Owlets will be My Life as a Book by Janet and Jake Tashjian.

From the back cover:
Summer’s finally here, and Derek Fallon is looking forward to pelting the UPS truck with water balloons, climbing onto the garage roof, and conducting silly investigations. But when his parents decide to send him to Learning Camp, Derek’s dreams of fun come to an end. Ever since he’s been labeled a “reluctant reader,” his mom has pushed him to read “real” books-something other than his beloved Calvin & Hobbes.

As Derek forges unexpected friendships and uncovers a family secret involving himself (in diapers! no less), he realizes that adventures and surprises are around the corner, complete with curve balls.

Junior Owlets is a book club for kids in Grades 3 to 6.  If you’re interested in becoming a Junior Owlet, please feel free to call 403-287-9557 or email owlsnestbooks@shaw.ca for more information, or just drop in to one of the meetings. 

Published in: on April 23, 2013 at 12:56 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Senior Owlets: Reckless by Cornelia Funke

The April selection for Senior Owlets was Reckless by Cornelia Funke.

As a child, Jacob Reckless discovered the world beyond the mirror portal in his father’s study.  Over the years, he has made a name for himself as a finder of enchanted items and buried secrets.  But the world beyond the portal is about to change.  Jacob’s younger brother, Will, has followed him through.  Unbeknownst to Jacob, Will is the prophesied catalyst for change.

Comments from the Junior Owlets:
- Liked the concept but not the story
- Really liked the time slip into the other world.
- Liked how the action started right away.
- Amazing little details.
- Liked the darker aspect of the mirrorworld.
- Felt there were points which should have been more developed.
- Would have liked more fear built up, especially with the Tailor.
- Liked the fantasy and how Jacob connected with the fairy tales as a relic hunter.
- Good at creating suspense and tension, but not sustaining it.
- Liked how the fairy tale characters are darker.
- Liked how the “innocence” of fairy tales was dark.

8 members voted, final score 7.2 out of 10

GreyhoundofaGirlThe May meeting of Senior Owlets will be on Tuesday, May 7th 2013.  The book up for discussion is Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle.

From the back cover:
Mary O’Hara is a sharp and cheeky 12-year-old Dublin schoolgirl who is bravely facing the fact that her beloved Granny is dying. But Granny can’t let go of life, and when a mysterious young woman turns up in Mary’s street with a message for her Granny, Mary gets pulled into an unlikely adventure. The woman is the ghost of Granny’s own mother, who has come to help her daughter say good-bye to her loved ones and guide her safely out of this world. She needs the help of Mary and her mother, Scarlett, who embark on a road trip to the past. Four generations of women travel on a midnight car journey. One of them is dead, one of them is dying, one of them is driving, and one of them is just starting out.

Senior Owlets is a book club for kids in grades 6 through 9.  If you’re interested in becoming a Senior Owlet, please call 403-287-9557 or email owlsnestbooks@shaw.ca for more information, or just stop in to one of the meetings.

Published in: on April 17, 2013 at 4:09 pm  Leave a Comment  

Fledglings: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

The March selection for Fledglings was Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.

Incarceron is the ultimate prison.  It is an entire world. No one can ever escape.  No on from Outside can enter.  Its location is unknown.  It is said to be a Paradise: a perfect world.  That is what Claudia believes.  She lives on the Outside, and has hear the whispers.  Her father is the Warden of Incarceron, but he tells her nothing.  Meanwhile, Finn, who is in Incarceron, know the truth.  He wonders if there truly is an Outside.

Comments from the Fledglings:
- Liked the idea.
- Story has more depth than reader is aware.
- Liked how story was told between two different narrators.
- Liked the parallels of the shortcomings of the two worlds: Protocol & Incarceron
- Quite confusing at the beginning
- Different levels to the story
- Quite predictable in places, but at other times a complete surprise
- At first glance, seemed very simplistic, but the club discussion revealed there is more depth.
- Would have liked more description about Incarceron, although possibly that played to the fact that no one knows what Incarceron is like.
- This is a book that sticks with the reader.
- Lots of moral questions.

8 members voted.  Final score: 7.675 out of 10

The final meeting for Fledglings this year will be Tuesday, April 23rd at 4:30pm.  The book up for discussion will be Pure by Julianna Baggott.

From the back cover:
We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost–how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked: Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss–maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it’s his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

Fledglings is a book club for teens in grades 9 and up.  If you’re interested in becoming a Fledgling, please call 403-287-9557 or email owlsnestbooks@shaw.ca for more information, or just drop into on of the meetings.

Published in: on March 26, 2013 at 5:22 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Senior Owlets: This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel

The March selection for Senior Owlets was This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel.

Victor Frankenstein and his twin brother Konrad have explored every room in the Frankenstiens’ palatial chateau.  They have just discovered the Dark Library.  Ancient books in strange languages, filled with forbidden knowledge, are hidden there.  Their father makes them promise to never again enter the Dark Library, but Victor is drawn back, searching for the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life.

Comments from the Senior Owlets:
- Very interesting
- Lots of foreshadowing
- Good buildup.
- Author was very descriptive.
- Excellent writing.
- Liked how author could create scene that played upon the emotions of the reader…door to Dark Library when Polidori was chasing them.
- Drew reader right in.
- Romance was not popular with all readers.
- Victor’s character was very believable.
- Liked the quests for ingredients.
- Liked Victor’s internal struggle
- Victor is very egotistical
- Liked how the author dropped the bombshell of Konrad’s death.

6 members voted.  Final score 8.105

The April selection for Senior Owlets will be Reckless by Cornelia Funke.  We will meet on Tuesday, April 9th at our usual 4:30pm.

From the back cover:

Ever since Jacob Reckless was a child, he has been escaping to a hidden world through a portal in his father’s abandoned study. Over the years, he has made a name for himself as a finder of enchanted items and buried secrets. He’s also made many enemies and allies–most important, Fox, a beautiful shape-shifting vixen whom Jacob cares for more than he lets on.

But life in this other world is about to change. Tragedy strikes when Jacob’s younger brother, Will, follows him through the portal. Brutally attacked, Will is infected with a curse that is quickly transforming him into a Goyl–a ruthless killing machine, with skin made of stone.

Jacob is prepared to fight to save his brother, but in a land built on trickery and lies, Jacob will need all the wit, courage, and reckless spirit he can summon to reverse the dark spell–before it’s too late.

Senior Owlets is a book club for kids in grades 6 through 9.  If you’re interested in becoming a Senior Owlet, please call 403-287-9557 or email owlsnestbooks@shaw.ca for more information, or just stop in to one of the meetings. 

Published in: on March 6, 2013 at 3:47 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Junior Owlets: Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

The March selection for Junior Owlets was Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

Liesl as been recently orphaned.  With her father dead, her stepmother has locked her in the attic with no contact with the outside world.  One night, Liesl notices a strange darkness in the shape of a child in her room.  It is the ghost, Po.  On that same night, Will, an alchemist’s assistant, causes a dreadful mix-up, which will affect all three of them.

Comments from the Junior Owlets

- Fantasy was fun.
- Ending tied everything together.
- Liked the characters.
- Liked how the return of the sun was the true magic.
- Characters were believable, even the ghost.
- Would have liked more humour.
- Liked how the story was dealing with grief and sadness.
- Quite dark.
- Characters were believable because they had flaws.
- Liked how the kids were resourceful.
- Some confusion.
- A little depressing
- Although characters didn’t like each other, they worked together.
- A little dark.
- Wanted more description.
- Maybe too many characters.
- Liked how everything tied together.
- Quite emotional at times.

24 kids voted.  Final score: 8.80909

The next Junior Owlets meeting will be on Saturday, April 13th at 9:00am.  The book up for discussion is The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron.

From the back cover:
Lucky, age ten, can’t wait another day. The meanness gland in her heart and the crevices full of questions in her brain make running away from Hard Pan, California (population 43), the rock-bottom only choice she has.

It’s all Brigitte’s fault — for wanting to go back to France. Guardians are supposed to stay put and look after girls in their care! Instead Lucky is sure that she’ll be abandoned to some orphanage in Los Angeles where her beloved dog, HMS Beagle, won’t be allowed. She’ll have to lose her friends Miles, who lives on cookies, and Lincoln, future U.S. president (maybe) and member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. Just as bad, she’ll have to give up eavesdropping on twelve-step anonymous programs where the interesting talk is all about Higher Powers. Lucky needs her own — and quick.

But she hadn’t planned on a dust storm.

Or needing to lug the world’s heaviest survival-kit backpack into the desert.

Junior Owlets is a book club for kids in grades 3 to 6.  If you’re interested in becoming a Junior Owlet, please call 403-287-9557 or email owlsnestbooks@shaw.ca for more information, or just stop in for one of the meetings.  

 

Published in: on March 2, 2013 at 5:24 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Staff Pick: The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

Jeanie: “The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe will open your heart. It is a celebration of literature, of kindness and compassion.  The gems of wisdom are bountiful so be prepared with your sticky notes and highlighter and…a box of Kleenex.  My “best book” for 2013′s Book Club Night.”

Published in: on March 1, 2013 at 9:18 am  Leave a Comment  
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Staff Pick: The Heart Broke In by James Meek

Click to reserve your copy via our webstore.

Mike: “A modern-day epic featuring a brilliant scientist, an aging rock star, a gene therapist and a ‘mad’ newspaper baron whose lives intersect under tragic circumstances.

“Fans of Jonathan Franzen will love Meek’s incisive rendering of human failings, in spite of our worthy attempts to behave honourably.

“Heartbreaking, uplifting and earth-shattering all at the same time.”

Published in: on February 23, 2013 at 5:43 pm  Leave a Comment  
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