The Teen Summer Reading Club is wrapping up, but our teens are still reading! Here’s a few more highly recommended teen selections.

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

This book is about a girl named D.J., who has to run her family farm because her dad is having hip issues. D.J. goes to Red Bend high school, and her dad used to coach football at Hawley high school, whose archrival is Red Bend. Since her dad used to work at Hawley, the football coach sent his quarterback, Brian Nelson, to the family farm to help out. The Hawley coach then wants D.J. to train Brian. While training Brian, D.J. realizes she likes football, and tries out for the Red Bend team. I really enjoyed this book; it was so hard to put it down.

- Cara Ellen M.

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Audrey, Wait! is the hilariously funny story of a girl named Audrey who breaks up with her boyfriend, Evan. Evan is the lead singer of a band and he writes a (surprisingly good) song about their break-up called Audrey, Wait. The song becomes famous and so does Audrey. Now, no one leaves Audrey alone, strange people know her name, and she’s all over the news. Anything she does appears in the tabloids, and she gets a hundred messages and phone calls a day. All she wants is to have a normal life where she can go on a date with her boyfriend or hang out with her best friend without being harassed. When you read it you will love the main character Audrey, as well as her best friend, Victoria. It’s also realistic and makes you realize that being famous isn’t all its cracked up to be.

- Samiha A.

My Life in Pink & Green by Lisa Greenwald

This book is about twelve-year old Lucy Desberg, who lives with her mom and her grandma. Together they run their family pharmacy, only all their customers are now shopping at big stores. Money is tight, with Lucy’s sister Claudia in college, and they may need to sell the struggling pharmacy to pay off their debts. Lucy and her best friend Sunny find a grant for going green, and they decide it can help save the pharmacy. Claudia goes to an eco-spa and Lucy realizes that is exactly what the struggling pharmacy needs. Will they get the green grant and, will people stop treating Lucy like a little kid so her idea can work? I liked this book because it’s about girls going through troubles that kids my age can relate to. It has boy troubles, friendship troubles, and most important family struggles. Claudia and Lucy love doing make-up as a pastime and are good at it. I also like how each chapter begins with a beauty tip, business tip, or a quote from Laura Mercier.

- Bailey Rose A.

"The present chasm between the generations has been brought about almost entirely by a change in the concept of truth."

I’ve read this volume (The God Who Is There, Escape From Reason, and He Is There And He Is Not Silent) three or four times. How to describe them? Francis Schaeffer (1912 – 1984) was a Christian pastor, writer, historian, missionary, and philosopher. These works represent the foundation of his worldview, and his defense of it.

In the first two books, you will find a fascinating overview of how we (the modern Western world) arrived at where we are today — philosophically, musically, politically, artistically, culturally, socially, and religiously. Schaeffer’s holistic approach relates all of these areas to one another and demonstrates how the progress (or lack thereof) of each area first begins with a change in the ways a culture handles the basic idea of truth. Truth is either antithesis (i.e, A is A and If you have A it is not non-A) or synthesis (i.e, A is not necessarily not non-A).

By comparing these different areas of life chronologically, Schaeffer draws a timeline and seeks to demonstrate that there was a general (and rather inconspicuous) shift from antithesis to synthesis in the 20th century. As an artist and a musician, I was captivated by his discussion of how art expresses and confirms the philosophical ethos of an age.

The third book in this volume is also the shortest, and in my opinion, the most important. Here, Schaeffer considers the basic categories of answers to epistemology (how we know what we know), metaphysics (the nature of being), and morals. He starts with what Sartre called the most basic philosophical problem, the antithesis that “something exists” rather than nothing. By process of elimination, Schaeffer narrows down what that “something” is and must be. He concludes that all that is must have had its origin in an infinite-personal God. You may, of course, judge for yourself whether his treatment is valid.

What I appreciate about Schaeffer is that his methodology engages the mind and the heart, never to the chagrin of either. It stems from a lifetime of human relationships, especially at L’Abri, his ministry in Switzerland.

Dan Curry – Savage Branch

Meet Catherine Asaro, a local author with one of the most impressive biographies I’ve ever seen. A true renaissance woman, she holds a Ph.D in chemical physics from Harvard and was a visiting scientist at Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in the early 1990s. She has danced professionally and taught at the Caryl Maxwell Classical Ballet school in Maryland. She writes award-winning science fiction novels. And these days, she sings, with local band Point Valid, the music described in her newest Skolian Universe novel, Diamond Star.

Diamond Star is the most recent addition (also available as an audiobook) to the long ranging series of Skolian Universe novels, which tell the story of the Ruby Empire and its struggle to exist in a universe that values its technology, but not its culture. Del Arden, a prince of the Ruby Empire and an extremely gifted empath, doesn’t care much for his royal responsibilities. He just wants to sing, and maybe even be a star. This may seem trite, but it sets the background for a novel that quickly moves beyond the surface story of a young man living his rock and roll dream.

Del doesn’t truly forsake his heritage, mostly because he realizes his dream is precarious at best. His mother, brother, and aunt co-rule an interstellar empire — one that will make war on Earth if anything should happen to Del. The book also examines the importance of art to the individual psyche and the health of a culture. Del can explore issues in his songs that would cause war (and almost do) if expressed in any other way. After a slightly slow start, you root for Del to succeed in spite of the odds and to make peace with his personal demons.

Asaro will read from the novel and perform songs at the Library’s East Columbia Branch on Tuesday, May 18 at 7:00 pm. She will be accompanied by the Wolcott Quartet: Donald Wolcott on keys (and backup vocals), El Torro Gamble on drums, Mike Montgomery on bass, and Dominick Turchi on sax. Asaro plans to read passages from the book interspersed with songs from the book along with covers of jazz and other pop music, followed by a time for questions from the audience.

Books and companion CDs will be available for purchase and signing. Sponsored by Friends of Howard County Library.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

Flight of the Conchords (Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie) are "New Zealand’s fourth most popular comedy-folk duo." On the back of this questionable level of domestic success halfway across the globe, they’ve decided to reach for the big time, and this mockumentary style HBO show documents their efforts to make it big in the New York City music business. In addition to professional success, Jermaine and Bret are looking for love, and plots often revolve around their efforts to meet women. 

Much of the humor here develops from the duo’s naiveté. They’re confounded by the city, mis-managed by the incompetent Murray (Rhys Darby), exploited by strangers they meet, and (perhaps worst of all) regularly mistaken for Australians. Murray, who juggles his responsibilities to the band with his day job at the New Zealand Consulate, has the band’s best interests at heart but is clearly out of his depth. When he isn’t misleading the Conchords deliberately, Murray gets the guys into trouble by accident. Any career move proposed by Murray is frequently over before it starts.

Thankfully, the Conchords know a couple of other people in the city. They are supported/obsessively stalked by their one fan, Mel (Kristen Schaal), who goes to all their concerts and spends a suspicious amount of time on the sidewalk outside their apartment. They can also turn to local pawnshop owner Dave (Arj Barker) for the unvarnished truth about their situation and circumstances.

The show plays with the format of episodic television, as each of the duo’s adventures dissolves into a musical number that furthers the plot. These pitch-perfect parodies are the hook that keeps the viewer coming back, as the Conchords spoof David Bowie, 60s euro-pop, or The Beatles to tell us more of their story. Particular stand-outs are the chemical-fueled Pretty Prince of Parties, Foux da fa-fa that takes us through the duo’s double-date with the ladies from the croissant shop, and Leggie Blonde, a performance piece documenting Murray’s unrequited love for Jessica, the embassy’s contractor from IT support. Howard County Library owns both season one and season two of Flight of the Conchords, as well as I Told You I Was Freaky, the band’s music CD from season two. Catch up with Jermaine and Bret today!

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

Fleet Foxes’ eponymous first full-length CD is dynamite, and you won’t hear anything else like it unless you go back and dig through your vinyl collection. The Seattle-based band manages to synthesize a wide variety of influences into a collection that is folksy, a particular sort of rocky, evocative, and timeless. You’ll hear strains of nineteenth-century revival camp meetings, as well as re-imagined versions of a very particular California sound. Think Simon and Garfunkel meets the Beach Boys meets Crosby, Stills and Nash meets the Mamas and the Papas and you’ll be in the neighborhood, but still not quite on the doorstep. The only way to really get the picture is to play the CD. What’s so interesting is that the Fleet Foxes aren’t confined by genre or influence, and yet by ranging widely and pulling from many diverse sources, they’ve produced a remarkably consistent and exceptional collection of rock tunes that is a breath of fresh air for your stereo.

The themes in the music are universal and the world of these songs is small, emotional, and intense. Many of the Foxes’ tunes are conversations between lovers or friends, or are confessional in nature. There’s longing and heartache here, and the music is grounded by plenty of references to the natural world, reinforcing the timelessness of the songs. Layered vocals, even on the most up-beat of the tracks, suggest choral music and lend an almost spiritual quality to the tunes. Ragged Wood, Quiet Houses, and Blue Ridge Mountains are stand-out tracks, but the whole collection is exceptional.

This is a great one for the spring (starts tomorrow!), one to play loud with the windows open, and to listen to over and over again. If you want to check out a CD that takes particular musical influences in new and unexpected directions, listen to Fleet Foxes. I’d love to know what you think of the CD. Please add your reactions and recommendations for similar music to the comments.

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

For librarians, genre is constant source of difficulty. How do you break down music into categories, and by which standards do you follow? Is Phil Collins "Rock" or "Pop?" Do you classify India Arie as "Hip-Hop" or "R&B?" Couldn’t a case be made that the Beatles be classified as "World" music, as they are not from the United States?

Akron/Family decided to forget the whole thing and just play some weird, wonderful music. Somewhere between folk rock and tribal dance, Love Is Simple explores musical extremes, with songs both spooky and invigorating. The album is bookended by the chorus-driven "Love, Love, Love (Everyone)" and its reprise, commanding us to go out and, as the song title suggests, "love, love, love everyone." Both songs are expansive and friendly, about as folksy as a song could be without some railroad imagery or mention of a coal mine.

But between these two songs lies a whole phantasmagoria of musical intrigue. The second track, "Ed Is a Portal," clocks in at over seven minutes and sounds like something that would be played as you dancing around a bonfire, clapping hands, and slapping tambourines. With multiple time signatures and dozens of instruments coming into play, the song should be played at the highest volume for maximum effect.

That’s saying nothing of that simultaneously elegaic and smirking titular track, "Love Is Simple," which utilizes both a xylophone and lilting vocals to deliver a bizarre punchline at its conclusion. I could go on, but suffice to say, Akron/Family uses as many musical styles as they could fit on one album, with exceptional results.

The band’s newest album, Set ‘em Wild, Set ‘em Free, is also a great listen, but even three years later, Love Is Simple remains my favorite of the two. This is an album you want to listen to with headphones on, in a beanbag chair, eyes closed, loving every musical risk these crazy musicians took.

Khaleel Gheba – Miller Branch

Miley Cyrus returns with her second album, Breakout. This is her first album as a solo artist, and gets away from her Hannah Montana fare. After her first album, Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus, this new album will satisfy bubblegum-chewing tweens everywhere, while taking another step toward having her own identity.   

Breakout features two cover songs — "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "These Four Walls." The former, for all you Cyndi Lauper fans, lacks the pep of the original, but the latter has a great country twang and showcases Cyrus’ talented vocals.

My favorite tracks, however, are "Fly on the Wall" ("Don’t you wish that you could be a fly on the wall, a creepy little, sneakily little fly on the wall…") and "Simple Song" ("I swear sometimes I can’t tell which way is up which way is down push it away Simple Song sing along now La, la, la, la…"). "7 Things" is all pop-rock and talks about the seven things Miley hates about an ex-boyfriend. I heard myself singing along with these lyrics.

While Miley Cyrus claims this new album is more mature, it’s still your typical teen-pop through and through. I really enjoyed Breakout and I am sure it will make her fans happy, too.

Tom Neary – Central Library

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

Yeah, right, I can hear you thinking, no book can live up to an intro like that. Normally, I’d agree with you. I was skeptical, but The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss delivered in spades. It doesn’t matter what genre you prefer, you should read this book for its excellent story with polished and artful prose. Technically high fantasy, it also contains elements of mystery, romance, and the picaresque.

Meet Kvothe (pronounced almost like "Quothe"), who makes the outrageous claims listed above. Though he’s settled into the quiet life of an innkeeper in an obscure village, he’s managed to cram a lot of living into a relatively short time. Raised among traveling performers, the young genius survives the complete destruction of his family and subsequent years of begging and stealing. He eventually resolves to discover as much as he can about his family’s mythical, magical killers, which leads him to the University.

Most of the novel recounts Kvothe’s time as a student and a local performer. Whip-smart and gifted student as he is, Kvothe is an equally good musician. He has a certain wry perspective on the world, which helps him remain a believable hero. Also, Kvothe’s tendency to leap without looking (or thinking) leads to many messy situations, which kept me reading voraciously, always needing to know how he extricated himself.

I’m waiting for the next book, Wise Man’s Fear, to hit the shelves in May. You can enjoy this outstanding debut as a traditionally published book or as downloadable audio.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

Sometimes you need to bob your head to the rhythm. Other times you need to brood to the beat. Sometimes you need to single out ridiculous lyrics in falsetto. Other times you need to wallow in moody vocals, nodding along.

Röyksopp’s 2009 album Junior is a prescription for good times, but with a healthy dose of doom and gloom thrown in to balance it all out. A self-described "two-headed Norwegian monster," Röyksopp alternates between happy-go-lucky electronica (with dancing keyboard loops and cute singers) and sinister trance songs (laden with foreboding and heavy instrumentals).

The first track, Happy Up Here, is so delightful and light that it could physically brighten a room when played. But the second track, The Girl and the Robot, is the complete opposite, with Robyn’s haunting vocals darkening the mood. The transition is not jarring, though — the juxtaposition of enthusiastic keyboard with serious vocalizing works because the difference between the songs is so vast. I would definitely recommend this for a long drive, as the musical variety will keep you tapping your fingers for the entire ride.

While it might not seem like the greatest idea to go from a frolicking joyful song to an immediate dark track, Röyksopp does it with gusto, making Junior an album that is dance-worthy, no matter your mood. If you’re looking for something a bit moodier, keep an eye out for their follow-up album, Senior, to be released sometime this year.

Khaleel Gheba – Miller Branch

Hanukkah Rocks is one CD you cannot go without this holiday season. I listen to this album year-round, but now is the perfect time to share it with you because the Festival of Lights is upon us! Enjoy the honesty, hilarity, and holidays with tracks like "Latke Clan," "Applesauce vs. Sour Cream," "Gelt Melts," "Jewish Girls (At The Matzoh Ball," and "How Do You Spell Channukkahh?"

Are you ready for eight fabulous nights of food, fun, and family? If you answered "yes!", wonderful! Check out a copy of Hanukkah Rocks for your party. If you answered "no", then check it out to get in the mood and make those latkes. Even if you don’t celebrate Hanukkah, you’ll appreciate the musical variation and humor — you can thank me later.

Everyone can celebrate Hanukkah thanks to two nice Jewish boys, Adam and Dave LeeVee. I discovered The LeeVees when I was working for NPR. I was so happy to find some funny, fun-loving, well-produced Hanukkah music. It only took Adam and Dave eight days to write all these songs, which is pretty significant given that Hanukkah is eight days long. Even today, when I listen to these songs, I feel like I should be dancing and singing along in my Bubbe’s kitchen.

The music produced in this album uses instruments of the percussive and strings persuasion, which accounts for its light-heartedness. The LeeVees have described themselves as "Beach-Boys-in-yarmulkes", but you may also hear similarities to other great bands (that I LOVE), like the Ramones and Get Up Kids. So, let’s light our menorahs and enjoy this time of year with more latkes, more gelt, and more music.

Happy Channukkahh!

JP Protasio – Savage Branch