BUG BOY by Eric Luper

BUG BOY takes readers deep into the world of horse racing. Eric Luper, author of BIG SLICK a book that highlights card playing, brings the behind-the-scenes images of horse racing alive.

Jack "Shabby" Walsh says he has loved horse racing since "his diaper hit the saddle." He is now sixteen and has been gone from home for years. His father first set him up with a character named Tweed. From Tweed, Jack learned the ins and outs of the horse racing circuit, but he also learned how evil a human being can get.

When the story starts, Jack has a pretty good thing going with Mr. Hodge and Mr. Pelton. He does everything from working the horses along with trainer Mr. Hodge to mucking out the stalls. The job pays enough to allow him to send money home to his family and to keep him alive. He still dreams of working as a real jockey some day.

Jack's luck changes with the bad luck of a jockey named Showboat. A fatal accident in the starting gate opens up a spot for a new rider. Jack is now officially a bug boy; in other words, a jockey in training. His luck holds when he is able to place in the first two races of his career. Things look fantastic for a quick rise to the top.

Amidst the training and racing activities, Jack connects with Elizabeth. She is horse racing's first female bookie. Even though she is from a world far different than Jack's and she towers over him, she wants him with her constantly and insists on showing him the town with his new-found wealth. Along with her attention, Jack finds himself in the sights of a creep named Jasper who wants to use Jack's inside connections to fix a race.

BUG BOY may start out focusing on a quiet stable boy, but the action ramps up quickly and doesn't slack off as the horses and characters race to the end. Readers who enjoyed BIG SLICK will be equally impressed with Luper's new book, and it is sure to win him many new fans as well.

"WAITING ON WEDNESDAY"

I can't wait for this one!

FAT CAT
by Robin Brande
Release date: October 13, 2009

Summary courtesy of Barnes & Noble:

"You are what you eat. . . .Cat smart, sassy, and funny—but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment—on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living—and eating—like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice. . . .This funny and thoughtful novel explores how girls feel about their bodies, and the ways they can best take care of their most precious resource: themselves."

WOW! WOW! WOW! CIRQUE DU FREAK THE MOVIE!

ATTENTION: All you Cirque du Freak fans. Here's the trailer for the upcoming movie. It looks fantastic!!!

http://video.aol.com/aolvideo/AOL%20Movies/the-vampires-assistant-trailer-no-1/31864063001

"TEASER TUESDAY"

Here's my TEASER TUESDAY #7.

Once again the idea is the original creation of SHOULD BE READING.

1. Grab your current read.
2. Let the book fall open to a random page.
3. Share with us two "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
4. You also need to share the title of the book that you're getting your "teaser" from. That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
5. Please avoid spoilers!
6. Than add yours to the list at Should Be Reading.

BUG BOY
by Eric Luper
p. 110

"I want to tear off my gear and toss it in the dirt. I can barely stand on account of starving myself for two days, my left leg is on fire from getting whipped across the thigh, and now that bastard Pelton won't pay me the ten percent I've got coming to me because he's too busy sipping fancy champagne in the clubhouse with all the other fat cats."

NECROPOLIS: Book Four of The Gatekeepers by Anthony Horowitz

The first strange event in the life of Scarlett Adams was the day she was rescued from certain death when she innocently stepped into the path of a speeding white van. She would have liked to thank the Chinese man who bravely swooped her out of harm's way, but he disappeared into the crowd.

Scarlett always knew she was adopted. Born in China, she was brought to England by Paul Adams and his wife. Her life was one of excess and privilege, but it was spent mostly with a live-in housekeeper and at her exclusive private school. Both her adoptive parents were busy with important careers and when they announced they were divorcing, it was sad but not totally unexpected. Scarlett was content to continue attending her private school and living in the house with the housekeeper.

Another odd part of Scarlett's life was the dream she had on a fairly regular basis. Always set in a vast wasteland, it involved a familiar character named Matt. She always felt a strange connection with Matt and the feeling that they would one day meet.

Scarlett's world suddenly changes when she receives a message from her father requiring that she join him in Hong Kong. The message makes her suspicious the moment she reads it, and things become even more bizarre as she boards a plane for the other side of the world. She's met at the airport by people who tell her her father has been called away on important business, but they have been assigned to handle her care until he returns.

Readers of NECROPOLIS will immediately recognize that Scarlett is the fifth member of the Gatekeepers. Matt, Pedro, Scott, and Jamie are the other four talented teens whose duty is to save the world from destruction by The Old Ones. The five are the reincarnations of five who came before them and attempted to save the world in the past.

Anthony Horowitz uses his talent as an adventure writer to create the breath-taking world of monsters and shape-changers bent on the death and destruction of humankind. The Gatekeepers adventures will satisfy even the most hard-to-please readers with bloody battles, last minute getaways, massive insect swarms, and one double-cross after another. Readers will now have to anxiously await Book #5 to find out how the adventure is to continue.

LAST YEAR'S EXPERIENCE ...

Here are my answers to a few questions that might help new participants understand BOOK BLOGGER APPRECIATION WEEK.

1) What was the highlight (something that happened, a post, an activity, etc.) of BBAW for you last year?
As of last year I was a relatively new book blogger, so the experience got me in touch with other bloggers and helped give me the courage to continue.

2) What is one new blog you discovered during BBAW last year?
There were so many, but one that stands out was Mrs. Magoo Reads.

3) What tips would you share to help others get the most out of their BBAW experience?
When you discover a new blog, use their blog roll to travel around visiting other blogs. I'm constantly amazed at the dedicated bloggers out there, and also at the fact that many of them are young and completely committed to what they do.

DUMB JOCK by Jeff Erno

Set in the 1980's, DUMB JOCK illustrates the struggle of two young teens coming to terms with their sexuality and their growing love. Although the book is not autobiographical, author Jeff Erno looked to his own personal struggle of coming out as gay in a small northern Michigan town.

Jeff and Brett are as different as night and day in appearance and interests. Jeff is a slightly built freshman with no athletic talent what so ever. His friends are other social outcasts, and he is often the target for mean remarks and cruel practical jokes. His mother loves and dotes on him while his father finds him odd and annoying.

Brett is a junior and the talented quarterback everyone hopes will take the team to a state championship. He runs with the popular crowd attending parties and getting voted homecoming king. He is the last person people would think of being gay.

When Coach McDonald, gym teacher/football coach, uses the threat of failing freshman gym class as motivation for forcing Jeff to tutor Brett in English, no one would have guessed the final outcome. It doesn't take long for the two teens to become comfortable with each other and begin an emotional and sexual relationship. They aren't afraid to express their feelings to one another, but revealing their relationship in public in the tiny Michigan community would surely ruin their lives.

Jeff Erno tells the story of their young love with honesty and directness. He reveals their heart-stopping passion as well as the agony of fear and jealousy that threaten to break them apart. Times have changed some since the 80's, but small towns still breed the misunderstanding and prejudice evident in Erno's story. DUMB JOCK is a bold example of one author's attempt to create a novel to help teens accept their own sexuality or better understand that of those around them. It is a worthy addition to any high school collection.