Library Loot ~ December 19-25

My loot is actually second-hand loot from my roommate Donna.  She finished this book and handed it to me, saying it's good and I'd like it.  Since I can't drive because of my broken shoulder, I'm fortunate to have a roommate who likes the same kinds of books I do.

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World ~ by E.  L. Konigsburg, 2007, YA fiction (Florida)

Amedeo Kaplan seems just like any other new kid who has moved into the town of St. Malo, Florida, a navy town where new faces are the norm.  But Amedeo has a secret, a dream:  More than anything in the world, he wants to discover something — a place, a process, even a fossil — some treasure that no one realizes is there until he finds it.  And he would also like to discover a true friend to share these things with.  William Wilcox seems like an unlikely candidate for friendship:  an aloof boy who is all edges and who owns silence the way other people own words.  When Amedeo and William find themselves working together on a house sale for Amedeo's eccentric neighbor, Mrs. Zender, Amedeo has an inkling that both his wishes may come true.  For Mrs. Zender's mansion is crammed with memorabilia of her long life, and there is a story to go with every piece.  Soon the boys find themselves caught up in one particular story — a story that links a sketch, a young boy's life, an old man's reminiscence, and a painful secret dating back to the outrages of Nazi Germany.  It's a story that will take them to the edge of what they know about heroism and the mystery of the human heart.  Two-time Newbery winner E. L. Konigsburg spins a magnificent tale of art, discovery, friendship, history, and truth.

Heft ~ by Liz Moore, 2012, fiction (New York)

Former academic Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn't left his rambling Brooklyn home in a decade.  Twenty miles away, in Yonkers, seventeen-year-old Kel Keller navigates life as the poor kid in a rich school and pins his hopes on what seems like a promising baseball career — if he can untangle himself from his family drama.  The link between this unlikely pair is Kel’s mother, Charlene, a former student of Arthur’s.  After nearly two decades of silence, it is Charlene’s unexpected phone call to Arthur — a plea for help — that jostles them into action.  Through Arthur and Kel’s own quirky and lovable voices, Heft tells the winning story of two improbable heroes whose sudden connection transforms both their lives.

This is another of the books Donna checked out of the library.  I may or may not end up reading it, but itintrigues me.  I picked it up to see quickly to see if it looked interesting and Isuddenly noticed I was already on page17.  Yep, it looks like my kind of book:  un-put-down-able.

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire @ The Captive Reader and Marg @ The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share titles of books they’ve checked out of the library.  To participate, just add your post to their Mister Linky any time during the week.  And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries this week.