I have been on vacation and I decided to take some youth fiction with me as fun and easy reads.
The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler is the first in a series of books for ages 8-12. Middle-schooler Emily starts a new school and has no real friends. She begs her mom for swim lessons, but once in the water, her legs start to feel funny. She is saved from the water by her swim coach and tries to get out of swim class for the next several sessions. She becomes curious about what happened with her legs and decides to take a midnight swim in the ocean where she discovers she is a mermaid! While swimming at night, she runs into another young mermaid and befriends her. The rest of the story involves Emily finding her roots in the mer-world and finding out the truth about who she is and where she comes from. This delightful little book was a fun read. I liked Emily and I felt that Kessler grasped the angst of the preteen world well. It was fun to read about the mer-world and to see how Kessler played with common sayings, changing them into fishy or ocean-related expressions. I also found the information about mermaids in general interesting. I believe there are 2 or 3 more books in the series so far. I will probably check at least the next one, if not more, to see how Emily's journey continues.
I also read The Beasts of Clawstone by Eva Ibbotson. Allison reviewed this book here earlier this year. Allison gave a nice synopsis of the book, I'll just reiterate a little. A brother and sister go to visit their great aunt and uncle for the summer in an ancient castle. While not excited to be visiting at first, the children soon become involved in the day-to-day running of the castle. As they help out their aunt and uncle they begin a journey to save the special cows that belong to the castle and meet some friendly ghosts along the way. I don't want to give too much away because it is fun to see how the story unfolds, but I do want to mention that some mythological animals are discussed toward the end of the book.
I mention the mythlogical creatures reference because, ironically, I visited the Field Museum this week while vacationing in Chicago. And one of their special exhibits happens to be: Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids. The exhibit actually encompassed more than just those three creatures. Attending this exhibit seemed very fitting for this particular vacation since I was reading one book about mermaids, and the idea of unicorns (and narwhals) came up in a second book I was reading. It was a great exhibit too! One of the better and more fun ones I've seen lately. One of the things I LOVE about the Field Museum and their temporary or newer permanent exhibits is how they can totally immerse the visitor. As you walk in, you are surrounded by lighting and sound designs as well as interactive displays and multiple signage. All of it really brings the viewer into the exhibit to keep them interested in the topic and moving along throughout the gallery. As opposed to simply having glass cases with uniform lighting and labels. Sorry, my museum studies background crept into this review a bit. :-) At any rate, the mythological creatures exhibit was great and very informative. They offered up logical explanations for what giant sea serpents really were (a pack of dolphins jumping in and out of the water in the dark of night spaced apart just right), why people started believing in unicorns (the horns came from narwhals, the small whale-like creature that grows a giant horn out of its forehead), mermaid-lore, and other fun creatures such as dragons, griffins, giant apes, and more! If you are in Chicago between now and September 1, 2008, I highly recommend this exhibit.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
And MORE free books!
Thanks to LibraryThing's wonderful network of readers, I found yet another book blog to love, and stumbled across a contest. Winners receive FOURTEEN books. That's right, fourteen!
Click here for contest information and to enter!
Click here for contest information and to enter!
Monday, July 07, 2008
Mystery Series Post
After reading her entry in Candy Cane Murder, I decided to revisit Laura Levine. I cracked up during her novella in that collection, so though I barely remembered reading This Pen For Hire, her first Jaine Austen mystery (except that it was fine, but not great), I decided to give her another try. Since I read all six paperbacks (Killing Bridezilla is still in hardcover), I decided to review them together.
This Pen For Hire: This book introduces Jaine, a freelance writer who talks to her cat, Prozac, and laments her lack of willpower to slim down, and her best friend Kandi, who writes for a cartoon. Jaine takes on an assignment: write a letter from nerdy Howard that will convince sexy aerobics instructor Stacy to date him. To Jaine's surprise, the letter works, but the real surprise comes when Stacy is found beaten to death with her ThighMaster and Howard is arrested. Since the police are convinced of Howard's guilt, Jaine decides to investigate. My recollection of this as okay but not great was pretty accurate. There are funny moments, and the book is enjoyable fluff, but the plot isn't very strong. Jaine also bumbles around, suspecting everyone in turn until she realizes who the killer really is. Unfortunately, I was to learn that this is a formula Levine sticks with throughout the series.
Last Writes: Jaine snags a job writing for the sitcom Muffy 'N' Me, starring Quinn, a womanizer so universally disliked that it's no surprise he turns up murdered. This book brings in Jane's parents via their e-mails to Jaine. In my opinion, this was a great addition. Jaine's parents are just as crazy as she is, and her father is always having to take her mother on a cruise to Bermuda to make up for something outrageous he did. I was encouraged by a mention that Jaine is attending classes to become a PI, but this doesn't really go anywhere. Levine, a former comedy writer herself, makes the interaction between cast and crew on the sitcom set ring true, but again, Jaine bumbles around until she stumbles into the truth.
Killer Blonde: Jaine agrees to ghost write a book for Sue Ellen Kingsley, a truly horrid woman who makes Jaine take dictation perched on the toilet seat while Sue Ellen has a bubble bath. It's not that surprising when Sue Ellen is found electrocuted in her bath, but Jaine decides to investigate when Sue Ellen's lovely stepdaughter is suspected. A blonde was spotted the night of the murder, but there are too many blondes around. See above re: bumble and stumble.
Shoes To Die For: Jaine snags a job writing ads for Passions, a fashion boutique (yes, Jaine of the elastic-waist pants). Jaine discovers a hated Passions staff member stabbed with a stiletto heel, and embarks on an investigation. The more interesting plot here is the story of Jaine's parents--Jaine's dad has decided to audition for the retirement home's play, and hilarity ensues. More bumbling and stumbling onto the killer.
The PMS Murder: With Kandi busy with wedding plans, Jaine ends up a member of the PMS club with her new friend Pam. MaryBeth, the Little Miss Sunshine of the group dies from peanut oil in the guacamole (everyone knew she was allergic to peanuts) shortly after an affair she had with one of the members' husbands is revealed. Meanwhile, Jaine's dad is convinced that a new resident in the retirement community is on America's Most Wanted, and Prozac has to go on a diet.
Death by Pantyhose: Jaine is hired to write jokes for Dorcas, a feminist comic, and ends up investigating a murder when Vic, Dorcas's rival and ex-husband, is found strangled with a pair of pantyhose Dorcas uses in her act. Discussion of her relationship with Andrew sort of bogs down the plot, but a subplot about Jaine's dad obsessing over the loss of his "lucky shirt" makes up for it.
Overview: These are cute, funny reads, and Levine has a breezy style and delightful comic timing. The formula of Jaine going from suspecting one character to another (and another and another) is a bit tiresome after six books (even Jessica Fletcher mixed it up a little sometimes), but Jaine is likeable and the supporting cast a lot of fun. And those not reading all six back-to-back might not notice (or care about) the formulaic aspects of the mysteries. These are nice diversions and would be great on the beach this summer.
This Pen For Hire: This book introduces Jaine, a freelance writer who talks to her cat, Prozac, and laments her lack of willpower to slim down, and her best friend Kandi, who writes for a cartoon. Jaine takes on an assignment: write a letter from nerdy Howard that will convince sexy aerobics instructor Stacy to date him. To Jaine's surprise, the letter works, but the real surprise comes when Stacy is found beaten to death with her ThighMaster and Howard is arrested. Since the police are convinced of Howard's guilt, Jaine decides to investigate. My recollection of this as okay but not great was pretty accurate. There are funny moments, and the book is enjoyable fluff, but the plot isn't very strong. Jaine also bumbles around, suspecting everyone in turn until she realizes who the killer really is. Unfortunately, I was to learn that this is a formula Levine sticks with throughout the series.
Last Writes: Jaine snags a job writing for the sitcom Muffy 'N' Me, starring Quinn, a womanizer so universally disliked that it's no surprise he turns up murdered. This book brings in Jane's parents via their e-mails to Jaine. In my opinion, this was a great addition. Jaine's parents are just as crazy as she is, and her father is always having to take her mother on a cruise to Bermuda to make up for something outrageous he did. I was encouraged by a mention that Jaine is attending classes to become a PI, but this doesn't really go anywhere. Levine, a former comedy writer herself, makes the interaction between cast and crew on the sitcom set ring true, but again, Jaine bumbles around until she stumbles into the truth.
Killer Blonde: Jaine agrees to ghost write a book for Sue Ellen Kingsley, a truly horrid woman who makes Jaine take dictation perched on the toilet seat while Sue Ellen has a bubble bath. It's not that surprising when Sue Ellen is found electrocuted in her bath, but Jaine decides to investigate when Sue Ellen's lovely stepdaughter is suspected. A blonde was spotted the night of the murder, but there are too many blondes around. See above re: bumble and stumble.
Shoes To Die For: Jaine snags a job writing ads for Passions, a fashion boutique (yes, Jaine of the elastic-waist pants). Jaine discovers a hated Passions staff member stabbed with a stiletto heel, and embarks on an investigation. The more interesting plot here is the story of Jaine's parents--Jaine's dad has decided to audition for the retirement home's play, and hilarity ensues. More bumbling and stumbling onto the killer.
The PMS Murder: With Kandi busy with wedding plans, Jaine ends up a member of the PMS club with her new friend Pam. MaryBeth, the Little Miss Sunshine of the group dies from peanut oil in the guacamole (everyone knew she was allergic to peanuts) shortly after an affair she had with one of the members' husbands is revealed. Meanwhile, Jaine's dad is convinced that a new resident in the retirement community is on America's Most Wanted, and Prozac has to go on a diet.
Death by Pantyhose: Jaine is hired to write jokes for Dorcas, a feminist comic, and ends up investigating a murder when Vic, Dorcas's rival and ex-husband, is found strangled with a pair of pantyhose Dorcas uses in her act. Discussion of her relationship with Andrew sort of bogs down the plot, but a subplot about Jaine's dad obsessing over the loss of his "lucky shirt" makes up for it.
Overview: These are cute, funny reads, and Levine has a breezy style and delightful comic timing. The formula of Jaine going from suspecting one character to another (and another and another) is a bit tiresome after six books (even Jessica Fletcher mixed it up a little sometimes), but Jaine is likeable and the supporting cast a lot of fun. And those not reading all six back-to-back might not notice (or care about) the formulaic aspects of the mysteries. These are nice diversions and would be great on the beach this summer.
Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins
I've decided to read a few youth fiction books lately because I feel in the mood for something quick and fun. I read Toys Go Out very quickly. I picked it up at the library because I remembered hearing about it a little over a year ago. It tells the story of the adventures of three toys: Plastic (a rubber ball), Sting Ray (a stuffed animal), and Lumphy (a stuffed buffalo). The age range is quite young on this one: 6-9 years. I'd say that's about right. It is long for a younger child to read on their own and there is only one illustration per chapter. The illustrations are really fun though.
The book starts out with the three animals in a backpack that smells like old swimsuit and they do not know where they are being taken. They worry all the way there about where the little girl could be taking them. It turns out they were worried for nothing and they are reminded about how much the little girl loves them. There are some nice morals in each chapter. The second chapter teaches you shouldn't be afraid to try new things when Lumphy is scared of being washed in the washing machine. He soon finds out he enjoys it and then continually tries to get dirty so he can visit the washing machine again. There is a lot of charm to this book. For example, the animals all think Tuk Tuk, the little girl's bathroom towel is very wise and they visit him to receive advice and wisdom on the big world around them.
I started the book thinking it was a lot of fun and very cute and finished it still thinking so, however I found the last two chapters to be not quite as entertaining or good as the first several. Still worth a read for a young one though! Anyone who is a fan of The Velveteen Rabbit will enjoy this one. It reminded me of that as I was reading it, although I haven't read Velveteen Rabbit since I was a child.
The book starts out with the three animals in a backpack that smells like old swimsuit and they do not know where they are being taken. They worry all the way there about where the little girl could be taking them. It turns out they were worried for nothing and they are reminded about how much the little girl loves them. There are some nice morals in each chapter. The second chapter teaches you shouldn't be afraid to try new things when Lumphy is scared of being washed in the washing machine. He soon finds out he enjoys it and then continually tries to get dirty so he can visit the washing machine again. There is a lot of charm to this book. For example, the animals all think Tuk Tuk, the little girl's bathroom towel is very wise and they visit him to receive advice and wisdom on the big world around them.
I started the book thinking it was a lot of fun and very cute and finished it still thinking so, however I found the last two chapters to be not quite as entertaining or good as the first several. Still worth a read for a young one though! Anyone who is a fan of The Velveteen Rabbit will enjoy this one. It reminded me of that as I was reading it, although I haven't read Velveteen Rabbit since I was a child.
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Picoult's latest endeavor tackles the issues of religion and the death penalty. I was really looking forward to reading this one. And I was not disappointed. It seems from the posts I've read about Picoult in the blogging world, you either really like Picoult or really DON'T like her. I am one of those who likes her quite a bit. I think her hot button topics make for interesting forays into fiction. While some of her books are definitely better than others, they all are quick and easy reads. I think it just depends on your interest in the particular topic at hand whether the books hit home with you or not. And I think perhaps now that Picoult has become so successful, there are high expectations for each new work. I feel a few people are unduly harsh in their critiques of her work. She at least entertains if nothing else, and I feel like I at least think about different topics from different viewpoints than I might have before reading her books.
I've never been a particularly religious person, but I'm always interested in reading different viewpoints on the topic and learning more. There were a lot of statements in this book that really hit home for me and helped me define things a bit more with how I see the world of religion. As for the death penalty topic, I've always seen both sides of that issue and its really difficult for me to pick sides on it.
I feel like so many people have reviewed this book, I don't really need to go into the details of the story, but in case you still haven't heard much about this one, here it goes. Shay Bourne was convicted of killing a cop and his daughter. He's been living on death row for 11 years and his execution date is fast approaching. He decides he wants to donate his organs upon his execution and wants the remaining daughter of his victim's family to receive his heart to save her life. This is about redemption among other things. And the great debate in the book is whether or not a single person can believe something so strongly that the court will find it as a valid reason for choosing an alternate form of execution under a religious freedom act. There is also the moral debate about whether the victim's family wants to accept something so personal from the man that took their husband/father and daughter. As usual with Picoult, the story is told through many characters viewpoints.
(***Spoiler alert***) It seems that Picoult's formula calls for some big reveal or surprise toward the end of the novel. My Sister's Keeper had a doozy at the end of it and one I never saw coming. The other books I've read by her hinted at the "surprise" before it actually happened. And well, I feel like this one was quite predictable. I figured out the molesting by the cop father at least half way into the book if not earlier. It just seemed logical to me. So I guess I always sort of believed Shay was innocent. And I guess the big reveal to me was that he did indeed kill someone in the end.
(Edited to add: Complete sidenote, but one of the characters names was Lucius Defresne. He was one of the prisoners on the same floor as Shay Bourne. Anyone else keep thinking Andy Defresne from Shawshank Redemption when you heard Lucius' last name? I wonder if that was a deliberate reference from Picoult or just a random coincidence?)
I'd say this one was one of the better Picoult books I've read. I think it falls smack dab in the middle of the 5 books I've read. I give it 4 out 5 stars.
Other reviews of this book:
Katie from 101 Books in 1001 Days
Alison from So Many Books, So Little Time
Julie from Girls Just Reading
Natasha from Maw Books
Susan from Bloggin' 'bout Books
I've never been a particularly religious person, but I'm always interested in reading different viewpoints on the topic and learning more. There were a lot of statements in this book that really hit home for me and helped me define things a bit more with how I see the world of religion. As for the death penalty topic, I've always seen both sides of that issue and its really difficult for me to pick sides on it.
I feel like so many people have reviewed this book, I don't really need to go into the details of the story, but in case you still haven't heard much about this one, here it goes. Shay Bourne was convicted of killing a cop and his daughter. He's been living on death row for 11 years and his execution date is fast approaching. He decides he wants to donate his organs upon his execution and wants the remaining daughter of his victim's family to receive his heart to save her life. This is about redemption among other things. And the great debate in the book is whether or not a single person can believe something so strongly that the court will find it as a valid reason for choosing an alternate form of execution under a religious freedom act. There is also the moral debate about whether the victim's family wants to accept something so personal from the man that took their husband/father and daughter. As usual with Picoult, the story is told through many characters viewpoints.
(***Spoiler alert***) It seems that Picoult's formula calls for some big reveal or surprise toward the end of the novel. My Sister's Keeper had a doozy at the end of it and one I never saw coming. The other books I've read by her hinted at the "surprise" before it actually happened. And well, I feel like this one was quite predictable. I figured out the molesting by the cop father at least half way into the book if not earlier. It just seemed logical to me. So I guess I always sort of believed Shay was innocent. And I guess the big reveal to me was that he did indeed kill someone in the end.
(Edited to add: Complete sidenote, but one of the characters names was Lucius Defresne. He was one of the prisoners on the same floor as Shay Bourne. Anyone else keep thinking Andy Defresne from Shawshank Redemption when you heard Lucius' last name? I wonder if that was a deliberate reference from Picoult or just a random coincidence?)
I'd say this one was one of the better Picoult books I've read. I think it falls smack dab in the middle of the 5 books I've read. I give it 4 out 5 stars.
Other reviews of this book:
Katie from 101 Books in 1001 Days
Alison from So Many Books, So Little Time
Julie from Girls Just Reading
Natasha from Maw Books
Susan from Bloggin' 'bout Books
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Free book!
I came across a contest to win an ARC of Joy of Spooking: Fiendish Deeds by PJ Bracegirdle, a book that sounds right up my alley! Click here for contest details and to enter! The author interview is really funny, and only made me want to read the book more.
A Little Odd
Odd Hours by Dean Koontz: I used to be a horror fan, but rather than getting desensitized to violence, it seems to go the other direction with me so that I can't really stomach violence in films/books/the news. So, though I had been a Dean Koontz fan in the past (especially Watchers and Lightning), I hadn't read him for a while. My dad gave me Odd Thomas and said, "You might like this. It's really different." And it was! Odd is a humble fry cook with a simple way of looking at life. He also sees dead people. He's also incredibly well-realized, nuanced, and sympathetic. I couldn't help but like him and feel for him as he has to make difficult decisions. So if Odd Hours isn't the best entry (it's #4 of a planned 7-book series), if the bad guys' plot has a bit of "Snakes on a Plane" improbability, and if the description sometimes goes on a bit long, well, that's okay. The Sinatra bits were really memorable, and I loved Hutch and Birdie, two quirky characters compelling enough that I would like to know more about them. And Koontz is clearly an animal lover, given the appearance of a dog to help Odd out a bit (note that I resisted the urge to say "give him a paw"...oops, guess I didn't!). Odd's complex relationship with Annamaria is intriguing, and the way is clearly set at the end for more adventures for Odd. His story is haunting and memorable, and I'd start at the top, with Odd Thomas.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Two out of three ain't bad...
Two good reviews and one not-so-good, all in the juvenile fantasy genre...
The Sisters Grimm: The Problem Child by Michael Buckley: Ah, more Sisters Grimm! At the end of Book 2, Sabrina was on the trail of her parents' kidnapper. Book 3 opens right when Book 2 ended. Puck is injured for much of the book (he cracks me up, so I missed him), the Jabberwocky is rampaging and the sword that can kill him has been destroyed, and Uncle Jake shows up, with a penchant for doing things the easy, magical way. Anyone who made it through season six of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will not be excited about a "magic is addictive" theme, but the nuances here are really well done. Granny Relda says there is always a price for magic, and also that there is value in doing things the hard way (Sabrina's arm healing in a cast is a reminder of her mistake; magically healing it erases that lesson). Uncle Jake laughs off these concerns and continues to point his wand for the littlest thing. The resolution is breathtaking, but leaves plenty to explore in future books. A fun subplot is Mayor Charming running for re-election. An excellent entry in the series.
The Sisters Grimm: Once Upon A Crime by Michael Buckley: For the first time since moving in with Granny Relda, the girls return to New York City to search for Faerie, a community of Everafters. They need to take an injured Puck to his own people for healing. They find a scattered, hostile group of Everafters, led by King Oberon (kind of a jerk) and Queen Titania (erratic and crazy). Oberon is murdered, throwing the community into chaos and roping the Grimms into investigating. Sabrina, who had decided to quit the family business, is shocked to learn that her mother was involved with the Everafters. I thought the Wall Street Pirates and the Fairy Godfathers were hilarious, and I'll have to pick up #5 and #6!
A couple of notes on the Sisters Grimm series: First, I've read complaints that Sabrina is annoying. Well, yeah, but she's also a completely believable pubescent girl, so she doesn't bother me that much. Second, I read a negative review that complained about the portrayal of the orphanage, the foster families, and the social worker assigned to the girls. Okay, this one I can see. In the world of fairy tales, step-parents, orphanages, foster parents--they all get short shrift because kids surviving difficult situations are more heroic, and if they had a nice foster family, they might never have gotten into adventures worth documenting. Sabrina got herself and her sister out of numerous awful situations, which explains her resourcefulness, her mistrust of Granny, then the Everafters, and her strong desire to get her parents back and her life back to normal. I guess I see the negative portrayal here as part of the story, I just wanted to mention the issue. Here's my review of Book One and Book Two.
Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Nixies Song by Holly Black and Tony diTerlizzi: I zipped through The Spiderwick Chronicles ages ago. I loved the beautiful little hardbacks with lovely illustrations, old-fashioned chapter titles, and the premise of kids coming across a book called A Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You and then exploring a world of fairies. There were a couple of sections that still stand out in my mind as such disturbing examples of cruel treatment of animals (the cat, the nursing cow) that I might well excise those pages with a razor blade before letting Lilah read them. Or before I re-read them, for that matter. I also felt they could easily have been a single book, but the beautiful little books have an old-fashioned feel and it didn't bother me that much. I picked up The Nixie's Song at Target, and boy, do I feel I was tricked out of that $10.95. The production values are the same; gorgeous, gorgeous little book. But there is NO story here. It took me less than an hour to read. The book is 162 pages long. 24 of those pages are full-page illustrations, and many more pages have smaller pictures that cut the text by up to 2/3. That would be fine if there were a compelling story told, but there's not. Laurie comes to live with Nick's family when her mom marries Nick's dad. Nick resents losing his room (he has to share his brother's room to give Laurie her own space) and thinks Laurie is weird, which she is. She's like a two-dimensional Luna Lovegood, without any of the nuances of that character. She loves her copy of Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide, and goes out looking for fairies. Nick is just angry, then for no apparent reason, trails after Laurie. They find an injured Nixie, then a rampaging giant. They have to figure out how to stop the giant. I ordinarily love meta-stories and self-referential touches, but a trip to a reading by Holly Black and Tony diTerlizzi just felt like it was taking up space. This book is the first of three, and the whole thing smacked of the publisher or the authors saying, "Hey! Let's see how many books that take 10 minutes to write we can get people to buy by throwing the name "Spiderwick" on them and making them pretty!" One more note to parents is that the language in this seems inappropriate for the 9-12 crowd it targets. One character calls another "lard-a**" and "cr*p" and "a**" are prevalent. Maybe I'm more prudish than I thought, but I found it a bit much, and completely unnecessary.
The Sisters Grimm: The Problem Child by Michael Buckley: Ah, more Sisters Grimm! At the end of Book 2, Sabrina was on the trail of her parents' kidnapper. Book 3 opens right when Book 2 ended. Puck is injured for much of the book (he cracks me up, so I missed him), the Jabberwocky is rampaging and the sword that can kill him has been destroyed, and Uncle Jake shows up, with a penchant for doing things the easy, magical way. Anyone who made it through season six of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will not be excited about a "magic is addictive" theme, but the nuances here are really well done. Granny Relda says there is always a price for magic, and also that there is value in doing things the hard way (Sabrina's arm healing in a cast is a reminder of her mistake; magically healing it erases that lesson). Uncle Jake laughs off these concerns and continues to point his wand for the littlest thing. The resolution is breathtaking, but leaves plenty to explore in future books. A fun subplot is Mayor Charming running for re-election. An excellent entry in the series.
The Sisters Grimm: Once Upon A Crime by Michael Buckley: For the first time since moving in with Granny Relda, the girls return to New York City to search for Faerie, a community of Everafters. They need to take an injured Puck to his own people for healing. They find a scattered, hostile group of Everafters, led by King Oberon (kind of a jerk) and Queen Titania (erratic and crazy). Oberon is murdered, throwing the community into chaos and roping the Grimms into investigating. Sabrina, who had decided to quit the family business, is shocked to learn that her mother was involved with the Everafters. I thought the Wall Street Pirates and the Fairy Godfathers were hilarious, and I'll have to pick up #5 and #6!
A couple of notes on the Sisters Grimm series: First, I've read complaints that Sabrina is annoying. Well, yeah, but she's also a completely believable pubescent girl, so she doesn't bother me that much. Second, I read a negative review that complained about the portrayal of the orphanage, the foster families, and the social worker assigned to the girls. Okay, this one I can see. In the world of fairy tales, step-parents, orphanages, foster parents--they all get short shrift because kids surviving difficult situations are more heroic, and if they had a nice foster family, they might never have gotten into adventures worth documenting. Sabrina got herself and her sister out of numerous awful situations, which explains her resourcefulness, her mistrust of Granny, then the Everafters, and her strong desire to get her parents back and her life back to normal. I guess I see the negative portrayal here as part of the story, I just wanted to mention the issue. Here's my review of Book One and Book Two.
Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Nixies Song by Holly Black and Tony diTerlizzi: I zipped through The Spiderwick Chronicles ages ago. I loved the beautiful little hardbacks with lovely illustrations, old-fashioned chapter titles, and the premise of kids coming across a book called A Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You and then exploring a world of fairies. There were a couple of sections that still stand out in my mind as such disturbing examples of cruel treatment of animals (the cat, the nursing cow) that I might well excise those pages with a razor blade before letting Lilah read them. Or before I re-read them, for that matter. I also felt they could easily have been a single book, but the beautiful little books have an old-fashioned feel and it didn't bother me that much. I picked up The Nixie's Song at Target, and boy, do I feel I was tricked out of that $10.95. The production values are the same; gorgeous, gorgeous little book. But there is NO story here. It took me less than an hour to read. The book is 162 pages long. 24 of those pages are full-page illustrations, and many more pages have smaller pictures that cut the text by up to 2/3. That would be fine if there were a compelling story told, but there's not. Laurie comes to live with Nick's family when her mom marries Nick's dad. Nick resents losing his room (he has to share his brother's room to give Laurie her own space) and thinks Laurie is weird, which she is. She's like a two-dimensional Luna Lovegood, without any of the nuances of that character. She loves her copy of Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide, and goes out looking for fairies. Nick is just angry, then for no apparent reason, trails after Laurie. They find an injured Nixie, then a rampaging giant. They have to figure out how to stop the giant. I ordinarily love meta-stories and self-referential touches, but a trip to a reading by Holly Black and Tony diTerlizzi just felt like it was taking up space. This book is the first of three, and the whole thing smacked of the publisher or the authors saying, "Hey! Let's see how many books that take 10 minutes to write we can get people to buy by throwing the name "Spiderwick" on them and making them pretty!" One more note to parents is that the language in this seems inappropriate for the 9-12 crowd it targets. One character calls another "lard-a**" and "cr*p" and "a**" are prevalent. Maybe I'm more prudish than I thought, but I found it a bit much, and completely unnecessary.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs
Deadly Decisions is the third installment of the Temperance Brennen (Tempe) series about a forensic anthropologist and her cases set in Quebec. The television series Bones (one of my favorites!) is based on this series of books. I found the first two books to be only mediocre. The stories in the first two books were a little slow and very dry with the forensic descriptions. I found this book to be a little better. I think Reichs is starting to find her groove with the series here in number 3.
In this novel, Tempe gets involved with several murder cases linked to motorcycle gangs in Canada. A young girl gets caught in the cross-fire between rival gangs and Tempe is determined to bring her killer to justice. A set of bike gang twins are killed as well and seem to be linked to the girl's murder. Another female victim is found and also linked to the previous murders. Tempe learns all about the outlaw motorcycle gangs and their evil as a member of a special team focused on these cases. Meanwhile, her 19 year old nephew visits her and she has a friend trying to fix her up with a local news broadcaster. After a while, it appears her nephew has become mixed up in bike gang culture. Her would-be boyfriend Ryan only makes a brief appearance in this novel and leaves you to the next installment for any further romance. But it appears he has gone undercover in a bike gang throughout the course of the book. By the end, most of the murders are solved and killers get their just desserts.
As you can probably guess, you learn quite a bit about Canadian motorcycle gangs as well as just bike gangs in general and their history. There is a great deal of back history explained in the first half of the book. I found this part to be a bit dry and my eyelids growing heavy during these sections. However, I enjoyed the book overall and found it to be better than the previous two books. I enjoyed the forensic explanations and liked that Tempe herself wasn't really in much danger (except for one brief episode during her visit to a biker gang bar). I liked that it was just her trying to solve the case versus her worrying about her life (the 2nd book, Death du Jour was more about her and her best friend being threatened). Reichs did a nice job of moving the story along and not giving anything away too soon. She also did a nice job with developing the witty sarcastic personality of Tempe. My rating: 3.75 to 4 stars.
My brief review of Death du Jour.
In this novel, Tempe gets involved with several murder cases linked to motorcycle gangs in Canada. A young girl gets caught in the cross-fire between rival gangs and Tempe is determined to bring her killer to justice. A set of bike gang twins are killed as well and seem to be linked to the girl's murder. Another female victim is found and also linked to the previous murders. Tempe learns all about the outlaw motorcycle gangs and their evil as a member of a special team focused on these cases. Meanwhile, her 19 year old nephew visits her and she has a friend trying to fix her up with a local news broadcaster. After a while, it appears her nephew has become mixed up in bike gang culture. Her would-be boyfriend Ryan only makes a brief appearance in this novel and leaves you to the next installment for any further romance. But it appears he has gone undercover in a bike gang throughout the course of the book. By the end, most of the murders are solved and killers get their just desserts.
As you can probably guess, you learn quite a bit about Canadian motorcycle gangs as well as just bike gangs in general and their history. There is a great deal of back history explained in the first half of the book. I found this part to be a bit dry and my eyelids growing heavy during these sections. However, I enjoyed the book overall and found it to be better than the previous two books. I enjoyed the forensic explanations and liked that Tempe herself wasn't really in much danger (except for one brief episode during her visit to a biker gang bar). I liked that it was just her trying to solve the case versus her worrying about her life (the 2nd book, Death du Jour was more about her and her best friend being threatened). Reichs did a nice job of moving the story along and not giving anything away too soon. She also did a nice job with developing the witty sarcastic personality of Tempe. My rating: 3.75 to 4 stars.
My brief review of Death du Jour.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Two more!
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall: If you think that taking the Penderwicks out of their idyllic vacation home and plopping them back in the real world with school and after-school sports would squelch the magic and fun from the first book, well, you're wrong. I wondered how sending the Penderwicks home would affect this sequel, but Birdsall has kept the magic going. The girls have their most exciting adventures yet: saving their father from dating, dealing with conflicts with boys, and starring in the school play are just a few components of their busy lives. Jane, the writer in the family, trades homework assignments with Skye, the math and science genius, only to have her play performed for the school and stage fright-stricken Skye the star. Rosalind's friend Tommy starts acting very strange and dating another girl. Aunt Claire comes to visit with a letter from their dead mother, insisting that their father start dating. The girls react to this news with the Save Daddy Plan, in which they vow to find him horrible blind dates so he can stop dating and they won't have a stepmother. Meanwhile, a lovely young widow has moved next door with her small son. I don't want to spoil any of the plot for you, though the ending is fairly telegraphed. I still brushed away a tear :) Charming, nostalgic, lovely children's book. (I had read a review complaining that there's nothing new here, that Birdsall is no different from Elizabeth Enright and Eleanor Estes (if you haven't read them, go get the books now! I'll wait.) and it's true that there are similarities. But they're deliberate, and Birdsall has done some updating.)
The Sisters Grimm: The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley: In Book Two (following The Fairy Tale Detectives), the sisters are finally enrolled in school. Daphne adores her teacher (Snow White) and all the kids in her class, but things aren't so great in Sabrina's sixth grade class. The kids are all sleepy, their teacher is horrible until he's killed by a giant spider, and the gym teacher thinks dodgeball is the only game there is. The kids (and Granny, of course) must solve the murder and other mysterious goings-on at Ferryport Elementary. This was an excellent follow-up with lots of action and plot development. The jaded Sabrina is going to have to overcome her suspicious of all Everafters, the girls will have to get Puck to help them, and Sabrina is still searching for a way to save their parents. A lovely entry in a lovely series, but it ends on a cliffhanger, so have #3 ready!
My reviews of the first books in each series are here.
The Sisters Grimm: The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley: In Book Two (following The Fairy Tale Detectives), the sisters are finally enrolled in school. Daphne adores her teacher (Snow White) and all the kids in her class, but things aren't so great in Sabrina's sixth grade class. The kids are all sleepy, their teacher is horrible until he's killed by a giant spider, and the gym teacher thinks dodgeball is the only game there is. The kids (and Granny, of course) must solve the murder and other mysterious goings-on at Ferryport Elementary. This was an excellent follow-up with lots of action and plot development. The jaded Sabrina is going to have to overcome her suspicious of all Everafters, the girls will have to get Puck to help them, and Sabrina is still searching for a way to save their parents. A lovely entry in a lovely series, but it ends on a cliffhanger, so have #3 ready!
My reviews of the first books in each series are here.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
A Laugh a Minute
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz begins with a car chase. The narrator evades the car and comes screeching to a halt, approaches her pursuers and says, "Mom. Dad. This has to stop." This is a clue that we're about to see new levels of family dysfunction. The Spellman clan are in the private investigator business, and our narrator is Isabel, the middle "child," now 28. Her older brother has escaped the family business and is a successful lawyer. Her sister is only 14, but already engrossed in recreational surveillance. The first part of the book is Isabel's explanation of her family and how she's changed, told through a series of lists, sections of dialogue, and scenes from childhood through today. Lutz's writing is smart and funny, and I laughed out loud in many parts. The mystery, when we finally get to it, is utterly absorbing. If this were just a book about how crazy the Spellman clan is, I'd give it five stars. If I were only grading on sheer entertainment value, I'd give it five stars. But I'm grading it as a novel, so it's three and a half, despite my utter enjoyment of Isabel and her crazy family, not to mention Lutz's fast and furious writing. As a novel, it's a total disaster. It reads like a screenplay (light dawned when I finally read Lutz's bio on the flyleaf...she wrote the screenplay for Plan B, a mob comedy that I'll have to check out), not a novel. The framing device she uses, after the introductory car chase, makes no sense. In a different font, so we know it's a different part of the book (can I just say that I HATE "clever" font changes?), we have a scene in which Isabel is interviewed by a cop. We learn that her sister (Rae) is missing. The sort of lame device for launching into Isabel's life story (and even before, with how her parents met) is the cop asking her to "Start at the beginning." After about 200 pages (okay, maybe only 180), we finally get to the "one last job" Isabel agrees to do in order to leave the family business. After page 300, Rae finally goes missing (the book is only 350 pages long). So framing the entire novel through the event of Rae's disappearance is a bizarre choice, and I found myself wondering (in the midst of enjoying learning the Spellman family history) when the heck we were going to get to the kidnapping, or running away, or whatever. It was distracting and pulled me out of the story. If she had scrapped that device, I would have been free to just laugh out loud at Izzy and her family's escapades. That said, I definitely recommend this book. I had read that it was similar to the Stephanie Plum books, and I'd say that's warranted to an extent. Of course, any book with mystery, romance, and humor with a female protagonist is compared to Stephanie Plum. Izzy is a little edgier, and her family more disturbing, but there are similarities. If you like Stephanie, I would give this a try.
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich: Speaking of the devil! I've been reading Stephanie Plum for a long time. My mom was reading Hot Six when I was home from college, and she kept laughing hysterically and I thought, "I've got to read that." I did, and we picked up the first five books as well. There's a formula here that works. It's a long series and has its ups and downs, but there are usually good laughs, and I like Stephanie, her family, and the other secondary characters. I found this one to be funny, though light on the skip tracing. The focus is on protecting Joe's house from treasure hunters more than Stephanie doing her actual job. I was also not very happy with the treatment of Lula. The subplot involving Lula this time made her look desperate and a little pathetic, and I didn't think it was in keeping at all with the character, who has been through a lot. Even if she doesn't bother much with filing, she's always strong and larger than life, and this was bizarre. That subplot wasn't wrapped up yet, so I'll withhold judgment until I see where it goes in 15 (which I believe I read will be the last one?). There's definitely a sense of winding things down, but there were still some laugh-out-loud moments in Fourteen, and I enjoyed it.
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich: Speaking of the devil! I've been reading Stephanie Plum for a long time. My mom was reading Hot Six when I was home from college, and she kept laughing hysterically and I thought, "I've got to read that." I did, and we picked up the first five books as well. There's a formula here that works. It's a long series and has its ups and downs, but there are usually good laughs, and I like Stephanie, her family, and the other secondary characters. I found this one to be funny, though light on the skip tracing. The focus is on protecting Joe's house from treasure hunters more than Stephanie doing her actual job. I was also not very happy with the treatment of Lula. The subplot involving Lula this time made her look desperate and a little pathetic, and I didn't think it was in keeping at all with the character, who has been through a lot. Even if she doesn't bother much with filing, she's always strong and larger than life, and this was bizarre. That subplot wasn't wrapped up yet, so I'll withhold judgment until I see where it goes in 15 (which I believe I read will be the last one?). There's definitely a sense of winding things down, but there were still some laugh-out-loud moments in Fourteen, and I enjoyed it.
Fablehaven Book Three
I did it, I went out and got Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague, and it was every bit as good as the previous two books, although things are getting a bit darker. On the preserve, a mysterious plague is turning light creatures dark, threatening the survival of the Sorenson family and the preserve. Still reeling from the possibility of betrayal suggested in the previous book, Kendra and Seth try to find out the source of the problem and stop it. Meanwhile, Kendra is asked to join a secret society devoted to protecting the preserves. This book was hard to put down. The action was nonstop and character development believable. Fablehaven is a new favorite series of mine. Mull's writing is excellent, the kids are funny and brave, and the plot and mythology really sweep the reader up in the action. Definitely start with the first one.
My review of Fablehaven
My review of Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
My review of Fablehaven
My review of Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
A Plethora of Reviews
I was trying to decide whether it was more annoying to post a half dozen reviews in one entry, or to post six entries one after the other. Any thoughts? I've decided to compromise by doing a separate review for the juvenile fantasy, a separate review for the chick lit/Stephanie Plum-ish book, and then group the mysteries, but put the titles in bold to make it easier to tell when one ends and the next begins. Here are the mysteries:
Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke: I like the Hannah Swenson series, which starts with Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. I recently re-read them from the beginning, then picked up where I left off. This is how publishers hook you: after years of releasing a series in paperback, they suddenly switch to hardback, knowing how difficult it is for a die-hard series fan to wait a year for the new book to come out in cheaper paperback form. I generally balk at paying hardback prices, but for my very favorites, I sometimes cave. Carrot Cake Murder is #10 in the series. Although there's still no resolution of the Mike-Norman-Hannah love triangle, we do find out Mrs. Swenson's secret project (I guessed right!), and we have some mystery concerning Moishe behaving oddly again (I love that cat). Carrot Cake Murder is set at a family reunion for Lisa and Herb's family. Lisa's long-lost uncle (? Seriously, I lost track of how everyone was related, much as one does at an actual family reunion) Gus shows up. He had disappeared in the middle of the night a couple of decades before. The unlikeable Gus (who refuses to explain his long absence, and flashes money around) turns up dead, with Hannah's carrot cake on the floor beside him. It will surprise no one that Hannah decides to investigate. I have a good time visiting the folks in Lake Eden, so I always enjoy a new Hannah Swenson. There are always concerns this late in a series as to whether it's getting stale, and especially with a love triangle that's been dragged out this long. It didn't bother me, because I like Fluke's formula. The love triangle is a little silly (Norman and Mike are pretty darn nice to each other, considering they've both proposed to Hannah), and the chaste relationship she has with each man stretches credibility a bit. But whatever. It doesn't intrude on the fun for me! I recommend starting this series from the beginning if it sounds like it might be up your alley. And cozy fans who like a rich small town setting with a well-drawn cast of secondary characters will probably enjoy this one. Here's my review of Key Lime Pie Murder, #9 in the series.
Goodbye, Ms. Chips by Dorothy Cannell: Yes, another hardback mystery. Sigh. I waited and waited patiently for Withering Heights to come out in paperback (and it was a long wait between the previous novel and WH), but once I'd read it, I couldn't wait any longer for Goodbye, Ms. Chips, which takes place at a girls' boarding school--Ellie's alma mater, as a matter of fact, and the school Ariel (from WH) attends, AND the school where Dorcas is the new games mistress. As Withering Heights gently parodies gothic novels, Goodbye, Ms. Chips takes on the boarding school novel. Dorcas asks Ellie to investigate when the Loverly Cup (awarded to the winning lacrosse team) disappears. Ellie stays at an alumnae retreat house with three other women, one the bully from her own school days, another the girl who lost the chance at the Head Girl spot when Ellie failed to speak up to clear her name. One girl seems the likely culprit, but Ellie doesn't believe it. A full cast of vaguely suspicious characters (alumnae, staff, students, and more) makes this a fun read, with some entertaining twists. The first in this series is The Thin Woman, possibly my favorite all-time mystery novel. I always enjoy seeing what Ellie & co. are up to.
Paint by Murder and Berried Alive by Kate Kingsbury: These are #5 and 6 of the Manor House mystery series. The first is A Bicycle Built for Murder, and they take place in the village of Sitting Marsh during WWII, where Lady Elizabeth keeps her tenants happy while hosting a contingent of American soldiers. The mysteries are always fine, but the real fun is in the village life. In Paint by Murder, one of Lady Elizabeth's tenants is murdered amidst talk of a spy in Sitting Marsh, and in Berried Alive, three American soldiers have mysteriously died. Both were fun entries in the series.
Here's my review of A Bicycle Built for Murder
Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke: I like the Hannah Swenson series, which starts with Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. I recently re-read them from the beginning, then picked up where I left off. This is how publishers hook you: after years of releasing a series in paperback, they suddenly switch to hardback, knowing how difficult it is for a die-hard series fan to wait a year for the new book to come out in cheaper paperback form. I generally balk at paying hardback prices, but for my very favorites, I sometimes cave. Carrot Cake Murder is #10 in the series. Although there's still no resolution of the Mike-Norman-Hannah love triangle, we do find out Mrs. Swenson's secret project (I guessed right!), and we have some mystery concerning Moishe behaving oddly again (I love that cat). Carrot Cake Murder is set at a family reunion for Lisa and Herb's family. Lisa's long-lost uncle (? Seriously, I lost track of how everyone was related, much as one does at an actual family reunion) Gus shows up. He had disappeared in the middle of the night a couple of decades before. The unlikeable Gus (who refuses to explain his long absence, and flashes money around) turns up dead, with Hannah's carrot cake on the floor beside him. It will surprise no one that Hannah decides to investigate. I have a good time visiting the folks in Lake Eden, so I always enjoy a new Hannah Swenson. There are always concerns this late in a series as to whether it's getting stale, and especially with a love triangle that's been dragged out this long. It didn't bother me, because I like Fluke's formula. The love triangle is a little silly (Norman and Mike are pretty darn nice to each other, considering they've both proposed to Hannah), and the chaste relationship she has with each man stretches credibility a bit. But whatever. It doesn't intrude on the fun for me! I recommend starting this series from the beginning if it sounds like it might be up your alley. And cozy fans who like a rich small town setting with a well-drawn cast of secondary characters will probably enjoy this one. Here's my review of Key Lime Pie Murder, #9 in the series.
Goodbye, Ms. Chips by Dorothy Cannell: Yes, another hardback mystery. Sigh. I waited and waited patiently for Withering Heights to come out in paperback (and it was a long wait between the previous novel and WH), but once I'd read it, I couldn't wait any longer for Goodbye, Ms. Chips, which takes place at a girls' boarding school--Ellie's alma mater, as a matter of fact, and the school Ariel (from WH) attends, AND the school where Dorcas is the new games mistress. As Withering Heights gently parodies gothic novels, Goodbye, Ms. Chips takes on the boarding school novel. Dorcas asks Ellie to investigate when the Loverly Cup (awarded to the winning lacrosse team) disappears. Ellie stays at an alumnae retreat house with three other women, one the bully from her own school days, another the girl who lost the chance at the Head Girl spot when Ellie failed to speak up to clear her name. One girl seems the likely culprit, but Ellie doesn't believe it. A full cast of vaguely suspicious characters (alumnae, staff, students, and more) makes this a fun read, with some entertaining twists. The first in this series is The Thin Woman, possibly my favorite all-time mystery novel. I always enjoy seeing what Ellie & co. are up to.
Paint by Murder and Berried Alive by Kate Kingsbury: These are #5 and 6 of the Manor House mystery series. The first is A Bicycle Built for Murder, and they take place in the village of Sitting Marsh during WWII, where Lady Elizabeth keeps her tenants happy while hosting a contingent of American soldiers. The mysteries are always fine, but the real fun is in the village life. In Paint by Murder, one of Lady Elizabeth's tenants is murdered amidst talk of a spy in Sitting Marsh, and in Berried Alive, three American soldiers have mysteriously died. Both were fun entries in the series.
Here's my review of A Bicycle Built for Murder
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Do you need more cheap books?
I don't, but never mind, I shopped the clearance sale of bargain books at Barnes and Noble anyway. The best part is that four of these were books that were on my to-buy list anyway, not entirely superfluous purchases. Seven books, $26.88! Pretty good. In case you're curious, I got:
Diary of a Fairy Godmother, recommended by Holly
Igraine the Brave, by Cornelia Funke (whose The Thief Lord and Inkheart series I've enjoyed)
The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls by Elise Primavera (which just sounded cute)
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz (supposed to be Stephanie Plum-ish)
The Akhenaten Adventure by P.B. Kerr (juvenile fantasy)
Book of Lies by James Moloney (another juvenile fantasy)
If Looks Could Kill by Kate White (this is a long shot, the first Bailey Weggins mystery about a crime writer for a women's magazine who solves mysteries--written by the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine)
Diary of a Fairy Godmother, recommended by Holly
Igraine the Brave, by Cornelia Funke (whose The Thief Lord and Inkheart series I've enjoyed)
The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls by Elise Primavera (which just sounded cute)
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz (supposed to be Stephanie Plum-ish)
The Akhenaten Adventure by P.B. Kerr (juvenile fantasy)
Book of Lies by James Moloney (another juvenile fantasy)
If Looks Could Kill by Kate White (this is a long shot, the first Bailey Weggins mystery about a crime writer for a women's magazine who solves mysteries--written by the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
More New Books!
So I think we have all established that I like to receive free books if I can. :-) I received more fun mail the other day. My Bookmarks Magazine arrived, as well as a copy of Lauren Weisberger's Everyone Worth Knowing. Today, I received Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay. A little bit ago, I was sent a chain letter of sorts from a friend of mine. The instructions said to pass the letter on to 6 more people and send one paperback book to the previous person. You then have the potential to receive up to 36 books from various people. Now, I usually scoff at chain letters. I would typically ignore it, throw it in the recycling or delete it from my email. But this one A) had me intrigued and B) gave me the potential to receive free books! Okay, you got me! I've received 2 books so far and that's far better than receiving zero!
I thought I'd also mention a few giveaways that are currently going on:
Heather over at Book Addiction is giving away 5 different Jodi Picoult books!
Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf is giving away an entire BOX of 14 books!!
Amanda at A Patchwork of Books is giving away 5 copies of The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.
Happy Reading!
I thought I'd also mention a few giveaways that are currently going on:
Heather over at Book Addiction is giving away 5 different Jodi Picoult books!
Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf is giving away an entire BOX of 14 books!!
Amanda at A Patchwork of Books is giving away 5 copies of The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.
Happy Reading!
Monday, June 16, 2008
For Kids of All Ages
I picked up The Penderwicks (A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy) by Jeanne Birdsall probably a year ago, on the 4-for-3 table at Borders, and I hadn't gotten around to reading it, likely because I choose fantasy when I read kids' books. But I noticed a sequel in Borders recently, and decided to dig out the first one. What a charming story! Reviews everywhere call it the kind of book you read when you were a child, and it's true. It's very familiar, but updated as well. It reminds me a bit of the Peggy Parish Jed, Liza, and Bill books that I recently reread (starting with Key to the Treasure), but a bit more sophisticated, and solidly in the 9-12 age group. The Penderwicks, Dad (their mother is dead), Rosalind (the oldest), hot-tempered Skye, Jane (a budding writer), Batty (the youngest, at only 4), and Hound, their dog, head to a cottage for their vacation, their usual spot having been taken off the market. The cottage is on the property of Mrs. Tifton, a snooty woman preparing to host a Garden Club competition. She has a lovely son, Jeffrey, and a less-lovely boyfriend who wants to send Jeffrey off to military school as soon as possible. Jeffrey and the girls strike up a friendship, and the result is utterly charming, with a few disasters thrown in. It's a fun summer vacation story, with new friendships, ominous grown-ups, wholesome adventures, and slightly harrowing situations. And lots of humor--perhaps because I was an only child until age 7 I always loved books about siblings and their struggles. Definitely a cute read for kids of all ages!
I somehow missed The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley, but came across it by chance. I picked up the first, The Fairy Tale Detectives, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are presumed orphans and shuffled among orphanages and foster homes until a grandmother they had thought dead claims them. It turns out the girls are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, who brought fairy tale creatures (Everafters) to live in safety in Ferryport. When Granny and her companion, Canis, are kidnapped by a giant, the girls must find a way to save them. This starts out pretty dark; Sabrina, the almost-twelve-year-old, plans on running away from Granny's as soon as possible since she can't believe Granny has good intentions. Seven-year-old Daphne warms up to Granny right away, though. The fairy tale characters are fun, and the adventures entertaining. Sabrina and Daphne are engaging kids, and the situation in Ferryport is rich and complex, with some characters supporting the Grimms, while others want their freedom (while they're safe in Ferryport, they also can't leave). I really enjoyed this one, and I'll be getting the others that are out in paperback on amazon's 4-for-3 promotion. A nice combination of mystery and fantasy elements.
I somehow missed The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley, but came across it by chance. I picked up the first, The Fairy Tale Detectives, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are presumed orphans and shuffled among orphanages and foster homes until a grandmother they had thought dead claims them. It turns out the girls are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, who brought fairy tale creatures (Everafters) to live in safety in Ferryport. When Granny and her companion, Canis, are kidnapped by a giant, the girls must find a way to save them. This starts out pretty dark; Sabrina, the almost-twelve-year-old, plans on running away from Granny's as soon as possible since she can't believe Granny has good intentions. Seven-year-old Daphne warms up to Granny right away, though. The fairy tale characters are fun, and the adventures entertaining. Sabrina and Daphne are engaging kids, and the situation in Ferryport is rich and complex, with some characters supporting the Grimms, while others want their freedom (while they're safe in Ferryport, they also can't leave). I really enjoyed this one, and I'll be getting the others that are out in paperback on amazon's 4-for-3 promotion. A nice combination of mystery and fantasy elements.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster
The full title of this book is: Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag into the Unemployment Office. It was our book club pick for June. We have yet to meet and discuss but several members had already read or started it at our last meeting and they overwhelming felt it was hysterical and a fun read.
This memoir describes about two years of Jen Lancaster's life in Chicago. We open with her in a Vice President position in business sales something or other. (I am sort of lost in the business world myself, since I was in the non-profit world when I did work outside the home.) She was young, cute, and very successful at her job, but ended up laid off after a corporate merger and 9/11. This left her VERY bitter. She tried for nearly 2 years to get a job with progressively less standards. She saw her opportunities, money and friends dwindle. She started a blog to entertain herself during the day (currently known as jennsylvania). Then her husband lost his job as well and they REALLY were in DIRE straits (according to her). She had to move to a non-penthouse apartment in a less desirable neighborhood, work for a temp agency (once). Eventually, her husband found a job and Lancaster tried her hand at writing (hence this book). They got back on their feet and there you have it.
Although, all of this sounds really depressing, it's not at all. Lancaster writes with a fun sarcastic tone and has absolutely no filter when it comes to anything. While her style of writing is entertaining, knowing this is a real person's life and that she actually thinks this way, annoyed me a little. I mean really, she was surprised when people looked at her Prada bag at the unemployment office and then rolled their eyes? Come on. Lancaster just seemed like such a snob to me. I think I would have thought this was more funny if I read it as a fiction book instead of constantly thinking, "Wow! She's really like this?!"
I guess I think of myself as a fairly practical person so it was hard for me to take in some of her shopping obsessions and her "need" for really expensive things. It just seemed so stupid to me that they didn't move out of their super expensive apartment long before they did and she just frittered her unemployment checks away. I just had no sympathy for her at all. So I say again, if you're a practical, hard-working, money-saving person, read this as a fiction book and you'll probably be very entertained (ala Confessions of a Shopaholic) and not annoyed.
I actually feel like I'm being a bit hard on the book and maybe I'm taking it a bit too serious. Normally, I wouldn't even think to second guess my feelings on a book, I would just write what I feel and be done with it, but I'd heard so many things about it being sooo funny. Maybe I had too high of expectations. I guess I'll be curious to hear what other book club members thought of it at our meeting next week. :-)
This memoir describes about two years of Jen Lancaster's life in Chicago. We open with her in a Vice President position in business sales something or other. (I am sort of lost in the business world myself, since I was in the non-profit world when I did work outside the home.) She was young, cute, and very successful at her job, but ended up laid off after a corporate merger and 9/11. This left her VERY bitter. She tried for nearly 2 years to get a job with progressively less standards. She saw her opportunities, money and friends dwindle. She started a blog to entertain herself during the day (currently known as jennsylvania). Then her husband lost his job as well and they REALLY were in DIRE straits (according to her). She had to move to a non-penthouse apartment in a less desirable neighborhood, work for a temp agency (once). Eventually, her husband found a job and Lancaster tried her hand at writing (hence this book). They got back on their feet and there you have it.
Although, all of this sounds really depressing, it's not at all. Lancaster writes with a fun sarcastic tone and has absolutely no filter when it comes to anything. While her style of writing is entertaining, knowing this is a real person's life and that she actually thinks this way, annoyed me a little. I mean really, she was surprised when people looked at her Prada bag at the unemployment office and then rolled their eyes? Come on. Lancaster just seemed like such a snob to me. I think I would have thought this was more funny if I read it as a fiction book instead of constantly thinking, "Wow! She's really like this?!"
I guess I think of myself as a fairly practical person so it was hard for me to take in some of her shopping obsessions and her "need" for really expensive things. It just seemed so stupid to me that they didn't move out of their super expensive apartment long before they did and she just frittered her unemployment checks away. I just had no sympathy for her at all. So I say again, if you're a practical, hard-working, money-saving person, read this as a fiction book and you'll probably be very entertained (ala Confessions of a Shopaholic) and not annoyed.
I actually feel like I'm being a bit hard on the book and maybe I'm taking it a bit too serious. Normally, I wouldn't even think to second guess my feelings on a book, I would just write what I feel and be done with it, but I'd heard so many things about it being sooo funny. Maybe I had too high of expectations. I guess I'll be curious to hear what other book club members thought of it at our meeting next week. :-)
The Master Bedroom by Tessa Hadley
The Master Bedroom by Tessa Hadley is the first book I've received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. Oddly, I received the book on June 11, about six weeks after the book was available in paperback, and the copy I received was an actual trade paperback, not an ARC. At any rate, I selected several books and received this one, possibly the one book I was unsure I even wanted to read. The synopsis was intriguing, but in a Jerry Springer/train wreck sort of way: Bored Kate Flynn leaves her London academic job and returns to her childhood home to care for her mother. While she is there, a married childhood friend and his seventeen-year-old son "set about their parallel courtships" and "Kate cannot quite resist either man." This all sounds rather seamy, in (I am happy to say) a completely inaccurate way, and I was delighted at the whim that led me to request this book. Tessa Hadley is a gifted writer of lyrical, evocative prose who has crafted a novel (her third) that is touching, funny, and complex.
Kate is both sympathetic and infuriating in her midlife crisis. Hadley has drawn her as a woman who has come untethered; though she has taken a one-year leave of absence instead of quitting her job and let her flat instead of giving it up completely, there is a sense that these steps are just delaying the inevitable. Speaking to David, a public health doctor, she calls her academic life "a kind of dream, a mistake. A life lost in books. What an abyss of difference, between your usefulness and mine. How did I choose it: this play life? I should have been a nurse. We carelessly make one choice after another and our lives pile up." She is not always nice, to put it bluntly, and there were times I didn't like her. Though her purported reason for moving home to Wales is her aging mother, it's clear that her mother is a means of escape from a life she had thought she wanted. When she first comes home, she finds her mother asleep and nearly decides to drive back to London without waking her, and she can be sharp with her mother. She takes her childhood friend Carol (who should be nominated for sainthood) for granted. She throws a lavish party purely to spite the practical David and his wife, Suzie. She tells seventeen-year-old Jamie, who has fallen in love with her, that he's too young to be her friend. But despite all these flaws, or perhaps because they make her real, I hoped that she would find what she was looking for by the end. I was expecting, rather dejectedly, for the story to end without any meaning found, without the hollows of life being filled, and I was both surprised and satisfied by the ending. Kate remakes her life, but not in any trite way, nor in the way I had expected.
This is a quiet book, with many small movements rather than a single dramatic action. Hadley's prose is well-suited to the story (or rather, stories, as the subplots share a dance floor with Kate's midlife crisis, even if they don't cut in), with simple, accurate language, like this description of her reunion with David: "They were falling into a pattern of friendship that had been, before Kate came back to live in Cardiff, exactly her idea of the sort of thing that would evolve in a place like this between grown-up cultured people" and elegant description, as when she first arrives at home: "The falling rain was blotted up overhead by the tall monkey puzzle tree or pattered onto the evergreen bushes. Below, on the lake, an invisible duck blundered splashily. A cold perfume of pines and bitter garden mulch seemed to her like the smell of the past itself." I marked dozens of pages where I found beautiful, lyrical prose or turns of phrase so elegant and perfect they made me smile. Hadley is funny, too. David's wife has fallen in with new hippie friends, and this is his parenthetical description of Menna and Neil's old van when they come to take Suzie camping: "its puttering filthy exhaust more polluting, surely, than anything they could make up for with their puritanical veganism." After Jamie cuts the grass, she tells him, "I think it looked better with the grass long. That grass was beautiful, it blew in the wind, it was blond like hair, the sound it made was like the sea. Now what does it look like? Stubbled and ugly, a poor cropped head." When Jamie looks crestfallen, she laughs.
The word "hollow" and variations on it appear too many times to count, and this is no coincidence. At forty-three, Kate feels hollow, that her life is empty. She doesn't take care of herself; she smokes and drinks, but rarely eats. The return to Wales doesn't immediately help; she reflects that "She had screwed up her own professional life as if it didn't matter and stepped outside it into where she was no one." She talks of being unmoored, of longing to be broken down and remade. Even literature is hollow: "Nothing written now has enough in it. I have to swap about, as soon as I get the hang of what they're up to; they're only ever up to one thing at a time." This is certainly not the case with this novel. In addition to Kate's search for meaning, we have glimpses into David and Suzie's failing marriage, Billie's failing health, Jamie's youthful search for meaning in his life (which makes for an interesting contrast to Kate's). This is the sort of book that I would have loved writing papers on in college. The story is unbelievably rich, and I could easily make this review pages and pages long, but I'll stop here. I'd recommend this book to anyone who looking for a rich, complex novel about the human experience, written in gorgeous, decadent prose.
Kate is both sympathetic and infuriating in her midlife crisis. Hadley has drawn her as a woman who has come untethered; though she has taken a one-year leave of absence instead of quitting her job and let her flat instead of giving it up completely, there is a sense that these steps are just delaying the inevitable. Speaking to David, a public health doctor, she calls her academic life "a kind of dream, a mistake. A life lost in books. What an abyss of difference, between your usefulness and mine. How did I choose it: this play life? I should have been a nurse. We carelessly make one choice after another and our lives pile up." She is not always nice, to put it bluntly, and there were times I didn't like her. Though her purported reason for moving home to Wales is her aging mother, it's clear that her mother is a means of escape from a life she had thought she wanted. When she first comes home, she finds her mother asleep and nearly decides to drive back to London without waking her, and she can be sharp with her mother. She takes her childhood friend Carol (who should be nominated for sainthood) for granted. She throws a lavish party purely to spite the practical David and his wife, Suzie. She tells seventeen-year-old Jamie, who has fallen in love with her, that he's too young to be her friend. But despite all these flaws, or perhaps because they make her real, I hoped that she would find what she was looking for by the end. I was expecting, rather dejectedly, for the story to end without any meaning found, without the hollows of life being filled, and I was both surprised and satisfied by the ending. Kate remakes her life, but not in any trite way, nor in the way I had expected.
This is a quiet book, with many small movements rather than a single dramatic action. Hadley's prose is well-suited to the story (or rather, stories, as the subplots share a dance floor with Kate's midlife crisis, even if they don't cut in), with simple, accurate language, like this description of her reunion with David: "They were falling into a pattern of friendship that had been, before Kate came back to live in Cardiff, exactly her idea of the sort of thing that would evolve in a place like this between grown-up cultured people" and elegant description, as when she first arrives at home: "The falling rain was blotted up overhead by the tall monkey puzzle tree or pattered onto the evergreen bushes. Below, on the lake, an invisible duck blundered splashily. A cold perfume of pines and bitter garden mulch seemed to her like the smell of the past itself." I marked dozens of pages where I found beautiful, lyrical prose or turns of phrase so elegant and perfect they made me smile. Hadley is funny, too. David's wife has fallen in with new hippie friends, and this is his parenthetical description of Menna and Neil's old van when they come to take Suzie camping: "its puttering filthy exhaust more polluting, surely, than anything they could make up for with their puritanical veganism." After Jamie cuts the grass, she tells him, "I think it looked better with the grass long. That grass was beautiful, it blew in the wind, it was blond like hair, the sound it made was like the sea. Now what does it look like? Stubbled and ugly, a poor cropped head." When Jamie looks crestfallen, she laughs.
The word "hollow" and variations on it appear too many times to count, and this is no coincidence. At forty-three, Kate feels hollow, that her life is empty. She doesn't take care of herself; she smokes and drinks, but rarely eats. The return to Wales doesn't immediately help; she reflects that "She had screwed up her own professional life as if it didn't matter and stepped outside it into where she was no one." She talks of being unmoored, of longing to be broken down and remade. Even literature is hollow: "Nothing written now has enough in it. I have to swap about, as soon as I get the hang of what they're up to; they're only ever up to one thing at a time." This is certainly not the case with this novel. In addition to Kate's search for meaning, we have glimpses into David and Suzie's failing marriage, Billie's failing health, Jamie's youthful search for meaning in his life (which makes for an interesting contrast to Kate's). This is the sort of book that I would have loved writing papers on in college. The story is unbelievably rich, and I could easily make this review pages and pages long, but I'll stop here. I'd recommend this book to anyone who looking for a rich, complex novel about the human experience, written in gorgeous, decadent prose.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Cedar Rapids Flooding
I know this is a book blog, but I just had to post a picture of the main branch of the library in my childhood hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is the low rectangular building in the center of the picture.
It only has two floors with most of the books housed on the first floor and the children's section on part of the second floor. I read an article somewhere that library workers and volunteers were working hard so I'm hoping they were able to get most, if not all the books to a safe location before the flood water destroyed them all. But the building does not look like it will be in very good shape when the water recedes (whenever that may be). I spent so many hours here in high school studying. It makes me so sad.
Luckily for my family, they are fine. Their house is on the highest point in the city so no worries there. But if you have any extra thoughts and prayers, the people of Cedar Rapids sure could use them right now. The river was supposed to crest today and now it looks like that won't happen until tomorrow.
If you are interested in more flood images, check out the Cedar Rapids Gazette's website.
It only has two floors with most of the books housed on the first floor and the children's section on part of the second floor. I read an article somewhere that library workers and volunteers were working hard so I'm hoping they were able to get most, if not all the books to a safe location before the flood water destroyed them all. But the building does not look like it will be in very good shape when the water recedes (whenever that may be). I spent so many hours here in high school studying. It makes me so sad.Luckily for my family, they are fine. Their house is on the highest point in the city so no worries there. But if you have any extra thoughts and prayers, the people of Cedar Rapids sure could use them right now. The river was supposed to crest today and now it looks like that won't happen until tomorrow.
If you are interested in more flood images, check out the Cedar Rapids Gazette's website.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
More Bobbie Faye!
I finished Bobbie Faye's (kinda, sorta, not exactly) Family Jewels by Toni McGee Causey. It can be hard to review the sequel to a fresh, surprising, laugh-out-loud book like Bobbie Faye's (very, very, very) Bad Day. It was easy to rate the first one: it was a five on a scale of five, filled with humor, action, romance, and the unique character of Bobbie Faye, who attracts disaster like nobody's business. And when I finished it, I thought, "There's no way she can top this." But I was dying to read the sequel anyway. The sequel is flawed; the humor is a bit more forced, there are too many bad guys, and the plot is neglected a bit to make way for an expanded role for the Love Triangle. Does this mean I don't recommend this book and I won't be first in line to buy Bobbie Faye #3? Absolutely not. The first book was so good that the second pales in comparison, but it was still a fun ride.
Bobbie Faye is having another Bad Day. This one begins with a weird dream in which she shoots a man, and then she wakes up with blood in her hair. Uh oh. Cousin Francesca brings her a huge problem: Bobbie Faye's Aunt Marie has run off with some diamonds and Marie's husband has put a hit out on her. Bobbie Faye JUST HAS TO find those diamonds. Unfortunately for Bobbie Faye (and the state of Louisiana) Francesca isn't the only one looking for the gems. There are THREE groups of bad guys, and to be honest, I didn't always bother with keeping them straight. Which group has the sniper on the roof? Whatever. Who's using which tracking device? I don't care. Bobbie Faye sets off to find the diamonds/escape from the three groups of nutcases trying to kill her, and becomes the main suspect in the murder of a jeweler along the way. This is fun stuff, and if there weren't as many laugh-out-loud moments as in the first, that's understandable. More time is devoted to her evolving relationship with Trevor and some realizations about her past relationship with Cam. Bobbie Faye is so likeable that I just want her to be happy!
A revelation at the end suggests that book #3 is probably in the works. I personally hope it involves retrieving that one thing from book #1 and going on the adventure it would suggest, because that sounds really fun. I expect that future books will be even more involved with the relationship stuff, but as long as Causey keeps up the smart, funny writing, I'll keep reading.
Holly's Review Here
My review of the first book here.
Bobbie Faye is having another Bad Day. This one begins with a weird dream in which she shoots a man, and then she wakes up with blood in her hair. Uh oh. Cousin Francesca brings her a huge problem: Bobbie Faye's Aunt Marie has run off with some diamonds and Marie's husband has put a hit out on her. Bobbie Faye JUST HAS TO find those diamonds. Unfortunately for Bobbie Faye (and the state of Louisiana) Francesca isn't the only one looking for the gems. There are THREE groups of bad guys, and to be honest, I didn't always bother with keeping them straight. Which group has the sniper on the roof? Whatever. Who's using which tracking device? I don't care. Bobbie Faye sets off to find the diamonds/escape from the three groups of nutcases trying to kill her, and becomes the main suspect in the murder of a jeweler along the way. This is fun stuff, and if there weren't as many laugh-out-loud moments as in the first, that's understandable. More time is devoted to her evolving relationship with Trevor and some realizations about her past relationship with Cam. Bobbie Faye is so likeable that I just want her to be happy!
A revelation at the end suggests that book #3 is probably in the works. I personally hope it involves retrieving that one thing from book #1 and going on the adventure it would suggest, because that sounds really fun. I expect that future books will be even more involved with the relationship stuff, but as long as Causey keeps up the smart, funny writing, I'll keep reading.
Holly's Review Here
My review of the first book here.
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