The Savage Stacks

A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin

2011-06-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

Second in the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings picks up right after A Game of Thrones. Martin continues to throw surprise after surprise at the reader and I fully admit that this book was the first one that I peeked ahead to see if a certain character was going to show up again.
I like that Martin gives the reader the feeling that certain characters are destined for greater things, I like that he writes characters the reader can hate so violently as well as characters it is very easy to become attached to, plus characters one isn't entirely certain what to make of.
It's been 2 and a half books since I finished Clash of Kings, so forgive the poor review. It's fantastic, spares nothing, gets into the grittiness of war, and made me desperate for A Storm of Swords, which only recently was returned to the library (which is the only reason 2.5 books have been read since finishing Clash of Kings), and I look forward to starting it.
Wonderful, engrossing, and these books really need to be read in quick succession. I can't imagine how fans have waited so long between books!

A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

2011-05-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

The first book in the Song of Fire and Ice series is an engaging historical fantasy. Admittedly I am a fantasy fan and historical fiction fan, and Martin does such a remarkable job of integrating the history of Westeros, the different highborn families, all while dropping tantalizing hints of what will (hopefully) be revealed later.
Like most good fantasy I read, it was a bit slow going to begin with; I seem to take longer to get a handle on the people and the places, but eventual I was enthralled with (enraged by, beguiled by) the different characters in the book that I did not want to put it down.
The book is told from the point of view of a handful of characters, and while we get slightly into their heads, we're not entirely wrapped up in them, which is nice. Martin does a fabulous job of ending a chapter about one character at a point where I wish he would continue with that character but by the time I get to the next character's part of the story I don't find myself wanting to skip ahead. Martin has such richly drawn characters, so well fleshed out that a reader gets a feel for all the characters, not just the ones telling the story.
I am not a particularly astute reader--I prefer to be swept up by the story, thinking more about what has been revealed, what's currently being revealed, not worrying too much about what's going to happen--so certain aspects of the book came as a surprise to me. It becomes obvious that war is brewing in the Seven Kingdoms, I just did not think it would begin in the first book (knowing this is a series, I figured the action would take place later). I am glad it did though, because now I'm mulling on (when I'm not reading) what's going to happen in the rest of the books (and I really don't have a clue, except for one event that's pretty inevitable). A Game of Thrones is an engaging story, especially if you a fan of history. It's fictional history of course, but it gives the feel of medieval Europe, with warring families and usurpers and tentative alliances. There is enough familiar in the fantasy aspects to prevent Martin from slowing down the story by explaining every detail of the fantasy and writes (much like what I've read of Scott Westerfeld) with an assumption that the reader will pick up what the author is talking about. And the reader does.
I'm excited to read this series and before I even finished the first book, I checked out the second from the library (and even debated purchasing it for my Kindle, and seeing as the vast majority of books on my Kindle I've acquired for free, that's saying a great deal). I'm completely lost in the wonderful storytelling of this series and join the legions of fans in July eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries

2011-04-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

Lord Stoneville is the eldest of 5 grown siblings, his parents died when he was young, and since then the Sharpe siblings have been looked after by their feisty brewery-managing grandmother. It comes as a shock to all the Sharpes when Gran tells all 5 they have 1 year to be married or she's cutting them all off.
Oliver, Lord Stoneville, does not want to be married and thinks he can end his grandmother's threat by bringing home a most inappropriate woman as his intended. Maria Butterfield, an American, is searching for her missing fiance, and the path leads her and her cousin Freddy to a brothel. Which is where Oliver finds her and saves the pair from being hung as thieves. Not doing it just out of the goodness of his heart, Oliver forces a promise from Maria to act as his fiance in front of his grandmother. She agrees in order to not be sent to jail and to secure Oliver's help in finding her fiance.
Being a romance novel, mishaps occur, misunderstandings take place, seduction happens, and the pair that seem mismatched ends up together. I didn't think Jeffries writes with the same sense of humor as Julia Quinn, but I enjoyed the book. The historical setting is good, the story good, the supporting characters interesting (each of the Sharpe siblings will have his or her own book, and 2 additional have been published), and ending happy. I enjoyed it, a good light read and I look forward to reading the rest.

Entwined by Heather Dixon

2011-04-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

A retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses", Heather Dixon's Entwined is a story of family, loss, magic, and of course dancing.
Azalea, the eldest daughter of the King and Mother (the girls all call the King "sir" instead of father) is called upon to host the annual Yuletide ball, as Mother is very pregnant and very sick. When she is supposed to close the ball with the King, the Prime Minister Fairweller (a younger man, very sober) comes instead to dance with Azalea. The ball is abruptly ended and it is not until the next morning that Azalea discovers why--Mother has died.
The youngest of the princesses, Lily (the 12th daughter, all of whom have flower names), was delivered right before Mother died. The King, distraught and grief-stricken, though unable to show his daughters such, rides off not long after the funeral to fight a war with neighboring country.
Without their parents, the princesses are trapped in the palace during mourning, in which they cannot leave the castle and most depressing for them all, no dancing. Mother loved to dance and when the girls surreptitiously dance they feel connected to their mother. When Azalea finds a magic passage to a beautiful pavilion with a dark man trapped in the passage. In their anger towards their father, the girls swear not to tell anyone--especially the King--about where they go in the evenings.
So begins the fairy tale in earnest. Entwined is wonderfully written, Azalea is a proud, stubborn, determined young woman who wants to fulfill her promise to her mother of taking care of her sisters, and she wants the best futures for all of them (and herself!). It's a great story that doesn't ignore the King, and the personalities of the sisters are developed as well. Definitely a recommended read.

Wives of the Kings of England: From Hanover to Windsor by Mark Hichens

2011-04-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

Just from the title I knew this book was something I was going to like. I was a little more intrigued when I picked up the book on the library shelf: it's less than 200 pages.
Don't get me wrong, I love history, but admittedly, history writing can be rather ... dull. The Queen Mother led a fascinating life, but when I read William Shawcross's official biography (weighing in at more than 1000 pages), it took me more than a month to read. Enjoyable, definitely, but long.
Wives of the Kings of England suited me not only because its length, but because it provided brief snapshots of the nine women, so there was no way for me to be overwhelmed or bogged down by a great number of details. Though entire books could be (and have been) written about each individual woman, this glimpse provides a continuity from the woman dealing with her own parents, her husband, her husband's parents, and then herself as a parent.
I did not know very much about most of these women. I had read The Trial of Queen Caroline by Jane Robins, and The Queen Mother: The Official Biography by William Shawcross, but the rest of the wives (with the exception of the Duchess of Windsor) I was fairly clueless on. The long suffering Charlotte, married to George III, lead an interesting life. Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary I found the most interesting, however, but that may be because that's the time period I find most fascinating. Can you imagine having Queen Victoria as a mother-in-law? I certainly cannot. And that Queen Mary is so very different from Queen Alexandra, in fact George V and Edward VII were quite dissimilar. A fascinating, enjoyable read, well worth the time and energy to peruse the slim volume. Recommended for anglophiles like myself who are enthralled by the history of the royal family.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

2011-04-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

I did. I finally finished the Twilight Saga.
Thank heavens.
I fully admit to finding Breaking Dawn more palatable than the previous books, especially considering the quality of the writing. I find it much improved in this final book, though it did still drag on for a bit.
Granted, the half-vampire baby eating its mother from the inside out is a little weird and the birth scene a little weird, but those actually were minor in my eyes, probably because I had heard about them before I read the book. The first part of the book told from Bella's point of view had me rolling my eyes frequently. My main complaint with Bella is that she's an insecure whiner. She can't believe Edward loves her, can't believe Edward marries her, thinks she so not worth his time, and frankly, I think that's a terrible attitude for a character to have, especially one that appeals so much to young girls. Yes, I understand that girls are not particularly self-confident, but other others (Meg Cabot comes immediately to mind) have the same flawed characters who end up growing and thinking better of themselves. And I wish it didn't take Bella turning into a vampire to do that for her.
I enjoyed the Jacob-narrated part of the book, if only to get me out of Bella's head (that's really the main irritant for me, the book told from Bella's point of view) for a bit, though--much as I am on Team Jacob--why he puts up with her became much more difficult for me to understand. I just didn't see the attraction I had seen in previous books.
Edward became less obsessed and abusive after Bella became a vampire, I suppose because she couldn't really be broken anymore (and he got her into his family, they're a secret, she wasn't going to see all her old friends anymore, so I guess he won). I've just always thought there was something unhealthy about that relationship.
After Bella became a vampire I didn't like how she kept thinking she was "perfect" and that her human hearing and sight were "weak". I would have been happier if she had come to some sort of positive opinion of herself before she became a vampire. Edward wants to spend eternity with you, Bella, he would not do that with someone he was not devoted to. Wise up. Think better of yourself. Be a vampire, I don't care, just be a better role model for teen girls reading this book.
Renesmee: It's sweet, I think, that Edward & Bella got to have a family. I don't mind the happily ever after part of the story, I think that's quite nice. The imprinting thing I can even handle and think that Jacob's right, Renesmee is why he put up with Bella for so long. One random pet peeve: put the kid in a damn car seat. I don't care if you're supernaturals, the kid needs to be in a car seat, not sitting on someone's lap in the front seat of the car. I don't care if it's fiction.
As for the Volturi, I thought it was interesting that they showed up, I thought it was an intriguing part of the story (I've always found the back stories of the vampires and werewolves interesting in these books), I think I was a little disappointed the confrontation ended so flatly? Glad that none of the Cullens or the werewolves had to die, but it was kind of flat ending to all that build up.
Will I be reading Midnight Sun if Meyer ever decides to complete and publish it? No. I don't think there's anything Meyer could write about Edward that would actually make me like him (or think he's a good book boyfriend for teen girls).
I feel better for having completed the series (even knowing how it ended before I picked up Twilight), primarily because I'm a young adult librarian and if teens are reading, I should have an idea of what they're reading.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

2011-03-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

Elantris is a rich, well-plotted, wonderful fantasy. The characters are well-developed, the history of the nations and religions and characters are revealed in piecemeal throughout the book, encouraging the reader to keep reading! Like most good fantasy, it is not a fast read (at least it wasn't for me) but it was thoroughly enjoyable.
Sarene is a princess from across the sea, sent to marry the prince of Arelon, Raoden. She is 25 and edging on spinsterhood in her own country and in her own mind and feels the marriage with Raoden will not only do good for her country of Teod, but is her last chance at marriage. She arrives unexpectedly a week before the wedding in order to finally meet her future husband in person only to discover on arrival that he has died. The marriage contract was written in such a way, however, that even if one of the parites died before the wedding, the pair is considered married. So Sarene is now a widow without actually having gone through a wedding. Fortunately her uncle Kiin, his wife and children are in Kae, so she has the comfort of some family, since King Iaoden (Raoden's father) has so little patience with women in general.
Raoden is not actually dead, but has suffered the Shaod, or has been cursed with a disease that strikes the Arelish people--their hearts have stopped beating but their minds won't die. Like all people who have the Shaod, Raoden has been thrown into Elantris, the once great city that was the center of Arelon. Elantris once housed what the people called gods, people who could do magic, feed people without growing food, could heal with magic. Mysteriously 10 years ago the Elantrians began to be cursed and with the faltering of the gods of Elantris, Ioaden and the merchants seized control of Arelon.
Third in our story is Hrathen, a Derethi priest who has been sent to convert the people of Arelon to the Derethi religion within three months or Wyrn (head of the Derethi religion and king of the Derethi empire) will simply send armies to Arelon to take it by force. Hrathen is a very logical and practical man, not above bribing to get what he wants.
These three characters (and so many more!) challenge each other, make discoveries about themselves, and fight to save (in each person's opinion) Arelon and Elantris. A rich rewarding read, Elantris is a fantastic story with excellent world building, and wonderfully created characters.

Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham

2011-03-07T07:07:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed Holly's Inbox, published in 2009, so when I saw there was a sequel, I knew I needed to read it.
Holly's still working at DK Huerst (the bank) as a receptionist, and she's still with Toby, though it's a bit awkward as he spends a great deal of time in France for work so Holly feels like she rarely sees him. It definitely causes a strain in their relationship.
The rest of the cast of characters have returned as well: Trisha, the veteran receptionist Holly sits next to but can't speak with; Marie, the switchboard operator; Claire, the slightly ditsy upper floor receptionist; friends Jason and Aisha; and family. Holly's also faced with new challenges, including Tanya Mason, head of catering services at the company, with whom things turn ugly when Tanya shows interest in Toby.
One of Holly's biggest challenges is when she's temporarily made Front of House manager (managing the room reservations and the receptionists). She's excited and nervous about this advancement, even though it could be only temporary, but does her best to ensure it becomes a permanent position. Nothing is ever as easy as she would like it to be (and it wouldn't make for interesting reading otherwise) but Holly handles it the best she can.
Holly matures a bit in this book; her relationship with Toby makes her excited about taking on the challenge of the new job and wanting to excel at it, and other changes in her personal life cause her to rethink much of what she's done and thought before.
I really enjoy how quickly the book moves, since it's written in all emails. It's fast, it's breezy reading, it's light and enjoyable. I wanted something different to read since I've been reading so many dystopian novels lately and Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City definitely fit that bill. I'm hoping there's another book to follow up with Holly's life because I'm really enjoying knowing her.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

2011-03-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

On the changed Louisiana shoreline in the perhaps not so distant future, when the ice caps have melted and weather patterns have changed significantly, Nailer works on Bright Sands Beach breaking down old ships. He's young and still scrawny enough to crawl through ducts collecting copper wire and other scavengable parts of the ship. He's hoping when he gets too big to fit into the ducts he'll be able to work on heavy crew, the teams that take apart the hulls of the ships. He's worried that he won't be strong enough or big enough but he decides not to worry about it.
After a hurricane rushes through the beach, Nailer and his best friend Pima have the day off work while the bosses try to get the beach organized enough to start again, so they decide to go in search of fresh seafood. Out on a spit of land (that becomes an island in high tide) they find a beautiful clipper ship wrecked on the beach. Pima and Nailer go inside the ship and begin to scavenge, thinking this is their ticket out of Bright Sands Beach, just one big Lucky Strike will save them a lifetime of back-breaking work. They just need to find a way to protect it.
While going through the ship, they find the dead bodies of the crew and the body of a swank girl, around their age. With gold rings on her fingers, a diamond in her nose, and gold around her neck, Pima and Nailer know they've hit the jackpot. They decide the best way to get the rings off the girl is to cut her fingers off. Much to their surprise, the girl is awake.
Nita is the daughter of one of the big global shipping agents, and she's being chased by one of her father's employees because Pyce wants to do something illegal. Pyce thinks if he holds Nita hostage, her father will let Pyce do whatever he wants with the company. When Nailer's father (a cruel drug addict) finds Nailer, Pima, and Nita, he decides he's going to make the deal with anyone who comes looking for Nita. Nailer and Nita escape towards the Orleans (the remains of New Orleans, most of which is underwater) searching for one of her father's ships that is still loyal to Nita and her father. When they finally find one, Nailer wants to make sure it's all right (his father has shown up in the city at the same time) but it ends up that Nita's taken.
Nailer finally gets his wish and gets to sail on a clipper ship while they search for the ship that has Nita prisoner. They find it, of course, and Nailer helps with a plan to trap the ship and get Nita back.
There's a lot going on in this book. I had a not so easy time going through the book. I didn't dread reading it but it didn't move quite as fast as other books I've read (like Wither by Lauren DeStefano). It's an adventure story, a dystopia story, has slight political comments, it just felt like a jumble of story lines while being not entirely certain what kind of book it wants to be. I definitely didn't dislike it, but I think if it had not been this year's Printz winner I would have been less inclined to finish it. Ship Breaker is a well-written interesting story, especially if you like adventures. It might appeal a little more to male readers than female readers, but that's not to say female readers won't like it. Definitely an adventurous story. I think my issue with it is that I wasn't expecting it to be an adventure story. But as I said, it's well-written and interesting and should appeal to readers who approach the book without any preconceived ideas of what it's about, other than an adventure.

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison

2011-02-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

Georgia Nicolson's stories may be at an end, but fans need not fret: this summer will see the release of Withering Tights, the first in Louise Rennison's new series.
Tallulah Casey, fourteen and a half, never had a boyfriend, never been kissed, is away to Dother Hall in Yorkshire for part of her summer break. Tallulah wants to be in the arts and Dother Hall is a performing arts school. The summer term is a chance for new students to see if they have what it takes to be full time students at Dother Hall. Tallulah really wants to be a full time student and start the term in September, except she's got one tiny thing holding her back: she's got no talent. Or at least hasn't been able to display any talent during her term, except poor Irish dancing, bad improvising, terrible singing, and flying off her bicycle into the wings of the stage.
She tries, oh she tries, and she meets some wonderful (and talented friends): Vaisey, Jo, Flossie, and Honey, as well as young Ruby, whose father owns the pub across the way from the family Tallulah is staying with.
But not only does Tallulah intend for this to be her summer of stardom, she also wants it to be her summer of love. Enter the Woolfe Academy boys, the Hinchcliff brothers, and Ruby's older brother Alex. Because really, you didn't the story was going to be entirely about school, did you? Tallulah does have her first kiss (and her second-ish), and a few of her friends experience love. Almost. Kind of.
In the end, Tallulah finds a way to earn her keep at Dother Hall (after a few scares that she may not get to start the term in September with Jo, Vaisey, Flossie, and Honey), especially after their adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
Much like the Georgia Nicolson books (which I love), not a great deal happens in the book, but Rennison has such a great way of ending the stories that you want to find out what happens to the characters next (and I'm feeling a love-rectangle coming on, much like with Georgia, though I'm hoping Lullah picks who I think she should pick, but it can never be that easy). Withering Tights is a fun, easy, lighthearted read, and I admittedly am looking forward to the next one. Just like with Georgia, you just can't get enough of Tallulah. (Though I almost think I might like Tallulah more than Georgia ... is that possible??)

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

2011-02-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

Micah fully admits she's a liar. She does it a lot. Sometimes it's small lies, sometimes it's big lies, sometimes there's a little truth mixed in, but does she ever tell the whole truth? She promises the readers she's going to try.
A classmate, Zach, has been missing and then found dead. Micah breaks her story into before this happened, after it happened, and various histories (history of me, history of the school, family history, etc). Each bit reveals more and more of Micah, her classmates, her family, and her history with Zach, which is more than anyone ever expected.
She becomes sort-of friends with Zach's girlfriend Sarah and his best friend Tayshawn, and ordinarily Micah is in the background of her school life, but with Zach's death (and a large portion of the school thinking it was Micah who did it) and her relationship with Zach, Micah is suddenly under the microscope, not where she would like to be. These three very different students are grieving for someone who meant a great deal to each one of them, and that's a great dynamic to see, how they are drawn together.
Periodically Micah will reveal a lie--a tiny one usually, but a lie nonetheless. It makes you rethink her entire story. When one of the biggest reveals come, it left me thinking it was just an excuse Micah had used, another lie, and that left me on uneven footing for the rest of the book, as a great deal of the story required the reader to believe Michah's reveal.
It's not made clear in the book why Micah is writing this: is it just for her sake (which is what she claims) or is there a darker reasoning behind it? The book is broken into three parts, all of which have Micah claiming to tell the truth.
I was definitely interested in this book, having read many reviews of it and hearing a lot about it, and really, it's an unusual idea, and then the werewolf part came in. I'm not against supernatural characters, I just wasn't expecting one. So perhaps it was my fault, but it threw me for a loop.
One thing I did love about the story is that I still don't know if Micah was being entirely truthful. I think that was pretty awesome to have this great story, and the reader still is not sure what is laid out before the reader is actually what happened. A well written, engaging story (if you can suspend your disbelief), Liar is recommended for readers interested in mysteries.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

2011-02-14T07:11:00.000-08:00

Rhine and her twin brother Rowan scramble to keep living, even though like all of their generation, they will be dead before they're old. Girls die at 20 and boys die at 25 due to a virus that is so far unexplainable. The First Generations are adults in their 60s, 70s, the first (and only) genetically perfect generation. No one is certain how long they will live, but a number of them, including Rhine & Rowan's parents, have lived long enough to watch their first children die and are now on their next set of children.
At 16, Rhine is taken by Gatherers, people who prowl the streets for girls who will become brood mares to the wealthy, and taken far from her home and imprisoned by Linden and his father Vaughn. Rhine, along with Jenna (18) and Cecily (13), become Linden's wives. His first wife, Rose, the girl he grew up with and loved naturally, has turned 20 and is in the process of dying. 21 year old Linden has married Jenna, Rhine, and Cecily, but pays them little attention while Rose is still alive. Once she dies, he begins to spend time with each of his wives, first at night (each girl has her own bedroom), then during dinner and afternoons. Rhine reminds Linden of Rose, and it is her similarity to Rose (and closeness, the two girls spent time together before Rose died) that draws Linden to her.
Rhine is determined to escape. She does not want to be trapped in the gilded cage of the mansion whose grounds she cannot escape. Her first attempt to run away (during a hurricane) goes badly, and it is her friend Gabriel (one of the house attendants, who is near her age or a couple years older) who saves her from blowing away. Vaughn knows Rhine was trying to run away and warns her of what can happen if she tries again. Part of Rhine's plan is to become Linden's first wife, the wife he brings to parties and out into the world, so she is nice to him without ever really letting him into her past life, she lets him sleep with her in her bed but never consummates their marriage. She finds there is more to Linden than she originally thought, and a friendship grows between them.
Being a sister wife is more fulfilling than she originally thought as well, as she becomes as close as sisters with quiet, withdrawn Jenna and demanding, slightly bratty Cecily. Linden is easily intimidated when his three wives are together and generally lets them have their own way when they are.
Vaughn is a sinister character who had a son live to age 25 then die. Linden's mother died during childbirth and so Vaughn is desperately seeking a cure to the virus to keep his son alive. Rhine thinks Vaughn's desperation leads him to keep Rose's body in the basement laboratory to try different cures.
Wither is the first book in the Chemical Garden trilogy and I am curious to see where the story will go from this book. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters (even Linden) and I don't know what Rhine will do next. She is so intent on getting to her brother Rowan (who may or may not still be at their home in Manhattan) that you want her to find him, but you know even if she escapes from Vaughn, she will still die when she's 20. But you still want her to escape. Wither is definitely a worthwhile read for high school students and older. I look forward to the next book and hope I won't have to wait too long.

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

2011-02-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

April Bowers is a not very well known sophomore at her high school. Her best friend Haley moved over the summer and April is not looking forward to her sophomore year totally friendless.
She is completely surprised when she is paired with super-popular Britney Taylor in gym class and even more surprised when Britney asks if April is new to the school. So what does April do? April lies: Yes, this is her first year at Penford High. For some inexplicable reason (to April), Britney takes a shine to April and decides that she will be a new project to work on. April is brought into the spotlight as a friend of Britney and followers Erin, Jessica, and Brianna. After a month or so of being Britney's "friend-in-training", Britney decides it's time for April to take the Lipstick Oath. This means following Britney's 7 Lipstick Laws (including not gaining more than 3 pounds, choosing fashion over comfort, revealing all your secrets upon initiation, and doing what's best for the popularity of the group, despite individual wants) and April has grown so addicted to having friends and being popular that she agrees.
Oh, April. April tries to follow the Lipstick Laws and though she's uncomfortable with certain aspects of her "friendships" with Britney & the gang, she does what she's told because she knows Britney can make her life a living hell. Finally, at a party that April doesn't want to be at, with people she doesn't want to be with, April escapes the cops and ruins clothes borrowed from Britney. A misunderstanding (and total bitchiness on Britney's part) results in April being kicked out of Britney's circle of friends and back to loserhood.
She calls Haley (whom she has been in touch with and who has told her to stay away from Britney) and hears the Britney Taylor saga from Haley, including revealing a chubby childhood, a messy parental divorce, and Haley's own booting from Britney's friendship. April & Haley determine there MUST be other girls at Penford High who were once involved in the Lipstick Oath and now resigned to social outcasts, and April finds a way to get in touch with them. She meets three other girls this way and they share their Britney horror stories. They decide they have to get even with Britney for making their lives hell. The plot goes well for the Lipstick Lawbreakers then Britney turns her evil powers on April and it goes back and forth like this.
Now, I know high school is no picnic, it's an awkward time for everybody, and that some people are downright mean, but I wonder just how realistic this is. Why would a sophomore rule the school's social hierarchy? Are students really that mean? I got really worried when one of the pranks involved someone's peanut allergy. Even if it's not a bad allergy (that you know of) it's definitely not something to encourage messing with. I was glad that that aspect didn't come to pass. I was also a little disappointed that when one of the characters took the high road, her antagonist did not follow suit or end up looking ridiculous herself but had to give April one last embarrassing moment. I really appreciated that April did end up taking the high road, and that she realized she was also doing the same thing as Britney had once done (that was painfully obvious to everyone but April; she came around though).
While I found some of the treatment of the girls a little cringe-inducing, The Lipstick Laws (published in April) is still a good story. I was really concerned April was not going to let all this meanness go, and I'm really happy she did. I know it's difficult to, and it can't always be done gracefully, but I think it sets a good example. I'd recommend The Lipstick Laws to readers as young as middle school as I'm not sure some of the language ("boobicle cubicle") and actions would translate to older high school students. It comes out with a positive result, lessons learned, and comfort with being one's self.

Evangeline by Gwen Williams

2011-02-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

Gwen Williams based her erotic story Evangeline on the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, Snow White & Rose Red. Williams imagines the story of Snow White (Evangeline) and the love she finds.
The book opens on Evangeline messing around with one of the young men from the village, John Woliver, a young man whom she is very fond of and would very much like to marry. John however is under strict instructions from his father NOT to marry Evangeline. He can dally with her, but he cannot marry her. Evangeline knows this and refuses to have sex with John. John finally tells Evangeline it's because of the bear that his father refuses to let them marry. I thought this was a pretty good ploy to explain the Grimm Brothers story, a flashback of John's father telling John that Evangeline, her sister Rose, and their mother sheltered a black bear for a winter and performed sexual acts with the bear. Evangeline is upset by this tale of gossip going around the village and stomps off, leaving John unsatisfied yet again.
Evangeline discovers that John is to marry another girl and so she is a little more bold when she entertains the glances of a stranger, Paul Rumsfeld. Evangeline finds the man desirable; he is well off and lives far from her village and that is enough for Evangeline to agree to marry him (after a proper courting of course).
On the first day she meets Paul Rumsfeld, the village gossip explains that he is on the search for his fourth wife--the previous three young wives dying unexpectedly. Evangeline pays this little mind until her wedding night when she is finally truly alone with her husband, and her fear and uncertainty overcome her. Paul is upset and visits her rarely in her lush set of rooms.
Spending little time with Paul, Evangeline is left in the company of her maid, Mathilda. Mathilda has also been maid to Paul's previous three wives and there's something in her attitude and demeanor that's a little creepy. She lurks in corners, always seems to be right outside Evangeline's door, and watches Evangeline when she sleeps.
Evangeline and Paul finally have a relationship breakthrough and they grow closer and more involved with each other and begin to genuinely love each other. Evangeline is very happy, very pregnant, and dotes on her husband. She begs him not to leave her alone and Paul begins to put her needs first.
Paul reveals the story of his previous three wives while talking to his steward, and we find that all three wives have died while Paul was absent. Each death breaks his heart and so he determined to stay as far from Evangeline as possible (but still needs to produce an heir to inherit his properties), refusing to fall in love with her. Ah, but Evangeline is too much for him to resist and they do fall in love.
The climax comes when Evangeline is in labor with her child and Paul is called away--so much happens at once that if feels the story was a little rushed to end it (plus some odd ways of tying up loose strings with Rose, Black Bear, and the King, who is mentioned maybe four times in the story). I could see who the "bad guy" was in the story pretty much from the beginning, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the building tension in the story.
Despite the ending, it was a cute heartwarming story. The sex was not overly detailed and there was not a great deal of it, so if you're reading for the steamy scenes, this book won't suit you. I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings, so there really was no chance that I was not going to enjoy the book. Evangeline by Gwen Williams is a good lighthearted story with a little bit of darkness (reminded me a bit of Rebecca, actually, but that might have just been creepy Mathilda). Recommended for fluff reading.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

2011-02-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

Nora and Patch are back, though not together for very long. Patch reveals (rather reluctantly) that the archangels are watching him and Nora and if he makes it known he's fallen for Nora, the archangels will banish him to hell. Not a very happy prospect for either of them.
So, when Nora discovers this she pushes Patch away. She doesn't want him to go, obviously, so she thinks if she keep pushing him away he won't leave her. But this frustrates Patch. Nora becomes frustrated when Patch spends more and more time with Marcie Millar, Nora's high school nemesis. Torn between her love for Patch and her insecurity, Nora keeps botching their relationship up. (Yes, I totally blame Nora.)
An old family friend is back in the picture, and just like Nora was drawn to Patch's badassness, so she is drawn to trouble maker Scott. Scott is another Nephilim involved in some dark happenings, a blood society of Nephilim who want to stop the fallen angels from taking over the Nephilim's bodies every year. I hope this part of the story comes back in the last few books, I think it's a very interesting storyline and provides more depth (to make it more than just a love story).
Marcie and Nora are partners in summer school, and Marcie strangely attempts to be nice (or at least as nice as Marcie can be) to get information about Patch. But then she just tortures Nora with stories of what Marcie and Patch are doing. Surprisingly Marcie invites Nora to a summer party and Nora gets into a little bit of trouble (which doesn't come out until later).
Vee and Patch's friend Rixon start dating and since Nora broke up with Patch she feels like the third wheel with Vee and Rixon. Vee is not as present in this book as she was in Hush, Hush, being wrapped up with Rixon. Nora's happy for her but wishes she had her friend to herself more often.
And of course, Nora gets in trouble. She steals something from Scott and Scott becomes desperate to get the item back which leads to an intense showdown at the Delphic amusement park where the bad guy is not who you expect.
Nora also learns a little bit about her family history, which ends the book on a cliffhanger and I can't believe I have to wait until October 2011 to find out what happens next. I admit, though I was reluctant to start the books, I've been sucked in. I really like how Fitzpatrick writes, and though I get a little frustrated with Nora because she's stubborn, insecure, and doesn't talk to Patch when that would help a lot, she's overall a likable character. I really like Vee too and hope she plays more of a role in future books. Patch is not my type of guy but I can see the appeal.
So, Crescendo the second book in Becca Fitzpatrick's series is recommended for high school students and older. I enjoyed it and I look forward to the rest of the books!

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

2011-01-31T14:19:00.000-08:00

David Levithan has a way with words. I have felt that with every book of his I've read (which is really only 5, including this one, but still, it's the reason I fell in love with his books). He's amazing and brilliant and wonderful.
The Lover's Dictionary is a very brief book (I read it on my lunch hour & one 15 minute break) in which Levithan defines words that tell the story of a relationship. The entries are brief thoughts on a moment or relate an entire episode in their relationship. There's a quiet beauty to the entries, even the angry ones (which is interesting to see the anger pop out between different words, so you don't get the whole story at once), and Levithan brings you into this relationship and the mind of the narrator, and I found it very easy as a reader to identify with many of his entries.
I like how he had part of a conversation in one entry, then further on went back to that conversation, and included just a little more, enough to illustrate the word, teasing the reader to keep reading to find out the whole story. Like with all books that capture just moments of a character's life, The Lover's Dictionary has beautiful moments that build an image in your mind. The great thing about Levithan is that he does it with so few words. One of my favorites:

whet, v.
You kiss me when you get home, and when I kiss you back longer, harder, you say, "Later, dear. Later."

I simply love the image this creates in my mind with so few words. It's difficult to give a full description of the story of this book, but if you're patient, interested in words and imagery, pick up the book. It will not take very long to finish (or to suss out if you like it or not).

Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd

2011-01-29T16:37:00.000-08:00

Remember what I said about Carbon Diaries 2015 being Life As We Knew It Lite? 2017 changes that. Dark, brutal, gruesome, confusing, frightening ... Laura Brown's world got crazier.
You would think about two years of carbon rationing the UK would have settled somewhat, people would be making do as best they could, and while that is happening, unrest, anger, fear, and discrimination are building, making the world scarier. Laura's trying to get through university, but protesting students are being arrested and beaten and kicked out of university, so she escapes to her parents' home (who moved outside of London) for the spring term and early summer.
The Dirty Angels (Laura's band) are still at it, though Adi is more interested in revolution and fighting than the band. So, Sam (one of Laura's classmates) ends up being a part of the band and when the Dirty Angels get to be part of a European tour, Sam comes with. But France, if possible, is in even more chaos than the UK and when the band is around on election day, a very right wing party is elected, and so the band splits to Italy.
Only to learn that Adi has malaria in Sicily. Laura goes. But it's not easy.
When the group finally makes it back to London, Laura agrees to settle into her university work (there are no jobs out there, so she might as well get an education) and playing with the band.
London explodes with frustration, aggravation, and protests. The army and the government are fighting their own people and after Laura and friends have been lying safely hidden at Kieran's, they decide it's time to be a part of the fight to stand up for what's wrong. It goes amazingly poorly.
Definitely darker than 2015--that book is more about the environment and the side effects of everything going wrong with carbon rationing, 2017 is about people who have finally had enough and want to change the government, which hasn't changed with the changing world. An intense story, and I'm glad that Laura made it out (for now) ok. Changed, but ok.

The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd

2011-01-24T11:03:00.000-08:00

We all know 1) I'm a sucker for books written in the diary format and 2) I'm a sucker for dystopian novels and so The Carbon Diaries 2015 was perfect fit.
The dystopia part wasn't a huge role, the book is meant to take place in modern Britain (and only a few years away from the present) but with a few quirks (or yet to happen events) thrown in. The Great Storm has left the global community thinking that maybe some changes need to be made to how people live.
The UK is the first to make changes by rationing carbon in January 2015. So Laura Brown keeps a diary of what's happening during the year, from the extreme snow to extreme rain to extreme drought (is there any other kind?) back to extreme rain. The weather is just one aspect of crazy during 2015 and Laura just wants everything to be "normal". She wants to play in her band the Dirty Angels, she wants to crush on the boy next door, she wants to pass her exams, she wants her older sister Kim to stop being an evil witch, and she just wants her parents to be normal.
The book reminded me of Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life as We Knew It: the world is going along happily until some extreme event knocks everything out of whack and it's the story of one teenager coping with the changes. Saci Lloyd leaves some humor in The Carbon Diaries 2015, which makes it not as intense as Pfeffer's books. Now the moon didn't get knocked closer to earth, it's just global warming (just? yikes), but the government's plan to put people on carbon rationing changes aspects of daily life: how much you can use the computer, watch TV, take hot showers, cook, all the basic stuff you take for granted. Lloyd does a good job of showing the activities that change that we normally wouldn't think about (Laura's mom can't drive her car as often, Kim is missing her gap year because it's too expensive to fly, students are re-thinking education and careers) and increasing the feeling of desperation that slowly rises amongst the family and the community at large. The snow is frightening (people dying from the cold, no food getting to the UK) and then it all melts and there's relief. The rain is intense (better than the snow) and goes on for days and days and days, and when the sun finally comes out, there's relief. The drought is frightening (people dying from the heat, the city turning off access to water), with no one thinking to save the rain that drenched the people in the spring, and when it finally rains there's relief. The relief is always short-lived because there's some other disaster that's coming closer.
It's amazing how "normal" Laura's life continues to be--she goes to school, plays with her band, fights with her parents, takes her exams, sleeps late on breaks--though cracks in the normalcy peer out from time to time, like when the school has an assembly on what to do during a riot. The diary format moves the book along at a quick and easy to read pace, Laura is a great character struggling with being a teenager and this great change occurring in the world at large. She's easy to relate to and Lloyd does a great job of making some of the usual stuff of teenage life remain "usual". It's a great book, especially for those not as interested in the intense world Pfeffer creates in her books. The Carbon Diaries 2015 is a good book to read after Pfeffer's books. You need a little hope somewhere.
I just started The Carbon Diaries 2017 and I'm interested to see where this one will take me ... check for a review soon!

Listening is an Act of Love edited by Dave Isay

2011-01-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

My library decided to do a community reading program this year, and Listening is an Act of Love is the book chosen. Ever since I finished graduate school, I resist when I have to read something, so I'd been putting off reading the book for longer than I really should have.
That was totally a mistake.
The stories presented in Listening is an Act of Love are moving, descriptive, funny, endearing, and so very vivid. These aren't stories that authors have invented but actual interviews with average people, like you and me.
There's a man who worked as a school janitor for 15 years before going back to school to become a teacher (and teach at the school where he was a janitor!), a fantastic and beautifully described story of how steel is made, grandchildren interviewing grandparents, the story of a bus driver in New York, interviews with inmates in a state prison, stories of Hurricane Katrina and September 11th; each story was incredible. I haven't teared up so much in one book probably since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (but that was all out crying).
The StoryCorps Project is amazing in and of itself--its goal is to record these stories people have and to share them with another person, to always have a record of that story, to not fade away. Thinking that your life isn't story-worthy? Life is made up of moments, and that is what the StoryCorps records--moments in people's lives. The stories in Listening is an Act of Love are all moments in people's lives: a few hours, a day, a week. That's what life is made of: moments. The book has definitely encouraged me to ask more questions of my family, and just to hear moments in their lives.
Listening is an Act of Love is a quick read and really is, as the subtitle states: A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project. And we're very fortunate to be able to read these stories.

Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

2011-01-19T15:08:00.000-08:00

This sequel to Incarceron is incredible.
I admit I was confused as the end came upon me, but I was so eager to reach the end, to devour the story, to find out just what would happen to Finn, Claudia, Attia, and Keiro. Is there a way to free the prisoners? Can Era be ended? Would Queen Sia be overthrown? Is Finn really Giles? I read Incarceron about six months ago, I think, and I do not really remember books, so I thought it was great that Fisher made it easy enough to remember what happened in the first book.
Finn is Outside with Claudia and Jared; the Warden (Claudia's father) is Inside with Attia and Keiro (but not in the same place). It's been two months and Finn is still having a difficult time calling up any memories prior to his imprisonment. Relations with the Queen are complicated; she wants to look like she supports Finn and truly believes he is her stepson, but she still thinks her son Caspar should be able to take the throne. Finn is not the ideal prince; he is having a difficult time being at ease with the court and the finery and trappings of luxury. He wants the Portal fixed so he can fulfill his promise to Keiro and Attia. Claudia had expected Finn's memory to return and his fits to end, but neither has happened. She begins to question if Finn is really Giles. With Jared, Claudia is doing her best to repair the damage done to the Portal when the Warden went Inside.
Attia and Keiro are searching for Sapphique's legendary glove, which will give the wearer the ability to Escape. Attia finds it with a magician in a traveling circus and when she steals it from Rix, she discovers her life has just gotten a little more complicated. When the Prison offers to make a deal with whoever has the glove, there's a race between the characters who know of its existence to find the heart of Incarceron to deliver it.
Meanwhile, Jared is offered the opportunity to find a cure for his sickness which would mean betraying Claudia. A Pretender has arrived in court claiming to be the real Giles--and having the ease, courtesy and attitude to carry it off.
The pace of the novel picks up after a fire in the palace and the narration switches between those Outside and those Inside swiftly. The quick pace of the novel leaves the reader eager to find out what happens next, but I felt I missed or didn't fully comprehend everything that I was reading. There are some great surprises (about the Era and Incarceron) in the book and it is a thrilling read right to the end.
The ending does feel a little abrupt; I thought there were going to be three books (it's probably from reading so many trilogies of late) to the story so when I got about two thirds of the way into the book and realized it was going to finish in this book, I was excited. I was a little disappointed at how quickly the book ended, though. I would have liked to see an epilogue or one short chapter taking place a few months later, but I suppose I am picky. The novel ended on some really great imagery though (and I teared up a little at the end).
All in all, Sapphique is a fantastic read. I recommend both books to readers(it will be much easier now to recommend them with both books out) who like action, dystopian fiction, very strong female characters, and not so much romance (but a little). It's an awesome story.

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

2011-01-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

Maggie Blair is a naive girl living with her grandmother on a small island off the coast of Scotland. Maggie's mother died after giving birth to Maggie, and her father died when she was still very young, so she has been living in a tiny cottage with her gruff grandmother ever since. Elspeth knows how to use herbs, is an excellent midwife, and uses charms to help people. Though more often than not, Elspeth ends up cursing people (just to try to scare them) to keep them away. In 17th century Scotland, however, curses and charms can get you accused of being a witch. Which is exactly what happens to Elspeth, and Maggie is swept up along in the imprisonment and trial of her grandmother. A nasty serving girl named Annie give testimony against Maggie, claiming Maggie practices witchcraft as well, which gets Maggie condemned along with her grandmother.
Maggie escapes (I won't tell you how) and manages to get to her father's brother's home on the mainland. Uncle Blair is married with four children, and a wonderful farm. Maggie feels a little out of place at first, but it grateful to have somewhere safe to be. Her uncle is a Covenanter, someone who believes the King of Scotland should not be the head of the church (as the King is in England) and this causes great turmoil in the area. Uncle Blair refuses to attend the village church because the minister has been chosen by the King. I feel that the idea of the Covenanters was not fully explained within the story (there is an afterword but it comes a little late). Uncle Blair believes so strongly in his beliefs that he is arrested and taken from his family (and the family's storeroom is sacked and ruined). Maggie feels guilty as there is so little food left to feed the family and decides to go in search of Uncle Blair. She has a companion on her journey north into Scotland who helps her make the journey. She finds Uncle Blair months later, imprisoned, and does not know how to help him. So she works. Maggie ends up relying on other people to make things happen--it's her grandmother who gets her out of the witch trial, her friend Tam who helps her north to find Uncle Blair, and a soldier to help Uncle Blair get home.
Maggie is constantly questioning her faith and whether or not she will end up going to heaven, should something happen to her during her adventures, and while that is a valid question for Maggie to ask (especially since she was not really raised with religion), when she asks it, the questions seem like afterthoughts, as if the author was reminded, oh, Maggie should be asking about her faith.
I like the adventure part of the story, I like Maggie searching for a new home, I like who she finds along the way, I think that's a clever way for the story to go. However, there is so much to the story, it feels stuffed full of plot, and when the end comes, it is tied up so quickly. I think the ending is a little unrealistic, but I appreciate the positive outcome for the "good" characters and the not so positive ending for the "bad" characters.
The Betrayal of Maggie Blair is an interesting story; Maggie is a naive character (which goes well with the time period the story is written in), the journey part of the story is gripping, and most of the other characters are well drawn. A book for older teen readers (patient older teen readers), Maggie's story is good for those interested in the drama Maggie goes through.

The Crepe Makers' Bond by Julia Crabtree

2011-01-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Ariel, M, and Nicki are best friends beginning eighth grade, excited about the upcoming school year and the time the trio will spend together. The book opens with the three in Ariel's family's kitchen and an earthquake rattles the walls and Ariel counts the changes in their lives from the earthquake, when their easy going friendships changed.
Ariel loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen and between each chapter is a recipe, one of the dishes that Ariel mentions in the story (either something she makes for her family, her friends, or a recipe discussed). While it is unique to the story, it also feels a little gimmicky; sometimes dishes are mentioned just to mention a dish and it does not flow well with the story.
M is on the shy side; her mother is agoraphobic and her parents divorced so M feels she spends a lot of time watching and helping out her mother. M and Ariel have been friends since they were very young, and Nicki only moved into the neighborhood a few years ago.
Nicki is bubbly and the peacemaker and has been distracted an odd of late. Ariel and M try to ask her what is bothering her but Nicki does not like to talk about herself and continually deflects the question. Crabtree does a good job of drawing out the suspense of Nicki's story but when her secret is revealed it is done at the last possible moment, feels rushed and an unimportant part of the story.
Not very long into the school year, M discovers her mother has a new job and they have to move. Ariel and M, to prevent M from leaving, come up with a brilliant idea: M should move in with Ariel's family for the rest of the school year so M can finish middle school with her friends and start fresh at her new high school. Amazingly, both sets of parents agree to this scheme and for the first few days or weeks (the timeline is not very clear) all goes well. Then it's small things that start to bother Ariel, and she confesses that she should have told M the problems to begin with, but does not.
The two finally have it out (leaving poor Nicki in the middle) and the consequences for the friendship are grave. But as most books written for the middle school level, it ends on a positive note for (almost) all the characters.
The Crepe Makers' Bond was a quick read and a good contemporary story; however the voices of the characters felt off, sometimes too old and at other times too young, some of the recipes forced, conclusions a little rushed. I think there will be a very small niche of readers interested in the recipes of the book; I don't know many middle school students who as often as Ariel does. It's a positive story about growing up and the changes that happen in friendships over the years.

Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart

2011-01-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

Oh, Ruby.
I was admittedly sad when I heard Real Live Boyfriends is the last Ruby Oliver book, but I loved it and I thought it was fantastic and a great way to end the series.
There is so much more to Ruby than boyfriends (past and present) and panic attacks. The book opens during the summer before Ruby's senior year at Tate Prep. She's dating the wonderful Noel (who is a Real Live Boyfriend; one who listens to her, calls her back, spends time with her, and doesn't make her completely insecure), enjoying spending time with Meghan and Hutch, and just loving summer.
Then things begin to go bad ... her grandmother dies (which sucks and destroys her dad), Noel goes to visit his brother Claude in New York City which he does every summer, but halfway through the trip Noel stops calling or emailing Ruby (and misses her birthday), and Hutch is leaving to spend the semester in Paris (heavy metal Hutch? In Paris?). And while some unexpected events occur (Nora approaches Ruby), the constants of school, working at the zoo, and Doctor Z don't change (nor does Ruby's clashing with her mother).
Noel and Ruby get in an argument (during a college prep class, unfortunately) and the relationship ends. Which makes neither happy, but when Ruby finds out that it's not that Noel doesn't love her, but something else entirely, the relationship gets back on track. Ruby realizes that her relationships with everyone will change in the next few years, going to college has a tendency to do that to people. But Ruby also realizes that she has the ability to deal with that, and if it gets too tough, she has people to help her out. And of course, her lists.
Real Live Boyfriends *Yes, boyfriends, plural. if my life weren't complicated--I wouldn't be Ruby Oliver is a quick read; it's a lot like Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson series in that the book focuses on Ruby and her friends but it feels that Ruby learns a little more about herself in her stories than Georgia does in hers. The Ruby Oliver series are the types of books that don't make huge, grand statements about humanity or growing up, but just tell a story about being a teenager and how sometimes it's hard to navigate being a teenager. I love the Ruby Oliver series and though I'm sad it's ended, I know that Ruby's heading in the right direction (even if she doesn't know what direction that is).

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

2011-01-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

Amelia is looking forward to a summer in the city of Baltimore, far from her tiny home of Broken Tooth, Maine. Staying with relatives, it is the goal of Amelia's summer to come away engaged to a young man (or such is her brother's goal in sending her there). In 1889, Amelia knows there are few options open to her besides marriage, and so goes with the excitement of a trip before her, and summer away from her father and sister-in-law (her parents being dead).
Amelia finds a great friend in her cousin Zora, who has a bit of a mind for trouble as well. The two finish school and then the real joy of the summer begins; two young women, free from classes, looking forward to their futures.
Zora is excessively fond of Thomas Rea, the doctor's son, and knows that she and Thomas cannot marry until he is finished with school, for he must have a way to support a wife. Amelia is immediately taken with a Fourteenth (a young man hired to make a dinner table sit 14 instead of an unlucky 13), Nathaniel Witherspoon, starving artist. It is not the match Amelia is expected to make. Stolen moments throughout the summer, however, bring the two closer together.
Sounds like just another period young adult romance, no? It's definitely more.
The book opens with Amelia being locked in the attic of her brother's house in Maine in the fall of 1889, after her trip to Baltimore. She reveals dark details of why she has been locked up, why she was sent away from Baltimore, and the agony Amelia is living in, trapped.
Mitchell then flashes back to the summer of 1889 and Amelia's arrival and introduction to the family she will be living with. Witty remarks endear Amelia to Zora immediately, and not long after Amelia arrives, she has the strangest vision as she stares into the sunset from the parlor, a vision of Zora & Thomas dancing together. When this comes true, Amelia confesses to Zora and the two begin sharing Amelia's abilities with their friends. Once the word spreads, a number of young women are clamoring for Amelia to tell their futures.
It's fun, at first, but then Amelia begins to see darker futures, mundane futures, and when she starts writing down what she sees, she dreads the visions. Once, she thinks she is able to avert tragedy, but it can never be so easy as that, as Amelia reminds us when she cuts back in from the present.
Nathaniel is not quite what he seems either, able to seemingly suddenly appear when Amelia thinks of him, calls to him. He is mysterious and entirely inappropriate for her, but the two appeal to each other more than either can explain.
When the first tragedy strikes, Amelia is shocked, as it's a future she thought she had prevented. The trouble is, Amelia could not see how this one future plays into the rest of the futures surrounding her and her world begins to tumble down. The sad events happen quickly and discover why Amelia is sent home.
The story, beginning with Amelia in Maine after the events have taken place, leave the reader constantly wondering just what happened to have her returned home, and ruined. It is an easy story to read, one that keeps the reader intrigued and involved, and the sad Gothic nature of it make the reader wish for a happy ending. A different than expected ending occurs, one that works well with my reading tastes. All in all, The Vespertine is a book I would recommend to young adult readers who like historical fiction and a bit of supernatural. It reminded me a little of Libba Bray's A Great & Terrible Beauty, but The Vespertine does not delve as much into the supernatural world as Bray's trilogy. A worthwhile story that leaves the reader with chills.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-01-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Due out in February 2011, Lauren Oliver's Delirium is Ally Condie's Matched mixed with Scott Westerfeld's Uglies. Being a fan of both those books, I am a fan of Oliver's Delirium as well.
In Lena's gated city of Portland, love is a disease, one for which there is a cure, and you must be 18 before you can have the cure. Lena is closing in on her 18th birthday (95 days, she tells herself), prepared to be free from the worries of love--after all, it took her mother. Lena's mother had the procedure 3 times and each time it failed and when the regulators came to take her for the 4th time, she killed herself instead. Lena's father died when she was just a baby, so from 6 years old on, Lena lived with her aunt and uncle, trying to live down the fact that her mother had the disease and had it so badly she was willing to take her own life.
Love is even given a scientific, scary name: amor deliria nervosa, and Lena is as frightened of it as she is about everything else. Her best friend Hana is outgoing, vivacious, beautiful, and only recently beginning to show signs that she is not looking forward to her cure. Knowing the cure will change both girls so much that they will not have the same deep abiding affection for each once they have the cure, Lena still longs for it. The end of their friendship is coming and that makes for arguments and awkward conversations.
Lena meets a boy (as always) who is so different from other boys. He has been cured, so it is all right for Lena to spend some time with him. He reveals a secret that Lena is not prepared for and runs from him, only to realize that she can't stay away, doesn't want to stay away from him. Alex opens her eyes to the world beyond Portland's borders, the forbidden Wilds, where the Invalids live (the people who refuse to have the cure), to thinking beyond what she's always blindly accepted, to realize that so much of her life has included lies.
Delirium is a compelling story, swiftly paced (especially towards the end), prodding readers to not so blindly accept everything they're told, but to look into the truth, to learn for themselves. Oliver does a great job of showing how a friendship can change and deteriorate after so many years of friendship, that it's part of growing up and coming to terms with who each of you are. I really appreciated that about the story, as it's something that happens frequently to teenagers of that age, about to embark on a new part of life. Oliver's writing is natural, and Lena's distress and restlessness grow with her new found understanding of the society she lives in. The book is definitely left open for a sequel, and I hope Oliver writes one. (And I hope that something that appears very bad is not bad in the sequel, but I think I'm dreaming.) Definitely enjoyed the book, but then I'm a fan of the dystopia/awkward future genre.
Delirium is set to be released February 1, 2011.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

2010-12-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

I re-read HP7 because the film came out in November and the only time I read HP7 was the day it came out (14 hours of reading). So needless to say there were a great many details I had forgotten.
As with Persuasion (and really more so, as I'm sure a number of people have read this book already), I am not certain how to review this. I took my time reading the book, which was very nice. Every time I felt myself getting sucked into the story (which really isn't not too difficult) I made myself finish the chapter and put the book down. It was great to savor the story and think about everything that got revealed (the whole Dumbledore-Grindelwald thing I had forgotten about, as well as the Deathly Hallows) and understand how everything fell into place over seven books. A fantastic re-read. Still love the epilogue and still want more. Next step: see the movie!

Blameless by Gail Carriger

2010-12-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

Book three of the Parasol Protectorate (and that term is finally used in the book, hee!) finds Alexia back with her mother, stepfather, and half-sisters. And fairly miserable. After being cast out by Conall once he discovered she was pregnant, Alexia made her way back to Woolsey Castle, packed her things, and removed herself to her past home. The bosom of her family is not very happy to see her back, blaming Alexia for Evy's failed engagement.
So with the trusty Floote and Madame Lefoux, Alexia escapes her family (and the vampires trying to kill her) for the Continent. Her goal is not only to get away from her family and society (even Queen Victoria has cast her out; Alexia is no longer muhjah, as Queen Victoria respects family greatly and the rumor that Alexia strayed outside of her marriage is not looked upon kindly by the Queen), but to prove to her very stubborn husband that he is in fact the father, so that Alexia will be discovered to be Blameless.
They are heading to Italy, where Alexia's father is from, also home to the Knights Templar the group that does not tolerate ANY supernatural being. So when Alexia arrives in Italy with Floote and Madame Lefoux, the Templars are kind enough to save them from the pursuing vampires, but Alexia soon discovers they will have nothing to do with her--won't speak to her, won't look at her, won't touch anything she has touched (in fact it all has to be destroyed). Floote is immeasurably helpful, having worked with Alexia's father and the Templars for years. Floote, as always, knows more than he's telling Alexia.
It takes Alexia awhile to come to terms with the Infant Inconvenience (as Alexia has taken to calling the baby); she never thought she was going to have a baby, especially once she married a werewolf, and the fact that the baby has separated her and Conall makes her look less kindly on it. But when she discovers that being a preternatural means she most likely won't carry the baby to term (preternaturals are repulsed from each other, like two magnets and there have been no records of a female preternatural carrying a baby to term), she begins to get a little discouraged, though still determined to prove Conall wrong.
But a funny little German, Dr. Lange-Wilsdorf, may have discovered the baby has a chance and also why the vampires are so desperate to have Alexia terminated.
Blameless is the most action-filled book so far, with werewolves fighting vampires and Templars and little bits of Alexia's father's history being revealed, and the relationship between Conall and Professor Lyall (one of the best characters by far), the severed hand the Templars keep in case of emergency, and Alexia being used as bait, plus everything else I'm leaving out (Ivy, Biffy, Lord Akeldama). Wonderful fun. Ends nicely, but also ends the reader wanting more and the next book is not due to be published until July 2011. Blast!

Persuasion by Jane Austen

2010-12-27T12:39:00.000-08:00

Ah yes, it is nearing the end of the year and I have not read any Austen until now. This is actually the first year since 1998 I have not read Pride & Prejudice. I'm actually ok with that.
Persuasion is becoming my favorite Austen novel. There's something about Anne that draws me and has continually done so; more now that I'm older. In Pride & Prejudice I liked the feistyness of the Elizabeth-Darcy relationship, and have been compared to having a Jane-Bingley relationship, but the Anne-Wentworth relationship comforts me the most. The fact that Anne still loves him after all those years, that he stayed faithful to her (though not intentionally) over all those years, that upon seeing her again, some of her beauty returned and her confidence. Oh! It's a very sweet story. It's very calm and quiet too, which is part of why I like it so much.
I really don't know what else to say about a book I've read so many times. Other than I love it, and there's something comforting about returning to characters one knows so well.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

2010-12-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

I was not overly keen on reading Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick--it is another YA supernatural/paranormal romance, and having read the first three Stephenie Meyer Twilight books, I have had my fill. But a friend recommended it (and I got her to read The Hunger Games trilogy, which she loved) and went so far as to loan me her copy of it, so I read it (while on vacation without any other books to tempt me).
It opens with high school sophomore Nora, living alone with her mom (her father died about a year ago), best friend Vee, and sudden new classmate, Patch.
Oh, the mysterious dark male student. Nora is determined to not get involved with boys, wanting to get out of high school and on to college and no guy is good enough for her. But Patch, suddenly her new biology lab partner, draws her in and tempts Nora to do things Nora would not do before. Nora's the safe girl, the well behaved girl, but Patch is the dangerous one, hanging out in pool halls, riding motorcycles. He feels wrong for her but she can't keep away.
Well it comes out that Patch is a fallen angel (there's the paranormal bit). I admit I was a little skeptical when I first started to read: girl in school, slightly loner-ish, absent parents, meets dark mysterious boy with a secret, turns our to be supernatural, girl is constantly in peril ... it was reading a lot like Twilight. Though I appreciate the story Stephenie Meyer is trying to tell in Twilight (and the other books) I can't freaking stand Bella and all the books are filtered through Bella (I think that's why I find the storyline more interesting in the movies).
Becca Fitzpatrick is a better writer than Stephenie Meyer. I like Nora. I think Nora is well developed and Patch was more developed at the end of the book. Vee could use a little more of the storyline (but that's because I like her), more of the fallen angel stuff could be revealed (as I'm sure it will be in the next books), but overall, I'm intrigued to read the next book and the first thing I did when I finished Hush, Hush was put Crescendo on hold at my local library. Which is saying a lot compared to dreading reading the next book in the Twilight saga (I still have to read Breaking Dawn, and want to read it to get it over with, but am not looking forward to it). The pace of Hush, Hush picks up towards the end and there are some moments of suspense that make you want to keep turning the pages. I liked it. I liked it enough to want to read the second one, which is pretty good for me.
Overall, I recommend Hush, Hush, especially if you're a fan of the supernatural romance bit. It's a light fluffy read, perfect escapist literature.

Changeless by Gail Carriger

2010-12-27T11:33:00.000-08:00

The second book in the Parasol Protectorate series (the first being Soulless), Carriger's Changeless brings us to Woolsey Castle, home to Lord and Lady Maccon (the former Miss Alexia Tarabotti). Alexia has become accustomed to keeping werewolf hours and content in her marriage to Conall and her work as Queen Victoria's muhjah (the preternatural serving on the Shadow Council who works with the Dewan [the loner werewolf representative] and the Potentate [the rove vampire representative] to advise the Queen on matters supernatural).
She is not happy, however, to find a regiment camped on her front lawn, but seeing as a number of the soldiers are werewolves, they come to stay in Woolsey Castle (where the werewolves will reside) as a troop before dispersing. One of the soldiers, a rather presumptuous young man, makes a poor impression on Alexia--without realizing she is the new Lady Maccon. Much to Alexia's dismay, Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings is Woolsey Pack's Gamma.
Never a dull moment for Alexia, Conall runs off to Scotland to deal with his old pack--now Alpha-less after the death of one of the soldiers. Of course, mystery abounds and strangely in certain areas supernaturals suddenly turn mortal. Whatever is causing this strange happenstances is on the move--to Scotland, where Conall has gone. To save her husband (from what, she's not sure) Alexia follows him to Scotland--with Conall's claviger Tunstell, Alexia's maid Angelique, Alexia's sister Felicity (sour because other sister Evelyn is engaged), engaged friend Ivy (still smitten with Tunstell and jealous of Felicity's attentions to him), and inventor and new acquaintance Madame Lefoux (though her appearance is strictly coincidence).
After a few sticky moments on the dirigible to Scotland (Alexia hanging off the side of it, but no bother), the large party lands in Scotland and makes its way to Kingair Castle, where Conall is. To be welcomed (sort of) by Conall's great-something-granddaughter. Which is news to Alexia. The soldiers of the Kingair Pack are in residence as well, and more strange happenings occur while there. Much of the trouble stems from a mummy the soldiers brought back from Egypt, something Alexia is repulsed by (for interesting reasons). Since the Kingair Pack is Alpha-less, and Conall has returned, but not to be Kingair's Alpha, there is a great deal of trouble about that as well.
The problems are solved, of course, the day is saved, those trying to murder Alexia are thwarted (for now), and all is right once more. Until it is discovered Alexia is pregnant and Conall--being mostly dead--knows he cannot be the father and casts Alexia off.
Oh dear.
Fantastic storytelling. As I said with the first one, I did not think I would like these books, being not much into the supernatural scene, but the best part of the Parasol Protectorate books is that the supernatural are everyday, so it doesn't bother me much. Alexia is a phenomenal heroine (I love her curvyness, her attitude, her determination, her independence!), Conall is gruff and wonderful, Ivy is dopey and brilliant, Tunstell humorous, Floote humorless, and Madame Lefoux and intriguing character. The slant on history is great, the storytelling great. The books are just a whole lot of fun.

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

2010-11-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

The author of The Luxe series has begun a new series set about 30 years later. Bright Young Things opens in late spring of 1929, when best friends Letty and Cordelia have finished the school year and are ready for new adventures in the world. While their guardians may have plans for them, the girls have different ideas. Living with her strict aunt and uncle, Cordelia is convinced her father is the famous bootlegger Darius Grey who currently resides in New York. Letty wants to be a singer and knows New York is the place to be. So the two sneak out of their Union, Ohio town and take an eastbound train to New York City.
Everything, of course, does not go according to plan. Barely a full day in New York and Letty and Cordelia get in an argument and the two separate, Cordelia to find her father and Letty left to be alone and fend for herself.
Letty is not left alone long, thanks to a worker at the speakeasy she just visited and so Letty gets a job as a cigarette girl. Cordelia does find her father and is quickly (and easily) accepted into the family fold, which includes older brother Charlie, who is dating socialite Astrid Donal.
Astrid, whose mother is on her third marriage, is a privileged young woman who stays out all night and sleeps til noon and uses her charms (and pouts) to get Charlie to do what she wants. She really does love Charlie (so she claims) and it's a very tense relationship with a many break ups and reconciliations but they do care about each other. Astrid takes to Cordelia right away and Cordelia is pleased to have a new friend, since she doesn't know what has happened to Letty.
Letty is getting along all right and has met a very kind young man, Grady Lodge, who takes her out and shows her the city. Letty also acquires Good Egg, a greyhound whose racing days are over. When Cordelia and a young man she meets (and is expressly asked not to spend time with) return to the club where Letty works as a cigarette girl, Letty can't stand the idea of not being a success as Cordelia is in her new clothes and with her posh gentleman friend. So Letty gets up on stage and belts out a song but before she and Cordelia can be reunited, Cordelia is whisked away.
What I found predictable about this book are the bad turns of events that were so obvious to me (and perhaps it has to do with reading Godbersen's Luxe series and knowing there's always going to be something to bring the story down) that I just wanted her to get to that point. I will say it ended on a better note than some of The Luxe novels, so I'm hoping this series might have a better ending than the other one. I can't help it, I like happy(-ish) endings. I didn't think Bright Young Things was as engrossing as The Luxe books, but I don't doubt that the story will pick up in the next title (as I'm sure there will be a next title as there are too many loose threads to end the book just as it is, not to mention the impending collapse of the stock market in October of 1929). Though I wasn't as hooked as with previous Godbersen books, she can certainly tell a story that teenage girls will love to read.

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

2010-10-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Which Team are you on? Zombies or Unicorns?
I am most fervently on Team Zombie. Though I have to say, many of the stories I liked best in Zombies vs Unicorns are unicorn stories. The book is a fantastic collaboration amongst popular YA writers who had a ton of fun writing the stories. I like that Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier prefaced each story with a discussion (though I would have liked to see stories by those two as well) and I could easily see they were enjoying the task of editing these phenomenal stories.
Some of my favorite unicorn stories are Naomi Novik's "Purity Test", the tale of a unicorn out to find a human to help save unicorns, and neither the human nor the unicorn are what one would expect; "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn" by Diana Peterfreund, which asks what if unicorns were really dangerous, something which Peterfreund addresses in her novels Rampant and Ascendant (neither of which I've read); Kathleen Duey's dark "The Third Virgin" tells the tale of a different kind of unicorn; and probably my favorite, Meg Cabot's "Princess Prettypants", in which a sixteen year old girl does not get the car she's pining for.
On the zombie side of things, Alaya Dawn Johnson's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is excellent, told from the point of view of the partially cured, lovelorn zombie; on the other side is Cassandra Clare's "Cold Hands", telling a love story from the point of view of the human in the human-zombie relationship; Scott Westerfeld's "Inoculata", about what the cure for zombies might be; Maureen Johnson's humorous "The Children of the Revolution", which you just have to read because trying to explain it, it sounds crazy; and the chilling "Prom Night" by Libba Bray, sharing what happens when it's the adults that become zombies and how the kids take control (but still manage to have a prom).
All of the stories are excellent (to be expected from such wonderful writers) and I love that the book is set up with alternating zombie and unicorn stories. Also that there's handy little zombie and unicorns pictures at the top of the page so you can skip the unicorn stories or the zombie stories, but I would suggest not skipping stories. Zombies vs. Unicorns is a entertaining, funny, chilling, amazing read. Also, I totally want a poster of the cover (showing the battle of zombies vs. unicorns). Although I love the unicorn stories as much as I love the zombie stories, when it comes down to it, it's still zombies that will bring about the end of the world ....

I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President by Josh Lieb

2010-10-18T13:15:00.001-07:00

At first I thought this book was brilliant.
Then I read a little more and was concerned I should not be finding this as funny as I was.
Then I reserved judgment until I was a little further and the pages flew by.
Final analysis: Brilliant.
Oliver Watson is a seventh grader in Omaha, Nebraska. He's a genius and the third richest person in the world, but very few people know that because 1) children can't run or own multi-national corporations because legally they are insignificant and 2) Oliver is playing stupid so no one suspects him of being a the third richest person in the world. Lionel Sheldrake (the man that everyone thinks is the third richest person in the world) is one of the few people that actually knows that Oliver is the evil genius behind Sheldrake Industries.
So Oliver gets by in school, barely working, pretending to fail, all in an attempt to keep himself above suspicion. He's happy to work this way and then a wrench is thrown into his plan: Tatiana, one of his classmates, nominates him to be class president. Not wanting to show off what a genius he is, Oliver declines.
Only to find out it's something his father would respect him for, having been class president himself in high school. Not that Oliver wants his father's respect. Oliver and his father have a bit of a contentious relationship--his dad thinks he's the idiot he pretends to be because Oliver knows it drives his father crazy. Oliver decides to make a mockery of school elections, something his father holds dear, by getting elected president. So he tries to get on the ballot by speaking to the Principal, but has to call in The Motivator, who then gets a toy from an African dictator that the Principal wants in order to be on the ballot. An uprising occurs in Africa and Oliver becomes the world's fourth richest person.
Oliver is now on the ballot, huzzah! Now to get the two other people running off the ballot. Which The Motivator comes in handy for as well. But Oliver's father doesn't think winning unopposed is what school elections are about. So now Oliver has to get someone ELSE on the ballot, but someone who Oliver can easily win against.
And because he is an genius of unspeakable evil, it happens. And then there's an actual campaign plan and Sheldrake wonders why Oliver is trying so hard to impress a man who doesn't appear to care about Oliver (his dad) and then things go off course .... But it all works out. In a way.
I was totally into this book until I reached the point when Oliver descended into his hidden cave beneath his house to attend to business matters with Sheldrake. Oh, and the school toilet filled with Milk Duds. Then I was beginning to think that perhaps Oliver has a very vivid imagination and is not really an evil genius. But when I began to worry less about Oliver's sanity and went along with the story for the sake of the story, I was into it and totally enjoyed it. Even at the end, I don't know if all of this happened outside of Oliver's head or if it's all in his mind. Which makes it probably the most brilliant aspect of the book because his family and classmates all treat him the way he's wants to be treated--like an idiot.
I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President is funny and fast paced and Oliver is endearing, even though he claims to be a genius of unspeakable evil. Good times.

Grace by Elizabeth Scott

2010-09-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

I thoroughly (and darkly) enjoyed Elizabeth Scott's novel Living Dead Girl and when I read the reviews and descriptions for Grace, I got giddy that she was writing another dark novel. Scott's wonderfully slim but powerful novels are great for reluctant readers and those needing a change of pace (that was me this week).
Grace is a girl trying to escape her country (an unnamed country, and the book takes place some time in the future) after failing at her purpose: to be a suicide bomber and to kill the Minister of Culture as well as herself. She approached the stage where the Minister was, slid the bomb down her leg (as all good Angels are taught to do), but kicked it off her leg and did not detonate the bomb until she was a safe distance away. After her failure, she was no longer welcome with her People, the ones who live in the Hills and attack Keran Berj and his cities and villages through suicide bombers. So Grace went back to the City, went into hiding and found someone who would help her escape.
Grace finally boards the train that will take her to the Border, where hopefully she can cross into another country and start a new life, and with her is a young man Kerr. The two are supposed to pose as brother and sister, fetching a fictitious pregnant sister from the country they are fleeing to. Soldiers are constantly present on the train, checking papers and creating constant worry for Grace and Kerr.
The story unfolds as Grace thinks about what she did, what she was supposed to do, and how her life came to that point. It's amazing to watch this character struggle with feeling sorry that she wants to live, that she didn't want to give up everything, her life, to send a message to the dictator Keran Berj, that she just wants freedom. But freedom at what cost? Who defines freedom? And is the freedom Keran Berj's people want different from that of the People of the Hills? Grace learns that the world is not such a cut and dry place, that what she has been taught is similar to what Kerr has been taught, even though their people fight each other. Kerr has a few secrets of his own that challenge Grace's chances for escape.
Grace invites readers to think about how easily we all grow up believing what we're taught, what we're told, how questioning the way things are can be dangerous, and being true to yourself is dangerous as well. There's one particularly eye-opening moment when Grace thinks about not herself and not her intended target, but everyone else around the day she set that bomb off, something she had never thought about before. Powerful.

Lester Higata's 20th Century by Barbara Hamby

2010-09-29T15:02:00.002-07:00

I don't normally seek out collections of short stories to read, though perhaps I should. What caught me about this title as I read a review in ... some review journal, was that all the stories are interconnected and take place in Hawaii. I like Hawaii and will read pretty much any fiction set in Hawaii. So, Lester Higata's 20th Century made its way onto my reading pile. I really enjoyed it.
This was one of those stories that just happen--it's not about action and chases and moving quickly from one point to the next, but about snapshots in the lives of these characters that move backwards in time. Which was pretty cool and unexpected.
The first story begins shortly before Lester's death. And I mean shortly as in a matter of minutes, not days or months, but as soon as he finishes talking to his dead father. Lester's father tells him about the afterlife which is different than what Lester was expecting, so he's a little intrigued by it. The reader is introduced to Lester's wife Katherine and daughter Linda. Son Paul is not around, but pops up in other stories. It's just a very comfortable story and sets up a great place for Lester's past to be told.
The brilliant thing is the stories are not all about Lester and not all from Lester's point of view. Family members, neighbors, acquaintances are the protagonists in the various stories, each finding a way to weave in with the previous stories and the ones following. More than just the stories happening, there's usually one powerful but brief moment in the story that reveals something about each of the characters and those are great moments. The stories are like our lives--days go on and on but there are moments and days and interactions with people that we remember always, even though the rest of our lives become clouded blurs. The stories are quietly powerful and give the reader plenty to think of. If you need a break from fast paced or plot-driven stories, Lester Higata's 20th Century is a fantastic foray into characters and how the stories of people's lives all have their intriguing moments.

Evil for Evil by James R. Benn

2010-09-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ok. I don't read very many mysteries. I just have a hard time getting into them and I often don't care about the mystery and solving it. But I love James Benn's Billy Boyle series. Freaking love it.
The fifth book in the series, Rag and Bone, was recently released, but I had yet to read Evil for Evil, the fourth book in the series so I finally sat down and picked it up. It simply reinforced why I like this series so much. There's the history of World War II (which I find interesting but admittedly know very little about), there's the characters who are all well drawn and fleshed out, and the crimes that Billy solves to keep the Allied Forces together(think "Foyle's War" but for the entire Allied Forces, not just England).
In Evil for Evil, Billy finally has a chance to visit Ireland--a working visit, of course. 50 Browning Automatic Rifles have been stolen from a US base in Northern Ireland and the British command is concerned that the IRA has stolen the BARs. Billy's Irish-American Catholic family is heavy on the side of a united Ireland, so Billy resents--just a little--that the Brit who sends Billy to Ireland automatically assumes it was the IRA who stole them. The truth is in fact much more complicated that IRA vs the Red Hand. Which is something I love about these novels, the fact that the answer is not so easily cut and dried. I like reading Billy puzzle over putting the pieces together because you can be sure that I don't want to do it (I'm a lazy mystery reader). Two dead US servicemen, a crooked captain, a beautiful Irish woman working for the British, a surprise visitor from the US, and a wooden pig later, Billy's solved the crime. But he's also come to terms with Diana's desire to return to duty (not to mention his own), and how the question of Ireland is so much more complicated than it seems from Boston.
James Benn is fantastic. Billy's journey through the war it touching, exciting, and informative (and it makes me want to go look up articles about WWII). I can't wait to read Rag and Bone.

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

2010-09-13T09:34:00.001-07:00

Let me begin by saying I love the Feegles and Tiffany Aching, so when an ARC of Pratchett's I Shall Wear Midnight came my way, I had to read it.
Tiffany is the witch of the Chalk and being worn down a bit by it. When we first come upon her, she hasn't had a decent night's sleep in days. And of course, matters are about to get worse.
Suspicion begins to spread about Tiffany and witches in general, that they are no good, but Tiffany is confused by this since everyone knows who she is and the entire village is pretty much family. Tiffany has awoken the Cunning Man, who desires to rid the world of witches. He appears every few hundred years or so and Tiff's last encounter with the Wintersmith kind of brought him out. Tiffany, once she discovers what the Cunning Man is about, doesn't want to ask the other witches for help. Advice, certainly, but as it's been explained that Tiffany must find her own way to defeat the Cunning Man, she feels on her own. She doesn't want to be the witch who couldn't quite cut it, the one who all the other witches wonder if she's really capable of being a witch. That's something I love about this book: there's the magical element of the Cunning Man and also Tiffany struggling with her own confidence and whether or not she's grown up enough to be the Chalk's witch. As Tiffany is only sixteen, she is struggling a great deal with how she fits into the Chalk as the witch and how people she's known practically her entire life will take her seriously. By the end of the book, Tiffany has grown into her own and knows she has the support (and confidence!) of her fellow witches.
Being the last of the Tiffany Aching books (or so it is advertised on the back of the ARC) I Shall Wear Midnight ties up the relationships between Tiffany and other people we have met throughout the books very well. Roland plays heavily in the novel as does Letitia, his intended bride. Tiff's father is around for a bit of advice, as are some of the witches we've met in the past. There are also the Feegles, who will always be rather entertaining wherever they may pop up. I was very pleased with how the book ended and know Tiffany will always be one of my favorite characters.

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

2010-09-01T18:19:00.001-07:00

When we last left Alek and Deryn in Leviathan, they were aboard the Leviathan (the giant living flying whale) and on the way to Istanbul on top secret business to deliver some mysterious eggs to the sultan.
As Behemoth begins, Alek and his fellow Austrians are maintaining their Clanker engines that they've attached to the Leviathan to get out of the Alps. It's a tenuous sort of peace between the British and the Austrians, if only because each knows they could not have escaped without the other, but Count Volger knows that once they arrive in Istanbul, they'll have to escape from the Leviathan, to find safety and wait out the war.
Deryn has successfully kept her secret (that she's a girl disguised as a boy to serve on Leviathan) and finds herself growing closer to Alek. And, heaven forbid, feeling like a girl towards him. She's still terrified that someone will find out (and someone DOES, but I won't say who) and she'll be kicked off the ship. She gets sent on her first command mission (which is a success and yet goes miserably).
The Austrians escape the Leviathan (something else that is a success yet goes miserably) and Alek becomes involved with anarchists, who desire to overthrow the sultan. He also meets Lilit, one of the anarchists, and a very intelligent and well trained young woman (she can pilot a walker). And an American reporter, who's too clever by half with recording bullfrog.
Deryn of course manages to be a part of this group and also comes up with a brilliant idea to help save the day. But all operations are not without loss. The Leviathan comes to the rescue once more; could this be the parting of Deryn & Alek?
Behemoth is full of action and adventure, lively moments as well as thoughtful ones, and great imagination. Perhaps one of MY favorite things about Scott Westerfeld is his portrayal of strong, independent, intelligent young women. There's a great deal of young adult literature out there starring female characters who are not so fantastic. Yes, Deryn is disguising who she is, but that doesn't change the fact that she's just as capable as the rest of the middies, and Alek. Westerfeld's character development and imagination for stories is amazing, and I eagerly look forward to the final book in the trilogy!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

2010-08-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

It's finally here and I'm finished: the final book of The Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay, was published on Tuesday and I've read my copy in two days. I needed to have a little time to think about the book before I reviewed it. DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED.
I was expecting the immediacy of the Games to carry into the beginning of Mockingjay; instead there was a lot of waiting, discussing, and politics. I thought it was interesting that Collins chose to show so much of the war was on appearances--something that we know is true, but that doesn't really call our attention. District 13 wanted to use Katniss as a rallying symbol for the rest of the districts, but Katniss was of course wary of being a symbol--the girl on fire can only do so much. But when she decides to help out, to overthrow President Snow, Katniss throws herself into it, visiting the different districts, helping how she can, training to be a soldier, and working to bring about the downfall of President Snow.
Gale is in District 13, and is responsible for the survival of people from District 12--it was his recognition of the bombings that got people to the Meadow and to escape with the help of District 13. He is as adamant as ever to bring down the Capitol, even teaming up with Beetee to come up with some new weapons and strategies. While Gale would not tell Katniss what decision to make, he is glad when Katniss makes the decision to be the Mockingjay.
At first all Katniss does is help make "propos", or propaganda spots, cursing the Capitol, trying to encourage the Rebels in the various districts to keep fighting. This is not quite enough for Katniss and in her usual determined manner she disobeys orders to help how she wants to help. But the cameras, as always, love Katniss and her fire.
Things get a little tricky when Peeta is rescued from the Capitol--but he's hardly himself. President Snow has "hijacked" Peeta, changing Peeta's memories so that every thought of Katniss is dangerous, that he perceives her as dangerous, and that his primary purpose is to kill Katniss. After he does attack Katniss, she is shocked and frightened and defensive--Peeta has always been the only person who thinks positively of her, but now Peeta sees her as everyone else sees Katniss.
When Katniss discovers she's not allowed to participate in take over the Capitol, she is angry--after all, she's the one who helped make this happen. But President Coin has only ever needed Katniss as a rallying point and now that all the districts are united, her usefulness has worn out. Never one to be left out, Katniss does the training that all soldiers in District 13 undergo to make sure she can participate. Katniss' greatest test comes when she has to obey orders instead of doing what she wants. But she passes the tests to become a soldier and is part of a sharpshooter team in the Capitol.
Everything that can wrong, does. The abandoned streets of the Capitol have been essentially turned into a giant Arena and the sharpshooter team--and the rest of the Rebel soldiers--must work their ways through the booby-trapped streets to reach the Circle, the center of the Capitol. It's not easy, but the remainder of the sharpshooter team reaches the Circle, where Katniss sees a group of Capitol children roped off in the cold, huddled together. Suddenly packages, like those in the Games, drop from the sky, with food and clothing. The children take the packages and begin to open them when half the packages explode. Rebel medics, who have already reached the center of the city, rush in to assist the children when the other half of the packages explode. Katniss is injured, being on the edge of the explosive range, and Prim--lovable, caring Prim--is one of the medics killed.
When Katniss' burns heal and she comes out of some of her shock, President Coin has taken over Panem, President Snow has been tried and condemned to die, and Katniss will perform one last work as the Mockingjay. She is the one to kill Snow.
She speaks to him before he is set to die, and he plants the seed in her head that it was Coin who ordered the bombing of the children, with the twice exploding packages.
The seven remaining Hunger Games victims are asked by Coin whether or not there should be a final Hunger Games composed of Capitol children--the majority vote will rule. Johanna, Enobaria, Haymitch, and Katniss vote yes. Peeta, Annie, and Beetee vote no. There will be another Hunger Games--perhaps even including Snow's granddaughter.
Katniss is in front of the Capitol in her Mockingjay suit, with her specially designed bow, facing down President Snow. But it's not Snow she kills ....
Once the war is over, Katniss is returned to the remains of District 12, but she doesn't want to be there, she doesn't want to interact with anyone--which works well because the only people who are in District 12 are a drunken Haymitch and Greasy Sae, who cooks for Katniss. Her mother won't return, and Katniss is left to spend most of her time alone. Gale is working in District 2.
Peeta eventually returns, after having been through so much, and having been un-hijacked--he can look at Katniss without wanting to kill her. She rebuilds her relationship with Peeta, beginning with friendship.
It's a good ending to the trilogy, though I was surprised that Katniss' mother and Gale were so willing to leave Katniss to herself. I did like the darkness and light comparison--Katniss is the dark, and Peeta is the light, has always been the light, to keep Katniss balanced. I thought it interesting that Collins showed so much of the war being propaganda, that there was little following the troops on the ground, the feelings of the people. It felt more about Katniss and District 13's revenge against Snow than the liberation of the people. It was a moving book, I did nearly cry at the end (but then I cry a lot at well written books), and it was good to feel it completed. The epilogue was nice, as it gave a nice wrap up of Katniss, but not of the other characters. I wish there had been a bit more about the remaining characters and not just Katniss and Peeta. One day I will re-read all three books and take more time to read them to catch what I have missed, because I always feel like I miss something.

The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger

2010-08-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

High school senior Bianca has two gorgeous, wonderful best friends: Casey, tall cheerleader captain with a short pixie cut of blond hair, and Jessica, super bubbly brunette. Bianca is a bit cynical herself, and doesn't fully enjoy going to the club that her friends always drag her to, but does it because she loves them (and to keep them from going home with someone like Wesley Rush--the school's biggest womanizer).
One night at the Nest, the club Casey and Jessica drag Bianca to, Wesley Rush approaches Bianca. She tells him to get lost but he says he's trying to get with one of her friends--it doesn't matter which--and that by talking to their DUFF, he has a much better chance of doing so. Bianca has never heard that term before so Wesley obligingly explains: the DUFF is the Designated Ugly Fat Friend, the one girl in a group of girls who looks worse than the others. And by paying attention to the DUFF, Wesley reasons, he'll look like a great guy to Casey and Jessica. Bianca, never one to hold back, throws her Cherry Coke in Wesley's face and drags her friends out of the club.
She doesn't tell her friends what has happens between them and it's only one of many things she keeps from Casey and Jessica: her parents are divorcing (her mother has been largely absent anyway), her father slips back into his alcoholism (after being sober eighteen years), and Bianca is trying to find out how to relieve the stress, how to keep from going crazy. She discovers her escape is actually Wesley Rush--making out with Wesley keeps her mind from thinking about her parents. She spends more and more time with Wesley (and both keep is a secret) and Bianca's friends begin to feel she's avoiding them. She never likes to talk about herself or her problems much (Bianca's standard answer is "I'm fine" and Casey knows she's lying every time she says it). Bianca gets deeper and deeper into her struggle and her world continues to unravel when her mom shows up. She keeps running to Wesley and after one hook-up, she realizes that it's more than just screwing around--for her. Wesley's not interested in a DUFF so Bianca tries to forget him and hooks up with her crush, sweet, dorky Toby Tucker. Although things are approaching normal, Bianca still thinks about Wesley and being the DUFF.
I think all teenage girls have felt like the DUFF amongst their friends, and Keplinger does a great job of having the characters take control of the word and have confidence in themselves and each other. DUFF is a good read (definitely for older teens), and I love Bianca's character. She's balanced well by Casey and Jessica and it's nice to see confident but still vulnerable teens. The DUFF comes out in early September.

Jane by April Lindner

2010-08-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

With all the attention being given to Jane Austen's novels, it is nice to see a modern retelling of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Being familiar with the story, there were not many surprises in April Lindner's Jane, but I love the way Lindner updated the story.
Jane Moore is suddenly orphaned by the accidental death of her parents. She has just finished her first year at Sarah Lawrence and can't afford to start the next year at the university so she gets a job as a nanny for Nico Rathburn, a famous (and infamous) rocker. It is Jane's obliviousness to pop culture that earns her the job--she's heard of Nico Rathburn but has only heard one of his albums that her older brother listened to when she was much younger. (After the sale of their parents' house, Jane's brother took off with the money, and Jane's older sister doesn't want to be involved at all with the family.)
Maddy is a charming five-year old charge, and nineteen-year old Jane enjoys taking care of the little girl--she has time to read, to continue painting and walking, and the housekeeper Lucia is good company. She's at Thornfield Park, the enormous Connecticut home of Nico Rathburn, for a month before she meets him. I love that Lindner kept the first meeting between Jane and "Rochester" the same: Jane is walking along a road when a sports car comes tearing around a corner and nearly hits Jane--the car swerves to avoid her and the driver comes out to berate Jane for walking on the side of the road. Neither realizes who the other is until Jane returns home later in the afternoon.
Jane's attraction to Nico is not immediate, but it grows on her and she tries to deny it to herself, for a famous photographer, Bianca Ingram, is spending a great deal of time with Nico and his band in preparation for his next tour. Jane is determined that Nico is going to marry Bianca and tries to slip away, but that leads, of course, to Nico's confession of affection.
But anyone who has read Jane Eyre knows that Nico's attempts to make Jane jealous are not the only obstacles to them being together and yes, a crazy wife shows up in this version of the story and Jane disappears, meeting up with the St. John family, who give her a place to stay and a job and also a chance to go to Haiti to make a difference in the world. But somehow Nico calls to her and will she be happy unless she finds him again?
Those who know Jane Eyre know the answer. It's a fantastic retelling of a classic novel, good for young adult readers and I think I may have even convinced my grandmother to give it a try too. The book comes out in October, and I recommend it to those who love Jane Eyre and also those who like improbable love stories.

Maid to Match by Deanne Gist

2010-08-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

When I read the review for Maid to Match by Deanne Gist, what caught my eye is that the book takes place at Biltmore Estate near Asheville, North Carolina. I have visited Biltmore Estate and have been fascinated by the Vanderbilt family for ages so this book seemed a natural fit.
It's 1898 and Tillie is a maid in the vast Biltmore Estate, a high ranking maid, and it has just been discovered that the new Mrs. Vanderbilt's French maid wants to go back to France. This is Tillie's chance to see the world; being a lady's maid opens so many doors for her--travel, nice clothes, books, leisure time--and she and her mother have been preparing Tillie for this happenstance since Tillie was young.
Of course, it's not as easy as just saying she wants it--Tillie is in competition with another high ranking young maid, and Mrs. Vanderbilt has determined to give both young women a chance to prove themselves. When a large party comes to visit the Vanderbilts, Tillie is assigned to a young woman not much older than herself, who gives her a taste of just how much work it is to be a lady's maid and Tillie is run ragged.
Complicating matters further is Mack, the new handyman, who is gruff but kind and to whom Tillie is attracted to. Unfortunately, only single young men and women can work at Biltmore and Tillie knows if she marries Mack, she ruins her chance at becoming a lady's maid. She is torn between her wish to fulfill what her mother wants for her and what Tillie thinks she wants for herself, and the chance to have a family of her own and to be truly happy.
There are obstacles and stubbornness, but this sweet story ends happily for all concerned. I have never read anything by Deanne Gist before, so I wasn't entirely certain what to expect; there tended to be more discussion of God and faith than I am used to in my fiction, but it did not deter from the story. Definitely an enjoyable light read with feel-good ending.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

2010-08-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

So I'm probably one of the last people to read this book, but better late to it than never. Clary Fray lives with her mom in New York City; her father died before she was born. Being almost 16, Clary and her friend Simon go out to a club one night and Clary gets caught in the midst of a very strange interaction--four people her age go off into a storage room of the club and three kill the fourth one. Clary is surprised by this but even more surprised when the dead one disappears!

It turns out Clary has met Shadowhunters--warriors whose purpose it is to rid the earth of demons. And the fourth person? That was a demon. Clary gets sucked further and further into this world as first her mother goes missing, her mother's oldest friend refuses to talk to or help Clary, and she finds out stuff about her past that Clary never could have imagined would be true.

There's fantastic action in the book, there's battles with demons and vampires and werewolves and creatures who were once human and a lot of leg work trying to figure out if one of the most dangerous Shadowhunters is indeed still alive and if he is, where he is. Clary becomes torn between the thrilling world of the Shadowhunters and the life she's always known, including her best friend and "mundane", Simon.

I really enjoyed the different relationships portrayed in the book amongst the teenage characters, I felt that was pretty accurate. It was nice to see some presence of adults in the book, though I would have liked to see more with Clary's mom (though I understand her missing mom is pretty key to the plot; I just hope there's more of her mom in the next couple of books). I'd also like to see more of Alec and Isabelle, and see Clary come into her own and become more confident. It was really those last 50 pages that got me hooked. Now I have to wait for one of the library copies to be checked in again so I can read City of Ashes.

There are surprises in every chapter and the reader is usually just a tiny bit ahead of Clary--but not very much. The book really picked up in the last 50 pages and that was the point that I couldn't put the book down and am very pleased to know there are two more books after this one. I was thinking as I read most of the book that I wouldn't be interested in finding out what happens in City of Ashes and City of Glass, but the last few chapters (the last part of the book, I think) really brought me into the world and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

2010-07-28T06:36:00.000-07:00

I thought I would expand my romance knowledge by trying a different author--Lisa Kleypas has written a series of five books about the Hathaway siblings in 1850's England. I'm a sucker for series and as I enjoyed Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series so much I thought I would try another sibling series.
Amelia Hathaway is the responsible Hathaway sibling. At 26 she feels she is firmly on the shelf and since her parents died years ago, has been raising her siblings, including her older brother Leo. Winnifred, Poppy, and Beatrix are well behaved young women (for the most part); Beatrix is just 15, Poppy 19, and Win is a few years older. Leo has recently inherited a title that certainly helps the Hathaways--Leo had been studying to be an architect but it would have been difficult to maintain all five siblings on such a meager salary. Leo is now Lord Ramsay, and he's run amok--gambling, drinking, and who knows what else. He disappears for days at a time and during one of his disappearances Amelia meets Cam Rohan, a Gypsy who lives and works in London. The Hathaways are not unfamiliar with Gypsies--Merripen, not a servant but not quite a member of the family, has been living with the family since the Hathaways' father saved his life when Merripen was 12. Cam helps Amelia and Merripen track down a very drunk Leo and Cam steals a kiss from Amelia during the course of the evening. Very exciting for Amelia, but she figures she'll never see him again.
But of course, we readers know that's not the case. Amelia sells the tiny house she and her siblings live in and move to Ramsay House in the country. Ramsay House is in tatters and the Hathaways have little money to spend on it. Their well to do neighbors, Lord and Lady Westcliff, have Cam Rohan as a guest and of course he's fascinated by Amelia. Things can't go easily with the Hathaways and Cam comes to the rescue more than once. Amelia is also startled to discover her old flame, Christopher Frost, is in the area. Christopher left her for the daughter of his boss but it turns out they did not get married. Amelia has been determined to remain single and independent, but will one of these men convince her to change her stubborn mind?
Kleypas does not write with the same sense of humor and lightness as Quinn, and her stories are a little darker, a little more dramatic, and the first one had a touch of the supernatural. (Which is not something I normally enjoy, but it was not an overwhelming part of the story, so it was all right.) What I did like about this book is that Kleypas developed all of the Hathaway siblings in the course of the book instead of focusing solely on Amelia. It was nice to get a formed picture of all five siblings instead of just a generalized outline. A little more dramatic than I first envisioned, but it is definitely entertaining and a quick read. I think I might have to pick up the next once, once I finish the current stack of books I have waiting for me.

The Widow and the King by John Dickinson

2010-07-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

Ten years after Phaedra escaped to the mountains with her young son Ambrose at the end of The Cup of the World, we find Ambrose a twelve year old, with little idea of the world beyond the mountains and the pool.
A stranger comes unexpectedly; Ambrose is fascinated by the young man and even watches entranced as he shaves. Raymonde has discovered the Book that has been in his father's possession since the downfall of Tarceny ten years before, the Book with all of Tarceny's discoveries about witchcraft. Raymonde has come to set the Prince Under the Sky free.
Phaedra discovers what he's up to and tells Ambrose to run, to run to her friends Evalia and Adam diManey at Chatterfall. Ambrose starts to run, but doubles back to watch the confrontation between Raymonde and his mother. He sees Raymonde push his mother and she ends up in the Pool where the Prince Under the Sky lives. He also does not see his mother emerge from the pool.
Ambrose makes it to Chatterfall, but has to leave and travels with Baron Lackmere to the Court of Develin, where he lives in secret for the next six months. He feels awkward and constantly watched and followed by the Prince Under the Sky, and is visited by Raymonde, who continually tells Ambrose that he doesn't want to kill him, but he will. It's uncomfortable for Ambrose and not a happy time for him.
Of course, things can't stay as they are, and the Prince Under the Sky has Develin attacked. Ambrose flees and finds Baron Lackmere and they travel to Tarceny, where Ambrose tries to decide who and what he is.
Like The Cup of the World, The Widow and the King is a thick, rich fantasy that moves at a steady pace but keeps you drawn in. Though there is lots of action and battles and chases, the important part of the book is the development of the characters and the changes that Ambrose goes through. Dickinson does a great job at making each book appear finished, but knowing there's one more book I'm curious as to what will happen with Ambrose next. I look forward to the final book in the trilogy, The Fatal Child.

Matched by Ally Condie

2010-07-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

One of the many benefits of being a librarian is ARCs--Advanced Reading Copies of books yet to be published. I was fortunate enough to receive one of Matched by Ally Condie, a new young adult novel that will be published November 30.

Cassia lives contentedly--the Society chooses your place of work, your home, your mate, even when you die (to maximize your life experience). Cassia has never questioned this and is looking forward to her Match Banquet, when Society reveals to her her ideal mate. She is very fortunate--and excited--to discover Xander, her childhood friend, is her Match. This is not at all typical in Society, as most people's Matches are from other cities.

When Cassia has a moment to herself (with her ten year old brother Bram and her parents and even Society always watching) she looks at the flash drive (it's essentially a flash drive, but all futuristic-like) she was given at her Match Banquet, which contains all the information about her Match. Of course, knowing Xander she knows much of information on it but is still very excited about it. Just as Cassia is about to remove the flash drive, she notices another picture pop up on the screen--that of another classmate, Ky.

Cassia is startled and shaken by this--the Society does not make mistakes. One of the Society administrators finds Cassia and explains what has happened, that Ky was not meant to be in the Match pool, that it is a cruel joke and that Cassia has truly been Matched with Xander.

Cassia begins to pay more attention to Ky; she's intrigued by him, fascinated by him, and as the two spend more time together, they begin to fall in love, but they must keep it secret as they are forbidden to be together.

What I loved about this book is the fantastic way that Condie had Cassia evolve--Cassia went from fully accepting all of Society's rules and actions to questioning them the more she understands and sees what's happening. She begins to see that she--and everyone else--is being manipulated by Society all for the reason of keeping them "safe". But what are the people being kept safe from? What's happening in the Outer Provinces? There's a war going on but no one knows who the Enemy is or why they are even fighting. Matched has great character development, a fabulous dystopia storyline, romance, and I hope there's another book coming because I'd love to see the development of Xander and more from his point of view (though I'm not sure that's where the story is going). I highly recommend it.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

2010-07-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

Claudia lives a privileged life as the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, the great prison that keeps all the criminals and the poor out of the perfect kingdom. She chafes at her chains, at her expectations, at the frustrations of being stuck in a world where nothing ever changes--one of the kings decreed that the world be frozen in time (I think the late 18Th century), that inventions and science and art and literature be hindered, that nothing move out of the time frame of the acceptable, of the Era.

Finn is a prisoner in Incarceron, who can't remember anything before three years ago, but he is insistent that he is not one of the cell-born, one of the creatures born within Incarceron fully formed. When Finn comes into possession of a crystal Key he thinks he can use it to escape the hard dirty life of Incarceron. He is surprised when the Key begins to speak to him and he sees Claudia, who has a key of her own.

The Sapienti, the Wise Ones who entered Incarceron intent on watching over it, live both in Incarceron and Outside it. Jared is Claudia's tutor and a Sapient and Gildas is a Sapient who is determined that Finn is his way out of Incarceron, a Starseer, the one who can follow the path of Sapphique, the only person known to escape Incarceron.

So Finn, Gildas, Finn's oathbrother, and Attia a slave girl leave their Wing of the prison to find Escape. Once Claudia & Jared discover they can speak to Finn through their Key, Claudia promises to do all she can to help them escape. Claudia's chances begin to run out when she is forced to the palace to participate in her wedding to the Heir to the throne--a young man who cares more for horses and games than Claudia, but she is not enamored of him either, having once been engaged to his half-brother, the true prince who died three years earlier.

As in most courts, there's intrigue and plotting and scheming and Claudia does not want to be any part of it at all. She's willful, headstrong and independent and does not want to be Queen, which is what the plot is between her father and the current Queen. Claudia tries to find privacy in the court, where everyone is watching her, is trying to stay out of the vast divisions within the court, and trying to help Finn and his friends escape.

Incarceron is a tale of danger, adventure, and suspense that keeps you guessing as to what surprise comes next. The characters are intriguing (I find the Sapienti the most interesting and the legend of Sapphique), the action is continual, the multiple plots are woven toghet well and if parts of the story are a little predictable, there's a great deal of the story that is not. There's a second book that will be released in December, and as Incarceron ends on a very uncertain note, it will be exciting to see what happens next.

Folly by Marthe Jocelyn

2010-06-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

Folly by Marthe Jocelyn tells the story Mary Finn and James Nelligan, about ten years apart in the late nineteenth century.

Mary is the oldest of 5 children who, when her father remarries, is sent away to an inn to work to be out of her stepmother’s hair. She doesn’t like working at the inn and when a well-bred woman with no idea how to take care of her child come into the inn, Mary takes care of the baby and is then invited to join the staff of the young woman’s home. So Mary comes to London and meets Caden Tucker, a soldier in London.

James is an orphan, who was raised in the country for the first 6 years of his life before being returned to the home for orphans in London. Having been raised in a home and calling his foster mother Mama, James has a difficult time adjusting to life in the home (with all the rules that come with it).

There are two other narrators thrown in, Eliza, who works with Mary at the home in London and Oliver, a history teacher at the Foundling Hospital where James lives, who provide a different take--and also cause problems--on the story.

It's a tale of a fallen woman and the chances she takes, the heartbreaking decisions she makes, The chapters are brief, end on cliffhangers, and want you to keep reading. It’s not a very long book, but a very rewarding quick read. It’s a little dark, but has a surprisingly touching ending.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

2010-06-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

Scarlett and Rosie March live in our world, but they know something we do not know: Fenris are real and very very dangerous. What are Fenris? They are werewolves, the Big Bad Wolf, the men who turn into wolves and chase pretty young women, only to kill them. And because Scarlett and Rosie know this, they know they are the only ones who can battle the Fenris and make the world a little more normal for the rest of us.

Their tiny Georgia town of Ellison has the occasional Fenris, but when more and more show up, Scarlett and Rosie and Silas (one of the Woodsman's sons, and Scarlett's hunting partner) determine they need to move to Atlanta to perhaps help prevent the Potential from being turned.

Silas, who has left Ellison (and Scarlett & hunting), tells Rosie there is more than hunting in the world, there is more to life and shows her some of it while they are in Atlanta. Scarlett becomes ever more frustrated because she can't gain the attention of the Fenris--they are attracted to young, pretty girls, and Scarlett--covered in scars & missing an eye from an early Fenris attack--is not what they're looking for. But Rosie is.

Rosie becomes more the bait than the hunter and only when she is taken and held as bait by the Fenris to lure the Potential does the story really pick up the pace. Scarlett & Silas become desperate to rescue Rosie, and make a risky plan to save her.

Jackson Pearce's Sisters Red is an interesting and unexpected retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (both Scarlett & Rosie hunt with red cloaks); it moves at a decent pace, but doesn't entirely draw you in. There's a bit of a love story, a bit of angry, and a whole lot more fighting than you would originally think. Pearce makes the fights real (people get hurt) without being too gory and the love story is not too romantic for those who aren't into that (love is a motivation more than much else).

On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn

2010-06-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

I have finally finished reading Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series. The last of the books is about Gregory, seventh child of eight, and the youngest son. He's determining what kind of purpose his life shall have (army? or clergy? he's a terrible shot, so that narrows the options) at his brother Anthony's house party in the country. He would like to fall in love one day, and knowing that all seven of his siblings managed to make love matches, Gregory is a bit of a romantic in hoping he'll have the same opportunity. The woman just hasn't come about yet.
And then--most dramatically--he sees her. The back of her neck to be precise. Miss Hermione Watson, as he is introduced to her, is all that is lovely and beautiful and he falls in love immediately. It matters not that her heart is taken by another young man, it matters not that her friend Lady Lucinda Abernathy is a bit of a pest (even though she is trying to help him win Hermione), it matters not that they have nothing in common.
Nothing matters until Miss Watson is caught with a young man in a most compromising way. So they must marry (not the young man she originally thought had taken her heart) ending Gregory's brief lapse into love.
Surprisingly, he's not as affected as one would think. His no longer addled brain realizes how very little he had in common with Miss Watson and how unhappy they should make each other. Her friend Lucy on the other hand is different, and as with many romances, Gregory and Lucy fall in love.
And, as with many romances, it is not that easy. Lucy becomes officially engaged to a young man because it is the wish of her family, and no matter what Lucy & Gregory may feel for each other, they cannot be together. Especially once Lucy finds out there's a little blackmail involved.
That summation of the novel makes it sound so much more dramatic than it really is--as with all of Quinn's Bridgerton series, there's humor and wit and it's an overall entertaining read. I only wish there had been a bit more of the other Bridgertons, as a sappy way to say goodbye. Good read and though she's excellent about not giving much away about the stories of the other siblings, it's best to read the series in order.

The Cup of the World by John Dickinson

2010-06-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

Phaedra is just 15 when she witnesses the court trial of a woman for witchcraft; she and the other young ladies of the court are not supposed to be there, but they see the proceedings nonetheless. The woman is spared and the young ladies are shooed out of the court. The young ladies are presented to the king by their fathers, officially marking their transition to womanhood. Phaedra then goes home with her father to Trant and the courting begins. For two years Phaedra is courted and refuses the young men of the Kingdom; she does not want to marry, she does not plan to marry.

Since she was a young girl, she has dreamt of a man and the two of them talk and have developed a friendship almost. When Phaedra discovers that her ability to refuse may soon run out, she speaks with the man in her dreams and he tells her to wait at a certain place. The man is real and takes her to his part of the Kingdom, against the wishes of Phaedra’s father, but she is happy and in love.

War breaks out in the Kingdom and Phaedra’s husband is gone for long periods of time, in which Phaedra is left alone in a castle that she is not familiar with. She makes discoveries about magic, about witchcraft, about her husband, her father, the King and herself that startle her, and Phaedra must keep going to understand her world and her place in it.

The Cup of the World is an intelligent, thick read. As most epic fantasies, it takes a little bit of reading to get into, but once the story picks up it does not let the reader go. Dickinson does not give anything away to the reader; much of what occurs the reader must puzzle together herself, and this is a rewarding read. This book is the first in a trilogy and is followed by The Widow and the King and The Fatal Child.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

2010-06-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

In the interest of full disclosure, I admit I was wary about reading this book. It's about vampires and werewolves. Two things that are definitely not my scene. I enjoy fantasy, but more of the high fantasy than the paranormal/supernatural fantasy. But a very good friend recommended this book to me and it is the first book in the Parasol Protectorate series by Carriger, and I'm a sucker for series. So I read it.
I loved it.
It's another 19th century London setting, and Alexia Tarabotti is on the shelf (she's not married and is around age 30). She has two half sisters who are twittering nitwits, but she is very nice to them. Her mother (who remarried) is concerned with propriety and is still very desperately looking for a husband for Alexia. Alexia is not overly concerned. In fact, she would rather stay single.
There is something special about Alexia, something inherited from her deceased Italian father. Alexia is a preternatural: she is soulless, and thus able to turn vampires and werewolves (prevalent and accepted in society, so long as they follow the rules) mortal with her touch. Her family is not aware of this power; the government agency that handles the supernatural beings of England is aware of her, but her state is kept quiet and low-key.
Lord Maccon knows, though. He is the Alpha of the London werewolf pack. Alexia always seems to be getting in his way, especially when it comes to any investigations regarding supernaturals. When the reader meets Lord Maccon, it's because Alexia has accidentally killed a vampire. (He was very rude and didn't seem to know the proper etiquette when in public, like not lunging at and trying to feast on a person.) Alexia would love to work for the government, but of course, Lord Maccon does not think it appropriate, Alexia being a woman and all.
Carriger does a great job of establishing the normalcy of vampires and werewolves being accepted in London society (interestingly, they are not in America), down to the fact that places that cater to werewolves have cloakrooms with spare clothes, because of course, when men are werewolves, they are not wearing clothes. Scandalous! She does a brilliant job of describing the transformation into werewolf as well.
The main meat of the story is the mystery: rove vampires and werewolves (those not belonging to hives or packs) are missing all over England. It turns out they've been kidnapped by a mad scientist--seriously, a mad scientist--whose intention it is to rid the world of vampires & werewolves altogether. Alexia lands right in the middle of it and is being used for nefarious reasons as well.
The humor is great in this story; the exchanges between characters witty (even though Alexia hates her friend Ivy's taste in hats); the pacing good and the action sequences pretty intense. The romance isn't bad either. I eagerly await my library to get Changeless, the second book, so I can catch up with Alexia.

It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn

2010-06-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

One of my co-workers told me about the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. The series is about the love lives of 8 siblings in 19th century London, all very popular and each with his or her little quirks. It's a clever, witty series with just enough romance thrown in without it being overwhelming.
It's in His Kiss is the 7th book in the series, focusing on Hyacinth Bridgerton, the youngest in the family. Hyacinth is 22 and in her 4th season. She has been proposed to 3 times her first season, twice her second season, and once the past season. So far, there are no takers for this season. Hyacinth is outspoken, opinionated, and loves a good battle of wits. She is not the type of young woman to allow a man to tell her what to do or to be coy and demure. Perhaps this has something to do with her husband-less state?
Lady Danbury (who makes an appearance in all of the Bridgerton novels, an opinionated old woman who wields a mean cane) has a grandson, Gareth. Gareth and his father do not get along at all and due to sad circumstances, Gareth becomes his father's heir. Until his father kicks it, however, Gareth is practically penniless. Lady Danbury dotes upon him though (and Gareth is very good to his grandmother) and would like to encourage her young friend Hyacinth to entertain the idea of perhaps becoming affectionate with Gareth.
Being a romance, these two main characters do get involved, but not entirely in the way one would think: it begins with an diary in Italian and the promise of hidden jewels. And a very poorly written romance novel.
Quinn's Bridgerton series are fantastically fast reads; the characters are engaging, the details good, and the plot entertaining with a dash of seriousness and a whole lot of humor.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

2010-06-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

I have not read many titles written by two authors, but I did read Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan and that’s when I began to admire David Levithan’s writing. Now I hear that John Green is very popular and when I found out about Will Grayson, Will Grayson written by Green & Levithan I thought I would give it a try.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is fabulous. Not only because it takes place in the Chicagoland area, and not only because it is written by two extremely talented young adult authors, but because the characters are very alive and the story is true.

John Green’s Will Grayson is a young man who lives by a few rules: 1) Shut up and 2) Don’t care. He is kind of drifting in his school and social life because he ended up writing a letter to the school newspaper defending his best and long time friend, Tiny Cooper. Tiny is a huge human being and also very gay and Will was defending Tiny’s right to be on the football team regardless of his sexual orientation. Well, that gets Will kicked out of his Group of Friends and so he has Tiny and Tiny’s Gay-Straight Alliance (including Jane–is she a gay part of the alliance or a straight part of the alliance, Will wonders).

David Levithan’s Will Grayson is a depressed young man with very few friends, one of them being Maura, who Will sometimes sees as a nuisance and not so much as a friend. The person that makes Will’s day better is Isaac, someone Will has only talked to online and shared social networking sites with. Isaac lives in Ohio but decides they should meet. This is when Will Grayson meets the Other Will Grayson.

It’s a story about friendship and figuring out who you are (at least for today) and it’s a story about Tiny, who has written a musical called Tiny Dancer: The Tiny Cooper Story which puts himself and his relationships out there for everyone to see. It’s a fantastic book.

The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To by DC Pierson

2010-05-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

Ever wish you could stay up endlessly, that you never needed to sleep, that you could spend your sleeping hours reading, cooking, learning, walking, anything you wanted to be doing? To be honest, I haven’t wished that, but Darren, the narrator of DC Pierson’s first novel, meets Eric, a similarly unremarkable high school sophomore (if only weirder than Darren), who The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To.

Darren draws, but is not one of those artists who spend all the spare time at the end of classes drawing, as that would draw attention to him and Darren doesn’t want to be noticed. He is surprised one day when Eric approaches him at the end of a class and asks what Darren was drawing during class. From that first conversation begins a friendship that is pretty much the first solid friendship for either guy. They enjoy spending time together and create an elaborate space drama called TimeBlaze, Darren drawing all of the characters, Eric creating personalities and dossiers, and both working on the Epic. One afternoon Eric decides to share his secret with Darren: Eric never sleeps, has never slept. “Prove it” is Darren’s response and the two spend a few days awake together until Darren falls asleep (and Eric smartly videotapes himself to continue proving it).

It becomes “Eric’s thing” that they talk about periodically, that Darren wonders what Eric can do with it and their friendship continues on until Christine comes on the scene. (It’s always a girl, isn’t it?) Eric’s secret gets out and soon the two are being chased by cops and a pharmaceutical company. There’s one more incredible aspect to Eric’s thing that adds surprise to the story.

It’s an entertaining, fast-paced read, and Eric and Darren (well, Darren) speak like teenagers (with lots of swearing as well as lots of “dude”), and there’s just enough suspense and mystery to keep this book from being only a coming-of-age story.

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

2010-05-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

I read Life as We Knew It not long after it came out, and there are scenes and moments of the book that (years later) still stick in my head very vividly. I admit I did not read The Dead and the Gone, primarily because a few other librarians did not like it as much as Life as We Knew It. This World We Live In comes back to focus on Miranda, which was why I decided I would read it.

The book opens in late April; not much of the world has changed since we last saw Miranda, the moon is still too close to the earth and the weather is out of whack. Miranda still has her mom, her older brother Matt, and younger brother Jon. They have all managed to survive the winter and food is even being delivered to them once a week. Life continues on in its new ordinary fashion.

The big change that occurs over most of the book is the additions to Miranda’s family. I’m a little worried about spoilers here, but some characters from The Dead and the Gone arrive (which pretty much gives it away, I’m sure), and now it’s a matter of figuring out how to feed so many people and the concerns of what happens after the food runs out. There is also discussion of leaving to find one of the so-called “safe cities”. Those of you who remember Miranda’s mom remember that she is kind of a stubborn person, so you can imagine how well that idea goes over.

It was a good story, and for not having read The Dead and the Gone I did not feel as if I really missed much, so if you haven’t read it that’s not a problem. It seemed as if the story did not advance much over the course of the book and the bulk of the action took place towards the end of the novel. I understand that the circumstances prevent much from really happening to the characters, but it seemed like the story was just passing time. This World We Live In is The Last Survivors, Book 3, and about half way through the book I was pretty certain I would not read any more of the books, should Pfeffer write them. However the way the book ended had me reconsider. So if there is a 4th Last Survivors book (and 5th and 6th …) I might pick it up to find out what happens next. It’s definitely an interesting concept, and Pfeffer has done a great job with the what-comes-next expectations readers have without the story going too far to be completely unrealistic (if one forgets about the whole moon being nudged closer to earth thing, but hey, it could happen). She addresses all the aspects of everyday life people don’t see in natural disaster movies; these stories are about endurance and finding some reason to keep living when life seems so gray (as Miranda would say).

To sum up: If you enjoyed the first two books (or even just one or the other), I recommend reading it. If the destruction of modern life is not your thing, I would pass.

Splendor by Anna Godbersen

2010-05-04T13:06:00.001-07:00

Splendor is the final book in The Luxe series, following the lives of Elizabeth, Diana, Lina, and Penelope. It would appear as if all young women are headed for happy endings: Lina is wealthy and in love with Leland Bouchard, Diana is on her way to finding Henry, Penelope has met a real prince, and Elizabeth is safely married and getting ready to give birth to her child.

Of course, none of the novels in this series have led to fully happy endings and the trials and turmoil that have been a part of these women’s lives continue. Lina is paid unexpected visits by Tristan, Diana is as restless as soul as always, Penelope lives scandalously, and Elizabeth discovers that the man she married may not be entirely what she expected.

The rich setting of these books, the wealth and the style of the characters and their expectations I have always enjoyed and this final book continues to live up to that standard that Godbersen has set. It had a bit of a sad ending, but I was expecting that after reading the previous three, and really if after reading the previous three you thought everything was going to end happily would be sorely mistaken. If you are intrigued by the storylines and invested in the characters, you will definitely want to read Splendor to know the complete story.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

2010-05-04T13:04:00.002-07:00

Yes, yes, everyone has read and reviewed Graceling, but I finally got around to it. And enjoyed it! Though am looking more forward to the book about Bitterblue than I am Fire.

Graceling is set in a world where some people are born with Graces, or a natural ability to do something uncommonly well. Some people are born with the Grace of cooking, or swimming, or fighting, or singing. Katsa, niece to the King of Middluns, one of the Seven Countries, is born with the Grace of killing.

This Grace weighs heavily on the 16 year old girl, whose main purpose is to injure, maim, and kill at her uncle’s command. Katsa does not take easily to this and so has started a Council to help innocent and wronged people. While on a mission for the Council, Katsa meets a man with a fighting Grace and from their tentative friendship, she begins to discover more about herself.

Graceling is an excellent fantasy novel, filled with adventure, action, a quest, and a little bit of romance. Cashore has created memorable characters (especially, in my opinion, in Bitterblue, who is star of Cashore’s third book, yet to be released) and in interesting world. In our world we like to think our differences are celebrated, but in Katsa’s world people with Graces are seen as freaks and meant to be used by the kings of their countries.

A Spy in the House by YS Lee

2010-05-04T13:04:00.001-07:00

A Spy in the House by YS Lee takes place in London in 1858 and centers on Mary Quinn, a young woman with remarkable talents. Mary is given a choice when she is 12 years old: hang for being a thief and a beggar, or attend a charity school. The 12 year old is determined after a rough life that she’s prepared to die, that there’s not much hope for her, but when actually given a choice (and an escape), Mary becomes a new pupil at Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls.

Fast forward 5 years. Mary is now 17 and a junior teacher at the Academy. She has tried training in a number of professions available to women at her time, and each leaves Mary feeling something is missing. The two headmistresses of the Academy meet with Mary and reveal to Mary they are members of the Agency, a group of woman who assist the police (and other private inquirers) by placing female agents in positions close to suspects. Mary is shocked, but is excited by this prospect.

After her brief training, Mary begins her first assignment, meant to listen & observe. Of course, being the headstrong person she is, Mary decides to take matters into her own hands to make sure she gets the information she is after. It’s a good story of intrigue about the case and mystery about the character of Mary (there’s more to her than even she is willing to admit). A fun, fast moving historical fiction novel that I hope will be the first in a series!

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

2010-05-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

Finnikin of the Rock is a great fantasy quest novel. Finnikin is the son of the King’s Guard, friend to the heir to the kingdom and his cousin (and also the youngest princess, but she just tags along). When Finnikin is 9, he and his friends make a pledge to protect the kingdom, a pledge sealed by the blood the three boys draw from their legs. Only days later, the unspeakable happens: the entire royal family is slaughtered, an impostor king and his army invade (taking Finnikin’s father prisoner), and the Forest Dwellers (those with a bit of magic) are burned at the stake, and as the head of the Forest Dwellers dies, she spits a curse out on the kingdom. The ground shakes and splits open, and the land is covered with a strange, dark mist. About half of the people in the land make it outside of the kingdom’s walls, but the rest are trapped inside.

Ten years pass; Finnikin has been traveling the different countries surrounding his home, learning the languages, the cultures of the other countries, finding his people in refugee camps, writing their stories and the names of their dead. He’s called to a cloister of nuns (novices), and there Finnikin and the King’s First Man, Sir Topher, pick up Evanjalin, who keeps secrets of her own. She has seen the return to their kingdom, and Finnikin has been trying these 10 years to carve out a piece of land for his people to call home, a new home. Evanjalin, stubborn and quiet, sees things much differently.

Similar to Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Finnikin of the Rock is a darker fantasy with a male protagonist. Evanjalin is very much a part of the story, too, but most of it centers on Finnikin. An excellent read. Definitely intended for older audiences; there's a little swearing, sex, and an attempted rape scene.

whoops

2009-02-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Double whoops: I started this post in February and yet somehow never got around to completing it.
Perhaps my goal should be to update once a month. I might be able to handle that. Maybe.
Just because I'm not posting certainly doesn't mean I'm not reading. Finished recently (really just within my memory): Forever Princess by Meg Cabot, Ransom My Heart by Mia Thermopolis (aka Meg Cabot), Moloka'i by Alan Brennert, and Looks by Madeleine George.
I enjoyed that Cabot linked Forever Princess and Ransom My Heart, the latter being Mia's senior project, a historical romance in medieval England. The main character in Ransom My Heart, in my limited Cabot-reading experience, was different from most of Cabot's heroines in that she was a little more assertive, a little less wishy-washy. However, Finn still didn't think she was much to look at, which is a trait most of Cabot's main characters share. It is a good story, about a girl who kidnaps an earl (but doesn't know he's an earl), and it's a little racy, there being some sex scenes in it (which has Mia rather concerned when she thinks about sharing it with her friends). Definitely an engrossing story, well written and moves at a decent pace. Forever Princess, sadly the last in the Princess Diaries series (sadly for me anyway, I love those stories), begins at the end of Mia's senior year. She's trying to decide what college to go to, whether or not she wants to go to prom, what to do about JP, what to do about turning 18, you know, what to do about life in general. A rather large shocker (and perhaps what turns Mia back to her diary, as she hasn't written in it since her junior year) is that her ex-boyfriend Michael shows up back in New York. Mia has to ask herself, is she really over Michael? Is JP definitely The One? Or is Mia just as confused as she's always been? A happy ending for Princess Diaries fans, but the book definitely should get scooched to the Young Adult area--there's more than just talk about sex in this one.
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert is, as one of my colleagues described it, a character driven story, and Rachel is an intriguing, funny, determined character. I'll be the first to admit that I often do not read books typically chosen by book clubs, but after the insistence and positive reviews of a friend, as well as my own obsession and interest in Hawaiian history, I gave in and read the book. I am very glad that I did. Rachel contracts leprosy at the age of 7 and is sent to a hospital outside of Honolulu. When she fails to get any better, she is sent to the island of Molokai, where most leprosy patients are sent essentially to die. Thankfully, her uncle is on the island, so she is not completely disconnected from all family and that makes being there as such a young girl a little easier. Rachel grows older on the island, adventures out with other teenage girls, gets a job, falls in love, and attempts to live as normal a life as possible, trapped as she is. Major events in Hawaiian history pass over and around the people on Molokai, often not finding out until much later what occurred. This novel is driven by Rachel, so if you begin the novel and do not enjoy her character or are expecting something BIG to happen, you'll not enjoy the book. It is well written and moving and a rewarding read. Highly recommended, if you enjoy well developed characters and are happy to watch a character's life.
Looks by Madeleine George is a tale of a fat girl and a skinny girl, to put it bluntly. Meghan spends her life trying to blend in to the scenery, trying to be ignored, trying to walk past the bullies who tease and torment her, just trying to get to her classes. Meghan is a watcher, she watches and listens to what goes on at the school and speaks as little as possible. Twig thin Aimee is new to the school and is looking for something to enjoy, something to be a part of, and finds Cara and the school's literary journal. Meghan tries to warn Aimee about Cara, but Aimee is a little freaked out by the girl who watches people and appears to have no friends. When Cara does something Aimee finds unforgivable, she and Meghan team up to bring revenge on Cara (and as a bonus for Meghan, humiliate the jock who spends his time torturing Meghan). This is a short book but powerful with strong characters that does not focus on the girls' eating disorders, though there are a couple of scenes that dramatize the hungry--Aimee and her taunting carrot sticks, refusing to allow herself to eat them, and Meghan eating and eating to calm down and not feel so empty. Does their revenge turn out the way they would like? Is revenge the best way to feel better? It sounds great when planning it, but both girls learn that sometimes you can't take things back. Excellent reading.
That's it for this short post; on to the next one to cover some of what I read in the rest of February.
I remain, the (procrastinating) Savage Librarian.

read, read, ready

2009-01-02T13:06:00.001-08:00

The Glass of Time by Michael Cox, Persuasion by Jane Austen, The Queen Geek Social Club by Laura Preble, and None But You by Susan Kaye. Those are just the ones I can remember having read recently. There might be more but of course, my list is not anywhere convenient as I write this.
The Glass of Time is a fantastic story. I really enjoyed it (I was worried too much would hinge on having read The Meaning of Night--which I have but am unable to remember much of it--but it does not). Esperanza is a well drawn character with an interesting task before her. How many of us could have a task in which we are required to move from our home to another country, take a position that is beneath us (Esperanza is raised well but is required to become a lady's maid), all without questioning the purpose of being there. For there most definitely is a purpose. Esperanza is to accomplish the Great Task while working as Lady Tansor's lady's maid. Esperanza adjusts to her life in England fairly easily; she is enamored of one of her ladyship's sons (naturally) and most of the characters are well drawn and real. Perhaps Esperanza's implicit and unquestioning trust in her guardian, who sends her to Lady Tansor, is a little naive. But being 19, Esperanza treats it as an game of adventure and soon finds that it is no game. It's an exciting story as orphaned Esperanza discovers more about her past from her mother's journals and stories of her father's journeys through his friends, and when she puts the pieces together, Esperanza discovers who she is. And it's different from what she thought. There's a little in the book that relates to Edwin Glyvver, so those looking for a little more information on him won't be disappointed. Truthfully, parts of the story are rather predictable, but other parts throw the reader a bit of a loop. Definitely a worthwhile read.
Persuasion, book 6 of 6, and I have finally finished reading my Austen novels. It was even before the new year began. As with P&P, there's something wonderfully familiar about Persuasion and coming back to it is like spending time with a good friend. Anne Elliot is still one of my favorite heroines, Captain Wentworth a worthy and realistic hero. Of course he's still hurt that Anne did not follow through on her engagement with him. But he wants no other, and I think one of my favorite lines from literature is Anne saying, "The only privilege I claim for my sex is that of loving longest when all hope is gone" (I'm paraphrasing as I haven't the book in front of me). In my limited experience, that's been true. It's sigh worthy.
The Queen Geek Social Club is a fun book, though I question the motives of one of the characters. There are two other books with Shelby and Becca, and I certainly will read the next two. Shelby is a geek. She's pretty, funny, smart, kind, but just doesn't seem able to make many girl friends. She's a serial dater, dating simply to date, but unable to make a connection with any of the guys she goes out with (most likely because they're only interested in her breasts). Then Becca moves to town and almost immediately, she and Shelby hit it off. Shelby is content to have Becca, her very good friend, and that's all she really needs. But Becca ... Becca is different. She jokes about world domination, and decides to start the Queen Geek Social Club, so that she and Shelby will have others 'of their kind' to hang otu with and have an influence upon school society. Their first project is to feed models junkfood. Yes, they want to feed models Twinkies. At first Shelby thinks it's all a laugh but begins to worry that Becca's not interested in Shelby as a friend, that Shelby isn't good enough, and that she's just looking for a better friend. We've all had those kinds of insecurities. On top of it all, her widower Dad starts dating and she's becoming unusually obsessed with a guy--not something Shelby does. Naturally it all works out in the end, but there are enough questions about what happens next to get me interested in the next book, Queen Geeks in Love. I love my geeky chick lit.
None But You by Susan Kaye is the first part of a two part story of Persuasion from Captain Wentworth's point of view. The first book ends at Uppercross, just after Wentworth has dropped off Anne and Henrietta after the terrible news about Louisa. I enjoyed it because the reader gets to spend a bit more time with Wentworth's sister and brother-in-law as well as some of the occurrences on the Musgroves' side of things, their dread at sister-in-law Mary and the pleasure they take from Anne's company. I think the second book, For You Alone, is due to be released sometime in the spring. I'll keep my eye out for that one.
Finally I'm in the midst (and nearly middle) of reading At Face Value by Emily Franklin, a Cyrano de Bergerac tale starring Cyrie, and intelligent, witty, sometimes occasionally mean (she's really just dishing it back) high school senior with a larger & longer than average nose. She's planning on surgery to shrink it on her 18th birthday, which will be January 1st. It will be interesting to see if she goes through with it and how the relationship budding between her pretty friend Leyla and Cyrie's crush Eddie (everybody else calls him Rox) will work out. Definitely enjoying it so far.
So, until I've piled a pile of finished books, I remain,
the Savage librarian.

What an absence it's been.

2008-11-26T17:29:00.000-08:00

Forgive the great absence, dear readers, but I've been a bit slow reading this past month. I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month and so have been a bit distracted by my so-called novel.
In trying to remember what I have read recently, I had to go back and check to see the last book I updated on.
O my. I've finished Airhead by Meg Cabot, Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd, Blood Alone by James Benn, and I just finished Pride & Prejudice last night (book 5 of 6, woohoo!). I may or may not have read something else in between some of those, for I have them written down somewhere (just not anywhere convenient). I can tell you I started reading Savvy by Ingrid Law, but could not finish it. It had a wonderful story, but the voice of Mibs, the main character, drove me to distraction. On the thirteenth birthday of each member of her family, the person receives their savvy, or special talent. Her grandfather could create land (the family lived between Kansas and Nebraska on the land he created), her brother Fish had power over the rain, her other brother Rocket was electrically charged, and her mother did everything perfectly (even when she screwed up). Mibs is waiting for her savvy when her father is in a car accident. Her mother and Rocket are away from the family and so Mibs turns 13 with all the people in town she does not like. That's about as far as I got before I stopped reading because Mibs's "aw shucks" voice was entirely too distracting from the story. I know other librarians who have enjoyed the story and ordinarily I think I would too but I did not have the patience to attempt it.
Airhead, the first of a new Meg Cabot series, was a fluffy, interesting read. A supermodel, a normal girl, and a whole body transplant. I love that Cabot can mix the girly with the sci-fi and that Em learns it's not easy being a supermodel.
Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd is a story about Ireland in the 80s. Fergus finds a preserved child in the bog; a scientist comes to excavate (who happens to have a teenage daughter) and Fergus dreams/thinks about the child's past and her story. I like that Dowd did so well weaving the historical aspect with the modern day (modern day to the story that is). Fergus's older brother is in jail and joins a hunger strike in the prison and the whole family do what they can to convince him not to do it. It's a coming of age story but during a time and in a place that most US readers aren't familiar with it. I looked a little into the history of Ireland during the 80's so I would have a slight idea of what was going on when some of the political terms were mentioned. You can certainly read it without that, but it may not make as much sense.
Blood Alone by James Benn is the third Billy Boyle mystery. I may or may not have said it before, but I am not a big mystery fan. They're just not my types of books. But I have found two mystery writers I enjoy, James Benn being one. I don't know if it's the WWII setting that I enjoy, or the great way he develops characters, but I'm kind of dreading the end of the war because what stories will Billy have to share with us then? It's fall of 1944, I think, and the book begins with Billy having lost his memory. A fantastic series. I think he just keeps getting better.
Is it even necessary for me to mention Pride & Prejudice? There is something comforting about reading a book you're familiar with; it's nice to have a story that you know, you know what will happen, but it's still a pleasure and a delight to take that journey with the characters again. I love the story. I love watching Elizabeth change. I love watching Lydia frustratingly stay the same. I love thinking how different things might have been had Mr. Collins chosen Mary instead of Charlotte. I love the interactions and the social niceties and Lady Catherine and the Gardiners, and Jane and Bingley, oh it's just so wonderful. Only Persuasion remains for me to read this year. I like that book and it feels appropriate, saving it for last.
Forgive the brief reviews, but I just wanted to have something out there to be read. Currently reading The Glass of Time by Michael Cox, a continuation of a sort of his The Meaning of Night. I'm only 27 pages in, so I haven't too much of an opinion yet. But Cox has a great way of drawing a person in.
So until I update again (hopefully not a month later), I remain,
the Savage Librarian.
Have happy holidays, all.

Hungry

2008-10-20T12:50:00.001-07:00

I finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins over the weekend. It's a really engaging story and one of the aspects I liked most is that you know Katniss is going to the Hunger Games (otherwise you wouldn't have a story) so Collins doesn't take ages to get her there. I appreciate that. Oftentimes authors will build and build and build to a plot point we already know is going to happen but Collins doesn't do that. Katniss lives in a future America (after the collapse of the United States), in one of the poorest districts of Panem, the new country. Every year, two teenagers, a boy and a girl between 12 and 18, are chosen from each district to participate in the Hunger Games. The Games are a fight to the death for the entertainment of those who live in the Capitol (as a means to remind the 12 districts outside of the Capitol of a war 74 years ago in which the Capitol destroyed the no longer existing 13th District). So Katniss goes with a boy from her district and they get pampered and powdered and fed and fluffed the week prior to the Games and then are thrown into the Arena (a recreation of a wilderness, with a few surprises) to fight it out. This is when the book starts to get a little gruesome. Nearly half of the 24 tributes are dead after the first day. Katniss must survive on her wits and her skills. The first book of a planned trilogy, The Hunger Games is a great read (Collins has a way of ending chapters so you want to turn the page to start the next chapter; it's nearly irresistible), though I have to admit I was a little disappointed to find there are two more books planned. I think it would have been a remarkable novel on its own but I'll definitely read the next one to see what she has in store next. Reminded me a little of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies; definitely for middle schoolers and up because of the gore.
Just started Meg Cabot's Airhead and I'm not sure I'm going to like the new Emerson Watts (but then I'm not sure Emerson Watts will like the new Emerson Watts); I feel I would have gotten along with the old one just fine. In between reads, I remain, the Savage Librarian.

ok ok

2008-10-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile. A girl's allowed a vacation every now and then. Where to start?
Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi. I have not read any of the Spiderwick Chronicles books, but I picked this one up because it was short and looked cute. Kenny is a happy bunny. His father comes back from the fields one afternoon and says he's seen a dragon. So, naturally, Kenny being a curious soul goes off to fight the dragon! Low and behold, the dragon is not what Kenny expected. Thus begins a friendship between Kenny and Grahame and when Grahame is threatened, Kenny is determined to find a way to save him. All in all, a good book for 2nd and 3rd graders. Friendship, adventure, a little bit of non-scary danger and a dragon. How could a reader go wrong?
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I have finally caught up with the rest of the world and have read Twilight. Bella is an interesting character. She's thoroughly enamored and enthralled by Edward. The book I found--to be complete honest--not that great. It was good enough for me to keep reading it (I've finally become one of those readers who will actually put a book down if she doesn't like it) and I'll probably pick up the rest of the books in the course of my reading, but I'm not a huge fan like many other librarians I know. As it gets teens to read, though, I'm totally in favor of it. High schoolers are a good target age for this book, though I know younger girls are reading it. (As a side note: I did find out what happens to Bella at the end of the books--I asked and friends told me--and I must admit I'm curious about the journey to that point, perhaps more so than I would have been had I not known, if that makes sense.)
Admittedly this next book I can't remember who wrote it: Kings and Queens of Denmark. My vacation took me to Denmark this fall and as it was quickly becoming apparent that I would finish Twilight well before my vacation was over, I was in desperate need of another book. This book provides brief histories of the monarchs of Denmark from Gorm the Old (930 AD) to Margrethe II, the current queen. Knowing nothing as I did of the Danish royalty, I enjoyed the book and am curious about their rulers and may have to expand my obsessive royalty reading to include the Danish.
The Gathering, book two of the Quantum Prophecy by Michael Carroll. To be honest, I didn't remember a great deal about The Awakening, the first book, other than Colin, Danny, and Renata are superheros in a time when all the superheros have been gone for 10 years. This one picks up not long after the first book ends, and Renata and Colin are masked adventurers, trying to save the world one small incident at a time. When their true identities are leaked to the media, Colin and his family have to get out. They end up in the US (in Kansas, no less) in hiding. A supervillian, Dioxin, joins with an enemy to draw the superheros out of their hiding and when the fighting start it explodes. I really enjoy this books and think boys especially will like these: they are not particularly long, involve superheroes, and a lot of action (and destruction). Good for middle schoolers and probably upper elementary, though some of the themes might be a bit much.
Watchmen by Alan Moore. I admit I picked up this graphic novel because I've seen a preview for the movie, due out in 2009. The storyline is at first a little confusing; I was trying to understand where it was all leading and was not having much luck figuring it out. It's a turn because the superheroes aren't wanted at this time (1985--Nixon's still president) and most have retired or gone into hiding (or in the case of the Comedian, work for the government). The story begins with the Comedian's murder and from then on out, it becomes a matter of piecing things together as slowly the superheroes disappear. Roschach, a very determined superhero, sees more behind it than others are willing to admit. It's definitely a dark story, and when the story begins to pick up it goes at a quick pace. I'm curious to see how the film version will be, but something tells me it probably won't be as effective. Good art, interesting story, definitely a recommended read. Older teens.
As for movies, I saw Eagle Eye in theaters last night and it was better than I was expecting. Definitely makes you think about all the technology you use and whether or not it's tracking you and it's slightly freaky. A good action movie (the ending was a little corny and I could have done without it, but I guess they were going for a positive ending). Perhaps better than I expected is the best praise I can give it.
Anticipating Hunger Games this weekend. I hear it's a quick read and excellent so I'm looking forward to that. In between reviews, I remain,
the Savage Librarian.

4 of 6

2008-09-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

I finished Mansfield Park, Jane Austen book four of six. I'm nearing the end. And am still really enjoying it. Though every time I read this book, I wonder what had happened to Austen or what made her think she had to make Crawford such the cad she made him. Or perhaps it's just that I get suckered into his charm (not easily, not quickly; I take the cautious approach like Fanny) every time, even though I know what he's going to do. Austen has written him so well as to guide the reader to think that it's quite possible, indeed, it's likely that Henry Crawford is changing, that he's endeavoring to become worthy of Fanny Price, that her patience and steadiness and deep feelings are more than just playthings to him and he is determined to show that he is what she wants. He goes so far as to visit Fanny in Portsmouth, to offer her a means to return to Mansfield, to show he cares enough about her to seek her, to be the gentleman with her. You think, through his attentions, that he truly is changing.
And then he sleeps with Maria Rushworth.
It always seems to me a shoddy thing, that it had to happen last minute to get Crawford out of the way, but as I read I think that perhaps Austen wanted Fanny to be with Crawford, but something about her great desire to pair her with Edmund causes her to make Crawford do the most horrendous thing he could have done to lose Fanny. Perhaps Austen believed we couldn't change; we are who we are born and there is nothing we can do to change that. Crawford was born a cad (though she makes enough remarks about education and the influence of others, so I can't satisfy myself that that's the case) and he was to remain a cad. Part of me is always just a tiny bit disappointed that this happens, but I'm usually pleased that Fanny ends up with Edmund. Not someone I would like to end up with. Edmund doesn't assume that Fanny will always agree with him and be submissive to him, but he did form her tastes and education and so the likelihood that they would disagree is not very high.
Trying to read a short book (Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things) between now and my vacation (with the goal of vacation to be reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight) and am very excited by the sequel to Quantum Prophecy: The Awakening by Michael Carroll (fabulous teen book about the disappearance of superheros and their reappeance years later); the new one is Quantum Prophecy: The Gathering. Psyched to read it.
If I don't finish anything before vacation, keep reading.
I remain, the Savage Librarian.

Underrated

2008-09-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

I've finished a good book, a quick read, a novel in verse, but not rhyming, light verse that flows well, and makes great sense with some wondrous line breaks. It's called Minn and Jake by Janet Wong and, at least at my library, hasn't gotten the attention (or circulation!) it deserves. Minn and Jake are 5th graders; Minn is the tallest kid in the class and Jake (the new kid) the shortest. They become rather unlikely friends, as Minn's a great lizard catcher and Jake has just been transplanted from Los Angeles. The verse certainly doesn't deter one from reading the book; in fact I think it helps the book move faster. It doesn't make the story confusing or too lofty for readers in 3-5th grades. Minn is a great female character, she's tall and feeling awkward about her height (but never awkward about her lizard catching skills), she's kind of a tomboy, but until last week, her best friend was Sabrina. So Minn is somewhere in between the tomboy and girly girl, which is kind of realistic, I think. The friendship that grows (and starts in an unlikely and seemingly unable to make it way) between Minn and Jake is nice to watch unfold and you feel that two characters who feel out of place have finally found somewhere they're not. It's a clever book with a sequel that's already out, Minn and Jake's Almost Terrible Summer, which the first book set up nicely. Definitely recommended.
In the midst of Mansfield Park (Austen 4 of 6!)and will probably finish it tomorrow. And then, yes, and then I'll join most of the world and read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight.
In between reads I remain,
the Savage Librarian.

A Brief, Royal Life

2008-08-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Princess Ka'iulani: Hope of a Nation, Heart of a People by Sharon Linnea about the last crown princess of Hawaii. She lived only to be 23 years old and witnessed the loss of her sovereignty as well as the loss of many important family members. I don't know much about Hawaiian history but was very intrigued by Ka'iulani's life. She was sent to England to school when she was 13 and it was seven years before she had the opportunity to return home again. There was such turmoil on the Islands when her aunt was dethroned and Ka'iulani was so far away, and could do very little to help. It's difficult to summarize such a story, but it was a good read with some wonderful information about her life, though it only broadly touched on the events surrounding Ka'iulani. But it is a biography of the princess and written for young people, so all in all a good book.
Undecided on what to read next, I remain,
the Savage Librarian.

Theatrics, Arrogance, and a Happily Ever After

2008-08-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Time to update!
The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding is about Cat Royal, an orphan who lives in the Royal Theatre on Drury Lane in 1790 London. Cat deals with gangs, with self-important actors, the posh end of society, as well as her uncertain status in the world. What will happen to her when she's too old to be taken care of? She sleeps in the theatre on her own. My one real complaint with the book is that I don't know how old Cat is. I thought at one point the author described her as being 10 years old but there are certain aspects of her character that make her seem older. At one point she is asked how old she is and her reply is that she doesn't know. An estimation of her age would have been helpful. It appears that most of the characters she hangs with are older than 10 years old; some perhaps as old as 17? It's a little disconcerting. But it's probably just me. The story however is pretty cool. It's adventure primarily (and Cat is great because she's spunky and lively and not your typical young lady, but with small elements of tiny lady-like elegance thrown in) with a slight twinge of mystery. It's probably better for upper grade schoolers, might be a little too light for 7th and 8th graders, but chunky and parts of a little too much (a bloody boxing match, a character's stint in jail, discussion of hangings) for younger readers. Enjoyable though and a fairly swift read. Recommended. There are enough boy characters in it that it's it's possible to get the book into the hands of a boy, he just might like it.
I missed the film Smart People when it was in theaters and had a chance to watch it on dvd over the weekend. Dennis Quaid does a remarkable job as a pompous windbag English literature professor in this slow moving but thoughtful and interesting odd comedy. A widower who falls for a doctor who was once one of his students (who tells him that he's a pompous windbag; I enjoy when she interrupts him at dinner to tell him how long he's been talking), he tries to get a handle on being a likable person again. Parts of it you just want to roll your eyes and be slightly disgusted/annoyed with him, but Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays the doctor, does a fairly good job of putting him in his place. Also enjoyable is Ellen Page playing Quaid's brainiac high school senior daughter who essentially has taken care of her father since her mother's death. She is one of those incredibly smart people who hide how awkward and alone they are by being pretentious assholes. Throw into the mix Thomas Haden Church as Quaid's adopted brother (he always makes a point to tell people Haden Church is adopted) who is pretty much the comic relief of this film and you have a weirdly intelligent goofy comedy. A shorter film (only an hour and a half), this does move kind of slowly but is definitely worth sticking it out.
I had been looking forward to seeing Penelope since I first heard about the film last fall. Again, it was another film I missed in theaters, but it was worth the wait for the dvd. Christina Ricci plays Penelope a girl who is born with the curse of a pig-like nose and ears. (Being Christina Ricci, she can't really be that ugly, and it's almost endearing.) Following the typical fairy tale line, her parents determine the only way to get rid of the nose and ears is for Penelope to get married to "one of her own," a blue blood, someone rich and high born. The young men come, are not allowed to see Penelope at first but when she does reveal herself they--literally--run for it. Penelope is 25 and frustrated that nothing has happened, that one young man has stayed. But then one does (even if it is accidentally) and she develops a bond with Max that sticks even after he disappoints her as well. She decides to venture out into the world on her own and live her life outside of her house (the world thinks she's dead because her mother faked Penelope's death when she was a child to get the press hounds away from the family). If anything, see the film for the brilliant sets and wonderful use of colors in costumes and throughout the film. It's funny, lighthearted, and has a good message. And Catherine O'Hara is wonderfully overprotective and hyperactive and a pushy mother who wants her daughter to get married. Enjoyably fun. With a happily ever after.
That's it for me today; keep reading.
Yours,
the Savage Librarian.

2 Adventures, Quite Different.

2008-08-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

As much of a history nerd as I am, I don't know a whole lot about Henry Hudson's voyages, and I think that was helpful (suspense-wise anyway) when I read Quest by Kathleen Benner Duble. This story of Henry Hudson's voyage is told from the perspective of four characters, two on the ship Discovery with Henry Hudson and two back in Europe, awaiting the return of the ship. John Hudson is Henry's 17 year old son (the middle child) who has gone on voyages with his father before. He has the task of keeping the ship's logs and so his entries (which lean much more towards journal entries than ship logs) comprise his contribution to the story. Seth Syms is one of the sailors (first time, poor soul) on Discovery, older than John, but befriends him and enjoys John's pranks. Seth is writing letters to his mother, even knowing that the letters will not get to her until he has returned from the voyage. Richard Hudson is Henry Hudson's youngest son, about 8 years old, and his story is told in the third person (which was a little jarring at first as the other three stories are told in the first person), making observations of what Richard thought of his brothers, but also what his mother went through while his father was at sea (often times captains' wives had to beg for credit until their husbands returned). The final part of the story is told in journal format by Isabella Digges, the daughter of one of Hudson's investors. Digges sends his daughter to a Dutch family as a companion so that she can spy for him. The head of the family is a part of the Dutch East India Trading Company and Isabella's charge is to seek out some of the maps and somehow convey the information of the new world back to her father. When the Discovery takes an extraordinary amount of time to return (the ship was trapped in the ice in Canada for the winter), the story starts to pick up and things get a little harried. I really enjoyed this book. It's quick paced and short (240 pages) and with a few kind of creepy details (a description of a man who froze to death and discussion of hangings) it's definitely better off for middle schoolers than grade schoolers. There is a helpful author's note at the end, noting where Duble got her inspiration for the story and what's true and what's not, as well as her belief that there needed to be some strong females characters (Isabella Digges, definitely, and Katherine Hudson). Highly recommended for history fans or anyone looking for a different type of adventure story.
Jellaby by Kean Soo is a fantastic graphic novel good for the grade school set (probably 3-5, though even some 2nd graders could probably tackle it). Jellaby is a giant purple monster that Portia finds in the woods near her house. Portia is raised by her mother as her father mysteriously disappeared. She doesn't have many friends, but Jellaby encourages Portia to get involved on the side of Jason, who is being bullied. She and Jason (after Jason unexpectedly meets Jellaby) become tentative friends and determine they should find a way to get Jellaby home. Jellaby recognizes a photo from a Halloween exhibition and the kids determine they need to take Jellaby there. Jason's parents are entirely absent from the story. These two grade schoolers con their way onto a train to the City (Jellaby's only speech is when he buys tickets on the train--it's hilarious) but something (inevitably) happens and the book ends there! Fantastic book. The color scheme is primarily in shades of purple, with a red barrette for Portia and a yellow hoodie for Jason distinguishing them from the rest of the kids (Jellaby's got some red stripes). There's a subplot of what actually happened to Portia's father (she keeps having nightmares) that will keep the story moving. Can't recommend it enough and I eagerly await the next volume.
Remarkably, I'm not waiting for anything, but content to be reading The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding. Another historical fiction about Cat Royal, an orphan who lives in the Royal Theatre in Drury Lane in 1790 London. I'm curious to see how it will turn out. I'll be patiently reading and update you next time.
Keep reading,
The Savage Librarian.

Totally Devoted to Princess Mia

2008-08-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a little slow with updating this news and I've known for a bit, but this is my shameless plea to the wonderfully talented Meg Cabot to consider sending me an advanced reader's copy of Forever Princess and/or Ransom My Heart. I'm torn between sadness that these will be the last of the Princess Diaries books, and excitement because Forever Princess is 416 pages and Ransom My Heart is 384 pages. They will certainly be sizeable (enjoyable!) reads. I'm going to have a difficult time waiting for January 2009 to roll around to find out what happens to Mia. Ack! I'm curious about how her senior year will go as well and am interested that the story is jumping that far in advance and am hoping it turns out well. Besides, what is Ransom My Heart? Is it Mia's first published book? What type of story is it? What will happen!!! I'm just a bundle of excited nerves for these books. And I have to wait until January. January!! Sigh. People say there is less excitement in the book world now that the Harry Potter books are finished, but I'm on pins and needles for the end of this saga. I think I'll have to re-read them all in anticipation of the release of these last two, so I know ALL of what's been happening with Mia. I'm eagerly looking forward to it (as soon as I finish my re-reading of Jane Austen's novels...).
Thus ends the Savage Librarian's very fan-girly entry.

Of Rats and Princes

2008-08-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

Two books to discuss today, Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell and The Little Lady Agency and the Prince by Hester Browne.
Emmy Addison is a small girl in school who feels ignored by her classmates and even her teacher. Her family inherited a pile of money and so her parents are often traveling around the world instead of staying home with Emmy. Emmy is in the care of her nanny, Miss Barmy. Miss Barmy is not the Mary Poppins type nanny, but rather the foul type one, the one who makes you take nasty medicine and signs you up for all kinds of after school activities you're just not interested in. Emmy discovers one day in class (when no one is paying attention to her) that she can understand the pet rat in the classroom. And he certainly has some interesting things to say. There's an odd shop on Emmy's way from school and she wanders in there one day to see what's there (the shop is called The Antique Rat), only to overhear Miss Barmy requesting something of the shopkeeper with all the rodents in the back. These rodents are special and each has an amazing ability, as Emmy's new friend Joe finds out when the class rat shrinks him. Needless to say, Miss Barmy is up to no good with the various rodents and their powers and it's up to Emmy, Joe, and the Shrinking Rat to stop her. Fun, quick read, good for kids grades 3-5.
My impatient waiting for Hester Browne's new book, The Little Lady Agency and the Prince, was rewarded by a great read. I was excited to see Melissa Romney-Jones back and in marriage discussions with Jonathan Riley. Also keeping up her fabulous agency, helping the fashion-challenged and just all around manners and behaviorially challenged. Mel's Granny asks a huge favor of her; Mel is supposed to help tame a playboy prince so his grandfather can get the family castle back and be invited to their country of Hollenberg once more. At first wary of Nicky upon their first meeting, Mel is never one to turn down a challenge and uses all of her fabulous Honey skills to reign this prince in. Jonathan, surprisingly, has no problem with Mel prancing about in the papers with this man (a big difference from Little Lady, Big Apple). He is currently in Paris, opening the estate agency's new office there. Mel visits on weekends and they plan on Mel moving over there in the fall. Mel's a little reluctant to do so, but wouldn't imagine telling Jonathan that. Eventually, a weekend goes terribly, terribly wrong in Paris, and there are two people who help Mel get home in one (though hungover) piece: Nelson (ever the admirable Nelson) and Prince Nicky. Mel's got herself in it this time (along with planning Emery's baby's christening/naming ceremony which continually gets pushed back, and just dealing with her family in general) but is always in control whether as Honey or Mel. Ever entertaining, quick reads.
Side note: X-Files: I Want to Believe made me want to believe that Chris Carter can do better with an X-Files movie, but there won't be anymore after this film. Not a bad film, as films go, but from a fan point of view, it's not very X-Filey. (Except the Mulder/Scully relationship bit, which fans appreciate, I'm sure.) If you're a die-hard fan, I'm tempted to advise you to pass on this film and if you weren't interested in the show before, this won't interest you. Disappointing, despite how nice it was to see Mulder & Scully (and Skinner!) again.
The Savage Librarian recommends you keep reading. Have good ones.

Yellow Cats, Red Apples, Green Dresses

2008-08-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell is a neat story about Ottoline, left at her Big City apartment with Mr Munroe, a small, hairy creature (think Cousin It, only shorter and with more visible legs). Ottoline's about 10 years old and her parents travel over the world collecting some very odd things (in a postcard from her mother, Ottoline is reminded to dust the 4 spouted tea pot). With such parents, Ottoline has two budding collections of her own, her Odd Shoe collection (she buys a pair of shoes and will only wear one of the shoes and put the other in the collection, so Riddell's illustrations of her have her walking about with odd shoes on her feet) and her Postcard collection, containing what her parents send her. She seems to miss her parents, but it is not a story for pining, as observant Ottoline has discovered a similarity between burglaries taking place in her neighborhood. Using Mr Munroe to help infiltrate the gang responsible for the jewel thievery, Ottoline cracks the case! A fun read, with detailed illustrations, a neat little mystery, and good for the quiet types. Recommended for 3-5 graders.
Little Lady, Big Apple by Hester Browne is the second book with Melissa Romney-Jones, organizer extraordinaire, and her lovely little agency that sorts out some men's lives. Per the agreement between Melissa and beau Jonathan, 'Honey' no longer steps out on the town with her clients to act as a girlfriend. Melissa's business is still booming and she's found plenty to keep her busy. Her family, ever blissful, has a bit of a shock when older sister Allegra arrives in pomp at the family home. Seems her husband Lars has been up to a few things he should not have been up to. Mel's best friend Nelson (still kind of dating Gabi) has found an opportunity to boss about underprivileged kids on a tall ship, so will be gone for 3 months. And has decided to have the flat entirely re-done, leaving Mel with nowhere to go for a month. Jonathan gets a promotion and must now jet back and forth between London and New York, and needs to spend a large chuck of time setting up in New York. When Jonathan discovers Mel's new homelessness, he tells her to take a holiday and come to New York. After much uncertainty (especially over who will take care of the business), Mel goes. And it is in New York that she meets Jonathan's friends (also his ex-wife's friends) and deals with his go-getting, workaholic attitude. His slightly dismissive attitude about her Agency gets under her skin, and it's a wonder if they will work it out. Well told, entertaining, swift pace, and I can't wait to read The Little Lady Agency and the Prince, currently waiting for me on hold at my public library. Recommended for those who aren't quite ready to admit they like chick lit.
On DVD: The Other Boleyn Girl. Yes, it's been on DVD for a bit, now, but I just got a chance to watch it again. I did see this film in theaters and was jarred by some of the historical inaccuracies, but watching it again as a story, as just to watch it, I enjoyed it. Natalie Portman brings out a side of Anne Boleyn that I had never envisioned before (terrified of the wrath of Henry VIII, small, insecure) and Scarlett Johansson is very good as the patient, though perhaps a bit naive, Mary Boleyn. Beautiful costumes, wonderful use of scenery, and a brooding Eric Bana. Recommended.
In the process of reading Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell (I can't read two books at once, so the Hester Browne will wait), and the DVD of Stop-Loss waiting to be watched at home. I missed that one in theaters and am really intrigued by the story. I hope it's good. Will post when I've finished ... something. In the meantime, I remain your Savage Librarian.

PANTS!

2008-07-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

My impatience has been somewhat rewarded--I finished Louise Rennison's newest Georgia Nicolson book, Stop in the Name of Pants! Let me begin by saying, I love the title. (And perhaps too like a 15 year old girl I like to say Pants randomly in conversations.) I always welcome new Georgia books because I'm always a bit curious about what sort of muck she'll get herself into this time. Well she's pretty much stepped in it this time. She very obviously is attracted to Dave the Laugh (ok, ok, obvious for the rest of us) and should clearly be with him, but would rather be prancing about with Masimo, the Luuuuurve God. She really needs to learn that it's more important to be with someone you're really comfortable with rather than someone who is gorgeous to everyone else. However poorly I presented it, Georgia should be with Dave. Leave Robbie & Wet Lindsay to themselves, and Masimo should find another girl (though he is very keen on her).
It felt like not much happened in this one (they go so quickly) and I feel that has been the trend for the last couple of books. I won't stop reading them because they are such fantastically fun reads. But for what the books present not much happens at all. Entertaining, definitely, but not worth a purchase. Check it out from your library.
I'm on to Little Lady, Big Apple by Hester Browne and enjoying that thus far. This is a poor rambly post but I'm slightly distracted.
Keep reading.
yours,
the Savage Librarian.

The Little Lady

2008-07-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

You know, there are certain 'endearments' and 'pet names' I find kind of demeaning. Little Lady is one of them, but remarkably, Hester Browne's character Mel turns it into a whole job.
Melissa bounces from temp job to temp job and is trying to find some permanent use for her organizing abilities and skills. She gets caught up in something a bit tawdry and as naive as she is, she doesn't realize it's bad thing until the bad thing starts to happen. So. Being the proper and intrepid British Miss she is, she starts her own business, the Little Lady Agency in which Melissa transforms into Honey Blennerhesket, a flirtatious, easy going, life of the party young woman who will clean up bachelors ("Homme Improvement"), buy presents for mothers, girlfriends, and families of bewildered men, as well as pose as a date for those who don't want the fuss of an actual relationship. Mel's own family situation is somewhat nightmarish and owes her father (an MP) a fairly substantial sum so is working to pay it back. Her younger sister is getting married. Her mother is essentially her father's secretary and treats her not so grandly. Mel gets into her own trouble when she starts to fall for one of her clients and begins blurring the lines between work and her actual life and even wonders if perhaps the one for her may be her flatmate.
A quick, fun read, The Little Lady Agency is a good light summer read, chick lit with a little bit of brains and a boost to our self-esteem. I've picked up the second book, Little Lady, Big Apple which I'll read as soon as I finish Stop in the Name of Pants! (Yes, it finally came in and I'm already half way through it. It shouldn't take me more than a couple of days at the most.) It's pretty neat (and annoying) when one book leads to the next and you get caught up in a character's life and are eager to read the next one ....
Keep reading and in the meantime I remain your wrapped in a book Savage librarian.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-23T16:35:00.002-07:00

I seem to get rather caught up in my books, but I saw The Dark Knight on Sunday. It is excellent. I certainly think Heath Ledger did an excellent job, but as for it being award worthy, I think I agree with my friend, who said he would have to check out the competition first to see if the performance truly was. There was more of Christian Bale as Batman and as Bruce (with Alfred) and less of him being playboy Bruce Wayne, which I kind of like, because playboy Bruce Wayne can be a little annoying (but the gravelly voiced Batman gets a bit annoying; must be only to me). Michael Caine is an excellent Alfred and did quite well again; Morgan Freeman had a fantastic line and delivered it so deliciously well that it made his little screen time worth it; Aaron Eckhart is good as Harvey Dent, the White Knight; Gary Oldman as Detective Gordon I think was better this time than in Batman Begins; and Maggie Gyllenhaal made an interesting Rachel Dawes. I highly recommend the film. It's well done (yay for Chicago landmarks!), though it moves a little slowly. It doesn't drag, but you can feel the length of the movie, if that makes any sense.
Right. Did see another dvd, but eh, not so great: My Mom's New Boyfriend. Good for Antonio Banderas, Selma Blair, and Colins Hanks, but forget Jim Carrey's annoying sound, listen to Meg Ryan's screeching in that movie. It made me want to stab my ears so I wouldn't have to listen to her. Oh, and the guy who played Keith Mars on Veronica Mars had a very funny bit part and was almost worth the screeching. Definitely check it out from your local library, but I'm not sure I'd go so far as renting it (unless you have a slight obsession with Colin Hanks. Not that I would know anything about having a slight obsession with Colin Hanks).
I remain, the tired Savage Librarian.

Reign vs. Rule

2008-07-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

I finished Sovereign Ladies: The Six Reigning Queens of England by Maureen Waller on Monday. It is a very good book. I know I usually don't begin with such a simplistic statement, but I'm still a little awed by Waller's writing. It's a history book, and as much as I love history and usually slog through history books, Waller's writing style is incredibly easy to read and moves the book along a nice pace. To finish a history book in a week? That's rare for me (especially as this one is some 500 pages). Waller's discussions of Mary I, Mary II, and Anne I found particularly interesting as I don't think I knew as much about them as I do about Elizabeth I, Victoria, and Elizabeth II (which to be honest is a whole heck of a lot). I don't know if in my study of the periods I never really thought about women's roles before or Waller just pointed it out nicely for me, but she took into account that these women were raised and trained a certain way, and had to deal with being women in powerful positions at times when normal (for lack of better term) women had no power (Elizabeth II excluded). Mary I, Waller points out, was basing her idea of rule on the stories of Ferdinand and Isabella, her grandparents, and how Isabella retained rule of her lands but shared power with Ferdinand. Perhaps these stories were simply fond memories her mother, Katherine of Aragon, had, but they had quite an effect upon Mary, who was looking for some aspect of her life to go well and happily and thought marriage would be it. Mary II was content to obey her husband, William of Orange, in whatever he decided to do (William is an oddity as he reigned after his wife died, whereas Philip II did not, and after William, not of the Queens' consorts have been given the title of King; George of Denmark, Anne's husband, even though she did fight for the King title for him; Prince Albert, Victoria's husband, and Prince Philip, Elizabeth II's husband). I'll go and on about this book and the random little nuggets of knowledge I learned from it if I don't contain myself. Waller poses a question in the epilogue of whether or not there will be a monarch after Elizabeth II; will the British people decide they've really just had enough and dissolve the monarchy? What a time that will be. She also seems to think that Elizabeth II is going to beat Victoria's reign of 64 years. (This has been a small guess of mine for years and at 56 years she's getting closer.)
I've gotten a good third of the way through The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne. Melissa needs a job and ends up creating an agency for poor London shlubs who can't seem to dress themselves nicely or get any kind of girl. She attempts to help them out (as a different person of course). It's a nice fluffy read so far and I'm liking, I admit, I'm liking this chick lit. I'll see how it ends though because I have an idea of how it should end in my head and I'm beginning to think that's not the direction the story is going.
Until I finish that one and can give you a proper review, I remain your Savage Librarian.
PS--Still no Stop in the Name of Pants! It's driving me crazy!

3 of 6

2008-07-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

In my slow going goal this year of reading all 6 Austen novels, I've just reached my half way point. I finished Sense and Sensibility over the weekend and I'm amazed at how fast it went. For some reason the first couple times I tried to read it, I simply could not get through it. I didn't eventually read it all the way through once and was fairly determined not to read it again. But if I'm going to read them, I've got to read all of them. Something about this book has risen in my estimation, or for some reason I have more patience with it than I have had previously. I like the story, particularly Elinor and the situation she finds herself in, and it was less painful than anticipated. There are parts in the book that are not in the movie version Emma Thompson was in, and it was nice to have those tiny fresh reminders that movies indeed are definitely not the books. Elinor forgave Willoughby awfully easily in my mind; I do not forgive easily when it comes to people hurting my family or my close friends. Elinor is supposed to pity him because he has no money or was too spendy with it in the past? He put himself in this whole. Granted, he won't be happy in his marriage, but as Marianne reflects, if he had married her and had no money, he would not have necessarily been happy either. The Middletons and Mrs Jenkins are most certainly nosy and entertaining to read about (I certainly wouldn't want to spend a great deal of time in company with people continuously prying into my private life). I used to steer people away from Sense and Sensibility because I had such a difficult time reading it, but I think that perhaps I will amend my status on this Austen novel.
The remaining three I have to read are: Mansfield Park, Persuasion, and Pride and Prejudice. I have read each of these at least twice before (P&P I've read every year since 1998) and am only debating on which novel I should end. Persuasion is slowly becoming quite a favorite with me; is it possibly it could overtake P&P? I am not yet certain. Though there is something about Anne Elliott I identify with perhaps more than Elizabeth Bennet. Friends have placed me as a Jane Bennet in regards to the Bennet sisters, and I see that as accurate. But Anne--! I identify with Anne, especially as I am someone who holds on to affection even when it appears there's no chance of it succeeding. As does Jane Bennet, come to think of it, and Elinor Dashwood to an extent. Picking up on a pattern?
Still waiting for Stop in the Name of Pants! In the meantime I've picked up a gigantically daunting history book, Sovereing Ladies: The Six Reigning Queens of England by Maureen Waller and while it is a subject I knew I would enjoy, I have to say that I am most impressed with the writing style. As much as I love history, I have a difficult time getting through history books they're usually written in such a dry, dull style (I am sorry to pain history writers, but in my limited experience it's true, and I usually dig my heels in and get through the books because the topics themselves are fascinating) but Waller tells a story and she tells it well. I'm getting through it at a surprising pace for myself and certainly am enjoying. Only on Queen Elizabeth I thus far. Waller brings up many good points about Mary I without absolving her of blame. Before I get too far however, I'll finish the book first.
Steeped in reading, I remain, your Savage Librarian.

Royal Stories Flourish

2008-07-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

I have a combination of materials to discuss this morning, 2 dvds and 2 books (I've sped through them). Let's start with the movies:
I watched Wallis & Edward earlier this week, starring Joely Richardson (of Nip/Tuck) as Wallis Simpson. Most accounts I've heard or read or seen of the Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson story paint Mrs. Simpson in a most unflattering light. (I have not heard/read/seen many versions of the story, though I do own Edward VIII's book, A King's Story, which I have yet to read.) This film was interesting because it showed a very tender, loving relationship between Edward and Mrs. Simpson, she being more concerned with his happiness than herself. Edward VIII is painted as needy and slightly controlling as well as very very stubborn. She continues to tell Edward VIII not to give up his birthright for her, that they don't need to be married, that she'll leave the country, anything to help him focus on his duty as King. Edward VIII will not be deterred. He wants her as a wife and is willing to abdicate to get her. Which is precisely what occurred. Most of the stories paint Mrs. Simpson as being the one who forced Edward VIII to abdicate, that it was entirely her fault, that her influence caused him to quit the throne, to support Nazis, etc, etc. But Wallis & Edward portrays Edward as the more forceful character in the relationship. It was definitely an interesting film and pretty good. I recommend.
I know this is a loose connection to royalty, but the next film out on dvd is Persepolis (it talks a little bit about the Iranian royalty--yes, that's my flimsy connection). Based on Marjane Satrapi's two graphic novels, Persepolis and Persepolis 2, the film tells her story of growing up in Iran during the revolution and war. The film is beautiful, staying true to the tone and story of the books (well, definitely the first book, I haven't read the second one yet), is touching and funny, heartbreaking and angering. Marji is close to her parents and grandmother and it must have been a confusing time to grow up, revolutions, the danger faced by family members who oppose the government, the slow tightening restrictions placed on women in Iran. Her parents eventually send her to Vienna, to get her out of the country. Vienna is not the place for Marji and she spends a miserable time there, only to return to her family and Iran. She struggles to make it work in that country, where her family is, where she bases her identity. But disagreeing with much of what is happening in the country (as well as having had a taste of what was happening elsewhere in the world) make it difficult for Marji to find herself at home. A brilliant film. I highly recommend.
On to the books! Finished Yxta Maya Murray's The King's Gold, the second in the Red Lion series, taking place 2 years after The Queen Jade. Once I got a bit beyond the odd way Lola gets involved with this adventure. A man shows up at Lola's bookshop, waving a letter from about 1554 at her, from Antonio Medici who claims to have taken some of Montezuma's gold back to Italy. He is writing the letter to his nephew Cosimo, whom Antonio has little affection for. In the letter, he challenges Cosimo to follow the clues in 4 cities to find this vast trove of gold. Lola, being Lola, simply can't resist. The mystery man is actually Marco Moreno, the son of Colonel Moreno, one of the men chasing after Lola, Erik, and Yolanda in Guatemala. Marco is ... not a nice man. Charming, certainly. Intelligent, definitely. Dangerous, without a doubt. And yet Lola goes with him and his two bodyguards, Domenic and Blasej (big beefy intimidating guys), to Italy to decipher this strange letter, to determine if it is authentic and if she could somehow possibly help find Montezuma's gold. Forget the fact that she and Erik are getting married in two weeks. Minor details. Lola arrives in Florence with Marco, wanting to be there, knowing who Marco is and what he intends to do to her and her family should she not help him. And it's definitely not nice. Erik, concerned by Lola's crazy rambling text-messages she managed to send to him before Domenico broke her phone, jumps on a plane to Florence himself and meets her where she and Marco have gone to authetincate the letter. Erik gets caught up in the mystery (and the threats) and the five of them start to the first city, the first clue. Perilous traps have been laid by Antonio for his nephew Cosimo, and danger is in every step of the way. It wouldn't be a Red Lion book if the whole family wasn't around, so of course, Yolanda shows up to help Lola track, and Juana and Manuel show up because they like adventure. Nothing is quite straightforward in Murray's novels, so the treasure that awaits them at the end is not entirely what was expected. Definitely good and there's a lead in to the next novel which hopefully won't be too long in the writing.
Finally, I got around to reading The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett, the book I was so triumphant in finding for one of my patrons about Queen Elizabeth II walking her dogs. The Queen falls in love with reading in this novella ("One has always read," she says), and her duties fall a little to the wayside. She would much rather be reading (wouldn't we all). She tries to discuss her new found passion with visiting heads of state as well as asking people in the crowds what they're reading. It stumps them all. She determines that reading is too passive and that one must write, but she must now determine what it is she's going to write. An interesting short read. Passable.
I've started Sense & Sensibility (book 3 of my Austen year) and keep thinking it might go faster than it has in the past (for some reason I had such a difficult time getting through this book--before I read it all the way through, I must have started it at least twice). I'm only about 20 pages in, so it could be too early to say. I started this one because I'm waiting for Louise Rennison's Stop in the Name of Pants! to come in at the library. I must know what's happened with Georgia! Dave the Laugh, Massimo, AND Robbie?? What's a girl to do?? And her titles really do suit me; I laugh at them all the time.
As I continue to wait (impatiently), I shall remain your Savage Librarian.

Even 100 years later, love triangles stay the same

2008-07-07T14:40:00.001-07:00

In Rumors by Anna Godbersen, the second of the Luxe novels, Penelope Hayes, Diana Holland, and Elizabeth Holland are back for more. It's been two months since Elizabeth's 'death', and Diana is impatiently awaiting the moment she can see Henry Schoonmaker again. The seemingly perpetual playboy was forced into an engagement with Elizabeth by his father and her mother (the Hollands are in some financial difficulties). While keeping up appearances with Elizabeth, Henry fell in love with reckless, lively Diana. As Rumors opens, Henry is supposed to be in mourning for Elizabeth but is pining for Diana just as much as she is for him. He wants nothing more than to be with her, spend time with her, and yes, even marry her (the only girl he's met who could draw him into marriage, he's convinced). However when Henry reveals his passions to his friend Teddy, Henry is reminded of the strict rules society lays down that would certainly frown upon Henry marrying his dead fiance's sister (this sounds like a soap opera). The Hollands, their financial crisis not ending upon Elizabeth's death, are trying to keep afloat and their lives together and Mrs Holland has now pinned all her hopes on Diana for a rich catch (Henry is never thought of by Mrs Holland). Penelope is playing the virtuous changed young woman, Elizabeth's death having a profound effect upon her and trying to take up the role as the well behaved rising social sweetheart (even though Penelope knows Elizabeth's not dead and hates the person she's becoming). She has set her sight on Henry, remembering their lustful trysts of the previous summer, willing him to love her as she loves him. Elizabeth makes an ill-advised return to Manhattan in response to a slightly panicked telegram from Diana. Will travels with her and the rumors of Elizabeth perhaps not being dead at all abound in Manhattan. In the meantime, Diana and Henry give in to their passions and are quietly discovered. Penelope of course discovers this and gives Henry and ultimatum. I only have on real complaint with the book. I find the way that Godbersen keeps Elizabeth in Manhattan a terrible direction to take the story with her character (there are so many other options that would have left me much more satisfied as a reader), though admittedly, I will read the next book, if only to find how the Holland girls will get out of the messes they're in.
Just barely started The King's Gold by Yxta Maya Murray, the second in the Red Lion Series. An interesting opening thus far. I'm curious to find out how this one will work out. Until that's finished, I remain your Savage Librarian.

Impressive Pixar

2008-07-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

I went to see WALL-E last night. Perhaps I should first admit that I continue to enjoy Disney animated films and probably will for the rest of my life. The film is fantastic, funny, heartfelt, with the just the slightest bit of preaching (very slight--we have to take care of the planet and we should get out from behind our electronic gadgets and see things). I have yet to be disappointed in the films Pixar produces (even the short films are wonderful) and look forward to what they do next.
WALL-E is left on Earth to clean up. The planets a mess and the people have all fled to a giant space cruise ship called the Axiom to await the planet being able to support life once more. (The ship has been built by the global corporation Buy N Large, which appears to have taken over most of the world, and its global CEO is played by Fred Willard!) It's been 700 years and WALL-E is the only robot left, and his companion is a cockroach. Enter EVE, who is dropped off and continues to scan the planet with WALL-E tagging along behind her. Just when she becomes less annoyed with WALL-E and more fascinated by him, she finds what she's looking for, which shuts her down. The ship that dropped her off picks her up and WALL-E, so fascinated with EVE, hitches a ride on the spaceship and ends up on the Axiom with her. On the ship are people who are have not left their little hover chairs for, well, the entirety of their lives, and lots of robots who do things for them. WALL-E, just as he did on Earth, gets in the way. Constantly. (And is very jealous when it appears EVE is flirting with another robot.) But it's impossible not to fall under this little guy's spell, awkward as he is, who even manages to save the day. Highly recommended for everyone.

Anne-ish

2008-07-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

Finished Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum, Peril, and Romance by Marthe Jocelyn yesterday. It was so nice to read a book in a day again. In 1901, Mable (14) moves to Sellerton, Ontario with her sister Viola (19), who will be the new teacher in town. They are boarding at the Goodhand family farm, consisting of Mr & Mrs as well as son Alfred, who is twenty years old. Mable tells her story by way of journal and a few letters received from her mother (written to both daughters) and her friend Hattie. Mable fancies herself a bit of a writer and creates this drama starring Helena who is first running off with the Scoundrel James, and then is abducted by Train Bandits, while her jealous older sister Myrtle tries to worm her way into their father's favor. Mable has a great imagination. She befriends Alfred's cousin Elizabeth, even though the two continue to battle as Spelling Bee team captains (Mable of the Cheerful Commas and Elizabeth of the Happy Hyphens). When I first began reading, Mable reminded me much of Anne Shirley, but as I continued in the book, with Mable meeting Mrs Rattle (who wears bloomers! Scandalous!) and getting involved (however peripherally) in Mrs. Rattle's suffragist movement and fight for fair working conditions at the area cheese factory, Mable began to question why Viola was only going to teach until she got married, why couldn't Viola teach as a married woman, why Mr Goodhand seems to think women are good only for work in the kitchen and the farm, why reading would be a 'waste of time' for women, and why, during the protest held by the women workers at the cheese factory would the owner not discuss terms with Mrs Rattle but when the male farmers approached him, the owner was willing to discuss (and change!) working conditions. Mable is torn between what is expected of her (to find a way to make money to help her mother until she is married) and speaking her spirited, opinionated mind (which gets her into trouble more than once). She's not all thought and philosophy, however, and does have fun with her classmates and friends. Definitely a fun, quick read for probably 4-5th graders, and recommended.
In other news, I've discovered that the final Princess Diaries book, Forever Princess, will be published in January of 2009. I can hardly wait! It's only six months, it's only six months ....
About to begin Rumors today, the second Luxe novel by Anna Godbersen. A few friends have already read it and I'm definitely looking forward to that one.
In between reads I remain, impatiently, your Savage Librarian.

Top 10!

2008-06-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

We have a fun summer reading thing at the library I work at, and we were asked for our ten favorite books, so I thought I'd share the list here (though I realize now that I don't have to limit it to ten and could keep going ... perhaps one day when I'm feeling just a bit more ambitious). There are, of course, notes at the end.
As they occurred to me in my head:
1) The Jane Austen novels: Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Emma. (Yes, even obnoxious Emma.) As my father pointed out, they may be similar stories, but it's the characters and situations Austen creates that make each novel unique. After nearly 200 years, these novels have endured, persevered, thrived even. (How many movie versions of Pride and Prejudice are there? I can think of 5 off the top of my head, four of them done in the last 15 years.) I continue to insist these are not pure romance stories; social issues, questions of survival (um, by gentry standards, that is), class, overcoming adversity, and what makes a good person are large parts of these novels. They are enjoyable, well written novels. If you want to hear me continue to stand on my Austen Soap Box, feel free to start me on the subject.

2) The Island by Gary Paulsen. One of those great coming of age novels, this one about Wil, who finds an island he likes to visit and will spend so much time sitting there, thinking, planning, just being. Eventually he moves onto the island, his parents confused and surprised by his decision, but allow him to do it. And he finds himself, as cliché as that is. I'm a huge Gary Paulsen fan, and have liked everything I've read by him, but The Island continues to stick in my head as one of my favorites.

3) The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot. I love these books. There! I've admitted it! Told from the perspective of Mia's journal, she moves through her early high school years trying to make sense of being a princess (for real!), boys, her mother, and math. The books are always funny, touching, and I get a kick out of how clueless Mia is about her surroundings. And herself. There will only be one more Princess Diaries book, about which I am very sad, but will still eagerly devour when it's published.

4) The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. Despereaux is the runt of his family, a tiny, tiny mouse, with rather large ears. The Princess Pea is, well, a princess living in a grand castle with her father, who refuses to eat soup (an odd quirk of his). Toss in a rotten rat living deep in the dungeons of the castle, Mig, a girl who wants to be a princess, a cook's knife, and love. Think you know where this story is going? Guess again. It's one of those books with passages that ring entirely true, has moments of fear and suspense, and even tugs at the ol' heartstrings. The illustrations are exceptional as well.

5) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. It was in this book that I first discovered David Levithan as a writer and he's brilliant. Beautiful, descriptive, wonderful passages that are easy to read and keep you wanting more. Nick and Norah meet one night, spend the whole night together talking and learning about each other and developing one of those relationships that head places we're not even aware they could head.

6) The Bookman's Wake by John Dunning. Let me begin by saying I don't read mysteries. I don't really like them a whole lot. But I enjoy the Cliff Janeway mysteries. Bookman's Wake is the second book in the series (Booked to Die the first), but I find it better than the first. Janeway was a Denver cop who loved to read and then gave up being a cop to open a used bookstore. Not exactly something that makes you a lot of money, but he loves it and solves book related mysteries in his spare time. There's something a little crazy happening at a well known fine print press, and Janeway is asked to check it out. As in all mysteries, troubles abound, red herrings spawn, and there's always a woman. I think it's the items the mysteries revolve around that keep me interested (Dunning is fabulous at describing books).

7) A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I suppose it's my occasional dark sense of humor and love for all things nineteenth century that propelled me through this series. With a clever (and very depressed) narrator telling the story of three orphans chased by a wicked man through all manner of places and disasters, this series is just plain funny.

8) Any of the Jeeves and Wooster novels by P.G. Wodehouse. Bertie is so classically clueless and Jeeves, ever the proper gentleman's gentleman, is ready with an answer and solution for Bertie at a moment's notice (even when Bertie said he wanted to handle it himself). Great British humor.

9) Bagombo Snuff Box by Kurt Vonnegut. I love all Vonnegut novels. He's a brilliant writer. He comments on society and the stupid things we do and is funny while still retaining some tiny sense of optimism, somewhere. Bagombo Snuff Box is different than most of Vonnegut's work, as the stories in this collection are, for lack of better word, normal. You just have to read him to understand. :)

10) The Emily series by L.M. Montgomery (Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, Emily's Quest). Like Anne Shirley, Emily Starr is an orphan when she gets to New Moon Farm, living with a particularly stern aunt and other family members. But whereas Anne's natural talents (aside from getting into trouble) tends toward teaching, Emily's talent is in writing. A much shorter series than Anne's, but well told and my favorite of the two.

Once I got started on this list, it was difficult to choose only 10! Other authors of note: Booth Tarkington, a remarkably underappreciated American writer; Louise Rennison's fabbity-fab Georgia Nicholson confessions; Jean Plaidy's wonderful historical fiction; Louisa May Alcott's thrillers and A Long Fatal Love Chase are entirely different from what you would expect from her; Jasper Fforde's quirky and funny and highly literate stories; and Edith Wharton's dark upper class tragedies.

It feels so High Fidelity, creating a Top 10 list (yes, I know his were only 5, but really, only 5 books?). Enjoy, disagree, or shake your head in wonderment at the odd things I've chosen (I originally had a picture book on here), and I shall remain your Savage Librarian.

An Adventure

2008-06-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

I've just finished The Queen Jade by Yxta Maya Murray, the first in the Red Lion series (the second has been published recently, and I enjoyed The Queen Jade so much that I'll pick up the second, The King's Gold, as soon as my pile diminishes somewhat--down to two library books and Rumors, the second Luxe novel that I bought and have yet to read), about Lola, who owns the Red Lion bookshop. Lola doesn't really envision herself as an adventurer; she's content to let her mother, an archaeology professor at the University of California, do the exploring and the adventuring. Her mother, Juana, and her father, Manuel, who curates a museum in Guatemala, explored the Guatemalan jungles, trying to find the source of the mysterious blue jade, and the legendary Queen Jade. Juana decides to head to Guatemala, telling Lola she wants a vacation. Lola is immediately suspicious of that, as her mother never takes just a vacation. Juana goes, spends time with Manuel, and then, as she reveals in an email to her daughter, heads out into the jungle because she thinks she knows where to find the Queen Jade. Of course, when Lola receives this email, a hurricane has just swept through Guatemala. In her email Juana reveals that she didn't even tell Manuel where she was going, so Lola determines it's up to her to track her mother down. Erik, one of Juana's colleagues, goes with Lola, and there they pick up Yolanda, the daughter of a rival archaeologist and explorer. It's a well paced book with short chapters that keep you reading (and keep you feeling like you're making progress), and a storyline mixed with legend, history, adventure and a little bit of romance. A fantastic read with a surprising and clever ending. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, and I highly recommend this title.
Just begun another fairy tale retelling and will post when I finish with that. In the meantime, I remain your Savage Librarian.

The Magic of Librarianship

2008-06-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, I said magic.
Pardon me for tooting my own horn, but sometimes, just sometimes we librarians can pull some magic out of a hat.
A lady came up to me recently and asked about a book (she didn't know the title or the author) that had Queen Elizabeth walking her dogs. That's all she could tell me.
I let my trained librarian mind and fingers do some searching, and being the type of person I am, could not contain a little yelp of joy when I found--not stumbled--the correct book. Curious? It's The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. (I'm waiting for it to be returned and will read it when my Pile has shrunk somewhat.)
In the midst of watching Ugly Betty season 1; I watched most of season 2 this past year and got hooked on it. Thought it would be wise to see where it began. Too much hokey mystery so far, I think, not enough funny drama. Will update more when more has occurred.
I remain, you Savage Librarian.

Cheating Presidents and Forever Bridesmaids

2008-06-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

The Scandal Plan; or, How to Win the Presidency by Cheating on Your Wife by Bill Folman. You read that right. Cheat on your wife, become President (though I was under the impression that you got to cheat on your wife after you became president). I enjoy comic political novels. If the story preaches me all that is wrong with the American system of electing a president (or any election), then I will probably not read it. If it suggests that it will be funny, I'm in. I have not read many political novels, I admit, but this one was funny and thought provoking. Funny election movies are a little more up my alley (The Candidate, Bob Roberts, even Election). Scandal Plan has a presidential candidate who is perfect for the job, but, unfortunately, doesn't appear to the average American as human. Ben Phillips has been a politician ever since he ran for a student council position. Ben Phillips knows (as he's known since he was in high school) that he is not cool and will never be cool. Sadly, coolness is a bit of a factor in becoming president. He is now a Senator and does the job he's supposed to do without the typical muckraking and sleaziness factor that most of us associate with politicians nowadays. His chief campaign advisor, Tom Campman, is not beyond blackmail to advance his candidate. The Plan is Campman's design. How do you talk an honest man into going along with a made-up scandal? Dangle the office of the presidency in front of him. At the end of the novel, I find it very interesting that Campman rationalizes his actions as follows: "Did any of it matter? If the right man was in office, was there really any harm in what he'd done?" (Page 435) A well-paced, fun, seemingly absurd novel with ideas that you may shake your head at but the results of which should not surprise you (so long as you're a cynic like myself). About to read The Jade Queen. Haven't started it yet, but it's about an archaeologist, which I thought would be fun. Will update when I'm finished.
I saw 27 Dresses in theatres, and enjoyed it (didn't think it was fantastic and a must-buy but definitely worth seeing). My question to myself was, as it sat on my counter for most of the week, should I watch it again? Is it really worth watching again? I asked a friend if it was worth a second watch. "Yes," was the reply. O all right, I'll do it. So I watched it last night, and yes, it definitely was worth a second watch, not only for Katherine Heigl (whom I really enjoy) singing "Bennie and the Jets" (I'm still determined to look up those lyrics ... what are they really?) but because it was a cute, slightly girly movie. Kind of like Forgetting Sarah Marshall leans a little more towards guy humor but has enough to keep girls interested, 27 Dresses leans toward girl story but (from my female perspective) isn't so awfully sappy that a guy wouldn't see it. But I wouldn't force a guy to see it. Aside from all that, I remember I hated Jane's sister, Tess. Before she was bridezilla, she was that cute friend you had that all the guys fell all over because she presented herself exactly as the mirror opposite of the guy she was interested in. Annoying. Selfish. Bratty. Ergh. Judy Greer is another highlight of the film; it was nice she got to play a character a little more risky than she usually plays. She often ends up as the cute but dorky friend who pines over the guy but may or may not get him in the end. One of her earliest lines in the movie is "Where are all the cute guys?" Jane says to her, "Can't you keep it in your pants for one wedding?" Definitely different for Judy Greer.
In the midst of library mess, I remain your Savage Librarian.

A Fantasy Nerd

2008-06-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

I've most definitely come into my affection for fantasy at a late age. I'm reading fantasy books. I'm writing fantasy books. And yes, nerdiest of nerdiest, I've been watching Star Trek. I do lean more towards fantasy than sci-fi, though I won't turn down a well told (and admittedly not very complicated) sci-fi story. Suggestions are always welcome.
Abhorsen by Garth Nix ends the story (for now?) of Lirael, Sam, Sabriel, and Touchstone. Wow. It opened well, with an attack on Sabriel and Touchstone and then you don't hear anything about them for 100 pages or so. But it's not as if you're waiting for that to come because so much else is happening with Sam and Lirael that Sabriel and Touchstone are just in the background. How do they get out of the House with Chlorr and the Dead surrounding them? How do they find Nick? Can they stop Hedge and Whatever It Is He's Setting Free? Intense, definitely intense, fast paced and well written. You keep going and feel as if you've barely turned the pages. Lirael remains proud of her librarian-ness and Clayr heritage, even though she has become the Abhorsen. And what of Sam? Who was to be the Abhorsen? Sure there is relief he is no longer the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, but is his destiny just to fall to the wayside, to live in the wakes of Lirarel and his sister, Ellimere, who will be Queen? A son of Sabriel, destined for nothing? No. And what exactly are Mogget and the Disreputable Dog? Many questions, and many answers. Fantastic read. I might be interested in reading more books by Nix. In the meantime, I've got to get through the pile I have accumulating from the library (not to mention Rumors, the next Luxe novel, which I already bought. My kingdom to be paid to read!), the first of which is The Scandal Plan: or, How to Win the Presidency by Cheating on Your Wife by Bill Folman. About 100 pages in so far--let me just say that the candidate's advisors determine they have to create a scandal to make the candidate seem more human. The plan is about to go into action, so I'm curious to see how and if it will go wrong or actually work. I like election stories too (so long as they're funny or history) and love election movies. (Bob Roberts with Tim Robbins! Hilarious!)
Unless I see anything in the next few days, you won't hear from me until I finish Scandal Plan, I remain, however, your Savage Librarian.

Solely movies.

2008-06-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

The promised Charlie Wilson's War review: it was good. Of course, much of what occured happened when I was but a wee child myself, so it was all new to me. The ending quote from Charlie is probably one of the best parts of the film. The mood of the film was light, which is kind of nice when dealing with such a serious topic as war and covert wars and the Cold War, while not entirely sugar coating what was happening in the film. It looked like it used news footage from the time period (Dan Rather reporting!) which was a nice touch. Charlie called his troop of aides in his Congressional office his jailbait. Which I find is funny, but I have a strange sense of humor, which apparently works with the screenwriters'.
Mad Money with Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, and Katie Holmes was a fun bit of fluff. Stealing money from the federal reserve (stealing money that is destined to be destroyed) to pay off massive debts, send kids to fancy private schools and buy weird husbands stuff. Ted Danson did a great job as Diane Keaton's unemployed, worrisome husband (with all that white hair! Shocking!). As most happy-go-lucky films go, they do get caught. But don't end up doing jail time. And very conveniently some 'mad money' shows up. All in all, worth a watch.
Lars and the Real Girl with Ryan Gosling is surprisingly touching. I anticipated the film to be solely funny but I damn near cried more than once. Lars is a very quiet, shy, closed off man. He lives in the garage apartment of his brother and sister-in-law's house and she continually tries to get Lars to spend more time with them (with other people really) and when he finally decides to do so, it turns out Lars has a girlfriend ... a sex doll girlfriend named Bianca. Gus and Karin (the brother and sister-in-law) take Lars to a doctor (a psychologist) to find out why Lars brought Bianca home. Well, not why he brought her home, but why he brought her out in public and is talking to her as if she is real and she responds. (As a side note, my father always told me it was ok to talk to myself, so long as I didn't answer myself. Oops.) The doctor suggests Gus and Karin go along with it, pretend Bianca's real. .... The whole town gets in to this to help Lars out (without him knowing) and it's fantastic to see them come together for Lars and help him with his delusion. Even the poor girl, Margo, who has a wicked mad crush on Lars. She doesn't make fun of him at all and continues to pine for him. As I said, funny and touching. Definitely recommended.
On the big screen: Sex and the City! I was so freaking excited to see this movie. I'm a fan of the show but not so much as to own all the seasons (still too expensive). One of my friends said the movie seemed like an extra long episode, and it did, but didn't drag at all. Carrie's, Miranda's, and Samantha's storylines were well done and each felt at the front of the film when occuring, but poor Charlotte seemed kind of brushed to the side, though I have to say I am way impressed by Charlotte's fierce side. It's not something that is usually seen in the show because she's so nice. Fierce Charlotte = Awesome and a Friend I Want on My Side. I like the film. I recommend it to fans of the show (not really those who've seen a few episodes, but people who like the show.) I will make this plea for all men with no interest in seeing the film: Ladies, PLEASE do not make your male significant other see this film if he has no desire to. He won't know what's going on and will probably spend most of the film 1) asleep or 2) making fun of it. Go with your girlfriends.
Abhorsen review to come ... tomorrow? We'll see.

Book and movies

2008-06-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

I'm steadily moving my way through my piles of both books and dvds that I have currently checked out from my library.
Lirael by Garth Nix. Sequel to Sabriel. Lirael is a pretty awesome character. She's a librarian (!) for the Clayr, a people who See the future. She does not have the gift that the rest of the Clayr have for Seeing the future and this depresses Lirael, as children younger and younger than herself gain that power. At 19 she has made a friend in the Disreputable Dog, and the Clayr have Seen fragments of her future and determine she must venture into the world to fulfill that fragment. She meets Sam, King Touchstone & Abhorsen Sabriel's son, who is 'taking a break' from the expectations of and training to be the Abhorsen-in-Waiting to rescue his from Nick, who hails from South of the Wall. Only Nick's got himself into a bit of a scrap having to do with some ancient magic. And Sam gets himself into some trouble before he meets up with Lirael, and naturally, once the two are together, trouble finds them. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm nearly half way through Abhorsen, the final book. As my friend informed me of Lirael and Sam's destinies, they both have greated destinies than what they planned for. Still quite enjoyable.
Untraceable starring Diane Lane and Colin Hanks (yay, Colin Hanks. Ok, ending my Fangirl-ish-ness). I'm typically not a fan of thrillers, but I have to say I'm more impressed with the film than I expected to be. Lane and Hanks are FBI agents dealing with cyber crime when someone tells them about this site where first a cat and then people start to die. Spooky. One this about this film is that the audience knows who the perpetrator is fairly early on, so it loses some of its suspense. But how the characters get to the correct conclusion and what they do with him is interesting on its own. If you have the bravery for these films, pretty good. I for one, however curious I am about the website they talk about in the film, will not even attempt to see if there's an actual website with that address. It's freaking spooky. *shudders*
Watched Charlie Wilson's War, but will review later. For now, I am, as ever, your
Savage Librarian.

Post Script!

2008-05-28T18:16:00.001-07:00

How could I possible forget to mention Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?
Easy. Let me share with you one word, which makes it easy to forget: Aliens.
The film is entertaining and a good ride, as all the Indy movies are, but I was slightly disappointed, despite a good point my mother made. I mean seriously, aliens? But as my mom said, 1957 was a time of science fiction and the budding space race and Roswell occurred 10 years prior, so yeah, aliens aren't that far of a stretch, but it seems so un-Indy. This argument of mine was countered with, "What about the ghosts in Raiders of the Lost Ark? Or the guy getting his heard pulled out through his chest in Temple of Doom? Or the Crusades knight guarding the Grail in Last Crusade?" I give, I give. Aliens are no less Indy territory than any of the previous ... stuff. Shia LaBeouf is funny as Mutt Williams, and there is far too little of Karen Allen. Marcus Brody has sadly died, and--disappointments of disappointments--so has Dr. Henry Jones the First. (Sean Connery, how could not show up for 3 minutes of screen time! That's all I ask! Judi Dench won an Oscar for 8 minutes of screen time in Shakespeare in Love! Not that you would have won an Oscar for this film, but still.)
Bottom line: Entertaining fun if you do not have exceptionally high hopes for film and can sit back and take in the double crosses, the Russians, the Greasers & the college kids, the chase scenes, the mystery, the puzzles, and yes, the aliens.

Next!

2008-05-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Finished The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott. It was entertaining. It's a retelling/revision/based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Wild Swans". I don't know that story to compare it to Marriott's version, but on it's own, I think The Swan Kingdom is well told. Alexandra gets her strength from the land, just as her mother has, as well as the women in her family for many previous generations. Her three older brothers, David, Hugh, and Robin, dote on their younger sister and are as protective as older brothers generally are. David is the future King of the Kingdom, Hugh is the brave soldier and protector, and Robin is the noted scholar, but no one pays much attention to Alexandra. She feels she is plain and slightly awkward and only feels at ease in the gardens with her mother. When Branwen is attacked by a creature and dies, Alexa and her brothers must learn to cope without her. Their father the King is consumed by the desire to find and kill the creature that Alexa described that killed her mother. Instead of returning with the creature, he returns with Zella, a beautiful young woman who has mysteriously besotted the King. Alexa and her brothers know that there is some strange magic going on and in a strange, unintended battle, her brothers disappear and Alexa only wakes four days later, shipped off to live with an aunt she never knew. Discouraged, she finds solace with Gabriel, a young man she sneaks out of her new home to meet with every night while he visits the seaside village. She waits for her brothers to return and when a visitor shows up at her aunt's, it is not the visitor she expects. Alexa must put her beloved homeland to rights and give back to the earth the power she receives from it. A good read; Alexa grows from 15 to 16 in the book and is great for any fairy-tale re-telling fan like myself. Nothing content wise to make it objectionable to readers as young as 11.
I've begun Lirael, the book that follows Sabriel. I'm about 70 pages in and in a big chunky book like this, that's not very far. I do enjoy that Lirael works in the Great Library and I'm curious to find out what kinds of things other than books are in the library.
While I read, I remain your,
Savage Librarian.

Slowing Down

2008-05-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

Just finished Sabriel by Garth Nix last night. I am very impressed. It's an awesome story, with a great lead character (Sabriel feels herself unworthy to her task, but muddles through well enough--even better than well enough; is determined to accomplish her goal--what she will do after that, she's not sure; and she has emotions as well. It often seems that female characters, in order to make them 'strong', are denied their emotions. Not the case with Sabriel), and plenty of action. I didn't fall asleep at all while I read last night. (Falling asleep while reading, mind you, has nothing to do with whether or not I'm enjoying the book, sometimes I just fall asleep.) Sabriel and her father, Abhorsen, can travel into Death and the Dead can travel into Life. Her job is to banish the Dead from the land, but first she has to find her father. She has been raised south of the Wall, away from the Old Kingdom, where things are a little more normal. In her journey to find her father, she encounters the Dead (some of them still give me shivers), Mogget (a trapped-spirit-thing in the shape of a cat who is very sarcastic), and Touchstone (who was once a figurehead on a ship. Sabriel released him). Your typical quest fantasy book, with its own twist, but so originally and beautifully told, so rich in images that it's impossible not to picture what's happening, that it makes it a little different. I'm looking forward to reading Abhorsen and Lirael. I really am a fantasy nerd. I was just a little late in coming to it.
In the process of reading The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott and not more than 20 pages into it at this point. It's a retelling/version/inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's story, "The Wild Swans" and I'm curious to see how it will turn out. Alexandra is a princess with three older brothers, but is 'homely' as her father calls her, while her brothes are handsome and intelligent. She shares a link to the earth with her mother and her father frowns upon such a connection. That is where I am currently. She's just turned 15 and things are supposedly going to change.
Turning to what's alread out on dvd, I've been sucked into Veronica Mars, and I almost begrudingly admit that I'm impressed by it. I was never into Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys when I was younger and I don't read mysteries, so I didn't think I would enjoy the show. But it's so ... so ... pop-culture-y and clever and witty that it's impossible to resist. The main characters are likeable and well-developed (even obnoxious, snotty Logan) and at least the first season's season-long mystery was interesting (though I have to say, I was completely surprised at who did it; there didn't seem to be much connecting the victim & murderer). I'm only 3 episodes in to season 2 and I think I'll enjoy it as much.
As for the Big Screen, saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall last week because I love Jason Segel (Marshall on How I Met Your Mother, which is a fantastic show) and it promised to be a cute/funny movie. It leans more towards raunchy-funny, but funny nonetheless. And sweet. And made me want to go back to Hawaii. Peter is dumped by tv-show star girlfriend Sarah Marshall (played by Kristen Bell) and attempts (and fails) to get over her. His friend encourages him to take a vacation, get away from the apartment Sarah and Peter shared, and work on moving on with his life. Peter decides to go to Hawaii because Sarah always liked it and he went, only to find that Sarah is staying at the same hotel with her new boyfriend .... O, poor Peter. He stays, hooks up with the cute customer service girl (Mila Kunis, yay That 70s Show cast member!), and Sarah wants him back. Much hijinx ensue in the meantime, including Paul Rudd as a stoner surf instructor, and a rock-puppet-opera about Dracula. That's right. Rock. Puppet. Opera. Dracula. Fun, if you like stupid/romantic comedies. On the slate tonight: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Please, please, please let there be a brief Sean Connery cameo. Review will be up later.
I am, as always, your slacking librarian.

Booked Solid

2008-05-07T11:57:00.001-07:00

Updating on books I've read recently.
To begin with, Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner. Helen of Sparta questions her role in her family and in society in ancient Greece. She's headstrong, determined, and a fighter. She questions why, as she will be Queen of Sparta one day, she can't learn to fight like her brothers. She makes a good enough case that she is taught with them to defend herself and to attack. She also meets with a few other strong women characters who help her learn to ride or get what she wants out of life, to show that Helen, at least, expects more from her life than to be a wife, mother, and queen. When we leave Helen, she's on her way (disguised as a boy again) to find her brothers who have joined up with Jason to search for the Golden Fleece. I'm looking forward to reading the next one, Nobody's Prize, as soon as one of my co-workers has finished it. It's a good story for girls, I think, because Helen does ask why she gets more notice for being pretty but nobody wants to see her stand up for herself.
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry. The four Willoughby children, Tim, Barnaby A, Barnaby B, and Jane, determine that the ill-treatment they receive from their parents entitles them to be Orphans. After all, they are Old-Fashioned Children and look at how things turned out for Sara Crewe, Oliver Twist, and so on. They suggest their parents take a vacation to dangerous places so that the children may become Orphans. Naturally, they'll have a Kind Hearted Nanny to take care of them in their parents' absence. Things work out (after the house is sold, after their parents mysteriously refuse to die, after they've abandoned a baby on a neighbor's front porch) in an old-fashioned way and it's just a great tongue-in-cheek read. A good precursor to A Series of Unfortunate Events. Lowry's Glossary in the back is devilishly funny.
Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. Frankie is not your typical high school sophomore. She attends Alabaster, a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts, she is part of the Geek Conglomerate, is dating senior Matthew Livingston, and is not content to be a pretty bubbled headed 15 year old. She doesn't understand why her school, and on a larger scale, the world, has to be such an Old Boys Club. She wants to be a part of it instead of being brushed aside as "just a girl." Frankie, being the resourceful, stubborn, strategist she is, decides that she won't just be a part of the Club, she'll run it. The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds is Alabaster's response to other secret societies in upper class in schools. Frankie's father was once a member and refuses to share anything about the society but she manages to find a way in and to instruct the Bassets in their school pranks. Who would believe that this sophomore is calling the shots? Frankie is definitely another one of those female characters, like Helen in Nobody's Princess, who refuses to simply lie back and accept her stereotyped role in her world. It's a fantastic story. Frankie longs for someone to really see her and doesn't find it in anyone who is close to her. But it ends on a positive note because you know that being the strong individual she is, she's bound to change the world.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Marji is growing up Iran in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her parents are pretty awesome. She's somewhat aware of what's going on in the world around her and is another person who doesn't want to simply accept what's happening. She attends a protest as a young girl. It's a fantastic graphic novel (the one the animated film, Persepolis, is based on) with a compelling story and I'm looking forward to reading Persepolis 2 (after, of course, I pare down on the pile I currently have waiting for me, including Armageddon in Retrospect, The Swan Kingdom, How to Make Friends and Oppress People: Classic Travel Advice for the Gentleman Adventurer [a fantastic looking book created from travel books published a century ago I received for my birthday], and Sabriel, which I've just begun today. So I'll be a bit busy).
There's always time for movies and video games, however, and Iron Man is so much better than I anticipated that I'm actually looking forward to a sequel that could so easily be made. Saw Forbidden Kingdom a few weeks ago as well, which was entertaining enough (Jet Li & Jackie Chan, who wouldn't be entertained?). MarioKart for the Wii is super awesome. I don't like the steering wheel as much as I like using the GC controller. Looking forward to possibly doing a tournament with other libraries that own a Wii, which would be TOO COOL.
Until I've finished another book (or three), I remain your
Savage Librarian.

Out from the Depths of the Internet ...

2008-04-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

I've returned. I'm a slacker, but programs, working weekends, and life just got in my way. Got me a bit down about posting as well, as my day to day stuff feels as if is doesn't change.
Ironically enough, I'm re-reading Emma as I've decided to venture through all of Austen's major works this year (I'm at #2 of 6; did Northanger Abbey in March, I think). My last post being a rant on Austen, I find it funny. I'm nearly finished with it, and trying to keep an open mind about the character Emma (I still find her selfish and spoiled, but after the Box Hill incident, I'm trying to watch for her changed character without jumping immediately to see how her good thoughts or deeds are actually for her own benefit) but when you spend 340 pages listening to someone talk about what a great friend and influence and how important she is to the Highbury society, it gets ingrained in you. But I'm trying.
What have I been reading? I did read The Scarlet Stockings: The Enchanted Riddle by Charlotte Kandel. Daphne is an older orphan (13) who dreams of being adopted and being a dancer at the turn of the last century (I hate having to clarify that now). Both of her dreams come true after receiving a mysterious package in the mail containing a book on ballet (so she can teach herself) and beautiful scarlet stockings. There is more to these gifts than meet the eye, however, when Daphne discovers her stockings allow her to dance better than she has ever danced before. She manages to get trained by a famous dance instructor, auditions for a great Paris ballet company (and makes it), and her career is careening along with the help of the stockings. But what has she left behind? What changes have success encouraged in her, despite warnings? It is definitely an enjoyable book, good for any 3-5 grader interested in dance (or even a little older if looking for an easy read), however I was a little disappointed at the ending. It all fell together so quickly and I was a bit surprised by that.
Have also recently read A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama by Laura Amy Schlitz. That is a fantastic book. It's 1909 and Maud is a feisty, spunky orphan, unwilling to break to be a meek girl she is expected to be at the orphanage. Small for her 11 years, Maud (unlike Daphne) has outwardly given up all hope of being adopted, but inside still hopes to have a chance. The chance comes with the arrival of elderly Hyacinth Hawthorne and one of her sisters. Hyacinth still pouts to get her way and what she wants RIGHT NOW is Maud. Her sister gives in and Maud is brought to their home and in on a secret: the sisters hold seances and scam people out of their money. Not only is this aspect of the plot interesting to watch unfold (they want Maud to be a major part of it but for now she must remain The Secret Child), but watching Maud try to bond with the three Hawthorne sisters or even their maid/cook Muffet. Maud wants so much to be loved by someone, anyone, and desperately clings to any tiny expression of love, regardless of what it's followed by. Excellent read.
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks I was intrigued by when I read reviews of it, but it took me a while to actually read it. When I settled into the book, I was amazed by the fantastic storytelling and the myriad of stories told. Brooks follows not only the conservator of the Sarajevo Haggadah but also the stories of the people who left pieces behind in the book (an insect wing, a wine stain, hair, to name a few). You're reading all these different stories that create the life of the book. I've always been fascinated by used books (especially those written in) and the lives they had before I picked them up, so this was an excellent read by my tastes.
I will note that I am pleased to see an article on Guitar Hero and Rock Band and their roles in library programs (the article is Michael Garrett Farrelly's column "Passing Notes" in the March/April 2008 Public Libraries). I have had some modest success with my gaming programs and encourage other libraries to have gaming programs if they have the resources. We don't do solely video game programs (though to be honest, it is mostly video game programs); earlier this month we had a life size Clue game and next month we have a Field Day Games program. My video game tournaments have always given me the best turnout (everybody wants prizes! Though I don't recommend bookstore gift cards, one of the kids looked at me and said, "Bookstore? Who reads books?" I joked with him and said, "Where ARE you? In a library! SOMEBODY reads books or I'd be out of a job!"), but my Family Game Nights usually don't turn out too poorly.
I've read a great deal more lately (big people books, too!) but I have to write down what I read so I don't run into this problem. Perhaps I'll be better about updating, especially after the success (and excellent job) one of my colleagues does on her own blog. So my April resolution is to post more book rants and library program rehashes.

Austen Rant! Ignore if you like.

2007-09-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

Jane Austen's writings are not entirely about romance. She is a social satirist, poking fun of what is to be expected while also commenting on the restraints of women during her time period. Can you imagine what she could have written were she alive today? Her dry sense of humor, her sarcasm, her sometimes bleak, realistic look on life and women's options (Charlotte Lucas; Fanny Price's mother), but also her enduring hope would have given us great contemporary literature. But I am more than pleased with what she did write and the time period in which she wrote it. Trying to be a bit more academic: Northanger Abbey, one of her earliest works, is not meant to be read seriously (as I first tried to read it) but was written with a fun, though appreciative, poke at the Gothic novels that were so popular among women during her time period. Pride and Prejudice looks at (among the two obvious topics of pride and prejudice) class. Does money guarantee class? Look at Lady Catherine. Considered part of the upper class, her feeling of entitlement leads her to act in a non-classy manner. Really. "I must have my share in the conversation", "Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?", "I take no leave of you, I leave no compliments to your mother, you deserve no such attention". Emma, well, I have trouble with this one, because Emma Woodhouse annoys me. It's a compliment to Austen that she can write characters that I absolutely loathe as well as characters I absolutely identify with (*coughs*Darcy*coughs*). Another thought with Emma is her insistence to be involved in everyone else's lives, how presumptuous it is of her to think she can make the best decisions for other people's lives. Does Emma truly learn to stop meddling in the lives of others? If she stops meddling, does she still believe that she can make the best decisions for people, but chooses not to? (I'm just not a fan.) Sense & Sensibility. Injustice of the status of women and that the ladies Dashwood have to be saved by marrying. That sucks. Mansfield Park and Fanny Price, the country cousin. I wonder if Jane ever felt like the country cousin in her life, not up to snuff fashion-wise, shy, reserved, loving from afar. Or perhaps she's showing the evils of too forward women. Is Mary Crawford too forward? Perhaps I'm putting my own definitions upon her. What about Maria Bertram, willing to marry Rushworth for money and comfort, but not for love? Finally, what is growing to become my second favorite, Persuasion. Are Anne's regrets Jane's? Anne's growth and courage to stand up to her family and be her own woman shows it's never too late to change. And get what you want. The one thing I will say about Austen's novels is the persistence of hope throughout her novels. Her heroines bravely handle the slings and arrows tossed at them, continue to be the women they are (or improve upon the women they are), and still manage to marry the men they love and who are worthy of them. This could be much more profound, but frankly, I'm tired. So I'll end with my continual refrain of Austen's novels are not all about romance. Look at the proposals in her novels. The dialogue of the proposals is sometimes not even included in the novels. Look at P&P proposals (because I know those by heart). Collins's proposal is included because it's absurd. Darcy's first proposal is included because it shows his cockiness and his totally misreading Elizabeth. But his second proposal: "You are too good to trifle with me. If your feelings are what they were last April, tell me so at once, and I will be silent on this subject forever. My feelings and wishes are unchanged." That's it. No long mushy speech. I'm ok with that. (Might it have something to do with my fond affection for and identification with Darcy? Never.) In sum: more than love stories. I don't deny the love stories in them. I just know there's more to them. Open your minds, those of you who dismiss Austen as merely love stories.

The HP withdrawl

2007-07-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

Summer reading programs have kept me quite busy this summer, as I suppose they are meant to do (both the kids and the librarians).
As many people did, I'm sure, I completed the Great Harry Potter Re-Read. Went back to the beginning and experienced it all again. Which was pretty interesting. I enjoyed doing it, though admittedly got bogged down in Book 5. Had to wait a whole three days before I could read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was fantastic.
Read Diary of a Wimpy Kid this afternoon, which wasn't too bad; about a sixth grader, an awkward sixth grader, and his year being not so popular and kind of a dork. But I liked it. A nice brief read.
I began Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde a few days before HP7 was released and haven't gotten through it yet. After my marathon reading of HP7 it's been a bit difficult to read at all this week. I think it's the after-effects of no more Harry Potter. Hopefully I'll be able to read again in the next few days.
That's my lame update for today. Will try and post again before the end of the summer. (We'll see, though.)

Quick post

2007-06-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

Read American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang yesterday, just during lunch. I thought it was fantastic. I see why it won an award.
So I am once again starting to read Harry Potter, seeing if I can finish all six by the time book seven comes out; sadly, so many other books are calling to me ... alas! So many books, so little time.
Will update when I've read more.

Seriously lacking.

2007-06-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been a bit since I've updated. I've been busy, yeah, that's it, busy.
I'm trying to remember some of what I've read in the past month to post about ....
Finally got around to Pretties by Scott Westerfeld, which was just as fabulous as Uglies and I look forward to reading Specials next (eventually). Think I'll have to pick up The Midnighters series by him at some point in time as well.
What else? Read These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan, the third in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy. It was all right--we're back with Elizabeth, so getting more to the parts that I liked best. The proposal at Hunsford was interestingly done, though I can't really imagine Darcy being that blinded that he could not tell Elizabeth was not interested. Darcy is a student of character and people as well. I can't see how he could have so misread her.
Indiscretion by Jude Morgan is a Regency period book about Caroline and her (mis)fortunes. Seemingly typical 19th century fare: young woman, no prospects, falls for the wrong man, meets estranged family, wrong man comes back into life, problems ensue, problems solved, in love with right man. Happy ending. Bit of wit involved, which I like. Caroline's kind of a spitfire.
Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams. Not bad; fairly decent for a mystery (I often don't like mysteries). A patron came asking for something to read, saying she liked fantasy/sci-fi, and I asked if she'd read Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series, and she said she had not, though she had read Pratchett. So I passed The Wee Free Men on to her, and she asked if there were any new Echo Falls books (which Down the Rabbit Hole is the first of) and I said no. She said she really enjoyed them, and that they were pretty good for a mystery (she doesn't like mysteries either), so I picked it up and read it. Enjoyable.
I know there's been more, but I'm simply drawing a blank. Will very shortly have to get on with my Rare Book School preliminary reading, as it may take me awhile to get through it. But it'll be fabulous. While volunteering Thursday I got to play with a book printed in 1603. Heeeee. I do like doing that. That's it for my babbling. Will try and post again ... once I finish perhaps a couple of books.

Productive!

2007-04-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

Finished Deep and Meaningful Diaries, Stardust by Neil Gaiman, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, and 300 by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley.
Enjoyed Janet. As I said before, I always like diary format books. Also forgot to mention Twenty Something: The Quarter Life Crisis of Jack Lancaster by Iain Hollingshead. Bridget Jones's Diary for men. Got me through my momentary fall into a crisis. Feeling better now.
Stardust I picked up primarily because they're making a movie of it, and I like to read books first. I liked it. Some fantasy, some action, some romance; it was good. The more I read by Neil Gaiman, the more I like him. I shoud really pick up some of his graphic novels.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret I read in a day. Seriously. It's a 538 page book, but it's got an innovative style to it--there are a number of (beautiful) illustrations that continue the story when the text breaks. It's a neat idea, and I'd like to say I want to see more of it, but fear it won't have as wonderful an effect. The story itself feels slim for the size of the volume, but definitely worth a couple of hours. (My father read it in about an hour and a half.)
300 was pretty cool. I'm not widely read in graphic novels so there's really not a whole lot I can say intelligibly.
Currently paying my respects to Vonnegut by reading Bluebeard (the last of the Vonnegut books I own that I haven't read; guess it's time to troll used book stores for some more). He truly is fantastic. Makes you think about society in one paragraph, makes you laugh in the next.
Had my six month review (four months late ...) and it went well. Many positive things said. Made me feel as if I belonged, I suppose. Not that I ever really felt that I didn't belong, but that it was official, I guess.
Will update after the next batch o' books.
On a movie slant--Hot Fuzz is funny and Simon Pegg rocks.

From complicated to clueless.

2007-04-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

I've finished Fragile Things. (I finished it last week, but this is the first I've thought of discussing it. It needed to sit in my head for a bit before I discussed.)
I suppose I'm not entirely a short story person. I like getting sucked into big, thick novels. I did enjoy quite a few of the stories and they'll stick with me, but I ... don't rightly know. This was why I tried to avoid posting.
Currently on to Deep and Meaningful Diaries from Planet Janet by Dyan Sheldon. What can I say? I'm a sucker for the diary format. Princess Diaries. Confessions of Georgia Nicholson. Bridget Jones (the second was so much better than the first, I think). And yes, I've even read a P&P continuation written in diary format. Planet Janet is pretty entertaining thus far; it's a fluff book and I always enjoy a good fluff book. Janet's sort of clueless, however. She doesn't strike me as the sort who actually would be clueless. She's not like me, for example. She seems the type of character who would recognize that two boys her own age are in to her and she's stuck on this guy who's ... not. What is it about diary keepers? Are they really that clueless? All of them in the aforementioned titles are a bit clueless. Are they too busy focusing on the words they're writing down to focus on their lives?
Who knows?