Timothy Schaeffert's The Coffins of Little Hope
This quirky small-town novel is narrated by an 83-year-old obituary writer, and also involves her grandson and great-granddaughter, a possible missing--or possibly fictional--little girl, and a series of famous children's books. Not much else to say besides that it was an enjoyable read. B+. Here's a recent NYT review if you still have free articles to read this month. :)
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
2011 book 88
Nicole Peeler's Tracking the Tempest
More fairy mystery/vampire sex drama, as Jane and her cohort get involved with a case surrounding a crazy serial killer. I was a bit annoyed with the writing, but for new reasons this time--Peeler drops the word "lover" way too often (I hate that word; it just reminds me of those Will Ferrell/Molly Shannon SNL sketches) and also the vampire calls Jane "babe" or "baby" like every other line of dialogue, which just looks weird. But the plot intricacies were exciting and the ending redeemed everything for me. B/B+.
More fairy mystery/vampire sex drama, as Jane and her cohort get involved with a case surrounding a crazy serial killer. I was a bit annoyed with the writing, but for new reasons this time--Peeler drops the word "lover" way too often (I hate that word; it just reminds me of those Will Ferrell/Molly Shannon SNL sketches) and also the vampire calls Jane "babe" or "baby" like every other line of dialogue, which just looks weird. But the plot intricacies were exciting and the ending redeemed everything for me. B/B+.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
2011 book 87
Nicole Peeler's Tempest Rising
After spending the past few days slogging away at a book I didn't enjoy, I wanted to read something that was just fun, and this seemed like it would fit the bill. It's kind of a cross between the Rosemary and Rue books and the Sookie Stackhouse books--a half-selkie girl gets sucked into a supernatural murder mystery and thus into the complicated fairy world, and also there is a lot of vampire sex. But the characters and story are interesting and entertaining (though the writing is peppered with a few too many clumsy and outdated pop culture references--MC Hammer, come on--and sometimes it takes too long to reveal information that's obvious to the reader) and I'll definitely check out the next book in the series. I want to see more of the awesome dog in particular. A-/B+.
After spending the past few days slogging away at a book I didn't enjoy, I wanted to read something that was just fun, and this seemed like it would fit the bill. It's kind of a cross between the Rosemary and Rue books and the Sookie Stackhouse books--a half-selkie girl gets sucked into a supernatural murder mystery and thus into the complicated fairy world, and also there is a lot of vampire sex. But the characters and story are interesting and entertaining (though the writing is peppered with a few too many clumsy and outdated pop culture references--MC Hammer, come on--and sometimes it takes too long to reveal information that's obvious to the reader) and I'll definitely check out the next book in the series. I want to see more of the awesome dog in particular. A-/B+.
partially read
Mary Horlock's The Book of Lies
The story of a teenage girl in the 1980s growing up in Guernsey, who just killed her former best friend, and also her uncle's experiences during the Nazi occupation are interwoven with her diary entries--well, it sounds appealing and/or interesting, right? And it starts off really strong, but it starts bogging down about halfway through, plus the protagonist starts to get really unlikable and unsympathetic. I've been reading it for DAYS and it's only like 300 pages. I give up. I don't even care what happens in the end.
The story of a teenage girl in the 1980s growing up in Guernsey, who just killed her former best friend, and also her uncle's experiences during the Nazi occupation are interwoven with her diary entries--well, it sounds appealing and/or interesting, right? And it starts off really strong, but it starts bogging down about halfway through, plus the protagonist starts to get really unlikable and unsympathetic. I've been reading it for DAYS and it's only like 300 pages. I give up. I don't even care what happens in the end.
links, etc
Here's a long piece on the major Haggadot in American culture (I grew up using the Maxwell House one, myself).
Check out this comic by two Americans who were in Cairo during the uprisings--the first seven pages are up so far.
I think I need this.
Sorry for the delay in book postings; the book I'm currently reading started off strong but I don't like it at all anymore. But I'm almost 3/4 of the way in and it seems like I should finish it. Also, I've been really busy playing Angry Birds and other games on my new iPod Touch, which eats into reading time but is totally worth it.
Check out this comic by two Americans who were in Cairo during the uprisings--the first seven pages are up so far.
I think I need this.
Sorry for the delay in book postings; the book I'm currently reading started off strong but I don't like it at all anymore. But I'm almost 3/4 of the way in and it seems like I should finish it. Also, I've been really busy playing Angry Birds and other games on my new iPod Touch, which eats into reading time but is totally worth it.
Saturday, April 09, 2011
2011 book 86
Meg Howrey's Blind Sight
A teenage boy--raised in a house of women--goes to spend the summer with the father he's never known. And the father is a famous actor. And the son is trying to write his essays for college applications. Very, very well done in both characters and writing.
Sorry, I don't have much to say besides that this book was EXCELLENT. A.
A teenage boy--raised in a house of women--goes to spend the summer with the father he's never known. And the father is a famous actor. And the son is trying to write his essays for college applications. Very, very well done in both characters and writing.
Sorry, I don't have much to say besides that this book was EXCELLENT. A.
Friday, April 08, 2011
2011 book 85
Lisa Lutz and David Hayward's Heads You Lose
I LOVE Lisa Lutz's Spellmans series, so of course I picked up her new, non-Spellmans book immediately. Descriptions indicated that it was co-written by another author, and is about a brother-sister pair of pot growers trying to solve the murder of a decapitated man who shows up on their property. Except the first thing you read is an editor's note explaining that Hayward is actually Lutz's ex-boyfriend, they alternated chapters, and increasingly snarky and angry letters between the two follow each chapter. The editor's note goes on to say that neither the chapters nor the letters have been edited in any way. I have no idea how real this is or if it's an experiment in meta-fiction, but either way it's damn entertaining. It's a study in hilarious passive-aggressiveness, with plot points designed to annoy the other author (one footnote reads: "We both know you're doing this just b/c you know I hate cat mysteries"). I can't think it's entirely accurate--what kind of writer starts a mystery without knowing who the killer will be?--but as an experiment in storytelling--and as a story about storytelling--it works really well. I giggled a lot. A.
I LOVE Lisa Lutz's Spellmans series, so of course I picked up her new, non-Spellmans book immediately. Descriptions indicated that it was co-written by another author, and is about a brother-sister pair of pot growers trying to solve the murder of a decapitated man who shows up on their property. Except the first thing you read is an editor's note explaining that Hayward is actually Lutz's ex-boyfriend, they alternated chapters, and increasingly snarky and angry letters between the two follow each chapter. The editor's note goes on to say that neither the chapters nor the letters have been edited in any way. I have no idea how real this is or if it's an experiment in meta-fiction, but either way it's damn entertaining. It's a study in hilarious passive-aggressiveness, with plot points designed to annoy the other author (one footnote reads: "We both know you're doing this just b/c you know I hate cat mysteries"). I can't think it's entirely accurate--what kind of writer starts a mystery without knowing who the killer will be?--but as an experiment in storytelling--and as a story about storytelling--it works really well. I giggled a lot. A.
DFW
I have been busy having a life this week--it was my birthday!--and have not had time for reading. So, here are two articles about David Foster Wallace and his new book to tide you over.
DFW's editor talks about editing/assembling The Pale King.
And here are some authors discussing DFW and the book.
I haven't read it yet--I'm waiting for the Kindle edition to come out.
DFW's editor talks about editing/assembling The Pale King.
And here are some authors discussing DFW and the book.
I haven't read it yet--I'm waiting for the Kindle edition to come out.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
2011 book 84
Lori Roy's Bent Road
This is a book primarily about family--and family secrets. And small-town secrets. It's the 1960s and Arthur moves his family from Detroit back to Kansas where he grew up (for vaguely racist reasons), but where he hasn't been in twenty years, since his older sister died. His oldest daughter is barely a character at all for some reason, his son is trying to learn to be a man, and his youngest daughter looks just like his dead sister, her namesake. His other sister is married to the man who was supposed to marry the dead sister--and is a suspect in her death. When a little girl goes missing, the drama goes up a notch, like things weren't complicated enough. None of which explains what a good book this is--nothing turned out like I expected, and Roy kept me hooked the whole time. A.
This is a book primarily about family--and family secrets. And small-town secrets. It's the 1960s and Arthur moves his family from Detroit back to Kansas where he grew up (for vaguely racist reasons), but where he hasn't been in twenty years, since his older sister died. His oldest daughter is barely a character at all for some reason, his son is trying to learn to be a man, and his youngest daughter looks just like his dead sister, her namesake. His other sister is married to the man who was supposed to marry the dead sister--and is a suspect in her death. When a little girl goes missing, the drama goes up a notch, like things weren't complicated enough. None of which explains what a good book this is--nothing turned out like I expected, and Roy kept me hooked the whole time. A.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
2011 book 83
Jennifer McMahon's Don't Breathe a Word
Oh my goodness, do not read this book at night, or every little noise in the house will make you jump. It's that creepy. The story centers on Phoebe, who is haunted by nightmares from her childhood, and her boyfriend Sam, whose sister Lisa disappeared when she was twelve. Lisa was obsessed with fairies and wanted to run away to be with the fairy king, but of course fairies aren't real. Fifteen years after her disappearance, Sam and their cousin Evie begin receiving messages, supposedly from Lisa, but nothing is what it seems, and their family has more secrets than most. Until the last scene this would have been a solid A-/B+ book, but the last part was so over the top (and upsetting) that it's been downgraded to a B/B-.
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An e-galley was provided by the publisher.
Oh my goodness, do not read this book at night, or every little noise in the house will make you jump. It's that creepy. The story centers on Phoebe, who is haunted by nightmares from her childhood, and her boyfriend Sam, whose sister Lisa disappeared when she was twelve. Lisa was obsessed with fairies and wanted to run away to be with the fairy king, but of course fairies aren't real. Fifteen years after her disappearance, Sam and their cousin Evie begin receiving messages, supposedly from Lisa, but nothing is what it seems, and their family has more secrets than most. Until the last scene this would have been a solid A-/B+ book, but the last part was so over the top (and upsetting) that it's been downgraded to a B/B-.
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An e-galley was provided by the publisher.
Saturday, April 02, 2011
2011 book 82
Ruta Sepetys' Between Shades of Gray
God, was this heartbreaking, and not in the usual YA novel way (I'm really not sure why this is being marketed as a YA novel, except that the main character is a teenage girl). Anyway, it's 1941 and teenage Lina and her family are deported from Lithuania by the Soviets, and she's really not sure why (frankly, there is no good reason why). Separated from her father, she, her mother, and her little brother must find a way to survive in Siberia. There is a hint of romance but it doesn't feel shoehorned in, and Sepetys doesn't shy away from the horrors of history. I did think the end felt a bit abrupt, but I can see how it was a logical stopping point to the story--I just wasn't ready for the story to end. A/A-.
God, was this heartbreaking, and not in the usual YA novel way (I'm really not sure why this is being marketed as a YA novel, except that the main character is a teenage girl). Anyway, it's 1941 and teenage Lina and her family are deported from Lithuania by the Soviets, and she's really not sure why (frankly, there is no good reason why). Separated from her father, she, her mother, and her little brother must find a way to survive in Siberia. There is a hint of romance but it doesn't feel shoehorned in, and Sepetys doesn't shy away from the horrors of history. I did think the end felt a bit abrupt, but I can see how it was a logical stopping point to the story--I just wasn't ready for the story to end. A/A-.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
2011 book 81
Megan McCafferty's Bumped
OK, so I LOVE McCafferty (she wrote the Jessica Darling books, which if you haven't read, you really should get on that), and I'm a pretty big fan of YA dystopia-type stories, and thus I was very excited about this story. Now, it's a very readable and fun story, so don't let my upcoming comments dissuade you from reading it, but I found it a bit disappointing. The premise is that it's the near future and over 75 percent of people become infertile when they turn 18ish, so there are lots of pregnant teenagers being glorified in their culture (McCafferty has an author's note in the beginning talking about TV shows like Teen Mom and our own society). Our protagonists are Melody--who has contracted with a rich family to bear them a child, as soon as an appropriate match is found, but who clearly has feelings for her best guy friend--and her twin sister Harmony--who was raised in a religious family and thinks pregging ["pregging" and "negging" are two of the only pieces of near-future slang that McCafferty employs, which I frankly appreciated] for profit/out-of-wedlock is wrong, and wants to save her sister.
I think my problems with this book stem from the fact that I wanted it to go deeper. McCafferty is a great storyteller and I know she does teen angst and romance really, really well, and really, really believably. She notes that this is her first book intended for a YA audience (I guess the Jessica Darling books were supposed to be more coming-of-age/chick lit?) and that shows. It feels predictable, but not in an entirely satisfying way. I wanted to know more about the sisters' thoughts and feelings about their roles in society--there are a lot of interesting things that McCafferty does with this, but it feels very surface-level. It just reads like it's meant for a young audience. And part the end was a little confusing. But as I said, it's very readable--I read it quickly--and entertaining, and has plenty of nice little humorous bits. B.
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An e-galley was provided by the publisher.
OK, so I LOVE McCafferty (she wrote the Jessica Darling books, which if you haven't read, you really should get on that), and I'm a pretty big fan of YA dystopia-type stories, and thus I was very excited about this story. Now, it's a very readable and fun story, so don't let my upcoming comments dissuade you from reading it, but I found it a bit disappointing. The premise is that it's the near future and over 75 percent of people become infertile when they turn 18ish, so there are lots of pregnant teenagers being glorified in their culture (McCafferty has an author's note in the beginning talking about TV shows like Teen Mom and our own society). Our protagonists are Melody--who has contracted with a rich family to bear them a child, as soon as an appropriate match is found, but who clearly has feelings for her best guy friend--and her twin sister Harmony--who was raised in a religious family and thinks pregging ["pregging" and "negging" are two of the only pieces of near-future slang that McCafferty employs, which I frankly appreciated] for profit/out-of-wedlock is wrong, and wants to save her sister.
I think my problems with this book stem from the fact that I wanted it to go deeper. McCafferty is a great storyteller and I know she does teen angst and romance really, really well, and really, really believably. She notes that this is her first book intended for a YA audience (I guess the Jessica Darling books were supposed to be more coming-of-age/chick lit?) and that shows. It feels predictable, but not in an entirely satisfying way. I wanted to know more about the sisters' thoughts and feelings about their roles in society--there are a lot of interesting things that McCafferty does with this, but it feels very surface-level. It just reads like it's meant for a young audience. And part the end was a little confusing. But as I said, it's very readable--I read it quickly--and entertaining, and has plenty of nice little humorous bits. B.
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An e-galley was provided by the publisher.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
2011 book 80
Cara Hoffman's So Much Pretty
When I started this book, it seemed like it was going to be a fairly traditional mystery--one of the first scenes involves a reporter at a crime scene where the body of a long-missing girl has been found. But there are hints that something has happened with another girl, and much of the story (which flashes back and forth in time and focuses on a few alternating characters in each section) involves their family and its history. And then we start getting snippets of police interviews and statements to the reporter. Hoffman doles out information slowly at first--about halfway through I was really frustrated after reading an interview that sheds no light on what happened to either girl--but then the pace picks up and I couldn't put the book down. The end was, to my mind, a bit bittersweet--I wanted more justice, dammit!--but the story led there in a very well-done way. A-/B+.
When I started this book, it seemed like it was going to be a fairly traditional mystery--one of the first scenes involves a reporter at a crime scene where the body of a long-missing girl has been found. But there are hints that something has happened with another girl, and much of the story (which flashes back and forth in time and focuses on a few alternating characters in each section) involves their family and its history. And then we start getting snippets of police interviews and statements to the reporter. Hoffman doles out information slowly at first--about halfway through I was really frustrated after reading an interview that sheds no light on what happened to either girl--but then the pace picks up and I couldn't put the book down. The end was, to my mind, a bit bittersweet--I wanted more justice, dammit!--but the story led there in a very well-done way. A-/B+.
Monday, March 28, 2011
2011 book 79
Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants
Last night I was looking for something to read that wasn't a YA book, since I read about six of those this weekend, and then I remembered I'd been meaning to reread this book before the movie comes out next month. I was much more interested in elderly Jacob's story this time around for some reason--though of course everything with Rosie is my favorite. And Bobo.
Last night I was looking for something to read that wasn't a YA book, since I read about six of those this weekend, and then I remembered I'd been meaning to reread this book before the movie comes out next month. I was much more interested in elderly Jacob's story this time around for some reason--though of course everything with Rosie is my favorite. And Bobo.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
2011 book 78
Diana Wynne Jones' House of Many Ways
The third Howl book is nearly as good as the first and better than the second--I'm just so sad there won't be any more of them.
The third Howl book is nearly as good as the first and better than the second--I'm just so sad there won't be any more of them.
2011 book 77
Diana Wynne Jones' Castle in the Air
The second book set in the world of Howl's Moving Castle has always been something of a slow starter for me--I'm not that interested in the (male) main character and the general take-off of the Arabian Nights stories--but once the earlier characters get into the mix, things are great fun.
The second book set in the world of Howl's Moving Castle has always been something of a slow starter for me--I'm not that interested in the (male) main character and the general take-off of the Arabian Nights stories--but once the earlier characters get into the mix, things are great fun.
Photo0133.jpg
Hello! Here is a blurry cameraphone shot of some of the 12ish dudes (well, 11 dudes and one girl in a lamb hat) performing for the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour. Which was more amazing than I expected. But really, how can you go wrong with like 8 guitars, trumpets, trombones, oboes, two drum kits, a keyboard, and a singing saw? Oh, and some kazoos. Julian doing a klezmer number on the saw was tops, but man, did that show rock.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
2011 book 76
Melina Marchetta's The Piper's Son
I had to take a break from my Diana Wynne Jones tribute reading because this book turned up in the mail (props to the publisher for sending me a copy when I emailed to ask why the e-book wasn't available). Marchetta just writes the most funny and heartbreaking books, and this one was no exception. It actually revisits the characters of Saving Francesca but it's like four years later and focuses mostly on Tom, who wasn't the main character of the last one. Anyway, his life has been going down the tubes since a family tragedy occurred a couple years previously, and when he winds up moving in with his pregnant aunt (with a moving and complicated story of her own), he finds himself back in the orbit of his old friends. Marchetta does such a good job of describing families and friendships that you just really, really want everyone to be happy and healthy. And they're, like, words on paper. God, she's good. A.
I had to take a break from my Diana Wynne Jones tribute reading because this book turned up in the mail (props to the publisher for sending me a copy when I emailed to ask why the e-book wasn't available). Marchetta just writes the most funny and heartbreaking books, and this one was no exception. It actually revisits the characters of Saving Francesca but it's like four years later and focuses mostly on Tom, who wasn't the main character of the last one. Anyway, his life has been going down the tubes since a family tragedy occurred a couple years previously, and when he winds up moving in with his pregnant aunt (with a moving and complicated story of her own), he finds himself back in the orbit of his old friends. Marchetta does such a good job of describing families and friendships that you just really, really want everyone to be happy and healthy. And they're, like, words on paper. God, she's good. A.
2011 book 75
Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle
Diana Wynne Jones died this morning of lung cancer, which pretty much sucks, since she's one of my favorite authors. And I didn't even discover her till it was announced that Miyazaki was making a movie of this book! Which, frankly, never came close to being as awesome as this story is, because it is super awesome. This was my 6th time reading it and it's just as good as the first time. Now I'm off to read the sequels.
Diana Wynne Jones died this morning of lung cancer, which pretty much sucks, since she's one of my favorite authors. And I didn't even discover her till it was announced that Miyazaki was making a movie of this book! Which, frankly, never came close to being as awesome as this story is, because it is super awesome. This was my 6th time reading it and it's just as good as the first time. Now I'm off to read the sequels.
2011 book 74
Lauren DeStefano's Wither
Ah, the start of another YA dystopian trilogy. In this one, not only has there been a third World War, but experiments to cure cancer have actually had the opposite effect, and now all women die when they're twenty and men when they're twenty-five. Our heroine is Rhine, who is kidnapped to become the wife of a wealthy young man. Things I liked about this book: female friendships, sinister happenings, trying to guess what would ultimately happen in this trilogy (I have some theories). Even the romance elements didn't feel completely contrived. I am intrigued to see what will happen next, which is always a good thing. A-/B+.
Ah, the start of another YA dystopian trilogy. In this one, not only has there been a third World War, but experiments to cure cancer have actually had the opposite effect, and now all women die when they're twenty and men when they're twenty-five. Our heroine is Rhine, who is kidnapped to become the wife of a wealthy young man. Things I liked about this book: female friendships, sinister happenings, trying to guess what would ultimately happen in this trilogy (I have some theories). Even the romance elements didn't feel completely contrived. I am intrigued to see what will happen next, which is always a good thing. A-/B+.
Friday, March 25, 2011
2011 book 73
Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes
Even Vowell's trademark dry wit can't hide the fact that the story of how Hawaii became a state is a really, really depressing one. Christian missionaries and greedy landowners ruin everything.
Even Vowell's trademark dry wit can't hide the fact that the story of how Hawaii became a state is a really, really depressing one. Christian missionaries and greedy landowners ruin everything.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
links and stuff
OMG, the Forever YA blog takes on one of my very favorite 80s books. I feel just the same way that blogger does.
io9 interviews Mike Carey, who writes Unwritten, one of my favorite current comic book series. And here's one with Chris Roberson, who wrote the Fables Cinderella miniseries and who writes my other favorite Vertigo book, iZombie.
I tweeted this a couple weeks ago, but it bears repeating: Ron Weasley, Romantic Hero.
Love this Downton Abbey parody (with Kim Cattrall and both ladies from AbFab) which helps kill the time while we wait for season two of the show to start!
I love creme eggs but this scares me a little.
io9 interviews Mike Carey, who writes Unwritten, one of my favorite current comic book series. And here's one with Chris Roberson, who wrote the Fables Cinderella miniseries and who writes my other favorite Vertigo book, iZombie.
I tweeted this a couple weeks ago, but it bears repeating: Ron Weasley, Romantic Hero.
Love this Downton Abbey parody (with Kim Cattrall and both ladies from AbFab) which helps kill the time while we wait for season two of the show to start!
I love creme eggs but this scares me a little.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
2011 book 72
Sarah Addison Allen's The Peach Keeper
As soon as I was done with the new Kate Atkinson, I sat down and read this in one gulp. "Gulp" is an appropriate term, since Allen's books a) always feature food in some way, and b) remind me of some light and fluffy yet rich dessert--like good cheesecake. They're predictable, you know they'll end happily, but they're so well written that it's never silly or cheesy, just satisfying. In this one, two women in Western North Carolina--one the daughter of rich society types, who feels constrained by her life and longs for a home that smells of grass and fresh doughnuts [I found that image to be fairly evocative], the other from a formerly-rich family, who now owns a sporting goods store, but like a cool one with a coffee counter--are brought together by a gala, and by their grandmothers' secrets. Of course there are love interests, and a guest appearance by the magical caterer from one of Allen's earlier works (I always kind of like when authors do that). I've loved all of her books and this was no exception. A.
As soon as I was done with the new Kate Atkinson, I sat down and read this in one gulp. "Gulp" is an appropriate term, since Allen's books a) always feature food in some way, and b) remind me of some light and fluffy yet rich dessert--like good cheesecake. They're predictable, you know they'll end happily, but they're so well written that it's never silly or cheesy, just satisfying. In this one, two women in Western North Carolina--one the daughter of rich society types, who feels constrained by her life and longs for a home that smells of grass and fresh doughnuts [I found that image to be fairly evocative], the other from a formerly-rich family, who now owns a sporting goods store, but like a cool one with a coffee counter--are brought together by a gala, and by their grandmothers' secrets. Of course there are love interests, and a guest appearance by the magical caterer from one of Allen's earlier works (I always kind of like when authors do that). I've loved all of her books and this was no exception. A.
2011 book 71
Kate Atkinson's Started Early, Took My Dog
Yay, the fourth Jackson Brodie book finally came out in the US! I love these books so much I almost ordered it from the UK, but didn't, but it would have been worth it. I was a little worried it wouldn't be great--the first one is, the second one was pretty good, and the third one was stellar--would Atkinson have run out of steam? The answer is a big-time NO. This may be the best of the lot. The mystery isn't super intense--Jackson, while trying to find a woman's birth mother, gets tangled up in a decades-old murder that seems to be rearing its head again, plus there are some shady kidnappings--but somehow this story was the most satisfying of the four, I think. Of course, that's because the focus isn't on the mystery per se, but on what makes a family, and how aging can affect a person, and how life isn't really black and white. And there is a really, really awesome dog. A.
Yay, the fourth Jackson Brodie book finally came out in the US! I love these books so much I almost ordered it from the UK, but didn't, but it would have been worth it. I was a little worried it wouldn't be great--the first one is, the second one was pretty good, and the third one was stellar--would Atkinson have run out of steam? The answer is a big-time NO. This may be the best of the lot. The mystery isn't super intense--Jackson, while trying to find a woman's birth mother, gets tangled up in a decades-old murder that seems to be rearing its head again, plus there are some shady kidnappings--but somehow this story was the most satisfying of the four, I think. Of course, that's because the focus isn't on the mystery per se, but on what makes a family, and how aging can affect a person, and how life isn't really black and white. And there is a really, really awesome dog. A.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
2011 book 70
Christina Meldrum's Amaryllis in Blueberry
It's the 70s, and Dick and Seena Slepy have four daughters, all of whom have Mary as part of their names. But the youngest, Amaryllis, doesn't look like the others, and can feel emotions (this is not explained or explored to my satisfaction at all--does synesthesia really work that way? And why is this at least the third book I've read involving synesthesia?). Anyway, family drama leads their father to drag them all to Africa so he can be a missionary, but things go haywire once they're there butting up against the local culture. I liked the first half of this much more, but maybe that's b/c I was so tired when I read the second half? The end was pretty good though. A-/B+.
It's the 70s, and Dick and Seena Slepy have four daughters, all of whom have Mary as part of their names. But the youngest, Amaryllis, doesn't look like the others, and can feel emotions (this is not explained or explored to my satisfaction at all--does synesthesia really work that way? And why is this at least the third book I've read involving synesthesia?). Anyway, family drama leads their father to drag them all to Africa so he can be a missionary, but things go haywire once they're there butting up against the local culture. I liked the first half of this much more, but maybe that's b/c I was so tired when I read the second half? The end was pretty good though. A-/B+.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
2011 book 69
Lisa Gardner's The Neighbor
Gardner has a new book out that's getting pretty positive reviews, so I figured I'd read an earlier one featuring the same character (I like to start from the beginning). Unfortunately, this really wasn't my thing. The characters were all interesting, but the pacing is off--some bits really drag out and are predictable, while other parts cram way too much in. And the end was a pretty big mish-mash (and was, again, predictable). Interesting stuff on computer forensics though. B-.
Gardner has a new book out that's getting pretty positive reviews, so I figured I'd read an earlier one featuring the same character (I like to start from the beginning). Unfortunately, this really wasn't my thing. The characters were all interesting, but the pacing is off--some bits really drag out and are predictable, while other parts cram way too much in. And the end was a pretty big mish-mash (and was, again, predictable). Interesting stuff on computer forensics though. B-.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
2011 book 68
Patrick Ryan's Gemini Bites
Very cute book about a pair of boy-girl teenage twins who pretty much hate each other, and what happens when they both get interested in a classmate who comes to stay with them (who may or may not be a vampire). The chapters alternate between the twins' perspectives and both are snarky, likable characters. The end wraps up a bit neatly, but this is a YA book after all. A-/B+.
Very cute book about a pair of boy-girl teenage twins who pretty much hate each other, and what happens when they both get interested in a classmate who comes to stay with them (who may or may not be a vampire). The chapters alternate between the twins' perspectives and both are snarky, likable characters. The end wraps up a bit neatly, but this is a YA book after all. A-/B+.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
2011 book 67
Sheri Holman's Witches on the Road Tonight
Holman's latest flickers back and forth in time to tell the story of a family and some of the lives they touch. Eddie--who grows up to be a late-night tv horror show host--is central to everything, growing up in the mountains during the Depression with his eccentric mother, who may or may not be a witch. His daughter, who grows up to be a well-known tv news anchor, is still haunted by something that happened when she was twelve. Her mother is interesting in the few bits we see of her (I wish there had been more). Then there's Tucker and Sophie, on the road writing a travel guide in 1940, who encounter Eddie and his mother. And there's Jasper, a teenage fan of Eddie's horror show. If it seems weird that I'm just listing characters, that's because they're much more vivid than the plot (Holman over-explains some things and leaves some mysteries unsolved, which is a bit unsatisfying, though I did like the end). I very much enjoyed the way she weaved Appalachian folklore into everything, even if I'm still confused by some of it. B+.
Holman's latest flickers back and forth in time to tell the story of a family and some of the lives they touch. Eddie--who grows up to be a late-night tv horror show host--is central to everything, growing up in the mountains during the Depression with his eccentric mother, who may or may not be a witch. His daughter, who grows up to be a well-known tv news anchor, is still haunted by something that happened when she was twelve. Her mother is interesting in the few bits we see of her (I wish there had been more). Then there's Tucker and Sophie, on the road writing a travel guide in 1940, who encounter Eddie and his mother. And there's Jasper, a teenage fan of Eddie's horror show. If it seems weird that I'm just listing characters, that's because they're much more vivid than the plot (Holman over-explains some things and leaves some mysteries unsolved, which is a bit unsatisfying, though I did like the end). I very much enjoyed the way she weaved Appalachian folklore into everything, even if I'm still confused by some of it. B+.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
links, etc
I love Aaron Renier's stuff, but he is dead wrong--Matilda would LOVE an e-reader.
And don't forget to check in on The Tournament of Books.
Hey, the NYT finally noticed the e-book battle between HarperCollins and libraries.
You know, I've been thinking about YA paranormal romances lately--spurred by my disappointment at Demonglass and its sudden turn toward the cliched (in the first one, it seemed like the usual romance wouldn't happen, which is why I liked it so much) and I think I'm annoyed by how many heroines and the guy they're dating end up as like Destined Loves. I know high school romance is crazy and it feels like the world revolves around the guy you like, but sometimes I'd just like to see something a little more realistic (note: I am totally okay with the end of the Jessica Darling books, because it feels earned).
Sorry for the slow posting lately. I just haven't had the time to read as much.
And don't forget to check in on The Tournament of Books.
Hey, the NYT finally noticed the e-book battle between HarperCollins and libraries.
You know, I've been thinking about YA paranormal romances lately--spurred by my disappointment at Demonglass and its sudden turn toward the cliched (in the first one, it seemed like the usual romance wouldn't happen, which is why I liked it so much) and I think I'm annoyed by how many heroines and the guy they're dating end up as like Destined Loves. I know high school romance is crazy and it feels like the world revolves around the guy you like, but sometimes I'd just like to see something a little more realistic (note: I am totally okay with the end of the Jessica Darling books, because it feels earned).
Sorry for the slow posting lately. I just haven't had the time to read as much.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Photo0122.jpg
Been to a bunch of awesome shows lately so I figured I'd brag about it here! It's been Merge Madness as a bunch of bands are making their way down to SXSW--last Friday Superchunk rocked the cradle, and this weekend I got to see Wild Flag Friday (very cool) and Wye Oak Saturday (perhaps the best show of theirs I've seen yet). So, yay.
2011 book 66
Kirsten Hubbard's Like Mandarin
In this book, the typical smart kind of outcast girl is befriended by the older bad girl at school, while also having to deal with her pageant-obsessed mother and her talented little sister. I didn't buy the friendship at all--the bad girl was such a crazy brat that no one would ever actually be friends with her--and thought the end resolved much too easily, but I did like the little sister character a lot. Kind of a disappointing read when it was blurbed by Melina Marchetta, though. B-.
In this book, the typical smart kind of outcast girl is befriended by the older bad girl at school, while also having to deal with her pageant-obsessed mother and her talented little sister. I didn't buy the friendship at all--the bad girl was such a crazy brat that no one would ever actually be friends with her--and thought the end resolved much too easily, but I did like the little sister character a lot. Kind of a disappointing read when it was blurbed by Melina Marchetta, though. B-.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
2011 book 65
Ken Jennings' Brainiac
Man, why does it take so much longer to read non-fiction than fiction? Even fun non-fiction, like Jennings' chronicle of his Jeopardy experience meshed with a general history of trivia (ok, some of that was less fun for me--I'm clearly not as hardcore a trivia nerd as some people out there and could have done without some of those chapters). I've been reading Jennings' blog for a while and he's very funny, so it seemed high time to check out this book, which I did enjoy. It made me nostalgic for my quiz bowl days (ok, day, to be accurate--I played a game once with my friend Andy and two other dudes in our dorm when they needed a fourth. The only thing I even remember is correctly answering a question about The Princess Bride. I still expect to see Andy on Jeopardy any day now). Jennings' writing in this is just as funny as I expected, but like I said, the topic didn't always enthrall me. B+.
Man, why does it take so much longer to read non-fiction than fiction? Even fun non-fiction, like Jennings' chronicle of his Jeopardy experience meshed with a general history of trivia (ok, some of that was less fun for me--I'm clearly not as hardcore a trivia nerd as some people out there and could have done without some of those chapters). I've been reading Jennings' blog for a while and he's very funny, so it seemed high time to check out this book, which I did enjoy. It made me nostalgic for my quiz bowl days (ok, day, to be accurate--I played a game once with my friend Andy and two other dudes in our dorm when they needed a fourth. The only thing I even remember is correctly answering a question about The Princess Bride. I still expect to see Andy on Jeopardy any day now). Jennings' writing in this is just as funny as I expected, but like I said, the topic didn't always enthrall me. B+.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
2011 book 64
Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife
When you read something that's been hyped for like a year before it was even published (or whenever it was Obreht made the New Yorker list of awesome writers under 40), you never know if it'll actually be THAT good. But all the early reviews were positive (actually, I saw one review, in the New York Observer, that disparagingly noted this book reads like YA due to Obreht's youth--I'm sure you can imagine the problems I had with that one) and so I went for it--and was not disappointed. The book isn't perfect--few are--but it's really, really good.
Obreht weaves the story of a young doctor after a war in Central Europe (it's never explicitly labeled as Yugoslavia, but the history and the references to divisions make it pretty clear anyway) who's on her way to give medical care to orphans when she finds out her adored grandfather has died. While she's struggling to deal with that--and with other unexpected complications--she reflects on the two strange stories of her grandfather's life--the story of the deathless man, and the story of the tiger's wife (which must have been excerpted in the New Yorker at some point, because it was very familiar), all of which leads the reader to reflect on the damage caused by war. Obreht cleverly works these disparate elements into a solid story, one that will make every young woman (and man) long for her own beloved grandfather (maybe that's just me). Oh my goodness, so many parenthetical notations. Solid story, great writing, and great look at post-war Yugoslavia (something I haven't seen much of in literature lately). A.
ETA: I completely agree with this NYT review, which states my feelings much more eloquently than I usually manage.
When you read something that's been hyped for like a year before it was even published (or whenever it was Obreht made the New Yorker list of awesome writers under 40), you never know if it'll actually be THAT good. But all the early reviews were positive (actually, I saw one review, in the New York Observer, that disparagingly noted this book reads like YA due to Obreht's youth--I'm sure you can imagine the problems I had with that one) and so I went for it--and was not disappointed. The book isn't perfect--few are--but it's really, really good.
Obreht weaves the story of a young doctor after a war in Central Europe (it's never explicitly labeled as Yugoslavia, but the history and the references to divisions make it pretty clear anyway) who's on her way to give medical care to orphans when she finds out her adored grandfather has died. While she's struggling to deal with that--and with other unexpected complications--she reflects on the two strange stories of her grandfather's life--the story of the deathless man, and the story of the tiger's wife (which must have been excerpted in the New Yorker at some point, because it was very familiar), all of which leads the reader to reflect on the damage caused by war. Obreht cleverly works these disparate elements into a solid story, one that will make every young woman (and man) long for her own beloved grandfather (maybe that's just me). Oh my goodness, so many parenthetical notations. Solid story, great writing, and great look at post-war Yugoslavia (something I haven't seen much of in literature lately). A.
ETA: I completely agree with this NYT review, which states my feelings much more eloquently than I usually manage.
Monday, March 07, 2011
2011 book 63
Rachel Hawkin's Demonglass
I enjoyed Hex Hall quite a bit when it came out, and was pleased that it subverted a lot of the cliches of the genre. So when the sequel came out, of course I was excited to read it. And just when I was about to write it off as a cheesy and stupid follow-up, the end got all exciting and interesting! Still, most of it was cheesy, especially the parts involving forbidden romance. I'm not sure whether I'll read the third one. B/B-.
I enjoyed Hex Hall quite a bit when it came out, and was pleased that it subverted a lot of the cliches of the genre. So when the sequel came out, of course I was excited to read it. And just when I was about to write it off as a cheesy and stupid follow-up, the end got all exciting and interesting! Still, most of it was cheesy, especially the parts involving forbidden romance. I'm not sure whether I'll read the third one. B/B-.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
2011 book 62
Patrick Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear
I didn't remember much of the first book in this series, The Name of the Wind, but Rothfuss does a great job of reintroducing the world and its characters without annoyingly referring back to past events too much. He just flings us back into the story--in a good way--and keeps the momentum going. Kvothe's adventures are just as exciting and interesting this time around (though a few of his offshoot adventures could have been a bit shorter for my taste--I mean, this book is like a thousand pages long, no, LITERALLY). But as expected, it was an excellent read, and I look forward to the third book (whenever that comes out). A/A-.
I didn't remember much of the first book in this series, The Name of the Wind, but Rothfuss does a great job of reintroducing the world and its characters without annoyingly referring back to past events too much. He just flings us back into the story--in a good way--and keeps the momentum going. Kvothe's adventures are just as exciting and interesting this time around (though a few of his offshoot adventures could have been a bit shorter for my taste--I mean, this book is like a thousand pages long, no, LITERALLY). But as expected, it was an excellent read, and I look forward to the third book (whenever that comes out). A/A-.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
2011 book 61
Manuel Munoz's What You See in the Dark
Munoz deftly weaves two stories together--one about a love affair that has everyone in town talking, and one involving a famous actress and director coming to town to scout locations--into something bigger than the sum of its parts. He especially does atmosphere well--I could feel the heat and the dust and the gossip and the quiet of a small California town--and I also liked that part of the story is narrated by a jealous rival of the local girl. His refusal to name the actress and director could be off-putting, but I thought it worked in light of the larger story (especially b/c I figured out the movie at the end of chapter two, which I was delighted to have Algonquin confirm on Twitter. It's easy to figure out through the course of the book even if you're not any kind of movie buff). Anyway, great read. A-.
(A review copy was provided by the publisher.)
Munoz deftly weaves two stories together--one about a love affair that has everyone in town talking, and one involving a famous actress and director coming to town to scout locations--into something bigger than the sum of its parts. He especially does atmosphere well--I could feel the heat and the dust and the gossip and the quiet of a small California town--and I also liked that part of the story is narrated by a jealous rival of the local girl. His refusal to name the actress and director could be off-putting, but I thought it worked in light of the larger story (especially b/c I figured out the movie at the end of chapter two, which I was delighted to have Algonquin confirm on Twitter. It's easy to figure out through the course of the book even if you're not any kind of movie buff). Anyway, great read. A-.
(A review copy was provided by the publisher.)
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
2011 book 60
Seanan McGuire's Late Eclipses
I really enjoy the Toby Day books--about a half-fairy PI--and this one was no exception. The stakes are higher here--Toby's friends are in danger and whoever is behind it is framing her for the crimes, plus there's even more fairy political intrigue than usual. I just really enjoy the characters here--Toby, the sly King of Cats, all Toby's puppy-like young men followers . . . McGuire manages to keep things lively and fresh even in the fourth book in this series. A-.
I really enjoy the Toby Day books--about a half-fairy PI--and this one was no exception. The stakes are higher here--Toby's friends are in danger and whoever is behind it is framing her for the crimes, plus there's even more fairy political intrigue than usual. I just really enjoy the characters here--Toby, the sly King of Cats, all Toby's puppy-like young men followers . . . McGuire manages to keep things lively and fresh even in the fourth book in this series. A-.
Monday, February 28, 2011
2011 book 59
Franny Billingsley's The Folk Keeper
Middle grade book about a girl disguised as a boy whose job is to appease the bad local fairies and keep them from wreaking havoc. But things change when a dying lord sends his wife to fetch and employ her, leading her to an estate full of secrets. Pretty much everything that's going to happen is easy to discern, but the first person narration keeps things interesting. A-.
Middle grade book about a girl disguised as a boy whose job is to appease the bad local fairies and keep them from wreaking havoc. But things change when a dying lord sends his wife to fetch and employ her, leading her to an estate full of secrets. Pretty much everything that's going to happen is easy to discern, but the first person narration keeps things interesting. A-.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
2011 book 58
Kathleen Winter's Annabel
After reading a bunch of silly (but fun!) urban fantasy books, I was ready for something a little more thought-provoking and literary. And this novel--which has won a bunch of awards in Canada but not gotten a ton of critical attention here--did not disappoint. When a baby is born in a small town in Canada in 1968 with the genitalia of both genders, the father decides he should be raised as a son. But his wife and her friend encourage the child's feminine side as much as they are able, even as the child doesn't know any of the truth. Of course there are complications and lots of questioning of one's identity (on the part of several of the characters). The characters are solid and the story is gripping, but the real star here is Winter's writing. She's especially good when nature is involved, though her ruminations on middle-ages housewives are also pretty spot-on. A.
After reading a bunch of silly (but fun!) urban fantasy books, I was ready for something a little more thought-provoking and literary. And this novel--which has won a bunch of awards in Canada but not gotten a ton of critical attention here--did not disappoint. When a baby is born in a small town in Canada in 1968 with the genitalia of both genders, the father decides he should be raised as a son. But his wife and her friend encourage the child's feminine side as much as they are able, even as the child doesn't know any of the truth. Of course there are complications and lots of questioning of one's identity (on the part of several of the characters). The characters are solid and the story is gripping, but the real star here is Winter's writing. She's especially good when nature is involved, though her ruminations on middle-ages housewives are also pretty spot-on. A.
2011 book 57
DD Barant's Killing Rocks
This third book in this series involves a golem uprising, an evil sorcerer, buildings swapping places, and all sorts of crazy magic. Entertaining stuff. BTW, did you know the author is a man? I don't think I'd have guessed that, even with the lack of romance. Not really relevant to anything, just interesting in the light of all the discussion of how many women writers/reviewers/being reviewed there are (I read waaay more books by women but don't know what the significance of that is). Anyway, yeah, this series is fun. A-.
This third book in this series involves a golem uprising, an evil sorcerer, buildings swapping places, and all sorts of crazy magic. Entertaining stuff. BTW, did you know the author is a man? I don't think I'd have guessed that, even with the lack of romance. Not really relevant to anything, just interesting in the light of all the discussion of how many women writers/reviewers/being reviewed there are (I read waaay more books by women but don't know what the significance of that is). Anyway, yeah, this series is fun. A-.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
2011 book 56
DD Barant's Death Blows
The second book in the Bloodhound Files series is perhaps even awesomer than the first, though maybe I'm biased since it's all about the magic of COMIC BOOKS. Serious Grant Morrison/Alan Moore references and discussion, plus superheroes and a villainous Wertham! But of course these things are even more serious in an alternate world full of magic, werewolves, vampires, and golems (I think I forgot to mention golems last time, but the main character's golem partner, the fedora-wearing Charlie Aleph, is totally one of the highlights for me). A.
The second book in the Bloodhound Files series is perhaps even awesomer than the first, though maybe I'm biased since it's all about the magic of COMIC BOOKS. Serious Grant Morrison/Alan Moore references and discussion, plus superheroes and a villainous Wertham! But of course these things are even more serious in an alternate world full of magic, werewolves, vampires, and golems (I think I forgot to mention golems last time, but the main character's golem partner, the fedora-wearing Charlie Aleph, is totally one of the highlights for me). A.
2011 book 55
Thanhha Lai's Inside Out and Back Again
Lai's debut novel--which is inspired by her own childhood--focuses on a young Vietnamese girl who flees with her family to Alabama at the end of the Vietnam War, and then has a whole new series of hardships to deal with as she tries to fit in. It's a fast read--it's written in free-form poetry--but not an easy one. I did think it ended a bit abruptly, but it's a middle-grade book so I don't have a big problem with that. The blog that mentioned this (I don't remember which one) thought it was a strong contender for the Newbery, and I more-or-less agree. A-.
Lai's debut novel--which is inspired by her own childhood--focuses on a young Vietnamese girl who flees with her family to Alabama at the end of the Vietnam War, and then has a whole new series of hardships to deal with as she tries to fit in. It's a fast read--it's written in free-form poetry--but not an easy one. I did think it ended a bit abruptly, but it's a middle-grade book so I don't have a big problem with that. The blog that mentioned this (I don't remember which one) thought it was a strong contender for the Newbery, and I more-or-less agree. A-.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
2011 book 54
DD Barant's Dying Bites
Jace Valchek is a star detective and profiler doing the sassy and tough girl cop thing when she gets whisked away to a parallel world where humans are nearly extinct and werewolves and vampires are everywhere. A human serial killer is on the loose and they need her help to track him down, but things are more bizarre and complicated than they let on. It's amazing how Barant so easily transfers the trope of the tough girl detective to a paranormal world--and it's very effective. My complaints about this are minor--occasionally Jace's voice is a little too "yeah, I'm a tough girl cop" and way too many sections end with unnecessary ellipses, but the world-building is fascinating and Jace is a really fun heroine to root for. Plus there are two sequels to look forward to! A-.
Jace Valchek is a star detective and profiler doing the sassy and tough girl cop thing when she gets whisked away to a parallel world where humans are nearly extinct and werewolves and vampires are everywhere. A human serial killer is on the loose and they need her help to track him down, but things are more bizarre and complicated than they let on. It's amazing how Barant so easily transfers the trope of the tough girl detective to a paranormal world--and it's very effective. My complaints about this are minor--occasionally Jace's voice is a little too "yeah, I'm a tough girl cop" and way too many sections end with unnecessary ellipses, but the world-building is fascinating and Jace is a really fun heroine to root for. Plus there are two sequels to look forward to! A-.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
2011 book 53
Natalie Standiford's How to Say Goodbye in Robot
After reading a few too many disappointing books lately, I asked my Twitter people for book recommendations--books that satisfied them.* I just wanted to read something satisfying, dangit. Luckily the lovely Keri stepped up to let me know about the story of Robot Girl and Ghost Boy. Robot Girl Beatrice (not actually a robot) has just moved to Baltimore and is dreading her senior year of high school, but she befriends Ghost Boy/outcast Jonah (not actually a ghost), who introduces her to an insane late-night radio show populated with eccentrics (some lovable, some not so much). But when he finds out about a really big secret his father was keeping from him, things get a lot more complicated. Standiford completely veers away from the predictable and cliched with her characters, and manages to make a fully fleshed-out world full of heartbreaking and bittersweet moments for them. And yes, it satisfied me. Thanks, Keri. A/A-.
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*If anyone reading this can recommend something that satisfied you, feel free.
After reading a few too many disappointing books lately, I asked my Twitter people for book recommendations--books that satisfied them.* I just wanted to read something satisfying, dangit. Luckily the lovely Keri stepped up to let me know about the story of Robot Girl and Ghost Boy. Robot Girl Beatrice (not actually a robot) has just moved to Baltimore and is dreading her senior year of high school, but she befriends Ghost Boy/outcast Jonah (not actually a ghost), who introduces her to an insane late-night radio show populated with eccentrics (some lovable, some not so much). But when he finds out about a really big secret his father was keeping from him, things get a lot more complicated. Standiford completely veers away from the predictable and cliched with her characters, and manages to make a fully fleshed-out world full of heartbreaking and bittersweet moments for them. And yes, it satisfied me. Thanks, Keri. A/A-.
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*If anyone reading this can recommend something that satisfied you, feel free.
Monday, February 21, 2011
2011 book 52
Jerry Spinelli's Milkweed
Look, there's no real way for me to grade or critically discuss a Jerry Spinelli YA book about the Holocaust. Here are the bare bones: it's 1939 and a small boy who thinks his name is "Stopthief" (because that's all anyone ever says to him) is taken in by an older Jewish boy and his gang. He's such a little boy that he doesn't really understand Nazis and admires their shiny boots. He's also so little that, when he ends up in the ghetto, he can escape to steal food through a hole in the wall. Spinelli pretty neatly encapsulates the Warsaw Ghetto experience, telling the horrible truth while not making it too grim for his young audience. Really well-done.
Look, there's no real way for me to grade or critically discuss a Jerry Spinelli YA book about the Holocaust. Here are the bare bones: it's 1939 and a small boy who thinks his name is "Stopthief" (because that's all anyone ever says to him) is taken in by an older Jewish boy and his gang. He's such a little boy that he doesn't really understand Nazis and admires their shiny boots. He's also so little that, when he ends up in the ghetto, he can escape to steal food through a hole in the wall. Spinelli pretty neatly encapsulates the Warsaw Ghetto experience, telling the horrible truth while not making it too grim for his young audience. Really well-done.
2011 book 51
Terry Pratchett's Soul Music
Oh my GOD, did I not like this book. I don't know why I even finished it, except that I wanted to know what happened to Death's granddaughter (I thought it was about her, which is why i read it, but she's barely in it, and it's all about rock and roll coming to the Discworld and wreaking havoc in a really annoying way). This book should have been like 200 pages shorter. I can't believe I disliked a Pratchett book this much, but I really, really did.
Oh my GOD, did I not like this book. I don't know why I even finished it, except that I wanted to know what happened to Death's granddaughter (I thought it was about her, which is why i read it, but she's barely in it, and it's all about rock and roll coming to the Discworld and wreaking havoc in a really annoying way). This book should have been like 200 pages shorter. I can't believe I disliked a Pratchett book this much, but I really, really did.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
2011 book 50
Maurissa Guibord's Warped
When Tessa and her father mistakenly get a tapestry of a unicorn in an auction, Tessa starts having weird dreams and experiences whenever she touches it. Then she pulls at a loose thread and a boy comes out! A witch imprisoned him there 500 years ago! And wants him back to maintain her youth and immortality! Actually, I was pretty into this for the first half--Tessa is interesting then--but then it gets all romance-heavy and they both turn kind of stupid. Of course, I'm not a fourteen year old girl, and was much more interested in the history, mythology, and magic at work. B.
When Tessa and her father mistakenly get a tapestry of a unicorn in an auction, Tessa starts having weird dreams and experiences whenever she touches it. Then she pulls at a loose thread and a boy comes out! A witch imprisoned him there 500 years ago! And wants him back to maintain her youth and immortality! Actually, I was pretty into this for the first half--Tessa is interesting then--but then it gets all romance-heavy and they both turn kind of stupid. Of course, I'm not a fourteen year old girl, and was much more interested in the history, mythology, and magic at work. B.
2011 book 49
Elizabeth Stuckey-French's The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady
Before I got my copy of this, I spent a while trying to figure out why the author's name was so familiar. When it came, I saw that it was set in Tallahassee, and realized the author works in one of the departments I worked with at my former place of work. So, there's that. Anyway, this is about a woman who, when she was pregnant back in the 50s, was unwittingly given radiation as part of a scientific study. After her small daughter died of cancer, she blamed the doctor in charge--and now, as an old woman, is coming to get her revenge. But her ill-conceived plans of killing him start to backfire when she gets entangled with his family. Stuckey-French does a great job of bringing the characters to life--especially the dr's youngest granddaughter Suzi--and her writing is solid, but the story doesn't entirely make sense (in light of the ending, the first chapter from Suzi's POV is really weird) and while the ending is clearly designed to be satisfying, I didn't think it worked that well. B/B-.
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
Before I got my copy of this, I spent a while trying to figure out why the author's name was so familiar. When it came, I saw that it was set in Tallahassee, and realized the author works in one of the departments I worked with at my former place of work. So, there's that. Anyway, this is about a woman who, when she was pregnant back in the 50s, was unwittingly given radiation as part of a scientific study. After her small daughter died of cancer, she blamed the doctor in charge--and now, as an old woman, is coming to get her revenge. But her ill-conceived plans of killing him start to backfire when she gets entangled with his family. Stuckey-French does a great job of bringing the characters to life--especially the dr's youngest granddaughter Suzi--and her writing is solid, but the story doesn't entirely make sense (in light of the ending, the first chapter from Suzi's POV is really weird) and while the ending is clearly designed to be satisfying, I didn't think it worked that well. B/B-.
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
2011 book 48
Cecilia Ahern's The Book of Tomorrow
I've never read anything by Ahern before--chick-lit isn't my thing--but her latest was being described as a kind of gothic-style YA book and darned if that didn't sound intriguing. The story centers on spoiled brat teenager Tamara, who, after her father kills himself, goes with her mother to live with her aunt and uncle in the country. Only everything is weird and there are a lot of secrets being kept. Oh, and her diary tells her what'll happen the next day. I liked this more than I was expecting to, actually--Tamara's transformation into less of a brat was believable, I love books with a hint of magic, there's a cool nun, and uncovering the secrets keeps the plot moving. I'm not classifying this as a fantasy since the only fantastic element is the diary--we'll count that as a form of magical realism and move on. A-.
I've never read anything by Ahern before--chick-lit isn't my thing--but her latest was being described as a kind of gothic-style YA book and darned if that didn't sound intriguing. The story centers on spoiled brat teenager Tamara, who, after her father kills himself, goes with her mother to live with her aunt and uncle in the country. Only everything is weird and there are a lot of secrets being kept. Oh, and her diary tells her what'll happen the next day. I liked this more than I was expecting to, actually--Tamara's transformation into less of a brat was believable, I love books with a hint of magic, there's a cool nun, and uncovering the secrets keeps the plot moving. I'm not classifying this as a fantasy since the only fantastic element is the diary--we'll count that as a form of magical realism and move on. A-.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
2011 book 47
Michael David Lukas' The Oracle of Stamboul
The summaries of this book are all like "A young Jewish girl becomes the adviser to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire" but that doesn't really happen till more than 2/3rds of the way through the story. Instead, it's the story of a young Jewish girl who is blessed with some particular gifts, like a massive intellect and a flock of hoopoe birds who follow her around, but she also has to deal with tragedy and political intrigue. No matter how you describe it, it's an excellent novel, and Lukas can really turn a phrase. A.
The summaries of this book are all like "A young Jewish girl becomes the adviser to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire" but that doesn't really happen till more than 2/3rds of the way through the story. Instead, it's the story of a young Jewish girl who is blessed with some particular gifts, like a massive intellect and a flock of hoopoe birds who follow her around, but she also has to deal with tragedy and political intrigue. No matter how you describe it, it's an excellent novel, and Lukas can really turn a phrase. A.
Monday, February 14, 2011
partially read
Amanda Hocking's Switched
Some thoughts on this:
--Hocking is the author who's gotten a lot of press recently for self-publishing her books and selling thousands of copies of e-books.
--Because her books are self-published, they don't seem to be edited well, if at all. The writing is stiff and clumsy.
--Also, she puts apostrophes where they don't go. Like in "Kennedy's" when she means "Kennedys."
--This was an experiment in Kindle lending--my sister let me borrow it. Pretty cool system, I have to say.
--Unfortunately, I'm not into it at all. The story's all overwrought and predictable and melodramatic. I made it more than halfway through and realized I didn't care about any of the characters or what would happen to them.
--So, I'm going to go read something else.
--Thanks for the loan anyway, Jamie!
Some thoughts on this:
--Hocking is the author who's gotten a lot of press recently for self-publishing her books and selling thousands of copies of e-books.
--Because her books are self-published, they don't seem to be edited well, if at all. The writing is stiff and clumsy.
--Also, she puts apostrophes where they don't go. Like in "Kennedy's" when she means "Kennedys."
--This was an experiment in Kindle lending--my sister let me borrow it. Pretty cool system, I have to say.
--Unfortunately, I'm not into it at all. The story's all overwrought and predictable and melodramatic. I made it more than halfway through and realized I didn't care about any of the characters or what would happen to them.
--So, I'm going to go read something else.
--Thanks for the loan anyway, Jamie!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
2011 book 46
Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin's Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance
Cute YA book about a pair of teenagers who star on a somewhat popular teen show and fake a real-life romance to keep the media and the fans interested. But when a scandal--and rumors of cancellation--strike, the two find themselves in unknown territory. Like I said, cute. B+.
Cute YA book about a pair of teenagers who star on a somewhat popular teen show and fake a real-life romance to keep the media and the fans interested. But when a scandal--and rumors of cancellation--strike, the two find themselves in unknown territory. Like I said, cute. B+.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
2011 book 45
Laura Lippman's No Good Deeds
This was by far the worst Tess Monaghan mystery. Lippman clues the reader in on who the bad guys are early on and we're just waiting for Tess to uncover the whole boring story. And it does turn out to be boring. C.
This was by far the worst Tess Monaghan mystery. Lippman clues the reader in on who the bad guys are early on and we're just waiting for Tess to uncover the whole boring story. And it does turn out to be boring. C.
2011 book 44
Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches
Diana Bishop was born to two of the most powerful witches in recent times, but has grown up shying away from her power and has become a historian instead. When she finds a weird ancient manuscript in the Bodleian Library, however, she can't deny what she is any longer--especially not when other creatures begin looking for her, most notably a handsome vampire scientist. OK, so I mostly liked this book a lot--the characters are all fascinating and I was intrigued by the world-building--but it did have some flaws. For one thing, some of the writing is weirdly awkward (first-person sections will suddenly turn third-person for a sentence) and the book would be at least 50 pages shorter without all the talk about wine (so boring). And parts of the book read way too much like Twilight (if Twilight was written for an adult audience and was more intellectual). What is with all these old-fashioned (read: chaste) male vampires? I'm a grownup, dammit, I'm not afraid of fictional characters who are in love sleeping with each other. Frankly, it's weird that they don't, and makes it harder to suspend disbelief in anything else going on (plus, I think it gives too much of the sequels away, or so I assume). Still, it was entertaining and I look forward to the next one in this series. B+.
Diana Bishop was born to two of the most powerful witches in recent times, but has grown up shying away from her power and has become a historian instead. When she finds a weird ancient manuscript in the Bodleian Library, however, she can't deny what she is any longer--especially not when other creatures begin looking for her, most notably a handsome vampire scientist. OK, so I mostly liked this book a lot--the characters are all fascinating and I was intrigued by the world-building--but it did have some flaws. For one thing, some of the writing is weirdly awkward (first-person sections will suddenly turn third-person for a sentence) and the book would be at least 50 pages shorter without all the talk about wine (so boring). And parts of the book read way too much like Twilight (if Twilight was written for an adult audience and was more intellectual). What is with all these old-fashioned (read: chaste) male vampires? I'm a grownup, dammit, I'm not afraid of fictional characters who are in love sleeping with each other. Frankly, it's weird that they don't, and makes it harder to suspend disbelief in anything else going on (plus, I think it gives too much of the sequels away, or so I assume). Still, it was entertaining and I look forward to the next one in this series. B+.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
adorable outer space graphic novels
I'm trying to do a better job of keeping track of and talking about the graphic novels I read, so let me tell you about two of them that are slightly similar! The first is Dave Roman's Astronaut Academy, which is pretty much what it sounds like--a bunch of pre-teens in space, and it's adorable. It's all told in short pieces that focus on the different characters in turn, which makes for excellent world-building but a not entirely engaging story. But the cover is shiny, so yay!
There's also Ben Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl, which is about a girl who finds a mysterious device in a meteroite, presses the button, and opens up a portal that sucks in one of her friends. So of course she has to follow and rescue him, with the help of some awesome new friends (I especially liked the giant mouse). This is one of the cutest books I have ever seen--the art is GREAT--though the story sometimes moves more quickly than I'd have liked, but this is a kids' book and I think it works fine for that age level. Very highly recommended.
There's also Ben Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl, which is about a girl who finds a mysterious device in a meteroite, presses the button, and opens up a portal that sucks in one of her friends. So of course she has to follow and rescue him, with the help of some awesome new friends (I especially liked the giant mouse). This is one of the cutest books I have ever seen--the art is GREAT--though the story sometimes moves more quickly than I'd have liked, but this is a kids' book and I think it works fine for that age level. Very highly recommended.
2011 book 43
Allison Pearson's I Think I Love You
It's 1974 and Petra is a 13-year-old Welsh girl who's madly in love with David Cassidy and dealing with the usual 13-year-old friend and home-life dramas. Then there's Bill, a recent college grad whose job is to write articles about and as David Cassidy for a UK fan magazine. And of course their lives intersect in a predictable way, but the characters are likable enough that I didn't mind at all (or perhaps just best friend Sharon is likable enough for the rest of them). I will say that I had a strong sense of dread reading the first half of the book, b/c I got curious about Cassidy and looked him up on Wikipedia, where I read about the chaos and tragedy of the White City concert, which of course our characters are planning to attend. There's a lengthy interview with Cassidy at the end of the book, but I got bored of it halfway through. Cassidy-mania was way before my time. A-.
It's 1974 and Petra is a 13-year-old Welsh girl who's madly in love with David Cassidy and dealing with the usual 13-year-old friend and home-life dramas. Then there's Bill, a recent college grad whose job is to write articles about and as David Cassidy for a UK fan magazine. And of course their lives intersect in a predictable way, but the characters are likable enough that I didn't mind at all (or perhaps just best friend Sharon is likable enough for the rest of them). I will say that I had a strong sense of dread reading the first half of the book, b/c I got curious about Cassidy and looked him up on Wikipedia, where I read about the chaos and tragedy of the White City concert, which of course our characters are planning to attend. There's a lengthy interview with Cassidy at the end of the book, but I got bored of it halfway through. Cassidy-mania was way before my time. A-.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
P2090050
Today I had a behind-the-scenes tour of Duke's Lemur Center and it was AMAZING. I got to talk to some trainers and watch them in action--and saw the lemurs, aye-ayes, lorises, and more up close! Their new facility is great and I can't wait to go back in spring when the lemurs are roaming the forest!
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
2011 book 42
Alan Bradley's A Red Herring Without Mustard
The third Flavia de Luce mystery finds our young scientist heroine involved with some Gypsies, a smuggling ring, and a long-missing child. I loved the first book in this series and was somewhat disappointed in the second, but this one was really strong--which is difficult to do when the protagonist of your mystery series is a child. Of course, this is one of those series that's more about the characters and the setting than solving crimes (though Flavia's interest in forensics helps move the story along), which is why I like it so much. A.
The third Flavia de Luce mystery finds our young scientist heroine involved with some Gypsies, a smuggling ring, and a long-missing child. I loved the first book in this series and was somewhat disappointed in the second, but this one was really strong--which is difficult to do when the protagonist of your mystery series is a child. Of course, this is one of those series that's more about the characters and the setting than solving crimes (though Flavia's interest in forensics helps move the story along), which is why I like it so much. A.
Monday, February 07, 2011
2011 book 41
Joan Bauer's Close to Famous
Super, super sweet middle grade book about a girl who loves to bake, especially cupcakes, inspired by her favorite tv chef. (I'm sure you can see why this appealed to me.) After her mother's boyfriend turns abusive, they go on the run and end up in a small town in West Virginia, where the motley assortment of locals--including a boy who wants to make documentaries and a formerly famous actress--more-or-less welcome them with open arms, with the help of some yummy baked goods. I teared up more than once, but this manages to stay heartwarming while not veering into total cheese territory. Plus the cupcake descriptions were aces.
Super, super sweet middle grade book about a girl who loves to bake, especially cupcakes, inspired by her favorite tv chef. (I'm sure you can see why this appealed to me.) After her mother's boyfriend turns abusive, they go on the run and end up in a small town in West Virginia, where the motley assortment of locals--including a boy who wants to make documentaries and a formerly famous actress--more-or-less welcome them with open arms, with the help of some yummy baked goods. I teared up more than once, but this manages to stay heartwarming while not veering into total cheese territory. Plus the cupcake descriptions were aces.
2011 book 40
Alison Espach's The Adults
Emily Vidal is 14 years old, it's the 1990s, and on the day of her father's big fiftieth birthday party, she's told her parents are divorcing and her father is moving to Prague. Then she catches him kissing their next-door neighbor, whose son Emily has a crush on. Soon after all that, high school starts, along with an affair with one of her teachers. And then we see post-collegiate Emily with her father in Prague, and other glimpses of her adult life. Things happen in a somewhat jarring way because of the skips forward in time, but while the characters aren't always likable, they are always interesting. Pretty good read. B+.
Emily Vidal is 14 years old, it's the 1990s, and on the day of her father's big fiftieth birthday party, she's told her parents are divorcing and her father is moving to Prague. Then she catches him kissing their next-door neighbor, whose son Emily has a crush on. Soon after all that, high school starts, along with an affair with one of her teachers. And then we see post-collegiate Emily with her father in Prague, and other glimpses of her adult life. Things happen in a somewhat jarring way because of the skips forward in time, but while the characters aren't always likable, they are always interesting. Pretty good read. B+.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
2011 book 39
Laura Lippman's By A Spider's Thread
When the wife and children of an Orthodox Jewish man go missing, he hires Tess Monaghan to track them down--with the assistance of her new internet group of girl PIs. Lippman changes things up here, flipping back and forth between scenes of Tess and scenes of the family, and things heat up as the stories start to converge. Another excellent entry in this series.
When the wife and children of an Orthodox Jewish man go missing, he hires Tess Monaghan to track them down--with the assistance of her new internet group of girl PIs. Lippman changes things up here, flipping back and forth between scenes of Tess and scenes of the family, and things heat up as the stories start to converge. Another excellent entry in this series.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
2011 book 38
Sherwood Smith's A Posse of Princesses
I wanted something fluffy after reading Swamplandia and this story--about a bunch of princesses who all go to a ball to meet an eligible prince, and one girl gets kidnapped so some of the others go to rescue her, and there's intrigue and whatnot--was predictable but satisfying.
I wanted something fluffy after reading Swamplandia and this story--about a bunch of princesses who all go to a ball to meet an eligible prince, and one girl gets kidnapped so some of the others go to rescue her, and there's intrigue and whatnot--was predictable but satisfying.
2011 book 37
Karen Russell's Swamplandia!
This first novel by Russell--who wrote a very popular book of short stories a few years ago, which I didn't read--had gotten tons of buzz and seemed like it'd be a pleasantly quirky read, about a girl growing up with her older siblings in the swamps of Florida whose family owns an alligator-themed attraction. But damn, this was really dark. Almost immediately things go downhill--the kids' mother (and the star attraction) dies of cancer, and a Hell-themed amusement park opens up nearby, leading to serious financial problems. Not to mention that older brother Kiwi is desperate to escape their island and go to college, and older sister Osceola communicates with ghosts. Ava just wants everything to stay the same, but her journey is the most troubling. Something in the writing and the atmosphere made me feel like my brain was slogging through a swamp while I was reading--I'm not sure how purposeful that was. And I had some mixed feelings about the ending. But I guess a book has to be good to make me feel so upset. Now I'm going to find something completely cute and silly to read. A-.
This first novel by Russell--who wrote a very popular book of short stories a few years ago, which I didn't read--had gotten tons of buzz and seemed like it'd be a pleasantly quirky read, about a girl growing up with her older siblings in the swamps of Florida whose family owns an alligator-themed attraction. But damn, this was really dark. Almost immediately things go downhill--the kids' mother (and the star attraction) dies of cancer, and a Hell-themed amusement park opens up nearby, leading to serious financial problems. Not to mention that older brother Kiwi is desperate to escape their island and go to college, and older sister Osceola communicates with ghosts. Ava just wants everything to stay the same, but her journey is the most troubling. Something in the writing and the atmosphere made me feel like my brain was slogging through a swamp while I was reading--I'm not sure how purposeful that was. And I had some mixed feelings about the ending. But I guess a book has to be good to make me feel so upset. Now I'm going to find something completely cute and silly to read. A-.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
feminist YA books?
So Bitch published a list of 100 YA books for the feminist reader. I glanced at this list, saw a lot of books I liked, and didn't think about it again. But . . . censorship and drama ensued. Bad Bitch!
Monday, January 31, 2011
2011 book 36
Allison Pang's A Brush of Darkness
This was a more-or-less entertaining urban fantasy in which a woman who has ties to the faery world agrees to help an incubus find his missing sister. But like, the world's mythology was so complicated and under-explained that I felt like I was missing the first book in this series (I wasn't). Also, the main character was really inconsistent and I didn't really like the end. There were some interesting magical paintings and an awesome unicorn, though. B-.
This was a more-or-less entertaining urban fantasy in which a woman who has ties to the faery world agrees to help an incubus find his missing sister. But like, the world's mythology was so complicated and under-explained that I felt like I was missing the first book in this series (I wasn't). Also, the main character was really inconsistent and I didn't really like the end. There were some interesting magical paintings and an awesome unicorn, though. B-.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
2011 book 35
Laura Lippman's The Last Place
After getting intro trouble for attacking a guy who tried to molest her best friend's cousin, Tess is hired to look into some cold cases to try and raise money for training against domestic violence. But the cases lead to something much bigger and more terrifying. Seriously, this one was intense, made more so when I realized halfway through that one of the characters was mentioned in Girl in the Green Raincoat (the most recent book in this series, which I read first) and something baaad was going to happen. A.
After getting intro trouble for attacking a guy who tried to molest her best friend's cousin, Tess is hired to look into some cold cases to try and raise money for training against domestic violence. But the cases lead to something much bigger and more terrifying. Seriously, this one was intense, made more so when I realized halfway through that one of the characters was mentioned in Girl in the Green Raincoat (the most recent book in this series, which I read first) and something baaad was going to happen. A.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
2011 book 34
Kiersten White's Paranormalcy
This book was being hyped pretty heavily a few months ago, but it seemed like just another YA fantasy romance kind of book. I'm not sure why I decided to give it a chance, besides the good reviews on Amazon. Anyway, it's about Evie, who works as a monster-hunter for an agency that captures and neutralizes things like vampires and werewolves--Evie has the ability to see through their disguises to the creature beneath. But when a mysterious boy breaks into their headquarters, and something starts killing paranormal creatures, all sorts of secrets come out. And there are, of course, adventures. Evie is a surprisingly likable and sympathetic character--she, of course, longs to be a normal teenager like the ones on her favorite tv show. Apparently this is the first of a trilogy, and I look forward to the sequels. A-.
This book was being hyped pretty heavily a few months ago, but it seemed like just another YA fantasy romance kind of book. I'm not sure why I decided to give it a chance, besides the good reviews on Amazon. Anyway, it's about Evie, who works as a monster-hunter for an agency that captures and neutralizes things like vampires and werewolves--Evie has the ability to see through their disguises to the creature beneath. But when a mysterious boy breaks into their headquarters, and something starts killing paranormal creatures, all sorts of secrets come out. And there are, of course, adventures. Evie is a surprisingly likable and sympathetic character--she, of course, longs to be a normal teenager like the ones on her favorite tv show. Apparently this is the first of a trilogy, and I look forward to the sequels. A-.
2011 book 33
Laura Lippman's In a Strange City
I really, really enjoyed this Tess Monaghan mystery, which involved the Poe Toaster (the secret person who secretly goes to Poe's grave once a year and leaves cognac and roses), libraries, mentions of Pittsburgh, and literary history. Oh, and murder and mayhem, of course. A.
I really, really enjoyed this Tess Monaghan mystery, which involved the Poe Toaster (the secret person who secretly goes to Poe's grave once a year and leaves cognac and roses), libraries, mentions of Pittsburgh, and literary history. Oh, and murder and mayhem, of course. A.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
2011 book 32
E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
When I got my Kindle back in 2009, this was one of the first books I looked for (proof!). And for some reason I looked for it again yesterday and there it was! Man, this was one of my favorite books when I was little--don't you wish you could secretly live in a museum and solve a mystery? This version has a nice afterword by Konigsburg from the 35th anniversary reissue of the book, which includes a funny little Claudia-and-Jamie vignette that she gave to the people at the Newbery Award ceremony that year.
When I got my Kindle back in 2009, this was one of the first books I looked for (proof!). And for some reason I looked for it again yesterday and there it was! Man, this was one of my favorite books when I was little--don't you wish you could secretly live in a museum and solve a mystery? This version has a nice afterword by Konigsburg from the 35th anniversary reissue of the book, which includes a funny little Claudia-and-Jamie vignette that she gave to the people at the Newbery Award ceremony that year.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
2011 book 31
Eilis O'Neal's The False Princess
Very entertaining story about a princess who is told she's not really the princess--see, there was a prophecy that the princess would be killed before her 16th birthday, so they hid her and replaced her with another baby. So now the false princess has to leave the castle and go live with an aunt she never met. But somehow this leads to awesome adventures, some of which involve magic and romance and even some research! Totally a likable book. A-.
Very entertaining story about a princess who is told she's not really the princess--see, there was a prophecy that the princess would be killed before her 16th birthday, so they hid her and replaced her with another baby. So now the false princess has to leave the castle and go live with an aunt she never met. But somehow this leads to awesome adventures, some of which involve magic and romance and even some research! Totally a likable book. A-.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
2011 book 30
Hannah Pittard's The Fates Will Find Their Way
This book has been getting a lot of buzz, and with good reason--it's excellent. Comparisons to The Virgin Suicides are apt--though it's not as heartbreaking, the second person plural narrative voice coupled with the atmosphere of now-grown men looking back half-fondly, half-mystified-ly on their adolescence (and especially on the neighborhood girls of their adolescence) are definitely reminiscent of Eugenides. Here, the boys are obsessed by Nora, who went missing. They invent elaborate fantasies of what might have happened to her (it's not a spoiler to tell you that the truth is never revealed--this isn't a mystery/thriller and not-knowing is sort of the point), always thinking they see her in strange places. As far as I can tell, Pittard does a great job of delving into the mindset of the teenage boy--and the man the teenage boy becomes. Of course, I'm a girl, so who really knows. A.
This book has been getting a lot of buzz, and with good reason--it's excellent. Comparisons to The Virgin Suicides are apt--though it's not as heartbreaking, the second person plural narrative voice coupled with the atmosphere of now-grown men looking back half-fondly, half-mystified-ly on their adolescence (and especially on the neighborhood girls of their adolescence) are definitely reminiscent of Eugenides. Here, the boys are obsessed by Nora, who went missing. They invent elaborate fantasies of what might have happened to her (it's not a spoiler to tell you that the truth is never revealed--this isn't a mystery/thriller and not-knowing is sort of the point), always thinking they see her in strange places. As far as I can tell, Pittard does a great job of delving into the mindset of the teenage boy--and the man the teenage boy becomes. Of course, I'm a girl, so who really knows. A.
Monday, January 24, 2011
2011 book 29
Laura Lippman's The Sugar House
I have to say, Lippman knows how to write a good story. In this one, Tess' dad asks her to take a case to help an acquaintance, who wants to know the identity of a murder victim. But things get super intense and much crazier than you might expect. I am really enjoying these characters and definitely will be reading more of the series.
I have to say, Lippman knows how to write a good story. In this one, Tess' dad asks her to take a case to help an acquaintance, who wants to know the identity of a murder victim. But things get super intense and much crazier than you might expect. I am really enjoying these characters and definitely will be reading more of the series.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
2011 book 28
Laura Lippman's In Big Trouble
I enjoyed Girl in the Green Raincoat so much that I decided to read more of the Tess Monaghan books. I picked this one--I think it's the 4th in the series--sort of at random, partially b/c it seemed to involve the guy who's Tess' boyfriend in the one I read, partially b/c I had the impression the earlier ones in this series aren't as polished as Lippman's later books. And yeah, this one was a bit clumsy and full of over-explanations at first--I had to put it down for a couple of days, but when I came back to it, the story was enough to keep me going. It all starts when Tess gets a newspaper photo of her ex Crow in the mail, with the headline "In Big Trouble," sending her off to try and track him down in Texas and finding her way into a crazy homicide case. Most of the book takes place in San Antonio, and since I've actually been there, I was pleased to see the touristy details were correct. Another side note: this must have been written in the early 2000s. I was amused to see references to Netscape. In the end, it all turned out to be very entertaining and I'll definitely read more of this series. B+.
I enjoyed Girl in the Green Raincoat so much that I decided to read more of the Tess Monaghan books. I picked this one--I think it's the 4th in the series--sort of at random, partially b/c it seemed to involve the guy who's Tess' boyfriend in the one I read, partially b/c I had the impression the earlier ones in this series aren't as polished as Lippman's later books. And yeah, this one was a bit clumsy and full of over-explanations at first--I had to put it down for a couple of days, but when I came back to it, the story was enough to keep me going. It all starts when Tess gets a newspaper photo of her ex Crow in the mail, with the headline "In Big Trouble," sending her off to try and track him down in Texas and finding her way into a crazy homicide case. Most of the book takes place in San Antonio, and since I've actually been there, I was pleased to see the touristy details were correct. Another side note: this must have been written in the early 2000s. I was amused to see references to Netscape. In the end, it all turned out to be very entertaining and I'll definitely read more of this series. B+.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
2011 book 27
Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay
I've been enjoying following as Mark Reads makes his way through the Hunger Games books. He's almost done with Catching Fire though, so I figured I'd reread this one so it'd be fresh in my head. Plus, I hadn't actually reread it yet and wanted to see if it held up. It did. Still completely heartbreaking and terrifying. I have no idea how they'll make good movies of these.
I've been enjoying following as Mark Reads makes his way through the Hunger Games books. He's almost done with Catching Fire though, so I figured I'd reread this one so it'd be fresh in my head. Plus, I hadn't actually reread it yet and wanted to see if it held up. It did. Still completely heartbreaking and terrifying. I have no idea how they'll make good movies of these.
2011 book 26
Jo Walton's Among Others
In many ways, this is a very weird book. If I tried to describe it to you, you would think you would know just what it was like. Here: it's a book about a girl fleeing a family tragedy where her twin sister died, and she gets sent to a boarding school where she doesn't fit in at all, and oh yeah, there are fairies and magic. Doesn't that sound like a good book, and you can totally imagine it? But it's not really at all what you would expect it to be, in a really awesome away. For one thing, the protagonist, Mori, is really really into sci-fi books, and since this book is her journal, we get a lot of her thoughts about various books (some of which I've never heard of, but I'm not into sci-fi). For another thing, it's not a YA book, so it successfully evades the cliches of the current YA fantasy genre. And the magic, while important, is kind of like, just there, kind of a sidebar to the main plot. This is really more a book about books--libraries and librarians and book clubs are all key--and about coming of age and learning to be an adult. Sort of. There's even some discussion of Judaism! Hm, I can't explain this in any good way, clearly. Here is io9 talking about it at length. A/A-.
In many ways, this is a very weird book. If I tried to describe it to you, you would think you would know just what it was like. Here: it's a book about a girl fleeing a family tragedy where her twin sister died, and she gets sent to a boarding school where she doesn't fit in at all, and oh yeah, there are fairies and magic. Doesn't that sound like a good book, and you can totally imagine it? But it's not really at all what you would expect it to be, in a really awesome away. For one thing, the protagonist, Mori, is really really into sci-fi books, and since this book is her journal, we get a lot of her thoughts about various books (some of which I've never heard of, but I'm not into sci-fi). For another thing, it's not a YA book, so it successfully evades the cliches of the current YA fantasy genre. And the magic, while important, is kind of like, just there, kind of a sidebar to the main plot. This is really more a book about books--libraries and librarians and book clubs are all key--and about coming of age and learning to be an adult. Sort of. There's even some discussion of Judaism! Hm, I can't explain this in any good way, clearly. Here is io9 talking about it at length. A/A-.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
2011 book 25
Eleanor Brown's The Weird Sisters
When their mother is diagnosed with cancer, three sisters--responsible Rose, beautiful and troubled Bianca, and flaky Cordelia, the daughters of a Shakespeare-quoting professor who named his daughters after the Bard's characters--return home, though all have various crises they're hiding from as well. I will say that this didn't turn out to be as predictable as I'd expected, but I was a bit taken aback by all the churchiness of the end. I've read a few positive early reviews and none mentioned all the churching. This falls more on the women's lit side than the literary fiction side, I guess, which isn't my usual bag. B.
When their mother is diagnosed with cancer, three sisters--responsible Rose, beautiful and troubled Bianca, and flaky Cordelia, the daughters of a Shakespeare-quoting professor who named his daughters after the Bard's characters--return home, though all have various crises they're hiding from as well. I will say that this didn't turn out to be as predictable as I'd expected, but I was a bit taken aback by all the churchiness of the end. I've read a few positive early reviews and none mentioned all the churching. This falls more on the women's lit side than the literary fiction side, I guess, which isn't my usual bag. B.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
2011 book 24
Laura Lippman's The Girl in the Green Raincoat
I've enjoyed Lippman's stand-alone mystery/thrillers that have come out the past couple of years, and have been meaning to give her long-running Tess Monaghan mystery series a try. This novella seemed like a good chance to get into it--heavily pregnant and on bed-rest, Tess gets involved with solving the disappearance of a dog-walker she'd been noticing from her window (nods are made to both Rear Window and Daughter of Time). And man, this book has lots of things I like--greyhounds, pop culture references, Judaism, references to To Kill a Mockingbird, general humor . . . I REALLY need to read the rest of this series. A.
I've enjoyed Lippman's stand-alone mystery/thrillers that have come out the past couple of years, and have been meaning to give her long-running Tess Monaghan mystery series a try. This novella seemed like a good chance to get into it--heavily pregnant and on bed-rest, Tess gets involved with solving the disappearance of a dog-walker she'd been noticing from her window (nods are made to both Rear Window and Daughter of Time). And man, this book has lots of things I like--greyhounds, pop culture references, Judaism, references to To Kill a Mockingbird, general humor . . . I REALLY need to read the rest of this series. A.
Monday, January 17, 2011
2011 book 23
Maryrose Woods' The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling
I was just in the mood to reread this, b/c it's so delightful. Here are my original comments.
I was just in the mood to reread this, b/c it's so delightful. Here are my original comments.
2011 book 22
Beth Revis' Across the Universe
I don't usually read straight-up sci-fim but this was getting a fair amount of buzz, and turned out to be better than the tagline on the back would have you think ("Titanic meets Brave New World"--really? That's terrible in every way. And inaccurate). So teenage Amy's parents are important military scientist types, and she goes along when they get cryogenically frozen to go on a spaceship that'll travel for 300 years and then colonize a new planet. Only Amy gets unplugged after 250 years and finds herself in a very strange spaceship society. Her counterpart is teenager Elder, being groomed to take leadership by the current mysterious (and possibly crazy) leader. When another frozen person gets unplugged and dies, the two teenagers have to figure out who's the murderer, and also try and solve the mysteries of the spaceship. The killer is way too easy to guess, as is the twist at the end, and I generally found the end unsatisfying, but it's an interesting book I guess. B.
I don't usually read straight-up sci-fim but this was getting a fair amount of buzz, and turned out to be better than the tagline on the back would have you think ("Titanic meets Brave New World"--really? That's terrible in every way. And inaccurate). So teenage Amy's parents are important military scientist types, and she goes along when they get cryogenically frozen to go on a spaceship that'll travel for 300 years and then colonize a new planet. Only Amy gets unplugged after 250 years and finds herself in a very strange spaceship society. Her counterpart is teenager Elder, being groomed to take leadership by the current mysterious (and possibly crazy) leader. When another frozen person gets unplugged and dies, the two teenagers have to figure out who's the murderer, and also try and solve the mysteries of the spaceship. The killer is way too easy to guess, as is the twist at the end, and I generally found the end unsatisfying, but it's an interesting book I guess. B.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
2011 book 21
John Stephens' The Emerald Atlas
By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, the first book in this new fantasy trilogy brings the story of three siblings and a mysterious book. Ten years ago, their parents were forced to abandon the three small children, and they've been living in orphanages ever since. But when eldest sister Kate, middle brother/explorer Michael, and tough little Emma find a book in a secret basement room, they're suddenly thrust into a world of adventure and time-travel, fighting to save a village from an evil witch. Of course their purpose is bigger than that, and I look forward to their quests in the next two books. A. Sidebar to Christina: Stephens is a former writer for Gilmore Girls and the OC!
By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, the first book in this new fantasy trilogy brings the story of three siblings and a mysterious book. Ten years ago, their parents were forced to abandon the three small children, and they've been living in orphanages ever since. But when eldest sister Kate, middle brother/explorer Michael, and tough little Emma find a book in a secret basement room, they're suddenly thrust into a world of adventure and time-travel, fighting to save a village from an evil witch. Of course their purpose is bigger than that, and I look forward to their quests in the next two books. A. Sidebar to Christina: Stephens is a former writer for Gilmore Girls and the OC!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
2011 book 20
Erin Kelly's The Poison Tree
Karen and her daughter are thrilled when the girl's father is released from prison after ten years and now they're all focused on putting their lives back together. The story flashes back to show what led to his arrest and also hints at a secret of Karen's. I was totally into this until the very over-the-top ending which kind of killed things for me a little. B.
Karen and her daughter are thrilled when the girl's father is released from prison after ten years and now they're all focused on putting their lives back together. The story flashes back to show what led to his arrest and also hints at a secret of Karen's. I was totally into this until the very over-the-top ending which kind of killed things for me a little. B.
2011 book 19
Clare Vanderpool's Moon over Manifest
I actually hadn't even heard of this book until it won the Newbery Award last week, so thanks, award-givers, for bringing it to my attention! It's a perfectly lovely book where a 12 year old girl in 1936 is sent to the town where her dad spent time as a child, and she and two new friends try and uncover the town's twenty-year-old mysteries with the help of a fortuneteller, a reporter, and a bootlegger. Totally awesome. A.
I actually hadn't even heard of this book until it won the Newbery Award last week, so thanks, award-givers, for bringing it to my attention! It's a perfectly lovely book where a 12 year old girl in 1936 is sent to the town where her dad spent time as a child, and she and two new friends try and uncover the town's twenty-year-old mysteries with the help of a fortuneteller, a reporter, and a bootlegger. Totally awesome. A.
Friday, January 14, 2011
2011 book 18
Kerstin Gier's Ruby Red
When I started this book, I kind of had that thought that Gier was really inspired by The Time Traveler's Wife--at least, she takes the idea of a gene for time-traveling and runs away with it. Then I got so sucked into the story that I didn't care anymore. Our protagonist is teenager Gwyneth, living the normal London teenage lifestyle--only not entirely, because the women in her family have a gene that allows them to time-travel, and she has to watch her cousin Charlotte get initiated into the family secrets. But it turns out (of course) that Gwyneth has the gene, leading to all sorts of historical adventures and secret societies and maybe even romance. Oh, and some awesome ghosts. Gier does a great job of doling out the family secrets--I was intrigued enough to want to read the two sequels immediately, but alas, they're not out yet in other English-speaking countries either (this was originally written in German and I had hopes that the series would be out in England already). This is the down side of getting ARCs--this book doesn't even come out till May, so I'll be waiting like a year and a half for the next one! A.
When I started this book, I kind of had that thought that Gier was really inspired by The Time Traveler's Wife--at least, she takes the idea of a gene for time-traveling and runs away with it. Then I got so sucked into the story that I didn't care anymore. Our protagonist is teenager Gwyneth, living the normal London teenage lifestyle--only not entirely, because the women in her family have a gene that allows them to time-travel, and she has to watch her cousin Charlotte get initiated into the family secrets. But it turns out (of course) that Gwyneth has the gene, leading to all sorts of historical adventures and secret societies and maybe even romance. Oh, and some awesome ghosts. Gier does a great job of doling out the family secrets--I was intrigued enough to want to read the two sequels immediately, but alas, they're not out yet in other English-speaking countries either (this was originally written in German and I had hopes that the series would be out in England already). This is the down side of getting ARCs--this book doesn't even come out till May, so I'll be waiting like a year and a half for the next one! A.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
2011 book 17
Veronica Roth's Divergent
Yet another YA dystopian post-apocalyptic novel, though a pretty good one. In this world, it's the far future, and to avoid wars and whatnot, people are divided into five factions based on personality attributes--selflessness, bravery, kindness, intelligence, and honesty. Our action begins at 16-year-old Beatrice is about to take the test that will classify her, but things don't go according to plan, and she has to adjust to a new way of life. Meanwhile, after many years of peace, one of the factions is starting to spread unrest. I figured this would be the first book in a trilogy (there's always a trilogy) but it has a fairly solid ending so who knows. Beatrice was pretty kick-ass, so I'd probably read another book about her. B+.
Yet another YA dystopian post-apocalyptic novel, though a pretty good one. In this world, it's the far future, and to avoid wars and whatnot, people are divided into five factions based on personality attributes--selflessness, bravery, kindness, intelligence, and honesty. Our action begins at 16-year-old Beatrice is about to take the test that will classify her, but things don't go according to plan, and she has to adjust to a new way of life. Meanwhile, after many years of peace, one of the factions is starting to spread unrest. I figured this would be the first book in a trilogy (there's always a trilogy) but it has a fairly solid ending so who knows. Beatrice was pretty kick-ass, so I'd probably read another book about her. B+.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
2011 book 16
Ann Patchett's State of Wonder
I think I say this every time I read a book by Patchett, but I'm constantly amazed at how different her novels are. She just creates entire worlds every time she writes one, and damn, they're all dazzling. This one even rivals Bel Canto for me. The action starts when scientist Marina and her boss/secret boyfriend get a letter telling them a colleague is dead. He'd been off in the jungles of the Amazon investigating a mysterious project sponsored by their company that may or may not be going off the rails--and investigating the scientist creating the new drug. Soon Marina finds herself being sent off to the jungle herself to find out just what is going on down there, and what happened to her friend. Complicating matters--the scientist in charge is a former teacher of Marina's, whom Marina once feared and idolized in equal measure.
Patchett once again creates a world inhabited by captivating characters, and seriously, this story gets pretty intense. It touches on love (of all kinds), science and progress, ethics, and so much more. And the end kind of blew my mind a little. It comes out in June, but maybe don't take it on vacation with you if you're going anywhere tropical. A.
I think I say this every time I read a book by Patchett, but I'm constantly amazed at how different her novels are. She just creates entire worlds every time she writes one, and damn, they're all dazzling. This one even rivals Bel Canto for me. The action starts when scientist Marina and her boss/secret boyfriend get a letter telling them a colleague is dead. He'd been off in the jungles of the Amazon investigating a mysterious project sponsored by their company that may or may not be going off the rails--and investigating the scientist creating the new drug. Soon Marina finds herself being sent off to the jungle herself to find out just what is going on down there, and what happened to her friend. Complicating matters--the scientist in charge is a former teacher of Marina's, whom Marina once feared and idolized in equal measure.
Patchett once again creates a world inhabited by captivating characters, and seriously, this story gets pretty intense. It touches on love (of all kinds), science and progress, ethics, and so much more. And the end kind of blew my mind a little. It comes out in June, but maybe don't take it on vacation with you if you're going anywhere tropical. A.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
2011 books 13, 14, and 15
Kevin Wilson's The Family Fang
The description on the back wants to compare the Fang family to the Royal Tenenbaums, but the Fangs are dysfunctional in a less literary way (if that makes any sense). Parents Camille and Caleb are performance artists who stage public events--starring their children--intended to shock and/or amaze (a precursor to flash mobs?). Now grown, children Annie and Buster--an actress and a writer, respectively--are faced with life crises and both decide to come home. But as the famous saying goes, you can never go home again, and life just gets more complicated for them once they do. Great characters and ending. A-.
Gail Carson Levine's A Tale of Two Castles
The latest from the author of Ella Enchanted isn't as charming as some of her earlier works, but the story of a young girl who ends up apprenticed to a dragon and trying to figure out who's trying to get a local ogre is pretty entertaining. B+.
Joseph Monninger's Wish
This isn't an ARC--it's the book I was reading on my Kindle when I got distracted by all my ARCs. :) But I figured I'd finsih it on the way home. It's about teenager Bee and what happens when her beloved younger brother--who has cystic fibrosis--goes on a dream trip to see great white sharks. Their relationship is the heart of the book and is very well-done. A-/B+.
The description on the back wants to compare the Fang family to the Royal Tenenbaums, but the Fangs are dysfunctional in a less literary way (if that makes any sense). Parents Camille and Caleb are performance artists who stage public events--starring their children--intended to shock and/or amaze (a precursor to flash mobs?). Now grown, children Annie and Buster--an actress and a writer, respectively--are faced with life crises and both decide to come home. But as the famous saying goes, you can never go home again, and life just gets more complicated for them once they do. Great characters and ending. A-.
Gail Carson Levine's A Tale of Two Castles
The latest from the author of Ella Enchanted isn't as charming as some of her earlier works, but the story of a young girl who ends up apprenticed to a dragon and trying to figure out who's trying to get a local ogre is pretty entertaining. B+.
Joseph Monninger's Wish
This isn't an ARC--it's the book I was reading on my Kindle when I got distracted by all my ARCs. :) But I figured I'd finsih it on the way home. It's about teenager Bee and what happens when her beloved younger brother--who has cystic fibrosis--goes on a dream trip to see great white sharks. Their relationship is the heart of the book and is very well-done. A-/B+.
2011 book 12
Libba Bray's Beauty Queens
I've never been really into Bray's writing--I thought A Great and Terrible Beauty was ok, and never read Going Bovine (despite its many awards) because it just seemed depressing. But when I saw the cover (as seen here), I HAD to pick it up. I mean, it's about a bunch of beauty pageant contestants who get stranded on a desert island! And one is an undercover journalist, one is a comic book geek, and one is a transgender former boy-bander. I really enjoyed watching these characters get to know each other, and themselves. But the island may not actually be deserted after all . . . Also, it's mostly set in a world like ours but there is an all-powerful Corporation running the show. Bray's narrative voice is snarky, cynical, sweet, and hilarious. This may be the funnest book I ever read. And yes, that's funnest, not funniest. Pure fun. Comes out in May, be eagerly awaiting it. A.
I've never been really into Bray's writing--I thought A Great and Terrible Beauty was ok, and never read Going Bovine (despite its many awards) because it just seemed depressing. But when I saw the cover (as seen here), I HAD to pick it up. I mean, it's about a bunch of beauty pageant contestants who get stranded on a desert island! And one is an undercover journalist, one is a comic book geek, and one is a transgender former boy-bander. I really enjoyed watching these characters get to know each other, and themselves. But the island may not actually be deserted after all . . . Also, it's mostly set in a world like ours but there is an all-powerful Corporation running the show. Bray's narrative voice is snarky, cynical, sweet, and hilarious. This may be the funnest book I ever read. And yes, that's funnest, not funniest. Pure fun. Comes out in May, be eagerly awaiting it. A.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
2011 book 11
Tayari Jones' Silver Sparrow
This was one of the ARCs I was most excited to get at Midwinter, b/c thanks to having friends at Algonquin, I feel like I've been waiting for it FOREVER (but it doesn't come out till May). So this is a story about growing up, about being an outsider, about the secrets that come from being a teenager girl--but mostly it's the story of a girl who herself is a secret, and that's b/c her father is married with a daughter, and she's the daughter of his secret second wife. We see her grow up, longing for the life she can never have, watching her sister from afar--and then the story shifts to the legitimate sister's point of view. Jones does both girls justice and both their stories broke my heart. A.
This was one of the ARCs I was most excited to get at Midwinter, b/c thanks to having friends at Algonquin, I feel like I've been waiting for it FOREVER (but it doesn't come out till May). So this is a story about growing up, about being an outsider, about the secrets that come from being a teenager girl--but mostly it's the story of a girl who herself is a secret, and that's b/c her father is married with a daughter, and she's the daughter of his secret second wife. We see her grow up, longing for the life she can never have, watching her sister from afar--and then the story shifts to the legitimate sister's point of view. Jones does both girls justice and both their stories broke my heart. A.
2011 book 10
Maryrose Wood's The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Book 2: The Hidden Gallery
The second Incorrigible Children book--which I have been eagerly awaiting, and was the only ARC I absolutely HAD to have at Midwinter--made me giggle just as much as the first one. Wood's tongue-in-cheek narration and wordplay are excellent. And the characters are just as lovable as ever, and new clues arise and some mysteries are solved, and I can't believe I have to wait over a year for the third one. A.
The second Incorrigible Children book--which I have been eagerly awaiting, and was the only ARC I absolutely HAD to have at Midwinter--made me giggle just as much as the first one. Wood's tongue-in-cheek narration and wordplay are excellent. And the characters are just as lovable as ever, and new clues arise and some mysteries are solved, and I can't believe I have to wait over a year for the third one. A.
Friday, January 07, 2011
P1070085
Hello! I'm in San Diego, which of course meant I had to go to the San Diego Zoo and see pandas. Which was awesome. We also saw an otter grooming a monkey, some bonobos, and some pretty awesome birds. And lots of other animals.
Bonus: video of a polar bear trying to get something out of a log.
Bonus: video of a polar bear trying to get something out of a log.
2011 book 9
Jenn McKinlay's Buttercream Bump-Off
The sequel to Sprinkle with Murder is just as silly and fluffy as the first one. But as much as I enjoy these characters and their cupcakes, the mystery here was just dumb. The murderer was way too easy to guess (though the resolution here was also dumb) and there's no way someone who owns a bakery would close it in the middle of the day to stake people out when she's only tangentially involved in the situation. More cupcakes and romance and less silly sleuthing, please. B.
The sequel to Sprinkle with Murder is just as silly and fluffy as the first one. But as much as I enjoy these characters and their cupcakes, the mystery here was just dumb. The murderer was way too easy to guess (though the resolution here was also dumb) and there's no way someone who owns a bakery would close it in the middle of the day to stake people out when she's only tangentially involved in the situation. More cupcakes and romance and less silly sleuthing, please. B.
2011 books 7 and 8
Isobelle Carmody's Wavesong and The Stone Key
The 5th and 6th Obernewtyn books were kind of grueling to read--for one thing, they're both really long (and apparently are one book in Australia instead of two, sheesh), and for another, there's just a lot of fighting and rebelling and low-grade intensity. But things are moving toward a resolution, at least as soon as Carmody puts out another book in this series.
The 5th and 6th Obernewtyn books were kind of grueling to read--for one thing, they're both really long (and apparently are one book in Australia instead of two, sheesh), and for another, there's just a lot of fighting and rebelling and low-grade intensity. But things are moving toward a resolution, at least as soon as Carmody puts out another book in this series.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
2011 book 6
Isobelle Carmody's The Keeping Place
The fourth Obernewtyn book is almost undone by its length, its many typos, and the fact that the name of a character who's existed since book one keeps changing. Luckily the story moved forward enough to keep me interested and the protagonist figured out two obvious things I've been hoping she'd figure out sooner rather than later. B/B+.
The fourth Obernewtyn book is almost undone by its length, its many typos, and the fact that the name of a character who's existed since book one keeps changing. Luckily the story moved forward enough to keep me interested and the protagonist figured out two obvious things I've been hoping she'd figure out sooner rather than later. B/B+.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
2011 book 5
Ruth Pennebaker's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough
Terrible title for a terrible book. It's about Joanie, on the verge of fifty and trying to raise her teenage daughter, and her mother comes to live with them, and then her ex husband calls to tell her he's knocked up his new young girlfriend. Joanie and the teenager are ok characters but her mother is written in the most unrealistic way possible, and then the end wraps up with a too-neat little bow. I was over it way before that but for some reason kept reading. What a waste, when I could have been reading silly YA fantasy books! C-.
Terrible title for a terrible book. It's about Joanie, on the verge of fifty and trying to raise her teenage daughter, and her mother comes to live with them, and then her ex husband calls to tell her he's knocked up his new young girlfriend. Joanie and the teenager are ok characters but her mother is written in the most unrealistic way possible, and then the end wraps up with a too-neat little bow. I was over it way before that but for some reason kept reading. What a waste, when I could have been reading silly YA fantasy books! C-.
2011 book 4
Isobelle Carmody's Ashling
I was vaguely disappointed with the third Obernewtyn book--not that interesting things don't happen, because they do, and I still want to know what will happen to the characters. But we know our protagonist has a destiny of some kind, yet there's never any building toward that. It just gets mentioned a lot. And to the reader, it's very obvious who her big opponent will be, but she has no idea. It's frustrating. I'm going to take a break from these, I think, and then see if the fourth one improves anything. B.
I was vaguely disappointed with the third Obernewtyn book--not that interesting things don't happen, because they do, and I still want to know what will happen to the characters. But we know our protagonist has a destiny of some kind, yet there's never any building toward that. It just gets mentioned a lot. And to the reader, it's very obvious who her big opponent will be, but she has no idea. It's frustrating. I'm going to take a break from these, I think, and then see if the fourth one improves anything. B.
Monday, January 03, 2011
2011 book 3
Isobelle Carmody's The Farseekers
The second Obernewtyn book is much in the same vein as the first, though a bit overwritten at times (I hate when authors hint and hint and hint about romantic feelings that their heroines are too stupid to notice themselves feel). Interesting new characters and political intrigues, and Carmody writes some great animals, so I guess I'll read the third one. B/B+.
The second Obernewtyn book is much in the same vein as the first, though a bit overwritten at times (I hate when authors hint and hint and hint about romantic feelings that their heroines are too stupid to notice themselves feel). Interesting new characters and political intrigues, and Carmody writes some great animals, so I guess I'll read the third one. B/B+.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
2011 book 2
Isobelle Carmody's Obernewtyn
I really have enjoyed the other books by Carmody I've read, but this book--the first in a series--seemed more like straight-up fantasy and I kind of prefer stories set in the modern world that have fantasy elements (feel free to recommend any of those to me, by the way). But I figured I'd give this a go anyway after it was briefly mentioned in Saving Francesca, and it turns out it's not set in some fantasy land, but in the distant future, after the world has been destroyed (presumably by nuclear war). The remaining radiation causes mutations; if they are apparent at birth, the child is killed, but if the mutation is mental and isn't discovered until later on, the child is categorized as a misfit and sent away. Our protagonist, Elspeth, is living in an orphan farm after her parents' murder for sedition; she knows she's a misfit and tries hard to hide it, but of course things are never that easy. She has mind-reading powers and can talk to animals, which is pretty cool from my point of view. This first book does an excellent job of world-building, introducing the characters, and setting up Elspeth's path. I'm planning on reading the second one and then seeing if I want to delve into the rest. A-.
I really have enjoyed the other books by Carmody I've read, but this book--the first in a series--seemed more like straight-up fantasy and I kind of prefer stories set in the modern world that have fantasy elements (feel free to recommend any of those to me, by the way). But I figured I'd give this a go anyway after it was briefly mentioned in Saving Francesca, and it turns out it's not set in some fantasy land, but in the distant future, after the world has been destroyed (presumably by nuclear war). The remaining radiation causes mutations; if they are apparent at birth, the child is killed, but if the mutation is mental and isn't discovered until later on, the child is categorized as a misfit and sent away. Our protagonist, Elspeth, is living in an orphan farm after her parents' murder for sedition; she knows she's a misfit and tries hard to hide it, but of course things are never that easy. She has mind-reading powers and can talk to animals, which is pretty cool from my point of view. This first book does an excellent job of world-building, introducing the characters, and setting up Elspeth's path. I'm planning on reading the second one and then seeing if I want to delve into the rest. A-.
2011 book 1
S.G. Browne's Fated
This seems like the sort of book I should like--the personification of Fate, who goes by Fabio, falls in love with a mortal woman. But the world-building was fairly boring, most of the characters didn't have much in the way of personality, and the end was ridiculous. C.
This seems like the sort of book I should like--the personification of Fate, who goes by Fabio, falls in love with a mortal woman. But the world-building was fairly boring, most of the characters didn't have much in the way of personality, and the end was ridiculous. C.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
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