Tiny Little Reading Room

Review: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

2011-06-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

4.5 stars

Reasons for reading: 2011 YA Reading Challenge, I loved the authors' other 2 collaborations

Description: "Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?"

First lines: "Imagine this: You're in your favorite bookstore, scanning the shelves. You get to the section where a favorite author's books reside, and there, nestled in comfortably between the incredibly familiar spines, sits a red notebook.

What do you do?

The choice, I think, is obvious:

You take down the red notebook and open it.

And then you do whatever it tells you to do."

My thoughts: I'm so behind with reviews! I love all of the Levithan/Cohn books and was excited to see another one. I loved the Christmassy-ness of it and the device of the scavenger hunt. I probably wouldn't be brave enough to follow the notebook's instructions, but I'm glad Dash was! Lily was so excellently Lily-ish - I'd like to know her - and yet she also grows up a lot in the book and develops into a more mature but still Lily-ish Lily. Dash was great in his own way, even if he was, as Lily's relatives described him, brooding. There are so many weird little touches, from a missing majorette boot to a Dash-Muppet. The book is also a love letter to New York during the holiday season, which I'd love to experience someday. That's about all for this one - read it! (Or save it until Christmas, that would be even better.)

Review: Zombies vs Unicorns

2011-05-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

Zombies vs Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
3.25 stars

Description: "It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths--for good and evil--of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?"

My thoughts: I'm definitely on Team Unicorn!! I'm not a big short story fan, but I enjoyed these overall and enjoyed the ones by my favourite authors - Cabot and Johnson - the most. Maureen Johnson was on Team Zombie, but her story was so bizarrely funny, with such a thinly-veiled version of Angelina Jolie, that I won't hold it against her. And Meg Cabot's story features a unicorn called Princess Prettypants - what more do you need?

Review: Real Live Boyfriends

2011-04-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
4 stars

First line: "A definition: A real live boyfriend does not contribute to your angst."

Description: Ruby Oliver is in love. Or it would be love, if Noel, her real live boyfriend, would call her back. But Noel seems to have turned into a pod-robot lobotomy patient, and Ruby can’t figure out why.Not only is her romantic life a shambles:
Her dad is eating nothing but Cheetos,
Her mother’s got a piglet head in the refrigerator,
Hutch has gone to Paris to play baguette air guitar,
Gideon shows up shirtless,
And the pygmy goat Robespierre is no help whatsoever.

Will Ruby ever control her panic attacks?
Will she ever understand boys?
Will she ever stop making lists? (No to that last one.)

Roo has lost most of her friends. She’s lost her true love, more than once. She’s lost her grandmother, her job, her reputation, and possibly her mind. But she’s never lost her sense of humor. The Ruby Oliver books are the record of her survival."

My thoughts: Just a quickie - another fun book in this series. I think it's the last one, which is good, as I wouldn't want to succumb to series fatigue since I so enjoy Ruby. I do think her mother should have some actual psychotherapy ordered by family services, as she is more of a child than Ruby is, and her dad isn't much help. The crazy mom provides some definite interest in the series, but I find her pretty horrid - it's amazing Roo isn't even more screwed up than she is with that freakshow raising her.

I hope that Ruby goes on to find actual, non-angst-inducing love, does well in college, and lives a fabulous life. And that E. Lockhart gives us another wonderful, funny series to enjoy soon!

Review: Revolution

2011-03-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

Apologies, I have literally formatted this 5 times and it still won't work, I give up! Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly 3.25 stars Reasons for reading: I enjoy Donnelly's books; YA Reading Challenge Description: "BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break. PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape. Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present." My thoughts: Donnelly really has a gift for historical fiction and this is another well-researched, well-written book. I did find it a bit too long - maybe some of Andi's angst could have been cut out while still giving us what we need to understand her. And that pain and depression is very poignant, I really felt for Andi. I could just maybe have heard a bit less about it. The device of going back and forth between Andi and Alex was well-done - I was right there with Andi wanting to know what had happened to Alex and the little prince. But, as with Andi, I also could have done with a bit less of Alex's struggle out of poverty and burning desire to become an actress and then her quest to be there for Louis-Charles during his imprisonment. The idea was great, but I found it was repeated a few too many times for me. There was a little bit too much...almost magic realism for me. The guy responsible for Truman's death is basically named Robespierre and I fell out of the story somewhat when "the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present." Was it a dream sequence? Did she hit her head? Was it magic? It was a bit too much of a gimmick for me. But while those scenes weren't my favourites, Donnelly's descriptions of the filthy, smelly, violent Paris of Robespierre's day overlaid with Andi's knowledge of present-day Paris really work well and have clearly been thoroughly researched, as has everything from the music to the history for this novel. While I'm not all that well-versed in music, I did think the musical history sections, with connections between composers like Handel and Radiohead, were interesting. I've just checked and discovered that the subject of Andi's thesis, Amadé Malherbeau, does not exist, which makes sense given that he had to fit into the story, but seems a bit of a shame when the book contains so many facts about the Revolution and Prince Louis-Charles. Donnelly also has a sense of humour, which is great. Andi's friend Vijay is constantly being interrupted by his hen-pecking mother who feels he should spend every waking moment on his political science thesis, rather than wasting it talking to Andi. And I wonder if Donnelly went to the archives in Paris, as Andi does - as there are some very funny, spot-on-seeming descriptions of the hoops one must jump through to gain access to the materials. Overall, I found Andi's journey from suicidal depression to a functioning life in Paris and Alex's story of the horrors of the Revolution to be worth reading, despite my reservations.

Review: Somebody Everybody Listens To

2011-02-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee
4 stars

Reasons for reading: I loved her first book; Southern Literature Challenge

Description: "Retta Lee Jones is blessed with a beautiful voice and has big dreams of leaving her tiny Tennessee hometown. With a beaten down car, a pocketful of hard-earned waitressing money, and stars in her eyes, Retta sets out to make it big in Nashville. But the road to success isn’t a smooth one in a town filled with dreamers, and Retta begins to have doubts: can she make her mark while staying true to herslf?"

First line: "Even on graduation day, the Starling High School gymnasium smelled just like it always did – a combination of old sweat and dust masked somewhat by cherry-scented disinfectant and floor polish."

My thoughts: I'm so behind in writing this, I read it at the beginning of the year! But I really enjoyed this book - it was really refreshing to read a YA novel about a real-seeming person, not one that was all about rich kids or yet another paranormal romance. And I liked the small-town Tennessee and Nashville settings (most Southern YA I've read lately has been in the lush, gothic vein - not that there's anything wrong with that - but again, not very realistic). Supplee must have spent time in Nashville, because she provides great descriptions of the city, particularly Music Row. Each chapter is named for a country song and a brief bio of the singer, including their struggles to get to Nashville, is included, which was a fun touch, and it includes both classic country stars and newcomers like Carrie Underwood, which is good for a YA novel.

Retta is a likeable character and I admired her determination to get to Nashville, even when just about every kind of bad luck befalls her and she even has to turn back at one point. She makes mistakes along the way, but she's talented and good-hearted. I liked that it wasn't a rags-to-riches tale, she doesn't suddenly skyrocket to number one on the charts or anything. Much better than that, it's a story about being brave enough to follow your dreams and to work hard to achieve them.

Review: The Perfect Love Song

2011-02-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Perfect Love Song by Patti Callahan Henry
2 stars

Reason for reading: Okra Picks Challenge

Description: "Jimmy Sullivan has been living on the road with his brother, Jack, and his band The Unknown Souls. Without a place to call home, Jimmy and Jack lead a nomadic life filled with music and anonymous cities. When they return to a place Jimmy never wants to see again—their old hometown of Seaboro, South Carolina—he falls in love with Charlotte Carrington.

With his soul now filled with hope, Jimmy writes his first love song. When he performs it at a holiday concert to a standing ovation, the lyrics are dubbed the “Perfect Love Song,” so much so that Jimmy finds himself going on tour with famous country music stars, catapulted into a world where the trappings of fame and fortune reign supreme.

All too soon, the hope that had once inspired Jimmy to write such beautiful, genuine lyrics is overshadowed by what the song can do for him and his career. In his thirst for recognition, he agrees to miss Jack’s wedding in Ireland to sing at a Christmas Eve concert. And his ties to Charlotte seem to be ever so quickly slipping away.

Alone in New York City on Christmas Eve, Jimmy finally sees—with the help of a Christmas miracle or two—that his material gains are nothing compared to love, that he is losing all that really matters in his life. Is it too late to find his way to Ireland, to his brother, and to love?"

My thoughts: I agree with this review from Publisher's Weekly "This wallows in the pitfalls of intrusive narration, simplistic storytelling, and overly moralistic asides, and is stocked with characters with all the staying power of a snowflake in July."

This just didn't work for me at all. I felt like I'd missed getting to know the characters and their background somehow and I wasn't surprised to find out in the notes at the end that they were featured in one of the author's other books. Maybe if you'd gotten to know and love them there this book would be fun, but for me it wasn't. Why Kara was so devoted to Maeve Mahoney that she basically dedicates her wedding to the old woman wasn't very clear (presumably it was featured largely in the other book, but it's only mentioned in passing here), the narrator (who I guess is the ghost of Maeve?) is definitely intrusive and there are all kinds of sappy aphorisms throughout. Jimmy is a jerk. It has all of the bad stuff about Christmas movies - sappiness, "Christmas miracles" and someone's bad attitude being transformed on Christmas Eve. Definitely a Christmas turkey.

Review: Love, Charleston

2011-02-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

Love, Charleston by Beth Webb Hart
3 stars

Reason for reading: Okra Picks Challenge

Description:
"Charleston's Anne Brumley has long dreamed of love while ringing the bells at St. Michael's, but those dreams are beginning to fade. Her sister Alisha and cousin Della encourage the thirty-six year old to move somewhere new for a fresh start.

Widower Roy Summerall has happily ministered to the country folks of Church of the Good Shepherd for years. So why would the Lord call him and his daughter away to Charleston--the city that Roy remembers from his childhood as pretentious and superficial? Surely the refined congregation of St. Michael's won't accept a reverend with a red neck and a simple faith.

Meanwhile, Anne's sister, Alisha, struggles with her husband's ambition, which seems to be taking him further from their dreams of a happy family. And Cousin Della's former fiance has returned to Charleston, making her wonder if she chose the wrong path when she married her gifted but unemployed-artist husband.

Family, friendship, and faith converge in a beautiful story about how God's transforming love works in the Holy City of Charleston."

My thoughts: I hadn't realized this was Christian fiction when I added it to my to-read list. Not that I have anything against the genre, I just don't have any real interest in it at all. Most of the book was pretty darn depressing - Roy's wife died of cancer, Alisha and her baby almost die and then she suffers from terrible post-partum depression and her husband is a jerk, and Della almost has an affair. While it's tagged as being a love story between Anne and Roy, Anne is away in England for a large part of the book and it honestly seemed a bit of a pairing of convenience - she's an old maid bell-ringer, he's a widowed minsiter, they should get together. I always love books set in Charleston, so that helped. But I particularly thought the last pages where Della, an author, ponders over whether it's a happy ending was a bit too meta for me. I'd probably recommend this author to someone looking for Christian women's fiction or a non-sexy romance, but it wasn't my cup of sweet tea.

Review: Evermore

2011-01-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

Evermore by Alyson Noel
2.5 stars

Reasons for reading: YA Reading Challenge, it's really popular at my library, I've enjoyed some of the author's other books

Description: "Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste . . .

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies."

My thoughts: This really didn't do it for me at all, though I seem to be in the minority. Teens love it and it got really good reviews. It just seemed so much like all the other vampire-type (now I see that Fallen Angels are taking over) books - sad teen girl and impossibly handsome and perfect immortal guy. I didn't find the explanation of how Damen came to be immortal very satisfying and I didn't understand how Ever was an immortal, too, when she's apparently died dozens of times throughout history. How does Damen keep finding her? The writing isn't bad and Ever is a well-drawn character - her crushing guilt over her family's death and the suffering caused by being able to hear people's thoughts really come through. There are a couple of near-death, heavy-duty-action scenes. And of course smoldering romance with Damen as well as the I hate you-I love you whirlwind every teen girl in love with a supernatural being needs. The addition of the ghost of Ever's little sister, Riley, is a good touch and gives Ever a thread to hang on to in her otherwise sad life. And I liked that Ever could see how people were feeling through their auras. So, I can absolutely see why teens love the series, but it really didn't do it for me.

Review: Virals

2011-01-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Virals by Kathy Reichs
3.5 stars

Reason for reading: Okra Picks Challenge

Description: "Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever. As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot--if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent. Fortunately, they are now more than friends--they're a pack. They are Virals."

First line: "A gunshot is the loudest sound in the universe."

My thoughts: I'm so behind, I actually read this last month! I've never read Kathy Reichs before, but have seen Bones, so I was glad to get the chance to read one of her books, even if it wasn't about Temperance. How Temperance and Tory were related was a bit confusing, Tory is something like her great-niece and Tory had only met her once or twice, though several characters point out how alike they are. Perhaps Tempe will show up in later books.

The story reminded me a fair bit of James Patterson's Maximum Ride books, with kids being turned into animal mutations by evil people. I liked the South Carolina setting - it was cool that it was set not only in Charleston but also on the outer-lying islands. The descriptions of the city and its landmarks as well as the islands and their beaches, make it obvious why it was chosen as an Okra Pick. The book didn't totally blow me away, but I'd recommend it to younger teen readers looking for adventure. It was an action-packed story and Tory is a feisty, super-intelligent (maybe a bit too crazy-smart, really, although I suppose that's another way she's like her great-aunt), dog-loving heroine.

Review: Mini Shopaholic

2011-01-11T20:24:00.001-08:00

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
4 stars

Reasons for reading: I like the series!

Description: "Becky Brandon thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true: a shopping friend for life! But it’s trickier than she thought. Two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.Minnie creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is “Mine!” and she’s even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there’s a huge financial crisis. With people having to “cut back,” Becky decides to throw a surprise party for Luke to cheer everyone up. But when costs start to spiral out of control, she must decide whether to accept help from an unexpected source—and therefore run the risk of hurting the person she loves. Will Becky be able to pull off the celebration of the year? Will she and Luke ever find a home of their own? Will Minnie ever learn to behave? And . . . most important . . . will Becky’s secret wishes ever come true?"

My thoughts: What is there to say? Fans know what to expect, and we get it. Even though I do often find Becky really annoying and the rest of the characters are getting pretty stock, it's still a fun series. And I suppose part of the reason they feel like stock characters is that we've gotten to know them -Becky's caring but often shrill drama queen mum, her dour eco-freak sister Jess, etc. And Becky has a good heart, that's why I stick with her. She's really shallow in a lot of ways, but she's really caring and when she really puts her mind to things, even if she makes a terrible mess, she follows through. Minnie is cute, if sometimes exasperating like all toddlers, is a chip off the old credit card, in addition to "Miiiiiiiiine!" she also frequently says "Starbucks, muffin" and "Visa?" Becky gets into some rather hilarious scrapes once again and trying to keep the party a secret nearly kills her. But in the end, she might just suprise us all...

Books read in 2010

2011-01-11T18:27:00.000-08:00

So, I read 107 books last year, 3 more than 2009. I didn't do very well with reviewing this year, I'll have to step it up in 2011.

Adult Books

1. Full of Grace

2. Black Powder War

3. Little White Lies

4. Empire of Ivory

5. The Other Queen

6. Heart and Soul

7. Summer Blowout

8. Passion

9. Big Cherry Holler

10. Olive Kitteridge

11. A Reliable Wife

12. Dear Fatty

13. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

14. Under Orders

15. Roses

16. Black Hills

17. Victory of Eagles

18. The Year of the Flood

19. Jane Bites back

20. Pretty in Ink

21. Death Masks

22. Shoot to Thrill

23. The Red Leather Diary

24. Take a Chance on Me

25. 16 Lighthouse Road

26. I Take This Man

27. Bitter is the New Black

28. gods in Alabama

29. Fly me to the Moon

30. Shem Creek

31. Island of the Sequined Love Nun

32. Juliet, Naked

33. Men and Dogs

34. Blood Rites

35. The Man of my Dreams

36. Dead Beat

37. Proven Guilty

38. White Night

39. Stalking Susan

40. Dating Game

41. Small Favor

42. Wild Ride

43. Turn Coat

44. All is Vanity

45. Changes

46. Summer at Tiffany

47. Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime

48. Three Girls and Their Brother

49. You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up

50. Still Life

51. Star Island

52. Red's Hot Honky-Tonk Bar

53. Big Red Tequila

54. Some Like it Hot-Buttered

55. All You Need is Love

56. Her Royal Spyness

57. The Outcast

58. South of Broad

59. Keep Your Mouth Shut & Wear Beige

60. Room

61. The Art of Racing in the Rain

62. The Bikini Car Wash

63. This Time Together

64. Manhunting

65. Tongues of Serpents

66. A Vintage Affair

Children's and YA Books

1. Zombie Blondes

2. Splendor: a Luxe novel

3. Rampant

4. The Key to the Golden Firebird

5. The Hunger Games

6. Revelations: a Blue Bloods novel

7. Dragonbreath

8. The Cupcake Queen

9. Catching Fire

10. Getting the Girl

11. Son of the Mob

12. Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover

13. Amazing Maurice...Educated Rodents

14. A Northern Light

15. Scarlett Fever

16. School's Out - Forever

17. How Not To Be Popular

18. Specials

19. The Espressologist

20. Will Grayson, Will Grayson

21. Hearts at Stake

22. The Treasure Map of Boys

23. What I Saw and How I Lied

24. Very LeFreak

25. Secret Society

26. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

27. Ruined

28. The Dark Divine

29. Mockingjay

30. When You Reach Me

31. Front and Center

32. Airborn

33. Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters

34. Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning

35. Pretty Dead

36. Bright Young Things

37. Virals

38. Hush, Hush

39. My Life, the Musical

40. The Fortunes of Indigo Skye

41. The Kid Table

2011 YA Reading Challenge

2011-01-05T18:04:00.001-08:00

Even though I didn't quite complete it in 2010, I'm going to try again. This challenge is being newly-hosted by Jamie, so thanks to her for taking it on!

Here's what I have so far for my "Fun Size" level of 20 books.

1. Evermore by Alyson Noel
2. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
3. Loser/Queen by Jodi Lynn Anderson
4. Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
5. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
6. Siren by Tricia Rayburn
7. Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund
8. Zombies vs Unicorns by Holly Black
9 Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst
10. The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
11. Matched by Ally Condie
12. Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde
13. Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Southern Literature Challenge

2011-01-02T15:54:00.001-08:00

Hooray, I love Southern lit!

I'm going to participate in Level 4: Y'all come back now, y'hear! Read 4 books

Here they are!

1. Somebody Everybody Listens to by Suzanne Supplee
2. Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
3. The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
4. Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty

2011 Debut Author Challenge

2011-01-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

Details are here.

The goal is to read at least 12 books by authors making their YA debut in 2011. Here's the start of my list (subject to change!):

1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
2. Timeless by Alexandra Monir
3. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
4. Wither by Lauren De Stefano
5. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Colourful Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

2011-01-02T13:43:00.001-08:00

Colourful Reading Challenge

Thanks to Rebecca for hosting it! It was a fun way to get some books off the TBR list.

Here's my list:
1. Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
2. The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson

3. Black Hills by Nora Roberts
4. The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti
5. Keep Your Mouth Shut and Wear Beige by Cathleen Gilles Seidel
6. Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning by Danette Haworth
7. The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel
8. Little White Lies by Gemma Townley
9. Revelations: a Blue Bloods novel by Melissa de la Cruz

My favourite was Empire of Ivory, because I love the series. I also really liked Black Hills and The Fortunes of Indigo Skye. While not my favourite by Maureen Johnson, The Key to the Golden Firebird was also good. The rest were pretty much average. I'd say my least favourite was Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning - it wasn't bad, it just felt like I'd read it all before.

2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

2011-01-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't get this one quite finished. I aimed for 25 books and got to 23, with a couple of last-minute challenge overlaps and one that I finished a day late. Didn't get them all reviewed, either, though I may catch those up. Unfortunately, like a lot of other challenges I was involved in this year, this one seemed to peter out on the challenge blog and it seemed like no-one was really coordinating it any more, which was a bummer. Still, it was fun and a good way to squeeze in my required YA reading!

My favourite books were The Hunger Games and Amy and Roger's Epic Detour. I think my least favourite was the Dark Divine or maybe My Life: The Musical.

1. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
2. Ruined by Paula Morris
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4. Splendor: a Luxe novel by Anna Godbersen
5. The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore (finished a day late!)
6. Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn
7. Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
8. School's Out Forever by James Patterson
9. Specials by Scott Westerfeld
10. My Life: The Musical by Maryrose Wood
11. Fire by Kristin Cashore
12. Pretty Dead by Francesa Lia Block
13. Getting the Girl by Susan Juby
14. Secret Society by Tom Dolby
15. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
16. The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti
17. Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen
18. Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford
19. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
20. Dark Divine by Bree Despain
21. Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
22. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
23. The Kid Table by Andrea Seigel

Review: The Fortunes of Indigo Skye

2010-12-31T22:26:00.000-08:00

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti
4 stars

Reasons for reading: I've enjoyed some of Caletti's other books; Colourful Reading Challenge

Description: "Eighteen-year-old Indigo Skye feels like she has it all - a waitress job she loves, an adorable refrigerator-delivery-guy boyfriend, and a home life that's slightly crazed but rich in love. Until a mysterious man at the restaurant leaves her a 2.5 million-dollar tip, and her life as she knew it is transformed.

At first its amazing: a hot new car, enormous flat-screen TV, and presents for everyone she cares about. She laughs off the warnings that money changes people, that they come to rely on what they have instead of who they are. Because it won't happen...not to her. Or will it? What do you do when you can buy anything your heart desires -- but what your heart desires can't be bought?

This is the story of a girl who gets rich, gets lost, and ultimately finds her way back - if not to where she started, then to where she can start again."

First lines: "You can tell a lot about people from what they order for breakfast. Take Nick Harrison, for example. People talk about him killing his wife after she fell down a flight of stairs two years ago, but I know it's not true. Someone who killed his wife would order fried eggs, bacon, sausage -- something strong and meaty."

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book - Caletti writes wonderfully. Indigo is very likeable and Caletti has some great turns of phrase like "spring delicious." Of course Indigo does have to become horrid to learn that money doesn't buy happiness, but that's par for the course for this kind of story. I really liked that Indigo truly enjoyed being a waitress because she got to serve people comforting foods and help them through their day just a bit. She made lots of good observations about what's important in life and what money can do to people, particularly when it gives them power over others. Her little sister Bex's desire to help tsunami victims and her twin brother's obviously doomed relationship with his boss' daughter made them endearing secondary characters and Indigo's boyfriend Trevor is a true gem. Indigo's journey, while not overly surprising, feels genuine and her affection and concern for others (except for the brief lapse into obligatory bitchiness), as well as her sense of humour, made her a joy to read about.

Review: Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning

2010-12-31T19:04:00.000-08:00

Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning by Danette Haworth
3 stars

Reasons for reading: sounded good, Colourful Reading Challenge

Description: "Spunky, headstrong Violet Raines is happy with things just the way they are in her sleepy backwoods Florida town. She loves going to the fish fry with her best friend, Lottie, and collecting BrainFreeze cups with her good friend Eddie. She loves squeezing into the open trunk of the old cypress tree, looking for alligators in the river, and witnessing lighting storms on a warm summer day.

But Violet’s world is turned upside down when Melissa moves to town from big city Detroit. All of a sudden Violet’s supposed to want to wear makeup, and watch soap operas, and play Truth or Dare! It’ll take the help of Violet’s friends, her Momma, a few run-ins with lightning, and maybe even Melissa, for Violet to realize that growing up doesn’t have to mean changing who you are."

First line: "When Eddie B. dared me to walk the net bridge over the Elijah Hatchett River where we'd seen an alligator and another kid got bit by a coral snake, I wasn't scared - I just didn't feel like doing it right then."

My thoughts: My verdict is that this is a good read for preteens but for an old person like me it was pretty much a read-this-all-before book. It's the usual girl coming-of-age stuff, trying on make-up and bras, a mean (ish) girl, worrying about losing a friend, starting to notice boys, etc. I did like the rural, Southern setting, it gave it a bit of an old-fashioned feel. Violet was spunky but typical for this type of book, fairly self-centered and not wanting to grow up.

Review: My Life, the Musical

2010-12-26T12:50:00.000-08:00

My Life: The Musical by Maryrose Wood
3 stars

Reasons for reading: musical term for What's in a Name Challenge; YA Challenge

Description: "To best friends and devoted theater fans Emily and Philip, Aurora is no ordinary Broadway musical. Their love for the hit show (whose reclusive author has never been named) is nothing short of an obsession. Thanks to a secret loan from Emily’s grandma Rose, seeing the Saturday matinee has become a weekly ritual that makes real life seem dull and drab by comparison. But when the theater chat rooms start buzzing with crazy rumors that Aurora might close, Emily and Philip find themselves grappling with some truly show-stopping questions. What, exactly, is the “one sure thing” in show business? How will they pay back the money they owe Grandma Rose? And why hasn’t Philip asked Emily out on a real date? As they go to hilarious lengths to indulge their passion for Aurora, Emily and Philip must face the fact that all shows close sooner or later. But first they’ll put their friendship to the ultimate test, solve Broadway’s biggest mystery–and spend one unforgettable night at the theater."

My thoughts: Being a big fan of musicals, I wanted to like this one more than I did. I can't pinpoint what made it less enjoyable for me, exactly. Maybe I'm just too old, but I found Emily's constant lying to her parents and the easy way she took money from her rather dotty grandmother (both by being given it and by actually stealing it) pretty hard to take. The grandmother's constant refrain that Zero Mostel was the best Tevye ever started off cute but got annoying after about the 10th time. And I think the pace was supposed to resemble a musical, but I just found that too much happened quickly and (I have to admit, like every good musical) things were summed it very quickly and neatly at the end. Philip's encyclopedia-like knowledge of musicals was fun, but it really jarred with me that he hadn't seen The Producers. Why not? He'd seen every other musical, film and stage versions, from the past 50 years. And the cliche thing about whether a boy fan of musicals is gay or not was a bit tired. It also seemed odd that theatre freaks like Emily and Philip weren't in the Drama Club, but I guess they spent all their free time at Aurora.

It's not that it wasn't enjoyable, it just left me a bit cold. Probably teens who identify more with immediate-gratification Emily would like it more than I did.

What's in a Name? Challenge 3: Wrap-Up

2010-12-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Beth F for hosting this challenge! It was fun, as usual! I got it finished just in the nick of time.

Here are the books I read:

1. Food: Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani

2. Body of water: Shem Creek by Dorothea Benton Frank

3. Person's title: The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

4. Plant: Roses by Leila Meacham

5. Place name: gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

6. Music term: My Life: the Musical by Maryrose Wood

My favourite was gods in Alabama, which I had been meaning to read for ages, so I'm glad this challenge gave me a reason! I think my least favourite was The Other Queen because it was so repetitive.

Not a review: Christmas Cookie Club

2010-12-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

I totally agree with this comment from Publisher's Weekly "Pearlman's effort tries hard not to be that lump of coal that it really is."

I was really looking forward to my annual Christmas story, but apparently it's not meant to be this year. I couldn't get past chapter 2. I liked the first couple of pages, where Marnie describes herself as the chief "cookie bitch" and outlines the strict rules for membership in the Christmas Cookie Club. But then we learn that:
- Marnie's first husband died of cancer when he was just 35
- her second husband was a serial cheater and she left him before her younger daughter was even born, making her a struggling single mother
- her eldest daughter is currently pregnant for the 4th time, having suffered 2 miscarriages and having to bring a stillborn baby to term and give birth to it (she describes it as "rotting inside her" and the baby is terribly deformed) - as the book opens they're waiting for test results to see if this latest baby will also be the victim of genetic defects

Wow, I feel full of the holiday spirit. There's then a bizarre 2-page essay on the history of flour before we get to meet Marnie's friend Charlene. Okay, I thought, here comes the comic relief of the wacky best friend. Nope. Charlene:
- has been divorced 3 times, including from one man who beat her
- she was also a struggling single mother to 3 kids to Marnie's 2
- her eldest son has just died, having fallen from an I-beam and been impaled on a spike of rebar
- this has caused her younger son to fall into depression and alcoholism

I was expecting the next friend to show up to have been blinded by household cleaning products and have just had her seeing-eye dog run over.

That was it for me, I don't care how good the cookies are.

(To be fair, the book may very well improve, but it was just way too much sorrow for me, especially on Christmas Eve eve.)

Review: Bright Young Things

2010-12-15T10:56:00.000-08:00

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen
3.75 stars

Reasons for reading: I loved the Luxe series; YA Challenge

Description:
"The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star. . . .

Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will.

The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart."

First line: "It's easy to forget now, how effervescent and free we all felt that summer."

My thoughts: Another hit from Anna Godbersen! I wasn't quite as swept up in it as I was the Luxe, but she still knows how to write good historical fiction. Her Jazz Age details are well researched, particularly the clothing descriptions. I didn't find the characters as well-defined as the Luxe ones - they have some personality, but not as much as, for example, the deliciously villainous Penelope Hayes in the first series. I liked feisty Cordelia the best, Letty seemed a bit too precious and naive. But Astrid sums up the F. Scott Fitzgerald-ness of the period the best, with her spoiled socialite life of parties and frivolity, while fears about losing Charlie and her income lurk underneath.

I felt that you could see a lot of what was coming, loud and clear (imagine, a sleazy Broadway producer isn't actually interested in Letty's singing voice!). This was probably at least somewhat intentional, but having almost every single plot point so telegraphed took some of the fun out of the story. I would have liked a few more surprises.

There is a bit of suspense from Godbersen's usual tell-it-in-the-prologue-but-not-quite thing:
". . . one would be famous, one would be married, and one would be dead" since I'm sure the descriptions won't match the girl you'd assume they would. I'll definitely be reading the sequel, I hope there are more surprises and more character development.

Review: Pretty Dead

2010-12-08T09:32:00.000-08:00

Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block
3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: I've liked her other books, cool cover, YA Challenge

Description:
"Even if I wanted to die for someone, it wouldn't be that easy. They just keep dying for me.

Something is happening to Charlotte Emerson. Like the fires that are ravaging the hills of L.A., it consumes her from the inside out. Something to do with the tear in her enviably perfect nails. The way she feels when she's with the brooding, magnetic Jared. The blood rushing once again to her cheeks and throughout her veins. For Charlotte is a vampire, witness to almost a century's worth of death and destruction. But not since she was a human girl has mortality touched her.
Until now."

First line: "Teenage girls are powerful creatures."

My thoughts: Another lushly written book by Block. It's not much more than a novella, but her seductive writing and the fact that it's different from today's Twilight schlock vampire lore makes it worthwhile. It is for an older teen and adult audience, as her books tend to be, it's not for tweens.

I was a bit creeped out by the possibly inappropriate relationship between Charlotte and her twin brother (although I could have been reading that in where it didn't belong). And while the ending was interesting and a bit of a twist, I wasn't entirely sold - there were some holes in how it happened, I thought.

My favourite part was the section where Charlotte writes about her century of life for Jared, describing the sights and sounds of every era, from the 20's up until the 80's. I thought she captured the events very well. I also enjoyed the description of Charlotte's house full of "beautiful old things" that she's collected like vintage couture and perfume bottles.

A quick read, a nice change from the usual vampire stuff, and full of poetic prose.

Review: Front and Center

2010-12-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

4.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I love this series!; YA Challenge

Description: "After five months of sheer absolute craziness I was going back to being plain old background D.J. In photographs of course I’m always in the background . . .

But it turns out other folks have big plans for D.J. Like her coach. College scouts. All the town hoops fans. A certain Red Bend High School junior who’s keen for romance and karaoke. Not to mention Brian Nelson, who she should not be thinking about! Who she is done with, thank you very much. But who keeps showing up anyway . . .

Readers first fell in love with straight-talking D. J. Schwenk in Dairy Queen; they followed her ups and downs both on and off the court in The Off Season. Now D. J.steps out from behind the free-throw line in this final installment of the Dairy Queen trilogy."

First lines: "Here are ten words I never thought I'd be saying . . . Well, okay, sure. I say these words all the time. It's not like school and good and to are the kind of words you can avoid even if you wanted to. It's just that I've never said them in this particular order."

My thoughts: Ah, D.J.! Thr first lines show that she's still her awkward, lovable, tongue-tied self. I felt that this was a good ending to the trilogy. Part of me wishes there would be more D.J. books, because I love reading about her, but the smart part knows that 3 books is good, I wouldn't want to suffer from series fatigue and end up not liking her as much. In this book, D.J.'s self-esteem finally gets to where it should be, after a long battle with herself. D.J. has to start thinking about college. Everyone but D.J. knows her basketball skills are scholarship worthy - for D.J., the idea of playing in front of thousands of screaming fans is terrifying. So maybe she should go to a very small college where her skills will be very much in demand, but the games won't be so demanding?

And that Brian Nelson keeps popping up. Even though D.J. has a perfectly nice boyfriend now, who lives in her town, goes to her school, and isn't afraid to be seen with her in public. But...he doesn't make her feel the way Brian does. Again, she has to choose safety or throwing caution to the wind and going for it.

While I'll really miss D.J., I think it was a good idea to end as a trilogy - always leave 'em wanting more. I was satisfied with the way the series ended and feel confident that D.J. will go far in life!

Review: Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters

2010-12-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford
3.75 stars

Reasons for reading: sounded good when I read reviews for purchasing it for the library, Young Adult Challenge

First lines: "The Sullivan family's Christmas began in the traditional way that year. All six children gathered at the top of the stairs in order, from youngest to oldest, and waited for the signal from Daddy-o that it was safe to come downstairs and inspect the work of Santa."

Description (from Booklist): "On Christmas Day, the scion of the Sullivan family, Almighty, announces one of her grandchildren has offended her. Unless she receives a proper confession by New Year’s Day, Norrie, Jane, Sassy, their brothers, and their parents will be ripped from Almighty’s will and left destitute. Oh dear. So begins a cleverly plotted romp divided into three parts—the confession letters of each sister. Bunched together in age—18, 16, and 15—the girls have much in common, including a cheerful disdain for their parents, a healthy fear of Almighty, and the uneasy knowledge that their life of privilege isn’t how the rest of the world lives. The letters themselves are both thoughtful and funny, and if the voices of the three sisters sometimes sound alike, their confessions amply show the reasons Almighty might be angry, as one sister skips out on her cotillion to follow her heart, another blogs about her family’s evil road to power, and the third regrets killing Almighty’s fifth husband."

My thoughts: These interconnected stories kept me wondering which "crime" Almighty was angry about and wanting to get to know each Sullivan sister. As several reviews point out, it's nice to see a novel about wealthy girls who aren't bitchy, mean, label-whores. These girls are pretty normal (as normal as you can be in a rich family of 6 kids where the parents only vaguely seem to be aware that they're parents). My favourite sister was Norrie, who falls in love with an older man at her speed reading class and just can't make herself fit with the society boy her grandmother has picked out. Jane and her rather bratty blog about her "evil family" probably had the strongest voice and her bit of rebellion fit with her age and privileged upbringing. Sassy was sweet and a bit dumb, but I found her story, revolving around thinking she's immortal because she keeps getting hit by cars and not getting hurt, didn't really fit the tone of the other two mainstream stories, although it's basically the one that ties everything together. While I wasn't 100% on board with the ending, it did have a bit of a twist, which I appreciated.

The adults in the story are fairly well-drawn and pretty unusual. Daddy-o and Ginger (they can't stand the thought of actually just being called mom and dad) seem largely unaware of their children's behaviour, although Daddy-o is probably more with-it than he appears. Dramatic, fragile Ginger has furnished the house with fainting couches because she often finds it hard to remain upright. Almighty is a force to be reckoned with, a matriarch to the nth degree. She seems very cold and doesn't thaw much, although she does come to see the girls as more than just either irritants or extensions of her family name. The settings, both the family's enormous old house with its Tower Room and the location of Baltimore rather than NYC or LA add some interesting elements.

The Christmassy setting was a nice bonus for this time of year and while I didn't think the story was perfect, I enjoyed that it was actually an interesting story rather than the usual chick lit drivel. Definitely one to recommend to teen girls looking for a good read this holiday season!

Review: Room

2010-11-24T14:17:00.001-08:00

Room by Emma Donoghue
5 stars

Reasons for reading: I've loved her other books, sounded intriguing

Description: "To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another."

My thoughts: I actually remembered about this book when a patron asked me about it - she knew the author and knew it was about kidnapping. I was able to Google it and vaguely recall hearing about it. When I read the description, I was fascinated. Plus, I already knew I was a Donoghue fan, although I've only read her historical fiction, so I wasn't sure whether this would be my cup of tea.

Well, I don't know if this subject is anyone's "cup of tea" but I could NOT put it down. I started reading it before bed one night (even though I knew I shouldn't) and was up til 1:40am before I could force myself to turn off the light. I finished it the next day.

I don't want to give any spoilers, so I can't tell you much. But the narrator is 5-year-old Jack, who has lived his entire life with his Ma in an 11x11 room. He has never spoken to another human being, he has only ever glimpsed one other human being, their captor. When he was tiny, Ma explained that their life in Room was real and everything on TV was fake. But once Jack turns 5, she knows they can't keep living like that.

Jack is extraordinary but also an ordinary little boy. He has an amazing vocabulary and math skills, because Ma has basically spent every moment of his life teaching him. But he thinks Dora the Explorer, Rug, and Meltedy Spoon are his friends. He thinks the tiny bit of sun he can see through the skylight is God's yellow face. He has no idea what it's like to own as many books, toys or clothes as you can afford, he's never tasted many foods or been to a playground. He loves his Ma with his entire being, yet gets mad at her when she can't give him what he wants, like all kids do. Normally I don't like child narrators, because I find authors make them way too precocious or saintly or wise and have clearly never interacted with an actual child. But Donoghue clearly remembers what it was like when her kids were five and has managed to make Jack believable while still being the product of completely unusual circumstances.

And while it's heartbreaking to read, Donoghue doesn't pull any crappy tricks like making everything okay once they escape. Sometimes it's even harder to be out in the world than it is to be in Room, it certainly is for Jack, who is away from everything he's ever known and being bombarded with new, well, everything every moment of the day.

Donoghue's writing is amazing, but this paragraph struck me, because I had just been speaking to a friend about how true this is in today's society. Imagine if you were a boy who had spent his entire life with undivided parental attention (obviously not feasible outside of Room, I know!) and you saw how many parents in the outside world treat their kids (he observes this right after they've been to the library for the first time, maybe that's why it struck me, I see it every day):

Also everywhere I'm looking at kids, adults mostly don't seem to like them, not even the parents do. They call the kids gorgeous and so cute, they make the kids do the thing all over again so they can take a photo, but they don't actually want to play with them, they'd rather drink coffee talking to other adults. Sometimes there's a small kid crying and the Ma of it doesn't even hear.

That shows you Jack's voice and also that maybe we need to take a few hints from a small person who's seeing the world for the first time!

The reviews for Room use words like remarkable, flawless, original, and absorbing and they're all right. I agree with this one: "But be warned: once you enter, you'll be Donoghue's willing prisoner right down to the last page." (Newsweek Malcolm Jones )"

Review: Keep Your Mouth Shut and Wear Beige

2010-11-24T13:46:00.001-08:00

Keep Your Mouth Shut and Wear Beige by Cathleen Gilles Seidel
3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: Colourful Reading Challenge; recommended by a friend

Description: "Darcy Van Aiken is doing just fine, thank you. She’s an ICU nurse with an “amicable” divorce from her ex-husband, Mike, two great kids, and a prescription for Ritalin. Then her older son, Jeremy, gets engaged to Cami Zander-Brown---daughter of a wealthy New York family---and her world gets turned upside down. The source of her trouble, much to Darcy’s surprise, is not in the form of Rose Zander-Brown, Cami’s elegant and accomplished mother. Nor is it in the form of Guy Zander-Brown, Cami’s charismatic and wildly successful literary agent father. Instead, lurking in the shadows of Mike’s new life is the beautifully dressed Claudia, a self-described “managed perfectionist.” The Zander-Browns have money. Lots of money. The plans for their daughter’s dream wedding grow more fabulous by the day, and loving every minute is Claudia. With her perfect taste, Claudia can’t help thinking she would make a much better mother of the groom than Darcy. This wedding is her chance to entrench herself in Mike’s life---and take credit for the two sons Darcy has worked so hard to raise right. It’s a battle of will and wits. . ."

My thoughts: My friend Vidalia recommended this book and I believe she had just been the mother of the groom at a big society wedding (I doubt she wore beige, though I think she worked very hard to keep her mouth shut against some rather ridiculous in-laws-to-be). This book seems fairly realistic - Claudia's "managed perfectionism" is extreme, but you can imagine having to deal with someone like her. Darcy and Mike seem to have had a fairly amicable divorce but issues still come up and one of their younger sons is more trouble than the stellar first-born. The Zander-Browns' youngest son is mentally challenged and suffers from life-threatening food allergies. All pretty plausible stuff. One of the interesting themes about this book was that of friendship for older women - how it's harder to make friends, how you've got an image of yourself that keeps you at a distance from people, and how having children with serious problems can change you in ways your friends might not be able to handle. I also thought it was interesting that Mike still sort of acted like they were married, expecting Darcy to handle the little details of family life that he had never bothered with, like his mother's travel arrangements, even though he had apparently left Darcy because she wasn't organized enough for him.

It's definitely a good (Darcy) vs evil (Claudia) story, although perhaps Claudia isn't actively evil - she just really doesn't seem to know how normal people behave and while she knows everything about style, colours, table-settings and hem lengths, she doesn't have much common sense or courtesy. Darcy has lots of both, but is lacking in Claudia's stylishness, which makes her feel ill at ease.

The secondary characters were well done, except maybe for the older son, the groom - almost everything he said was the he wanted his bride-to-be to be happy, which was sweet. Little Finney Zander-Brown was a lovely little boy and the author portrayed his mental disability with skill, he was never either a cariacture or too precocious. Annie Zander-Brown developed nicely - starting as a beautiful princess but turning out to have her own problems and worries, mainly about her family. Darcy's retired pediatrician father was even great, he would be a welcome addition to anyone's family!

I wasn't blown away by the book, but I did root for Darcy and also Rose, two women who need friends. And the title is a hoot! Probably a better read for anyone who has grown kids who have gotten married, but still entertaining even without that background.

Review: Big Red Tequila

2010-11-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Big Red Tequila by Rick Riordan
4 stars

Reasons for reading: took it on my recent trip to San Antonio

Description: "Meet Tres Navarre...tequila drinker, Tai Chi master, unlicensed P.I., with a penchant for Texas-size trouble. Jackson "Tres" Navarre and his enchilada-eating cat, Robert Johnson, pull into San Antonio and find nothing waiting but trouble. Ten years ago Navarre lefttown and the memory of his father's murder behind him. Now he's back, looking for answers. Yet the more Tres digs, trying to put his suspicions to rest, thefresher the decade-old crime looks: Mafia connections, construction site payoffs, and slick politicians' games all conspire to ruin his homecoming. It's obvious Tres has stirred up a hornet's nest of trouble. He gets attacked, shot at, run over by a big blue Thunderbird--and his old girlfriend, the one hewants back, turns up missing. Tres has to rescue the woman, nail his father's murderer, and get the hell out of Dodge before mob-style Texas justice catches up to him. The chances of staying alive looked better for the defenders of the Alamo...."

My thoughts: I had no idea that Rick Riordan had an alternate life as a writer of adult mysteries! I only knew him from the Percy Jackson series. Well, no matter what he's writing, I think he does it well.

I didn't get the name of the book at first - we don't have Big Red here in Canada, we basically only have red cream soda, so we just call it cream soda. But I noticed it all over the place in Texas and I liked how the beverage kept popping up throughout the book.

I really liked Tres - he reminded me a bit of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden (minus the wizardry) obviously for the PI angle but also because he was so sarcastic and bad-ass, yet good-hearted. And I really enjoyed that he was both a martial arts master and the holder of an advanced English degree.

The actual mystery involved all kinds of worlds colliding - the Mafia, shady wealthy people, a former (or is she?) girlfriend, both friends and enemies of Tres' late sherriff father... It was quite a ride. The secondary characters are really well-done, too, especially the Red Zinger-drinking cop who helps Tres because he knew his father and Tres' rather fab girlfriend back in California, Mai.

The book describes San Antonio really well and, as I always am, I was delighted to read about places we'd just visited, such as the pinata-festooned Mi Terra bakery and cafe. And the Riverwalk. I love his description:

"About a hundred thousand people were strolling the flagstone banks past the fountains, stone bridges, and pricey new restaurants. The kitchen smoke of ten or fifteen different cuisines drifted up past the yellow and green patio umbrellas. Tourists with cameras and souvenir sombreros, basic trainees on leave, rich men with high-priced call girls, all happily spilling drinks on each other. This is what a San Antonian thinks of when you say 'river.' I remember how much trouble I had reading Huck Finn as a child, trying to imagine how in the hell that raft made it past all those restaurants and crowds, in water only three feet deep and thirty feet across, without anybody noticing the stowaway slave. Maybe that's why I became an English major - sheer confusion."

I also like this passage because it shows that where you grow up really does influence how you see the world (Tres tried to make a life in San Francisco, but couldn't stay away from home forever) - I was totally shocked that the San Antonio River is so small! I live near a river that, while not the Mississippi, is a large, working, float-log-booms-down-it river. The San Antonio is a trench compared to that, but it's still at the heart of the city.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book, The Widower's Two-Step.

Okra Picks Challenge

2010-11-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

For full challenge details, click here.

Hooray, a challenge with Southern books - I love 'em! The challenge is to read books selected as Okra Picks (I love it, what a hoot!) by the Southern Independent Booksellers Association.

I'm going to choose the Goober level and read 3 books.

1. The Perfect Love Song: a holiday story by Patti Callahan Henry
2. Love, Charleston by Beth Webb Hart
3. Virals by Kathy Reichs

Off the Shelf Challenge

2010-11-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Click for full details.

Hooray, a challenge to help manage the books that have been languishing in to-be-read-land! Most of my books aren't actually on my shelf, as I'm mostly a library girl, but I have a huge TBR list in LibraryThing.

The challenge is to read books you've already bought/put on the list before the challenge starts on January 1. I'm going to do the Trying level, which is 15 books, but maybe I'll be able to bump it up later in the year.

1. The Debutante Divorcee by Plum Sykes
2. A Much Married Man by Nicholas Coleridge
3. What Comes After Crazy by Sandi Khan Shelton
4. Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
5. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
6. The Future Homemakers of America by Laurie Graham
7. Bitsy's Bait and Barbecue by Pamela Morsi
8. Miss Julia Hits the Road by Ann B. Ross
9. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron
10. How to be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle
11. One Day by David Nicholls
12. When a Man Loves a Weapon by Toni McGee Causey
13. The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
14. Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos by Donna Andrews
15. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

Book Awards Challenge IV Wrap-Up

2010-11-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

10 awards. 10 months. January 1 - November 1, 2010

Well, sadly the challenge page doesn't seem to have been maintained, so I'm not sure if it matters that I finished, but I did! And it matters to me, I guess that's what counts. Once again I was pleased that it encouraged me to read some "better" books. And here they are:

1. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - 2009 Pulitzer Prize

2. Still Life by Louise Penney - 2007 Anthony Award for Best First Novel

3. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett - 2001 Carnegie Medal

4. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen - 2007 Agatha Award nominee

5. The Outcast by Sadie Jones - 2008 Costa First Novel Award

6. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - 2007 Debut (Gold) Dagger

7. Airborn by Kenneth Oppel - 2004 Governor General's Award for Children's Literature

8. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell - 2008 National Book Award for Young Readers

9. Three Girls and their Brother by Theresa Rebeck - 2009 Alex Award

10. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead - 2010 Newbery Medal

Favourite books:
Entertainment value - Three Girls and Their Brother
Writing quality: Olive Kitteridge

Least favourite:
The Outcast

Four Month Challenge Part 4, wrap-up

2010-10-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

4 Month Challenge, Part 4
July 1 - October 31, 2010

So, I'm finished. My goal was 200 points but I only made it to 110. Ah well.

Favourite books: The 2 Dresden Files ones, then Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
Least favourite: The Outcast

5 Point Challenges

Read a chick lit book:
All You Need is Love by Carole Matthews

Read a book with a proper name in the title:
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (also for YA Challenge)

Read a historical fiction book:
The Outcast by Sadie Jones

Read a book with a one word title:
Ruined by Paula Morris

10 Point Challenges

Read a hardcover book:
All is Vanity by Christina Schwarz

15 Point Challenges

Read a book by an author you’ve never read before:
Stalking Susan by Julie Kramer

Read a biography or autobiography:
Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

Read a book with a number in the title:
Three Girls and Their Brother by Theresa Rebeck

Read any book and then post a review:
The Man of my Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld

20 Point Challenges

Read a book in a series AND the one after it:
Proven Guilty and White Night by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files series)

Review: All You Need is Love

2010-10-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

All You Need is Love by Carole Matthews
3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: plucked it from the booksale to be a bathtub book; Chick Lit for Four Month Challenge

Description: ". . . Sally Freeman wants a better life for herself and her son Charlie. But it’s not going to be easy when their home is on a run-down Liverpool council estate. Just as Sally’s mission to improve their surroundings gets under way, she’s offered a ticket out of there, in the splendid form of Spencer Knight. He has everything she could wish for – the looks, the charm, not to mention the wallet. But is he the answer to her prayers, or does her hapless ex-boyfriend Johnny still hold the key to her heart? As Sally decides what to do, she discovers that if The Beatles are right, and all you need is love, then everything else will fall into place.

First line: "Sally Freeman, Single Mum and Superwoman, to the rescue again."

My thoughts: This was a pretty good, quick chick lit read. I liked the Liverpool setting and the Beatles references. Johnny is a lovely character - way better to Sally than she deserves. His secret struggle to be an artist and the far-fetched but fun twist it takes to make him a success was one of the best parts of the book. The book is completely predictable, in the way of almost all chick lit/romances.

I liked that the residents banded together to clean up their horrifying council estate. It was very heartwarming and I bet it could happen, but I think it would take more time and setbacks than Sally had.

And Sally. I didn't particularly think she was a superwoman. She doesn't appear to have ever held a job, any job, in her life. She's been on welfare since she had her son at 17 (fair enough) and now he's 10. She is attempting to finally get some skills as the book opens, but come on - she couldn't have been a waitress, she couldn't have somehow found a way to get some education in 10 years? To me, that would make her a superwoman (and I know there are tons of superwomen out there!). She doesn't seem to do anything but help a couple of elderly neighbours and cook meals for her son who, at 10, could probably make his own peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. The same goes for her hard-drinking, bitchy friend Debs - a trained hairdresser (with no kids) who makes money under the table doing hair at home, but is still on the dole. She uses her extra money for booze and sparkly dresses. Sally depends very heavily on Johnny (who is the sole caregiver to his disabled mother) to help with looking after Charlie, even though she's dumped him repeatedly, takes him for granted and tells him to do one thing and then gets mad when he does it and changes her mind. Everything is about what Sally wants for herself and Charlie. I get that she has to be focused on her son, but quite often it seems to be at the expense of consideration for other people. And once Spencer comes into her life, she dumps Charlie on anyone who will take him. Spencer is sweet but over-the-top clueless about life outside of his country manor and his family is stereotypically evil, sneering at Sally for being below their son.

While Sally is impressive with the estate makeover and has great future plans by the end, I never really found her particularly likable. The best parts of the book are Johnny and Charlie (who, underneath his 10-year-old-ness is a sweet boy; the scenes with him trying to be worldly with his best friend Kyle, who is a self-proclaimed expert on everything, particularly women, are a hoot).

Review: The Outcast

2010-10-29T12:59:00.001-07:00

The Outcast by Sadie Jones
2 stars

Reason for reading: 2008 Costa First Novel Award winner for Book Awards Challenge

Summary (from Publisher's Weekly): "Set in post WWII suburban London, this superb debut novel charts the downward spiral and tortured redemption of a young man shattered by loss. The war is over, and Lewis Aldridge is getting used to having his father, Gilbert, back in the house. Things hum along splendidly until Lewis's mother drowns, casting the 10-year-old into deep isolation. Lewis is ignored by grief-stricken Gilbert, who remarries a year after the death, and Lewis's sadness festers during his adolescence until he boils over and torches a church. After serving two years in prison, Lewis returns home seeking redemption and forgiveness, only to find himself ostracized. The town's most prominent family, the Carmichaels, poses particular danger: terrifying, abusive patriarch Dicky (who is also Gilbert's boss) wants to humiliate him; beautiful 21-year-old Tamsin possesses an insidious coquettishness; and patient, innocent Kit—not quite 16 years old—confounds him with her youthful affection. Mutual distrust between Lewis and the locals grows, but Kit may be able to save Lewis. Jones's prose is fluid, and Lewis's suffering comes across as achingly real."

First line: "There was nobody there to meet him."

My thoughts: This one didn't really do it for me, I don't think I would have finished it if I hadn't been reading it for a challenge. Although then I would have missed the ending, which was the best part - not because it was over, but because some hope and joy finally flared up on the last few pages, which almost made it worth it.

Jones' writing isn't the problem, it's skillful. Her portrayal of the suffering of both Kit and Lewis is, as the review above states, "achingly real." But there's so much suffering! And it's just...dreary. Which is actually how I always sort of picture post-WW II England to be, with so many deaths and rationing still happening.

I didn't know how to feel about anyone but Kit, really. She's odd and spunky and intelligent and so terribly abused and her terrible mother is just glad it's not her getting hit. Everyone else basically just failed the two children. Although, from the beginning, Lewis was odd, to me it seemed like it was mostly due to having his weird, drunken mother's full attention while his father was off at war. I felt for the child Lewis, but by the time he was a teenager, I was getting a bit tired of him. Obviously, he should have been given some help after the tragic death (suicide) of his mother, but it was the 40's, how likely was that going to be? I wanted him to heed his father's advice not to let his mother's death be an excuse (although, it's not like his father was any kind of a great parent, he didn't know how to be, he does occasionally appear to be trying, at least). And the drinking! The entire town of Waterford is made up of drunks and/or bullies, which added more dreariness.

This isn't a particularly good review and the book probably deserves better than that, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Review: Airborn

2010-10-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
4 stars

Reasons for reading: have always meant to; winner of the 2004 Governor General's Award for Children's Literature for Book Awards Challenge

Description: "Set in an imaginary past where giant airships rule the skies, Airborn is the story of Matt Cruse, the 15-year-old cabin boy of the 900-foot luxury airship Aurora. Hundreds of feet over the Pacificus Ocean, Matt fearlessly performs a dramatic rescue to save an old man from his crippled hot-air balloon. Before he dies, the stranger tells Matt about the fantastic, impossible creatures he has seen flying through the clouds. Matt dismisses the story as the ravings of a dying man, but when a beautiful, bold girl arrives on the Aurora a year later, determined to prove the story true, Matt finds himself caught up in her quest. But can he and Kate solve the mystery before pirates, shipwreck and frightening predators end their voyage forever?"

First line: "Sailing towards dawn, I was perched atop the crow's nest, being the ship's eyes."

My thoughts: This was a very enjoyable read and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to adventure-seeking young readers of either gender. Sky pirates - what else do you need?? The "imagined history" setting was well-done - there's almost a steampunk vibe to it. It was a bit odd that some things were the same (like Paris) while some things (like the Pacificus Ocean) were altered, but once I got used to it it added to the vibe of the book.

Matt is a very likeable hero and I really liked how his "airborn"-ness (he was born on an airship and only really feels at home when he's aloft) was woven through the story - it made him even more interesting and added depth to his character as we found out about his father's tragic death. His love for the Aurora is really impressive and it makes the ship a character itself.

Kate was occasionally a bit too spunky girl adventurer-type for me, but overall she's well-drawn, too. Her ability to escape her governess is admirable and produces some funny moments (one involving underwear and one involving sleeping medicine, for example).

I rolled my eyes at first over the flying creatures, thinking Oppel was going back to his days of writing about bats and while the story had enough action to do without them, they were eventually integrated into the story in a believable enough way.

The verdict: A rollicking adventure with great characters and I think I'll have to read the rest of the trilogy to find out if Matt ever gets his dream of flying his own airhship.

Review: Her Royal Spyness

2010-10-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
3.25 stars

Reason for reading: 2007 Agatha Award nominee (ran out of time to find a winner that my library owned and I wanted to read!)

Description: "Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, 34th in line for the throne, is flat broke. She’s bolted Scotland, her greedy brother, and her fish-faced betrothed for London. The place where she’ll experience freedom, learn life lessons aplenty, do a bit of spying for HRH—oh, and find a dead Frenchman in her tub. Now her new job is to clear her long family name."

First line: "There are two disadvantages to being a minor royal."

My thoughts: This was a fairly fun, quick read. I enjoyed the 1930's setting and that Georgie was a liberated young woman trying to find her way in a world that no longer forced her to marry the first prince who asked (though of course her family wishes she had). I really liked that, despite her privileged upbringing, she was willing to take on any tasks she needed to do to make it on her own, unlike her pathetic brother and witchy sister-in-law, and most of the other people in he set. The scene where she tries working at Harrod's is a hoot. The upper-class twit names like Whiffy and Binky and Fig and last names like Featherstonehough that's actually pronounced Fanshawe are straight out of a PG Wodehouse novel. I found the mystery part so-so, although the dead Frenchman in the tub was certainly a good twist. I wish there had been more about the actual royal family and Wallis Simpson, although maybe that comes in later books. I didn't warm to the book quite as much as I would have liked to, but the setting and spunky Georgie made it worth my time. I might try the next book in the series when I'm in the mood for a quick cozy mystery.

Review: Still Life

2010-10-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Still Life by Louise Penny

4 stars

Reasons for reading: 2007 Anthony Award for Best First Novel for Book Awards Challenge

Description (from Booklist): "The residents of a tiny Canadian village called Three Pines are shocked when the body of Miss Jane Neal is found in the woods. Miss Neal, the village's retired schoolteacher and a talented amateur artist, has been a good friend to most of the townsfolk, so her loss is keenly felt. At first, her death appears to be a tragic accident--it's deer-hunting season, and it looks a stray hunter's arrow killed her. But some folks are suspicious, and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the [Sûreté du Québec] is called in to investigate. Accompanying Gamache are his loyal assistant Beauvoir and Yvette Nichol, a new addition to Gamache's team. The trio soon finds that the seemingly peaceful, friendly village hides dark secrets. The truth is both bizarre and shocking, even to the jaded Gamache and his team."

First line: "Miss Jane Neal met her maker in the early morning mist of Thanksgiving Sunday."

My thoughts: This was a very well-written and enjoyable book. Penny brings the village to life with beautiful descriptions (for example, a lane lined with autumn-coloured trees is described as a "Tiffany tunnel") and her characters, especially Gamache, really come to life. Gamache is wise, kind, stern, sharp, funny, and seems to have demons of his own. Beauvoir is his very loyal lieutenant and Nichol is shockingly unable to accept any criticism or see her own mistakes. The memorable townsfolk include a famous, award-winning poet hidden under the guise of an incredibly surly old woman, a charming gay couple who run the local cafe/b&b/antique store, a pair of artists who seem very different (she scatty and messy, he meticulous) but who love each other very much, Jane's shallow, materialistic niece and her horrid husband and son, whose last name is appropriately Malenfant ("bad child").

The mystery has lots of false leads and even up to the last whodunnit scene, you get misdirected. Penny has done a lot of research on archery and hunting. It really was a mystery as to why anyone would want the spinster schoolteacher dead. Elements of both longtime friendships and longtime bitterness are woven through the story. The bilingualism and discussions of Canadian culture (both English and French) were interesting additions and were also integrated nicely into the story - not always something I've come across in Canadian fiction.

I would definitely like to read more about Gamache and the townsfolk of Three Pines.

Review: When You Reach Me

2010-09-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
3.25 stars

Reason for reading: 2010 Newbery Medal for Book Awards Challenge

Description from the inside flap:

Four mysterious letters change Miranda’s world forever.

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:

I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. I must ask two favors.
First, you must write me a letter.

The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.

First lines: "So Mom got the postcard today. It says Congratulations in big curly letters, and at the very top is the address of Studio TV-15 on West 58th Street. After three years of trying, she has actually made it. She's going to be a contestant on The $20,000 Pyramid, which is hosted by Dick Clark."

My thoughts: Sorry Newbery committee (since I'm sure they care!), this one didn't do a whole lot for me. Maybe I was biased ahead of time because I remember reading a review that said the book was odd or would be hard for kids to follow or something. But it just seemed to me like an excuse to write a love letter to Madeleine L'Engle and the 70's. I don't really like this trend of the recent past in kids' books - it's not really historical fiction yet and I find it just ends up seeming slightly dated. Stead is a few years older than I am, which puts her at 11 years old in 1979, which seems to be Miranda's age. I can't quite think of the right word, but it just seemed a bit indulgent. And I'm one of the few people (it seems) who didn't adore A Wrinkle in Time, so that's another bias I have against this book. I only read it last year and it wasn't my thing at all. I think a kid who hadn't read it would find all of the references confusing and annoying. While the notes Miranda finds and the suspense built by the "when you reach me" thing was interesting, I didn't find the climax all that surprising or interesting and I had to read it several times to figure it out. (Although, again, time and space stuff isn't my bag.)

But, I could be wrong - my biases might be getting me and maybe kids will love this book. I did like that the book dealt with non AWIT/time travel/70's things like friendships and how they evolve and being a lower income, single parent family, however. And the chapter headings being categories from $20,000 Pyramid (Things That Sneak Up On You, Things That Bounce) was a nice added touch.

Review: The Dark Divine

2010-09-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
3 stars

Reasons for reading: sounded interesting, like the Minnesota setting, YA Challenge

Description: "Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul."

My thoughts: This one was okay. I found it fairly predictable and there was a lot of Twilight-ness to it, I thought, with the longing for the bad boy/supernatural creature that she shouldn't be with, etc. I did think it was interesting that faith was a focal part of the story without making it preachy or "Christian fiction" - I thought that aspect was fairly well done. Grace's willingness to sacrifice herself for Daniel is impressive and Daniel is probably the most interesting character, although it's pretty obvious from the start what his secret is. Despain creates some fairly interesting werewolf lore and there's enough excitement with mysterious attacks, the Divines' baby going missing, and a few red herrings to keep it interesting. Not sure I'm interested enough to read the sequel, but it's a surefire hit for paranormal romance fans.

Review: Ruined

2010-09-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Ruined by Paula Morris

3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: sounded intriguing, liked the cover, YA Challenge, One Word Title for Four Month Challenge

Description: "Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans. She's staying in a creepy house with her aunt, who reads tarot cards. And at the snooty prep school, a pack of filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey gives Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda.

Then one night, among the oak trees in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to show Rebecca the nooks and crannies of New Orleans. There's just one catch.

Lisette is a ghost. A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.

As Rebecca is drawn deeper into a web of old curses and cryptic customs, she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?"

First line: "Torrential rain was pouring the afternoon Rebecca Brown arrived in New Orleans."

My thoughts: This one was pretty good. Somewhat predictable, but not too bad. I liked the New Orleans setting. It was actually quite interesting because the author clearly knows and loves New Orleans, but for most of the novel she has to make Rebecca loathe it. She pulled it off well, describing both the good and the bad aspects. Probably the most interesting and unique scene is when Lisette leads Rebecca through the streets and shows her the generations of ghosts that linger throughout the city.

But...there were some odd things. The mystery of Rebecca's family history comes to light, but not why her father, who has spent his life trying to protect her, suddenly delivers her into danger. And, frankly, gives her into the care of a woman who seems to barely be able to look after her own daughter and lets her life be ruled by her psychic feelings. Both adults of course epically fail in their mission to protect her. Anton has reasons for trying to distance himself from Rebecca, but I thought it was pretty clumsily done, making his character uneven. And while they tied into the prophecy that is the backbone of the novel, his dangerous actions at the end of the novel (I won't spoil it) didn't make sense to me other than the prophecy had to be wrapped up, so he did something wildly dangerous and destructive.

If you're interested in New Orleans and like a ghost story, this is a pretty good, quick read.

Review: Three Girls and their Brother

2010-09-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Three Girls and Their Brother by Theresa Rebeck
4 stars

Reasons for reading: recommended by a colleague, Alex Award winner for Book Awards Challenge

Description: "They may be the granddaughters of a famous literary critic, but what really starts it all is Daria, Polly, and Amelia Heller’s stunning red hair. Out of the blue one day, The New Yorker calls and says that they want to feature the girls in a glamorous spread shot by a world-famous photographer, and before long these three beautiful nobodies from Brooklyn have been proclaimed the new “It” girls.

But with no parental guidance–Mom’s a former beauty queen living vicariously through her daughters, and Dad is nowhere to be found–the three girls find themselves easy prey for the sharks and piranhas of show business. Posing in every hot fashion magazine, tangling with snarling fashonistas and soulless agents, skipping school and hitting A-list parties, the sisters are caught up in a whirlwind rise to fame that quickly spirals out of control.

When Amelia, the youngest of the three–who never really wanted to be a model in the first place–appears in an Off-Broadway play, the balance of power shifts, all the pent-up resentment and pressure comes to a head, and the girls’ quiet, neglected brother reaches a critical point of virtual breakdown. And against the odds, even as the struggle for fame threatens to tear the family apart, the Hellers begin to see that despite the jealousy, greed, and uncertainty that have come to define their relationships, in the celebrity world of viciousness and betrayal, all they really have is one another."

First line: "Now that it's all over, everybody is saying it was the picture, that stupid picture was behind every disaster that would eventually befall my redheaded sisters."

My thoughts: This was a fun read. I can really see why it won the Alex Award (for adult books that are appealing to teens) - it's actually not far from a YA novel, just a bit longer. The characters are teens and it's fast-paced with lots of glamour and glitz. But at its heart, it has the relationships of the four siblings. These seem fragile, non-existent, hate-filled, and just confused at times, but in the end, the Heller children really do only have each other. As with lots of actual YA novels, the adults in this book are horrifyingly neglectful and damaging! Their father buggered off and started a new family, their mother is a drunk, faded beauty queen who wants to live out her dreams through her daughters no matter what harm it does them, and the agent looking out for their interests is a piranha/parasite who will stay with them only as long as they make her money. Another awful but entertaining adult is the cutthroat, very scary Hollywood mover and shaker woman who is enormous, wears caftans, and claims to be Kafka's great-granddaughter. The way everyone treats Phillip is appalling - that he survives, hangs on to his sanity, and still manages to love his sisters is amazing. At the photo shoot Phillip describes dancing with his sisters as a lot of fun and basically the last moment they'll have like that for a while and it's really lovely.

Each sibling gets a chance to narrate, which could have been annoying but wasn't, it added to the story. Amelia really sounds 14, Phillip sounds like a confused teen boy who wants things to be okay and to do the right thing (and who is actually really smart), sexy party girl Polly tries hard takes charge when the chips are down and Daria is coolly imperious but very capable (though she is taken down a much-needed peg or two). The appearances of odd hairdresser Laura add considerably to things - Phillip has a crush on her and she turns out to be very resourceful, even if her ability to filter her thoughts as they come out of her mouth is nonexistent.

It's not Kafka, but this book is entertaining, heartbreaking, funny, and satisfying with a close look at the manipulating and just badness behind Hollywood and also at sibling relationships.

Review: All is Vanity

2010-09-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

All is Vanity by Christina Schwarz
2.5 stars

Reasons for reading: book club selection, hardcover book for Four Month Challenge

Description: "In All is Vanity, Margaret and Letty, best friends since childhood and now living on opposite coasts, reach their mid-thirties and begin to chafe at their sense that they are not where they ought to be in life. Margaret, driven and overconfident, decides the best way to rectify this is to quit her job and whip out a literary tour de force. Frustrated almost immediately and humiliated at every turn, Margaret turns to Letty for support. But as Letty, a stay-at-home mother of four, begins to feel pressured to make a good showing in the upper-middle-class Los Angeles society into which her husband’s new job has thrust her, Margaret sees a plot unfolding that’s better than anything she could make up. Desperate to finish her book and against her better nature, she pushes Letty to take greater and greater risks, and secretly steals her friend’s stories as fast as she can live them. Hungry for the world’s regard, Margaret rashly sacrifices one of the things most precious to her, until the novel’s suspenseful conclusion shows her the terrible consequences of her betrayal."

First line: "I was a promising child."

My thoughts: Well, none of the book club members liked this one much. We felt there were some sparks of good writing, but the two main characters were a bitch (Margaret) and an idiot (Letty). Letty's financial situation spiralled out of control too quickly and too ridiculously for it to be believable. The book is referred to as satire, so I suppose that was supposed to be the satirical element about consumerism. Still didn't make it an enjoyable read. The person who chose the book had heard it was great, but couldn't remember where and now doesn't know why anyone would say it! One thought was that it does describe how difficult the writing process is and how people tend to treat would-be authors as though it's very simple. So maybe other writers liked it for that!

The verdict: No-one thought it was actually all that badly written, but overall it wasn't enjoyable and neither character got our sympathy.

Review: Summer at Tiffany

2010-09-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I have an interest in Tiffany and New York history; sounded good; Autobiography for Four Month Challenge

Description: "New York City, 1945. Marjorie Jacobson and her best friend, Marty Garrett, arrive fresh from the Kappa house at the University of Iowa hoping to find summer positions as shopgirls. Turned away from the top department stores, they miraculously find jobs as pages at Tiffany & Co., becoming the first women to ever work on the sales floor, a diamond-filled day job replete with Tiffany-blue shirtwaist dresses from Bonwit Teller's—and the envy of all their friends.

Looking back on that magical time in her life, Marjorie takes us back to when she and Marty rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, pinched pennies to eat at the Automat, experienced nightlife at La Martinique, and danced away their weekends with dashing midshipmen. Between being dazzled by Judy Garland's honeymoon visit to Tiffany, celebrating VJ Day in Times Square, and mingling with Cafe society, she fell in love, learned unforgettable lessons, made important decisions that would change her future, and created the remarkable memories she now shares with all of us."

First line: "From the top deck of the bus, Marty and I were mesmerized by Fifth Avenue as we watched glamorous stores spring up like pages out of Mademoiselle."

My thoughts: This was a love letter to the bygone days of New York City and to Tiffany & Co. I enjoyed the first-hand descriptions of everything from eating at the Automat (I wish we still had them!) to VJ day. The celebrity visitors to the store were my favourite parts - giddy newlywed Judy Garland and sultry Marlene Dietrich, whom I didn't know had been so dedicated to the USO. I loved the stories of the inner workings of the grand store - the amazing secret elevator that could run by itself, the way the salesmen "rang" their diamond rings on the glass counters to call the pages, and the amazing goods to be had on every floor. And really, it was quite an amazing feat that two girls from Iowa could walk into Tiffany and be hired as the first women to serve on the shop floor.

This isn't an earth-shattering book, but it provides a brief look at a pivotal summer in North American (and world) history and at places and a way of life that are basically lost to us forever.

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

2010-09-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
4.5 stars

Reasons for reading: it looked fun, YA Challenge, Book with proper name in title for Four Month Challenge

Description: "Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself."

First line: "I sat on the front steps of my house and watched the beige Subaru station wagon swing too quickly around the cul-de-sac."

My thoughts: I loved this book! It absolutely made me want to head out on a road trip right this minute. In fact, the descriptions of Kentucky have bumped it up near the top of my to-visit list. The inclusion of the souvenirs from the road was fun and I liked Amy's notes on the different states (many of them are varying degrees of "big") and the couple of times she makes a note to herself not to talk to Roger about cult favourites like Hoosiers (in Indiana) and The Wire (in Maryland) because he can go on and on and on about them. I loved that they explore regional fast food, after getting over their disappointment that In n Out burgers are a west coast thing. Their reaction to the wonders of Sonic was very similar to mine (they have cherry-limeaid! and mozzarella sticks!) a couple of years ago. I'm now also dying to try Chick-fil-A.

But it's not all happy times - Amy is still incredibly traumatized by her dad's death, which she believes is her fault (the truth behind the accident is revealed slowly through flashbacks and while it's not a big surprise, it's still heartbreaking to read). Roger is dealing with being suddenly dumped by a goddess-like but very bitchy girl and he can't quite get over her. So, rather than follow Amy's mom's boring route, they set out on their epic detour to get some answers and find some closure. They meet some interesting folks along the way, like the golf course lawn-mower who fronts a Wizard of Oz-inspired band in Kansas (of course). And there's music, too! Amy is a musical theatre actress and Roger has eclectic tastes, which show up in his the iPod playlists.

The verdict: Join Roger and Amy on their journey before summer's officially over - you won't regret it!

Review: Wild Ride

2010-08-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
3.25 stars

Reason for reading: I really enjoyed this pair's first two books.

Description: "Mary Alice Brannigan doesn’t believe in the supernatural. Nor does she expect to find that Dreamland, the decaying amusement park she’s been hired to restore, is a prison for the five Untouchables, the most powerful demons in the history of the world. Plus, there’s a guy she’s falling hard for, and there’s something about him that’s not quite right.

But rocky romances and demented demons aren’t the only problems in Dreamland: Mab’s also coping with a crooked politician, a supernatural raven, a secret government agency, an inexperienced sorceress, an unsettling inheritance, and some mind-boggling revelations from her past. As her personal demons wreck her newfound relationship and real demons wreck the park, Mab faces down immortal evil and discovers what everybody who’s ever been to an amusement park knows: The end of the ride is always the wildest."

First line: "Mary Alice Brannigan sat on the roof of the Dreamland carousel at twenty minutes to midnight and considered her work in the light from her yellow miner's hat."

My thoughts: I didn't enjoy this book as much as this duo's previous novels, Don't Look Down and Agnes and the Hitman. If it had been the first book I'd read by them, ir might have put me off reading the others. It still had their trademarks of wit and romance mixed with macho stuff, but the supernatural element wasn't great.

I found it quite hard to figure out what was going on at first. And I just couldn't get behind the premise - that an amusement park (hello, crawling with children!) was built to house 5 demons in easily-breakable chalices inside iron statues. And the key to each "cage" is an integral piece of the statue that, when removed to lock the cage, makes the statue incomplete, so people tend to replace the pieces and unlock the cages. Mab at one point questions this and gets an explanation that we're supposed to buy, but I didn't.

If you can figure out what's going on and suspend your disbelief, there are some fun characters and some cute love stories. And a nice message about creating your own family. I found the details about classic amusement parks and Mab's work to restore Dreamland interesting. It was still an entertaining book, but it was pretty over-the-top, even for these two. I hope they go back to their quirky but non-supernatural ways next time.

Review: The Man of my Dreams

2010-08-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

The Man of my Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld
2.5 stars

Reasons for reading: Heard good things about it; on the booksale shelf and I needed a bathtub book

Description: "Hannah Gavener is fourteen in the summer of 1991. In the magazines she reads, celebrities plan elaborate weddings; in Hannah’s own life, her parents’ marriage is crumbling. And somewhere in between these two extremes–just maybe–lie the answers to love’s most bewildering questions. But over the next decade and a half, as she moves from Philadelphia to Boston to Albuquerque, Hannah finds that the questions become more rather than less complicated: At what point can you no longer blame your adult failures on your messed-up childhood? Is settling for someone who’s not your soul mate an act of maturity or an admission of defeat? And if you move to another state for a guy who might not love you back, are you being plucky–or just pathetic?

None of the relationships in Hannah’s life are without complications. There’s her father, whose stubbornness Hannah realizes she’s unfortunately inherited; her gorgeous cousin, Fig, whose misbehavior alternately intrigues and irritates Hannah; Henry, whom Hannah first falls for in college, while he’s dating Fig; and the boyfriends who love her more or less than she deserves, who adore her or break her heart. By the time she’s in her late twenties, Hannah has finally figured out what she wants most–but she doesn’t yet know whether she’ll find the courage to go after it."

First line: "1 June 1991 - Julia roberts is getting married."

My thoughts: I dunno, I just don't get Curtis Sittenfeld's appeal. I read Prep a few years ago and my friend Vidalia loved it and I was just meh. Same for this one. I think it's because I really find her characters hard to like and likeable characters are important to me. I felt the protagonist in Prep was really whiny when in fact she was incredibly fortunate. In this book I felt like Hannah acted weird on purpose to distance herself from people and yet seemed to be clueless about why she basically had one friend and no boyfriends. She did have a difficult childhood, with an emotionally abusive father, and that's actually the best part of the book - when she stands up to him in college and when, years later, she realizes that he wasn't actually much to be scared of. But, as with Prep, it felt like a lot of angst over not much and while Hannah does grow over the course of the book (she should - it covers around 20 years!), I just didn't really care about her. I found her approach to life rather strange, too - she'd be totally passive and doing nothing (staying in her room and sleeping) or she would make huge decisions that would completely alter her life. She seemed unable to care about other people for any length of time, except for her fantasy about Henry.

I thought about quitting a few times, but I needed a tub book and I had just enough interest to see if Hannah would end up with the man of her dreams. One reviewer called the ending "hokey" and that's about it - I didn't think it suited Hannah or was particularly satisfying.

Dresden Files

2010-07-30T12:07:00.001-07:00

As part of the Four Month Challenge, I'm supposed to read a book in a series and the one after it. Well, even without the challenge, I've read 3 in a row of the Dresden Files series and I'm in the middle of the next one. That puts me on #10 of 12.

So, this is my post for the Challenge, but also it's a plea to read these books. They are awesome. You will love them. Harry Dresden is a wizard in present-day Chicago who actually advertises in the Yellow Pages. He helps the police with "special" crimes that can't be explained by regular means. He's funny, sardonic, brave, chivalrous, stubborn and generally just someone I'd like to know. One of the highlights of the series so far? I mentioned it a few weeks ago - he brings a friggin' T-rex back to (supernatural) life!!! He has a wonderfully huge dog called Mouse who is descended from ancient Chinese Foo Dogs and an enormous 30-pound cat named Mister. One of his best friends is a Holy Knight and one is a tiny, kick-ass blonde female cop.

So, read them!!!
All the info you need is here: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/

Review: Very LeFreak

2010-07-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn
3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: I like Rachel Cohn's books; Young Adult Challenge

Description: "Very LeFreak has a problem: she’s a crazed technology addict. Very can’t get enough of her iPhone, laptop, IMs, text messages, whatever. If there’s any chance the incoming message, call, text, or photo might be from her supersecret online crush, she’s going to answer, no matter what. Nothing is too important: sleep, friends in mid-conversation, class, a meeting with the dean about academic probation. Soon enough, though, this obsession costs Very everything and everyone. Can she learn to block out the noise so she can finally hear her heart?"

First line: "It wasn't the fact that Starbucks did not - would not - serve Guinness with a raw egg followed by an espresso chaser that was ruining Very's hangover."

My thoughts: I have mixed feeling about this book and its heroine. It seems to fall into more of a college-age reading level than teen and I'd hestitate to give it to younger readers. While there's not really a lot of explicit sex, it's talked about a lot in a way that's nothing for older readers but seems like TMI for younger ones. And for me, sometimes! While she doesn't have a lot of actual sex, Very seems to toy with a lot of people, both male and female.

The book is divided into 2 sections - Very's life at college as a super-partier but schoolwork-slacker with her roommate and two male friends, one of whom she sleeps with and breaks his heart. Very herself I found both loveable and hateable. And really, she's a really messed-up young woman (her single mother died of an overdose when she was a young teen, Very blames herself) who basically hits rock bottom and knows she has to do better. She's charming and energetic, but really over-the-top and while she seems to really care about people, she's not very good at actually respecting their feelings or boundaries or sometimes realizing people exist beyond just being of use to her. Her insistence on calling her roommate Lavinia when her name is actually Jennifer is an indication of this (although it's meant as a term of endearment, she also refuses to use the girl's proper name). The second half of the book comes when Very's addiction to technology (her iPhone, iPod, and laptop are pretty much attached to her at all times, even when she's sleeping) hits rock bottom. That her addiction is to machines rather than drugs or alcohol was an interesting twist - it made the rehab section of the book a bit more interesting than if it was for the usual vices. And the director of the rehab facility, Dr. Joy, provided some funny moments with her absolute ban on technology and use of the "patients" as basically slave labour.

I really came to feel Very's pain and was cheering for her by the end. The book ends on a sweet, hopeful note that I was glad to see. I would definitely recommend this to college-age chicks, but for a YA novel it was just a bit too odd and sexed-up for me to be a super fan.

Review: Stalking Susan

2010-07-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

Stalking Susan by Julie Kramer
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: Minneapolis setting for our annual trip there; Author I've never read for Four Month Challenge

Description: "Riley Spartz is recovering from a heartbreaking, headline-making catastrophe of her own when a Minneapolis police source drops two homicide files in her lap.Both cold cases involve women named Susan strangled on the same day, one year apart. Riley sees a pattern between those murders and others pulled from old death records. As the deadly anniversary approaches, she stages a bold on-air stunt to draw the killer out and uncover a motive that will leave readers breathless."

First line: "So the deal is this - any cop who tickets me for a moving violation gets an 'attaboy' from the chief and a day off duty, off the books."

My thoughts: You can really tell that Kramer has worked as a news producer, all of the backstage jargon is here and I'd be willing to bet that Riley's annoying boss Noreen, who doesn't really understand that actual news reporting is difference from ratings-gathering, is based on one or more people Kramer has worked with. Noreen's exasperating obtuseness and meanness (cushioned a bit, but not much, by her love of animals) provides quite a bit of comic relief.

I'm always a sucker for a book set in Minneapolis and Kramer clearly knows her way around the Twin Cities as well as a newsroom. I liked that Riley's friend and informant, former police detective Garnett is now head of security for the Mall of America (we had just been there the day before I started reading this!). It's actually quite amusing, given that now there's a reality show based entirely on the mall cops of the MOA. Garnett is a steadfast, reliable friend to Riley with a love of old movies and, perhaps, a love for Riley. Riley is too wrapped up in grief and her investigative reporting to notice, however. Riley describes herself as a bitch, but I didn't find her to be one. A bit hard-nosed, maybe, but not unlikeable and committed to finding the truth.

The mystery of the Susans was interesting, it was really hard to tell how they were connected. Once the whodunnit came out it seemed like it should have been obvious but it really hadn't been. Riley's willingness to endanger herself to get to the truth was both brave and foolhardy, but the way she did it was quite clever.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will probably read the next in the series.

It's Tuesday, Where are You?

2010-07-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

Click the globe to tell Raidergirl where you are!

I'm in Chicago once again with wizard Harry Dresden, fighting off the corpses of zombie Native American warriors with the reanimated bones of Sue, the largest and most complete T-rex specimen ever found, which he liberated from the Field Museum of Natural History. (Dead Beat by Jim Butcher)

Review: What I saw and How I Lied

2010-07-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: heard good things about it, winner of the National Book Award for Young Readers for the Book Award Challenge

Description: "When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the family secrets that surround him… until he mysteriously drowns. Now Evie must find out what happened…and how far she'll go to protect her family."

First line: The match snapped, then sizzled, and I woke up fast."

My thoughts: I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. I think the characterization was almost too good - I really found Evie an annoying teenage girl during the first part, especially when she "fell in love" with Peter (although I guess puppy love does feel very real, I probably shouldn't be such an old person and belittle it). But once she grew up - unfortunately it happens tragically fast, she shouldn't have had to take on so much so soon - she becomes quite fearsomely impressive. Evie becomes strong and the adults - her gorgeous mother who adores her and has always done what she had to do to take care of her and her stepfather Joe, who may not be quite the perfect husband, father and soldier that he seemed - become weak and can't help themselves.

The post-WW II setting was well-researched and I really felt immersed in it. It was also interesting to set it in Florida, it's not a place I associate with that time in history at all, not sure why. And a further historical dimension was added by including the racism against Jews encountered by acquaintances of the Spooners, which is made even more upsetting given what had just happened in Europe.

Overall, I can see why this won the National Book Award. The historical setting was very well done and once it gets rolling, you want to find out what's going to happen to Evie's family.

Review: Hearts at Stake

2010-07-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: 10 in 10 Chick Lit Challenge

Description: "On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.

Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.

First lines: "Normally I wouldn't be caught dead at a field party. If you'll pardon the pun."

My thoughts: Another entry in the teen vampire romance genre. And not a bad one, although not stellar. I liked smart, brave Lucy and her fierce dedication to her best friend and about-to-be-vampire Solange. I liked the loving but rather scary all-son-but-one Drake family, especially that they took Lucy in as one of their own because she cares about Solange. The human-vampire romances were predictable but happily not all goopy - both Solange and Lucy spar with their love interests almost as much as they smooch with them. There was also a lot of action for sucha short book - chases and plots and twists and fights. But there was a lot of lore that I found a bit confusing. For example, vampires are made but occasionally one can be born? And almost all of the bad groups of vampires (and there are at least 4) started with the same letter, which didn't help.

The verdict: I'm pleased to see a cool book written by a Canadian author, yay! And while I don't know if I'll be reading on in the series, for vampire fans it's a good read with action and romance and, in particular, really strong friendships and family relationships as well.

Review: Shem Creek

2010-07-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Shem Creek by Dorothea Benton Frank
4 stars

Reasons for reading: I enjoy her books; I love South Carolina; Body of Water title for What's in a Name? Challenge

First line: "Can I just tell you why I am so deliriously happy to drive all through the night from New Jersey to South Carolina?"

My thoughts: I sometimes feel like I'm going to end up in Charleston, South Carolina. I've only been there once, but I loved it so much. And I still love reading about it and Dorothea Benton Frank makes it a pleasure. She clearly loves it, too. You can feel the heat, see the creek, and she puts in all kinds of Charleston-specific details. For example, they pick up food from Bessinger's Barbeque, which we wanted to try but their parking lot was blocked by a classic car show, so we had to go to Fiery Ron's Home Team BBQ, in a converted gas station. I love how reading Frank's Lowcountry books remind me of little details like that.

I liked that this book was told largely from Linda's point of view, but then had interjections from other characters like Gracie and Brad. It didn't have the "who is this?"-ness of alternating chapter books, but it gave an extra twist to the story.

Now, the book was fairly predictable - you knew there would be a love connection between Linda and Brad from the moment she applied to work at the restaurant. And you know that everything will work out okay, even when there are a few near (and more than near) disasters. But outspoken, fiercely maternal Linda is a great character, as is Brad, who was burned by an awful marriage and wants to slow down and enjoy life. The teenage kids each have their own personalities, led by bratty-but-improving firecracker Gracie. It was great to see Linda build a new life for herself and her girls after freeing herself from a dreary job and a jerky ex-husband is freezing New Jersey. The scenes in the restaurant are well-done, I'd like to visit it, especially for the sunset deck! And sassy sous chef Louise's constant bickering with chef Duane and his new-fangled ideas is amusing. Overall it's an entertaining read with very likeable characters and a very nice (if slightly unconventional) romance.

I definitely can't wait to read more Lowcountry Tales!

Four Month Challenge, Part 3 - Wrap Up

2010-06-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

Since Part 3 ends on June 30 and Part 4 starts on July 1, I thought I'd post my wrap-up. I think I did pretty well - 175 points, yay! Hopefully I can get to at least 200 next time.

5 Point Challenges

Read a book by an author you’ve never read before:
Under Orders by Dick Francis

Read a book with an animal name in the title:
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett (also for Book Awards Challenge)

Read a book with a proper name in the title:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green

Read a fantasy:
Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik

10 Point Challenges

Read an ‘Austenesque’ book:
Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford

Read a book with a two word title:
Death Masks by Jim Butcher

Read a book that is part of a series:
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (2nd book in the Hunger Games trilogy)

Read a book about a real person:
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly (based on the murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the Adirondacks in 1906)

Read a mystery:
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (also for Book Awards Challenge)

15 Point Challenges

Read a book with a number in the title:
16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber

Read a book by an author born in March, April, May or June:
Getting the Girl by Susan Juby (March 30, 1969 - also for Young Adult Challenge)

Read a book with a three word title:
Pretty in Ink by Karen E. Olson

20 Point Challenges

Read a book with a four word title:
Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman (also for Young Adult Challenge)

Read a book by two authors:
Shoot to Thrill by PJ Tracy (mother-daughter team PJ and Traci Lambrecht)

Read a book that has been number one on the NYT Best-sellers list:
Black Hills by Nora Roberts (looks like it debuted at #1 on July 26, 2009)

Review: The Treasure Map of Boys

2010-06-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart
4 stars

Reasons for reading: E. Lockhart is great! 10 in 10 Chick Lit Challenge

Description: "Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it’s her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what’s more: Noel is writing her notes, Jackson is giving her frogs, Gideon is helping her cook, and Finn is making her brownies. Rumors are flying, and Ruby’s already-sucky reputation is heading downhill. Not only that, she’s also: running a bake sale, learning the secrets of heavymetal therapy, encountering some seriously smelly feet, defending the rights of pygmy goats, and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.In this companion novel to The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, Ruby struggles to secure some sort of mental health, to understand what constitutes a real friendship, and to find true love—if such a thing exists."

My thoughts: Another great book in this series. At the very beginning I wondered if I was Ruby'd out, but nope, she's still someone I like reading about. I still enjoy her footnotes and obsession with movies. And it's very funny, yay!

I have to say, though, that my teenage self cannot relate to her life at all. She's constantly involved with all of these boys - they're dumping her, kissing her, asking her out, flirting with her, using her, befriending her... For most of my high school life there were hardly any boys (or girls, really) who weren't openly mocking my weight and my weirdness. I can't fathom having her problems with boys and occasionally it got a bit annoying because she's SO boy crazy and either thinks every one is interested in her or doesn't even realize she's flirting with them.

But...that's just Ruby and she is a hormonal teenager and she is pretty badly treated by some of them. Also, her so-called friends are pretty much all fickle bitches, so I felt for her there. Trying to make new friends sucks at any age, but especially then. Ruby's parents are still weirdos and her mom is over-the-top, but their houseboat life sails along as smoothly as anyone's ever does. There's an awesome scene where Ruby stands up against the tyranny of inedible marshmallow figurines at the bake sale. In addition to that, she seems to really grow in this book, realizing which of the boys is a good one and which of her friends aren't.

The verdict: Read this series and E. Lockhart's other books (especially Dramarama)!

Review: gods in Alabama

2010-06-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
4.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I really enjoyed her Between, Georgia; this one has been on the TBR list for ages and since the sequel has come out I figured I should get it read , Place name book for What's in a Name? Challenge

Description: "For 10 years Arlene has kept her promises, and God has kept His end of the bargain. Until now. When an old schoolmate from Possett turns up at Arlene's door in Chicago asking questions about Jim Beverly, former quarterback and god of Possett High, Arlene's break with her former hometown is forced to an end. At the same time, Burr, her long-time boyfriend, has raised an ultimatum: introduce him to her family or consider him gone. Arlene loves him dearly but knows her lily white (not to mention deeply racist) Southern Baptist family will not understand her relationship with an African American boyfriend. Reluctantly, Arlene bows to the pressure, and she and Burr embark on the long-avoided road trip back home. As Arlene digs through guilt and deception, her patched-together alibi begins to unravel, and she discovers how far she will go for love and a chance at redemption."

First line: "There are gods in Alabama: "Jack Daniel's, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus."

My thoughts: That's one of the best first lines I've read in ages!! I really enjoyed all of the aspects of this book. First, there's the mystery of why Lena left Alabama and why she promised God she wouldn't have sex, lie or return home. There's lovely, smart Burr and their relationship which has managed to withstand the no-sex clause. There's the bizarre Rose Mae showing up in Chicago and freaking Lena out. And then there's the journey back to Alabama, with Burr, to discover the truth about something horrible that happened a decade ago. It's just a great read, for all of those reasons, and especially for Lena's discovery that, in the end, despite their flaws and the scars left by grief, her family (particularly her fearsome Aunt Florence) loves her and she loves them. This is my second Jackson book and I wasn't disappointed - it's snappy, sad, Southern, smart, and somewhat sweet, all at the same time. I'm now really looking forward to Backseat Saints!

Review: How Not to be Popular

2010-06-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

How Not to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: Have been meaning to since it came out; 10 in 10 Chick Lit Challenge

Description: "Maggie Dempsey is tired of moving all over the country. Her parents are second-generation hippies who uproot her every year or so to move to a new city. When Maggie was younger, she thought it was fun and adventurous. Now that she’s a teenager, she hates it. When she moved after her freshman year, she left behind good friends, a great school, and a real feeling of belonging. When she moved her sophomore year, she left behind a boyfriend, too. Now that they’ve moved to Austin, she knows better. She’s not going to make friends. She’s not going to fit in. Anything to prevent her from liking this new place and them from liking her. Only . . . things don’t go exactly as planned.

First lines: "Oh crap. What did I just do? My right hand hovers over my phone, fingertips tingling like the sparking ends of live wires."

My thoughts: I liked that this book looked at popularity and how shallow it can be. I'm so saddened by all of the Clique-y books out there - it was nice to see someone being herself, even if it was for rather misguided (though understandable) reasons. It was a bit teen movie-ish - every day Maggie chose a terrible outfit from her dad's thrift store and I could see it totally being a montage. Though I did like her choices (the can-barely-walk kimono was quite inspired). Maggie's loving, hippie-intellectual parents were awesome (her name is actually Sugar Magnolia, after the Grateful Dead song). My favourite scene was when they out-talked, in a completely friendly way, the evil school principal. And it was fairly predictable and the bit right before the end where Maggie gave up and decided to go with the popular bitches was a bit jarring. But overall, it was a good book and I could feel Maggie's pain - I've lived within a few miles of the same house my entire life, I can't imagine what it would have been like to have been uprooted every year.

Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

2010-06-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
3.75 stars

Reasons for reading: I really like John Green's writing and David Levithan's work with Rachel Cohn; Book with a name in the title for Four Month Challenge

Summary (from a review in School Library Journal): "Will Grayson's best friend since fifth grade, nicknamed Tiny Cooper, is bigger than life in terms of his physical stature and his personality—the "world's largest person who is really, really gay." Tiny, while seeking the boy of his dreams, has been through the trauma of myriad short-lived romantic relationships and Will has supported him each time his heart is broken. Now, Tiny decides it's Will's turn. At first, Will resents Tiny's matchmaking efforts, but then an amazing coincidence that stems from it brings a new person into their lives. It's another teen named Will Grayson, who is sad and depressed, and captures Tiny's heart. While these and other relationships are connecting, intersecting, and eventually changing, Tiny writes and produces an autobiographical high school musical extravaganza that is really about life. On the night it premiers, everything comes full circle and further validates the presence of the Will Graysons. Based on the premises that "love is tied to truth" and "being friends, that's just something you are," this powerful, thought-provoking, funny, moving, and unique plot is irresistible."

First lines: "When I was little, my dad used to tell me, "Will, you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose." This seemed like a reasonably astute observation to me when I was eight, but it turns out to be incorrect on a few levels. To begin with, you cannot possibly pick your friends, or else I never would have ended up with Tiny Cooper."

My thoughts: Well, the first paragraph sets you up for some typical John Green goodness! At first I wasn't sure about this book, it seemed like it was going to be way too angsty for me, especially with the incredibly depressed gay Will Grayson (it's the easiest way to differentiate between the two) and the other Will with his rules of don't care too much and shut up. There was also a lot of does he/she like me, do I like him/her going on and Tiny Cooper is SO over the top in everything from his size to his gayness to his flair for the dramatic.

But once the two Wills met, things started rolling along a bit better. It really is a cool concept - what happens when you hear your name addressed to a stranger in the strangest of locations (I won't give it away, but it's one of the funniest parts). There's a lot of emotion in the book - people realizing they love each other (family, friendship, and romance), feelings getting hurt, people learning about themselves... I also enjoyed that Tiny's rather implausible musical, Tiny Dancer, comes about and is so successful. The songs (pretty much all about Tiny's hugeness or gayness or fabulousness) are rather a hoot. I loves me some musical theatre.

The verdict: I had varying feelings about the book throughout, liking it and not being sure I did and sometimes wondering who the intended audience was, but the ending was lovely and joyful (and surprising), so that went a long way.

Review: I Take This Man

2010-06-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

I Take This Man by Valerie Frankel
2.75 stars

Reasons for reading: I've liked some of her previous books; caught my eye

Description: "Penny Bracket waited two years to marry dream man Bram Shiraz. Then on the morning of the Big Day, while she's trying on her veil, Penny receives the worst two-line letter of her life: "Penny, I can't go through with it. Sorry, Bram."

Penny's hurt and upset. But Esther, Penny's divorced mom, wants Bram's head on a platter. So Mom ambushes the cold-footed coward before he hot-foots it out of town, bonks him on the head with a champagne bottle, and spirits him away to a hidden room in her gargantuan mansion in Short Hares, New Jersey. Esther doesn't want much. All Bram has to do is write personal, heartfelt apologies to each of the two hundred disappointed wedding guests . . . and eat every mouthful of the very expensive gourmet wedding feast that has gone to waste. Then he'll be free to leave.

Penny doesn't want Bram tortured. She just wants answers to "why" . . . and maybe a little revenge. Will she discover her runaway groom is locked away in the attic? Will Bram's widowed father—handsome tough-guy Keith Shiraz—be able to locate his missing son . . . and maybe seduce Esther Bracket in the bargain? Will Bram be able to maintain his athletic figure after consuming two hundred entrees and thousands of baby quiches? Read on!"

First line: "Penny Bracket, twenty-three, looked ghostly in white."

My thoughts: This was an odd book. It had some laughs but it was very over-the-top and odd. The author Q&A at the back said that Frankel had the idea of what would make a mother harm someone for her child, and a jilted bride came to mind. And I liked the basic concept, because I can imagine an enraged mother-of-the-bride wanting to bean the groom with a champagne bottle and I thought the forcing him to eat the food and write the return address labels for the gifts was hilarious. But the Q&A also discusses Frankel's career as a sex columnist and this comes out a bit too much. I'm not squeamish about sex, but the discussion/resolution of the issue that ultimately breaks up Penny and Bram really reads like something straight out of a sex advice book. It seemed like Frankel picked the sex problem and forced it into the book - I found it hard to believe that a groom would jilt his bride over it.

And then there's other weirdness - the fact that Esther happens to have a video-monitored safe room in her house (it's explained, but...eh), their bizarre (though entertaining) Russian "housekeeper" Natasha who up and leaves after 20 years of service, the fact that Keith Shiraz doesn't mind that Esther assaulted and kidnapped his son, and a weird twist that leads to a rather hasty, too-tied-up happy ending.

I also second this observation by a LibraryThing user: "And the numerous typos were very distracting - didn't anyone proofread this book after it was sent through spell-check?" It was quite annoying.

The verdict: If you're in the mood for quirky chick lit, it's a quick read with some laughs, but emphasis on the quirky.

Review: 16 Lighthouse Road

2010-06-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber
2 stars

Reasons for reading: a friend recommended Macomber to me; Number title for Four Month Challenge

Description:
Dear Reader,
You don't know me yet, but in a few hours that's going to change. You see, I'm inviting you to my home and my town of Cedar Cove because I want you to meet my family, friends and neighbors. Come and hear their stories—maybe even their secrets!

I have to admit that my own secrets are pretty open. My marriage failed some years ago, and I have a rather…difficult relationship with my daughter, Justine. Then there's my mother, Charlotte, who has plenty of opinions and is always willing to share them.

Here's an example: I'm a family court judge and she likes to drop in on my courtroom. Recently I was hearing a divorce petition.

In Charlotte's view, young Cecilia and Ian Randall hadn't tried hard enough to make their
marriage work—and I agreed. So I rendered my judgment: Divorce Denied.

Well, you wouldn't believe the reaction! Thanks to an article by Jack Griffin, the editor of our local paper (and a man I wouldn't mind seeing more of!), everyone's talking.

Cedar Cove—people love it and sometimes they leave it, but they never forget it!
See you soon…
Olivia

First lines: "Cecilia Randall had heard of people who, if granted one wish, would choose to live their lives over again. Not her. She'd be perfectly content to blot just one twelve-month period from her twenty-two years. The past twelve months."

My thoughts: This didn't really do it for me. I was expecting something cozy about small-town life and I sort of got it, but everyone in Cedar Cove just had too many problems. I know you need conflict for a story, but I was expecting it to be about things like...I dunno...who wins the Best Pie ribbon at the fair or something. But no - it starts out with Cecilia Randall, mentioned above, who wants to eradicate the past year because her newborn daughter died while her husband was at sea in a submarine. Babies dying does not hook me into wanting to read a book! And then there's the bastard of a husband who vanishes (He leaves the town librarian, can you imagine?? Who would do such a thing?) and the older creepy guy who wants a sexless relationship with the judge's daughter. Happy endings or at least okay resolutions abounded by the end, but it was just too much unhappiness and unpleasantness to get there.

I think it would appeal to a certain type of patron, so I'm glad I know about her for people who may ask at the library, but I don't think I'll be reading another one, certainly not in this series.

Review: Specials

2010-06-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

Specials by Scott Westerfeld (The Uglies, book 3)
3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: I've enjoyed the series; Young Adult Challenge

Description: " "Special Circumstances": The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary. And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid. The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more. Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same."

First line: "The six hoverboards slipped among the trees with the lightning grace of playing cards thrown flat and spinning."

My thoughts: I'm getting a bit of series fatigue with this one (seems like it was supposed to be the final book but then Extras came out). The constant descriptions of flying on hoverboards is getting a bit old (if I read the words "lifting fans" one more time, I was going to scream). The cruel-pretty Specials are really interesting to read about, but Tally has just become one - I guess we didn't need to hear about the operation.

In this book, however, we found out that there are other cities out there that aren't as insanely controlling as Tally's - it's interesting to see that there's another option in this dystopian/utopian world. Tally does always seem to be the one who is most adaptable, no matter what they do to her (Shay calls it being self-centred) and in this book she needs it more than ever as she single-handedly must try and stop a war.

The series certainly does make you think about the present and the future and how we can find a balance between Westerfeld's view of the "Rusties" destroying everything and the world of these books where people's brains are damaged by the government to keep them in line and avoid today's problems. I don't know the answer yet, but I don't think it's brain lesions.

The book ends on a very environmentalism-ish note - Tally is very concerned with people cutting down "the wild" just like us Rusties did. So I expect Extras will have even more of that theme, so I'm not entirely sure if I'm interested. But I'll probably finish out the series.

Review: The Espressologist

2010-06-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: Sounded fun; cute cover; 10 in 10 Chick Lit Challenge

Description: "What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?"

First lines:
Large Nonfat Four-shot Caffe Latte
Cocky sex-deprived butthead guy drink. Expect only the utmost stupidity to come out of his mouth. So-so body, could stand to work out more. Crappy dresser. Dramatically stares at a woman who comes in with a boob job. He looks like he is going to hurt himself in the contortions he is twisting into . . .

My thoughts: This is a cute little book. Fairly predictable, but still fun. Quite a few reviews used the rather obvious "frothy" as a description, but it fits. I really enjoyed the coffee-matchmaking premise. There was humour and romance. I liked that Jane was able to stand up to her nemesis, a bitchy girl named Melissa. KIWI Magazine's review included this observation: "In the style of Jane Austen’s Emma, Jane can make matches for everyone but herself." I didn't get the Emma thing when I was reading it, but I can sort of see it now.

By the way, I'm a small Christmas-time peppermint mocha, myself. Not sure what that says about me. :-)

Review: The Red Leather Diary

2010-05-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal by Lily Koppel
3 stars

Reasons for reading: sounded really interesting; Colourful Reading Challenge

Description: "For more than half a century, the red leather diary languished inside a steamer trunk. Rescued from a Dumpster on Manhattan's Upper West Side, it found its way to Lily Koppel, a young writer, who opened its tarnished brass lock and journeyed into an enthralling past. The diary painted a breathtaking portrait of a bygone New York—of glamorous nights at El Morocco and elegant teas at Schrafft's during the 1920s and '30s—and of the headstrong, endearing teenager who filled its pages with her hopes, heartaches, and vivid recollections. Intrigued, Koppel followed her only clue, a frontispiece inscription, to its now ninety-year-old owner, Florence Wolfson, and was enchanted as Florence, reunited with her diary, rediscovered a lost younger self burning with artistic fervor."

First line: "Once upon a time the diary had a tiny key."

Favourite part: It actually comes near the beginning, when Lily finds the trunks in the Dumpster. There's a wonderful description of the hotel and ocean liner labels:

Each label was a miniature painting, a dreamy portal into a faraway destination. Elephants paraded past exotic geishas twirling parasols. Pink palms swayed, hypnotizing passengers aboard the Orient and Round the World Dollar Steamship Line. Flappers frolicked. . . An orange ship sailed through a fuschia pagoda. Two women sat under an umbrella in Cannes. Giraffes kicked off the Around Africa Cruise. . .

I'd love to have a collage like that on my wall!

Other thoughts: I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the book. Most of the book is Lily recreating the events described in the diary (which actually only had room for a few lines per day) in almost novel format. She's obviously done lots of interviews and research, but I almost would have just preferred the diary.

And Florence was quite the young woman! I didn't quite know what to think of her. She was constantly having love affairs with girls/women and a few boys/men, from age 14. "In those days it was fashionable for girls to have relationships. Like Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West." explains 90 year-old Florence. But gosh, it seemed like rather a lot of sex for someone so young during what we think of as a "purer" time (I think we're wrong!). And she comes off as a bit of a poor little rich girl, even though her parents were well-off but not very wealthy. She wanted to be a writer, an artist, a musician. . . in her later teens she held literary/philosophical salons in her parents' apartment. I found myself thinking it must've been nice to have so much time on one's hands and so little to worry about. But the ways she was able to fill that time, from age 14, in New York City is amazing - teas, operas, plays, museums, horseback riding in Central Park. . . We'll never see that again.

I think I might have been happier with a book just about New York during this period, which I find fascinating. But Koppel clearly loves the city and its history, and that comes through well. Apparently it inspired her to write some articles about New York during the time and find places that still existed (like the last typewriter salesman), which I wouldn't mind reading. And Florence is certainly an exciting tour guide for the period!

Review: Death Masks

2010-05-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Death Masks by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files, book 5)
4.25 stars

Reasons for reading: I'm addicted to the series; 2-word title for Four Month Challenge

Description: "Harry Dresden, Chicago's only practicing professional wizard, should be happy that business is pretty good for a change. But he also knows that whenever things are going good, the only way left for them to go is bad. Way bad.

Recent examples: A duel with the lethal champion of the Red Court, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards...Hit men using Harry for target practice...The missing Shroud of Turin - and the possible involvement of Chicago's most feared mob boss... A handless and headless corpse the Chicago police need identified...Not to mention the return of Harry's ex-girlfriend Susan, who's still struggling with her semi-vampiric nature-and who seems to have a new man in her life.

Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. No matter how much you're charging."

My thoughts: This one gets slightly less in the stars department than others in the series because I couldn't quite buy the Shroud of Turin aspect and there was a bit too much murkiness around who wanted it and why. But overall, still excellent. The opening scene of Harry being on a Jerry Springer-like show was spot-on and a hoot. I was happy to see Susan again, even if their love affair appears to be doomed, alas. The return of Michael was also welcome, along with 2 other Knights of the Cross. Harry is just a really well-done character and that hasn't wavered throughout the 5 books I've read. I get series fatigue easily but I can tell it won't be setting in for the Dresden Files.

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

2010-05-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

Click the globe to tell Raidergirl where you are!

I'm in the amazing New York City in the 20's and 30's, as seen through the eyes of a rather extraordinary teenage girl - Florence Wolfson. (The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel)

And in Cedar Cove, Washington with a bunch of a people with a bunch of problems that I bet will end happily or at least be okay in the end. (16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber)

Review: Shoot to Thrill

2010-05-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

Shoot to Thrill: a Monkeewrench novel by P.J. Tracy
4.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I have been waiting YEARS for this book to come out!!! (plus, 2 authors for the Four Month Challenge, but mostly the first one)

Description: "The Monkeewrench crew returns in a remarkable, heart-stopping new thriller. It begins with a floater. When Minneapolis homicide cops Gino Rolseth and Leo Magozzi are called to a derelict stretch of the Mississippi River, they see the bride, facedown, dead in the water. And when the Monkeewrench crew-computer geeks who made a fortune on games, now assisting the cops with special anticrime soft-ware-are invited by the FBI to investigate a series of murder videos posted to the Web, it's not long before the group dis- covers the frightening link between the unlucky bride and the latest, most horrific use of the Internet yet. Using their skills to scour the Net to prevent more killings, the team must race against the clock . . . before it's too late. "

First line: "From top to bottom and everywhere in between, Minnesota was a bleak and frigid place in January, whether you were shivering on a blizzard-swept prairie or paralyzed under a foot of snow smack in the middle of Minneapolis."

My thoughts: I'm so glad this book finally came out! It's one of the best of the series, a few of the previous ones have wandered too far away from Minneapolis and the Monkeewrench gang for my taste (still good, though). The horrific use of the Internet is that people are posting actual murders online. And, as with the serial killer acting out a shooter video game in the first book, it rang totally and chillingly true. I could absolutely see it happening.

All of the great characters are back and as well-drawn as ever. The Monkeewrench team - Fat Annie, the voluptuous fashion plate, huge, opera-loving Harley Davidson, insanely tall and geeky Roadrunner and well-armed and silent Grace MacBride. Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, the MPD detectives are still a great wise-cracking, crime-fighting team. And I enjoyed the addition of almost-retired FBI agent John Smith - his quiet, old-fashioned personality with a sense of humour underneath that the cops and hackers manage to discover and bring out.

I love how this mother-daughter team writes about Minneapolis - they instantly evoke the city perfectly. For example:
"The Mississippi moved like a lady through this part of downtown, taking in the city sights, lapping at the feet of the new Guthrie on one side and the aged bricks of the old flour mills on the other. Until this morning, it had always been Gino's favorite part of Minneapolis."

I also love the other Minnesota-isms sprinkled throughout, such as the state's playfully (well, sometimes, at least) negative feelings towards neighbouring Wisconsin. And of course, all kinds of discussions about the weather.

There are the usual false leads, Monkeewrench genius, and a harrowing, down-to-the wire finale. The only thing that disappointed me was the epilogue, but maybe it'll lead to something good, if different.

The verdict: Read this series!

Review: School's Out - Forever

2010-05-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

School's Out - Forever by James Patterson (Maximum Ride, book 2)
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I enjoyed the thrilling first book in the series; Young Adult Challenge

Description: "The heart-stopping quest of six winged kids--led by fourteen-year-old Max--to find their parents and investigate the mind-blowing mystery of their ultimate destiny continues when they're taken under the wing of an FBI agent and attempt, for the first time, to live "normal" lives. But going to school and making friends doesn't stop them from being relentlessly hunted by sinister spies, who lead Max to face her most frightening match yet: a new and better version of herself."

First line: "Sweeping, swooping, soaring, air-current thrill rides - there's nothing better."

My thoughts: Another good thriller! Some of it is a bit predictable, but there were still lots of surprises and action. I have to say, I found Total the talking dog to be totally annoying, but I'm probably in the minority on that one. All of the bird-kids are interesting characters and Max and Fang are particularly well-drawn. Patterson throws in a lot of sarcastic humour with the action and the flock's love for one another is still really endearing and helps to drive the story - they care about each other so fiercely that they protect each other and want to find out where they came from and why all of this is happening to them. It's sweet to see Max get jealous over the female FBI agent taking over her mothering role, even though she's only 14. This book opens up even more questions about how Max is going to save the world and whether the kids will ever find their parents, making me want to get on to book 3.

Review: Scarlett Fever

2010-05-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I really liked Suite Scarlett; 10 in 10 Chick Lit Challenge

Description: "Ever since Mrs. Amberson, the former-aspiring-actress-turned-theatrical-agent, entered Scarlett Martin’s life, nothing has been the same. Scarlett is now Mrs. Amberson’s assistant, running around town for her star client Chelsea--a Broadway star Scarlett’s age with a knack for making her feel insignificant. Scarlett’s also trying to juggle sophomore year classes, a lab partner who is being just a little too nice, and getting over the boy who broke her heart."

My thoughts: Another winner from Maureen Johnson. She's just so cool. In my usual way, I didn't like the sequel quite as much as the first book - I find 15 year-old Scarlett's "relationship" with college-aged Eric to be creepy and not quite right, so I didn't like that she was still pining over him and Mrs. Amberson is still crazy and completely oblivious to the fact everyone else has a life outside of her. Although she does sometimes rise above that and show that she is very smart and capable of helping people. There's just a lot of crap in between those times.

But Scarlett's actor/prat-fall expert brother Spencer is still awesome. His subplot of getting a villain part on a Law and Order-alike where he plays a porn king who relates the industry to different types of donuts is worth the price of admission alone. Creepy cancer surviving sister Marlene's subplot of why she's suddenly being unnaturally and weirdly nice is entertaining (but still creepy) and we see a bit more of the sad, scared child Marlene actually is (while still being a total brat). Lola's decision to get back with wealthy Chip causes a lot of problems. While I get a bit tired of serene and insanely beautiful Lola, I thought Johnson's portrayal of how even pretty girls get mean girl treatment was insightful. I still love the fading Art Deco Hopewell Hotel and I hope eventually we'll see it get the restoration it deserves, probably via Mrs. Amberson as the Martin parents still seem pretty incompetent. I get that they don't have money to run the hotel due to Marlene's illness. but they don't even seem to be able to master basics like "don't serve the guests raw/burned food" - you don't need money for that.

The lab partner who gets "too friendly" is a bad description - Max is the bitter brother of Broadway starlet Chelsea and his mission in life is to make Scarlett miserable because a) he's miserable and b) Mrs. A wants her to spy on him at school for his controlling, insane mother. Max is an interesting addition to Scarlett's life - on the surface a total jerk, but underneath he has both issues to deal with and a desire to be liked.

I'll be looking forward to the next book, but I hope Scarlett has stopped pining for too-old and too-jerky Eric by then.

Review: Pretty in Ink

2010-05-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

Pretty In Ink: a Tattoo Shop Mystery by Karen E. Olson
3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: I enjoyed the first book during my Christmas vacation; 3 word title for Four Month Challenge

Description: "Brett Kavanaugh is a tattoo artist and owner of Vegas's hottest tattoo shop, The Painted Lady. And in her spare time, she does some sleuthing. After Brett and company ink Sin City's newest drag queens, they're invited to opening night at the strip's glamorous Nylon and Tattoos show-which ends in disaster when a stranger with a Queen of Hearts tattoo fatally injures Britney Brassieres with a champagne cork. And when another drag queen is found poisoned, it looks like someone's targeting Vegas's fabulous femmes... "

First line: "If your name is Britney Brassieres, being taken down by a tsunami of champagne might seem only fitting."

My thoughts: This was a pretty fun second installment to this series. I continue to like how much Las Vegas detail Olson puts into it - I could totally relate to the uber-expensive gelato at the Venetian, for example! The drag queen stuff was fun and I enjoyed Brett's growing friendship with her former nemesis and rival tattooist, Jeff Coleman (and his vintage gold Pontiac!).

But the mystery part...meh. There was too much going on - the drag scene, deadly ricin, vague mentions of a militia group, a tattooist intern who may or may not be working for the feds, a nasty actor-turned-politician, a ruby and diamond brooch, a bunch of guys with queen of hearts tattoos, a pissed-off detective who hates Brett and her brother because her brother was married to the detective's current wife... And Brett just kept on getting herself into trouble. At some point, a normal human being would have stopped showing up with Charlotte the intern called and led her into a trap.

I do want to read the next book, though. There was a teaser at the end of this one and Brett ends up with a dead body in her trunk after Jeff Coleman's mother goes to a drive-through wedding chapel. That sounds entertaining!

Review: Jane Bites Back

2010-04-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford
3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: sounded fun, recommended by a co-worker, Austen-esque novel for Four Month Challenge

Best review: ""It's impossible not to love Ford's sharp-witted, sharp-fanged Jane Austen (and I'm not just saying that because she spares my life in Chapter Six)."—Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"

My thoughts: That was actually one of my favourite parts of the book, Jane's ire at Grahame-Smith and other people who have used her books and her name to gain fame. The - I hope - fictitious Jane Austen Workout book was the best one, with an empire-waisted woman holding dumbbells. The book is fluff, but it's pretty good fluff and I'm an Austen fan, so I enjoyed seeing her come to "life." The premise that Jane Austen has been rejected by 116 publishers over the past 200 years is pretty hilarious and Ford's Jane is sharp-tongued and smart but sometimes still rather bewildered by being a modern-day woman. I'm not 100% sure I'm intrigued enough to read the rest of the series as it comes out, I'd have been happy with this as a one-off, but I might if I'm in the mood for something light.

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

2010-04-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Click the globe to tell Raidergirl where you are!

I'm back in Las Vegas with Brett the tattoo artist (her shop is in the Venetian's Grand Canal shops - fancy!), who's gotten herself involved in another mystery, this one involving an attack on a drag queen with a champagne cork. (Pretty in Ink by Karen E. Olson)

I'm also in Brakeston in Upstate New York at a bookstore owned by Jane Austen. Yes, Jane Austen - she's a vampire and her first new book in 200 years is about to be published! (Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford)

Review: Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover

2010-04-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover by Ally Carter
3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: I like the series; 10 in 10 YA Chick Lit Challenge

Description: "When Cammie "The Chameleon" Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston, she thinks she’s in for an exciting end to her summer break. After all, she’s there to watch Macey’s father accept the nomination for vice president of the United States. But when you go to the world’s best school (for spies), "exciting" and "deadly" are never far apart. Cammie and Macey soon find themselves trapped in a kidnappers’ plot, with only their espionage skills to save them.

As her junior year begins, Cammie can’t shake the memory of what happened in Boston, and even the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women doesn’t feel like the safe haven it once did. Shocking secrets and old flames seem to lurk around every one of the mansion’s corners as Cammie and her friends struggle to answer the questions, Who is after Macey? And how can the Gallagher Girls keep her safe?

Soon Cammie is joining Bex and Liz as Macey’s private security team on the campaign trail. The girls must use their spy training at every turn as the stakes are raised, and Cammie gets closer and closer to the shocking truth…."

First line: " 'We're moving.' The man beside me spoke into his sleeve, and I knew the words weren't for me."

My thoughts: I've loved the idea of Gallagher Academy since the first book and I still do, but I had a few moments where I thought I'd had just about enough of this series while reading this book. Happily, Carter added some new questions and now I want to know the answers, but this wasn't my favourite G. Girls book. Macey isn't my favourite of the girls, so I wasn't loving all the focus on her. It was cool to meet Cammie's kick-ass aunt and learn a bit more about her family history. But it was the usual stuff - Liz being insanely smart, Bex being super-brave and cool and all three of them breaking rules and using their spy skills to help someone even when they're not supposed to. And the words "my best friend(s)" seem to appear on every other page, which I found irritating. The term best friend usually means one person (maybe two), not three. And we know that they're your friends, Cammie. But, as I said, the introduction of some shadowy information about Cammie's family and Cammie herself revived my interest a bit, so I think I'll be able to stick around to find out more in the next book. I do like the books and I like Ally Carter, I just tend to get series fatigue pretty easily.

Review: A Northern Light

2010-04-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

4 stars

Reasons for reading: I love Donnelly's adult novels; Book about a real person for Four Month Challenge

From School Library Journal: "Mattie Gokey, 16, a talented writer, promised her dying mother that she would always take care of her father and younger siblings. She is stuck on a farm, living in near poverty, with no way of escaping, even though she has been accepted at Barnard College. She promises to marry handsome Royal Loomis even though he doesn't appear to love her. Now, Mattie has promised Grace Brown, a guest at the Adirondack summer resort where she works, to burn two bundles of letters. Then, before she can comply, Grace's body is found in the lake, and the young man who was with her disappears, also presumably drowned. This is a breathtaking tale, complex and often earthy, wrapped around a true story. In 1906, Grace Brown was killed by Chester Gillette because she was poor and pregnant, and he hoped to make his fortune by marrying a rich, society girl. Grace's story weaves its way through Mattie's, staying in the background but providing impetus. The protagonist tells her tale through flashback and time shifts from past to present. Readers feel her fears for her friend Weaver-the first freeborn child in his family-when he is beaten for being black and his college savings are stolen, and enjoy their love of words as they engage in language duels. Finally, they'll experience her awakening when she realizes that she cannot live her life for others."

First line: "When summer comes to the North Woods, time slows down."

My thoughts: At first I thought I wasn't going to like this book, I almost stopped reading it. It seemed so gloomy and I really missed Donnelly's usual setting of late Victorian London. Life is really hard for the people in the tiny logging towns of the Adirondacks at the turn of the century and Donnelly doesn't shy away from it. There's hope at the end of the book, but a lot of sadness along the way. Mattie's mother has just died, her brother has left the farm after a fight with their father leaving her and her 3 youngest sisters to help their desolate, angry father to run the farm. Mattie's friend Weaver (their "word duels" are great fun) loses his temper when he feels he's being treated as inferior, and unjust as it is, this gets him into a lot of trouble. Mattie's best friend barely survives giving birth to twins and then is trapped in a cabin with the babies, housework, and a husband who wants to impregnate her again immediately.

But I kept reading and I'm glad I did. I really liked that it was based on true events but that the centre of the story was Mattie's journey rather than the murder itself. Through letters she gave to Mattie to burn right before her death, the events surrounding the murder are revealed and Grace's tragedy is what ultimately convinces Mattie that she needs to live for herself and not be limited by what her father or her fiance (who is clearly only marrying her for her father's land) think she should be.

Donnelly's notes show that she did a ton of research, which shows and I really liked that she got the details of life both for lumberjacks and for life working in the area's summer hotels from members of her family. She obviously feels a deep connection to the story and it shows.

Review: Victory of Eagles

2010-04-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

Victory of Eagles (Temeraire, book 5) by Naomi Novik
4.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I'm addicted to this series; Fantasy for the Four Month Challenge

Summary: "For Britain, conditions are grim: Napoleon’s resurgent forces have breached the Channel and successfully invaded English soil. Napoleon’s prime objective is the occupation of London. Unfortunately, the dragon Temeraire has been removed from military service–and his captain, Will Laurence, has been condemned to death for treason. Separated by their own government and threatened at every turn by Napoleon’s forces, Laurence and Temeraire must struggle to find each other amid the turmoil of war. If only they can be reunited, master and dragon might rally Britain’s scattered resistance forces and take the fight to the enemy as never before–for king and country, and for their own liberty."

First line: "The breeding grounds were called Pen Y Fan, after the hard, jagged slash of the mountain at their heart, like an ax-blade, rimed with ice along its edge and rising barren over the moorlands: a cold, wet Welsh autumn already, coming on towards winter, and the other dragons sleepy and remote, uninterested in anything but their meals."

My thoughts: My husband (who got me into the series) teases me about me calling these books "scrapey" - but it's because Laurence and Temeraire get into scrapes that I just can't imagine they'll be able to get out of! And this time was no different. Laurence has been charged with treason and the only reason he hasn't been executed is to keep Temeraire in line. But when Temeraire decides he's tired of sitting around in the breeding grounds and wants to fight, he leads the other dragons off to harry French troops in the British countryside. When Laurence is called in to find him, the reunion is a happy one, but Laurence is a changed man. He's always been stoic, but now he's broken and sure that he'll soon die. He's not even sure anymore whether or not he was right in committing his "treasonous" act of saving the lives of Europe's dragons by providing France with a cure for a deadly illness. But Laurence and Temeraire do their duty and fight Napoleon - once Temeraire has convinced Wellington that dragons should be given ranks and pay. (And also huge, garish epaulettes to mark their rank - that was one of my favourite parts, I love the dragons' charming vainness.) The book ends with an alternate-reality battle of epic proportions.

I think this book marks a turning point in the series. Temeraire's dreams of dragons' rights are briefly recognized, but one gets the sense they won't last out the war. Temeraire is still clever and jealous and vain and sweet, but he's slowly starting to learn the ways of men and how things really work. Laurence has literally lost everything except his dragon - he tries to cling to his old touchstones of honour and duty, but finds he can't. The very end of the book sees to duo being exiled to Australia because Temeraire is seen as too "dangerous" with his ideals but the team are too valuable to simply eliminate. I'm really looking forward to their adventures in wilds of New South Wales!

Review: The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents

2010-04-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
3.25 stars

Reasons for reading: Have always meant to; Carnegie Medal winner for Book Awards Challenge

From the back cover: "Maurice, a streetwise tomcat, has the perfect money-making scam. Everyone knows the stories about rats and pipers, and Maurice has a stupid-looking kid with a pipe, and his very own plague of rats - strangely educated rats... But in Bad Blintz, the little con suddenly goes down the drain. For someone there is playing a different tune and now the rats must learn a new word. EVIL. It's not a game any more. It's a rat-eat-rat world. And that might only be the start..."

Best line: "Of course, there weren't just rat plagues - sometimes there were plagues of accordian-players, bricks tied up with string, or fish - but it was the rats everyone knew about."

My thoughts: I wanted to like this one more than I did. I didn't even dislike it, I just...couldn't quite get lost in it. I haven't read any other Terry Pratchett books, so I don't know much about him, but I felt as though there was this sort of veneer over the book that I think must be his distinctive style. That doesn't make sense, really, but I can't do better than that.

There are very funny bits, to be sure, like the line above. Very British-humour bits. I loved that the rats had taken their names from stuff at the dump, so they're called things like Nourishing, Big Savings, and Sardines (who tap dances). There's a lot of scatalogical humour, which many boys would like and some rat swear-words. And a lot of dumb adults, always a good thing in kids' fiction. Keith the stupid-looking kid turned out not to be stupid at all, which I was pleased about. Malicia the girl who wishes life was a story was irritating but funny. I enjoyed her enormous bag filled with supplies for just about any emergency a young adventurer might encounter (including being faced with a giant squid), if they lived in a storybook. The nod to/jab at Beatrix Potter was a good joke, as the rats wish that animals and humans could get along (and all wear clothes) like they do in the twee Mister Bunnsy books.

I just couldn't quite suspend my disbelief enough. I didn't feel like the change that enabled the rats to think was explained well enough, just that they ate some enchanted stuff at the dump and the ability of the "king rat" to get inside people's minds was never explained at all.

The verdict: There's a lot that's funny and clever and even fairly deep in this book, so I can see why it won. Maybe I'm just not a Discworld-world girl. But I do still want to read Good Omens.

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

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

Click the globe to tell Raidergirl where you are!

I'm in the hamlet of Bad Blintz with Keith the stupid-looking kid, Maurice the talking cat, and the educated rodents trying to figure out what's going on with the town's sinister rat-catchers.

And I'm also back at Gallagher Academy and out on the campaign trail with Cammie and the other Gallagher Girls since one of their own, Macey, is in danger while her father runs for Vice President. Or is it Macey that the bad guys are after....? (Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover by Ally Carter)

Review: Black Hills

2010-04-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

Black Hills by Nora Roberts
4 stars

Reasons for reading: I've always thought I should read a Nora Roberts book; I visited the Black Hill last year; Black for Colourful Reading Challenge; NYT Bestseller for Four Month Challenge

Description: "Lil Chance fell in love with Cooper Sullivan pretty much the first time she saw him, an awkward teenager staying with his grandparents on their cattle ranch in South Dakota while his parents went through a messy divorce. Each year, with Coop's annual summer visit, their friendship deepens - but then abruptly ends. Twelve years later and Cooper has returned to run the ranch after his grandfather is injured in a fall. Though his touch still haunts her, Lil has let nothing stop her dream of opening the Chance Wildlife Refuge, but something - or someone - has been keeping a close watch. When small pranks escalate into heartless killing, the memory of an unsolved murder in these very hills has Cooper springing to action to keep Lil safe. They both know the dangers that lurk in the wild landscape of the Black Hills. And now they must work together to unearth a killer of twisted and unnatural instincts who has singled them out as prey ..."

First line: "Cooper Sullivan's life, as he'd known it, was over."

My thoughts: I can see why Nora Roberts is so popular! While at times I felt the book was a bit....slick because she's clearly written so many of them, I still enjoyed it. The ending was a crazy whirlwind with an unexpected (to me, at least) twist. I was glad that I've seen the Black Hills and Deadwood, it added a lot to the book for me to be able to picture the setting. I sometimes don't like it when an author has clearly done of a lot of research on a topic and includes a ton of it in the book, but Roberts' information about the big cats was interesting it fit in well. I'm not a big wildlife person, but I actually loved the cats - they had their own personalities and the Chance Refuge treated them all with such respect and care. It made me wish it really existed and I could go and see Boris the old tiger and Baby the cougar.

The love story between Lil and Cooper was pretty well done. I liked that she set it up from their childhood, with Cooper thinking South Dakota was hell and Lil not being able to imagine living anywhere else. It was really cute. I did think it was a bit angsty with all of the "You hurt me!"/"But it was for your own good!" debates between them. I liked that Lil was really strong and smart, but also able to admit (eventually, reluctantly) that she needed his help. He was maybe just a bit too take-charge, throw-her-over-his-shoulder romance-novel hero at times, but overall they were a good match.

The buildup to finding out who is preying on Lil was well done. Just when I was starting to think that it was time to tell us who it was, Roberts did. And what a weird, psychotic villain she comes up with! Definitely bonus points for having an interesting predator who really fit into the South Dakota setting.

The verdict: A good read, I can see why she's an instant best-seller. I think I'll look into her work a bit more and maybe read a few of her "greatest hits."

Review: Catching Fire

2010-04-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
5 stars

Reasons for reading: I couldn't put Hunger Games down; book in a series for the Four Month Challenge

Summary: "Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge."

My thoughts: Another winner! I was slow to get on the bandwagon for this series, so I'm sure everyone's said much better things in much better ways than I can. I was delighted to find the second book just as gripping as the first, I find that that's pretty rare these days. Collins is the master of the twist and leaving you hanging in suspense!

I was a tiny bit worried that the action of the Games were just going to be a rehash of the ones in the first book, but Collins managed to make them even crazier. I loved that Katniss became a national heroine and inspired a revolution - it doesn't get much bigger than that! But it was made even more poignant because while it's a good thing to change the evil regime of Panem, many people suffered and Katniss took the blame on herself. She's still headstrong and doesn't always say or do the right thing, but Katniss grew in this book, coming to understand how her actions could affect people and starting to control her impulses a bit better. I loved the mockingjay symbol and how it was used to provide secret hope for the downtrodden citizens. I thought the "Which one will she pick?" thing between Peeta and Gale was both a good plot device (who needs simple?!) but also a bit frustrating, I wished she'd pick!

The verdict: You don't need me to tell you it's awesome! I can't wait for Mockingjay to come out later this year!

Review: Son of the Mob

2010-04-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I love Gordon Korman; Young Adult Challenge; Four-word title for Four Month Challenge

Summary: "Vince Luca, 17, has a problem. His wealthy family runs the, uh, vending machine business in New York, and Vince is determined not to be part of it. Especially after a hot date is ruined when he finds that his older brother Tommy has conducted some business with Jimmy the Rat and hidden the messy and temporarily unconscious body in the trunk of Vince's car. His dad, the King of the Mob, is reasonable, sensible, lots of fun, gives great presents to his kids--and his name strikes the hearts of other mobsters to stone.

Although Vince keeps a low profile at school, his family connection brings him unwanted advantages, like the birthday Porsche that gets him arrested on stolen vehicle charges, or the football game in which he makes touchdown after touchdown because word has gotten around and nobody is willing to tackle him. Even private conversations at home have to be carried on in the basement because the FBI has bugged the house and an agent is always listening. Vince's life is inextricably tangled up with the family business, no matter how hard he tries to stay out of it. How can he show them he's serious? Then he meets Kendra, and when she innocently reveals that her father's an FBI agent--that FBI agent--it's a match made in heaven. He thinks."

First lines: "The worst night of my life? My first - and last - date with Angela O'Bannon."

My thoughts: My heart will always be with the first Kormans I read, his early humorous ones about MacDonald Hall and other boys-behaving-badly stories. But this one is a pretty good step up for older readers. It's a really quick read and I think it would appeal to reluctant-reader boys.

I have to say, it felt quite ABC Family movie-ish in places, but overall it was funny and Vince really does try to be a good guy, and it's great to see that he uses the mob-boss brains he inherited from his father in order to do something good. The book came out during the Sopranos era, and there's mention of the show, and I found that made it feel a bit dated. But, on the other hand, it's not like there's not always interest in the Mob.

One thing I found hard to believe was that Vince would only have one uber-geeky friend. There are a few cases where people are afraid of him because of his family, but it seems like not everyone knows. He doesn't come off as a geeky loser.

There are some very Korman-esque moments, starting from the opening scene where Vince's attempts to score with Angela are thwarted by the family business. And the "Uncles" on his dad's crew are done with tongue-in-cheek humour. The stand-out is Uncle Pampers. Nobody really wants to know how he "takes care of problems" for Vince's dad.

I'll probably read the sequel to find out if Vince is successful in escaping the family business when he goes to college. Something tells me that it's rather unlikely...

Review: Getting the Girl

2010-04-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Getting the Girl: a guide to private investigation, surveillance, and cookery by Susan Juby
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I love Juby's Alice books; March author birthday for the Four Month Challenge; Young Adult Challenge

From the publisher:
"Sunglasses. Check.
Binoculars. Check.
Notepad. Check.
Mom's pink bike. Check. Check?

Meet Sherman Mack. Short. Nerdy. Amateur P.I. and prepared to do anything for Dini Trioli.
Nobody knows who began it or when it became a tradition, but every girl at Harewood Tech fears being D-listed, a ritual that wipes her off the social map forever. When Sherman believes Dini is in danger of being D-listed, he snatches up his surveillance gear and launches a full-scale investigation to uncover who is responsible.

Could it be the captain of the lacrosse team?
The hottest girls in school, the Trophy Wives?
Or maybe their boyfriends?

One thing is for sure: Sherman Mack is on the case. And he's not giving up."

My thoughts: While not as laugh-out-loud hilarious as the Alice books, Getting the Girl has some great humour. It's also a great story of one person deciding to stand up for what's right. And there's a bit of mystery thrown in there, too. At first I thought I was going to hate wanna-be ladies' man Sherman, but he's pretty endearing. He has a lot to deal with - his hot, young single mom is burlesque dancer and they survive mainly on toast; he has a growing attraction to his friend Vanessa, although he'd be happy with just about any girl, if only they'd respond to his charms; and now he's become an amateur sleuth in order to save more girls from getting Defiled.

I thought the funniest parts were Sherman's attempts at surveillance (particularly involving a mason jar for long stakeouts) and his cooking class misadventures with a home ec teacher who is both ridiculously perky and ridiculously hardcore about the world of professional cooking (that would be Cafeteria class). Sherman's odd but loyal friends and his adult mentor/neighbour add to the mix, bailing Sherman out - most of the time. The book culminates in a hilarious dinner party thrown by Sherman and if the conclusion feels a bit like the end of a Scooby Doo episode, I applaud Sherman for wanting to stop the cruel tradition of defiling, all while pursuing his interest in both cooking and women.

Review: Roses

2010-03-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

Roses by Leila Meachum
4 stars

Reasons for reading: have read good things about it; Plant title for What's in a Name? Challenge

Description: "Spanning the twentieth century, Roses is the story of the powerful founding families of Howbutker, Texas, and how their histories remain intertwined over the span of three generations. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick fell in love, but because of their stubborn natures and Mary’s devotion to her family’s land, they unwisely never wed. Now they must deal with the deceit, secrets, and tragedies that surround them, and the poignant loss of what might have been—not only for themselves, but also for their family legacies."

My thoughts: Publisher's Weekly described this book as "a good old-fashioned read" and I think that sums it up well, I had the same feeling right from the beginning. It's a sprawling saga of a book and it's chock-full of everything - love, lust, friendship, honour, betrayal, deceit, betrayal, grief... In every generation there's one member of the Toliver family so tied to Somerset, the cotton plantation, that it becomes more important than anything else, no matter what the cost is in human or financial terms. This devotion brings more heartache than joy and there's even talk of a Toliver family curse because of it. The characters - dashing but sometimes ruthless Percy Warwick, stubborn Mary Toliver and amiable Ollie DuMont are all well-drawn and I really enjoyed the way the book traveled through history, including the impact that both World Wars and Korea had on the families. I could have used a family tree at the beginning, but I do realize that would've spoiled some of the revelations in the book - but with 3 generations all interwining, it got a bit confusing at times. (Probably just me!)

I liked recurring theme of the legend of the roses - the three families decided that a red rose meant one was asking for forgiveness and a white one meant it was granted. A pink one was unthinkable - it meant there was no forgiveness to be had. So when pink comes up in the book, it's bad news. I enjoyed that this giving and receiving of forgiveness kept coming up, even after people thought the legend was dead.

The repercussions of secrets of the past are visited on Rachel Toliver (Mary's great-niece) and and Matthew Warwick (Percy's grandson) and it's up to them to decide if they can overcome a lot of history and move forward to make their own future.

Review: The Cupcake Queen

2010-03-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading; I've liked the books Hepler has co-written with Brad Barkley; Hello, the adorable cover?!; 10 in 10 YA Chick Lit Challenge

Synopsis: "When her mother moves them from the city to a small town to open up a cupcake bakery, Penny's life isn't what she expected. Her father has stayed behind, and Mom isn't talking about what the future holds for their family. And then there's Charity, the girl who plays mean pranks almost daily. There are also bright spots in Hog's Hollow—like Tally, an expert in Rock Paper Scissors, and Marcus, the boy who is always running on the beach. But just when it looks as though Penny is settling in, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again. A sweet novel about love, creativity, and accepting life's unexpected turns."

First line: "The fact that I wasn't surprised when my mother handed me the sheet pan filled with pink frosted cupcakes is possibly more disturbing than the cupcakes themselves."

My thoughts: This was a funny, sometimes sweet, sometimes bittersweet book that isn't at all earth-shattering but is worth reading and goes quickly. My favourite parts were the descriptions of Penny's delicious and artistic cupcakes and Tally's lard-based prank on the mean girls (that one alone was worth it!). There are the usual teen girl issues/moving to a new place issues in the book - making new friends, mother-daughter relationship problems, divorcing parents, a boy... But the community of Hog's Hollow fleshes out these typical situations by being filled with artists and animal lovers along with the snotty girls and their mothers who strive to win the coveted Hog Queen title every year. It also looks at the problem of being a younger teen and not being either listened to or told what's going on, as neither of Penny's parents will be straight with her about the divorce or even where she's going to live. There's the added bonus of Penny's grandmother, as well, who tries to help but doesn't seem to be able to communicate with her former-urbanite daughter too well, either. Most of the characters, adults and kids, have suffered a recent loss (death, abandonment, or divorce) and fortunately they're able to eventually find comfort from each other and from the beachy surroundings of odd little Hog's Hollow.

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

2010-03-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Click the globe to tell Raidergirl where you are!

I'm in two places this week, both places I've actually been to!

The beautiful, rugged Black Hills of South Dakota where the owner of a refuge for wild cats is being hunted like one of her animals. (Black Hills by Nora Roberts)

In Nanaimo, BC where wanna-be ladies' man Sherman Mack is looking into the secret of why some girls at his new high school end up as outcasts called the Defiled. (Getting The Girl by Susan Juby)

(http://www.nanaimo.ca/)

An Award!

2010-03-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

The lovely virginiebarbeau has given me this award! Thank you so much!!

The rules for accepting it are:

1. Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.
2. Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you’ve recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic
3. Contact said Blogs to let them know they’ve won
4. State 7 Things about yourself

I don't think I have 15 new bloggers, but here are some:

The Little Reader

Not-Really-Southern Vamp Chick

Abby the Librarian

YAnnabe

Reading Extensively

7 Things About Me:

1. When Curious George cries in a book, it makes me sad for the whole day and I occasionally cry myself. (Abby posted about a Curious George exhibit and it reminded me of that.)

2. I collect Christmas ornaments. It's getting a bit out of control and soon we'll need to have two trees.

3. In May, I'll have been married for 7 years. No itchiness yet!

4. I have a shameful addiction to reality TV.

5. I have a really hard time telling left from right.

6. I finally got over my lifelong fear and watched The Shining last year on Hallowe'en.

7. I'm going to be a matron-of-honour in April.

The I Like/I Don't Like meme

2010-03-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Raidergirl tagged me for this meme. It's pretty simple, yay, just fill in blanks after each bold word and tag 3 friends.

I like chocolate

I like buying cute clothes for my niece and nephew

I like books

I like Christmas

I like bubble baths

I like libraries

I like my job

I like to travel

I like swanky hotels

I like the Minnesota State Fair

I like musical theatre

I like the colour pink

I love my husband

Today was my only day off this weekend

I hate having diabetes

I hate mean people

I hate people who talk loudly on cell phones in public

I hate having to help people with the photocopier and printer

I hate the movie Taxi Driver

I hate not being able to sleep

I hate exercise

I hate dishes with too much cilantro in them

I (secretly) like airline food (Raidergirl thought of it first, but I really do agree!)

I love my parents

And I'm tagging:

Janssen at Everyday Reading

Rebecca at I'm Lost in Books

Valentina at Valentina's Room

Friday Finds

2010-03-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Click the image to tell MizB about the new books you found this week!

Caribousmom had this one in her Friday Finds last week:
Castles in the Air, The Restoration Adventures of Two Young Optimists and a Crumbling Old Mansion by Judy Corbett

I couldn't resist this one, a recommendation from LibraryThing.
Free for all: oddballs, geeks, and gangstas in the public library by Dan Borchert

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

2010-03-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

Click the globe to tell Raidergirl where you are!

I'm at a cupcake bakery in Hog's Hollow, 300 miles away from Manhattan, with Penny Lane who is having to deal with divorcing parents, mean girls putting stuff in her locker, and a cute boy with a dog she keeps running into on the beach (The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler).

Review: Under Orders

2010-03-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Under Orders by Dick Francis

3 stars

Reasons for reading: Author You've Never Read for the 4 Month Challenge

Description: "It’s the third death on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day that really troubles super-sleuth Sid Halley. Former champion jockey Halley knows the perils of racing all too well – but in his day, jockeys didn’t usually reach the finishing line with three .38 rounds in the chest. But this is precisely how he finds jockey Huw Walker – who, only a few hours earlier, had won the coveted Triumph Hurdle.

Just moments before the gruesome discovery, Halley had been called upon by Lord Enstone to make discreet enquiries into why his horses appeared to be on a permanent losing streak. Are races being fixed? Are bookies taking a cut? And if so, are trainers and jockeys playing a dangerous game with stakes far higher than they realise?

Halley’s quest for answers draws him ever deeper into the darker side of the race game, in a life-or-death power play that will push him to his very limits – both professionally and personally."

First line: "Sadly, death at the races is not uncommon."

My thoughts: I know more about horse-racing than I should, since I've never been to a race. But my years of adoring Jilly Cooper's books about the horsey set left me with some weird bits of knowledge about race courses, horses, jockeys and Dick Francis. Because it seemed like there was always someone sitting in a stable or around a scrubbed pine table reading a Dick Francis novel. So when this book popped up in the library booksale, I thought I'd give him a try.

And it was a pretty good read - Sid was a really interesting character, able to parlay his former jockey status into a career as a PI. When his utter determination to get to the truth in the face of danger collides with his concern for the woman he loves, he has some soul-searching to do. I didn't realize this was the second book about Sid, and I appreciated that I hadn't had to read the first one. His former father-in-law Charles is a great secondary character - a former Navy man who loves his scotch and still cares a great deal for the man who was married to his daughter. Marina, Sid's love interest, is intelligent, gorgeous, and feisty.

But I guess the who of the whodunnit (rare for me) if not quite the why. And while Booklist's review included this - "And Francis once again proves himself a master of detail, seamlessly incorporating fascinating facts about DNA technology, myoelectric hands, Internet gambling, and even stitches," I actually found that a bit annoying - I didn't find it all that seamless, it took me out of the story. To me it was as if he'd done his research, by gum, and he was going to use it. The stuff about Sid's prosthetic limb came in handy (ha!) later, but I think people today know enough generally about DNA testing to not need an in-depth explanation about it.

The verdict: Not earth-shattering, but there was enough suspense to keep me reading and even a part that made me gasp. I might pick up an earlier Francis thriller - another review said that longtime fans might find the plot of Under Orders familiar, so I'd like to see what one of his unfamiliar plots is like.

Friday Finds

2010-03-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Click the image to tell MizB what you found this week!

The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife by Janna Cawrse Esarey was recommended by Alyce at At Home With Books - it sounds like a cool travelogue/relationship memoir and it has a great title.

I was pleased to discover a new, non-series Alexander McCall Smith Book - La's Orchestra Saves the World at Page After Page.

Review: The Hunger Games

2010-03-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
5 stars

Reasons for reading: Have heard amazing things about it; Have been trying to get hold of it for a almost a year but it's too popular at the library; Young Adult Challenge

Description: "In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death on live TV. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor tohis or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capitol wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rule. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her impoverished district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love."

First line: "When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold."

My thoughts: This book was crazy-good! It kept me up til 1am! I've enjoyed Collins' first two Gregor the Overlander books and I'm glad to see that she's extended her talent to young adult fiction.

The premise of the book is just staggering - a country that forces its people to send their children to be killed for the entertainment of others. It's actually Survivor! I was completely drawn into the world of Panem and this insane "game". Katniss is a complex character. She's smart and tough and fiercely loves her sister, but she has a lot of anger inside about her father's death, her mother's failure to look after her daughters, and the circumstances of her impoverished district. She's thrown into the national spotlight and doesn't know how to act - she's a gifted archer and hunter, but she doesn't really have the charm required to win over viewers. The fact that the contestants get a team of stylists before they're sent to their deaths says a lot to me about our society that's so obsessed with image and by what's in the media. Her handlers try to create an image for Katniss, but she's thrown for a loop when the boy from her district, Peeta, declares his love for her on TV. Is it strategy or is it true? Katniss has to deal with that along with two dozen people trying to kill her, all while the nation is forced to watch her (viewing is mandatory in Panem). She makes some very smart moves, but her wilful streak does not please the powers-that-be, which is where the book leaves off.

The verdict: Highly recommended. My hold for the sequel just came in and I can't wait to read it!

Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

2010-03-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
3.75 stars

Reasons for reading: Have heard lots of great things about it; Mystery for the Four Month Challenge; Debut Gold Dagger Winner for Book Awards Challenge

Description: "It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.” "

First line: "It was as black in the closet as old blood."

My thoughts: This was quite the quirky book. I enjoyed it but have a bit of a nagging feeling about Flavia. Alan Bradley actually sums it up for me in an Amazon.com interview. He said, "People probably wonder, “What’s a 70-year-old-man doing writing about an 11-year-old-girl in 1950s England?" And I did wonder. I never quite felt like she was 11. He says he wanted to explore an unreliable narrator as well as the fact that people pay no attention to kids, so they let lots of information slip. And that worked well for the story. But I couldn't quite escape the feeling that there was an older man standing behind her directing her. I guess I never suspended disbelief enough to fully embrace her. She's a great character, don't get me wrong - fierce, intelligent, crafty, impetuous, occasionally vulnerable... But she felt very....crafted to me. (Well-crafted, though.)

But despite that, I think that Bradley writes very well and I quite liked his style, once I got used to the quirkiness. As you can see from the first line, he's got quite the ability to turn a phrase. The setting was really well done, particularly crumbling Buckshaw - the Georgian stately home with the ugly Victorian wings. And the village of Bishop's Lacey - I loved that the burned-down library had been re-located to an old garage and never moved again. (The library plays quite a large part in the story, so of course I enjoyed that!) While I don't know much about stamp-collecting, the philately angle certainly made for a different type of murder mystery. The sniping and pranks between Flavia and her sisters added some (often malicious) humour. But overall the de Luce family was really pretty sad - the father obsessed with his stamps, one sister obsessed with her appearance and one with books. And Flavia obsessed with chemistry. None of them really seemed to care much about each other and I sympathized with Flavia's feelings that no-one would miss her if she died. But I do hope it wasn't true, there did seem like there was a bit of hope for family togetherness at the end.

The verdict: I can see why it won the Debut Dagger and received such high praise. Maybe I'll read the sequel and get past my reservations about Flavia.

Also reviewed by:
Kerry
Raidergirl

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

2010-03-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Click the globe to tell Raidergirl where you are!

I'm in Howbutker, Texas right after WWI where young Mary Toliver is struggling between her love for Somerset, her family's cotton plantation, and the love of timber empire heir Percy Warwick, who has loved her since they were children but who also would see Somerset out of Mary's control and planted with pine trees. (Roses by Leila Meachum)

I'm also in England with former jockey turned PI Sid Halley who is investigating a murder at the Cheltenham Racecourse during the one of the biggest horse-races of the year. (Under Orders by Dick Francis)

(image from http://www.cheltenhambp.org.uk)

Review: Revelations

2010-03-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

Revelations: a Blue Bloods Novel by Melissa de la Cruz
3 stars

Reasons for reading: Blue for the Colourful Reading Challenge; I'm interested enough in the series to see what happens

Description: "Schuyler Van Alen's blood legacy has just been called into question--is the young vampire in fact a Blue Blood, or is it the sinister Silver Blood that runs through her veins? As controversy swirls, Schuyler is left stranded in the Force household, trapped under the same roof as her cunning nemesis, Mimi Force, and her forbidden crush, Jack Force. When one of the Gates of Hell is breached by Silver Bloods in Rio de Janeiro, however, the Blue Bloods will need Schuyler on their side. The stakes are high; the battle is bloody . . . And in the end, one vampire's secret identity will be exposed in a revelation that shocks everyone."

My thoughts: I'm getting a bit of series fatigue with this one. It's getting hard to keep track of which "fallen angels" are related and how and they seem to keep introducing different ways of being born into vamp society, even though there are only supposed to be 400 of them, period. But I do still like de la Cruz's take on vampire lore, especially as it relates to New York's high society. I was getting really tired of bitchy Mimi, but by the end I understood her better and could see why she fights so hard for Jack. Random thought - I always see a very young Alexis Bledel when I think of Schuyler, it's kind of weird. I think I'll hang in there for the next book, The Van Alen Legacy, but I hope it's the last one, because it's getting pretty bogged down with a lot of different threads. I hope they come together and finish off the story.

Friday Finds

2010-03-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Click the image to tell MizB what you found!

Better late than never!

Eating Things on Sticks by Anne Fine
This is a new kids' book at my library. As a Minnesota State Fair addict, I could not resist this title!

Magnolia Wednesdays by Wendy Wax was highly recommended by Purplg8r.

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

2010-03-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

Click the globe to tell Raidergirl where you are!

I've just left Rio, where Leviathan, brother of Lucifer, has emerged from beneath Corcovado and all hell is literally breaking loose. (Revelations: a Blue Bloods novel by Melissa de la Cruz)

And I'm in the little English village of Bishop's Lacey in 1950 with 11 year-old Flavia de Luce, who discovered an almost-dead body in her stately home's cucumber patch and is determined to solve the mystery. (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.)

Review: A Reliable Wife

2010-02-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
2 stars

Reasons for reading: Book club selection for March

Description: "He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for "a reliable wife." She responded, saying that she was "a simple, honest woman." She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving her a wealthy widow, able to take care of the one she truly loved. What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own. And what neither anticipated was that they would fall so completely in love."

First line: "It was bitter cold, the air electric with all that had not happened yet."

My thoughts: This one didn't really do it for me. My friend Vidalia described it as "dreary" and a lot of it is, slogging through the Wisconsin winter. It's an intriguing premise, the ad in the paper. And there's also a lot of lust and sexual guilt and attempted murder! But even those didn't really spice it up much. The lust and guilt made me feel rather icky (particularly Truitt's religious zealot mother who brands him as a lustful sinner from the moment of his birth). And a lot of the time I found myself saying to the characters, especially Catherine, "What are you doing? Stop this and live a decent life, it's not that hard! You can change the path you're on." I don't buy the "they would fall so completely in love" from the description - Truitt appears to love Catherine and she loves him in a way, but it's hardly the romance of the century. They each have secrets and misdeeds and ulterior motives. But there are some twists and turns that jazzed it up a bit.

There are also these weird references to people going mad, killing themselves and each other, drowning babies, etc. Goolrick's note says it was inspired by a nonfiction book called Wisconsin Death Trip that contained similar events during this time period, the beginning of the 20th century. That actually sounds fairly intriguing, but sprinkled throughout this novel, it just added to the general oddness. And I'm just not that into oddness in my fiction. But do check out other reviews online, most of them are great. I seem to be in the minority.

Four Month Challenge Part 2 Wrap-Up

2010-02-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

Hooray, I finished just in the nick of time with a fairly respectable 105 points! Thanks so much to our lovely hostess at She Read a Book for hosting - it's fun to have a shorter-duration challenge with so many options!

20-point challenges:

A book with a wintry theme:
Let it Snow by John Green, et al.

A winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction:
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

A book starting with A and one with Z:
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Zombie Blondes by Brian James

A book and write a review:
Full of Grace by Dorothea Benton Frank

15 points:
A biography: Dear Fatty by Dawn French

5 points
A book about a king/queen:
The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory (also for What's in a Name?)

A book by an author born during one of the 4 months:
Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson (February 16!)

Review: Dear Fatty

2010-02-28T10:33:00.000-08:00

Dear Fatty by Dawn French
3.75 stars

Reasons for reading: I lurve Dawn French; 15 points for the Four Month Challenge for an autobiography

From the jacket flap:
"Dear Dad
So, you're still dead. It's been over 30 years and every day I have to remind myself of that fact, and every day I am shocked. I'm not 19 anymore and many things have happened that we haven't shared, so I have decided to write this book for you. I want to remember our time together and I want to tell you about lots of stuff since. So far, it's been better than expected...

With a sharp eye for comic detail and wicked ear for the absurdities of life, Dawn French shows just how an RAF girl from the west country with dreams of becoming a ballerina/air hostess/bridesmaid rose to be one of the best loved comedy actresses of our time.

Here Dawn French shares her story, and in particular with her father who committed suicide when she was nineteen years old. She invites us into her most personal relationships with, among others, her mum and dad, her husband, her daughter and her friend Jennifer.

Dawn reveals the people, experiences and obsessions that have influenced her and that helped shape her comedy creations - including kissing, dogs, grandmas, David Cassidy, teenage angst, school, stealing, Madonna and not forgetting chocolate. She is as open about her fears and sorrows as she is about her delights and joys, and for the first time shares the experience of losing her beloved dad and later finding a tip-topmost chap in Lenny Henry.

From raging about class, celebrity and bullying to describing the highs and lows of motherhood and friendship, Dear Fatty reveals the surprising life behind the smile."

My thoughts: The letters-to-people method was a pretty good way of writing an autobiography. It made it fairly quick to read and some of them are hilarious, particularly the ones (actual or re-rememered, I'm not sure) to celebrities from the young Dawn. My favourite was "Dear The Monkees" where she asserts that, unlike all those other silly fans who have a favourite Monkee, she loves them all the same even though Peter is "the good-lookingest and funniest for me." I have to disagree with her there, I had a crush (approximately 20 years later than hers) on all of the other 3 Monkees, but never Peter. So she and I may have to have a throw-down on that one.

She states and it's true that the book should be called Dear Dad, because most of the letters are to him. It's really touching how she still feels a connection with him, despite his suicide so many years ago. And it makes sense, I can see how she'd want to tell him all the things that have happened since then. The part about his suicide is gut-wrenching to read and it really shows her strength of character and the strength of her family to have come through it and still manage to be such a life-affirming person. She's obviously blessed to have attracted so many "beloveds" into her life - I really envy her all those deep, varied friendships. Made me think I need to work harder with my own beloveds.

The letters to Fatty, who is Jennifer Saunders, are almost all horrendously bad jokes, although there's a great one that sums up their friendship and partnership at the end, as they're just finishing their last French and Saunders tour.

I love how Dawn has such positive self-esteem, a rarity for us larger ladies. She gives the credit to her parents. I also like how she can laugh about her size - she goes on about her shape in a letter to her niece, describing herself as a Weeble or hobbit and wondering about the purpose of "these massive ocean-going buoy chests? I know bosoms are womanly, but these surely belong to many women." I hear ya, sister!

There's a lovely letter describing her husband to her dad, since he didn't get to meet him, with mostly his many virtues but also his quirks and flaws. She writes not so much a love-letter as a thank you letter to her husband, which shows they've had many happy years together and have come through some tough times, too. There's a hilarious one about seeing The Exorcist with her mum. There's a series of very funny, very badly-grammared ones to Madonna, who apparently F&S have a bit of a hate-love relationship with because she constantly refused to come on their show. And the Queen Mum visited their house on the RAF base when Dawn was a toddler and scared the poor little thing (Dawn, not the QM, even though they were roughly the same height) to death! Oh, and she recounts her painfully bad audition to be in the Mamma Mia film - apparently Dawn's singing is actually worse than a cow in labour.

The only minus of the letters is that some of them it's hard to know who the person is. Maybe her British audience knows all of them. And it doesn't really matter. There were just a few where I kept wondering "Who are you?"

The verdict: If you like Dawn French, you'll like this book. I learned a lot about her and now want to see even more of her TV shows and films. I especially have to buy the complete Vicar of Dibley DVD set and have a lovely marathon.