Review: Love, Charleston

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: Keep Your Mouth Shut and Wear Beige

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: Jane Bites Back

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.

Review: Let It Snow

Let it Snow: three holiday romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
4 stars

Reasons for reading: it's Christmas!; three of my favourite YA authors; Winter-themed book for the Four Month Challenge

Synopsis/review from Kirkus Reviews: "Three top authors of teen fiction join forces for a collection of linked novellas set in the same small town in North Carolina on Christmas Eve. During the worst blizzard in 50 years, a packed train gets stuck in the snow, and teens from the train interact with teens from the town in ways both hilarious and romantic. In Johnson's "The Jubilee Express," a 16-year-old passenger named Jubilee meets Stuart, who takes her home to his family and convinces her that she needs a better boyfriend than the one she left at home. Green's offering is "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle," narrated by Tobin, who struggles with his buddies through the snow so they can meet 14 stranded cheerleaders. Myracle contributes "The Patron Saint of Pigs," about a local girl named Addie who has just broken up with her boyfriend. The conclusion ties up the plot strands from all three stories, with all the main characters enjoying coffee at Starbucks on Christmas night."

My thoughts: This was a great holiday read!! I loved that the stories were interconnected. Each one was definitely in the author's usual style, and I like all of their styles. I'd just finished Paper Towns by John Green, so it was neat to read a light romance by him so soon afterwards. He still has his great group dynamics and one-liners. I think Maureen Johnson is incredibly funny and cool and her story about Jubliee and her parents' obsession with the Flobie Christmas Village was a hoot. Lauren Myracle had her usual girl who learns not to be so self-centered while trying to remember to pick up a teacup piglet for her best friend. And then it all comes together in a crazy wind-up at Starbucks.

The verdict: Lots of romance and laughs, perfect reading for the holidays.

Another verdict: Raidergirl liked it, too!

Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: recommended by both Renay and Owlmoose for Herding Cats

Description: "They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he's part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumor. And they are wrong on every count. Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich - they're the only ones worth stealing from - but the poor can go steal for themselves. What Locke cons, wheedles and tricks into his possession is strictly for him and his band of fellow con-artists and thieves: the Gentleman Bastards. Together their domain is the city of Camorr. Built of Elderglass by a race no-one remembers, it's a city of shifting revels, filthy canals, baroque palaces and crowded cemeteries. Home to Dons, merchants, soldiers, beggars, cripples, and feral children. And to Capa Barsavi, the criminal mastermind who runs the city. But there are whispers of a challenge to the Capa's power. A challenge from a man no one has ever seen, a man no blade can touch. The Grey King is coming. A man would be well advised not to be caught between Capa Barsavi and The Grey King. Even such a master of the sword as the Thorn of Camorr. As for Locke Lamora ..."


First line: "At the height of the long wet summer of the Seventy-seventh Year of Sendovani, the Thiefmaker of Camorr paid a sudden and unannounced visit to the Eyeless Priest at the Temple of Perelandro, desperately hoping to sell him the Lamora boy."

My thoughts: I really liked the solid male friendships and loyalty in this book. It's almost two books, it start out quite lightheartedly with Locke coming to Father Chains, learning to be a thief, and meeting his fellow Gentlemen Bastards. In the middle, the tone changes to a much darker and sadder one, which took me by surprise. There was still Locke's spunk and cleverness and the strong friendship, but it took me a while to adjust. That said, the book is still satisfying and probably more so for the change to a more serious vein.


I had some of my usual problem with fantasy with this book - the world-building. Although the eerie, beautiful, alien Elderglass towers of Camorr are interesting to read about, I just don't have a lot of patience. That's why I tend to prefer my fantasies set in our world, like the Dresden Files books. But Camorr held my attention better than most. It was very Venice-like, with bridges and canals and Italian-sounding names. There's even a Mafia!

The verdict: Huh, I may protest too much, I seem to be becoming more of a fantasy girl. Darn Husband for geek-ifying me! :-) I think I might read the rest in this series, especially since Renay says it's "the one I really want to list because the female characters in Red Seas Under Red Skies are more awesome than all of you bitches." I can get behind that! Also, I just learned that Lynch is from Minnesota, which always gives folks an in with me. :)

Celebrate the Author: PG Wodehouse

Love Among the Chickens by PG Wodehouse
3.5 stars


Reasons for reading: I lurve PG Wodehouse and am celebrating his October 15, 1881 birthday for the Celebrate the Author Challenge


Description: "Jeremy Garnet has never particularly liked chickens, but his friend Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge is convinced that they are the route to certain fortune. Needing a bit of a break from London, Garnet is talked into accompanying Ukridge to his new poultry farm in Dorset. Unfortunately, when Ukridge is around things never seem to go according to plan, and with the additional complications of angry professors, threatening creditors, misbehaving chickens - oh, and true love to boot - Garnet's holiday in the country is looking less restful by the minute!"


First line: "'A gentleman called to see you when you were out last night, sir,' said Mrs Medley, my landlady, removing the last of the breakfast things."


My thoughts: The description states that this is the novel that first made Wodehouse famous. Huh, I had no idea! I would've thought it was the first Jeeves book. But this was still a fun romp, if not as excellent as Jeeves and Wooster. The Wodehousian language is there, I particularly enjoyed a section where Garnet refused to be sneered at by a chicken.

Ukridge is an oaf and an occasionally wise fool. He gets to be a bit much, but he's pretty amusing. It's hard to believe that he gets people to go along with his schemes, but he must have some kind of charm. Garnet is a bit bumbling but fairly normal. I liked that he was an author, there were some funny bits involving the faint praise accorded his novels by the newspapers. There are typically Wodehousian scrapes involving locked houses, tipped boats, and saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. And there's love at first sight, who can resist that?

The verdict: Spend some time chuckling among the chickens.

Review: Jars of Glass

Jars of Glass by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I really liked the authors' two previous books; Young Adult Challenge

Description: "Teenage sisters Chloe and Shana recall fondly the days when their mother wove stories about kingdoms under the sea. Now that Mom is "away," Chloe does not allow herself to believe in fairy tales. She is too busy caring for her adopted brother, Micah, because Dad has become withdrawn. Shana copes by escaping every night under the cover of Goth garb. The day the family visits Mom for the first time is the day Chloe learns why Shana will never allow their mother to return. It is up to the sisters to pull together and form a new definition of family."

First line: "I think there are these lies that we tell each other."

My thoughts: I enjoyed the authors' previous novels, Scrambled Eggs at Midnight (which I loved!) and Dream Factory more than this one. In the previous books, the alternating chapters were boy-girl and this worked much better than the two sisters in this book - I found that Chloe and Shana's voices weren't all that different.

But this book is still a compelling read that shows how a happy family can be turned completely upside-down through no fault of its own. There was no magic cure at the end that allowed them to live happily ever after. Their mother's illness affects everyone differently. The girls' father becomes a father in name only - he starts drinking, smoking, and ignoring his business and children. Shana wants to get out of the sad house and finds that her only escape route is to hide under layers of Goth makeup and go out with new friends. With an absent father and sister, Chloe is left to look after Micah (an adopted Russian orphan who has nightmares, doesn't understand much English, and copes by eating huge amounts of sugar). Chloe's in a bit of denial about her mother's condition, but she knows that she doesn't want to end up like her, so she gives up the artistic talents she shares with her mom.

The novel finds the girls trying to cope with the approaching visit of Micah's social worker, their father's neglect and depression, life in a new town, and the ever-present cloud of their mother's illness. I liked that the girls were each able to find their own new friendships and also, after a lot of fighting and misunderstandings, come together again as sisters. Their story doesn't necessarily end with a happily-ever-after, but there's at least some hope.

The verdict: While more distinction between the sisters and a sooner explanation of the horrible thing their mother did would've been welcome, this is still a well-written novel about the collateral damage of mental illness and the bonds of siblings.

Review: Last Night at the Lobster

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
3 stars

Reasons for reading: had read good things about it; Realistic fiction for the Genre Challenge; Time of day title for the What's in a Name? Challenge II

Description: "The Red Lobster perched in the far corner of a run-down New England mall hasn’t been making its numbers and headquarters has pulled the plug. But manager Manny DeLeon still needs to navigate a tricky last shift with a near-mutinous staff. All the while, he’s wondering how to handle the waitress he’s still in love with, what to do about his pregnant girlfriend, and where to find the present that will make everything better."

First line: "Mall traffic on a winter's day, stalled."

My thoughts: This was an interesting little book. It definitely met the challenge requirement for realistic fiction. O'Nan quotes a poem at the beginning of the novel that ends with the line "All the vatos never in a poem" and that's what Manny is - a regular guy who would never normally be the subject of either poetry or fiction. He's just an ordinary guy trying to do his ordinary job while trying to keep his personal life out of it (hard to do when his ex is one of his waitresses). The story is particularly realistic for this year of economic crisis, given that the Red Lobster is closing down and most of the staff are losing their jobs.

The novel takes place over the course of one day, the last night at the Lobster before it closes and Manny and a handful of his staff have to go and work at an Olive Garden. Most of the staff have refused to come in because they're ticked off that Manny isn't taking them to the pasta joint and a bad snowstorm makes things even worse. But Manny is, in his own workaday world way, a hero - he tries to placate the feuding kitchen staff, he's kind to the boy with special needs who is, in many ways, his best employee, and he tries very hard to keep the walkways clear of snow, even though there are no customers. He gives the Lobster his full managerial best until the last moment, even though headquarters has barely spared a thought for his little family of mostly misfits.

The verdict: A quick read with some poetic moments. I think it would be a great read for anyone who has worked in a a restaurant, particularly as a manager.

Review: The Last Dragon

The Last Dragon by Silvana De Mari
3.5 stars

Reason for reading: it's this month's choice for my library's kids' book club

Book description: "When the last dragon and the last elf break the circle, the past and the future will meet, and the sun of a new summer will shine in the sky. In a world shrouded in darkness and continually lashed by rain, a young elf named Yorsh struggles to survive. His village has been destroyed by the torrential waters, leaving Yorsh suddenly orphaned and alone-the earth's last elf. But soon Yorsh discovers he is part of a powerful prophecy to save the world from the Dark Age that has begun. First, however, the young elf will have to find another orphaned creature-the world's last dragon. Full of great tenderness and humor, this magical journey tells the story of a world plagued by intolerance and wickedness, and the elf and the dragon who will fight for its redemption and bring it back into the light."

First line: "The rain had been falling for days."

My thoughts: Again, I'm not a big fantasy fan and I have to say I sort of struggled through this one - at times it felt like a slog. Yet it was really well-written and once I got over some initial annoyances at the beginning, I did want to find out what happened. I'm beginning to wonder if I have a problem with works in translation (this one is originally Italian) - I often feel like I'm having a hard time getting through them.

This book is s curious mixture of sadness, heroism, humour, and the fantastic. There's lots of absurdity - the county of Daligar has been turned into an impoverished, communist-like state run by a Lord Justice that's straight out of Roald Dahl. There's also a great deal of humour, especially when Yorsh is young ("one born lately") and is trying to make sense of humans (though I actually found this is as irritating as it was funny). The rambling, brooding dragon is hilarious in his laments about his aches and pains and desires for fairy stories. But there's also an incredible amount of love and bravery in the book - the two humans who befriend Yorsh (even though it's forbidden to consort with elves) for a short time to help him fulfill the prophesy end up showing him (and each other) love that will last over a decade and ends up helping to save the world. And formerly irritating Yorsh turns out to be the saviour, with some help from a magnificent dragon.

Verdict: While my non-fantasy self struggled with it a bit, it was a rewarding read. And even though the meeting isn't for a while, some of the book club kids had already read it last month and loved it, so it's an A-plus for young fantasy fans who are good readers.

Review: Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen by Julie Powell
4 stars

Reasons for reading: I'd heard lots of buzz about it; I like books about blogging; Nonfiction for the Triple 8 Challenge and Julia Child's August birthday for the Every Month is a Holiday Challenge

Book Description: Julie & Julia is the story of Julie Powell's attempt to revitalize her marriage, restore her ambition, and save her soul by cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I, in a period of 365 days. . . When we first meet Julie, she's a frustrated temp-to-perm secretary who slaves away at a thankless job, only to return to an equally demoralizing apartment in the outer boroughs of Manhattan each evening. At the urging of Eric, her devoted and slightly geeky husband, she decides to start a blog that will chronicle what she dubs the "Julie/Julia Project." What follows is a year of butter-drenched meals that will both necessitate the wearing of an unbearably uncomfortable girdle on the hottest night of the year, as well as the realization that life is what you make of it and joy is not as impossible a quest as it may seem, even when it's -10 degrees out and your pipes are frozen.

What I liked:

- The stories of her cooking adventures! Killing a live lobster, boning a duck, removing the marrow from a bone, getting mayonnaise and gelatins to set. . . things I hope to never, ever have to do, but I fully enjoyed reading her accounts of them.

- Her love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer! I really enjoyed her references to it and I have to say, she's made of sterner stuff than I am, to cook for a journalist on the night of the series finale! Buffy even gets a mention at the end of the Project, which ends "back exactly where we started - just Eric and me, three cats and Buffy...sitting on a couch in the outer boroughs, eating, with Julia chortling alongside us..."

- Her conclusion that what helps you make your way in life is joy, and that's what she found in MtAoFC , that it had "the deeply buried aroma of hope and discovery of fulfillment in it." And that Julia Child didn't find it til she was 37, when she married her husband and learned to cook, so perhaps it's not too late for Julie and for me.

What I didn't like:

- The constant cracks against Republicans. I'm Canadian, I'm not particularly political and I don't really care, but it just irked me. It didn't have anything to do with anything about the Project. One crack would've been enough to let us know where she stood, if we really needed to know, but there was one about every other chapter and it got tiresome.

- I could have done with less about her job at the government agency responsible for post-September 11th tributes. (Although the story of the dominatrix who called up to find out about government aid for her business was hilarious!) Some of it was necessary to show why she was so unhappy with things in her life, but I'd have preferred to have read more actual blog posts or more about the cooking.

- Julie, sometimes. But, unlike a book character, she's a real person and I don't like me all the time, so I can forgive her some whininess and histrionics.

Other thoughts:

After finishing the book, I looked up Julia Child on YouTube and my, she was quite the dame! I hadn't seen much of her and mostly thought, as many people do, of Dan Akroyd's SNL sketch about her. But the clips I found of her show were fascinating, such a product of the 70's but also good, solid cooking tips. The first one I saw was of Julia's omlette-jerking technique, which is among the first things Julie describes. And there was one called "Bavarian Combos, " all about the joys of molded, custardy desserts. And she signed off with "The next time you make a dessert, don't be a square with a chiffon pie, because now you've got the know-how to really swing [arm-waving gesture] with the Bavarian Combo!" Honestly, you couldn't pay today's actual comedy writers enough to come up with that kind of cheesy goodness! (Seriously, look Julia Child up on YouTube - as some a kid Julie overheard at the Julia Child exhibit at the Smithsonian said,"in awed tones, 'Julia Child is crazy.' ")

Finally, In one of those examples of books coming to you at the right time, I could really relate to Julie. I'm around the same age, my biological clock is ticking very loudly but my diabetes and weight issues mean babymaking is tricky and an increasingly worrisome prospect. Also, while at heart I do love my job, it's currently making me pretty unhappy a lot of the time. Maybe I need a year-long blogging project! Any suggestions?? It seems to have done her a world of good, I could use something like it. I just wish I knew what it was . . .

Review: Love Walked In

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
5 stars

Reasons for reading: saw it in Shelf Awareness and then saw many great reviews; New To Me Author for the Triple 8 Challenge

Book description: "When Martin Grace enters the hip Philadelphia coffee shop Cornelia Brown manages, her life changes forever. But little does she know that her newfound love is only the harbinger of greater changes to come. Meanwhile, across town, Clare Hobbs—eleven years old and abandoned by her erratic mother—goes looking for her lost father. She crosses paths with Cornelia while meeting with him at the café, and the two women form an improbable friendship that carries them through the unpredictable currents of love and life."

First line: "My life - my real life - started when a man walked into it, a handsome stranger in a perfectly cut suit, and yes, I know how that sounds."

My thoughts: I loved this book! The story, the language, everything!

Cornelia's ideal man is Cary Grant (and really, who can blame her??) and when Martin, who bears a resemblance to that leading man and is the height of suaveness, walks in, Cornelia thinks she'll have her own Philadelphia Story-type ending. But alas, the zing just isn't there. But what Marin does have is Clare, his not-really-lost-but-not-really-in-his-life daughter, and there Cornelia finds a totally different, but just as fulfilling, love.

The author is apparently a poet and you can tell. One of my favourite phrases is "... I walked up the stairs to my apartment, carrying the moment carefully as though it were a glass globe full of butterflies." Isn't that a perfect way to describe the feelings after a perfect date?

Clare and Cornelia are great alternating characters. Perhaps Clare is a wee bit too precocious, but most of the time she does act and think like an 11 year-old, if a rather observant and wise one. And tiny but not elfin Cornelia is a treat, with her love of vintage everything - music, movies, clothes. Her fast, fierce love for Clare is a wonderful to behold.

Some reviews called the book contrived and that there are few surprises, but really, with such great language and characters, you don't mind. It held enough surprises for me and, like Cornelia's favourite old movies, I'll take romance and humour over cutting-edge and depressing any day.

Speaking of which, I enjoyed the Philadelphia Story references throughout, as it's one of my all-time favourite movies. I fully agree with Clare, who had this to say after seeing it: "That's how movies should always end. With all the good people getting what they want."

And that's basically the way Love Walked In ends, too.

Other reviews (leave a link if you've got one):
Kristen

Review: Lock and Key

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
4 stars


Reason for reading: I love Sarah Dessen!


First line: "And finally," Jamie said as he pushed the door open, "we come to the main event. Your room."

Book description: “Ruby, where is your mother?” Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she’s been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return. That’s how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn’t seen in ten years, and Cora’s husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future - it’s a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?

My thoughts: This book has a lot to say about what makes someone part of your family or one of your friends - sometimes people you expect to be there for you aren't and sometimes people you've just met or never given much thought to will really come to your rescue. This theme is woven skillfully throughout the book (especially with the recurring lock and key metaphor), constantly coming back to the ideas of home, family and belonging.

Nate is a great character - uber-nice guy, but with a terrible burden to bear. I liked (well, thought it was interesting and good for the story) the aspect of a male victim of child abuse, on top of Ruby's horror story of neglect. And I really enjoyed seeing Ruby come out of her shell and learn to trust and care about people.

Overall, yet another winner from Sarah Dessen!

Quote that stayed with me:
"Needing was so easy: it came naturally, like breathing. Being needed by someone else, though, that was the hard part. But as with giving help and accepting it, we had to do both to be made complete - like links overlapping to form a chain, or a lock finding the right key."

Review: Late Nights on Air

Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
2.5 stars

Reasons for reading: Book club, Canadian author for the Orbis Terrarum Challenge

Book description: "Harry Boyd, a hard-bitten refugee from failure in Toronto television, has returned to a small radio station in the Canadian North. There, in Yellowknife, in the summer of 1975, he falls in love with a voice on air, though the real woman, Dido Paris, is both a surprise and even more than he imagined. Dido and Harry are part of the cast of eccentric, utterly loveable characters, all transplants from elsewhere, who form an unlikely group at the station... One summer, on a canoe trip four of them make into the Arctic wilderness (following in the steps of the legendary Englishman John Hornby, who, along with his small party, starved to death in the barrens in 1927), they find the balance of love shifting, much as the balance of power in the North is being changed by the proposed Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline, which threatens to displace Native people from their land."

First line: "Harry was in his little house on the edge of Back Bay when at half past twelve her voice came over the radio for the first time."

My thoughts: While not as utterly dreary as a great deal of Canadian fiction, this one didn't do a lot for me. I didn't hate it, but overall it felt pretty blah. I really agree with Nicholas Maes' review in Books in Canada:

"Another weakness is that the novel lacks a sense of urgency and forward momentum. Very often, somewhat inexplicably, we are warned in advance that some character's decision will lead to misfortune down the road, or that situation A will cause (dramatic) situation B. Perhaps Hay felt such milestones were necessary because events on their own wouldn't sweep the audience along... Even the romance in the novel is resolved without much emotional fanfare... Eleanor loses Ralph the very day he has proposed to her, and the loss is more capricious than necessary or devastating. Harry has seemingly slipped away from Gwen, but then tumbles into her lap eight years later. This turn of events seems such a matter of happenstance that the reader, while wishing the couple well, doesn't really care one way or another."

That was my feeling through most of the novel, not really caring. It seemed like the novel was made up of too many uninteresting things strung together with a few interesting ones. The Mackenzie Pipeline Inquiry stuff was dull and I never want to read about frozen lakes or herds of caribou ever again.

The foreshadowing mentioned in the review really bugged me - it was so incredibly blatant that it was annoying. And really, after all that buildup, the tragedy is sad but not particularly earth-shattering. I tired of the constant references to John Hornby's doomed expedition (more heavy-handed foreshadowing) and couldn't quite get past the sheer stupidity of novices attempting that journey through the Arctic. I was actually expecting all of them to die.

The characters' relationships struck me as odd quite often. People falling in love rather suddenly, people being attracted to horrid people - it's hard to imagine why every man (and the occasional woman) she met would fall in love with an utter bitch like Dido. She and the loathsome Eddy were made for each other. While I liked both Gwen and Harry, their relationship - with a 20-year age gap and a failed marriage each - did seem "happenstance," almost as though they ended up together because they were the only two left to get out of Yellowknife relatively unscathed.

The radio station parts were well done, especially when Gwen was learning the ropes (I liked how she was enchanted by the tiny little sound-effect door). I'd now like to know more about Yellowknife and I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the almost endless daylight in the summer Hay does have some really well-crafted passages. To me, the radio station and Barrens trip combined would have been enough for a good story, if they had been allowed to gain more momentum and not get bogged down by extra threads.

Review: The Luxe

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
4 stars

Reasons for reading: It's a hot YA book right now; sounded fun; the gorgeous cover!

First line: "In life, Elizabeth Adora Holland was known not only for her loveliness but also for her moral character, so it was fair to assume that in the afterlife she would occupy a lofty seat with an especially good view."

Summary (from Kirkus Reviews): A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement.

My thoughts: I'm serious about the cover - I want to go back in time for one night to wear that dress at a ball!! This book has been touted all over the place as Gossip Girl in the 19th century and that's what it is. As Kirkus says, the ending isn't a surprise at all, but getting there is still fun. I loved the sumptuous descriptions of the clothes and the historical details, though I think there were a few slips - I'm not 100% sure I believe that Penelope would have a gay best friend in 1899, for example.

While it's definitely not perfect, I'm giving it four stars for the fun factor. This book has been touted all over the place as Gossip Girl in the 19th century and that's what it is and I think it's pretty cool. The more things change, the more they stay the same - whether it's the 19th or the 21st century, the elite kids are all about flirting, champagne, clothes and parties. It also made me want to learn more about that period in New York's history and maybe even read an Edith Wharton novel (it opens with a quote from The Age of Innocence).

Review: Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska by John Green
4.5 stars

Summary (from School Library Journal): From the very first page, tension fills John Green's Michael L. Printz Award-winning novel (Dutton, 2005). Miles Halter, 16, is afraid that nobody will show up at his party because he doesn't have many friends. He loves to read biographies and discover the last words attributed to famous people. He's particularly intrigued with the dying words of poet Francois Rabelais: "I go to seek a great perhaps." Miles is leaving his loving Florida home for the "great perhaps" of the same Alabama boarding school attended by his father. Ominous chapter headings (40 days before, 10 days after) reveal that something tragic may happen. At school, Miles is accepted by a brainy group of pranksters led by his roommate and Alaska Young, a smart and sexy feminist. The teen becomes captivated by his new friends who spend as much energy on sex, smoking, drinking, and cutting-up as they do on reading, learning, and searching for life's meaning. As the school year progresses, Miles's crush on Alaska intensifies, even after it becomes evident that her troubled past sometimes causes her to be self-destructive. This novel is about real kids dealing with the pressures of growing up and feeling indestructible. Listeners will be riveted as the friends band together to deal with the catastrophic events that plague their junior year, and rejoice at their triumphs.

My thoughts: I'd been wanting to read the Printz Award-winner for quite a while and I'm glad the What's in a Name challenge gave me the chance. As I've said before, I don't read many "boy books" - but this one is quite remarkable. As SLJ points out, the characters are very real - they aren't perfect, they have quirks, yet they care about each other and their education. Alaska is a bundle of contrasts - sometimes sweet, sometimes caring, sometimes mean, sometimes self-destructive. She's very smart, but her pain causes her to do things before thinking them through, hurting herself and others.

I was so happy when Miles made friends at "the Creek" because the opening scene of his pathetic birthday party is really sad, although he takes it in stride. The rail-thin newbie is given the ironic nickname of Pudge (because he's rail-thin) by his roomate the Colonel (so called because of his prank-organizing prowess) and from then on he's part of the Colonel's group, with Alaska and secondary characters Takumi and foreign beauty Lara.

The tension caused by the countdown is a great effect - you know something bad's going to happen and you figure it will probably happen to Alaska, but when the time comes, it's still a blow.

Despite the tragedy, the book also has humour, which I appreciated. One of my favourite scene was Miles being bitten in the behind by a swan while he's running for his life after pulling a prank. "And then I was running with a noticeable limp, because my ass was on fire, and I thought to myself, What the hell in in swan saliva that burns so badly?"

John Green became something of an It Author after this was published, and now I see why. I think I'll have to give his next book, An Abundance of Katherines, a go.