Review: Somebody Everybody Listens To

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: Still Life

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: Three Girls and their Brother

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: Summer at Tiffany

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: Stalking Susan

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.

Review: Shem Creek

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!

Review: The Treasure Map of Boys

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: 16 Lighthouse Road

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

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: Shoot to Thrill

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

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

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: Son of the Mob

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: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

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

Review: Summer Blowout

Summer Blowout by Claire Cook
3.75 stars

Reasons for reading: caught my eye in the booksale; I later realized I'd enjoyed her Life's a Beach a few years ago

Synopsis: "Bella Shaughnessy is addicted to lipstick with names like My Chihuahua Bites and Kiss My Lips-an occupational hazard, since she works at Salon de Paolo, her family-run beauty salon, along with her four half-brothers and sisters. The owner is her father, Lucky Shaughnessy, a gregarious, three-times divorced charmer with Donald Trump hair who is obsessed with all things Italian. After Bella's own marriage flames out spectacularly when her half-sister runs off with her husband, Bella decides she has seen enough of the damage love can do. She makes a vow: no more men. But then Bella meets a cute entrepreneur, and despite their bickering, they can't seem to stay away from each other. A small, well-tressed dog also finds her way into Bella's life, and her heart, and she decides to chance that, too. When the whole clan heads to Atlanta for a big Southern wedding, sparks fly - in a summer blowout no one will ever forget."

First line: "Lipstick is my drug of choice."

Line I totally agree with! "You can tell a lot about a hotel by its bath products."

My thoughts: At first I thought all of the makeup references were going to force me to stop reading. The lipstick name thing is really cute, but Bella describes every person she comes across in terms of what foundation shade they'd wear. That got old. But I'm glad I kept on, as this was a pretty funny and entertaining book.

At first I also thought it was going to be another of those chick lit "Mama mia/faith and begorrah - I come from a huge Italian/Irish family!" things. Tired of those. But Cook twists it by making it an Irish family that wishes it was Italian! All of the kids have very Italian first names to go with their Shaughnessy surname. This is because their much-married father traveled to Italy with his first wife (Bella's mother) and fell in love with it. His attempts at speaking Italian and forcing his family to pretend they are are rather a hoot. And the family's intervention about his Trump hairstyle is worth the price of admission.

Bella comes off as a bit weird and quick-tempered, but in an endearing way. Sean Ryan the entrepreneur is a nice love interest and while I'm not always into the cutesy dog thing, Precious the identity-hidden Chihuahua adds some fun moments. Sean Ryan helps Bella develop a line of personalized beauty kits that, I have to say, I wish I could send away for! I need the help.

The verdict: A fun read and I think I'll be reading her next book, The Wildwater Walking Club.

Review: Splendor

Splendor: a Luxe novel by Anna Godbersen
3.75 stars

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

Description: "As spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes.
Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty—but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle. In the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, New York's most dazzling socialites chase dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become of the city's oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: Will its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?"

First line: "Fifty years ago, every American girl wanted to be a European princess."

My thoughts: I didn't realize this was the last book in the series until I was almost finished. Prior to that I was thinking, "This series is getting to the point where it's gone on too long...." But happily this isn't going to be a series that lingers on past its sell-by date. I found it pretty darn hard to believe that Diana, spunky as she is, had managed to chase Henry around the country and all the way to Cuba, and manage to find (non-prostitutional) work there. So that part didn't grab me. And, of course, all kinds of things get in their way once again. There was some seriously creepy soap-opera-esque stuff with vastly pregnant Elizabeth. And annoying bitch Carolina Broad was a big focus. (I'm a bit harsh on her, she grew on me a bit by the end.) The ending seemed fairly rushed, with happy endings for some, non-endings for others, and not enough of a come-uppence for evil Penelope.

But overall, it was still an enjoyable read. The series was a good (if fluffy) look at how New York society started to include the nouveau riche as well as the grand old names changed and how people started being able to make their own fortunes and change their fates. I'd read another series by Godbersen, though I hope her next series has covers that are just as sumptuous - I've loved those dresses!!

Review: Throne of Jade

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik (Temeraire, book 2)
4.5 stars

Reasons for reading: Loved the first book; Seconds Challenge (though slightly cheaty as I'd planned to read a different book, but this is still a second!)

Synopsis: "When Britain intercepted a French ship and its precious cargo–an unhatched dragon’s egg–Capt. Will Laurence of HMS Reliant unexpectedly became master and commander of the noble dragon he named Temeraire. As new recruits in Britain’s Aerial Corps, man and dragon soon proved their mettle in daring combat against Bonaparte’s invading forces.

Now China has discovered that its rare gift, intended for Napoleon, has fallen into British hands–and an angry Chinese delegation vows to reclaim the remarkable beast. But Laurence refuses to cooperate. Facing the gallows for his defiance, Laurence has no choice but to accompany Temeraire back to the Far East–a long voyage fraught with peril, intrigue, and the untold terrors of the deep. Yet once the pair reaches the court of the Chinese emperor, even more shocking discoveries and darker dangers await."

First line: "The day was unseasonably warm for November, but in some misguided deference to the Chinese embassy, the fire in the Admiralty had been heaped excessively high and Laurence was standing directly before it."

My thoughts: Another late review, oops! But this was a great sequel to His Majesty's Dragon. It was really interesting to see the interactions between the Chinese and British groups. I felt sad for Temeraire when he discovered how well dragons are treated in Asia as opposed to their near-servant status in Britain. Laurence is his usual stand-up self, his main concern being Temeraire, even when it means standing up to his own government. There's international intrigue aplenty as the Chinese seem to be trying to get Temeraire back, perhaps even at the cost of Laurence's life. I couldn't imagine how things were going to work out, but I knew they had to because there are (thankfully) more books! The way around the difficulties was rather a cunning solution, which was satisfying.

The verdict: I can't wait to read the rest of this series!

Review: Such a Pretty Fat

Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster
3.5 stars


Reasons for reading: I've had Lancaster recommended to me several times, I liked the sound of her snarkiness; I needed some weight-loss motivation; first book for the Fall Into Reading Challenge

First line: "Today on the bus a guy called me a fat bitch."

My thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. The last time I read a weight-loss memoir, it was the abysmal Food and Loathing. It left me feeling pretty flat. But Lancaster's reputation for humour is well-founded - I enjoyed this one a lot.

One of my favourite parts was when she and her friend got on a riff about how no-one ever uses "You have such a pretty face..." for anything but being overweight. It's never followed by anything like "...if only you weren't as dumb as a bag of hair" or "...too bad your children were spawned by Satan."

I liked that Jen didn't care either that she was fat or a bitch with the guy on the bus. I've been called both separately and at the same time, and I've never managed to be particularly nonchalant about it (there's usually crying involved). Actually, one of the sad parts of the book was that she started out with really amazing self-esteem and gradually lost it as she tried to diet. It seems like it came back, thankfully, but I really felt for her, since I already feel bad most of the time, and I find that becoming obsessed with eating right and exercising does definitely put lots of pressure on my already iffy self-esteem.

I was glad to see a realistic portrayal of weight loss - that it is possible with hard work, but you'll have setbacks and it won't be easy. You're going to be angry, sore, frustrated, and hungry. Jen also came to the conclusion that losing weight and getting healthy has a lot to do with growing up - even if you're almost 40. At almost-35, I think I'm in that same boat.

The only slightly non-"realistic" thing was that, of course, trying to lose weight became Jen's job. I could spend hours counting calories and having double-workout days, too, if I didn't have to work 8 hours a day. I think it was great that she was able to do it, and obviously she couldn't have written the book if she didn't, but most people don't have that luxury. And I'm not saying she doesn't realize that - I'm just a bit sensitive when people lose weight outside of an average person's life and then we all feel we should be able to do it easily. I've never really forgiven Oprah (all you need is a personal chef and trainer at your beck and call 24/7!) for it, actually.

The verdict: I'll definitely be reading more of Jen's books for some good laughs. And, she helped inspire me to start going to a personal trainer! So, thanks, Jen!

Celebrate the Author: Marian Keyes

This Charming Man by Marian Keyes
4.75 stars


Reasons for reading: I'm celebrating Marian Keyes' September 10, 1963 birthday this month for Celebrate the Author, because I lurve her books!

From the publisher: "Paddy de Courcy is Ireland's debonair politician, the "John F. Kennedy Jr. of Dublin." His charm and charisma have taken hold of the country and the tabloids, not to mention our four heroines: Lola, Grace, Marnie, and Alicia. But though Paddy's winning smile is fooling Irish minds, the broken hearts he's left in his past offer a far more truthful look into his character. Narrated in turn by each woman, This Charming Man explores how their love for this one man has shaped their lives. But in true Marian Keyes fashion, this is more than a story of four love affairs. It's a testament to the strength women find in themselves through work, friendship, and family, no matter what demons may be haunting their lives. Depression, self-doubt, domestic abuse—each of these women has seen tough times in life, and it's through Keyes's wonderful storytelling ability that these subjects are approached with the appropriate tone and candor. Her deft touch provides a gripping story and, ultimately, a redemptive ending."

First line: "Everyone remembers where they were the day they heard that Paddy de Courcy was getting married."

My thoughts: Another winner from Marian Keyes! I left of .25 of a star just because I could've used a bit more of her humour and felt it was just a wee bit long. But still very much worth reading!!

Lola is hilariously Bridget Jones-y and gets caught up in a ridiculously funny subplot involving cross-dressers as well as the usual small-town Ireland hijinks in the town of Knockavoy, which Keyes has written about before. (Also, see if you can figure out why there's a toaster on the cover. :-) ) The diary-speak is a bit wearing, but still fun and I really enjoyed seeing her go from a (very funny) wreck to an in-control businesswoman again.

I found Grace to be the most "realistic" of the characters - she has her demons, but she mostly manages to function. She was neither ridiculous like Lola nor tragic like her sister Marnie. In typical Keyes fashion, the Gildee parents are a hoot, particularly when they repeatedly think Grace should leave work to go and hunt for their dog.

Marnie - gosh. What a sad, sad human being. She's not particularly likeable, yet you feel sorry for her (at least up until a point - eventually I was pretty much disgusted with her). Keyes apparently dealt with alcoholism herself and you can tell from Marnie's story - it's an incredibly harsh, scary look at what drinking can do to a person and how it's possible to lose everything and still not be able to give it up. I found that the Marnie sections were what made it a bit too long, but it's still an amazing portrait of addiction.

And Paddy - wow. The most dreadful villain I've read about in a long time, you can hardly believe that such a slimeball could exist, let alone be so outwardly charming, but I'm sure there are some out there. But hooray, as you knew there would be, there's revenge on Paddy by the end! I obviously won't tell you how, but it's great to see and a welcome relief.

The verdict: Another winner from Keyes, who has always written chick lit with a bit of an edge, but is now moving beyond the format into something darker, while still being funny and entertaining.

Review: A Short History of Women

A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert
1.5 stars

Reason for reading: this month's book club selection

Description: "The novel opens in England in 1914 at the deathbed of Dorothy Townsend, a suffragette who starves herself for the cause. Her choice echoes in the stories of her descendants interwoven throughout: a brilliant daughter who tries to escape the burden of her mother's infamy by immigrating to America just after World War I to begin a career in science; a niece who chooses a conventional path -- marriage, children, suburban domesticity -- only to find herself disillusioned with her husband of fifty years and engaged in heartbreaking and futile antiwar protests; a great-granddaughter who wryly articulates the free-floating anxiety of the times while getting drunk on a children's playdate in post-9/11 Manhattan. In a kaleidoscope of voices and with a richness of imagery, emotion, and wit, Walbert portrays the ways in which successive generations of women have responded to what the Victorians called "The Woman Question."

First line: "Mum starved herself for suffrage."

My thoughts: This just didn't do it for me. I get that it was supposed to be an examination of generations of women's rights. But none of the characters were particularly likeable and most of their stories weren't that interesting. And, really, I'm sick of the "men are oppressing us" story.

And I'm not a fan of the non-linear. This book jumps around in time between the generations and almost all of the characters are named Dorothy, after the starving suffragette, it's really confusing. Also, it just sort of....ends. It's a series of vignettes, basically, and then it just stops.

Suffragette Dorothy is just the first in a line of generally unlikeable characters. While I admire dedication to a cause, leaving your 2 children as orphans and making them watch you die is despicable, in my opinion. And her descendant, another Dorothy, who becomes "disillusioned" with her husband (who, from what we're told, is nothing but decent, if a bit dull) after 50 years? If it were a man leaving his wife to shrivel and die in a nursing home, we'd be outraged. But it's apparently okay for a woman to do it because she basically decides her life has been boring? Her daughter isn't much better, a stereotypically neurotic New York mother arranging contrived playdates for kids who don't like each other. About the only character I could admire was Evelyn, daughter of the starver, who traveled to New York after World War I to attend college and eventually became a professor - how awesome is that? But she's alone and unhappy, herself.

Are women totally equal with men in every area? No. Is there still work for feminism to do? Yes. But from what I could tell, none of these women were all that "oppressed" - in most cases, it was their own choices (or, in the case of the orphaned Evelyn, her mother's choice) that made them unhappy. Or it was just that life wasn't the 100% fulfilling and didn't turn out exactly as they'd planned. Join the club, ladies.

The verdict: I'm oversimplifying, but the point of this book seemed to be that being a woman has always sucked and that that never changes. Woo hoo.

Update: Nobody in book club liked it, either! The too many Dorothy's, lack of "organization," and general unlikeable-ness of the characters got to everyone. We couldn't figure out why it was a National Book Award finalist. The only positive thing that could be said was that it least it was a fairly short book, so the agony wasn't prolonged!