My Reading Frenzy

Graphic Novels Galore

In addition to my recent experience with Raina Telgemeier, I also read Bryan Lee O'Malley's Seconds, Sailor Twain by Mark Seigel, The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman and Eddie Campbell, and Tomboy by Liz Prince.

I can admit I have not read O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim books (and it is possible I never will) though, I have seen the movie, which I know does not really count because the book is ALWAYS better. Seconds is a stand alone story about Katie who is a chef and restaurant owner. Even without having read Scott Pilgrim I know this is a departure. Katie is dissatisfied with a number of aspects of her life, including her relationship with her ex and the speed at which her new restaurant is being readied to open. Through some plot turns Katie discovers she has a house spirit in her apartment who offers her a way to make changes to her past. One night when a server at the restaurant is badly burned, Katie makes the first of a series of changes.

It should come as no surprise that the changes do not work out quite as Katie hoped. We're not talking "The Monkey's Paw" type changes, but they throw Katie into turmoil. This is definitely not a graphic novel for kids, but certainly teens and adults. I enjoyed it enough to think seriously about picking up the Scott Pilgrim books. (One of my favorite sources for used graphic novels is Second Story Books in Washington, DC - I have only visited the store in Dupont Circle, but they have others. They also have an excellent selection of art books.)

Since I am on a bit of a tear with graphic novels these days, I jumped into The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Eddie Campbell.  This is not strictly a graphic novel, it is more of a mixed media experience with some elements of the story told in a traditional narrative form with illustrations while other segments use panels and speech bubbles. With only two main characters, the story features flashback to tell us more about Calum McInnes and the man (or dwarf) he leads to the cave to find treasure. Like many Gaiman tales this one is not for children. This is a folktale or fairy tale perhaps from the Isle of Skye, but as the subtitle says it is, "A Tale of Travel and Darkness with Pictures of All Kinds." 

Next up is Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel. I did not love this one. I liked it well enough, but there were a few irritating elements. I liked the art quite a bit. On its face, it is the story of a mermaid and a married steamboat captain who helps her when she is injured. But the mermaid is not exactly Ariel and Captain Twain is not as loyal as one might hope. There is a side story about Lafayette who owns the ship and has lost his brother to the mermaid's song and is desperately trying to avoid his own downfall. Weave in a female novelist who has been published as a man and you have an interesting story grappling with some feminine archetypes. All that said, I liked it, I did not love it.

Finally, just yesterday, I finished Tomboy, by Liz Prince. This one I loved. I think it should be in every middle school library everywhere and high schools too! I can't usually love a graphic novel that is not in color, but Prince's artwork is so spot on in capturing the nuances of her younger self that I did not even miss the color. This is a great story about Prince growing up as a tomboy, having to find her own way with friends and boyfriends who are not sure how to relate to someone who so clearly rejects society's gender norms. I think this is an important story for kids of all ages to read (though it is probably most appropriate for middle schoolers and up). The questions Prince raises about the expectations we have for the behavior, dress, look, everything about boys and girls are mind blowing. The graphic novel format is becoming an important tool for starting conversations about topics related to identity and acceptance.  READ IT!

Next up: Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud...it may be a bit late for this, but I am sure I will learn something from this highly regarded guide to comics.

 

Summer Reading 2014 - Part II

I ran through books quite quickly this summer - or in the three weeks of it I had since I did not get a full summer vacation - I know- boohoo - no one feels sorry for me, and I do not either. The work I did with teachers in July was gratifying and renewing in a way that July usually is not.

After the books I covered in Summer Reading 2014 - Part I, I jumped into 6 more, without a dud in the whole stack:

1.  Lexicon by Max Barry - At one point I owned two copies of this book. I waited quite a long time to read either one, though it was on the top of my TBR pile as soon as I bought it the first time. I am partly sorry I waited so long and partly so mind-blown by it that all regrets have faded. The premise is that words are powerful...what a concept. If any of my former English students are reading this, I am not crazy, words are powerful and this story illustrates that they can even be deadly. Set in the not too distant future, Emily escapes her life on the streets by attending a super-secret school that teaches its students how to be "persuasive." Barry explores the issues of persuasion and the power of language in a way that makes the read a bit wary of those who may seem a bit too glib or at ease with command. A powerful and provoking exploration of mind manipulation and psychology.

2.  Heirs of Grace by Tim Pratt - Upon being called to the reading of a will for a man she does not know, Bekah finds herself with a house, siblings, and magical powers. I just never get tired of well-done stories about magic, mostly because ever since Harry Potter I have been sad not to have magic powers. Romance, adventure, and humor are mixed together in this story that was originally published as a Kindle serial. Not sure how I feel about the concept and am glad I did not have to wait to read this entertaining novel.

3.  Champion by Marie Lu - This is another book I had on the shelves for quite a while but put off reading...for no good reason. This is the third in the Legend series. The Republic of America faces certain annihilation by the Colonies if doctors cannot find a cure for a virulent plague the Colonies believe the Republic has created and unleashed. Day, as hero of the people, and June as a Princeps-Elect, put their nation before their relationship. I love YA dystopia and have no probelm with the idea that 17-year-olds will save us all. Fantasy and dystopia are all mixed up anyway. 

4. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - This is considered a classic of children's literature, winning the Newbery in 1979. The story is a bit dated, and reminded me of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein, a 2013 publication. I like the concept of each, that a group of people must use clues to solve puzzles that will lead to prizes and glory (not too far from the concepts of Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but without the borderline creepiness). The most significant difference in The Westing Game is that the participants are a mix of children and adults. The story is clearly for children as the main character is a child and the novel is short, but it does not talk down to the reader in a way I think too many middle grade and YA books do today.

5.  Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg - I have read two other books by Flagg and see them as very close to ideal for summer reading. They are not saccharine and overly cheerful, but there are moments of reading when a tall, cool, glass of iced tea (unsweetened for me - I am a Jersey girl after all) and a rocking chair on the porch would round out the experience perfectly. The two main characters here are Norma and her aunt Elner, both residents of Elmwood Springs, Missouri, a location for other stories, but I have not read any of those, only Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe andThe All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion. I think I'll save reading another by her for the dead of winter when I need to feel summery.

6.  One Plus One by Jojo Moyes - This is the first novel I have read by Moyes, though I have been tempted to purchase others in the past. I will be reading more now. Tanzie is a maths genius. Her half-brother Nicky does not fit in at school. Jess works two jobs to keep the family afloat in a not-very-nice suburb of London. The bulk of the novel revolves around the three days they spend traveling with one of Jess's cleaning clients trying to get Tanzie to a math Olympiad competition where she could win enough money to cover the cost of a private school to which she has been admitted but they cannot afford. Throw in a smelly dog, a fair amount of vomiting, and some romance and you have a story worthy of a satisfying summer read.

Now I am going to get back to reading as I return to work soon and will miss having so much time to indulge in good books!

Summer Reading 2014 - Part I

As I did not work in a school this year, my summer was significantly shorter than in the past.  I still managed to fit in quite a bit of reading in three weeks. I consider my summer reading anything I read during my three free weeks in August, not what I read in July in the evenings after working 10 hours a day.  (Sadly, I read very little because I was mostly exhausted those nights and just sat on the couch watching Dr. Who - David Tennant, in all his dreamy-ness.)  I can remember a few of the books I read then I will include them on this list. 

I started my 6 day vacation in Maine with The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. There has been lots of buzz about this one as AJ owns an independent bookshop. It also came recommended by a colleague in the 5 minutes we had to chat about books in July.  I figured if this was the one she could call to mind it must be memorable, and it was. Highly recommend for its nice story as well as the bookshop anecdotes.

Side note: For a number of reasons I recently purchased a Kindle. I read the above on it after purchasing it for a reasonable price. I spend far too much money on books. I also check a fair number out of the library and buy from used stores. What I have balked at is paying over $10 for an ebook. Most of what I have I have gotten for free as review copies, or inexpensively when Amazon offers a deal. It seems that if I am going to spend over $10 I want a paper and cardboard book to show for it. $10 seems like a good threshold for new-ish books, when a hardback is significantly more expensive and a paperback is upwards of $11. I have been pleased with my purchase and found it very convenient when we were in and out of hotels and the car. I have also adjusted well to reading in a different format which will also come in handy on the Metro. My bag of books stayed right in the trunk (and became a bit fuller during the journey) until we arrived home to VA.

The second book I read was Deborah Harkness's A Discovery of Witches. I will admit I made an effort to avoid vampire books after the atrocities perpetuated by Stephenie Meyer - though it was Bella more than the vampires I found offensive. By the time I realized what a large role vampires play in this one, it was too late and I was hooked. There was a bit to much "I am enthralled by this vampire and am therefore his for all eternity" on the part of the heroine, but the story moved along well and the world-building was thorough and consistent. I purchased the second book in the series, Shadow of Night (which I am happy to say involves time travel to Elizabethan England) as an ebook as well, but the 3rd I picked up at an independent bookstore I love in Madison, CT called RJ Julia. I just began the 2nd book, making myself wait until I had read all the books I brought to VA from DC in order to avoid taking them back unread. 

Because we were so busy in ME, I only read those two books. As soon as we returned to VA, I began Isla and the Happily Ever After, by Stephanie Perkins. I loved Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. Perkins suffers from depression and took a bit longer to finish this story than she anticipated. While the book was certainly worth the wait, I do not feel it was as strong as the other two. But what I did especially like was that while it is still a YA love story, she moved away from the formula of the first two in a way that made it more difficult to predict how the relationship between Isla and Josh would turn out. Anna, Etienne, Lola, and Cricket put in an appearance but are only a side story in Josh and Isla's relationship. I had pre-ordered the book from Hooray for Books in Old Town Alexandria where I went to see Perkins as well as Ellen Oh, Victoria Schwab and Megan Shepherd in January and picked it up on our way out of town. I felt like it should be my next read since I had already waited so long. 

One book I can now recall reading in July was My Salinger Year, by Joanna Rakoff about the year she spent working for JD Salinger's agency. One of her jobs was to answer his fan mail with a form letter indicating that Salinger had requested not to receive any letters. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is that Rakoff had not read any of his work before getting the job and put if off until she had been there many months. This makes her before and after reactions to the fan letters an intriguing part of the story. I like Salinger's work, but never reacted to it the way many of my students did to Catcher in the Rye. Rakoff's insights into publishing were enlightening as well.

That is probably enough for Part I...I'll discuss the rest of my summer reading stack in my next post. 

 

A satisfying ending

to a series came in the form of City of Heavenly Fire, by Cassandra Clare, the 6th book in The Mortal Instruments series.  I have enjoyed all of the books in this series and The Infernal Devices series which for now is only 3 books. It is no surprise after the success of these books (with a movie version of City of Bones, which I do not think did well at the box office) that she is working on a third series, The Dark Artifices, centering on characters introduced in City of Heavenly Fire.  It seems she is also working on a new series with Holly Black, the first book due out in September.  

Reasons I like the series:

1.  Excellent world building, no inconsistencies (like how Luke asks Leia if she remembers her mother and Leia says she remembers she was very beautiful, but in Episode III, Padme dies only minutes after the twins are born, thus making it impossible for Leia to know anything about her mother. - Poorly done George Lucas.) 

2.  The books are so rich and detailed about the history of the Shadowhunters, and their nemeses the Downworlders you could read them more than once and probably should to understand all the intricacies.  (Hard to believe there are critics who think YA is light and simple.)

3.  Great mix of fantasy, romance, and adventure. 

4.  These books did not remind me of any others...unique and addictive.

Trilogies....again

It can be no surprise that I have again finished the third book in a trilogy...two actually.  It is nearly impossible these days to read YA without being sucked into a trilogy. Last night I finished The Selection series by reading The One and the day before, the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy with Dreams of Gods and Monsters. One of these trilogies is one of my favorites of recent years...the other, I am not really sure about, even after having finished.  

Laini Taylor is a strong world builder and I have loved all three books, beginning with Daughter of Smoke and Bone, [which I listened to courtesy of SYNC (which provides a free audio book a week through the summer - awesome!) as a way of re-reading it, just before the second book was released] and continuing with Days of Blood and Starlight, which I reread sort of by accident, but am glad I did. I could go on and on gushing about these books, but that is not helpful to readers. Instead I will say, that characters are believable and evoke a range of emotions in the reader. The world Taylor has built has consistent rules that are not muddled when the author needs the way out of a tough spot; she clearly had the entire trilogy set out before beginning so there is a clear path in the narrative that ends, not without surprises, but with no convenient plot contrivances. This sounds quite clinical, but these characteristics are part of why I loved the series so much. Not for nothing, the love story is stirring and each and every character is crafted carefully.

On the other hand, I liked The Selection series by Kiera Cass less. The trilogy began well, as I discuss here. It seems I did not review the second, The Elite, but remember liking it less than the first, and sadly now, the third book less than that. And in this case, it wasn't even the whole book, just the end which tied up the relationship between America and Maxon a bit too neatly.  Here be spoilers:  I feel the death of both the king and the queen was a bit much. This makes Maxon's ascension to the throne too easy. We have been set up to believe he and America will rule well together despite their youth, but I think the queen could have been allowed to live as a strengthening and guiding force without hindering their work. Losing both parents and a variety of others in one fell swoop, just pages from the end, was too much.  

I'm off to hunt for the next great YA trilogy.

Holiday Time Reading

I was able to do quite a bit of reading during my Christmas break along with relaxing and spending time with family and friends.

Not too long ago I read Graceling by Kristin Cashore.   I followed up with Fire the companion novel.  On one hand I was irritated not to get the continuing story of Katsa and Po, but it did not take many pages before I was caught up in the story of Fire and Brigan.  Their story takes place in the same world as that of Katsa and Po, but many years before.  There is also a significant cross-over character who will be important in the third book, Bitterblue, which is at the top of my TBR pile. 

I do like the books I read at holiday time to be generally cheerful.  I chose well with The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.  It is a love story in which the romantic lead is a man with Aspberger's.  As more and more children and adults are diagnosed we will see more and more literature of this type.  The object of his affection is Rosie, a woman who on paper, or according to Don's questionnaire, is completely wrong for him.  There are few surprises in this love story, but the tale is so sweet and so indicative of the Aspberger's experience that it is informative as well as heart-warming. 

 

Next up was The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg.  This is the first of her books I have read, though I have seen Fried Green Tomatoes, the movie version of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.  This novel moves back and forth from present day (approximately) to right before World War II.  I enjoyed both segments, which of course intersected, but the WWII were great historical fiction.  Just like in Flygirl, by Sherri L. Smith, which I read last year, this is the story of women pilots, a whole family of them.  I find this topic really interesting and appreciate the incorporation of historical accuracy with the story of women who might really have been there.  

 

For New Year's Eve I read Persepolis by Marjane Patrapi, which made me want to know more about the Iranian people.  All I know pertains to the time after the establishment of the Islamic republic.  I know almost nothing about the rich and ancient culture of Persia.  I also had time to visit my favorite used bookstore in Norfolk, The Book Exchange, where I picked up Lauren Myracle's ttyl and L8r, g8r but not ttfn.  I did not find ttyl as shocking as I expected given the buzz I have heard about the series.  I just found it to be a realistic depiction of teen life.  I look forward to the next two books.   I also started This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen, whose work I always enjoy. 

Big Bloggin' Slacker

Some people might give me the benefit of the doubt over my long posting absence.  Those of you who just leapt right to judging me....well you are in the right.  I have been lazy and not blogging about what I read.  This of course, as I have lamented before, completely goes against the reason I started a blog in the first place, which was to record the books I read because they do not all stick in my mind the way I would like.

In my defense:

1.  I do write a journal every day to record my adventures as the Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress, so I am doing a lot of writing. 

2.  I also spend a lot of time exploring Washington, DC so my time for blogging is more limited.

Neither of these excuses is strong, but at least they are honest.  So without further ado, here are some of the books I have read since last blogging, with mini-reviews. 

1.  The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness:  I liked this one most especially because it was another re-imagining of a dystopic world, but one totally different from anything before and gladly after.  Next up in my reading pile is the second in the series: The Ask and the Answer.  On one hand I am afraid to read because book 1 ended with our hero and heroine in a very precarious situation, but on the other hand....I MUST find out what happens to them.

2.  The Disenchantments by Nina LeCour: This novel was fabulous because its characters are all artists of one sort or another.  There are lots of sports novels that I think are meant to draw in sporty kids who someone believes do not like to read.  But I love a story about musicians and artists.  This is definitely a high school book, but one I would recommend to any high schooler who likes to read and is perhaps a bit apprehensive about life post-high school.

3 & 4.  Jepp Who Defied the Stars by Katherine Marsh and The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd:  I did not finish either of these books because the first did not really catch my interest and the second because its first 50 pages were filled with ridiculous cliches of plot and metaphor. 

5.  Allegiant by Veronica Roth: WOW!  What an ending!  Roth has done it, she has ended a trilogy in what I felt was a totally satisfying way.  I know there is chatter around the blogs that she broke readers' hearts, but I say, all's fair in dystopic YA fiction.  This is a series I will read again to capture the emotional impact of all three books without a year or more of time between.

6.  The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater:  I have said it before and I will say it again. Maggie Stiefvater and I should be friends.  I will not go so far as to say "we are just alike" and "I totally get her," because those two things are ridiculous, but I think she has an outlook with which I agree and I think I could bring a lot to the friendship.  The books was amazing.  It does not suffer from second book syndrome.  Stuff happened, important stuff happened, the story progressed, there was no treading of water so that the third book can be tumultuous and earth-shattering.  I listened to The Raven Boys before reading this to refresh me on the details, and I am glad I did.  Now I wait for the third installment.  Sigh.

7.  Graceling by Kristin Cashore:  Yes, I am a bit late to this party, but I have wanted to read this trilogy for a while, and just never did.  This is of course good because I can read all three quickly without waiting for the next book to be released.  I realize this is good for book sales in many ways, but it is frustrating to me as a reader who does not often re-read books.  It is difficult for me to remember details from earlier books, but I also dislike when the other front-loads a book with reminders from the previous stories.  Yes, I am very picky!

8.  March by John Lewis:  There is a lot of weight on the shoulders of Congressman John Lewis who is the only surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington.  He has handled some of his legacy by writing a graphic novel about his experiences.  While the book is aimed at middle grade readers, I think it is still a great way to look at the Civil Rights movement from the first person perspective.  I look forward to the continuation of the story. 

There may be others I have read, but I cannot remember any right now.  I am part way through Foodist by Darya Pino Rose and The Secret Lives of Codebreakers by Sinclair McKay. 

McCafferty, Carson, and Turgeon

So my blogging has been sporadic since I moved to DC to work at the Library of Congress for the year, but since last Tuesday's government shut down my excuses for not writing have all but disappeared.  The good news is that I have mostly been using my time wisely to visit the museums and attractions that are still open and reading.  I finished three YA gems in the past few weeks:

1.  Jessica Darling's It List by Megan McCafferty  I will start by saying I loved McCafferty's YA/adult series about Jessica Darling that began with Sloppy Firsts.  Part of the appeal was the Ocean County, NJ setting.  But beside the frequent references to the Seaside boardwalk, Jessica Darling was a delightfully flawed main character.  Simply put, she is believably real, which to me is the mark of a well-written character.  This new novel takes us back to Jessica's middle school days.  This is obviously a bid to catch some younger readers who will hopefully follow Jessica through this new series and then move to the five original books.  It has been a while since I read them, but I feel the younger Jessica is true to her older self.  Her worries and challenges are also in line with those of actual 7th grade girls.  I definitely recommend this for actual middle school readers as well as those who liked the tales of Jessica's high school years.

2.  The Fairest of Them All by Carolyn Turgeon I can freely admit I had not heard of this author when I won my copy of this book from The Beheld, a site dedicated to the deconstruction of beauty stereotypes.  The blogger was promoting the author as someone who turns fairy tales around to look at the dangerous underside of their presentation of "happily ever after."  This story combined Rapunzel and Snow White into a fairy tale mash-up.  While I appreciated the look at feminine power based on beauty and what happens when beauty fades, I did not feel the tale was entirely natural.  There were plot elements that felt contrived in order to meet the needs of the message, but since I felt the message was a positive one I can overlook the minor flaws.  I think this sort of retelling is important if only to remind us to consider stories from multiple perspectives.

3.  The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson I had to wait longer than I would have liked to read this because I had it shipped home rather than to DC and it sat there alone in its box until I could get it.  This was the final in the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy.  I have kept reading despite the second book falling victim to the 2nd book syndrome. This was a satisfying end to the series, though I have not yet figured out if the author intended Christian/religious overtones or not.  It does not really matter because Elisa's story of having to find internal strength to lead her people trumps any reliance she has on a higher power....so I guess I answered my own question there. 

 

Right now I am finishing up Empty Mansions about Huguette Clark and started reading The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond. 

Books in DC

On one hand, my grand schemes to read a lot while living in DC have worked out, on the other, they haven't.  Maybe I should explain.  I have discovered that there is a lot of really awesome stuff to do in DC that does not involve books, though there is a bunch of book related stuff as well.  In my just over a week here, I have spent a great deal of time doing stuff and exploring the city and not necessarily reading books all the time.  But that is not to say that I have not done any reading or bookish type adventuring.

1.  I have been carrying a book with me everywhere so that on the Metro or if I just happen to see a lovely bench during my travels I am prepared for some reading.  This has also helped to justify my purchase over the years of various purses that really are bigger that what I usually prefer to carry.  Now a requirement is that a book fit in along with all my other exploring gear.

2.  On Wednesday I fulfilled a dream by going to the DC famous independent bookstore Politics and Prose.  The author was Joe Yonan a food writer for The Washington Post, the book is Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook.  I have made one recipe so far and have grand plans for a few more in the not too distant future. 

3.  I have read four books since I have been here, which is pretty good given how much time I have spent jaunting about when reading is not appropriate, like say while viewing the exhibits at the Corchoran Gallery of Art. 

     A.  Among the Janeites by Deborah Yaffe.  I always thought I was a fan of Jane Austen, but this book convinced me that at best I am just a liker...sort of.  It did make me want to re-read all her work and seek out a few of the more highly regarded film versions of her works.  I have always liked Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet and did find the version with Dan Stevens because I liked him in Downton Abbey.  There is also a Mansfield Park with Billie Piper of Dr. Who fame I have queued up.  This morning I also watched the first installment of a BBC version of Emma from 2009.  To continue, the book was a really interesting look into the world of people who truly love Austen's work and know it far better than I.

    B.  Superstar Babes by Narinder Dhami.  This one is a cute book in a series about three young teen sisters in London who get themselves into various scrapes.  This is the author who wrote Bend it Like Beckham, which I have not read (I saw the movie though.).  The other books, Bindi Babes, Bollywood Babes, and Bhangra Babes are equally charming stories appropriate for a middle school audience.  

    C.  Next was Doll Bones by Holly Black.  This was creepy, but not as creepy as I was expecting.  I acquired this book right after it was released, because after White Cat, Red Glove, and Black Heart, I have been wanting to read more of her work.  AND I just found out at the end of last week, that I am going to get to introduce Black when she comes to the National Book Festival in a few weeks.  (Yes, this is super-exciting and I am nervous and thrilled and a bit afraid I might act a fool in front of her.) She is coming to talk about The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, which I have pre-ordered to read in time for the intro.  I really felt that if I were going to introduce  her properly I better have read a few more titles.

   D.  Today I read Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters, who passed away August 8th.  She is the author of the Amelia Peabody series of mysteries as well, but I liked this one better than I did those.  I like mysteries a lot, but really enjoy ones I can finish quickly so I am not tempted to flip to the last page to end the suspense. The heroine, Vicky Bliss is an art historian, which means creepy castles, and lost artwork.  Just my type of mystery. 

4.  Today I visited Capitol Hill Books, a used bookstore near the Eastern Market.  The last time I was there it was impossible to look for anything because of all the people.  The shelves and their close proximity to each other makes browsing an adventure already so it was much more pleasant with only a few other patrons.  I picked up a few Terry Pratchett Disc World novels.  I have been planning for a while to jump into these and was chivvied along this path recently by Charlotte of Charlotte's Library who recently devoured these and whose opinions I regard highly.  

5.  Next up in non-fiction is a biography of Margaret Fuller by Megan Marshall who also wrote  The Peabody Sisters, a book that totally blew up everything I thought I knew about Transcendentalism.  I recently listened to Marmee and Louisa by Eve LaPlante about Louisa May Alcott and her mother in which Fuller was discussed so it seemed time when I ran across this biography to find out more about her. 

Off the Pace

I think I am off my book-a-day pace.  My last post was Monday the 12th and it is now Tuesday the 20th.  In that time I have read only four books.  In all honesty, one of the books, The Uncommon Reader I read the evening of the 12th.  (It's a quick read.)  In it, the uncommon reader is Queen Elizabeth II who has come to reading a bit late in life, 2007 if we go by the book's publication date.  It is an interesting look at how she becomes immersed in books, realizing how much can be learned about life, the world, and humanity from reading.  It is a sweet little story worth the hour or so it takes to read.  Another good Queen Elizabeth II is Mrs. Queen Takes the Train. 

Next I moved on to another Diana Wynne Jones, Earwig and the Witch.  This one is definitely an elementary read, but it was a cute story about an orphan who outsmarts a witch.  A good "girl power" story.  Yey, again a very short book. 

Next, I picked up Infinityglass by Myra McEntire at the bookstore last Wednesday and began reading immediately.  This threw me off my pace a bit because it was not as quick a read as the rest in the pile I had created for myself.  I had not planned to buy it, since I did not care for the second book in the series Timepiece.  (This was yet another title that proved my theory about second books in trilogies.) But I caved because the third in a trilogy is usually much better than the second, though rarely as good as the first.  This proved true in this case as well.  This third book focused on a secondary character from the first two books as well as someone completely new.   The old favorites popped up eventually, but their stories were not central to this one.  McEntire has created a complicated world with all sorts of details to remember about each character's powers and his or her limitations.  I can be a bit unwieldy without re-reading the earlier book, which I have not.  Someday, if I ever have time (ha) I might read the trilogy again to refresh the whole arc of the story.  I will be interested to see what McEntire does next. 

Finally, just moments ago I finished No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman.  Earlier in the summer I read Schooled, which may have been the first in my book-a-day challenge.  I have been intrigued by Korman since I heard him speak at my state's library conference last November.  His stories often take place in middle school, kids seem to enjoy them.  I find them to be a bit unrealistic, but the exaggerations certainly fit the tales and are not beyond believability.  In this one, Wallace Wallace's (Yep, same first and last name, not a typo.) detention for writing a negative book review of the teacher's favorite novel sets of a series of events related to the school play based on the book and Wallace's somewhat disappointing middle school football career.  A weird mix, but one  that works for this story about how important being part of something is for kids. 

That's it, in 8 days, 4 books.  Sad, I know.  But in my defense I spent one whole day moving most of my stuff to Washington, DC and two others packing, and I went to the gym four of last week's five week days. 

Next up: The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall.

Making progress

So, I finished The Ogre Downstairs and A Study in Sherlock.  This one is a collection of short stories written by various mystery writers that all connect to Sherlock Holmes in some way.  I enjoyed the stories, but generally do not like to read short stories.  As a genre I love short stories, I loved teaching them.  Some of the best short story writers, Hawthorne, Hemingway, Chopin featured in my teaching for years, but for my own personal reading, I prefer something more sustained.

Next I moved to Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith.  I have not yet read anything by him that I did not like and some of them I have loved.  This one was a charming story of four people in a railway car from Edinburgh to London.  They share stories with each other that are intimate, yet not necessarily revealing of everything.  It is a lovely meditation on love, but also the ways that humans can connect if we just allow ourselves to trust in humanity and compassion. 

 

Just now I finished Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher.  I had only read one book by Chris Crutcher when I heard him speak at the VA librarian conference in 2011.  Afterwards I aquired a number of his books, but this is the first I have read.  Now I am hooked.  He has worked for years as a child protection specialist which makes me sad.  It makes me think that the stories he tells about what some kids go through are probably truer than I would like to know about, but his stories are real and told in clear, strong language so that we as readers know he is not sensationalizing or trying to embellish.  I have placed a few more of his books into my boxes to take to DC.  I do not want too much time to pass before I read another of his books.

 

Up next: The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.   

6 down....infinity to go

After challenging myself on August 4th to read a book a day until I finish the pile of kids books I have selected along with some books of short stories I need to finish, I have read six and a half books, and anticipate finishing the 1/2 today.  This means I am a bit ahead of the pace!  Yay me!

I have read:

I'll Pass for Your Comrade by Anita Silvey, which I mentioned in the original book challenge post.  I really liked this, but it left me wanted to know more about each woman Silvey mentions.  Right now I have no time for further research, but someday.... 

Next was Everything on a Waffle, by Polly Horvath, a Newbery Honor Book from 2002.  This one takes place in a quaint town in British Columbia with some stock characters like the gruff uncle, the quirky diner lady, and a sort-of orphan.  But when the plot veers away from the expected, the characters do as well, which is I suppose why this was considered for a Newbery. 

After that I read the companion books Just as Long as We're Together and Here's to You Rachel Robinson by Judy Blume.  I enjoyed both and they moved well covering just brief periods in the lives of 7th graders Stephanie, Rachel, and Alice.  These were not as delightful as Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, nor as controversial as Are You There God it's Me Margaret, but were nonetheless good showings by Blume. 

The final book I have read so far in its entirety is Romeo Blue by Phoebe Stone, the sequel to The Romeo and Juliet Code, a book I LOVED!  Ironically I stated in my review that I would prefer their not to be a sequel, but there is and I read it and love it too!  Just goes to show how much I know.  I love Stone's phrasing, it is almost poetic, and since I dislike verse novels, I am surprised I like her style.  Because the book takes place during World War II, it is not primarily a happy story, but the way the characters go on with life, managing to find joy amid the awfulness is a real portrayal of life at this time.  It is historical fiction, without feeling like historical fiction.  I love historical fiction, but my students avoid it, but this is a book that might trick them. 

The book I am half done with is Diana Wynne Jones's The Ogre Downstairs.  It is really about step-families and not surprisingly, a magical chemical set.  So far I am enjoying it.  I find Jones's books fabulously inventive.  Other people may follow in her footsteps, but she is fresh and unique every time.  Not sure what I will move to after this one, it will depend on my mood later this afternoon when I finish. 

Baby, You're Gorgeous

I have just finished Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick.  This is the first of anything I have read by him and what  I believe is his first YA novel.  Though this is one of the smartest and sassiest YA I have ever read. 

After Becky's mother dies she finds a phone number that will change her life.  Super-designer Tom Kelly will give her three dresses that will make her the most beautiful woman in the world.  She has 24 hours to accept and become Rebecca or go back to East Trawley, Missouri and live out her rather uninspiring life as Becky.  So of course she says "yes."  What follows is of course a novel about discovering ones-self, as all YA is.  (I have written about this before, but frustratingly cannot find the post, dang it.)  But so much more it is a novel about the power of beauty, the trick of beauty, and the love of self and others for what they are, not what they seem to be.  (There are many layers to this last one.)  It was a novel that truly surprised me and would be fodder for great discussions in a high school book club (Yes, this is solidly a high school choice.) 

Summer Reading: Brain Candy or Lit-ra-chure

I seek out two different types of books in the summer. 

1.  Light reading that some would call "beach reading."  These are the books that are entertaining, often with a charming setting and a happy ending.  To that end I have already devoured Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams, Where Have all the Boys Gone?, and Amanda's Wedding, all by Jenny Colgan, a recent discovery of mine.  Additionally I have read Mr. Darcy's Dream by Elizabeth Aston, bittersweet by Sarah Ockler, and The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes, though honestly I read that one before the school year officially ended, but mentally I was there already.  I can honestly say I enjoyed each of these books and have an extensive line up of this sort of reading ready for July and August.  I set my expectations low, but thus far have been happy to have been told a good story by competent to excellent writers.  

2.  Literature,  the types of books that require all my concentration.  This summer I WILL read both Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, both of which have been on my shelf for an embarrassingly long time.  I also have a few by Salman Rushdie, both Midnight's Children that I am really looking forward to and The Satanic Verses.  Not too long ago I read Fall of Giants by Ken Follett, which I loved.  I have the sequel Winter of the World on deck for July as well as Pillars of the Earth.  These books are so chock full of characters and plot machinations that they need my full attention.  I also place non-fiction in this category.  I have trouble reading non-fiction sometimes as it does not always have the quick pace of a novel, but I pick subjects in which I am interested to keep me going.  I am currently two-thirds of the way through Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss.  The writing is excellent, exceeded only by the depth of research on the scary topic of processed foods. 

Fitting into neither the former category nor the latter are Legend by Marie Lu and The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway.  These are not just entertaining, but also fodder for thought, but do not require quite the same level of intense reading as do Booker Prize winners Mantel and Rushdie.  Lu's book has a sequel to which I am looking forward, along with a bevy of other YA items I have been piling up in anticipation of summer.  I find that sometimes YA fits into the brain candy category and sometimes it does not.  I almost always like what I read in YA, but sometimes find the plots to be too predictable. 

 

Anyway, I wish a full shelf of summer reading for you all!

YA at its Finest

I recently read three really excellent YA titles:  A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff (which is admittedly a bit closer to middle grade than YA.), Enchanted by Alethea Kontis and Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller and Zach Stentz.  I really enjoyed them all for different reasons.

A Tangle of Knots involves people coming together because of old and new attachments.  The story is really beautifully done as we meet individuals who turn out to have connections to others in the story.  They all cross each others paths and either become permanent parts of each others lives or help to foster other long term relationships after a chance encounter.  It is really well done, lining everyone up and untangling by the end.  It illustrates how closely related we all really are in this big family of humanity. 

Enchanted has some similar tangles in it.  Sunday is the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter making her particularly interesting in a family of unique people.  This story is a brilliant mash-up of many fairy tales including "Sleeping Beauty," "Cinderella," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and others.  A tiny piece of each figures into the bigger story of Sunday and her immediate and extended family.  It is beautifully written  and ends with the possibility for a sequel that I personally would love to read. 

The main character in Colin Fischer loves a good mystery.  He likes the ordered thinking required to figure something out.  He takes notes on what he observes around him in a notebook.  He often ends a note with the word "Investigate."  Much of what Colin does is influenced by his Aspberger's Syndrome.  Unfortunately, this also causes problems for him as he begins high school on his own.  The story moves quickly and really only captures the first few weeks of Colin's time in high school but seems to accurately portray someone with Asperger's.  I would be interested to hear from a student like Colin to see how well done his characterization is.  

Clockwork Princess

I LOVED Cassandra Clare's latest in The Infernal Devices series, Clockwork Princess.  I do not remember liking the other two, Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince as much.  I really loved her other series Mortal Instruments  until I got to the 4th in the trilogy (Yep, that's what I meant, 4th in the trilogy.) City of Fallen Angels which I did not like at all.  As much as I loved this latest installment, I hope it will not be continued in a 4th book.  I'd like to see Clare write the story of the characters in between the generations presented in the two series. 

The reason I have loved these books is because Clare has done a wonderful job of world building.  In the shadows of the world, live the Nephilim or Shadowhunters, placed here on Earth to protect us all from Darkworlders.  Living in this different world separates the Shadowhunters from mortals (generally), but brings them in contact with warlocks, werewolves, vampires, and demons.  This is a completely original world that did not remind me of anything else.  I give high praise to a book that does that. 

I just read on Clare's website that there will be a 3rd series, but it will take place in the world of today rather than bridging the gap between the first two series....oh well, maybe someday. 

In Clockwork Princess I really could not pick a favorite character.  I like Will for his chilly exterior that covers deep and passionate feelings of love, friendship, and duty.  I love Tessa because she is a bold woman who has suffered greatly making her compassionate and strong.  Sophie, while a servant at the Institute, is humorous, and kind, and fiesty.  Then there is Jem, the heart of the story and the Institute.  I just really like them all.

Clare has a great way with the love stories, making each different, but there is still little mystery how they will all turn out.  The family tree on the inside of the dust jacket was a give-away, but I really appreciated knowing how all the names I know from the Mortal Instruments series link to the people in the Victorian series.   You see how intricately she has woven her stories.  Brilliant!  Despite the age of the characters, these just do not feel like YA novels.  They are simply tales of adventure, heroism in the face of evil, and love for any reader. 

Same premise, different story

I recently read/listened to two books with a similar premise: the royal family has been killed and treasonous interlopers have taken over the kingdom, only --------- can save the kingdom.  The first of these novels is The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen.  The second is Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta.  The first I enjoyed enough to continue to the second book, The Runaway King, the second I did not.  

The False Prince stars Sage, an orphan/street kid who is taken away by a man who needs to find a boy of the right age to impersonate Jaron, the missing prince in order to save the kingdom from chaos at the hands of power hungry regents.  Sage, Roden, and Tobias will spend time training to become Jaron.  Whoever best does so will return to Carthya to become king.  The other two will in all likelihood be killed.  

Ten years ago, the kingdom of Lumatere was attacked from within and the royal family wiped out.  A sorceress's curse has prevented the restoration of Lumatere.  The story begins as Finnikin, the son of the former captain of the guard, along with Sir Topher, the former king's first man, and Evanjalin, a religious novice seek to break the curse by finding Balthazar the heir to the throne.

For me, The False Prince was a much more exciting story with a fast pace.  Because of this I was interested to read the second book (and probably the 3rd) to find out how the kingdom fares with its new king.  I will not be reading Froi of the Exiles to find out about Lumatere.  Marchetta has a very heavy hand with the "power of the mysterious goddess" blabbity blab.  I call this the Red Tent effect.  I read The Red Tent when it was all the rage.  I hated it.  Let me be clear, I am all for the acceptance/belief/realization of the blow to women's power that came in with the rise of patriarchal Christianity.  However, I do not need nor want a novel to shove female mysticism and strength down my throat.  I feel Finnikin of the Rock did this in excess; it simply felt preachy.  I have asked one of my male students to read it because my adult perspective is often put off by elements of a book that kids either do not see or see differently.  

Both of these novels reminded me a bit of The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.  Both were inferior.  I would choose the Queen's Thief series by Turner over either of the two above. 

Holly Black is not...

in on the writing conspiracy with Maureen Johnson, Libba Bray, and Robin Wasserman, if her Curse Workers series is any indication.  I have now listened to the first two books in the series White Cat and Red Glove and am half-way finished with Black Heart.  I am enjoying them a great deal, but they do not align with the particulars of my theory.  One of the things I like best about them is the reader.  The three books are read by Jesse Eisenberg of The Social Network fame.  In fact, he recorded the first book just before the movie was released.  Despite his new-found success he has continued to read the other two books in the series, for which I am grateful.  He has a very nice voice and does an excellent job of emoting without going over the top.  Between the car and the gym I listen to many books and am planning a post about the topic, so keep a look out for it. 

One of the elements I like best about the series is how the fantasy is simply a part of the world as the characters know it.  I feel it takes a skilled writer to give out special powers as if they are an accepted part of our world.  The story is set here and now and some people are just born with abilities.  There are 7 different types of workers: luck, emotion, physical, dream, death, transformation, and memory.  Some types are more rare than others.  The main character comes from a family of workers, but he is not one, much to his embarrassment though working is illegal and association with organized crime.  But make no mistake about it, Cassell is not a worker, but he is certainly a criminal.   Cassell is the youngest of three boys.  His brother Philip is a physical worker, his brother Baron a memory worker, his mother is an emotion worker, and his grandfather is a death worker.  All together they are skilled grifters, often mixed up in some pretty ugly stuff.  Through it all, Cassell is trying to finish high school and forget the girl he loved....and killed three years ago.  I will be sad to reach the end of the third book, but I am anxious to see what happens to the family.  

 

 

Not too long ago, Maureen Johnson tweeted that pre-ordering the second book in her Shades of London series, The Madness Underneath would result in a signed book plate for the book as well as other mysterious prizes.  I went ahead because the "mysterious prizes" intrigued me and because I do like to support independent book shops when possible.  We have a pretty good one in Norfolk, Prince Books, but I am not always able to get there regularly and as much as my heart wants to buy from independents, my wallet does not always agree.  Anyway, I finished the book yesterday, and while I liked it, it suffered seriously from second book in the series-itis.  The story began slowly, which does not bother me much, but does often make things difficult for actual teen readers who can be impatient.  However, I was two-thirds of the way through the book and realized nothing really BIG had happened.  In fact outside of two pretty mundane murders this story is mostly about Rory and how she is settling into her new powers.  Again, this is not really a problem for me, but I read this book expecting a fright level equivalent to that in The Name of the Star, which creeped the bejeepers out of me.  Had I known what to expect I would not have been so disappointed, but I did not even have to turn all the lights on in the house for this one.  Oh well, despite not being what I expected the book was an excellent lead-up to what I hope will be a creep filled third installment. 

On a side note, I really appreciate Johnson's ability to write a mature, high-level text without gratuitous cursing or sex.  It makes her books perfect for my middle school readers who long to be challenge, but who are not emotionally mature enough for the other stuff yet.  Woohoo Maureen Johnson!

Fantsy, fantasy, bring on the fantasy

I have always liked fantasy and science fiction.  So even now, I look forward to new fantasy by favorite authors.  I am reading my way through Diana Wynn Jones work slowly so I can savor them all.  Recently I read two books I enjoyed a great deal, The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde and The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne Valente. 

I have read almost all of Fforde's Thursday Next series and his Nursery Crimes series, so I would have been able tell this YA book was by him even if his name were not printed on the cover.  He has such a distinctive tone and voice.  The main character Jennifer Strange is a foundling who runs Kazam Mystical Arts Management, an employment agency for magicians, not the birthday party type.  Sadly though over the years, magic has been fading from the world.  Not too far into the story Jennifer finds out that she is in fact the last dragonslayer who now needs to manage the death of the last dragon.  Jennifer's exceptional management skills, and orphan street smarts make this task a bit easier for her.  Fforde manages to make this a clever story about the strength of the individual as well as some rather adult political machinations.  I look forward to more in the series. 

The next fantasy I read, The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, also took place in a rich and detailed world.  Before read the story, I read commentary that said this sequel was darker than the first book, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.  This was said as a negative , but I believe this is exactly as it should be.  September is a year older and longing to return to Fairyland for another adventure.  When this finally happens, she returns to a very different place than the one she left.  This time September's story is about accepting the consequences of ones actions and doing something to make it right.  This is certainly dark, this is the darkness of adulthood.  September has turned 13, which in our world is rarely considered adulthood, but Jewish tradition marks the passing into adulthood for boys and girls at 13 and 12, respectively.  September's life in her world certainly is fraught with  as it seems they are immersed in the deprivations of World War II with rationing and the absence of her soldier father.  I do not think the story has made an inappropriate leap.  Valente's world building is once again strong as September goes beneath Fairyland.  She must awaken the rightful prince to take his place and recapture her own shadow who has become a queen.  Because the Hollow Queen is September herself the novel is also about the darkness within us all and our acceptance and control of that darkness.  I am hoping there will be a third book in this series. 

David Levithan's Every Day

is how I know I will never be a writer.  I mean how does he come up with these things.  I enjoyed Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist and Dash and Lily's Book of Dares that Levithan wrote with Rachel Cohn.  (I did not really like Naomi and ELy's No Kiss List.)  I also loved Will Grayson, Will Grayson by Levithan and John Green.  All of these books are mind bogglingly clever with an interesting approach without being weird or unrealistic.  How does he do it?!?!?

Every Day is the story of A., a spirit, boy, girl, person, something, who wakes up in a different body every day.  His/her life has always been this way.  As a child he/she thought this was the way everyone lived, then he/she discovered his/her uniqueness.  It is not until A. falls in love with Rhiannon that the trouble begins.  Before this, A. has always striven not to have much of an impact on the life of the daily host.  After the day he spends as Rhiannon's boyfriend Justin, A. makes an effort to see her as whomever he is that day.  The story is clearly fantasy and actually reminded me a bit of the Things Not Seen series by Andrew Clements.  As A. grows more and more frustrated with his/her lot in life we come back to the ever present "search for identity" motif in teen literature.  Levithan has turned this on its head by making it impossible, or so it seems for A. to have an identity, or is it his very lack of a permanent physical manifestation that makes his identitiy all that he does have. 

Lots of interesting questions and issues at work here. 

Libba Bray,

Maureen Johnson, and maybe Holly Black and Robin Wasserman are in cahoots.  I have recently read The Name of the Star by Johnson and The Diviners by Bray.  The former is about a creey killer from the past, the latter is about a creepy killer from the past.  I have not yet read The Book of Blood and Shadow by Wasserman, but the dust jacket blurb leads me to believe it might....be....about a CREEPY KILLER FROM THE PAST. (This one needs to go closer to the top of my TBR pile.)

This type of writing is a bit of a departure for Johnson whose previous novels include the Suite Scarlet series as well as 13 Little Blue Envelopes and its sequel, The Last Little Blue Envelope, none of which contain anything more creepy than a guy the heroine does not like at first. Now all of a sudden there is a sequel with equally creepy goings-on?

Bray is not new to stories of the supernatural as evidenced by her fabulous A Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy, but horror was not really a part of those books. 

Holly Black has more experience with the weird as in Black Heart, White Cat, and Red Glove, but these seem to be more fantasy than horror.  (Full discloser: I have not read any of them.)  

Robin Wasserman has some experience with sci-fi dystopia, but seems to have only delved into horror recently. 

So, my question is, were the four of them sitting around one night with a couple of bottles of wine brainstorming ways to challenge themselves and write something different?  I picture them writing down a bunch of ideas and putting them all  in a hat.  What came out was, "write a novel with..... A CREEPY KILLER FROM THE PAST." 

Since this blog has a limited audience I doubt if any of these writers will ever see my theory to confirm or deny, but I am convinced that something is going on here!

So to wrap it up, I really liked In the Name of the Star, though it did creep me out.  I fully intend to read its sequel The Madness Underneath despite what it may do to my ability to read at night with just a reading lamp.  The Diviners was really good as well.  Its setting in Jazz Age, Prohibition Era New York City is well researched and wonderful.  I am looking forward to the next in this series as well.  Luckily I have the Waserman and the Holly Black books to tide me over while I am waiting. 

The exception to the rule...

I made up the other day about the second book in a trilogy, is Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor.  This book was fabulous.  I rarely take my time with a book in order to savor it, I am more of a "devour it quickly" kind of reader, but this one made me want to slow down in part to keep it from being over, because now....I have to wait for the next one.  This folks makes me sad...and frustrated...and depressed.  I was lucky enough to be able to listen to Daughter of Smoke and Bone just before reading this installment.  It helped to refresh me.  This is a problem when books are released a year or more apart.  [This is gonig to be an issue when I begin reading Reached by Ally Condie next as it has been a year since I read Crossed and a year before that when I read Matched.  Details from Divergent's sequel (by Veronica Roth) Insurgent keep popping up whenever I try to remember Crossed.] As I have no reading impulse control I cannot wait until all the books are released to read them, I just have to rely on my faulty memory and the generosity of the author to do a bit of review (though philosophically I hate the idea).

So, if you have not figured it out yet, I loved the book.  It still had a bit of an unfinished feel, but I truly felt like the characters grew and progressed.  Karou and Akiva both had many moral decisions to make about their world and ours.  I am not sure if Taylor intended the story to be a commentary on current world events such as the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, but it can be read that way as the chimera and angels persist in killing each other, with each side viewing the other as monstrous, with good reason.  Taylor keeps the reader moving back and forth unable to decide which side is "right" and which is "wrong."  Both Karou and Akiva feel a strong pull to make a change to prevent the extinction of both their peoples.  It may come back to the cliché, "Love conquers all," but in this case I would be ok with that as the story is so well written it really defies cliché. 

Additionally, I am a big fan of the world Taylor has created.  The characters spend some time in the human world, especially in the first book, but the second takes place almost entirely in Eretz a world of creatures and magic, but again without predictable elements.  Sadly, as I have read so many books both YA and otherwise I find too many commonalities, but this series is unique and surprising, which I love. 

I would certainly recommend starting with the first book but if you are easily frustrated by waiting, I would consider holding off until the third book is released, hopefully around this time next year.  I am sure I will read many wonderful books between now and when the next one comes out, but if Taylor sustains the level of emotion and tension in the final book this will be one of my favorites of all time. 

2nd in a YA Trilogy

I have decided I am not a fan of the second book in a YA trilogy.  Too often these stories feel like they are treading water instead of advancing the story.  Sure, some stuff happens, but little is resolved.  I feel like authors write the first book not knowing if there will be a second so the story is complete even though there may be an opening to continue, but essentially the author has told a tale with a beginning, middle, and end.  However,  the second book deal seems to come with the deal for the third.  The author seems to think therefore there is no need to have the three parts when a third book is forthcoming.  This drives me crazy.  A 3RD BOOK DEAL DOES NOT RELIEVE YOU OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO TELL A COMPLETE STORY.  There I have said my peace about that.

So the two books I have read and been frustrated by are The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson, and Rebel Heart by Moira Young.  Now do not get me wrong, I enjoyed both books as far as they went.  I can also appreciate the need for a cliffhanger in order to get me back for the 3rd book, but I feel like little progress was made.

I read Rebel Heart first.  While it was good to see Saba interacting with Lugh I felt like more of him was needed, or more Jack.  I guess the third book will show how the two function when they are both part of Saba's life, but I felt we really got to know Jack in Blood Red Road, but the real Lugh, not the one of Saba's memories is still elusive.  This book was the chance to reveal him without the shadow of Jack, but that just did not happen.  I enjoyed especially the world building though new ways of living seem to have cropped up quite quickly after the death of Vicar Pinch and the take-over of DeMalo (who is just about the most interesting character in this installment).  So I liked this enough to continue when the 3rd book is released, but I am going to really be looking for some rich storytelling to make-up for the stagnation of this story.

My next read was The Crown of Embers, sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns.  I had high hopes for this book, but was also a bit disappointed.  Elisa does take control of her kingdom and make some actual decisions about her love life, but so little happens here.  I feel like too much of the movement was internal and there was a serious lack of action!  The romance was the best part if I ignore the ridiculous introduction of primitive birth control.  I suppose Carson was trying to include a message here about safe sex, but it felt seriously contrived and not at all empowering for Elisa to be making decisions about sexual activity and love.  As with the previous book, I have hope for the final installment of the trilogy. 

Maggie Stiefvater and I...

...should be best friends.  And here's why:

1.  She lives in Virginia, I live in Virginia.

2.  She writes brilliant books, I like to read brilliant books. 

3.  She is quirky as evidenced by her author's note at the end of the audiobook of The Scorpio Races; I am quirky as evidenced by my everyday behavior. 

Despite my desire to be best buds with a writer whom I admire, Maggie might be out of my reach despite the Virginia connection.  But at least I have her writing to keep me happy.  I just finished The Raven Boys, at the traffic lights on my way to work this morning, a practice I neither condone nor engage in except in very rare desperate situations.  I actually did not finish, but instead had to wait until I got to work where everyone in the world came in to see me first thing this morning....but finally I finished.  

WHAT A BOOK!  I loved it.  It reminded me a bit of The Secret History by Donna Tartt, which not surprisingly is on Stiefvater's Goodreads list of loved books.  (The Secret History is a book that disturbed me, which in turn confused me into not know whether I really liked it or not.) Oh, of course I am talking about The Raven Boys, the first in The Raven Cycle, which I hope means more than a trilogy.  The worst part is I have read this great book and will have to wait agonizingly for the next.  Stiefvater should not be out on a book tour, she should be home....writing.

Anyway the story has all the elements I love: some fantasy connected to a "once and future king" (not THE once and future king, but one nonetheless), magical ley lines and psychic abilities, a ghost, a love story with some teen angst, but not too much for the adult reader, a Greek chorus of aunts and friends, beautiful atmospheric writing, and a fabulous cast of main characters all of whom I like and want to know more about.  I was sad when she switched away from one character to visit another who I was happy to see again.  It was non-stop intriguing and fantastical, and I cannot wait to find out more. 

Reading Multiple Personalities

You would think based on my reading choices that I might have a multiple personality disorder; I rarely stick to one particular genre for a sustained period of time.  For this reason you may find my most recent reads to be all over the place genre-cally. 

In my last post I mentioned reading The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields, which is primarily about the extra-marital love life of Edith Wharton, one of my most favorite writers of all time.  While I enjoyed the novel, I was disappointed in Wharton.  While I understand this is a fictionalized account, the author used excerpts of Wharton's letters to Morton Fullerton.  I cannot possibly understand what Wharton's marriage to Teddy Wharton was like, but she allowed for what seems like a great deal of mistreatment from Fulleron in exchange for only small bits of happiness. 

Following that read, I began Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead.  The novel takes place during three days of the wedding weekend of Daphne Van Meter and Greyson Duff on Waskeke Island.  The wedding itself takes up only a few pages, but the two days before are rife with all sorts of turmoil.  Winn, Daphne's father finds himself inappropriately attracted to one of his daughter's bridesmaids.  Daphne's sister Livia is recovering from heartbreak using all sorts of wedding weekend techniques.  And all the other members of the wedding party, including the families, sometimes spectate and sometimes participate in all sorts of other shenanigans.  This novel is not a comedy, or maybe it is a black comedy, but it is the story of a family the reader likes but feels sorry for, roots for, and wants to slap all in turn.  I do recommend this book and enjoyed it quite a lot. 

SHIFT

(to a new genre)

Next I decided to go with Seraphina by Rachel Hartman.   This is a middle grades/YA fantasy novel that takes place in a society in which dragons and humans have forged an uneasy alliance.  The main character, Seraphina, is a brilliant musician who also happens to be half dragon, which as you can imagine is not an accepted species in either society.  When a rogue former General begins to attack humans the fragile peace is in significant danger.  This is clearly the beginning of a series or trilogy and I am eager to read more.  I have also ordered this for my school as I think my kids are ready for a new dragon series. 

 

 

SHIFT

(again)

 

Next I picked up The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean.  I have been wanting to read this ever since I began following the author's blog, which is about the dresses she makes, generally from vintage patterns.  By profession, McKean is a lexicographer, but from what I can see she could go into dressmaking or writing at any time.  The book is a really sweet story about Dora who must come home from college when her grandmother, who raised her, has a stroke.  Mimi runs a vintage clothing shop in which Dora has grown up and she takes over the shop when she is not at the hospital.  Sadly for me I just read Jennifer Weiner's, The Next Best Thing whose main character is also a woman raised by a grandmother because her parents are deceased, but McKean wrote hers first so this is just an unfortunate coincidence on my part.  Foolishly, I thought at the beginning that the story would be somewhat predictable and certainly elements of it were, but there were also some twists I did not see coming.  I was drawn right into the story and was fascinated by all the descriptions of the vintage clothes Dora finds in a closet her grandmother has been cultivating for her for years as well as those in the shop.

 

I have just started The Importance of Being Seven by Alexander McCall Smith, the next in his series of 44 Scotland Street stories.  I would recommend anything by Smith, but I like his Isabel Dalhousie series best but his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books are wonderful as well.