Foggidawn's 75 books . . . and beyond! Thread 1 for 2012

Hi! I'm foggidawn, and this is my second year in the 75-book challenge. I'm a children's librarian and voracious reader, and will probably read 200+ books in 2012. I tend to read a lot of children's and YA, a fair amount of fantasy, and a few classics, cozy mysteries, chick lit, memoirs, inspirational fiction, and anything else that catches my attention.

I won't be posting new reads here until January 1, but come on in and have a seat, grab a cuppa tea, and feel free to peruse the bookshelves.

Welcome back!

Hey you! I'm looking forward to seeing what you read in 2012!

I'm also looking forward to seeing what you read in 2012! We seem to like similar stuff.

I'm also looking forward to the many titles that will go on the TBR list from this thread. Starred!

I have grabbed my cuppa, just waiting for 2012 to start so I can see all of the books on your thread that I need to read!

Welcome, everyone!

I'll be following your list again. Best of New Year's Wishes to you!

Starred!

Sandy K

Hi foggidawn! I have starred you and look forward to seeing what you read this year. Happy new year! :D

(1 book read)

The first book of the new year is The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit. This book caught my eye in a roundabout way: I went to a museum and saw an exhibit of picture book art, and one of the pieces on display was one of Paul Zelinsky's illustrations for an edition of this book -- a beautifully detailed picture of a hedge maze, with a lake and a castle and a pavillion in the background. It was one of my favorite pieces from the exhibit, and I was intrigued to read the story that went with it. I have read and enjoyed other books by Nesbit, so it's no surprise that I liked this one as well. Nesbit is one of those authors that I wish I could recommend to my younger self, because I think I would have loved her books when I was a child.

#11: I need to read The Enchanted Castle yet. I was just introduced to Nesbit's books last year. Thanks for the reminder!

The Enchanted Castle sounds like a lovely book. I know what you mean about wishing that one could recommend books to one's younger self!

Sandy K

I've started a blog -- I'll probably do some content duplication between there and here, but if anyone wants to check it out, here it is:
http://kidlitgeek.blogspot.com/

Hi, I've starred you. I know what you mean about books for a younger self :-) Those are the ones I buy for my friends' children, so at least someone can benefit!

(2 books read)

Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii by Robin Jones Gunn was like catching up with a friend from high school. Though at first it appears to be just another entry in one of those massive multi-author Christian romance series (you know, the ones that are generally so uneven in quality and so tenuously connected that they don't really go together at all), it's actually the continuation of one of Gunn's earlier story lines. As a teen, I devoured Gunn's Sierra Jensen series -- twelve short books about the ups and downs in the life of a Christian teen in Portland. Unlike Christy Miller, the star of Gunn's other teen series, Sierra's didn't end with promises of romance for the main character, and though Gunn provided glimpses of Sierra's college days in books about other characters, not until now has grown-up Sierra had a book of her own.

Sierra has been working for a missionary organization in Brazil. When she gets word that the funding has been cut for her current position, she is faced with uncertainties. The organization has another position available, but it's not one that appeals to Sierra. When a friend offers her a chance to get away, Sierra accepts. She travels to Sunset Beach, Hawaii, thinking that an island vacation should be the perfect time for a little soul searching. During her vacation, as she travels to a friend's wedding, a series of coincidences throws her in the path of Jordan, a professional photographer. First at the wedding, and then in Sunset Beach, their paths keep crossing. Sierra and Jordan find themselves both drawn to one another and compatible in their beliefs and personalities, but is this the right season in either of their lives for romance? Jordan is considering taking up a corporate sponsorship to photograph surfing competitions, a job that would mean constant travel, while Sierra's job offer in Brazil would mean isolation in a small village. Can their budding relationship endure those kinds of stresses -- and are they even willing to test it?

This is a gentle romance -- there's very little kissing, very little fighting, very little suspense . . . the tension is all internal to the characters as they decide whether to pursue a relationship. So, for those who like fiery heroines and love/hate relationships, this is not the book for you. However, I would recommend this, first of all to fans of the Sierra Jensen series, and also to people who like an uncomplicated, romantic story. Gunn's writing, at the word-and-sentence level, is not always flawless (though better by far than the common run of inspirational romances), but she has a gift for creating relatable characters, putting them in interesting situations, and describing the setting in a way that always makes me want to go for a visit!

(I've posted a version of the above as a review on the book's work page -- my 80th review on LibraryThing! I don't post as many reviews as I think I should, but I'm hoping to get to 100 by the end of the year.)

Love that last line!

#17 -- You may have been the only one to see it in its unedited form! (In the original post, I had something about possibly coming back later to finish off my review, which I just did.)

Now everyone will just be wondering what I was talking about!

I'm not sure that I'll pick it up (too many books to read, already!), but I give kudos to you for creating a splendid review - it transitioned from paragraph to paragraph very nicely, and you gave a good summary of the novel. There! I just did a review of your review! :D I look forward to seeing what you'll read next, and congratulations on your 80th review!

Thanks, Eris!

(3 books read)

Wildwood by Colin Meloy has many elements typical of middle-grade fantasy, so by my own reckoning, I should have loved it. Instead, I found it merely "all right."

In this massive chunk of a book, seventh-grader Prue is astonished and frightened when her baby brother Mac is kidnapped by a murder of crows, who take him into the heart of the "Impassible Wilderness." When she heads into the wilderness to rescue Mac, one of her classmates, Curtis, follows. Adventures ensue.

The book owes a considerable debt to Narnia, with its talking animals, White Witch-like figure, and a Stone Table -- er, Plinth -- as a place of ritual. Perhaps that's why I found it slightly stale; what may have been meant as homage came off as repetition. I also never really connected with the main characters, and the secondary characters were generally very flat. I might have pardoned much of this if the book had been shorter, but the length of the book was problematic for me, too. J.K. Rowling, you know I love you. I don't begrudge the Harry Potter books their length (well, maybe a few pages of the Endless Camping in Deathly Hallows), but you opened the door for authors of juvenile fantasy to inflict mercilessly long books upon the reading public.

I don't see myself reading additional books in this series. One redeeming factor: though there were a few hints of things that might crop up in upcoming books, the loose ends were generally tied off neatly (sometimes a bit too neatly, but I'm trying to avoid blatant spoilers, so that's all I'll say about that). If you're looking for a recently published middle-grade book with fantasy in a woodland setting, let me recommend instead Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, one of my favorite books from last year.

I really liked Wildwood, though I agree it didn't need to be so long. Perhaps some of my enjoyment came from knowing the author's music and influences, but all in all I thought it was a neat story. I think as a standalone book it's great. I don't think it leads well into a series, though I could see it more as a collection-- new kids, new adventures in the woods, etc. And it's funny you found the secondary characters flat: I found them the most interesting!

Well, now I have to read Wildwood to see if I like it or not!

#23 -- Interesting, how two people can have such different experiences reading the same book! I'm not familiar with the author's music at all. And I do think kids would enjoy it, if they can get past the length.

#24 -- Let me know what you think!

#25: I will - when I get to it :)

(4 books read)

In sharp contrast to my last read, The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True by Gerald Morris is a snappy 118 pages. It does a surprising amount of stuff in that short space, too -- there's some stuff about courtesy, friendship, and promises, but the book doesn't feel too didactic, partly because Morris seasons it all with a liberal does of humor.

I read the first few books of this author's middle-grade series a few years ago, so the humor came as no surprise to me. While this book doesn't have as sophisticated a plot as The Squire's Tale and its sequels, it is just as distinguished in its way. I wouldn't necessarily recommend Sir Gawain to adult readers, but it's one that should definitely be on the radar of anyone who works with students in grades 2-4, since tales of knights and their adventures have enduring popularity.

Most definetely following this thread! Your reads so far have all been books I've got on my short list for the next few months- you certainly have your finger on the pulse of current kid's lit.

#28 -- Thanks! I will look up your thread, as well.

(5 books read)

You Against Me by Jenny Downham -- a YA problem novel with a forbidden romance. "For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like." In other words, I can see readers who devour Laurie Halse Anderson and Jodi Picoult enjoying this book. It does a good job tackling the issues, though sometimes it felt ever so slightly didactic to me. Both Ellie and Karyn (two of the main characters) apparently like spouting trivia and statistics, which is extremely conveninent when an author wants to work in tidbits of research that they found relevant to the story. On the whole, I thought this was a pretty good read, and its ideal reader will find it an excellent one.

(6 books read)

Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore calls to mind and old proverb: "A bird may love a fish, but where would they build a home together?" Mermaid Esmerine has taken a vow to be a siren, one of the magical protectors of the sea. She looks forward to joining her older sister Dosia in this calling . . . but shortly after Esmerine takes her vow, Dosia disappears. Was she taken captive by humans when she ventured too close to the human world -- or did she join them of her own free will? Esmerine uses her siren magic to effect a painful transformation to a human form. She travels to the seaside town where Dosia was last seen, only to learn that Dosia's new husband has taken her to his home in the mountains. In the town, Esmerine seeks out her old friend Alander, one of the Fandarsee or winged people. Alander has grown up into a stuffy, bookish young man, but his strong sense of duty and his nostalgic fondness for Esmerine leads him to help her in her quest to find, and if necessary, rescue, Dosia. They face dangers along the journey that draw them closer together, and as they realize that their childhood friendship is blossoming into something more, they each must think about the challenges and hardships that a relationship between them would have to overcome.

There are relatively few mermaid books on the young adult market (compared to, say, vampires, werewolves, zombies, angels, elves, dragons, or ghosts), and even fewer that are well-written. This is one of those rare mermaid stories that strikes the right balance. Part of the success of the book, in my opinion, is due to the setting -- a world like ours, but not quite ours. I also love the Fandarsee, who are much more fascinating than the merfolk to me.

My only real issue with the book is how casually Esmerine takes her vow to be a siren -- it's almost set up as a made-to-be-broken sort of promise (sirens are generally fascinated with the human world, and there seems to be a high rate of attrition as they abandon the under-sea world for human husbands), and I felt all the way through that both Esmerine and Dosia seemed to take the promises that they had made very lightly. I also thought that the pacing was almost too quick in places. That's a rare complaint for me, especially with fantasy books, but I thought a bit more time could have been taken at the beginning to establish the setting and the relationships between Esmerine and her family. All in all, though, I found this an enjoyable read, and would recommend it to readers who like this sort of light fantasy.

Hi There

Happy New Year!

Fascinating read. I'll keep an eye out for that one.

#32 -- Hi to you, too!

#33 -- Hope you enjoy it if/when you read it.

(7 books read)

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure is a memoir that was right up my alley. As a child, McClure was fascinated with the Little House series. She grew out of the obsession, but when she rediscovered her childhood copy of Little House in the Big Woods, she also rediscovered the old fascination. Now, as a grown woman, Wendy does what she wasn't able to do as a child: she travels, researches, and experiments with the life so vividly described by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Over the course of about a year, McClure travels to each of the major Laura Ingalls Wilder home sites. Along the way, McClure makes some startling discoveries about the Wilder family, the history surrounding the Little House books, and, of course, herself.

I also loved the Little House books as a child, though they were not my only favorites. Perhaps the reason I never obsessed over the prairie lifestyle was that, back when I first read the books, my family was living at our own Little House on the Prairie, just outside of Perry, Oklahoma -- part of Oklahoma's Cherokee Strip (or, more correctly, Cherokee Outlet) region. (Laura Ingalls Wilder actually lived in a different Indian Territory, about 140 miles away in Kansas, but I didn't know that at the time. Even she thought that her family had lived in northern Oklahoma, rather than southern Kansas.) We weren't farmers, but we did have a big garden, some fruit trees, and a couple dozen chickens. I never churned butter, but I collected eggs from the chicken coop and made applesauce with apples from our own trees. The farm was surrounded on two sides by cattle, and on the other two sides by winter wheat. (Surprisingly, in the four years that we lived there, I don't remember any hailstorms, wildfires, or plagues of grasshoppers taking out the wheat crop . . . but then again, the wheat crop didn't belong to my family -- or Laura's -- so maybe that's the key.) So, though Laura and I were separated by about 100 years, I think I got my fill of the homesteading life growing up.

Wendy McClure, on the other hand, went searching or her own homesteading experience, with mixed (and sometimes hilarious) results. It was interesting to compare her opinion of the books with mine -- for instance, she mentions early on that On the Banks of Plum Creek was one of her favorite books in the series, whereas it was one of my least favorite. She relegates Farmer Boy to the status of an add-on, while it's one of the ones I remember most clearly. On the other hand, both of our childhood selves were dismayed and confused at the transition from the rosy conclusion of These Happy Golden Years to the bleak, disaster-filled, and brusquely-written pages of The First Four Years. I've never felt the need to research the lives of the Ingalls and Wilder families, but McClure's findings were fascinating and enlightening. In short, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loved the Little House series as a child. Reading the series beforehand would probably enrich the experience of reading The Wilder Life, but it can be enjoyed even if your recollections of Laura's adventures are a bit hazy.

>31 foggidawn:: Great review of Between Sea and Sky! That's one I've had on the TBR list for awhile (I read the author's blog so I've been waiting for it!) but hadn't heard yet from anyone if it was actually any good. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for it!

>35 foggidawn: That book is very high on my wishlist (I love the Little House series). I should really put in a library hold...thanks for the reminder!

I read The Wilder Life last year. While I found it interesting, Wendy was a bit of an annoying narrator, for me at least.

#38 -- I can see how that would be the case. I did think that her narrative seemed a little condescending at times towards other Little House fans, though I don't know if she came across that way in person.

I need to get around to reading The Wilder Life soon.

(8 books read)

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) is one of the recent YA releases that I've been anticipating for some time. It's the story of Min and Ed. It's the story of a box full of random, worthless stuff. It's the story of a relationship that was, let's face it, doomed from the start.

The book is written from Min's point of view -- a letter written as she sits in a cafe, just before she takes the box of stuff and dumps it on Ed's porch. It's almost stream-of-consciousness in places, as Min explores the reasons why she loved Ed, and why (as per the title) they broke up. Min's not always likeable, but she's always real. Secondary characters are likewise well-rendered. Though it's realistic fiction, Handler has created a world of minutiae specific to the book, such as the names of old movies and movie stars that Min is always referencing, as well as brand names, restaurants, and other minor details. It's almost like visiting a foreign country, or perhaps just another region, where the big things are the same, but all of the little ones have that jarring note of other-ness. Min and Ed's story is similar: though the small details are specific to them, the big things will resonate with anyone who ever had their heart broken as a teenager.

(9 books read)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is, of course, phenomenal. In the world of young adult literature, John Green is kind of like a rock star. His newest offering does not disappoint. I laughed, cried, and finished the whole thing in one sitting. If you're a John Green fan, surely you already know about this book, right? And if you're not a John Green fan, why not?

Hazel Lancaster meets Augustus Waters at a support group for teens with cancer, so that should tell you something about what's going to happen in this book, right there. What follows is an epic star-crossed romance involving a trip to the Netherlands, a meeting with a crotchety, reclusive author, a couple of Venn diagrams, more than a few video gaming sessions, and so much more.

I'd write more about this book, but it's always hard to write coherently about something you really like -- and the experience of reading it is still perhaps too fresh in my mind for forming a well-rounded review. In short: I loved it, and I recommend it. Of course.

John Green totally is a rock star! I skimmed your review though because I want to go into tfios without any expectations. But I'm sure it's wonderful. :)

I have generally been posting the same thing on my blog that I post here, but today I wrote a sort of "bonus post" over there about my favorite picture books from 2011 -- here's the link if you want to check it out.

Hi foggi! Just came upon your thread today. I have one John Green book and another on the wishlist, but just haven't gotten around to him yet. Hype squelches my reading desire. . . it really shouldn't, but it does *le sigh

#45 -- I know what you mean about hype. It can be a turnoff for me, too. It's probably good that I found the Harry Potter series on my own, before it got really big! I do think you would like John Green, though.

Oh, I have a fairly strong sense that I will like his stuff. I just have to get past the mental hesitation. It happened with the Hunger Games. It took me 2 years (?) to get over it and I absolutely love the whole series--at the top of my list last year. Thankfully, I too found HP well before the hype took over :)

#47

Like you, I always avoid hype as well. I only read Hunger Games last year and discovered that some hype is deserved! Didn't enjoy the second and third as much though, part of me wanted it to be a standalone - I like an ambiguous ending.

Sadly, the most recent 'hyped' books I've read have put me off them again.

If I hadn't read The Hunger Games before all the hype got going, I probably would have avoided it, too.

(10 books read)

Chime by Franny Billingsley has been getting some buzz (it was a National Book Award finalist, for one thing). After reading it, I'd say the buzz is well-deserved.

Briony Larkin is a witch -- she says so from the beginning -- and this story is her confession. I probably ought to warn you, though, that Briony is not the most reliable narrator in the world, so you might want to look and listen carefully to the rest of her story, and draw your own conclusions.

I'd further summarize the plot, but I've probably already given too much away. To me, this book read like a puzzle. I managed to put some pieces together well before the end, while others were a surprise to me. There's one place where I thought the author broke her own rules for the world of the story, but to say more about that would be to give away one of the book's big secrets, so I won't. All in all, though, I thought this was a well-written story with good world-building and an interesting main character. I didn't exactly like Briony, but I was fascinated to see what she would do next. I'd say I connected with this book on an intellectual level rather than an emotional one. I'd recommend it, especially if you like creepy, atmospheric fantasy.

wow, sounds like a good book! Thanks for posting a review, added to the wishlist!

I have Chime high on the wishlist... it's one I desperately want to read. I've heard so many wonderful things about it!

#52 -- I wanted to get it in now, before the Printz award is announced (all of the ALA Youth Media Awards will be announced on Monday), just in case it happens to be recognized.

(11 books read)

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker was all right but not great. It's a fairly standard storyline: there's a Good Girl in a small town, and Complicated, Handsome Stranger shows up and makes her question all of her small-town beliefs.

Good girl Lacey Byer wants nothing more than a fun junior year with her friends, and a starring role in her church's Hell House -- a Halloween production that the church puts on to dramatize the dreadful effects of sin. Enter Ty, a new boy in town with a slightly mysterious past. He attends church, but he's not a fan of the whole Hell House concept, and he questions a lot of the things that Lacey takes for granted as truth. As he and Lacey spend more time together, talking about all kinds of subjects, she starts to question things as well, especially when a scandal rocks their church community and not everyone responds in what Lacey would call a Christ-like manner.

First off, I thought the author's handling of evangelical Christians was fairly sensitive -- a bit of a rarity, in mainstream YA fiction. The ending is not conclusive, Lacey doesn't throw off all restraint and completely turn her back on her faith, nor does she convert Ty to all of her childhood beliefs. I could see recommending this to evangelical teens, as well as to those who find that lifestyle completely alien but are a little curious about it. On the down-side, I found the writing utilitarian -- it was not riddled with errors, but there was nothing that elevated it out of the common run. Also, the big reveal about Ty's history was tamer than I expected, from all of the hype. I also had trouble with the size of the town as compared to the size of the church -- if it's a small enough town that everybody knows everybody, but the church is large enough to put on this huge production every year . . . it just took me out of the story a bit.

Similar to the post I did on picture books a few days ago, I just wrote a new blog post about my favorite middle-grade novels from 2011. Check it out!

#42: John Green is one of my 'must-read' young adult authors. I have loved his books ever since I stumbled across Looking for Alaska here on LT. I am glad to see that The Fault in Our Stars is a good one too. I just wish my local library had a copy!

(12 books read)

One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey is just a fun read -- not particularly deep, but great escapism. It's about Princess Andromeda, heir to a small kingdom. When a dragon starts ravaging the landscape, Andromeda is one of the sacrificial virgins offered to appease it. A Champion appears at the last moment, rescuing Andromeda and chasing away the dragon. Andromeda and the Champion set off to find the dragon's lair . . . but what they find when they get there is not exactly what they were expecting.

My boss recommended this to me, saying it reminded her of Tamora Pierce, and I agree. Also, this book is technically the second in a series, but it stands on its own just fine.

(13 books read)

Level Up by Gene Luen Yang, with art by Thien Pham, is a graphic novel about an Asian-American boy and his father's expectations. Dennis Ouyang loves video games, but his strict father always emphasizes the importance of academics and discourages Dennis from gaming. When his father dies a week before his high school graduation, Dennis goes out and purchases his first-ever gaming system. The rest of the graphic novel shows Dennis' internal struggle between his own love of gaming, and his desire to live up to his father's dreams for him. Can he succeed in medical school? Or should he follow his own dreams and make a career out of gaming?

I picked this up because I have fond memories of discussing Yang's American Born Chinese with my advanced children's lit class in grad school the year it won the Printz award. The two graphic novels have several similarities -- both deal with the Asian-American experience, and both contain just a few magical or mystical elements (in Level Up, four angel-like creatures appear at a critical moment to influence Dennis' future). I enjoyed Level Up about as much as American Born Chinese, though the art in Level Up is not as eye-catching.

#58: Glad to hear you liked it. That one's been on my list for a little while now, just haven't come across it yet.

#58: I need to get to American Born Chinese one of these days. I have had it in the BlackHole for awhile now. I will add Level Up too.

(14 books read)

My last read reminded me that I had a copy of Drawing from Memory by Allen Say that I needed to read. This graphic novel memoir tells the story of how Say grew up to be an artist, something some members of his family may have had a hard time accepting. As an adolescent boy, Say's family sent him to live on his own in the big city while he attended school. During his time there, before immigrating to America with his father and stepmother, Say apprenticed himself to a cartoonist he very much admired. Say writes and draws about the people who were important in his life as he was first working on developing his craft.

I enjoyed this little book more than I thought I would -- it was a fascinating picture of the life of a student/artist in Tokyo in the late 1940s and early 1950s. My copy is actually a galley, sent to me by a friend who got to meet Say in person -- so my galley is signed, with a little sketch by the author:

(15 books read)

Legend by Marie Lu is yet another young adult dystopia. (From that sentence, you can probably guess the tone of the rest of this review, huh?) Day and June are teens living in the Republic of America, a military dictatorship. (To picture what the Republic of America is like, think what would happen if the United States was split down the middle, and the western half of the US decided to model itself after North Korea.) June is a child of privilege -- at the age of ten, she got a perfect score on the Trial, the aptitude test that all students must take. Now, at fifteen, she is almost finished with college at one of the top military-controlled schools, and she is on the fast track to joining the military, just like her older brother Metias. Day, on the other hand, is the Republic's most-wanted criminal -- mostly because, according to their databases, he doesn't exist. When Day raids a hospital for medicine for his younger brother, Metias is killed, and June swears revenge. Of course, the two are drawn together through a series of coincidences, they fall in love, and much drama ensues.

This book has plenty of action, and I can see why many people like it. Both main characters are sympathetic, and it's easy to hate the super-evil government. But for me, that's where it starts to fall apart. For one thing, if June is so intelligent (a perfect score on the Trial is unheard-of), why is she so blindly loyal to a government that is obviously corrupt and cruel? She does discover some of their darker secrets over the course of the book, but what about the obvious stuff that they've been doing all along? It's not like they've made a secret of the fact that they are generally brutal toward the populace, and you have to wonder how the head of the government gets "elected" for eleven consecutive terms, basically unopposed. I also thought that June and Day's romance seemed a little bit hard to believe, based more on an instant attraction or infatuation than any deeper personal connection.

It's obvious that there will be a sequel (probably two, since trilogies are the going thing right now), but I don't think I'll feel any desire to read them. Maybe I'm just burned out on dystopias right now, but this is certainly not the strongest one I've ever read.

Too bad! I have that up high on my TBR list.

#63 -- Well, you never know, you may like it. Sometimes I wonder if I am too critical in my reviews . . . another reader might have a completely different reaction.

Actually, I keep picking it up then putting it back down. I've read the Hunger Games, Divergent, and so many other dystopians, and this one feels like several of them sort of mashed up together. It'll have to strike me just right to get around to reading it. :)

I read Legend a few months ago as an ER and had pretty much the same impression you did. It just didn't work. I love dystopian fiction when it works but this one was seriously flawed. Especially the romance. I hate when characters fall in love for now reason at all and then do stupid things in the name of said "true love."

#66 -- I think it would have been a stronger book if they hadn't been in love. It would have been more interesting if their motivations for their actions in the last half of the book had been more complex. And, since it's a series, they could always fall gradually in love. By the time they've had two and a half books' worth of adventures together, then I could see them being motivated to do stuff for the love of the other person.

I did one more "2011 favorites" post on my blog -- YA books this time:
http://kidlitgeek.blogspot.com/2012/01/young-adult-favorites-2011.html

I'm excited for the ALA Youth Media Awards announcement tomorrow!

One more blog post link:
http://kidlitgeek.blogspot.com/2012/01/well-that-was-unexpected.html
My reactions to the ALA Youth Media Awards!

(16 books read)

The Crimson Thread by Suzanne Weyn is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, part of the "Once Upon a Time" series from Simon Pulse. Like most multi-author series, this one is of uneven quality, and I'd say The Crimson Thread is a middle-of-the-road entry. It sets the Rumpelstiltskin story in the industrial era, with an Irish immigrant girl as the main character. It was a fair read, and I liked how the author played with the conventions of the Rumpelstiltskin tale -- though I must admit that the epilogue made me roll my eyes a bit.

(17 books read)

Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London by Andrea Warren is certainly a focused, message-driven work of nonfiction -- which is not necessarily a bad thing. I doubt I'd recommend this to someone looking for a straight Dickens biography, but for the reader who enjoys nonfiction and Victorian England, this is a good choice. While the book does talk about the life of Dickens, all of the anecdotes relate back to how they affected his attitude toward Britain's poor. Moreover, there are several sections where other reformers, both before and slightly after the time of Dickens, are highlighted; while interesting, these can also be a bit distracting. The back matter includes sections about child labor and orphans in today's world, as well as recommended websites and books for readers who want to know more about the topics covered in the book. All in all, a solid piece of nonfiction writing.

(18 books read)

I've been looking forward to Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder for a while now, and was finally able to read it. I found it an enjoyable read, though not quite as fantastic as Poison Study, Snyder's first novel.

In Touch of Power, Avry is a Healer -- the last of the Healers, in fact. When a plague broke out which the Healers were unable to counteract, a rumor spread that the Healers had caused the plague. Now, there is a bounty on the head of any Healer, and Avry lives on the run, rarely using her gift. When she risks healing a sick child, she is caught and imprisoned. She's rescued by a man named Kerrick, who needs her to heal Prince Ryne, a man Avry detests. Kerrick, however, believes that Ryne is the only man who can stop the evil tyrant who is trying to gain political control in the wake of the plague. Saving him could mean saving the lives of thousands. And Ryne has the plague . . . which means that, if Avery heals him, she will be killed by the disease instead.

The story held together well enough, but I felt like a lot of the suspense in the plot stemmed from Avry and Kerrick keeping secrets from each other, and assuming that they knew what the other person was thinking or feeling. This is by no means uncommon, particularly in romance plot lines of any genre, so it's not exactly a deal-breaker for me . . . just something I tend to notice. Also, one small detail irritated me the whole way through. A particular plant, the Death Lily, plays a major role in the story -- and for some reason, the author chose to pluralize it as Death Lilys, not Death Lilies. It's consistent throughout the book, so not a typographical error, but I can't imagine why one would choose to do that. As I said, a small thing -- but it took me right out of the story pretty much every time I ran across it.

If you think you can get past the niggling details that bothered me, I'd recommend this book. It's set in a different fantasy world than Snyder's Ixia/Sitia novels, so knowledge of her other books isn't necessary.

(19 books read)

I'm on top of things this year -- with only three new Newbery books to read, I should be able to tackle them fairly quickly!

My first read of the three is Newbery honor book and National Book Award winner Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai, a somewhat autobiographical verse novel about a ten-year-old Vietnamese girl.

It's 1975, and Hà lives in Saigon with her mother and brothers. Money is tight, but she is happy with her life there. The impending threat from the Communist regime, however, makes her mother uneasy. Should the family stay, or should they try to make their way out of Vietnam to France, Canada, or America? Eventually, Hà and her family find places on a boat leaving Vietnam on April 29th, the day before the Fall of Saigon. After a difficult voyage and a period of adjustment in a refugee camp, Hà's family is sponsored by a man from Alabama. How will Hà and her family adjust to life in a new country, where the language is strange and difficult and not all of the citizens are welcoming?

As with any verse novel, this is a fast read, even with taking time to savor a poetic thought here and there. However, even in this spare, bare-bones format, Hà's personality shines through. She's a little bit spunky, a little bit stubborn, and reminds me a lot of another Newbery Honor-winning heroine -- Ramona Quimby. Hà's struggles with schoolwork, brothers, and schoolyard bullies will resonate with readers, even those who have little knowledge of the politics surrounding the Vietnam War.

So, is this charming book deserving of the honors it has received? Yes, definitely.

(20 books read)

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos is the winner of this year's Newbery Medal and the Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction. It's the story of a boy (who happens to be named Jack Gantos; autobiographical stories were apparently all the rage this year), who lives in the small planned community of Norvelt. He's having a rather rough summer -- he's been grounded for various transgressions, and now his mom only lets him out of the house to help an elderly neighbor, Miss Volker. This is more exciting than it sounds: Miss Volker is the town's medical examiner, and she also writes obituaries for the local newspaper. That summer, there are a lot of deaths to examine and a lot of obituaries to write, as the town's founding citizens all seem to be dying off. Is it normal for so many octogenarians to die in one summer? Who's behind the sale of some of the town's houses to a similar community in West Virginia? Will Jack's chronic nosebleeds ever go away -- and will his mom ever let him off of being grounded? Is Norvelt under a curse?

This is a fun read, with a hint of mystery and some bite-sized chunks of history thrown in the mix. Do I like it as much as Okay for Now, the book I had pegged for the Newbery? Not quite -- but I can see its strong points, and it's definitely an enjoyable read.

(21 books read)

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby is the story of a Viking princess, Solveig, who is sent, with her sister and brother, to a remote hiding place while her father fights a war. Solveig is neither beautiful like her sister, nor valuable to her father like her brother the crown prince. She is trying to find her place in the world, while feeling like a prisoner in many ways. While hiding at their remote hall, many of her father's soldiers sent to guard Solveig and her siblings are poisoned. It seems there is a traitor in their midst -- but who will Solveig suspect? One of her beloved siblings? A servant who has been with the family for years? Her father's most trusted warrior? The guard captain who has always treated her with kindness and respect? The skald (storyteller) who has just begun to teach her his craft? As hardships mount up and word from the king seems slow in coming, will tensions and suspicions tear the little group of survivors apart -- or will some outside force destroy them?

I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that, for some reason, I was expecting fantasy (which it's not). Kirby really does a good job making Solveig's world real to the reader, and the characters all had strengths and weaknesses, so that there wasn't an obvious villain. I did think the pacing was a little bit slow in places, but not enough to really interfere with my enjoyment of the book. If you're interested in Nordic culture and enjoy books like Jonathan Stoud's Heroes of the Valley or Nancy Farmer's The Sea of Trolls, you should definitely read this book.

Icefall sounds good! History and Vikings - two things near and dear to my Nordic heart. Thank you, Foggi! :)

#76 -- Enjoy!

(22 books read)

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce is an urban fantasy. It has just enough elements of "Little Red Riding Hood" to make it count as a fairy tale retelling -- red cloaks, wolves, a basket of cookies -- but much more gore and violence (yes, even more than in the original Grimm tale).

Scarlett has seen too much to ever live a normal life. She fought her first wolf when she was eleven -- the wolf that killed Scarlett's grandmother, and took Scarlett's right eye with one brutal slash of its claws. Now, at eighteen, Scarlett is dedicated to fighting the Fenris, or werewolves, that stalk and devour pretty young girls.

Rosie is Scarlett's younger sister. She's been right behind Scarlett all her life -- including the time Scarlett fought that first wolf to protect her. She's continually trying to live up to her sister's expectations, fighting the Fenris along side of her . . . but Rosie longs for a slightly more normal life. Scarlett is driven to fight, while Rosie dreams of romance, of going to college, of having a life that doesn't involve killing monsters every few nights. On the other hand, Rosie loves her sister -- she sometimes thinks that the two of them share the same heart -- so it's not hard to share Scarlett's lifestyle. At least, not until their neighbor Silas comes back to town.

Handsome Silas comes from a family of woodsmen. He fought the Fenris with Scarlett before he left town in search of his own future. Now he's back, and Rosie is finding herself suddenly attracted to him in a way she never was before. Can Rosie and Silas find a way to be together that Scarlett won't see as a betrayal? And what about the increased threat from the wolves, as more and more of them seem drawn to the area?

I was somehow expecting this book to be much more explicit than it was. I think I read a critique of it a few years ago (maybe someone was banning it somewhere? I can't quite remember the details) that led me to believe it was going to be a more edgy read. Sure, there are dead wolves strewn across the pages (well, actually, they break apart into shadow when they are killed, so they're not strewn there for long), but that's about it. I kept waiting for Really Bad Things to happen to Rosie, who is the more vulnerable and sympathetic character, but actually, if it's not too much of a spoiler to say so, Rosie really manages to come into her own by the end of the book. So, all in all, I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to, and will probably read more by this author.

I've heard nothing but good things about Jackson Pearce, though I haven't managed to grab any of her stuff yet. I should really do that!

I don't know how it happend, but I missed your thread at the start of this year *blush*, but now you are starred!

#80 -- Thanks! :-)

I have a backlog of books building up that I need to post about. Fortunately, I should have time tonight or tomorrow to do that.

(23 books read)

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin was the "dark horse" of this year's Newbery medal and honor books -- and I think it's my favorite of the three.

Sasha Zaichik is the son of a Communist hero, and he wants to be just like his father. The night before Sasha is to join the Young Pioneers (the USSR's youth movement; kind of like a cross between the Boy Scouts and the Hitler Youth), Sasha writes an adoring letter to Stalin, professing his allegiance to the Communist cause. Just hours later, Sasha's father is arrested and taken away. Sasha is bewildered, but sure it is a mistake that will soon be rectified -- after all, Stalin himself once commended Sasha's father's service. As Sasha attends school the next day, his teacher and classmates continue to treat him like the son of a hero, as they have always done . . . until word of his father's arrest gets out. Suddenly, Sasha is an outcast. From his new position in the back of the classroom, he suddenly starts to see all sorts of things that he had been missing before. Will Sasha still be able to join the Young Pioneers? Will he even want to do so?

This is a great, thought-provoking read. I mean to go back and reread it some time in the next few days, in fact. It's deceptively brief -- I finished it in a few hours -- but it's the sort of book that sticks with you for days after you read it. I'm still not sure what a child Sasha's age (one who doesn't have any memory of the Iron Curtain or the Cold War, and who doesn't have a clear understanding, perhaps, of who Stalin is and what he did during his regime) would make of this book, but I'm pretty sure that, like Sasha, they would soon start to see the evils inherent in the system.

I highly recommend this little book!

That one sounds right up my alley. Wishlisted!

I've written a quick post on my blog about the similarities between this year's Newbery books, in case you're interested . . .

Now I need to catch up on posting about the other books I've recently finished!

(24 books read)

One Dog and His Boy is Eva Ibbotson's last novel. Ibbotson passed away in the fall of 2010. The sadness of reading this last book is tempered by the knowledge that I have some of her back-list titles still to read, but it is always sad to know that there will be no more new books from a favorite author.

One Dog and His Boy is the story of Hal, a boy who had everything he could want, except for a dog -- and Fleck, a young dog who, despite the hardships he's already faced in life, still believes that the perfect human for him is still out there somewhere. Hal is ecstatic when his parents finally agree to let him have a dog, but what he doesn't realize is that they only mean to rent a dog for a weekend, thinking that Hal will get tired of taking care of it by the time it has to be returned. Fleck has landed at the pet rental place, despite his mixed ancestry, and when Hal and Fleck see each other, they know right away that they belong together. They have a wonderful weekend together, and then Fleck is sent back to the rental shop by Hal's parents. Both Fleck and Hal are heartbroken, and when a chance encounter brings them together again, Hal knows that he will do anything to get his dog back. What follows is a cross-country adventure involving Hal, Fleck, Hal's friend Pippa, and an entire cast of canine characters.

This story is sweet, funny, and whimsical, and will delight dog-lovers of all ages. (Added bonus: no dogs die, which sets it apart from a lot of dog stories!) This book is set for publication next month, so be on the lookout!

(25 books read)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer Smith is an enjoyable light read with a little more depth than most teen romances.

Hadley is four minutes late to the airport, so she misses the flight she didn't want to take in the first place -- the one that will take her to her father's wedding. Ever since her parents split up, the relationship between Hadley and her father has been strained. She's never even met the woman who is about to become her stepmother. While waiting for the next flight, Hadley meets Oliver, a British boy who is also on the way to London for a family gathering. When they board the plane, Hadley and Oliver end up sitting next to each other for the entire flight. By the time they disembark, a spark of romance has kindled -- but both Hadley and Oliver have other things to think about while they are in London. Will they meet again, or will nothing come of their flight together but a pleasant memory?

This is a sweet story, but it also takes an interesting look at how divorce can affect a family. I'm impressed at the way this story comes together, and will be looking for other books by this author in the future.

(26 books read)

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley is the winner of this year's Printz and Morris awards. It's also not really my thing, to tell the truth.

Lily, Arkansas, is the sort of small town that people are always trying to leave. Cullen Whitter has just finished his junior year of high school when his brother Gabriel disappears. Around the same time, there are reports that a rare woodpecker, thought to be extinct, has been sighted in the area. While the town bustles with excitement about the bird, Cullen and his family try to keep searching for Gabriel and hoping for his return.

There's more to the story than that, of course -- Cullen fumbles through a few romantic relationships, hangs out with friends, writes down potential titles for the novel he might write some day, and fantasizes about the popular, muscular guy who was dating his crush turning into a zombie. There's also a seemingly unrelated second plot line that does eventually tie in to the main story. The style reminds me a little of Flannery O'Connor, what with the small-town Southern angst and the weird musings on religion. The writing is good, of course, but there's really nothing here that appeals to me.

Oh,, what a joy to visit here. I have one of the Newbery honors of this year and I hope to read it this weekend. I note there are only two honors.

thanks for the wonderful insights!

#30--I'm midway through You Against Me right now. I thought the description I read sounded interesting and not like anything I'd ever read before. It's been a little slow going for me, but not too bad. I am interested to see how it ends.

#88 -- Thanks for stopping by! Yes, only two honors this year, and both very quick reads. I was listening to the live webcast when the awards were announced, and when the announcer said that there were just two honor books, the crowd gave a sort of sad sigh! I think you will really like all three of this year's Newbery books, Linda.

#89 -- You'll have to let me know what you think of it.

(27 books read)

Dumpling Days by Grace Lin is the story of Pacy and her Taiwanese-American family's vacation in Taiwan.Though she looks forward to visiting her grandparents and extended family, Pacy is also a little nervous. Will people look down on her because she can't speak Chinese? And what will she do without her friends back home for a whole month?

This is a cute and fun story. It chronicles what Pacy sees and does -- and eats! -- during her visit to Taiwan. It made me hungry for dim sum! This book is in the middle of a series, but I've never read any of the other books, and had no trouble following this one.

(28 books read)

It's taken me a few days to ponder what I want to say about The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This is just the sort of story that I love -- elements of fantasy, theatre, and art come together in gorgeous collaboration.

Ever since they were children, Celia and Marco have been magically bound to compete in a competition -- a sort of magician's duel between the two of them. The rules are unclear and though each has an older magician serving as a mentor, neither is forthcoming about how to play, or how to win. The setting for the competition is the Cirque des Rêves, a mysterious venue that travels about unpredictably and opens only after dark. With its black and white color scheme, its exotic performers and mysterious tents, the circus does seem like a dreamscape. Celia and Marco manipulate the circus from every angle, crafting tents and attractions with subtle magic and delicate illusions. At first, Celia and Marco don't even know who they are competing against, but eventually they come to recognize each other, and to respect each other . . . and then, inevitably, to love each other. How can they be in love and still compete? What will happen to the circus if one or both of them leaves the competition? And how is the competition to be won, in the end?

This is a rare, beautiful book that left me longing for the chance to visit the Night Circus myself. To sum it up in one word:

Magical.

Wasn't it beautiful? Love your review!

#93: It was! I also like that the story is complete in itself. While I do love to revisit favorite worlds in series, I find a well-written standalone work like this one extremely satisfying.

So many good reviews for The Night Circus.
Yesterday Frank picked up a copy for me at the library, I am now at 1/3th of the book and it does live up to all these raving reviews :-)

(29 books read)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore was a reread for me. It seems like rereading has become a luxury I rarely indulge in, of late. I reread this book for two reasons -- for one, Hogwarts Express is doing a group read of Graceling (feel free to join in, if you're interested in reading or have read it -- my link goes to the spoiler-free introductory thread). My other reason for rereading . . . well, that will become obvious with my next post.

In Katsa's world, some people are born with a special ability, or Grace. Gracelings, as they are called, have eyes of two different colors. Katsa's Grace makes her an extremely fierce and dangerous fighter. Her king has made use of Katsa's skills, sending her to threaten and injure people who do not obey his commands. Katsa hates being used, but feels trapped in her position. She has, however, started the Council, an underground movement dedicated to righting the wrongs committed by the kings in the Seven Kingdoms area, where she lives. One night, on a rescue mission, Katsa meets Po, a Graceling who is nearly her match in fighting. She doesn't know it yet, but Po is going to have a profound influence on her life in the future, as she leaves her kingdom to venture out on her most dangerous mission yet.

This was a fun read, both now and when I originally read it. On the other hand, I don't feel that I got anything new out of reading it again. Katsa is an interesting, though not particularly sympathetic, character. I certainly recommend this book, particularly to Tamora Pierce fans and those looking for a light fantasy with plenty of action and a little romance along the way.

Congratulations on reading 29 books thus far!

Just found this thread and I think I've added 5 books to my TBR list. I'll be checking back!

(30 books read)

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore is one of this spring's most-anticipated YA releases. I expected to be reading it in May, with everyone else . . . but then a friend sent me an advance review copy, courtesy of the publisher. I'll avoid including Bitterblue spoilers in this review, but I can't guarantee that there won't be spoilers for Cashore's earlier books, Graceling and Fire.

Bitterblue's father, King Leck of Monsea, was as cruel and manipulative a man as you could imagine. Graced with the ability to make people believe anything he said, Leck's reign of terror left his entire country scarred and traumatized long after his death. Now, as a young queen, Bitterblue is trying to heal her country . . . but it isn't easy. Even nine years after Leck's death, Bitterblue's administration is haunted by the repercussions of the things Leck did -- and forced other people to do. When Bitterblue leaves the castle one night to travel around the city incognito, she learns that, despite her good intentions, her people are still struggling for survival. Many are illiterate, buildings in some districts are crumbling, and people who try to right the wrongs left over from Leck's rule are being silenced -- permanently. How can Bitterblue get to the bottom of what's happening in her kingdom, without adding to the turmoil caused by her late father's rule?

In Bitterblue, Cashore brings together elements from both Graceling and Fire. If you're eagerly anticipating the release of this book, it would not hurt to reread both of those earlier books, as characters and events from them are referenced frequently. I was glad I had recently reread Graceling, and was wishing I had done the same with Fire -- though I think Bitterblue could probably be enjoyed by readers who have not yet read either. Bitterblue is a fairly hefty tome, coming in at well over 500 pages, but I was enjoying being caught up in the story so much that, if there were pacing problems, I certainly didn't notice them. I find Bitterblue to be a much easier character to relate to than either Katsa or Fire, and the cast of secondary characters, both new and familiar, were well-developed and multifaceted. The setting is less spectacular -- the Seven Kingdoms world has a generally medieval feel, albeit with some industrial-age additions and a thoroughly modern value system -- but the characters and plot more than make up for it. All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Fans of the series will not be disappointed, and new members will be added to their ranks after reading this book.

@foggidawn! I'm so envious, you lucky thing! Bitterblue is certainly one of my most-anticipated books this year. But, I'm glad to hear that it's just as good as the other two.

Foggi 30 books already....just delurking to say hi and that I am impressed by the scope and volume of your reading.

#97 -- Thanks! Good to "see" you, Linda!

#98 -- Mwahahaha! I have succeeded in inflating yet another TBR list! ;-) Welcome!

#100 -- I think it may actually be my favorite of the series, though that may just be because I only just finished reading it.

#101 -- Thanks for delurking! Hope to see you here often. I was looking at last year's threads the other day, and I'm actually about 10 books behind where I was last year at this point . . . but last year at this point I was unemployed, so I'm quite content to be a few books behind!

I'm envious, too, of your getting an ARC of Bitterblue, foggidawn. But I sure am glad you liked it as much as you did. Nice review. Can't wait!

I've had Graceling in my tbr pile for far too long--I really need to get to it one of these days.

Both Graceling and Fire are translated, so I expect Bitterblue will come too, added them to mount TBR :-)

Add me to the group that is very envious that you got your hands on an ARC of Bitterblue. :)

(31 books read)

This One Time with Julia by David Lampson was . . . interesting. Looking back, I'm not sure what I expected it to be, but it took a weird turn toward the end that I wasn't expecting.

Joe's twin brother Alvin has always made Joe's life more interesting. When Alvin left for Tennessee because he fell in love with a girl, Joe found himself in a sort of holding pattern involving playing a lot of poker and eating at McDonalds every day. Suddenly, Alvin returns with a suitcase full of money and a plan to buy a yacht and sail around the world. Then Alvin disappears again, but Julia (the girl Alvin went to Tennessee for) shows up looking for him. Somehow, the end result of all of this is that Joe ends up going back to Tennessee with Julia and getting a job as a pool boy at one of her family's hotels. What happened to Alvin -- did he buy a boat and sail away? Go into hiding? Is he dead?

Joe has some sort of unspecified developmental disorder. The book's cover blurb, "Maybe Joe can't grow up -- but he can love" inevitably brings Forrest Gump to mind ("I may not be a smart man..."). He's caught up in an entire cast full of shady characters, making him pretty much the only likeable character in the book (well, Julia is at least occasionally likeable). I think I expected more of a road-trip/romantic comedy, and got more of a . . . well, I'm not sure what to call this book. I'm also not sure how to recommend it. I did enjoy it in places, though the ending got a bit too weird and surreal for me . . . and I can't really say why without spoilers, so I think I'll leave it at that, and let you draw your own conclusions.

(32 books read)

While on a short vacation, I read Silver Birch, Blood Moon -- a short story collection edited by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow. Like many of their compilations, it's made up of fairy tale retellings for grown-ups. I was fascinated at the almost defensive-sounding introduction . . . fairy tale retellings for adults and teens are so prevalent now, but were decidedly less common in 1999, when this book was published. It's a sub-genre of fantasy that has really exploded in the past twelve years.

As with all short story collections, the stories vary in quality. I picked this book up because an LT friend mentioned that it contains a Robin McKinley short story, one that I hadn't read before. Of all the stories in the book, that was probably the one I enjoyed the most (though she did saddle the line of kings in the story with an unintentionally ridiculous-sounding name). There's also a very nice short piece by Neil Gaiman. Several others were quite good, a few were mediocre, and one urban retelling of Snow White I skipped after reading only a page or so.

(33 books read)

Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham is my first audiobook this year. With a short commute to work, I find myself listening to audiobooks only on longer trips. This one was all right but not fantastic, both in terms of the story and the narration. I loved the voices that the narrator used to differentiate the characters, but his "normal" narrator voice was a little choppy, like he was over-enunciating the words. As for the story . . .

Max the Wolf is a boy scout who finds himself in the middle of a forest, with no clear idea of how he got there, or of anything that has happened to him in the recent past. As he starts exploring his surroundings, he meets a talking badger named Banderbrock, who has also just found himself in the unfamiliar forest. The two are later joined by McTavish the Monster (actually a fierce barn cat) and Sheriff Walden, an easygoing black bear. They are pursued by the Blue Cutters, a mysterious group that seems intent upon harming newcomers to the woods, and the four friends must make for a sanctuary where they can find safety and answers to their questions.

This was a fun book to listen to, and I did enjoy it. However, I had a few problems with it. There were a couple of instances where the writing stumbled -- a character would do or say something, and then do or say the opposite a moment later, with no stated reason for the change. Also, while I liked the solution to the mystery of why Max and his friends were in the forest, I found the very end of the story strange and unsatisfactory. One more nit-picky detail: the narrator establishes early on that the story is set in the autumn (and the action takes place within the space of a couple months at most), but there's also a reference to cottonwood "snow" and the group finding strawberries to eat -- both of those things usually happen in early summer, months before the stated time of the book. Sure, it's fantasy . . . but it took me out of the story. And, apart from the talking beasts and other colorful characters, the world of the story is supposed to be similar to our own, with the same sorts of plants and wildlife -- so, strawberries in September break the stated "rules" of the book.

Despite my little quibbles with the book, I would recommend it to readers who enjoy this sort of adventure story and find the description appealing. The bad guys are well-done, and the mystery, while not constantly at the forefront, makes a good explanation in the end for some of the things that seem puzzling throughout.

I'm an avid fan of Willingham's Fables comic books (and Peter & Max, the related novel), so I've been meaning to read this one. But the idea of Willingham writing a kid's book is... strange. Glad to see a good review of it. I'll get there sooner rather than later.

(34 books read)

Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn is a stand-alone fantasy novel. I've been following Shinn's new publications ever since I discovered her excellent Twelve Houses series, and this book did not disappoint.

Zoe Ardelay has been living in exile ever since her father did something that put him out of favor at court. When her father dies and Darien Selast, the king's chief advisor, appears to take Zoe back to the palace, Zoe must quickly learn to navigate the dangerous waters of the royal court.

That summary is a bit brief, but there are so many interesting plot twists that I didn't want to give anything away. One thing I will say: Shinn does a great job of coming up with new magic systems and societies. I'd love reading more books set in Zoe's world, so I'm hoping that this book will eventually expand into a series in its author's imagination.

(35 books read)

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross is a modern fairy-tale mash-up. It reminded me a lot of Alex Flinn's works, both in tone and in subject matter. I'm not going to give a full review here, since it's one that was sent to me for a professional review elsewhere, but I will say that it's a fun read, and I'd recommend it.

I'm stopping by to say that like you, I loved the book The Fault in Our Stars. Your comments resonate. I had a difficult time writing a review this evening. It is an incredible book that words simply cannot describe.

(36 books read)

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal is a lovely light romance in the style of Jane Austen, with just a hint of fantasy.

Jane Ellsworth is not blessed with the beauty of her younger sister Melody, but she excels in artistic pursuits such as music, painting, and "glamour," or the ability to manipulate magic to create illusions. Both Jane and Melody wish to marry well, but opportunities in their quiet neighborhood are scarce, and Jane, with her plain features, has nearly resigned herself to the fate of a spinster. Will love ever come her way?

Kowal does a good job of echoing Austen's tone, though Kowal's novel is simpler than any of Austen's. The plot is reminiscent of Sense and Sensibility, but it's not just a lifeless copy -- Kowal's story is a gracefully balanced homage with plenty of unique details. The magic system is a perfect fit for this sort of story, enhancing but not overpowering the plot. I look forward to reading more by this author.

(37 books read)

The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine takes on one tempestuous moment in history and explores it with a great deal of heart and a few touches of humor.

It's the fall of 1958, the year after the Little Rock Nine were the first black students to integrate into Little Rock's Central High School. In an attempt to stop the push to integrate, the school board has decided not to open the high schools. The still-segregated elementary and junior highs continue to function as usual, but nobody in Little Rock remains entirely untouched by the school closings.

Painfully shy seventh-grader Marlee Nisbett would rather solve math problems than say even five words to anyone outside of her family. That begins to change for her when Liz, a new girl at school, befriends Marlee and helps her take the first steps toward speaking up a little bit more. Their friendship is cemented as the two girls work together on a class project. Then, one day, Liz disappears, and Marlee is left on her own again. Will Marlee ever find her voice? Will she discover that some things are important enough to speak out about?

This well-written exploration of the events in 1958 Little Rock kept me up late reading -- always a mark of a good, gripping read. I found Marlee to be a very sympathetic narrator, and the secondary characters were generally nuanced and complex as well. I'd recommend this to those who enjoy works of historical fiction like The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963 and Moon Over Manifest.

(38 books read)

I received Girl Meets Boy, edited by Kelly Milner Halls, through the Early Reviewers program. This short story collection consists of several paired stories, with two celebrated YA authors each telling one side of a love story. When a collection features names like Chris Crutcher, Ellen Wittlinger, Joseph Bruchac, and Rita Williams-Garcia, my expectations run high . . . but in this case, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. Nearly all of the stories in the book feature a high level of teenage angst, but to me, it almost seemed like too much -- it felt like they were trying too hard to be hip, edgy, and relevant. Maybe it's just the normal difficulty of cramming fully-fledged characters and a well-developed plot into the space afforded by a short story, but many of the stories felt a little rushed and disjointed to me. And, though this may sound contradictory, I don't think the book lived up to its premise, either. In the introduction, Halls describes her inspiration for the book as a story of a teenage couple's breakup, in which one person's action was seen completely differently by the two halves of the couple. While I wasn't expecting all of these stories to be breakup tales, it seemed like the protagonists in many of the stories were pretty much on the same page -- there was not a lot of dramatic tension created by miscommunication or characters misjudging each others' motives.

Other reviewers seem to have enjoyed this book much more than I did, so perhaps it's just that I wasn't in the mood for teenage angst . . . but, all in all, this is a book that I can't see myself recommending.

(39 books read)

Earwig and the Witch is the last book from Diana Wynne Jones, one of my all-time favorite authors. It's always hard for me to pick up and read a "last book" (I still haven't read the final Madeleine L'Engle that's been sitting on my shelf since just after she passed away), but this time, I managed it.

Earwig loves life at St. Morwald's Home for Children. She has everyone, from the matron to the cook to the youngest orphan, under her thumb. She has no intention of being adopted -- until Bella Yaga and the Mandrake show up. Bella Yaga proves to have an even stronger personality than Earwig . . . or does she? Bella Yaga and the Mandrake take Earwig home with them despite her objections. Though Earwig is homesick for the orphanage, she is hopeful that Bella Yaga will teach her some magic. Bella Yaga, however, is only looking for "another pair of hands" -- someone to chop ingredients and stir cauldrons and clean the workroom. What follows is an epic battle of wills. Will Earwig convince Bella Yaga to teach her magic, or has the determined young girl finally met her match?

This book is so typically Diana Wynne Jones -- quirky and funny and delightful. It skews a little younger than many of Jones' other books, so will serve as a great introduction for young readers. Earwig doesn't seem a sympathetic character at first, but by the end of the book, readers will be firmly under her spell.

Goodbye, Diana -- you are missed already.

Oh, she certainly is! I haven't found that last book yet, but eventually I will acquire it!

(40 books read)

I like to keep a few light reads loaded on my Kindle, that I can pick up when I am waiting somewhere or have a few minutes to fill. The Regency romance Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer was just such a book.

When Lord Sherringham (Sherry, to his friends) proposes to and is rejected by an Incomparable, he goes out and marries the next woman he sees -- a girl he has known since childhood, and who has adored him for most of her life. Hero (dubbed "Kitten" by Sherry) has spent her girlhood as a poor relation, and is about to be packed off to be a governess when Sherry makes his proposal. Of course, it will only be a marriage of convenience -- Sherry must be married before he can have control of his inheritance. Sherry has no plans to change his way of life at all, despite being married. Of course, he means to give Kitten every luxury, since he's always been quite fond of her. When he finds himself rescuing his naive wife from scrape after scrape, usually because she was imitating some action of his, he starts to realize that marriage is a more serious proposition than he had at first suspected. The big question, though, is what will it take for Sherry to actually fall in love with his wife?

This is just as delightful as any Georgette Heyer I've read. I particularly liked seeing Sherry's character development -- unusual, in the hero of a Regency romance. If you haven't read any Georgette Heyer and are interested in giving her a try, this would be a pleasant place to start.

There! I was running behind in posting about the books I had finished, but now I am caught up both here and on my blog. I've also been going back through this thread and last year's thread and converting any substantial posts I made about specific books into reviews.

When I first started writing reviews on LT, I kept to a very formal style. I occasionally review books for a professional journal, so I used my LT reviews as "practice" in a sense. I'm stepping away from that viewpoint now, allowing for LT reviews that are a little more personal and slightly less polished. (I still have to do formal, polished reviews when I write professional ones, of course!) All that to say, drop by my profile and check out my newly listed reviews, if you get a chance!

40 BOOKS? *jaw drops* Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude. Congratulations Foggi! You are a really good reader.

Thanks for your post regarding The Lions of Little Rock. It is now on my tbr pile.

Friday's Child is one of my favorite Heyers, especially because of that character development, and then the team of George, Ferdy, and Gil is unequaled. Cotillion is the only one that comes out clearly ahead of that one.

#121 -- Thanks, Eris! One of the joys of LibraryThing for me is finding people who read as much (and sometimes more) than I do. :-)

#122 -- Great! Hope you like it! Did you know that Gary Schmidt has a new book coming out in September? The title is What Came from the Stars, and it looks like fantasy this time.

#123 -- Oh, I agree about George, Ferdy, and Gil. I believe Cotillion is one of the ones I have on tap for next time I feel like reading a Regency.

(41 books read)

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen is the last of my little stack of current galleys. It comes out next month, so I am actually reviewing it in the time frame that the publisher would most prefer, for once!

The king of Carthya is dead, along with the queen and the crown prince -- but the people of Carthya don't know it yet. Since the king's younger son, Prince Jaron, was lost in a shipwreck and presumed dead several years before, the country is without a ruler, and is, therefore, undoubtedly on the brink of civil war. The Council of Regents are attempting to decide the fate of the country, but many of its members have plans of their own. Connor, one of the minor regents, is scouring orphanages for likely boys to put in Prince Jaron's place. It's a bold plan, and if it succeeds, Connor will be the power behind the throne. He finds four teens of the right age and appearance, including Sage, a brash young thief.

Sage is actually the narrator and main character of this story. From the first, it's obvious that he's one of those unreliable narrators your mother warned you about. Of the boys recruited by Connor, Sage may be the least likely to succeed at imitating the prince -- but Connor makes it clear from the beginning that the boys who do not succeed are unlikely to live to see their rival on the throne. Can Sage and the other boys learn everything they need to impersonate a prince in the space of just a few weeks? And just what is Sage hiding? He's not the sort to humbly submit to Connor's plan. . . .

This book inevitably reminded me of a certain other book with an unreliable thief as its narrator, though it came up a bit short in comparison. Sage is no Eugenides -- he has all of the attitude, but lacks some of the charm. I also guessed Sage's secret about halfway through the book -- not that that's a problem, really, as I still enjoyed reading about how it all played out. I did think the ending felt a bit rushed. Also, there were some hints of romance that never played out, though since this is the first book of a trilogy, I imagine those will be more fully explored in the coming volumes. I didn't love this book, but I liked it enough that I will probably read the rest of the series when it is available.

41 books read! That is incredible. Congratulations!

(42 books read)

A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper intrigued me when I first heard about it a few years ago, but I have only just gotten around to reading it.

Sophie FitzOsborne is a princess of a small, impoverished, tumbledown kingdom -- Montmaray, a tiny island in the Bay of Biscay. Hundreds of years ago, her ancestors were cast adrift in a shipwreck and landed on the island, claiming it as their kingdom. The population grew, then dwindled -- by 1936, the island is inhabited by Sophie, her mad uncle the king, her cousin Veronica, her tomboyish sister Henry, their obsessive housekeeper Rebecca, and a handful of villagers. Toby, the crown prince, is in England at school, along with Simon, Rebecca's son. The FitzOsbornes who remain on the island live in somewhat primitive conditions, but Veronica and Henry are perfectly happy pursuing their own interests. Sophie dreams of a proper "coming out" in London, but she feels she can't leave the rest of her family on the island. Then, one day, the Germans arrive on Montmaray . . .

This is an interesting book -- a little difficult to classify. It's historical fiction, but Montmaray is entirely invented. Of course, if the FitzOsbornes had been living in England, whatever estate they lived on would likewise have been invented, so in that respect it's not all that much different from other works of historical fiction. The writing style, diary format, and air of impoverished gentility inevitably draw comparisons to Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle. I didn't like A Brief History of Montmaray quite as much as I liked I Capture the Castle, but I do look forward to reading more about the FitzOsbornes in the future.

(43 books read)

I first discovered Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley when I was in seventh grade. Middle school is always a prime example of "man's inhumanity to man," and books were my best means of escape. Beauty quickly became a favorite. I borrowed the battered paperback copy from the school library several times that year, and have reread it more times than I can count in the years since. I've worn out at least two paperback copies, and the hardcover I now own is starting to look a little worn! However, unless my record-keeping is faulty, it's been over four years since I last reread it -- so I guess I was due for a reread.

This is a lovely retelling of the classic fairy tale (specifically, it seems most influenced by the de Beaumont version). It doesn't depart from the original in the big details, but does a beautiful job of fleshing out the story. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings. It's also a great starting point if you've never read anything by Robin McKinley.

I have a copy of The False Prince around here somewhere (Scholastic has been selling it through the book orders the last few months, I think trying to drum up interest before it's "officially" on sale on bookstore shelves)... I'm looking forward to reading it, but with some reservations. Good review!

That's a lovely review of Beauty, foggidawn!

Thanks, you guys!

#129 -- I think they've been oretty open-handed with the galleys for that one, too. It's always interesting to see which books publishers really push.

(44 books read)

If I had to use one word to describe The Thirteen Hallows by Michael Scott and Colette Freedman, it would be "squicky." I did read the whole thing . . . but now I kind of want to wash my brain.

To briefly summarize, the Thirteen Hallows are artifacts that were used thousands of years ago to seal demonkind into a prison. The demons have been biding their time, waiting for a human to come along who is brilliant, ambitious, and ruthless, and who will collect and activate the Hallows, releasing the demons. That time has come -- the current Keepers of the Hallows are all growing old, and are unable to protect their artifacts any longer. When one young woman, Sarah Miller, stops what she thinks is a mugging, she is caught up in the danger and horror of what's happening with the Hallows, and her fate becomes inextricably linked with theirs.

First of all, the good: this book is definitely gripping. Even when I halfway wanted to put it down, I kept reading to see what would happen.

But that's about all of the good that I can think of to relate. The writing, while not cringe-worthy, was nothing out of the common run, and the characters all seemed a little flat to me. Moreover, I am not a fan of thrillers or horror, and this book contains elements of both. Let me put it this way: a book that uses the word "abattoir" several times to describe various scenes is probably not my thing. Multiple descriptions of gristly murders and kinky rituals had me nearly putting the book down at several different points. So, if your taste is anything like mine, I'm definitely not recommending this book. On the other hand, the reviews I read were generally positive -- so those who enjoy gore-spattered fantasy/horror/thrillers will probably love this book.

I'll leave them to it -- and be a little more selective of my reads in the future.

I just picked this one up from the library a few days ago. I'm a thriller/horror fan, so I'll be interested to see how I like it given your thoughts.

#133 -- You'll have to let me know what you think of it.

(45 books read)

Chalice by Robin McKinley fits the bill for me today -- as a nice, soothing read, it was a good antidote to the violence of my last book. This is my second time reading this book, and I enjoyed it just a much this time as last time. McKinley's writing has its flaws (it tends to wander a bit) but for me, her books stand up well to rereading.

Mirasol is Chalice, a member of the ruling Circle of the Willowlands demesne, second in importance only to the Master. All is not well in her demesne, though -- the previous Master and Chalice died in tragic and somewhat shocking circumstances, so Mirasol never had the chance to apprentice and learn the work of the Chalice. The Master's younger brother has been called home from the Elemental Priesthood to take his place as the new Master of the demesne, but it's rumored that he went so far into the Elemental Priesthood that he is somehow no longer human. Moreover, there are those, both with and outside of the demesne, who would like to see the new Master fail, and Mirasol with him. Can an inexperienced Chalice and Master work together to save the demesne -- or did their respective positions come to them too soon, or too late?

There's not a lot of action in this book, and while there's definitely conflict, it's generally interpersonal and running under the surface. The world-building is really interesting, though it can also be just a little bit confusing at times. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a point of access to McKinley's works, but for fans of hers, it is certainly a worthwhile read.

I agree, probably not the best place to start with McKinley, and I still don't love the end, but overall I like the book a lot.

Isn't it funny how her tendency to wander, which is something a lot of people consider a flaw, is one of the things I love about McKinley's writing. It always reminds me of how I have a conversation with a good friend, which will start on one topic and then get sidetracked this way and tangent that way until we may or may not even remember what the original topic was.

So to me, reading her books (well, most of them) feels like talking to an old friend :)

#136 -- Interesting point. I think the wandering doesn't bother me as much as it does some people (except maybe in Dragonhaven, where it really was too much), and I agree with your "conversation with an old friend" analogy. I can see how it would be irritating to someone who wanted a more linear style, though.

I'm not entirely sure what I think of the end. I like it better than the end of Spindle's End, but not as much as, say, The Blue Sword.

Oh, well, Dragonhaven. Dragonhaven is the main reason why I said most of her books are like talking to an old friend. That one is so far out in left field, I don't even know. Anyway, I certainly understand that people have different tastes and wouldn't expect everyone to love McKinley's rambling like I do.

The end of Spindle's End is weird but I like it; the end of Chalice is just kind of...abrupt. It's similar to the problem that I have with the end of Graceling, where suddenly all the big problems are gone and the reason they're gone just doesn't quite work to me.

The ending of Chalice is a little abrupt, but my problem with the end of Spindle's End is that it feels like cheating to me. I still like the book, and have reread it several times, but I always wish that they had found another way to deal with their problems.

(46 books read)

I read Faking Faith by Josie Bloss last night. It's an interesting book, to be sure.

When Dylan becomes a social outcast due to a bad breakup, a viral video, and a sexting scandal, she starts spending a lot of time on the Internet . . . but it's not what you might expect. Dylan becomes obsessed with blogs of homeschooled fundamentalist Christian girls -- the kind who live a quasi-Amish lifestyle, with farms and big families and lots of domestic stories to relate. For months, Dylan reads the blogs . . . then she starts to comment occasionally . . . then she creates her own blogging persona, "Faith." And eventually, Dylan contacts Abigail, one of the most popular bloggers in her new-found community, and arranges for "Faith" to come visit. At Abigail's home, Dylan meets Abigail's family -- a host of cute younger siblings, a homey mother, a controlling father, and Asher, Abigail's handsome, troubled older brother. Abigail's life is pretty much what Dylan had been expecting -- but there are a few dark undertones as well.

The string of bad choices that Dylan makes in the first half of this book is really quite epic -- everything from sending naked pictures to her scummy boyfriend, to lying to her parents and setting up a visit to people she met online. The author does a good job of making Dylan's character sympathetic in spite of all of this.

I'm a little intrigued by the blogging community that Dylan stumbles across -- a group so conservative, it makes the conservatives that I know seem mainstream. Hopefully, nobody will come away from this book thinking that all conservative Christians share Abigail's family's views! On the other hand, I like the fact that Dylan finds certain things about Abigail's lifestyle appealing -- and I appreciate the fact that Dylan isn't able to swoop in and solve all of the problems she encounters in Abigail's world. From her experience at Abigail's, Dylan takes away a few lessons about the power of forgiveness and the importance of knowing what you believe. There really is a sense that both Dylan and Abigail have grown over the course of the novel, but that they still have some growing left to do, which makes for a nice, realistic ending.

Warning to anyone else reading this: if you haven't read Spindle's End, beware: spoilers ahead!

139 foggidawn - You mean the very end, when they switch places? That's what feels like a cheat to you? Interesting, I never thought of it that way. It always made sense to me in the context of the story.

#141 -- Yes, that! Switching them was probably the nicest, and certainly the most convenient, way to work things out, but I thought it would be more interesting to see how Rosie adapted to her position.

142 foggidawn - That would have taken another whole book, though!

#143: . . . for which we would have had to wait at least three years. ;-)

(47 books read)

It's hard to review The Humming Room by Ellen Potter without including something that some might consider a spoiler, so I'll say at the start: if you like juvenile fiction with just a touch of magical realism, with well-developed characters and a little bit of eerie atmosphere, you might want to stop reading this review, and pick up the book, instead. Okay, now for the actual review:

When Roo's parents are killed, she is sent to the home of an uncle she didn't even know she had. The huge, mysterious old house holds many secrets, both inside and out. There's the strange boy who knows more about nature than anyone Roo has ever met, the unwelcoming housekeeper, the garrulous maid, and the strange humming and crying sounds that Roo sometimes hears as she explores the house. Most of all, there's the garden, which has been closed up and left to die. . . .

If this is all sounding way too familiar, there's a reason for that. Potter has taken the basic structure of The Secret Garden and updated it to a modern setting. This may sound like a recipe for disaster, but in this case, it works beautifully. It took me a little while to even realize what was happening, though when I look back, I can see that Roo's story and Mary's march side-by-side from the very beginning. Lots of the small details differ, making the book just different enough from its predecessor that it doesn't feel like a hollow imitation. For instance, Roo's uncle's house is an old children's tuberculosis sanatorium, with all of the creepiness that entails, and it's located on an island, so it feels as remote as a house on the moors of Yorkshire a hundred years ago. There are subtle differences in characterization, too -- Roo is a little more likeable than Mary, Jack is a little more fey than Dickon, Philip is not as much of an invalid as Colin -- but they mesh together nicely. My one complaint was that the book was short, and felt a little rushed toward the end.

In The Humming Room, Potter has done a lovely job of taking on and adapting a children's classic. I would recommend this to fans of the original, as well as those who are looking for a story with a slightly spooky atmosphere and a hint of mystery.

144 foggidawn - Exactly! :D

Passing through and stopping to congratulate you on completing 47 books already!

(48 books read)

Crucible of Gold is the most recent addition to the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik. This series is one of my recent favorites. The best way to describe it is alternate history -- the Napoleonic Wars, but with dragons. What really stands out for me, though, is the excellent characterization. The dragons are so . . . dragonly (yes, that is totally a word); they have their own morals and personalities. They manage to be both sympathetic and alien -- I never forget, when reading, that Temeraire is not human.

In Crucible of Gold, Laurence and Temeraire travel from Australia to South America, where they discover another entirely different system of government involving humans and dragons . . . as well as another sneaky plot on the part of Napoleon to upset the balance of power in his favor.

I enjoyed this book more than its predecessor, Tongues of Serpents -- it feels like a return to the earlier books. I'm also pleased to note that, while this book doesn't end in a major cliffhanger, it's obvious that there will be more books in the future. I can hardly wait!

(If you haven't read the series yet, but are intrigued, the first book is His Majesty's Dragon -- highly recommended to dragon lovers and history buffs alike!)

(49 books)

I picked up i heart bloomberg by Melody Carlson because it was a Kindle freebie. When I finished my previous read on my Kindle, I just clicked over to the next thing that sounded interesting. The two books are nearly as different as night and day, but sometimes that's a good thing.

In i heart bloomberg, three twenty-something women are looking for better living arrangements. They each respond to an intriguing ad: rooms for rent in a luxurious upscale home located in an ideal location. After agreeing to sign the lease, however, they discover that the ad may not have been entirely truthful -- sure, the location is great, but the house is run down. Moreover, landlady Kendall is a complete basket case: a narcissistic shopaholic with a drinking problem, huge credit card debts, and an equally huge sense of entitlement. The four women have their ups and downs as they adjust to their new situation.

This was a quick and fluffy read -- enjoyable, but without much substance. The writing was okay, but not great. All in all, I don't regret reading it, but I probably won't seek out the rest of the series.

(50 books read)

The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George was a fairly good read, but I'm worn out from a busy day and can't really give it much more of a review than that right now. (I'd wait, but I'm afraid I'd forget to list it at all.)

That seems pretty anticlimactic for my 50th book, but I should be back to my usual wordy posts soon. :-)

(51 books read)

Theater Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (originally published as Curtain Up) was a pleasant read -- one of those books that I would have loved if I had discovered it when I was about 9. (How did I not discover Streatfeild when I was growing up?)

Siblings Sorrell, Mark, and Holly Forbes lived with their grandfather during most of World War II. Their mother is dead, and their father is away at war. Their lives change completely when their father is presumed "missing" and their grandfather passes away. The Forbes children are sent to live with their grandmother, who disowned their mother for marrying their father. They don't know what to expect at their grandmother's home, but are surprised, when they arrive, to learn that their mother's side of the family is all involved in the theatre in one way or another. The children are sent, not to their familiar boarding schools, but to the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training, where their education will be much different than what they have experienced in the past.

As in other Streatfeild novels I have read, there are some minor sibling quarrels, some gentle competition between the students at the school, some issues with genteel poverty (in this case, complicated by rationing and scarcity due to the war), and bright futures all around. The sisters from Ballet Shoes play a minor role in this book, so it might be helpful to read that one first.

I thought there were a few dark undertones in the book -- for instance, Sorrell's character seemed to be developing for the worse in subtle ways. I can see her competing bitterly with her cousin Miranda for the rest of their lives. Despite that, it was still an enjoyable read. I think if I were to read all of Streatfeild's books in a short time, I would find them repetitive -- but at the rate of about one a year, they are charming.

Oh we love Streatfeild's books. (Though the spelling of his name throws me every time!) Ballet Shoes is our favorite, and there is even a cozy little movie made from it, starring Emma Watson (Hermione). They're the kind of wholesome books that belong on the shelf between Anne of Green Gables and The Little Princess. :)

(52 books read)

I had high hopes for The Storm Makers by Jennifer E. Smith -- I liked her recent teen novel (post #86 of this thread), but this book, in a different genre and for a different age range, didn't really do much for me. It had a fairly good premise, but I felt like it never really went anywhere. I actually sat it down in the middle of the final confrontation with the Bad Guys, and it took me several days to get back to it. I never really felt invested in the characters, and the pacing was slo-o-o-w.

I'm afraid that's all the review this one gets here, since I have to formally review it elsewhere.

#152 -- I keep meaning to watch that movie, then forgetting about it. I'll have to check the library for it. I agree, both about the books (cozy and wholesome) and the spelling of the author's name (it just looks wrong)!

> 148: ohhh I can't wait to get my hands on the Dutch translation of Crucible of Gold!
The translation of Tongues of Serpents came pretty quick, so.....

I have a recommendation for you. If you haven't read
Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles, you might like this one! I finished it today and hated to see it end.

#156 -- Thanks for the recommendation! I will have to look in to it.

(53 books read)

All Men of Genius by Lev Rosen is a brilliant mashup of so many great things -- Steampunk! Shakespeare! Oscar Wilde! Secret scientific societies bent on world domination! Swearing rabbits! -- that I am just left marveling at how much fun it all is.

On the surface, this is a steampunk retelling of Twelfth Night. Violet Adams is one of the finest scientific minds of her time, but she cannot attend Illyria, England's premiere scientific college, because Illyria only admits men. The solution? Violet will masquerade as her twin brother Ashton for a year, to prove to the duke who runs Illyria that women should be admitted to the school. While she is there, she will create some brilliant invention to reveal her genius to the world. Of course, she doesn't factor in the possibility that she might fall in love with the duke. . . .

Naturally, Rosen deviates from Shakespeare's plot and characterization occasionally, but he stays true to the essence of the play. There are also a few phenomenal riffs on The Importance of Being Earnest, including some nearly verbatim lines from my favorite scene in the play (the one where Cecily and Gwendolyn meet for the first time).

This book had me in stitches part of the time, and nearly biting my fingernails during certain other tense or spooky moments. While it's marketed as an adult book, I think older teens would enjoy it as well. I'm not particularly well-versed in steampunk, having only dabbled around the edges as it were, so I'd say this could also serve as a nice introduction to the genre for the curious but inexperienced.

Well, doesn't THAT sound intriguing! On the list it goes! Hmm... steampunk, Shakespeare, Wilde, swearing rabbits... I'm not sure how I could NOT read it. :D

On my tbr list, too. That sounds great!

Hope you both enjoy it as much as I did!

(54 books read)

When Hilary McKay writes a new book about the sparkling, dysfunctional Casson family, I read it as soon as possible -- so I jumped on the recently-released Caddy's World. This book is actually a prequel to the series, but I would recommend reading them in publication order, as this book gives away (or at least strongly hints at) one of the major plot points from Saffy's Angel.

Before Darling Michael, before the hamsters, even before Permanent Rose, there were four friends -- Alison, who hates everyone; Ruby, the clever one; Beth, who is perfect; and Cadmium Gold Casson, bravest of the brave. "You four will be friends," their first primary school teacher instructed . . . and so they were. But now, during Caddy's twelfth summer, her beautiful, unchanging friendship seems to be coming apart. Alison's parents are threatening to sell their house and move their family to Tasmania. Ruby has been offered the chance at a scholarship to a private school. Beth is growing too big for her beloved pony, and Caddy's family is in even more of an uproar than usual because Eve is at the hospital with the new baby, which seems so small that Caddy can't see how it could possibly survive. Will the four friends be torn apart by circumstances, or can they make it through together?

I love the Cassons, and Caddy has always been the most distant one, since she is nearly grown up in the other books. It's lovely to get to know her better here. I don't know if there will be more books in the series (Caddy and Rose have had two books each; I think Saffy and Indigo need more books now), but the epilogue in Caddy's World made me want to pick up Saffy's Angel again and reread the rest of the series.

>158 foggidawn: Added it to the TBR list as well.

Also forced, FORCED I tell you, to add All Men of Genius to the wishlist!

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

(55 books read)

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is many things: a verse novel, a tear-jerker, based on a true story. Ivan is a gorilla who has spent nearly 30 years as the main attraction in a run-down circus-themed shopping mall. He's been alone so long that, for all he knows, he might be the only gorilla left in the world -- despite the fact that, at his age, he should be the head of a gorilla family, resposible for protecting and leading his pack. His best friends are a scrappy homeless dog named Bob, and Stella, the elephant who is the mall's other main attraction. Ivan and Stella are resigned to living life in their small cages, but when the mall's owner Mack brings in Ruby, a baby elephant, Ivan finds that he does have something worth protecting, after all. How can he save Ruby from a lifetime of imprisonment at the shopping mall?

Ivan is a gorilla of great understanding but few words, so the spare format of the verse novel suits this book well. It's written as a middle-grade novel, and though it does contain a few emotionally distressing scenes, there are no overt instances of cruelty such as you might expect in an adult novel. The characters are complex -- even Mack, the owner of the shopping mall, is not simply painted as the Bad Guy. The book tackles a lot of thought-provoking issues about animal rights, without ever becoming too preachy -- and though I shed a few tears in the middle, the ending of the story is ultimately hopeful.

(56 books read)

The (Not Quite) Perfect Boyfriend by Lili Wilkinson is chick lit for young teens. Sixteen-year-old Midge, tired of being teased about not having a boyfriend, invents one. And then he shows up.

It's just a coincidence, of course -- the real-life Ben isn't quite the same as the boy Midge made up, but he's pretty close . . . and he's willing to play along with Midge's story. For a price, of course. It turns out that Ben isn't nearly as perfect as Midge had envisioned, and keeping up the lie, while it has its pleasant sides (popularity! kissing!), also makes life a lot more complicated.

This is one of the most innocent teen romances I've read in a long time -- so much so that I think it's most likely to appeal to tweens. Older readers may find it tame and a little predictable, but those making their first painful forays into the world of real-life romance will empathize with Midge's naïve mistakes.

(57 books read)

The Moon Over High Street by Natalie Babbitt is about Joe Casimir, who has a big decision to make.

When Joe goes to visit a distant relative for the summer, he anticipates a slightly boring few weeks. However, when a chain of circumstances brings him in contact with the wealthy Mr. Boulderwall, Joe's life could change forever. Mr. Boulderwall is looking for an heir, someone he could train up to be his replacement at the factory he started. Joe, an orphan of Polish descent, reminds Mr. Boulderwall of himself at that age. Why shouldn't he adopt the boy, he wonders, and mold him into the perfect factory manager? It would be a fantastic opportunity for Joe . . . but Joe has plans of his own, dreams that reach as high as the moon.

This is a gentle, almost folksy read. The style is typical of Natalie Babbitt, and similar to that of Patricia MacLachlan. I must admit that I found the story a bit flat. Nothing in the plot, characters, or setting made the book particularly distinctive. It reads like a lazy summer afternoon -- the sort of afternoon that leaves your inner child pacing around moaning "I'm bo-ored!" Babbitt has written some lovely books, but this is not one of her strongest works.

The Search for Delicious is my favorite Babbitt book, although there are quite a few of hers I haven't read.

I've added The One and Only Ivan to the tbr list.

I love visiting here. It is wonderful to find a kindred soul who reads YA books.

Regarding Natalie Babbitt. I liked The Eyes of the Amaryllis. If you haven't read this one you might find it enjoyable.

I asked for The One and Only Ivan from ER but didn't win, and I don't have much faith that I'll win it on Goodreads either, so it's been put on my wishlist. It looked so bittersweet.

#170 -- I will have to keep that one in mind. I always enjoy visiting your thread and discovering new books there, as well.

#171 -- "Bittersweet" is a good description.

I have been a book-reading machine this weekend! Just finished another one, which I will be posting about soon.

(58 books read)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella -- light sci-fi, if you will. In this day of the post-apocalyptic dystopia, it's refreshing to run across a book that isn't really either of those things.

Linh Cinder is one of the most talented mechanics in New Beijing. She's also a cyborg -- socially beyond the pale. Her stepmother tolerates her because of the income Cinder brings in, but she never lets Cinder forget that she was an unwelcome addition to the household. When the prince brings a damaged android to Cinder for repairs, Cinder finds herself caught up in a web of intrigue, and she may play a larger part than anyone could have expected.

I'll state right off that I saw all of the plot twists in this book coming a mile away. However, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. Fairy tale retellings are one of my favorite things to read, and I loved how Meyer wove the familiar threads of the Cinderella story into this book, making it much more than the original, but still delightfully recognizable. I certainly recommend it, and will be seeking out future volumes in the series. A word to the wise: the ending of this book is first cousin to a cliffhanger -- not enough of one to cause screams of outrage (at least from me), but enough to leave readers craving the next book, which won't be out for some time yet.

I reviewed The Hunger Games movie over on my blog:
http://kidlitgeek.blogspot.com/2012/03/movie-review-hunger-games.html

Brief summary: I liked it. I'm not going to repost the whole review here, but feel free to discuss it here!

>173 foggidawn:: Huzzah! I can't wait to read this one. I have it sitting by the couch, taunting me everytime I walk by. I'm also a fan of fairy-tale retellings, so it's always a relief when they're done right!

I am running so very far behind! Posts about Listening for Lions, The Wide-Awake Princess, Storm Runners, and The Goblin Wood (ETA: and The Apothecary and A Countess Below Stairs) coming soon . . . ish.

(59 books read)

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan is a lovely book, and a delightful audiobook. I listened to this one at the recommendation of one of my co-workers, and I'm glad I did.

Rachel Sheridan is the daughter of missionaries. She was born in Africa, and she loves it there. When both of her parents die in the 1919 influenza epidemic, Rachel falls into the clutches of a scheming family who have just lost their own daughter. Rachel will take that daughter's place on a voyage to England, to visit the dead girl's grandfather and get into his good graces. Rachel is hesitant to take part in the scheme, but her only other option is being sent to the orphanage her own parents grew up in. Rachel resolves to tell the truth anyway, but then she meets the ailing old gentleman, whose health is so frail that she fears the startling news of his granddaughter's death and his son's duplicity in sending Rachel could have disastrous consequences. As she remains with him, Rachel grows fond of the old gentleman, and begins to love him as she would her own grandfather. Will she ever be able to tell him the truth? And will she ever be able to return to her beloved Africa?

I greatly enjoyed listening to this book. It's well written (my favorite so far of the Gloria Whelan books I have read) and well-narrated by Bianca Amato. I would recommend it to fans of historical fiction and children's classics.

(60 books read)

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker is a cute fairy tale retelling for the juvenile set. Annie, younger sister of the ill-fated Princess Gwendolyn (aka Sleeping Beauty) was given only one fairy gift at her christening: Annie is impervious to magic. So, when Gwendolyn inevitably pricks her finger and the whole castle falls into an enchanted sleep, it's up to Annie to rescue her sister, and the rest of her family, from a hundred-year nap. Annie wanders and blunders through several other well-known fairy tales in an attempt to locate her sister's True Love -- and she just may find the key to her own happiness along the way.

Baker's writing is light and fun. As with Gail Carson Levine's fairy tale retellings, I often find that there's not enough substance there for a really satisfying read, but The Wide-Awake Princess and books like it are a nice introduction to the genre for young readers.

Sounds interesting enough to put on the wishlist though, foggi, when I am in the mood for quick, light entertainment.

#179 -- Yes, it is quick, light, and fun.

(61 books read)

Storm Runners by Roland Smith is the first book in an adventure/survival trilogy for kids. Chase and his father travel around the country looking for storms -- Chase's father is a contractor who specializes in storm preparation and clean-up. When Chase and a couple of friends are stranded miles from safety in the middle of a hurricane, Chase's storm survival skills are tested to their limits. They face high winds, raging water, and wild animals . . . and even when they reach their destination, the danger is far from over.

This isn't really a book -- it's the first third of a book. It ends in a cliffhanger, so if this sounds like the book for you, have the second one on hand. This fast-paced read that will definitely appeal to reluctant readers, especially those who enjoy man-versus-nature survival stories. I wouldn't recommend this for adult readers, as adult fans of this sort of thriller will seek out longer and more complex works. However, for readers in the target age range, this will be a highly enjoyable book.

(62 books read)

Hilari Bell is one of those fantasy authors that I generally enjoy, but rarely think of when I'm listing favorites. The Goblin Wood, like many of her other works, is a good, solid read, though it doesn't quite rise to excellence.

When Makenna's mother is killed by the villagers that she's known all her life, Makenna runs away to escape her mother's fate. Like her mother, Makenna is a hedgewitch, and witches are being persecuted more and more by both the government and the people of the land. After stealing an apple from an orchard protected by goblins, Makenna finds herself pursued by the creatures . . . until she learns more about them and comes to an understanding with them. Goblins, like witches, are being driven out of the settled lands and into the wilderness. Though they are crafty and gifted with magical talents, they need someone who can organize them if they are going to have any hope of surviving. Makenna, feeling hostile and resentful of her own kind, throws her lot in with the goblins and never looks back.

Tobin is a knight and heir to his father's lands, until he rescues his younger brother from a political scrape. When he takes his brother's place and accepts responsiility for the scheme, Tobin is beaten, demoted, and disinherited. He's given one chance to regain his honor: capture the sorceress who has power over an army of goblins. He has hardly a chance against such powerful magic -- but the only other option is a life of shame, and by capturing the sorceress, he would be saving his country as well. However, when he meets Makenna and her goblins, he begins to question everything he has been told about this "sorceress" and her "army."

This was a quick and straightforward read, without a great deal of depth to either characters or plot, but enjoyable nonetheless. I'll be tracking down and reading the sequels soon.

(63 books read)

Side note: I am determined to get through my backlog of reviews today! Of course, I'm also determined to do some house cleaning, and so far all I have done is read and take a nap. . . .

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy is an interesting blend of fantasy and alternate history. When Janie's family moves to post-WW2 London, she's not at all happy about her new home. Things start to improve for her when she makes friends with Benjamin, a handsome boy from her new school. Benjamin's father is an apothecary . . . a trade which proves more interesting than it first seems. Benjamin's father disappears, leaving Benjamin to protect an ancient book, the Pharmacopeia. Benjamin is skeptical about the merits of the book, which holds recipes for transformation, invisibility, and other improbables -- but it is true that strange and sinister individuals seem to be after the book. What are these people looking for? Do the magical recipes in the book really work? And what does all of this have to do with the Cold War, Communism, and the testing of a new atomic bomb?

I very much enjoyed this book. The characters are well-developed and the action moves at just the right pace. The magic system is fascinating, if not fully explained, and setting it in post-war London adds an interesting flavor to the mix.

(64 books read)

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson is a reread for me -- and it's a book that stands up well to rereading. An impoverished Russian countess, displaced due to the Russian revolution, takes a position as a housemaid in a grand English country home. She is soon beloved by everyone there, upstairs and down -- and even Rupert, the new Earl of Westerholme, is not completely unaware of her charms. However, the arrival of Rupert's fiancee Muriel brings many unwelcome changes to the estate. . . .

This book is delightfully funny and sweet. All of the characters are wonderful, but Anna is the one that really makes the book. She's one of those fictional characters that I really wish I could meet in person -- since I can't, I'm sure I'll be dropping by her book for many more visits in the future!

#184 - I should check that book out! I've seen it at the library every now and again, but I've never gotten it. Thank you for providing a helpful review, Foggi. :)

Foggi, are you familiar with the band The Decemberists? Maile Meloy is Colin Meloy's sister (he is the lead singer). He has also written a book, Wildwood, and his wife is Carson Ellis, who illustrated his book and others, including The Mysterious Benedict Society. I love all the booky connections. :)

I read The Apothecary as an ER book and really enjoyed it also.

#186 -- I'm not familiar with the band, but I read Wildwood back in January (see post #22 of this thread). I did wonder if there was some connection between the authors, as Meloy isn't a particularly common last name -- thanks for clarifying that!

LOL! I had forgotten-- you sure did, and I commented on it.

#188 -- Heh. Sometimes I can't remember what I read three months ago, much less what someone else read and I commented on! :-)

(65 books read)

I picked up Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier because I am very fond of Wildwood Dancing, one of her young adult novels. Heart's Blood is never going to be a favorite of mine, though I didn't hate it.

Caitrin, a female scribe, is fleeing her home when she arrives at Whistling Tor. This mysterious estate is home to Anluan, who was crippled by a palsy as a child, and his mysterious attendants. The people of the village tell Caitrin that Whistling Tor is under a curse -- but Caitrin has heard that Anluan is looking for a scribe, and she is in need of work. When she arrives at the Tor, she finds that Anluan is unfriendly and his people are indeed mysterious, but she feels safe there all the same. Part of Anluan's hostility is due to the fact that he is sure she will leave after a few days, but Caitrin pledges to stay through the summer and complete the work of organizing his library and transcribing his Latin texts into the common tongue. As she progresses with her work, Caitrin comes to believe that there might be something in the texts to break the old curse upon Whistling Tor -- but before she can find it, threats from without and within endanger both Caitrin's life, and the survival of all at Whistling Tor.

This Beauty and the Beast story didn't do much for me, in terms of romance -- I just didn't feel the spark of attraction between Caitrin and Anluan for most of the book. I will say, however, that in terms of character development, both Caitrin and Anluan grew and changed over the course of the story, and I was interested in the ways that they were developing. There was a point where I felt conflict was manufactured, rather than naturally occurring, and Caitrin's actions at that point seemed forced.

My other complaint is about the names -- the setting of the book is Ireland, presumably some time in the late middle ages, and many of the character names are completely unpronounceable . . . and there is no glossary. It's a small thing, but each new name left me wondering how it was pronounced, which took me right out of the story.

So, all in all, I probably wouldn't recommend this one -- unless you are a die-hard fan of this author or this sort of fantasy story.

*sigh* It would be a lot easier to catch up on my backlog of reviews to write if I didn't keep finishing books! Reviews to come for The Unseen Guest, Starters, and Wonder.

I've been on vacation, and am still not really "back" -- but I have more books to post about soon!

Hey, Foggi! I hope you had a very good vacation, and I'm glad that you had the chance to read some more books - that makes life more wonderful. :)

(66 books read)

The Incorrigible Children of Aston Place, Book III: The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood is, as the title suggests, the third book in a delightful little series about Miss Penelope Lumley, governess, and her three young charges who were literally raised by wolves. In this book, Penelope and the Incorrigibles are back at Ashton Place after their eventful trip to London. An expedition into the forest which surrounds the manor reveals a few clues about the Incorrigible children's upbringing.

I'm quite fond of this series, but at this point I would definitely recommend starting at the beginning -- if you jump in with this book, you'll be lacking a lot of necessary back-story. I don't think I loved this book quite as much as the earlier two, but it was still very pleasant, and very nice to see Penelope's character develop a bit more. I look forward to reading future volumes, and hope that they will provide a few revelations about some of the long-standing mysteries in the series.

The narrative voice reminded me of the Series of Unfortunate Events -- more strongly in this book than in previous books. That's not a criticism per se, though if the narrator of the Snicket series got on your nerves with the slightly didactic humor, you may experience the same thing with this series.

(67 books read)

Starters by Lissa Price is a gripping post-apocalyptic story. In a future America where only the elderly and the young survived an act of biological warfare, gangs of impoverished "unclaimed" teens and children live hand-to-mouth on the streets, squatting in abandoned buildings. Callie and her younger brother Tyler live this way, running from government officials who would put them in institutions as well as rough renegade teens who would kill them for their meager possessions. Tyler needs expensive medical care, as well as nutritious food that Callie can't afford. When she hears about Prime Destinations, a service that uses advanced technology to "rent" the bodies of teens to rich elderly people who want to experience youth again, she thinks that the hefty stipend they are offering may be her only hope to help her brother. What she doesn't realize is that the mysterious CEO of Prime Destinations, a mysterious figure known only as the Old Man, has much darker and more nefarious plans in mind. And when Callie unexpectedly wakes up in the middle of a "rental" with a gun in her hand, she discovers that she is more deeply involved than she could have imagined.

This was a fairly good story. I thought there were a few plot holes in the world-building, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of this as a fun, fast-paced read. I'll be looking for the sequel, Enders, when it comes out this winter.

(68 books read)

There's been a lot of buzz about Wonder by R.J. Palacio, so I had to read it for myself. I think the buzz is, in general, deserved.

Ten-year-old Auggie has never been to school. Born with extreme facial abnormalities, he's been through countless medical procedures. He's used to people staring at him, pointing at him, pitying him . . . but he's about to experience his biggest challenge yet: middle school. Auggie manages to deal with the bullies and backstabbers of fifth grade with grace and a buoyant optimism. He's not perfect, of course -- what ten-year-old is? -- but he's infinitely likeable. A strong cast of secondary characters rounds out the story. I recommend this book, and I'd bet that some award committees out there will be giving it serious consideration.

(69 books read)

I listened to The Printer's Devil by Paul Bajoria, mainly because the audiobook was narrated by Katherine Kellgren, who does such a fabulous job with the Bloody Jack series. Unfortunately, Kellgren's masterful narration was not enough to save this one for me.

Mog, an orphan and an apprentice at one of Victorian London's many small print shops, is caught up in a web of intrigue involving smuggled opium. He meets a vicious boatswain, a mysterious foreigner, and a young boy his own age who bears a startling resemblance to Mog himself.

I had lots of problems with this book. I couldn't figure out why Mog was so caught up in the mystery from the beginning -- especially when he was in considerable danger, with nothing to gain but satisfied curiosity. I thought the plot relied too heavily on coincidence. I also thought that two of the big reveals toward the end of the book were blindingly obvious (though one of them might not have been if I hadn't been listening to the audiobook, and that's all I'll say on that in order to avoid spoilers). Most of all, I found the ending extremely unsatisfactory. Nothing was tied up or explained. This appears to be the first book in a trilogy, but I won't be reading the next two books.

#193 -- Okay, now that I've got a few reviews posted, I'll stop to say hi. I had a wonderful vacation, thanks! It was busy and exhausting, but in a good way -- whenever I had a little bit of down time, I spent it reading. It proved to be the perfect balance of activity and rest, time spent with friends and time spent in solitude.

It sounds like you had the perfect vacation: reading, fun, friends, relaxation!

(Bonus picture book review)

I don't count picture books in my yearly tally, but occasionally one comes along that I just have to mention. One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by David Small, is just such a picture book. It managed to delight me from the first page to the last.

Elliot, a very proper young man, is polite but slightly disinterested when his father suggests that they attend Family Fun Day at the aquarium. "Kids, masses of noisy kids," Elliot thinks -- and proves to be correct. As Elliot's absentminded father sits on a bench and reads his magazine, Elliot bypasses several crowded exhibits until he discovers the penguin display. The penguins appeal to his sensibilities . . . so he takes one home.

This was all reminding me of My Penguin Osbert, a book that I enjoy reading at post-Christmas storytimes, but One Cool Friend gets bonus points for humor and a twist at the end that made me laugh out loud. The interplay between the text and the pictures is flawless -- I was particularly impressed at the way David Small makes the character of Elliot's father come to life on the pages of the book. Kids and adults alike will appreciate this story, and I'll definitely be using it as a read-aloud in the future!

There was just a positive review of Wonder in the NYTimes Book Review, too, foggidawn. I'm definitely going to give it a try.

*waving* at Foggidawn

#201 -- Hope you enjoy Wonder, Joe. It's well worth reading.

#202 -- Hi, Stasia! Thanks for stopping by!

Great thread! Thanks for the recommendations!

#204 -- Thanks! I hope to see you around here often in the future!

(70 & 71 books read)

I'm doing one post for The Goblin Gate and The Goblin War by Hilari Bell, as they are the second and third books in a trilogy and I read them back to back. (For my thoughts on the first book of the series, see post #182 of this thread.)

The Goblin Gate focuses on Tobin's brother Jeriah, who is attempting to find a way to rescue his brother from the Otherworld. Jeriah is opposed in this by the priests and government officials who are focused on winning the war with the southern barbarians, now that the goblin problem has been dealt with . . . even though they know from their research that prolonged exposure to the Otherworld will kill Tobin. In their eyes, Tobin is a casualty of war, but Jeriah is not willing to give up on his brother while there is a chance that he is still alive. The main focus of the book is on Jeriah's desire to be a hero, while acknowledging that the heroes of old never had to compromise their principles the way he does. Jeriah reminds me of another Hilari Bell character -- Michael from The Last Knight.

In The Goblin War, the final conflict with the southern barbarians is heating up, and all of the characters are struggling to find a way to coexist. United by the threat from a common enemy, the goblins and the humans may finally have to learn to work together.

I enjoyed this series, but find that I don't have deeper thoughts on it than that it was an enjoyable adventure. It's not one I'll want to revisit, but I'd recommend it to someone looking for (if this is not a contradiction in terms) light epic fantasy.

(72 books read)

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff is the story of Andrew Zansky, a fat kid who decides to remake his image by trying out for the football team. He does this mostly to impress April, a cool new girl who also happens to be a cheerleader. In embracing his new image, he manages to hurt and alienate his old friends. Will his new friends prove to be as faithful as they seem? Is there some way he can balance both parts of his life?

This is a funny story with strong characters and an interesting plot. It didn't do a lot for me personally, but I can appreciate that, in this case, it really is just me. If you like books like Swim the Fly and Flash Burnout, you'll probably love this book.

(73 books read)

Fever by Lauren DeStefano is the second book in, yes, a trilogy. And it's a young adult dystopia!

In this book, Rhine and Gabriel are fleeing from cruel Housemaster Vaughn, but they find that there are many other dangers in the world, and it's a long way back to Manhattan. Even when they return to New York, will they be able to find Rhine's brother Rowan?

I really enjoyed Wither (the first book in the trilogy) though I had some reservations about it. (Here's my review.) I had hoped that some of the issues that bothered me would be sorted out in the second and third books . . . but that's not the case, at least for the second book. I also found that, while I remember the basics of the first book, I had forgotten many of the specific events that are frequently referenced in Fever. I'll probably read the final book in the series to see how it all resolves, but I'd recommend this only to those who can't get enough YA dystopia . . . and I'd probably recommend waiting until you can read all three at once.

(74 books read)

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker is, come to think of it. oddly similar to Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have (two posts above this one) . . .

Ricki Jo, small-town Kentucky girl, decides to revamp her image for high school. She's something of a new girl, since she's attended the K-8 parochial school, and she's determined to be cool and popular at the public high school. She decides to go by "Ericka" instead of "Ricki Jo," tries out for cheerleading instead of marching band, and works really hard to be accepted by the coolest girls in her class. It seems like she's succeeding . . . but there's a cost: she may lose her best friend Luke, who's going through a lot of difficulties in his own life. Is it worth it?

Author Alecia Whitaker grew up in Cynthiana, and my first thought was, "I know where that is!" So, the descriptions of Kentucky farmland, tobacco farming, and small-town life are genuine, informed by the author's own experiences . . . and it shows. It made me a little homesick for the Bluegrass, to tell the truth. I was also impressed with the characterization in this novel. Ricki Jo manages to seem like a real teen, with real issues, and sometimes I wanted to shake her for the choices she was making, but she's also really likeable. The girls she befriends are Mean Girls in a sense, but they're not mean all the time, nor are they completely stereotypical (though they're not entirely distinct; I did have some trouble remembering which one was which at times). Ricki Jo's crush, the handsome star athlete, was similarly nuanced -- and while best friend Luke did seem to verge on too much perfection, he did have the occasional flaw that made him seem a little more real. The pacing of the story had its ups and downs, but it kept me reading all the way through. I'd recommend this read to fans of realistic YA fiction, and I look forward to more from this debut author.

(75 books read)

The Fairy Ring: or Elsie and Frances Fool the World by Mary Losure is narrative nonfiction -- and for this story, that works pretty well. In England, during and just after the first World War, cousins Elsie and Frances performed a little bit of harmless trickery with Elsie's dad's camera. Using hatpins and some cleverly crafted paper figures painted by Elsie, the girls falsified pictures of fairies that they said lived at the spring near their house. This could have been a simple family joke -- the girls did it because the father was teasing them about fairies -- except that, through a series of coincidences, the fairy photos fell into the hands of a group of theosophists. These men were inclined to believe in things like nature spirits, ghosts, and yes, fairies. One of the most notable members of the group was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. Could such a brilliant man be taken in by the girls' little prank?

The author of this book gives a good sense of the girls' characters as she sees them: funny, artistic Elsie, who likes a good laugh, and who resents those who would write her off as "just" the daughter of a working man; and Frances, the more serious of the two, the one who does actually believe that she's seen fairies at the spring, and who resents the intrusion of the media and the men who want to measure, categorize, and quantify the fairies. The author is also very lenient toward the girls, pointing out that they would have gotten in a lot of trouble if they had confessed that the pictures were fakes after people outside of the family got involved -- and pointing out that the girls were continually underestimated by said outsiders, because they were young, because they were girls, or because they were poor.

I had heard mention of this story before, but I didn't know much about it. This brief book presents a good deal of information in a very readable fashion.

Phew! 75 completed, and I am caught up . . . at least for the moment. I have been running behind in posting reviews for the last two weeks, and it feels good not to have a backlog any more!

I am so impressed with your reading speed! You must have an eidetic memory! Try as I might, my eyes simply cannot take in more than a paragraph at a time, and my head hurts after a bit, lol.

Congrats on reaching 75 already!

#212 -- Heh, no eidetic memory . . . nor do I "speed-read" in the sense that true speed-readers mean. But I do read fast! Thanks!

Congrats! And sounds like a good book for zipping through the goal.

Caught a book bullet with The Fairy Ring. I'm familiar with the historical story and this sounds quite nice.

Congratulations on reaching 75!
I am curious how far the beyond is gonna reach ;-)

#214 -- Thanks!

#215 -- Hope you enjoy it.

#216 -- Thanks . . . I usually read 200+ in a year, so I guess we will see. I was thinking about starting a new thread after 75, but I think I'm going to see if I can make this one stretch to the end of the month.

I am way behind on the threads...I'll start anew and say Happy Saturday to you.

(76 books read)

I received Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti from the Early Reviewers program. I had heard of Colasanti before, but this is the first of her books that I've read. It won't be the last!

Noelle is at the very bottom of the high school social ladder. Caught between bullying at school and a miserable home life, it's no wonder that her self-esteem is at an all-time low. When the cute boy she's been secretly attracted to starts paying attention to her, Noelle is sure that she doesn't "deserve" anything good in her life. However, through a series of events that unfolds over the course of the novel, Noelle finds that she has both inner strength and the support of friends that she needs in order to Keep Holding On.

This story struck a chord with me. Like Noelle, I was the target of bullies in my school years. In an Author's Note at the beginning of the book, Colasanti reveals that she, too, suffered through hard times in high school. The tone of that note, and the entire book, is ultimately hopeful.

(77 books read)

Pure by Julianna Baggott is a post-apocalyptic dystopia . . . I feel like I've been alternating between those and high-school-angst type books, and I need to break out of the rut!

In Pressia's world, there is the Dome. It's inhabited by the Pure, those who were able to enter the Dome before the Detonations, who did not suffer the consequences of the nuclear blasts. The Pure watch the rest of humanity from a distance -- nobody enters the Dome, and nobody leaves. Pressia, and everyone else she knows, struggle to survive in the ruins of their world. The Detonations caused humans to fuse with nearby objects -- Pressia's right hand fused with the rubber head of the doll she was holding -- and, in some cases, other people, animals, and even the earth itself. There's never enough food, and because the radiation causes mutations in the plants and animals, there's no guarantee that your next meal won't kill you. Order is maintained by OSR, a quasi-military group that arose after the Detonations. Every child is forcibly drafted into OSR at their sixteenth birthday . . . and Pressia is just about to turn sixteen.

Into this world comes Partridge -- a Pure. Though his father is one of the most powerful men in the Dome, Partridge has started to question everything he's been told about life in the Dome, and about the fate of his mother. Did she really die in the Detonations . . . or is she outside the Dome still? He has to find out, so he escapes. When he finds himself in danger, Pressia saves him. This chance encounter . . . is it a chance encounter? . . . will have a profound effect on both of them.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought that the plot was strong, one of the strongest dystopias I've read. Part of that is because the teens are not always able to defeat the plots of the all-powerful evil government. There are some great unexpected twists . . . and of course, that's all I can say about that without giving too much away! On the other hand, I found it hard to care about the characters. They rang a bit hollow for me. I also felt that the pacing of the story dragged and lagged in places. It's obvious that there will be a sequel, but I doubt that I will seek it out.

(78 books read)

I listened to The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, narrated by Diane Warren, over the course of a week or so. I have read The Blue Sword many times before. Many, many times. In fact, I found that I could quote particularly memorable lines along with the audiobook narrator.

In The Blue Sword, Harry is sent to live on a military complex at the border of Damar, far from her homeland, because her father has died and her brother is in service at that post. Harry immediately falls in love with the desert and the distant mountains, never dreaming that she will some day do what no other Homelander has done: travel to those mountains with the king of Damar and his Riders. Despite her foreign background, Harry's future and that of Damar (and its king) are inexplicably intertwined. Though she is unaware of it, Harry possesses kelar, the magical Gift of the hill people, and she has a part to play in the land's very survival.

I love nearly everything McKinley has written. This isn't my favorite, but it's in the top three. I thought the audiobook narration was serviceable, but not fantastic. Then again, this is one of those books where I'm inclined to be picky! I did enjoy listening to this book -- it was a nice way to sneak in a reread without feeling that it was taking away from the time I could spend reading other things.

(79 books read)

Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal is the sequel to Shades of Milk and Honey, which I reviewed earlier this year (post #114 of this thread).

Newlyweds Jane and Vincent are off to a grand start in their marriage -- the Prince Regent has hired them to create a large-scale glamour for his New Year's Eve celebration. The book begins with a dinner party celebrating their achievements, and sets the tone for the rest of the book. Jane and Vincent, though deeply in love, have many issues to work through. Vincent is used to being a solitary artist, and does not always find it easy to work with another glamourist, even his beloved (and talented) wife -- nor does he find it easy to discuss his feelings, plans, or ambitions. Jane still struggles with deep-seated insecurity, not only over her plain features, but in comparing her own work as a glamourist to that of her husband. With the war seemingly over and Napoleon confined to the island of Elba, Jane and Vincent travel to Belgium to work with another glamourist, an old friend of Vincent's. However, many unexpected events await them in Belgium. . . .

I enjoyed this book, just as I did its predecessor. Jane and Vincent really develop as characters in this book, the portrayal of their marriage is well-balanced, and there's plenty of intrigue and adventure to keep the plot moving along. If you're unfamiliar with this series, I definitely recommend starting with Shades of Milk and Honey, as the characters and magic system are more thoroughly explained in that book. Fans of fantasy and Jane Austen are sure to enjoy this series . . . I only hope that the wait for the next book is not too long!

Congratulations on passing the 75 book mark!

#218 -- Hello and welcome back!

#223 -- Thanks!

Time for another spate of reviews. . .

(80 books read)

I read relatively few graphic novels, but The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey and Peter Gross sounded like one that I might enjoy.

Tom Taylor is a minor celebrity -- not because of anything he did, but because his father wrote an enormously popular series of novels featuring boy wizard Tommy Taylor. Then, at the height of the series' popularity, Tom's father disappeared. Now Tom, a disenfranchised young adult, makes a living traveling around to conventions and such. He resents his inability to disassociate himself from the fictional character his father created, as well as the fact that his father disappeared and yet left his estate tied up so that Tom can't access the money. Then, one day, a young woman stands up at a routine Q&A session and alleges that Tom Taylor is not who he says he is. This results in mobs of angry fans rioting outside Tom's hotel room . . . but the real danger for Tom may not be from obsessive fans, but from some dark characters that seem to spring from the novels that Tom has always believed were entirely fictional. The problem is, the lines between reality and fiction are starting to become a little blurry. . . .

So, interesting premise. I have to say, I think I would like this better if it were an ordinary book, rather than a graphic novel. The concept of Tom Taylor as a sort of cross between Harry Potter, Christopher Robin Milne, and the group of washed-up actors from the beginning of GalaxyQuest appealed to me -- the execution of the story, not so much. I think it's my usual impatience/difficulty with the graphic format, rather than some failing in the graphic novel itself. If you enjoy graphic novels and literary fantasy (and don't mind a touch of gore), this might be perfect for you. As for me, I didn't hate it, but I probably won't read the rest of the series.

(81 books read)

The List by Siobhan Vivain is another contemporary young adult novel -- but a really well-done one.

Every year, on the last Monday of September, The List is posted at Mt. Washington High. Nobody knows who writes the List. It's stamped with an old school seal stolen from the principal's office years ago, and it lists the prettiest and ugliest girls in each class. Appearing on the list means recognition and notoriety for eight girls, but it's not always the blessing -- or curse -- one might expect.

This novel follows those eight girls through one week -- the week the List is posted; the week before Homecoming. Vivian does a fairly good job of differentiating the characters. Some are more fully explored than others, but each girl's story is an interesting exploration of beauty and the perception of beauty. As the stories weave together, the reader can't help but wonder: who wrote the List?

I was impressed with the characterization, as I have mentioned, as well as the way the author managed to bring closure to so many stories, without giving in to the temptation to give each one a pat ending. Recommended!

(82 books read)

Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore is the sequel to Magic Under Glass, the author's first novel. I feel that Dolamore's writing has improved since she wrote that first book -- for, although I enjoyed Magic Under Glass, I find Magic Under Stone to be the stronger book.

Nimira has rescued Erris Tanharrow, the fairy prince, from his imprisonment in an automaton's body -- but only partly. He now has control over his movements, as well as a more human appearance, but Nimira must still wind him every morning. In order to find a way to fully break the enchantment, Nimira and Erris travel north to the home of a sorcerer who may be able to help them. When they arrive, they find the sorcerer away from home, but other surprises await them there. Meanwhile, the usurping fairy king Luka has obtained the aid of a jinn, and he is seeking Erris in order to bring an end to the Tanharrow line. The Jinn, though he may be bound to serve his master, has ideas and desires of his own. Will Nim and Erris find a way to bring Erris fully back to life, or will that life be brought to an untimely end?

Despite the fact that a portion of this novel involves the characters waiting around for the return of the sorcerer, I felt that the pacing was good. The new characters were interesting, and I thought the development of Erris and Nimira's relationship was particularly well-written -- there's the fact that they are attracted to each other but can't act on that attraction at all with Erris still in clockwork form, as well as the problem of their different stations in life, not to mention the potential for resentment between the two as represented by the key that hangs around Nimira's neck . . .

This book does conclude Erris and Nimira's story, and readers unfamiliar with this series should start with Magic Under Glass in order to fully understand Erris and Nimira's world.

Magic Under Glass was already on my wish list, but your review here of the sequel motivated me to order it from my library tonight.

#228 -- Enjoy!

I completely forgot about the sequel to Magic Under Glass! I enjoyed it a few years ago, so I'd certainly like to read the next one.