foggidawn reads in 2015, part I

Hi, I'm foggi, and this is my fifth year in this group! I'm a children's librarian in a medium-sized Ohio town and a voracious reader. I have eclectic reading tastes, but do read a lot of children's and young adult literature, both for work and because I enjoy it. I usually read about 200 books a year, though lately TV watching has been cutting into my reading time (I like discussing what I watch here, too, so come chat with me about Downton Abbey, Once Upon a Time, and anything else that catches my fancy)!

I blog at http://kidlitgeek.blogspot.com -- if you are so inclined, come check it out! I mostly cross-post my book reviews there, but occasionally create new content for the blog that does not appear here.

This year, I thought I'd feature a favorite illustrator on each new thread. I'm starting out with Trina Schart Hyman. As you can see from the images I have selected, she had a very distinctive and lovely style, well-suited to the fairy tales and legends which she typically illustrated.

Little Red Riding Hood:


Sleeping Beauty:


Snow White:


If you're not familiar with this illustrator, stop by your library some time and look for some of her works!

Dear Foggy,



Happy New Year from your friend in Kuala Lumpur

Hello there, Misti! *Hugs* Hope you have a great reading year. :)

Happy New Year Paul, Stephen, and Roni! Best wishes to you and all of my visitors!

I'm afraid I've entered the new year with a nasty stomach bug. I'll spare you the details, but let's just say I am not feeling very festive tonight!

Happy new year Misti! Hope you feel better.

Woo, new thread! Sorry to hear about your stomach bug. :( Hopefully you are feeling better soon so you can enjoy the new year.

Welcome back! Hope the bug passes soon.

I have bug spray!

Happy New Year, foggi! I hope you're already feeling better!

Glad to see you here, Foggi, even if you're starting the new year off under the weather. *tosses confetti*

Wow, 200 books a year is quite impressive.
I love Once Upon a Time too, so I am looking forward to discussing it :)

Stomach bugs are evil. Take care of yourself and hope you are feeling better soon!

Looking forward to your thoughts on OUAT and Downton Abbey!

Happy new thread and New Year, foggi!

Thanks for visiting, Rachel, Marie, DrN, Stephen, Amber, Micky, kaystj, lkernagh, lycomayflower, and Leah! I am on the road to recovery, though not back up to full speed yet. Looking forward to reading, watching, and discussing with you all.

Hi foggi! I hope you feel better soon!

Foggi, trust that Maggie Smith pushes you back into top form soonest. Have a lovely weekend.

Happy weekend foggi!

>18 norabelle414: I have decided I want to be Emma Thompson when I grow up, Helen Mirren when I grow up a bit more, and Maggie Smith when I grow up even more. :)

>21 MickyFine: Oh, I *like* that idea. I like it very much...

Happy New Year! I hope you are feeling better today. Many I know have a bug these last few weeks.

Happy New Year, foggi!

>21 MickyFine: Micky, I love the way you think!

>22 scaifea: >23 Whisper1: Thank you, thank you.

>18 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora! The Dowager Countess gets all of the best lines.

>19 PaulCranswick: Thanks for visiting, Paul!

>20 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel! I hope your weekend was nice, too.

>21 MickyFine: Oh, me too! I've long said I want to be Maggie Smith when I grow up, and Emma Thompson and Helen Mirren are certainly worthy stops along the way!

>22 scaifea: I guess we can all aspire to it together!

>23 Whisper1: Happy New Year to you, too. I know my Facebook feed lately has been full of people from all across the country complaining of illness, so I think it's been a rough time for a lot of us. I'm hoping the worst is over for most people now.

>24 LauraBrook: Happy New Year, and thanks for visiting. I must go see about dropping by your thread soon.

>25 MickyFine: :-)

Sorry to have been so scarce here on my own thread -- I've been on vacation these last two weeks, so limited in my access to computers. I had my iPad, but it's difficult to type on that. I'm home now, so will get some threadkeeping done (and maybe even post a couple of book reviews . . . nah, let's not get too crazy.)

I finally updated the second post on this thread with images from one of my very favorite illustrators, so scroll up there and take a look when you get a chance!

DOWNTON ABBEY! Spoilerific discussion for S5E1 below:

Favorite line this time around was courtesy of Mrs. Patmore: "All the best people were rubbish at numbers in school." The conversation between Isobel and the Dowager comes in at a close second (you know, the one about what all men want.)

Once again, Thomas nearly gets fired, but finds a way to ingratiate himself to Cora and ensure that he will never have to leave Downton. The country may elect a labor PM, Carson may be asked to chair a committee instead of Lord Grantham, but I guess it's a relief to know that some things never change. Looks like we're losing James, though. Can't say I'm really sorry about that.

I really want to like Tom's love interest, but does she have to be so blunt all the time?

Now we know at least part of Baxter's big secret. One presumes she was stealing for someone else, maybe an abusive husband or boyfriend -- I'm guessing that will come out later.

So, Mary and Tony Gillingham -- all too shocking! But not really, when you consider this is Lady Mary we're talking about. Does she never worry about getting pregnant? Edith could tell her a thing or two...

Poor Edith. And ... Marigold? I guess the name is kind of cute. Did Edith pick it, I wonder? I'm seriously hoping we find out what happened to Gregson before the season ends. I think we must, since they're making such a point of reminding us that he is missing and Edith is Not Happy about it. My guess is that he's rotting in some German jail, but you'd think they'd be able to find him, if that's the case.

I thought this episode did a lot of setting things up, which is to be expected of the first episode. It did a good job of piquing my interest, to be sure!

>27 foggidawn: I always forget James' name, because in my head he's always "Eragon". Hopefully we get a few more episodes with him, because I want Anna Chancellor to stick around! I love her.

I feel the exact same way about Miss Bunting. She's a commoner and a teacher and Tom likes her so I want to love her! But she keeps picking fights with people who invite her to their house which seems pretty rude.

Baxter's secret is still kind of "meh" to me. They built it up over almost all of season 4, and it did not live up to the hype.

Mary doesn't strike me as the kind who would believe that she could possibly get pregnant out of wedlock. Also, remember when Mary and Matthew were trying to have a baby they couldn't and so Mary had some kind of procedure done? Maybe she will sleep with Gillingham and get pregnant now that she can! If I were a woman in the 1920s I would definitely want to be a widow because they get to have all the fun :-)

I hope Gregson comes back, so that Edith can be happy for once in her whole damn life.

I'm excited for this season! I hope Rose gets up to some trouble because she was kind of boring this first episode. She has to be at least 18 by now, right? Shouldn't she be getting married soon?

>28 norabelle414: I concur with basically all of that.

(1 book read)



Mouseheart by Lisa Fiedler is a juvenile adventure story featuring mice and rats.

Hopper's life started in a Brooklyn pet store, and it looks like it's going to end there. When Hopper and his siblings overhear that the pet store owner is about to sell them as snake food, they know they must do something drastic right away. The ensuing escape results in Hopper and his siblings being split up. Hopper finds himself in the sewers, where he meets up with a friendly, streetwise young rat named Zucker, who also happens to be the prince of the underground rat kingdom of Atlantia. This kingdom seems like a paradise to Hopper, especially since, as a friend of the prince, he is given a lavish royal welcome. However, all is not as it seems in the kingdom, and revolutionaries threaten to bring it down from the outside. All Hopper wants to do is to be reunited with his lost siblings -- but does he have a larger role to play?

This animal fantasy was, for me, just an okay read. I thought it was a little predictable, and Hopper's extreme naivete, though believable, was irritating to me. I'll recommend this to kids who can't get enough of this sort of story, but everyone else can probably pass on this one.

>28 norabelle414: ALSO, my favorite part is when Mary said she had to go upstairs to take off her hat. She's turning into her grandmother so quickly :-D

>28 norabelle414: If I were a woman in the 1920s I would definitely want to be a widow because they get to have all the fun :-)

BWAHAHAHA! This cracked me up. Probably not a good idea to put this on your OKCupid profile but otherwise something I can totally get behind, in an early 20th century kind of way. Is it evil that I totally thought that old guy Edith almost married was a great catch because he was kind, smitten with her, and probably wouldn't live long leaving her to then just enjoy being an independent woman?

Happy new thread in the new year Foggi. I hope you are feeling better now! For some reason the cover of your recent gives me the creeps......oh maybe cus I really dislike mice...ha!

>2 foggidawn:. Many thanks for posting these images. I like your idea of posting images of your favorite illustrators. Our reading habits are so similar, both in our enjoyment of illustrated books, and in the young adult genre.

I hope you are feeling better today.

>33 jolerie: It's the evil cat that does it, I think!

>34 Whisper1: Thanks! I borrowed the idea from Amber; I believe she did something similar last year.

I am feeling better and started back to work today. Wishing I was still on vacation, of course...

Love the illustrations and I'm glad you are feeling better. I am resigned to receiving innumerable book bullets here this year--but it hasn't happened yet!

>27 foggidawn: I just watched it tonight and woo hoo - Downton is back! It's always so hard resisting a peak when it plays in the UK. Anyways, the first episode did not disappoint, but didn't everything feel so different? You can start to see the loss of status happening to the upper class. I feel sad in a way, but then I remember that I would have probably been stuck in a kitchen or something if those social norms had kept up.

Yeah, so, I think Tom can do better. Miss Bunting doesn't seem to care that he is straddling two different worlds in the best way he can, especially since his wife died. She is just determined to make him feel bad. God, Tom broke my heart when he said he didn't hate Lord Grantham.

I am interested to see how the Mary thing plays out. I kind of wish she would go wild a little bit. Maybe it would give me a chance to like Gillingham a little better. He is handsome, sure, but kind of a flat character otherwise.

Poor Edith, as usual. I too want to know where Mr. Gregson went. Surely we find out this season, right?

Yeah, agreed about Baxter. There is something missing. And I hope they never send Thomas away. He is so deliciously evil sometimes. And Molesley, ha ha ha! I just want to give that guy a hug.

(2 books read)



Bomb: The Race to Build -- and Steal -- the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin is juvenile nonfiction at its absolute best.

During World War II, one of the most decisive battles was fought, not on a battlefield, but in a laboratory. The race to build the atomic bomb was on, and pretty much all of the world's top physicists were working on the problem in one way or another, for one major power or another. In Los Alamos, New Mexico, scientists from the Manhattan Project, headed up by Robert Oppenheimer, worked tirelessly to build and test the American bomb -- but a few of them were also leaking secrets to the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, American spies worked hard to sabotage Germany's nuclear efforts, despite not knowing exactly what German scientists knew, or even where they were.

This is an amazingly gripping and readable work of nonfiction. The pacing is excellent as the author switches from one story to another, and he does a great job of making the historical figures come alive without sacrificing historical accuracy. And his brief summation of the Cold War and the development of more powerful weapons at the end of the book is quite chilling. I listened to the audiobook and found myself completely captivated by it. I'd recommend this title for its intended audience (ages 9-14), but also for adults like myself, with an interest but not a lot of knowledge on the topic of the Manhattan Project and the creation of the first nuclear weapons.

>36 ronincats: Just you wait . . . I'm off to a slow start this year, but I'm sure I will hit my stride before too long!

>37 rosylibrarian: I'm pretty sure I would have been one of the villagers; my uncle just did a lot of family tree research and concluded that our branch of the family was "very blue-collar" in his words!

Yes, I really like Tom, and would like to see him happy with someone kinder than Miss Bunting seems to be.

I actually liked Charles Blake better, but it looks like Gillingham "won," at least for now. I feel like they're keeping their options open a little bit for Mary's story line, and I'm hoping to see it go interesting places before she settles down again.

Poor Molesley! He does bring so much of his trouble on himself, but he's getting a chance to really shine in his relationship with Baxter. In fact, I think the reason Baxter is always watching Bates and Anna is less because of the mystery, and more because she's interested to see a servant romance that succeeded.

(3 books read)

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins is a classic I had not yet read. I actually started it last year, then forgot about it for a while, then finished it this past week.

When Rachel Verinder inherits the Moonstone, a yellow diamond of unusual size, she knows a little bit about its mystique -- but she does not know that the diamond will be stolen within hours. Who could have taken it: the sketchy characters lurking around the village? A disaffected servant with a shady past? A house guest with a dark secret?

The narrative is taken up by a variety of delightful characters, and there are plenty of plot twists and lots of humor. The book is a product of its time, particularly in its treatment of non-English people, and while parts of the mystery were pleasantly puzzling, other parts were easy to guess at. All in all, I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to fans of the classics as well as mystery buffs.

*sigh* I'm not ready for the weekend to be over. Please may I have another one? This one was too short.

If you ask me, you can have as many weekends as you like! Errr, but we should probably ask your boss first.

>42 Ape: Hmm. No extra weekend for me, then!

Downton Abbey S5E2:

I feel sorry for Mrs. Drew. I wonder if she would be more sympathetic if she were in on Edith's secret?

Speaking of Edith's secret, Mrs Hughes and Anna now both know that she had a picture of a baby tucked under her pillow. Wonder what they made of that?

Lord Grantham did not show to advantage in this episode. I still don't like Miss Bunting, but he really shouldn't say such unpleasant things about her -- doesn't he realize that he's just putting Tom in a position to defend her?

The mystery of Baxter persists, but it looks like we'll get further answers next time.

Lady Mary and Gillingham are certainly going to be seen, but by whom? That's really the only question at this point.

And things are getting rolling in terms of Mr. Green's death. I'm still not entirely sure that Bates did it. I think Bates was on the scene, and perhaps had words with Mr. Green, but I don't think pushing him into traffic is Bates' style -- wouldn't he have confronted Green face to face? One thing is certain: if they rehash the Bates in Prison scenario, I will be quite irritated!

>44 foggidawn: Don't forget the part where Anna went to town to buy a diaphragm! I loved how she was all worried about it and then when she got home she's like "wait a minute, it shouldn't be that embarrassing!"

Lord Grantham is turning into quite the curmudgeon. He's worse than his mother! My favorite line of the night was when Lord Grantham told Lady Grantham to tell her friend to stop flirting with his dog.

>45 norabelle414: And her response: "I'll tell him . . . to stop flirting . . ."

Poor Anna! That guy at the chemist's shop was quite intimidating -- and the lady not much less so! But I did laugh at her line about wanting to go back and buy a baker's dozen.

(4 books read)



Spirit's Key by Edith Cohn is a paranormal adventure for the middle-grade set.

Spirit's father has the family gift: when he holds someone's house key, he can tell them what might happen in their future. But lately he's been having more and more trouble getting good readings. Spirit, meanwhile, is preoccupied in her own grief: her dog Sky died mysteriously, and since he was one of the island's despised wild dogs that Spirit had domesticated, she gets little sympathy from the locals. When other wild dogs start dying, Spirit begins to suspect that someone is killing them -- but when a few village residents become ill, the local prejudice threatens to overwhelm the situation. Spirit, with the help of a new human friend and the ghost of her beloved dog, must find some way to save the wild dogs and the island's residents from impending disaster -- all while coping with her own budding paranormal gift.

There's a lot going on in this story, but it all comes together well. I didn't feel like the mystery element was particularly strong, but then again, the story is trying to do more than just be a mystery, what with the paranormal elements and the dogs and all. I found it a little lacking, but I may just not have been in the mood for this kind of story.

That is one of the books my sister has bought/read and she loved it! But then, she's relatively new to books and loves everything she reads. :)

>48 Ape: Well, like I said, it may have been me, not the book.

(5 books read)



Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin is an emotionally evocative book about a girl and her dog.

Rose, a high-functioning autistic 12-year-old, loves homonyms and prime numbers, her Uncle Weldon, and her dog Rain. Her father is often harsh, her mother is gone, and her classmates are not particularly friendly, so Rose treasures the few bright spots in her life. When her father lets Rain out without her collar in the aftermath of a hurricane, Rain is lost, but Rose soon makes a plan to find Rain again. Will she succeed?

I like to shoot straight with people in my reviews of dog books, so I will tell you this: the dog does not die, but this book will still make you cry. Martin does a good job of capturing the relationship between Rose and Rain without descending into sappiness. My only criticism of the book is that the ending felt rushed to me -- certain things happened and were never explained fully. On the other hand, that's quite similar to real life, especially for kids in situations similar to Rose's, so perhaps I shouldn't complain. I would recommend this book to readers who like stories featuring animals and don't mind a little sadness along the way.

I have pondered the situation and have come to the conclusion that it is definitely all your fault. :P

>51 Ape: You're neither the first nor the last to reach that conclusion.

I went to see the movie version of Into the Woods tonight. The stage play will always have first place in my affections, but the movie was not as bad as I had feared. In fact, parts of it were quite good. I'm going to go on about it at length, but I'll put the rest in spoiler quotes for the sake of anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet and doesn't want to know what things were changed.

First of all, I can definitely see why they made the changes that they made. Into the Woods is a very "meta" sort of musical, and plays a lot on theatrical tropes and traditions. For instance, doubling the narrator and the baker's father, and doubling the wolf and Prince Charming -- well, doubling doesn't make sense in a movie. Likewise, the visible narrator would have made less sense in the movie than in the play, especially with the way he gets drawn into the action in the second act. But that was the one thing that I really missed in the movie -- well, the two things, because I missed both the Narrator and the baker's father (who did make an appearance, but only in a halfhearted way -- and they cut his song). I was also disappointed that they cut the reprise of "Agony" from the second act, just because I love "Agony" and they did a fabulous job with the first act version in the movie. I lol'd at the shirt-ripping. Most of the other songs they cut were ensemble pieces, and they fall under the same general point: serving a useful purpose on stage, but less so on screen.

I definitely feel that they "Disnified" the movie version in a lot of subtle ways. I particularly noticed this with Jack's mother. For instance, her line (to Jack) "Sometimes I fear you're touched" became "Sometimes I don't know what's going on in that head of yours." Several of her harsher lines got the same treatment. Another Disnification was in Rapunzel's story, which was a lot less tragic in the movie than in the stage play. I also though Emily Blunt's portrayal of the Baker's Wife was a lot gentler than Joanna Gleason's, though this was more in the acting choices than in any specific script changes. I do appreciate the actors' interpretations of their characters; in particular I liked the Baker (who kept seeming faintly familiar; when I IMDb'd him later I discovered he was in a couple of Doctor Who episodes -- Craig, aka "Not Mum," father of Stormageddon), Meryl Streep as the Witch (of course -- and again, I thought she played it more gently than Bernadette Peters, but I appreciated how different it was. Anything more flamboyant would have felt like a poor imitation of Bernadette Peters, so I think she had to take the character in the direction she did), and Johnny Depp as the wolf (because Johnny Depp, you guys. And I don't even particularly fancy him, but still. Johnny Depp).

One thing that I thought really worked as a movie, that would not feasible in a stage production, is the way the willow tree gave Cinderella the dress, with the leaves swirling around her and becoming the dress.

One thing that I felt really didn't work was the sequence with Little Red Riding getting swallowed by the wolf in flashback during the song "I Know Things Now." It felt out of keeping with the rest of the movie. On the other hand, I was impressed with that kid's acting. And of course Gavroche Jack was great, too.

All in all, I enjoyed it. I might even buy it some day. I do wish they'd kept in all of the baker's father's mysterious appearances and the reprise of "Agony," but you can't have everything in this world, I guess.

>53 foggidawn: I've never seen the stage play so I was just really happy with the movie. :)

>54 MickyFine: Some day, in that alternate reality where we all hang out together in real life, you can come over and we'll watch the DVD of the Broadway version and compare the two! :-)

I finally have a few moments to give your post the attention it deserves!

Into the Woods: For reference, I have seen the Broadway recording several times and I was in the pit orchestra for a high school production. Though none of that is in the past 6 years.
My personal "conspiracy theory" is that Sondheim was purposely spreading rumors about how awful the movie was to keep our expectations low. I heard that Sondheim said everything from cutting "I Know Things Now" to cutting the entire second act. The movie was far, far better than I expected it to be, so I guess it worked?

I totally agree that Into The Woods is the ultimate musical-Musical. I would have liked to see the doubling, though. And I missed the narrator while consciously I knew that's not really a movie thing.

The first Agony was to. die. for. I was rolling in my seat laughing so hard. With the shirt ripping and the waterfall. Oh my goodness. While Agony, Part II is not really crucial to the plot in itself, I would have liked it to be in the movie for two reasons: 1) because the first Agony was so damn delightful, and 2) because they so messed up Rapunzel's plot. From the movie, for all we know she could have ended up perfectly happy with her Prince. If they didn't have the guts to make her have twins out of wedlock, go mad, and get stomped to death, they could have at least made it clear that her Prince wasn't committed to her either. However, I don't think most movie audiences would appreciate the absurd contrast between the dark plot of the second act and these two doofus princes singing about their fair maidens.

I totally noticed the "I fear you're touched" change, because I was singing along under my breath. I had no idea that Tracey Ullman had a musical background and I was so impressed with her performance. Chris Pine was awesome. The other prince was fine. I liked Emily Blunt better than Joanna Gleeson but not for any particular reason. I've loved James Corden for awhile so I am glad to see him doing more things. Johnny Depp was good because he was there for a few minutes, was super creepy, and then you never see him again. Anna Kendrick was fine, but Cinderella is probably my least favorite character in the whole thing. One of the best things about the movie vs. the Broadway production was having Jack be played by an actual boy as opposed to a grown man in tiny knickers. I was so very very impressed by both Jack and Little Red Riding Hood that I looked the actors up. They've both got extensive musical resumes, so it's no wonder they were so good. I didn't like Meryl Streep one bit. They did a terrible job making her "ugly", and anytime she was on the screen all I could think was "she's not Bernadette." I'm really not convinced that anyone but Bernadette could ever pull off that weird rap.

I think the part that worked best in the movie was the sweeping panoramas of the forest. It made the forest (which itself is the most important character in the play) feel so much grander and more alive. I didn't mind the weird "Red Riding Hood in the wolf's stomach" part because weirdness is my favorite thing about the play :-)

Phew!

>56 norabelle414: I definitely agree with your conspiracy theory. Sondheim was definitely messing with us. I'd heard that they cut "Any Moment"/"Moments in the Woods" and I was prepared to be really irritated about that, so I was pleasantly surprised. (I have heard of kids' productions where they only stage the first act . . . I'm never sure what to think about that.)

I was also singing along under my breath, which I think was totally fine because the only other people in the theater were a gaggle of teenage girls in the back row who whispered and giggled the whole time. Of course, for all I know they were whispering and giggling at me, the lone 30-something woman who was obviously way more into the movie than they were.

Cinderella is my least-favorite character too. I was going to say that Anna Kendrick's performance was basically identical to the Broadway one, but I thought, how would one play that any other way? With roles like the Baker's Wife and Jack's Mother, you can amp up or downplay the level of shrewishness vs. tenderness for your respective guy, with the witch you can adjust the level of crazy, but Cinderella is just an ingenue, and that's all she's ever going to be.

Agreed that the weird rap does not work for Meryl (or maybe anyone but Bernadette), so at the beginning I was prepared to not like her, but I totally bought Meryl's relationship with Rapunzel, which made me like her portrayal a little bit better. I do agree that there wasn't a huge different between "ugly" and "pretty" and they could have done a lot more on that front.

Good point about the forest panoramas -- I did like that.

I have plans to go watch Into the Woods with my SIL this friday! :)

55: Oooooh, am I invited!?!?! :D

>59 Ape: Of course; you're part of the "we all" I referenced. :-)

>58 jolerie: Enjoy! And be sure to come back here and tell me what you thought of it!

(6 books read)



Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes is an angsty YA novel set in a Midwestern high school.

Anika Dragomir feels like an outsider in her white-bread high school, despite the fact that she is the third most popular girl in school. Her angst is exacerbated when nerd-turned-hottie Logan McDonough starts giving her rides home from school. Anika kind of likes Logan -- okay, really likes Logan -- but she know that she would get endless flack from Becky, the top most popular girl, if she were to date outsider Logan. Anika's romantic troubles are further complicated when THE Jared Kline, possibly the most popular guy in town, or maybe the state, starts showing an interest in her. Sure, it's flattering, but is he just a scam artist who will use her and drop her as soon as he gets bored? And what about Logan and their sweet, secret romance?

I read this for my book club, and I foresee some interesting discussion ensuing. Anika's narrative voice was, to me, really annoying. I had a hard time liking her, or even relating to her. Despite the title, I didn't see her as a misfit -- in fact, I began to wonder if the title was supposed to refer to her, or to Logan (who probably qualifies as a misfit, but we don't get nearly as much insight into his character as we do into hers). Anika is a pretty, popular girl from a middle-class family. She has 99 problems, and all of them are first-world problems, mostly caused by her own bad choices. Okay, so she's a teenager, I can usually look past that in a YA book. But the writing was not as tight as I would like it to be. For one thing, the book is interspersed with short chapters, set apart by being typeset in italics, that are foreshadowing of the book's final events -- the character is pedaling on a bike, heading toward some cataclysmic event. I'd have been fine with one chapter like that at the beginning, or conversely I'd have been fine if each successive foreshadowing chapter revealed more key details, but they really didn't reveal anything new or add anything to the story. Also, as we might surmise, Anika is the one riding the bike in the foreshadowing chapters, but it's never mentioned in the earlier parts of the story that she even has a bike. Instead, we get her whining about her long walk home from school. Hmm, I see a solution here... One more criticism: I feel like it's just a little bit lazy when authors from my generation write YA novels and set them in the high school of the '80s or '90s, especially when there's not a strong reason within the plot for the book to be set in the present day. Granted, in this case the author mentions that the book is partially based on her own high-school experience, but seeing as it is fiction and not memoir, perhaps the pop culture references and such could have been updated a bit. I can't find a plot-based reason why the characters are name-checking Madonna and Bruce Willis instead of Lady Gaga and Orlando Bloom, or whoever kids these days name-check. Maybe I am being too picky, because the book did grab me once I got past being irritated at the narrative voice and settled into the story. I think this will appeal to fans of YA realistic fiction along the lines of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but it wasn't really my cup of tea.

>62 foggidawn: I had similar thoughts to yours about Anatomy of a Misfit. I suppose Anika could be considered a "misfit" in the sense that she's pretending to be someone she's not: she is the "third most popular girl" in school, but feels like if she doesn't toe the line she'll lose that status. But that's all I've got...

>63 bell7: Yeah, I thought as I was writing that, that perhaps she was a misfit in the sense that most people feel like misfits at some point or in some area of their lives. But I still had a hard time relating to the character or caring about her problems.

Hi foggi! Looks like you've been pumping through some really interesting books lately. I should look some of them up. Rain Reign looks interesting, though I'm not a huge fan of crying. Maybe Spirit's Key would be more up my alley right now.

Happy weekend!

I fell behind in DA talk, but I just wanted to add that I also think Lord G is being a real stick in the mud. I wonder if Cora will get more of a plot line this season? I thought the flirtation thing was actually going to go somewhere for a second. And now I need to go watch the episode from last night...

>62 foggidawn: Yeah, I think I'm going to skip that one. Yours isn't the only review to mention some of the issues you had with it.

>65 The_Hibernator: Yeah, Spirit's Key doesn't tug on the heartstrings quite so hard.

>66 rosylibrarian: Lord Grantham is incredibly grumpy this season. I don't think I'll say anything in response to your other comments until you have seen last night's episode!

Speaking of which, I have watched the most recent episode of Downton Abbey, but I don't have time to comment on it this morning. Maybe this evening!

Alas, our plans got cancelled so I didn't get a chance to see the movie. :(

I've just been enjoying your thoughts on Downton Abbey. I avoided them at first (I avoided any thread that even mentioned DA to keep tempation to a minimum) to make sure I didn't get spoiled before watching it myself. I've seen all the episodes now so I can't wait for you to watch the rest of it and hear what you think.

>68 jolerie: :-( Maybe you will get to see it some time in the future.

>69 PawsforThought: I keep procrastinating on writing my thoughts on this episode, but I think I'm going to go ahead and do it now!

Downton Abbey S5E3:

Can I just say how much I loved the Russians? Also all of the oh-so-English jabs at the Russians: "I thought they would enjoy the keepsakes." "Oh, they are enjoying them." But I'm such a Russophile. :-)

How perfect was it that Spratt was the one who caught Lady Mary and Gillingham? Spratt is such a prat. Also, I do not think Granny's long-ago crush on a Russian prince gets Mary off the hook. It's looking like she's going to dump Gillingham, and then what will he do? Will he be nasty and vindictive?

Bates is obviously going to find the book and contraceptive and think that Anna has been trying not to get pregnant. Ugh, can we not give that couple a rest already?

I'm finding Bricker a bit smarmy. It's one thing to flirt a little with Cora in her own home with her husband around, but quite another thing to take her out on the town. But I guess Lord Grantham had his little fling with that maid a while back, so it's Cora's turn to get that plot line.

When Mrs. Drewe couldn't find Edith and Marigold, I expected Edith had taken Marigold up to the castle without permission. Oh, Edith. I'm hoping from the previews for next week that things will finally start rolling on discovering what happened to Gregson. Also, Drewe isn't great at dealing with women, is he?

That's all I have time for at the moment, but I'm going to my local Downton discussion group tonight, so I may come back with more thoughts.

>70 foggidawn: Your thoughts on Downton are pretty similar to mine.
My annoyance regarding Bracker is difficult to handle, since he's played by Richard E. Grant. And now I've reminded myself of how badly I need to watch Withnail and I.

I've never liked the Drewes and that storyline is possibly my least favourite this season.

And I agree about Anna and Bates. Please let them have some peace and quiet.

>70 foggidawn: Just finished watching the latest episode!

I am totally on board with Mary dumping Lord G. He is so boring. I assume he will not handle things well. I really like Mary in this season. She's a very forward thinking woman for her time on matters of sex and love. Also, loved the scene with her and Tom.

Speaking of which, Ms. Bunting needs to go. That woman has no tact.

I also hope Edith's storyline gets a little happier and we find out what happened to Gregson.

I think you are right about what is going to happen to Bates and Anna. I hope they drop the murder thing soon...

And good for Cora for standing up to her Lord G. While her suitor was smarmy, I really liked that someone was paying attention to her. I would totally watch a show in which a young Cora moves to England.

Very interested to see what happens to Thomas in the next episode.

>70 foggidawn: Downton Thoughts

I was so irritated with Mary for not thinking that all the handy tricks Tony knew on how to get away with a secret liaison are suspect. How many times has he done this? He was a little too smooth for me in that regard.

I am all for Tom finding a new love interest and I'd even love for her to be a bit of a revolutionary, but rosy is right, Ms. Bunting is so completely tactless. All it does is make people who agree with her politics look bad. She is the picture of charm and courtesy below stairs but above stairs she acts like a mean spirited bitch.

Please god let Bates and Anna just move the F on already!

Yay, conversation!

>71 PawsforThought: I've just skimmed that actor's IMDB page, and I don't think I've seen much that he's been in. As for your point about the Drewes, I always found him a little sketchy, and initially suspected that he would try to blackmail Edith or something. That hasn't happened yet, but I still haven't warmed to him. And I was to like, or at least be sympathetic to, his wife, but she's just coming off as annoying so far.

>72 rosylibrarian: I've never cared for Gillingham. I liked Charles Blake better, and I'm kind of hoping he gets another chance. And I totally agree that the scene with Mary and Tom was great. Love the reference to Elinor Glyn -- immediately brought to mind The Music Man: "What Elinor Glyn reads is HER mother's problem!" Yes, Ms. Bunting is not endearing herself to anyone (except maybe Daisy) at this point.

>73 leahbird: Yeah, my comment about Gillingham at last week's discussion group was, "This was obviously not his first rodeo." And I heartily concur with the rest of your sentiments, as well.

I finally got around to posting about my favorite chapter books of 2014 over on my blog -- check it out if you are interested!

I am way behind on book reviews, so let's talk about Downton Abbey!

Downton Abbey S5E4:

It's like Valentine's Day come early! All of these smitten men! All of these women who are not sure what to think of this nonsense! I like Lord Merton better than I ever have, and despite the fact that I still ship Isobel and the doctor, I can almost see her with Merton now. That was a charming proposal.

Like Isobel, I was impressed at the late Lord Grantham's subtlety with the picture frame. That was a great scene; I love that the Dowager is getting some nice back-story in this season.

Bricker is just baffling my mind at this point. Is he really madly in love with Cora? Does he possibly think this can end well? Shrimpy's divorce is playing like an ominous counterpoint in the background; I really don't think Cora would do that to the family.

I'm hoping that little scene between Rose and Shrimpy means that she will get her own romantic plot sooner rather than later.

I knew Gillingham was not going to take being dumped well, though I expected him to get nasty and spiteful. Who knows, we may get there yet. And I used to like Charles Blake, at least better than Gillingham, but now I just can't see him and Lady Mary together. I'm kind of hoping she gets an entirely new romantic interest before too long.

Now I can't remember: was Anna at Downton when Greene was killed? Or was she in London? How would she know the exact spot where he was murdered, if she wasn't there at the time? All just a coincidence, or what?

From last week's previews, I had hoped Edith was going to take a more active role in finally figuring out what happened to Gregson. I was a little disappointed it was just a call from his office. Now she's just being Stalker Edith, hanging around the village hoping for a glimpse of Marigold. Go to Germany and figure things out, Edith! You sure had fun playing Nancy Drew when you were checking up on Gregson's crazy wife back in the day. Also, Aunt Rosamund now knows where Marigold is, and that you've been visiting her -- expect a stern talking-to in the near future.

Lord Grantham continues to be irritable with everyone except, inexplicably, Edith and Mrs. Patmore. He really lost it at the dinner table, didn't he? I'm with Nora: why does Ms. Bunting keep accepting dinner invitations if she can't hold her tongue and be civil during the meal?

Poor Molesley. Why couldn't they just let him call himself the First Footman and be done with it? I mean, he was a butler once, for Pete's sake! Can't the man gather a shred or two of dignity? And has he just given up on Baxter? Just when I was starting to think better of him, he reverted to being the comic relief.

Poor Thomas. He's managed to go from vile to pitiable this season.

I didn't think there was much to comment about in this episode, but apparently I was wrong!

>78 norabelle414: I agree with pretty much everything you've said. I don't like either of Mary's pursuers and would be happy to see her single or with a completely different guy.
I much prefer Doctor Clarkson to Lord Merton. There's just something about him that I've disliked from the first moment. I can't understand why Isobel doesn't want Doctor Clarkson - he's lovely!
And I can't say much more because I've watched all the episodes and I don't want to spoil you.

>76 foggidawn: I hope the Dowager gets some this season! If Mary and Edith can, she can too! Ok fine, maybe just some light hand-holding ;-)

I think Bricker is just obtuse. He isn't saying anything that inappropriate, but Shrimpy's divorce and Lord Grantham's general moodiness make it seem worse than it is.

I wondered about Anna too, but I don't think she would be fishing for information from Mr. Bates like she was if she had done it. I kind of wish she had done it.

>50 foggidawn: How I loved this book!!!!

I don't talk a whole lot about the picture books I read here on this thread, but if you are interested, I just wrote up a post about my favorite picture books of 2014 over on my blog. @Whisper1 and @scaifea I'd love to hear what you think, if you've read any of the ones I mentioned!

>76 foggidawn: I really agree with everything you said.

I don't think we've heard the last of Gillingham. It would be kind of anticlimactic if it was.

I want to smack Lord Grantham. He's going to lose Cora if he doesn't figure it out. I don't even think Cora likes the art historian. She just wants someone to value her opinion. I don't blame him for losing his temper with Ms. Bunting though. He showed way more class than she did at Daisy's answer.

Stopping by to drop a star to a fellow Ohioian. I always love your YA lit picks and am looking forward to seeing what you are reading this year to get some good ideas for my 4th grader.

>82 rretzler: Thanks! I am at a conference right now, stocking up on new books to read! Pictures and titles will be forthcoming!

>81 rosylibrarian: Oops, didn't mean to skip you! I agree, we'll hear more from Gillingham before this is over. And your second paragraph is precisely right.

>79 Whisper1: I seem to be skipping people's comments all over the place! My apologies to anyone else who got missed. Linda, I thought when I read that one that it was just your sort of book!

Cool! Looking forward to seeing your book haul! :)

>83 foggidawn: Did you get to go to ALA midwinter?

>87 MickyFine: Yep, yep, yep! Me, four stacks of books, twelve inches of snow... fun times!

Haha, well, hosting a midwinter conference in San Francisco is probably a pretty good idea most of the time, anyway. :P

>89 Ape: Nah, it's the summer conference that's going to be in SF. This Midwinter is in Chicago. Next Midwinter: Boston. We are gluttons for punishment, apparently.

Hm, Google has steered me wrong! I guess it makes since though, since I know you librarians have dungeons full of mythical creatures and teleportation portals behind those restricted access doors. It's the only explanation! ;)

>91 Ape: See, if you'd asked a librarian, you would have gotten the right answer!

Yeah, but librarians are scary!

>93 Ape: But they are EVERYWHERE around here. Be careful the walls have ears.

Hi, foggi! Many, many, MANY thanks for sharing the YMA live stream link on my thread - I had such a good time watching this morning! I immediately after went over to my library's page and requested all the ones I haven't read yet!
And Charlie watched with me and got super excited when a book that we own or have read won an award. I'm so totally raising a book nerd! Ha!

>93 Ape: Be glad you're not here, then. There are thousands of us at this conference.

>94 The_Hibernator: It's true!

>95 scaifea: So glad you and Charlie enjoyed it! I was one of the many people screaming and clapping in the audience. :-)

>88 foggidawn: Lucky, lucky lady.

>93 Ape: we're not that bad, are we, Stephen? ;)

>96 foggidawn: oooh, I watched the webcast too, but I'd love to actually go sometime. I bet you had a blast! Since I work in adult reference, though, I'd be a little hardpressed to explain why I chose to go to the awards announcements instead of something that applied to my job a little more, though I do try to keep up with the Newberys every year (and honestly it's a small enough library I work with kids some too).

>97 MickyFine: :-)

>98 bell7: Oh, I think you could justify it! It's only an hour, after all, and they do talk about YA books as well as juvenile titles (and even adult books, with the Alex Awards).

Rachel: Oh god, librarians everywhere, someone help! It's like being surrounded by killer ice cream cones. Your first thought is "Ooooh, yummy," and then it tries to shank you with stern glares and wagging fingers. :P

Misti: Isn't there a damaging the space-time continuum with so many librarians in one place? Sounds dangerous.

Mary: Ummmm...right...you are all perfectly nice and approachable. (Please don't hurt me.)

*cracks knuckles* I heard someone was making fun of librarians?

What library are you going to that you're worried about being shanked by a librarian?

Can we talk Downton Abbey yet?

>103 rosylibrarian: Yes!

Downton Abbey, S5E5

Looks like we were right about what Thomas is doing to himself. Considering the number of comments on his health and appearance, I expect he will collapse or something like that in the next episode.

Anna and Bates, headed for disaster once again. Now I'm thinking that the police are going to accuse Anna, and Bates is going to step in and take the fall for her, substantiated by Mary having seen that railway ticket. And I still expect the contraceptive to cause trouble between them, hence the constant harping on the idea of children and the fact that they don't have them yet. *sigh*

Molesley and Baxter are back on track -- wonder what Thomas will do to derail that relationship (because you know that it can't just go smoothly).

And it looks like Blake is trying to set Mabel Lane Fox up with Gillingham again. Good luck with that.

Rose's love interest is charming. I hope we see more of him, and that he doesn't turn out to be a jerk.

Have we seen the end of Ms. Bunting? I certainly hope so. It had a very final feeling to it.

I thought the scene with Bricker in the bedroom was going to be so much worse -- I thought first that Robert would catch him trying to kiss her (or something), and then after that didn't happen, I thought that one or the other of them would be seriously injured in the fight. Instead we just get to squirm with embarrassment for Edith, as we can all guess what she thought she overheard... And have we seen the last of Bricker? I wonder...

Not sure what I think of Edith's predicament. Is she planning on snatching the kid and running to London? How does she expect to live there? She is really not thinking clearly. If she really wants Marigold more than anything else in the world, she needs to take her to somewhere in Europe or America and set herself up as a widow in some obscure little town. Of course, I don't know if Edith has the money to do that -- but I get the impression that she has access to a fair amount of funds from Gregson's business interests. And I still think she needs to go to Germany and figure out what happened to Gregson once and for all.

In general, I just feel like this season is dragging. Is it just me? There's interesting stuff, but it's taking way too long to happen.

>100 Ape: The space-time thing is why these conferences never last more than a few days. (And also why they seem to go by both quickly and slowly. Being at one is a weird temporal experience, let me tell you!)

>101 rosylibrarian: You tell him! Wait, on second thought, this could actually be counter-productive.

>102 MickyFine: I know, right?

>105 foggidawn: I work at a downtown branch and every once in a blue moon the concern crosses my mind that I might get shived by one of our less stable customers but I've yet to even think about stabbing a customer. Punching them in the face however... ;)

101: No! Librarians are lovely and wonderful! But that doesn't make them any less frightening.

105: Haha, that's how LT meetups tend to feel for me. During them I'm like "Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god what should I do?" and then after it's over I think "Wait...oh...it's over already? :("

>106 MickyFine: We have a security officer on site at peak times, mostly to discourage people from stealing the DVDs, but I've never felt unsafe. Of course, I also don't work up near the computers where the angst is likely to run high. And yeah, shanking people never really crosses my mind! :-)

>107 Ape: Yes, meet ups and conferences are like that.

Oh, and I forgot, I meant metaphorically shanked in the form of stern glares and wagging fingers. ;)

>109 Ape: I also can't think of the last time I shook my finger at somebody. I do occasionally have to pull out my Librarian Look for rowdy kids or teens, though.

Hm, maybe, but I'm a professional when it comes to being naughty. :P

>108 foggidawn: We have security while we're open but they can't be everywhere all the time. Plus, I watch too many crime dramas.

If it's any comfort, you are much more likely to get molested at work than murdered. See? It's always good to stay positive. :P

>113 Ape: So helpful you are. I may have to shank you after all. :P

>104 foggidawn:

I think that must be the end of Ms. Bunting. It did seem final. Good riddance. (Though, the actress is very lovely and quite talented since I really didn't like her character.) Tom was an utter gentleman about it, which makes me love him all the more.

Ummmm. Why is Lord G ignoring Cora? Cora should be ignoring him! It's not her fault some guy took notice. Well, I mean, yeah, she kept inviting him even when she knew how he felt... but still. Team Cora!

I think you are right about Anna and Bates.

Also agree about Rose's new fellow. (He's cute!)

Edith... I don't know what to think. The Marigold story line is dragging for me. I really want to find out what happened to Mr. Gregson or for her to find a new beau or come out clean about Marigold or...something. She's always in limbo, that poor girl.

And cue Thomas passing out in five...four...

>111 Ape: *glares sternly* Not on my thread, you're not!

>112 MickyFine: I imagine you are in a larger city (hence, with a busier downtown library) than me -- not that bad things can't happen in small towns, of course.

>113 Ape: I'm starting to feel a little paranoid...

>114 MickyFine: I keep checking my thread, hoping for Downton Abbey chat, but no -- just more talk of shanking.

>115 rosylibrarian: Ah, there it is! I pretty much agree with everything you said there. Someone needs to tell Lord Grantham that sulking is not attractive. Team Cora all the way!

Now I am determined to post some book reviews -- I am woefully behind.

(7 books read)



Copper Magic by Julia Mary Gibson is historical fiction with just a hint of magic.

When Violet Blake discovers a Native American relic in the woods near her home, she little expects the changes that are about to take place in her own life. The flat copper hand seems to show her glimpses of the past. When a wish she makes while holding the hand comes true, she starts wondering if the hand really is magical -- and when it is taken from her, she is determined to do anything to get it back.

This book has a lot going for it, but it fell short in a few ways, for me. I thought the characterization was a little uneven, and the pacing dragged in the middle of the book. I did like the setting and period that the author chose for this story. All in all, an okay read, but not a great one.

(8 books read)



The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier is a delightfully creepy middle-grade tale.

Siblings Molly and Kip escaped the Irish potato famine only to find themselves orphaned and penniless in unfriendly England. To soften the harsh realities of their situation for her younger brother, Molly spins stories for him as they travel to their new home. The only place Molly can find work is at the creepy Windsor mansion in the foreboding Sourwoods. She was prepared to tell all sorts of stories to get hired, but in truth, the solicitor who gave her the job seemed almost too anxious to fill the position. When they arrive at the Windsor estate, they find a crumbling old house dominated by an enormous black tree that almost seems to have the entire house in its grasp. The house is full of secrets, including a locked room, nightmares that plague every inhabitant, and muddy footprints that mysteriously appear during the night. Despite the unlikelihood of finding another job, Molly is tempted to take Kip and leave -- until, one day, she discovers what waits in the locked room . . .

On the rare occasions when I read something that might be classified as horror, I feel the need to add the disclaimer that I don't usually do horror, so hardcore fans of the genre will probably laugh derisively at my idea of what is scary. That said, I thought this was a great story, with just the right level of scariness for, say, a fourth or fifth grade reader who has graduated from the Goosebumps books and wants something with a little more substance. (Or for wimpy adults like me.)

(9 books read)



Completely Clementine by Sara Pennypacker is the conclusion of the Clementine series.

It's the end of the school year, and Clementine is not ready to say goodbye to third grade. What if her fourth grade teacher is not as understanding as Mr. D'matz? Has she really learned enough to move on? Clementine is not sure. On top of that, she's not speaking to her father, who ate some of Mrs. Jacobi's meatloaf in spite of Clementine's strongly-held, albeit recently-discovered, views on eating animals. Plus, Margaret's mother is about to get married, and Clementine's mother is about to have a baby. There are plenty of changes in store for Clementine as she prepares to say goodbye to third grade -- and to her adoring readers.

I'm sad to see Clementine go, but glad she went out on a high note with this book, which is just as delightful and tightly written as the earlier books in the series. These are such fun books, and I know I'll be recommending them to young readers for years to come.

I've barely scratched the surface of my to-be-reviewed pile, but my laptop is clamoring for some uninterrupted time on the charger (it is old cranky and the charger doesn't always connect correctly if I try to charge it while using it) so I am off to sort my new acquisitions for a while, but I'm hoping to do more reviewing later today -- so if you haven't gotten hit by a book bullet yet, don't let your guard down, because I have some really good ones still to come!

Team Cora 4 Ever!
Also team Rose's Jewish Boyfriend!

Oh, I'm so glad you've all met Rose's beau! I've loved him from the first moment he was introduced and I've been waiting for you all to meet him. He's lovely, isn't he?

>121 norabelle414: Huzzah!

>122 PawsforThought: He is! He and Rose seem well suited.

(10 books read)



The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling) is a modern mystery and the beginning of a promising series.

Newly-engaged Robin is going from temp job to temp job while she searches for more permanent employment. She'd never admit it, but she's actually quite excited about her new assignment as secretary to a private investigator -- she's had a secret love of detectives and mysteries since childhood. But when her new employer barrels out the door and nearly knocks her off the stair landing as she prepares to knock, things seem off to a rocky start. Cormoran Strike, the employer in question, can't really afford a temp, nor does he particularly want one, but he doesn't want to put Robin out of a job after practically assaulting her. In a week,he figures, he may be out of business. That's before he gets an unusual request from John Bristow, a distraught sibling: discover who murdered John's sister. Why is the request unusual? Well, because it's widely accepted that the sister killed herself -- and since she was an internationally famous model, the case was investigated quite thoroughly. Cormoran agrees -- he needs the money -- though he makes it clear to Bristow that he believes he will not find anything that the police haven't already discovered. As he begins to investigate, however, he learns that there's more to the story than initially meets the eye. . .

I'm a fan of golden age detective fiction (e.g. Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, etc.) and this story fits in that vein: clever detective with personal problems, slightly naive supporting character, broad cast of suspects, lots of going from one to another asking questions. It's not an extremely fast-moving book, but I found it enjoyable -- much more enjoyable than The Casual Vacancy, I must admit! Recommended to mystery fans, and I'll be reading on in the series next time I'm looking for a good mystery myself.

116: See? I'm already scared and I haven't even done anything yet. :P

(11 books read)



The Grimm Conclusion by Adam Gidwitz is the conclusion of his fractured fairy tale trilogy.

Once upon a time, fairy tales were dark and scary and just generally awesome. Gidwitz has never shied away from the more grim side of the Brothers Grimm, and he continues to explore those murky depths in the stories of Jorinda and Joringel, who face a cruel stepfather, a heartless king, and even the Devil himself (not to mention his grandmother) before reaching "The End."

Though the three books in this trilogy are more companions than sequels, readers who have already enjoyed the first two books are likely to get more out of this one. I'm a big fan of fractured fairy tales, and though I felt like occasionally Gidwitz overdid it on the gross factor, I think this book has a lot of kid appeal and does a good job of wrapping up the series.

(12 books read)



The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming is a look at the tumultuous years leading up to the Russian Revolution.

During the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, the rich grew richer, the poor grew poorer, and the government grew out of control as the leaders lost touch with the realities of life for the average Russian peasant or worker. Unprepared to lead a country, Nicholas listened to bad advice, took drastic action that exacerbated the problems the country faced, and failed to act when action was needed. As the government was overthrown, and then overthrown again, Nicholas and his family suffered the fatal effects of these decisions.

I've read a fair bit about the Russian revolution, so most of the major details of this story were familiar to me. Fleming has done a great job of researching and organizing her facts, including primary source accounts from common people as well as the nobility. However, I felt that she was not sympathetic to the subjects of this book, the Romanov family themselves. (In a speech accepting the nomination of this book as a YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction finalist, she admitted that she initially intended to write just about Anastasia, but found her "boring" the more she researched her.) I feel that a biographer, even of such flawed subjects as the Romanovs, should find something to like in her subject matter. On the other hand, this book is almost compulsively readable, hard to put down even if you know what is coming. (I did, and I still kept reading right up until bedtime, with the result that I had nightmares about the House of Special Purpose, as I knew I would.) And despite the dark portrait she paints of the Romanovs, she does not give the impression that what followed for Russia was an improvement. I think this is a good introduction to the Romanov family and the Russian revolution for readers unfamiliar with the topic, but would recommend looking at other sources as well if you find this period interesting.

(13 books read)



The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion is the sequel to one of my favorite reads from last year, The Rosie Project. So, this review will contain a few slight, unavoidable spoilers for The Rosie Project.

Don Tillman is having a difficult week. He's just lost his part-time bartending job, is in danger of eviction, has invited a friend to stay at his apartment even though his wife and said friend don't get along, he hasn't told his wife any of these things yet . . . and his wife has just told him that she is pregnant. Don doesn't do particularly well with unplanned events, and he's not entirely sure he is ready for fatherhood -- or if he will ever be ready for fatherhood. The series of events that follows makes the ones I described at the beginning of this review (and, believe it or not, those events all happen early on in the story) sound tame and manageable as Don runs into all kinds of trouble. Can he navigate the rough waters of impending fatherhood -- or is he going to end up losing both the baby and Rosie?

This book is just as delightful, heartfelt, and funny as its predecessor. Naturally, this book will be best appreciated by those who read The Rosie Project first. Read it! Read both of them! They are fantastic and fun.

Misti, I love visiting here. It is so good to know that I'm not alone in the YA love affair with this genre.

Also, I want to thank you for the link to your blog wherein you list your favorite children's illustrated books. I've added all of them (including the honorable mention ones) to my tbr pile.

Thanks again!!!!

>129 Whisper1: Great! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I'm pretty pleased that two of them won Caldecott Honors this year!

>128 foggidawn: The Rosie Project is the pick for my book club this month. I'm looking forward to starting it soon.

Misti

I'm going to google the winners of the Caldecott books. Thanks for reminding me.

>131 leahbird: Oh, fun!

>132 Whisper1: You're welcome! There are a lot of honor books this year!

(14 books read)



The Just City by Jo Walton is a fun mix of mythology and philosophy.

From outside of time, the goddess Athena decides to establish a city based on Plato's Republic, and Apollo decides to go along for the ride. Athena selects a Bronze Age location that will be destroyed by natural disaster long before anyone is likely to take notice of it, gathers people from all eras of human history who have prayed to her asking that the Republic be made a reality, collects ten-year-old slave children (of whom Apollo is one; he decided to go for the authentic experience of being reborn as a human) from a few different centuries to populate the city, and gathers worker robots from the late 21st century so that no humans need be enslaved to do the day-to-day work of the city. And then, when things are up and running, she brings in Socrates, just for fun.

Of course, even without Socrates, there were bound to be bumps in the road. The teachers (those people who had prayed to Athena that the city be established) fervently believe in the goodness of the cause, but they are lacking in much of the practical knowledge necessary to running a city. I don't want to give anything away, so I'm going to avoid discussing some of those particular bumps. I'll just say that Walton has a keen understanding of both Platonic philosophy and of human nature, making this a read that is both enjoyable and thought-provoking. My only issue with it was the ending: I had not realized that it is the first book in a series, so the abrupt ending was entirely unexpected and felt almost like a cliffhanger to me. But in spite of the ending, I'm thoroughly glad I read this book, and I'm anxiously awaiting the sequels.

I just got an email about Just City and was immediately intrigued by it. I added it to my list and your positive review just confirmed that I made the right impulsive choice. :)
Lots of good reading going on. Keep those reviews coming!

>135 jolerie: Definitely the right choice! And I still have more reviews to write . . . just not tonight.

I spent some time admiring organizing my new acquisitions today. There are quite a few of them:

(Not all of those are staying; some will go in to work for my colleagues to peruse.)

I did not employ even a modicum of restraint at that conference, I am afraid -- we drove, so I wasn't limited by airline baggage restrictions or shipping fees, and I picked up an embarrassing number of books. I haven't started entering them into LT yet, but that's a task for another day.

>136 foggidawn: Please make a list! I want to know exactly what you bought and I can't quite tell from the photo.

Wow! Just look at all of those books!!

Getting caught up and I see you have had some great reading over the past couple of weeks.

>118 foggidawn: - I love that cover!

>136 foggidawn: - Nice! Conferences were invented for one purpose only: To acquire all that one can and have fun at the same time! That is my philosophy on conferences. ;-)

*Shocked silence*

>116 foggidawn: Sorry, no DA chatter from me. I still haven't watched seasons 3 or 4.

>137 PawsforThought: I will make a list of what I keep, probably when I start adding them in to LT (hopefully soon, but after I finish reviewing my unreviewed books).

>138 scaifea: I spent a good bit of time yesterday doing just that. :-)

>139 lkernagh: Well, I achieved those goals!

>141 MickyFine: Ah, well, that would put a damper on it.

>142 foggidawn: Looking forward to it!

(15 books read)



The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng is a gentle, slight story for middle-grade readers.

Third-grader Anna is having friend troubles: her ex-best-friend Laura is now hanging around with Allison, a mean but popular girl, leaving Anna on her own. Anna escapes into the pages of books -- but when Laura is facing serious problems at home, can Anna let go of her resentment and remember how to be Laura's true friend?

The best descriptor I can come up with for this book is "nice" -- it's not going to rock anyone's world, but it's a nice, gentle sort of story. Girls like Anna, who escape into books and have friendship troubles and run-ins with mean girls, will see themselves in this book. There's also an element of diversity as Anna learns to respect her Chinese heritage. A pleasant read, but I won't seek out others in the series.

(16 books read)



Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen is a teen memoir with a fun twist.

When Maya Van Wagenen discovers a 1950's teen popularity guide while helping organize her father's office, she just thinks of it as a weird curiosity -- until her mother suggests that she take the guide's advice for her eighth grade school year and document the consequences. Though she initially balks at the idea, she finds she can't get it out of her head, and so she embarks on a quest for the 1950's teen ideal. She starts with the easiest chapters and works her way up to the more challenging ones. Along the way, of course, she learns a lot of interesting stuff about popularity, her fellow students, and herself.

I read this all in one evening -- I definitely found it a fun, engaging read. It would pair well with Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt, a novel with a similar premise. I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy memoirs and high school stories.

(17 books read)



The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale is a fun early chapter book about an unconventional princess.

Princess Magnolia has a secret: when the Monster Alarm goes off, she leaves her perfectly pink chambers and becomes The Princess in Black, fearlessly protecting her kingdom from the monsters that would otherwise run amok. But when the Monster Alarm goes off as she is sipping hot chocolate with the Duchess Wigtower, will Princess Magnolia be able to deal with the intruder and return before the Duchess can snoop into her belongings and find out her secret?

This delightful little book demonstrates that girls can be princesses and superheroes, too. With its chapter book layout, simplified wording, and plethora of bright illustrations, it hits it just right for readers who are just graduating from leveled readers into the world of chapter books. I'm hoping to hear more about the Princess in Black and her incipient sidekick the Goat Avenger soon!

(18 books read)



I read The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry for review elsewhere -- just mentioning it here for inclusion in my book count. But if you're familiar with Dave Barry, you won't be surprised to hear that this is wacky and laugh-out-loud funny all the way through.

That's it for reviews -- time to start listing books! I always like cover images better than just a list of titles, though it may quickly make this thread unloadable on slow connections (sorry, Stephen).

First, the finished copies! I don't usually get many of these at conferences, but this time I got a substantial haul of "real" books in addition to my massive pile of galleys:
                   

The Just City is definitely on my wish list, so it's good to know you liked it. And I love Shannon Hale's books, so will also look for The Princess in Black--sounds perfect for my youngest great-niece.

>150 ronincats: I have yet to met a book by Jo Walton that I don't like.

Okay, now for the advance reading copies that I picked up. This is going to be quite a task! I have them organized by pub date (pretty much), since that's how I like to shelve them, so here's everything up through the end of February (yes, some of these are already out):

                       

Okay, that's all for tonight. I'll probably post the rest tomorrow.

All those books!!! I would be in heaven!!!! What a great haul!

24 books over the weekend. How am I going to be able to control myself with all this acquisition-ing going on.

Have a lovely Sunday, Foggi.

>126 foggidawn: Foggi, you mentioned that you liked fractured fairy tales - I just picked up Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde the other day and am looking forward to reading it. I loved The Rumplestiltskin Problem - very clever!

>152 foggidawn: Another Jasper Fforde and Jeff Smith! Looks like I may be off to the library today since my youngest just loves Bone. I was at OSU at the same time as Jeff Smith (although I did not unfortunately know him) and really enjoyed his daily strip Thorn (which was the precursor to Bone) in The Lantern.

>156 rretzler: I think the Bone title is just an anniversary edition, but since it's one of those things that I've always been meaning to read but have never actually read, I picked it up.

Oh my....that is one jealous inducing haul if there ever was one!!

Why can't we have events like that north of the border?? Why??

So are you going to get a new bookcase to house all these wonderful additions?

Misti

I went to the library yesterday and was able to obtain quite a few of your recommendations! I am in awe of your blog. As always, I enjoy your reviews and recommendations. Thanks a lot.

>149 foggidawn: The Leslye Walton one is so, so good. I also keep hearing good things about the Red Queen one.

>158 jolerie: I need a new bookcase, but I am not buying one, I am stacking creatively. :-)

>159 Whisper1: Thanks!

>160 rosylibrarian: Good to know -- I've heard a lot of buzz about both of those.

Continuing to add my acquisitions -- these are advance copies releasing in March and April:

                                     

One more batch -- advance copies releasing in May onward:

                           
(Not pictured, because it doesn't have cover art yet: Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider.)

That's all, folks!

I really enjoyed The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate so I'm excited to see that a sequel is coming out. Look forward to your thoughts on The World of Calpurnia Tate.

I'm excited that Alice Hoffman will have another book! She is one of my favorite authors. If I was able to obtain such a great book haul, I would be incredibly happy. I'm sure you are having great fun adding them to your library!

I just want to read all of them, right now! It's making it difficult to settle on one.

What a haul! I've read The Eye of Zoltar but that is the only one, so I will be looking forward to your reviews of a lot of these (like the Gail Carson Levine).

Ooooh, those books all look so good!! I particularly like the looks of Imaginary...

>164 leahbird: Yes, the Calpurnia Tate book was one of my more exciting finds. Isn't the cover lovely?

>165 Whisper1: I have a few coworkers who are also big Alice Hoffman fans. They were excited to hear about Nightbird.

>167 ronincats: Yeah, I thought it strange that they were giving out The Eye of Zoltar, seeing as it came out this past fall. Guess they had printed a lot of galleys and didn't want to waste them? I haven't read the second book in that series yet, so that one is bound to sit on the shelf until I do, I'm afraid!

>168 scaifea: It does look intriguing! It's illustrated by Emily Gravett -- have you and Charlie discovered her picture books yet? She's one of my favorite illustrators.

Books! They're the best.

>166 foggidawn: I know that feeling! You should use a random number generator, or read them in alphabetical order, or let your dog choose for you.

>170 norabelle414: I thought about reading them in order by release date, but I'm afraid that would make me hate them, so I will as usual go by whim and fancy!

ETA: The dog thing would probably not work, because she thinks they are terrifying. Granted, that's because she's seen precarious stacks of them toppling over, so perhaps she has good reason for her fear.

>162 foggidawn: I forgot I have an ARC of the Elizabeth Wein one too. I loved her other books, so I have high hopes for that one.

>163 foggidawn: I love the cover of the one titled Immaculate. It immediately drew my eye. Ah, love ogling covers! Awesome haul, I am so super jealous.

>171 foggidawn: Hahaha, sorry, but it greatly amuses me that your dog is afraid of piles of books. One of my co-workers has a dog that likes to chew on hers and she's been thinking of writing her next library article in the local newspaper about books that Maddie the dog recommends based on the ones she's chewed so bad her "mom" had to replace the library copies!

Shyanne has sunk her teeth into a book of mine just one time in her life, when she was a puppy. I have never been more disappointed in her. :P

>172 rosylibrarian: That's one of those cases where I hope the book lives up to the cover! It is pretty.

>173 bell7: Sophie has never yet chewed a book, but my parents' dog chewed one of the ones they got me for Christmas, packaging and all! She apparently thought she'd help open it, and got carried away.

>174 Ape: If Shyanne is like Sophie, the scolding she probably got had a deep and permanent psychological effect! Sophie once chewed my brother's computer cord (not while it was plugged in, fortunately) and she nearly died of shame from being scolded for it. Sophie can't bear it when her people are mad at her.

Downton Abbey!

Finally, stuff is happening! Time to discuss S5E6:

So, Gregson is dead. Alas. I was holding out just the tiniest bit of hope that he was imprisoned somewhere and would be found/rescued/released eventually. Poor Edith. Poor Mrs. Drewe.

And poor Isis. I'd heard a rumor that they were doing away with her because of her name, but I had hoped it was not true. They'll have to redo the opening sequence next season.

As for Lord Grantham and Cora: You go, Cora.

I was sure Mary was going to fall off her horse, especially since they made such a point of the fact that she was riding sidesaddle. Now I'm wondering what the whole point of the horse race was. Just to get everybody in the same area, I guess.

Do we think that Isobel really has accepted Lord Merton, and if so, will she go through with it?

Loved the scene with the Dowager and the Prince. Those fiery Russians!

Bates and Anna: *sigh* Pretty much what I expected, though who knew that the ticket would actually prove his innocence? I still think the police are going to try and pin it on Anna. And if I were Anna, I would totally have sold Mary up the creek to explain when and why she wanted the contraceptive -- I think it was unreasonable of Mary to keep the thing and expect Anna to hide it at her house in the first place.

Oh, Thomas. They weren't even real drugs! *shakes head* He can be so street-smart sometimes, and so stupid other times.

I think that's all I have to say right now. Like I said above, I feel like things are finally starting to happen, which is good since we only have a few episodes left in the season. :-(

>176 foggidawn: Poor Edith!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They were playing the SUPER DRAMATIC version of the Downton Abbey Theme while Mary was riding which is why you (and I) thought she was going to fall! But then they switched to the "lovely countryside" version of the Downton Abbey Theme so it was all okay. I think half the point of the race was to get everyone together (Gillingham, Mabel Lane Fox, Rose's Boyfriend's parents, etc.) and also because Mabel and Mary were the first women to ever ride in the race.

I knew something weird was up with Thomas' "drugs", since he wasn't having any kind of high from them. An infection makes much more sense.

Rose's boyfriend is so adorable!

I love Lady Mary's new haircut! And the bit where the hairdresser wasn't actually French was hilarious.

>176 foggidawn: Unfortunately for me, the only really interesting story lines this season were pretty much killed in this episode. Thomas isn't a drug addict and is now acting like a human being. Gregson is dead and the whole thing feels totally pointless. And I was loving the will-she-won't-she with Isobel but apparently that's going to be over as well. Boo.

>169 foggidawn: We do love Gravett! Her stuff is lovely.

>176 foggidawn: Can we talk about my favorite scene? Mr. Carson asking Mrs. Hughes to buy property with him! I totally went squee! Those two are totally end game.

Anyways...

Mr. Gregson. I was kind of hoping for a miracle, but I am glad we know and can move on. I'm all for Edith getting her baby and finding some sort of happiness. The scene between her and Mrs. Drewe was heartbreaking and well acted. Also, Lord G was surprisingly sweet towards his daughter when he said they really must have loved each other.

And Mary. Good lord, she is quite heartless in this season. I know she and Edith are never going to mend fences, but wow. And yes, the haircut scene was amazing. She really can pull it off!

As for Lord Merton happening, my bet is no. I think she and the doctor will somehow get together. And I really love her friendship with Violet. It keeps getting better every week. I do feel like this Russian plot line is sort of strange. I mean, good for Violet for getting some kind of romantic plot line, but it seems oddly placed.

As for Isis, I read this funny article and thought I would share: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/downton-abbey-recap-isis-may-be-the...

I will have to come back and comment on everyone's Downton posts later, but I just want to say that the article in >180 rosylibrarian: is the best thing ever.

>177 norabelle414: Yep, it was the super dramatic music that did it. Also the dramatic camera-work leading up to her taking that jump. And yes, that the hairdresser was hilarious.

>178 leahbird: Oh, I don't think Isobel's romantic storyline is anywhere close to over. In fact, she didn't actually say that she had accepted him -- she let the Dowager jump to that conclusion. I think there's a definite possibility that she's playing with the Dowager's head still, and that she meant something else entirely about having an adventure. Because, really, would being married to Merton be much of an adventure?

>179 scaifea: That, we can agree upon. ;-)

>180 rosylibrarian: Yes, that scene was adorably hilarious! I thought it was Carson's backwards way of working up to a proposal for a minute there. And the smug look on Mrs. Hughes' face when she told him to go ring the gong!

I agree, Mary is being kind of horrible this season.

I'd also like to see Isobel with the doctor, but I'm afraid that ship has sailed. I'm leaning towards the theory that she enjoys her independence too much to tie herself down.

>181 foggidawn: "Crawley" babies, ha ha ha!

>182 foggidawn: You're probably right. I just hope the doctor never goes away. I love how he interacts with the whole family.

I cannot believe I have missed your thread up until now, Foggi! Please excuse my absence :)

>182 foggidawn: & >183 rosylibrarian: I really like the doctor and have been hoping for him and Isobel since his introduction!

Wow, that's a lot of acquired books. Hope you enjoy them all!

>183 rosylibrarian: Oh, definitely. But I think he's something of a fixture, so that's a good thing at least.

>184 alcottacre: Considering that I've been pretty much absent from my own thread this past week, I've no room to complain! :-) Glad you located me, though!

>185 PawsforThought: I know what you mean.

>186 The_Hibernator: I have been doing so, and will continue to! It's the reviewing that seems to be the problem, though.

Sorry to be so absent lately -- I had a stomach virus (my third this winter; I think I've had more than my fair share!) and I've been reading and piling up reviews to write, and it's so very, very cold, and work has been so very, very busy . . . bleargh.

Downton Abbey S5E7:

I'm not sure what I think of the whole Edith situation. Glad she's got the kid, but we'll see how it plays out, with them being at Downton.

Mary is just plain mean, and I loved when the Dowager called her on it. Also, that was a very affecting scene between Mary and the Dowager, when she talked about her friendship with Isobel.

Speaking of Isobel, Merton's sons are . . . well, you can fill in the blank with the expletive of your choice. I hope that Isobel goes through with marrying Merton, if that's what she wants to do, but he's awfully passive, and it would be an uncomfortable life if she had to spend any amount of time around those guys.

Alas for Isis.

That's all I have for now. This episode seemed not quite as eventful as the last, or maybe I just don't have much to say this time.

>188 foggidawn: Blah, I'll be back when I get around to watching this episode. I usually watch it when my husband is doing his 48 hour shifts at work and he's been home all week. Would it be mean of me to kick him out of the house for an hour? :)

Sorry to hear about the stomach virus! Hope you are feeling better now.

>189 rosylibrarian: Sounds reasonable to me.

>190 jolerie: I am quite recovered, thanks. Now, if I can just stay that way . . . *clutches bottle of hand sanitizer and eyes story time crowd warily*

(19 books read)



Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks is a cute juvenile fantasy with elements of metafiction.

Tuesday's family seems ordinary to most observers, but that's because they don't know the truth: Tuesday's mother is the world-famous novelist Serendipity Smith. Tuesday loves her mom's stories, but her favorite times are when her mom is not writing and the family can enjoy time together. On the evening of the last day of school, Tuesday enters her mother's writing room, hoping to find that her mother has finished her book and family vacation can commence. Instead, Tuesday finds her mother missing, with only a mysterious thread and an open window as clues to her whereabouts. Following the thread, Tuesday finds herself in the world of story, where she's convinced her mother is being held hostage by the villain of her books. Can Tuesday rescue her mother, or will her efforts ruin the story and trap both of them there for good?

I liked this story well enough while reading it, though it has a few weaknesses in writing and plot. I think kids in grades 3-6 will really enjoy this story, though I probably wouldn't recommend it to most adult readers -- if you like the premise, try a different series about a woman named for a day of the week: Thursday Next.

(20 books read)



Dearest by Alethea Kontis is the third book in the Woodcutter Sisters series of retold fairy tales.

Friday Woodcutter, loving and giving, is caught up in a mysterious magical ocean that comes flooding through the kingdom. She is almost drowned, but a passerby takes her to the castle where her sister Sunday is queen, and where many refugees have fled due to the flood. While caring for the refugee children, Friday befriends a mute kitchen maid and discovers that this maid is more than what she seems: a foreign princess caught in a curse, along with her six brothers who sleep in the ruined tower as princes by night, and swim in the castle pond as swans by day. Friday, with her empathic magic and her skill with a needle, is the ideal sister to help these cursed individuals -- but the evil magician who cast the curse is on his way to the kingdom, and Friday and her new friends may not have much time. . .

The events in this book are concurrent with those in its predecessor, Hero -- this book tells about what happens in the kingdom while Saturday is off on her adventure. It's just as delightful as the first two volumes, and can stand on its own fairly well, though I'd recommend starting at the beginning with Enchanted. My only criticism is that the climax of the book is a little muddled, or crammed too full of stuff, a fault that the other books in the series share. I think it's because the series has such an ambitious premise, pulling in all sorts of fairy tale elements in each book and yet also weaving together the larger story of the Woodcutter family, seeped as they are in legend and portent. I'm excited to see where the series goes next (I'm assuming each sister gets a book, but that could be tricky since one of them is, well, dead), and I'm already picking up hints that Monday's story, which should be the last book in the series, will be epic. Fans of retold fairy tales, if you haven't discovered this series yet, you need to do so soon!

Glad you are feeling better! And look, book reviews, you must only be behind on, what, like 20 now? :P

(21 books read)



Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta is the first book in an acclaimed epic fantasy series.

Some ten years ago, Lumatere was a peaceful and prosperous kingdom. Finnikin of the Rock, son of the Captain of the King's Guard and best friend to the young prince, was enjoying an idyllic childhood. Then came the five days of the Unspeakable, when Lumatere's rulers were overthrown and many of her people exiled, while others remained trapped within the curse-sealed gates of the walled kingdom. Finnikin was left with Sir Topher, the king's trusted adviser, and the two have spent the intervening years traveling the surrounding kingdoms, trying to help Lumatere's scattered people. When Finnikin has a dream drawing him to a distant convent of the Goddess, he hopes to find news of the lost prince. Instead, he finds a girl named Evanjalin. Finnikin is disappointed at first, but it soon becomes clear that the girl is more than what she seems. Will she be the one who helps Finnikin and the scattered people of Lumatere return to their homeland?

This is an impressively well-written fantasy, but it was not for me. I just found the whole thing a little too gritty and brutal, what with all of the rape and torture and death and vengeance. I disliked all of the characters to some extent, and I saw the big plot twist coming a long way off. I can see this appealing to readers who like their fantasy with darkly flawed characters and plenty of gore, so if it sounds like your thing, don't be put off by my review.

>194 Ape: Well, not quite 20 reviews behind (I've had a slow start this year, what with being sick a couple of times and having a couple of really busy weeks at work), but I've still got several to write!

(22-24 books read)

   

Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott are the uplifting classics I turned to when my last read left me needing something pleasant to cleanse my palate!

These three books follow the March family (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) from their early teen years well into adulthood, and then into their children's teen years.

It's been some time since I read these three books, though the 1994 film version is one of my comfort movies. In fact, I found that I had forgotten some of the changes that the movie made to the story, and in some cases (shocking, I know) I actually prefer the movie version! But I do love the books (Little Women more than Little Men, and Little Men more than Jo's Boys, which makes for an unfortunate progression when reading the three together as I did). By the end of the third book, I'll admit to being a bit weary of Alcott's moralizing tone, but the stories are still good, and they bring back pleasant childhood memories.

(25 books read)



Smek for President by Adam Rex is the sequel to The True Meaning of Smekday, and it's just as hilarious and fun as its predecessor.

It's been a couple of years since Gratuity "Tip" Tucci and her alien pal J.Lo saved the world, and adjusting to everyday life has not been easy for them. J.Lo would like to visit the other Boov, now happily settled on one of Saturn's moons, but he (yes, J.Lo is male) is still persona non grata with the Boov. Tip, meanwhile, is chafing under her mom's new and improved parenting style and wishing for a little of the freedom she enjoyed back in her world-saving days. Determined to go to New Boovworld and explain his role in saving the Earth to Captain Smek, J.Lo modifies Slushious, their flying car, for space travel. He and Tip head for New Boovworld . . . without Tip's mother's knowledge or permission. Of course, when they arrive, things don't go exactly as planned. Smek, struggling through a grueling presidential race, decides to imprison J.Lo as a political move to boost his popularity. Tip escapes, but now she is lost on a strange planet with no way home and no idea how to help her friend. Can Tip rescue J.Lo and get home? And what will her mother say about the whole situation?

I really love The True Meaning of Smekday (which is, by the way, the basis for the animated movie Home which comes out this spring). This sequel has the same delightful humor and touches of deeper social commentary, though the plotting in this volume is perhaps not quite as tight. Still, I read the whole book in two big gulps, and I hope that someday we'll see more of Tip and J.Lo.

(26 books read)



Next Top Villain by Suzanne Selfors is part of a new "Ever After High" spinoff series.

Duchess Swan may not have a storyline with a Happily Ever After at the end, but she doesn't have a drop of evil in her bloodline -- so when she gets her class schedule and discovers that she is taking General Villainy, she is sure there must be some mistake. When Professor BadWolf refuses to let her transfer out and sets the entire class the assignment to do something nasty and rotten by the end of the week, Duchess is not sure what to do. Should she let the assignment slide and get her first ever failing grade . . . or should she complete the assignment, even if it means straying from her storyline? Is becoming evil the only way Duchess can achieve a Happily Ever After?

This was a cute story. I'm unfamiliar with the Ever After High franchise, so I don't know how it compares to other books in the series. The premise was a lot like The School for Good and Evil, but with a much smaller page count. I think fans of the series will enjoy this, though I didn't like it enough to recommend it for general consumption!

You know, I've never actually read Little Women, my mom tried reading it to me when I was about 5, but my attention span apparently wasn't long enough for her. I don't remember particularly disliking the book, though...

>200 The_Hibernator: Yeah, five might be a little young to appreciate that one.

>188 foggidawn: Finally caught up on Downton from two weeks ago.

Is the Mary suitor drama over finally? I would be excited for a new guy to step in. Or no guy, but I'm sure that will never happen, ha ha.

And Maggie Smith. That woman deserves every award thrown her way. She was exceptionally brilliant in this episode. I am so glad that is and Isobel are such good friends. I was very sad for her during the dinner scene. She looked absolutely trampled.

And yeah, Isis. :(

>197 foggidawn: Ugh, I'm still annoyed at Alcott. I wrote a paper on Little Women for an English course I took on Pilgrim's Progress during undergrad and during the research process discovered that the only reason Jo doesn't end up with Laurie is that all of Alcott's readers assumed it and told her so and she was stubborn and didn't want to do what everyone was telling her. Grr! That being said, I totally love Little Women.

>203 MickyFine: Okay, that is annoying!

>202 rosylibrarian: I definitely agree. I don't imagine they'll let Mary go without a suitor for long. And yes, that episode was some of the best acting we've seen from Maggie Smith in the entire show -- she's always great, but rose to new heights in that scene.

Downton Abbey S5E8:

Wow, I wasn't expecting them to rush us right into Rose's wedding! I really love Lady Sinderby. Also, she looks familiar -- must IMDb her (she's probably someone I'll feel silly for not recognizing). (ETA: Nope, I don't think I have seen anything she's been in. Perhaps she just reminds me of someone I've met in real life.) And Lady Fincher is a piece of work, but we knew that already.

So, what a shocking proposal from Prince K! How does he figure they would manage that setup without scandal? And do we suppose the Princess is still alive? I'm starting to wonder.

I was just starting to like Denker and her little battles with Spratt, but that business with Andy was rather nasty. And look at Thomas doing good deeds! I wonder if Andy will stick around a bit, or if he's really just a one-off?

I thought we were going to lose Daisy for a minute, there. And it's looking more and more like we're going to lose Tom. Maybe they will introduce a love interest for him that will keep him in England.

So, Lord Grantham figured out Marigold! I didn't think he'd get there so quickly, or take it so well. And good for him about selling the painting and making up with Cora, and for arranging the plaque for Archie. After a season of blunders, he got things right in this episode.

Poor, poor Anna! I wonder who did kill Mr. Greene? I always suspected that Anna was not the first woman he had attacked, so there could be any number of people wanting him dead. They'd better not drag us through a whole season of "Anna in Prison" like they did with Bates! Also, I am predicting that she is pregnant at this point.

I'm sad that this season is almost over!

>206 foggidawn: I agree that Rose's wedding came up very quickly. It's sad because I like her and Atticus a lot, but I suppose Lily James wants out now that she is Cinderella and is dating a former Doctor :-) Marrying her off is much more preferable than killing her.

I think Prince K is saying he doesn't care about the scandal, as long as he gets to be with Maggie Smith. And maybe he wants to get divorced? That seemed to be the theme of the episode.

Spratt is the new Thomas. What a jerk! But at least he seems to be incompetent at his jerkishness so it's mostly just funny. It would be nice if Andy could be a love interest for Thomas!

I still think we might lose Daisy. And we're definitely losing Tom.

I think getting to know his other grandchildren helped to soften Lord Grantham toward Marigold. He loves them a lot. Thank goodness he wasn't a jerk this episode because I was getting so tired of that.

#FreeBates #NoTheOtherBatesThisTime

Pregnant! I didn't think of that!

>207 norabelle414: You're probably right about Lily James wanting to move on. Also, I see that the actress who plays Daisy is one of the stepsisters in Cinderella. Love those fun little connections!

With Rose gone and Tom probably gone, the family will be considerably diminished for Season 6. Just Mary and Edith, unless they pull another Rose and bring in a houseguest or distant relation. And the household staff seems to be shrinking, too, at least in terms of major players in the drama -- we don't hear much about any of the housemaids or kitchen help since Ivy left, though there are always a few extras bustling about during busy scenes. I kind of feel like they need to bring Andy in full-time to make up the numbers! Of course, that's been a major theme this season, that times are changing and even places like Downton can't afford a big staff any more.

>206 foggidawn:-208

I've been really unhappy and unimpressed in the whole with DA this season, these last few episodes particularly. I know they can't control when actors want to leave, but we spent so much of this season with Tom dealing with Ms Bunting being Ms Bunting and now he's going? Couldn't they have at least given him a more pleasant last storyline?

And I was rather enjoying Rose and Atticus's storyline in the beginning until it just went warp speed and wrapped it all up so quickly.

I was totally with Mrs Patmore over the possible loss of Daisy. NEVER!

The Mr. Green thing and Anna being arrested is just almost the last straw. Seriously just give it up already. This isn't fun anymore.

My Tivo messed up the past two weeks on Downton night, but luckily my mom has the Bluray of the season so I just borrowed it each time. I usually like waiting for Downton night to come to enjoy the anticipation, but I was so frustrated last night after episode 8 that I just went ahead and watched the last episode while I was at it. In general, I'm no happier about it than the previous one. Except for a few notable things that are pretty flippin awesome! ;)

>209 leahbird: It's been a while since I saw Downton so the details are a bit fussy on what happened when and to whom. I'm wondering what few notable things you liked.

>206 foggidawn: Is Rose definitely not coming back next season? I actually saw more potential in her character as a married lady because it brings in her Jewish in-laws. Plus, don't make Atticus go away. He's so cute! But I guess Cinderella is about to make her blow up. (Did not know that about Daisy's character. I just saw her in Galavant. It is weird to see her as a non-Daisy character.)

I'm guessing that Maggie Smith makes a decision about her Prince and that will be the moment the Princess shows back up. ;)

I thought Andy would be a great love interest when he was introduced. Thomas needs a good romantic story line to shake things up.

I was also glad that Lord G made nice in this episode, but it didn't seem very in keeping with his character. I would have thought Marigold would have sent him through the roof. I am glad he made up with Cora.

Oh Mary... everything is changing for you. And I am very, very, super sad that Tom is leaving. I guess his character feels sort of too resolved and that is why they are letting him journey to America.

#teamnomoreprison

>210 PawsforThought: DA Episode 9 Spoilers

MATTHEW GOODE!!!!! I think he is a spectacular addition to the cast and his character seems like a nice option for Mary. He's challenging her assumptions already and he's HOT and exciting.

And Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes! It was so sweet and about damn time. I just hope they don't use this as a way to let them leave the show as well. That would probably be the last straw for me as a viewer. That or the continuing of this stupid Bates and Anna legal drama yuck.

>212 leahbird: Episode 9 spoilers He is lovely, generally speaking, but I actually can't remember much about him in the episode. :/

I'm really upset about Tom. He was my favourite characters and now he's leaving.

Carson and Hughes are lovely, and I actually don't think they'll leave. But I'm with you on the if - I have a hard time seeing myself sticking with DA if they do. That's one too many people leaving, and foundations of the show to boot!

>212 leahbird: and >213 PawsforThought: Ach! Torture! ;-) I will wait until next week to read those posts, though it may kill me to do so.

>209 leahbird: I've been enjoying this season more than last season, though perhaps if I were to re-watch them objectively I would feel differently. I agree that I'd like to see a nicer ending for Tom, if this is the end. I've been careful to avoid news about the different actors and their plans (I only just learned, above, about Lily James being Cinderella; I knew there was a live-action Cinderella coming out, but I hadn't payed attention to who had been cast) and I'm generally pretty clueless about celebrities. So I'm assuming Rose and Tom are going to be off the show only from the plot thus far.

I agree, I would have liked them to spend more time on Rose and Atticus' courtship before zipping straight through to the wedding.

I'd be sad to lose Daisy, especially as she has gotten some nice character development this season.

Absolutely agree, the Anna in prison scenario is just not fun at all. Wouldn't it have been enough plot for them this season dealing with the will she/won't she get pregnant question?

>211 rosylibrarian: As I said above, I've been avoiding spoilers about what members of the cast are doing or what's ahead for next season, so I'm only guessing that Rose will be off. Maybe she will still make occasional appearances when they come to Downton to visit?

Agree about the Princess, and about Andy.

I also thought that there would be a big blow-up when Lord Grantham found out about Marigold. I was predicting that they would save it for next season, but I was wrong.

Even if Tom goes to America, there's always the possibility that things won't work out for him there and he'll come back (Okay, I'm grasping at straws now.)

This season seems like the show is gently winding down. The staff is shrinking, the family is shrinking, the staff are making plans for a life after Downton (retirement cottages, education to increase opportunities), and there's a theme of changes and adjustments to a new way of living. I think it's good that Fellowes doesn't plan to make the show go on forever, but it's a bittersweet feeling.

>215 foggidawn: Very bittersweet. What else am I going to waaaatch?

>216 rosylibrarian: There's a rumor that Julian Fellowes is going to work on another period drama, The Gilded Age. Could it possibly be as good? Probably not, but at least it gives us something to look forward to.

>217 foggidawn: I would probably watch it. Also, I read an interview that said that Maggie Smith's last season is the next one if they even go beyond that. It does indeed look to be the end...

>218 rosylibrarian: I read the same interview, I think. Also, I watched the finale this morning -- just won't have time to type up my thoughts until later tonight or tomorrow. Let me just say, though: Mrs. Hughes and Carson! Squeee!

I'm behind on book reviewing again, but maybe now that Downton Abbey has wrapped up for this season, I can get some reviewing done. (Don't bet on it, though, because Once Upon a Time just came back from the mid-season hiatus, so as soon as I get a chance to watch that episode I'll be joining the discussion on it.) But first . . .

Downton Abbey S5 Finale:

I felt pretty good about this one, though nothing earth-shaking happened. I'm glad Lord Sinderby came to appreciate Rose (just in time for them to move to America -- guess we won't be seeing them even occasionally next season). And it was even kind of nice to see Thomas behaving like Thomas again! He was being too nice and it was just too weird.

Mary's new love interest is an interesting fellow -- that should give us something fun to speculate about next season. Also, was there a hint of a spark between Edith and the estate agent fellow? I'm betting that doesn't actually go anywhere, but it does set things up for Edith to have a new love interest in the future, now that Gregson is definitely gone.

I felt like the whole thing with Robert's ulcer was trying to build some sort of suspense, but I never figured it was going to go anywhere.

I'm glad Anna is out of jail, but they've left it open for trouble next season, to which I say, bletch. And I guess my pregnancy speculation was incorrect. On the other hand, I was right about Bates "confessing" to save her. And good for Molesley and Baxter finding the pub, though I think it highly unlikely that the guy would really remember Bates after all that time. But, you know, plot, so I guess I'm okay with it.

I'm happy about Carson and Hughes, and agree that it was About Time. And unhappy about Tom going to America, of course.

And that's about it for this episode. All in all, I thought this was a fairly decent season, but the show is lacking the freshness of the first three seasons. Some plot lines feel recycled or tired, and others have a kind of inevitability about them. I still enjoy watching, but I do think it's time they wrap things up.

>220 foggidawn: As far as I'm concerned, the best thing about this entire season was Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes getting engaged. Mr. and Mrs. Carson, oh I love it! His face when he was asking her was delightful.

I also loved the scene when they remembered Sybil and even Mary and Edith held hands. It was really lovely. I'm really sad they killed off Sybil. I think she would have made the show 100x better if she had stayed. I wonder if she and Tom would have left for Boston or if they would have stayed in Ireland.

I totally dig Mary's new love interest. When he jumped in his sexy car, I thought, yes please!

I'm still over the murder plot. I hope in the next season they wrap it up quickly and move on to baby Bates!

And, I guess we all called Lord Merton. It looks like there will be no wedding. Good news for the doctor indeed!

>221 rosylibrarian: Yeah, I thought the outcome with Lord Merton was realistic, but sad. Those boys would have made her life miserable, and he doesn't have the spine to either stand up to them and make them behave civilly or put them out of his life entirely. Which probably means that he was not the best match for as strong a person as Isobel, but still, I wish that could have ended happily somehow.

I agree, Sybil would have made the show better if she had stayed. It's too bad that actor bailed -- I wonder if she ever regrets it?

I've started a new thread -- please join me over there!