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Mainly reviews of children's and young adult literature. Primarily focuses on new literature, 2004-present, but may feature older titles if they are "favorites" of mine. Feel free to leave comments. I always enjoy reading what others have to say!
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Gaskell, Elizabeth. 1848. Mary Barton. Penguin English Library. 488 pages.
There are some fields near Manchester, well known to the inhabitants as 'Green Heys Fields,' through which runs a public footpath to a little village about two miles distant. In spite of these fields being flat and low, nay, in spite of the want of wood (the great and usual recommendation of level tracts of land), there is a charm about them which strikes even the inhabitant of a mountainous district, who sees and feels the effect of contrast in these common-place but thoroughly rural fields, with the busy, bustling manufacturing town, he left but half an hour ago.
Jem Wilson has always only loved Mary Barton. He may not be rich. He may not live in a grand house. But his heart and soul have belonged to Mary Barton. And there's nothing he wouldn't do for the love of his life. Even if he feels that love is unrequited.
On the day he proposed, Mary Barton refused him thoroughly. And, to poor Jem, it seemed rather cruel, heartless, and final. He dramatically declares:
'And is this the end of all my hopes and fears? the end of my life, I may say, for it is the end of all worth living for!' His agitation rose and carried him into passion. 'Mary! you'll hear, may be, of me as a drunkard, and may be as a thief, and may be as a murderer. Remember! when all are speaking ill of me, you will have no right to blame me, for it's your cruelty that will have made me what I feel I shall become.' (175)
But even though he'll never have Mary as his wife, when Mary's aunt, Esther, asks him to watch out for her, to take care of her, he can't quite refuse. You see, Esther fears for Mary. Fears that Mary Barton is in love with a dangerous man, a rich man who is out to seduce her. His rival's name is Harry Carson. And he seems to have it all. But his luck is about to run out.
Mary Barton was Elizabeth Gaskell's first novel. And it's so much more than a suspenseful love story. (Despite my description, this one is told mainly through the eyes of Mary Barton. Though at times it is told from other perspectives. John Barton, Mary's father, plays a large role in this one.) It's a novel about social class and economics. Of the haves and the have-nots. The Bartons and the Wilsons and almost everyone else of note in the novel are living at the poverty level. Below it more like it. Death from starvation, death by disease, these are very real concerns. Life isn't easy or pretty. It's one hardship after another after another. (It's enough to get you down and keep you down.) John Barton takes these losses poorly. He becomes angry and bitter. He blames the rich for all his problems. Is his anger justified? You be the judge!
One of the strengths of the novel is characterization. We meet Mary Barton, her family, her friends, her community. We meet so many different characters. Characters that are so easy to care about. (For example, Job Legh, Margaret Jennings, and Will Wilson. I particularly enjoyed Job!) All her characters have depth and substance. It's a very human book. The novel is also rich in detail and is very atmospheric.
What I wasn't expecting--and you may not be expecting either--was how rich this one was spiritually. It has some definite spiritual tones and by the end especially its rich spiritual significance really stands out. Something you don't find in just any classic.
Ann's mom has breast cancer, and this has changed everything. Just fourteen, Ann is worrying about so much, such heavy stuff, she wishes that life could be, would be okay again. Brushing Mom's Hair is a verse novel told from a young teen's perspective on how cancer changes her family.
This is the opening poem:
Ballet
We stretch, thin arms touching toes. Linda says, Can you believe my mom's friend had one of her breasts cut off? Becky covers her mouth with her hand. Really? I look at them in the mirror, eyebrows raised, eyes open wide. I bend and touch my forehead to my knee. I don't say, My mom had both her breasts cut off and now she has stitches covered by bandages where they were.
It's a quick read. An emotional story as you'd expect as each family member seeks to cope in their own way. Each finds a way to deal with their own emotions and at the same time to provide support for the one with cancer.
I thought the holidays would never arrive, but I am on my way home at last.
I'm not the biggest fan of Sense and Sensibility. (Though I'd rate it higher than Emma and Mansfield Park.) But I really loved Amanda Grange's Colonel Brandon's Diary. I really loved Colonel Brandon. It was such a relief after reading the oh-so-disappointing Willoughby's Return. But finally here was Colonel Brandon as lovable and as right as he should be.
This one begins decades before Sense & Sensibility. The year is 1778 and the focus is on Colonel Brandon's first love, his first attachment, to a young woman, the ward of his father, Eliza, a woman forced into marriage against her will, a marriage to Colonel Brandon's worthless (though older) brother. We follow Brandon through the years until finally he gets a second chance at love, true love when he meets the Dashwood sisters.
For the most part, I think this one works really really well. There were a few scenes now and then that I thought the book lost a little perspective. Where I questioned Colonel Brandon's perspective. A couple of places where I'm not sure he would really have an insider's behind-the-scenes view of what was going on. But for the most part, I thought it was just about perfect.
I couldn't put this one down. I just loved reading it. I definitely recommend it.
Thick bass blared through amped-up speakers and drew Markus from his slumber.
Meet Nina Parker. She'd be the first to admit her mistakes. Her life has been full of mistakes. And it's cost her. Her husband has divorced her. He has full custody of both of her children. Her daughter, Meg, doesn't want anything to do with her. She's been arrested several times. She doesn't have a job or a place to live. At the start, anyway. But Nina Parker is being given a second chance. She's moving in with her sister (who is a sheriff) and returning to her hometown of Abbey Hills, a small town in the Ozarks. She'll be waitressing at Barney's, the local diner. And for this first week back, she'll have her daughter, Meg, with her. Can this week start the two on a new path. Can this relationship begin to heal? Can they learn from each other and begin to understand one another?
Unfortunately, this week isn't going to be easy on either of them. In fact, they may not survive the week. You see, there's a murderer on the loose in Abbey Hills. And victims (both human and animal) are being discovered: their bodies drained of blood, their hearts cut out. Who is the murderer, the monster, in their midst?
Mitchell, Siri. 2008. A Constant Heart. Bethany House. 384 pages.
"But how could he not like you?"
I can see how this one might not be for everyone. But. Oh how I loved this book. And I think you will too. If you like historical fiction. If you like historical romance. If you like books (fiction or nonfiction) about the Tudors. This "Christian" romance is set during Elizabethan times. Elizabeth I is on the throne, and the hero of this one is one of her courtiers, a nobleman, Lord Lytham. (For the record, he is fictional. Some of the other characters are not fictional--they were real people in her court.) Down on his luck--no thanks to his brother's gambling, he marries the daughter of a knight--the beautiful Marget. Her dowry will help him--he can buy back his family's estate, for starters. But these two have different expectations from their marriage.
He married for anything but love. He didn't want a beautiful wife, a passionate wife, someone he could love and adore. He wanted a plain, practical wife. Someone he could keep in the country, hidden away most of the year. Out of sight, out of mind. The fact that his betrothed is stunningly beautiful is a big drawback for him. But it was too late. The agreement, the settlement, had been reached and there was no turning back.
She wanted a husband she could love and respect. A companion, a friend, a lover. She wanted a real marriage.
Rich in details, this book is an intimate (but not in a graphic, inappropriate way) look at court life. What life was like--the pretenses, the expenses, the vanities, the absurdities, the jealousies. Marget will (within reason) do anything to help her husband's career. Even if it means pretending she doesn't love him. But will it be enough, can anything ever be enough, to please the Queen.
Though this one is published by a Christian publishing house, there is nothing preachy or didactic about it. (I know some people avoid "Christian fiction".) I would definitely recommend this one to anyone and everyone regardless. It's just a great historical book. Well-written. Compelling. Believable.
Goyer, Tricia and Mike Yorkey. 2009. The Swiss Courier. Revell. 324 pages.
He hoped his accent wouldn't give him away.
There was so much to love about this one. It's historical fiction. Set during World War II. 1944 to be exact. I've read many books set during this time period, but this one was unique--at least to me. It is set in Switzerland, for the most part, and stars heroes and heroines who are spies. They are men and women going undercover in Germany and risking their lives for the Allied Cause. Our heroine is the young and attractive Gabi Mueller. She's been given a secret mission--well, one big secret mission--she must help smuggle someone out of Germany. Will she succeed? Will her contribution make a difference to the war?
I think this one has much to offer readers. It's an enjoyable read that happens to be historical. If you love this time period, you should definitely seek it out.
Available October 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Happy Sunday everyone! I've been watching my skating--like always--and one thing that really stood out to me yesterday was the commentary. Figure skating commentary can be really harsh and not-so-nice. True, anyone can tell when a skater is really, really off. But sometimes the commentary gets a bit too much. A bit too Simon Cowell in places. It can definitely be subjective; and commentators can play favorites. Anyway, here is one of my favorites--not for the commentary--there is none--but for the skating itself.
What I read in a previous week, but reviewed this week:
What I read this past week and haven't reviewed yet:
Mary Barton. Elizabeth Gaskell. 487 pages. Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange. 2008. 295 pages. Brushing Mom's Hair by Andrea Cheng. 2009. Wordsong. 60 pages.
What I've read and really, really need to review:
Touched by a Vampire: Discovering the Hidden Messages in the Twilight Saga by Beth Felker Jones. 2009. Multnomah. 180 pages. Thirsty. Tracey Bateman. 2009. Waterbrook Press. 376 pages.
What I'm currently reading: Man and Wife. Wilkie Collins. Arabella by Georgette Heyer Searching for Pemberley by Mary Lydon Simonsen
What I'm just fooling around that I'm reading: The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner What I've abandoned:
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey (just for now; I'll be back to it later) Dracula by Bram Stoker (probably abandoned until next year) The Monk by Matthew Lewis (same here)
Chunkster Challenge Dana Now - November 15, 2009 Your Choice: Morbookly Obese
I committed to the Mor-book-ly Obese option. (A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or nonfiction) The challenge ends November 15, 2009.
For this level of challenge you must commit to 6 or more chunksters OR three tomes of 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.
I was in a bit of a rush this week at the library. So there aren't all that many reasons why some books got chosen over others. I will tell you that I went in specifically to get A Rose for the Crown. But the others were all random. So it was a bit of an odd week for me, I don't know if any of these will be 'for me' or not.
The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock
A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith
Old Filth by Jane Gardam The People On Privilege Hill
Margherita Dolce Vita by Stefano Benni
The School on Heart's Content Road by Carolyn Chute
By A Lady by Amanda Elyot
Leftover Loot:
Hollywood Buzz by Margit Liesche Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots by Carolly Erickson The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt
Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!
All this happened, more or less. The war parts, anyway, are pretty much true. (first sentence chapter one) Listen: Billy Pilgrim has become unstuck in time. (first sentence of chapter two)
How would I describe this one? Weird but in a mostly good way. It's an odd little novel--to be sure--what with Billy Pilgrim's voyaging in and out of time. The brief moments here and there that the reader gets glimpses of. Shuffled memories of a hard life. We spend a lot of time with Billy during the war--World War II for those that may not be familiar with this one. He was a prisoner of war. He was a survivor of the Dresden bombings. If the "time travel" doesn't weird you out, perhaps his kidnapping by aliens will. You'll learn a lot about Tralfamadore along the way. But it is an almost always compelling read, one that was hard to put down.
Here are a few of my favorite passages:
The time would not pass. Somebody was playing with the clocks, and not only with the electric clocks, but the wind-up kind, too. The second hand on my watch would twitch once, and a year would pass, and then it would twitch again. There was nothing I could do about it. As an Earthling, I had to believe whatever clocks said---and calendars. (19)
The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments, past, present, and future, always have existed, always will exist. The Tralfamadorians can look at all the different moments just the way we can look at a stretch of the Rocky Mountains, for instance. They can see how permanent all the moments are, and they can look at any moment that interests them. It is just an illusion we have here on Earth that one moment follows another one, like beads on a string, and that once a moment is gone it is gone forever. When a Tralfamadorian sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in bad condition in that particular moment, but that the same person is just fine in plenty of other moments. Now, when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is "So it goes." (25-26)
Because this one focuses a lot on war, we hear "so it goes" a lot. I don't know that this one is for everyone. But I enjoyed it. It was more fractured narrative than what I'm used to, yet I still found a compelling story.
Ackroyd, Peter. 2008. The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein. Doubleday. 353 pages.
I was born in the alpine region of Switzerland, my father owning much territory between Geneva and the village of Chamonix where my family resided.
This book is a reimagining of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Our narrator is Victor Frankenstein. It weaves small doses of fact into the fiction by having Victor become friends with Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and John William Polidori. Sounds interesting, right? Like it might have some potential.
This might be a good time to talk about expectations. I had high hopes for this one. I *really* wanted to like it. I wanted to connect with this one right from the start. I wanted it to be really smart and clever and fun. I wanted it to be engaging. Perhaps if I'd had lower expectations, I wouldn't have been so let down.
I can't say if it's fortunate or unfortunate, but the jacket flap is really something else. Containing phrases like: "tour de force" "world's most accomplished" "incomparable" "brilliantly reimagines" "penned in period-perfect voice" and "sure to become a classic of the twenty-first century." (I've long thought that the phrase "sure to become a classic" should be banned from all jacket flaps and blurbs.)
Did I like this one? Not really. Why didn't I like this one? Well, it disrespected Mary Shelley's original. I could live with it playing around with the original novel. (Elizabeth being his sister and not his love interest. There being different murder victims than in the original book.) I could even come to like the directions and twists this one took. The character development of this Victor Frankenstein. The big twist did make me think. It is still making me think. (I'm still trying to puzzle out if it really truly works as a whole. Knowing the ending, does all that come before still work. Or does it all fall apart?) So the fact that this one wasn't faithful to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein didn't bother me all that much. But it disrespected history itself. By having Victor Frankenstein interact with real people--with Percy and Mary Shelley, with Lord Byron, with others of the time period you add in a whole other level.
Yes, this book is fiction. It never claims otherwise. But what few facts find their way into the book get so compressed and distorted and out of order that it was just weird. At least weird to me. It is fiction. The author can do anything he wants. It's his choice, his right. Will this bother most readers? I don't know. Probably not. And I suppose that's the good news.
Plus, this one got disgusting. Unlike the original which tended to leave things to your imagination, this one got too detailed and disturbing. (I could choose a scene or two to describe, but I don't really want to go there. I'm not comfortable going there.)
Is it readable? Is it compelling? I read it in two days. Half the time I was hating it, but I still kept reading. This isn't a book I wanted to give up on in the middle, you know, just in case it got good and redeemed itself by an oh-so-amazing ending. How easy is it to read? Well, I'd say it was about as challenging as the original novel. Ackroyd did fairly good at imitating Victor Frankenstein's complex style. Is this one for you? Maybe. Maybe not.
Khan, Rukhsana. 2009. Wanting Mor. Groundwood Books. 190 pages.
I thought she was sleeping.
Jameela is a young Afghan girl with a world of sorrow. After losing her mother (the Mor in the title), her father decides to sell what he can, pack what he can, and head back to Kabul. He is her only family, and so while she doesn't want to leave the only home she's known, her place is with him. Even if she doesn't like her father's choices and the company he keeps.
Jameela treasures up every memory she has of her mother. Mor always told Jameela that "if you can't be beautiful, you should at least be good." And Jameela feels those words must be true. If she can just be good enough, work hard enough, the people around her should start to appreciate her, respect her, and maybe just maybe come to care for her. She knows she isn't beautiful. She was born with a cleft lip. But surely she is more than that. She is more than her imperfect face. Can anyone look beyond and see what strength, what devotion lies beneath?
This was an emotional read for me. Jameela was such a strong (yet vulnerable) heroine. I loved her resilience and respected her devotion to her faith. This book is set in 2001 in Afghanistan.
Owen, James A. 2009. The Shadow Dragons. (Book #4 in The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica.) Simon & Schuster. 417 pages.
"We are definitely lost," John said with decisive authority. "I haven't the faintest idea where we are."
The fourth in the series. (The first book: Here There Be Dragons; The second book: The Search for the Red Dragon; The third book: The Indigo King). How do you review a book that's fourth in a fantasy series? I want to just say read this book if you like fantasy and time travel and Arthurian legends. Or read this book if you like action and adventure. Or read this book if you like reading literature. Because there is nothing I can say that will do this one (or any of the others) justice.
Even though these are marketed as young adult, I think they are just as much for adults as anyone else. They're long, complex fantasy novels. Our three heroes aren't young teens on a quest. They are all older men. They get older with every book. (So far we've spanned from around World War I through World War II in these four books.) These books are rich in detail. The more fantasy you've read, the more you'll appreciate everything. That's not to say you have to be well-read to appreciate the action and adventure. I'm just trying to say that this one has enough to offer a variety of readers.
This fantasy stars three Inklings: C.S. Lewis (Jack), J.R.R. Tolkien (John), and Charles Williams. These three are caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica. And in this fourth book, we meet even more caretakers.
The book begins in the late 1930s. But there is so much time travel involved, that much of the action takes places in their future. (World War II.) We've got wars on both sides--in the Archipelago of Dreams and the real world. And of course, these wars are connected. To win the world war, these three caretakers (and friends) will need to battle the real enemy in the Archipelago, and that enemy is not a new enemy.
Choldenko, Gennifer. 2009. Al Capone Shines My Shoes. Penguin. 275 pages.
Nothing is the way it's supposed to be when you live on an island with a billion birds, a ton of bird crap, a few dozen rifles, machine guns, and automatics, and 278 of America's worst criminals--"the cream of the criminal crop" as one of our felons likes to say. The convicts on Alcatraz are rotten to the core, crazy in the head, and as slippery as eels in axle grease.
This is the sequel to Al Capone Does My Shirts. And I liked it. Moose Flanagan is still a compelling narrator. I *still* don't know what Moose sees in Piper. How he can possibly like her like her when a wonderful girl like Annie is around. But Moose is still a good guy, even if he doesn't have the best taste in girls. If you thought life would calm down after Natalie, Moose's autistic sister, got accepted into a special school, then think again. Life gets very, very messy in the sequel. An exciting messy though. And a scary messy now that I think about it.
This one is a unique historical fiction novel about family and friends, criminals and baseball. (This one is set in 1935.) I don't want to tell you *too* much about the book itself. Because some books are just like that. There is joy in discovering the book for yourself. But I can say that I enjoyed this one. I found it an exciting, compelling read. I didn't know quite what to expect. I didn't know if I would like it as much as I liked the first book. I wasn't sure--at the start--that the book "needed" a sequel. I'm still not convinced that the sequel had to happen. (I think the first one stands alone just fine.) But the sequel is good. It wasn't a disappointment. It was nice to revisit these characters. So I'm definitely glad I read it!
Hemingway, Edith M. 2009. Road to Tater Hill. Random House. 213 pages.
For months I had wished and wished the baby would be a girl, a little sister. Maybe I shouldn't have wished so hard. A boy might have lived.
The year is 1963. The summer of 1963. And Annie's got some growing up to do. Fortunately, she won't be all on her own. This will be a time of growth and healing for all.
This one had me at hello. From the very first paragraph, I was drawn into Annie's story. Annie is eleven and carrying a heavy burden of grief and worry. Her father is in the military--and he's overseas. Her mother just had her baby prematurely. Mary Kate. Her sister's name was Mary Kate. But she lived only a day. These two (mother and daughter) are staying with her grandparents. Will grief bring this family together or tear it apart?
Annie often goes off on her own. And on one of her trips, she finds a rock baby. A baby just the right size, right weight. She wraps it in the precious yellow blanket--the blanket she made for her new sister--and holds it. But that's not all she finds in her explorations. She also discovers an older woman living in a mess of a house--more of a shack than a proper house. A woman, Eliza McGee, with issues of her own. Alone, both seem a bit hopeless. As these two come together, healing begins. It's a great story of inter-generational friendship. A really great story.
If you're looking for a family-friendly, coming-of-age novel (that happens to be historical) then I really recommend this one. I loved so many things about it. I loved the fact that both Annie and Eliza love to read. That both draw power from words. From stories. I loved the use of poetry and literature in the book. (How absorbed Annie becomes in A Wrinkle in Time.)
Happy Sunday everyone! I've watched two movies this week: The Woman in White (1948) and You For Me (1952). And endless hours of figureskating. I love, love, love watching skating. I've done some reading--some for fun and some for Cybils.
I've been thinking about challenges for 2010. I've posted about a few of the challenges I'm hosting. (Celebrate the Author, Young Readers, A to Z, 18th and 19th Century Women Writers, etc.) But I've also been seeking out other challenges. I was happy to see the announcement for the TBR 2010 challenge. Though the TBR challenge has always been love/hate with me. I always get so very excited signing up for it. Creating a list. Knowing that it is a list with little wiggle room. 12 Books, 12 Alternates. That's it. But both years I've participated I've ended up fighting with myself. I put that on the list??? Why???What was I even thinking??? I look at my list four or five months later and it's like a stranger wrote it. So how can I prevent this happening again? I *really* do want to join in again.
What I read in a previous week, but reviewed this week:
Devil's Paintbox. Victoria McKernan. 2009. Random House. 360 pages. Willoughby's Return. Jane Odiwe. 2009. Sourcebooks. 352 pages. What I read this past week and reviewed:
What I read this past week and haven't reviewed yet:
Dessert First by Hallie Durand. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 154 pages. Road to Tater Hill. Edith M. Hemingway. 2009. Random House. 214 pages. Al Capone Shines My Shoes. Gennifer Choldenko. 2009. Penguin. 274 pages. The Shadow Dragons. James A. Owen. 2009. 417 pages. No Girls Allowed (Dogs Okay) by Trudi Trueit. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 118 pages. The Funeral Director's Son by Coleen Murtagh Paratore. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 135 pages. Dog Whisperer: The Rescue by Nicholas Edwards. 2009. SquareFish. 216 pages. What I've read and really, really need to review:
The Swiss Courier. Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey. 2009. Revell. 324 pages. Touched by a Vampire: Discovering the Hidden Messages in the Twilight Saga by Beth Felker Jones. 2009. Multnomah. 180 pages. Thirsty. Tracey Bateman. 2009. Waterbrook Press. 376 pages.
What I'm currently reading:
Mary Barton. Elizabeth Gaskell. 487 pages. Man and Wife. Wilkie Collins.
What I'm just fooling around that I'm reading:
The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey Dracula by Bram Stoker The Monk by Matthew Lewis
You probably have *no* idea how much I've missed the library these past few weeks. But I managed to get there today. And I had some great finds.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Note: This one was on the display rack *right* by the check-out. I'd been meaning to give Vonnegut a try, and so this one just jumped into the bag.
Hollywood Buzz by Margit Liesche
Note: Why is it it's not until I get home that I realize this one is the second in the series. Oh well. I picked it up because the cover caught my eye. In a let's-read-the-back-cover way. And when I saw the word WASP (as in pilot), I knew I needed to give it a chance. I suppose I'll give this one a brief try. But I don't know if I can read it knowing that there's a first book out there.
A Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell
Note: A Christian book (published by Bethany House) set during Elizabeth England. It's not a surprise this one begged to go home with me.
Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange
Note: This isn't the first time this one has come home with me. But it *might* be the last time. I was so disappointed with the last Sense-and-Sensibility inspired book I read, I'm hoping this one will prove better. I see that there is also an Edmund Bertram's Diary. And a Mr. Darcy's Diary. And a Captain Wentworth's Diary. But unfortunately, my library doesn't have any of those. Bother, bother. (Though they do have Mr. Knightley's Diary. I'll have to keep that one in mind.)
The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd
I was pleasantly surprised to find this one on the shelf. It made my day really! I just hope it's better than A Monster's Notes. If it is, then maybe I'll recommend it to my bloggingfriends that were so disappointed/frustrated with Laurie Sheck's Frankenstein-inspired novel.
The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots by Carolly Erickson
Note: I don't think I've read anything about Mary Queen of Scots (fiction or nonfiction).
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt
Note: I remember reading Nymeth's review of this earlier in the year and wanting to read it. But this is the first time I've seen it at the library. So I *knew* despite its length (675 pages) it had to come home with me today.
Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!
Sheinmel, Courtney. 2009. Positively. Simon & Schuster. 216 pages.
When my mother died I imagined God was thinking, "One down, and one to go."
Our heroine, Emerson Price has known she was HIV positive since she was four. (She's now 13.) But when her mother dies, Emmy's world begins to collapse. (Her mother had AIDS.) She's sent to live with her father and stepmother. (There's a little one on the way too.) And Emmy begins to question everything.
Why is she taking her medications if she's just going to die anyway? (Why didn't the meds work for her mother???) Why bother if she's never going to have a normal life? If she's never going to have the opportunity of growing up, falling in love, being with someone, and starting her own family? Can one girl find the will to live her life to the fullest? Can Emmy work past the anger and bitterness and realize that there are plenty of reasons to live, to love living?
After several desperate cries for help (not that Emmy would say they were desperate cries for help), her parents (father and stepmother) decide to send her to Camp Positive. A six-week camp for children with HIV. Can the camp experience change Emmy's life? Can this broken family be healed? Is there hope for Emmy yet?
Positively is a heartbreaking (in some ways raw) novel about grief and brokenness. It's a redemptive novel about finding hope, family, and friendship in unexpected places. This one is a compelling book, one that I couldn't put down.
Oh god. This does sound heartbreaking. I almost didn't read the review because middle grade books aren't generally my sort of thing, but I don't think I'll be able to stay away from this one.
Owen, James A. The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica: The Indigo King. Simon & Schuster. 375 pages.
Hurrying along one of the tree-lined paths at Magdalen College in Oxford, John glanced up at the cloud-clotted sky and decided that he rather liked the English weather. Constant clouds made for soft light; soft light that cast no shadows. And John liked to avoid shadows as much as possible.
The third in the series. (The first book: Here There Be Dragons; The second book: The Search for the Red Dragon). This fantasy stars three Inklings: C.S. Lewis (Jack), J.R.R. Tolkien (John), and Charles Williams. (Though the Charles in this novel isn't the Charles we really know. But that is a long story!) It is also sprinkled with other writers (aka Caretakers) including H.G. Wells (Bert), and Jules Verne. New caretakers are being discovered in each book and it is fun to see which writers are the good guys and which ones aren't.
It's been fourteen years since these three Oxfordians became Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica. And these years have been sprinkled with adventure here and there. (Which of course you're encouraged to read about in the first two books.) In case you don't remember, an accident in the second book (I believe it was the second book anyway) caused troubles with time, with the time line. And those troubles erupt in this third novel. Jack and John (and friends) are traveling here, there, everywhere in time trying to solve problems and prevent catastrophic changes in the timeline. If they don't succeed, the world as we know it may never exist. It can be a bit complex. But it's a good and satisfying kind of complex, in my opinion. We have Jack and John meeting some very interesting characters (both human and animal) along the way. And there are a few fun twists. And new characters. Including Hugo Dyson.
This one does play around with the theme of King Arthur, Merlin, Mordred, The Green Knight, and The Holy Grail. So if you're in the Arthurian challenge, you can count this one.
McKernan, Victoria. 2009. The Devil's Paintbox. Random House. 360 pages.
Aiden Lynch slid down the steep creek bank, dirt crumbling beneath his bare feet and dust rising in a cloud behind him.
This is a difficult read. Emotionally that is. Especially if you are allergic to westerns. Aiden and his younger sister, Maddy, are starving to death. As in eating dirt and splitting up small bugs between them starving. If no one intervenes, it's only a matter of time until they both die. Their parents have died. And their neighbors have all scattered. Some have died. Some have moved away. But regardless, these two are isolated from the world. (The setting is Kansas in 1865.)
These two are given a second chance when Jefferson J. Jackson stumbles upon them. If Aiden agrees to work two years in a lumber camp (one year for himself, one year for his sister) then Jackson will let them join his wagon on a wagon train west. But the Oregon Trail holds so many dangers--some expected, some not so much--and their survival is never a guarantee. Every day almost seems to be a life-and-death matter.
The heart of this one turns out (in a way) to be about small pox and the oh-so-controversial vaccinations for small pox. Who deserves the chance to be vaccinated? Who doesn't? Should everyone be vaccinated? Should race and class matter? How much prejudice is involved?
This is a novel that makes you think. About the war. About the effects of the war. About prejudice. About what is right and wrong. About friendships. About life and death too.
Marianne Brandon was bursting with news to tell her sister and was so excited at the report that her husband had divulged at breakfast before leaving for Lyme that morning, that she did not consider there to be time enough to don her bonnet.
This Austen-sequel focuses on Marianne and Margaret. These two sisters star in Willoughby's Return by Jane Odiwe. Marianne is somewhat happily married to Colonel Brandon--the two have a child together after all. And Margaret, as the youngest, is just coming into her own. (Elinor stumbles her way into a few scenes, but by far the book focuses on the more passionate sisters.)
I'm not convinced that Willoughby's Return is the best title for this one. Because I'm not sure that is where the focus is. On the one hand, this one tends to be Margaret's coming-of-age. Her first taste of love and passion. (But by passion, I don't mean anything inappropriate.) On the other hand, there's enough of Marianne's discontent to keep it from being the story of one sister.
What should you expect from this one? It's essentially a remix of Sense and Sensibility. Margaret is a mini-Marianne. And Margaret's love interest, Henry Lawrence, is a mini-Willoughby. The passion and desire is there. These two are drawn together in an almost fated way. Until Margaret goes to London (with her sister Marianne and Colonel Brandon) and discovers that Henry is courting someone else. Someone his mother approves of. Their engagement--Henry and this other woman's--seems to be a matter of fact. Something that will be announced any day now. Henry acts like Margaret is nothing, a nobody. And she's crushed, of course, much like Marianne was crushed not so long ago.
Will Margaret win her love? Can Henry's friend, John Willoughby, talk some sense into him? Can Henry and Margaret have the chance that Marianne and Willoughby never had? Can Willoughby's big mistake teach Henry to not take love for granted?
If this one has a flaw, it would be that I never really felt a connection with Colonel Brandon. He's a stiff, cardboard character. So flatly and uninspiredly drawn (in my opinion) that it's hard to imagine why Marianne should be happily married to him. This is something that saddens me. Because I think he was such a good person in the original. Someone that I actually liked. Marianne and the Colonel are having some communication problems. She doesn't feel that he loves her as much as he should or as much as he might. She feels that he doesn't value her, doesn't place her and her child first in his life. She's insecure in her relationship, shallow and a bit jealous. Is this understandable? Is his concern for his ward and her child reasonable? Are his constant visits necessary? His drop-everything-and-attend-to-them attitude right? Should his wife and child be more important than his ward and her child? He's presented as always placing them before Marianne. Wouldn't that be difficult?
Since Marianne refuses to meet Eliza and her child, she automatically assumes the worst each and every time. In her mind, Colonel Brandon *must* be in love with Eliza. Eliza is the rival. She has to be. She just has to be. Marianne can't imagine a different scenario. So she works herself up into a fury every time Colonel Brandon leaves. So it's quite easy for Marianne to be tempted away by Willoughby for a few private conversations and kisses.
Did I like this one? A little. I almost wish it had been exclusively about Margaret though. I do recommend it for fans of Sense and Sensibility though.
Becky: I'd be interested to know if you saw similarities between Henry Lawrence and Frank Churchill's character in Emma by Jane Austen. I'll be reviewing this later in the week.
Laura, I haven't read as many for S&S as I have for P&P. Though I think there is a book about Colonel Brandon. And then there's the Sea Monster one too. (But I haven't read those...at least not yet.)
Serena, now that you mention it I can see some Frank Churchill in Henry Lawrence. Some. But unlike Churchill, I did get the sense that he loved Margaret. But there were some similarities.
What I read this past week and haven't reviewed yet:
Devil's Paintbox. Victoria McKernan. 2009. Random House. 360 pages. Willoughby's Return. Jane Odiwe. 2009. Sourcebooks. 352 pages. The Swiss Courier. Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey. 2009. Revell. 324 pages. Touched by a Vampire: Discovering the Hidden Messages in the Twilight Saga by Beth Felker Jones. 2009. Multnomah. 180 pages. Thirsty. Tracey Bateman. 2009. Waterbrook Press. 376 pages. What I've read and really, really need to review:
What I'm currently reading:
The Indigo King (The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica). James A. Owen. Simon & Schuster. 2008. 375 pages. Positively. Courtney Sheinmel. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 216 pages. Mary Barton. Elizabeth Gaskell. 487 pages.
What I'm just fooling around that I'm reading:
The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey Dracula by Bram Stoker The Monk by Matthew Lewis
wow.. you and kelly always blow my mind with all you read!! I tried Monster Notes and just couldn't get into it .. hard to believe RIP is over for another year..! Makes me wonder what jewels I will find next year!
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Gaskell, Elizabeth. 1848. Mary Barton. Penguin English Library. 488 pages.
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