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Reader Gut Reaction: This is the first Brenna Yovanoff book I've read. I meant to read The Replacement, but hadn't yet. And then this one caught my eye on the library shelves: a murder mystery, an unexpected love story…and a ghost or three. I've... Read the rest of this post
The sisters Stephenson live in their humble vicarage with their father, brother and Stepmama. Eldest Elissa is soon to be foisted off to old Sir Neville in the name of bringing some much needed money to the family. Elissa is long suffering and realizes that this is to be her duty and her fate.
Middle sister Angeline and youngest Kat don't understand why Elissa has to be so good about everything...always doing her duty, never getting into trouble. Kat constantly finds herself in trouble, as manners and ladylike things are not her forte. Angeline herself has gotten into a bit of trouble as she has been using her Mama's magic book (strictly forbidden) and has managed to cast a love spell on the unsuspecting Frederick Carlyle.
Mama had been a witch, and it was clearly her downfall. One of the first things that their stepmama did when she joined the family was to lock away all of the girls' mother's things in a cabinet. Kat, being the youngest, is insatiably curious about her Mama as she was so young when she passed. One evening Kat dares to steal the key to unlock the cabinet so that she can know something of her Mama as her sisters do. If she ever had any questions about her mother's magical abilities they are answered in the darkness.
Before Kat can fully address her realizations and questions about her own magical abilities, she is rounded up with her sisters by her Stepmama to attend a week long house party at Grantham Abbey where Elissa is to meet Sir Neville. Upon meeting the older gentleman, Kat is overcome with a feeling of darkness. There is simply no way she can allow her sister to marry this man. Especially when it is so clear to anyone around her that she actually has feelings for Sir Neville's brother, Mr. Collingwood.
What follows is a wonderful adventure filled with magical orders, intrigue, murder, highwaymen and family loyalty and betrayal. Kat herself is a fierce and feminist character who relies on herself and takes all kinds of risks rather than succumbing to helplessness. The pacing is perfect and the cast of characters compliment each other completely. There is non-stop action and just the right amount of romance. Kat is someone readers will want to get to know further as they cheer her on. Readers of
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, and
The Mysterious Benedict Society will likely adore this one as well.
While cartoonist Raina Telgemeier has been revealing a few details of her next graphic novel on her tour for Drama, Publishers Weekly made it official: her next book will be a companion of sorts to the autobiographical Smile. Called Sisters it deals with “the inner workings of [Telgemeier’s] family,” specifically, her relationship with her young sister, which as you can see from the above artwork posted on her blog, wasn't always smooth sailing.
When I studied the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez in grad school, I heard the word "magical realism" overwhelmingly. We talked a lot about the concept as defined by his work, and by the work of Latin American writers. We also talked about how... Read the rest of this post
By:
Claudette Young,
on 2/26/2012
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Claudsy's Blog
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Crinkled brows, eyes shifting from side to side, estimating, evaluating; finally a bark of laughter erupts and a lead card is thrown onto the table.
“We have you now,” shrieks a female voice.
“Maybe,” replies a male opponent as a second card meets the first.
A third card, higher ranked, joins the small pile, and a fourth. The trick is taken by the opponent.
“Always expect a holdout,” the man’s voice advises.
Roars of laughter fill the kitchen with raucous sound. Another Saturday night has convened at the kitchen table for the weekly Euchre game between Mom and Dad and Mom’s sister and brother-in-law.
The aroma of strong coffee and one of Mom’s baked wonders tantalizes nostrils and stomachs of those present. It’s always the same group; couple vs. couple or men vs. women. The game might change from Euchre to rummy or to Pitch, but the night would leave everyone relaxed and satisfied.
Mom’s sister had a great deal to do with that feeling of hilarity. She loved playing the fool during card nights and did it very well. Some nights she was more boisterous than on others, but she seldom turned serious when games were in play.
My younger brother and his counterpart cousin generally watched TV during card night and then settled down to sleep. My older cousin and I watched the game in the kitchen as interested by-standers. We didn’t play. If Euchre was being played, we definitely were not allowed to play. In our part of the country, that game was a gambling game, even when not played for stakes. No children need apply.
None would ever consider the two women as not being family. My mom resembled my aunt in coloring and hair style. Their builds were nearly identical. Both were natural artists and could turn almost anything into a piece of art.
My mother worked in paint and clay or metal and findings from the forest. Her sister worked in paint and fabric, for the most part. Both loved antiques, but my aunt could have been a dealer. The knowledge she had was gleaned from years of scouring antique shops, auctions, and estate sales.
Most of all, both women loved the outdoors and nature. They’d grown up in the country. Their mother had taught them a deep love and respect for what grew wild or by design. They each enjoyed growing food for their tables as much as gathering from the wild.
With all of these commonalities, they managed to remain individuals who stood apart from each other.
Auntie was more playful than Mom. Mom had better rapport with children and animals. Auntie desired a house full of antiques and a spotless home. Mom liked things tidy, but she preferred a sense of home and comfort to fill rooms meant for living.
Aunt and Uncle often took Grandma and my cousins on trips away for a weekend to see other relatives. Mom didn’t bother. Her sister took great pleasure in that part of mother-daughter time; leaving Mom to do the Sunday home visits for family time.
Sisters, friends, companions, champions, confidantes; each filled those roles for the other. They talked in person or on the phone every day, without fail. Close didn’t begin to d
Oh Lydia and Julie, I just can't quit you!
Lydia is back home, and ready to get back of the swing of things in 6th grade in the States. Lydia comes with a plan of course, laid out in list fashion, but after her first day back, she and Julie decide to try to implement a new plan. Lydia shares the things that worked for her while she was in London...which includes trying to befriend some kids who don't have lots of other friends and forgetting about the popular crowd.
To help them focus their efforts on more important things, the girls put together a "trunk" (re bucket) list. Letting popularity go, what could be on the list? Things like starring in the school play, staying up all night, and being friends with Chuck again. As usual, while Lydia and Julie have their hearts in the right place, their plans go awry.
What I love about this series is that the girls are growing. Amy Ignatow doesn't simply employ a formula time and time again, the characters grow and learn from the experiences they have had in the past. It's actually heartwarming to witness!
Fans who have enjoyed the first and second installments will eat this one up, but I can see new fans jumping on-board as Julie and Lydia grow-up bit by bit.
Fun!
4 stars Karla’s beloved quilt, named Mooshka, is unlike any other quilt, and not only because the material and design are unique. Mooshka has the ability to talk and tells Karla stories on the nights Karla cannot sleep. All Karla needs to do is place a hand on a patch, or schnitz, and the quilt [...]
By:
nicole,
on 3/1/2012
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the enchanted easel
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this week's "project"....a duo of really cute sisters (and their beloved counterparts)!
click on the link below to see the other piece i just did for their adorable little ballerina sister...
Many of the books I read are new - we have contacts with publishers who want us to talk up things that are recent releases. Those are fine. But, we also have our trusty library cards, and I for one love to talk about earlier releases which catch my... Read the rest of this post
I have a twin.Well, not really, but you may as well call her that. She's my sister, born six years after me. But we may was well be twins.
We look alike. We think alike. We even sound alike sometimes. It's kind of creepy how much alike we really are. People are always getting us confused. I don't see how they can confuse us, but they do. I mean, if we really wanted to, we could play some serious tricks on people (insert evil laugh). But we wouldn't do that. Hehe.
This is our relationship in phases:
- Mother/child: When she was a baby, I treated her like she was mine; helped take care of her.
- Big sis/Little sis: As we got older (when I became a teen), she was like a typical little sister, always following me around, wanting to be and do whatever I was and did. She was my mini-me.
- Besties: As adults, we grew even closer and she became my best friend. This is where we're at now.
I'm blessed to have a good relationship with my sister...with my whole family, actually. I have a tight, close-knit family and I am so thankful for that. Not everyone is close to their fam. And not every woman has a sister they can call their best friend. So yeah. I'm blessed.
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By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 8/31/2012
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ISBN 10/13: 1599559064 | 9781599559063
Keywords: Fairy Tale Retelling, Family, Sisters
Category: Young Adult/Middle Grade
Format: ebook, Hardcover
Source: Netgalley
Kimberly's review:I love retellings of my favorite fairy tales, so I've been wanting to read
Cinder and Ella for a while. Cinder and Ella are so close and dependent on each other, that their own family can't tell them apart. When Cinder begins working in the castle, Ella becomes unrecognizable to her family without her other half. Heartbroken, Ella wanders away, searching for a new home and people who will appreciate her. But the castle has dark forces at work and the sisters become the unfortunate target of the handsome, but not so nice prince.
I really like Ella. She's clever, smart and thoughtful. Even in dangerous situations, the girl is a fighter, and I love how strong she is. On the other hand, Cinder is wholesome, good and trusting. Which, honestly, annoyed me to no end. I know, I know. Maybe I'm just cynical. But Cinder is so sweet and pure, she can't even see the evil Prince is, well, evil. I mean really, Cinder? This is me virtually slapping some sense into you.
There.
The writing is sweet, and the style is light and I breezed through this book. I kept wanting to know what happened. The story read like a fairy tale. It is so easy to get swept up in the adventure. Coming in below 300 pages, this super sweet and short tale is perfect for a light read. I especially love the mythology about the trees and how each person has a tree, and it's tied to them. When Cinder and Ella's father runs away, they have a feeling he is still alive because his tree is still alive. Looking worse every year, but alive. And this gives them hope.
But why only three stars you ask? I have a couple of problems with the plot and conclusion of the book. While the ending is tied up rather nicely, Cinder and Ella's family is so selfish and mean, the ending doesn't bring any closure for me. Also, and I won't give it away, the motivations behind some of the characters, especially in the royal family, feel hollow and flimsy.
Overall, Cinder and Ella is a fast, clever retelling of the classic Cinderella story. I think a lot of readers will enjoy Ella and Cinder's adventures.
*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.
Find the author online at
www.authormelissalemon.com and on
Facebook.
You can find more reviews by Kimberly at
www.thewindypages.com and tweet her @
TheWindyPages.
It's been years since I reviewed The Fairy Tale Detectives, the first book in The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley.
I've recently had the opportunity to review the audio book version of the ninth and final book in the series. It's been a good run.
Below is my review as it appeared it in the August 2012, edition of
School Library Journal.The Council of Mirrors: The Sisters Grimm, Book 9. By Michael Buckley. 6 cassettes or 6 CDs. 6:50 hrs. Recorded Books. 2012. cassette: ISBN 978-1-4640-3363-6, CD: ISBN 978-1-4640-3362-9. $66.75.
Gr 4-6--In the final book (Amulet Books, 2012) in Michael Buckley's series, the fate of Ferryport Landing, the Everafters, and the Grimm family are at stake as the Grimms join with former foes and gather a ragtag army of Everafters to face the nefarious Scarlet Hand led by Mirror, the evil looking glass who has taken human form and forcibly occupied the body of the Grimm Sisters' Granny Relda. The Hand, a group of malevolent fairy tale characters, including Prince Charming's brother Atticus, Mayor Heart, and Sheriff Nottingham, is intent on wreaking havoc and gaining freedom from the magical boundary that keeps Everafters imprisoned in Ferryport Landing. Magic mirrors loyal to the Grimms reveal in a prophecy that it is young Sabrina and Daphne Grimm who are destined to save the world from the rogue characters. Despite their friends' lack of confidence, Daphne and Sabrina lead Charming, Puck, Beauty, and the rest of the group into battle. The secret to winning the war will likely be a surprise. Like the finale of Harry Potter, Michael Buckley ends this popular series with a hint of romance and a peek at the future--a glimpse of the much older Daphne and Sabrina Grimm. L. J. Ganser, has been the voice of all nine books. What he lacks in adolescent feminine vocal range, he makes up for with superb diction and the ability to make clear distinctions between the dozens of characters. Overall, a satisfying listen.
Copyright © 2012 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
Listen to a sample:
By: shelf-employed,
on 6/13/2011
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Lin, Grace. 2011.
Dumpling Days. New York: Little Brown.
(Advance Reader Copy supplied by publisher - artwork not final)
(a booktalk)
In
Dumpling Days, Pacy Lin, her parents and two sisters (one older, one younger) are going to Taiwan for Pacy's grandmother's 60th birthday - for 28 days! Twenty-eight days?! What is Pacy supposed to do for 28 days without her friends in a country where she may
look like everyone else, but inside, she's definitely not. At least there will be dumplings!
Pacy Lin is Grace Lin's semi-autobiographical character from her previous books,
The Year of the Dog and the
Year of the Rat. In
Dumpling Days, Grace Lin has made a departure from her earlier books. Breaking out of "
The Year of the" formula, with its limited page numbers,
Dumpling Days is a longer book (approximately 265 pages), that offers Lin a chance to explore many facets of Chinese art, food, and culture, as well as offer deeper glimpses into the lives of Pacy's sisters, Lissy and Ki-Ki, and even their parents,
Mom and Dad had told us about how they had moved to the United States, but I hadn't thought about their not understanding TV commercials, not being able to order food, being ignored because you didn't speak the language - all the things I found hard here in Taiwan. Maybe when Mom ad Dad were first in America, everything was just as strange and confusing to them as Taiwan was to me now. It was surprising to think about.
A beautifully concise thought channeled through the voice of a young girl, easily undertood and profoundly important. In addition to offering cultural perspective, through the family's travels and activities, the reader learns much about the Chinese/Taiwanese culture.
Read more »
By: Mark Miller,
on 6/28/2011
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Giovanni Gelati of Gelati's Scoop says "The Lost Queen...is fun, innovative and flat out well written."
Read the full review on GELATI'S SCOOP.
Or buy the BOOK HERE and judge for yourself. You won't be disappointed!
By: Read Now Sleep Later,
on 7/10/2011
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Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Bauman
ISBN 10/13: 0385737351 | 9780385737357
Category: Young Adult Realistic Fiction
Format: Hardcover (also available in eBook and Kindle formats)
Keywords: Children of alcoholics, sisters, recovery, romance
Kimberly's review:
Realistic YA fiction just got another stellar book on its list with
Rosie and Skate. Rosie and Skate's alcoholic dad is in prison again and things are tough. Rosie's holding out hope for Dad to get better. Skate is trying to deal with her boyfriend going to Rutgers and starting a long distance relationship. Skate lives with her boyfriend's mom and Rosie is in their worn home, being looked after by her cousin. As life moves on, the girls' grow up.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. If I had seen it at a bookstore, I may not have picked it up. (So special thanks to Alethea, book guru, who recommended it to me!) But I'm here to tell you that the front flap blurb doesn't do the book justice.
Short, sweet and well written, each girl's journey is sometimes difficult to experience, but I did--and that's good writing. There were moments when I was cringing, or I felt like my heart was breaking, or I would keep shifting on my couch to find a better position only to realize it wasn't my beat up couch making me squirm. It was the dialogue, the feeling, the love in this book.
This novel may be not suitable for younger readers, as there are references to sex and drugs; but all of these taboo topics are dealt with in a delicate and tasteful way. The characters are full and complicated. Bauman doesn't shy away from uneasy themes. Hope, love, disappointment--it's all there in a bittersweet story that made me wish there was more.
You can find Alethea's review
here.
By: Mark Miller,
on 7/31/2011
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Sat down to the computer this afternoon after a great book signing at Heroes' Landing comic book shop and had a couple nice surprises.
First, check out a new interview with me and a....werewolf? That's right, Harriet Von Lupin (one of John Rose's Monster Grrls
) had the hard hitting questions.
You can read the entertaining Q&A over at the Tales from the Monster Shop blog.
Then to follow that, Valentina (reviewer for You Gotta Read and Midwest Book Review, among others) posted her review of The Fourth Queen
on her blog, Carabosse's Library.
She says, "It's one of those stories that is hard to put down..."
Read her full review at Carabosse's Library.
Get your copy of The Fourth Queen on MillerWords.com, ComfortPublishing.com, Amazon.com or your favorite bookseller.
Dear FCC: I got a copy of this book from my library. Margo Lanagan has written several volumes of short stories, including Red Spikes (reviewed here); Tender Morsels, however, is a novel—an imaginative, dark retelling of the Grimm fairy tale Snow... Read the rest of this post
One summer, I read
Little Women 20 times. Summers were longer back then and responsibilities, fewer.
THIS summer, I read
Little Women and Me by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. Once.
Fourteen-year-old Emily March has to write an essay naming three things about a book she really enjoyed and one thing that she would change. She picks
Little Women. She is sucked into the book and becomes the FIFTH March sister, the one in the middle. And there she stays throughout the entire book of
Little Women.Emily learns a lot about herself, relationships and family while stuck in Marchville.
Baratz-Logsted uses a couple of clever devices to get Emily from one end of
Little Women to the other. For one thing, if it didn't happen in the book, it doesn't happen to Emily. So, Emily is forever trying to remember what
did happen in the book to understand who new characters are or what she is supposed to know. Emily remembers the big events and tries hard to prevent catastrophes. But Baratz-Logsted finds ways for things to occur the way they did in the book - or close to it - no matter what Emily does.
Fans of the original
Little Women will enjoy
Little Women and Me. The ending will cause some discussions. And anyone who is a middle sister, or who has sisters, or wishes they had sisters will relate to Emily and her March sisters - both the 19th century and the 21st century clans.
The Jack Gantos giveaway has a few more days. It ends on August 31st at 11 :59 pm. Leave a comment to enter.
The cover of Imaginary Girls immediately caught my eye. It's gorgeous: A girl in a sheer white nightgown floats just below a rippled watery surface, suspended in bright aqua blue nothingness. Her face obscured, her skin is a ghostly... Read the rest of this post
It's Wicked Cool Wednesday already. This book is "overlooked" in that it was released in 2009 - and its sequel released in October of 2010, so I'm way behind the curve. Happily, it's sometimes more fun to catch up this way -- no pauses in between... Read the rest of this post
Me and the zombies don't get along. These books have traumatized me for what seems to be forever - people die in some of the grossest ways in this series. However, this book is my favorite out of the whole series... which I am so glad is over...... Read the rest of this post
Once there were two sisters who were separated from their father. They lost their innocence, but were left with their anger...PSA: This book is about sisters. It is about sisterhood. It is about loving, and hating. It is about innocence, and its... Read the rest of this post
I am always intrigued by how tricky it must be for male authors to write a novel with a female protagonist in YA circles. We're pretty female-saturated in the field, both in terms of writers and readers. As writers, we're hard on women who write... Read the rest of this post
Reader Gut Reaction: Long, long ago... This novel has so much of the feel of a fairytale that I was pleasantly shocked. It's rare that you get a new fairytale. Retellings are a dime-a-dozen practically, but it takes skill to put together something... Read the rest of this post
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By: aquafortis,
on 3/25/2013
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/20/2013
By: Rae,
on 4/15/2012
By: bookkm,
on 8/23/2011
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By: Leslie Ann Clark,
on 10/15/2011
I'll try this, because I am a fan of Anya's Ghost and Friends With Boys. Thanks for the recommendation.
This one's not a graphic novel, but it does have a similar setup to those, with the ghost, and the idea of your own past haunting you. Let me know what you think when you read it!