Maus I and Maus II

by Art Spiegelman
age: adult
First sentence, Maus I: "I went to see my father in Rego Park."
First sentence, Maus II: "Summer vacation."

These are two books, but like Persepolis, they're essentially one story, so they get lumped into one review.

One review in which I'm not sure what the heck to say about the book. I'm always at a loss for words when it comes to the Holocaust; it's so depressing -- humanity at its worst -- that I almost would rather not go there. However, these graphic novels -- stark and depressing, yet somehow ultimately hopeful -- are worth reading.

I'm not sure if this is a story that couldn't have been told in a different form, but for what it's worth, it works as a graphic novel. It's spare, but then, I'm not sure the story of a survivor of Auschwitz could (or should) be anything but spare. Even though Spiegleman didn't go into detail about the situation, or the harshness, it was all there in its stark, depressing reality.

I was fascinated by the relationship between Spiegelman and his father -- how did the Holocaust fit into it? Did the Holocaust make his dad into the grumpy, miserly, bitter, racist person? He fits squarely into the Jewish stereotype, and yet I could sense that Spiegelman was trying to understand his father, understand why their relationship was so strained. I'm not sure any of us got any answers -- Spiegelman or the rreader -- but I appreciated not having it spelled out or sugarcoated in any way. Something like this shouldn't be.

I'm sorry I don't have more coherent thoughts about this one. I think it's an experience -- kind of like the Holocaust Museum is an experience -- that's beyond words. There are horrors out there, and sometimes it's good to face them. Even if its in a book.

January Jacket Flap-a-thon

I decided I did like doing the jacket flap-a-thon after all. :) Though I think it needs a bit of tweaking. I'll only post my top few (one per reading "category", perhaps?), and no worst ones, unless there's one that's truly horrible.

I think that's about all the tweaking I'll do, though... On we go. This month's three:

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (Hyperion):
"Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:
Debate Club.
Her father's "bunny rabbit."
A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:
A knockout figure.
A sharp tongue.
A chip on her shoulder.
And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Landau-Banks.
No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer.
Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society.
Not when her ex-boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places.
Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them.
When she knows Matthew's lying to her.
And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16:
Possibly a criminal mastermind.

This is the story of how she got that way."

Totally, totally draws the reader in. How could you NOT want to read the book after reading the jacket flap?

Skulduggery Pleasant (Harper Trophy): "Meet Skulduggery Pleasant: Ace detective, snappy dresser, razor-tongued wit, crackerjack sorcerer and walking, talking, fire-throwing skeleton. As well as ally, protector and mentor of Stephanie Edgely, a very unusual and darkly talented twelve-year-old. These two alone must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil. The end of the world? Over his dead body."

Short, too the point, and very, very clever.

A Year in the World (Broadway Books): "A Year in the World is vintage Frances Mayes — a celebration of the allure of travel, of serendipitous pleasures found in unlikely locales, of memory woven into the present, and of a joyous sense of quest. An ideal travel companion, Frances Mayes brings to the page the curiosity of an intrepid explorer, remarkable insights into the wonder of the everyday, and a compelling narrative style that entertains as it informs. With her beloved Tuscany as a home base, Mayes travels to Spain, Portugal, France, the British Isles, and to the Mediterranean world of Turkey, Greece, the South of Italy, and North Africa. In Andalucía, she relishes the intersection of cultures. She cooks in Portugal, gathers ideas in the gardens of England and Scotland, takes a literary pilgrimage to Burgundy, discovers an ideal place to live in Mantova, and explores the essential Moroccan city of Fez. She rents houses among ordinary residents, shops at neighborhood markets, wanders the back streets, and everywhere contemplates the concept of home. While in Greece, she follows the classic Homeric voyage across the Aegean, lives in a bougainvillea-draped stone house in Crete, and then drives deep into the Mani. In Turkey with friends, she sails the ancient coast, hiking to archaeological sites and snorkeling over sunken Byzantine towns. Weaving together personal perceptions and informed commentary on art, architecture, history, landscape, and social and culinary traditions of each area, Mayes brings the immediacy of life in her temporary homes to the reader. An illuminating and passionate book that will be savored by all who loved Under the Tuscan Sun, A Year in the World is travel writing at its peak."

This one is so detailed that you almost don't have to read the book. Still, it does give you a taste of what to expect.

Other books read this month:
Aunt Nancy and the Bothersome Visitors (Candlewick Press)
Chalice (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
Paper Towns (Dutton)
The Hunger Games (Scholastic Press)
The Musician's Daughter (Bloomsbury)
Two Girls of Gettysburg (Bloomsbury)
Wild Magic (Walker Books)
Breathing Out the Ghost (River City Publishing)
Babymouse: Rockstar, Babymouse: Monster Mash (Random House Books For Young Readers)
The Leanin' Dog (Joanna Colter Books)
Saffy's Angel(Margaret K. McElderry Books)
Captain Alatriste (Plume Books)
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Candlewick Press)
The Rule of Won (Walker Books)
The Underneath (Atheneum Books)
The Geography of Bliss (Twelve)
Chains (Simon and Schuster)

Chains

by Laurie Halse Anderson
ages: 10+
First sentence: "The best time to talk to ghosts is just before the sun comes up."

Isabel is a slave. But this is not a plantation in the Civil War South; it is 1776, and New York is bristling with the news of an impending British invasion. Isabel and her younger sister Ruth's former master died, and instead of being set free, like they thought they were, they are sold to a couple of Tories: Mr. and Madame Lockton, and taken to New York, where they are caught in the middle of the revolution. It's just a matter of time, and circumstances, before Isabel decides which side she will be on. And what price that will cost her.

First: this book is beautiful. I'm not usually a tactile reader, but in this instance, I kept looking at the more-than--perfect cover, stroking the pages, and loving the font. Especially the blurb on the back cover. I could tell much care was taken with the design of the book. And I, for one, appreciated it.

Moving on...

In the interview at the back of the book, Anderson says that the whole slave issue cannot be broken down into "good guys" and "bad guys". Which is an understatement. There are sympathetic characters on both sides of the revolution -- while the politics of the revolution play a role in this book, it is not an indicator of character. (Nor should it ever be.) Chains is thoroughly complex and unflinching, presenting the issues at hand -- freedom, slavery, revolution -- with honesty. Anderson doesn't write down to the reader; the book is quite brutal at times. That's not to say the book is harsh. Rather, interspersed with all the brutality are moments of absolute poignancy. The book just about ripped my heart in two at parts. Isabel as a character is not just compelling, she's strong and captivating, and honest. I felt for her, I adored her, I cheered for her.

In short, it's historical fiction at its finest. But then, it's Laurie Halse Anderson.

(And yes, I do need to read her other books. I know that. Which one to start with, though?)

As John Green Would Say: This is Made of Awesome

I was happy to find out via Fuse #8, my go-to place for all kidlit news, that there's now a central web place for the kidlit blogging community: Kitlitospehre Central. The general aim is "to provide a passage to the wonderful variety of resources available from the society of bloggers in children's and young adult literature." I think this is incredible, and I'm not just saying that because I'm on the list. (I did a happy dance, though... :) Thanks, Pam (and the rest of the board; you're awesome), for setting this up: it's an amazing resource, one I hope to make use of regularly.

(Though I think what we need now is a little logo button we can all stick on our blogs...)

Library Loot #4

This week's haul: (Okay, so I decided that I was being anal about the surprise factor...)

The roundup is over at A Striped Armchair.

For A/K:
Pig William, Arlene Dubanevich
Liberty!, Allan Drummond
Fin M'Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill, Tomie de Paola
The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, James Riordan and Shelley Fowles
Snoring Beauty, Bruce Hale/Illustrated by Howard Fine**
The Sea Serpent and Me, Dashka Slater/Illustrated by Catia Chien**

For M:
Shield of Stars, Hilari Bell
Sword of Waters, Hilari Bell
Dear Julia, Amy Bronwen Zemser*
Ranger's Apprentice: The Sorcerer of the North, John Flanagan*
Cybele's Secret, Juliet Marillier*

For C:
Utterly Me, Clarice Bean, Lauren Child
The Last Dragon, Silvana De Mari
Gregor the Overlander, Suzanne Collins (M really liked this series; I thought I'd see if C wanted to give them a try.)

For me:
Indigo's Star, Hilary McKay*
The Adventures of Boone Barnaby, Joe Cottonwood
The Bermudez Triangle, Maureen Johnson

*Ones that M finished
**Picture books we really liked.

The Rule of Won

by Stefan Petrucha
ages: 12+
First sentence: "Garish."
Review copy sent to me by Bloomsbury/Walker Books. (Yes, I am branching out and actually reviewing ARCs on my blog. They have to go somewhere...)

Caleb Dunne is a slacker. Self-proclaimed, all he aspires to do is not work very hard. He got suspended for something he didn't do (wrong place, wrong time), and now, at the start of a new school year, he's feeling the results of that: no one's talking to him, except for his girlfriend Vicky. And she wants him to come to this after-school club, the Crave, and read this book The Rule of Won. The idea is that anything can happen to you or for you if you only think about it hard enough and want it bad enough.

Everything's fine and good for a while -- they do a couple of immanifests (the visualizing and chanting that gets you what you want) that work out, and Caleb is flying high. Until... well, until a teacher gets into a car accident, a close friend attempts suicide and another acquaintance is beaten up and put in the hospital. The book is less about Caleb's self-discovery and relationships, though that's a big part of it, and more about the dangers of group-think, and the line between "club" and "cult". On those levels, it works quite well. Caleb is an engaging character, humourous, slightly dense, earnest, and likeable. His own relationship with the Crave is an interesting one; it starts out being just for Vicky and then morphs into something more challenging, and, eventually, more dangerous. Pertucha did a fabulous job writing group think -- the chapters that are the Crave's message board get more and more creepy as the book goes along, as the members get more and more immersed in the mob-mentality -- as well as making Caleb and some of the secondary characters extremely compelling.

But, I think the book falters because there's this element of mysticism surrounding Ethan's (that's the Crave leader) younger sister. Can she do magic? Or all those coincidences? Really? In the end, it's murky. I think we're supposed to believe, on some level that Ethan's sister is making things happen. On the one hand, that's really quite cool (and the way she does it is very unique). On the other hand, I think it undermines the message (if there's even supposed to be one) that there's a fine line between achieving things, and achieving things at all costs.

Even with that teeny bit of misdirection, the bottom line is clear: Fanaticism is a bad thing. Even if you're fanatic about something as simple (?) as a book.

The Geography of Bliss

by Eric Weiner
ages: adult
First sentence: "My bags were packed and my provisions loaded."

The premise: self-proclaimed grumpy journalist decides to visit happy nations (as determined by the World Database of Happiness that's kept in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He visits a handful of countries for several weeks, interviewing people and sampling the culture trying to figure out what, exactly, makes these people in these particular countries especially happy. And how does it all (can it?) relate to him and his own personal search for happiness?

It sounds trite, and on one level it is. How can a journalist, one who insists upon remaining professional aloofness at that, actually get to the bottom of what makes people happy? And besides, there are millions of people in any given country (more or less), and not all of them are going to be happy all the time, right? Well, yeah. But, I don't think Weiner is going for depth. Sure, he draws conclusions from the places he visits, and he tries to put it all into some sort of happiness formula, but I think he was just out to meet people and experience things. Which is all good with me.

As for myself, I enjoyed the journey. Weiner is a funny writer -- maybe not as good as Bill Bryson or Tony Horwitz at their best (admission: I picked up this book because there's a blurb on the back by Tony Horwitz, and I thought, well Tony Horwitz liked it and I like Tony Horwitz's stuff, so maybe I'll like this...) -- but enjoyable. My favorite quote, from his visit to Switzerland:

Our fondue comes in a large bowl, not orange, and it's good. After a few helpings, the euphoria is gone, but I'm feeling, I think, very Swiss. Satisfied. Neutral. Maybe this explains Swiss neutrality. Maybe it's not based on a deep-seated morality but a more practical reason. Fondue and war don't mix.

And I have to admit that I enjoyed the travel aspect of the book. I've never been to Bhutan or Qatar or Switzerland or Moldova (not that I want to go there now), and I enjoyed seeing the world, even in a limited sort of way. I found his stops and the people he met interesting, and the conclusions he came to about happiness fascinating. Maybe not life-changing. But definately worth mulling over.

Which pretty much sums up the book: not life-changing, but definately worth paging through.

The Underneath

by Kathi Appelt
ages: 11+
First sentence: "There is nothing lonelier than a cat who has been loved, at least for a while, and then abandoned on the side of the road."

I wrote this back in December, in the middle of the Cybils shortlist discussion, but didn't post it. I figured it was safe, now that it's won a Newbery Honor. I admit that I'm not feeling the love that others have for this book, though I also think that Sarah might be on to something... perhaps it's one (like The Tale of Despereaux) that really should be read aloud, and maybe if I got a copy of the audio book (or read it aloud to C), I would feel differently.

On with the review...

There are some books that intellectually I get: I can understand why it's a good book, I can see the craft that went into it, and can understand why it's getting the buzz it's getting. But on a visceral, emotional, story-enjoying level, I find myself wondering if the book is all about the hype, the craft, the buzz. Because I couldn't stand it.

The Underneath is one of those books. Done in a series of short prose-poems, hauntingly done, it tells the story of the friendship between one hound dog, a mother cat and her two kittens. And their trials brought about at the hands of a very disturbed, evil individual named Gar Face. There's also a sub-plot about Grandmother Moccasin, a water moccasin-changeling, who is engulfed in hatred because her daughter, 1,000 years ago, chose love with a man over her mother. It's a journey and discovery for both of the stories, enveloped in sorrow and adventure.

Unfortunately, even though I could recognize it's beauty and sense where Appelt was going, and know that this one will at least get a Newbery Honor [I was right... wow!], I didn't like it. At all. In fact, I found myself rolling my eyes and yawning. I was bored. Stiff. The pacing was horrible, and even though the language was beautiful, it wasn't enough to keep me from cringing every time Grandmother Moccasin showed up. "Go back a thousand years..." Um. Let's not and just say we did. The plot kept jumping between Gar Face's past, the present with the dog and kittens and the long past with Grandmother Moccasin, which is all fine and good, but after about 100 or so pages of it, I'd had enough. Then there was the animal cruelty. This is not a book for weak stomachs. Or sensitive readers. Don't give it to the girl who loves her kitty. Or, probably, the boy who's a bit mean to the dog.

But, I've heard it's a good read-aloud. So, maybe someday, I'll get an audio version of this book and then decide I really like it. It's happened before. It could happen again.

We'll see.

Teaser Tuesday, January 27

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

The roundup is at Should be Reading.

My teaser is from The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World, by Eric Weiner. This comes from the chapter on Iceland:

"I smile, though Larus can't possibly know why, can't possibly know how please I am to hear the word 'naive' used as anythign other than a pejorative. Nearly twenty years ago, I had a run-in with the 'n' word." p. 164.

What are you reading this week?

I've got to read this now

The Graveyard Book won this year's Newbery. Congrats to Neil Gaiman!

Three other shout-outs: Savvy won a Newbery honor (yay!), Frankie-Landau Banks won a Printz Honor, and Mo Willems got the Geisel Award (again) for Are You Ready to Play Outside? All made me quite happy...

For a full list of all the awards, visit the ALA webpage, here. (The list should be up by 10 a.m. MST today.)

Geeky Classics

This week's Weekly Geek asks four questions, two of which I'm supposed to answer. Starting at the beginning...

1) How do you feel about classic literature? Are you intimidated by it? Love it? Not sure because you never actually tried it? Don't get why anyone reads anything else? Which classics, if any, have you truly loved? Which would you recommend for someone who has very little experience reading older books? Go all out, sell us on it!

Ah, classics. I really didn't read many growing up, except for the ones assigned in English class, and then I don't think I really liked any of them, except Mark Twain. I've always liked Mark Twain (though, admittedly, I haven't read any of his books in years...). Since then, though, I've discovered, while not a real love for classics a very big like for them. (Warning, approaching food metaphor...) I think they're like the whole grains of literature. If you don't read at least a handful a year, then you're suffering from an unbalanced metaphor. However, I also think that if you subsist solely on classics (or whole grains, for that matter), you are missing out on some of the delicious things in life (if perhaps not that filling or even good for you). It's all about balance, my friends.

Some of my favorites (all older than 100 years, just so we're on the same page):

All of Jane Austen, of course, especially Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice: Her observations of relationships, personalities, and class are all still valid (and funny) today.

Jane Eyre: Swoon. Really.

Isak Dineson -- I especially like her short stories (shock, I know) in Anecdotes of Destiny and Ehrengard: I read this years and years ago (time for a reread?), and remembered being moved by Dineson's use of language and food, especially in Babette's Feast.

Room with a View (or E.M. Forester in general): We just watched the Merchant-Ivory movie version last week, and I was reminded how much I liked this book. Fun, light, silly, sweet... perfect Britishness.

My Antonia: Another one that I remember being really affected by. I read all of Willa Cather's stuff about 10 years ago, and I was really quite moved by this one. Wichita did a Big Read last fall, and this was the book. I never got around to rereading it, but now that I'm thinking about it, perhaps I'll pull it out again.

Dracula: Oh. My. Gosh. Fabulous.

Huckleberry Finn: It's the ultimate Mark Twain. Full of humor, social commentary, and a ripping good story. (Or at least as much as I remember. I can't tell you the last time I read this one...)

Daisy Miller: I'm not a huge fan of Henry James, but I found myself really liking this one. The only thing I could find on it on my blog was this, "A short novella – and an intriguing story about a young American woman in Europe and her lack of "propriety" that eventually leads to her downfall, of sorts. An interesting commentary on propriety and its place or lack of place in society."

Anne of Green Gables: I adore this book. (But only this one. I'm not much on the sequels.) Anne is impetuous, and darling, and crative, and just so much fun to read about.

3) Let's say you're vacationing with your dear cousin Myrtle, and she forgot to bring a book. The two of you venture into the hip independent bookstore around the corner, where she primly announces that she only reads classic literature. If you don't find her a book, she'll never let you get any reading done! What contemporary book/s with classic appeal would you pull off the shelf for her?

I'm terrible at this kind of thing. I'm better at one-on-one recommendations. But a couple of books that I thought of, off the top of my head...

I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith: I searched, and I don't have a full review for this one. That's a crime. I remember being totally enthralled by it.

My Name is Asher Lev (or any Chaiam Potok book, really): In my opinion, this is Potok's best. A moving story about an artist and his relationship to his family's Hasidic Jewish religion. Touching.

Austenland: For Austen fans. Light and silly, and really quite fun.

How Green was My Valley

My Name is Psmith (not 100 years old, or it'd be in the classics...)

The Orange Girl, Jostein Gaardner: It's a wonderful little book. (Hard to find, though.) A letter from a (dead) father to his son (who's 11 when he reads it), it's the story of how he and his wife met. Just about perfect.

The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis: I know I don't have reviews for this one, but as far as allegory goes, this one is a masterpiece.

I don't know if I helped anyone here... but I did discover a list of books that I'd like to go back and reread. So, for that, this was a completely worthwhile endeavor!

WSR Challenge Roundup #3

This week's quote was provided by bigsis, from the book Vampire in Moscow by Richard Henrick. She described it this way: "An ancient sarcophagus has been unearthed and sent to Moscow to be studied. There are many interested groups and already, and one-third into the book the characters' lives are entwined..."

Brother Nicholas, you have been chosen to travel to the capital city. Because the time of release is near, you will not go unarmed. Two thousand years ago, our order's beloved founder received a weapon cut from the very cross on which the Ascended Master was crucified. The divine spear has been kept in our midst for a millenium, when the Beast last walked among . Protect it well, for it is the only device on Earth that can do injury to the unholy creature, whose flesh is impervious to mortal weaponry.

I'm still looking for quotes from the books you're reading for the challenge; leave them in the comments or email them to mmfbooks AT gmail.com. Oh, and you can find all the reviews here.

On with the roundup:

Erin's first book was Garlic and Sapphires, a yummy (and fun) look at Ruth Reichl's experiences as a food critic in New York. Erin writes, "I don't think there is a single item of food Ruth wrote about that I would be interested in eating. Her descriptions of tastes and textures were fabulous." Check out her review for a delightful bit of irony...

Amira checked in with another four (I'm at a loss for words...): Swallows of Kabul (she felt mostly the same way that Jeska did), Hundred Secret Senses (liked it, but not as much as Joy Luck Club), Driving Over Lemons (good; better than another book I've never heard of), and Persepolis 2. She wrote, "One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Satrapi points out that it is difficult to be an art student while wearing impractical clothing and is allowed to redesign the acceptable clothing for art students. We hear so much of what is wrong with Iran that it's good to hear that sometimes, there is at least a little reason (although you can certainly argue that even the redesigned outfits are pretty unreasonable)."

Lily read Chocolat -- mmmmm, sounds delightful -- and wrote "Chocolat is a small book, but just like a little chocolate truffle, it held a lot of delicious flavors. The writing is truly poetic, I did feel like I was eating my favorite dessert." I really do need to read this book...

J.C. read one by one of my new favorite authors, Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson. She complains about the cover, saying it's nothing like the character Johnson created, writing, "This cover is so generic that it short-changes what’s inside. I’m glad I didn’t judge this book (or 13 Little Blue Envelopes) by its cover. If I had, I likely would have assumed the novel would have been another formulaic teen romance drama. Which it definitely is NOT. Girl at Sea has a great pace and likable characters. There’s a bit of everything here: mystery, romance, drama. It was a great book to read while stuck in winter misery."

Tricia read the classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, noting that while the plot wasn't that captivating, "it's told so beautifully that there were passages I actually pored over. It's a story of love, grief and survival that I certainly recommend." Another one I need to read.

Our stop in China this week is provided by Corinne with Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey through China, Chinese-American journalist Jen Lin-Liu's look at modern-day China through food. Corinne writes, "Her cooking experiences and the people she meets are fascinating and all the while she is teaching us Chinese history, culture and legend, usually through the personal experiences of the chefs and waitresses with whom she crosses paths. Explanations about the variations in Chinese cuisine and food preparation based on geography were particularly compelling, probably because the cuisine of the culture I've grown up in feels infantile compared to the dishes I read about."

And lastly, but not leastly, Nicole checks in with Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, another book that I've been meaning to read for a while. (Hmm... do you sense a theme here?) She writes, "Reading this book inspired me to take a personal field trip to my grocery store to see what I could buy from Arizona. I was shocked to discover that if I was going to go on the Kingsolver diet, Corey and I would have to survive on chocolate milk, bread, and honey." An interesting diet, to say the least.

Here's to another good week!

Captain Alatriste

by Aturo Perez-Reverte
ages: adultish
First sentence: "He was not the most honest of pious of men, but he was courageous."

Call this one the Spanish The Three Musketeers. It's 1623, Madrid, Spain. Alatriste is a former soldier, who has taken to dueling for hire to keep money in his pockets. He is hired one night by some unknown men, high-born from what Alatriste can tell, to take out two Englishmen. Alatriste doesn't -- mostly because one begs for mercy for the other man -- and as a result saves the life of the Prince of Wales. This is not a good thing for Alatriste -- for the people who wanted the Prince dead are now after Alatriste's life. Our narrator through this journey is Inigo Balboa, son of a former soldier and collegue of Alatriste and who has become a protege of sorts to the good Captain.

I liked this book, mostly because it felt like (and made references to) The Three Musketeers. Same time, same feel, similar characters (the Duke of Buckingham, who plays a role in Dumas' work, makes an appearance, and Richelieu is talked about) -- from the noble, yet misguided soldier, to the young impetuous lad (though not as impetuous as d'Artangnan), to the corrupt Church official... it's all there. I liked the narrator, too. He was circular in his telling (I never could figure out who he was telling the story to; he would call them"Your Mercies"), jumping forward and backward in time, and talking so much about the history of Spain that I felt like Madrid and its people were almost another character. But when the action got going -- as it occasionally did -- it really got going. (Which, in many ways, is also like The Three Musketeers.)

I knew it was the first in a series when I started it, though I thought it would stand on its own more. It doesn't end in a cliff hanger, but so many storylines and threads are started in this book, and never resolved, that it's almost imperative that one read the next book. If only to find out why Inigo keeps calling Angelica a "Devil" because she never really did anything...

I'm just not sure how much I care. I may find myself a couple months down the line thinking about it and wondering what the next step in the story is, though. It's definately one to mull over. Either that, or I'll just watch the movie, which I didn't even know existed. Anyone know anything about it??

Stolen From Facebook

Feel free to pass it along...

25 Random Things About Me
1. I like to read.
2. Check that: I love to read.
3. I read on average four books a week.
4. Which breaks down to between 2 and 4 hours a day.
5. I don't watch much TV anymore. (30 Rock is about it.)
6. And I let my two youngest watch about 2 hours of TV a day.
7. Granted, I mostly read books for children and young adults.
8. I don't read them because I'm pre-screening them for my girls.
9. Or because I'm a children's librarian or a bookseller (though I have aspirations in those directions).
10. I read them because I like stories.
11. And I think they're fun to read.
12. I do read adult books, just not as many.
13. Mostly because I can't find as many that I like.
14. My favorite non-fiction is travel books and food books.
15. Especially in January. I hate January.
16. I did, once, want to write books.
17. But I decided that my creativity doesn't run in that direction.
18. If I did write a book, it'd probably be some sort of travel book/memoir.
19. But that means I'd have to travel. Which we don't. Not really.
20. I'm much better at writing my opinions about what other people write.
21. Which is why I have a blog.
22. Actually, I started the blog because I have a bad memory and can't remember what I've read a week after I've read it.
23. Blame it on four pregnancies.
24. Though I think I've always been a bit scatterbrained.
25. Oh, and I like memes, but I hate tagging.

Saffy's Angel

by Hilary McKay
ages: 10+
First sentence: "When Saffron was eight, and had at last learned to read, she hunted slowly through the color chart pinned up on the kitchen wall."

Back in November, when I read and gushed about Forever Rose, I made a resolution: I was going to read all the books about the Casson family, starting from the beginning. I finally got around to it this month, and I have to say that this one is just as lovely, charming, funny, enjoyable as Forever Rose was. (Start at the beginning, though. It makes more sense.)

Saffron, called Saffy, at age eight, discovers accidentally that she was adopted by the Cassons -- her mother was Eve's (that's the Casson mom) sister, sure but that doesn't make her belong. Fast forward five years, years where Saffy has felt not-quite-right. These feelings all come to a head with the death of the grandfather; he leaves each child something, and to Saffy, he leaves her "angel." No one knows what that is, and so Saffy, propelled by a desire to know and a new friend, sets off to discover what that is (and in the process, finds home).

It's not the plot, though, that won me over. I still adore the Cassons. I love the way McKay presents them -- from their wacky house (named The Banana House) to their each individual traits. I loved how pragmatic Rose is -- the way she "handled" Daddy on the phone was priceless -- and Caddy's ditziness is totally charming. Then there's Indigo with is protectiveness and determination to overcome all his fears (by sitting in a windowsill), and Saffy herself, with her fierce determination and longing. I loved that McKay tackled difficult life issues with humor (though I won't say grace, because the Cassons are anything but graceful. Crazy, yes. Elegant, no). I loved the daft English-ness of it all (again with that wacky English movie feel). It just made me smile (and laugh out loud).

(Well, I didn't like Bill, the dad. He was a bit of a stuffed shirt, but I could understand how an OCD person would really have an issue with Eve and the way she didn't keep house. I thought, though, that it was nice that he just left and lived in London rather than trying to force Eve into making herself over into something that he could stand. Worked for me, anyway.)

On to the next one, and I'm hoping it's just as lovely...

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

by Kate DiCamillo
ages: read-aloud, any age. Read alone, ages 7-10
First sentence: "Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a rabbit who was made almost entirely out of china."

C got this one for Christmas from Santa, and her reaction (which made me laugh), was part "Huh?!" and part "That's stupid. I don't want to read that." So, she did voice some opposition when I said that this should be the next one we read aloud. But, since I'm mom, and since I wanted to read it, my desires prevailed. (bwahahaha!)

If you don't know already, this is the story of Edward Tulane, a china rabbit who is loved, but who is so incredibly stuck on himself that it's impossible for him to love in return. He is lost on a trip, and then spends years traveling the world (he can't move himself; he's passed from owner to owner), learning to love, losing and then learning to hope again.

It's a simple plot, but an absolutely wonderful book. It's beautiful, picturesque language was a dream to read out loud. It's amazing pictures were lovely to look at; C's biggest complaint while reading it was that she was missing the pictures. It's got a beautiful moral (yes, I am gushing), but is not heavy handed in the telling of that moral. In short, it's a perfect book.

C, when we finished last night, told me that she didn't think much of the book when she saw it on Christmas. "But, Mom," she said, "I was wrong. I'm glad you read it to me. It's a GREAT book."

And she couldn't be more right.

Library Loot #3

I realized something this morning: because of Library Loot, you all know exactly what I'm reading, and it's just a matter of waiting for me to get around to reading it and putting up the review. Not much mystery or suspense any more...

I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I also haven't decided if I like the links or not. So, this week, no links. Tell me if you'd rather I put the effort to put them in, or if you don't really care either way.

For A and K:
Red Sled, by Patricia Thomas/Illustrated by Christ L. Demarest
The Littlest Owl, by Caroline Pitcher and Tina Macnaughton**
Dora's Day at the Beach (someday, maybe, I'll make it back from the library without a Dora book...)
Guess What I found in Dragon Wood, by Timothy Knapman/Illustrated by Gwen Millward

And for Chinese New Year:
The Girl Who Drew a Phoenix, by Demi
The Magic Pillow, by Demi**
New Clothes for New Year's Day, by Hyun-Joo Bae**
The Pet Dragon, by Christoph Nieman

For C:
Rapunzel and Other Magic Fairy Tales, Illustrated by Henriette Sauvant, Translated by Anthea Bell

For M:
Lady Knight, by Tamora Pierce*
Maximum Ride: School's Out - Forever, by James Patterson (she liked Alex Rider, and I remembered this when I was at the library. It's the second in the series, though I don't know how much that matters...)
The Dead and the Gone, by Susan Beth Pfeffer

For me:
The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner

The roundup is over at A Striped Armchair.

*Ones M finished.
**Picture books we really liked.

The Leanin' Dog

by K. A. Nuzum
ages: 8-12
First sentence: "I shoved my braids up into my woolen cap, pulled the itchy thing farther down over my ears and crossed to the cabin window."

Have you ever noticed how prevalent dead/crazy/absent moms are in kids literature? Me either, until I started reading a bunch for the Cybils. Sherry over at Semicolon was curious about the idea after one of our panel's chats, and made up a list of all the books with missing -- dead or otherwise -- moms. There's quite a few.

Add this one to the list. (Actually, is the second out of three that I've read with dead moms in the last week -- the other two are Estella Revenge books -- and so, I have to admit up front, that colored my opinion of this one. I'm heartily tired of dead moms.)

Dessa Dean lives with her father up in the mountains. He's a trapper, and she's an only child. Her mother used to live with them, but she and Dessa Dean got caught out in an early-winter blizzard and Dessa watched her mother freeze to death. That obviously traumatized Dessa: she's discovered in the time since that she can't leave the cabin. She's lonely and sad, and subject to both night- and daymares. Then one day, a wounded dog come scratching at the door when Dessa's home alone. She takes a liking to the dog, who, slowly, helps Dessa not only through the tough first Christmas without her mother but to begin to heal from the tragedy.

Dead mom aside, I liked how this book felt. For something that deals with death and tragedy so directly (not to mention the general harshness of life alone in the mountains), it was a fairly positive book. I really liked Dessa's voice; I liked her general determined nature (her stubborn streak, as she put it), but also just the way she looked at things. She'd spend her days doing school work: making up sentences for spelling words or making up math problems. As the book went on, the school work took on a life of its own: how many steps it takes to get to the door, how many times you can pet a dog before she wakes up. I also liked Dessa's quest to find the dog's true name. The dog-girl relationship was a sweet one, and I really liked the way Nuzum wrote the dog; it didn't speak, but rather Nuzum wrote noises and body language so that I could really picture how the dog was acting.

So, in the end, I guess it was a pretty good dead mom book. One that I think kids going through some kind of tragedy could relate to, and possibly others would enjoy as well.

Teaser Tuesday

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

Happy inauguration day! Hope you're all finding a way to watch...

This week my teaser comes from The Leanin' Dog, by K.A. Nuzum. The basic story is a girl, who lives in the mountains -- her father is a trapper -- has witnessed her mother freezing to death. She's suffering from grief and guilt and has found that she can't leave the house. I don't know how it ends, though; I'm only halfway through.

From page 117 (the she is a dog):

"I can't," I said, and I heard my voice low and heavy with shame. "I can't do that; you'll have to come on back here." She set down on her haunches and cocked her head, trying to gather my meaning.

WSR Challenge Roundup #2

I'm still looking for quotes from books to start this off... leave them in the comments or email me at mmfbooks AT gmail DOT com.

Since none of you quoted anything, or sent anything, you're stuck with another one of mine, from The Royal Road to Romance, by Richard Haliburton, which takes place after an encounter with pirates:

As our little ship moved painfully toward her dock I was standing on deck in my shirt-sleeves beside the unfortunate American tourist who had lost most of his two hundred dollars.
"Lord, I'm hungry!" he growled at me.
"Oh, everybody's hungry," I replied unsympathetically. "But it's worth it having such a jolly adventure. "
"Jolly adventure!" he gasped.
"Why, of course. I've never had such a good time."
"Idiot!" he burst out.
"Fossil!" I retorted.

We've got a fabulous bunch of reviews this week! All the reviews can be found here.

Amira read another four, and gets this week's most interesting use of the challenge award, with The Hunger Games (food-hunger, get it?), but she also read Persepolis, of which she said, "I'd like to think that graphic novels (this isn't exactly a novel though, since it's non-fiction; maybe a graphic memoir?) like this can open up new knowledge to people who might otherwise not have read anything about the Iranian revolution or a variety of other topics. I hope that many more like this are published."

Jeska started with The Swallows of Kabul, the story about two couples in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban. She enjoyed it, though, she says, " Yet it is not easy to read. It is tragic, the way the main characters' lives are torn apart by the week or so the story covers. In a sense, this is a book that mourns for all of the things that were lost because of the wars Afghanistan has endured: beauty, freedom, the ability to love, Kabul itself. It is a eulogy."

She also read News from Paraguay, a National Book Award Winner about Ella and the man she -- shacks up with? partners? they never marry... -- in Paraguay, who eventually becomes dictator of the country. Of the book, I'mJeska writes, "I really enjoyed reading this book, although it wasn't necessarily due to the story. The book is written in a very interesting way - we are given brief glimpses of parts of the characters' lives, usually in short sections that are only a handful of paragraphs or less. This makes the story feel like it is moving very quickly."

Beth F read House of Mangoes, which dragged some for her in the middle, but in the end was an intriguing look at India's push to self-rule. She writes, "I listened to the novel on CD (obtained through interlibrary loan), read by Robert Whitfield. I am no expert on accents, but I was particularly impressed with Whitfield's ability to speak with an Indian accent that was believable and in no way a parody."

April began with the catch all Eat, Pray, Love (one that's been on my TBR for a while; why didn't I think to use it?), and enjoyed it as much as everyone else who's read it had. She says, "[Gilbert] is direct and honest about her experiences, and it is a book I wouldn't mind having on my bookshelf."

Melanie started with one of my favorites of 2007, Pomegranate Soup, and also enjoyed thoroughly it. She pointed out that a book about a struggling cafe would be one thing, but that the Iranian background gave it added depth. She also compared it to Chocolat and Like Water for Chocolate. Perhaps I should delve into one of those...

Lesley highlights French Milk, which sounds like an absolutely delightful combination of graphic novel, memoir, and travelbook. She says, "Lucy and her mother make the standard Parisian excursions, as well as visiting bookshops, street merchants and cafes, but the real treat in this book is vicariously experiencing the epicurean delights that Paris has to offer." As a lover of many things French, I have to read this one!

Tricia read another one of my favorites, 84 Charing Cross Road. She says, "A story about the true nature of kindness and love, humanity and friendship, this is well worth the hour it takes to read it. This book is a real gem. It had me both laughing and teary-eyed. I highly recommended it!" (In other words, if you haven't read it yet... you really should!)

Becky checked in with Ten Things I Hate About Me, the story of a Lebanise girl, Jamilah, who is caught between worlds, and is struggling to find a way to fit in with the beautiful, cool people. I liked the quote she pulled out: "I wish I could talk in capital letters at school. Use exclamation makrs and highlighter pens on all my sentences. Stand out bold, italicized, and underlined. At the moment I'm a rarely used font in microscopic size with no shading or emphasis." Sounds like an interesting character.

She also read Nefertiti, a sweeping historical fiction work about an Egyptian queen, from the perspective of her younger sister. Go check out the review, and then pop by Becky's Book Reviews, and enter the contest to win the book.

Sandra's giving Amira a run for her money... ; ) She checked in with four books this week. The most intriguing to me was Tomato Girl. Sandra writes, "The voice of this girl rang true for me, with all her hopes and fears. Children as protagonists or narrators in adult novels don't always impress me as real. Ellie was exactly right." She also has a couple contests going on for a couple of the books; check them out here and here.

I can't wait to see what you all read next week...

Babymouse Extravaganza

Babymouse: Rockstar and Babymouse: Monster Mash
by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm
ages: 6-10 (but I like them, too!)

We got a present from my younger brother and his wife for Christmas. I spent the month of December trying to figure out what it was; I figured it was a game of some sort because that's the kind of people they are. Imagine my surprise when C opened the present Christmas morning, and it was five Babymouse books! We all squealed (well, C and I did), and the words used to thank dear brother and wife were: "Babymouse ROCKS!"

Because, you know, Babymouse is awesome.

I am indebted to Babymouse (and those who recommended her to me last year), for C's increasing love of reading. She was looking for something inbetween picture books and chapter books, and Babymouse hit the spot.

And, I have to admit, I find them quite entertaining, too.

If you haven't had the delightful experience reading Babymouse, then you must rectify that. Or, if you're too embarrassed to be seen reading the graphic novel equvialent of an early reader, then get it for your favorite first- or second-grader. And then sneak a read. Witty (love the narrator), funny (Babymouse and her imagination), with clever storytelling (Rock star is actually about a band concert and Babymouse learning to play the flute; Monster Mash deals with peer pressure from other kids and finding one's own way), they are a delightful look into the imagination of Jennifer and Matthew Holm.

I suppose I could gush on... but honestly, there really isn't much more to say. Go discover Babymouse for yourself, if you haven't already.

Skulduggery Pleasant

by Derek Landy
ages: 10+
First sentence: "Gordon Edgley's sudden death came as a shock to everyone -- not least himself."

I haven't had this much fun reading a book since... well, since I read Anna Smudge.

Stephanie is your normal 12-year-old girl. That is, she thinks she is, until her uncle dies a mysterious death (well, the doctor's say it's natural, but we know better, don't we?), and she inherits his house. She stays there one night, and is summarily attacked by a strange man demanding a key and saved by a strange man that turns out to be a walking, talking, fire-wielding... skeleton. She decides to fall in with the skeleton, Skulduggery Pleasant of the title, and discovers a whole world of magic, and, yes, danger and excitement.

There's a lot of similarities to Anna Smudge -- not just a precocious 12-year-old who can figure things out and save the world -- but in style. I loved the combination of sass (not really snark or sarcasm) in the banters between Skulduggery and Stephanie. I loved the world that Landy created, with magic and mages and sorcerers; a world, not unlike Harry Potter's, that exists parallel to our own. It was an exciting plot, too -- possibly a tad on the violent side for younger readers -- one that was full of twists, turns, and daring escapes. I enjoyed the power that Stephanie had (aside from it being plausible); it's always nice to see our main character doing the rescuing and thinking rather than just running around having things happen to her. Very, very cool.

It's the first in a series, for those who love series, but it's also a good stand-alone book. And have I mentioned that it's a whole lotta fun?

Breathing Out the Ghost

by Kirk Curnutt
age: adult
First sentence: "Let me tell you about the time your grandfather took a sledgehammer to the car."

Um, no.

No, no, no.

That's what I should have said when they asked if I wanted to be a part of this book tour. My gut instinct said no, and I should have listened.

It's not the book, really. It's a well-written book, and it's because the characters are so well drawn that I'm having such a violent reaction to it. If it were anything less, I could brush it off, shrug and roll my eyes at it. But I'm not able to. This one got under my skin, dragged me down and that is not something I want or need in January when I'm already dragging because of the weather.

See, Colin St. Cloud's son was kidnapped and murdered. By a creep, a pedophile, a sick man named Dickie -Bird Johnson. And St. Cloud can't let it go. His life has gone to hell; he's spending it driving around the country, half of the time high on speed, looking for his kid and others, hoping, for what exactly? Redemption? Closure? I'm not sure he even knows. And then there's Robert Heim, the P.I that St. Cloud hired to help him track down the person who took his son. He ended up on probation because St. Cloud and the case engulfed his life. And now, a year after the incident, he's on the road again -- abandoning his family and a decent, if unrewarding job -- in order to track St. Cloud down and finally close the case. And -- because two tortured people aren't enough -- there's Sis Pruitt, dealing with her own ghosts because her only daughter was brutally raped and murdered seventeen years before. The three converge in Sis's town in Indiana, because another boy has gone missing, where they're forced to face their ghosts and their pasts.

Enough cheer for you yet?

It was a harsh novel. Brutal. I had to skip sections because I have a faint heart, and I don't want to know about the people out there who will take, violate, kill my girls. Perhaps it hit too close to home: yes, I let my children play outside alone. I do know where they are, basically, but I believe in a measure of freedom. This could happen to me. These characters could be me. And. I. Don't. Want. To. Face. That. Reality. (Granted, it did it's job: I may not let the girls outside by themselves for a very. long. time.)

So. Go check out the rest of the tour; others have really liked the book for its stark nature, and powerful storytelling. Perhaps you are less faint of heart, and can handle a book about grief and death and hopelessness in the face of the most horrible thing as a parent you can think of. As for me, I'm going to go read something happy now.

The rest of the tour:
Monday, January 5th: Diary of an Eccentric
Tuesday, January 6th: Ramya’s Bookshelf
Wednesday, January 7th: The Sleepy Reader
Thursday, January 8th: Crime Ne.ws, formerly Trenchcoat Chronicles
Monday, January 12th: Savvy Verse and Wit
Tuesday, January 13th: Educating Petunia
Wednesday, January 14th: Michele- Only One ‘L’
Friday, January 16th: Anniegirl1138
Monday, January 19th: Caribou’s Mom
Tuesday, January 20th: Lost in Lima, Ohio
Wednesday, January 21st: A Novel Menagerie
Monday, January 26th: Catootes
Wednesday, January 28th: Bloody Hell, it’s a Book Barrage!
Thursday, February 12th: She is Too Fond of Books

Library Loot #2

Cold and windy today... not a fun day to venture out to the library. But we do it. If only because story time started today, and we LOVE story time.

Here's our haul; enough to fill "only" one (very large) bag.

For A and K:
Frankenstein Takes the Cake, by Adam Rex**
Are You Ready to Play Outside?, by Mo Willems**
Big Chickens Fly the Coop, by Leslie Helakoski/illustrated by Henry Cole
Lila and the Secret of Rain, by David Conway and Jude Daly
Belinda and the Glass Slipper, by Amy Young**
Dora's Three Little Fairy Tales

For C:
Go, Go America, by Dan Yaccarino
The End of the Beginning, by Avi
Midnight Magic, by Avi
Say What?, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Valentine Cat, by Ann Whitehead Nagda
Temple of the Dragonslayer, by Tim Waggoner

For M:
I, Coriander, by Sally Gardner
The Legend of the Wandering King, by Laura Gallego Garcia*
Pendragon Book Nine: Raven Rise, by D.J. MacHale*
An Earthly Knight, by Janet McNaughton

For me/M (we may both read these):
Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Dragonfly Pool, Eva Ibbotson

For me:
Captain Alatriste, Artuo Perez-Reverte
Maus I and Maus II, by Art Spiegelman

*Ones M eventually read
**Picture books we really liked.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

by E. Lockhart
ages: 12+
First sentence: "I, Frankie Landau-Banks, hereby confess that I was the sole mastermind behind the mal-doings of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds."

When I picked this book up Monday, I was totally enthralled with Frankie. Totally loved her, the narrator, the references to Wodehouse, the neglected positives. (Gruntled. Mayed. Ept. Cracked me up.) I got about halfway through (right after she discovered the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds) before life got in the way, but I thought a lot about the issues it was addressing: of feeling valued, not for something people impose upon you, but for something inherent in yourself. Or, the need to feel accepted and part of a group. Or the stupid hierarchies of boarding schools. (Or high school for that matter.) And I adored the voice of the narrator; it felt like a defense lawyer was patiently taking us through the evidence of Frankie's character, explaining, so we, at least, will understand, will get what Frankie is about. And that she's not a mere misanthrope. (Does that mean an anthrope is someone who is respectable in society?)

But, when I picked it up yestrday, it had lost a bit of its luster. Maybe all the fun is in the anticipation of the planning, but not the execution. Either that, or if you keep reading it in one sitting, the momentum builds and keeps you in the world that Lockhart has spun. In its defens: I did love the pranks. So very Drones Club. So very brilliant of Frankie (what a mastermind). I liked the social commentary aspect of them. But it was, in many ways, anticlimatic. Sure, she could show up the boys, but the actual act of showing them up wasn't important. It was that she could.

I think, in the end, what I really liked was that Frankie felt familiar. If I were at a boarding school, and my mind tended just a little more that way, yeah, I could see myself doing what she did. I always thought that boys were more interesting than girls, anway. I can understand why it wasn't enough to just start a secret girls' club, why Frankie needed to prove herself good -- no, better -- than the boys. And I can understand why she did it for a guy, to try to prove to him that she was better than he assumed he was. And that it all backfired on her in the end was quite, well, understandable.

So, yeah, I thought the book was uneven, and the ending just kind of ended. (I do think the ending fits the book, even though Frankie doesn't go out and do anything spectacular; that's not the point.) I liked it, though, mostly for Frankie, and the ideas that Lockhart was addressing (whether she intended to, or not). Frankie did something big; she proved something to herself -- and to her family -- that she can do something. Sure, they reacted badly, but then, most people react badly to people who think outside the box. Even if that box is something as simple and silly as a secret boys' club at a posh boarding school.

So, here's to the Frankie's of the world: the girls who think outside of the box. Who invent neglected positives, and need people to understand (not just talk at) them. And here's to the books that celebrate them.

Wild Magic

by Cat Weatherill
ages: 8 - 12
First sentence: "Mariana felt fantastic."

This book takes of where the fairy/folk tale The Pied Piper of Hamelin leaves off. What happens to the children when the Piper leads them away? What drove the Piper to do it in the first place? What kind of world is it where this could happen?

Jakob and Mariana -- brother and sister -- are among children in Hamelin town when the Piper comes to get rid of the rats, and fall under his spell when he begins to lead the children away. Mariana makes it through to the other side, a world of magic and pain and adventure; Jakob, who is crippled, doesn't. Not at first. But, eventually, he does find a way through, where he is confronted with all the children having been turned into animals, as well as a Beast that stalks the night.

This is another book that just doesn't do plot summaries well. I read it out loud to C, and at first we thought that Mariana was the heroine of the story (you would think so, from the cover and the first chapters). But, it's a fragmented story, one that intertwines the stories of Piper, Mariana, Jakob and their father, Moller. It's not always an easy story to understand; we were constantly flipping around trying to figure out did what when and why. It's an intriguing story, however. I liked what Weatherill did with the Piper; he's not just a creep who wanted payment, but a tortured soul looking for release from a curse. Mariana and Jakob were also interesting characters: both strong-willed, determined and resourceful, yet believeable in that their love for each other is the thing that drives them both.

The thing we both really liked about the story, though, is that it begs to be read aloud. In fact, the way it was written -- with onomonpeic word like "vumm" and "doomf" and "crrp" speckling the prose -- it would have bothered me had I read it to myself. But, read aloud, the words add something to the story, make it come alive. I could tell that Weatherill is a story teller from the way she writes: description, sounds, thoughts all played a big part in the development of the plot. It's not a bad thing; I love listening to storytellers, but in a novel... well, let's just say that this one is better read aloud.

It's not a bad thing, though. If you've got a six to eight year old, and want something to curl up with in the evenings, this one is just perfect.

Teaser Tuesday

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

I swear I picked this one at random. From The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart, p. 109:

Mr. Wodehouse is a prose stylist of such startling talent that Frankie nearly skipped around with glee when she first read some of his phrases. . . . Wodehouse's jubilant wordplay bore itself into her synapses like a worm into a fresh ear of corn.

I totally agree. About Wodehouse, that is. And I'm enjoying Frankie, too.

Well-Seasoned Reader Roundup #1

I thought it'd be fun, this time around, to do a mini-carnival every week for the duration of the challenge, highlighting the reviews I'd read that week.

And, I also thought, it'd be nice to start off my round-ups with a taste from the books we're reading. So, from A Year in the World:

"[S]ometimes travel just unlocks Pandora's box. What I've put off considering in my quotidian life rushes forward when the body and mind achieve a quiet level of receptivity. What has been lost comes looking."

If you have any quotes from your reading that you'd like me to include in my weekly (while the challenge is running) roundups, leave them in the comments, or email me at mmfbooksATgmailDOTcom.

It's been a slow starting week... Amira, amazingly, has up and finished the challenge already. I think out of her three books, Near a Thousand Tables sounds the most interesting, even if she " felt as if I was just getting bits and pieces of everything".

J.C. started with Can You Trust a Tomato in January, which also sounds good. Since I couldn't leave a comment on her blog, I'll leave it here: J.C. what do graham crackers have to do with sex? And you should read Michael Pollan's books if you liked this one.

Nicole gets the "most unique travel book experience" by reading Brave New World, which does, in fact, have a place name in the title. She says, "The fun thing about this book is that there are different main characters throughout. One person's story seamlessly becomes another's, all coming together to show us what a Brave New World would be like. I recommend it."

Here's to more good reading!

ETA: (I'm sorry about this... I left it off the post. Eek. I'll be better next week.) Post all -- and take the time to browse a few -- reviews at the review site, here.

Chalice

by Robin McKinley
ages: 12+
First sentence: "Because she was Chalice she stood at the front door with the Grand Seneschal, the Overlord's agent and the Prelate, all of whom were carefully ignoring her."

I've tried to type a summary of the book, but I'm not getting very far. Part of that is because it's a Robin McKinley book; none of which are really easy to describe. She doesn't write in a way that's easy to sum up, or even to describe: lyrical, circular, dense, narration-heavy, internal... yet totally captivating.

I liked this one less than I thought I would. Perhaps it was because I wanted something lighter, something with more romance, something that would take less brain energy. But, that said, I liked it a lot. I especially liked the world that McKinley created: the heirarchy of magic from the (power-hungry) Overlord to the Master and the Circle. I liked how the magic was heavily entertwined with nature, how the whole purpose of the magic was to hold nature together; without it, or without it being used responsibly, the natural world would rend and fall apart. I liked the use of honey and bees; I'm not an insect person, but I liked the way McKinley gave the bees a personality in this book. I did like Marisol, the main character, the Chalice of the title (and the first sentence). I liked how she struggled, but was willing to make a go of it, to find her own way, not willing to be cowed into following tradition. And I liked the Master -- the younger brother of the Master that caused havoc and disharmony and perished with the Chalice in a horrific fire -- and how he, too, had to make a go of it, coming back from seven years training to become a priest of Fire. I admired their partnership, their trust, and while the romance was kind of ho-hum, it fit.

What I'd really like, though, is to spend more time in this world that McKinley created. So, I can only hope (and hope it is, since she rarely does this) that she is willing to revisit this world another time or two. And maybe I will find myself enjoying the stories even more.

Geeky Linky Love

Weekly Geeks is back! Thanks to all who have taken over for Dewey...

This week's Geek is:

In the spirit of the amazing community building that Dewey was so good at, tell us about your favorite blogs, the ones you have bookmarked or subscribe to in your Google Reader, that you visit on a regular basis. Tell us what it is about these blogs that you love, that inspire or educate you or make you laugh. Be sure to link to them so we can find them too.

I thought, since most of you WGers are not kidlit bloggers, that I would introduce you to the wonderful world of children's and YA bloggers (or at least my favorites...).

You all know Becky, from Becky's Book Reviews, because she's all over the place. (Which is not a bad thing.) She's also amazingly prolific, and... my literary twin. I swear. We were born several years apart, in different places, raised differently, and have ended up liking the exact same books. If Becky likes it, I know (for the most part; I think we've disagreed on, like, four books) that I'll like it.

Next up is Lelia, at bookshelves of doom (isn't that a brilliant blog title?), whom I read because she's snarky. Everyone needs a good dose of daily snark, and Lelia provides. She also provides a host of links to other, sometimes obscure, interesting, clever, and snarky places. Oh, and she's a smart reviewer of all things YA.

We can't forget Betsy at Fuse #8, whom I've been reading pretty much since she started and was still doing the Hot Men of Children's Literature (sexist, yes, but very entertaining). I love her Fusenews roundups -- she really has her hand on the pulse of kidlit blogs -- and her reviews are entertaining and oh-so-good. (Wish I could write like her!) Fuse is one of those people that if she links to you, you get this feeling like you've somehow "made" it.

A few other blogs I've been reading for quite a while (three years?) are:

Jen at Jen Robinson's Bookshelf is a literary evangelist, not only for the Cybils, but in blogging life, too. Literacy, especially for children, is very important to her. Her reviews -- of all things kidlit, from picture books on up -- worth reading, too.

Pam at Mother Reader caught my eye years ago with her tagline: the heart of a mother, the soul of a reader, the mouth of a smartass. Can't beat that. Plus, she's the founder of BACA (that's Bloggers Against Celebrity Authors) and Weird-Ass Picture Books and the 48-Hour Reading Challenge. She has an amazing seires of how to give books, too. Oh, and she adores Mo Willems and Obama. What a woman.

Miss Erin is the only teenager on my blogroll. Which says a lot about her maturity. And thoughtfulness. And because she's a great girl. (Want my girls to turn out as well as she has!) A theater geek, book lover, and Shannon Hale fan, she's also introspective and a dang good poet and reviewer.

I can't remember how long I've been following Em at Em's Bookshelf, who does all things YA, or even how I found her. But she's another blogger who after reading her reviews, I promptly put a book on my bookshelf. She's quite particular about her star ratings, so if it gets four stars, it's guaranteed to be good.

I came across Kerry at shelfelf -- or rather, she stumbled across me? -- last year when she signed up for my challenge. I'm so glad she did because I love her reviews and thoughts.

Two bloggers that used to be really prolific, but have dwindled as of late (life getting in the way, which is totally understandable) are Kelly at Big A little a and Anne at Book Buds. Between the two of them, they gave the kidlit community the Cybils. Seriously, if you need a book recommendation for yourself (or anyone you know), head over there . It's an amazing resource.

Speaking of the Cybils, without them, I would have never discovered the blogs of the Middle Grade Cybils panel. I would list them all separately, but this is already getting too long... go follow the links to their favorite middle grade books, and then browse a while. It'll be worth your time.

Yeah, that's not all the community -- I left out a few big names, like The YA YA YAs or Read Roger, as well as all the authors who are also incredible bloggers; if you haven't caught Shannon Hale's How to Be a Reader series, you're missing out -- but those are some of my favorites.

Maybe they'll even become some of yours, too.