February Jacket Flap-a-Thon

I have nothing witty to stay to begin. Generally, February is better than January in my book, but for some reason, I never really got a grasp on the month. Nothing drastic or dramatic, just couldn't shake a general funk. Thank heavens for books....

Indigo's Star (Margaret K. McElderry Books): "IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL FOR THE START OF A NEW TERM, AND THE ECCENTRIC CASSONS ARE UP TO THEIR OLD TRICKS! Indigo, having just recovered from a bout of mononucleosis, must return to school after missing an entire semester. Only his younger sister and loyal sidekick, Rose, knows why he's dreading it so much. As it turns out, the school bullies are eagerly awaiting Indigo's return so that they can pick up where they left off — flushing his head in the toilet. But Indigo hasn't counted on meeting Tom, an American student who is staying with his grandmother in England for the year. With his couldn't-care-less attitude and rock-and-roll lifestyle, Tom becomes Indigo's ally, and together they work to take back the school. Meanwhile, eight-year-old Rose is desperately trying to avoid wearing horrible glasses, nineteen-year-old Caddy is agonizing over her many suitors, Saffy is working overtime with her best friend, Sarah, to protect Indigo from the gang, and with their father, Bill, in London at his art studio, their mother, Eve, is just trying to stay on top of it all!"

Actually, this is a good bad one. M read the blurb and had no interest in reading the book. (Her exact words: "I have no desire to read about heads being flushed in toilets.") It was only after I read it, gushed, cajoled and reminded that she actually read the book. And loved it.

Princess of the Midnight Ball (Bloomsbury): "A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn… Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above. Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew."

Perhaps I notice this because I read a lot of Bloomsbury books, but the folks there really know how to pique a reader's interest without giving too much away.

Matrimony (Vintage Contemporaries): "It's the fall of 1986, and Julian Wainwright, an aspiring writer, arrives at Graymont College in New England. Here he meets Carter Heinz, with whom he develops a strong but ambivalent friendship, and beautiful Mia Mendelsohn, with whom he falls in love. Spurred on by a family tragedy, Julian and Mia's love affair will carry them to graduation and beyond, taking them through several college towns, over the next fifteen years. Starting at the height of the Reagan era and ending in the new millennium, Matrimony is a stunning novel of love and friendship, money and ambition, desire and tensions of faith. It is a richly detailed portrait of what it means to share a life with someone — to do it when you're young, and to try to do it afresh on the brink of middle age."

I like this because the book is about such normal, everyday things which are hard to summarize. But, the copy does a good job with this.

The Trouble Begins at 8 (Greenwillow Books): "Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth." So begins Sid Fleischman's ramble-scramble biography of the great American author and wit, who started life in a Missouri village as a barefoot boy named Samuel Clemens. Abandoning a career as a young steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, Sam took a bumpy stagecoach to the Far West. In the gold and silver fields, he expected to get rich quick. Instead, he got poor fast, digging in the wrong places. His stint as a sagebrush newspaperman led to a duel with pistols. Had he not survived, the world would never have heard of Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn—or red-headed Mark Twain. Samuel Clemens adopted his pen name in a hotel room in San Francisco and promptly made a jumping frog (and himself) famous. His celebrated novels followed at a leisurely pace; his quips at jet speed. "Don't let schooling interfere with your education," he wrote. Here, in high style, is the story of a wisecracking adventurer who came of age in the untamed West; an ink-stained rebel who surprised himself by becoming the most famous American of his time. Bountifully illustrated."

My only quibble is the "Bountifully illustrated." Huh? (They weren't even really illustrations, more a combination of photographs and reprinted cartoons.) But the rest is a good teaser inviting readers to learn more about Mark Twain.

Other books read this month:
Everything Beautiful
Beside a Burning Sea
Maus I and Maus II
Skeleton Creek
The Dragonfly Pool
Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles
Becoming Jane Austen
The Adventures of Boone Barnaby
The Four Agreements
The Graveyard Book
The Bermudez Triangle
A View from Jerusalem
Dear Julia
Chocolat

The Trouble Begins at 8

by Sid Fleischman
ages: 9-12
First sentence: "So often had Mark Twain suffered through bumbling introduction before he rose to speak that he sometimes chose to introduce himself."

When I was in 7th grade, I had an abiding love for Mark Twain. We had read Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (I had read Tom Sawyer the summer before), and I was totally and completely smitten. In short, I would have adored this biography, had it existed when I was in 7th grade.

Even now, I adored this book. Not just for the wealth of information about Sam Clemens aka Mark Twain, or for the illustrations/photographs that grace it's pages, or even for the beautiful layout and font that it was written in (it was one of those rare times that I kept flipping pages because it was just so satisfying to flip the pages and gaze at the text). No, I adored this book because Fleischman was so, well, amusing.

He had me with this passage:

When I was the young writer of a novel, The New York Times reviewed my comedy with the news that I was no Mark Twain. I was astonished. I had already had myself fitted for a white suit, like the celebrated author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. I had been trying to track down the brand of cigars he smoked by the handful. His wit may have come from the noxious weed. Who knew?

I was gone. Hook, line, and sinker.

Fleishman spends the book recounting the origins of Mark Twain -- from Clemens birth through his rough and wild days in Nevada and San Fransisco, through until he became famous. He's not all that interested in what Twain did with the rest of his life -- the later books (aside from Huck Finn) only get a passing glance, as do the last 50 years of Twain's life. But, then, that's not what's important (or humorous) to the book. No, it's the young Twain, the wild Twain, the one that's observing, exaggerating, writing, figuring that's the interesting Twain.

It isn't a detailed book, though: there's facts but Fleischman is more interesting, it would seem, in the story that is Twain's life. It's not as dry as a typical biography, but then it's also not as detailed. Thankfully, Fleishman has a book list (in order of importance and relavance) in the back that will point anyone curious to know more about Twain in the right direction.

Most of all, though, Fleishman treats Twain probably excatly the way that Twain himself would want to be treated: with equal parts grace, humor and skepticism. Which makes it an absolutely wonderful read.

(It also made me want to go and re-read the works I've read in the past, as well as crack open Roughing It and Innocents Abroad, neither of which I've ever read. That says a lot about the book in and of itself, doesn't it?)

Chocolat

by Jeanne Harris
ages: adult
First sentence: "We came on the wind of the carnival."

I finished this a couple of days ago, but put off writing a review because I wanted to watch the movie again, mostly so I could compare the two. But, alas, the planets/stars/karma aligned against me, and I wasn't able to get a copy. Not willing to wait another week until I could get one (that whole bad memory thing), I'll just have to write my impressions of the book, and save the whole comparison thing for later.

Vianne Rocher and her daughter Anouk move into tiny, drab, sober, religious Lansquenet on Mardi Gras. Vianne decides that her services are needed in this village, and sets up a chocolate shop, La Praline. Because the world that Harris has set up is a magical one, Vianne is possessed with the ability to know each of the villiagers Favorites, and fairly quickly wins not only customers, but loyal friends. This rankles the villiage priest, Pere Reynaud, who is hell-bent on keeping his flock in what he determines is a straight line.

It sounds like a greater conflict than it really is. The chapters alternate between Vianne and Reynaud narrating, and by the end of the book, I didn't trust either as a narrator. Reynaud is despicable as a priest, more set on his right way rather than actually being a Christian. Vianne, on the other hand, is more set on finding the path of happiness through indulgence and freedom of desire. The book sets the Church up as wrong and oppressive, and Vianne as right and the way to True Happiness. Which isn't entirely bad, since Vianne does some admirable things -- things that a priest should have -- while in town. However, I got to the point where I felt that because she was actively working against Reynaud, fool that he was, she provoked him in ways that were unnecessary. I felt like the "true" story, as well as the moral center, was somewhere in between the two narrators. (Then there's the whole deal with Roux, the riverboat gypsy, but since I think I need to see the movie to fully formulate my thoughts on him, I think I'll have to give him a pass.)

While the writing was captivating at times, I suffered from the same problem I did in Dear Julia: too many French names, not enough lush description. Please, please, describe the smells, the textures, the tastes of the chocolate, not just the names. Harris is better at this, for she does delve into that at times, but not enough for my taste. I do have to admit that at times I was reminded of Isak Dineson's story" Babette's Feast", but there are quite a few stories about a woman's ability to work magic, and therefore change, through food.

That's not to say that the book is bad; I did enjoy it, for the most part. A friend of mine, when I told her I was reading this one, said that while she liked the book, she thought the movie was better. Perhaps this is just really one of "those" books.

Dear Julia

by Amy Bronwen Zemser
ages: 12+
First sentence: "When Elaine Hamilton was six years old, she told her mother she wanted to be a cook when she grew up."

Elaine Hamilton has been cooking since she was small. Her favorite person is Julia Child, and she decided very early on that she wanted to be exactly like her. Elaine's father bought her a boxed set of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (volumes one and two) when she was eight, and she has spent the last nine years memorizing and mastering the recipes. All but the lowly omlette; that she can not make.

Every time Elaine hits a snag in her cooking, she writes a letter to Julia Child. Except that she doesn't mail them. They sit in a trunk in her room, testimonies to her passion, her desire to be a chef, and... to her inability to make friends.

That is, until Lucida Sans (yes, she's named after the computer font) comes into Elaine's life. With a bang. Literally. They form an unusual friendship, that leads (because of Lucida's weakness for a certain handsome cad) to an attempt at a cable show and, ultimately, to the Young Chef's American Culinary Competition.

In some ways, the book is absolutely delightful. It has a fairy-tale quality (including what I thought was a hokey ending, that M pointed out it completly fit the fairy-tale-ness of the book) that was entertaining and charming. Both Elaine and Lucida were fun, sweet, enjoyable characters. Even the cad was amusing with all his preening and begging.

But, with all the sweetness, there was an underlying brashness. Elaine's mother, an old-school feminist and a Congresswoman, dislikes her daughter's love of cooking. In fact, the rest of the first page underscores this quite well:

"Oh, Elaine," she had said, hurriedly stuffing papers into her briefcase, "Can't you aspire to something higher? Twenty years since liberation and you want to stay home and slave over a burner?"

I wanted to throttle the woman. She spent the whole book underappreciating her daughter's ability (I can't even pronounce half of what Elaine can cook, let alone prepare it!), and trying to force her daughter to be exactly like her. (While Elaine's brothers are free to do what they will.) The nerve of the woman. (Can you tell this really bothered me?)

And then there's the tone of the book. The narrator bothered me at first, and while the annoyance went away, I was never fully able to lose myself in the book. (Perhaps this same critique can be said of The Disreputiable History of Frankie Landau-Banks?) I kept being bothered by the way the story was being told. And then there was the hokey ending. After finishing, I thought it was overly corny, but I can see M's point: there is a bit of the unreal, the fairy tale perfect about it. Which, while it rubbed me the wrong way, really does suit the book.

All that aside, what I really wished was that Zemser would spend time being more sensuous about Elaine's cooking. She dropped a lot of French words and terms, but never really described anything except the processes that Elaine used to make. I'd like to know more about the dishes (besides that they were delicious), about the smells, the sounds, the tastes. In the end, it left me not filled and satiated, as I was hoping, but empty, wishing for more.

Which is too bad. Because it was a cute little story.

Library Loot #8

I'm still putting a moratorium on books for me, since all the books I checked out nearly a month ago are due next week. *sheepish grin* What I did get:

For A/K:
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, Mo Willems**
Jumpy Jack and Googily, Meg Rosoff/Sophie Blackall
The Littlest Owl, Caroline Pitcher/Tina Macnaughton
The Day We Danced in Underpants, Sarah Wilson/illus. by Catherine Stock**
Do Knights Take Naps?, Kathy Tucker/illus. by Nick Sharratt
I am a Dancer, Pat Lowery Collins/illus. by Mark Graham
The Egg, M. P. Robertson**
Beauty and the Beast, Max Eilenberg/illus. by Angela Barrett
The Halloween Cat
Say "Ahhhh!" Dora Goes to the Doctor

For C:
The Road to Oz: Twists, Turns, Bumps and Triumphs in the life of L. Frank Baum, Kathleen Krull/Illus. by Kevin Hawkes
Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan, John Flanagan (it's what we're going to read out loud next)

For M:
The Lady and the Squire, Terry Jones/Illus, by Michael Foreman
Catalyst, Laurie Halse Anderson (I looked for Speak, but it wasn't in)
The Darkangel, Meredith Ann Pierce (figured a vampire book couldn't hurt)*
The Explosionist, Jenny Davidson (I'll probably read this one when she's done with it)*
Chosen, Ted Dekker (someone tell me if this is Christian fiction or regular fantasy... I couldn't quite figure it out...)*
Infidel, Ted Dekker*
Renegade, Ted Dekker

For me:
To Catch a Mermaid, Susan Selfors/illus. by Catia Chien

The roundup is at A Striped Armchair.

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

I Need to Read More Classics

I've seen people joining this challenge right and left, and it got me thinking. After the Weekly Geeks Classics week, I realized that there were a lot of classics that I had read, ages ago, and now can remember little to nothing about. That, and there's still a huge pile out there that I haven't read at all. So... sign me up.

I'm going to do the Classics Snack plus Bonus. My list:

1. My Antonia, Willa Cather
2. The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins
3. Tess of the d'Ubervilles, Thomas Hardy
4. Anecdotes of Destiny and Ehrengard, Isak Dineson

Snack: Atonement, Ian McEwan

Teaser Tuesday, February 24

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!

From Chocolat, by Jeanne Harris, p. 107:

The magic mountain opens to reveal a bewildering array, half-glimpsed, of riches; multicolored piles of sugar crystals, glace fruits, and sweets that glitter like gems. Behind this, and shielded from the light by the concealed shelving, lie the saleable wares.

The roundup is as Should Be Reading.

The Book of Nonsense

by David Michael Slater
ages: 10+
First sentence: "It was downright embarrassing to get treated so shabbily, especially after the way she'd gone on about how great the place was."

There are some books that grab you and won't let you go. Ones that you're dying to get to night after night, the ones that your kids beg you to keep reading. This one started out that way. It's an interesting premise: a book of "nonsense" that a couple of twins -- Daphna and Dexter -- discover is actually a key to an ancient language of magic. There's an evil, twisted villain, who's hypnotized the twins' dad, and is trying to kidnap Dapha so she'll work for him. There's Emmett, a creepy red-eyed bully. And, at the beginning, it's all very exciting and interesting.

But.

Yes, our circumstances didn't lend for reading every day: we were often sick or busy. But days would go by and C wasn't asking me to read. And the times when she did, and we couldn't, she wasn't horribly disappointed. And I wasn't terribly thrilled while reading it, either. The chapters were long, and we could never remember what had just happened from one to the next. So, we're abandoning it, and moving on to something else. Sure, we take the chance that we're leaving just at the best part, that something spectacular will happen to make the book absolutely fabulous, and we'd be hooked and can't wait for the sequel.

The problem is: neither one of us is terribly interested in finding out whether or not that's true.

Sunday Morning Meme-ing

Becky tagged me for the Six Things meme, and (aside from tagging, which never makes me happy) I'm happy to do it. :)

The rules: Link to the person who tagged you. Post six things that make you happy along with these rules. Then tag six others (letting them know, of course). Let the person who tagged you know when your entry is complete.

Six things that make me unquestionably, blissfully happy:
1. My girls (when they're being good and playing together well, or being funny. But not when they're screaming at each other.)
2. When Hubby comes home from a long trip (like last night).
3. Cake.
4. Girls Night Outs (whether it just be hanging with friends, or book group, or whatever)
5. Reading
6. Music (listening, playing, watching, dancing, whatever...)

And now for the hard part... six people to tag: softdrink, Charlotte, Sarah, Alysa, Andi, and Trisha.

Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge Roundup #7

This week's quote is from one of my favorite travel writers, Bill Bryson. He says:

But that's the glory of foreign travel, as far as I am concerned. I don't want to know what people are talking about. I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can't read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can't even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.

Review-wise, it was an infinitesimally slow week. (You can see all the reviews here.)

Tiny Librarian checked in this week with Dishing with the Kitchen Virgin, by Susan Reinhardt, a collection of "food stories, culinary missteps, and recipes from yummy to yucky." Tiny Librarian's verdict: "A quick, funny, foodie read, perfect for this challenge."

Lily read one of my all-time favorites, Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi. Lily writes, "For me, Azar Nafisi gave me the greatest gift a writer can give to a reader: a new appreciation for literature, which sadly and quite unconsciously I have started to take for granted." Very true.

And Amira checked in with Banker to the Poor, by Muhammad Yunus, which deals with microlending and the World Bank, two things I know absolutely nothing about it. Amira writes, "The book is recommended, although it didn't really clear up any of the controversy over microcredit, for me."

Here's hoping for more next week!

Ranger's Apprentice: The Siege of Macindaw

by John Flanagan
ages: 10+
First sentence: "Gundar Hardstriker, Captain and Helmsan of the Scandian ship Wolfcloud, chewed disconsolately on a stringy piece of tough smoked beef."
Release date: August 11, 2009

I haven't read any of these books, but M is a die-hard fan. So, when Abby was doing an ARC giveaway, I knew I had to enter for her. And I (well, she) won! Because it was a bloggy thing, though, I felt kind of like I should put up a review, and since I wasn't going to read the book, I thought it would be interesting for me to do a Q&A with M about it, instead.

Summarize the plot, but don’t give away the ending! In the fifth book, one of Will's (that's the main character) best friends, Alyss, is being held hostage by the evil Sir Keren, who is betraying the kingdom to Will's country's northern enemies. So, Will and his warrior friends plan a siege on the castle, Macindaw (hence the title), to save Alyss and the kingdom from their enemies.

What did you like most about the book? First of all: warriors and romance. Big, hulking, Viking-like people that are really stupid, but hilarious. Will's mentor, Halt, makes the book really good, though you don't see a lot of him. Will also makes the book really funny while he is seiging, with his romance problems. Hilarious.

What did you like least? That the good guys could do no wrong. Will's ideas always worked. Horace (that's the warrior friend) always killed his adversaries, and Alyss was a damsel in distress, which she wasn't in the 5th book. She was resourceful in the 5th book, but, no, as soon as she's caught and thrown in a castle, she's a damsel in distress and Will has to go and save her.

Who is most likely to enjoy this book? Why? Well, actually, I've gotten three or four boys reading the Ranger's Apprentice by saying "YOU'LL LIKE THIS BOOK." So. Anyone with imagination who likes fighting (the romance doesn't kick in until the sixth book).

What did you think of the main character? Will's funny, resourceful, smart, and any other good word you can think of because he's the main character and he has to be that way. Unfortunately. (And unlike Mr. Darcy.)

Any other particularly interesting characters? Horace -- really fun guy, and a really good warrior. The Sorcerer of Mackindaw (can't say his name). Really funny guy. I can't say more, because it would give away a major plot point.

What did you think of the ending? I'm waiting for the next book. Hand it to me now.

Really Quick

I don't usually do this, but before I left today, I checked my email and found this:

76 days until the release of Rick Riordan’s

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5: The Last Olympian

www.PercyJacksonBooks.com reveals cover image for the highly anticipated fifth and final book in Rick Riordan’s blockbuster series.

Rick’s blog, http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/, features exclusive short interview with Blackjack the Pegasus.

At 12:01 am EST, on Wednesday February 18^, 2009, www.PercyJacksonBooks.com will unveil The Last Olympian cover image. Leading up to the one-day laydown on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, Percy fans who visit the dedicated website (www.PercyJacksonBooks.com) will be treated to exclusive content that will be posted on a regular basis including: teaser videos, downloadables- chat icons and wallpaper, new never-before-seen character art from the series, discussion board/message post, an all-new quiz, and soon-to-be-announced sweepstakes information!

In addition to the interview with Blackjack the Pegasus on Rick Riordan’s blog (http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/), Rick will be sending out a series of inside details on a weekly basis about The Last Olympian that will only be available on Twitter: http://twitter.com/camphalfblood.

More exciting news to come!

We're all -- well, me, M and C -- are a bit fangirly about this. We can't wait!

Library Loot #7

A really, really small haul this week, entirely because I stopped by the library yesterday to return DVDs (and pick up new ones for the girls) because I'm out of town today and we won't get to do our usual library run.

However, I can't help but pick up books for M while I'm there (she can never have too many books):

Life As We Knew It, Susan Beth Pfeffer
Melting Stones, Tamora Pierce*
The Boy Book, E. Lockhart

Did you get anything interesting?

The roundup is over at A Striped Armchair.

*Ones that M eventually read.

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman
ages: 10+
First sentence: "There was a hand in the darkness and it held a knife."

This book has been read by practically everyone (if you haven't read it, why not?), and I don't have much to add. So, some not-so-random thoughts (since everyone else has written a review of it):

I agree with those (like Natasha, most recently) who don't like the cover or the illustrations. I'm not sure they added much to the book. And they just kind of weird. In cases like this, I'd much rather leave everything up to my imagination.

That said, I did like the story. It helped knowing it was patterned after Jungle Book; the pacing is a bit weird, and I think it would have bothered me if I didn't know it was a conscious decision on Gaiman's part to write it that way. But knowing that, I was able to put aside my irritations when they cropped up (which wasn't often).

That said, I loved the story. I loved the intensity of the first and second-to-last chapters. During those, at least, I couldn't put the book down. I loved Bod and the life that Gaiman imagined for him in the graveyard, including his relationships with the ghosts and Silas. There were moments of just pure wonderfulness, as well as small touches (loved the gravestones), throughout the novel.

I'm still trying to decide if it's the best fantasy I've read in a while, or even if it deserves the Newbery. I think so, if only because it's so different from anything else. Granted, different doesn't always mean good, but in this case, I think different is unique and interesting. Which is really the best way to describe Gaiman's work.

And this is no exception.

Teaser Tuesday, February 17

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!

My teaser this week is from Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before, by David Yoo

With Mia nowhere in sight, I felt a nervous tightness in my chest due to lack of experience looking my classmates in the eye (it was the equivalent of my more socially well-adjusted peers being forced to stare down mountain lions), but at the same time I felt deeply excited to be finally reintroducing myself to high school society. I took what felt like a ceremonial deep breath and began my first pass down the main wing.

The roundup is at Should be Reading.

A View of Jerusalem

by Erin Sheely Tolman
ages: adult (though it's perfectly suitable for younger readers)
First sentence: "On August 22, 2000, I departed Salt Lake City, Utah with 175 other college age students to travel to the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies located on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, Israel."
Review copy sent by the author.

I've never been to Jerusalem. Actually, to be completely honest, I've never really had much desire to go to Jerusalem. I'm just not a Middle Eastern, desert kind of gal. Even so, I do think, on some level, that religiously at least I ought to want to go to Jerusalem. Walk where Jesus walked and all that.

As such, I never expressed much interest in BYU's Jerusalem Center while I was at BYU. I knew people who went -- most notably Hubby's older sister and younger brother -- but I kind of thought, well, it's there. That's nice.

After reading Erin's book, I think I'd like to visit; it sounds like being in Jerusalem (and at the BYU center) is a singular experience.

This book chronicles her time in Israel, from her classes in the center, to her wanderings around the city itself, to some of the field trips scheduled by the professors. It also happens that she was in Jerusalem in September of 2000, when the Second Infintada -- the war between Israel and Palestine (though it seems like they are always at war) -- began. I expected more about her feelings and experiences being there at that time, and I was a bit disappointed with what seemed to be just a travelogue (though I did enjoy seeing Jerusalem through her eyes). Erin did get more into her thoughts and feelings (and those of her family watching the news at home) near the end of the book. I also thought it was a nice touch to add her feelings as her husband left for Afghanistan three years later; it brought the story full circle. The book is best, though, when Erin writes down her observations and thoughts about the city and the sights she is seeing; it can be very evocative, almost poetic at times. My only real regret is that we didn't get to see any of the photographs she so often talks about.

As a spiritual book, I wasn't terribly touched (but that may just have been me; I'm a hard soul to move...), though I appreciated that Erin was trying to share her testimony about Jesus and the places he was with others. I just wasn't able to connect on that level.

That said, it's a worthy reflection on her time in Jerusalem, an interesting memoir of her time in an interseting place. And worth reading.

Even More Matrimony Giveaways (and a winner)

I was neglectful, and didn't announce that I had picked a winner (though I was responsible and informed her and Mr. Henkin about it...). The winner of my Matrimony giveaway was (drumroll please):

Tammy

Sorry to all those who didn't win; thanks for playing. :)

Which brings me to the NEWS. Lisa, of Books on the Brain, tried to leave a comment (dang word verification) and couldn't, so she emailed me this:

Hi. I just wanted to let anyone who was interested in this book that did not win from Melissa that I am also running a Matrimony giveaway on my blog (along with a whole bunch of other giveaways this week).. so if you're really interested, come on by! The giveaway links are in my left sidebar.

I'll help you out: here's the link to her Matrimony giveaway. Go, give it another try. :)

WSR Challenge Roundup #6

A quick quote from A Map of Home, by Randa Jarrar:

There's no telling where home starts and where it ends.

I like that.

On to the review roundup:

Kim read The Ladies Auxiliary, by Tova Mirvis, the story of an Orthodox Jewish women's group in Memphis, Tennessee (of all places!). Kim writes, "Since the story is told by the women of this community there is a lot about the food and the preparing for Shabbos and all of the many different Jewish holidays. I found it all so interesting but the best part was the portrayal of the different characters and the relationships in this tight-knit religious community."

Amira read French Milk, and didn't like it, primarily, because "Her Paris wouldn't be my Paris. Of course, if I could spend 5 weeks in another country, I wouldn't even consider Paris." Enough said. :) She also read Love in the Driest Season, by Neely Tucker, which she did enjoy. She writes, "It’s the story of an American couple who adopts a baby from Zimbabwe in 1999 and 2000. It does follow Neely Tucker’s trips around Africa some, as a foreign correspondent, and can be graphic in those sections, but mostly, it focuses on the adoption. Before reading this book I’d read some misleading reviews that criticized the Tuckers, but I have to heartily disagree. "

Nicole read Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami. She says that while she didn't learn much about Japan from reading the book, she did enjoy the magical elements in the story, as well the riddles, which she "expected to be answered at the end and wrapped up neatly with a bow. Too bad for me -- there weren't any answers and I was left to my own devices." Still, it was a good experience overall.

We hit China this week! Erin managed it for us, reading Wild Swans, by Jung Chang. She writes, "Though I have read about China in other stories, this particular account was just painful to read...mesmerizing and fascinating but the atrocities committed by the leaders and citizens of China are so far beyond my scope of understanding it was difficult for me to absorb it all."

Bridget read Five Quarters of the Orange, by Joanne Harris, who also wrote Chocolat. Bridget writes, "So though I liked a lot about the book, I didn't really like the characters, and found the lack of regret or remorse about their actions during the war to be disturbing.... In a nutshell, it was a good read, but not as satisfying as I had hoped."

Mrs. B. checked in with two books: The Matchmaker of Perigord, by Julia Stuart (one sentence: "This book is charming, laugh-out-loud funny and unique.") and Low Country by Anne Rivers Siddons, of which she writes, "Here's something I love about ARS - her writing is real. So real it can't help but strike a chord in the reader somewhere."

And Lucia also checked in with two books: Letters to My Daughter, by Maya Angelou, which Lucia says, was "An interesting and beautiful read but it left me wanting more and felt as if it ended too abruptly."; and A Map of Home, by Randa Jarrar, which Lucia describes this way: "The novel is essentially a coming of age novel with the backdrop of war, intense cultural transitions and collisions, and the angst of adolescence. At times funny, gritty, heartbreaking and very hard to put down."

A great week! Happy reading, everyone.

Geeky Naming

For this week's edition of Weekly Geeks, we're going to take a closer look at character names. What are some of your favorite character names?

Go to Google or a baby name site like this one or this one, and look up a favorite character's name. What does their name mean? Do you think the meaning fits the character? Why or why not?

If you'd like, look up your own name as well and share the meaning.

Just for fun, I asked my girls.

M said: Philippa Gaunt, from The Children of the Lamp series, by P.B. Kerr. Philippa's source is Philippos, a Greek name meaning "Horse lover." The character loves animals, so M thinks it fits. Though Philippa prefers cute, cuddly animals to horses.

C said: Gregor from Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins (which took a bit for her to get into, but she really, really liked). Gregor's source is Gregorios, a Greek name meaning "Vigilant." She thinks it fits because Gregor is really, really concerned about watching over his little sister, Boots, in the underland.

I'm going to pick Arwyn from Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien, but you knew that), mostly because it's the only character name I've ever considered giving one of my girls. (It was A, if you must know, because she was born a week before Return of the King was released. And yes, I am that sort of geek. I didn't, in the end, because I figured she would kill me when she grew up.) Arwyn's source is a Welsh expression meaning "Muse." And yes, I do think that fits, especially in the books, because Arwyn doesn't actually do anything, but sit around being pretty and inspiring Aragon.

And, for good measure, my name's source is a Greek expression meaning "Bee or honey." Which seems to fit, since I always need to be doing something.

And the Winners Are:

From the blog:

The 2009 Cybils Winners

Easy Readers

I Love My New Toy
written by Mo Willems
Hyperion

I Love My New Toy is a perfect example of an early reader book. Using simple, repetitive text and charming illustrations, Mo Willems gives the youngest reader a title full of emotion, humor, and action. Children can easily relate to this wonderful story of friendship at its worst and its best.

Fantasy & Science Fiction

Middle Grade

The Graveyard Book
written by Neil Gaiman
HarperCollins

Transcendent writing and wry bits of humor brought The Graveyard Book to the top of a strong field of contenders. Gaiman pulls off the trifecta of a ripping plot, nuanced characters and sublime prose. He submerges the reader into standard horror subject matter but freshens and modernizes it, never being predictable. The orphaned Nobody Owens, or Bod to his other-worldly friends, is being raised in a cemetery, where he masters a few tricks of the ghostly trade. His guardians have to hope it's enough to protect him from the assassin who killed Bod's family, and who lurks somewhere beyond the graveyard gates. This riff on the Jungle Book balances humor, heart and darkness, creating a winning read.

Young Adult

The Hunger Games
written by Suzanne Collins
Scholastic

The Hunger Games wins for its broad crossover appeal, complicated moral issues, and sociopolitical satire. In a richly imaginative twist on a familiar dystopian landscape, Suzanne Collins creates a deadly game using child combatants to explore the dehumanizing effects of war and violence. Katniss struggles against overwhelming odds while being groomed and polished for what could be her televised fight to the death. At each agonizing choice or fearful alliance, the reader is confronted with the same questions Katniss faces. How far would you go to save yourself? Can you meet violence with violence, yet preserve your humanity?

Fiction Picture Books

How to Heal a Broken Wing
written and illustrated by Bob Graham
Candlewick Press

This deceptively simple book achieves so much more than telling the story of a boy who notices a wounded bird in a busy city. By alternating single and double-page spreads with clusters of small panels, Graham creates almost a film strip of time passing. The artistic technique lends both intimacy and urgency to the boy and his family’s precarious mission to save the injured pigeon. The text is commendably lean, supporting the strong visual narrative and keeping a lighter touch to the theme. The cartoon-style, watercolor illustrations provide the perfect tone, and the accessible story offers connections for picture book readers of all ages. For all of these reasons, How to Heal a Broken Wing distinguishes itself as the rare picture book that speaks quietly, yet has volumes to say about courage, kindness, and hope.

Graphic Novels

Elementary/Middle Grade

Rapunzel's Revenge
written by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
illustrated by Nathan Hale
Bloomsbury USA

“What made this book stand out to the judges was that it takes a well-known story and does something recognizable, but unique, creating an adventure which readers of both sexes can enjoy. Those readers will get swept up in the rawness of the emotions presented. The art is bright and leaps from the pages, but the images don’t overshadow the story or mask weaknesses in the plot. The story and images carried the weight equally, were well-paced, engaging, and generally solid.”

Young Adult

Emiko Superstar
written by Mariko Tamaki
illustrated by Steve Ralston
Minx

“This title rises above a traditional outsider/teen angst tale because of its protagonist's interest in her local performance artists, a subject that hasn't been done to death in YA. The story is also novel simply because it's about a teen exploring art and find how it can change you. Ralston’s art is an important aspect of the story, working in tandem with Tamaki’s unique story.”

Middle-Grade Fiction

The London Eye Mystery
written by Siobhan Dowd
David Fickling Books

Brother and sister, Ted and Kat, take their cousin Salim to see the London Eye, the city's gigantic Ferris wheel. While Ted and Kat watch, Salim gets into one of the glass pods, but thirty minutes later he doesn't get off. So the siblings set out to find their cousin. Complicating the situation, Ted's brain "runs on a different operating system" from other people's, which makes him a lot better at facts and figures than he is at reading people. Narrated in Ted's voice, this is a page-turner that brings London to life and takes readers inside a powerfully rational mind. The London Eye Mystery shows off kids' natural ingenuity and proves that difference can be a strength, as Ted and Kat work to solve the irresistible riddle of their cousin's disappearance.

Non-Fiction MG/YA

Non-Fiction Picture Books

Nic Bishop Frogs
written and illustrated by Nic Bishop
Scholastic Nonfiction

Nic Bishop is known for his jaw-dropping nature photography. Open a book cover with his name on it and you'll be greeted with stunning action shots, exquisite attention to detail, and sharp, sharp close-ups that inspire awe. Couple that with Bishop's equally crisp, up-close and personal writing in Nic Bishop Frogs, and you've got an award-winning combination of text and illustration that captures a child-like wonder about a topic that is anything but new. That's quite a feat. Bishop's language is interesting and playful, and his analogies and references are right on, squarely aimed at where kids' heads are at. Simple word choices never talk down, but will allow newish readers to find success easily. The book flows logically, covering life cycle, defense, diet, habitat, and other essentials you'd expect to find in an animal book, but the organization is refreshingly kid-friendly, meandering through the topics as though Bishop and the reader were having a conversation while sitting in a marsh waiting for a frog. It's intimate and personal and accessible---frogs as you've never seen them before. Fascinating process notes are sure to inspire young photographers.

Poetry

Honeybee
written by Naomi Shihab Nye
HarperCollins

Honeybee is a hybrid of delicious poetry and lyrical prose poems on wide-ranging themes blending science and observation alongside personal memoir and political challenge. There are ideas buzzing here that young people have probably felt in their gut, but may not have verbalized. Isn't this what poetry is supposed to do?

Young Adult Fiction

Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The
written by E Lockhart
Hyperion

It's a setting we know. It's a theme we're familiar with. But with The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, E. Lockhart takes common features of teen fiction and turns them into a smart, fun, multi-layered, action-filled, coming-of-age story with a unique treatment and fresh voice. Frankie's feminist-fueled and P.G. Wodehouse-inspired antics at boarding school are hilarious, but also tinged with the sometimes-harsh truths of growing up. A book complex and clever enough that wildly diverse readers will each take, and love, something different out of the narrative.

Becoming Jane Austen

by Jon Spence
ages: adult (though it could be read by 12+, if they're interested)
First sentence: "In 1704, the presumed heir to the Austen family fortune, John Austen, lay dying of consumption at the age of thirty-four."

Shall we start with another confession? (I'm in a confessional mood this week...) I picked up this book because I recently got the movie from Netflix and it made me curious about the book. (I saw the movie in the theater when it came out and had the same reaction, but never followed up on it.) I also recently saw Miss Austen Regrets, too, and between the two, I really wanted to know what was fact, and what was fiction.

Well, in the case of Becoming Jane, a lot was fiction. But that's getting ahead of myself.

In this biography of Austen's life, Spence takes a look at how Austen's life is intimately reflected in her work. I haven't ever read a biography of Austen before, so I'm not quite sure how it measures up scholarly, and I won't say it's a brilliant biography, but it's a good one. Spence's writing is accessible and interesting (though I think at times he gets a bit annoying with his perhapses and possiblys, but then since Cassandra burned most of their letters, it's hard to know much about Jane, and a lot of it is perhaps and possibly...). And a lot of it is because Jane herself (probably much to her chagrin) is an interesting person. Or, at least, has become interesting because of her books.

So. What did I learn? Well, first off, the whole Jane-Tom Lefroy thing is only 15 pages in the book, and it's all very sketchy. Spence asserts that, at least in Jane's mind, they were in love (engaged possibly), and that affected her writing. She wrote "First Impressions" (which became Pride and Prejudice) around the time she knew Tom, and Spence writes this:

The energetic intensity of Pride and Prejudice attests to the effect that falling in love had on Jane Austen. It is an irrepressibly happy novel. Between October 1796 and August of the next year Jane wrote "First Impressions"; it was her unique way of thinking about Tom Lefroy and celebrate her delight at being in love -- and at being loved. The novel that she later called "my own darling Child" was to be a gift of love for Tom Lefroy.

I have no idea if this is true, but it makes sense.

I also liked that Spence points out Austen's propensity to switch genders from what she observes to what she writes. Tom -- witty and clever -- became Elizabeth, while she -- reserved with strangers, seemingly haughty, yet loving to family -- became Darcy. It happens others. I also enjoyed learning about the ebb and flow of her life and how it affected her work. Aside from P&P, Spence spent the most time on Mansfield Park, since that book had the longest gestation (10 years) of all her novels. He said this (which made me rethink at least my reaction to the novel):

We think we ought to like Fanny Price more than we do the fine, handsome Bertram girls and the warm, lively Mary Crawford. That it is difficult to do so, in our feelings and our reason, is precisely what Austen was determined to show. Our values tell us one thing, our hearts another. Mansfield Park is Austen's most profound attempt to capture this inevitable confusion of feelings in human life -- and her strategy was to make readers themselves confused in their own feelings about the characters in the novel.

And this:

Nothing is fixed and definite, and paradoxically the appearance of everything being so heightens our sense that it is not. Austen creates such a strong, distinct possibility in Mansfield Park that things did not have to turn out as they do that we are left in confusion. What might have happened is as real as what did happen. This disturbs us, makes us angry. We have been arguing vehemently with Jane Austen about the ending of Mansfield Park for two hundred years, exactly as she intended.

Fascinating, no? (Well, maybe not. But I thought so.)

Anyway. He does touch on all her other novels (though not so much on Northanger Abbey; it does tend to get slighted), as well her juvenalia and the fragment of the book she was writing when she died. I felt like the book ended abruptly, but overall I enjoyed the glimpse into Austen's life; I think reading about her actually does heighten the enjoyment of her books, even if the whole Tom Lefroy thing was a bit blown out of proportion. And this is a good place for those of us without the desire to go and write a thesis on her, to get that knowledge.

The Bermudez Triangle

by Maureen Johnson
ages: 14+
First sentence: "The host stood at his podium under the pink-and-yellow neon arch and surveyed the three girls who had just come through the door."

Things you need to know: Nina, Mel and Avery are best friends. Have been forever, or at least since they were five. The summer before their senior year, Nina heads off to Stanford to attend a conference. And Mel and Avery, left at home working dead-end jobs at a local restaurant, realize that they're in love. Or at least think they are. And when Nina comes home, everything changes.

Why this is controversial: Mel and Avery are girls. Yup. There're gay characters. Well, only one of them ends up being "really" gay (is that such a thing?); the other's just wondering and questioning and trying to figure herself out. Obviously, this is disturbing to (many) people.

Why this is silly: They're just people, kids trying to figure things out. And Johnson's exploring whether or not a friendship could handle the stress of two of them dating (and hiding it; I think the hiding it was the most stressful part), and how these individual characters, who think they have known all about each other, would deal with something as monumental as one of them coming out of the closet.

My favorite thing: the guys. Actually, just Parker. He's a guy the girls pick up as a friend... and he's just awesome. There when they need him, willing to lend a smile or a shoulder. He was great comic relief, as well as just being an all-around good guy. Is it bad that in a book full of girls, I like the guy best? The girls, themselves, seemed a bit cardboard for my case (the overachiever, the aggressive one, the shy one), but I found that over the course of the book they kind of grew on me, especially Mel. In the end, she was my favorite. But, I still like Parker best.

It's a good book -- not my favorite of Johnson's -- but a good, solid story, one where friends stick it out through thick and thin, and realize that sometimes being friends -- just being friends -- and having friends is the most important thing.

Library Loot #6

The roundup is over at A Striped Armchair.

Small haul yesterday. I tried to keep it light so I can catch up on the large pile by my bed...

For A/K:
Dora's Day at the Beach
Gabriella's Song, by Candace Fleming/Illus. Giselle Potter
Valentine's Day, by Gail Gibbons**
Arthur's Valentine, by Marc Brown**
Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up?, by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson/Illus. Laura J. Bryant
Pirates, Ho!, by Sarah L. Thomson/Illus. Stephen Gilpin**
Twelve Terrible Things, by Marty Kelley
What To Do About Alice?, by Barbara Kerley/Illus. Edwin Fotheringham**
There's a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales, by Zoe B. Alley/Illus. R.W. Alley**

For M:
The Magician, by Michael Scott*

For me:
Graceling, by Kristin Shore*

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

The Four Agreements

by Don Miguel Ruiz
ages: any
First sentence: "Thousands of years ago, the Toltec were know throughout southern Mexico as 'women and men of knowledge.'"

This begins with a confession: yesterday I completely and utterly lost it with the kids. It was over something ridiculous -- they had eaten some cookies that I had set aside for a dinner I was taking to someone else yesterday evening -- but I totally and completely wigged out. (No one was hurt, though all were scared.)

In the course of trying to calm down, my eyes fell upon this book, and I picked it up to flip through. And ended up reading the whole thing. I'm not saying it changed my life, but it did calm me down, give me a handle on what had just happened, and helped me focus on fixing what had just happened in a positive manner.

The basic premise is the Toltec principles of four agreements, things that can help you change your perspective and attitude toward others by changing how you react to others. Through these principles, if you apply them in your life, you will find a peace, a happiness, that alludes most people. Granted, I found a lot of the book a bit hokey and overly new-agey for my tastes, and the writing style was chatty and felt a bit off. I'm also not sure it should be taken as a "cure all" for everything. But. It did help calm me down. And the four agreements -- being impeccable (careful) with your word, not taking anything personally, not making assumptions and doing one's best -- are good things to live by. And maybe, if everyone picked this up and read through it, if only to find out just exactly what Ruiz means, then maybe the world would be a happier place. (Though, I suppose I shouldn't wish for world happiness, just personal.)

At any rate, it was food for thought.

The Adventures of Boone Barnaby

by Joe Cottonwood
ages: 9+
First sentence: "I live in San Puerco, California."

I picked up this book because the author was so kind to email me, praising my blog (and my "shoot-from-the-hip style" -- my immediate was: "Okay? Not something I would think of myself...") and announcing that he's re-released his title as a podcast. Here's what he wrote:

I've just re-released my novel Boone Barnaby. What's new is that this time, it's a podcast. Scholastic in 1990 published The Adventures of Boone Barnaby as a middle grade novel (for a podcast, I had to shorten the title so it would show up on tiny ipod screens).

Maybe I'm breaking new ground here. Does a podcast qualify for a review? (And if not, shouldn't we catch up with what kids already accept as normal?) It's a way to engage kids, especially boys, in a literary story. No vampires, no superheroes. I was going to bring out a new print edition, too, but as long as Amazon is selling old copies for a penny, I can't compete - and there are probably ten thousand copies still out there in garage sale land. Meanwhile, I've made it available as a PDF for a free download.

There's no money in this for me. The podcast is free (dowloadable from iTunes), the PDF is free (from my website), even the one-penny copies on Amazon earn me no royalties. I'm just reviving a good book - and enjoying the new world of podcasting.

We went back and forth a bit about podcasts... here's where I confess that we're a (teeny) bit behind the times around here: when I asked M if she would listen to a podcast of this book, she asked, "What's a podcast?" Obviously, that wouldn't work. We don't have iPods, and as I have mentioned before, listening to a book (if it's outside of a car during a long drive) just doesn't work with my lifestyle. So, the compromise I came to was read the book (my library is awesome) and review it, and mention that you can get it as a podcast. (I've already done that part.)

It's a very good book. Boone is a 12ish (I'm not sure if we ever got his age; if we did, it's not sticking in my brain) kid, living in a small town in California (northern, I guess, because of references to Redwoods). He's a pretty low-key kid, not really great but not bad either. Then one fall, everything seems to change (it's called the "Banana Effect": bad -- or good -- things always come in bunches). Some of it's for the better: Babcock moves in, the town's pathetic soccer team begins winning games, Boone outsmarts the local miser in the Trashathon: an event to raise money for the soccer team to go to Australia for a tournament. But some of it's for the worse: Boone's father is arrested on suspicion for arson (the pub is burned down, and his father just happens to have been walking around late at night with a can of gasoline), his friend Danny's family is going to be evicted, and he has a run-in with the town's homeless man, Damon Goodey. Sure, everything works out in the end, but it's not the end that matters in this book, but rather the journey. It's a coming of age story, where Boone realizes that growing up doesn't hold all the answers as well as figuring out a few of his own rules. Not to mention how he fits into the grander (well, maybe not grander, but at least larger) scheme of things. It's a straightforward story; Cottonwood doesn't write down to his readers, instead just laying out the "facts" and letting the story, and characters, speak for themselves. And although there's some thoughtful themes in it (segregation, racism, drug use -- in the parents' past -- and honesty, among others), it doesn't harp on them, or beat them into the reader.

So. Find the book (buy it for a penny plus shipping at Amazon!), or download it on your iPod (because I'm assuming that most of you have one...). It really is worth the time.

(Another) Matrimony Giveaway

(This is a sticky post; scroll down for newer posts...)



There is a review coming, I promise, but I feel like CRAP today, and can't think straight. I still wanted to get this up though. Joshua Henkin has been darling enough to 1) work with (and be patient with) me -- he first offered me this book back in November, and 2) offer up a SIGNED copy of the book for one wonderful reader of my blog. I know reviews of this one are floating around; if you're even remotely interested in the book, or would like to give it to a friend/spouse/significant other for Valentine's Day, enter away. I'm too tired to think of anything special; just leave a comment with a contact email. If you spread the word on your blog, I'll enter you twice; just be sure to come back and let me know that you've done that.

I'll leave the post up until Feburary 10th at midnight; I'll have one of the girls pick a winner the morning of the 11th; that way, you should be able to get your book by Valentine's Day.

Good luck!

Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles

by Rupert Kingfisher
ages: 8-12
First sentence: "In the city of Paris, on the banks of the river, tucked away from the main street down a narrow winding alley, there is a shop."
ARC sent by the publisher.

Madeline is the niece of Monsieur Lard, the owner of The Squealing Pig, a (not-so-respected) restaurant in Paris. Lard would love to be a world-renowned chef, famous for his delicacies. Unfortunately, his cooking is, well... bad. Horrible. Awful. And, on top (since it has to be this way), he's a horrible, awful, bad person as well, treating his dear, sweet niece as a servant in his restaurant. She's the dishwasher, one that's often forgotten and much abused. Except, she (in her heart of hearts) would love to be a chef, too.

One day, the restaurant runs out of Monsieur Lard's favorite (albeit horrible) pâté, Madeline is the only person free to go to the market to get new pâté. She doesn't go to the market, though; she ends up at Madame Pampelmousse's shop, a dark, dingy, out-of-the-way place that somehow holds the key to all edible delights. Madeline brings back some new pâté, which infuriates her uncle, until it's served. It immediately becomes a sensation, and The Squealing Pig the hottest spot in Paris. Except Lard is unhappy with this turn of events, and he's determined to get the recipe, so he sends Madeline in as a (unwilling) spy. What she discovers, there, is a whole new world, as well as a new way of cooking.

It's a very cute story and a very cute book -- from the way the story is told as well as the illustrations. I loved the touch of magical realism, how the food is magic, but only just-so, and only for those who truly deserve it. It was fun to read; funny in some parts, but mostly just smile-inducing. The book made me happy.

I kept wondering, though, who would read this. I'm not sure it would appeal to an eight year old -- there are difficult words (how many third graders know pâté?), as well as the occasional "damn" that might put parents off, not to mention an odd (if cute) sort of storyline. But, it's too spare and simple for an older reader; M had no interest in reading it, and not just because she goes in for food books. And it's almost too bad that it has no built-in audience. Because it's truly a little gem.

Teaser Tuesday, February 10

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!

From Becoming Jane Austen, by Jon Spence, (which I'm reading in little bits at a time) p. 111:

Jane must have made excuses for him to herself -- his studies, his difficult uncle. But the fact remained that he did not come.

The roundup is at Should be Reading.

The Dragonfly Pool

by Eva Ibbotson
ages: 10+
First sentence: "I don't think you ought to be crying at your age."

This was a great sick day read (even though it took me two, since that's the way my life ran this weekend). Light, fun, and terribly cute (with dark overtones), it was the perfect thing for my addled brain to handle. (I'm also feeling slightly uninspired as I write; my brain isn't quite un-addled just yet.)

It's 1939 London, and Tally is happy living with her two aunts and her father. Except the prospect of war is looming, and her father is concerned for her safety, so he sends Tally away to Delderton, a boarding school in the west of England. Tally doesn't want to go, but once there, finds it an absolute heaven. Teachers that engage the students (rather than lecture), a loving, nurturing environment, and, of course, bosom friends. Then a letter comes inviting Delderton to a folk dance festival in the country of Bergania, and Tally basically bullies everyone into going. There, they meet the crown prince, and become involved in saving his life after the assassination of his father.

It goes on from there, but that's basically the major plot points. I suppose some would say that she glossed over the war (it kind of just happens), but I don't think this is a war book; rather, it's more about friendship and duty and class and choosing one's own path than adventure and romance (though there is adventure; romance is pretty understated). Ibbotson's writing drew me into the book and held me there (even though I did the pickup-putdown dance quite a bit); I thoroughly enjoyed the alternate world, as well as the delightful characters, that she created.

I think I'm going to stop there. For more coherent thoughts (and why I picked the book up in the first place), read Fuse's review. Or, just go read the book. It really is quite lovely.

Matrimony

by Joshua Henkin
age: adult
First sentence: "Out! Out! Out!"
Review copy from the author.

This is a quiet novel. I think that's the best way to describe it. A sweeping portrait of everyday life, focusing on the ebb and flow of the relationship of Julian and Mia from the time they met as freshmen in college through to the birth of their first baby nearly 20 years later. There's drama -- divorce, infidelity, deaths -- but, the novel doesn't focus on the drama, but rather how that drama affects everyday life.

That's not to say that the book was boring. It wasn't. Rather, it was often just ordinary. Julian and Mia meet, live together, go to grad school, have a falling out, get back together, move to the Big City, and have a kid. Every day things -- dealing with who's going to wash the dishes or the stress of graduate school -- took the forefront. But I think that was the purpose; to find the elegant in the every day. Sometimes, though, I thought that the scenery -- Ann Arbor for much of the book -- took the forefront. Like Julie, I found it difficult to get past the descriptions of the cafes, streets, or everyday workings of Ann Arbor in the book. The Fab Five? (You're really from Ann Arbor if you know who they are.) The Art Fair? The Arboretum? The Diag? Zingermans? Caribou Coffee? It's all there. I think the only thing he didn't mention was The Rock at the corner of Hill and Washtenaw. I don't know why this got in the way for me; perhaps it's because I'm from the Ann Arbor area, though it's been nearly 20 years since I lived there. But in a sense, I felt like Henkin was trying to showcase the town, which is all fine and good, but it seemed to get in the way of the story.

In general, though, I liked the book, the quietness of the book. I liked that the characters were all generally likable, even if they weren't always doing likable things. I liked Julian's struggles as a writer -- how it was a struggle for him to find the novel that was waiting inside him (though I have to admit I often found it a bit pretentious, I felt like telling him to just do it already). And, as the title suggests, there's much about the give and take in a relationship -- being committed to each other, supporting each other's dreams. I liked that it wasn't perfect, that there were times when Julian and Mia had problems and fights and couldn't seem to get things quite right. But, on the other hand, they weren't horribly messed up with horribly messed up families, dealing with back-biting and dischord in their lives. It was refreshingly... well... normal.

In the end, while there was nothing really to shout about, nothing really that bowled me over enough to say "Wow, this book is great," it was a good read.