June Jacket Flap-a-thon

I read 27 books this month (the 48 Hour Challenge helped...), which is nearly double my "usual" monthly total. Sometimes, I feel like I'm insane for reading SO much (not as many as some... I know that...). Other times -- like this past weekend, when I was talking to the wife of one of Hubby's friends (she's an aspiring YA writer) -- I realize how much I don't know, how many books I haven't read, and I wonder if there will ever be time enough to read them all.

Am I the only one who feels this way? (Probably not.)

Starting with the one worst:
Wintersmith (HarperTempest): "At 9, Tiffany Aching defeated the cruel Queen of Fairyland. At 11, she battled an ancient body-stealing evil. At 13, Tiffany faces a new challenge: a boy. And boys can be a bit of a problem when you're thirteen. . . . But the Wintersmith isn't exactly a boy. He is Winter itself—snow, gales, icicles—all of it. When he has a crush on Tiffany, he may make her roses out of ice, but his nature is blizzards and avalanches. And he wants Tiffany to stay in his gleaming, frozen world. Forever. Tiffany will need all her cunning to make it to Spring. She'll also need her friends, from junior witches to the legendary Granny Weatherwax. They—Crivens! Tiffany will need the Wee Free Men too! She'll have the help of the bravest, toughest, smelliest pictsies ever to be banished from Fairyland—whether she wants it or not. It's going to be a cold, cold season, because if Tiffany doesn't survive until Spring— —Spring won't come."
It's not so bad, but it doesn't really draw the reader in. It's more dorky than anything, and this book is anything but dorky.

And on to the better stuff:

Whales on Stilts! (Harcourt, Inc.): "Monstrous Thrills! (Startling teeth! Cellos in fast cars! Photocopy repair!) Gruesome Chills! (Okay, maybe not that gruesome, but we're trying to sell a book here.) Sidesplitting laughs! (Ouch. This is why my friend Bill wears a girdle). Swaying above them, outlined against the fresh morning sky, were the ominous shapes of the whales. They towered thirty feet high, their eyes glowing. They had spread their flukes. They drooled from their wet baleen. Lily stopped on her bike and stood for a second at the crest of a hill. She stared with horror at the scene of destruction down in the valley before her. The whales stepped on used car dealerships and a putt-putt golf course. They burned down trees in a trice with their laser-beam eyes. They stalked on rows through the countryside. They had to be stopped."
I didn't do this justice: the jacket flap cracked me up. Like the book.

Poison Study (Luna): "Choose: A quick death and hell or slow poison and hell. About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear."
This is one of those books that, had I been browsing, I would have picked up because the jacket-flap copy is really intriguing. A good balance between being enticing and not revealing too much.

Wicked Lovely (HarperTeen): "Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty-especially if they learn of her Sight-and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens. Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries. Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer. Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention. But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King, who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. His is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost-regardless of her plans or desires. Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; everything. Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning twenty-first-century faery tale."
Again, a good balance of intriguing and not giving too much away.

Other books read this month:
Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass
Don't Call Me a Crook!
How Not to be Popular
The Painter from Shangahi
Clementine
The Chosen One
Here Lies Arthur
Magic Study
Fire Study
Hat Full of Sky
Manga Shakespeare: The Tempest
Forever Rose
The Talented Clementine
Keturah and Lord Death
Tales from Outer Suburbia
Girl Force
Atonement
Girl at Sea
Garden Spells
The Talisman Ring
That Summer
Ink Exchange
Alcatraz versus the Scrivener's Bones
Nation

Nation

by Terry Pratchett
ages: 12+
First sentence: "Imo set out one day to catch some fish, but there was no sea."

Mau is just a boy in the Nation -- an island in the Pelagic Ocean -- he's off on Boy's Island, in between souls, when the wave hits and wipes out his island. Left alone, he is despairing: how could the gods do this to the Nation? Then he meets Ermintrude (hereafter known as Daphne, since it's a much more sensible name): a girl from England, who was on a ship that ended up crashing on the Nation because of the wave. At first -- because this is how all things go -- they were wary of each other, but then, when other refugees see the fire and come toward the island, they begin to forge a new Nation of their own.

I'm not terribly schooled in the world of Terry Pratchett, having only read the Tiffany Aching books, but I loved this one. It's nothing like the Tiffany Aching books (and probably nothing like the Discworld ones, either), but it's absolutely engrossing in its own way. M was just asking what it's about, and it's about many things: love and loss, religion and science, exploration and stagnation, discovering and retaining. But, it's mostly the story of two people who figure out new ways of doing things, who find truth in the little things, and who manage to create something out of what had become nothing. It's got all of Pratchett's signature touches: the world is 90% ours, but it's just off enough to make it fantastically different and wonderful. It's full of love and life and humor. It doesn't have a something-magical-happens ending (like in the Tiffany Aching books); in fact the ending is as far from magical as possible, and just about perfect.

In short: it's storytelling at its finest.

Buy it at Amazon, Powell's, or your local independent bookstore.

Book to Movie Friday: Jane Austen Book Club

I was looking for something light and fluffy the other night, and I lit upon this one searching in the Netflix instant play (can I tell you how much I love Netflix? I LOVE Netflix. A whole lot.). I remembered liking the book well enough, and I figured that while the movie wouldn't be great, it might be enjoyable in a shallow, mindless, fluffy way. So I gave it a shot.

Afterward, when I checked my review, I was surprised how much the movie kept of the book, at least superficially. I don't remember if the specifics were the same, or even if the arc of the story was the same (I think the book covered a longer time span then the movie did and maybe events were mix-mashed), but honestly, I don't think it mattered. The plot was still mostly non-existent: the movie (like the book) just being an excuse for people (some screwed up, some more or less together) to sit around discussing, and possibly learning from (and learning to like), Jane Austen's books. Which is not something I can argue with. I liked it.

I liked Hugh Dancy as the computer/sci-fi geek the best. The women were mostly stereotypes (the eccentric, the divorced woman, the gay younger woman, the control freak, and the screwed up one), but he was refreshing in the midst of all that estrogen. As time went on, and he learned more about Austen (when he first started he thought they were all sequels, which cracked me up), he actually had some refreshing insights (or at least the screenwriters gave him some) into Austen's work. Which makes me wonder what Hubby would think about them, if he ever got around to reading them.

Verdict: probably as good as the book. Maybe better because it has Hugh Dancy in it. :)

Ink Exchange

by Melissa Marr
ages: 14+
First sentence: "Irial watched the girl stroll up the street; she was a bundle of terror and fury."

Leslie has not had an easy life. With a deadbeat dad who drinks away everything she can earn, and a druggie brother who actually sold her body for drugs, things are not as cheerful as she makes them seem. She's afraid, she feels out of control. Which is why she wants a tattoo: to do something to herself for herself.

But the tattoo that calls to her is a dangerous one: it's the mark of the faerie Dark Court king, Irial. His court is barely surviving with the peace that has been established between the Summer and Winter courts. The Dark Faerie feed off of negative emotions: greed, lust, revenge, fear... and with peace there isn't as many of those hanging around. And when Irial discovered that he was drawn to Leslie -- as she was to him, even if she didn't know it -- he realized he could use their connection to feed his court: use Leslie as a conduit for mortals' emotions.

This however has some unexpected consequences. First, Niall -- advisor to the Summer King -- is in love with Leslie, and even though he's a Gancanagh (they're addictive to women) he's more than willing to do anything to protect her. Second, Leslie, while she's attracted to the world at first, eventually realizes that this is no way to live.

It's a dark novel, but less harsh than expected. Also, while it's repelling in its subject matter, and the characters are not as likable as they could be, it's an incredibly compelling read, as addicitive as Niall is to women. Which is a good thing, because it has a very satisfying and quite heroic ending. And that does much to help offset the darkness of the world Marr has created.

Buy it at Amazon, Powell's, or your local independent bookstore.

Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones

by Brandon Sanderson
ages: 10+
First sentence: "So, there I was, slumped in my chair, waiting in a drab airport terminal, munching absently on a bag of stale potato chips."

I enjoyed the first one in this series enough that I should have jumped at the chance to read the second, especially after Becky's and Tricia's reviews reminded me how much I liked these.

The book picks up where Evil Librarians left off, basically (it's been more than a year since I read the last one, and I didn't really feel like I was missing anything). This time, however, Alcatraz needs to find his grandfather who has gone searching for his father in the (dreaded) Library of Alexandria (you only thought it was destroyed). Teamed up with Bastille and having met his uncle Kaz and cousin Australia -- oh, and being chased by a member of the Scrivener's Bones, a half-human, half-Alivened machine-thing that's pretty ominous -- he heads down into the bowels to see what he, and his Talent of Breaking things, can do.

Going back and rereading my review for Evil Librarians, I found that my reactions were similar: while I liked the snide comments, the tongue-in-cheek-ness, it also simultaneously annoyed me. I did think quite a few times as Sanderson/Alcatraz took detour after detour in the narrative that maybe it was several times too many. That maybe the fish and shoes and other distractions were a bit much. But, aside from that, it's still a very enjoyable journey, with lots of asides about authors and writing (The Honorable Council of Fantasy Writers Whose Books are Way Too Long -- the good old THCoFWWBAWTL; or the aside about serial killers wanting to read these books because they have some vendetta about the author, in which case, the author is not Brandon Sanderson or Alcatraz Smedry, but rather Garth Nix, who lives in Australia) that have absolutely nothing to do with the plot, but are entertaining nonetheless.

At any rate, even though it's not as good as the first one, I'm still interested in where the story will go. After all, Alcatraz, torturer that he is, left us with a bit of a cliff-hanger. Which makes me curious.

Buy it at Amazon, Powell's or your local independent bookstore.

Library Loot #24

Things I love about my library:
1. They catch books that we own that have mysteriously *cough* ended up in the library pile and get them back to me.
2. They commiserate with A, whose experiencing a bit of a loss because we got rid of our cats.
3. They chat with me about the books in my pile...
4. I can generally get everything I want, within reason, of course.
5. They're just so danged nice.

I love my library. :)

For A/K:
Maisie Moo and Invisible Lucy, by Chris McKimmie
Boomer Goes to School, by Constance W. McGeorge/Illus. by Mary White
The Bravest Knight, Mercer Mayer
George and Martha, James Marshall**
Adele & Simon, by Barbara McClintock
Mirette and Bellini Cross Niagara Falls, by Emily Arnold McCully
Just a Minute, by Bonny Becker/Illus. by Jack E. Davis
Tea for Ruby (Paula Wiseman Books), by Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York/Illus. by Robin Preiss Glasser (A book that belongs on the BACA list instead of requisite Dora book...)
A Tree for Emmy, by Mary Ann Rodman/Illus. by Tatjana Mai-Wyss**
Lazy Little Loafers, by Susan Orlean/Illus. by G. Brian Karas

For M
City of Bones (Mortal Instruments), Cassandra Clare*
City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments), Cassandra Clare*

For me:
I have decided that July is going to be ARC and Challenge month, so I'm going to lay off on checking books out, since those usually get precedence. Hopefully. At any rate, both of these are for challenges...
Story of a Girl, by Sara Zarr
Echoes From the Dead, by Johan Theorin

The roundup is either at Reading Adventures or A Striped Armchair.

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

That Summer

by Sarah Dessen
ages: 13+
First sentence: "It's funny how one summer can change everything."

I figured the best way to tackle the Sarah Dessen Challenge is to start at the beginning and work my way through to her most current one (Lock and Key excepted, of course.) And since this was her first book, I figured it was the best place to start.

There has been a lot of change in 15-year-old Haven's life in the last couple of years. First, her dad -- sportscaster Mac MacPheil -- cheated on her mom with the weather woman -- in one of those horrid name instances, Lorna Queen -- and then they got divorced. Her older sister Ashley, who has spent her life bouncing from one boyfriend to another, and her have had a strained relationship for years. And the fact that Ashley has settled on boring Lucas (at least I think that's his name), and is getting married in 29 days doesn't help. On top of that, her mother is talking about going to Europe with a group of friends for an extended trip, and thinking about selling the house.

The only thing real in Haven's life, it seems, is the past. And she remembers one of Ashely's boyfriends -- Sumner -- best. He was the light in their life. He was what brought their family togehter. And it was after Ashley uncerimoniously dumped him on Halloween that Haven's life started falling apart around her.

So, when Sumner shows back up in Haven's life (right before Ashely's wedding), she knows its Fate, a Sign.

The book follows Haven as she comes to terms with the changes in her life. And while it's enjoyable, it's not as fun or as engrossing as the other Dessen book I read. I wonder if she's the type of author where the first book you read is your favorite... At any rate, it's not a bad story, and at times I felt like Dessen captured a 15-year-old absolutely perfectly. It's a difficult, awkward age, and to throw so many changes at the poor character... lets just say I was rooting for it all to come out okay. And I wasn't disappointed.
Buy it at Amazon, Powell's or your local independent bookstore.

For Fun

There's a why do you blog survey that I saw over at things mean a lot (which I will probably -- maybe -- do), but first, I had to copy Nymeth's wordle idea...

I really like mine. :)

The Talisman Ring

by Georgette Heyer
ages: 13+
First sentence: "Sir Tristram Shield, arriving at Lavenham Court in the wintry dusk, was informed at the door that his great-uncle was very weak, not expected to live many more days out.

For about a year now, I've seen reviews of Georgette Heyer's books floating around the book blogs, and I've thought to myself that I ought to give one a whirl. But it wasn't until Becky's review of this book that I hit upon the perfect Heyer book to start with.

Think of Heyer this way: one part Jane Austen, one part P.G. Wodehouse, and one part Oscar Wilde, with some Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alexandre Dumas thrown in for good measure (and adventure). In short: absolutely delightful.

There's an incredibly complex plot and a huge cast of characters, but all you really need to know is there are three cousins: Sir Tristram, severe and definately unromantic; Eustacie, young, French, silly, and desiring of an Adventure; and Ludovic, the heir to the Lavenham's fortune, yet wrongly exiled for a murder he didn't commit. Everyone at some point or other ends up at an inn where they meet Sir Hugh and Miss Sarah Thane, there is many Adventures (daring and otherwise), they flush out the Real Bad Guy and everyone lives Happily Ever After.

The real charm is in the sheer silliness of the novel. It's a book about some of the silliest people I've ever "met", which (of course) makes it absolutely hilarious and charming and plain fun to read. It's not high literature by any means, but it's definately worth the time.

Of course that means I'm going to go find another book of Heyer's to read. Any suggestions?

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's or your local independent bookstore.

Geeky Challenges

This week's geek (it's been a while, but there hasn't been one I've felt an urge to participate in... sorry...) asks us about Reading Challenges:

Reading Challenges: a help or a hurt? Do you find that the reading challenges keep you organized and goal-oriented? Or, do you find that as you near the end of a challenge that you've failed because you fell short of your original goals? As a result of some reading challenges, I've picked up books that I would have otherwise never heard of or picked up; that, frankly, I have loved. Have you experienced the same with challenges? If so, which ones? Do you have favorite reading challenges?

Breaking it down...

Reading Challenges: a help or a hurt? Do you find that the reading challenges keep you organized and goal-oriented?
I started doing challenges a couple of years ago because I realized it was a way to knock books off my TBR list. Which is my #1 rule with challenges: all the books have to come off of my TBR pile/lists. (Which isn't always possible, depending on the challenge I choose to join.) Also, I'm very deadline-oriented, and so having a finish date to work towards helps me finish all the books that I'd like to read.

As a result of some reading challenges, I've picked up books that I would have otherwise never heard of or picked up; that, frankly, I have loved. Have you experienced the same with challenges? If so, which ones? Actually, I'm pretty terrible (*blushes*) about reading other people's reviews for specific challenges. That is, except for the one I host. (Which is part of the reason I started hosting the challenge... that, and I like feeling a part of something bigger than myself.) And, yes, for that challenge, I am amazed at the books people pick out, and I have gone on to read some amazing books that others have recommended.


Do you have favorite reading challenges?
I really only join ones that I know I'll like -- I'm pretty bad about expanding my reading circle, though I did to the RIP challenge last year...), but out of those, I like: Carl's Once Upon a Time (the only challenge that I can say I've participated every single time in). I liked Leslie's Armchair Traveler challenge a couple of years ago. And Becky's YA Romance last year. Trish's Classics Challenge is helping me work through books that I've needed to reread for a while. And Mother Reader's 48 hour Book Challenge, is an immense amount of fun. (Should I be self-serving and say I liked how the Well-Seasoned Reader challenge worked this year?)

Girl Force

A Girl's Guidebook for the Body and Soul

by Nikki Goldstein
ages: it's meant for teenage girls, but can go as young as 9/10

Review copy sent to me by the publisher

When this book came in the mail, it was snatched out of the pile almost immediately. My two oldest daughters -- M, age 12, and C, age 9 -- read through it, and were enthralled with the ideas in it. It's not only a personality quiz, which are always fun, but a program to help teen girls get a handle on their busy life. Even though they're both slightly younger than the audience Goldstein probably had in mind, they decided to embark upon a program to see if the ideas that Goldstein put out really worked. I noticed them often pouring over the book, writing things down, trying different foods (and beauty concoctions), and exercising more frequently than they used to. I sat down with them, a month into their project, to chat about the book.

There are three body/personality types: Earth, Fire and Air. What are each of you?

M: I'm an Air... kind of a eccentric personality, everywhere at once, impatient, enthusiastic and quick to learn. It's a petit, slim, small body type with out of control hair.

C: I'm a Fire...I'm open to other people's ideas, but I like to put my ideas out first. A born leader, passionate, outgoing, confident, and competitive. It's a medium size, athletic, strong body type. Fire's usually have blonde or red hair, and brunettes are pretty rare. I've got dark hair.

I came out as an Earth; between the three of us, we've got the entire book covered. What I want to know is if you think the description fits you?

M: It's actually one of those quizzes that are fairly right. Even though I'm more a fire skin type, with the red hair and fair skin, the Air type fits me really well.

C: I kind of have a bit of Earth in me -- my skin and hair are more Earth -- but yeah, I'm mostly fire.

M: Everybody has a little bit of everything. It's just focusing on your dominant energy.

Tell me a bit about the program in the book.

C: Goldstein tells you more about yourself, and getting used to people around you. It helps you become a bit more confident, and makes you a better you.

M: It's a journey to self-love using different eating habits and exercise plans to help you become healthy and fit, and to help you be happy with who you are.

How about specifics?
M: She has lists of food that are better for your body types. There's a stress management plan.

C: There are exercise recommendations for each body types, as well as yoga poses for each body type.

M: There are schedules you can follow if you need helping coming up with your plan.

C: It's there to help you become a better you.

M: It's suggestions rather than recommendations. She does this in a way that makes you actually want to try this program.

Tell me what you've learned about yourself from the book.

M: I've learned a lot about exercise and eating, habits and the actual method that she uses -- an ancient medical system of India called Ayurveda -- that's really neat. It says that, "everyone has a unique Body Type made up of the elements Air, Fire and Earth and when you tap into the elemental-energies that dominate your bod and mind you'll be destined for a happy, healthy and balanced life."

C: Yeah, I agree. I learned many tips about colors that will look best on me, and ways to take care of my skin. It was all very interesting.

You two have been following the ideas put out in the book for about a month now. Has anything in your life changed?

M: We really haven't been doing everything for a month, and we haven't tried a lot of the things the book mentions because we don't have all the supplies, but what we have tried we've liked. It has helped me manage my stress more, and stopped me from eating chocolate 24/7. Which is good.

C: For me, I've learned more about my eating; I need to have less condiments than I used to. I need to also lower my amount of chocolate, too. Because chocolate isn't as good for me as other things that are sweet but have less sugar.

M: I haven't been able to try the exercise recommendations, because it's been cold out and Airs aren't supposed to be out in the cold.

C: I've been able to do some of my exercise recommendations, like jogging and biking, and I've liked them. But I haven't been able to go swimming yet.

Any thing else you've learned from the book?

M: It's helped me appreciate nature more.

C: It's helped me be less stressed, and helped me try new things that I didn't think I liked to do.

Has it helped you think about yourself better?

M: Goldstein's given me the direction I need to figure out things about myself. She starts you on the path, and lets you find your own way. She's very open that way. I do think about myself better than I did before.

C: I did think less of myself than I do now. Whenever I looked at myself before, I would think that I need to stop and put on makeup to be pretty. I also thought that I was a little fat. Now, I know it's just my body type. I seem to be more open to other people's types and ideas now, too.

M: Goldstein tells you to read all of the types so you can get a picture of each type. And because of that, she helped me understand C better, so it helped with our relationship.

So, are you going to keep trying the program she sets out in the book? Why?

M: Yes: because it's helped me balance my life more, as she's promised, and it's fun.

C: I agree; also, it's helped me enjoy many different things in my life.

Will you recommend this book to others?

M: It's designed for teen girls, but any girl would probably benefit from this.

C: Yeah. It's for older kids, because it talks about a lot of things for older kids, but I've enjoyed doing it, too, even though I'm younger than the age she wrote the book for.

Tales from Outer Suburbia

by Shaun Tan
ages: 11+
First sentence: "When I was a kid, there was a big water buffalo living in the vacant lot at the end of our street, the one with the grass no one ever mowed."

Someone -- Tricia? Andi? Heather? -- wrote in a review I read recently that one doesn't read Shaun Tan books as much as experience them. Which I totally have to agree with: this isn't a book (it's not even really a proper graphic novel; more like a grown-up picture book; it reminded me of a more sophisticated Stinky Cheeseman) as much as it is an experience.

I also wasn't expecting this book after reading The Arrival. It's got the same surrealness, but I wasn't expecting, well, words. The stories were odd, to say the least, but that's one of the things I like about Tan: he takes the everyday and makes it fantastic. There are fifteen short stories in this collection, and all of them sound quite ordinary -- The Nameless Holiday, Alert by not Alarmed, Stick Figures, Eric, and my favorite, Distant Rain -- and yet, there's this element that turns it from the ordinary to extraordinary: the art.

As was evident in The Arrival, Tan is an amazing artist. Which is really why you should pick up this book: to marvel at the genius that is Shaun Tan.

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's, or your local independent bookstore.

Keturah and Lord Death

by Martine Leavitt
ages: 12+
First sentence: "I was sixteen years old the day I was lost in the forest, sixteen the day I met my death."

I'm trying to get a handle on this book. I really liked it, don't get me wrong, but it's one of those books that's really hard to sum up. Keturah gets lost in the woods for three days, and is visited by Death -- in the form of a man. She pleads, cajoles for her life, and it doesn't work. Then, Scheherazade-like, she tells Death a story, withholding the end until the next day. She heads back to her village, suddenly aware of how blessed she is for just being alive. As the story progresses, her stories and bargains with Death become increasingly more varied -- she bargains for lives of those in her village, mostly because she cannot bear to see them die. As an addendum for all this, she has to find her one True Love, for only if she finds him and marries him will Death truly set her free. Full of earthy magic -- it strongly reminded me of A Curse Dark as Gold -- high romance, mystery and Life Lessons, it truly is one of those tales that could be called timeless.

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's, or your local independent bookstore.

Library Loot #23

M is off to camp this week, and I didn't have any holds to pick up (there are books on hold; they just haven't come in), so it's a really really small week.

For A/K:
Rosie's Ballet Slippers, by Susan Hampshire/illus. by Maria Teresa Meloni
Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, by David Soman and Jacky Davis**
Some Things Are Scary: No Matter How Old You Are, by Florence Parry Heide/Illus. by Jules Feiffer
Annie Rose Is My Little Sister, by Shirley Hughes
Who Wants an Old Teddy Bear?, by Ginnie Hoffman
I Am NOT Going to School Today!, by Robie H. Harris/Illus. by Jan Ormerod
The Great Paper Caper, by Oliver Jeffers
Dora Saves Mermaid Kingdom! (Dora the Explorer) (requisite Dora was in this week)

For me (and M, if she wants):
Beastly, by Alex Finn*

The roundup is either at Reaing Adventures or A Striped Armchair.

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

Wicked Lovely

by Melissa Marr
ages: 14+
First sentence: "The Summer King knelt before her."

Aislinn can see faeries.

Granted, that's not always a good thing. She's not supposed to let on that she can see them, especially since they tend to get vindictive when they find out. So, for her whole life, she's been going around pretending that what she can see doesn't exist.

It works out fine, until one -- Keenan, the Summer King -- starts paying attention to her. See, he's been bound by Beria, the Winter Queen, and he will not have his full power until he chooses one to be his queen. She has to willing give herself to him, and if she isn't the One, she will carry the curse of the Winter Queen. Not an easy fate, and something that not many girls will choose. And it seems that for Keenan, Aislinn is The One. Except. She's in love with Seth, an ordinary mortal, which makes things slightly more complicated.

You have everything in here: urban fairies, kicking heroine, love triangle (of sorts), faerie mythology, good overcoming evil... there's nothing to not love. Except, while it was good and gripping and intriguing, I felt disconnected from it all. The was something missing, that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Or maybe it was just disconcerting to read a dark faery tale, one where everything was harsh and edgy. However, it wasn't enough to keep me from being curious as to what happens in the next book. I guess that's a good thing.

Buy it from: Amazon, Powell's or your local independent bookstore.

The Talented Clementine

by Sarah Pennypacker
ages: 7-10
First sentence: "I have noticed that teachers get exciting confused with boring a lot."

Clementine's school is having a fundraiser for the big spring trip. All the grades are pairing up to do something (car wash, bake sale), and the third and fourth grades are having... a talent show ("Talent-Palooza, Night of the Stars!"). Which is all fine and good, except Clementine doesn't have a talent. Can't sing. Can't dance. Can't even hop. (Has problems sitting on occasion.) So, in her own unique and hilarious way, she sets about trying to find a talent to share for the show, from begging her friend Margaret -- who has talents to spare -- to borrow a talent from her (in which she glues beer bottle caps -- the bottles were full -- to the bottom of her sneakers) to attempting to create her own talent (in which she puts a leash on her baby brother, whose name she keeps changing to different vegetables, in order to have a trained dog). Of course none of these work, and as the date for the talent show creeps closer, the stress (for Clementine, as well as for the reader) mounts. Will she be able to find a talent for the show in the end? Of course. And it's pretty impressive -- and very Clementine-ish -- and quite delightful what she comes up with in the end.

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's or your local independent bookstore.

Forever Rose (Reread)

by Hilary McKay
ages: 10+
First sentence: "I do not like it when people shout."

When I read this for the Cybils last November, my review wasn't really a review, more like a bemused reaction to never having heard of the Casson family before. Since I didn't write a "proper" review, and since I read the last one first, I figured I ought to go back and revisit Rose after having read the other four in the series.

I'm so glad I did; while it's still funny, and sweet, and entertaining, and enjoyable, and I'm still in love with the Casson family, it's a much more poignant book now that I know the "history".

Without giving too much away, a year and a half after Caddy Ever After ended, it's Christmas time and Rose is at home, alone. Eve is sequestered in the shed with illness (she, very sensibly, doesn't want to spread germs); Bill is still in London, though he's become increasingly dissatisfied with the arrangment (finally!); Caddy has disappeared after taking off in hopes of finding Michael; Saffy and Sarah are busy with school and are rarely home; same with Indigo. The only person left in the whole empty house is Rose, which she doesn't like. Especially since it's darker earlier. She doesn't like that every one is still bossing her around: she is in Grade 6, after all, and while no one wants to worry about her, no one remembers that she doesn't like worring about them. There's also a subplot about Rose figuring out the magic of stories, which is very sweet (yay for fairy stories!). Typical to the Casson family books, it doesn't stay that way: it begins when Indigo's friend David starts coming around after fighting with his mother, and eventually, the house becomes full again.

There's so much to love about this series, and I found this one to be a very satisfying end to the series (on the one hand, I do want it to go on, and watch them all grow up -- but Rose has a blog to help with that -- but this one did end remarkably well). Rose has always stolen the books from under her siblings, and to have a whole book focus on her works really well (especially since this one is much less soap-opera-y than the last book that focused on only Rose). As I said before, it's quite poignant; there's little references here and there to events in all the books: from Saffy's angel and the picture Rose drew on her first day of school, through to the catastrophe of Caddy's wedding (and everything inbetween).

I'm so glad I was introduced to the Casson family. I'm sure they're books that I will revisit periodically when I need a smile or a pick-me-up. Because they're just so loveable. Especially Rose.

Buy it at Amazon, Powell's or your local independent bookstore.

Manga Shakespeare: The Tempest

by William Shakespeare/Illustrated by Paul Duffield
ages: anyone interested in Shakespeare

Since my on-line book group began reading a Shakespeare play every summer, I've struggled with the form. First of all, I think Shakespeare should be seen, not read, and I've found that just reading the text isn't at all beneficial for me. I have tried watching movies and reading it at the same time (watch a scene, read a scene), and that works all right.

But now I have Manga Shakespeare! It's like reading and seeing the play simultaneously: very helpful. (Actually in the spirit of full disclosure, I read the graphic novel once, read the introduction to the play in our Riverside Shakespeare, and then read the graphic novel again. And it worked beautifully.) I liked the drawings: it made it easy to figure out who was who, and even though I never quite got a grasp of the setting (it was this weird hybrid between modern and historical), it didn't really bother me. I'm not one to comment on manga having never read it, but I do have to say that this was an excellent way to read the bard.

As for the play itself: I liked it. Reading the scholarly introduction helped, because it clued me in to the nuances of the play that I didn't get the first time around (like why it ended the way it did). It's a silly little play (not as funny as his comedies, though) with people wandering around the island, and a thwarted assasination attempt, fairies and sprites, and love at first sight (which was not as gag-inducing as many other love-at-first-sight plotlines).

Anyway. I'm not going to go out and recommend that you read The Tempest, but I will recommend Manga Shakespeare as a way to read the Bard. It's really a very good way to access the plays.

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's, or your local independent bookstore.

Garden Spells

by Sarah Allen Addison
ages: adult
First sentence: "Every smiley moon, without fail, Claire dreamed of her childhood."

The first thing I noticed about this novel is the descriptions. It's there in the first sentence: "smiley moon" rather than crescent, or even sliver of a moon, sure. But, it doesn't stop there; it's scattered throughout the book. Addison's talent, at least in my opinion, is not necessarily in plots or characters, but in lush, memorable descriptions of small-town South, with a magical twist.

Claire is a Waverly, which means she tends to a garden and knows its secrets -- what the plants can do to a person -- and how to use them. She runs a successful catering business, and everything is just fine, until her estranged sister, Sydney, moves back in town -- she's on the run from an abusive boyfriend -- with her daughter Bay. Oh, and art professor Tyler moves in next door. Of course, Sydney will have difficulties readjusting to small-town life in Bascom, North Carolina. Of course there will be conflicts with her old school friends (who never really were her friends, and I felt the sub-plot was a bit forced, and kind of unnecessary). Of course Claire and Tyler will fall in love. Of course there will be a happily ever after.

But that's not the point. The point is the nurturing and the giving and the growing. The point is characters like the sisters' aunt, Evanelle, who's magic is to give things. The point is family and belonging are what really matters. The point is Southern summer days. The point is food that makes you feel, makes you love, makes you regret. The point is an apple tree that wants to be a part of the family. The point is sentences where you can nearly feel and smell what they are describing.

And the result is a magical, sweet, delightful summer read.

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's or your local independent bookstore.

Girl at Sea

by Maureen Johnson
ages: 13+
First sentence: "Lightning flashed over Big Ben, and a bruise-like darkness draped over the dome of St. Paul's."

Ah, Maureen Johnson.

When life has got you down, or you need a bit of a pick me up after that really depressing novel, who else do you turn to provide a distraction? (Well, there are others, but since this is a review of Maureen Johnson's book, we'll just assume that she's the best at it.)

I would say that this story is much like the others (except it's nothing at all like Devilish or Bermudez Triangle): Clio, 17 years old, plucky artist, has a crush on Ollie who works at the local art store. What better way to get close to him than to work at the same store for the summer? Except fate (and her father) get in the way: he proposes (and since her mom's going to be in Kansas -- of all places, it's so horribly boring here -- she's been force to accept) that Clio spend the summer with him. On a boat. Off the coast of Italy.

Sounds horrid -- and to some extent it is; since her parent's divorce, Clio and her father have been estranged. To help with the pain of... the weirdness of it all... there's Elsa (who is your stereotypical Scandanavian Beauty: voluptuous, gorgeous, blonde... and nice) to be her friend. And Aiden -- stuffy, snarky, Yale-educated -- whom she can't seem to get a handle on (even if we all know where it's headed. Most deliciously headed.)

Sure the plot's probably predictable, and some of the characters are one-dimensional (the over-protective mom, the snobby English workaholic who's dating her dad, her dad's buddy...), but that's not why we read the books. Or why we like Maureen Johnson. No, we like these books because she captures that sweet romance, that first blush of falling in love, that *sigh* moment absolutely perfectly.

And we all need a little bit of that in our lives once in a while.

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's, or your local independent bookstore.

Atonement

by Ian McEwan
ages: adult
First sentence: "The play -- for which Briony had designed posters, programs and tickets, constructed the sales booth out of a folding screen tipped on its side, and lined the collection box in red crepe paper -- was written by her in a two-day tempest of composition, causing her to miss breakfast and lunch."

Ah, modern classics. Pages and pages of well-written, often beautiful, always complex exposition. Character development through psychological intricacies, with much telling, little showing. Pretentious in their understanding of human nature, but little or no plot to hang any of their characters on.

They bore me to tears.

Actually, I'm sounding harsher than I mean to; I did like aspects of Atonement -- the idea that one person (though I'm having a hard time picturing her as 13; more like 9 or 10) can misinterpret situations, let their imagination run away with them and as a result affect many lives because of that is intriguing -- but I had a hard time connecting with anyone. I also admit that I'm impatient (perhaps this is a negative side-effect of reading too much YA?) with books that take so long (more than 100 pages in set up) to get going, and then spent the other 2/3 of the story spinning around unraveling anything. I would have appreciated it if McEwan was more forthright in his writing, rather than leaving me to dig out plot points amidst all the extraneous thinking, musing, and suffering.

It was wonderfully written, though. I just wish it would have been more plot or character driven. Then again: it's the same problem I have with Dickens. I'm just not a good judge of literary talent.

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's, or your local independent bookstore.

David Ebershoff at Watermark Books, and a Giveaway

I had the pleasure of going to an author signing (my first! I should get out more...) at Watermark books featuring The 19th Wife author David Ebershofff.

First off, I have to back Natasha up on this (she's mentioned it in comments on my review as well as elsewhere): he's an incredibly personable, interesting, and, yes, nice person. He's also thorough, respectful and fair. If I had met him before reading the book, I would have been less suspicious of his motivations and more open to what he was trying to do when telling the story. (And to answer my own question: yeah, I'm probably reading too much into the novel.)

I won't go through his whole hour-long interview/talk (though he didn't do any actual reading from the book, which mildly disappointed me; I was curious as to what he would have chosen), but I'll give you a few of what I thought were the highlights. (And I'm just winging this since I've never done it before!)

Sarah Bagby, the managing director of Watermark ran the discussion, and started him talking about how he decided to write The 19th Wife, especially since he said that he wanted to write on a subject that he, as a reader, would find interesting. Something that stood out in his explanation -- he talked a bit about Ann Eliza Young and her history, as well as his contact with polygamous communities -- was a little side comment that he gave as a response to our laughter about him visiting polygamous communities: "To write a book you have to be bold but a little bit naive; you have to be open to things."

As part of the research for the story, he talked to many women who have left polygamous families, and discovered that the more he got into the story, the more stories there were. He said that their stories, while unique, were all variations on the same story, on Ann Eliza's story. It always begins with them being devout in their faith, a certainty in their belief. But then something happens to crack the faith, and then something else to shatter it, and then they leave. He also interviewed women in the compounds he visited, but was always wondering how they were viewing him, wondering if they were holding things back. But his conversations with them informed the character of Jordan's mom. In the end, he realized that while the historical part of the book was about the woman's story, the modern section needed to be about the children, because both were affected by polygamy.

One of the more interesting things, to me at least, was his mention that on the surface, polygamy is titillating, something sexual, but if you dig down, there's a lot of complex issues beneath the surface: faith, religious freedom, right to privacy -- core American values. "Polygamy pushes these values and asks if we really believe in them, are there limits? And if so, who sets them?" He said he doesn't think that there's any one way to look at the issue, his goal was to raise up a set of questions for the reader but not necessarily provide answers for them.

He mentioned the raid on the Texas polygamous compound last year, and noted that the reaction of the media to that was very similar to the media reaction to Ann Eliza. I thought that was an interesting comparison.

Something I, as a Mormon, appreciated was his repeated statements that current polygamists don't have anything to do with the LDS church. (He wasn't out to compare the church to a cult; that was just me!) And that he had positive experiences while researching Ann Eliza. I asked about the character of Kelly Dee. He said that it kind of came from what he was trying to do: taking all of the disjointed parts of history and pulling them together. He said that while working on the book, he met young, intelligent, curious Latter-day Saints pursuing this part of their (and my) history. They were devout and faithful, yet open and curious. He felt like he needed a character like that to tie these stories together.

I could go on -- he talked about the research he did and how he worked on capturing Brigham Young's voice (and that it was intimidating and challenging, but that as a writer, he likes a challenge); and how his experiences having three older sisters informed his writing, among other things -- but I'll just end by saying that it was an enjoyable evening, and I'm glad to have had this opportunity to go out. I ought to do this more often! (And keep a better eye on who comes to this part of Kansas. Ally Carter is coming on Saturday, and M would love to go, but we have a previous commitment, and can't make it.)

Finally, if any of this has piqued your curiosity: I'm giving away TWO signed copies of 19th Wife! Just leave a comment saying that you're interested. Make sure there's an email address where I can contact you. Only open to U.S. and Canada residents, sorry. :) I'll draw the winner on Sunday, June 14th.

Library Loot #22

Note to self: going to the library at 10:15 is a REALLY bad idea. It's crawling with people going to story time (which we don't do in the summer because it's too crowded). And there are no books in (which is to be expected, since it's summer). Maybe we'll find another time/day...

Can you guess the letter of the week? :)

For A/K:
Rhyming Dust Bunnies, by Jan Thomas**
The Last Chocolate Cookie, by Jamie Rix/Illus. by Arthur Robins**
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop, by Chris Raschka
Ruby's Dinnertime, by Paul and Emma Rogers
My Favorite Things, Rogers & Hammerstein/Illus. by Renee Graef
The Carousel, by Liz Rosenberg/Jim Lamarche
Won't You Be My Kissaroo?, by Joanne Ryder/Melissa Sweet
Cinderella Skeleton, by Robert D. San Souci/Illus. by David Catrow**

For M/C:
Coraline: The Graphic Novel, by Neil Gaiman/P. Craig Russell*

For M (she forgot her library card today):
The Sterkarm Handshake, by Susan Price*
A Sterkarm Kiss, by Susan Price
Haveli, by Suzanne Fisher Staples

For Hubby:
Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon, by Melissa Anelli*

Rechecked out because I want to read them and they got returned before I did:
Nation, by Terry Pratchett
Alcatraz Versus The Scrivener's Bones, by Brandon Sanderson

The roundup is either at Out of the Blue or A Striped Armchair.

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

Wintersmith

by Terry Pratchett
ages: 12+
First sentence (not including the Nac Mac Feegle glossary): "When the storm came, it hit the hills like a hammer."

I got this email from Laura from Life after Jane yesterday that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. She says,

You never get just a story with Pratchett. You get life lessons and a unique way of looking at things. I’ve heard him called the Douglas Adams of fantasy fiction but I have to disagree. If you ever read any of the Hitchhiker’s Guide series you’ll notice that fabulous and witty as it is, Adams clearly didn’t like people. With Pratchett I’m always amazed how he can poke fun at the silly, pettiness of people while at the same time expressing a very real and warm love of them. I always finish his books feeling that he has a very profound point and that he really just adores everything and everyone.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about it because she's absolutely right. It's the reason why his books are so delightful -- even if they're not quite as soaring as the other books in the series -- why you find yourself laughing out loud or nodding in agreement: because Pratchett cares, and it comes across in the writing.

Like the other two books in the Tiffany Aching adventures, the plot really isn't what matters. It's the characters -- in this one we have the Wintersmith and Roland, who are both infatuated with Tiffany, even if she's not really that interested, and Nanny Ogg whom you just want to hug, as well as ones from the other books -- and the little nuggets of wisdom or humor that are littered throughout. My mom said that she thought these were good "girl" books, but I'll take it a step further: these are just good books.

And Pratchett is definitely a good writer.

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's or your local independent bookstore.

Don't Call Me a Crook!

by Bob Moore
ages: adult
First sentence: "It is a pity there are getting to be so many places that I can never go back to, but all the same, I do not think it is much fun a man being respectable all his life."

I thought this one sounded interesting -- the memoirs of a Scotsman -- Glasgowian -- who traveled the world, being, shall we say, less than respectable. So, when I was offered a review copy, I said yes.

But. Call it timing, call it mood, call it I'm not too into less-than-respectable characters, but three chapters in -- after he's gotten thrown off a ship, was disappointed that he couldn't fly planes and kill people in WWI, stolen a bucket load of diamonds, married and all but abandoned his wife -- I decided that Bob lived much too much of an adventuresome life for me. And I wasn't all that interested in it, anyway.

Go see Suey's husband's review for a more positive outlook on the book, though. Maybe it's just a guy book. :)

2009 Challenge #3: Once Upon a Time III

One of the side effects of the 48 Hour Reading Challenge is that I finished this one. I don't think I've ever done that this far before June 20th though...

I read:
Wee Free Men, Terry Pratchett
Aurelia, by Anne Osterland
Fire and Hemlock, Diana Wynne Jones
The Ordinary Princess,
Here Lies Arthur, Phillip Reeve
The Last Olympian, Rick Riordan

And, amazingly enough, I had a banner year: there was not a bad book in this bunch! Yay!

Thanks, Carl. As always, this was a blast.

The Chosen One

by Carol Lynch Williams
ages: 13+
First sentence: "If I was going to kill the Prophet," I say, not even keeping my voice low, "I'd do it in Africa."
Review copy sent by a publicist, I think.

This one first hit my radar back in February, when Sarah reviewed it. Since then, it's been popping up here and there, and always with the same result: people love it.

It's tough to read, it's disturbing and unsettling, but it's beautifully written, and ultimately hopeful. In short: it's one of those books that won't leave you alone even after you've finished.

Thirteen-year-old Kyra is part of The Chosen Ones, a community of polygamists in an unspecified desert. She's not been an especially happy member of the community -- she loves her family, but isn't quite sure about the Prophet -- and when the Prophet tells her that he's had a vision of her marrying her 60-year-old uncle and that the wedding will take place in 4 weeks, Kyra knows she has to get out. Except that getting out is much, much harder -- and will cost more -- than she can realize.

It has a premise similar to The Patron Saint of Butterflies -- exploring the boundries between faith, belief and control and the effect religious communities have on children -- but The Chosen One takes it to a new level. Sparse and effective, Williams writes a novel that reads like poetry. And every word, carefully chosen, adds to the tension of Kyra's plight. The book grips you, sticks with you, and leaves you hanging in its wake.

And then you will get up and gush about it, too.

Promise.

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's, or your local independent bookstore.

48 Hour Book Challenge Final Post

Last year, I got all musing and reflective and said that I wasn't sure I'd do it again.

But, when Mother Reader announced it, I found myself wanting to be a part of it, and looking forward to it, and planning for it, and in the end, having a good time.

What changed?

First of all, this year, Hubby helped out. He took A & K for hours, managed to get laundry done, and while I had to help motivate the kids into cleaning yesterday, he mostly ran the show. I couldn't have done it without him.

Also, I've learned to be a faster reader. Not fast-fast, but faster than I was last year. I've learned how to plow through books that aren't gripping (even though all the books I read for this managed to be quite gripping). And I've learned that taking breaks is just fine. Weeding the garden, giving blood, puttering around the house energized me.

So, this year I read:
Poison Study
Magic Study
Fire Study
Here Lies Arthur
A Hat Full of Sky
and about 1/3 of Wintersmith (I'll finish it tomorrow and put up a review then)

I read/blogged for 23 1/4 hours (two hours and 45 minutes more than last year!), with a total of 1958 pages. I'm rounding up and will give $20 (which isn't that much, so maybe I'll convince Hubby to give more) to First Book.

I'm out of introspective and interesting thing to say, and I'm going to go outside and enjoy the sunny day (why can't this fall on a weekend when it rains!) while it lasts.

Thanks, Pam, for all the effort and work you've done. :) It was a blast.

48 Hour Book Challenge Update 3

Well, I have a conundrum. It's now 10:20, and I just finished (well a half hour ago) my last book. My time is up at 8 a.m. Do I want to stay up latelatelate and read one more book... or do I want to throw in the towel (I should total up my time first and see if I've made 20 hours yet) and call it a two days?

Hmmm...

Totals since I last posted:
Reading time: 5 1/2 hours
Blogging time: 50 minutes
Pages read: 746

A Hat Full of Sky

by Terry Pratchett
ages: 12+
First sentence: The Nac Mac Feegle are the most dangerous of the fairy races, particularly when drunk.
Book 5 for the 48 HRC

There are different sorts of books that make you happy. The swooning book, the hilarious weird book, the slapstick snort-out-loud book. And then there are the ones that have a bit of elements of all of those, and get under your skin to make you unquestionably, utterly happy.

This was one of those books.

The plot is really immaterial: Tiffany (from The Wee Free Men, which is also delightful, but in a different way) is off to learn how to be a witch, except it's nothing like she thought it would be. That, and she's hunted by a... thing... that lives off of ambition. Unfortunately, because it can't be killed, it's really up to her to learn how to defeat it. In her own special Tiffany way. With the help of the Nac Mac Feegle, of course.

There's so much to love about this book: Tiffany's strong will and the hilarious Nac Mac Feegle, of course, but there's also Miss Level, and Jeannie the new kelda, and Miss Weatherwax, and Petulia... and...

I could go on. But it'd be simpler if you just read the book.

I almost forgot one of my favorite quotes from the book, because I totally and completely empathize:

It turned out that when Miss Level had asked Tiffany if she was scared of heights, it had been the wrong question. Tiffany was not afraid of heights at all. She could walk past tall trees without batting an eyelid. Looking up at huge towering mountains didn't bother her a bit. What she was afraid of, although she hadn't realized it until this point, was depths. She was afraid of dropping such a long way out of the sky that she'd have time to run out of breath screaming before hitting the rocks so hard that she'd turn to a sort of jelly and all her bones would break into dust. She was, in fact, afraid of the ground. Miss Level should have thought before asking the question.

There. Now go read the book.

Buy it at: Amazon, Powell's, or your local independent bookstore.

Here Lies Arthur

by Philip Reeve
ages: 13+
First sentence: Even the woods are burning.
Book 4 for the 48 HRC

I am a sucker for all things Arthurian. I love the myth recreated (but not the myth retold, as I discovered last year), the sweeping themes of loyalty and betrayal and unity.

Philip Reeve takes it all and turns it on its head, and I found that I still love it.

Gwyna is just a girl when Arthur -- war-lord, Bear, and bully -- ransacks her house, burning it to the ground because her lord Ban wouldn't pay tribute to Arthur. She escapes, swimming downstream until she's far enough away. Except she's discovered by Myrddin, and taken into his service. From this point, the threads of the legends are there -- the lady in the lake, Gwenhwyfar and Lancelot (though under a different name), the battles, Cei, the betrayal, Arthur's death -- but not in the way that it's normally presented. Through Gwyna, everything takes on a different, harsher light, but really, that's not the point of the book.

The real point, I found when I turned the last page, is all about stories. See, Myrddin's job in this book was to go around trying to boost Arthur's reputation by spreading stories about him. Which worked for a while, but eventually, it all fell apart. But, by that time, Gwyna was so -- enraptured by? devoted to? sold on them? -- the stories, she couldn't let them die. I liked this quote from the end:

I didn't tell what really happened, of course. At first I felt ashamed to be telling lies for a living, and it stung me that I could not tell the truth. But as the year ripened and our road wound west I came to see that it didn't matter what the truth had been. The real Arthur had just been a little tyrant in an age of tyrants. What mattered about him was the stories.

And always at the end someone would ask, " Is it true he's not dead? Not really dead? Will Arthur return?" And I'd think, "Christ, I hope not!" But they weren't thinking of the Arthur I'd known. It was Myrddin's Arthur, the wisest and fairest and best king they had ever heard of. You can't blame people for wanting to believe there'd been a man like that once, and might be again.

So. In the end, Arthur was just a petty tyrant, and all that's left of him is glorified stories of days long ago. Then again, it's the stories that really matter.

Right?

Buy it at Amazon, Powell's, or your local independent bookstore.