August Jacket-Flap-a-Thon

It's the end of August. It's been hot, and the girls have been cranky this month, and I didn't read all that I wanted to. Still, I managed to get a fair amount done. One must be grateful for the little things, right?

The Handmaid's Tale (Anchor):"In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies? Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are only valued if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the days before, when she lived and made love with her husband Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now.... Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force."

Except for the "funny" part, this is a dead-on description, capturing the tone and the basic plot of the book.

Shug (Simon & Schuster): "Shug is clever and brave and true (on the inside, anyway). And she's about to become your new best friend. Annemarie Wilcox, or Shug as her family calls her, is beginning to think there's nothing worse than being twelve. She's too tall, too freckled, and way too flat-chested. Shug is sure that there's not one good or amazing thing about her. And now she has to start junior high, where the friends she counts most dear aren't acting so dear anymore -- especially Mark, the boy she's known her whole life through. Life is growing up all around her, and all Shug wants is for things to be like they used to be. How is a person supposed to prepare for what happens tomorrow when there's just no figuring out today?"

This blurb just makes me want to go "awww". Kind of like the book.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Delacorte Press): "In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future - between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?"

I like this one because it's gripping enough to make you want to open the book, and yet doesn't give away a think about the book. Excellent.

When You Reach Me (Wendy Lamb Books): "Four mysterious letters change Miranda's world forever. By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner. But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper: I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own. I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late."

I put this here because I'm not sold on it. Technically, this is true about the book, but... it's also not true. Then again, this one is a particularly hard book to sum up, mostly because in giving anything away, you diminish the reading experience. Kudos to Wendy Lamb Books for giving it a good shot...

Other books read this month:
11 Birthdays
Book of Unholy Mischief
My Antonia
The Adventures of Charley Darwin
Troubadour (DNF)
Dreamdark: Silksinger
Little House in the Big Woods
Darkwood
Eighth Grade Bites
The Prince
Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Approach that Works
Ariel's Journey (DNF)
Secret Keeper
Let It Snow
Someone Like You
The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez
Forest Born

Forest Born

by Shannon Hale
ages: 12+
First sentence (ARC): "Ma had six sons."
Review copy sent to me by the publisher.
Release date: September 15
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Rin is the youngest of seven children, the only daughter in her Forest family. She's her Ma's shadow, a tree-climber, a great aunt, and Razo's (of River Secrets fame) best friend. She can listen to trees, sinking into their consciousness and enjoying the cool, green peace that emerges from them. Then, one day, she's taken with a local forest boy, Wilem, and convinces him to stay with her and kiss her. Yet, her convincing is something more than simple persuasion: it's power, it's a rush for her. And afterward, the trees reject her.

So, she packs up and heads to the city with Dasha and Razo, to become a lady-in-waiting for Queen Isi (of Goose Girl fame). Things seem to be going well, until word comes from the border that a town was burned. Geric goes to see what the problem is and ends up injured. So it's up to Isi, Enna (of Enna Burning fame), Dasha and Rin -- who tags along at first with what she's dubbed the Fire Sisters, but is eventually included in their plans -- to figure out who or what is behind this latest spurt of violence, and come up with a way to stop it.

This book is an excellent culmination of all the other Bayern books, and not just because everyone from the previous books are in them and playing fairly major roles. No, it was something more, something deeper than that: it felt like it was the culmination of ideas and themes that Hale has been exploring throughout the Bayern books: of family, of self-control, of self-interest versus the greater good, and so on.

One of the best things about this book is that all of Hale's heroines have a chance to shine. Each one, including -- eventually -- Rin, are powerful on their own they have a quiet strength about them. They're feminine, caring, supportive, and yet, when the need arises, fierce and powerful. Yet, put them all together and they are truly forces to be reckoned with. The best parts of the book are when Isi, Enna, and Dasha work together, and then when they realize what Rin has to offer them, they include Rin in their ring of power, where Rin is least comfortable, yet most needed.

It's possibly Hale's quietest Bayern book since Goose Girl. I'm going off of memory here, since I didn't go out an re-read the other three before picking this one up (good news: it works well as a stand alone). But, this book is a very introspective, quiet, nature-filled book, something which I remember being a strength about Goose Girl. There is no real kick-butt action, there is no super-awesome heroines (or heroes), there's not even any real romance. Yet, all of Hale's hallmarks are there to draw the reader in: from world-building, to descriptive language, to her humor, and (most of all) her ability to tell a whopping good story. Which means, while there's nothing flashy, it's a good, solid story that will entertain and engage readers.

And, really: isn't that what we all love about Hale's books?

The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez

by Alan Lawrence Sitomer
ages: 14+
First sentence: "I was born in the United States of America."
Review copy sent to me by a publicist (I think).
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

This is one angry book.

Then again, Sonia has much to be angry about. The daughter of illegal immigrants from Mexico, all she wants to do is make good her father's efforts to not only get her the opportunities in America, but who works three jobs to pay for them.

However, the rest of the family doesn't see it that way. They see Sonia as the oldest daughter, someone who is supposed to cook, clean, supervise, care for and help around the house. As Sonia would say, es mi cultura and es familia. Her mother, pregnant with twins, spends the day watching telenovelas, relying on Sonia for help at every possible (and usually inconvenient) moment. Her uncle is a drunk and a gambler (and a lech), her older brother a school dropout who smokes pot.

She's up against a lot.

This is not the story of her slow descent into Hispanic stereotypes. In fact, it's a intelligent, articulate treatise on the state (plight?) of immigrants in America -- not only the conflict between cultures, but expectations as well. It's also Sonia's personal war with her family and her culture and her dreams for being and doing better.

It's not an easy read: the anger Sonia has for everything is palpable. It's uncomfortable to read about the way Sonia's treated; it's difficult to make it through the negativity and stereotypes. But stick with it and you'll be rewarded: not only does the book get better, but Sonia learns to appreciate the good in her Mexican heritage, and things do work out in the end for her (and her family).

It helps to have a passing knowledge of Spanish: the book is littered with Spanish words and phrases, some of which are just left to the reader to catch the gist of, which sometimes disrupted the narrative flow. In addition, it's an unflinching book: nothing is sugar-coated or glossed over. However, it's because of that honesty, that rawness, though, that this book, ultimately, is worth reading.

Ariel's Journey

by Doug Kane and Christy Wood
ages: 9-13
First sentence: "My jeans are trashed!"
Review copy sent to me by the publisher (or a publicist? I can't check since I lost all my emails...)

This is a horse book.

This is a horse book that M kind of liked.

This is a horse book that really knows its audience.

This is a horse book that I couldn't make it past the first three chapters after which M said it got interesting.

This is a horse book that I felt the authors got stuck in the old show-not-tell mire.

This is a horse book that I could care less about.

This is a horse book, though, that if you have a pre-teen girl who LOVES horses, it would be a good fit for her.

I won't begrudge you for liking horse books. It's just the rare horse book that I can tolerate.

This is not that horse book.

Library Loot #33

Remembered the big bag.
Got lots of books for everyone.
There were no Dora books in.
And I even managed not to have too many on hold.

Happy day!

For A/K:
Rita and Whatsit At the Beach, by Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vicnod/Illus. by Olivier Tallec
Shopping with Dad, by Matt Harvey and Miriam Latimer**
Martha Doesn't Say Sorry, by Samantha Berger/Illus. by Bruce Whatley**
Pumpkin Baby, by Jane Yolen/Illus. by Susan Mitchell
The Cow That Was the Best Moo-ther, by Andy Cutbill/Illus. by Russell Ayto**
Charlie and Lola: We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers (Charlie & Lola), by Lauren Child**

For C:
My New Best Friend, by Julie Bowe
The Beautiful Stories of Life: Six Greeks Myths, Retold, by Cynthia Rylant/Illus. by Carson Ellis
Nana Cracks the Case!, by Kathleen Lane/Concept by Cabell Harris/Illus. by Sarah Horne
Pete's Disappearing Act, by Jenny Tripp/Illus. by John Manders

For M:
Hattie Big Sky, by Kirby Larson (I want to read this one, too)
A Long Way From Chicago, by Richard Peck
Airhead, by Meg Cabot*
The Exchange, by Graham Joyce

For me:
The Beef Princess of Practical County, by Michelle Houts
From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books, by Kathleen T. Horning
A Finder's Magic, by Philippa Pearce/Illus. by Helen Craig
Shadowland: Book III of the Brotherhood of the Conch, by Chitra Lekha Banerjee Divakaruni (Yeah, I didn't realize that this was a third in a series... rectified that by putting the first two on hold for next week!)

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

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

Someone Like You

by Sarah Dessen
ages: 13+
First sentence: "Scarlett Thomas has been my best friend for as long as I can remember."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I had a hard time with this one.

It's not because the story was awful, or the characters were unsympathetic, or the writing banal... no: this time, I can honestly say it was me. (Warning: moralistic rant ahead...)

See, the book is about a girl -- Halley -- whose best friend, Scarlett, finds out she's pregnant with her boyfriend's kid (it only took once!). She turns to Halley for support, just as Halley begins to pull away from her uber-controlling mom (if I'm EVER that bad, will someone please shoot me?) and falls into a serious relationship of her own. I think the book was supposed to be about friendship, about a girl trying to find her own way and her own strength (as opposed to just listening to her mom all the time), and while I can respect that, I had issues.

On the one hand: at least Scarlett didn't get an abortion, although that's what her mom really wanted her to do. I can accept that. On the other hand: she kept the baby. When I was 16, my best friend got pregnant, and decided to keep the baby. While I was not nearly as sympathetic as Halley was (shoot: I wasn't sympathetic at all... devastated was more like it....), I did see how keeping the baby ruined my friend's life. No, that's not the way it has to be, but... it's a hell of a lot harder to make it through high school when you have a kid at 16. And it bothered me that that was the choice Scarlett wanted to make. All that said, Scarlett being pregnant had an interesting effect on Halley's decision on whether or not to have sex with her boyfriend.

On the one hand: I can understand Halley's mother's desire to help steer her daughter down a safe path. Isn't that what all parents want for their kids: for them to make right choices and lead successful lives? On the other hand: There's a difference between guiding and controlling, and this mom was controlling. It made me -- as an adult -- uncomfortable, and I wasn't surprised that Halley took to sneaking around and withdrawing from her mom. I'm also not convinced that, by the end of the story her mom's really changed. Changing, perhaps... and maybe that's all Dessen really wanted to portray.

Moralistic rant over. I'm not saying it's a bad book, just one that I had a bad reaction to. Maybe you'll like it better...

RIPing It Up

It's time for Carl's RIP Challenge!

I had a grand time with this last year, and have actually been looking forward to it. Does this mean that it's fall, already?

Since both of the book I've chosen are HUGE, I'm only doing Peril the Second...

My books:

1. The Stand, by Stephen King (I'm supposed to read it by the end of October, anyway)
2. The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova

Edited to add: we're reading The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins for my F2F bookgroup in October... perhaps I'll even come up with a 4th book...
Great Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
Ninth Grade Slays, by Heather Brewer

Wish me luck!

Intuitive Eating

A Revolutionary Program that Works
by Evelyn Tribole and Elise Resch
ages: adult
First sentence: "If you could cash in every diet like a frequent flier program, most of us would have earned a trip to the moon and back."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

My mom sent me this book a month or so ago after I was complaining that I couldn't stop eating, that whatever I'd been doing to control what I stuck in my mouth (especially when I was sad or stressed) wasn't working.

The basic premise is really very simple: basically it's to listen to your body and what your body wants to eat, and how much. I was suspicious at first: no "diet", no eating plan can really be that simple. Right?

Well, it's simple because it's not a diet. It's a re-thinking of one's attitude towards food, which is something I sorely needed. I say that because I think I was relying on external factors to control my eating habits, rather than internal ones.

The book helps people like me -- though I'm not the chronic dieter that they specifically target as their audience, I do teeter on that precipice -- work through the process (and it is a process) of getting in touch with the body's hunger and fullness, as well as balancing health and pleasure when eating. The authors are quite specific and detailed in the steps of the process, from giving up the diet mentality to addressing exercise and healthy eating near the end. It's obvious that they expect the reader to participate in the program, and not just read the book -- there's spaces for notes, and I photocopied a couple of the charts and hung them up.

That said, my brother-in-law had complaints about their approach: it seemed too lackadaisical, too unscientific for his tastes. And, yes, it is at first glance a fairly unrigorous approach, mostly because every body is different and every approach to this way of thinking about food will be slightly different. However, my BIL's objections aside, it seems to be "working" for me: I stress eat much less, the feelings of resentment about food (and my self-imposed restrictions on them) are gone, and I'm tending not to over-eat.

While this book probably isn't for everyone, it actually helped me quite a bit. Which makes it a good book in my mind.

Geeky TBR List

For this week's geek, we're talking about books you've been meaning to get around to.

I think just about every reader has a least one book that they've been meaning to read for awhile (months or even years) but, for one reason or another, they just haven't gotten around to it. Maybe it's a book a friend recommended last year, or a title you've flirted with in a bookstore on more than one occasion, or maybe it's a book that's sitting right there on your bookshelf, patiently waiting for you to pick it up -- but the thought is always there, in the back of your mind: Why haven't I read this yet?

This week, tell us about a book (or books) you have been meaning to read. What is it? How long have you wanted to read it? And, why haven't you read it yet?

Um, that describes nearly everything on my TBR list... actually, I try to keep up with all the recommendations that everyone gives (not just in comments, but in great reviews on their blog), but there's only so many hours in a day, and I can only read so fast, and there are just WAY too many books out there.

Most of my list like this is adult books; I seem to get to the YA/MG books I hear about and want to read before I tackle the adult ones. That definitely shows my bias there... though my MG list is shorter than my YA list, which I find interesting.

Anyway. Some (very few) of the adult books I should get around to eventually:

• The Deptford Trilogy, Robertson Davies -- Julie's favorite author... and I checked it out once, but didn't read it. (By that token, I should read Patrick O'Brien.)
• Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman -- because I've heard it's his best.
• The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova -- vampire novel. Right?
• The Sugar Queen, Sarah Addison Allen -- because I liked Garden Spells
• The Spellman Files, Lisa Lutz -- because Jen likes it, and that's good enough for me.
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer -- don't remember. Good buzz?
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Mark Haddon -- again, NYTimes best seller, probably
• anything else by Georgette Heyer -- because she rocks
• the rest of the Outlander series -- so many of my friends (not book bloggy ones) love this series, and I'm curious as to why (since I only read the first one, which was okay, but not great)
  
• North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell -- because I loved the movie, and I should.
  

My solution? Freeze time and then spend a week or so doing nothing but reading. Either that, or you all need to stop recommending great-sounding books. But neither is going to happen, so I'll just have to be satisfied with always having a HUGE TBR list.

C'est la vie.

Let It Snow

by Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle
ages: 13+
First sentence: "
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Yes, I am reading Christmas books in August.

In my defense, as much as I love Maureen and John, I wasn't about to go out and buy the book without having read it first, so I had to wait for my library (which wasn't on the ball last Christmas) to get one in. Now, having read the book, I can safely say that I need to buy it. (As much as I love Maureen and John.)

And, also in my defense, it's not really a Christmas book. More like several romances that happen to be set at Christmastime. Which really doesn't make it all that inappropriate for August. (Think of it this way: maybe reading about a blizzard in North Carolina will help keep you cool in the middle of the August heat.)

Maureen gets the story started with the first of the three novellas, "The Jubilee Express." In it, our main character, Jubilee (who is not a stripper, thankyouverymuch), is thrust upon a train bound for Florida because her parents, Christmas village collecting nuts, are arrested on Christmas Eve, throwing a wrench into Jubilee's best laid plans to go to her boyfriend's family's Christmas Smorgasbord. (Okay: you have to love Maureen for including a smorgasbord in this story. You just have to.) The train only gets as far as a small town in North Carolina, where it gets stuck because of a blizzard. Off the train Jubliee goes (who wants to be stuck on a derailed train with a bunch of cheerleaders? Not Jubilee.), and into the path of Stuart. Let's just say that not only does Maureen have a gift for comedic writing, she (and I know I've said this before) writes the most swoon-worthy kisses. Period.

John picks it up in the next story, "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle," from the point of view Tobin, who's just hanging on Christmas Eve with two of his best friends, JP and the Duke (who's a girl). They get a call from Keun, who's working at the Waffle House in town, after the cheerleaders from Maureen's story invade. One of the best things about this book was seeing how all the stories intertwined: a character from the first would make an appearance in the second, and again, in a different way, in the third. Quite fun. Anyway, Tobin, JP, and the Duke head out -- yes, in the blizzard -- to make it to the Waffle House so the guys can ogle (or is it oogle?) the cheerleaders. Of course, it isn't easy (it's a blizzard, for goodness sake!), and of course, there's romance along the way. John's romance isn't swoon-worthy, but it's very JohnGreen: sweet, with just the right touch of cynicism. I liked his exploration of "happy middles".

Lauren has the unenviable job of following John's and Maureen's stories: how on earth do you top those two? I've not read any of her books before, so I didn't quite know what to expect. Let me say, though, that I think she did admirably: she not only had the story with the best title -- "The Patron Saint of Pigs", she told a very sweet story of a girl -- Addie -- dealing with the after effects of a mistake she made -- cheating on her boyfriend -- and she managed to tie in all three stories in a very sweet, very touching way.

A very sweet (count how many times I've used that in this review!) collection of stories, great for both fans of the authors and of YA romances alike. Fun, fun, fun.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

by Jacqueline Kelly
ages: 10+
First sentence: "By 1899, we had learned to tame the darkness but not the Texas heat."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Calpurnia Virginia Tate (Callie Vee for short) is the only daughter of seven children, positioned smack dab in the middle of all those boys. It's not an enviable position, even though she's her oldest brother, Harry's, only pet. It's made even less enviable because Calpurnia is not a huge fan of anything domestic: sewing, tatting, knitting, cooking... no, she'd much rather be outside.

Then, the summer of 1899, she and her grandfather (who has been living with them all the time) discover each other. Her grandfather is a naturalist of sorts -- a founding member of the National Geographic Society and all -- and Callie discovers that studying the world around her is what she really wants to do. She spends as much time as possible with her grandfather -- in between piano recitals, forced sewing, school, and managing her brothers' crushes for her best friend -- living for and thriving off of the time spent studying and observing.

Of course, since this is 1899 and Texas, Callie couldn't be allowed (allowed!) to proceed this way: good, proper, well-off girls just didn't tromp through the underbrush looking at bugs. For me, this was the heart of the novel, this pull for Callie to do what she wanted and not what everyone expected of her:

I clomped through the kitchen on the way to washing up and said to Viola, "How come I have to learn how to sew and cook? Why? Can you tell me that? Can you?

I'll admit it was a bad time to ask her -- she was beating the last lumps out of the gravy -- but she paused long enough to look at me with puzzlement, as if I were speaking ancient Greek. "What kind of question is that?" she said, and went back to whisking the gravy in the fragrant, smoking pan.

My Lord, what a dismal response. Was the answer such an ingrained, obvious part of the way we lived that no one stopped to ponder the question itself? If no one around me even understood the question, then it couldn't be answered. And if it couldn't be answered, I was doomed to the distaff life of only womanly things. I was depressed right into the ground.

The other things about the novel are true: Callie's mom is a bit much (though I think I understood where she was coming from), and her father is little more than a cardboard cut-out. But, I adored the brothers -- especially J.B., Travis and Harry -- and her grandfather more than made up for her parents in character. Callie is, yes, spunky, but she's more than that: she's curious and observant, and -- the thing that really got to me -- doesn't really want everyone to grow up and change. A girl after my own heart.

I also liked the way Kelly evoked a particular feel; the sense of anticipation, of change that must have accompanied the time period was quite palpable in the book. It's a historical novel that actually felt like it. Callie was modern, sure, but she was struggling with her modernity against all the traditional values that were around her, and that dichotomy was intriguing.

A good story.

The Prince

by Niccolo Machavelli
ages: adult
First sentence: "All states, all dominions that have had and continue to have power over men were and still are either republics or principalities."

My husband, bless his heart, has been trying to get me to read this book (and the Communist Manifesto) for years, since he discovered that I managed to get out of college without reading it (either one, really).

I had begged him to join my online book group, mostly because there was only one lone man and all us women, and I thought Russell would help balance out the testosterone. Unfortunately, that meant when it was his turn to host a book, he picked ones that he was interested in... which meant I would actually have to crack open the cover of a work of political theory. (I could have skipped, I know, but I live with the guy: do you think I'd live it down if I did?)

So... I got through it.

It wasn't easy; the language was dense and I found that my usual reading situation (during the kids TV time) didn't work: I had to actually focus on the words. Which meant reading later at night, which meant that I tended to doze off while reading the book. Not exactly ideal.

That said, I can see why this is one of Hubby's favorite books to teach: there's a lot to discuss in it. Machiavelli was a brilliant mind, and his ideas, although ruthless by modern standards, are quite, well, practical for the time period. I'm sure, though, that I didn't get everything I could have out of it (though, when talking to Hubby, I realized I absorbed more than I thought I did!). Which means that maybe someday, I'll actually have to sit in a class of Hubby's and listen to him lecture on it.

That would be fascinating.

Little House in the Big Woods

by Laura Ingalls Wilder
ages: 8+
First sentence: "Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I just finished reading this to A last night; her first time meeting Laura and Mary and Ma and Pa. My... I don't know how many times I've read this book. I first cracked the cover when I was about eight, and I fell in love with the Ingalls family. I admired Laura's spunk, and the fact that she was so not-perfect. I wanted to experience what she experienced, live the life that she lived.

And so, it's one of those books that is a must read for my girls. (Granted, so far, M and A are the only two that expressed interest. C preferred to read Wizard of Oz, so I forgave her for not being interested in Little House.)

What I noticed this time around -- aside from A's questions about life back then (playing with a pig's bladder? Making cheese? Really?) and her constant "Is it really real?" -- is the affection that Laura had for her childhood and her family. She loved her parents -- her Pa especially -- and it comes through loud and clear. And -- this year at least, I know things get hard once they leave the big woods -- she had a wonderfully idyllic childhood. Sure, they worked hard and things weren't cushy for anyone, but they were happy. And that happiness leaps off the page.

I'm just glad for the chance to share the book with my girls. I don't know if they'll be as entranced with it as I was, but at least they got to experience a different sort of life, if only through a book.

On top of that, I got to share a little piece of me with them.

Library Loot #32

As I headed out to the library, I grabbed the bag I've been using all summer. I'd forgotten that with the girls back in school, I'm responsible for all their reading material as well.

I'm going to need to take the bigger bag for a while.

For A/K:
The Duchess Bakes a Cake, by Virginia Kahl
Balloon on the Moon, by Dan McCann/Illus by Nathan Hale
Just in Case, by Yuyi Morales
That New Animal, by Emily Jenkins/Illus. by Pierre Pratt
Fribbity Ribbit!, by Suzanne C. Johnson/Illus. by Debbie Tilley**
Itty Bitty, by Cece Bell**
Mommy Go Away!, by Lynne Jonell and Petra Mathers
Poppy & Ella, by Jef Kaminsky
Rhyming Dust Bunnies, by Jan Thomas
Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for Bed?, by Barney Saltzberg
Wow! America!, by Robert Neubecker

For C:
Actually, she informed me after school yesterday, that her teacher has the largest classroom library in the school, and she may not need me to do the choosing for her. She'll just get what she wants at school. (That said, her teacher is a woman after my own heart!)

For M:
Stardust: Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie, by Neil Gaiman/Pictures by Charles Vess*
The President's Daughter, Ellen Emerson White*
Larklight, by Philip Reeve
Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli
Warrior Princess, by Jerry Spinelli*
M is for Magic, Neil Gaiman

For me:
Willow, by Julia Hoban
Rules, by Cynthia Lord

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

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

Dreamdark: Silksinger

by Laini Taylor
ages: 10+
First sentence (ARC): ""The Tapestry of Creation is failing," hissed the Djinn King."
Release date: September 17th; review copy sent to me by the publisher.
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I read the first book in this series a year and a half ago, and (for a variety of reasons), I decided not to reread it before delving into this sequel. When I went back and looked at my review for the first one, before sitting down to write this one, I realized two things: 1) everything I said the first time around is just as true for the second book, and 2) while you can read the second book as a stand-alone, you really should read them in order, and quite possibly one right after another. (For you "I-hate-waiting-till-a-series-is-done" types, you might want to put it off because the overall story isn't finished.)

This story picks up one month after Blackbringer. Whisper Silksinger -- the last member of a dying fairy clan of weavers and guardians to the djinn Azazel -- is fleeing for her life from a group of devil monsters. She is tasked with the job of getting Azazel back to his throne in Nazneen, which -- of course -- is much easier said than done. Assisting her is Hirik, a Mothmage, who is in disguise because his clan is the most hated in all of fairy because of their betrayal in the Dawn Days. He is out to become the champion of Azazel because he feels a need to restore his clan's honor.

Whisper is a slight thing, barely speaking above a whisper (hence her name), and constantly trembling in fear. Don't let that fool you, the girl is an admirable heroine, determined and plucky and strong in ways that, while not flashy or dramatic, are still quite substantial. Hirik, too, is admirable: one of Taylor's gifts is the ability to write both strong male and female characters who compliment each other rather than competing against one another.

For those who loved Blackbringer, Magpie Windwitch and Talon Ratherstring are also a big part of this story (yay!). They're tasked with the waking of all the djinn, in order to help repair the Tapestry. This -- of course -- isn't as easy as it sounds, either, especially after their path changes in order to find and protect Whisper. It's the last third of the book that is the most intense; Taylor builds, and maintains, suspense brilliantly, keeping the reader turning page after page dying to know what's going to happen next.

Even though it's the second in a yet-to-be completed series, one thing that I really appreciate is that it wraps up the story while leaving a thread alive for the next book. A big complaint I have with many series is the "to be continued" aspect of the books, the cliff-hanger feeling at the end. There is no such feeling at the end of this book; Taylor leaves us satisfied with the story as is, and yet curious about what will happen next. Which is, in my mind, how a series is supposed to work.

It's also hard for an author to keep the same spirit and drive that they captured in the first book going in the subsequent books of the series. This is not something Taylor suffers from: I enjoyed Silksinger as much as I remember enjoying Blackbringer, and I am excited and curious as to where Taylor is going to take the story.

And that, my friends, is a mark of a great writer.

Secret Keeper

by Mitali Perkins
ages: 13+
First sentence: "Asha and Reet held their father's hands through the open window."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

First and foremost, Asha and Reet are sisters.

Their dad -- Baba -- has lost his job in 1974 Delhi India and decides to see if he can find a job in America. Since they don't have enough savings to send the entire family, Asha, Reet, and their mother go to live with Baba's family in Kolkata, in West Bengal. It's not a happy time for any of the women: the sisters are not only forced to stop attending their school in Delhi, but are increasingly pushed into more traditional roles than they were previously. And their mother -- whom her in-laws have never approved of -- is constantly under the influence of what the girls call her "Jailor": a black depression that is hard to shake.

It's more Asha's story than Reet's; Reet in many ways felt inaccesible to me as a reader: she's the perfect model of a traditional Indian woman, and although she's sympathetic, she's just not all that interesting. Asha, on the other hand, is a fascinating mix between the need to be traditional and please her family, and her desires -- in part fueled by the feminist movement in the US -- to be her own woman. It's Asha's secrets we are privy to, and care about, as well as her desires: whether it's her desire to be a psychologist (unheard of at this time in India) or to play tennis and cricket, or -- more importantly -- her growing fondness for the boy next door. And the decisions she makes, as well as the secrets she ends up keeping, are unexpected and yet make perfect sense.

Perkins has written a compelling tale that works on so many levels: it's a love story, it's a story of sisters, it's a story of tension between old and young, it's a story of second chances. And, because of this, it's a story will be treasured.

Troubadour

by Mary Hoffman
ages: 12+
First sentence: "A small group of monks was making its way down to the river crossing."
Review copy sent to me by publisher.

I generally like historical fiction. I generally like the pre-Renaissance time period. I generally like stories set in France. I sometimes like unrequited love. I generally like girls who know their own minds and set out to do what they want in spite of the odds.

But, even though this book had all those elements, it just didn't do anything for me. In fact, it did so little that I abandoned it a third of the way in.

Perhaps it was me; it is August, I'm a bit distracted in my life right now, and I'm not focusing terribly well on complex books. Fluff is about my speed...

But, it also could be the book: there's so much that Hoffman's trying to bite off here. Not only is it a sweeping work of historical fiction, but there's freedom of religion conflict, portraits of troubadour life, Medieval French politics... perhaps it was a bit much for a single story. That, and the narrator kept flipping between Elinor -- our heroine who leaves her noble life for that of a troubadour so she won't have to marry the man her father picked out; Bertran -- the troubadour Elinor loves who is also a follower of the religious sect the Cathars whom the Catholic Church persecuted; and Pope Innocent II. It was a bit much for me.

And, perhaps the story would have picked up as it went along. I didn't have the patience or fortitude to stick it out, though. And, perhaps that means I'll be missing out on an excellent historical novel.

But then, maybe not.

Book to Movie Friday: Julie and Julia

I expected a nice, light chick flick when I got a group of foodie-minded friends together to see this last weekend.

What I got was half of a brilliant movie. The other half was fun-- more fun than I expected -- but not nearly as brilliant.

The half that I adored was the Julia Child half. Based on My Life in France, it took the best parts of the book -- the beginning, when she was discovering France and French cooking -- and played them for all that they were worth. Meryl Streep did a fantastic job channeling Julia, but it was more than that. Stanley Tucci was absolutely perfect as Paul Child, and you could feel the affection between the two of them as a couple. I was a tad bit disappointed that they didn't do more of my favorite bits from the book -- I liked her classes at Le Cordon Bleu, and her experiences with the Gourmandes -- but what they did do was absolutely perfect. They got the Valentine's cards in; they captured Julia's determination and scientific approach.

And if the movie had just been about Julia Child, I would have loved it.

But, they needed -- maybe because too much Julia Child would have been too much? -- to juxtapose that with something more modern, and who better than Julie Powell? It's not that I didn't like Julie and Julia; I did well enough. And there were moments of her story that I did like, too (specifically the lobster). But, she came off as real needy in the movie; an attention-seeker, where everything was building up to a particular moment: the moment when the World noticed that she was a Writer. Sure, Julia Child was an inspiration, and a project, but she was also a stepping stone to something Bigger. Something Julie.

I'm not sure if that's what she meant to portray when she wrote the book, but that's really how it came off in the movie. And that soured the joy that was the Julia Child sections.

Verdict: see the movie! Read My Life in France, too. The other book's optional.

When You Reach Me

by Rebecca Stead
ages: 10+
First sentence: "So Mom got the postcard today."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I knew -- knew -- that I had to read this book back in April, when Betsy wrote about it. (Go take a moment to go read it, if you already haven't. It's one of the ones that leaves me in awe of Betsy's writing ability. Then come back, and be kind to my review.)

It has the feel of those books about precocious kids in the 1970s, books that I loved growing up: The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler, The Westing Game, Harriet the Spy, and -- most of all -- Wrinkle in Time. The last one, in fact, plays a major role in the novel: our main character, Miranda (named for the Miranda Rights) adores Madeline L'Engle's classic, preferring to carry around and read her beat-up copy rather than the books with the spunky girls on the cover that her teachers put in front of her.

There is so much to love about this book. From the tight writing -- as Betsy pointed out: Stead is not only amazing at capturing characters with minimal descriptions, but also at foreshadowing -- to the plot itself, there is not a wrong moment in the book. For me, the best part of the whole book is puzzling out the mystery along with Miranda. It's not a completely implausible puzzle, once one gets over the initial conceit, and it's fascinating to see how all the pieces fall into place.

Fascinating doesn't cut it: it's a remarkable book all around.

Library Loot #31

I went to check out; the librarian scanned my card and started scanning my books. I said, "A week without holds? Really?" She checked again, grinned, and said, "Nope. You've got a few."

They know me. :-)

For A/K:
Wally and Mae, by Christa Kempter/Illus by Frauke Weldin
Thank You Bear, by Greg Foley**
A Birthday Cake Is No Ordinary Cake, by Debra Frasier
A Penguin Story, by Antoinette Portis**
The House Across the Street, by Jules Feiffer
Josephine Wants to Dance, by Jackie French/Illus by Bruce Whatley**
The Plot Chickens, by Mary Jane and Horm Auch**
Oliver's Milk Shake, by Vivian French/Illus. by Alison Bartlett

For C:
Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Patterson

For M:
Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle*
Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen*
City of Glass (Mortal Instruments), by Cassandra Clare*
Access Denied (and other eighth grade error messages), by Denise Vega

For me:
When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead* *squee*

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

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

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

by Carrie Ryan
ages: 12+
First sentence: "My mother used to tell me about the ocean."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I think it was Leila and Jen who first made me decide that I needed to read a zombie book. This zombie book in particular. So, I stuck it on my library list, and waited. While I waited, it's hit the book blogs, with mostly positive results. Because, you see, this zombie book is more than a zombie book: it's a full-on zombie-dystopian-love story. And that makes it totally and completely Awesome.

The basic plot for those of you haven't heard of this one yet: Mary's village is isolated in the forest. As far as they know, everyone was killed after the Return, and they're the only people left alive. They're surrounded by the Unconsecrated, who are a constant threat in the lives of the villagers. Mary's mostly happy there, except for dreams of seeing the ocean brought on by her mother's stories. The set-up for the story is slowish; after Mary's mother is infected, and later released into the forest, Mary spends many chapters restless in the service of the Sisterhood, the religious sect that evolved in this village. She also falls in love with a boy she's not supposed to; he's betrothed (and betrothal always leads to marriage) to her best friend. Once the story gets going, though -- there's a breach in the village's fence, and the Unconsecrated attack, but Mary and a few others get away -- it really gets going. Ryan does intensity incredibly well, especially since the book is anything but gory. There are moments when the action is so tense and suspenseful that it's impossible to put the book down: you have to know what's going to happen next.

The other thing that Ryan does exceptionally well is desire. Mary's palpable desire for answers to her unspoken questions, for a life that is more than what the Sisterhood doles out for them in the villages. That's not her only desire; her love for her best friend's betrothed literally leaps off the page in a way I haven't seen since Twilight. (Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on what you think of Twilight.)

It is true that the story, while it is mostly self-contained, peters out at the end. But, it's also the first of a trilogy, so that can be forgiven. Besides, how could you not want to read a zombie-dystopian-love story? Really?

The True Adventures of Charley Darwin

by Carolyn Meyer
ages: 10-14
First sentence: "Odd, isn't it, how a trivial thing can turn out to be a matter of greatest importance in one's life."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I had high hopes for this one.

I found it at the library while reading the evolution book, and I thought: a historical fiction book about Darwin. That's got to be fascinating. Maybe it'll shed more light on the whole evolution debate. Maybe it'll be good historical fiction (Carolyn Meyer is a good writer). Maybe I'll like it.

And I did. Well, the first third anyway. Meyer begins with Darwin being sent to boarding school, chronicling his education and interests. Education, he despised and (even though quite smart) did little for. Interests, though, he had many of. Including collecting, shooting, walking... but nothing that (he or his father thought) would lead towards a suitable career for a well-off but not noble English man.

Then, when he was 22, he was recommended to go on a surveying voyage around the world with a Captain FitzRoy. It was on this trip that he not only began to formulate the theory of evolution, but figured out what he wanted to do with his life. But, it's also where the book fell apart for me. I enjoyed learning about Charley's childhood. He's a fun and fascinating kid, and Meyer has captured his voice in such a way as to bring him to life. But, once on the voyage, he's bogged down in seasickness and collecting that it became much less interesting. And so, by the time the four year voyage was over, I had completely lost interest in the book.

Yes, it is really the adventures of Charles Darwin. It's just too bad that they're not terribly interesting.

10 Questions for Elle Newmark

One of the perks of doing blog tours, I think, is getting to "meet" the authors, eve if it is via email. Elle Newmark, author of The Book of Unholy Mischief (my review here), was gracious enough to answer a few questions I had about the book and her approach to writing.

MF: Was there anything in particular that prompted you to write this particular book?

EN: I had been searching for a novel idea, and one night I watched The Name of the Rose. As you probably know, it's about a mentor/student relationship between a medieval monk, his novice, and a book. I went to bed with that movie in my head and woke suddenly at 4 a.m. with a foggy notion about a chef, his apprentice, and a cookbook.

My subconscious had substituted a chef for the monk because my father was an Italian chef and I grew up in a family where food was a centerpiece of life. When a writer grows up with a chef, food as metaphor is inevitable. I didn't yet know what adventures the chef and his apprentice might have, or what mystery the book might hold, but that evolved into The Book of Unholy Mischief over 3 years of writing and many, many drafts.

MF: What drew you to Venice and this particular time period?

EN:Venice is a gorgeous and mysterious place. My main character says: "The water still whispers tales of death as it laps against decaying palazz. Men in capes still appear out of the darkness and dissolve back into it. Venice has always been the perfect setting for secrets, seduction, and the melancholy thoughts of the poet." Venice is unique. And the early Renaissance was the perfect time for this tale because it was the beginning of man's emergence from centuries of intellectual darkness. The printing press had recently been invented, and knowledge of all types (including much that was deemed "heresy") was becoming more available to the general public. Great thinkers discovered that the earth moves around the sun at the same time that you could be put to death for saying as much. Forget the Alamo; remember the Inquisition. The combination of Venice along with the political/social/religious turmoil of the early Renaissance presented a huge tapestry of colorful people, places, and events. I found it irresistible.

MF: What kind of research did you do in the process of writing this book?

EN:Both research and personal experience informed the writing of this book. I visit Italy often because I have family there—in fact I have cousins named Luciano and Francesca who allowed me to use their names—and I have always considered Venice to be Italy's most intriguing city. I did months of historical research, using libraries and the Internet, reading loads about the people who lived in Venice in 1498, what the politics were like, and how a kitchen might be run in the palace of the doge. I did further research into the odd little details like whether or not they used a paring knife or whether the common folk wore underwear. That stuff is harder to find. But it was only by being in Venice that I discovered how the damp night air felt clammy on my skin, how the Rialto market smells of fresh vegetables, how the greedy gulls swoop and cry, and how a gondolier's oar cuts through a sluggish green canal like a stiletto. When readers call this book evocative, I believe they're responding to my personal impressions of Venice.

MF: Did any of your expectations about the time period change during the process of writing?

EN: Oh, yes. I didn't realize how much political clout the church had in those days. In 1498, the pope was Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI) a rich Spaniard who bought the papal throne—and it truly was a throne. He wielded as much military muscle as any king, and he was ruthless. Italy was not yet a unified country, and the papal states were as rich and powerful as any other kingdom. A corrupt religious leader with sweeping political power is an insidious combination; it leads to no end of outrages and intrigues.

MF: I enjoyed all the evocative descriptions in the book, especially those of food... what kind of food experiences did you draw on writing this? Where did you get the information on the dishes you described in the book?
EN: As I mentioned, my father was a chef, and I fondly remember him stirring pots like a mad alchemist, defying gravity with one-handed omelette flips, and presiding over the annual family ritual of making ravioli from scratch. There was always something festive and almost magical about the preparation of food in our home. My mother was also a good cook, and I know our way around the kitchen as well, but the dishes I describe in the book were concocted for their metaphorical value. I tried to invent dishes that would illustrate whatever concept I was trying to get across. For example, the soufflé illustrates the beauty of a moment, the fleetingness of time. Veal is innocence, a black sauce is death, soft cheese is comfort, etc, etc, etc.

MF: Do you have a favorite character or scene?

EN: I like all my characters for different reasons. I like Luciano's earnestness and the chef's integrity, but I also like the truthful depiction of Guiseppe as a bitter drunk. I sympathize with Francesca's dilemma about whether to follow her heart or her head, and there's a horrible charm about the suave sophistication that covers Landucci's murderous nature. Also, I am fascinated by the notion of a pope who was a jovial sociopath. I don't think characters necessarily have to be likable to be interesting.

MF: What do you hope that readers will get out of the book?

EN: First, a good read. I love to hear from readers who tell me they did not want the book to end. Second, the message that we should honor our own uniqueness by thinking for ourselves. Follow no one blindly. Question everything.

MF: How did you become a writer; was it something you've "always" wanted to do?

EN: Yes, it was something I always wanted to do. As a child, I was a bookworm, haunting the dusty, one-room library in our neighborhood. I practically lived there. By the time I got to college (as an English major, of course) I devoured novels and secretly wrote little stories. I thought it would be really cool to write a whole book, but I didn't think I could. It seemed too big. John Steinbeck is the author who really got me questioning how novelists do what they do. Of Mice and Men devastated me, and I put the book down wondering how ink on paper could make me sob with despair. How could I mourn a fictional character? And how does a writer, who is not present in the room, force me to turn the pages obsessively? I wanted to learn how to do that. I took creative writing classes and attended workshops. Then I found a group of talented writers willing to read and critique my work. But most important of all, I kept writing. They say it takes ten thousand hours to really master something. That's a lot of writing, but it sounds about right. I wrote for almost thirty years before I published The Book of Unholy Mischief.

MF: Do you have a particular place or method when you write?

EN: When I work in my studio, I like to be comfortable. I sit in a cushy chair with my feet up on an ottoman and my MacBook Air on my lap. I don't want an achy back getting in the way of my thoughts. But I also like to write outdoors and in foreign places. A certain sense of displacement seems to kick my creativity into high gear. Perhaps that's why I started writing my first book when I lived in Europe.

As for method, I start with a concept and a few characters (whose life histories I write simply for my own information) and then I begin writing the story. After a while, I need to stop and make some sort of outline so I don't get lost, but the most important thing is to keep writing. I allow myself to ramble on and on; I write truly terrible first drafts so that I have something to work on, which is much less intimidating than a blank page.

MF: What are five books you love/would highly recommend?

EN: OMG only five? There are so many great ones, but I'll give it a shot.
1. Sophie's Choice (a masterpiece)
2. The Book Thief (because Death as the narrator is brilliant)
3. People of The Book (Gorgeous writing, wonderful characters)
4. Wicked (Clever!)
5. Bonfire of the Vanities (satire doesn't get any better than this)

MF: What can we expect from you next, if you are willing to share?

MF: My next book is a tale set in India. I spent all of last March in India, researching, and once again, my experience enriched the writing. The title is not yet decided, but the story involves two love stories, one hundred years apart, both set against the backdrop of war. An American woman, Evie Mitchell, accompanies her husband to India with their young son. He is going there on a Fulbright Fellowship. Evie hopes the shared adventure will bring them back together. Their marriage has been strained every since he returned from WWII, and she imagines the color and pageantry of India will distract them.

However, they are quickly caught up in the trouble surrounding the imminent partition of India between Hindus and Muslims. Violence begins, and they cannot flee. They are forced to remain in the small, fictional village of Masoorla. Stranded, Evie discovers a packet of letters hidden in a brick wall of her colonial bungalow. The letters hint at a strange and compelling story of love and war involving two young Englishwomen in 1857. Intrigued, she embarks on a mission to uncover the Victorian story. Her search leads her through the bazaars and temples of India, and into the dying society of the British Raj. It also exposes her husband’s dark secret and challenges everything she every believed about the man she married. This book is due to be released in 2010.

Thank you so much for your time! You can visit Elle on her webpage.

Growing Up

M is 13 today.

(I'm mildly freaking out because that means there's a teenager in the house. Eek!)

She was 8 when I started this blog, and has been the one daughter to feature prominently on it (I love C, A, and K, and as they grow -- if I'm still blogging -- I'm sure they'll find their way onto the pages here). But M has been here because she's a reader, and that is something I love about her (among others).

I know it's not a tradition for moms to make birthday wishes, but I'm going to make them just the same:

I hope that because we share the love of books, and in many instances the love of the same books, that we'll be able to weather the next 5 years or so better than I weathered them with my mom.

I hope that as she goes on in school that she won't forget the love of reading, that she'll be able to make the time to continue to read, and be willing to continue to come to me and say "Mom! You HAVE to read this book! It's awesome."

I hope that I'll always make time to hear her.

I'm blessed and lucky to have the girls that I do. I hope I can treat them as well as they deserve. (I love this song...)

Happy Birthday, M!

My Antonia

by Willa Cather
ages: adult
First sentence: "I first heard of Antonia on what seemed to me an interminable journey across the great midland plain of North America."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

The thing that struck me most about this classic -- which I remembered being my favorite of Cather's work when I went through all her books about 10 years ago -- was the amount of affection in it. Affection not only for the characters, but for the immigrant situation, the land, as well as the friendship that develops between the two main characters.

There isn't much of a plot -- it follows Jim Burden, the son of some Virginians who ended up living in Nebraska with his grandparents, and his friendship with Antonia Shimerdas, the daughter of some Czech immigrants. They, like all children, have ups and downs and as their paths go in different directions as they get older, they drift apart. It's not an easy life for Antonia; she has to work hard for everything she gets, especially after the suicide of her father (who did not take to immigrant life very well).

But the plot seems to be immaterial here, and I found I didn't mind (which is strange for me; usually without a strong plot, a book just seems to drag.) because the affection just leaks out of the book. That, and Cather is one of those writers that just captivate you. She's not complex or flowery in her writing, but rather opting for a very straight-forward, yet descriptive prose. Here's my favorite passage:

When spring came, after that hard winter, one could not get enough of the nimble air. Every morning I wakened with a fresh consciousness that winter was over. There were none of the signs of spring for which I used to watch in Virginia, no budding woods or blooming gardens. There was only -- spring itself; the throb of it, the light restlessness, the vital essence of it everywhere; in the sky, in the swift clouds, in the pale sunshine, and in the warm, high wind -- rising suddenly, sinking suddenly, impulsive and playful like a big puppy that pawed you and then lay down to be petted. If I had been tossed down blindfold on that red prairie, I should have known it was spring.

See? Simple, yet incredibly evocative.

But, really, it was the affection that made the book for me. I enjoyed being a part of Jim and Antonia's life, and the final section -- where Jim makes it back to visit Antonia 20 years after last seeing her -- really touched me. A true classic.

The Book of Unholy Mischief

by Elle Newmark
ages: adult
First sentence: "My name is Luciano -- just Luciano."
Review as part of the Pump Up Your Book Promotion book tours.
Support your local independent bookstore!Buy it there.

It's Venice, 1498. The dawn of the Renaissance, when the conflict between knowledge and religion is at it's peak. The Catholic Church has ultimate control, peasants are ignorant and suspicious. In the midst of all this, there are rumors of a book, one that has a love potion, or an elixir of life, or the formula to turn metal into gold. With it, someone could have great power, and so those in power are searching for it.

This is not the story of the book, or at least not directly. It's the story of Luciano, an orphan street-rat who was plucked out of his life by the doge's chef and into the life of a chef's apprentice. He wants the book, convinced that it will make his life better. Except, the deeper he gets into his new life, the more he realizes that getting the book is not the point.

That's the basic gist of the plot, but it's really not an easy one to pin down. There is one, and there is character development, but about a third of the way in, one realizes that plot is not the point of the book. The book works more like a tapestry: rich, lush, gorgeous, layers upon layers. The plot is only the nails to hang the tapestry of the words on the wall. The things that stood out in this novel were not the characters, or even what happens -- though the homage to knowledge and the Guardians of such was quite fascinating -- but, rather the descriptions. From the food to the streets of Venice, it was all very sensuous, very evocative. Like the tapestry, it sometimes got overly busy, and even a tad sparse and slow at other times, but overall, the effect was stunning.

Eighth Grade Bites

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, #1
by Heather Brewer
ages: 11+
First sentence: "A tree branch slapped John Craig across the face, scraping his skin, but he kept on running and ignored the stabbing of pine needles on his bare feet."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Vlad is not your typical eighth grader. Well, he is in many ways: he's got a massive crush on Meredith, who seems to like his best friend, Henry. He doesn't do spectacularly well in school, but manages okay. His parents died in a freak accident three years ago, and so he has that to deal with.

Oh, and did I mention? He's a vampire.

His mom was human, and his dad was a vampire and (without all that messy Twilighty swoony vampirey stuff) Vlad's been raised as a vampire. Granted, he's a humane one: aside from biting Henry when they were eight, he's never actually fed upon a human, but rather eating donated blood (in very creative forms) or raw meat. (This book was written in 2007, before the Twilight phenomenon, so no unfair Breaking Dawn comparisons, please.) As if his life wasn't complicated enough -- it's no fun being a creature of the night when you're forced to go to school during the day! -- it looks like his substitute English teacher -- brought in after his teacher, the Mr. Craig of the opening sentence, disappears -- is figuring out Vlad's secret.

It was billed as "ghoulishly funny", but I didn't really find it that. I did find it fascinating, and I liked Brewer's take on the vampire world from the get-go. But, I guess I wanted more than a sullen eighth-grade boy (do all vampires need to be sullen?) trying to get over his dad's death. Stick with the book, though: the ending few chapters are quite exciting. Enough so that I'm willing to give the other books in the series a try. Maybe Vlad will perk up a bit.

I do have to note that the library copy I read had pages with dried blood on them. Creepy, yes, but also very annoying. Can we make it a policy to not bleed on vampire books. Please?

I Need to Get Out More

Because I'm positively giddy about being able to go to this (stolen from Mother Reader):

It is officially time to sign up for the KidLitosphere Conference taking place on October 17th, 2009 at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel. The conference is open to bloggers - and wannabe bloggers - in children's and young adult literature. Yes, this includes YA/Kidlit authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers who blog or would like to blog.

So what's the conference like, other than awesome? The day starts with breakfast from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m, where you can catch up with old friends or meet new ones. The sessions go from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will cover:

-The Blog Within: An Interview With Your Inner Blogger
- Building a Better Blog: Best Practices, Ideas, and Tips
- Split Reviewer/Author Sessions:
Better Book Reviews/Writing Ideas for Blogging Authors
- Split Reviewer/Author Sessions:
Social Networking for Fun (and Profit?)
- Authors, Publishers, Reviewers (and ARC's): A Panel Conversation
- Coming Together, Giving Back: Building Community, Literacy, and the Reading Message (KidLitosphere CentralPBS/RIF/Literacy)

There will also be a Meet the Author time at the end where writers and illustrators can bring their books. A fun dinner to mix-and-mingle is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. with the continuing party moving to the hotel bar. The registration fee for all of this - including the breakfast and dinner - is only $100. It's a total bargain.

Informal outings will take place on Friday and Sunday. We're hoping to arrange a Library of Congress tour for Friday afternoon and we'll gather for dinner near the hotel around 6:00 p.m. Sunday's expedition may involve a local DC bookstore, Politics and Prose. If I can get some authors to register soon, we may even be able to arrange a reading.

Rooms are currently on hold at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel for the amazing rate of $109 a night. They will only be held until September 16th, and if our block is filled before that low rate may not be available. Book soon. Since I've held rooms with two double beds, you could bring your family along to visit DC or share with a blogger buddy.

It should be noted that the hotel is a mile from National Airport and free shuttle service is available. A Metro Station is on the same block and goes to Washington DC in minutes. In fact, Downtown DC is only two miles away. The hotel is right next to the Crystal City Shops and a few blocks from the upscale Fashion Center at Pentagon City. If you want more information about the hotel, visit the website of the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel.

The registration form is available at KidLitosphere Central. There are a limited number of spaces available, so please sign-up soon.

My goal? To enjoy my time there, and to meet as many people as I can. Which means y'all have to come... right?