BeSerene's Lucky 2013: Books Read, Part First

Hi. My name is Sarah. I am a book panda. Oh... wait... I think I was supposed to say that I am a book addict. But I don't really have a problem. I mean, it's not a problem until the floor collapses, right?

Last year I didn't read as much as I bought, by a long shot (I read 48 books; I bought about 500) but this year I'm going to do something to increase the number of books I actually read. It's a great plan... or at least it will be as soon as I come up with it. Yeah.

My reading patterns include a LOT of fantasy and significant science fiction, but I like a broad range of fiction and occasionally some non-fiction too. I list the books I've read in the categories below.

So, anyway, here we go.

Goals for 2013:
1) Read the books.
2) See goal #1.

Threads from 2012 may be found here:
BeSerene in 2012: A Very Good Year (for Books)
BeSerene in 2012: A Very Good Year (for Books), part 2

If for some strange reason you wish to revisit the abysmal year that was 2011, the threads are here:
BeSerene's Reads of 2011: the Beginning
BeSerene's Reads of 2011: the Next Chapter

To see my masterlist from 2010, in which I read considerably more books than I have in more recent years, visit my second 2010 thread:
BeSerene's Reads 2010, Part Two.

2013 reading goal: 75

The year so far...

Reads of 2013: 15/75

Fantasy
-- #1: The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne Valente (YA)
-- #2: Hounded by Kevin Hearne
-- #3: Hexed by Kevin Hearne
-- #4: Hammered by Kevin Hearne
-- #5: Tricked by Kevin Hearne
-- #9: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger (YA)
-- #11: Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia McKillip (short stories)
-- #13: The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell (children's)
-- #15: Horns and Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson (children's)

Science Fiction
-- #14: Prophet of Bones by Ted Kosmatka

Mystery

Historical Fiction

Contemporary and/or Literary Fiction
-- #6: Me Who Dove into the Heart of the World by Sabina Berman
-- #10: Jumping the Scratch by Sarah Weeks (children's)
-- #12: Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Biography/Memoir
-- #8: Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff

Other Non-fiction

Graphic Novels

Miscellaneous (weird stuff that doesn't fit elsewhere)
-- #7: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (children's)

The original book panda (first provided by lunacat) wishes everyone a Happy New Year! Or rather, would so wish, if that book weren't so darned interesting.

(I can't start a lucky year without my mascot, can I?)

I cannot believe you found another book panda to grace the top of your thread! And I'm happy to see the original back for an encore, too.

Here's to some great reading adventures in 2013, Mary Beth!

Yay, Happy New Thread!

Hello, book panda!!! Here, why not watch some other pandas while you're at it? http://www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam/

...you're welcome. :D

I'm here and your thread is starred!

Those are MY pandas, Sarah! And I can't wait until the little one goes on live exhibit--it's so much fun to watch him getting his weekly exam on the news.

Well, I guess I could share...

Hi Sarah! I love your pandas! I can't wait to see what good reads you find in 2013!

>5 dk_phoenix:: Omigosh, pandas! Yay! (Yep, thanks for introducing me to another thing that's going to distract me for hours. :) )

>4 leahbird:: Hi Leah! Glad to see you. Happy New Year, Thread, etc. :)

>3 rosalita:: It's amazing how many book pandas you can find out there, but I am particularly fond of these. Nice to see you here again, Julia (it is Julia, yes?).

>6 fuzzi:: Stars! I love stars! And those are lovely, thanks! :)

>7 ronincats:: Roni, I respect your panda boundaries. But if you would be willing to share your pandas, I will happily share my tigers. Except that the cubs are all grown up now and will likely leave our little zoo (Potter Park is a tiny place and rarely gets to keep its endangered babies, as they are needed elsewhere). But you never know... perhaps there will be more babies again someday.

>8 porch_reader:: Hi Amy! Hooray for sharing the book panda love. :)

Dropping by to star your thread! Love your cartoon pandas!

Hi Tina! Welcome!

Happy New Year Sarah!

Thanks for stopping by, Linda! Always good to see you. :)

Found and starred Sarah!

Sarah

Please check your home page. I left a message.

>15 UnrulySun:: Huzzah! Glad you found me. I love being starred. :)

>16 Whisper1:: Read and replied, Linda. You are entirely too kind. Thank you.

Welcome back!

Dropping a star here so that I can find my way back! LOVE your reading goals!!

Whoa, wait, what? Not only do we share a lot of the same reading tastes, you're near Lansing? Not only are you near Lansing, you know of Potter Park's tiger program? Sooo creepy awesome! I had no idea I had a doppelganger out there!

So, um... Hi, Sarah!

Looks like we have some interest overlap :) Looking forward to seeing what you get to. Happy Reading!

>18 drneutron:: Thanks for getting things all set up so that we all could meet here once again! Glad to see you.

>19 Crazymamie:: More stars! Woo! Yeah, I decided to keep my goals reeeeally simple this year. :D

>20 alsvidur:: Emilie, I think we might be the same person. Quick, did you just think about horses? Wait, was that a trick question? If you've recently been collecting Marguerite Henry first editions, my suspicions will be confirmed. Or, possibly, there could be two such awesome people in the same 100 mile radius. I guess. :)

>21 Kassilem:: Melissa, your backwards name rocks. So simple, yet so elegant. And I'm delighted to see another kindred reading spirit around here. Happy reading to you too!

Oh dear. With the panda feed, I'm now going to be losing hours of my life at a time.

Good to see the all important reading pandas are hanging around for 2013. With the menagerie this group seems to acquire, both as pets and mascots, it's certainly an exciting place!

Phew. We are different people. See, I've been collecting first editions of *CW Anderson* and *library-bound editions* of Marguerite Henry. Big difference. At first, I was surprised and happy - maybe I didn't really move from Haslett 3 years ago and I'm still content and settled there. But no, different people.

Jon Muth! I love his panda books. Great one up top, Sarah. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Sarah!

>23 lunacat:: I know, right? I have the panda cam open in a separate tab. I keep popping over to it, like "panda? helloooo?" -- it's embarrassing. But, hey, pandas. As I recall, last year we had book monkeys, book squirrels, etc. in addition to book pandas -- let's see what comes up this year. :)

>24 alsvidur:: Oh, that is a relief. My CW Anderson volumes are not first editions at all. Clearly, we are so very different. :)
(And thank heaven, because Haslett is nice, but I'm solidly a west-side girl myself. Except when I have to go teach at the U. Then, if I say "west side", everyone thinks I'm about to throw down some gang signs. Oh, Lansing. Such a funny place.)

>25 jnwelch:: I adore Jon Muth. Stillwater is perhaps my favorite panda of all, so when I saw that book panda poster featuring him, I had to have it as our header here. Zen Shorts is still one of those books that I give to children of all ages, at every opportunity. And happy new year to you too!

>26 norabelle414:: Happy New Year! And thanks for stopping by, Nora. :)

I think it should be noted, by the way, that it is the second day of 2013 and I haven't bought a single book. Nope, not one. I think that this shows remarkable restraint. Just saying. :D

Just for the record, I refuse to even try the panda cam. I know I would be addicted and I have NO more time!

28 -- ME TOO!! I'm all for celebrating our restraint while it lasts!

PANDAS. You know you want to. They're all roly-poly and... but wait, where are the books? Clearly, there should be books. These ARE book pandas, right?

Right?

:)

Ha!! :)

Hi Sarah--starring your thread for the panda love too. My sister was obsessed with them, so I have a tendency to gravitate to them.

Thanks for the words on my thread--I'm not down on Michigan, rather just its job market. I was actually born and raised here, born in Alma and then formative years in Lansing and Bath, so I know your area it sounds like (I'm up near Midland right now).

Sorry for the ramble, but I'm looking forward to following your reading!

Gotcha. Yeah, the Michigan job market is pretty tough. I'll send some happy thoughts in your direction, with hopes that you will get what you are looking for.

Also, no worries about rambling. Happens all the time around here. :)

Also, what up Michigan LT peeps (that's what the kids are saying these days, right?) -- when are we going to have our own meet-up? I know, I know -- too soon -- but if I don't mention it now, I'll totally forget. Something to think about for the future anyway, perhaps later in the year -- as I recall, those fancy folks on the east and west coasts have had their get-togethers more than once. We of the north-mid-sort-of-west cannot be left behind!

Ponder. Discuss. Etc.

Unfortunately for me and my productivity, the panda cam is now bookmarked. I wiled away a lot of yesterday watching it. It's good to have a deep, meaningful and useful hobby you know.

35. Exactly why I refuse to look at it, lunacat! I know I'd be hooked...

Oooo... I'm down for a Michigan meet-up sometime this year!

BEWARE THE PANDA-CAM!!!! It's like crack in your web browser... I can't stop watching now.......

Huh. I had a wildly amusing and clever post from earlier that would have made you all laugh uproariously at my wildly amusing and clever wit, but now I don't see it. Oh well. Just know it was wildly amusing and clever. Carry on.

Back at last, Sarah, and happy to see pandas and other stuff. Not only have I not bought a new book in 2013 (GOOD!) but not one that I ordered at the end of 2012 has arrived here yet (BAD!!!!). I look forward to seeing what you read and what you think of it this year.

34/37 - This former Michigander will be sorry to miss your meetup :) But I'll pass the info to my sister once you've planned it, if you don't mind (she's also a member, although not a frequenter of Talk). She probably won't go (shy, you know) but there's always a chance.

>35 lunacat: & 38: One of our California panda friends is currently having a bit of a nosh. Can't stop watching. I always feel such a sense of kindred when I see pandas eating. That's exactly how I look when I'm having a salad... in a tree.

Sort of like this, actually:

>36 TinaV95:: PANDAS. But, really, no pressure here. You should probably refrain from watching the totally adorable pandas. :)

>37 alsvidur: & 41: Blue, of course your sister would be welcome. Emilie, glad to know you are on board. Excellent. Now, we just need a few more LTers, and possibly a planning committee. Who's good at planning these things? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

>39 tapestry100:: Of course you did, darling. We're all having a good chuckle about your invisible message right now -- dashed clever and witty, it was. Very amusing indeed. On an unrelated note, have you been experiencing halucinations lately? ;)

>40 LizzieD:: Delighted to see you! I do hope your books arrive soon, or you may be forced to break your magnificent 3-day non-purchasing streak. It really is a great accomplishment. Have I mentioned that I, too, have not made a book purchase yet? Aren't we wonderfully self-disciplined? I feel like I should reward myself for this... perhaps a book? ;)

There's a Michigan group, but I don't know how many are as cool as we are in the 75 Book. There might not be many people from there interested. As for planning.... is there a particular month you think might work well? We can go backwards planning it from there.

Hey Sarah, you've heard of this, right?



CRACKS me UP!

>43 beserene:: Shush, you! I honestly had made a post on this thread earlier yesterday, and then when I came back *poof* it was gone.

And now I look like some sort of hallucinating freak. A wildly amusing and clever hallucinating freak.

Oh, look. Pandas!

PANDA CAM PANDA CAM PANDA CAAAAAMMMMM!!!! *stares*

*has been staring for the past 2 weeks*

*should probably get some sleep*

>44 alsvidur:: Hey, I didn't know there was a Michigan group. Well, they can't possibly be as cool, but we'll invite them anyway. And it is Michigan, so late spring or early fall are about our only decent weather months -- what do you think? It might be fun to plan it around some literary event... I'll see what I can dig up, though we don't have much other than the Antiquarian book show around here. Thoughts?

>45 UnrulySun:: Is that a dude in a panda suit hugging a panda? I'm so confused right now.

>46 tapestry100:: I've always known you were a wildly amusing and clever hallucinating freak, my dear. It's part of your charm. Just look at those pandas. :)

>47 dk_phoenix:: You should count pandas -- it works just like counting sheep, I swear. :)

Ok, so my not buying books streak has come to an end. For the record, that was 3 and a half days of 2013 in which I did not buy a book. So tonight I bought six. Because that makes sense. They were...

Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Darkness by K. Garcia and M. Stohl (hey, there's a movie coming -- maybe I'll read these beforehand. Or not. Probably not, who am I kidding?)
Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear
Ironside by Holly Black
Anathem by Neal Stephenson

All were used copies and a certain ex-bookstore-boyfriend who is still a very nice guy rang me up on a bit of a *ahem* discount, so the total came to about $30. Not too bad, to spend the price of the Stephenson and get all 6. Or am I just rationalizing here? :)

Some great books there, Sarah. Anathem was a favorite of mine from last year. It's HUGE but so worth it.

I don't know anything about any of those books, Sarah, but I'm sure by the time you're done reviewing them at least a few will end up on my wishlist. Sigh. :-)

Sorry, but you are just rationalizing! ;-)

I'll be interested in what you think about the Beautiful series. I keep looking at them because I love the covers, but I'm afraid they are going to be too teen romance-y.

#49 "Ok, so my not buying books streak has come to an end." Hooray!

I've had Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon on my shelf for ages - it's so darn big I'm scared of reading it.

I had to stifle a huge laugh at #42!!!

Can't wait to see your thoughts on beautiful Creatures! On my "to read one day" list.

You did great with bargain book purchases! :)

>51 rosalita:: That is one of the joys of LT, my dear! An out of control wishlist and a groaning TBR pile. That's the way it goes. :)

>52 ronincats:: Oh, sure, burst my bubble, Roni. ;)

>53 Tanglewood:: You know, I suspect that they are very teen-romance-y, but the movie looks so darn pretty, I had to give them a shot. If I don't like them, I can always pass them on to a friend, who adores all things hot Southern supernatural and angsty.

>50 UnrulySun: and 54: I love Neal Stephenson, but I've only read his shorter novels ("shorter" meaning 500-700 pages rather than the 1000+ monsters he usually writes) like Snow Crash and The Diamond Age. I'm hoping that I will still love him once I get through one or two of these big ones. Of course, if I drop it on my foot, that may change my mind entirely about the whole endeavor.

Interesting note related to Stephenson, actually. This past fall I tried to get him to come to my college as a visiting author, to give a reading and to speak with my science fiction class (Snow Crash is one of the books I assigned for that class). His publicist politely declined, despite both me and the bookstore people here offering money, favors, etc. We were very disappointed, collectively. But it ended up being okay that he didn't come because, for the first time in six years of assigning Snow Crash, my students HATED the book. Only two of them had anything good to say about it (those were the two who like the mythology connections). The rest were shouting about computer nerd hipsters and their pseudo-frat cyber slang. There was book rage. When I mentioned to them, in fact, that I had tried to get the author to come talk to our class, my students said "he should've come; we would've told him to write better books!"

What do we learn from this? 1) that college students always think they are the last word on everything, 2) that Neal Stephenson can inspire an entire classroom to statements of book rage, which is impressive in and of itself, and 3) that the age of cyberpunk may have passed. I suppose it helps that the nerdpocalypse has happened (they have taken over the world, it's cool to be a nerd, and my students have grown up accepting that) as well as the realization of the digital age, so no one is impressed anymore by virtual reality or computer geeks or any related trappings of exclusivity. One wonders what will be the next nerd elite thing, or if the time for such things has passed all together.

>55 TinaV95:: You snuck in while I was typing! How very... sneaky. Also, apparently I type slowly. Glad you liked the diversity-embracing pandas. I think I might use that image in a class this semester -- I am teaching a writing course themed around racial and ethnic experience.

You'd better get doing some research as to how pandas experience race and ethnicity then ;) I'll be interested to hear their thoughts.

Sarah, I am an arctophile (Someone who has a fondness for teddy bears, usually a collector of them) and even have a few pandas. Love the photos.

Have a happy reading year!

the age of cyberpunk may have passed

Interesting comment - for most of these kids, they grew up with the things that made cyberpunk cool. I wonder if that's one of the reasons why steampunk seems to be so much more common these days. Well, that and the marketing buzz. :)

I know it's an sf class, but have you read any steampunk, and if so, what's the reaction?

>58 lunacat: & 59: Panda love! Also, I think that will be the new class project: assessing perspectives on race and ethnicity among pandas. Now we just need some pandas...

>60 drneutron:: Interestingly enough, most of the students reacted positively to steampunk (we read a short story -- "Seventy-two Letters" by Ted Chiang, if I recall correctly -- as well as a novel excerpt and portions of "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" to get a sense of both content-driven and aesthetic-driven steampunk). Most students were a little confused at first as to what it was trying to be, as a genre, but they had read Verne, Wells and other late Victorian proto-SF writers at the beginning of the semester, so they got the homage as well as many of the clever plays on the classics, the Victorian themes, etc.

I do think that part of the problem with Snow Crash is that they simply didn't "get" it because being a computer geek is too normal for them now. But it's too historically near to nostalgize, the way steampunk does.

But they also liked the way that steampunk appealed to -- in their view -- a greater variety of people. They thought that Stephenson's novel, on the other hand, would ONLY appeal to young males who came of age in the 80's and 90's, that Stephenson's representation of geek elitism was "so hipster" (their word) that it alienated other readers.

I find it very interesting to label steampunk as more inclusive, but I suppose in a way it is, because it's doing so many familiar things that lots of people can get the references. Perhaps cyberpunk's references have faded back too far, at least for the moment.

Of course, it's equally possible that this year's SF class was just a different bunch. But I doubt it.

While I agree that steampunk is more inclusive, it's ridiculous to say anything would "only appeal" to one group. I liked Snow Crash when I read it and for a while cyberpunk was the only science fiction my sister read.

...We are in the age group they mentioned, though :P

Wonder what they'd think of The Diamond Age.

Blue, The Diamond Age was my second choice for that class, and one that I've been wanting to try in that course for a while. I think I might substitute it for Snow Crash the next time (if there is a next time) and see if it really is the subject matter or sub-genre, rather than the author's style, that bugs students these days. It's hard to tell.

And yes, it is a bit ridiculous to say that anything would only appeal to one particular group... but these are college kids, who often think in extremes of one direction or the other. What I found most interesting was both the vehemence of their reaction and their insistence that the novel was alienating (in an old school slacker-hipster way). I hadn't anticipated that reaction at all.

Of course, the fact that they were so engaged with the text, even in a negative way, was a win for me. Perhaps I should just keep it on the roster. :)

Hey, guess what? I finally started a book! I'm now a few chapters in on The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, which is the sequel to the The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, which I loved. So, hoping for good things. I like it so far. :)

Of course, I also bought more books. I had no intention of going into a bookstore today, but SOMEBODY DRAGGED ME into one. *glares at David*

And clearly I'm incapable of leaving a bookstore empty handed, so I came out with used copies of...
Paper Towns by John Green
Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Vol. 1: The Pox Party by MT Anderson
The High Crusade by Poul Anderson

Total: $23, which is not bad, but not great either. So, there you are.

If it makes you feel any better, I loved Paper Towns and have heard good things about Octavian Nothing, so I think you got some good ones!

That's a great deal for $23! You did very well :)

Just dropping in to bring you a panda



I'm obsessed with the pandacam at San Diego zoo. It might have been you who put me onto it. The baby is soooooooooooooooo cute!!!

I didn't care for Pretty Monsters, but I agree with what porch_reader said about Paper Towns and Octavian Nothing. I've liked everything I've read by both John Green and MT Anderson.

(Aww, pandas!)

Just checking in on the panda parade, Sarah.

>64 beserene:: I have NO idea what you're talking about. There was no DRAGGING YOU INTO the store. I mentioned maybe going to Schuler, you wiggled your nose, and **poof** we were there. THAT'S how I remember it happening. =D

>70 tapestry100:: DENIAL. You can deny it all you like. If anyone wiggled a nose, it was you. I don't even know how to wiggle my nose -- dammit, I'm a panda, not a rabbit! -- and clearly I would NEVER drag anyone into a bookstore... Okay, I can't even finish that thought with a straight face. :D

>67 lunacat: & 69: OMG PANDA BABIES!!! Sorry, did someone say something? There were words in there, I think, but also panda babies... aww, look at the little fluffy things...

Wait, focus! Oh, right -- I think we have Faith to thank/blame for the panda cam. That wasn't me. I merely encouraged everyone to look at it in that gentle, totally non-pressuring way of mine. :)

>65 porch_reader: & 68: I like Kelly Link's writing most of the time, and I've met her (she's not very nice to some people, actually, but I hate to speak ill... at least in print...) so I thought I would give Pretty Monsters a shot. But I'm glad to have such rousing reassurance on the other two -- John Green and MT Anderson are both favorites for me too. :)

>66 TinaV95:: Thanks! JUSTIFIED. I knew it. :D

In other news, I am about halfway through The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland... and enjoying it. I'm not yet sure if I like it as well as the first, but I definitely like it and hope to finish tonight. Too many distractions... wait, is that a...


PANDA PILE!!!

:)

Oh ho ho! I can just about imagine that panda squished up against the trunk of the tree saying "Well, this is another fine mess you've gotten us into!"

>69 alcottacre: & 71 So much cuteness!! Need to hug something furry! Cats flee in terror

When it warms up later this week, I'm planning on going to see our little panda cam star in PERSON!

OMG, pandas!!! I'm staying away from that panda cam because I'm too afraid I'll get hooked!

Finished book #1 of the year: The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne Valente.

Finished book #2 also: Hounded by Kevin Hearne.

Woo! Books!

Reviews/blurbs to come.

Also, I'm going to a science fiction convention this weekend. When I decided to go, which was like five hours ago, I was all "yeah, gonna meet some authors, gonna get my nerd on, woohoo!" but now, five hours later, I'm like...


Yep, that is pretty much all I want to do this weekend. But I've already made the hotel reservation. So, ConFusion here I come. And there will be books...

I feel like that panda all the time. Sometimes you just have to push through it and believe that you'll have a great time once you get there.

Hooray for finishing books!

Hope you have a great time at the convention. Don't buy any books--oh, wait, this is Sarah! Don't buy any more books than you can haul home!

Have a wonderful time!!! :)

Hi Sarah. Lots of cute pandas here, squished or otherwise. I currently feel like the panda above too, but I don't have an exciting SF convention to get to. Looking forward to hearing all about it!

Thanks, all, for the solidarity and good wishes. I did end up having a very good time. And, even better, I did some successful networking for the Young Authors conference project that I am helping with at work (Had lunch with Merrie Haskell, who is definitely on board, and spoke briefly to Jim Hines, who probably is too, among others, but I can reveal more about that later once offers are accepted -- if you are in or near Michigan and you know any kids who love to write or want to be writers, stay tuned).

Actually, the networking was useful, but it wasn't the best part -- I really did have lots of fun. A friend of mine popped in on Saturday, so I had someone to run around with to panels and such (ranging from the hilarious to the hilariously boring). I got to catch up with some old friends from Clarion SFF writers' workshop, where I used to work. I had a drink and a good long chat with Charles Coleman Finlay, whom I had not seen in many years but who is such a good guy and a former Clarion person as well (though you all may know him better as Mr. Rae Carson -- Rae stayed home because she is on deadline for her next book, but I hope to meet her next time).

And, lovely of all lovelies, I got books signed! I took a bag of books with me from home (and then acquired about a dozen more, of course) and met/got signatures from...
Charles Stross (I bought four books from his fantasy series, including The Clan Corporate, in addition to those from home)
Patrick Rothfuss (omigod, Pat Rothfuss! He was one of the reasons I went to this thing in the first place, and he was both grumpy and awesome and I bought a hardcover of his first book even though he had already signed my paperback because PATRICK GODDAMN ROTHFUSS!!! Don't worry, I didn't freak out in front of him. I was cool. :) )
Alastair Reynolds (who is really pleasant and was totally new to me, so I bought several of his books, including the new one, Blue Remembered Earth)
Sarah Zettel (picked up a copy of her Dust Girl for me and one for David too)
John Scalzi (again)
Geoffrey Landis (bought a collection of his stories and had a nice chat with him and his wife, Mary Turzillo)
Peter Brett (who is nice and gave out free books to people too!)
Steven Harper (who actually plays the Irish harp -- that was why he chose that pen name -- and he had his harp with him and played the first evening, which was super cool)
Tobias Buckell (who did not mind that my copy of one of his books was a library copy -- and he remembered me from Clarion, which was nice)
Mary Robinette Kowal (who is AWESOME on so many levels. I can't even express.)

So, I can home very happy, with happy books and happy prospects for a successful project to come. I think we can call that a win-win-win.

Though now I am broke, because my university doesn't pay for stuff like this for fixed-term faculty, so I won't be doing/buying much for a while.

Totally worth it. :)

All right, let's (finally) get some books up in here! First book of the year, coming up!

#1


The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne Valente
This YA/children's novel is the sequel to Valente's brilliant and beautiful The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, which started the Fairyland series out with a high bar. The second installment is, if perhaps not quite as engaging as the first, still brilliant and beautiful in its own ways.

Valente's narrative voice, a clever homage to the omnipresent narrators of nineteenth and twentieth century children's books, is as strong and enjoyable as ever. Her heroine, September, is growing up -- a fact acknowledged throughout the book -- but remains fierce and vulnerable at once, a combination that makes her one of the most wonderful protagonists I've encountered in years. And, though September has voyaged underneath Fairyland this time, where shadows are cavorting, we the readers do recognize the lovable and not-so-lovable figures from the first book, which provides a pleasant familiarity while not rehashing exactly the same sort of adventure as previously undertaken.

The adventure plot itself is where the sequel doesn't quite live up to its predecessor. While it was enjoyable enough, I did not feel as invested in the peril and wonder of September's journey. We cannot lay this at the feet of Ms. Valente entirely, though, because part of what made the first book so extraordinary was its newness -- and with the return of a now-familiar world, we automatically lose a little of that charge of excitement that drove the intensity of the first book. That we get to see new parts of Fairyland and meet new citizens of the world helps -- and provides some of the most intriguing parts of this book -- but those new faces who contribute to the path of the story sometimes feel rushed here. I am eager, however, to see whether some of the most tantalizing glosses are further developed later in the series.

I will say, above all this, that even though this book might not have reached quite the the level of the first, I loved it. I loved it mostly because, no matter whether or not her book is perfectly paced or balanced in its complexity, underneath the bits that can be nitpicked, Valente is an absolute master of emotional tone. For children, no doubt this is a wondrous adventure story, but for adults... well, in my own experience, the novel -- especially its end -- was so achingly nostalgic that I closed it with slow tears running down my face.

I read Catherynne Valente because her imagination makes unthought-of things live. But I also read her books because they show me an impossible childhood that I none the less wish -- desperately wish -- I could've had. Recommended without reservation.

Wow, what a wonderful review, Sarah! But I'm not talking to you because I am totally green with jealousy about your great convention experience!!!

#2


Hounded by Kevin Hearne
This urban fantasy novel, the first in The Iron Druid Chronicles, a series much along the lines of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, was recommended to me by several friends. Having read this book, I can see why they recommended it. High on my list of enjoyable things about this book is its immersion in Irish myth. The hero of the story -- a much-older-than-he-looks transplanted Druid -- worships and deals with the divine race of the Tuatha De Danaan, while living in modern day Arizona. The incorporation of other mythic pantheons, often with a tongue-in-cheek flair (everyone hates Thor, for example -- he's referred to as a "major asshat" as early as page 2), also keeps me chuckling and turning pages.

That said, there are some things about this book that might drive a reader nuts, and certainly distracted me from the fun. Hearne has some bad writing habits, including an apparent need to harp on the things he either knows or has researched. The details and descriptions of fight scenes and weapons frequently stretch past the point of necessity here -- and the reader is treated to turn-by-turn directions every time the main character walks anywhere (which is often, as he doesn't own a car). I'm pretty sure I could take this novel as a guidebook if ever I visit Tempe. The predictable scene patterns can feel redundant, as though the author had found his preferred template and used it whenever he needed to insert a dialogue scene. But, in truth, all of these are issues that we might refer to as "first book problems" -- and could easily be resolved once the author has had a chance to stretch his imaginative muscles a little further with subsequent volumes.

It says much, too, that I kept reading even through the distractions. The novel's adventure is bold enough and the characterizations clever enough that I enjoyed myself most of the time. Some of Hearne's invented characters steal the show -- Oberon the wolfhound, for example, throws the funniest one-liners -- and make the whole experience worthwhile.

Overall, I would call this inventive popcorn-reading -- fluffy, not terribly nutritious, but made tasty with the salt of wry humor and rich source material. I have already started reading the second installment in the series, so you might gather my recommendation from that. I look forward to seeing the series get better as it goes along. Also, I kind of want Oberon for my very own.

>84 ronincats:: Thanks, Roni. Glad you liked the review. I can see that you aren't talking to me, though, so... um... maybe I'll just hang out quietly here in the corner. ;)

Great review of the new Fairyland book. I felt exactly the same. I feel like even when Valente wobbles, it's still more engaging and magical than when many authors soar.

Two beautiful reviews! Thumbs up for both! I am going to have to read the first Fairyland novel, it sounds like!!

So glad you had fun at your convention!! :)

Sounds like you had fun - were you aware of what several of your authors were doing in their off-time?

http://jimhines.livejournal.com/667303.html (weird and wonderful...)

I haven't read either of the Fairyland books, and want to - at some point. I have read Hounded - and am surprised that I didn't notice what bothered you, I usually do nitpick that sort of stuff. I guess I was having too much fun to see it. I just (last month) got the rest of the series...maybe I'll read right through. Though that won't help with my BOMBs (ROOTs, whatever) goal this year.

Starred!

>89 jjmcgaffey:: Yay, I love stars! And as for that cover shoot -- yes, I sure did know what they were getting up to. In fact, I know Jim Hines (he lives just the other side of town from me, so I see him at bookstore stuff, etc.), I donated to the fundraiser, and I know the photographer who took that photo (Al Bogdan). I was also in the room for the cover reveal and discussion of the session -- they were all hilarious. It was so fun. People really did go nuts. Good times.

And all for a good cause. :)

>87 leahbird: & 88: Thank you, thank you!

And, Leah, somehow I knew we would be on the same page there. I absolutely agree that even when Valente hits a step lower than her usual ridiculously magnificent, it's still darned impressive, especially in comparison to others who spend 20 years trying to reach where she is just a few years into her publishing career. I will be reading every speck of that series, for sure.

PS/ETA: if you want to hear a bit from Al the photographer, he wrote up the whole thing from his perspective here: http://aebogdan.com/?p=841

It'll give you a sense of how many times people fell over during the shoot, for example. Which was a lot. :)

I'm glad you had fun at the convention! And you got me a copy of Dust Girl signed? Luvs! We should totally think about going to this together next year. (See how I just invite myself along? I'm shameless like that.)

Hi Sarah. So pleased you such a fun time at the convention and got to meet so many great authors!

I've thumbed your review of The girl who fell beneath fairyland - I'm very excited these have been published in the UK now and hope to start the series soon. Hounded also thumbed but that sounds like a book I can live without.

Sarah, I am jealous beyond belief that you and David met Christopher Paul Curtis last year. I've just finished the signed copy of The Mighty Miss Malone. Some of the sites I visit note this is high on the list as the possible Newbery medal winner for 2013.

It is a wonderful, wonderful book.

It sounds like your recent convention was good indeed.

Just cruising by to say hi! I'm back in the thread game again, and, sheesh, I keep getting new books. In the teen fantasy fluff, have you read the Julie Kagawa series about the Iron Fey? Interesting idea--the Summer and Winter courts having to deal with a new faerie form just because the "real" world believes less in faeries and more in electronics. Just saying. . . .

Wow! Sounds like your convention went well indeed. I would have totally geeked out!

Your comments on the Valente sequel were spot on, I felt pretty much the same way as you and Leah-- still wonderful, just not quite as magical as the first one.

It snowed in DC last night . . . the pandas like it:

What a lovely photo of a panda in the snow.

If any non-reader ever asks me what I get from librarything, I now have an answer they'll understand: on a random afternoon at work, I'm presented with a picture of a panda playing in the snow. Wonderful :)

Cute! The panda looks like it is having so much fun :)

Aw. That panda is adorable. Day is made better, boom. Snow panda -- yep, could also be used to describe me. Except I'm not quite so cute when I roll around in it. Nor so fluffy. :)

>91 tapestry100:: You are shameless. I'm quite shocked by it. Wait... ok, I'm over it. If you want to take in a scifi/gaming con, you might also think about PenguiCon, which happens in the spring. I went to that several years ago -- there's more tech talk than book talk, but they still usually have decent panels. We can keep an eye open. But don't forget -- we are supposed to go to Steam Expo this year! Planning?

>92 souloftherose:: Yeah, I finished the second in the Iron Druid series, Hexed, and it has some of the same problems (more on that anon). Even so, it is clever and funny, so as an escapist bit of fluff, the series is fun... but there are plenty of better fantasies out there. Cat Valente, on the other hand, is a must-read. I am glad you'll be able to get her series soon.

>93 Whisper1:: Linda, I am so glad you enjoyed the book. I'll cross my fingers that Christopher Paul Curtis comes near you sometime soon so that you can see him too. Hugs!

>94 Prop2gether:: Hi! So nice to see you back. I have not read the Kagawa series myself, but I know David has (at least part of it) and he recommends it -- plus I just bought the entire series as a birthday present for another friend of ours last year, and he has really enjoyed them too. They sound interesting -- I'll have to pick them up at some point. Thanks for the rec. :)

>95 UnrulySun:: Glad you are with us on the Valente thing. I am really curious to see where the series goes -- I think she said that there will be five Fairyland books -- but I hope they don't keep losing a little magic each time. And, really, at the con I was totally geeking out... on the inside. There were silent squees of joy, for sure. :)

I have the first book in the Valente series home from the library now. I hope I like it as much as everyone else seems to.

I have Hounded on the floor next to my bed. It is the next up of my 'by the bed' books :)

#3


Hexed by Kevin Hearne
Perhaps it's because they were published in quick succession, but this -- the second novel in the Iron Druid Chronicles -- struck me as almost identical to its predecessor, warts and all. There are a few changes here: for example, Hearne has eased off on weaponry descriptions and picked up a habit of describing every item of clothing in a person's outfit instead. It's a strange alteration -- and a strange choice for extended description in this genre -- but at least now I know that our main character, a disguised Druid multiple millenia old, has an appreciation for fashion.

Forgive the tone -- I should say that I am enjoying this series, in between flashes of irritation. There are clever lines and saucy hounds and some very powerful female characters, which I appreciate. At the same time, however, there is just so much that could easily be better here, which I think is why I harp on the details so much. The potential of Hearne's storytelling is very good -- he has a smart sense of interaction, pinpointing the ways that a multi-pantheon world might work and the relationship quirks that might develop between deities and other beings of different myths and faiths. I like the sass and irreverence at work most of the time.

Unfortunately, all this potential is still mired in some bad habits and -- something that I noticed this time in particular -- a main character who is both limited (emotionally stunted might be a better phrase) and entirely too powerful. Atticus acts and speaks like an Irish frat boy much of the time, even when it isn't necessary for his modern-day "camouflage", which can get wearing after a while. I like the character's basic idea, but the references to female body parts and beer seem a little thick. On the other hand, I am not male, so it's possible that these cultural details appeal to a specific demographic of Hearne's audience. The fact that Atticus is -- by this second book -- equipped with not one but two badass magic swords, protected by an awesome Druid amulet that no one else gets, has healing powers and is unkillable anyway, however, just seems like laziness. It's hard to get engaged about the peril your character is in when said peril is clearly not mortal.

After all this, you might think I had set the series aside, but the interesting thing is, I've already started the third book. Clearly, there is enough there to keep me reading, if only to see if Atticus every really gets his butt kicked. I get the sense that this book and its brother volumes are best suited for a certain group of teenage males, but I think it works too for fantasy fans who really want to just turn off their brain for a few hours -- sort of like going to see the newest comic book movie. As fluff goes, Hearne's novel has some things going for it. I'll see if it manages to get anything else going in the next book.

>101 alcottacre:: Woo! I think you will really like the Valente. It isn't a "warm and fuzzy" sort of book -- there are bits that made me vaguely uncomfortable, especially toward the end -- but it is WONDERFUL.

And Hounded will probably take you all of five minutes to read, Stasia, so it's worth the chuckle. Not brilliant, as I might have mentioned a time or two, but funny anyway. Let us know what you think. :)

Mmm, bamboo popsicles.

Cute panda! :)

Yum -- a little snow seasoning makes bamboo salad taste better. Thanks for another cute panda! :)

Finished the third book in the Iron Druid series, Hammered, and am on to the next, Tricked. Full thoughts to come -- this was an up and down read for me, but better than the first two, so I am taking my time to think before I review. Yay thinking!

Also, yay pandas!

Because pandas always get a shout out around here. :)

Hi Sarah! Hope you're having a lovely pandaful weekend. :)

Thanks, my weekend was pretty good... but sadly lacking in pandas. How was yours? :)

Had a decent weekend, thanks. What in the world are you reading lately?

Hi, Sarah! I just finished a YA series I think you'd like. I haven't made up my mind whether to try the Iron Druid series yet.

>110 UnrulySun:: I'm still reading the Iron Druid series... I've sort of stalled on the fourth book, Tricked, which is better than the others in some ways but not as effective in others. I'm going to try to finish it this week so that I can move on to the next... and maybe get finished with this series! Heaven forbid I want to read something else. (This was supposed to be a series of quick reads for me.)

>111 ronincats:: Hi Roni! Is that The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place you are referring to? I think I may have the first book around here somewhere... or maybe I just keep looking at it because, yes, it sure does seem like something I would like. As for Hearne's books... I'm not sure I can recommend them wholeheartedly, but they sure are funny. That's worth something.

#4


Hammered by Kevin Hearne
In this third volume of the Iron Druid series, Kevin Hearne seems at first to be repeating the same mistakes once again... but if one can keep reading, suddenly everything becomes worth it. I finally understand why my friends recommend this series. It's not that there was some flash of revelatory brilliance. Rather, it is a small moment and, while it involves Jesus, it's neither reverent nor particularly spiritual. What it is... is down deep in your gut laugh out loud startle the house pets funny. And the fact that there are several moments like that in this book (though really, nothing totally tops the Jesus moment, but I don't want to spoil it for you) really makes it worthwhile.

The other change that Hearne makes here -- again, we might say finally -- is that there are real consequences to the actions of the central characters. While Atticus, our favorite ancient druid, is still annoyingly untouchable and too gifted by half, we do get to see some of the ways that he is vulnerable and some of the consequences that result in others when his choices are involved. Some of the characters we might have thought untouchable are brought low here -- be prepared. The upshot of this is that things start to feel more genuine.

In addition, Hearne works in some story-within-a-story narrative variation that makes this novel feel less like a cookie cutter version of the first book. That variety, though it takes some getting used to, is put to good use and feels refreshing. It also gives an opportunity for other voices in the text, some of which -- okay, one in particular -- are startlingly funny. Hearne seems to be at his best when he is delivering one liners from a perspective outside that of his main character (see: Oberon, etc.).

Does it still have flaws? Oh, you bet. Are things still ridiculously easy for Atticus? Oy, yes. (I almost chucked the book at the wall during the scene with the Norns -- really, REALLY? Ugh!) But at least this book resonates along the emotional scale with real weight, developed humor (not entirely relying on potty references now), and interesting implications for the future of the series. I'm intent on finishing this. Whether you choose to start it is entirely up to you.

Also, this is how the last couple of weeks have been...


Just so you know.

Oh, what a picture, Mary Beth! I've had a few weeks like that myself. Here's hoping you get turned right side up and down out of the tree soon!

Sarah, not The Incorrigible Children series, but the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima. Really, really good!

Hoping you have a better week this week.

Happy People-in-Love-Are-Annoying Day. I went a bit crazy with the great nerdy valentines this year and just made a whole pinboard for them. Check it out here, pick your favorite, and know it came straight from my shriveled heart!

#114 Hugs, Sarah.

>115 rosalita: & 118: Thanks. I'm still struggling to feel right-way-round, but I'm working on it. :)

>116 ronincats:: Oh, I think I have a trilogy of hers... Wizard Heir and two other books... but it looks like that is a separate series. I think. So, now I'll just have to pick up the other set since it comes so highly recommended. Thanks! :)

>117 leahbird:: David and I refer to it as "Singles Awareness Day" but yeah... exactly. I love your Valentines though. The Doctor's "Are you a Weeping Angel?" pick up line one cracked me up.

I was okay on Valentine's day until I read a blog post from Patrick Rothfuss: http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2013/02/concerning-love/

And then I just started crying because that is what I want... including the parts about fights and misunderstandings and maybe, just maybe, even puking kids... but I don't have it. So Valentines day ended with me being a mess.

But we carry on. And we read books.

Very. Slowly.

Curse you, Kevin Hearne.

I've read the trilogy with Wizard Heir, Warrior Heir and Dragon Heir by Chima. They weren't bad--set in modern times and interesting magic system, but a little too much teen angst for me especially in the last book. I think the Seven Realms series shows her growth as a writer and I just liked them a lot more.

#119 by beserene> You know, I genuinely don't know if I really want a relationship or if I want a relationship because I want kids so bad. Not that I think I can't have kids without the relationship, because I will if I don't meet someone, but I want the dynamic of parenting with someone. The mutual love and stress and joy and fear of being a parent.

Or maybe I'm just a defeatist when it comes to love...

We always called it Singles Awareness Day (SAD) when I was in college, too, and had parties and stuff to celebrate.

Hi Sarah, Just checking in after a bit of an absence - lots of lovely fantasy reads to add to the wish list, and I love the reclining panda. I'm also green with envy about meeting all those terrific authors. I think I'm going to have to see if there's a good SF convention happening anywhere in the UK (I've never really heard of one, but they must happen here, right?) Well, I want get myself to one soon!

http://www.lotna.org.uk/cons.htm - have fun! When I was living in London, I went to a couple filk cons, which were great - I still keep up with the group (WiGGLe). Oh, you've got the World Fantasy con this year and Worldcon (SF) next year! If you want to jump in the deep end, those will be great...

>123 HanGerg: & 124: Yes, JJ is right... there are a lot of good cons in the UK, including the next REALLY big ones. World Fantasy is more for professionals in the genre and Worldcon is more for fans, but they are huge. Also, I think there are some good steampunk conventions in the UK. Have a look... I bet you will find something for me to be totally jealous of. :)

>121 leahbird: & 122: I am the opposite Leah... I definitely want the love, but I'm not as sure about the kids (even though lately my mommy-clock has been making itself heard in weird ways... maybe I'll just get a puppy). But yeah, I can understand being defeatist. I get that way too. And my friends and I have had SAD celebrations... but at the end, I always end up feeling actually sad. Alas. Anyway... cheer up, me! There are always books.

Bought Detroit: An Autopsy and Lies Beneath as well as a book for work today at the local. See, I'm recovering already. :)

120: Good to know, Roni. Maybe I will check those that you recommend out first. I have no patience for poor writing right now. Finally finished the fourth Kevin Hearne book and I just cannot bring myself to pick up the fifth. I need a break... and I need to read something that is really good.

How is it March and I have only read five books? I don't even understand my life right now. Blech. That is all.

#5


Tricked by Kevin Hearne
I don't even know what to say. I feel like I repeat the same problems, the same highlights and the same challenges with every book in this series. So, yes, this is more of the same. If you liked the first book, you will like this one. If you kind of liked the first book, you will probably kind of like this one, since even though Hearne has grown somewhat as a writer, his early quirks have been replaced by other quirks. If you didn't like the first book, well, you probably stopped there anyway.

If, on the other hand, you are like me and you really want these books to be better than they are, because there are so many cool and clever pieces here that shine out from amidst the clunkiness and annoyance, then yes... you will find both more to love and more to hate in this fourth installment of the Iron Druid series. The use of Native American traditions is very interesting here, but the plot utilizes some of the most brutal ideas and makes them even more so. And now, in addition to wanting to punch the main character, Atticus, in the face (which is a constant for me as I read these books), I also want to punch Coyote. And Leif. And some other people. Be prepared.

So there it is. I am a little cranky, so I don't think I'm going to put this up on the book's page yet, but I thought I would share it here. That's my blurb. And now I am taking a break from Hearne, even though I have another book in the series waiting on my table, because I just need something else... please.

Also, I am on spring break this week. Yay! Maybe I will read. Yay! But then again, I have a whole pile of grading that I should catch up on. Boo!

Great link JJ, thanks! Lo and behold, one of the first things that came up was something happening in my home city of Exeter, featuring, amongst others, Philip Reeve whose Mortal Engines series I have just started reading and enjoying. Trouble was, it was last weekend - doh! I was probably reading his book whilst he was talking about it just a few miles away! Well, I've bookmarked that link so hopefully nothing so annoying need ever happen again!

Found and starred Sarah!

Enjoy your spring break, Sarah! Don't do too much grading during the holidays, it's not good for your happiness or your students' grades. :-)

There were pandas on Rock Center last night. Apparently the Edinburgh Zoo is piping in Marvin Gaye in the hopes of getting the pandas in the mood for reproducing. It was quite funny.

>131 leahbird:: That does beg the question: what is a panda's favorite mood music? :D

>130 rosalita:: Thank you. It's been going well so far.. I already finished a book! Oh, also some laundry. Yep, it's really exciting around here. :)

>129 immreading:: Welcome! :)

>128 HanGerg:: Oh, bummer that you missed Reeve, but yay for having a con nearby... time to make plans for next year. :)

And now about that book I finished... you know, it's kind of amazing... I stop trying to get through Kevin Hearne and look what happens. ;)

#6


Me Who Dove Into the Heart of the World by Sabina Berman
At the close of this novel, I found myself feeling meditative. I sat in a spot of sunlight and simply breathed for a moment. It's that kind of book. Sabina Berman's novel, a first person account from an autistic narrator who reflects on her life and work in animal husbandry and aquaculture, might at first seem pretty familiar to those who have read Mark Haddon or experienced anything related to Temple Grandin -- and I do have some concerns, by the way, that this apparent trend could verge on the exploitative if it continues in less respectful hands -- but in this case the familiarity falls away once the reader fully invests in the frankness and beauty of the world within the book. The variations and textual additions -- including numerals, capitalizations, images and text shapes -- which Berman uses to help create the representation of difference take a little getting used to, but once one settles into that voice, they make perfect sense. The whole package creates an aura of authenticity which gives weight to all of the observations, both practical and philosophical, made by the narrator. Karen Nieto, that primary character whose mind shapes the narrative, feels so real that at times while reading I was tempted to look her up online, wondering what had become of her.

The other level of authenticity here is Berman's elegant construction of tension. As one reads, the full range of emotion moves through the pages -- I felt by turns giddy, sad, angry... -- and by the time the last word slides from view it's as if everything has gone still. Closing the book was like letting out a breath long held. Part of that wonderful ebb and flow of emotion is the relationship between Karen and her aunt, who helps raise her from feral child to aquacultural engineer. But part of it is simply the intensity of that voice and the satisfying rightness of Berman's words. This book will make you think and feel -- about people, about animals, about the planet -- and that is a very good thing. Recommended.

What a lyrical, tempting review, Sarah! Makes me want to go right out and get it. A big thumb!

Thanks Roni. :) I really was impressed by the book. I even dog-eared some pages to go back to certain quotes -- the last time I did that was with The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which I also liked very much, so that might tell you something. I hope you get it and enjoy it.

Nice review of Me Who Dove Into the Heart, Sarah. Thumb from me, and I'll look for this one. I know what you mean about fears of exploitation - it seems to be an area authors are exploring more - but I thought Marcelo in the Real World was another good one, featuring a high-functioning boy with Aspberger's. Another one I liked a lot was The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon, which takes a very different kind of angle on it. She does have an autistic child.

Oh cool... thank you for the recommendations! I find this slowly growing trend really interesting -- and so far all such books that I have encountered have been very respectful and genuine, so I both enjoy them and appreciate the positive potential for increasing understanding that they represent -- but of course the more popular a "trend" is, the greater danger that we will get an explosion of volumes from less tuned-in authors. Here's hoping that does not happen. And I will be checking out those you recommend. :)

Our own LTer Linda (Whisper) has gotten me paying more attention to the Newbery Awards, so I read the most recent one. Oh. my. goodness. Way to go Newbery people.

#7


The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
This extraordinary children's novel, which recently won a well-earned Newbery, wraps the reader in the voice of Ivan, the one and only mighty silverback gorilla, who has been caged at a mall just off the highway for most of his life. The story flows from his frank perspective, and Ivan simply tells it as it is, which lends the entire book a tone of unadorned melancholy. The language here is almost unbelievably simple but Ivan's viewpoint is incredibly affecting. There were several times during my one-sitting reading of this that I had to set the book down and just cry. You have been warned.

What makes the story itself all that much more extraordinary is that it was based on a real gorilla who did spend much of his life at a cage in a mall. I won't spoil what happens to fictional Ivan by telling you the fate of our real world Ivan, but this book will raise your hopes and your emotional investment more than you could ever expect. I thought I was sitting down to read a cute animal story... what I found was something incredibly moving, encompassing themes of friendship, love, wildlife protection, abuse, and -- especially -- family. Read it. You won't regret it.

I've wondered about this book, Sarah. I saw it won the Newberry, and I thought it nonetheless might not be for me. The gorilla central character didn't spur my interest. But your helpful review has me reconsidering.

Great review of The One and Only Ivan. I've been thinking that might be a good one to read aloud to the kids this summer. But I tend to be a cry-er, so maybe I should read it to myself first to see if I can handle reading it out loud.

Catching up here during a period of insomnia... :)

I also read & enjoyed Me Who Dove into the Heart of the World. I've thumbed your excellent review!

But ouch! You hit me BIG time with Ivan! Like major shrapnel off that BB! :)
Another incredibly moving review and a well earned thumbs up from me!!

>140 jnwelch:: Thanks for the compliment. As for the book, I would say, of course, give it a shot. The whole thing takes maybe an hour to read because there is a lot of white space (which surprised me also, but you get used to it quickly). If you don't like it, you have lost only a little time. If you don't read it, you will never know if you like it. :)

>141 porch_reader:: Thanks! Definitely read the book to yourself first, because I think reading this book aloud would make the emotional moments even more intense. Trust me, you are going to want to be prepared.

>142 TinaV95:: Thank you very much, Tina. And I am glad that someone else got the BB this time... I'm usually getting hit from all sides myself. :D

Also, I did finish another book... Detroit: An American Autopsy, the author of which I saw at my local bookstore this evening. I am not yet sure what I wish to say about it though; it's not my usual fare and I only finished it an hour ago, so I am going to let it simmer in my mind a bit. Very interesting, but quite bleak. More anon.

Oh, David just reviewed that one, didn't he? Interesting.

Yes he did. We went to the same reading and he read it this week too. Sometimes we line up like that. :)

Hey Sarah! You've pushed me to want to read Ivan.

Yay! I think you will like it. And by "like it" I mean that you will probably weep and feel terrible and then be uplifted. All good things. :)

#8


Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff
This bleak memoir revisits Detroit in its recent years, as the decades of slow collapse have come to a head and been (finally) noticed by the rest of the country. Charlie LeDuff is a native son, absent for many years, who brings his family home only to find that home is not what he remembers. A former reporter, LeDuff has a stark journalistic writing style that suits his subject and a brash voice that lights the fading city and its more recognizable citizens with an appropriately harsh brightness.

In fact, all this glare might be too much for some readers -- this is not the hopeful "things will get better" novelization nor the ruin-porn with glitzy pictures that lately have been highlights of literary Detroit. This book is personal -- more personal than I expected -- it is darkly humorous, it is grimly pragmatic, and it offers only the slimmest glimpse of encouragement as it grinds through pages of broken systems and broken people. I like its frankness, even when the urban brashness and downriver hyperbole get to be a little much; not everyone will.

LeDuff's book is a clear reflection of himself. After seeing him speak at a local bookstore, and hearing him read a few short passages, I recognized how authentic his writing is. It isn't perfect, not by a long shot, nor is it elegant... but it is an indelible transcription of his own speech. There is a certain beauty in that. Seeing him argue a political point and hearing his voice choke at an emotional moment in his own memoir also confirmed for me the intensely personal nature of his work; Charlie LeDuff cares about Detroit and, in many ways, the redeeming value of his book is that it might make you care too.

That's such a good review of 'Detroit', Sarah. I am fascinated by that city's epic downfall, and this book sounds like a depressing but useful exploration of the topic. Onto the wishlist!

Why, thank you. I hope you like the book... though it's not the kind of book that one "enjoys", so it is strange to say that. It's also strange to read it here -- I live less than two hours from Detroit -- and consider the differences. Two colleges and a state capital have stabilized my city after the retrenching of GM, which left us with empty brown holes where most of our factories stood, while places like Flint and Detroit have fallen farther than anyone thought possible. And I have family in Detroit too, some of whom vehemently object to the characterizations of the city that now feature in books. There are a lot of perspectives around here. So it is strange to find some of them in a book, but I suppose it is good too.

I'm rambling. I'll stop. If you live around here, you know what I mean. If you don't, I am not sure I can really explain it all without sounding crazy. :)

I live in Iowa now (grew up in New York and Illinois) but I went to Michigan State for a year and I loved the campus and the area. Do you live in Lansing, Sarah?

Yep, sure do. :)

I teach at Michigan State, actually. Well, that is one of my teaching jobs, as an adjunct. It's a pretty good place, ridiculous in its own way, but stable and beautiful.

I have, in fact, lived here my entire life... which means I have watched things fall apart around us over the years. It's been interesting. Not that I recommend it for most people. But interesting.

Interesting is a good word to describe many things, isn't it?

I'm sure you weren't at MSU when I was there (1982-83), but imagine if it turned out we were there at the same time. Actually, I only had one Lit class, and the professor was a very interesting fellow (there's that word again). The two things that stand out most clearly in my mind about that class is that he wore a large medallion on a leather thong around his neck that nestled into his very hairy chest (he wore his shirts unbuttoned at the top), and that he took time out during one class period to instruct us women on the proper way to perform our bathroom hygiene to avoid infections ("Wipe back, ladies! Always wipe back!"). I'm sure we read some books, too, but I have no idea what.

Wow. Interesting is one word for that professor. That's the 80s for you, I guess.

I hate to say this, but since I was in elementary school in the early 80s, I'm afraid we missed each other on campus.

Unless you happened to see an obnoxious first-grader chasing some ducks by the river and getting chased by them in return. That was probably me. :)

It's OK, I've come to realize that pretty much everyone is younger than me these days. It seldom sends me weeping to my bed ... anymore. :-)

I did spend a lot of time with the ducks by the river, but I don't remember any little munchkins hanging around. :-) The river and the library were my favorite hangouts, for sure. I lived in Hubbard Hall, which at the time was pretty new, I think. Living on the 7th floor was pretty heady stuff for a kid from a town without a building taller than 3 stories, and only one elevator in town, not counting the grain elevator.

Sounds like quite the experience. Though it is funny to me to think of Lansing as "big city", you aren't the first to mention such ideas. MSU is supposed to be the ag college, of course, but it does have elevators, of both the people and grain moving varieties. :)

My father and mother both went to MSU and we had a godfather who was a professor there, so we ran around on campus occasionally. It is really odd sometimes, but also comforting, to be teaching in places where I used to learn as a student or play as a kid. I do seem to like the familiar. Apparently.

I feel a little bit like you do, working now at the same university where I finished my bachelor's degree. There's something comforting about the continuity of such things, I think, but it is weird to see familiar places from a new perspective.

Even though I only stayed a year, I have many fond memories of MSU and still root for their basketball team whenever they aren't playing Iowa.

Wow, small world. I was at MSU 1985-1987 for an MS in Physics. It was a great place for us, and led to getting hired by Johns Hopkins to build spacecraft.

How about that! A small world indeed. Sounds like things turned out pretty well for you, Jim. :-)

Well, very small world. How cool! I worked at the College of Vet Med and the College of Ag's Dept of Animal Science before and after I got my degree there.

Really, Emilie? Isn't that amazing. We've got enough people to have a little MSU-LT reunion!

Excellent! Way to go, MSU-LT peeps. Let me know when you want to have that reunion... I'm still here. :)

More books! After the grim LeDuff book, I needed something lighter, so hello...

#9


Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Gail Carriger never fails to make me laugh. This, her first YA novel and the first in a new "steampunk lite" series set in the Parasol Protectorate universe, is no exception. There are delightful things afoot here, both for those who have read her other books and for newcomers. First, for old hands, we find some of the side characters we enjoyed in Carriger's Soulless books are front and center now, engaging us with their intriguing histories. (Since this series is set several decades earlier than Carriger's first, those folks are younger and the reader is even treated to some childhood moments for one key character, but I won't spoil it by saying which one.) For new readers, this world is as rich and fun as one could hope, populated by airships and mechanical dogs and very cumbersome Victorian clothing.

Amid this delight there are, unfortunately, some flaws. Carriger has never been the world's most consistent author and there are some decidedly wobbly moments here. Some of the inconsistencies of the novel, however, may have root in its parent genre -- and I do not mean steampunk. At heart, this is a school story, in the same vein as Tom Brown and even Harry Potter, where the bulk of the first book is always taken up with making friends and breaking rules and finding one's way to classes -- classes which, in this case, take place in a floating boarding school of dubious moral character -- and the climax and denouement are all too swift, passing in the space of a few packed pages. Without the context of that tradition, the pacing of this book feels incredibly uneven and the tone a bit stilted. Within that context, however, those choices at least make sense. I'm not sure the explanation makes it any less annoying to have such a quick conclusion, but there it is.

Overall, I enjoyed this book both more and less than I thought I would, but I am happy to report that it is typical Carriger and, if you liked her previous books, you will likely find this one just as enjoyable. If you have never read her work before, however, I would still suggest you start with her very first -- Soulless -- because much of the fun here is in recognition and revision.

...
And then I got back into some serious stuff with this one, which I read thanks entirely to our own lovely Linda. Thanks, Linda!

#10


Jumping the Scratch by Sarah Weeks
This middle grade novel, set in northern Michigan, draws out some of the most complicated emotions and serious challenges of childhood. It takes divorce, memory, death and abuse as its subjects and handles them deftly, creating a narrative that is not at all comfortable yet is beautiful in its own way. Weeks is adept at inhabiting the perspective of a child with a secret. Here, that child is Jamie, who feels responsible for the bad things happening around him -- his parents splitting, his cat dying, his aunt's health issues and even more terrible secrets -- and is struggling to function in his shifting world.

Although this is a quick read, it is not an easy one, especially for anyone who has ever been in a similar situation. Jamie's challenges are familiar, relatable, wrenching and -- as a result -- important for the reader. I think, in fact, that this might be one of those important books... one that you can hand to kids or even adults who are struggling in order to reassure them that they are not alone. It will unsettle you -- it should unsettle you -- but it is very much worth the discomfort. Recommended for older children who can handle serious themes and beyond.

We can't have the MSU-LT reunion without you, Sarah!

I wouldn't miss it.

What I meant was, I'm still here at MSU, so you can all come visit me and have that reunion. Sounds like a lovely idea to me. We have a very nice hotel on campus. And, you know, ducks and stuff. :)

Ducks! And squirrels. I don't know if you saw the squirrel story I posted on Genny's thread, but that happened at MSU, when I was walking through the woods by the river from the library back to my dorm. In case you didn't see it over there:

The strangest thing I've ever had happen with squirrels is having one use my head as an intermediate landing area between a high tree limb and the ground. That wasn't what bothered me, though; what bothered me was the way it turned around and chattered at me scoldingly after it landed on the ground. As if it was my fault! Sheesh, some rodents, I tell ya.

Squirrels. My college campus was infested with squirrels. Three kinds (brown, grey, and black), with the occasional mutant hybrid (grey squirrels with brown tails are weird). Stand in one place too long and the nasty ones (usually the black ones) would start throwing nuts at you.

Bwahahaha! Yeah, squirrels. We do have some sassy ones at MSU. To be honest, though, my backyard squirrels would kick the pansy-ass east side squirrels all over the map. Here on the west side, we grow squirrels weaned on industrial waste products... and pumpkins. Lots of pumpkins. My squirrels are almost the size of cats. I am not even exaggerating. And they do things like climb up my screen door, looking in my house as if to case the joint.

Thug squirrels 4 life.

:D

Wow! You're making me glad I only encountered those ivory tower squirrels. I'm not sure I would be able to face off with your west-siders. They sound fierce!

Have any of you read Lilith Saintcrow's blog reports of squirrels? They're - kind of exciting! Not thugs, ninjas. And Romeo and Juliet. And then it gets even more exciting...

Her blog, tag squirrelterror, last page which is the beginning of the story (scroll down).

http://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/journal/tag/squirrelterror/page/3/

BTW, I often end reading a blog post of hers laughing myself breathless. And sometimes not.

Oh my dear heaven, those are funny posts.

My squirrels don't so much do ninja things... they don't really feel the need, I suspect, being as big as they are. And we don't have bird-feeders. What we do have is an apple tree, on which they gorge, and cedar shingles on the house, which they shimmy up when the tree is empty, peeking in the house with an air of expectation and furry menace -- "where are the snacks, lady?" they seem to say.

And occasionally, in the weeks around Halloween, I pull into my driveway and glance at the decorative pumpkins on my porch, only to find fat, fuzzy squirrels rumps hanging out of them... the front ends of the squirrels being fully engaged in eating the innards. They don't really bother to stop when I get home -- they just throw a glance my way, clearly in the vein of some DeNiro-esque "you gotta problem, lady?" challenge. Since we throw our pumpkin seeds out in the far back of the yard, and have done every year for a decade, autumn is like a pumpkin smorgasbord front and back. The squirrels are, I'm pretty sure, pumpkin addicts. My evidence is the inevitable gathering of hulking squirrels on the deck when I bake pumpkin pie. They sit there, rubbing their paws and twitching, muttering to each other... sometimes they test the security on the windows or the sliding door... just to be sure, of course.

They are an ominous bunch sometimes, our gang of thug squirrels.

I don't know how you sleep at night, Sarah!

This is not quite a squirrel story, but it's related. When I was in college (the aforementioned squirrel-infested college) I went with some friends to see a comic who was performing on campus. He wasn't very good, he was getting a lackluster response, and at one point he added something like "and then a squirrel ate his face off" to the end of one of the jokes. To his utter confusion, the whole audience cracked up. Poor guy had no idea what was going on.

Ha! Oh, dear, that is really both disturbing and funny, Blue. That poor comic probably wondered what was wrong with his audience. :D

Also -- on the subject of books rather than squirrels -- I am, at the moment, picking my way through Wonders of the Invisible World, a collection of short stories by one of my absolute favorite writers, Patricia McKillip. I wasn't intending on reading it right now, especially since most of the stories in it are reprints and therefore familiar, but I grabbed it up one day when I just wanted to read one story and I have been reading "just one story" (or perhaps two) every night since. So, I guess I shall finish it and then pick out my next read. :)

PS: Totally jumping back to squirrels for a second, but anyone who is interested might like to know that there are several squirrel species in south Michigan, but the East Lansing squirrels are mostly gray squirrels, while in west Lansing we have mostly the bigger fox squirrels. What's the difference, you might ask. Ok, here you go:



See the fat fluffy guy in the top left corner? That is the fox squirrel. And yes, he might very well eat your face. (I strongly suspect that one has "Thug 4 Life" tattooed on his not-so-tiny rodent knuckles.) :)
(Pic from http://lansingwbu.blogspot.com/2009/02/question-of-week-how-many-species-of.html...

#165 I enjoyed spotting the references to characters from The Parasol Proetctorate books too :-)

Squirrels - I'm glad we only have the smaller grey ones here. Your squirrels sound scary!

Sarah, that fox squirrel is huge! I think I can see a pack of cigarettes rolled up in his T-shirt sleeve, too.

Heh, squirrel related silliness - nice. The image of massed squirrels rubbing their paws together at the smell of pumpkin pie is a particular delight.
I worked at a school a few years ago that had loads of squirrels in the trees around the playground. They were used to being around gangs of noisy children and they didn't get phased by humans one bit. We actually had one come in the classroom one day to raid the lunch boxes, and he only just about scampered out before I was close enough to (gently) kick his little furry butt.
I'm amazed you have such a variety of squirrels near you Sarah - you may or may not know that in Britain the indigenous red squirrels have been all but wiped out by the imported greys, who just seem like a slightly tougher, more streetwise breed, although now I realise that if someone brought some fox squirrels over they might have some serious competition.

>179 souloftherose:: I would hate to give the wrong impression. My squirrels aren't scary. They are lovely, very good neighbors, not at all gang-like (and they are watching me type this). ;D

>180 rosalita:: Ha! "cigarettes rolled up in his t-shirt sleeve" just made me snort. Seriously.

>181 HanGerg:: Oh no! Poor little red squirrels... they always get a raw deal. Invasive species suck (don't get me started about asian carp). Well, ok, the people who introduce the invasive species suck -- that is probably more accurate.

But yeah, it's probably best that you don't have gangs of fox squirrels roughing up those reds and greys for their lunch money. :)

Yay, I made Sarah snort! :-)

My image of squirrels was altered when I heard one of the ladies on Sex and The City (I believe it was Samantha) refer to squirrels as nothing more than rats in better fur coats. Having grown up on Beatrix Potter's Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, it was quite a different picture!

Dear One!

Many Thanks!!!!!!

>183 rosalita:: Yep. That is an achievement. True story. :P

>184 Prop2gether:: Hadn't heard that one. (Though I had heard bats referred to as rats with wings, of course.) I can imagine that all these various viewpoints on squirrels might be pretty revisionist when compared with Beatrix Potter. I can't imagine my squirrels inhabiting those pastel pages. I think Twinkleberry would have been done for.

>185 Whisper1:: You are entirely welcome. :)

Ok, so now that all the squirrel shenanigans are over, it's back to books.

#11


Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia McKillip
Let me just start by saying that I love Patricia McKillip. Yes, that does mean that my comments are already biased. I'm okay with that. This collection of previously published stories is also something I'm okay with. Despite the fact that I already owned three-quarters of the stories collected here in other forms, I enjoyed revisiting McKillip's short work because she is simply an excellent writer. While not all of these stories are her very best -- keep in mind that this is by no means her only collection -- there are a great many gems, including a story about artists that I thought I remembered, but didn't quite, and therefore was surprised and delighted by its grace all over again.

Grace is a good keyword here... McKillip is at her best with space for long lines and graceful, dreamlike descriptions. While some of the shorter stories are entertaining and not much else -- a recommendation that lesser writers would love to own -- the longer pieces create the same delicious sensation of envelopment and escape for which her novels are justly famous. "The Kelpie" (the aforementioned story of artists) and "Knight of the Well" in particular stayed with me for days after I read them. Some of the stories are creepy, some enchanting, and some bright and brilliant, but all are worth reading, as is the lecture printed at the end, a grace note in and of itself.

I'm not sure squirrel shenanigans are ever really over, but we can take a hiatus if you want. :-)

I've never read anything by Patricia McKillip but your review sure makes me want to! Is this a good one to start with, or do you recommend another as a starter book?

McKillip is at her best at novel length. My favorite is probably In the Forests of Serre, but if you want a shorter introduction, you might try her novella The Changeling Sea. I think that her short stories are very good too, though, so if you like that form this collection would be okay. Harrowing the Dragon, an older collection, is probably stronger. In all seriousness though, you can start almost anywhere with her, because each of her books stands on its own.

You're right about the squirrel shenanigans. There were more just this morning, when a gang of spring-woken squirrels, looking a little skinny, knocked on my door.

Okay, they didn't so much knock as clatter around on the deck until I woke up.

When I opened the door, two of them scurried up trees, but one stood his ground, staring boldly at me...

or perhaps he was staring at the apples I held in my hand.

When I started tossing the apples, he chased them around like a dog fetching tennis balls until finally selecting the largest, which was bigger than his own head, and carrying it up the big pine tree to eat.

Oh squirrels, how you do entertain me.

So, are the apples "protection" money so the squirrels don't bust down your door?

Definitely. :)

On a totally different note, Amazon just bought Goodreads. Now might be a good time to tell your GR friends to come hang out with us here on LT, where we are still free from the corporate overlords. Unless your GR friends are those catty chippies who post bitchy one word reviews just for the sake of drama. Them we don't need... GRAmazon can keep them.

Sarah, I was reading the comments on the GoodReads blog announcing the sale, and it sounds like lots of GR people are not happy!

Od Magic has to be my favorite McKillip after her earliest works, The Riddlemaster Trilogy and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. But I like all her work.

Rosalita, I use GR very rarely, but I definitely won't use it now. I have no desire for my reviews and ideas to be cogs in Amazons machine. I can understand the reaction... a review site and social network that is owned by a seller or publisher eventually skews toward that controlling perspective, thereby losing it's trustworthiness.

Roni, I love all of those too. Serre is probably the one I've read the most, but I love them all.

Sarah, I know what you mean. I seldom went there but I deleted my account today. There was really no reason to have one there since I never used it or updated it. A lot of the concern seems to be over whether Amazon would have the same heavy-handed review policy on GR that they have on their own site. I don't write reviews for either, so it's not clear to me what people are worried about, but a lot of them are.

I didn't delete my account yet; I'm waiting to see how it goes. But I did just pull all my reviews, leaving just "removed by reviewer" in their place, and changed the note on my profile to emphasize that I am not using GR and that people who want to see my reviews can find me here on LT. I may delete my account fully if it becomes clear that Amazon is sticking their nose into how the site works.

I don't mind Amazon as a seller (though I still support indies over them), but the idea of them owning a site that is supposed to be about discussing and reviewing books, especially in this moment when they are moving into publishing, strikes me as inherently problematic for that site remaining in any way "independent". I think it's going to become a part of the Amazon machine and that we will start to see a lot of Amazon's publishing arm being pushed on GR.

That's my theory anyway.

But I don't care that much. I had only started putting reviews up there earlier this year and wasn't very active anyway. No loss for me. :)

#12


Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
This companion to Hale's hilarious romance Austenland loses a little from the fact that the core conceit is no longer new; the reader is no longer entertained by the sheer novelty of the Austen-esque vacation house and its Guest-esque cast of characters (there are a few familiar faces in this sequel as well as several new ones). Much of the silliness, this time around, seems overly ridiculous, even for a hard-core Austen fan. And yet...

And yet, the fact remains that this is a delightful novel. When I started it, I was concerned that we readers would be stuck with a repeat of the "lonely woman finds romance on an Austen reenactment vacation" plot from the first book, and that certainly is a thread here, but this time Hale has taken her inspiration more from Northanger Abbey than from Pride and Prejudice -- with a little bit of Agatha Christie thrown in to round out the mystery angle -- and the result is just plain fun. Yes, it is ridiculous, but so was Austen's fling with the Gothic. And yes, there are plenty of overwrought moments, but it is also true that I lost track of how many times I laughed out loud and by the end I was practically cheering out loud for our protagonist.

So, the final conclusion is that this is a charming bit of fluff, thoroughly within the "chick lit" category but clever enough in its sensibilities and its fandom to escape the usual pitfalls of romance sequels. Frankly, I was tearing through the pages like a giggling teenager; that kind of giddy escapism can make your day. Leave your expectations behind and give this book a try when you need a chipper pick-me-up. You won't regret it.

Nice review, Sarah. Mostly what it accomplished was a reminder to myself that I have never read 'Northanger Abbey' and need to do so!

Thanks! :)

Update regarding the whole GR exodus... some of my bookstore friends are coming here. Woohoo! I'm promoting the heck out of LT on my Facebook page so I hope to see some more book people wandering over. And then I can delete my GR account entirely (instead of just pulling my reviews) because there will be no reason to have it. :)

I'm here - I have no idea what I"m doing!

I'd like to start a thread - you just post the books you've read/do read this year? Do re-reads count? I'm working my way through my middle school Christopher Pike marathon... :)

Great review of Midnight in Austenland, Sarah! I enjoyed it as well.

Sorry, Whitney... Fell asleep. Very sleepy. But, if you would like to join this group, please do. You can start a thread for yourself if you want to post your readings as the year progresses. Everything counts... There aren't really any rules on that. I count anything that's a novella or above, whether I've read it before it not. You can choose for yourself. Check out some threads if you want to see what others do. Give yourself some time to poke around the site... It's not as intuitive as GR but there is actually more to do here and more to feel out about. And we aren't the only group... there are lots. We start a new group each year for fresh tracking, but others are always the same. And check out all the cool recommendations and zeitgeist... And now I'm babbling because I'm sleepy. What was the question again?

Welcome, Sarah's friend Whitney!

I'm another one who enjoyed Midnight in Austenland (and its predecessor), Sarah. It has my daughter scratching her head, as normally my non-chickness makes me a bad candidate for chick lit enjoyment. But enjoy I did - fun concept, lots of laughs as you say, and all the intriguing connections with the works of a favorite author.

Aaand the 13th read of 2013 (because that seems like a thing to celebrate)...

#13


The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell
Merrie Haskell has taken a mid-range fairy tale, "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" and turned it into an ahead-of-the-pack middle grade novel. Rather than a wandering soldier or other male protagonist, we the readers meet Reveka, an herbalist's apprentice who is determined to break the curse of the dancing princesses in order to use the reward money in pursuit of her career. I was on board with this heroine from page one.

Haskell has created likable and unlikeable characters in equal measure, but each is more complex than he or she seems at first, which is a pleasure to find in a children's novel. The book isn't perfect: there are minor issues -- the conflation of Romanian and Greek mythic references, for example, though interesting and ostensibly logical through the Roman connection, comes across as muddled on occasion, but sorts itself out more or less by the end -- and more significant ones -- our protagonist frequently speaks like someone way older than her years -- but the story carries the reader through. Some of those imperfections even become interesting connections as the book unfolds.

While the end implies potential continuation, the story does have enough closure to stand on its own. There is a little turn toward the end, which I shall not spoil here, that may not sit well with everyone, but it was probably inevitable. On the whole, though, I found it refreshing to read a fairy-tale retelling in which the heroine is smart, kind, practical-minded and largely free from the romantic cliches and personality-squelching love triangles that seem to populate the genre in recent years. A pleasant read and one I can freely recommend to all ages who love a good fairy tale.

PS: Merrie Haskell is really nice, and she is one of the authors who will be leading a Young Authors' Conference day this summer at Michigan State (which is why I figured that I should really get to reading her book). If you are in lower Michigan and have a middle-grade kid who wants to be a writer, think about sending him/her to learn from Merrie and our other instructors on June 29. Let me know if you are interested and I can send you further information. :)

Oh dear, another book bullet!

#14


Prophet of Bones by Ted Kosmatka
I'm not sure exactly what to say about this science fiction/science thriller novel. Science thrillers aren't something I read terribly often and, while I read science fiction a fair bit, this book definitely leans toward the thriller side of things. In other words, take what I have to say with a grain of sodium-substitute, because I don't have the luxury of experienced comparison.

The novel's protagonist, Paul, is a young scientist who grew up fascinated by genetic evolution... but he lives in a world where science is dominated by religion and the Earth has been unquestionably determined as 5800 years old. The alternate reality here is pretty thinly metaphorical; Kosmatka's historical and scientific references are largely our own, though it is fun to catch the deviations that give flavor to his version of the world. There is a great deal to catch here, in fact, since the book is fairly thick with technical descriptions and genetic jargon; despite the occasional challenge to my attention, I found the story difficult to put down.

The pace, which picks up after the first section, accelerates through archaeological revelations and controversial conflicts without easing up. Paul, and the reader along with him, is caught up in a whirlwind of violence and death after he consults on the discovery of bones that could potentially shake the foundations of scientific and religious belief in his world. As he struggles to stay alive, others battle to keep the discovery a secret. No spoilers here about what the bones really mean, but you may wish to know in advance that the resulting conflict centered around Paul is brutal; the book is replete with descriptions of blood and mayhem. There are even a few of the thriller world's most beloved cliches, including a brush with sexual assault for the only female character who comes anywhere close to heroism... so obviously this is not a book that rises above typical characterizations. The clumsy attempts at character-building are really too bad, though, because the book is pretty entertaining and compelling reading, especially in the ways that it takes a good, hard look at the nature of both humanity and society.

Overall, I can't recommend this for everyone, but I can say that it is worth reading for those who really enjoy the thriller genre and are prepared for both the flaws and the charms it can carry.

>211 ronincats:: Yay! Gotcha, Roni. I think you will like Haskell's book though... it really was quite a charming read.

Kind of the exact opposite of the Kosmatka when it comes to female characters, in fact. There is a scene in that one that bothers me more the more I think on it... but I didn't want to bog down my review in that single point of debate. But really... Ted Kosmatka failed the Bechdel test in a BIG way. Just saying.

Don't worry, the Kosmatka missed me by a mile! I am so not into thrillers.

That's just fine. The more I think about the book, the less I like it. Isn't that funny? Sometimes it's the opposite, but the Kosmatka was one of those that you get really caught up in and then, later, you're like "Wait a minute, that totally didn't make sense". Or, in this case, "Wait a minute, that book totally justified the virgin-whore construct even while it was supposed to be creating enlightened commentary on secular thinking".

Finished Horns and Wrinkles, which was a cute folktale- style middle grade novel. Not much to say about it, but there it is. I guess I'll put up something proper later.

Started The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, finally, and am really enjoying it so far.

That is all.

Should I be starting a new thread? Is this one bogging anyone down? Just curious.

I always like to start a new thread with a review, so maybe just wait til you finish Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, which I hope you really enjoy!

Welcome to the Bradley crowd! And yes-- start a new one with your review. It looks all official and book-y that way. Because we're all about the books here right? *cough*

I come bearing pandas!

That is one amazing playpen picture, Sarah!

Unless you have a huge number of pictures, changing threads at 200 is a possibility, not a necessity. The convention prior to the automatic renewal feature was 250 posts. You can change it whenever you want--Richard, the previous thread policemen, has been going to 300 lately.

Thank you for the advice, all. I appreciate it. I think I will take your suggestions and start a new thread when I finish the Bradley novel.

Although it's going a bit slowly. Not that I dislike the book -- Flavia is thus far ridiculously entertaining -- it's just the end of the semester and there is a lot to distract me from reading.

Also, someone keeps posting adorable pandas on my thread... a distraction unto itself. But such a fuzzy-wuzzy precious one! Look how cute they are! Yay pandas!

:)

Almost forgot...

#15


Horns and Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson
This middle-grade novel does things a little differently than the typical fairy-tale-style children's novel. It feels more like a genuine folktale, with its river trolls and its wise old folks (who are secretly... oh, but I won't give it away). It features a young heroine who hasn't any special destiny or mark. What makes her special is a healthy measure of sense and a good dose of kindness.

The adventure undertaken is swift -- our heroine must save her bully of a cousin from a bad troll, as well as from his own worse nature -- but the imagination on display here is a pleasure, especially when the novel conjures up something magical, like a blue-wing fairy. The story is set along the Mississippi River, but up at its northern end rather than in the more frequented south. Unusual details like that abound here, and each small unexpected thing adds to the next to create a book that feels fresh even for the experienced reader. Overall, this was a quiet pleasure and a treat to read.

Sounds like one to put on the wishlist, Sarah. Drat, I've been hit by another book bullet here!

Teehee! Glad it's you and not me. ;)

I made a new thread. Wheeee!

BeSerene's Lucky 2013: Books Read, Part Second

Doing some major catch-up (the story of my life), I've been hit by a couple of book bullets from ages ago: the Newbery winner and the Detroit book. I'm also somewhat tempted by Horns and Wrinkles.

Oops! Will move.