be AUDacious

my summer reading list

Someone asked about my Summer Reading List in the comments to another post, and so I decided to put together a quick post to address the question.

Normally, I don't put together a list of books that I plan to read over the summer. Mostly that's because I read all year long -- every day -- anyway. But I realize that summer is prime reading time for a lot of people, and that some of you might be looking for some good summer reads. So in the interest of sharing what's on my radar for summer, here's a look at the pool of books from which I'll be selecting my daily reading in June, July, and August. 40 is a big number, I know. But I like having choice and not being completely locked in to a list -- I'm enough of a rule-follower (especially my own self-enforced rules, however silly) that I would feel pressured to just read from the list.

This first grouping consists solely of YA fiction. A couple of these are library books, but most are books that I've had sitting on my shelves for the past few months. I'm particularly excited about Bitterblue, Bordertown, and A Scholar of Magics. The Bradbury collection will be arriving in the mail within the next couple of weeks; I've been intending to buy it for the longest time, and reading about his death today was reason enough to go ahead and do it. Everyone needs to read more Bradbury.

 This next list is a mix of fantasy and literary fiction. The Rook is a library selection that I have high hopes for. I'm over the moon about the new Darktower novel, and I've been waiting for what feels like forever for a new Tim Powers book. The Matt Ruff novel should be a good challenge too.

These are e-books that I have on my phone and my Nook right now. I'll dip into these, particularly when we're traveling or visiting family (we'll be going to Memphis over the 4th of July, and we've got a camping trip planned for the end of July). I love having books on my e-reader because I can pack so many with me on my trips without taking up room in my bags. (I'm fully aware that the Harkness novel hasn't been released yet, but I will be purchasing it immediately upon release.) The top two rows are literary and fantasy fiction; the bottom two rows are YA fiction.

As always, I welcome any questions or comments about these books, and I'd love for you to share your own reading lists with me.

 

R.I.P. Ray Bradbury

"We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out." --Ray Bradbury

I blame Gordon Loberger. He was one of the first professors I had when I started at Murray State, and he was one of the toughest professors I had. Luckily (or not so), I had him for not one but two courses during my first semester here -- Intro to English Linguistics and Standard English Usage. He looked like Robert Duvall, spoke like a Minnesotan, rode a motorcycle to work (and tucked his papers/folders inside his button-down shirt instead of carrying a briefcase, and had an office covered with photos of his miniature Collie, despite having a wife and four daughters. He was quite the character. 

In our Linguistics course, he would recite lines from poems or novels and we would have to transcribe them into the phonetic alphabet and submit them for a daily grade. This was how I was first introduced to T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and Alastair Reid's "Curiousity," both of which remain two of my most favorite poems. This was how I met Ray Bradbury.

(Actually, I'd read Bradbury in high school: we studied Fahrenheit 451, and I remember reading "The Veldt," "The Pedestrian," and maybe one or two other short stories. But I was caught up in typical swords-and-sorcery fantasy at the time, so I didn't pay much attention to Bradbury. More on that in a minute.)

Dr. Loberger used an excerpt from Dandelion Wine, which has since become one of my favorite novels of all time. I don't remember the exact passage, I just remember that I was immediately entranced by the magic, the language, the rhythm, the mood created in just a few short lines of prose. I went out and bought a copy of the book that afternoon. It's one of the few novels I've ever read where I read it once, as quickly as I could devour it, and then immediately turned back to the first page when I finished so that I could read it again, but more slowly this time, savoring passages in all their deliciousness.

You see, while I enjoy Bradbury's science fiction stories, it's his Green Town novels and stories that appeal to me the most: Dandelion Wine, Farewell Summer, Something Wicked This Way Comes, From the Dust Returned (not Green Town but containing many of the same themes and ideas). His words are sheer poetry -- lyrical, magical, rhythmic. There's all at once an overwhelming exuberance and a permeating melancholy to his stories. Look up the word "nostalgia" in the dictionary, and you'll see Bradbury's work. I don't think it was until I was an adult myself, that I had the experience to pick up on this sense of being right on the cusp of something adult, something darker and foreboding, filled with loss and regret, that his books capture.

source

I spent the end of last week in Atlanta working on a curriculum unit featuring work by Philip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, and other science fiction writers. Bradbury was mentioned more than once. I came home and, after relating some of the conversations with my husband, added, "I will be so sad when Ray Bradbury dies. He's a national treasure. He really is. I love his writing, but even more, I love that what you get in his writing is what he is as a person -- it comes through in interviews and essays."

The world is indeed a sadder place without Bradbury in it; his exuberance for living, for soaking in all the wonderful magic that makes up life, his unique writing style -- at once so childlike and pure, yet full of the wisdom of experience and pain and death and loss. 

Bradbury said, "If you don't like what you're doing, don't do it." Great advice -- not just for writing but for working, for living. I think his life was a wonderful example of living this advice, and today I celebrate the gift that Bradbury was. He was indeed a national treasure, and I know that my life feels immeasurably richer with his words in it.

 

what I've been reading: May 2012

The Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby (3 stars)
 I just happened to pick this up from a random shelf while I was at the library with the girls. The cover and the blurb immediately made me think of The Night Circus, although I later found that there wasn't much else the two had in common. The story is interesting; I liked the Bluebeard overtones, but I think that there were some gaps, in character development and plotting, that were detrimental to the story. I would've preferred the entire story to have been told from one POV, rather than employing a variety of shifting narrators and short chapters. This was a fast read, though, and the author's prose was one of the true highlights here.

The Fitzosbornes in Exile (The Montmaray Journals #2) by Michelle Cooper (4 stars)
 Book 2 of this series follows the Fitzosbornes to London after their island of Montmaray is bombed by the Germans. There's some tying up of loose ends from book 1, before things get really underway as the cousins adjust to life under Princess Charlotte's thumb. Sophie has obviously matured, which is evident in the voice of her journals -- this book was much easier to read in that sense. I found the balance between real historical events and fictional events to be handled wonderfully well, and I think this is just a great historical fiction novel that hugs that line between YA and adult fiction.

The Rivals by Daisy Whitney (3 stars)
After finishing this novel, I can definitely say a couple of things: 1. I don't like Alex's character (which was an issue I had with the first novel, and I find it repeated here).2. I'm not really a fan of Whitney's writing style. It's okay, but that's as far as I'd go.3. I am, however, impressed by the topics that Whitney takes on in these books. Even with this one, I think she's writing autobiographically, so that has to be considered when you think about how some things just don't fit (the lack of input from parents or teachers really seems contrived in both books). Still, these are big issues, and she handles them well.  

Ubik by Philip K. Dick (3 stars)
I read this because we're using it as the central text in a curriculum framework we're building at work. I'm familiar with Dick's work in a fringe manner -- I know who he is, I've seen a couple of movies, I've read some of his short fiction. Long story short, I thought the concept and ideas were excellent but the writing/style is terrible. That's how it ended up being just an okay read for me.

The Summer I Learned to Fly by Beth Reinhardt (3 stars)
This was a quick read, thanks in part to Reinhardt's lovely prose. That's what caught me up and carried me along for much of the novel, but underneath, there were little rumblings of "something's just not right here." By the end, I had determined that while Reinhardt's novel is a lovely read, the bones of the book are weak and end up really undermining the overall effect. Many of the characters are just one-dimensional, and despite all the lovely turns of phrase, we're told too often how we should view them, rather than being allowed to come to those conclusions as readers ourselves. I thought there were some holes in the plot, too, which bothered me not because they created continuity issues or anything like that, but just because there was nothing there to fill those spots. I often felt like I just missed something on the way from Point A to Point B. Still, there's a lot that's beautiful and heartbreaking about this story, and I would still recommend it fully, despite the technical shortcomings.

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel (3 stars)
I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley. 
The premise of this book drew me in immediately: Great Depression-era historical fiction paired with the constant clashing of the Fairie Courts in their search for the heir of the Midnight Throne. What a great combination, and one that we've seen in only limited doses (but in exceptionally well-done doses, by authors like Midori Snyder, Patricia Wrede, and Neil Gaiman -- which might be why I set the bar so high here.)
Everything here is adequate, and that's as far as I can go. Adequate writing -- clunky at times, confusing at others, crystal clear in places. Adequate characters -- there are times when I feel myself rooting for Callie, but for the most part I didn't feel connected to her at all. There definitely wasn't any connection with any of the other characters, and their motivation remained murky for much of the novel. The setting is fairly well-done, although there are some historical bobbles that I'm hoping will be fixed before final release (since this is an ARC); otherwise, one of them quite early on almost completely undermined my faith that this author knew what she was talking about.
The author tackles some bigger issues here -- identity is the most obvious one. The main character is searching for her identity, of course, as she discovers that she's not completely human. But there's also the issue of her being a mixed-race child, with a white momma and a (to all appearances) black daddy. And that's one thing that I can't decide how it settles with me: it's never completely clear but I believe, based on what I picked up, that the Midnight Court (or the Unseelie Court) are all black characters. Zettel is deftly playing with the politics of the time period, especially because the Unseelie Court is often thought to be the "bad" court or the "low" court, which would be reinforced by notions of race during the Great Depression. However, there's the question throughout the entire novel about who the good guys are, so that takes the preconceived notion and turns it upside down. The problem is that I'm not sure just how successfully Zettel pulls this off -- obviously we have two more novels in which to decide.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross (3 stars)
I adore steampunk. Who knew that a dose of magic and some amazing technology (even better if it is Darwin-influenced) was all it would take to make me fall in love with Jane Austen's world? HA! Anyway, this short piece is a prequel to Cross's The Girl in the Steel Corset. It's a quick, light read; the writing is average, and even the plot is pretty standard. Obviously the author draws a number of influences from Shelley's Frankenstein -- I just wish she'd gone deeper with them. My biggest issue is that Finley's "blackouts" don't happen here in the same way they do in the first novel. Even though these events happen before the ones in the first novel, Finley seems to have a better understanding of herself here than she does in the first novel. There are some real inconsistencies with her character and that has nothing to do with the Jekyll/Hyde comparison made in the second novel. It's just obvious that, while this story is set prior to the first novel, it was written after it. And that actually makes quite a bit of difference here.

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (3 stars)
 This isn't a bad read -- as long as you are willing to overlook some inconsistencies and to not take it too seriously. Basically, I described it to my husband like this: It's like someone took The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and turned it into a movie (I know, I know, that already happened) AND THEN wrote a book based on the movie that was based on the graphic novel. Oh, and they made the main characters teenagers instead of adults and threw in a love triangle. And the steampunk inventions aren't really steampunk, because I expect my steampunk to be something new and cool, not just taking our current technology and inserting it into Victorian London. But anyway...yeah, I thought this was a light and fluffy read. A little draggy in one part, but not bad.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross (4 stars)
 I received an ARC (digital version) from Netgalley. 
I've read all three of Cross's novels (well, two novels and a prequel/short story) in this series, and I think they've been a lot of fun. On the technical side of things, I think Cross's style is just average -- she's not a flowery writer, but her prose doesn't stand out much, either. Sometimes an author can really grab you with a spare style, but that's not the case here. Cross writes serviceable prose, clear enough to set the scene and make her point -- and that's about it. Character development is pretty basic; obviously more time is devoted to Finley's perspective, though we spend a good bit of time in Griffin's head too. Both of these viewpoints work in favor of the romance (though I'm a little disappointed that we don't have Jack Dandy in this book to liven things up a bit). 
This book featured a number of things I've come to expect from steampunk, as well as a bonus: Nikola Tesla, who is one of my very favorite historic characters to show up in steampunk/alternate history novels. The New York setting is a great touch, though I wish the author had spent a little more time really describing the setting.
If I had to make one complaint about this book, it would be this: the pacing was really weak, particularly when it came to the climax of the book. The big "showdown" at the end took all of three pages to happen, and the scenes cut to each other too quickly. I felt like there was a lot that was left out and it all just felt so anti-climactic, especially after a buildup of almost 300 pages. There's one big plot point that's just left flapping loosely as well -- of course, I have my suspicions about what is going on, but obviously I'll have to wait until book #3 to see if I'm right.
Still, this is a fast, fun read -- almost like a chicklit version of steampunk.

Auraria by Tim Westover (4 stars)
It's always something of a risk, requesting ARCs from Netgalley, particularly books by authors whom you've never heard of. But the blurb contained enough interesting details to pique my interest -- this sounded like a great cross between John Crowley's Little, Big and Charles de Lint's Appalachian stories, like A Circle of Cats. 
Westover proves himself right off as a talented writer with surehanded prose, deft descriptions, and an ear for strong dialogue. I was easily caught up in the setting and time period; there are enough details to provide a sense of location and time period, but also just a tinge of vagueness so that the story takes on an almost otherworldly sense as well at times -- as though the characters have been pulled out of their actual time and location and dropped into another world. That's a hard trick to manage, but Westover does it well.
In fact, he does it almost too well from the start. While all the characters are interesting, it's Holtzclaw whom we are partnered with from the beginning, and I wasn't sure I bought into his total acceptance of the folklore of Auraria. At first, it's obviously because his character is so blindly set on obtaining the land his employer demands, but at some point his eyes are opened more clearly, and he just accepts things so naturally. I'm not sure if readers are supposed to just accept that he had acclimated to the place so quickly that he could do nothing but accept what was going on around him. His character seemed so uptight in the beginning that I really expected more of a freakout from him, but that never happened.
The various characters are amusing, interesting, and varied; the plot moves along quickly, with just a few lapses in a couple of spots. There were one or two chapters that seemed out of place -- almost like small, stand-alone chunks of folklore or old stories tucked into the larger story being told. There were wonderfully written, like everything else here, but they disrupted the flow of the story for me, and it took a bit to get back into the rhythm of things. 
Westover has written an enjoyable novel, with just the right combination of historical fiction and Georgian folklore to keep readers of a variety of genres interested. This is one that I'm glad I took a chance on at Netgalley, and I'll be recommending it to readers upon release.
Note: I received an Advanced Review Copy in e-book format from Netgalley. 

The Little Woods by McCormack Templeman (2 stars)
 I received an ARC (digital copy) of the book via Netgalley.
I wanted to like this book -- I requested it specifically because it fits into one of those sub-genres that really appeal to me (boarding school, YA, mystery with a hint of magical realism/supernatural). But I just couldn't get past a couple of things: #1, the author's overuse of big words from her thesaurus that just make no sense in the context of the sentence (and worse, don't fit with the character's voice or the tone of the passage as a whole)*, and #2, inconsistencies with each of the characters, their motives, their reactions with and to other characters, and their voices. 
The romance doesn't make sense in terms of the development of the story -- I don't mean that it doesn't make sense to have romance in a story like this, but I just don't buy why Cally was even involved with Alex, for example. There's nothing believable about their relationship or their conversations. 
And then there's the whole murder mystery. Had this unfolded more subtly and at a slower pace, I think it would've worked well. But instead, we get Cally feeding huge chunks of the story to the reader, shoved in between the other scenes, and it just feels too much like telling instead of showing.
There was a lot of promise and potential in this book, but the execution failed miserably.
*See my status update for a perfect example: "I'm on page 72 of 336 of The Little Woods: Someone needs to take this woman's thesaurus and burn it. "Expactorated" is never a fitting alternative to the word "said." NEVER. — May 22, 2012 11:18pm"

The City's Son by Tom Pollack (3 stars) -- coming in July 
Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier (4 stars) -- coming in September
The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories by Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, & Tessa Gratton (5 stars) -- coming in October
I received digital review copies of all three of these books from the publishers via Netgalley, and they've requested that reviews not be posted until closer to the release dates of these three books. I went ahead and posted my ratings, but you'll have to wait a few months for details.

books: how I rate them

I've been making it through a lot of books here recently, thanks to some recent requests from Netgalley and a couple of trips to the public library. There's a big pile of new releases that I'm really looking forward to this summer, so reading is at the top of my "spare time" list (but then again, when is it not?)

I thought I'd spend a little time talking about the rating system I use. I've been using Goodreads to keep track of and rate the books I read since 2007 (I can't believe it's been that long), so naturally I use their 5 star rating. However, my ratings go a little further than just those little phrases they use to explain each one.

A 5-star rating is one that I give to a book that I absolutely ADORE. One that I fall in love with from the very first page and then feel sad when it's over and I have to leave that world. These aren't always technically or stylistically perfect books; they sometimes have flaws, but the story and the characters and the writing combine to keep me completely immersed in their world during the entire time I'm reading. Sometimes these are genre books, and sometimes they are literary fiction. Some are adult novels, some are YA fiction, some are children's books. That doesn't matter, though -- a good story is a good story.

A 4-star book is a good book. It's a book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to someone else. In many ways, 4-star books are a lot like 5-star books (sometimes, 4-star books are technically or stylistically BETTER than 5-star books) -- the one thing they are missing is that elusive magic that makes me really CONNECT with a book. 4-star books are books that I enjoyed fully.

A 3-star book is an okay book. It's one that I enjoyed reading, for the most part, but there's usually something about it that just doesn't sit right with me -- I have complaints about the author's style or about the world they've created. Those things aren't huge issues, in that they don't make me consider not finishing a book. In fact, they usually won't keep me from recommending a book, but they do warrant a comment when I'm reviewing the book.

A 2-star book is an okay book with some pretty big issues in terms of character or world-building or plot or author's style. This usually ends up being a book whose premise I find interesting (on the book jacket or in a review blurb) but the author really fails to deliver the goods. It's a book that I'll finish but only because I've already invested some time in it and I might as well complete it. I usually won't recommend a book with this rating, or at least not without a warning.

Books with 1-star ratings are just yuck. Most of the time there are major issues with the content and the style, and I usually just skim through them. There are very few books that I don't finish -- it's just a quirk I have, that no matter how bad a book is, I still have to finish it. I think it's because there have been times when a book takes longer than 50 pages to really grab me and keep me reading. Most of the time I know when a book is going to get a 1-star rating early on, but I still feel the need to know what happens, even if I don't particularly care. It's weird, I know. 

book review: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (The Steampunk Chronicles #2)

Kady Cross (4 stars)
summary from Goodreads: "In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous. 

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves. 

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens."

MY THOUGHTS: I've read all three of Cross's novels (well, two novels and a prequel/short story) in this series, and I think they've been a lot of fun. On the technical side of things, I think Cross's style is just average -- she's not a flowery writer, but her prose doesn't stand out much, either. Sometimes an author can really grab you with a spare style, but that's not the case here. Cross writes serviceable prose, clear enough to set the scene and make her point -- and that's about it. Character development is pretty basic; obviously more time is devoted to Finley's perspective, though we spend a good bit of time in Griffin's head too. Both of these viewpoints work in favor of the romance (though I'm a little disappointed that we don't have Jack Dandy in this book to liven things up a bit). 

This book featured a number of things I've come to expect from steampunk, as well as a bonus: Nikola Tesla, who is one of my very favorite historic characters to show up in steampunk/alternate history novels. The New York setting is a great touch, though I wish the author had spent a little more time really describing the setting.

If I had to make one complaint about this book, it would be this: the pacing was really weak, particularly when it came to the climax of the book. The big "showdown" at the end took all of three pages to happen, and the scenes cut to each other too quickly. I felt like there was a lot that was left out and it all just felt so anti-climactic, especially after a buildup of almost 300 pages. There's one big plot point that's just left flapping loosely as well -- of course, I have my suspicions about what is going on, but obviously I'll have to wait until book #3 to see if I'm right.

Still, this is a fast, fun read -- almost like a chicklit version of steampunk.

book review | Auraria: A Novel

Tim Westover (4 stars) -- expected publication date: July 2012

(taken from Goodreads): "Water spirits, moon maidens, haunted pianos, headless revenants, and an invincible terrapin that lives under the mountains. None of these distract James Holtzclaw from his employer’s mission: to turn the fading gold-rush town of Auraria, GA, into a first-class resort and drown its fortunes below a man-made lake. But when Auraria’s peculiar people and problematic ghosts collide with his own rival ambitions, Holtzclaw must decide what he will save and what will be washed away.

Taking its inspiration from a real Georgia ghost town, Auraria is steeped in the folklore of the Southern Appalachians, where the tensions of natural, supernatural and artificial are still alive."

MY THOUGHTS: It's always something of a risk, requesting ARCs from Netgalley, particularly books by authors whom you've never heard of. But the blurb contained enough interesting details to pique my interest -- this sounded like a great cross between John Crowley's Little, Big and Charles de Lint's Appalachian stories, like A Circle of Cats. 

Westover proves himself right off as a talented writer with surehanded prose, deft descriptions, and an ear for strong dialogue. I was easily caught up in the setting and time period; there are enough details to provide a sense of location and time period, but also just a tinge of vagueness so that the story takes on an almost otherworldly sense as well at times -- as though the characters have been pulled out of their actual time and location and dropped into another world. That's a hard trick to manage, but Westover does it well.

In fact, he does it almost too well from the start. While all the characters are interesting, it's Holtzclaw whom we are partnered with from the beginning, and I wasn't sure I bought into his total acceptance of the folklore of Auraria. At first, it's obviously because his character is so blindly set on obtaining the land his employer demands, but at some point his eyes are opened more clearly, and he just accepts things so naturally. I'm not sure if readers are supposed to just accept that he had acclimated to the place so quickly that he could do nothing but accept what was going on around him. His character seemed so uptight in the beginning that I really expected more of a freakout from him, but that never happened.

The various characters are amusing, interesting, and varied; the plot moves along quickly, with just a few lapses in a couple of spots. There were one or two chapters that seemed out of place -- almost like small, stand-alone chunks of folklore or old stories tucked into the larger story being told. There were wonderfully written, like everything else here, but they disrupted the flow of the story for me, and it took a bit to get back into the rhythm of things. 

Westover has written an enjoyable novel, with just the right combination of historical fiction and Georgian folklore to keep readers of a variety of genres interested. This is one that I'm glad I took a chance on at Netgalley, and I'll be recommending it to readers upon release.

Note: I received an Advanced Review Copy in e-book format from Netgalley. 

what I've been reading: April

In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination by Margaret Atwood (4 stars)
I read this as part of some research I'm doing for a curriculum unit, so my brain has been in this SF track for a few weeks now. I always enjoy Atwood's voice in her essays -- it's wry, with a sense of humor that is sometimes dark, sometimes sarcastic, and always keenly observant. The first three essays are particularly good, especially if you have an interest in SF, superheroes, and speculative fiction. The middle section features a number of introductions and reviews, mostly to pieces that I haven't read, and some of the material is reused in the opening section. The "Tributes" section contains some short pieces of Atwood's work. What I love most here is that, although she's technically only written 3 works of SF, some of the same themes from those books cross over into her more realistic work, thus blurring those genre lines even more (yay for interstitial fiction!!!) Personally, the collection is worth checking out from the library just to read the letter she wrote to a school board who banned one of her books. :)

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (4 stars)
 I put this on my to-read list as soon as it was released, but I'm not sure why I was drawn to it, since I don't normally read westerns at all. But something about the description sounded appealing to me, and I'm glad that I picked it up. DeWitt's writing is terse yet still descriptive; the violence is graphic without being overly done, and Eli's melancholy voice makes for one of the best narrators I've come across in a long time. It's no secret that I don't read a lot of what's considered literary fiction, though I would if more of it were this interestingly written. This is a story that works on a couple of levels, and I've found myself coming back to the characters and their observations many times over the past couple of days.

The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr (3 stars)
 Interesting readable nonfiction about the effect changing technology has on our abilities to concentrate, read, think, problem-solve, analyze, and more. I enjoyed tracking the evolution of our brains through history, from an oral storytelling culture to a highly computerized society. My only issue is that much of what's presented here isn't particularly earth-shattering and Carr doesn't offer up much of anything new, even in his synthesis of all the current research.

Beekeeping for Beginners by Laurie R. King (4 stars)
I've never read any of the Mary Russell / Sherlock Holmes books, but I have heard great things about them. This short story provided a nice introduction to the characters. I LOVE how it started off -- there was just something about the author's writing style and voice, combined with the plot events, that really engaged the part of me that loves a good story. It's just this sense I got of "Oh, this is really good." Which doesn't always happen in such a crystal-clear manner, especially within the first couple of pages. I will definitely have to add this series to my list of books to-be-read. (As though it needed to get any longer....argh!)

Watch Your Mouth by Daniel Handler (2 stars)
 I don't think that there's any doubt that Handler is a talented writer; his wit and wordplay can knock your socks off at times. But for me, this just didn't work. I guess I just found it less absurd and more annoying. For the most part, I skimmed through the whole thing.

Redwoodian: Wilfair Book 2 by Alysia Gray Painter (4 stars)
 Okay -- so many of the things that kinda bugged me about the first book have been toned down, particularly all the little quirks that Fair is prone to while speaking. Things aren't quite so crazy inside her head, either -- and this time around, we really get to know Fair better. The best part is that the budding romance between Fair and Gomery is just too adorable for words, and the metaphysical mystery of moving buildings has really got me intrigued now. I'm looking forward to part 3.

Underdog by Markus Zusak (3 stars)
This is Zusek's very first novel, the first of three semi-autobiographical novels about growing up in a working class family and struggling to find your voice in the world. There's a lot that's really clumsily down here, but I can't deny how endearing Cameron (read: Zusak) is. It's clear even from these rough beginnings that Zusak is talented, although it's a little awkward and even embarrassing to see just how overdone and angst-y this attempt is. Still, there's something appealing about Cameron and his family, and I found myself rooting for the Underdog.

Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta (5 stars)
I wasn't really sure I could love one of Marchetta's characters more than I loved Finnikin, until I read Froi. Froi was a secondary character in Marchetta's first Lumatere novel, but he steps to the forefront in this novel and just steals the show. He is so dimensional he practically leaps off the page, and so flawed that your heart simply aches for him. It doesn't matter if you are a fan of fantasy or not, because Marchetta has crafted a story that transcends genre boundaries and makes you focus completely on the characters. I absolutely can't wait until the third book. 

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (5 stars)
Easily one of the best books I've read all year. This one will be going on my "bestbooksever" shelf as well. I love when ideas converge, and this book came at such a perfect time for me, since I've been reading a lot of dystopian fiction and nonfiction about technology and consumerism and our need for moremoremore. Mitchell's novel tackles these themes, as well as a study on humanity and what we can endure (and how) through "progress." The various genres here are masterfully done, with incredibly diverse voices and styles, as well as an inventive form. Mitchell works in so many different layers to these stories; this is a novel that is overflowingly rich with connections for the careful reader, but just as enjoyable for someone who's simply after a well-crafted novel. 

Fighting Ruben Wolfe by Markus Zusak (4 stars)
 With each new novel in the series, I fall more in love with Cameron Wolfe, Zusak's tender-hearted idealistic alter ego. This second novel finds Zusak on firmer ground in terms of plotting and story arc; his characters are strong, dialogue is good, and he's experimenting with form, which continues in the third novel (and definitely is something that works for him in The Book Thief). This is a great novel for boys, which is a plus, but you don't have to be a teen boy to enjoy it. Again, there are places where the writing is heavy-handed and overdone but there is no denying Zusak's talent, and watching him develop through the three novels in this series is a really interesting examination.

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney (3 stars)
This is one of those instances where I want to definitely emphasize that my feelings for this book are in no way reflective of my feelings for this topic. The book is about date-rape, and I think Whitney handles the topic pretty well, but there's nothing really original about this book in terms of what's been written about date-rape in YA books before (but perhaps that's because I can't help but compare this to Speak, which for me is the definitive book on the topic). The idea of the Mockingbirds as a form for meting out campus judgement is interesting, but I have some issues with this concept of student justice (particularly because the author has handicapped the faculty at this prep school so handily -- I think that is overdone and way too cliche and heavy-handed for reality). Whitney's writing is not especially strong either, so I found myself skimming a lot because things were pretty repetitive and Alex just got annoying by the end. 

French Milk by Lucy Knisley (3 stars)
 A nicely drawn diary of the author's stay in Paris with her mother. I think the cover blurbs are misleading, because I don't really see the development of the mother-daughter relationship here, at least not like I was expecting. Lucy's drawings are fun and it was nice to experience Paris through her eyes, but everything was a bit flat in terms of story -- I kept wondering "What's the point?" I was told what I should expect to read here, but that's not what I actually read.

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy (4 stars)
I listened to this today, on an 8 hour road trip by myself, and it was the PERFECT way to pass the time. This is an absolutely charming adventure story with a dash of magic -- plus there are spies and it's set in London and has boarding schools and all kinds of great little touches. The characters are excellently written -- just your ordinary kids who have an extraordinary adventure. Just the kind of book I loved as a younger reader, and one that still appeals to me as an older reader now.

Hana by Lauren Oliver (3 stars)
 I liked seeing the events of Delirium from Hana's point of view (particularly since Lena kind of got on my nerves once she fell in love with Alex). I like the added dimension of things not being what Hana expected them to be, and her struggle to come to terms with that. Aside from that, there's not much here that really adds to the other two novels, though the twist at the end might be a surprise for some folks.

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (3 stars)
 I'll be honest, it's Oliver's writing that brings me back to this series, rather than the concept of the book itself. I think the world-building is a little weak, and I could kick her for falling back on some pretty worn-out YA tropes, but I'll admit -- Oliver can write like nobody's business, and that alone keeps me sucked into this world.

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: OLD FAVORITES

This is what Cami is reading right now (apologies for the minor blurriness -- I moved too quickly after snapping this shot), and I am so excited. See, Cami is my reluctant reader. She enjoys reading, but as I've said before, it's not her first (or second or even third) choice of activity. I have to make her sit down to read in the evenings, normally before bed, and then (ironically) I have to make her put down the book and turn off the light. Most nights she reads past her bedtime, just because "I'm at such a good part, Mama!" and well, honestly, who am I to tell my kids that they can't read just a little bit longer?

Cami has also been the one that we've read to the longest. She really enjoys it -- especially with longer books. Cass took off on her own as soon as she could read by herself, and I think I was that way as well. At least, I don't remember being read to frequently, although I know Mama did (we had a big hardcover version of the Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris). Reading for me has always been a solitary activity, something I could do on my own. I still think of it that way.

This book is one that I've been trying to get Cami to read for a while, and to be honest, I think it was the Lauren Child illustrations that finally won her over. (I mean, hello? Who doesn't love Lauren Child? The woman is a genius. Seriously.) This is one of a handful of books that I must have check out from our local library a million times when I was younger. Aside from our school library, the public library (and the bookmobile) was the key place where I could satisfy my reading urges. I literally counted down the days until I was old enough to get my library card, and then I maxed it out each and every time. Other perennial favorites included the entire Oz series (I'm always amazed at the number of people who have no clue that Baum wrote an entire series of Oz books), the Bobbsey Twins series, and much of Louisa May Alcott's works. It was here that I also came across a book called The Three Candles of Little Veronica, which I read multiple times and which always held so many layers of new meaning for me each time.

At our school library, I quickly worked my way through all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books, everything that Marguerite Henry wrote, and the entire wall full of historical biographies. Ms. Katy, our librarian, was also the mother of one of my classmates, so she knew me well; she introduced me to classics such as The Secret Garden and Susan Cooper's incredible series, The Dark is Rising.

But it was through that mecca of all things bookish -- the SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR (cue heavenly choirs of angels) -- that I really felt empowered as a reader. I saved up my money and purchased my own books, which meant they were mine, which meant I didn't have to take them back, which meant I could keep them forever -- and which started my own personal library, a collection I am still building. The first purchase I remember making was a copy of The Hero and the Crown by Robyn McKinley, and to this day, that remains one of my most-loved fantasy novels of all time. The story has had something new for me every time I've gone back to it, and I still reread it on a regular basis. I truly think that it's the novel that made me the reader I am today.

What books do you remember from your childhood making a big impact on you as a reader? Let's reminisce together! :)

OH, and don't forget to leave a comment on this post to win a seat in Elizabeth Dillow's upcoming Big Picture Class, Design Challenges!

Ella Publishing's newest e-book: book crafting

Looking for fun things to do with old books? Look no further! Inspired by their Books & Crafts weekly web show, Angie Lucas and Wendy Smedley teamed up with three crafty contributors to bring you an eBook jam-packed with book crafting ideas—one of today's hottest trends.

You'll enjoy 38 brilliant crafts with old books (from pencil boxes and picture frames to canvas art and book journals), plus direct links to four Books & Crafts videos that explore four of the book craft ideas in depth.

On top of that, you'll also get 5 fabulous layout ideas about books and reading, plus 76 pages of List It! for Book Lovers printable journaling cards! The List It! section includes lists, quizzes, and reading log pages that you can print directly in either a scalloped or square shape, in either black or brown. And if you want to customize them further, your purchase includes the associated PNG files as well!

MY OPINION: There was so much great inspiration in this e-book. I am constantly finding great old books -- one of our favorite places, as I've mentioned before, is McKay's Used Books in Nashville. I'm always having to convince myself not to bring home more books since we already have more than we can store, but these projects have given me so many ideas. I really loved the variety of projects, particularly the vintage desk set (see below) and the repurposed notebooks.

I've been working on a reading journal for a while, and the List It! topics in this e-book are great prompts to include in my journal. (You can find my original post here, with a follow-up post here and a freebie to download here.) In fact, I used one of the prompts as a starting point for this layout, about one of the books that impacted my love for reading when I was in elementary school.

credits: April Foundations Template #8 by Crystal Livesay (Live Your Stories); Tell Me a Story collaboration kit (One Story Down)

Right now you can get Book Crafting for an introductory price of $10.99; if you love books and crafting, then this e-book offers you both at a great price!

the hunger games: the movie and the soundtrack

Cass and I went to see The Hunger Games the weekend before last. We waited and went to a Saturday afternoon matinee; the midnight opening was just out of the question on a school night. Cass was really excited to see it; she'd read the book in her 8th grade English class (and then quickly devoured the remaining two books in the series), and I was interested to see how well the adaptation to the big screen worked.

There was a pretty even mix of people in the audience -- several adults and teens, naturally, but I was suprised at the number of younger kids (average age=10) that I saw. Cami is 10, and two of her classmates were sitting right in front of us. Cami wanted to go, too, but I told her that I thought it was too violent and wouldn't let her. When we got home, I told her I'd seen some of her friends and she fussed because I didn't let her go. Again, I brought up the violence, specifically talking about kids killing kids and Chris (who hasn't read the books nor seen the movie) mentioned that it doesn't sound much different than Harry Potter, and we'd let her see all of those movies. I just sat there with my mouth open for a minute (mostly because I never expected him to make that counterargument) and then explained that, in my eyes, the violence in THG is different -- there's an immediacy to breaking someone's neck with your bare hands or stabbing them in the gut with a knife that I think is absent with the magical dueling that takes place in HP. Plus, the glee that the Careers expressed as they hunted the other players is just chilling. I think there's a difference between HP and THG as well because Cami views HP as fantasy -- she knows magic isn't real; that doesn't make some of the scary scenes any less scary, but she at least watched at home with us, on a smaller screen, and where we could answer questions, explain what was happening, and discuss all the issues. It's possible I'll let her watch THG when it comes out, but it will be a while before she reads the books. (If you are interested, my friend Amy wrote a great post about the violence in THG and expresses things much more eloquently than I ever could.)

Anyway, on to my opinion of the movie:
First of all, Elizabeth Banks rocked Effie Trinket -- which is funny on its own, because Effie Trinket annoyed the living heck out of me in the books, but I thought she was hilarious in the movie (although not many people did? judging by the lack of laughter, at least). I thought Jennifer Lawrence was excellent, and Lenny Kravitz was surprisingly good as Cinna. I LOVED Stanley Tucci (but I'm a fan of him in just about anything -- he's still one of my most favorite Pucks); I'm a little ambivalent about Sutherland as Snow -- I think what's lacking there is the view of him through Katniss's eyes and that interaction between them that develops as the series progresses. I'm still not sure what I thought about Woody Harrelson as Haymitch though...I think there was something lacking in his performance but I can't put my finger on it. I don't think we get to see his character change and develop as intently as what happens in the book, and to me, that was one of the most engaging aspects of the novel. With Haymitch, we see what The Hunger Games has the potential to do to any of the tributes if they make it out of the arena, and those consequences are almost as chilling as considering what could happen inside the arena. The tributes were all cast appropriately, I thought, though if you hadn't read the book, you might have trouble keeping them straight. I wish more had been done to play up the relationship that develops between Rue and Katniss; that felt rushed. (And I can't believe the drama that has resulted in the casting of Rue and Thresh -- words just can't express my thoughts on this issue. All I can do is just shake my head at the idiocy that abounds.) Peeta and Gale -- eh. I can't really go either way with them. I've seen and liked Josh Hutcherson in a couple of movies when he was younger; he at least is a better actor than Hemsworth, but since Gale is rarely onscreen, that doesn't make much of a difference.

I thought the movie was good, but it wasn't GOOD. It hit the plot points and almost everything was there, but I wasn't emotionally invested in it like I was the books. It just lacked the urgency and immediacy of the books, and I don't think that was because I knew what was going to happen from reading the books. I just think there was a distance to all of the characters. Mostly, I think it's because in the books we're inside Katniss's head the whole time, but in the movie we don't get that benefit (although they could have easily taken care of that by voice overs, especially in scenes where it's just her in the woods and it's all action and little interaction with the other characters). Visually, I thought the movie was stunning; I could've done without so much shaky camera work. A little bit is effective -- particularly when Katniss steps into the dining car on the train and her eyes are jumping from object to object. That's accurate; that helped to feel how overwhelmed she was by all the richness, how she just didn't know where to look first. But there were times when I was glad that we were sitting almost at the back of the theater, because had I been up front and the camera was spazzing all over like that, I probably would've tossed my popcorn.

We bought the soundtrack on iTunes just a week or so ago; it's a collection of songs inspired by the movie, meaning they are not actually in the movie (it's an orchestral score you hear in the film) but they wonderfully capture the mood of the movie. Some of my favorite artists are included: The Civil Wars, Arcade Fire, Neko Case, The Decemberists, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Punch Brothers, and more. The album has a definite alt-country/folk/bluegrass feel, which is PERFECTLY fitting, since the songs are supposed to be inspired by District 12's Appalachian setting. I've been listening to it almost non-stop since buying it.

So...have you seen the movie? Listened to the soundtrack? What did you think?