To Blog

...or not to blog.

So do I blog the books that I truly do not like? I have blogged some stuff in the past that I found underwhelming, but is there a point in blogging the stuff that I actively dislike?

I have just read 2 titles that I really do not like. One was for a bookclub at school, and one was just a new YA novel that I thought I might like.

Hmmm.

Think of England, by Alice Elliott Dark

This is a grown up book that has been on my shelves for about a year now. The title makes me smile, and I do love the family story, you know!

Jane is the peacemaker in her rather large family. Via, her mom, is a bit dismayed by how her life has turned out. Emlin, her dad, is always at the hospital busy with his patients. Uncle Francis comes to stay with them from NYC, since Jane's grandparents do not approve of his "lifestyle".

It's 1964 and the family is supposed to have a fun filled night of watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Via slyly slips the phone off the hook so that Emlin won't get called in, but prim Jane places it back again. The night seems to go well until Jane hears her mother's shouts, and her father is off to the hospital, worried they have been calling while the phone was dead. Jane shows her father that it was off the hook, and tells him to call into the hospital instead. Emlin decides to go in anyway. That's the last time anyone ever sees him.

Jane grows up, and goes to England to escape her family. There she meets Nigel and Colette...quite the duo. Jane quickly makes them her family, then manages to fall in love with a man who doesn't believe in love.

The reader follows Jane through her guilt ridden days, and we watch as she slowly peels back the onion skins of her life.

A quiet read. No new ground is broken, but it was an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday morning.

M. T. Anderson

Go M.T. Anderson!

As you undoubtedly know, Octavian Nothing just won the National Book Award for Youth!

Yay!

I was lucky enough to attend the panel this week at Donnell and hear all nominated authors speak. I had read most of the books at the time (still have to read Sold and Lord Death). I have to say, I am very happy.
I had a bit of a yearning for American Born Chinese as it would be a boon to graphic novels everywhere, but Octavian Nothing really moved me.

So Yay!

Trouble Begins

This is another title that I read expressly for use in our East Meets West book night. I really enjoyed this take on the immigrant experience.

Du and his grandmother have been waiting for 8 years to join the rest of their family in California. They all left Vietnam at the same time, but grandmother and Du had TB, and were left behind.

When father finally gets the money together to bring Du and grandmother over, the rest of their family is pretty much Americanized. Du's brothers and sisters are embarassed by his constant trouble making and odd behaviour. His parents are always at work, and only seem to notice him when he gets in trouble at school. And school. That awful place is where Du feels most alone. He knows he is not stupid, but his lack of English is making everyone else talk to him like he is an idiot.

This is a fascinating story in that the reader is truly in Du's headspace. Eventhough we assume his thoughts are in Vietnamese, we are reading them in English. The reader recognized the very real struggles that Du is facing. This misunderstandings, and miscommunications. Without being preachy, this book makes readers stop and think about their own assumptions.

A thoughtful read.

Curse of the Blue Tattoo, Under the Jolly Roger, In the Belly of the Bloodhound

Ahhhh....I am finished my binge of Jacky Faber.

It was exciting. It was fun. And now I am about done. I am giving Meyer one more book. I simply can't take anymore cliff hangers. Now I know what my little kiddos feel like when I am doing a read aloud and finish just at that spot. You know the one.

These are plot heavy books which see Jacky through boarding school, piracy, and white slavery. There is romance, violence, scandal and a whole lot of things nautical. Meyers has a great ability to set the scene. The reader has enough sensory keys to really be there.

I loved the ride.

But I'm ready for a break!

Meyer

So, it seems like a long time since I last posted. This is for a couple of reasons. First off, I am reading, reading, reading for our booknight at school. "East Meets West" is the theme. So I have read some Yep, and Krishnaswami and I will post some of that stuff later. But for my own recreation, I have been tearing through the Bloody Jack sequels! The Curse of the Blue Tattoo, Under the Jolly Roger, and currently In the Belly of the Bloodhound.

I discussed it with my friend Jen, and we thought it may be best if I blogged all 3 titles together.

Let me tell you, L.A. Meyer has written quite the series. I know that some folks complain that the way that Jacky always gets out of situations is too "convenient", but I think it's just plain exciting. Melodramatic, really.

And I am eating up every last word.

Hurrah!

Bloody Jack

Now, I know that the whole pirate thing is sort of trendy now, but Bloody Jack, by L.A. Meyer was written before all of the hullaboloo. The kids at my school are crazy for it, and now I know why.

Mary Faber was left out on her doorstep on that dark day that every last one of her family was killed by the sickness and hauled away in Muck's barrow. Alone and in the streets, Mary is cornered by a gang of kids, ridded of her skirts, and given a smelly shift to wear. "Come on", they tell her, and her new family is found. She is a girl in Charlie Rooster's gang now. They beg and have some other tricks to get pennies for food, and kip down underneath the old bridge. They look out for each other, and keep each other alive.

One night, Charlie doesn't come home. It's up to Mary to find him, and find him she does. Prone in an alley with his head smashed in. She takes his clothes and his trusty shiv. She cuts off her hair, and heads out. She has always dreamed of taking to the seas, and knows that a girl never could. She is finding life much easier as a boy.

Mary makes it down to the piers and scrambles up with a mob of boys who want to be taken on one of the King's ships. Calling out the reasons they should be on the ship, Mary pipes up, "I can read!". She is taken aboard, and when asked her name, replies "Jack". A new life is found.

Jacky and the other ship's boys form a brothership, and wonder about the first time that they will track down the pirates. Jaimy brags about how he'll be the first over as he swings his imaginary sword. Then the day comes when they do find the pirates...and Jacky earns her nickname.

But, how long can she keep up this deception?

A fast-paced adventure story that will thrill boys and girls alike. There's action, adventure, mystery and a little romance as well. A nice angle to historical fiction, and with the current pirate craze, very likely to fly off the shelves.

I loved it!

The Last Days

So, my love affair with Scott Westerfeld is over. Sniff. We will still be friends, but I am no longer the gushing fan that I once was. Don't get me wrong, The Last Days was enjoyable...it was good, but it left me a tad underwhelmed. I guess that is the risk you take when you write a bunch of FABULOUS books in a row.

Moz is walking along the street after coming home from band practise with Zahler. All of a sudden he notices a crowd gathering. Some girl is going nuts and throwing everything out of her window...CDs, clothes, and then the mid-seventies Fender Strat. There was noway that Moz was going to let that beauty smash on the sidewalk. Miracle upon miracles, it snags on the fire escape and some girl in the crowd helps Moz catch its' inevitable fall with a blanket. And a friendship and bandship is formed.

We follow Moz, Zahler, Pearl, Alana Ray and the freaky Minerva in a Peeped out NYC try to make it into the music business. Each chapter is told from one of the character's point of view, and alternates in no set pattern. The character I find most interesting is Minerva. I got a real sense of her off kilter-ness.

If you haven't read Peeps you CAN read this title and you will probably enjoy it. Westerfeld simply seems to assume some knowledge from his readers, and true, much of it you can figure out from context.

I guess I can use a Buffy example for how I feel about this book. You know that episode with the creepy smiling floaty guys who steal all of the voices and souls. Well, that episode FREAKS me out, yet I cannot take my eyes off of it. Other episodes are enjoyable, but nothing measures up for me.

Blog Block

So I have been reading! But not blogging. Hmmm. Curious.

I just read a horror book that I have to review for VOYA, and boy oh boy. Cannibalism. Torture. Abuse. It's got that 364 feel to it, if you know what I mean.

Maybe tonight I will be able to get The Last Days down for you all.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl

A super fast read about that boy. You know the one. For some reason he seems to be able to charm every girl. Regardless of what clique she belongs to.

Josie, Nicolette and Aviva couldn't be more different. Freshman, experienced girl and clique hopper. Yet somehow, in a period of weeks, they all end up with the same popular senior. He dates Josie first, and she soon is falling for him. She is wary...she doesn't want to be like one of those girls...the ones who lose their minds over some guy. But soon she is ignoring her friends, and fretting by the phone. When Josie wants to slow things down, she soon finds herself dumped. Knowing now that this boy only had one thing on his mind, Josie tries to warn the other girls. Afterall, if he tried so hard with her, there are sure to be others.

Writing a warning in the back of the school library's Forever, Josie starts a bit of a movement. Unfortunately, many girls have warnings to write about this boy - including Nicolette and Aviva.

Told in free verse, this speedy read will appeal to highschool girls who have been there...and may serve as a bit of a warning to the girls who have not. There is a bit of sex in the book, which I was uber aware of as my 16 year old niece was reading it across the room with me. Her recommendation is for 12 and up. I'll keep mine at 14 :)

Amazing Grace

I read this before I headed out on vacation. I have the arc, and it's about a year old, since the book was actually published in September, 2005.

Grace "Ace" Kincaid has it all. She is a tennis star at the top of her game. She's got loads of sponsors, and is the teen sensation in the sport's world.

Here's the thing.

She wants out.

Away from the pressure and the paparazzi. Away from the practising. Away from being told every moment of the day what to do and how to do it.

She's on the floor, puking the the bathroom when she tells her mom the news. And her mom's okay with it. She is going to take care of everything.

Before she knows it, Grace is chopping off her hair, piercing her nose. changing her name and moving with her "Aunt" Ava to Alaska. To be noone in a nowhere town. Just a girl.

Grace soon meets local hunk Teague, and fireworks abound. Can Grace manage to pretend to be Emily and still be true to her heart? Will the press hunt her down?

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Boy, oh boy, did this book ever read like a screenplay. Not that I didn't enjoy it. It's over the top in that teen movie way. Did author Megan Shull really have to change Grace's appearance and have her go into hiding? I don't know, but it made for a fun read!

A great title for that girl who loves a romance and adventure!

Too tired...

...to blog. 15 hours (FIFTEEN HOURS) in a car will do that to ya!

I only got 2 books read. Which is either a good thing (gee, I was doing so much other stuff, I didn't have time), or a bad thing (lug, lug, lug the books across the borders!)

But I did manage to read A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, and Peeps companion The Last Days. Woohoo!

Reviews to come!

"Vacation...all I ever wanted!"

...So, I am off! To Muskoka! Can't wait.

But I have to reiterate! I love the women I work with. Just got a bag full 'o' books. (Thanks Karyn! Thanks Jen!) Hopefully when I return, you can expect some reviews on some cool books.

Shug...

...by Jenny Han is over at Tweendom!

Academy X

Since I work in a private school, and a NYC private school at that, when I read a description of this title in the Times, I knew I had to pick it up. A Nanny Diaries, if you will, for the private school set.

John is an English teacher at the tony Academy X. He explains to the reader the difference between new and old money, between religious groups and their money, and the insane NYC experience of getting your child into the right nursery school, so the child can go to the right elementary school, then the right highschool, and into the Ivy League. We hear of baby yoga and testing as well as ridiculous amounts of extra curriculars.

We are introduced to John's Austen class, and two girls who make his teaching worthwhile. Caitlyn Brie has everything. She is the girl that buys all the designer clothes, has the most popular boyfriends, the penthouse on the park...everything. Laura Sturding is middle class and gets her fashions from the outlet malls in Jersey. She works hard for everything that she has.

Then there are the parents. The parents for whom money is no object and when tution is $27000 they expect a return on their investment. And generally speaking, their kids are not putting in the hard work for the return.

We follow John through the last couple months of the school year, when acceptances have already been given out, new chairs are being appointed in departments, and scandal is sure to hit the senior class.

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I found the beginning of this book very entertaining as it was structured somewhat as an expose of the Manhattan private school scene. I was reading the unspoken thoughts of many folks who work in NYC schools. Then Trees turned the story into John's story of unrequited love, a teacher's worst fear, and the politics behind the scenes at his school.

The degree to which the parents interfere and throw money around to "fix" problems is totally unbelievable and is nothing like I have ever encountered or heard about. It adds to the fun factor of the story, however. Just think, what would you do if a parent offered you six figures to make a problem disappear?

It was entertaining, but not as tightly written as I would have hoped. A first novel. A good summer read...especially if you work in an environment like Academy X!

100th Post! / Winter is the Warmest Season

Wow! Who would have ever thought that I would get to this point? Hurrah!

Now, I need to decided whether to post about a lovely picture book, or an adult book that makes me giggle because of the industry that I work in.

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Winter Is The Warmest Season is a comfy picture book that my daughter has really taken to. When I first told her the title, she laughed and said, "But Mummy, snow is cold NOT warm!"

But Winter IS the warmest season! It is when wool sweaters and hot chocolate appear! It is when we cozy up around the fireplace and snuggle with our kitties. Baths get hotter and PJs get warmer.

Lauren Singer's rich illustrations make the reader feel like s/he is sitting in a comfy chair with a duvet around the legs. I call them big fat illustrations because of the warmth and richness contained.

My daughter and I have already started playing the Summer is the Coolest Season game. Glasses of cold lemonade, cold sprinkler water and shady spots under willow trees have shown up in our version.

Lovely, lovely!

Lucy Rose: Here's the Thing About Me

So I decided to post this over here since I think it's too young to be a tween book.

Lucy Rose is the perfect character for those readers who are finished with Ramona and Judy Moody.

Lucy Rose has just made the move to Washington D.C. from Ann Arbor, MI. Her parents are separating and Lucy's mom's folks are in D.C. So this means a whole new school, trying to make new friends, and negotiate the move from suburbs to city.

Lucy Rose is what her Pop calls an original thinker. Outspoken, feisty and fun, she tells her story through journal entries with the boring days left out. Lucy Rose is in 3rd grade in Mr. Welsh's class, and her ambition for the year is to take care of the pet guinea pig, Jake. We follow her throughout the school year - finding friends, rethinking enemies and coming to accept her parent's separation.

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I came to this story through illustrator Adam Rex. Author Katy Kelly has written a fun character who is wonky enough to be interesting in a way that is not a copy of Ramona et al. Lucy Rose's friends Jonique and Adam Melon have interesting homes and families as well.

This book has a decidedly Southern feel to it eventhough it takes place in Washington. The rhythm of language is asking to be read aloud.

A fun read!

The Gold-Threaded Dress

The Gold-Threaded Dress, by Carolyn Marsden is over at Tweendom!

The Queen of Cool

Libby is the cool girl. She hangs with Perla, Kenji and the almost uncool Sid. Libby decides what happens at school (when she bothers to go). Stuff like "pencil day", or "pajama day". These are not school sanctioned events, rather just her cool clique showing up like everyone else missed the memo.

It feels to Libby like she's already done everything. She comes up with the days, goes to the parties, has her thing with Kenji, listens to Perla go on and on about becoming a reality star. There's nothing really original.

After a bizarre panic attack situation, Libby finds herself signing up for an internship at the zoo. Extra work! From the queen of the cut. The only other person who has signed up is that freak Tina.

Eventhough her friends think the whole situation is lame, Libby starts to see how shallow her previous life was. She starts to see who she may really be.

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Honestly, I didn't want to finish this book. There was nothing about Kenji, Perla and Libby that I even liked. Sid was okay in that Williamsburg indy boy kind of way. Still, I almost put the book away. I am glad that I finished, but still have a few reservations.

I love Perla's name. Did Castellucci name her after the ridiculously expensive underwear? I secretly hope that she did. I like the growth that happens to Libby and her family. And kudos for putting a little person in a YA book. (The only other one I know of is Funny Little Monkey).

But.

Uber self aware teens in a willing to leave the cool clique for the "loser" clique rarely rings true to me. Perhaps Tina and her friends were only seen as losers by Libby and her friends, but somehow I don't think so.

I'd recommend this to YAs who may have enjoyed Castellucci's Boy Proof, and fans of Hard Love.

Death Jr. #3

Here is a cutie patootie gn that I picked up when I was at the Wizard World show (I know, I know) in Phili.

Death Jr. has a hold of dad's (re the Grim Reaper) scythe. The problem is, he has yet to figure out how to release the souls. So as you can imagine, the dead are piling up. The even have to drag their own corpses around since they're still attached and all.

The Grim Reaper has been captured by his evil brother and is stored in a box in a museum. Jr. and his motely crew of friends (conjoined twins, a dead girl, a creepy baby in an aquarium thing, and a spooky little girl) have to go and rescue Grim while somehow avoiding the mean old Uncle.

Not unlike a Scooby Doo episode (I think the reference is even in there), this is a fun little romp to the dark side. Death Jr is really cute, and although I had not read #1 or #2, there's enough back story to get by without a problem.

Fun, fun for your spookier teens.