More than this Review

Book talk: Seth feels the impact of a rock against his head as the waters close in around him and he drowns. He dies in America, but he wakes up again in his childhood home in England. His neighbors' houses are exactly how he remembers them, except that nobody's home. He ventures into town for supplies and finds that nature has begun to reclaim the town with wild plants and animals. It's like nobody has lived there for years. He thinks he's in his own personal afterlife until he finds two others like him and a mysterious enemy that is hunting them all down.

Rave: I always go into Patrick Ness novels expecting death, so I was actually a bit relieved when it came at the very beginning. I had hoped that would remove some of the suspense and eventual emotional devastation--oh how wrong I was! I think talking too much about the plot will just ruin it for people who haven't read it yet so I'll just say that I love the diversity of the characters, their layers that are revealed as the plot progresses, and the mind-trip that was the ever-twisting plot.

Every book its reader: I'd give this to fans of both plot-focused science fiction like the Matrix and fans of realistic books about teens dealing with surviving all-too-real trauma. It can get pretty intense at times so I'd say 8th grade and up.

Topics and Trends: death, abuse, trauma, science-fiction, immigration, guilt, post-apocalyptic, thriller, diversity

Extras:
There's a website for the book and a couple of great videos





Bonus Quote:
“Know yourself and go in swinging.”

Source: kobo ebook

More than this by Patrick Ness: buy it or check it out today!

Brief Reviews Spring 2015 part 2

This book is a masterful piece of literature and I enjoyed reading it.  There were passages of great beauty and I found it completely absorbing to be wrapped up so completely in the mind of the nameless whiskey priest at the center of the novel. It painted a complicated psychological portrait of the man. I wish that complex characterization was extended more to the various Mexican characters in the novel as well. Still, as an artifact of its era it provides plenty of insight and it has a message that even modern readers can get behind: "Hate was just a failure of imagination." The Power and the Glory by Graham Green: buy it or check it out today!



The premise of this novel is that a private boy's boarding school hosts famous authors throughout the year and the students must compete for the honor of meeting them by submitting their own writing samples. The writing about the school children felt very layered and rang true to me, but when it came to describing the visiting authors (Frost, Rand, and Hemingway) Wolff tended toward caricature. I found the way the main character felt about Ayn Rand and how it changed hilarious. My favorite parts were reading about how literature had impacted these boys' lives. I was not a big fan of the ending, in particular the big time leap. I wish it had ended with the school year and not shown us the boys' futures. Still, it's an enjoyable read for fans of American literature and English teachers' pets. Old School by Tobias Wolff: buy it or check it out today!

 Meghan has always felt different, especially since her father disappeared in front of her eyes when she was a child. But she's a pretty average girl going to school with her best friend who loves playing pranks. Then one day she discovers that surprise, surprise her missing father is a fairy king and her best friend is actually the infamous trickster Puck in disguise. Suddenly, the weight of an entire kingdom rests of her shoulders as she has to navigate a world she never knew existed right underneath her ordinary one. If this plot sounds familiar and predictable it's probably because it mostly is (I haven't even mentioned the inevitable love triangle!) While I was reading I kept getting deja-lu feeling like I've read this before. It was fairly enjoyable while it lasted, even if it didn't leave a big impression on me when it was over. If you're looking for a quick read set in a fairy kingdom this book should satisfy you. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa: buy it or check it out today!

This book is a Regency romance with magic and an extra dose of feminism added in. If that summary sounds amazing, then pick it up! You will enjoy it. If that doesn't sound appealing to you, then you probably won't enjoy it. This is a book that does what it says it will, and it does that very well. Personally, I absolutely loved it. How could I not when it combines two of my favorite genres? I will definitely pick up the other books in this series! Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal: buy it or check it out today!





 This comic is a breath of fresh air and I inhaled it in a single gasp. Kamala Khan is an excellent addition to the super hero cannon. She's fresh and hilarious and I like the way she transitions from fan girl to dealing with powers of her own. She's completely charming and relateable and she'll do a wonderful job introducing many readers to a culture that they might be unfamiliar with and finally providing a positive mirror in comic books for readers who are also Muslim.  I particularly liked how she dealt with aspects like her costume in a way that honors super hero traditions while being true to who she is. I'm looking forward to reading more about her adventures and I'm excited to share it with students as well! Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona: buy it or check it out today!

 These deliciously creepy stories remind me of some of the bloodier fairy tales I've read. They'd be creepy enough on their own, but when combined with Carroll's black, white, and red illustrations they're positively chilling. I'm more than a bit behind in reviewing so it's been over 6 months since I've read this comic, but some of the images from it still readily spring to mind (for better or for worse, they're gorgeous but terrifying.) I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone with a taste (and the stomach) for the macabre. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll: buy it or check it out today!


 This ancient Greek historical fiction is based in part on the story of The Tempest. I always enjoy new takes on classic stories and Diane Stanley does a wonderful job painting complicated characters who are faced with heart-breaking situations. I cried at several points during the novel. However, for a book that's billed as a retelling of The Tempest they take a while to get to the island. The plot is rather sprawling and felt a bit meandering at times. I was also not a bit fan of the present tense narration style. Still, if you stick with it, it does a wonderful job exploring the themes of forgiveness and fate and provides a lot to think about and discuss. The Chosen Prince by Diane Stanley: buy it or check it out today!


 This comic is everything I've come to expect from Gene Luen Yang: funny and engaging with great characterization and a subtle handling of complicated issues.  This comic is a great superhero origin story on its own with the Green Turtle's overbearing mother thrusting him into the superhero limelight.  But if you know the history of the original Green Turtle comics, it's even more fascinating.  The artwork does a great job paying homage to the retro superhero comics while still seeming fresh. Highly recommended!  The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang & Sonny Liew: buy it or check it out today!

Brief Reviews Winter 2014

This book consists of bursts of violent action interspersed with long existential discussions. It's an odd combination, but I like it! The titular brothers are hired hit men assigned to assassinate a man in the San Francisco gold country. Along the way the find and lose fortunes, have close calls with death and deal out some death of their own. This reminded me of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in that the brothers are pieces in a game playing their part without understanding the bigger picture of why and because of the nature of their conversations as everything is going on around them.  If you're an adult looking for a Western and have a dark sense of humor then you'll enjoy this book.   The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt: buy it or check it out today!

 I'm a fan of Melissa Marr and the audiobook is narrated by James Marsters (aka Spike from Buffy) so I decided to listen to this while traveling.  I was not disappointed. Melissa Marr crafts a complex world full of compelling characters at cross-purposes. Marsters does an excellent job narrating it all. It was all terribly engrossing and distracted me admirably from the bus and plane rides necessary to get home for the holidays.  I would recommend it with the caveat that it ends on a major cliff hanger and the second book isn't slated to come out anytime soon. Carnival of Secrets by Melissa Marr: buy it or check it out today!



I wanted to like this collection of stories more than I did. I think the main problem was that I just wasn't its intended audience. I am a very character focused and a lot of these stories were focused more on plot twists and action than establishing layered characters. I suppose you can only do so much in a short story. I mostly picked it up because the stories were all set in Belfast and it succeeded in establishing a sense of place. In that sense I suppose it gave me what I was looking for. But while I liked the stories I didn't particularly love any of them and none of them really stayed with me. Belfast Noir edited by Adrian McKinty and Stuart Neville: buy it or check it out today!



I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by the author, which I suppose is appropriate considering I mostly know David Sedaris from podcasts he's appeared on. I started listening to it with my mom as we worked on a puzzle together and it cracked us up. It was a bit more awkward finishing it by myself on public transit because it kept surprising loud laughs out of me. The topics covered vary vastly but I would listen to David Sedaris talk about almost anything. I'm sure he could find a way to make a description of paint drying poignant and hilarious if he tried. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris: buy it or check it out today!



If you want an entertaining and insightful book about science, you can always count on Mary Roach to deliver. This particular book goes into many subjects from organ donation to embalming and it kept me fascinated as it presented me with a slew of facts while causing me to laugh along the way. Roach is particularly good at taking topics that leave many people squeamish and making them accessible with humor and that is precisely what she does in this wonderful book. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach: buy it or check it out today!

The Thickety Review

Book talk: When Kara was six, her mother was executed for practicing witchcraft.  She can still remember that terrible day.  Now her father is a shadow of the man he was and her family is ostracized by the community for the taint of sin upon them.  They can just barely scrape by in their miserable lives.  But when Kara follows a bird into the Thickety she discovers a book that belonged to her mother.  A book of magic.  The book could give her the power to make all their lives better, but if she is caught with it she'll suffer the same fate as her mother.

Rave:  The basic concept of a witch being persecuted by a religious community is pretty well-trod, but the setting and the style of magic in this novel are completely original.  The Thickety is an ominous presence full of unknown dangers and Kara's feelings of excitement and foreboding as she discovers her power are palpable.  The characters are layered and believable as their father copes with grief and members of the community are silenced by fear of persecution.

Rant: The rules of magic in this world are unlike anything I've read before and at times it can seem a bit confusing or arbitrary.  I'll be interested to see how the mythology and magic of this world develops in the second book.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to students 5th and up looking for a fantasy adventure novel with strong characterization.

Topics and Trends: Magic, fantasy, witches, outsiders

Extras: 

The book's website has posters for some of the creatures found in the Thickety as well as classroom discussion guides: http://thethicketybooks.com/

The author has a website with interviews and other extras: http://jawhitebooks.com/

There's a book trailer by the publisher on YouTube:


Source: school library

The Thickety: A Path Begins by J.A. White: buy it or check it out today!

Brief Reviews Fall 2014 part 2

Lilith Dark is one of the toughest and most adorable monster slayers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She reminds me of Calvin with a stuffed dinosaur for her Hobbes.  Together they act out elaborate and gruesome fantasies and sometimes they are depicted as Lilith sees them and sometimes the artwork shows that the dinosaur is really stuffed after all.  But thanks to the longer format these fantasies can be much more elaborate and follow a full adventure cycle.  Nothing is what it seems in this world where a cute kitten turns into a monster and a hideous creature ends up being a friend (Spoon, pictured at the left on the cover is actually my favorite character in the comic.)  Lilith of course proves her courage while the babysitter proves clueless and a stinger at the end leaves the truth of the events up in the air in classic fantasy adventure fashion.  While some elements are reminiscent of other stories the comic as a whole stands out.  A treat for those of all ages with a macabre sensibility. Lilith Dark and the Beastie Tree by Charles Dowd: buy it or check it out today!


I bought this book when someone close to me was diagnosed with Addison's Disease.  I had some basic knowledge of Addison's because our family dog growing up had it but I was still shocked, saddened, and scared when I heard.  As a librarian naturally my first instinct was to research and read everything I could about it.  It was easy enough to find medical facts but I wanted to know what to expect from the future--what living with Addison's looks like after the initial crisis passes.  This book accomplished just that.  Reading the first-hand accounts of 16 very different people not only provided practical advice but helped give me perspective and imagine what the future may now look like.  Hearing from people who had lived with Addison's for decades and found ways to keep doing the things they loved was a great comfort and even reading about the struggles turned them into something concrete that could be planned for and overcome instead of an unnamed lurking fear.  The quality of the writing style varies greatly from chapter to chapter but every story shared something that I found helpful.  I wouldn't recommend this based on literary merit to a casual reader looking for a memoir collection but for those who want to learn more about life with Addison's this is a valuable resource and I'm deeply thankful to Carol McKay for putting it together.  Second Chances: True stories of living with Addison's Disease edited by Carol McKay: buy it

I had a few problems with this book.  First of all Cas's cockiness did not win me over.  He acts like a jerk but he believes his actions are completely justified.  Secondly a big deal is made about how Anna is a super powerful ghost and yet she still cowers behind Cas when baddies show up.  Apparently even a practically omnipotent supernatural woman needs a mortal man to protect her when things get scary.  The mortal female love interest at one point complains to her male companion that everyone has some sort of power to fight the ghosts except her and is comforted not by being reassured that she can fight too but by being told she's "the voice of reason." Cas is sometimes compared to Buffy and unsurprisingly he has a low opinion of the iconic, powerful woman and takes it as an insult even when it's meant as a compliment.  Even his mother who is a witch mostly just contributes by washing the special knife and cooking and mixing herbs. It is entirely possible that I am overthinking things but things like this just kept pulling me out of the narrative and prevented me from enjoying it.  Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake: buy it or check it out today!

"There’s the story, then there’s the real story, then there’s the story of how the story came to be told. Then there’s what you leave out of the story. Which is part of the story too." I was glad I read the third installment of this trilogy so soon after I read the second.  It wrapped things up nicely while bringing up even more interesting questions to ponder.  The theme of storytelling is strong in this installment as the characters are constantly retelling the stories of what they've been through to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and help the survivors learn who they are and where they came from.  Sprinkled throughout the social commentary, various literary styles, and thought-provoking scenes are bursts of humor like the made-up band names: "Luminescent Corpses" and "The Bipolar Albino Hookworms"  if one of these doesn't become a real band name I will be sorely disappointed!  But there's nothing disappointing about this book.  If you haven't read the series start with Oryx and Crake.  MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood: buy it or check it out today!

I found several aspects of this book problematic.  For one thing even for a magical world the internal logic is sketchy at best.  There's one creature for example that is described both in writing and pictures as being like hard tennis balls with long, hard beaks.  They can bounce and roll easily but I'm not sure how--it seems like such long beaks would get in the way.   In this world power is acquired by killing other creatures that then become your minions.  One of said minions points out Alice's hypocrisy in saying that she doesn't want to be mean to her own saying "They’re already your slaves, how much crueler do you need to be" Alice comforts herself by thinking "It wasn’t like slavery, though. Not really. The swarmers didn’t even exist when she didn’t call on them, so it wasn’t like they were waiting around and getting bored. It’s more like...having a dog. One of those clever dogs that can herd sheep and do tricks when you whistle" which misses the point entirely.  This issue is then dropped and Alice continues to use her minions and place them in danger because it's too inconvenient to do otherwise.  Hopefully this will be addressed further in future books but slavery isn't an issue I'd casually mention then drop after coming up with a lame justification.  On top of that the book isn't particularly original or well-written.  There's plenty of stories where books turn out to contain actual magic and the themes of power corrupting and resourceful orphan girls have been well trod.  Even the names are unimaginative from Alice getting lost in the wonderland of the library to the villains Mr. Black and Mr. Wurms.  Having so many of the characters be soulless servants bound to the will of their masters doesn't exactly lend itself to rounded character portraits either.   The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler: buy it or check it out today!

Cruel Beauty Review

Book talk:  Before Nyx was born her father made a deal with the ruler of their cursed kingdom.  He has many names such as the Gentle Lord or the Sweet Faced Calamity, but despite his handsome face he is centuries old and rules the kingdom through terror and tricks.  Only the desperate or the foolish bargain with him because it always ends in tragedy.  Nyx knows this all too well.  The price of her father's deal was that one day Nyx would marry the Gentle Lord.  While Nyx's sister grew up coddled and loved Nyx was raised as a weapon crafted to destroy the Gentle Lord when her wedding day finally came.  So Nyx steeled her heart to her purpose and prepared to marry a monster.  But when she finally comes to live in his enchanted castle killing him proves harder than she expected and the Gentle Lord is not the monster she anticipated.

Rocks my socks:  I love a good Beauty and the Beast story and have long been a fan of Greek Mythology so I was glad to see them combined in such a creative way.  The tension between the Gentle Lord and Nyx is palpable and their banter all I could hope for.  Speaking of the Gentle Lord is it just me or is he basically Benedict Cumberbatch? ("Sharp nose and high cheekbones framed with tousled, ink-black hair and stamped all over with the arrogant softness of a man just out of boyhood who had never been defied.")  The twists of the enchanted castle and the plot provide an interesting puzzle to solve while the characters struggle to overcome their pasts and see the world complexly.

Rocks in my socks:  Sometimes I wanted to shake Nyx by the shoulders and say "We know!  Move on already!"  Her life growing up was legitimately messed up but after a while I grew tired of hearing about it and the constant mention of the word 'monster' and how she's bound to a monster or married to a monster or eating breakfast with a monster grated on my nerves.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to fans of fantasy, romance, greek mythology, and fairy tales retold.  Fans of Beauty and the Beast will particularly enjoy the dynamic between Ignifex and Nyx.

Extras:

The author has a website  and the publisher has made a trailer for the book:


Bonus Quotes:
"No honest people ever bargained with the Kindly Ones...Only the foolish. The proud. The ones who believed they deserved the world at no price."

"I had been the bride of the Gentle Lord for half a day already, and there had been strikingly little torment."

"They avenge the wronged, when it suits them. Strike bargains with the desperate, when it suits them. They love to mock. To leave answers at the edges, where anyone could see them but nobody does. To tell the truth when it is too late to save anyone. And they are always fair."

Source: ebook from public library

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge: buy it or check it out today!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone series review

Book talk:  You may think that your family is weird, but Karou's isn't even human.  She has a pretty normal life on the surface: she goes to art school, hangs out with friends, copes with a break-up.  But those closest to her wonder why she has a habit of disappearing at a moment's notice.  They never suspect the truth--that she goes through secret doors to a workshop filled with monsters that send her all over the world collecting teeth.  These are no baby teeth either.  They are ripped from animals of all sorts and collecting them can be dangerous work.  Karou doesn't know how she came by this odd life, but she loves her monstrous family.  Then an angel with wings of flames comes into her life and Karou finally begins to unravel the story of her dismal past as she prepares to face an even more dangerous future.

Rocks my socks:  The world-building in this series is phenomenal.  Laini Taylor creates a unique and complex world that weaves together not only different countries but parallel universes.  The creatures that live in this alternate universe are creative part animal part human hybrids.  As Karou discovers more about her history, the complexities of the society are slowly revealed.  That's what I liked best about this series.  Nothing is simplified to black and white.  The characters are layered and develop and change over the course of the series, the society is complicated and different perspectives on its history are explored, and the decisions the characters are faced with are genuinely difficult.

Rocks in my socks:  Perhaps because I read all three back to back I got frustrated with Taylor repeating herself and summarizing previous plot points.  In a similar vein, the constant references to gazes full of electricity conveniently interrupted to draw the tension out seriously wore on my nerves by the time I was reading book three.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to fans of urban fantasy like The Mortal Instruments series.   Both the romance and the violence can get pretty intense at times so I'd save it for 8th grade and up.

Extras: 

Laini Taylor has a website: http://www.lainitaylor.com/

The series has a website with a cool map and other downloads: http://www.daughterofsmokeandbone.co.uk/

There's a series of trailers to introduce the series and the main characters, I'll put the first here:




Source: school library & ebooks from SF public

The Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor: buy it or check it out today!

How to Catch a Bogle Review

Book talk:  Bogles are good at hiding.  You might never see one.  The only hint of where one is might be that children keep disappearing.  There are those as don't believe in bogles, but Birdie knows better.  She's been a bogler's apprentice for quite some time and she's helped her master to catch many monsters.  But how could a young girl help a man catch a bogle?  Well, bogles love children, so they make excellent bait.  All Birdie has to do is stand in a circle of salt and sing.  What could be simpler than that?  It's a lot better than many of the other jobs orphans take.  Except of course that a moment's hesitation or a stumble could very easily mean that her apprenticeship will be terminated in the jaws of bogle.

Rocks my socks:  How could I resist a story about a Victorian orphan girl fighting monsters?  Birdie is wonderfully strong-willed and independent as she fights to be recognized for the hero she is despite people constantly underestimating her.  The other characters are fun to read about as well from the artful dodger-like Ned to the indomitable Miss Eames.  The bogle-catching interludes provide plenty of suspense while the overarching story provides a mystery to be solved.  The gruesome ballads that Birdie sings to attract the bogles are deliciously macabre and Jinks, as usual, finds ways to slip humor in throughout the story.

Rocks in my socks:  I enjoyed the story and all the period details immensely, but the characters didn't come alive for me on a visceral level.  They felt more like archetypes than fully fleshed out humans.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to fans of supernatural stories and historical fiction set in Victorian London.  For a story about child-eating monsters it isn't particularly gory and there's little romance.  I'd say it's fine for fourth graders and up looking for a scary story.

Extras:

Catherine Jinks has a website with more information about herself and her books: http://catherinejinks.com/

The publisher has a book for the series complete with lyrics to one of Birdie's bogle-catching songs: http://hmhbooks.com/boglebooks/index.html

I love the trailer for this book:



Source: school library

How to Catch a Bogle by Catherine Jinks: buy it or check it out today!

The Madman's Daughter review

Book talk: Juliet is a maid in King's College.  She works at night, cleaning off the blood stains in the operating theatre when the halls are as dark and silent as a grave.  It would bother many ladies and many men, but she is her father's daughter and she is made of stronger stuff.  She grew up falling asleep to screams from his laboratory where he performed the experiments that disgraced him and led to Juliet's dreary circumstances.  After believing herself an orphan for many years, she is shocked to discover that her father is alive and well--performing his experiments on an island far from the prying eyes of society.  She is warned that it's no place for a lady, but when things turn from bad to worse she is forced to flee London and travel to the island of her father, Doctor Moreau.

Rocks my socks:  This book was so deliciously atmospheric that I could feel the gloomy London fog and the oppressive tropical heat even though I was on vacation in Oregon.  The hints about the full extent of her father's experiments keep the tension high and his secretive nature casts a shadow of doubt over everything. Juliet finds herself caught in a love triangle with high stakes as who she trusts may decide whether she lives or dies.  Juliet is a wonderful heroine bold enough to do what needs to be done even when the men around her quail at the task.  The Madman's Daughter is a thrilling gothic romance based on a classic Victorian science fiction story.

Rocks in my socks:  Shepherd milks the love triangle for all its worth, so if you're tired of them steer clear of this book.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to fans of gothic romance or anyone looking for a fresh take on a classic tale.  7th grade and up.

Extras:

Megan Shepherd has a website with more info about the series

There's a trailer for the book although I can't support its oddly cavalier waste of paper (seriously only two lines per two pages?)




Source: ebook from public library

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd: buy it or check it out today!

The Twelve-Fingered Boy Review

Book talk:  If you understand the basics of supply and demand, you can make a good life for yourself anywhere.  Even in juvenile detention.  In prison, supplies of everything are limited and demand is high.  But there's one thing in particular the inmates crave: candy.  Some like it sweet, some like it hard, and some like it sour but everyone likes something.  Shreve has the candy market cornered and is set to serve the rest of his sentence in comfort--until he gets a new cellmate.  Right away, Shreve can tell there's something off about Jack.  Then he finds out that he has twelve fingers and twelve toes.  That's only the tip of the iceberg.  Soon Shreve and Jack are on the run and caught in a plot straight from an X-Men comic.  The people chasing them want much more than to just throw them back in prison.  But how can they hide from someone who can invade people's minds?

Rocks my socks:  Shreve is an engaging narrator and the plot is absolutely relentless.  Shreve's voice adds humor to the story even in its darker corners. It is easy to sympathize with the main characters and their histories are heart-breaking. The villains are delightfully sinister and the heroes brave and resourceful.  The story isn't entirely black and white though.  Shreve is placed in tough situations that make him resort to some of the same tricks as their enemies.  Jack occasionally loses control and does some horrible things.  The plot keeps twisting leaving the motives of even the villains in question.  In addition to these acts of mutant violence the story sheds light on some harsh realities of non-supernatural violence and neglect that children face.  Overall Jacobs does a great job balancing a fast-paced plot with thought-provoking elements.

Rocks in my socks:  none

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to anyone looking for a fast-paced science fiction story and especially fans of the X-Men.  It has some very dark elements though so I'd save it for at least eighth grade and up.

Extras:

The author has a site with a blog and more information on his books.

There's an atmospheric trailer for the book on YouTube:





Source: school library

The Twelve-Fingered Boy by John Hornor Jacobs: buy it or check it out today!

Brief Reviews: Fall 2013 part 2

 (This is a review for the second book in a series and may contain spoilers for the first.  If you haven't read The Lies of Locke Lamora, read my review of it here.)
Locke and Jean are back and up to their old tricks.  This time they're targeting one of the most exclusive and richest places in the world: the Sinspire.  The casino is famous for its lavish ways as well as the way they deal with thieves: a long drop from the top of the tower and a bill for cleaning up the body from the courtyard below sent to the deceased's family.  Locke and Jean acquire a whole new crop of enemies while still fleeing from the last.  Once again the tangled web they weave left my head spinning as I tried to figure out who was betraying whom for what gain and how our boys could possibly make it out of the mess they got themselves into.  This time there was the added bonus of pirates!  I love a good sailing story!  What more could a girl ask for?  My only problem with the book was that I've grown overly fond of Locke and Jean, so after a while I started feeling awful for them as they narrowly escaped death only to face it once more.  Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch: buy it or check it out today!

There's a lot to love in this story about two quirky teens finding acceptance. Bea and her mom rent costumes and photograph themselves re-enacting scenes from classic movies.  Bea bonds with another outcast student by communicating via a late-night radio program.  Bea's often macabre sense of humor regularly had me laughing out loud right from the beginning as she told the story of how she tried to name a gerbil Goebbels.  But despite enjoying all these disparate parts, I didn't really like the book overall.  They didn't quite add up to a cohesive whole.  I wish that a few of these ideas had been explored in more detail instead of covering so many things so briefly.  The ending was also unsatisfying.  If you read a lot of contemporary misfit stories and are looking for another, then it's worth picking up.  But there are plenty of others in the genre that I would recommend before this one.  How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford: buy it or check it out today!

I read this for my FYA book club, and I'm not sure that I would have picked it up on my own.  As it was I had no idea what it was about when I started reading it on a plane this Thanksgiving and ended up crying like a baby in my seat.  There's a lot of things I liked about this book: the footnotes, the Hamlet references, and the quirky characters Leonard meets, but overall I can't say that I really enjoyed it.  Everyone is so universally cruel to Leonard.  Despite all that happens in the course of the novel nothing felt really resolved to me at the end.  I didn't feel as attached to Leonard as I thought I would considering all he goes through and I didn't really like any of the other characters either because of how they treat him.  Still, the book tackles a difficult subject unflinchingly and it deserves some praise for that.  Forgive me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick: buy it or check it out today!

Railsea Review

Book talk: Life on the railsea is not easy: bad tracks, traps laid by pirates, and attacks from below claim many lives.  But Sham is grateful for his job aboard the Medes.  At least he is finally seeing the world outside his home town.  Hunting giant moles can be exciting and people say that he should be proud to serve under a captain with her own Philosophy--an ivory colored creature she pursues with a passion and who has already taken her arm.  Sham wants something more though and his vague sense of unease finds a focus when he discovers a picture of the impossible: a place where the great tangle of the railsea condenses into a single track. But while the captain's nemesis is certainly deadly, Sham soon discovers that secrets are the most dangerous quarry of all.

Rocks my socks:  The world-building in this novel was the most creative and thorough I have read in a while.  The way the environment has changed affects everything from how people earn a living to what creatures exist to the written and spoken language.  Whole industries have cropped up around salvaging technology from the more prosperous past and the pollution that has seeped into the ground has created mutant creatures that thrive in the empty wastelands between cities.  The captain is reminiscent of Captain Ahab, but the story isn't a simple re-working of Moby Dick.  In this world there are many captains like Ahab and it's become a trend to have a 'philosophy,' a specific creature that has wronged a captain and which the captain has sworn to hunt until one or both of them dies.  They often gather at pubs to tell their stories and there's a museum to chronicle the captains who have been successful in their philosophy hunts.  This is only part of the story of Railsea though, and Mieville mainly includes it to lambast the idea.  I am a fan of books that use slang and dialect to help set an atmosphere for a story so I loved the language in this novel and how connected it is to the world-building.  There were many distinctive characters to enjoy as well and I naturally enjoyed the fact that Sham nurses a bat that becomes his companion and helps him along the way.

Rocks in my socks:  Mieville is a wonderful and highly opinionated author, but he doesn't always weave those opinions in seamlessly.  He was far from subtle in the points he wanted to make, and it often felt preachy to me.  After a lengthy book where I got attached to the characters and lost in their world the end was basically just a cheap shot about the greed of big businesses.  I don't necessarily disagree with him, but making that the climax made the whole plot seem cheap and pointless.  Even though I absolutely adored most of the novel, the ending left me with such a bad taste that it soured the whole novel for me.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to science fiction fans looking for something with intricate world-building or those looking for a new take on Moby Dick.  The world-building, though wonderfully imaginative, throws you in the deep end instead of slowly acclimating you.  This, combined with the dialect make it difficult to get into, so I'd save it for more advanced readers. It can be violent at times, so I'd save it for 7th grade and up.

Extras:

China Mieville has his own site

There's an interview with Mieville about the book on Boing Boing

There's a trailer for the book, although I'm not sure how well comparing the book to Moby Dick will sell it to teens:




Source: school library

Bonus Quotes: 

“People have wanted to narrate since first we banged rocks together & wondered about fire. There’ll be tellings as long as there are any of us here, until the stars disappear one by one like turned-out lights.”


“Humans like nothing more than to pigeonhole the events & phenomena that punctuate their lives.”


“There was a time when wen we did not form all our words as we do now, in writing on a page. There was a time when the word "&" was written with several distinct & separate letters. It seems madness now. But there it is, & there is nothing we can do about it.

Humanity learned to ride the rails, & that motion made us what we are, a ferromaritime people. The lines of the railsea go everywhere but from one place straight to another. It is always switchback, junction, coils around & over our own train-trails.

What word better could there be to symbolize the railsea that connects & separates all lands, than “&” itself? Where else does the railsea take us, but to one place & that one & that one & that one, & so on? & what better embodies, in the sweep of the pen, the recurved motion of trains, than “&”?

An efficient route from where we start to where we end would make the word the tiniest line. But it takes a veering route, up & backwards, overshooting & correcting, back down again south & west, crossing its own earlier path, changing direction, another overlap, to stop, finally, a few hairs’ width from where we began.

& tacks & yaws, switches on its way to where it’s going, as we all must do.”

Railsea by China Mieville: buy it or check it out today!

The Midnight Palace Review

Book talk:  Ghosts stories tend to gather in areas filled with sadness and Calcutta has known more than its fair share of misery.  Perhaps that is why there are so many tales of the supernatural associated with the town. Siraj knows all of them.  He often researches them for the other members of the Chowbar society: Isobel the fearless actress, Roshan who grew on the harsh streets, Michael the quiet artist, Seth the scholar, Ben the mercurial leader of the group, and Ian the one destined to escape and tell the tale.  The group is bound together by misery, all residents of the local orphanage, and in the absence of family they swore to protect each other.  But they never imagined how much those loyalties would be tested or that one of Siraj's ghost stories would came to life and stalk them.

Rocks my socks:  I'm always fascinated by stories about close groups of friends.  The relationships between the various members of the Chowbar Society interested me far more than the supernatural elements.  Zafon, as always, has a wonderful way with words and does an excellent job creating a spooky atmosphere and establishing a good sense of place. The characters are each fascinating on their own as well, and I became deeply involved in their stories.  I appreciated how diverse the group was in many ways from personality to ethnicity, and it makes sense for a story set in Calcutta where so many cultures have converged.

Rocks in my socks:  My timing in reading this novel was not great.  I didn't realize when I picked this book up it was by the same person as The Shadow of the Wind, which I read recently.  I was quickly caught up by the story, but I was plagued by a sense of deja vu.  Zafon has a very distinct style and uses similar themes in both stories.  I could see where this book was headed from a mile away.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to fans of Raven Boys or general fans of supernatural tales and books about group dynamics among friends.  The horror elements are rather strong at points, I'd save it for at least 7th grade and up.

Extras:

Carlos Ruiz Zafon has a website with a page for the book.

There's an atmospheric book trailer from the publisher:



Source: school library

The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: buy it or check it out today!

The Diviners Review

Book talk:  'That awful O'Neill girl' is at it again.  Evie's got herself caught up in another scandal and she refuses to apologize.  So her parents have shipped her off to spend the summer with her uncle, who runs a museum of the supernatural in New York.  Evie doesn't mind one bit.  She is too much for her small Ohio town and eager to try life in the big city.  She finds all of the temptations she was looking forward to: speakeasies and hard dancing, short bobs and shorter skirts, sloe gin and fast jazz.  But she also finds dangers that she never expected.  A serial murderer with ties to the occult is terrorizing the city.  With her uncle's expertise and her secret talents they begin to track the killer down, but their efforts draw his attention and soon they become his next targets.

Rocks my socks:  This novel has all the excitement of a jazz-age adventure with the added thrill of murder investigation.  The vast cast of characters represents people from various walks of life to capture some of the complexity of the era: a socialite, a socialist, a Harlem numbers runner, and a Ziegfeld girl to name a few.  Reading the dialogue is like watching a fencing match as the characters swap witticisms and take jabs at each other.  I read it in my head in the fast, clipped accents of His Girl Friday.  The characters are well-drawn and engaging and I was easily swept away by their stories.  All the historical details were fascinating and I pos-i-tute-ly loved all the lingo used throughout.

Rocks in my socks:  The narrative felt overly ambitious.  There were a lot of characters and plot threads to follow.  Sprinkled among the chapters from all the varying characters' perspectives were chapters talking about the country and the decade in sweeping descriptions that felt a bit pretentious.  The supernatural aspects were my least favorite parts and there were so many supernatural threads on top of all the other plots: there's the occult killer and the special powers of certain characters emerging like a 1920's Heroes, not to mention Ouija boards and the whole museum of artifacts.  By the time Jericho's mysterious past was revealed I had had enough.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to fans of mystery, supernatural, and historical fiction looking for a sweeping tale to take them away.  The length and the copious use of period slang may turn some off, but those willing to dive in and immerse themselves in an era and a story will be well rewarded.  The murders have some pretty gruesome details so I'd save it for at least 8th grade and up.

Extras:

There's a whole site devoted to the book with character bios, Diviners Radio, and more

Libba Bray has her own site with the usual fare as well as a media section 

There's great, chilling trailer for the book with a creepy song that will unfortunately probably be running through my head as I try to sleep tonight:


Source: ebook from public library

The Diviners by Libba Bray: buy it or check it out today!

Brief Reviews: Summer 2013 Part 2

 (If you haven't read the first book in this series, read my review of Reckless) This book picks up where the last left off with Jacob dying from the fairy curse he received when saving his brother in the last book.  Naturally he won't just take this curse laying down, so he sets off to find the treasure that will be able to reverse it.  I enjoyed this book as much as the first if not more.  There's more of the vixen in this novel, and she is my favorite character.  I found the new characters introduced intriguing, especially the goyl rival.  More classic fairy tales are explored with a particularly terrifying version of Blue Beard.  I was surprised when discussing the novel with my friends that several of them hadn't even heard of this fairy tale before.  Admittedly it's not one I'd read a child before bed, but it's a classic Perrault story.  I continue to be impressed by Funke's storytelling and I eagerly await the next novel. Fearless by Cornelia Funke: buy it or check it out today!

  This novel grabbed me by the shoulders, threw me into its world, and held me there until I emerged shaken but thrilled at the end.  The world-building is some of the finest I have ever seen and I became lost in its history and politics.  The characters are a group of gentlemen thieves reminiscent of Robin Hood and his merry men, except that they settle for stealing from the rich without going on to give to the poor.  But in a world where the rich have a pact with criminals so that they normally only prey upon the lower classes, this act is in itself revolutionary.  The main attraction is Locke, a talented and intelligent thief who leads a small pack called The Gentlemen Bastards.  For their work in confidence tricks they have to be able to take on personas from all ends of the social spectrum and watching them as they make these transformations and following their intricate plans was fascinating.  Soon they became embroiled in so many different schemes that trying to follow all the plot threads was dizzying but exhilarating as I wondered how they could possibly get themselves out of the intricate web they were in.  Locke has a quick wit that never failed to amuse me.  While he can seem glib at times, he naturally has a heart of gold.   Each turn the tale takes leads Locke into darker and darker situations and soon what started as an amusing tale of confidence tricks turned into a heartbreaking and relentless thriller.  I couldn't put it down for long (I actually stole it from my friends in Scotland because I started it just before I left) and rushed out to buy the second as soon as I finished.  The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch: buy it or check it out today!

  I listened to this audiobook during my trip to Barcelona this summer.  It was a lot of fun to hear places mentioned that I had just visited and really helped me immerse myself in the city, even when I was taking a break back at the hotel waiting for the restaurants to open for dinner (which wasn't until around 8:30!)  The plot is wonderfully crafted and the writing is absolutely gorgeous.  For obvious reasons I found the idea of a cemetery of forgotten books particularly appealing and I loved to see how much a book touched the characters' lives.  I enjoyed learning about Barcelona's history and culture as well and it allowed me to linger there a bit longer in my mind as I finished listening to the story after my trip was over.  The narrator for the audiobook was fantastic, and his voice for Fermin made his character instantly recognizable.  It was a great book and I read it at just the right time.  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: buy it or check it out today!

This is the most depressing comic I have ever read, and I recently reviewed one about the Lebanese Civil War.  At least that comic had some hope and humor in it.  This one is relentlessly depressing from the first page, which begins with police finding the corpse of a man and a dog in an abandoned car.  Don't be fooled by the adorable dog in a field of sunflowers on the cover.  When the back cover says that this man and his dog stay together until the end, what they mean is until they both die early and pointless deaths after being completely rejected by society.  The name of the dog that watches maggots eat his former master until he himself is beaten to death? Happy.  I kid you not.  After they die a social worker is assigned to their case to try and find their family for a proper burial.  He is inspired to go to great lengths because he's depressed from his dog dying (another sad story they don't miss the chance to describe.)  Still, he cannot find them and they are ultimately buried in an unmarked grave without their family knowing their fate.  The end! Seriously.  This was on a list of good comics for kids and received great reviews (the starred Publishers Weekly one on the back says that it is not "too sweet or sappy" in the understatement of the year.) But I would never recommend this to a child, or a teen, or adult for that matter.  It's apparently a best-seller in Japan and is being made into a film, but something has clearly been lost in translation.  The only people I'd recommend it to are those with an interest in modern Japanese culture who may find it interesting to try and discern why this story is described as 'inspiring.' Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami: buy it or check it out today!

 (This is the conclusion of a trilogy.  If you haven't read the others, check out my review of book one and book two)  I'm sad that this series is over because I've enjoyed reading about the combination of frontier spirit and magic that it embodies.  All good things must end though, and this was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.  Eff was able to come into her own and mature. I'm confident that she has a great future ahead of her, even if I won't get to read about it.  This volume revealed more about the other types of magic and the connections among them, which I found interesting.  It's not particularly fast-paced but I cared so much about the characters that I kept quickly turning the pages anyway.  It was a great comfort to me when I was stuck sick in my room during my trip to Monterey.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Wrede will write next!  The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede: buy it or check it out today!

Broxo Review

Book talk:  Princess Zora risked it all to prove herself and help save her kingdom by finding the reclusive Peryton clan.  But it was all for nothing.  There is nothing left of the clan but a boy named Broxo who doesn't have any memory of the past.  In the clan's place is a horde of walking dead.  As Zora and Broxo fight for their lives they try to get to the center of the mystery of what happened to the Peryton clan, but it looks like Zora might have to go back empty-handed, if she survives to go back at all.

Rocks my socks:  I like the atypical relationship between Broxo and Zora as they fight side by side and save each other's lives.  Both are skilled warriors and spar with each other verbally and physically, but slowly grow to understand each other despite their differences.  I enjoyed the witch character as well and the fact that she was such a morally complex character instead of a simple villain.  Even the zombies were acting beyond their control and were eventually revealed to be more than just mindless killers.  Of course I also loved Migo, the giant wolf-like character that watches over Zora and Broxo.  The comic has excellent fight sequences and a lot of action, but in the end it goes beyond that to a moral about acceptance and living in the present.  Peppered throughout all of that is a great sense of humor that leads to a well-rounded and engaging tale illustrated with beautifully detailed artwork.

Rocks in my socks:  Without giving too much away, I was a bit disappointed in how the witch's storyline concluded.  Her costume bothered me as well.  She wears what is essentially a fuzzy strapless bra and nothing else on her torso--even in the middle of a storm.  Besides being uncomfortable it's highly impractical for wearing in an area so full of dangerous creatures.  Even when she knowingly heads into a battle she doesn't bother to put anything resembling armor on or change her outfit in any way.  Who is she dressing up for anyway?  She's alone on the mountain except for Broxo and a bunch of zombies.

Every book its reader:  The book is action-packed and full of zombie fights, so it's naturally a bit gory.  I'd save it for 5th grade and up.  Fans of action-adventure comics and zombie battles will be sure to enjoy this tale.

Extras:  

Zack Giallongo has a deviant art page

Macmillain has a page for the book where you can read an excerpt

You can find interviews with Zack Giallongo here and here

There's also a video interview of him at SDCC:


Source: school library

Broxo by Zack Giallongo: buy it or check it out today!

Scarlet Review

Book talk:  What with King John demanding higher and higher taxes every day and the Sheriff finding more and more awful ways of gettin' people to pay 'em, times haven't been good.  Families are starvin' and innocent people are gettin' themselves thrown in jail or worse.  That's where we come in.  I reckon there's not a soul in Nottingham whose heart doesn't give a little flutter of hope when it hears the name Robin, excepting the Sheriff's men of course.  Everyone 'round here knows about Robin, Little John, Much, and me--Will Scarlet.  What they don't know is that I aint really a Will at all.  I'm a woman.   If they knew the one fightin' with guards and stealin' food and wearing trousers was a woman I doubt they'd be so fond of me.  But in dark times like these we all do what we got to do and we all have secrets to hide.  Things are changing though.  The Sheriff has ordered a special thief-taker in from London, Sir Guy of Gisborne, and if he finds out about me, I'll be done for.  I should really run, but how can I turn my back on people who need me so badly?  How can I turn my back on Robin?  I can feel it in my bones: these are dark times--and they're about to get even darker.

Rocks my socks:  Robin Hood has always been one of my favorite legends and girls cross dressing as boys to have adventures is one of my favorite tropes.  So it would be hard for me not to love this novel.  Scarlet is a wonderful, strong protagonist taking her lumps alongside the boys and proving that she's just as tough as they are.  I know it will annoy some people, but I enjoyed her colloquial, sassy first person narration.  The romantic plot was terribly cliche with its love triangle and protagonist attitude of "no one could ever love me so I will pine hopelessly" which naturally turns into "my bad: every guy in the story apparently wants me." Yet even though I knew it was cliche and I shouldn't like it I just couldn't help myself from squeeing over every innuendo and longing gaze.  The basic archetypes from the legends are re-imagined and fleshed out wonderfully by Gaughen with new, gritty back stories that add substance to the tale.  There's plenty of white-knuckle encounters and adventuring and outwitting of sheriffs to keep the reader turning pages.

Rocks in my socks:  About halfway through I reached a point where every time I read another simile involving Robin's eyes and the ocean I wanted to throw the book at a wall.  There were 6 similes or metaphors involving Robin's eyes and the sea or ocean and as the book went on they became longer and more detailed until it was a whole paragraph describing a stormy sea then likening it to Robin's eyes.  We get the point--if you don't have anything new to say, then don't say anything at all!  On top of this, as much as I love Robin and Scarlet they both have guilt complexes that got on my nerves.  They were both forced by circumstance to do things they regret so despite all the good they've done they both keep banging on about how they're really awful people and don't deserve to be praised or called a hero etc.  I suppose it provides motivation for why they go to such lengths risking themselves for others, but when it got to a "I'm the worst person" "No, I'm the worst person!" battle between them I had had enough.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to anyone looking for a dark adventure story or fans of fairy tales and other classic stories retold.  Naturally fans of Robin Hood and women cross-dressing for adventure stories like myself will enjoy this as well.  It is rather dark and violent so I'd save it for 7th grade and up.

Extras:  

A. C. Gaughen has her own website with the usual blog, bio, etc

There are not one but two official trailers for the book.  One's a half a minute and the other a minute and a half so you can choose the length more convenient for your purposes:





Source:  ebook from public library

Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen: buy it or check it out today!

Splendors and Glooms Review

Book talk:  Have you ever seen a puppet show so convincing that the puppets seemed alive?  What if they were?  Gaspare Grisini is a master puppeteer with a dark secret.  Everywhere he goes children love his shows, and every once in a while a child disappears.  Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are his orphan apprentices, and they have learned that disobeying the puppet master can have terrible consequences.  But when Clara goes missing after one of their performances, they risk everything to uncover the truth behind their master's success.

Rocks my socks:  Splendors and Glooms has an appealing Dickensian theme with resourceful but unlucky orphans using their wits to defy the evil master they work for.  The idea of an evil puppeteer turning children into puppets has a great, classic fairy tale feel to it that I enjoyed.  The three main child characters were well drawn and nuanced with complicated pasts that were slowly revealed and informed their actions and attitudes.  The combination of Victorian setting, magical elements, and dark comedy isn't one commonly seen in modern juvenile fiction, so I can see why this book has received so much attention and acclaim.  It's a refreshing change from the usual fare.

Rocks in my socks:  Schiltz didn't play up the most appealing elements as much as I had hoped.  The idea of turning children into puppets is delightfully imaginative and creepy and could have been the main idea for a book, but alas it was not the main idea of this one.  It takes a long time to even reach the point where this happens, and then there's so much else going on that it's easy to forget at times.  One of the things drawing attention from this plot is the puppeteer's rival, a witch on her deathbed looking to rid herself of a curse.  There is a lot of time spent on this character and she's not particularly sympathetic or interesting and I doubt the intended audience for the novel will be able to relate to a mean old witch who is in constant pain and about to die but first looks to foist her curse off on some innocent children.  She's a perfectly fine villain, but so much time was spent on her story, including chapters from her perspective, and I think that time could have been better spent.  I generally have a fondness for witch characters and even I got sick of hearing her moan about a curse that was her own darn fault.  The pacing was uneven in general and could have benefitted from cutting out some of the side plots and being shorter.

Every book its reader:  Fans of fairy tales and historical settings looking for a dark story will be likely to enjoy this.  It's harder to pin down a grade recommendation though.  The School Library Journal puts it as low as 4th grade and with its young protagonists and lack of romantic subplot I can see why.  But I'm not sure I'd be comfortable giving it to someone so young.  The book is dark, disturbing, and violent.  The pain of the witch is graphically described, the puppeteer is brutally tortured, the orphans are physically abused by their master and Lizzie Rose is molested by her landlord's son to name a few of the darker elements.  I'd save it for 6th grade at least.

Extras:

Candlewick Press has a page for the book with reviews, an excerpt, and a Q&A with the author

Splendors and Glooms was a competitor in the 2013 Battle of the Kids Books, so you can find some fun reviews and graphics for it there.

This video of traditional Victorian marionettes is absolutely delightful:


Source: ebook from public library

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz: buy it or check it out today!

Brief Reviews: Summer 2013 Part 1

(If you haven't read the first book yet, see my review of Inarceron here and then go read it!) I turned to Sapphique when I needed some dependable escapism.  Both the world of the realm with its false period protocol and the realm of the sentient prison are unique and complex.  This time we got more of a look at court politics as Finn tries to convince everyone (including himself) that he is the true prince.  Our friends in the prison aren't abandoned though and we follow them as they encounter new, gruesome dangers and struggle to escape.  Each character is well drawn with layers of motivations and filled in with shades of moral grey as the characters are forced to make tough decisions and betray each other to survive.  Sapphique by Catherine Fisher: Buy it or check it out today!

(If you haven't read the first two books in the series yet read my reviews of Museum of Thieves and City of Lies) Familiar series are my version of comfort food so I turned to the last book in the Keepers trilogy to cheer me up.  This installment ties together all the characters from the first two books and finishes the story off nicely.  I enjoyed the second book a little bit more, partly because I really enjoyed the Mardi Gras feel of Spoke and partly because I tend to prefer second novels (with the pesky exposition and the climax taken care of by the other novels the middle one allows the author more of a chance to experiment and explore other aspects of the world, like Ents!)  Still this was a solid conclusion to a series that I throughly enjoyed and I enjoyed seeing all the characters working together in one novel.  Path of Beasts by Lian Tanner: Buy it or check it out today!

This memoir/comic/cookbook is entirely wonderful and unlike anything else I've ever read.  There's some great general tips on how to cook properly as well as delicious-looking recipes.  Reading about the process of opening and running a restaurant and prepping for Iron Chef was fascinating and throughout the narrative there's humorous asides that are supported by drawings of everything from drunk tomatoes to synchronized swimming butter.  Cohen also goes into the history of food and why we view vegetables and meats in our society the way we do today.  It's a lot to fit in one book but Cohen and Dunlavey pull it off.  It's intended for adults but it would be fine for teens interested in cooking as well. Dirty Candy by Amanda Cohen & Ryan Dunlavey: buy it or check it out today!

 I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this novel and I'm glad I read it, but goodness gracious was it a slog to get through! Simmons revels in revealing the dark, dank, and dangerous secrets of Dickens's London.  I've read plenty of books set in Victorian London, but most authors have been too polite to mention the horrible stench and the difficulty in finding places to put corpses and other waste.  Several passages in the novel made me resolved that if the Doctor ever picks me up in his TARDIS I will definitely choose a trip to the future instead of the past.  The details about Dickens's life were fascinating as well from the Staplehurst incident where Dickens nearly died in a train accident (I thought it too thrilling to be true, but I've looked it up--it really happened) to the details of his painful illnesses towards the end of his life and his great exertions on his reading tours.  But much like a Dickens novel this one was long and wordy and I often had to put it down and read other books in their entirety before feeling able to pick Drood up again.  It doesn't help that it's narrated by Wilkie Collins who, to judge by this book, was a terrible person.  He's not intended to be a sympathetic lead, but still every time I thought his worst side was revealed he would sink to new depths.  Yet he wasn't a love-to-hate-him type of villain either, he was just pathetic.  On top of all this Collins's drug habits meant that he was an unreliable narrator which led to a sense of vertigo as I tried to work out of who to believe and what was a drug-induced vision.  Each new twist made me more eager to learn what was really going on and is what kept me reading until the end.  Between the violence and the affairs this is definitely a work for adults.  Drood by Dan Simmons: buy it or check it out today!

Sabriel review

Book talk:  Sabriel was dead when she was baptized.  But there are benefits to being the Abhorsen's daughter.  Her father followed her into the land of the dead and brought her back with him.  Soon she was a living, screaming baby in his arms.  Sabriel attended a private boarding school near the border, where the magic runs stronger.  In addition to the classes all the other young ladies were expected to take she had private lessons from her father about how to deal with the dead who refuse to stay that way.  While other children shied away from death, Sabriel kept death close around her like a cloak.  Sabriel does not frighten easily, but when her father disappears she knows enough to be very, very afraid.

Rocks my socks:  I absolutely loved the world-building of the novel.  From the very beginning there's a sense of a complex history that is slowly revealed and informs every aspect of the novel from the way the soldiers act to the clothes that people wear.  Everything is well thought out and strikingly original.  The book is naturally rather dark, but there's a lot of hope to be found in it as well.  Sabriel is relatable as she tries to cope with a difficult situation the best that she can and her relationship with Touchstone is completely charming.  Plus there's a sassy talking cat character!  You know I can't resist sassy talking cats!

Rocks in my socks:  zip

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to teens looking for a dark fantasy novel.  Sabriel is more or less a zombie hunter so it would appeal to that set as well.  For what it is, it isn't terribly violent.  Sabriel mostly fights the zombies off using magical bells.  I'd say it's fine for 6th grade and up.

Extras:

Garth Nix has a website with a page on his writing process, a solo fantasy adventure, and a long, alphabetical list of book recommendations for those wondering what to read next.

The Old Kingdom Chronicles have their own site with information on the book as well as helpful information about the world: the seven bells, the nine gates of Death, and maps of the lands of the living.

If you need any further information about the novel the Old Kingdom wiki is a good place to turn.

Source: school library

Sabriel by Garth Nix: Buy it or check it out today!