Cages by Peg Kehret - Still Remembered 15 Years Later

Pros: Excellent book
Cons: None

The Bottom Line: My 13-year-old self wants to tell others her age to read this book.

I did read this when I was 13. And you know what? I liked it so much and remembered the storyline so well that years and years later (I’m 28) I was able to re-discover the book without knowing the title or the author. I was quite excited to see it was still in publication.

Kit is a young girl with some problems at home. Her father frequently gets drunk and calls her demeaning things - like an animal. She wishes she could just buy nice things like her friend, and one day she is caught stealing a bracelet. She didn’t even really want it. But now she’s sentenced to twenty hours of volunteer work at an animal shelter. It is there she meets a special dog that means a great deal to her. Kit feels a lot like the animals in the shelter, and it is there she will learn how to free herself.

All right, so I made that sound a little cheesy, but it really is a great book. I think this was one of the few books in my life that almost made me cry – and as a kid I never cried at books. This is a story that I never forgot and there is still one instance in particular that I remember vividly and thought was so great, I’ve always held onto it. I won’t say what it is because that will spoil things though.

And this isn’t the first book that Peg Kehret wrote that’s gotten notice from young readers. At the bookstore where I work, she has four books in our summer reading shelf – several of which were Mark Twain award nominees (and one winner I think) – and I’ve already had to order in more. I ordered in Cages and put it on my recommendation display. To think that years later I’d be able to put a book I enjoyed on display for other kids. Lovely.

Pick this up a bookstore, pick it up at the library, it doesn’t matter. Kit is a character that is easy to identify with and she’s got a strong voice and, and readers will be pleased to see the resolutions she discovers.

NT

Originally published on Epinions.com

 Notes from the playlist: "A Promise" by Alan Silvestri

*Won!* for My Shelf

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin


That's right.  I won this bad boy.  I haven't started it yet because I've only just finished A Feast for Crows and want to take my time.  After all, A Feast for Crows came out in 2005 and this nugget of gold wasn't released until just last year.  Add to that the two other books Martin is working on and a bookseller has plenty of time on her hands, ya know?  But how did I win such an awesome book in all it's hardcover glory, you may ask?  If you're a regular on this blog, you may remember the Book Club books I included here every month during 2011.  The host of the club, know to the online world as Calico Reaction (I knew her in graduate school), awarded points during the course of the year for reading, participation, etc.  Those with the highest point totals won books.  I managed to come in at second place and won myself a choice of a hardcover book.

It took me a while to decide because I'm a very, very picky book buyer.  If I see something, I'll try to get it at the library first.  If I buy it, it's because I know I'll read it over and over again.  Hardcovers are particularly rare in my collection.  A book has to strike me in just the right way in order for me to want to buy it in that format.  So far, if you don't include hardcovers that were only avaialble in that format (like the Intellectual Devotionals), books that have made it to my shelf include the Harry Potter series, extremely fancy (re: expensive) copies of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and both of Michio Kaku's books - Physics of the Future and Physics of the Impossible.

So finally after asking about 6 of my fellow booksellers for ideas (and none of you were much help by the way, haha), I finally settled with this book because it does look pretty awesome in hardcover and let's face it, while hauling around a giant tome is kind of annoying, trying to read a book this fat in mass market form is worrisome because trying to keep it open enough to read means paranoia about breaking the spine.

I very much look forward to opening this up and thank Calico Reaction for her generosity in prizes (because honestly, even on sale, this book is by no means cheap - at least not to me anyway).  To the rest of you I say head on over to her blog and see what she's got to offer.  Her book reviews are excellent - as are the occasional movie/TV mentions - and she's also got another book club going on so if you're looking for something good to read and this little blog o'mine isn't doing it for you, dive in over there and see what strikes your fancy!

Doctor De Soto by William Steig - Don't Think About Eating Dentist Mice

Pros: My favorite William Steig book!
Cons: Nope!

The Bottom Line: If you're a fox and need dental help, don't think about eating your mouse dentist. That's just rude.

I remember a lot of the children’s books I read when I was a kid. Doctor De Soto was one of my favorites. Written and illustrated by William Steig (who also Alexander and the Magic Pebble and Amos & Boris), it’s a smart story with adorable drawings.

Doctor De Soto is a dentist. A mouse dentist, to be precise. But he doesn’t treat things that are likely to eat him, like cats and the like. But one day there’s a dapper fox outside his office crying pitifully about his aching tooth. The Doctor takes pity on him and with the help of his wife, takes out the bad tooth. The fox is ever so grateful, but needs to return in order to get his new tooth. While at home, the fox seriously starts to consider eating the Doctor despite all his help. The Doctor, on the other hand, is well aware of what goes on in the heads of foxes, and has a plan on how to teach this one a lesson…just in case.

I loved – and still love – the illustrations. They’re cute and full of life and color. The Doctor has all his little dentist implements, from drills to a little gas mask the fox has to wear before they take the tooth out. It’s not often that I get to recommend this book to people, but not long ago I had a couple looking for dentist-related kids books and got to chuck this one at them (which they bought – yay!).

Interestingly enough, this is a Newberry Honor book. Odd because it’s a picture book, but I guess the story was worthy of the nomination. But hey, I’d say it was with good reason. You’re not going to find a story like this anywhere else. After all, how often do you find tales about dentist mice?

I highly recommend giving this book a peek. Kids will love seeing how the Doctor thinks of a way to keep the fox hungry, and they may not even dislike the fox too much. He has a bit of a conscience battle about eating the Doctor, but after all, a fox is a fox, so you can’t really blame him. At least, that's what I thought when I was a kid. And hey, he gets himself a shiny new gold tooth!

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

 Notes from the playlist: "White Flag" by Chris Tomlin

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin - Mmmm, Delicious

Pros: A unique look at the world from other characters' perspectives
Cons: No Tyrion (yes, I know why, but I still miss him)

The Bottom Line: A meaty stepping stone from the last book to A Dance with Dragons.

I’ve been taking my sweet time with this series because Martin still has two more books to put out (that we know of…) and goodness knows that means waiting a while. But I finally decided to read this one before moving on to the next title.

You don’t actually find out until the end of the book (I think it would have been handy to know at the start, but oh well) that as Martin was writing, the story just got too big, hence A Dance with Dragons. He split the tale up geographically, which is why in this book you don’t get any Daenerys, Tyrion, Jon, or Bran. Instead, you get a very interesting array of various characters. So many, in fact, that I’m not even going to try and list them in this review. Suffice to say that you get some main characters like Jaime and Cersi, some characters that are becoming more important like Brienne, and others that may or may not be seen again and who don’t even have chapters named after them but instead by their nicknames like The Soiled Knight.

But that doesn’t make the book any less interesting. While you may be disappointed that you don’t get to hang out with Tyrion and Daenerys, you do still get to see Sansa and Arya from time to time. Likewise, because of the various viewpoints, you get to see what’s going on in all sorts of other parts of Westeros, such as down south in Dorne and over at the Iron Islands. And there are some interesting things going on in these locals. You still see people like Cersi makes mistakes that you know will be far-reaching (you’ll even be sitting there thinking, “Wow, how stupid are you?”) and naturally there are plenty of cliff-hangy moments with people, such as Brienne, Cersi, and Arya.

While it’s not the best in the series – as many have said – it is still a solid read. There isn’t as much action now that things have calmed down. Rather, I suppose things are slowly but surely working their way up again. We’re in that little lull in the rollercoaster before it starts clinking up again and then racing back down at breakneck speed. I didn’t do as much skipping ahead as I have in the past, though I do admit to doing so with Arya and Sansa. Everyone else either wasn’t that engrossing or just didn’t have enough chapters to bother with. No joke – some of these people have just one or two.

This is all primarily why I went ahead and gave this book four stars instead of five. It’s good, but not super fantastic. I’m willing to bed A Dance with Dragons will snatch up five stars without a problem. Keep reading kids – things are going to get interesting…not that they aren’t already...

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Reading In Bed 65dos Remix" by 65 Days of Static

Recommended for Arachnologists (Kid Versions)

Uncover a Tarantula by David George Gordon

Honestly, I think I learn more from kids' books than I do from adult books. Kids books are simple and straight to the point. I was cleaning up one day and found this. Curious, I flipped through it and read about tarantulas. I learned all sorts of cool things that I never knew. Did you know that while humans have iron in their blood for oxygen purposes, tarantulas have copper? That's why their blood is a different color. Cool! I had no idea that was even possible. Even better, kids will love the design of the book because each page uncovers a different layer of the tarantula body - from circulatory system to nervous system to important tarantula organs. These books are cool and I would have loved to have one or more as a kid. I say more because you can get other books that show the insides of animals such as frogs, sharks, and even a t-rex!

Notes from the playlist: "Chemical Plant Zone (Dance Remix)" by JemenJ

Recently Finished

Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones

Having finished the second book, I skipped forward and continued on with the third one. For some reason I was under the impression that this might be the final one, but I soon realized I was wrong. Frankly I hope Jones speeds things up a little because I'm getting tired of people telling Charley she needs to find out what she's capable of and not explaining anything to her (that sorts of thing annoys the bejeezus out of me). It was a fun ride, you feel bad for Reyes most of the time until you realize what he's done (bad boy), and I look forward to seeing what goes on between Heaven and Hell in the next book. However, that's a little while away yet, but I have plenty of other books to read, so I have no problem waiting.

Notes from the playlist: "Casual Sex" by My Darkest Days

Recommended for Young Artists

Draw 50 Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals by Lee J. Ames

When I was a kid I liked to draw, and I wanted to learn how to draw better. I discovered the Draw 50 series and they were the best thing ever. For any kid looking to learn how to draw or improve their drawing skills, these are an excellent choice. I loved this one as well as the book for sea creatures. My finished drawings looked just like they were supposed to in the book. So good, in fact, that I remember another classmate accusing me of tracing them. Flattering and insulting at the same time. I always recommend these books to parents looking for good drawing books for their children. My only issue is that we never keep enough of them in stock!


Notes from the playlist: "Voce Existe Em Mim (You Exist In Me)" by Josh Groban

Currently Reading

Second Grave to the Left by Darynda Jones

One of my managers recommended First Grave on the Right to me, and when I read the summary, I decided I was game. Finally the second book came out, and after months and months of being on the library's waiting list, I finally got it. This time Charley is trying to solve more than one case - both of which involve missing persons. Except while one is human, the other is not. Both might kill her. It's another fun ride, and one of the best parts about these books is Charley's voice. The author gives her plenty of snark and the room to do it, which is what makes Charley my kind of heroine. I look forward to seeing how this ends and then moving on to the third book right after.


Notes from the playlist: "Memories" from Xenoblade

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard - Do You?

Pros: A quick and fun story that includes dirt bikes and pink ponies.
Cons: Nope.

The Bottom Line: Birthday wishes gone out of control...

The last book I read by Mandy Hubbard was Ripple, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So when I skimmed the back of this book, I couldn’t help but giggle and think that it might be fun to read.

Oh it was indeed. I mean, when something like a pink My Little Pony appears, complete with ice cream imprint on its butt, you know it’s going to be an amusing time. It all starts when Kayla’s sixteenth birthday rolls around. Her mom throws her an extravagant party that she doesn’t want filled just to show off for clients. Her best friend is too busy having fun with her boyfriend to show up on time. Things in general are kind of sucking. So when Kayla has to make a wish in front of dozens of people she doesn’t even know, her wish is that her birthday wishes would come true – because they never freakin’ do.

The next morning she discovers that pink pony. And the next day there are thousands of gumballs all over her room. And after that…well, I’ll let you find out. Kayla’s got big problems now because she has no idea how to make the wishes stop and she can’t remember what they all are. All she knows is that they need to go away because one of her wishes was to kiss Ben, her longtime crush—and her best friend’s boyfriend.

It’s a fast and silly story that’s hard to put down because every chapter you’ll wonder what Kayla’s going to have to deal with next. Her new problem with the wishes is coupled with some of her life issues, such as her best friend seeming to drift away, her mother never being around, and the absence of her father. She handles things surprisingly well considering she’s got live toys running around and gumballs randomly appearing everywhere. Kayla’s the kind of character that, if she were real and in my high school, I’d be friends with just because she sounds like a lot of fun.

Hubbard did a great job really bringing Kayla’s voice forward and I did laugh aloud on multiple occasions with this book. There are a few serious parts where Kayla deals with her issues, and everything is neatly resolved in the end. So if you want a light read that will make you laugh, do give this one some serious consideration.

NT

Notes from the playlist: "Way Too Far" by Korn

Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O'Malley - Best Fairytale Ever.

Pros: A fun take on traditional fairy tales - perfect for boys and girls
Cons: None

The Bottom Line: When a typical fairytale is too boring, make it better by adding in a cool motorcycle dude.

I spotted this while, yes, in the backroom once again. The second I saw the cover I laughed and knew I had to read it. After all, how often do you see princesses and motorcycle dudes in the same story – for kids no less?

Two kids within this tale have to tell a story for an assignment – but they each have very different ideas as to how this story should go. The girl begins with the tale of Princess Tenderheart and her eight ponies. However, a giant starts stealing the ponies until only one is left. But it isn’t long before the boy can’t stand all this sugary sweet stuff about beautiful princesses and their ponies, so he takes over.

And in rides the cool motorcycle dude who tells the king that he’ll guard the last pony. Now it’s gone totally boy-style, with the giant totally ugly and gross, and the motorcycle dude super awesome.

Except now the girl isn’t satisfied with the story and it’s time for Princess Tenderheart to become a warrior woman and from there….well, I’ll let you read the story to your little ones and find out how this story ends.

It’s really funny the way the boy and girl are both thinking, “Ugh” at one another’s stories and how things change when each takes over. The girl’s story is illustrated with happy, soft colors and pretty designs (because ponies and kingdoms are lovely). But when the boy takes over, it’s bold and dark and with awesome effects like lightening (because cool motorcycle dudes need cool effects).

This book was written by Kevin O’Malley, but illustrated by Kevin O’Malley, Carol Heyer, and Scott Goto, and it makes for a great collaboration. You get to see the friction between the two kids at the start and how they’re able to work out their stories into something that makes them both happy in the end. It also takes aspects of the stereotypical boy-girl likes and dislikes and transforms them into what some of us are seeing today (where the girl is the one on the motorcycle, savvy?).

Whatever your boys and girls like or dislike, it’s a great story for everyone and will have you laughing and kids will read the pages with gusto. Definitely a book that needs and deserves more fans.

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)" by Shinedown

Currently Reading

Archon by Sabrina Benulis

I know the author of this book and went to her reading of a passage as a part of her graduate program (as I was in the same one), so when I saw it on the shelves I got all excited. I knew she'd made the sale and was just waiting to read it. This is a world where the Ruin is upon us. One girl will bring it about...or will she? It's a world where Heaven and Hell collide on Earth with angels, demons, jinn, and more mixing together in an attempt to find the Archon - the one who could bring about the Ruin. What's more, angels aren't necessarily the good guys and the Archon doesn't even know who she is. If a bit of twisted theology is your style, then you may want to give Archon a good look.


Notes from the playlist: "Bully" by Shinedown

Recommended for Little Hands

Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett

I recently got the go-ahead from my store manager to create a recommendation endcap (Nicole & Candy's Corner!) seeing as I am now one of the two Children's Leads. This is one of the books I put up there. It's a simple board book with just a few words involved - the cover pretty much says it all. But they get mixed up from time to time to create some fun things to say - "Apple, pear. Orange bear." - as well as some really cute illustrations. The illustrations are actually my favorite part. From balacing the fruit on his nose to looking surprised when he's labeled as "orange," the bear is clearly the star of this orange, appley, peary show. They're soft done in watercolors, a medium I always hold in high regard because in my opinion, they're darn hard to work with. See how your little one likes oranges, apples, pears, and of course, bears!


Notes from the playlist: "Stars" by Helen Jane Long

Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt - Curse Much?

Pros: Fun, light reading
Cons: The surprising number of curse words may make some parents freak (teens, not so much)

The Bottom Line: While Courtney had her annoying moments, I'm surprised the cursing made it through the agents/editors, and the climax was ho-hum, I had a good time.

Normally I don’t read this sort of teen book. You know, the kind where the girl and the boy have issues but they love each other so much even though it’s still high school (high school – come on people), but for some reason it sounded like it might be fun when I took a quick peek at the back cover. Finally I picked it up at the library and got to read it in order to satisfy my curiosity.

Courtney hates Jordan. After all, he dumped for some chick he met on the internet. Who does that anyway? But she’s stuck going with him on their road trip to college – seeing as they’re going to the same school and all. Yippee.

Jordan, on the other hand, knows for a fact that this trip is going to suck, but he’s glad he’s with Courtney, even if she does hate him. Because he’s got a little secret that has to do with why he broke up with her – and it has nothing to do with a anyone he met online.

The book jumps back and forth in different ways. You get two points of view – Courtney’s and Jordan’s. However, you also get the present and the past. You get to see Courtney’s point of view during the trip as well as 125ish days or so before the trip. Same with Jordan. The number of days eventually tick down to the trip so you discover why Jordan broke up with Courtney and how she feels about him and so forth. You get the entire relationship in a rather neatly tied up package. It may confuse some people, but if you pay attention to the chapter names (which are the character’s names) and then the little subheadings that tell you where you are in time (i.e. 77 Days Before the Trip), then there’s no need to get confused.

It’s interesting to see how their relationship evolves. How they go from basically being strangers to growing close despite the fact that Jordan’s a bit of a player (aren't they all?) and Courtney knows better. But they become comfortable with one another and eventually realize they want to be together. It’s nice, actually, to see how well the author blended all this time and information together.

The conflict they have between them is definitely interesting. It’s not hard to guess what it is right away, but I don’t know if Lauren Barnholdt actually intended it to be a bit of a mystery or not. Doesn’t really matter though. I did have some trouble understanding just why Courtney’s dad had such a hold over Jordan (honestly, I think it would be the other way around) or how breaking up with Courtney would make any difference. But oh well.

I did have some issues with Courtney and her twitchy behavior. Some things didn’t really surprise me, such as dolling up for another guy that doesn’t actually exist in order to make Jordan jealous (how many of us ladies haven’t done it or at least thought about it?). But other things she said or did just came across as annoying or stupid. Then again, I need to remind myself – high school kids are still kids and do dumb things. Not everyone, of course, but come on. How many of us have looked back at our former selves and thought, “Wow…how ridiculous was that decision?” And anyway, people do act like idiots after breakups, especially when they’re still smitten with someone. So I guess plenty of teenagers will relate.

The ending where they finally confront one another was actually a lot less emotional and climactic than I expected, which sort of let me down. I was hoping for just a smidgen more, but just didn’t get it. Then again, that’s why I typically read fantasy/adventure/science fiction where reunions and relationships tend to be more dramatic and powerful.

I guess I should mention the cursing since I went and pointed it out twice above. I maybe it’s because I don’t read enough of this type of teen book and I’m not familiar with what’s acceptable and what’s not, but I really was surprised at the amount of cursing, or I suppose more specifically, the frequent use of the word "fuck." Not that it’s rampant in the book. It’s used like it probably would be here in the real world. And it’s not that I’m offended in anyway (heck, I have my moments where I curse like a sailor and cause people’s mouths to drop open when they finally hear me do so). It’s just that for a teen book, I’m kind of surprised that Lauren Barnholdt’s agent/editor let it through. Maybe it’s because she’s been published before and that’s her style. Maybe it’s that the teen market isn’t as strict as it used to be or as I thought it was. All I know is that even in my manuscripts (for adults), my use of limited swearing tends to get poked at. Odd, but maybe it’s just different. Who knows? However, it is something I know some parents may balk at, so just be aware I guess.

In the end it was a light, fast, easy read with an interesting little plot and happy ending. Just what I figured it would be. Curiosity satisfied.

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

notes from the playlist: "Burning in the Skies" by Linkin Park

Recommended for New Insight

Stuff by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee

This year I'm trying to focus on my To Be Read list since I have dozens of books written down but still havent' touched many of them. So instead of constantly picking out new things, I'm reading what's on the list (though not always following through with this particular plan *coughAMillionSunscough*). Stuff was something I'd found last year(ish) while putting books away that (lazy) people left out. Yes, I'd seen the show Hoarders, which is partially why I was interested in reading this in the first place. It's one of those kind of disorders that really gets your psychology brain going. What is it that makes a person keep so much stuff when so much of it is pure garbage (i.e. a candy wrapper, scrap of paper with non-legible writing on it, etc.)? Why can they not let go of things the way we do? Traumatic childhood incident? A higher functioning sensory and tactile part of the brain? Stuff goes through the cases of several hoarders, how they look at things, why they gather so much, and whether or not they are able to part with it. You do see some similarties that may mean psychologists are getting closer to understanding it, but there is still a long way to go. I found it to be a totally absorbing read, and I had trouble putting the book down.


Notes on the playlist: "Twisted Transistor" by Korn

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - Fueling the Flames of Rebellion

Pros: Engaging, characters you care about, a Capitol you hate
Cons: None now that all three books are out.

The Bottom Line: It's exciting, hard to put down, and contains plenty of twists with an ending that leaves you hanging like a climber without a rope.

I read The Hunger Games well over a year ago. After letting its excitement settle a little, I fully intended to read this next. Then I thought perhaps I would wait until the third and final book, Mockingjay was out before I dove in so there wouldn’t be any additional gaps. Ha. Guess it didn’t matter because I just got done finishing Catching Fire today – an additional three days after I actually decided to read it (I got distracted by Beth Revis’s A Million Suns). By the way, you’ll need to read the first book if this one is to make any sense.

Katniss has survived The Hunger Games along with her fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta. Now they get to go on a Victory Tour of the other Districts. Except Katniss soon realizes that she’s started something she never intended to start. The potential for rebellion. By saving Peeta and allowing two people to survive the Games instead of one, the people of the Districts see her as a symbol of hope and defiance. Katniss just wants her friends and family safe. But it’s not so simple. Even the President of the Capitol will make her pay if she can’t help quell the sense of rebellion flowing through the Districts. But no matter what she tries to do, it seems as though she only makes things worse. And this is the year she and Peeta will have to face down the Quell – a very special and extra deadly version of The Hunger Games.

At first I thought this might be mostly a repeat of the first book, but found out that I was completely wrong. The vast majority of this book is Katniss dealing with the repercussions of her actions from the first book. Some she manages to handle, though many of them she cannot. And who could blame her? I certainly don’t. That’s a lot to thrust upon a teenage girl. No wonder her mentor Haymitch is drunk all the time. Katniss tries as hard as she can and as best she can to convince everyone – especially President Snow – that she’s just a girl in love with Peeta. She never intends to start an uprising and she certainly doesn’t know how to be the leader of one should things get to that point. She’s too busy worrying about the safety of her friends and family.

There is that thin romantic line that gets played here and there – the triangle of Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, but it’s not all that prevalent. Just enough to keep us reminded of it and interested, although ultimately this isn’t Twilight (and anyone who makes that comparison is deranged to say the least). Katniss even comes right out and says that now is not the time to make such decisions. Frankly the fact that the boys are so into her making a choice is ridiculous considering the conditions everyone is living under. They’re lucky Katniss doesn’t freak out and tell them both to back off – except even then with constant monitoring by the Capitol, she wouldn’t even be able to do that. Poor girl.

I zipped through this. I had those reading moments where I’d have to get back to work and carry my book to my locker to see if I could squeeze in just a few more words. Or at night when I thought, “I’ll finish this chapter” and then end up reading three before finally going to bed.

The author, Suzanne Collins, has done an excellent job of painting a world that readers will be both intrigued with and despise. The array of characters will have you alternately cheering for some and eagerly awaiting the death of others. Her description is right on par for me – enough that I can see exactly what she wants (or what works for me) and without going so overboard so that I’m not sure what I’m supposed to imagine. There are several surprises and still other things that you’ll be surprised Katniss doesn’t pick up on (though they seem painfully obvious).

The book ends on a sharp cliffhanger with some characters missing, others gone for good, and several secrets revealed. Makes one wonder just how so much will be wrapped up in the final book. Also makes me wonder just how Collins managed to fit that wrap up in a book the same size as the first two (as you normally don’t see that. Must say, I’m impressed). I look forward to reading Mockingjay – and this time there won’t be a year-long gap.

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Still Alive" by GLaDOS

Recommended for Post-Apocalyptic Romantics

Pros: I love a good post-apocalyptic story
Cons: Reading it as a 28-year-old (which I was at the time)
The Bottom Line: Aria and Perry make for a very unique couple, and in a world that reminds me of Ergo Proxy, I'm totally game.

I won’t lie.  I judge books by their covers.  When we first got this in the back room at the bookstore, I sort of wrote it off.  Another “tough girl” teen story.  Whatever.  Out of curiosity, I eventually read the back.  Mm.  Interesting.  Later on I peeked inside at a few pages.  Finally I decided I might as well just take the ARC (advance reading copy) and read it.  Author Veronica Rossi also has an extra bit for you – her book has already been optioned by Warner Brothers.  Jackpot, Ms. Rossi.

Aria has been framed.  Now she’s been thrown out of the safety of the protective dome city she’s lived in all her life.  Into a world that can kill her in a staggering number of ways.

Perry has just lost his nephew to Aria’s people.  Those he calls Moles because they don’t live out in the open anymore.  He vows to get his nephew back at any cost.

The two must team up together in order to get what they want.  But it will mean trusting each other and staying alive in the desolate world – including staying clear of the violent aether that flows in the skies above and the storms that it creates which scorch the ground black.

One of the big things that drew me into this book was the description Rossi offers.  The desolate landscape, the individual domes that exist throughout the world.  The people that struggle to live outside of them.  It reminded me of the anime Ergo Proxy.  And while there were no proxies running around and Rossi’s sky is filled with powerful energy flows called aether, that sort of thing still really intrigues me.  It’s the strange part of the future world where you wonder – where did it come from?  Is it truly everywhere?  And how does it relate to the skills of some of the characters?  Questions, questions…

Another thing I liked is just how different Aria and Perry were from one another.  Usually people, even in many stories like these, remain people.  Perry, however, is a lot more feral.  Because of this, Aria and Perry basically hated each other, which I haven’t seen in a while either.  They both thought of one another as total freaks, and for a while I started to wonder how on earth Rossi was going to bridge such a wide gap between the two (because you basically knew they were going to hook up at some point).  But I liked that gap.

When it comes to all the other post-apocalyptic/dystopian stories out there, this one is a bit set apart in that everything takes place outside of the "perfect society" location - in a place where the environment will straight-up kill you and people scrape by on practically nothing. I liked the atmosphere – and the aether. It’s a good time and has a lot of unique points going for it.  There’s a surprisingly anti-climactic part near the end which, because of its anti-climactic design, is quite nice.  It does, however, end in a way that heralds the door to the next two books in the trilogy.

My con up there is because this is a teen book, and for some reason I tend to start out thinking of my characters as kids, like 15 or 16 (sometimes younger) even if they’re not.  Aria and Perry are 17 or 18, and Perry is a tough, feral kind of guy.  Yet during this book I kept thinking of him as younger and not all that wild until Aria saw him do some badass stuff.  I was in the 14-15 range, and the name Perry didn’t help either (no offense to guys named Perry.  It just didn’t come off as tough – even if his name is officially Peregrine).

But that’s my own fault.  Funny enough, while reading thing I thought, “This would be cool as a movie,” and then remembered that it’s going to be (or at least, Warner Bros has their hands on it).  I hope they do a good casting job whenever they finally get around to it.

So read this for yourself, or wait until the other books are out and then read it so you don’t have to wait.  Either way, I might have to go see the movie while I wait.  If it exists by then, anyway.

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com


Notes from the playlist: "Seven Lives" by In Strict Confidence

Purchased for My Shelf

If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell

Actually not so much purchased for myself so much as received as a gift for my shelf. And no, not as a gag gift. I've been curious about this book ever since I first saw it, oh, years ago. Since Bruce Campbell showed up as a slightly more serious act in Burn Notice, my favorite show since I-don't-know-when, I've been even more eager to read it. Bruce has had an interesting life, I'm sure, and he's a hilarious guy - not that I know him personally or anything. But you'd have to be a certain kind of ridiculous to willingly go into movies that are so, well, ridiculous that everyone loves you for them. If you don't know who this guy is, that's okay. He's a bit of a cult classic himself (I recommend starting with Army of Darkness and going from there). My father and I will watch absolutely horrendous movies if he's in them. I look forward to cracking this open and finding out what's behind the man who can get women into bed by saying, "Gimme some sugar baby." I don't doubt that I will be, at times, cracking up as well.


Notes from the playlist: "Gives You Hell" by The All-American Rejects

A Million Suns by Beth Revis - Where's The Doctor When You Need Him?

Pros: Just as riveting as the first book, nice twists and unexpected turns
Cons: Nope

The Bottom Line: I'm glad this got some promotion shelf space because it deserves a chance to be seen and enjoyed.

Originally I intended to read Catching Fire seeing as, you know, it’s been a year since I read The Hunger Games. Figured it was about time. But the second I walked into the back room and saw A Million Suns sitting there on my promo cart, I got all geeky and squealed like the girl I am and snatched it up. After all, Catching Fire had waited a year to shift to the top of my To Be Read List – it could wait a few more days.

A Million Suns is the second book in a trilogy by Beth Revis. The first book was Across the Universe, which I actually hadn’t planned on reading at all. The covers of these books are gorgeous, and I’ve had such fun in space with them (although the characters aren’t having any fun at all), I’m seriously considering purchasing them. In hardcover. Which I haven’t done with a fiction book since the last Harry Potter came out. Yeah, I know.

This time around, Amy laments being on a ship for however long it might take to get to the new planet while her parents remain in their frozen boxes. She’s an outcast, alone with only Elder on her side it seems. Elder is trying to adjust to being Eldest on the ship and in charge of everything. But since he’s given the people of the ship a chance to think on their own, they’ve started to rebel. Nothing is going on planned – least of which the truth Elder learns about the ship and where it’s going. But when Amy discovers clues left by Orion, together they’ll discover all the secrets the ship still has to offer – including a massive secret that will change the lives of everyone living on the ship.

Ooooh boy. If I didn’t have to work while having this book in my possession, it would have been done in a day, two at most. I kept getting itchy every time I had to put it down because I wanted to see what Orion knew. I wanted to know if what I was guessing was right (I WAS. Whoo hoo!). I wanted to know who was trying to stop them from learning these new secrets and how they would be stopped. I wanted to know if my guesses on the “whodunit” was right (almost).

Revis knows how to ratchet up tension and I kept reading and reading even when I knew I had to put my book down. She paints her characters just as they’re supposed to be and doesn’t let up or compromise. I kept sitting here wishing Elder would figure out how to craft a moving speech to get everyone back into line (I was sitting here crafting them myself), but then we wouldn’t have a book if he suddenly went all eloquent and pacified everyone. Likewise, he was just too insecure in his new role and not exactly Mr. Eloquent to begin with.

My only problem was when Amy knew something about a girl who’d been killed. As in, knew who most likely had done it. And she never said anything. That really, really bothered me. I know why it was done – for the story of course – but still. A girl is dead after being raped and you never tell anyone? Until much, much later when it won’t do anyone any good? Hmph. Oh well. At least that little problem resolved itself in the end anyway. Can’t say I’m sorry about it either.

Speaking of death, Revis is definitely not afraid to kill off people. She made some interesting choices that definitely left impacts, a few in particular. This book goes at an almost nonstop pace, which is part of the reason it’s so hard to put down. You never know just what might happen next or who’s on the chopping block. I had plenty of surprises to enjoy, which is always nice.

If you liked Revis’s first book, Across the Universe, then you’ll definitely enjoy this one. It’s not going to be until January 2013 when the final book, Shades of Earth is available, but hey, that’s just the way the writing world works. I’m most certainly willing to wait.

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Map of the Problematique" by Muse

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente - Long Title

Pros: Vivid, fantastical descriptions, good story, excellent end
Cons: Depends on what you're expecting...

The Bottom Line: Like the old classics, but so, so much better.

This was the final 2011 ABC Book Club book hosted by Calico Reaction. While I admit I didn’t vote for it, I am super happy it won because I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I’d heard of this book before, thought it definitely had a wacky title, figured it probably wasn’t for me, and moved along. Guess you just never know. The one word I noticed most of us using when discussing this book was "delightful." That's because it is. It's an excellent fairytale that stems from the old styles like Alice in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

In the vein of Alice in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Catherynne Valente takes us to the world of Fairyland alongside a girl named September. She’s whisked off by the Green Wind and discovers a world where there are forests in eternal autumn, cities named Pandemonium, where an evil Marquess rules, where things with wings are chained to never fly again, and meets some extraordinary characters along the way.

Initially I was worried that this book would make as much sense (re: not much at all) as some of the previous classics out there – like Alice and Oz. Because we just meet September when suddenly she’s on the back of a flying leopard talking to a man who is the Green Wind and going to Fairyland without any issues at all. It’s an abrupt start, to be sure, but soon we start to get more into the story. We learn a little more about September. We’re being narrated to by someone unnamed, but they’re a very charming narrator so it’s okay. Plus, September ends up being very well fleshed out as a character so we’re ready to go along with whatever she does and wherever she goes.

The characters she meets are fascinating and have their own powerful personalities. The Wyvern (or rather, Wyverary) A-Through-L is absolutely adorable and I loved Saturday as well, a wish-giving Marid. All the places that September visits are bursting with color and amazing things, food and scents. Wild bicycles roam the plains. Towns are built entirely of fabric. Shadows can be parted from you (painfully) and dance on their own like Peter Pan’s. This is the kind of book I know I would have loved as a kid because I love it as an adult. It’s fanciful, has a strong heroine, unique ideas, and an absolute whopper of an ending. No joke, I never saw it coming. Even more impressive is that you can sympathize with the people involved and wonder to yourself – what would you do in such a situation? Blurs the lines a bit, it does.

I recommend this to adults and children alike. It’s a fun ride and hard to put down. It’s the kind of thing that Hayao Miyazaki would have a field day with, though I think even he would have a hard time capturing all the colors. Oh, and there are even some fun references to other children who have visited other lands…like those kids who went through a wardrobe…

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Kill Your Heroes" by Awolnation

Recommended for The New Year

Future by DK Eyewitness Books

Welcome to 2012! What better way to celebrate than with a book about the future? It doesn't matter if you're an adult or a child - DK Eyewitness books are excellent and I am ashamed of having never recommended them before (since I do all the time in the store!). This particular DK book may not be available anymore, as it was made in 2004, but the neat part is that because of it's printing date, some of the inventions that lurk within its pages are now very real and very much in use. That in itself is just plain cool - to see what used to be out of our reach now in our hands. Science is an amazing thing, and kids who read DK books will learn all sorts of cool things, no matter what subject the book happens to be on (Dog is my personal favorite!).

Notes from the playlist: "Auld Lang Syne" by Lifescapes - Fireside Jazz