Two Losers and Two Winners

Young adult books hot off the presses: 

The two books that I did not read, but started to read are Boy Minus Girl  by Richard Uhlig and Handbook for Hot Witches by Dame Darcy.

 

BoyMinus Girl had a striking voice, plenty of sarcasm and might even be a good read, but there were too many references to what teenage boys want to do to teenage girls and I just couldn’t keep going. Having said that, it might be the book that would keep a teenaged boy reading.

 

Handbook for Hot Witches gives the definition of what a hot witch is (probably not what you are thinking from the title) and then gives tips and pointers on how to be the best kind of hot witch in your category. Again, this did not interest me, but I can think of others who might delight in this book.

 

The first winner: Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber. Strieber is a writer for adults and promoter of the supernatural. This is his first attempt at writing for young adults and he does an excellent job! Melody is a young soon-to-be superstar whose mother dominates her life and career. Beresford is a young man who grew up in the bowels of a fancy high rise apartment building in Los Angeles. You will find mystery, romance and family struggles to keep you interested. While some of the plot lines are a little hard to believe, there are strong emotions to keep you interested. 

Emily’s Dress by Kathryn Burak is a dark tale of high school angst about suicide and murder, but ultimately about true love and how to overcome. Claire is trying to finish her final year of high school while reconciling her feelings about her mother’s suicide and her best friend’s sudden disappearance a year before. A loving father and new friends help her to see the good within herself and together they solve the mystery of her former friend’s disappearance. In spite of the dark topics, this is definitely worth reading.

More Picture Books

Sweet Baby Feet by Margaret O’Hair, illustrated by Tracy Dockray

A quick rhyming story about those chubby, cuddly, bouncy baby feet. If you have a toddler in the house, this is a must read. Can’t wait to try it with Wes.

The Chandeliers by Vincent X. Kirsch

The Chandeliers are a family of performing giraffes and until the night of the multiple disasters, Rufus just sits on the sidelines and watches. But, on this, his night of nights, he helps his granny with her costume and his uncle with his lines, he rescues his great-granddaddy and covers for the lighting tech. He does it all, and he gets to take a bow at the end. Hooray for Rufus and all the youngest family members who wait in the sidelines to have their turn in the family spotlight.

The Forgiveness Garden by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Christy Hale

Dr. Suess told similar stories in the Sneeches and the Butter Battle Book, but it is a story worth telling and one that  unfortunately still needs to be heard. The Vayams and the Gamtes are fighting and a young  Vayam woman is wounded. When her people capture the Gamte who threw the stone at her head, it is her place to throw the first stone at him. But, she refuses. She encourages her people to work with the Gamte people to make a forgiveness garden. The endnotes describe a forgiveness garden in Beirut, Lebanon. My favorite line in the book is at the end when the injured girl and her attacker sit in the garden for the first time, “What do you think they said?” Use this to start the discussion.

Suryia Swims by Bhagavan Antle and Thea Feldman, photographs by Barry Bland. 

Suryia is an orangutan and orangutans do not swim; but Suryia learns to swim with her best friend, Roscoe, the dog. Told in short, simple sentences, the reader follows Suryia in her progression from bathing, to dunking her head in the pool, to frolicking and playing with elephants, tigers and an otter. The photographs make this book with several great underwater shots! (True story)

Rhyming picture books

I have received a number of picture books that rhyme, lately. I usually love the rhythm of the rhyme and recognize how the use of rhymes with early readers increases comprehension as well as attention to language. But, for some of these, it is a stretch. Here they are in the order in which I enjoyed them. The great thing about reading is that some of my bottom picks may be at the top of your list. Enjoy!

Working Mummies by Joan Horton, pictures by Drazen Kozjan

Working Mummies starts and ends with plays on words and works these puns into almost every page. The mummy doctor “doses them with coffin syrup.” And one of my favorites: “This mummy’s a librarian./She has a great selection/ of rare and wiggly book worms/in her specimen collection.” While told in a light hearted way, it sends the message that mummies can do anything, be a manicurist, a dentist or a manufacturer, but no matter what they do, they will come home to “hug their boys and ghouls.” 

Miss Lina’s Ballerinas and the Wicked Wish by Grace Maccarone, pictures by Christine Davenier

Another in the series of dancing ballerinas in Miss LIna’s school. When auditioning for parts in the city ballet, all the little girls get to dance the waltz, except Regina, who is cast to be a dancing rat along with Tony. Regina is so upset that she wishes on of her friends will get sick so she can dance the waltz. As her friends succumb to various illnesses, Regina realizes that she doesn’t want them to be sick, and she would rather dance as a rat. As usual, all’s well that ends well and all dancers perform to their highest abilities.

The Monster Who Lost his Mean by Tiffany Strelitz Haber, pictures by Kirstie Edmunds

Monster loses his M to become a monster who is no longer mean. He is drubbed out of the Monster Forest and bullied by his friends, but finds that being Not Mean is just so much for fun than being Mean. He thinks up mean things to do, but without his M, he just can’t follow through. In the end, his new “people-friends” throw him a party to celebrate his new “Onster” state.  The rhymes work and the cartoon pictures are appealing to all.

 

Frankenstein, a Monstrous Parody by Ludworst Bemonster

Staunch children’s book readers will recognize the parody that begins with, “In a creepy old castle/all covered with spines,/ lived twelve ugly monsters in two crooked lines.” Rick Walton and Nathan Hale have teamed up to write this monstrous take on Bemelmans’ popular Madeline series books. Fun for the older crowd.

Kate and Nate are Running Late by Kate Egan, pictures by Dan Yaccarino

Mother, Kate, and son Nate are running late and the morning is a disaster. Between sleeping past the alarm and falling in a puddle, and not being able to find homework, or shoes or socks, it seems that everything is keeping them to getting to work and school on time. Simple rhymes and a simple story line, but it may appeal more to the moms than to the kids. 

Moby Dick: Chasing the Great White Whale by Eric A. Kimmel, pictures by Andrew Glass

Great pictures and I would say that this certainly moves faster and is told in way fewer words than the original, but am not sure this is a story I would ever read to a child. Interesting concept.

Deborah Copaken Kogan

Between Here and April: "Deborah Kogan's fearless novel interrogates one of society's last great taboos--maternal love gone wrong...Reading this book, I felt like I was being told a dangerous secret." Heidi Julavits, from the back of the book.

This is the second novel by Kogan that I have read in the last month or so. Can't remember where I heard about her, but have enjoyed both books. The characters are real and their lives are not perfect, but as a reader, I find myself identifying with these younger women in all the messiness of their lives. In Between Hear and April, Elizabeth is trying to balance her work life with the needs of her two young daughters. Her husband is described as a great dad when he is around. The problem is, he's never around. She begins to have flashes of memory of April, a best friend in first grade who suddenly disappeared. It turns out April and her sister Lily died along with their mother when she committed suicide. The more Elizabeth explores the mystery of her young friend's death, the more she realizes that her life is eerily parallel to Adele's, April's mother. As Elizabeth begins to understand her own needs, she feels she has a glimpse into the heart and mind of Adele. There are many other layers in this novel and it was both an easy and a difficult read.
By the way, Elizabeth also cheats on her husband, but in this case, the author made me understand her at such a deep level, it felt like a natural outgrowth of her problems with her husband. One thing I do like about Kogan's novels is that she wraps it up neatly at the end. I know real life is a lot more messy, but I still like a tidy ending.
Other books read:
A Darkness More than Night by Michael Connelly (book seven in the Harry Bosch series)

“Lauren Fox writes with verve and a keen understanding of human relationships. She also happens to be riotously funny. Friends Like Us is at once a hilarious page-turner and a wise meditation on friendship, marriage, and the ways in which our parents’ mistakes so often shape our lives.” - J. Courtney Sullivan, author of Maine and Commencement 

Given this endorsement, I thought I would love this book, and the author. I was so sure, I checked this book out along with her first book, Still Life with Husband, at the same time. And I was almost right. The writing is clear, precise and has little tidbits of real life that other authors tend to leave out, especially those funny rifs between friends when the littlest thing can make you laugh and only you and your friend think it is funny. While I didn't LOVE Friends, I did like it enough to read Still Life and now as I finish the last 50 pages of Still Life, I keeping asking myself, why? Why am I reading this, why did she write this?
Both books have a pivotal event that is creepy.  Won't give away what happens in Friends, but in Still Life, the main character, Emily, cheats on her husband. This in itself is not the creepy part. The creepy part is that Fox still tries to make Emily a sympathetic character that the reader will relate to and appreciate. And maybe if I were 40 years younger, I might, but probably not.
The other thing about Fox as a writer is that she essentially has one character. Emily is almost the same character as Willa and physically they resemble pictures of Fox. Personally, I think she is carrying write what you know a little too far. Let me know some authors where you find this same phenomenon.  Some people have laid this at the feet of Jane Austen, but I would have to disagree there.
Also reading lately: (Rating based on five star being great and 1 star don't bother!)
Ruby red by Kerstin Gier *** (young adult, beginning of a series, probably won't read the others, complicated plot and didn't hold my interest enough to want to pay more attention)
A Christmas garland by Anne Perry ****
Deadly Valentine by Carolyn Hart **** (love Carolyn Hart)
Deception by Jonathan Kellerman ****
The last coyote by Michael Connelly ****
Trunk music by Michael Connelly ****
Angels flight by Michael Connelly ****
See a pattern here, just started the next MC book A Darkness More Than Night. Have not yet gotten bored with Harry Bosch and his unending temper!
Best news: all these books except Ruby Red  are available through my library on the kindle, so I could take them with me on my trip to Mexico. 

I can't believe I have not posted since the beginning of September! It has been a busy four months and I have been reading, but not as much as usual. this post will include all the books, but not all the reviews. The best books are at the top of the list. New Year's Resolution: revamp the blog and post more often. Let's see how I do with that!

1. Maisie Dobbs  by Jacqueline Winspear: Author recommended by Sheila, these are great books! Mysteries about a young nurse during World War I.

2. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

3. Run by Ann Patchett

4. Fierce angels by Sheri Parks: Non-fiction, one of the best books I read in 2012!

5. The importance of being seven by Alexander McCall Smith

6. A conspiracy of friends by Alexander McCall Smith

7. The dog who came in from the cold by Alexander McCall Smith

8. Corduroy mansion by Alexander McCall Smith

9. The Limpopo academy of private detection by Alexander McCall Smith If you haven’t read any Alexander McCall Smith, make that your new year’s resolution. These are great books and he has several series; a most prolific author!

10.         The red book by Deborah Copaken Kogan More by Kogan is on my list for 2013!

11.         The time in between by Maria Duenas

12.         The undomestic goddess by Sophie Kinsella

13.         I'd know you anywhere by Laura Lippman A stand-alone novel with a great concept for crime fiction.

14.         The devil in silver by Victor LaVelle A realistic fantasy about life in a mental hospital in 2012. Scary in a very deep sense.

15.         Gone girl by Gillian Flynn The book everyone is talking about. The big secret is easy to detect, but the ambiguous ending left me with something to think about.

16.         The black ice by Michael Connelly

17.         The concrete blonde by Michael Connelly Will read more Michael Connelly in 2013

18.         Chasing the skip by Janci Patterson (Young Adult) Contemporary fiction, realistic voice, new author

19.         The stolen one by Suzanne Crowley (Young Adult) Historical Fiction

20.         More than you know by Penny Vincenzi True love gone bad, nothing special here.

21.         The red tent by Anita Diamont

22.         Gold by Chris Cleave This was good, but not as good as Little Bee

23.         An impartial by Charles Todd

24.         A duty to the dead by Charles Todd witness

25.         A test of wills by Charles Todd

26.         A bitter truth by Charles Todd

27.         One day by David Nicholls

28.         The lost years by Mary Higgins Clark

29.         God don't like ugly by Mary Monroe

30.         A stranger's child by Allan Hollinghurst Highly touted literary novel, not my cup of tea, a little too full of itself.

31.         Merry ex-mas by Sheila Roberts

32.         A place of secrets by Rachel Hore

33.         The great escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

34.         Jason's why by Beth Goobie

35.         Now and Then by Robert G. Parker (audio book)

36.         Murder on bank street by Victoria Thompson (audio book)

37.         Landing by Emma Donoghue

Books-August 2012 fiction

I am trying something different this month and will post fiction separate from non-fiction. The fiction list is always longer, thought I'd give this a try.
Thanks to friends and family for great reading recommendations, keep sending those in!

Fiction: in order that I would recommend them.

1. Bury your dead by Louise Penny

2. Breakdown by Sara Paretsky

3. Epic fail by Claire LaZebnik

4. Just flirt by Laura Bowers (young adult)

5. Can you keep a secret? by Sophie Kinsella

6. Breathing room by Marsha Hayles (young adult)

7. Arranged by Catherine McKenzie

8. Night whispers by Judith McNaught

9. Before ever after by Samantha Sotto

10.         The Tiger's wife by Tea Obreht

1.  Louise Penny is a fantastic author and her stories of Armand Gamache, a chief inspector in the Canadian Police Force just get better and better. If you like mysteries and have not read Penny, start from the beginning and read them all. This is the sixth book in the series and within this, she intertwines two mysteries, or maybe even three. Well written and the characters are exquisitely developed.

2.  I love the V. I. Warchowski books. This is the latest in the series and Vic is growing old, but hardly slowing down. Just for fun!

3.  Another recommendation by my sister, Katie. This was a cool re-telling of Pride and Prejudice but for younger readers, set in a private LA high school. Well-done on its own, but if you know P and P, then it’s even better.

4.  A relatively new author out of Maryland, Bowers writes about the difficulties of real life (dads who dies, dads who leave, mothers who embarrass the hell out of you) as well as the difficulties of finding your own place in high school. I loved all her characters, even the despicable ones. Excellent job!

5.  Sophie Kinsella is my new hero! Her writing is funny and her characters say and do things that we all say and do, but don’t usually end up in the pages of a book. Keep writing, Sophie and I will keep reading!

6.  This is the second young adult book this year about a young woman in the 30s with TB who has to go to a sanatorium. The writing is well-done, but this one

7.  At the end of the month, if I have to look a book up on the internet to see what it was about because I can’t remember, then I know the book should not be too high on the list. An interesting premise, a modern-day arranged marriage. But, the telling is just so-so.

8.  Another one I had to look up. This was a book club read, but I did not get to go to the meeting. Pretty much your standard mystery with a love-story. The reader knows the ending by about page 10.

9.  I was not sure I liked the premise of this story, but read it anyway. I would say that this is one I slogged through without really enjoying it. Not sure what made such a big disconnect, but it was not one I would recommend.

10.         Weirdly enough, this book had many similar elements to #9: immortal beings, death of a close loved-one, story within a story. Again, I did not enjoy the telling of this story. Maybe it is the fantasy elements that are not my cup of tea. This one was a National Book Award Finalist, so I gave it the best shot I could, but just did not enjoy!